For this week's Rainbow Snippets, https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/ , I've clipped one of my favorite bits from my short story "How Sweetly the Whippoorwill Sings". Something about that crushed rosebud just does me in. It's rather understated, and dramatic, and a fanciful way to refer to lust.
~~~
“I’ll find you.” Jake’s gaze was solemn again, and full of promise. “If you make me feel this way after meeting you twice, I want to see what happens if we actually go out on a date.”
“Yes. Yes, please.” Everett slid a hand down his tie and checked his boutonnière. The rosebud was fine, though it would probably bruise soon, having been crushed in the embrace.
~~~
The buy link for the story is here:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5003
And it is on sale this week, too. :)
But for those who'd like a taste of the story without the commitment, I did write a free snippet that went along with it, and you can find that here:
The Nightingale's Confection
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2014/11/free-fiction-nightingales-confection-by.html
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Saturday, January 30, 2016
coffee maker search
The search is on!
My coffee maker died recently and, after having a horrible morning without coffee, I have been searching for the right one to replace the broken one. There are a lot of coffee makers out there in the world. A lot. I'm having a tough time deciding what to get, and sometimes the reviews on the product are not helpful. How can one person find it to be the best appliance of all time and another to find the same machine to be an engineering nightmare? So, I'm still looking. I think I've found the one for me, but it is across town at a store, and I'm not going anywhere near the store until Saturday afternoon is over. Saturday afternoon is resplendent with gobs and gobs of shoppers. I don't need the coffee maker until morning -- I've made due with buying coffee and with making delicious cups of tea so far. My trek for caffeine will take place tonight!
My coffee maker died recently and, after having a horrible morning without coffee, I have been searching for the right one to replace the broken one. There are a lot of coffee makers out there in the world. A lot. I'm having a tough time deciding what to get, and sometimes the reviews on the product are not helpful. How can one person find it to be the best appliance of all time and another to find the same machine to be an engineering nightmare? So, I'm still looking. I think I've found the one for me, but it is across town at a store, and I'm not going anywhere near the store until Saturday afternoon is over. Saturday afternoon is resplendent with gobs and gobs of shoppers. I don't need the coffee maker until morning -- I've made due with buying coffee and with making delicious cups of tea so far. My trek for caffeine will take place tonight!
Friday, January 29, 2016
hedgehog superhighway
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/01/26/464307528/british-homeowners-build-a-new-superhighway-for-hedgehogs
Oh, the poor little hedgehogs! I hope everyone makes adjustments to their fences so they can thrive. And stop littering plastic cups.
Oh, the poor little hedgehogs! I hope everyone makes adjustments to their fences so they can thrive. And stop littering plastic cups.
Free Fiction: Winter By the Ocean, Part II
"Here, put this on your head. It'll keep the swelling down." Dylan handed over a kitchen towel wrapped around a handful of ice cubes. He'd found the towel in a drawer, pristine and white and Dylan hoped he wouldn't be charged extra if the blood didn't come out.
"Thanks." Saph took the towel and lifted it to his head. He touched it gingerly to the bandaged area, winced, and then settled it more comfortably. With one hand committed to the towel at his head, he leaned against the counter in the kitchen and ran his other hand across the granite tile. "Nice place. You live here?"
"Only for a little while," Dylan said. "I've rented the place for a short vacation." He gathered a wad of paper towels from the dispenser on the wall, which was one of the few things that broke the overall décor of the home. The dispenser was painted purple and green with a child's scrawl across the back of it declaring love for mommy and daddy, while the rest of the house settled somewhere between modern and homey chic. Dylan used the paper towels to sweep the remains of the first aid actions into the trash bin.
Saph had been bleeding pretty copiously, although by the time Dylan reached him, he hadn't been actively bleeding. All the blood was tacky, nearly dry, and just looking rather gruesome. Dylan looked under the sink to see what cleaning supplies the family stocked. He should probably spritz the counter down with bleach, or something.
"Vacations are good. What are you on vacation from?" Saph asked. He watched Dylan clean up. "I don't have anything, if you're worried about that. Diseases, I mean."
"Good to know," Dylan said. He ignored Saph's question. If he didn't need to think about work, all the better. That's what he was on vacation from. "But it's still a good idea to disinfect. When I leave, the family that lives here won't know that."
"I see what you mean," Saph said. "It's a nice house. They must be well off, to have a second home like this."
"I would guess so," Dylan said. He finished wiping down the counter and threw the damp paper towels in the trash behind the rest of it. He contemplated his unexpected guest for a moment. There were dark circles beneath Saph's eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days, and his skin looked washed out. Saph sported a knit cap that kept Dylan from learning the color of his hair, but the stubble on his chin was sandy colored. "Do you need anything?"
Saph picked up one foot and waggled his toes in his borrowed wool socks. "Warm and cozy, thanks to you."
"Water? Coffee?" Dylan asked.
"Nah, I'm fine." Saph turned his attention to the windows, which were enormous and allowed a generous view of the ocean. "It's warm in here and I can see the water."
"I'm going to make myself some tea," Dylan declared. He figured he'd make enough tea for two, and once it was prepared, Saph might consent to have some. The man looked like he needed a hundred cups of tea and at least twenty sandwiches, just to get that pallor off his cheeks.
He'd brought Saph inside, concerned about the bashed area on his forehead, and his bare feet on the cold, wet sand, and Saph had allowed assistance with the wound, and accepted the socks, but hadn't wanted anything else. Dylan didn't really want Saph to stay any longer than necessary, but he didn't quite feel that allowing him to leave yet was the proper thing to do. Saph's closed off body posture, pitiful thinness, and wandering gaze that returned to the ocean given half a moment made Dylan think he wasn't quite up to leaving on his own cognizance.
"If you're having some, I suppose I might," Saph said. He switched hands on the towel of ice to his head, wincing again as he changed pressure.
"You said you slipped in the surf and gave yourself a knock on the head," Dylan said. "You're not nauseous, right?"
"No. Steady as a rock." Saph chortled at his own play on words.
"Why were you out there in the cold water, anyway?" Dylan filled the kettle with tap water and put it on the stovetop to heat. Saph had admitted to how he'd been injured, but not what had lead up to it. Dylan was curious.
Saph's gaze wandered away from Dylan and he went back to looking out the windows toward the water. "Good question," he said. "Why were you here in this house to see me? What are you vacationing from?"
A pulse of annoyance tightened Dylan's chest. He hadn't been the one in need of assistance, so he didn't feel that he needed to explain anything about his situation. After a moment, Dylan said, "I'm on vacation from work."
Saph snickered, and gave a sideways glance at Dylan. "Then, so am I."
"Thanks." Saph took the towel and lifted it to his head. He touched it gingerly to the bandaged area, winced, and then settled it more comfortably. With one hand committed to the towel at his head, he leaned against the counter in the kitchen and ran his other hand across the granite tile. "Nice place. You live here?"
"Only for a little while," Dylan said. "I've rented the place for a short vacation." He gathered a wad of paper towels from the dispenser on the wall, which was one of the few things that broke the overall décor of the home. The dispenser was painted purple and green with a child's scrawl across the back of it declaring love for mommy and daddy, while the rest of the house settled somewhere between modern and homey chic. Dylan used the paper towels to sweep the remains of the first aid actions into the trash bin.
Saph had been bleeding pretty copiously, although by the time Dylan reached him, he hadn't been actively bleeding. All the blood was tacky, nearly dry, and just looking rather gruesome. Dylan looked under the sink to see what cleaning supplies the family stocked. He should probably spritz the counter down with bleach, or something.
"Vacations are good. What are you on vacation from?" Saph asked. He watched Dylan clean up. "I don't have anything, if you're worried about that. Diseases, I mean."
"Good to know," Dylan said. He ignored Saph's question. If he didn't need to think about work, all the better. That's what he was on vacation from. "But it's still a good idea to disinfect. When I leave, the family that lives here won't know that."
"I see what you mean," Saph said. "It's a nice house. They must be well off, to have a second home like this."
"I would guess so," Dylan said. He finished wiping down the counter and threw the damp paper towels in the trash behind the rest of it. He contemplated his unexpected guest for a moment. There were dark circles beneath Saph's eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days, and his skin looked washed out. Saph sported a knit cap that kept Dylan from learning the color of his hair, but the stubble on his chin was sandy colored. "Do you need anything?"
Saph picked up one foot and waggled his toes in his borrowed wool socks. "Warm and cozy, thanks to you."
"Water? Coffee?" Dylan asked.
"Nah, I'm fine." Saph turned his attention to the windows, which were enormous and allowed a generous view of the ocean. "It's warm in here and I can see the water."
"I'm going to make myself some tea," Dylan declared. He figured he'd make enough tea for two, and once it was prepared, Saph might consent to have some. The man looked like he needed a hundred cups of tea and at least twenty sandwiches, just to get that pallor off his cheeks.
He'd brought Saph inside, concerned about the bashed area on his forehead, and his bare feet on the cold, wet sand, and Saph had allowed assistance with the wound, and accepted the socks, but hadn't wanted anything else. Dylan didn't really want Saph to stay any longer than necessary, but he didn't quite feel that allowing him to leave yet was the proper thing to do. Saph's closed off body posture, pitiful thinness, and wandering gaze that returned to the ocean given half a moment made Dylan think he wasn't quite up to leaving on his own cognizance.
"If you're having some, I suppose I might," Saph said. He switched hands on the towel of ice to his head, wincing again as he changed pressure.
"You said you slipped in the surf and gave yourself a knock on the head," Dylan said. "You're not nauseous, right?"
"No. Steady as a rock." Saph chortled at his own play on words.
"Why were you out there in the cold water, anyway?" Dylan filled the kettle with tap water and put it on the stovetop to heat. Saph had admitted to how he'd been injured, but not what had lead up to it. Dylan was curious.
Saph's gaze wandered away from Dylan and he went back to looking out the windows toward the water. "Good question," he said. "Why were you here in this house to see me? What are you vacationing from?"
A pulse of annoyance tightened Dylan's chest. He hadn't been the one in need of assistance, so he didn't feel that he needed to explain anything about his situation. After a moment, Dylan said, "I'm on vacation from work."
Saph snickered, and gave a sideways glance at Dylan. "Then, so am I."
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
oh dear...wrong word
Sometimes, my typing abilities just aren't quite what they should be, but the word program doesn't flag the problem because it is a word, just the wrong word.
From this Friday's story:
Wrong: Saph sported a knit cat that kept Dylan from learning the color of his hair, but the stubble on his chin was sandy colored.
Right: Saph sported a knit cap that kept Dylan from learning the color of his hair, but the stubble on his chin was sandy colored.
I wish I could draw, because a knit cat on someone's head would be hilarious!
From this Friday's story:
Wrong: Saph sported a knit cat that kept Dylan from learning the color of his hair, but the stubble on his chin was sandy colored.
Right: Saph sported a knit cap that kept Dylan from learning the color of his hair, but the stubble on his chin was sandy colored.
I wish I could draw, because a knit cat on someone's head would be hilarious!
Monday, January 25, 2016
more ocean, and Simmer
I've gone back to Winter By the Ocean, and am getting a bit more done on that for this upcoming Friday. As usual, these little stories don't always move along the track I originally thought they would. This one is getting a bit more difficult than I thought it would. But I sort of like the way it is getting difficult -- it's stretching the way I tend to write characters, and that's a good thing for me.
In other updates: got to see the cover for Simmer today (new anthology), and it is quite the eye-catcher. Go take a look:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7453
I'm not sure there could be something more suggestive -- the way the fork is impaled on the strawberry, thrust deep into the tender, juiciness of the fruit, and then the chocolate sauce drizzling down, promising to coat sweet and bitter on the tongue, in concert with the tart freshness of the strawberry, and yet in complete contrast to that brightness of summer fruit and sunshine promise, and caught in that splendid moment just as it is making an utter, gooey mess of things....
Well. *fans self* Metaphors are not for the weak, right?
In other updates: got to see the cover for Simmer today (new anthology), and it is quite the eye-catcher. Go take a look:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7453
I'm not sure there could be something more suggestive -- the way the fork is impaled on the strawberry, thrust deep into the tender, juiciness of the fruit, and then the chocolate sauce drizzling down, promising to coat sweet and bitter on the tongue, in concert with the tart freshness of the strawberry, and yet in complete contrast to that brightness of summer fruit and sunshine promise, and caught in that splendid moment just as it is making an utter, gooey mess of things....
Well. *fans self* Metaphors are not for the weak, right?
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Rainbow Snippets, Misunderstood Hotness
For Rainbow Snippets, I'm harking back to a fun free read I'd posted way back a year ago: Misunderstood Hotness.
Here's a link to Rainbow Snippets (to find other great snippets!): https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/?fref=nf
Here are those enticing lines:
~~~
Mason edged in a little. "Do you think we could seal the agreement with a pre-date kiss?"
Lloyd narrowed his eyes. "Don't push your luck. You're hot, but I don't know if I actually like you yet."
Mason laughed. "I look forward to earning that kiss."
~~~
Links to the story:
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2014/12/free-read-misunderstood-hotness-part-1.html
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2015/01/freeread-misunderstood-hotness-part-2.html
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2015/01/free-fiction-misunderstood-hotness-part.html
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2015/01/free-read-misunderstood-hotness-part-4.html
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2015/01/free-read-part-5-of-5-misunderstood.html
Here's a link to Rainbow Snippets (to find other great snippets!): https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/?fref=nf
Here are those enticing lines:
~~~
Mason edged in a little. "Do you think we could seal the agreement with a pre-date kiss?"
Lloyd narrowed his eyes. "Don't push your luck. You're hot, but I don't know if I actually like you yet."
Mason laughed. "I look forward to earning that kiss."
~~~
Links to the story:
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2014/12/free-read-misunderstood-hotness-part-1.html
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2015/01/freeread-misunderstood-hotness-part-2.html
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2015/01/free-fiction-misunderstood-hotness-part.html
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2015/01/free-read-misunderstood-hotness-part-4.html
http://trayellis.blogspot.com/2015/01/free-read-part-5-of-5-misunderstood.html
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