TUESDAY TALES - FREE READS FROM 10 AUTHORS

Welcome and thanks for stopping by. Our authors are writing to the prompt of "wish" today, so appropriate just before New Year's when we're making wishes for the new year. Hope you like our stories, please feel free to leave comments. Happy New Year to y'all!  
 
Jean Joachim (Contemporary romance - Rated R)

Grey and Carries Christmas - Part Three

  The gentle push from two fingers into her shoulder roused Carrie from her slumber. She opened her eyes and yawned.

            “We’re almost there. Turning on Route 517 now,” Grey said, maneuvering the car into the turn smoothly.

Lindsay Downs  (Romantic Suspense)

"Well, are you just going to stand there all day, like a dodo bird or are you getting on," he asked as he gave the rear seat a pat.

Her upper lip curled up at the corner, like she was going to snarl. "My bike, I drive. Your bike, you drive. Which means you get the 'bitch seat' buster."

 Sherry Gloag(Contemporary Romance)

“A source close to the film star Pattie Cratchet revealed the star told everyone at the new Year’s Eve party she wished she’d never entered the competition that brought her to attention of today’s leading film director.”  The radio announcer’s plumy voice filled the elegant bedroom.

Karen Cino (Contemporary Romance)

It took Alexandra a few days to assess Billy’s proposition on Christmas Eve.  She had gotten lost in the moment and didn’t take the time to think about it before responding.  When Billy left Christmas night, she second guessed her decision.
J.R. Jenkins (Contemporary)
I look at her, completely confused, and then I remember that the mistletoe was hung up over the backroom door still. I’d been so careful to not get caught under it with her despite all of her attempts to catch me. I’d locked lips with just about everyone that I work with – including Raven and Andy, several times I should add – all in an effort to not have to kiss her. Every year, she gets me one way or another. I just don’t want to lead her on. It’s all strictly lust at this point and that’s dangerous.

Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy (Contem. romance)

Wish I May, Wish I Might

Above the rugged Ozark hills stars, resembling diamonds, sparkled in the night sky and Carin gazed upward with a rapture usually reserved for church.   The heavens glistened in the darkness and evoked dreams of other places far away, locations she’d dreamed about as long as she could recall.  Her reality – the ancient forest where she lived in a rusty old mobile home no longer moveable,  her mundane job in the local poultry processing plant deboning chicken by hand each night, and her lifelong poverty – she loathed.  

 Cecilia Robert (Paranormal Romance)

Ela drew her legs up, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her chin on her knees. She watched the snowflakes as they swirled,  performing a tuneless ballet of sorts. Finally, they settled on the white ground outside of the window, merging and becoming one with the lump of snow. Unidentifiable.  She closed her eyes and exhaled.

It was no use wishing that things were different...

Kathleen Ball (Contemporary Cowboy Romance) 

"Summer's Desire 21"

If Summer had just one wish it would be that, their kiss would never end. Stone's masculine lips captured hers, branding her. Her heart fluttered and all thought fled. His lips on her neck seared her soul. She didn't deny the chemistry between them. That had never been the problem.
Stefan Ellery (Sci Fi/Fantasy)

Paul stood opened mouth and arms wrapped around his body at the
request Silf just asked of him.  “Why do I have to do that?”
She looked exasperated “Your going to have to take your cloths off
it’s the only way to see.”
Linna Drehmel (Scifi Fantasy)
Truth Be Told, Part One

The dragon was as tall as a Clydesdale, with the shear mass of a small elephant. He had beautiful shimmering emerald green scales. His large wings were a thin membrane that attached along an arm like appendage ended with almost hand like talons. He had large gold eyes that looked sad and a little wild.

TUESDAY TALES - FREE READS FROM 11 AUTHORS

Welcome and thanks for stopping by. Our authors are writing to the prompt of "Christmas" today, so appropriate with Christmas but a few days away.  
 
Jean Joachim (Contemporary Romance)
"Carrie and Grey's Christmas"

Carrie sat back against the fine black leather passenger seat of the Jaguar XK as Grey maneuvered it skillfully along the curves of the Palisades Parkway. Although it was Christmas Eve, it was only seven o’clock in the morning. 

Sherry Gloag (Contemporary Romance)

“Tell me about your favourite Christmas.” Melanie sat back and watched the two brothers stare at each other as if they’d been pole-axed.
“Surely you celebrated Christmas at the palace?” Concern for the royal siblings pushed her back in her chair.
Karen Cino (Contemporary Romance)The scent of freshly baked brownies still lingered through the house.  Alexandra sat at the dining room table with a mug of homemade hot chocolate with mini marshmallows floating in the center.  In the middle of the table was an angel candleholder, which housed a bay berry scented candle.  
Lindsay Downs (Christmas Story)

"Wonder if that was business or pleasure?" Emily asked.

In the kitchen, each took to a task in preparing the necessary fixings for sandwiches.

Linna Drehmel (Sci/Fi, Fantasy)
"Burdens of Proof, Part 5"

“Please don’t do this.” Natalie managed to plead with him. She was growing faint, from the loss of blood and the lack of air because his knee didn’t leave much room for her to breathe. “I know you had feelings for me Bal’thon. I heard it in your voice.”

E. a. Irwin

“You want what?”

  I stared into the small, bloodshot, piggy eyes of my next-door neighbor. His appearance resembled one of the members of ZZ Top—an out of shape, bare-footed, frighteningly tattooed, cigarette-sucking, beer-swilling member none of the group wanted. I didn’t even mind tattoos. Some ink is quite beautiful; however, his were just plain ol’ ugly. Did I mention his fingernails resembled yellowed eagle talons?

 Stefan Ellery (Sci Fi/Fantasy)
Paul couldn't believe it, once again he was sitting in a spacecraft staring at a blue alien.  This time the alien was a girl, a beautiful girl.  it didn’t matter that her hair was green or her skin was blue,
she had to be the most attractive being he had ever met.
Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy  (Romance, mature)
  He promised he’d be home so she waited up, wrapped in her favorite pine green robe he bought her last Christmas, sipping hot chocolate and listening to Christmas carols on the stereo until she couldn’t push the tears away any longer.  The old black rotary phone on the end table mocked her with silence and so Lela surrendered to the sorrow she’d ignored for hours.  When the grandfather clock chimed out the midnight hour, she knew. He wasn’t coming home in time for Christmas.
J. F. Jenkins (Contemporary)

It’s Christmas Eve and we’re all gathered around the piano at the shop. It’s tradition to lock the doors at five.

Kathleen Ball (Modern Cowboy)

"Summer's Desire"The sound of Summer crying was too much for him to bear. She'd shut herself into her room and wouldn't answer him. Rachael looked ready to kick him with her shiny patent leather shoes. Stone couldn't blame her; he'd been an ass once again.
Kay Springsteen (Contemporary romance, "R")
By midmorning, Garrett limped his way along the main drag in Annapolis.  

TUESDAY TALES - FREE READS FROM 11 AUTHORS

Welcome and thanks for stopping by. Our authors are writing to the prompt of "holiday" today, so appropriate with Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's approaching.  


Jean Joachim (Contemporary Romance - "R", language)
"Grey & Carrie's Christmas, Pt. 1 from "The Marriage List"
 December 23, four p.m.

Grey inched his Jag XK into traffic and moved slowly toward the West Side Highway along with the other drivers anxious to start their Christmas holiday. Thrumming his fingers on the steering wheel, impatience tugging at his nerves, he wanted to get home.

Karen Cino (Contemporary romance)

Alexandra tied the belt around her red and white fleece robe, the one Billy had waiting for her after making love.  Billy had strategically planned out the day and didn’t miss a single thing.  The matching robes added the finishing touches, leaving her hungry for more days like today. 

Linna Drehmel (Sci Fi/Fantasy)

"Burdens of Proof, Pt 4"

With all of her might she yanked her left foot back dragging Bal’thon’s foot with hers. In that split second when he was off balance she shoved his chest and he fell, landing hard on his back. She sprang into action and tried to jump over him and run, but Bal’thon took a wild swipe at her left leg as she made her desperate attempt to escape and the blade of his dagger sliced though her dress and cut deeply into her left leg.

Linday Downs (Christmas Story)
With everyone so intent on catching up, no one heard Jenna when she drove up to the house. The holiday hosts, Alison and Richard Bosch, along with Emily Dahill, and Maggie and Jack from England, walked out on the flagstone deck.
Sherry Gloag (Sweet Contemporary Romance)

Henri Pierre Gasquet hesitated before knocking on his father’s office door.  They’d shared breakfast together less than an hour ago and talked over many things, including Henri’s killer schedule for the next several months.  The king had given no indication of the need for a formal meeting this morning.  With a fatalistic shrug, he knocked, waited a second, then turned the handle and entered the room.

Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy (Literary)

"Holidays of the Heart"

  When most people talked about their family home, the ancestral manse, they referred to something grand, a mansion maybe or at least a fine old house with both style and character.  For Ruthie and the rest of her large and now scattered clan, their grandparents’ home came closest to being an old home place or family home any of them could claim.  Despite the sentimental clutter surrounding any thought of the place and the love drenched memories, she admitted the house was nothing more than an old frame house in a poor neighborhood, one never aspiring to any pretension beyond blue collar.  The roof sagged, the walls leaned, and the sole fine thing to come out of it had been love.
Stefan Ellery (Sci Fi)Paul, couldn't believe this was happening to him.  His parents gone in

a matter of minutes.  He did not know what to do.

J.R. Jenkins (Contemporary, holiday)

 “Why would I give up the best thing that’s ever happened to me?” I didn’t really think about it as I was saying it. It just sort of came out. The words didn’t suprise me so much as the bluntness.
Kerry Flowers  (Mystery/suspense)

The night was anything but perfect, so thought Amber as she pulled into the driveway of her home. She just got back from the third blind date she was set up on this week. The night started out like any ordinary night does for a single mom, trying to raise a daughter, but the blind date made it a bad night.
Kathleen Ball  (Contemporary cowboy romance)
"Summer's Desire"
Most days Stone didn't know what to expect. One moment Summer looked at him with her big green eyes filled with longing and immeasurable promises. Then she'd give him the look of the devil for something he supposedly did.
Kay Springsteen (Contemporary Romance -"R")
“Stupid!” muttered Anna under her breath as she yanked open her closet door. She reached in, shoving dresses and blouses back and forth without really seeing what she was touching.

TUESDAY TALES - FREE READS FROM 15 AUTHORS

Welcome and thanks for stopping by. Our authors are writing to the prompt of "fire" today, so appropriate with winter approaching.  

Jean Joachim (Contemporary Romance, Rated R)

 "Champagne for Christmas"

The heat she felt for him rose in her chest…flirting came back so easily, like riding a bicycle. She looked right into his eyes.  

 Cathy Greenfeder (Hitorical Western Romance)

"Wildflowers"

"He fell into my fire," Ryan told her. "I need some cold water."

"Oh, dear!" Mabel peered at Seamus' leg. "It looks awful. We need to bandage that as well." She climbed into her wagon, and, after a few minutes, returned with strips of cloth. "These should do."

Johanna took them and ripped them into smaller pieces.

"Where's your water keg?" Ryan asked impatiently.

"Don't shout at me!" Johanna snapped. "You should know where it is—tied to the wagon."

"Get it."

"Get it, yourself." Their gazes locked.
Linna Drehmel (Sci Fi)
"Burdens of Proof"

With out so much as a sound he lunged forward, gripping his left hand non too gentle on her throat making it hard for her to breathe.“What are you doing?” She choked. “Let go!” She desperately tried pry his hand from her neck.
Michael Charton (Romance)
She walked in the room at the Christmas Party in smoldering red.  Heads turned immediately.

 Lindsay Downs (Christmas Story)
Following his mother's lead, he made sure the others stayed low to the ground. A dash here and there with a corrective nip helped keep them lower than the windblown grass.
Karen Cino (Contemporary Romance)  

Alexandra wiped the ice off her black and white ski pants.  For the past hour, Billy and she had been ice-skating on the lake down the road from her house.  Billy stole the show with his strategic skating steps, while she spent most of the time on her butt.  She’d fall, Billy would pick her up, she’d skate a few feet and then back on her butt again.
E.A. Irwin (Paranormal Mystery)The aroma of caramel bloomed in my head. Creamy. Sweet. The rich flavor flowed across my tongue, waves of decadence filled my mouth with distinctive pleasure as I savored the thrill-induced taste.
Kay Springsteen (Contemporary Romance, Rated R)
 The wind ran capricious fingers through Celine’s long dark hair. Perhaps she should have put it up, since she was driving her brand new red convertible with the top down. But something about the freedom in being just a little wild had made her chuck the scrunchy so her hair could fly out behind her.
Stefan Ellery (Sci Fi/Fantasy)
Paul relished the freedom he had, when his parents went out to work, he would escape the confines of the house.  He still had the
protection of the nano shield.  If he did not take advantage of it
then he would be wasting a valuable gift.
Kathleen Ball (Modern Cowboy Romance)
"Summer's Desire"
Summer could feel the fire of his stare. It infuriated her that his gaze could make her feel so hot. Why wouldn't he just go back into the barn and leave her alone? If weakening her resolve with his sexy stare was his plan, then he
was winning.
J.R. Jenkins (Contemporary)
With Megan I feel all sorts of things though. Love, God I love her, and I always will. She was my first and she’s been my only. Anger, that was another emotion that passed through me too. I’m not sure if it came out at all, but it was definitely there. Longing, because I missed her and I miss being wanted by someone. I miss being someone’s everything. Fear, I still didn’t trust her.
Cecilia Robert (Paranormal Romance)
"All Over Again"

Fire surrounded her, everything a blur of red, orange and black smoke, a scene from hell.

This must be what it felt like to burn alive, Cynthia thought, struggling to hold her breath, avoiding to breathe the blackened smoke.  Tears sprang from her eyes, and glided down her face, cooling her face.
Sherry Gloag 

Snow, silent as stealth, filled the driveway beyond her front door. Inside silence filled the room while she sat staring at the fire.

“Can you see the pictures in the flames?”  Her mother’s voice came across as clearly as if she stood next to Monica.

She’d been five the first time her mother asked the question.  Five and eager to experience something new.
Lena Hart (Romantic Suspense)
Marc sat across Amber Bennett in the small interview room and studied her. It was no secret she was hiding something. He could see it in her big brown eyes and the way she pursed her full lips before she spoke. 
Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy (Romance - heat level 3) 
“Better?” he asked and she nodded, her head tucked against his shoulder.
             “Oh, yeah,” Shelby said.  A different kind of heat enveloped her and she struggled to remember the lines of a Robert Frost poem, Fire And Ice without success.  “I’m warm now.”
            Mike cradled her in his arms as he settled into his big man’s recliner, a chair larger than the average one with plenty of space for two .   

           Her fingertips traced his lips and as if prompted, Mike

kissed her, his mouth warm and sweet over hers until she forgot the ice for the moment, drowning in a wild, wonderful fire searing her veins.