Jamie had gone to bed as soon as the others had left and Merlin had followed shortly afterwards. He was still considering the problem of the barguest as he undressed and threw his clothes in a heap on the chair.

“Not a pretty sight, Merlin! Must you look so old, dear one?”  Merlin made a lunge for a dressing gown to cover his nakedness, only to find an intruder sitting on it, employing very similar tactics to Heilyn’s sheep. He retreated behind the inadequate cover provided by a small towel and swore graphically.

“Aren’t you pleased to see me, dearest?” The lithe figure reclining on the bed stretched provocatively, trapping the dressing gown ever more firmly beneath her. Long black hair billowed across the bedspread in curling tendrils and the diaphanous gown left little doubt that most men would be very pleased to see her. Merlin bowed with considerable…

I asked the writephoto challenge regulars if they would like to come over and introduce themselves. I would like to introduce my friend, Alethea Kehas who blogs at Not Tomatoes.

Without those of you who write and read the pieces inspired by the weekly photos, thewritephoto prompt would not exist. So, if you follow or take part in the weekly challenge, why come over and introduce yourself too? Just drop me a line…

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I’ve decided to take Sue up on her offer to write a post as one of her #writephoto regulars. Yesterday, a friend of mine stayed for tea after attending my Tuesday morning yoga class. She’s lived about two decades longer than I have yet to live and she remarked how she has reached the point of her life when she really does not care, at all, what other people think. I replied that I mostly don’t care…

We both wanted to be in love

like before we knew what it really was.

When it was just sharing covers and covering our true colors.

Cheeks turning cherry red from what the other said while tryna figure out how to live and die in bed.

Back when hours went unnoticed. Days and months seemed stolen. We played at a pace not much different from pause… a bit slower than slow motion.

Your heart broken and mine frozen.

Damaged goods, but good together as I Iced parts of you that were torn and swollen.

And maybe

We won’t be

eternally

Just you and me…

but after all our old lovers’ commotion…

I think we both just… needed a moment.

Happy Friday, SEers. You’re with Mae today as I trot out the Story Empire Friday Question post:

What is your favorite setting for a novel?

That special “something” that sucks you in like no other element. As an example, my favorite settings cover a broad realm. I’m especially fond of  small towns, coastal settings, old creepy homes, Victorian London, and the late 1800s (yes, I’m going to count time periods, too). But there is one setting I find almost impossible to resist.

Build a novel around a carnival and it’s almost certain I will buy the book.

I’ve been in love with carnival settings (especially mysterious ones) since reading Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes as a teenager. As an adult, I still love going to a carnival, fair, or May Day celebration—all things that take me back to the magical whimsy of childhood.

What is your favorite setting?…

The past year has been one of writing in fits and starts and changing books in mid-stream. It was the first time I’ve set aside one draft to start another, and the first year in which I have only finished one book. So far. But today, I’m very happy to say that The Emisssary 2: To Love Somebody is now available for download on Amazon. 

How It All Came About:

After I published my second Riverbend novel, Finding Hunter, I began receiving a lot of questions about Gabe Angelino, a trucker who played a pivotal role in the story. It appears Willow wasn’t the only one who thought he might be a real angel instead of just a good man. At every local event, someone invariably asked me about that mysterious trucker, so I decided I better do something about it. But what?

I considered the idea for a while, then…

Launching a new book is a time when you are blessed to be part of a sharing community. Reviews are eagerly awaited as your book circulates and so please forgive me over the next couple of weeks as I make the most of this honeymoon period.

D.G. Kaye, Debby Gies featured and reviewed Tales from the Irish Garden on Sunday along with a short extract…and put me on the spot with a few questions.

My today’s Sunday Book Review and something more! Today I’m featuring Sally Cronin from the Smorgasbord Invitation here to share in the news of her newest book launch – Tales from the Irish Garden.

Sally’s storybooks are known for her beautiful short stories and her always interesting characters whether they be stories about people or her garden statues she brings to life in her books – Tales from the Garden written while she was living in…