I think it is WAY past time for margaritas! I’m mixing and pouring. I didn’t think Friday could get here soon enough! Tomorrow is OKRWA meeting and I am looking forward to that, even though it means I don’t get to sleep in. We’re planning a brainstorming session before we all grab lunch at the museum cafe before our afternoon program by a courtroom sketch artist. I’m looking forward to it.

Loved the ideas y’all came up with for the scene in FOOL yesterday! Maybe I should write it by committee.

The winner of the Samhain National Swag Contest is…EV Yay for random.org. Ev, you get the large canvas tote, Samhain tee shirt, water bottle, and luggage tag plus a book from this list:
CRAZY FOR LOVE – Victoria Dahl
DANGEROUS DESIRES – Dee Davis
WICKED BECOMES YOU – Meredith Duran
KILLING ME SOFTLY – Maggie Shayne
INSATIABLE – Meg Cabot (hardback)
SUGAR CREEK – Toni Blake
ENEMY LOVER – Karin Harlow
(warning – some of them may have been *gently* read LOL!)

Email me with your choice of book. ev, and I’ll get the package in the mail next week.

Since I’m suffering through a bout of rejection, let’s start a new contest. This time, more books, an RWA canvas tote, plus some other goodies like Rizzoli and Isles stuff (a jigsaw puzzle and DVD of the pilot!). If you haven’t caught the show on TNT, why not!?! Just leave a comment on today’s or the posts on followomg days between now and then and I’ll announce the random winner next Friday.

So, who’s drinkin’ with me?!? (And remember, there will be men tomorrow. Just sayin’…)

Okie dokie, folks. We’re going to give Friday Flash one more try. Our story so far is a pretty good one but I think we need to finish up our story. Yes? No? For now, let’s plan that this is the last Friday Flash unless I hear a resounding vote of YES, let’s keep playing!

And since this is the last one, we are going straight for the ending. Go to your current read, or the novel nearest at hand and copy the last line of the book.

From Leslie Parrish’s COLD SIGHT:

“As long as you’re with me, Lex, I can do anything.”

Next?

One again, all original authors retain copyright to their words. Books and authors can be found on each previous Friday’s post. This is just intended for fun. Now with the disclaimer out of the way, here is our story from the very beginning:

And then she jumped me. She’d been the number one champion for the underdog, always taking up for those too scared or too timid to take up for themselves. Maybe that’s why he’d never allowed himself to fall completely in love.

“So you read about me.”

“Steady, Missy.” Strike had teleported with no training, no guidance. She doesn’t seem to be in any danger at the moment.

The Viking was bigger, stronger, and most intent on breaching the lady’s thighs. Eve was going to dig quickly to learn just how much Towers had tucked away. All she needed to do was open the sluice gates a little, and the quickest way to do that was with some good old-fashioned masturbation–or what her mother had called “naughty fingers” when Tess was growing up.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she demanded.

A complaint to his supervisor resulted in nothing but a lecture about how she was clearly sending mixed signals. And the mystery woman made him want to thrust both hands directly into the black dirt. Once she flew to Seattle to visit with him over a long weekend and three times he flew to Phoenix, also for long weekend, visits that went spectacularly well.

“Why won’t you kill me?”

Still, she had a way of making the word man sound as if Jessie should, in a complete role reversal, demand her mother wash her mouth out with soap. She was no match for these men. They caught a quick bite at the deli near the hotel before hurriedly–and cautiously– grabbing their remaining belongings from their rooms and catching the 17:20 train to Aswan. The same could not be said for the man who stood staring through the floor-length windows overlooking the half-pipe in the warehouse beyond. Not that she could blame him.

Before this year, she’d fired that weapon only during her bureau training and never removed it from its holster once in the line of duty. He’s been with Luke a couple of years now and hasn’t had a single problem. Something about wanting her Faery back and you dead.

She’d been through this before. Now that we might have found him and had to go in guns blazing, I was thinking…maybe not so good. But Quigga just furrowed his brow as he looked up at the Golden Monkeys’ city. The impressive edifice had its own carbide gas generating plant in the basement, along with a coal-fired, steam radiator heating system. He’d probably thought he was leaving it behind him in Toronto, but the scandal rags of Halifax couldn’t resist sinking their teeth into a prime catch like Randall Barrett.

So try to calm down, get quiet, breathe, and listen. His strictest rule is not to get into trouble and not to give my mother a big mouth. Whereas Deliverance is about a stranger coming to the rescue, Sojourn is about a stranger coming to visit. Ours is a culture that tells us ‘bigger is always better’ and that ‘more’ is better too. I felt like I might break out in welts from sheer anxiety. The world within him, and the world as he sees it. It also made her feel like an imposter.

Although Dorothy turns back for the time being, powerful forces have been set in motion in her life. The psychological concept of the Shadow archetype is a useful metaphor for understanding villians and antagonists in our stories, as well as grasping the unexpressed, ignored, or deeply hidden aspects of our heroes. They didn’t smoke, or drink, or (if the movie Footloose was to be believed) dance. We point to well-intentioned social programs like battered women’s shelters and “dress-for-success” nonprofit organizations that help women get out from under abuse and wonder, why didn’t she seek

Cooper waited at the front door. The Fossah looked at Katook but was silent.

“I’m not!”

Monte Carson laid the three telegraph forms on his desk, his eyes fixed beyond the open door to the sheriff’s office in Big Rock, Colorado.

“I left Vinnie alone in my apartment for a few hours, and he was wearing my panties when I came home. Your arms were crossed over your chest, you had this terrifying scowl on your face… How many times you manage to fertilize an egg?”

Some days are decidedly less peaceful. Silvio Menzano was married in a private legal ceremony in Vermont in September 2009. Brighten up your garden with these colorful, hand-crafted stakes, an arresting combination of fiery, light-capturing glass and warm, smooth stone. To create a garden that emphasized symmetry and geometry, Webster began with a central water feature.

Even the best fall down sometimes. Guest blogger Shiloh Walker and Other Monsters Under the Bed. Reggie Jackson famously said “Blind men come to the park just to hear him pitch.” Welcome back Stephanie Newton.

She had never been more embarrassed, felt more rejected, not even when Wilson had left her at the altar. Someone poked her back and she whipped around startled. A slender, stylishly dressed blonde woman opened the door.

It was two hours until dawn, the bulk of my evening having been taken up by Ethan, Nick, and my father, so I took the opportunity to give the library the perusal of a former researcher. “Hello.”

“Good.”

Maybe she was crazy.

She could never focus on it, though; never place the memory. “It does not matter anyway, does it?” she said.

“No need to run little man,” one of the rogues taunted, his voice scrapping like gravel. It took time and effort to shape an effective medical team, and there would be a certain attrition rate. Oh, no, she didn’t want to fall asleep, as welcome as it might have been.

Today they will find her body. Or she has already left for work, but is running late. A.J. Sutherland was captivated by the stallion the first moment she saw him. Everyone else just took up space.

****

So, readers (and co-writers!), what do you think? We’ll get back to writing next week if you’d like or are you ready to put this story to bed?

Our saga continues. I’m busy like damn and whoah getting last minute things done for the NRCA reception at Nationals, as well as getting myself put together for the trip. Y’all know the drill. Title, author, and line.

Let’s make this morning easy. Open your current read, and give us the first complete sentence from the page you’re reading. Here’s mine from Leslie Parrish’s COLD SIGHT:

She could never focus on it, though; never place the memory.

In other news, we still don’t have a winner from last week’s Mr. Summer contest. Those of you who haven’t voted, please go HERE and look! Then vote because, uhm…three-way tie! Who knew it would be so tough to pick from three guys in jeans?!?

Aaaannnnddd….for those of you going to RWA Nationals, so you know what I look like, here’s a quick pic The Only took this afternoon after my haircut.

Well, we’ll give this another week and see if y’all are still having fun with it. Let’s go back to our current reads. On page 150, last full sentence on the page. I’m reading on Kin so for those of you reading on ereaders, put down the last full sentence of the page that opens. From Linda Winstead Jones’s DESPERADO’S GOLD:

She had never been more embarrassed, felt more rejected, not even when Wilson had left her at the alter.

Ready…set…GO!

(Just a reminder…this is your last chance to win an ARC of FAERIE FIRE. Simply leave a comment at Sky’s Blog.)

Welcome to chapter three, folks. Last weeks twist was a lot of fun. I’m busy thinking up another twist but for now, we’ll go back to our old standby–the closest book to your computer. Page 132. The third complete sentence at the top of the page.

From Debra Webb’s EVERYWHERE SHE TURNS: She’d been through this before.

Start throwing those lines out there, peeps! And check back after lunch. I’ll have a second assignment up. Oh! Ereaders. Open to your current page and the 3rd complete sentence for you, too!

For anyone just dropping by, we’re writing a story this summer using one assigned sentence from an assigned page of the book nearest our computer. Each week is a “chapter”. On Mondays I post all the lines to make paragraphs and move the story along. At the end of the summer, I’ll post all of the “chapters” for the full story.

Don’t forget tomorrow is Saturday Brunch’s Mr. Summer contest. Be sure to drop by and cast your vote to choose this week’s winner. Thank goodness it’s Friday! Now where did I put that pitcher of margaritas?

Welcome to the next chapter, folks. I want to throw a twist in for today’s entry. I want you to grab the nearest NON-FICTION book. Yes. You read that right. NON-FICTION. Turn to page 113 and copy the first sentence of the first complete paragraph on the page.

From Anne Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD: So try to calm down, get quiet, breathe, and listen.

Start throwing those lines out there, peeps!

For anyone just dropping by, we’re writing a story this summer using one assigned sentence from an assigned page of the book nearest our computer. Each week is a “chapter”. On Monday’s I post all the lines as a story and at the end of the summer, I’ll post all of the “chapters” for the full story.

Don’t forget tomorrow is Saturday Brunch’s Mr. Summer day. Be sure to drop by and cast your vote to choose this week’s winner.

[Edit: Sorry for the late post. I had this scheduled but instead of 4 a.m., it was 4 p.m. I claim caffeine deficiency. And lack of sleep. I'm currently awaiting the plumber. The line from the house to the sewer is clogged. Oh. Joy. In good news, I do have my cover for FAIRY TALES. I'll share next week. I also received the galley .pdf. This is the last proof/edit before it goes to production and I get a release date. So yay there. Murphy is still running rampant in my life though. Boo!]

First, a bit of updating since I’ve been MIA this week. *points to picture* I won’t be moving into my new office any time in the near future. That wonderful new “skylight” appeared in the ceiling by *magic* on Wednesday night during dinner. Uhm…yeah. Roof leak + dry wall = ceiling fail.

In the good news column, I’m finally happy with the first three chapters of SEASON OF THE WITCH. Yes, really. I’ve roughed out the synopsis and I’m fighting with it now. I’ve also finished the preliminary galley proofing on FAIRY TALES CAN COME TRUE. It’s happily in the hands of Ms. Editor 2.0. I’m still watching the inbox for cover art and will share it as soon as I have it in my grubby little hands. Despite all the curve balls life has thrown at me, I’m feeling…nope. I’m not going to say optimistic. I’ll let it go at “okay.”

Now…to the fun! Are you ready? Grab those nearby books, folks! This week, let’s go to page 123. Scan to the bottom of the page and list the last complete sentence on the page. For those of us using e-readers, we get to play, too! Open your current read, to the current page, and find the last complete sentence on the screen. That’s your mission! Now, let’s “write” a story. Be sure to tell us author and title!

Here’s mine. I’m reading Julie Leto’s THREE SEDUCTIONS AND A WEDDING:

Still, she had a way of making the word man sound as if Jessie should, in a complete role reversal, demand her mother wash her mouth out with soap.

I’m writing madly on my “ah ha!” moment for SEASON OF THE WITCH so I thought I’d briefly bring my life up to date. See up there in the right-hand corner? Justin added another counter for FAERIE FIRE. On June 5, I pitch SOTW to an agent and an HQN editor at my RWA chapter’s mini conference. I have a good, solid, short pitch. I think. It was good enough to get a raised eyebrow and request for a full from an editor. I was caught completely off guard by the request. There’s a lesson there… I’ve also had a referral to another agent and I need to query her, but…SOTW HAS to be polished and ready.

On June 6, I’m one of four authors doing a signing at a local Barnes and Noble. I’m soooo excited. I have bookmarks and the new post cards from FAERIE FIRE to hand out, along with 20 books I hope I sell!

Revisions are finished for FAIRY TALES CAN COME TRUE and sent back to Ms. Editor 2.0.

The Only is having a second plastic surgery on her eyelid the end of June. We expect this to be fairly routine. She’s been chosen to present papers at the Mountain Plains History Symposium in Rapid City, SD in September, followed by a presentation at the Oklahoma Museum Association annual meeting here in OKC. Yeah, I’m just a little proud of the widget child.

And…that’s all the news that’s fit to print. It’s Friday. If I push through this chapter, I’m getting Lawyer Guy to take me out to dinner and I’m having a margarita! It’s a three-day weekend (though I’ll likely be working so long as Iffy wants to play nice) and it’s time to celebrate surviving this week. Who’s with me?

For the men in my life, none of these apply to you! Never. Well…hardly ever. Erm..not often. Really! See, I was looking for jokes about how wonderful men are and I couldn’t find any. So I’m posting these because you guys have a sense of humor, right? Right?!? (And some of them are nice an very true about y’all at least. Promise!)

For the gals, any of these sound like someone you know?

Men are like…

Men are like…..Laxatives.
They irritate the shit out of you.

Men are like……Bananas.
The older they get, the less firm they are.

Men are like…..Vacations.
They never seem to be long enough.

Men are like…..Bank Machines.
Once they withdraw they lose interest.

Men are like…..Weather.
Nothing can be done to change either one of them.

Men are like…..Blenders.
You need one, but you’re not quite sure why.

Men are like…..Cement.
After getting laid, they take a long time to get hard.

Men are like…..Chocolate Bars.
Sweet, smooth, and they usually head right for your hips.

Men are like…..Coffee
The best ones are rich, warm, and can keep you up all night long.

Men are like…..Commercials.
You can’t believe a word they say.

Men are like…..Department Stores.
Their clothes should always be half off.

Men are like…..Government bonds.
They take so long to mature.

Men are like…..Horoscopes.
They always tell you what to do and are usually wrong.

Men are like…..Lawn Mowers.
If you’re not pushing one around, then you’re riding it.

Men are like…..Mascara.
They usually run at the first sign of emotion.

Men are like…..Popcorn.
They satisfy you, but only for a little while.

Men are like…..Snowstorms.
You never know when he’s coming, how many inches you’ll get or how long he will last