50% off this weekend!

Fire on the Water, my new suspense erotica is 50% off this weekend (June 10, 11 and 12th).

Here is the link: http://www.phaze.com/book.php?title=Fire+on+the+Water

Use the promo code: SCHOOLSOUT


Here is an excerpt from Fire on the Water:


“Cole?” I called out across the water, still unable to spot him. I bent
low to turn the radio off.

“Hey.” A deep, throaty voice said, only inches from my ears when I
stood back up.

A scream ripped from my throat, startled at Cole’s sudden
appearance. I twirled on my toes to give him shit for scaring me, but my
legs were weakened from my intense run earlier and failed me. My body
fell backward in slow motion and instantly Cole grabbed for me, his ice
blue eyes large with surprise. His arm extended out, but he missed and I
fell backward into the bay with a tremendous splash.

Cool water engulfed me, swallowing my body. I planted my feet on
the hard clay bottom and pushed up to the surface. Swiping away the
water running down my hair and over my face, I glared up at Cole. He
tossed his head back in a roar of laughter and I gritted my teeth until my
jaw ached.

“Not funny, Karson.”

“Depends if you’re dry or not, Rach.”

“I prefer to swim in a bathing suit, not fully clothed, thank you very
much.”

“Or naked.” Cole’s voice dipped low and the shiver that tingled
across my skin had nothing to do with the late summer temperature and
everything to do with the memory of Cole spying on my one and only
skinny-dipping adventure last summer. Apparently, wine has a tendency to
loosen my inhabitations a bit too much.

Fire on the Water is coming soon

I am thrilled to announce the release of FIRE ON THE WATER from Phaze release date is to be annoucned, but it will be soon! www.phaze.com
I love, love, love this story and am excited to see if in publication. Originally this story was loosely based on the fairy tale Three Little Pigs. There is a big bad wolf, homes destoried and three friends that must work together to save their home.

I have a character crush!

I am mega-crushing on a fictional character! Who is this quirky guy who has me dreaming of writing a character similar to him? It is none other than The Hatter from the 2009 tv mini-series ALICE. (Click HERE is the IMDB details). Sorry Johnny Depp, Andrew Potts has won me over!

Not only is the actor playing Hatter yummy, but the life he brings to the character has me weak in the knees. Have you ever seen a character that was so well acted, written, developed, played, that you can't help but swoon a little?

If you haven't seen this mini-series I highly recommend you do!

*sigh* this is the kind of movie and Hatter is the kind of character that keeps me awake at night dreaming of writing my next great character just like him.

Nano journey - Kick off Party

Life is busy. Between life, work, family and having just a tiny little bit of you time, when do you write?

I kook forward to November and the approaching NANOWRIMO with the anticipation of a kid starting a new school year. There is excitement, but also that underlining fear of failure.

But then my husband pointed out something. If I write and write and write and only get 40,000 done, have I really 'failed'? Part of me wants to jump up and down and shut 'Yes you fool! My goal was 50k, not 40K!', but maybe he's right.

I have always wanted to write a story with a theme/journey that it is not about winning, it is about finishing. Maybe that will be my 2011 Nano story!

Happy writing!
Kendal

HIW - Finishing a story

HOW I WRITE is a blog series where writers of different genres discuss how they go about the business of writing a book. Like snowflakes, writers are unique and we have unique ways to produce our creative product, our books. So walk with us, learn from us, and help us become better writers in the process. Click HERE to visit the other authors in this series!

There is a quote I read last week that went something like this: True happiness in life is having my beginnings than ends.

I really took that quote to heart for my personal life, but not so much for my writing career. This topic had me reviewing what I have on the go and I have at this moment (drum roll please) 5 wips - 2 of which are full novels.

What is the negative to having all this on the go?
1) In theory I should never hit a wall. If I have more than one story to focus on, I can keep my plot bunnies working all the time.
2) When I decide to refocus on one story, I have to reread what I have written to get back into the voice and groove of the story. This will either excite me and prove that I am on the right track, or I will start edits to fix what wasn't working anyways.
3) If I hear of a submission call...hey, I might just have something tucked away.

But what are the negatives?
1) Sometimes (mind you it is rare) I have the desire to work on two stories at the exact time.
2) It takes longer to finish a WIP if I am jumping too it.
3) I look at the amount of open stuff I have on my plate and want a nap. The pressure and self-induced stress can feel overwhelming not having enough time in the day to get to the deadlines I want too.
4) Heaven forbid I have a major writing sprint and finish everything - I'll have to edit everything at the same time and I hate to edit!

Having more than one WIP on the go doesn't work for everyone and to be truthful I wish I didn't work that way myself. I rather focus and get one writing, edited and out first, but where the fun in that? And that's really what it comes down to for me - writing is a passion for me at this point before it is a money making career, so at this point in my career I am letting my imagination, heart and plot bunnies led the way. :)

Has having more than one WIP on the go been a good or bad experience for you?

Happy writing,
Kendal

HIW - Starting a new WIP and tools to get the job done

HOW I WRITE is a blog series where writers of different genres discuss how they go about the business of writing a book. Like snowflakes, writers are unique and we have unique ways to produce our creative product, our books. So walk with us, learn from us, and help us become better writers in the process. Click HERE to visit the other authors in this series!

Starting a new story and tools I use

I was giddy to see this topic! Something I have knowledge on! Is it a problem that at any given time I have 6 WIPs? What can I say, I don't like writer's block. The more pans in the fire the more I can jump around.

I just started a new WIP - a sweet, adult short aimmed for a submission call of 20-25K. Since the story has such defined word count guidelines, I wanted to do things a bit different with this story (isn't there wisdom in the old truth that when we stop learning we die?) So in the spirit of that, I wanted to try something new. For this story I used character graphs *gasp* and I plotted the story from start to end, chapter by chapter. I am very excited to sink my teeth into it because there is zero chance I will run into a wall - I seriously hope I am not going to have to eat these words.

Here's the odd thing: The ending came to me before anything else. I had a vague idea of the story, but was unsure how to make it work. Then out of nowhere, boom, I actually visualized the ending. So I wrote that down in point form in a Word doc. Then I bugged my CPs, my husband, my dog - I'd say even my cats, but nothing bothers them - until the rest of the story fell into place.

I am attaching a copy of a character chart below, but in summary, I think this is a new way for me. I can't foresee any roadblocks or reasons why I can't work through things. I feel I can easily wrap up the story within the 20-25K guidelines. And I think I have a pretty great little story here!

Okay, off I go to write! Good luck everyone! If anyone would like a blank copy of the character chart (the pretty one in Word) send me an email at kendalashby@gmail.com or leave your email in a comment here and I will make sure I send it to you.

Cheers!

Kendal



Here is the chart I used for the heroine, Amber Sinclair. (it has pretty colours and is divided into boxes, but I am not techincal enough to get it to appear that way here)

Character: Amber Sinclair
Role: Heroine
Height: 5'5"
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Brown
Body Type: Slim
Age during Story: 32
Profession: Runs the animal shelter in small town.
Background/childhood: Normal family life. Parents still together and live in the same small town she grew up in. Her husband left her last year, cheated on her with more than one person from town. She threw herself into the animal shelter and the animals, giving up on love.
Archetype: The Nurturer

Goal (physical need, what they THINK they need) To raise $8,000 to pay back taxes, insurance and repairs on the shelter – otherwise she will have to close it since government funding has dried up.

Motive (emotional need, what they really need) Her entire life is the shelter and the animals. She will be heartbroken and lose the purpose of her life if she can’t raise the money.

External Conflict (physical): The auction is a lot of work and she is determined to make it a success. When Em (bff) suggests they add a bachelor date-off part, she is hesitant but agrees. She is also worried about money, and with old Dr. Morgan retiring as the town vet, she is afraid the ‘new guy’ won’t give her a break on the outstanding vet bill or a discount on future services.

Internal Conflict (emotional): Worried about the attraction she is feeling for the new vet, Dr. Rick Barron. But since he’s so secretive and hot, she is determined to get him in the auction.

Positive Traits: Optimistic (not about love), Determination

Negative Traits:Unrealistic, poor book management, self-sacrificing

Fatal Flaw (Achilles heel, the one thing designed to bring them to a standstill in their present way of being): If she loses the shelter, her world, which has only been holding together since her ex husband left her, will fall apart.

Secret (the lie they tell themselves to get by): Her animals are all that she needs to feel love.

Epiphany: If she opens her heart to Rick, she might find love.

HIW - Research

HOW I WRITE is a blog series where writers of different genres discuss how they go about the business of writing a book. Like snowflakes, writers are unique and we have unique ways to produce our creative product, our books. So walk with us, learn from us, and help us become better writers in the process. Click HERE to visit the other authors in this series!

Research

I'm a big believer in writing what you know. However, you can't always do that. Not when the plot bunnied grab hold demand you explore new direction. I'm not big on research. There I said it. I look up whatever details I need, but that's about it. For example I wrote a short involving a cruise ship so I went and got some of those glossy booklets (day dreamed about going myself for 'research' purposes) and used them to help with description etc.

I recently picked up a great book to help me get to know different citys and towns. Since I am Canadian and most of my stories are based somewhere in the States, I find this book very handy. Writer's Guide to Places by Don Prues and Jack Heffron may be worth checking out. Some of the things it anwsers are: In what New Orleans neighborhood would your villian commit a crime? What kind of food is your Vancouver native most fond of? What slang does your Ohio character use?

Happy writing!

Cheers!
Kendal

Excerpt Monday

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other.

SETUP: This is a scene from my Young Adult novel, Melody's Song. Melody has a run in with Nate - literally.


The cool night air slapped me in the face when I opened the side door to escape and it took me a second to realize it was drizzling. The misty rain pattered down against my hot skin. The chill felt good. It might not be that long before we got snow. It snowed in Ohio, right? A tinge of excitement coursed though me. My first snowfall! My eyes widened as I strained to look at the misty rain, searching for that alluring first white flake.
A low chuckle came from the semi-darkness behind me. I pivoted to search for the source, my balance tittering on an unsupported ankle and I crashed to the ground.
Two hands reached out to grab my arm, but my rear hit the cold pavement before they could get to me. Nate knelt down, concern etched on his handsome face. Well, concern and amusement. My heart skipped three beats, forgetting for a moment how to work.
“Are you okay?” I could hear him straining to keep from laughing. Smart guy.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I tried to brush off splatters of mud clinging to my jeans, but like day old grease in a grease trap, it fused to my pants.
“Let me help you up.”
“No thanks, I got it.” An edge of annoyance crept into my voice. Did he purposely wait in the dark to scare me? The rain started to pick up, fat droplets plunging to the ground around us, sounding like fingers tapping on a desk. I ignored his outstretched hand and struggled to my feet.
Pain shot through my ankle and rippled up my leg. Hot tears prickled at the edges of my eyes, but I swiped them away. Nate’s arm encircled me before I tumbled back to the wet pavement.
“Whoa. Steady. Your ankle?”
“No my ear. Idiot,” I snapped. It felt like a smoking red hot poker straight from a blacksmith's forge was searing straight through the skin and skewering the bone. I desperately wanted to stop the tears threatening to overflow. But it hurt. I mean it really hurt. Like the kind of pain I imagine a guy would feel if his dick got caught in a zipper. A zipper with razor sharp teeth.
“Can you walk on it?”
I clung to Nate’s strength, his warmth seeping through my shirt and into my chilled skin. Our eyes locked and for one blissful second I forgot about my ankle. His chest rubbed against my side, my hands gripping his taunt biceps. Our faces were only inches from each other and his breath a wisp of vapour.
“Can I take a look?”
I nodded as he assisted me over to a bench near the store’s front door. The rain pelted off the tin roof above us making a musical hymn. I concentrated on the sound, trying to keep my mind off the pain. He knelt on the ground in front of me and held out his hand, palm up. Our eyes met and I hesitated. Was I doing something wrong? Could I screw up my assignment anymore? I’m pretty freaking sure falling for your Charge was a big no-no. What would the Senate think? What if they reassigned Nate’s file? What if…wow he smelled amazing. I filled my lungs with the earthy scent making me light headed. I lifted my leg and let his warm hands examine it. My stomach did a nosedive when he touched my skin. A jolt shot through my blood and tingled from the tip of my toes to the top of my ears.







Links to other Excerpt Monday writers
Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

How I Write - Ideas

Welcome! Click a picture above and link to the HOW I WRITE! home page so you can visit all of the writers involved in this week's blog series! I big thank you to Ansha Kotyk for being the organizer of this blog series!

I am very excited to get out and read how other writers come up with their story ideas because I really struggled with this topic.

I'm not really sure how I come up with my ideas - but interestingly enough, earlier today I did plot out a new short! I got my newest idea from watching tv and seeing a character trait I wanted to write. So I got out my pen and paper, put a gender twist on a classic idea and wrote out a few things things that could happen. At this point in my "Idea" stage, I don't have names (these come much later and after much time wasted on http://www.babynames.com/).

Truth be told, the notes I wrote today most likely won't get another look or thought on for about 6 months. Later tonight, I will add it to my word doc called "Plot bunnies" with point form bullets. Once I am looking for something fresh to write, I will consult that file, see what outline grabs my attention, and start working on it.

So, back to the key question, where do I get my ideas from? Mainly they just hit me over the head like little pebbles pinging off a second floor bedroom window of a teenager. The stories come in pieces - usually the key conflict first, the scene/plot next and lastly the characters.

It is worth noting that for the passed 3 years...the same amount of time I have been writing...I had a long commute to work (1 1/2 hour drive each way) and my plotting, story creation and ideas came to me while driving and listening to the radio. Now that I am working from home, I have been tempted to just get in my car and drive when I am blocked, but I can be a bit scattered brain and am worried I'll end up a day's drive away from home before I realize I should turn around.

I am thrilled to be part of the HIW (How I Write) blog series and look forward to next week's topic : Character/World Building.

Thank you for reading!

Cheers,

Kendal

Lost count of days - Writing Goals

I had a great weekend! The wedding we went to was beautiful. Now I am back and ready to get back on the ball. Today I've had my wip open most of the day but haven't gotten a lot done. In total I have 300 words in a scene I was dreading writing so that is exciting.

Tomorrow I plan to pre-write a special post for Wednesday (so come back on Wednesday!) and get 1,000 words in.

I had a lot of time today to think about time management. I use to be so good with my time but these days it seems to slip away from me too quickly. My goal for this month is to get a better handle on my time and how I spend it.

I hope to break 500 words tonight! Back to writing.

Cheers,

Kendal

Day 4 of 29

Ugh. Another zero word count day. But surprisingly I am okay with it. Here is why: I did a lot of research on a contest/conference I want to attend (New Jersey's Put Your Heart Into a Book - late October) and committed to entering the contest! As a result I polished my first chapter, inserted two crit changes I had on it and sent it to a friend to get her feelings for it.

The contest also calls for a dreaded synopsis so I started one for the book.

So even though the word count actually dropped 50 words with the edits, I still feel like I had a productive day. It just goes to show that it is not only about writing, there are a variety of other important parts to being a writer.

Friday to Sunday I am away at a wedding. At this moment I am hoping to get up in the morning and work on the synopsis I have to have first draft done by Sunday night (that is my goal) but the truth is we already have to be on the road at 7:30 a.m. so the chances of actually writing are slim lol. At least I am being honest with myself and my goals.

Have a great weekend! I'll be posting against starting Monday. Also starting Monday is the first day of my goal to July 26th to get Scavenger Hunt completed (1st draft done).

Cheers,

Kendal

Day 3 of 29 Writing Journal

Today was almost a complete bust and for no reason! I had the day planned to just write. As always, other things cropped up. I did manage to crit 11 pages for a CP and we are meeting tonight to discuss the pages we have exchanged.

But seriously, where did the time go? I didn't surf as my internet was acting up, and yes I did work for my 'other' job...but 7 hours worth?

Finding a balance is going to be a challenge for me. Now that I am home full time with two careers on the go, I need to dedicate time for each. By the end of these 29 days I was hoping to have a near complete MS, but maybe I will have something of equal importance - an understanding on how I best work and how to time manage two at home careers.

I just looked at my break down of when I want things do be done. On July 26th I am going on a family vacation. So my goal is to take Scavenger Hunt and have first draft (35,000 K away) done by that day. That gives me 43 writing days to write 35,000 - given a buffer of 7 days for non-writing in those 43 days, that means I have to write 1,000 words a day starting this Monday (June 14th) to Sunday, July 25th. I always find breaking things down makes it seem more achievable!

Off I go to plot out the scene for tomorrow.

Cheers!

Kendal

Day 2 of 29

Day 2 and I am disappointed to say I didn't get any writing in yet. Due to personal family stuff, I spent the day with my family out of town. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I have almost all day to write. My goal is 1,000 words or more. Maybe I'll really push and aim for 2,000! I'll post an update at the end of the day.

Tomorrow is Wednesday and I am meeting with my CP in the evening to go over the pages we exchanged. I love this online meeting time to talk about our wips and bounce new ideas off each other.

Tomorrow my many focus is finally to write a major scene I skipped before because I am worried about doing it justice. But enough time has passed and I have to bite the bullet and just do it. As a writer, I find it easy to move forward but more challenging to go back and actually fill in what is missing, but if I don't go back, I'll never reach the true end.

Happy Writing!

Kendal

Finding Time to Write

It is the struggle that we all face. How do you juggle life, work (if you are like most writers and have a primary day job) and writing? For me, I have been debating this question a lot lately. In May, I left my full time employer to start a new home based business with the goal (or hope) of being able to write more.

A month has come and gone and I have written nothing. I have made great headway with the new business but I am not feeling satisfied. Writing has once again taken a backseat to the other things I have on my plate. So what can I do about it?

Easy. I can trust myself and my dreams and actually put the time in to make them come true. Gosh, it sounds so simple when I actually write it down.

So starting Monday, I am going to write. Each and every day. I will be positng an online journal here on this blog, not so much for my readers to follow but so I have accountablity for my actions. I know the month of June will be a difficult one to meet my goal since I have a 3 day wedding, a mini vay-kay planned, and of course - hours and hours (and hours) of setup time on my new business. But regardless of all those, I will write. From June 7th to July 5th - 4 weeks (29 days) - I committ myself to writing 25 of those days and posting on this blog 25 times.

On another note, I have joined Excerpt Mondays! Coming Monday, June 28th we are having FULL FREE Reads!

Cheers!
Kendal

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the EM website! Below is a snippet from my story ALL ABOARD. I love to share beginnings and hear what you have to say, so please leave a comment and let me know :) Enjoy!

Chapter 1

“And now as an expression of your hearts linked together in love, join your hands.” The minister’s voice carried from the altar to the back of the church.
“Blake, do you take Hilary to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, so long as you both shall live?” The minister paused, before looking at the couple. “Now, of course do not answer that today, Blake. We’ll save the official answers for tomorrow.”
A few laughs filtered through the room. Cayley Summer’s heart was a tight lump in her throat. Tomorrow it would be official. Blake would marry Hilary. She let out a deep breath and focused on Blake. He was so gorgeous in his jeans and collared golf shirt. The man could wear a burlap sack and still give her chills. God only knows what he’ll look like in his tux. A single tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away with the back on her hand.
“Do you need a tissue dear?” a voice whispered beside her.
Startled, Cayley turned to the older lady sitting in the pew beside her, and gratefully took the Kleenex she held out.
“Thank you,” she said, dabbing her cheek.
Cayley sighed. So it was over. Well, almost. Tomorrow would be the best day in Blake’s life and the worst in hers. Her heart broke in two and for the umpteenth time, she wanted to kick her own ass for falling in love with him. Stupid! Stupid! She gave her forehead a mental slap.
She watched like a muted robot as Hilary and Blake continued to get instructions from the ministry on how things would unfold. They stood behind the signing table, and someone from the wedding party snapped a few pictures.
Blake looked up from the table, and his eyes swapped from the gathering of friends and family until they settled on her. One eyebrow arched high, that adorable way he had of asking a question without speaking. She held up a manila envelope containing paperwork from the office needing to be signed before he left on his honeymoon. He gave a nod and wink before turning his attention back to something the minister was saying.
“Tomorrow I will lead the happy couple to this point on the stage and say ‘it gives me great pleasure to present, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Rigney’. Pictures can be taken at this moment. ”
The church erupted in applause and a lone cat-call whistle that spurred a few laughs. But Cayley didn’t feel like laughing.
“Do you know the bride or groom, dear?” the elderly woman asked, smiling up at Cayley as they retook their seats.
“I work for Blake.” At least for now. She’d been mulling over the idea of looking for a new employer. Yup, the day Blake announced his engagement to Hilary, the old resume came out and started getting a spruce up.
****
“Sorry about this,” Cayley said, pointing at the next place on the page requiring Blake’s signature. “They came in late this afternoon.”
“No worries.” Blake grinned up at her, given her one of his trademark smiles that always made her knees wobble together like a teenager girl with a secret crush. “Are you coming to the rehearsal dinner?”
“No.” The single word slipped out more abruptly then she wanted. Getting through the wedding and reception tomorrow was going to be hell enough for one lifetime.
He leaned his hip against the pew and studied her. “You okay? You’ve seemed a bit distracted all week.”
His cell phone vibrated, and he pulled it free from the clip on his belt. A moment stretched on as he scrolled through a text message. Blake’s brows knitted together, and his eyes flashed from sky blue to dark and stormy in an instant.
“Is everything okay?”
A look of surprise flickered across his face like he’d forgotten she was there. Her fingers reached out and rested on his forearm. The tense muscle quaked under her touch, wound as tight and hard as a piece of steel.
“I hope so.” He snapped his phone closed and shoved it back into the holder. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
Cayley swallowed, trying to keep her nerves in check. Her hand dropped back to beside her waist. She put on a well-practiced smile, the same one she’d been using for the last six months. “I’m not sure I’m the one who’s been distracted, boss.”
“Cayley, it’s nice of you to join us.” Hilary’s voice intruded their private moment.
She turned toward the soon-to-be Mrs. Rigney. The old expression that all brides are beautiful held true for Hilary. Actually she was beautiful any day of the week and today she was drop dead gorgeous—being the center of attention really agreed with her. Heaven knows tomorrow, she’ll be the picture perfect bride. She wore a short black satin dress painted on her trim figure. Giving Cayley another reason why her size eight ass hated Hilary’s size two ass.
“Congratulations, Hilary,” she said with a smile pasted on her face.
“Thank you.” Hilary shifted her attention to Blake. “We really need to get going, honey, if we are to have dinner served on time.”
Cayley had been effectively dismissed. Bitch. She smiled at Blake to let him know everything was fine and waved him away.
He mouthed “Thanks”, as Hilary’s claws wound around his arm and pulled him toward the front of the church. She watched them disappear down the steps until they were swallowed by the darkened night.
“Shit.” He hadn’t signed the last page. A frustrated breath blew up her nose. Looks like she’d be going to the dinner after all.

EM - Room with a View - Erotica

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

Below is a snippet from my story Room with a View available HERE

****

The phone vibrated in his hand and the shrill ring echoed off the dining room walls. “Hello?”
“Welcome home, baby,” Callie’s voice purred through the phone line.
“Where are you?” Curiosity and impatience waged war in him. He really wanted to see his wife.
There was a pause over the line, and her voice trembled slightly when she finally replied. “Look up.”
He glanced at the ceiling, and a nervous laugh greeted his ears. “No, silly. Look through the window.”
Across the short distance, Callie stood in Jillian’s living room. Her pale skin sparkled like a thousand mini diamonds. His eyes darted up and down her nearly naked body. A sheer bra pushed her ample breasts together, and her nipples played peek-a-boo with the edges of the black lace. Matching panties, smooth legs, and high heels completed the outfit. His cock instantly throbbed to life, forcing his hazy mind to play catch up.
After his eyes had thoroughly devoured her sexy body, he finally looked up at her face. Pouty red lips curled upward into a huge smile. She held a phone up to her ear. “Like what you see?”
“Hell yes.”
She turned slowly, and he noticed the thong cut panties that exposed her tight and firm ass cheeks. God, he wanted to reached out and touch them, to run his fingers over her creamy skin. She put down the phone’s receiver and clicked a button. “You’re on speaker, hon. I hope you like what we have planned for you. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he said, his mind not fully understanding what the fuck was going on. Had she said “we?”
His pulse pounded in his veins like molten lava under his skin. Luke sat back in the chair, waiting to see how everything would play out. Like a kid waiting to unwrap a present on Christmas morning, he tried to contain the growing excitement and nerves that merged together inside. High heels clicked on hardwood and Jillian enter the room. The two women shared a mischievous look before Jillian approached the window.
“Hi, Luke,” the petite redhead’s voice waffled over the phone.
“Hi, Jillian.”
Dryness parched his throat, as though he’d been stranded in the Sahara for a week. But no way in hell was he leaving to get a drink. He stared from his wife to his neighbor and back again. A pink satin slip painted Jillian’s trim figure. The two women turned to each other, and a moment stretched on. Neither moved, and Luke held his breath. He sat forward to the edge of the seat. His penis throbbed against the confinements of his pants.
Silence crackled over the phone line, and he felt like he was right there in Jillian’s living room with them. Callie turned her wide mocha eyes from Jillian and locked with his. He melted in their warm depths. They stared at each other for a moment before he found his voice. “It’s okay, honey. If you don’t want to, just come home.”
Emotion he couldn’t read flashed in her beautiful eyes. Her soft curls swung around her face as she shook her head from side to side. “No, I want this.”
Across the distance, she gave him a little wink, and his heart battered almost painfully inside his chest. Her hand slowly rose and brushed aside long locks of hair that hung over Jillian’s shoulder. His fingers clenched into a fist, gripped the armchair. Watching this show of seduction was driving him crazy with desire. An equal mixture of strange frustration and impatience swirled in his gut. He wanted them to continue. His mind urged them on as he sat and stared transfixed out the window. His penis pulsated, and blood rushed to his core. Sweat gathered at his hairline and he swiped it away. For once he didn’t have control of the situation, and the sudden release of power surged through him. He liked it.
Hell, he liked it a lot.

****

I hope you enjoyed this snippet and will be back next month for more!

Happy Reading,

Kendal

Excerpt Monday site!

December's Excerpt Monday - Treasure Chest erotica

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You=2 0don’t have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

Please enjoy the beginning of my newest erotica novel: Treasure Chest. This is the first scene. It is short, but hopefully enjoyable for you :) I will post the rest of chapter one (where Regan confronts Lanie for her 'gift' and attends a sex toy party!) in January. Cheers! Kendal


Chapter One

Somewhere between dessert and my second glass of chardonnay I realized my date was a male prostitute. Lanie was dead. So fucking dead.

I sipped my wine, and tried not to choke on the realization that my so called best friend had set me up. It gave new insight into her “Ken’s guaranteed to show you a good time” comment. My knuckles ached from the fist I had clenched in my lap.

“So Ken, what exactly is it you do for a living?” I tilted my head to the side, still clinging to the faint hope that the cute, intelligent, oh-so-charming man who’s sole attention was focused on me, little old me, wasn’t a stud for hire.

He leaned back in the plush leather chair of the bar lounge, a dimple indented his cheek when he flashed me a pearly white grin. “A little of this and a lot of that.”

“That’s vague.” I muttered, downing the last mouthful of the sweet, tart wine. Tension coiled in my stomach as I debated in my head how horrible it would be to take advantage of the situation. Is it even possible to take advantage of a prostitute? Judging by the expensive material of Ken’s suit, and the way his dress shirt clung to his taunt chest, he was very good at “A little of this and a lot of that”. Too bad Lanie wasted her money.

“And what is it you do, Regan?”

I almost snorted, but coughed to cover it up. Yeah, like I was going to tell him about my midnight shifts at Dunkin Donuts. But it hadn’t always been Grande Venti and almond biscottis. Not that long ago I’d had a career. But then I became the “other woman” and had to quit. “I’m in school taking Message Therapy.”

One eyebrow cocked high on his forehead. Right, like he had a right to give me that sly look. Hello? You have sex for money, bud.

“I’ve been complimented on my talented fingers in the past. Maybe I could show you.” His hand stretched across the table and one finger stroked over my knuckles still clutching the empty wine glass. I giggled and he smiled. Oops. How cute. He actually thought that line would work.
I gingerly pulled my hand away and glanced at my watch. “Sorry, but I really need to get going. I told the babysitter I’d be home by ten.”

His hand retreated, “You have kids?”

“A boy.” I resisted the urge to pull out my wallet and show off pictures of Lucas. I’d just gotten the pictures back from his first birthday party, and nothing was cuter than a baby covered in head to toe chocolate cake. I pushed my chair back and Ken followed suit. His prep school good looks reminded me of the doll I use to play with as a kid. But I bet, unlike Barbie’s boyfriend, this Ken actually was atomically correct and all his bits were in fine working order. A sigh bubbled up and parted my lips. Too bad I wasn’t the kind of girl to enjoy Lanie’s gift because I needed to get laid in a bad way.

****

HERE FOOTER“Links to other Excerpt Monday writersN ote: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

My love - hate relationship

***Remember I am having a contest for 5 E-books until October 13th! -- All you have to do is leave a comment on any blog from October 6th to October 13th to enter the drawing***



Okay I`ll admit it. I HATE commas. There you go. My biggest friend-enemy is that tiny little half moon shaped thing that is used all over a document.



So this bring me to a book I recently was given to me called Grammar Girl`s Quick and Dirty Tops for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty.



I started the book doubting it could actually help improve my comma usage. I was all over the place. One section I hardly put any commas in (which was incorrect) and another section I`d litter them in almost every sentence. I frustrated myself, not to mention my poor CPs. When I got this book I started at page one and was going to read through it from front to back, but I gave up on that and started flip-flopping back and forth in chapters because I knew some of the stuff already and only wanted to find out how to use the dreaded comma.



I found this book easy to read. The author gives realistic and funny examples on this rather boring topic. She covers so much material in the book that even though she doesn't go into overkill on any one subject, she does manage to get a lot of particial information into 224 pages. I recommand this book for anyone concerned about their own grammar.

I am always interested in reading and learning how to better my skills as a writer. If you have any "Must own" craft books, I'd love to hear about them! Please post a comment here with the book title and if you recommand it. (I am equally interested in hearing of any books that you feel are a waste of money!).

Cheers
Kendal

Blog contest! Win 5 e-books! Oct 6th to 13th

Welcome to my blog! Today is RELEASE DAY!

I am having a release party and you are invited! Leave a comment on any of my posts between today (October 6th) and the last day of the party (October 13th) and five winners will be drawn on the 13th.

Each day between now and October 13th I will be posting thoughts on writing life. Your comments are welcome!

What are the party favors? Here you go:

2 copies of Chasing Sunrise

1 copy of Room with a View

1 copy of Kissing the Sunrise

1 copy of Caught in the Act

Now for the legal mumbo jumbo: One prize per winner. Room with a View and Caught in the Act are erotica content and may not be suitable for all readers.

Good Luck!

Kendal

Here is the link to Chasing Sunrise if you'd like more details!

CHASING SUNRISE - available now! Click HERE