Snippet/Short Story/Something (shrugs) Saturday: Home

Zak walked into the living room, his eyes stopping on a head full of blonde hair. He walked up behind the little girl, kneeling and following her gaze toward the picture of Annie and Pete. He smiled, remembering how happy she'd been on that trip to New York, and he put a hand on the little girl's shoulder.

“Daddy, who's that lady in the picture with uncle Pete?” she asked after turning to look at him.

“Annie, that's your aunt. She had your name.”

“That's silly. Why would she have my name?”

“Because, she was special.” Zak looked at his daughter's round face. “Just like you are,” he said and tapped her little nose with each word before continuing. “She meant the world to me, and if it hadn't been for her, you wouldn't be here today.”

The girl's mouth made a little circle. A look of wonder crossed her face. “Oh. Why?”

Zak heard Kevin enter the room, or more so the gurgles of the baby boy in his arms. He turned, smiling at the man who had been his husband the past five years.

“Because, sweetie, if it weren't for your aunt Annie, your daddy and I would have never met,” Kevin said, and the little girl turned her head fast, whipping Zak in the face with her golden locks.

Zak blew and wiped at the strands of hair that had stuck to his mouth, and he laughed. “I wish you two could have met each other. She would have adored you.”

“I wish I could've, too. She's pretty.”

“Hey, you know what?”

“What?” she asked, eager.

“It's not just a name you two share, Annie. Your eyes are the same exact color as hers were. That same blue. It's beautiful. You're beautiful.”

Zak watched as a smile blossomed on his daughter's lips. His little Annie. He couldn't stop the tears that came to his eyes. Both tears of sadness and joy. It had been six years since he'd lost his sister. Four since his daughter had come along through surrogacy. He thanked Jenn, Kevin's cousin, every chance he saw her for agreeing to carry their first child.

He put his arms around her, hugging her tightly to him. Then he stood, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, giving his cheek a quick peck.

“I love you, daddy. Don't be sad.” She put her small hand on his cheek, wiping at his tears.

“Sweetie, daddy's not sad,” he said, looking over at Kevin who gave him an all too familiar look.

“But, you're crying.”

“That's because I'm so full of happiness I don't know what else to do.” He gave her a good squeeze and kissed her forehead before he returned her to the floor. “Hey, I think you should go check out your room. It's down the hall. You can't miss it; the door's open.”

She smiled and scurried away. Zak had been on the fence about giving his sister's old room to his daughter, but in the end, it felt right. It would have been awkward to have given her the master bedroom. He shook his head at the thought, and then he noticed Kevin putting little Ryan in his temporary crib.

“You sure you want to do this? We have more than enough to buy another house,” Kevin said.

“Yeah. I miss this place, and it's already paid for. With lil Annie starting pre-school soon, we agreed that a smaller school would be better. We're doing this for the kids.”

“It doesn't have to be here. I remember how hard it was on you to stay here after . . . I'm just saying that we can rent this place out and get another. I'd rather not see you go down that road. I don't think I can bear to see you that sad again, Zak.” Kevin walked over to Zak and put his arms on his shoulders, linking his hands behind his neck.

“Now's different, Kevin. When I lost Annie, I'd thought I lost everything. I didn't know if you'd stick around. I was horrible. The mood swings. The crying. I still don't even know why you put up with half the shit I put you through. Then you asked me to marry you.” Zak had been looking down at Kevin's shirt, but then he brought his eyes up to meet Kevin's. “Can't you see that it's different. Before I thought I had nothing, and now . . . I have more than I could've ever dreamed of.

“Yeah, I still get sad sometimes. I still miss her, probably more than I should at times. But, I'm more complete now than I ever was. I have you. We're married, and we have two beautiful kids. And if Annie were here today, I know she'd be so proud of me.”

Tears streaked down Zak's face, but his smile was big. He saw a glistening in Kevin's eyes. He maneuvered a hand around Kevin's arms to wipe at the wetness on his cheeks. Kevin just continued to stare at him.

Zak cleared his throat; he wasn't quite sure what was going through Kevin's mind. “We should go check to see how our daughter likes her room.”

Kevin's hands moved from the back of Zak's neck and were on either side of his face almost immediately. “Wait. Have I told you recently how much I adore you? How much I love you? Because I do. I love you so much, and I don't know what I'd do without you.”

Kevin's mouth was on his. A searing heat coursed from where their lips met and spread deep through his body. In that instant he knew they'd made the right choice. He knew they were home.

Snippet Saturday: Guest Author S.L. Baron with an excerpt from 'Blood Ties'

Cover for 'Blood Ties' by S.L. Baron

Blood Ties

An Excerpt from S.L. Baron's newest release

Thad started as Annelie tossed the newspaper onto his chest. She stood in front of him, arms crossed over her breasts, as he reclined on the sofa in Kali’s Cabaret’s office. “You’re in one of the photos.”

He grabbed the paper, examining the part she had folded to the beat of the music below. “Well, fuck me dead. There I am.” His shoulders lifted. “Least I shaved for it.”

“Seriously? That’s all you can say?” Her eyes roamed over his face as she shook her head. “Do you know how much danger that puts us in? One of those agents could’ve recognized you from before! Idiot.”

Thad sat up, putting the paper on the table beside him, and released a slow breath. Annelie made it clear every day that she didn’t like how he did things, not that he had wanted to be there. The thought of his former lover feeding from children still turned his stomach. Kali was at least honest with me about herself when she hired me. But, since none of the Children of the Night volunteered to help with the upcoming intervention, Shreya had convinced him to join Annelie in Las Vegas. Couldn’ say no ta an Original, could ya, Thaddy? Not like ya ever say no ta Kali, either.

“Lemme get this straigh’. Ya think that—” he pointed to the paper “—is gonna expose vampires ta the world? Not, say, Lucian’s face on the back a his books, Livia an’ her well-known theatre company—”

“Just…  stop. Listen, I know you didn’t want to be here and I didn’t want…” Annelie stiffened as she looked up at the doorway behind Thad.

Thad followed her eyes and rose to his feet beside her, a wave of abhorrence rolling over him from Annelie’s direction. Only one immortal can cause that reaction. 

He studied the vampire before him, Annelie’s estranged sire. The Ancient stood quietly just inside the doorway, his perfectly tailored pinstripe suit giving him the air of a business executive. Jet lashes framed his amber eyes; the soft light of the room cast a warm glow on his smooth, shaved head. An aura of dangerous power and sensuality radiated around him. Fancies himself somethin’. Then again, wasn’ he a pharaoh?

“Hello, Annelie.” The vampire’s gaze slid over her schoolgirl outfit, then met her face, his lips rising into a cocksure smile. “It’s been a long time.”

“Centuries. I liked it that way, Pepi,” she replied, covering her bare midriff with her arms. “Why are you here?”

Pepi tilted his head to the side, pouting. “Hmm, not the warmest greeting I’ve ever had, but I expected nothing less really. From you.” He cleared his throat. “Nunzia and her Pet saw your Mo Cheann Beag on the television. An airport in Madrid.”

“An’ ya were worried about ma photo in the paper,” Thad breathed, rolling his eyes.

Pepi turned, looking at Thad as if he were an insect, before returning his attention to Annelie. “Does Kali know what she’s doing? And with a child vampire. I knew you liked to feed on the young ones—getting back at the world for the cruel loss of your own family, I imagine that’s how you justified it—but siring one? That’s different now.”

“Bridget has Kali’s blessing.” Annelie’s voice wavered. Her eyes avoided Pepi’s. “As for the child, I’d never… Shreya and Ajit have joined her cause. They—”

“Shreya and Ajit?” Pepi’s face lit up. “The mythic children! How long has it been since they surfaced? Four thousand years now? They must love you.”

She closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to them. “Why did you come here?”

Pepi smirked, clearly pleased about the discomfort he caused the other vampire. “We—my coven, I suppose you’d call it—were curious. Nunzia, especially, thought it might be an enjoyable endeavor if it involved tormenting terrorists or some such activity.” His lips pursed. “Plus, I thought it might be nice to visit my first fledgling. You know how special you are to me.”

“Yes, I have always felt so special,” Annelie snapped, glaring at him. “When you held me down, forced immortality on me when all I wanted to do was die. Special, my exact thought… You didn’t even have the courtesy to heal my scars before siring me.”

“After all these millennia, that’s still the thanks I get.” With lightning speed, Pepi was beside her, stroking her back. “You deserved better than crucifixion, nailed to a wooden cross, rotting along the roadside for all of Rome to see. The scars are there to remind you of your mortal life, for you to appreciate the gift I gave you.”

Thad watched as Annelie wilted under her sire’s touch. The mix of terror and revulsion in her topaz eyes made his chest tighten. And, before his brain registered what his body was doing, his fist met Pepi’s face, making the Ancient stumble backward.

Annelie inhaled a startled breath, covering her mouth.

Pepi cradled his nose as it healed and then shook blood from his fingers. An instant later, he slammed Thad against the wall. “How dare you lay your hands on me?” Rage burned in his eyes as he lifted the weaker vampire by the throat. “Do you know who I am? Pepi II Neferkare. I was the longest reigning pharaoh of Egypt, deputy of the gods on this earth during that time, last great pharaoh of the Old Kingdom. And you are… who? Who are you to touch me?” He banged Thad’s head against the wall hard enough to dent the plaster.

Thad wheezed, the breath that had been knocked out of him returning as the bass from the music below vibrated through his body like a heartbeat. “Thaddeus P. Boyd. Kali’s personal assistant.” A grin turned the corners of his mouth up as a tremor went through Pepi. “Ya know Kali well, don’cha?” The Ancient’s grip eased. “Didn’ she run ya down in the middle a the night ta sire ya?”

Pepi bared his fangs, a low hiss escaping him as his face moved for Thad’s neck.

“Get off of him,” Annelie commanded, her voice steady as she walked closer. “You know Kali won’t be happy if you hurt him.”

Pepi slowly released Thad, letting him slide to the floor, then turned to her, running a hand over his head.

“Go. If you want to help in Bridget’s crusade, I can’t stop you. Take Nunzia, your little coven—” she spat the word “—and find her and Ajit. They’re in Egypt. You’ll feel right at home, I’m sure.”

“Indeed.” The ancient vampire straightened his double-breasted jacket. “I had hoped this meeting would be more pleasant, Annelie.” He turned and left without another word.

Thad rubbed the back of his head as Annelie knelt beside him. “Thinks highly of himself, doesn’ he?”

“He could’ve killed you.”

“Yeah, well… coulda. I was more scared when I thought Livia was gonna destroy me for makin’ out with her daughter.”

“Idiot.” Amusement laced the word.

A corner of his mouth quirked up. “I’m startin’ ta think that’s a term of endearment from ya.”

Annelie’s face softened as she shook her head at him. She gently tilted his chin up, the tips of her fangs peeking out from her parted lips.

Thad raised an eyebrow at her. She’d been adamant about not sharing her blood with him during their two years together. “Ya never… an’ I don’ think after…” His gaze shifted from hers.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me. I haven’t truly forgiven myself, but I’ve come to terms with who I was and what I did.” Annelie bit her bottom lip. “Despite what I did and how it disgusts you, you stood up to Pepi, risked your life. Let me do this.” She nuzzled his neck, then slid her teeth through his skin before he could protest.

“Shit,” he breathed, a jolt of pleasure mixing with the pain. His fingers wove themselves into her hair, his teeth tingling at the thought of tasting her blood. Her hand glided up to the back of his head and eased his mouth down to her throat, inviting him to drink. Without another sound, he bit down. Dark chocolate and red wine flooded his mouth, healing his bruised body as it spread through him.

*This excerpt is from S.L. Baron's brand new release 'Blood Ties'. Baron is an awesome writer, and I highly recommend her work. Please, help me in making her book launch a huge success and go grab a copy: here. While you're at it, pick up 'Vanilla Blood', the first book featuring her awesome vampire characters. Great books from a great author!

Writer Wednesday: Week Forty-nine

For those of you unaware, I'm running behind schedule on this week's Writer Wednesday post. Busy week. Lots of stuff going on, but it's not like I'm out and about. Not that I ever really was, because I'm pretty much a shut-in. I've trained years for what people are currently doing—self-isolation. Other than that, I hope everyone is okay.

So, this week is Week Forty-nine of Writer Wednesday. And yet again, it isn't a single author being featured but an entire group, some of which have been individually featured in this series in the past. So, the feature for this week is the group WPaD or what is also known as Writers, Poets, and Deviants. I love this group. They've put out multiple anthologies, and they have a new one coming out in a couple of months. I have a couple of stories in the newer releases from the past couple of years. Partial profits from the sales of these anthologies go toward MS research. So, you get great stories and get to help out a great cause all at the same time, who wouldn't love that. What are you waiting for? Get to clicking on the links to find out more about WPaD, its authors, and its anthology.



WPaD Facebook Page

WPaD Twitter

WPaD Website

WPaD Amazon Author Page


Books:

Goin' Extinct: Tales From the Edge of Oblivion

Creepies: Twisted Tales from Beneath the Bed

Creepies 2: Things that Go Bump in the Closet

Creepies 3: Nightmares on Deviant Street

Strange Adventures in a Deviant Universe: WPaD Science Fiction

Weirder Tales: An Omnibus of Odd Ditties

Nocturnal Desires: Erotic Tales from the Sensual Soul

Dragons and Dreams: A Fantasy Anthology

Passion's Prism: Tales of Love and Romance

Tinsel Tales: A Holiday Treasury

Tinsel Tales 2: Holiday Hootenanny


Thanks for joining me this week for Week Forty-nine of Writer Wednesday. I hope to see you all again next week (we have an awesome fantasy writer queued for Week Fifty). Remember, support indie authors and leave reviews for their works. Every review helps an author out.

Snippet Saturday: 'Special Birthday Gift' an excerpt from Wraith

* * *

I look up from the coloring book I’d gotten for my birthday as Momma walks in the room. I smile at her.

“Do you like your birthday gift, Coral?” she asks.

“Yes, Momma. Thank you,” I tell her, and then point at what I’d been scribbling. “Look! Purple clouds and gold lightning, like Bashy’s eyes.”

I look back at the page, frowning. My bottom lip pushed out.

“It’s so beautiful, baby! Why the sad face?” She places her forefinger and thumb under my chin, bringing my head up so she can see my face.

“I thought he was going to be here today. He promised to be here for my birthday, Momma,” I say with a sniffle.

“Aw, it’ll be okay, sweetie! Maybe you should go to the living room. I’ll get you a piece of cake and a scoop of ice cream, what do you say?” She smiles and kisses my forehead.

“I guess. Is it chocolate ice cream?” I ask.

“Of course, silly. That’s my favorite too,” she says with a laugh.

I get up and run down the hall to the living room. Turning the corner, I spot purple and green balloons, and then I see him and his father.

“SURPRISE!” they both shout.

I giggle and run across the room to hug the boy standing there. He bends down and lifts me up. His light blond, shaggy hair tickles my nose, and I push it away.

“Bashy!” I screech.

“Hey, birthday girl! How old are you today? Three? Five?” he asks, playing around.

“You know I’m four.” I hug him tighter. “It’s late. I was thinking you wasn’t gonna make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss your birthday for the world, little Coral Ann.” He kisses my cheek before setting me down on the couch. “Now, I’ve got something for you, but you've got to come to my birthday party next week. Okay?”

“Oh, your birthday’s next week? I will ab-sap-o-lut-y be there.” I turn to see Momma. “Won’t I, Momma?”

“Absolutely, sweetie,” she says and laughs.

“Bashy, how old are you gonna be?” I ask.

“Twelve. That’s eight years more than you.” He smiles.

“How many’s that?” I start putting up fingers as I count. “One, two, three—”

“It’s three of you, kid. Now, do you want what Bastian brought you or you planning on spending the day counting?”

“Xander,” Momma says.

“Dad, be nice,” Bashy says at the same time.

“Sorry,” Xander says and walks toward Momma.

Bashy turns and goes to the door to grab a bag sitting next to it. I can see a rounded fluffy brown ear sticking out the top, but Xander’s whispers behind me grab my attention.

“I don’t like it. He’s getting close. You should’ve left by now,” he says to Momma.

“Two weeks. I promise. Let them enjoy their birthdays before we go uprooting them again. Coral’s finally starting to act like a normal kid . . .”

“Hey, earth to Coral Ann.”

I look back at Bashy. He’s snapping his fingers in my face, and he smiles when he knows he’s gotten my attention.

“Sorry. Bashy, are we leaving again?” I ask.

“Hey, don’t worry about that. Here, check this out,” he says and pulls a humongous teddy bear, nearly as big as I am, from the bag he’d brought over.

“It’s so big!” I squeal, grabbing it and squeezing it.

It’s soft and gives slightly as I hug it.

“So, I take you like it?” he asks.

“It’s my new favoritest thing in the whole world! Thank you, Bashy!” I say.

“Wait, I thought I was your favoritest thing?” he pouts at me.

“You’re my favoritest person, silly!” I giggle. “You’re my best friend.”

He sits down next to me and squeezes me and my new bear to his side. “Coral Ann, I want you to remember, I’ll always protect you. No matter what.”

Without much thought, I say, “I know,” and smile, snuggling into his side.

* * *

Writer Wednesday: Week Forty-eight

Hey, everyone! How have y'all been this week? I was going through looking for links for this week's author, and I found something interesting. They too had been sharing authors and their works for a time on a site called dreamwidth. I'm not familiar with the site, but I'm slightly disappointed with myself for not knowing they were sharing, especially when I saw they were kind enough to share my work. So, let's get to this wonderful person.

Writer Wednesday: Week Forty-eight's featured author is Akje Majdanek. I haven't had the chance to read Akje's work, yet, but I do have a couple of her books on my Kindle app and, therefore, on my TBR list. I should bump them up the list. So, here we go. Below are the links where you can find Akje and her works.


Akje's Twitter

Akje's Wattpad

Akje's Dreamwidth

Akje's Amazon Author Page


Books:

Der Reiter

The Anarchist (Flickers Book 1)

The Crossing (Flickers Book 2)

Flickers Box Set

The Loves of Hippolyta

Ashes

Stabiae

Quiver Fool

You can also find Akje's short story 'Inconvenient' in the One Million Project: Thriller anthology.


Thank you for joining me this week. I hope that I'll see y'all all again next week. Maybe I'll get my act together and actually start posting the Monday posts soon. Remember, support indie authors and please leave reviews for their work.

Short Story Saturday: 'The Window Man' by Guest Author Xanxa Symanah

Check out Xanxa's full-length novel by the same name.

The Window Man

by Xanxa Symanah 

I lean back in my chair and look at the view from my window.  My window in my office.  The office which I now occupy as befitting my status.  For so many years, I have merely existed at the whim of others and allowed myself to be used by others.  No more.  A change has been wrought and the balance of power has moved in my favour.

I have achieved the infamy which I desired all along.  People may curse me or fear me but they will never forget my name.  I will live on in the tales they tell their offspring at night (why do so many species do this?  Frighten the little ones half to death, THEN expect them to drift happily off into sleep?) and the rumours which spread like forest fires.

If you ever see me in your window, you know you are doomed.  Even if you don't see me, and I am there, it still spells your swift demise.  The missions are similar, the reasons are similar, only the chain of command has changed.  I now call the shots.  I have minions waiting to do my bidding and apprentices hanging on my every word.  I rule my own private empire.

A God? No, I still prefer to think of myself as a man.  Not just any man, I am the Window Man.  Closing the shutters will not keep me from your window.  I know the deepest secrets of the soul, I know the lies, I made them myself.  And I will not hesitate to use that knowledge against you.  In fact I will delight in it.  If I were given to dancing, I would dance on your grave.  In reality I prefer to celebrate my victories in a far more modest and seemly manner.  I get blind drunk ... alone ...

Alone.  Still alone.  Even after all this notoriety, there is still nobody to fill the endless void which threatens to consume me with all the might of a black hole.  There is a vast black hole where my soul is supposed to reside.

There have been interested individuals over the years, but none of them have survived their liaisons with me.  To be touched by me is to embrace death.

Alone.  Lonely at the top.  The fact I am so remote from all who cower beneath me only serves to reaffirm my status.  I can trust nobody, admit nobody into my inner sanctum.

I am the Window Man.  I come with a lifetime guarantee ... yours or mine?

A Freebie for Friday

'To Save Lives' is free until March 8th. It's a spin-off short story from my Halfborn series. Get a glimpse at two kinds of vamps from my series—the Abominates and the Wraiths.

What are you waiting for! Go grab a copy of this free short story here: 🠞 To Save Lives

Thank you so much if you get a copy. I appreciate your support. Please consider leaving a review. 💖

Writer Wednesday: Week Forty-seven

Welcome to Week Forty-seven of Writer Wednesday. How's everyone doing? I don't know, no one ever says, so hopefully, y'all are well. This week's gonna be a quick one.

This week's featured writer is Belinda Witzenhausen. She a writer, creativity coach, and artist. By what I could tell, she's working on a novel which hasn't yet been released. Below are the links where you can find Belinda.


Belinda's Facebook Author Page

Belinda's Website/Blog

Belinda's Twitter


See, told you it was going to be quick. I hope to see everyone again next week, but keep in mind, I'll be drawing Writer Wednesday to a close soon. Remember to support indie authors. Leave them reviews. Heck, give your favorites a shoutout on Facebook or Twitter. Send them a message letting them know just how much you like their work and why. Tag them in pictures of you holding their books. And, please, don't get books from pirate sites. Thanks for stopping by and showing your support here.