More Blood and Guts for Six Sentence Sunday

I got major clamors to keep posting six sentences at a time from this sequence following the death of Álvar Sánchez, so here we are, continuing from last week (when Gonzalo the younger was smacked in the face with a sharp lance tip by his own uncle!).

* * * 

At the sight of her son's blood, Sancha lunged toward the wound with a handkerchief grabbed unconsciously from the serving girl Luz's hands. But Gonzalo pushed her away, staining her sleeves with garish red-brown smears. He got back to his feet, wobbling, refusing his brothers' and mother's help with great bravado.

"For God's sake, Uncle," he said almost merrily, "as your nephew, I never deserved such a blow from you." He turned to his brothers. "I beg you not to sue my uncle over my death if I die here."

* * *

Next week: the sassy end of the speech and more blood spilled. Thanks for tuning in and leaving comments. I appreciate constructive criticism for this key scene so very much!

Please visit the other great excerpts here.

Second Sweet Saturday

Sweet Saturday Samples is the best idea I've seen in a long time and I thank the organizer very much. I'm doing something very not sweet on Sundays, so I appreciate the chance to balance my karma on the webs.

This sweet snippet is from "Club Love," one of the stories making their published debut in Threads Woven and Other Stories for Women (see here for cover voting and contest, ends Monday!). The entire book is PG-13, with only one story ("Justine") dropping a well-earned f-bomb and containing a comedy murder. All the other stories are safe G to PG content. Enjoy!

* * *

         “Club Ai,” the sign said. The letters were much more modest than the other tacky billboards in that part of town. Even though it almost looked tasteful, Meredith was bewildered.

“Another club? That’s all I need to make me happy?”

“Try it, you’ll like it,” said Verity, and this time she was telling the truth.

The cover was fifty dollars, which made Meredith hesitate. Verity was so self-assured that she paid for them both, and Meredith’s curiosity became uncontrollable.

“What is this place!” she gasped when they walked into a large ballroom with red wallpaper and lights all along the ceiling. In the center of the room was a huge chandelier of sparkling crystals, and in the corners were tasteful statues of Greek gods and goddesses. Most strange, however, was the row of fifty men standing at attention, waiting for something.

They bowed and smiled widely, and most of them said, “Good evening, madam,” or “You’re looking lovely tonight,” or something similar. They all wore suits or tuxedoes in various colors as though this were the most important night of their lives.

Verity squealed with excitement and grabbed the man on the front end of the line by the arm. “Have fun!” she said to Meredith, and her man gently led her by the arm to a table isolated from the other couples already there. Meredith did not see her again that night.

         Meredith looked up and down the long row of undeniably attractive men, nervously. She felt odd. She felt like she was taking advantage. She felt like those men who came to her for someone to talk at. She shuddered, and suddenly one of the men in particular caught her eye.

* * *

I can't read the samples on Saturday itself because that day is sacred spend-time-with-the-hubby day, but I promise to catch up when he goes back to work! Thanks for dropping by here! 
Also in Nook! 

Alternate Covers for Threads Woven

I've just released a short story collection with this cover. The cover wasn't easy to arrive at, but as I mentioned, it was my husband's favorite of the designs I could get rights to. I thought the picture of the women doing something entirely inexplicable communicated both the power of the women in my stories and the sometimes strange things that happen in them.

But after looking at bizarre pictures of women for several hours, I was also enamored of this one. What do you think? Too far?

Then there's this, using "Vanity" by Auguste Toulmouche. I like the idea of women appreciating themselves, but again, it might go too far.

I fell in love with this picture for its beauty as well as its appropriate content. In "Threads Woven," Leila uses an old quilt both to warm herself and to reach out to Miriam. The black-haired beauty looks a lot like the way I pictured Leila! So lovely. So off limits because I can't seem to contact the artist. Sigh. I can keep trying if you like this one best.

Which one's your favorite? I'll change the cover according to which one gets the most votes! If you leave your email address, I'll enter you in a drawing for a free copy of the book with the cover of your choice! Wooohooo! Drawing takes place on Monday.

Don't forget to get your free sample and inexpensive entire book through this ad. :)

Six Sentences More on the Ill-Fated Wedding

THANK YOU to those of you who enjoyed my clippings the previous two weeks. Your comments are tremendously flattering, and it's nice to know I'm reaching readers, which is my greatest hope. I do my very best to comment on all of your wonderful sentences, too. I hope you'll enjoy this snippet, which comes right after last week's. Here I'm trying to achieve a balance between specificity and speed...

* * *

Ruy Blásquez took Lambra's shaking hands in his and looked into her wild eyes. She wrenched her hands away from him and shouted, pointing at Gonzalo, "Do something! Are you my husband by these nuptials or not?"

Doña Sancha shouted, "Brother! He's your nephew!"

While Gonzalo was looking at his mother, Ruy Blásquez struck him across the face with the sharp end of the lance. He fell onto his seat and blood streamed from a single streak that started on his cheek and went diagonally up the bridge of his nose to the opposite eyebrow.

* * *

More from The Seven Noble Knights of Lara next Sunday, but only if the comments demand it. I've been distracted from it lately, so I'm starting to run out of story!

Check out the other participants here! And have fun!

If you like my writing, and you like stories about women, please consider checking out my new short story collection Threads Woven. Thanks!

Sweet Saturday Samples First Week!

What better way to end the month than with two -- count 'em, two! -- days of excerpts. Today is the first time around for Sweet Saturday Samples, a concept I truly appreciate. See the other non-violent, non-sexual excerpts here. As I wind down my promotions for Sail To Italy and Sail From Italy, I can think of no sweeter book ever written. :)

This silly scene is from the beginning of the first book, when Princess Noreena needs Pirate Pierre to find the fugitive Giovanni Redicci.

Pierre had come with an offer. “I know where your Giovanni Redicci is. I can get him for you, but it’s going to cost you dearly.”

“How much?” was all Noreena said, though she was taken aback. It was all she could do to keep herself from jumping up and down.

“How much are you willing to pay?” he asked.

“How much are you asking?” she insisted. Though she was willing to hock her new silverware, she was a bargainer at heart.

“Sixty five. French francs, please.”

“Oh? I suppose that means I have to go to France, then.”

“Correct.”

“And that will cost me a fortune in itself.”

“Correct.”

“Monsieur Pierre, I’m afraid you’ll have to take down your offer. I do not have adequate funds at the present.” Noreena was annoyed.

Does he think I’ve got French money growing on my courtyard trees?she thought.

Pierre was silent a moment, then said, “I’ll make another offer, but you may turn this down, too. If you sail to Ireland with me, I will detour to France where you can get fifty five, and I will then get this Redicci for you, then you give me the money and do whatever you wish with him.”

“Fifty five, hmm?”

“I won’t go any lower, so accept or find someone else who can find him. Your search parties weren’t doing so well, and only I know where he is. Weigh all this carefully, your highness.”

“Oh, but I do know where he is. You told me yourself just now. He’s in Ireland.”

“Drat!”

See this and other excerpts here. I'll keep future excerpts shorter.

In Kindle, Nook, or paperback, this saga is not expensive, long, or serious. Enjoy!

New Release: Threads Woven (Stories)

Now available by popular demand! Readers have been asking for a collection of my short stories, and I've responded by coming out with Threads Woven, a collection that includes only my most woman-centered tales. This is not because I don't think men are worth writing about or that men shouldn't read my writing. It just seemed like the most solid theme upon which to base a collection.

Included stories (click on live links to read the whole story -- the best preview ever!):

1. "Threads Woven" (never previously published). In this charming longer story, Miriam seeks artistic inspiration in a writing class. Feeling ever more alone, with her husband busy in a career and with a beautiful new running partner, her daughter unavailable and her classmates thirty years younger than she is, Miriam finds communion and inspiration in another drifting soul, in Chinese food, and in an old quilt.

2. "Justine"

3. "Job Fair"

4. "Calcium-Rich"

5. "Slippers"

6. "Club Love"(not previously published). Meredith works at a club where she must cater to her male clients' every whim, so her best friend thinks it's a good idea to take her to a club where the roles are reversed. It seems like a very good idea, for a while...

7. "Green Hot" (never published before). Sheila knows she deserves the promotion that her coworker gets. Her strong conviction literally burns her up from the inside out.

The cover is very blue. It was my husband's favorite of the ones I could get artwork rights for. We both really loved one painting, but I've had trouble contacting the artist. I'll show you the other possibilities and maybe ask you to vote on them in Monday's post!

Here's the buy link to get a free sample of the title story. Also available in Nook! For now, these stories are only in e-book, but one day a paperback will exist that somehow combines all the amazing stories I want to share with my readers.

Treasure Quest: Discovery Lies Between The Covers: Mega Author Blog Hop Tour WINNERS

The winners have been chosen!

Grand Prize Winner of a signed paperback: Barbara (Babs) Hightower

First Prize Winners of digital copies: Avid book reviewer Saph of saphsbookblog and voracious reader Robin D

Congratulations! Enjoy your copies of Sail To Italy and Sail From Italy!

These are my two favorites out of all the wonderful suggestions I got for the coming year of my blog. (Thanks for the compliments! They make me feel like I have some idea what I'm doing!)

1. "I want to continue following your writing adventures!" Kay Springsteen. iluvkimi220 and Krystal Larson expressed similar (flattering!) desires.

2. "It's cool to put up stuff you like... what makes you you... whether it's hot guys or chocolate fantasy painting" Nikki. Robin D made a similar comment. Sorry to say, my interests outside of writing aren't that inherently exciting! But we'll see what we can do.

I'll address all the ideas I received either in an individual post in the coming weeks, or as a general modus operandi in the coming year. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm so glad I asked!

Happy blogoversary to me....