'LOVE FLOATS' - EXCERPT I stretched to lift the first of the four kayaks we’d take out on the Bay this evening. It was the inaugural moonlight float for my company, Love’s Kayaking Floats, and Tours. My clients and fellow paddle enthusiasts were scheduled to be on-site within the next half hour. The full moon reflected off the mirrored surface of the bay. Despite the fog moving in, it promised to be a perfect night for a float. I pulled four life vests from the Amish-built sh

It was another beautiful morning in Points Peak. It was August 9th and no one was out except for the Filmore twins walking out and about this early morning Sunday, creeping away ever-so-slowly as their canes held them upright, they walked about trying to see what they could get their hands on. At least, that was the word. Their reputation made them the talk of the town even if the label was not so fitting for two women, who should be enjoying their final years but there was n

Excerpt Chapter 1 – Alona The shards of the cup Alona had just thrown across the room trickled down on the bloated corpse beneath. Unable to withstand the force of the throw against the brick wall. Alona Saskele was in her gated mansion, deep in the countryside of Lithuania. Russian by birth, she’d moved around eastern Europe, trying to run from people that would quite like to kill her. The location here was perfect. Although she had all the technology that money could buy

I was going to talk about using asterisks (changing scenes, changing time periods, or changing both) and italics as a part of an author’s writing style but honestly, I just couldn’t put it together. I pushed it around a bit and nothing. Then it occurred to me the story I sent to Eva gives me a chance to chat about something more interesting, how good editing can enhance, even change, the author’s style of writing. This story was initially published in Campfire Tales by GBBPub

Excerpt: Chapter 1 of Finding Truth I hear a voice overhead, sharp as a gull’s cry, “Oh Jesus.” Cold water seeps through my coat, blurring into the black beneath me. I thrash, trying to rise, but the sea pulls me down, weightless and suffocating. I taste salt. My lungs burn. Somewhere above, a man’s voice trembles. “Is it a person?” Another rasps, “Aye, lad, it is. Help me get it in.” My body convulses, instinct driving me upward. I crash through the surface, gasping, eyes st

Excerpt from BEYOND THE MORTAL COIL One of the first stories I was told when writing this book was that of Paul, a retired 71-year-old engineer. These are his words: ‘I was told I had prostate cancer and needed urgent surgery. I had lost weight and noticed difficulty when Urinating but never suspected cancer. I felt overwhelmed and just wanted the thing out. I hated hospitals, but not as much as I hated the thought that I had something inside of me eating me away. The next fe

Happy Valentine’s Day! Eternal “There you are, Ben. I’ve looked all over for you. Where have you been?” “I had some early morning chores to do, Nina. Thank you for the coffee.” Benjamin sat at his customary seat at the kitchen table, facing the front door and at Nina’s side. “You’ve always been such a busy man, running here and there and back again. Come sit with me. Do you remember what tomorrow is?” “Indeed, I do. In all our years together, have I ever forgotten? It’s a dou

1 Day 1 Tuesday, 10 th August 2004 La Rochelle, France Julia’s heart didn’t so much drop into her stomach, as cascade through her body, hitting every internal organ as it plummeted, fast and furious, to the ground beneath her. Her vision polarised as every memory, moment and emotion swam into a vortex around her. She fell to her knees, the sand giving way beneath her. She clutched at the blanket that, only seconds before, had been laid out in expectation of a family picnic. T

When the door opens, I smile when I see that Tannis has changed out of her favorite Eminem T-shirt. I knew she wouldn't be happy if she had to burn it, as we do with all our clothes after a night filled with murder. Instead, she's wearing a black pair of yoga pants and a body-hugging black, long-sleeved shirt that shows off her curves, and I immediately want to bury my face between her legs and feast for days. "As much as I love the Dexter aesthetics, using my knife to tortur

Elena Donato Elena Donato Lead Character from Bloodlines and Betrayals A 70s Era Mafia Romance Elena Donato is everything you would expect from a young Italian-American woman raised on tradition, loyalty, and family pride — but she’s also a force all her own. With long raven-black hair, deep chocolate eyes, and a beauty that naturally turns heads, Elena carries the kind of presence that makes people remember her long after she leaves the room. Yet beneath her striking appeara