I've Been a Bad Blogger

I'm a terrible blogger. If you even half attempt to follow me here, you know, I am a HORRENDOUS blogger!

The thing is, time is at a premium for me – I work full-time outside the home, I have two children in school – one in high school, one in elementary. My day job requires me to travel 3 to 4 times a year. I don't really mind (a week in a hotel room all to myself is still one of my favorite travel perks! lol). One of the best things about the job is that I get to be online through Twitter and other places during the day (but Twitter is best, I can get in and out quick, and still keep up with my friends and such and it's not a huge timesuck on my job hours). 

At home, it is a very different story. With the exception of Friday evenings, most of my time at home is spent preparing dinner, picking up or dropping someone off, overseeing homework, bathing and various other tasks and chores, so by the time I'm done, it's nearly 10:00, I'm beat, but everyone's in bed, and the house is quiet.

For the last several months, I have made a deliberate point to spend my evening computer time devoted to writing. Well, except for Fridays. I am OFF from Everything on Friday nights! But for the most part, that's exactly what I've been doing at night, writing and editing. To the point where I missed the last couple of new Criminal Minds eps, and I'm kicking myself over it!!! I'll catch up on Youtube one of these weeks (months, years, etc.)

Anyway, I think many of my writing goals have been attained, though perhaps at the expense of being more promo-oriented and interactive than I am. But I have another full-length novel due out this spring or summer, and a lead short story in the very-soon-to-be-released Sizzler Editions anthology, Bound for Love (edited by the fantastic Sascha Illyvich). I'm on the verge of wrapping up edits on my sci-fi romance ms, have another lined up for editing, and am halfway through the next new Marchand book. And I keep telling myself the readers would rather have more books from me, instead of listening to me blabbing about the current hot topic of the day.

Although, again, on Fridays, it might not be a bad thing to steer clear of me – on many Fridays, I quote lots of song lyrics. And I'm a huge Bruce Springsteen fan – he shows up a LOT! Lol

So forgive me for being such an infrequent blogger, and while I intend to work on getting better at it, in the meantime, here's a snippet from my upcoming short story, Fantasy Unbound:

This could not be happening! Emily blinked back tears, and prayed she would wake up from this horrible dream. But the cold metal cuffs around her wrists assured her this was no dream.

"Okay, Ms. Valerian, come this way."  The female officer motioned Emily to follow.

Finally. Emily stood, her shoulders aching and numb from the length of time she'd been handcuffed.   "When are you going to tell me what's going on? You haven't explained the charges. I'm a police dispatcher in Tyrrell Gardens. I know you have to tell me why I've been arrested."

"Yeah, right. Nice try, lady. Come on."

She'd been kept cuffed and on the bench for far too long. She tried to insist further, but the officer merely told her to shut up. The uniformed woman was no better than the male officers, with their frightening sneers and muttered comments, such as "it's about time," and "it's all over now." Clearly they thought her to be someone else. But who? And what the hell had this person done to warrant such loathing? When she got out of this mess…

The female officer stepped behind her and unfastened the cuffs. Emily dropped her arms to her sides and they exploded into pins and needles. She dully obeyed the officer's orders and was fingerprinted, photographed, all on equipment so old, she'd never even seen the like in photos. And then, finally they allowed her to make her call.

She dialed the only person she could think of.

***

Devon slammed the car door shut and started the engine in one motion. He could still hear Emily's frantic cries, her sobbing voice rasping over the line as she tearfully explained her predicament.

"Devon, they arrested me! I think they think I'm someone else!"

The words echoed in an ominous loop, and his heart wrenched to think of his Princess being mistreated. Not that she knew he thought of her that way - they worked together on the small police force a few towns away from where she'd been booked.  Any relationship between them was impossible. He was a detective, she was a dispatcher. They'd worked together for two years now. A grim smile curved his mouth as he recalled anxiously awaiting any and all communication from her while in his car. But he'd never acted on his longing, for several solid reasons.

First and foremost, the department could fire them both. He wouldn't risk her job for his own selfish wants. So he'd spent the last couple of years being Emily's friend, though he wanted so much more from her. Hell, even if he had the balls to risk a relationship, once she found out about his sexual tastes, she'd run screaming from him as fast as she could.

Still, the notion that tonight's events could be used to his advantage wouldn't go away. He made a left at the next light and headed toward the highway that would take him to her. His gut twisted to think of how afraid she must be. Once he spoke to the idiots at Fair Valley PD, her ordeal would end. Or maybe not. He recalled his last encounter a few years back with the police force in this ultra-conservative, rural area. They had made their disdain for updated technology clear, and even then, they'd still been using equipment that had to have dated back to the Forties. Didn't matter, he'd get her out of this mess, and put an end to her anguish.

Why did he have the feeling his ordeal was only beginning?

Keep an eye out for the release date for the Bound for Love Anthology. I'll be sure to post the info here, as well as out on Twitter. Here's the sizzling hot cover. Enjoy!