ShapeShifter Seductions ~ Halloween Wars in Talbot's Peak

 Originally posted at SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS

Halloween Wars

“Reinforced steel pipes, heavy duty rubber tubing, a gross of nuts, bolts, S-hooks and a short Red Riding Hood costume with crotchless panties.”  Glenn set down the scanner and looked up at an impatient Nick and his blushing brother Mooney.  “Ah Nick, does Ziva know about all of this stuff?”
 
“Oh Lupa no!  And she better not hear anything either…”  Nick raised an eyebr don’t pout.”  

Nick threw money on the counter to pay for his treasures and looked towards his brother.  “Now grab some stuff and let’s get it over to the grill.”
 
“How do we know they’ll even be there?”
 
“Moon, its Halloween and they just harvested all that unsatisfying and repulsive roughage.  They’ll be serving it to the Herbies…and so will we!”   
 
###
 
“It’s bad enough Mom felt she had to take off with that meat-eating lupine, but did she have to do it around the harvest?”
 
“Stop bitching, Bo and start making the pumpkin flapjacks.”Hannibal shoved him; hand over face, back into the kitchen.  “The crowds are getting restless.”
 
“Suck it, Peewee Hornman.”  Bo knew insulting his brother’s smaller horns was a bad idea, but he didn’t care.  This whole hitching and bolting action of his mother’s really put a crimp in their lives.  Now they were all doing double duty at their jobs and the restaurant.  He was cooking, which he hated.  Mary served, which really didn’t work well and Hannibal was the general ‘pain-in-the-ass’ manager.  Odds were damn good the Bighorn Diner would be run into the ground before she got back.
 
“Gah!”
 
Bo ran from the fuming Bighorn sheep now occupying his brother’s space next to the griddle.  Hannibal never could maintain his composure or shape when challenged.  Ten minutes later, the kitchen was wrecked, batter flung everywhere and Bo still couldn’t feel his hands or arms after using the cast iron frying pan on Hannibal’s head.
 
“Like I was trying to tell you, lug nut, we’re out of pumpkins.”
 
“Not possible, Bo,” Hannibal grumbled, holding his head with both hands. “We harvested over an acre of those damn things and they were pretty tightly packed.”
 
“Well they’ve sprouted legs and run away, because they are not here…”
 
THUNK, THUNK
 
General chaos erupted in the seating area out front.  Women screamed, children cried and the men swore. 
 
“Roasted buck nuts, what was that!”
 
Bo didn’t have time to answer his brother as he was already trying to decipher Mary’s frantic signing.  “Slow down, sis,” he both spoke and signed.  “Lick moon pump across…honestly, Mar, slow…”
 
“Fricken sex-fiend and his idiot monkey lovin’ brother are chuckin’ pumpkins at us from across the street!”  Hannibal bleated, his control appearing to be at an all time low.
 
“Ah, Nick and Mooney are tossing pump…wait, pumpkins?”  Bo ran to the window just in time to see another orange projectile hit the sidewalk in front of the flapjackery.  “Hell, those are our pumpkins!  How’d they get our stash?”
 
“Don’t know, don’t care.”  Hannibal blew through the dining room, tossing tables and chairs out of his way.  

“Get your ass over here and help us.”
 
Mary was on her knees pulling blood red hunks of flesh from the bottom of the cooler and putting them in a massive mixing bowl while Hannibal pulled funny looking weapons from the closet.  “Okay, now.  Yuk.”  He pointed at Mary’s heart attack in a bowl.  “And, what the blazes are you doing your ranger guns in the closet?  Those kill, man.”
 
“When’d you turn into such a little girl, Bo?”  Hannibal pushed past him and headed back to the window and door with Mary following close behind, dripping blood across the floor.  “This here is a bleacher reacher and the beaut currently being loaded by our tough as nails sister is the T-shirt Gatling gun.  These babies will beat that stupid looking slingshot the desk humper has.”
 
“Whoya…eat it, Herbies!”  Taunts and chuckles came at them from across the street as did more fruit.
 
“What the hell is wrong with those two?”  Not like he needed to ask.  After all, this was the McMahon brothers, a prankster pair at home with gross destruction of property.
 

Another pumpkin found its way to the sidewalk, splattering in front of the open door and flying in all directions.  Some landed on Bo’s shoes; a glop ended up in Mary’s hair and a large section veered off and flew through Java Joe’s plate glass next door.
 
“Damn it, Nick, not there.  Marissa’s gonna kill me or worse douse me with mange again…gah!”
 
“Man up, Moon.”
 
Bo swallowed back a yelp of hysterical laughter and put his hand out.  “Someone give me a gun.”
 
“’Bout time, brother.”  Hannibal jumped up and slapped him on the back.  “Here, you take the cannon while I get me a little Gat action.”
 
Gourds of all sizes pummeled their side of the street even as raw meat flew back.  The mess was atrocious, but the combatants were beyond caring.  There could be only one winner in this family war and Bo would be damned if it was those stinky wolves.
 
##
 
“Fire in the hole!”
 
“That’s it, Moonster, let it fly…wooo!”
 
Mooney had to admit, manning up or regressing down, sure felt good.  Marissa was going to have his balls for defacing Java Joe’s, but who knew, maybe he could sweet talk his way out of the mange.  Right now though he was going to enjoy chuckin’ pumpkins.
 
“Told ya you’d love this.”  Nick was grinning ear to ear, but why not.  This was burned into his alpha nature.  Besides, he had the money and pull to get him out of anything.
 
“Yep, you did.  Load me up.”
 
“What in the name of the great Lupa is going on here!”  “My restaurant!”
 
“Scat…oh scat,” Mooney whined, letting go of the rubber tubing.  He watched the last pumpkin hurl its way into the street only to explode all over his new stepmother.  “Pops is gonna rip our guts out with his teeth.”    
 
“Nope, only yours.”
 
Mooney heard the feminine scream, then panic set in as he watched his dad shift to wolf.  “Why only mine, wood whisperer?”
 
“’Cause I run faster!”
 
Nick changed and bolted before he even had a chance to think of becoming wolf.  The last thing he saw with his human eyes was a Bighorn sheep mama chasing three hard-headed kids into the destroyed eatery behind them and a pissed off dad snapping big assed teeth towards his tail.  Time to tuck and run.
 
“Eeeee…” 

Have a Pumpkin Chuckin' Happy Halloween!


Serena

Dragon Dating...Step One by Serena Shay ~ Shapeshifter Flash Fiction

This blog was originally posted at SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS.

“I will not do this!” Erol had reached his absolute limit with the pesky camel’s insistence that he follow her directions to the letter. Tuxedo’s and dance lessons were bad, but this he just would not do.

“You have to.” Her patience wore thin, he could tell, but he would stand firm on this. He would not go up there and do as she asked.

“Why does her father not bring her to my castle as is the way it should be?”

Her eyes rolled again and she counted to three through deep breaths. “And do you have a castle?”

Hmm, yes that might be a problem. He’d been scouting out area in this Talbot’s Peak to build a new castle, but had yet to find the perfect place. The mountains were good, what with their caves and all, but he much preferred the submerged privacy found beneath the underground ocean.

“Erol?”

“No, not a castle as of yet, but I have the perfect grotto picked out. The jewel bespeckled walls will be a fine background for her beauty. Yes, her father shall bring her there and leave her for me.”

A choking sound beside him stole his attention away from the plans he was making for his future bride.

“Oh Erol…”

The crazy camel in the car seat next to him was laughing – at him? How dare she! “I do not see anything funny about what I said.”

“Of course you don’t, and let me assure you what you said, while romantic in part, is in no way funny…”

“Then why do you laugh and mop away your tears?”

“Because it’s laugh or cry, Erol.”

Well that made no sense to him. Were all females so confusing? Would his mate be reduced to tears at the slightest of things—gah, he truly hoped not. In fact, the first order of business would be instructing her to not produce those cumbersome bits of emotion. Yes, that would do the trick.

“We may leave now…move this conveyance of yours back to my forge. You will need directions to the grotto in order to give to her father. I’ll assume he knows how to get underground…once there go to the rightist-most point on the beach and wade out until he hits the drop off…”

“Whoa, stop right there, Erol. I’ll not be instructing Greely’s father to chain her up inside your Grotto. That is not how things are done…remember 21st century. You will get your ass out of my car and go up to her door and respectfully, ask her to dinner or coffee or bloody high tea if that’s what you like. Now get!”

Erol protected his bits and pieces from the suddenly kicking camel pushing him from the ridiculously sized transport she drove. “That was a bit rude, don’t you think.”

“Go up to her door and ask her out…do it right or you’ll feel my hooves alongside your head!”

***

Greely wiped her eyes for like the thousandth time over the last few days. She still couldn’t believe she’d been marked as unacceptable at the pond. She would never live down that humiliation. Her mother had, of course, been the first to call with disappointment in her voice and a suggestion that she move to a different town.

Damn that blacksmith. She’d never done anything to him but admire him from afar.

The knock at the front door was an unwelcome surprise, but even more so was who she found on the stoop. “You’ve got a lot of darn nerve showing up here!”

“Go get me your father, fair one. I would speak to him.”

“Are you kidding me?” Greely pushed at the barbarian’s chest in hopes of moving him away from her door, but he was built like a granite sculpture. It would take more than thirty of her to move him in anyway significant. “I’m an adult. I don’t live with my mommy and daddy.”

“Who then protects you from the unscrupulous defilers out there?”

“You mean men like you…” Greely stopped, mid-sentence, arrested by the look in the blacksmiths eyes. Fear lived there, not annoyance or disgust as she thought she would see.

“I will never harm you, only cherish you.”

Right. Did he really think she could believe him? “Is that why you had me banned from pebble pond? Made me unacceptable by my own kind?”

“No, I merely staked my claim. Like the gifts on your doorstep.”

“Those were from you?” Greely didn’t know what to say. The gifts were both sweet and confusing…much like the man it would seem, but she didn’t know if she could trust him or even if she wanted to. Scratch that…she wanted to, with every stupid part of her libido.

“Yes, did you like them?”

“They were…interesting.”

“Excellent. Now go wash the mess from your face and bring along your coat. I will take you to your father’s side for protection and I will talk to him about your future.”

Greely was stunned by the sheer audacity of this man. “I protect myself, Mr. Blacksmith.” Greely slammed the door in his face, happy that she’d had the strength to shut him out, but depressed that she was still a major player in the Doomed Love Club.
~~~

May you each find a jewel bespeckled Grotto of your own this weekend, filled with a sexy dragon who knows how to ask for a date, of course!

Serena

Shapeshifter Flash Fiction ~ Sparks Fly by Serena Shay

Originally posted at SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS.

“Come on.” Big Bart, the stinky human, tugged once again at Arianna’s leash. “One foot in front of the other, freak.”

Easier said than done with appendages she was beyond rusty at using. Gah, how long had it been since she’d left her watery home and ventured on to firm land? Twenty, forty, sixty years maybe? Not nearly enough time to erase the painful memories burned into her psyche.

The film makers had gotten her story wrong in every way possible. There were not witches or sea hags granting the gift of legs to unsuspecting, idiot mermaids. The man had not been a prince, but a pirate and love didn’t rule the world—greed did. When the buccaneer she thought she loved got a glimpse of her tail, she’d become treasure to him. Booty he attempted to sell to the highest bidder.

Her only saving grace at the time was the shadowed deck hand who’d opened door of the pen where she’d been kept. She was doubly thankful her (un)princely pirate hadn’t known the secret stinky Bart had somehow unearthed about the pearls.

Arianna teetered to the left, falling into the giant sea lion at her side. His whiskers brushed over her bare abdomen producing an arousing tingle in her system as he nudged her back into an upright position.

“Omygosh, did you just shock me?” She gazed into the warm brown eyes of the male mammal staring up at her. Intelligence simmered in his stare and humanness filtered through his aura. She’d peg him as shapeshifter, but with tail loss, she’d also lost her ability to identify extraordinary creatures.

“Shudup back there and walk. You’re barefoot for cripes sakes so how come you keep falling.”

“You need to remove the pearls, stinky.” Though pretty, the jewel was a hindrance to her kind. They weakened and lost control of their tail when the natural stone touched their skin.

“Like hell I will. No way are you returning to the ocean on me this close to my prize.”

“And where, exactly, would I find said water in this landlocked settlement?”

“Don’t know, but nothing surprises me in this freaky town so shudup and lets go.”

Arianna hobbled a few steps further, eyes drawn to the oddest shaped fountain she’d ever seen, before again tipping into her fellow ocean-loving prisoner. This time instead of shocking her uncovered tummy, his electrified whiskers ended up in a more southerly location. The jolt was far from unpleasant. As a being from the watery depths, she and electricity were not close friends, but considering how the tingles of lightening goodness crept into her bobbily-bits and brought them fully to life in less than ten seconds, perhaps it’s time she dive into some on land research.

“Flying flounder, Sparky, is that an eel on your face or are you happy to see me?”

The lions bark rang with laughter even as he pushed her up a little too hard. Instead of standing straight up she found herself leaning against the brick ledge and facing a family of seahorses in, oh happy halibut, seawater. The light, salty, and comforting liquid filled this town’s fountain and somewhere close was a route home.

“Damn blastit, girly freak. Stand up and walk!”

“I can’t, I’m exhausted.” Arianna slid down the side of the bubbler. She hoped Bart bought her story long enough for her to facilitate a removal of the pearls and get both herself and Sparky into that water.

“Fine.” Stinky pulled a muzzle and heavy iron chains from his bag, storming at them with an evil glint in his eye. He placed the mother of pearl over Sparky’s snout and tightened the thing until it bit into his hide.
“Now change.”

From eight feet of animal emerged the sexiest six and a half foot man she’d ever seen—wide in the shoulders, thick in the thighs and as dark as the oceans at sunset. He was also naked in a way that made her heart flutter and her skin prickle. He had true beauty and inner strength even with the pearls covering his nose, mouth, and chin leaving him weak.

Stinky slapped the heavy irons on both wrists and ankles only giving Sparky enough play to lift his arms chest high. He looked tired, uncomfortable and guilt swamped her at Big Bart’s next words.

“Pick her up, seal boy and let’s go.”

“He’s the mighty sea lion, you stupid stinky.” Arianna wrapped her arms around Sparky’s neck as he bent to lift her. “He deserves respect!”

“He’s a freak. You’re a freak. This whole town’s filled with freaks…I just want my money for you two, and then I’m gone. Don’t mess with his gag unless you’d like to watch his face blow off. I’ll be supremely pissed if you cost me the prize on that one.”

Arianna stopped herself from searching for the muzzles tie behind Sparky’s head afraid of doing anything that would remove this beauty from the world and rubbed a soothing hand down the firm muscles of his chest.

“You’re an awful man, Stinky Bart.”

“Yeah, freak. Ain’t it grand!”
~~~~~~

As a kidlet, our local zoo had a sea lion show my folks would take my brother and I too. I was totally enamored by the sweet creature and all of the tricks he could do...I wanted my own to live in our bathtub. I never won that battle...gee I wonder why? ;)
Have a sparky day!

Serena

A Magical Return Now Available

Happy Monday!

Are you in the mood for some magic?  For love both lost and found?  If so, my recently released paranormal, A Magical Return, just might appeal.

AMR is now available at Liquid SilverBooks, Amazon and All Romance Ebooks.

Blurb:

The Loss

Conleth “Cole” Douglas, warlock and vessel, needs a miracle.  A destructive force has taken hold of his town and it will take more than just he and his magical Other, Cole, to eradicate the Evil.  When an attempt to open his lover, Emterra, to their shared destiny fails, Conleth and Cole take extreme measures to stop the rising darkness.  Their only option: take it, and themselves, into another realm.

Emterra “Irene” Azzurra, untapped witch and vessel, has given up on finding her own happy-ever-after.  Devastated by the loss of her one and only love she becomes disinterested and remote, closed off from a life without Conleth.  Even her job as the mayor of the dying town of Douglasville, MO, fails to sustain her, until she gets a blast from the past…

The Return

He’s back, alive and whole, but he didn’t come alone.  The evil they’d hoped to contain in a distant realm has returned with him and is out to finish the job it started. There can be no failure this time, the now middle-aged, Emterra must accept her Other or doom the town to an agonizing death.

Skeptical of his sudden homecoming, Emterra is afraid to hope that his return could be true.  She balks at the idea of opening her heart to him again.  Especially when he looks like the same young Goth from ten years ago and tries to convince her she’s sharing skin with a magical being.   

Can Conleth prove his claims of magic and the Others to be true?  Can Emterra allow herself to believe in love and his wild claims?  Or will the returning Evil finally swallow this town and all its inhabitants into the deepest realms of hell.

May your day be filled with magic!

Serena

Futuristic Erotic Romance ~ An Author Discovery

AUTHOR DISCOVERY ~ Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis

~~~ An Author Discovery by Serena Shay ~~~

What happens when two strong-willed characters collide? A whole lotta alpha goodness!

Kalypso Sun Wing and Zryphus Vasquoz are sure to delight readers with their sassy interactions with one another and their "my way or the highway" attitudes.

Kalypso Sun Wing likes to think she's as hard-headed a leader as they come, what with her command position during the conflicts and her general dislike of Federal, but really she is a mushy-gushy marshmallow on the inside. She protects her friends, her society and the ones she loves.

Zryphus, whew, what can I say about Zryphus? He's smart and a male in all the wonderful ways men can be male. He comes on strong and stays that way, proving to Kalypso that he's here to stay and that she can trust her heart with him.

I love the way Ms. Kougar has taken a real historical event and injected it into a fabulously fictional future. The mixing of the two era's offers, to this readers way of thinking, an innocence to a fast paced, post war society.

Don't miss Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis - New Atlantis Trilogy, Book 1. You'll want to be ready for the next installment on the newly re-risen continent!

Serena Shay

Author of the top selling, THE CHALLENGE ~ serenashay.com ~ shapeshifterseductions.blogspot.com ~


~~~~~~

Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis
by Savanna Kougar

Blurb:

In 2051, Atlantis is no longer a legend. The risen antediluvian land has been colonized by rebels who battled for freedom against the Global Elite.

New Atlantis Sheriff, Kalypso Sun Wing, has survived the sterile fifties' suburbs, the revolutionary turbulence of the sixties and the disco guru seventies. After the suicide of the man she loved, Kalypso barely survived the designer eighties or the fast-forward nineties. Watching Atlantis rise from the ocean she realized her destiny.

Zerculeon, Zryphus Vasquoz, chose an enforcement career with Earth's Federal Union. He is fascinated with primitive worlds and wants to make his own way outside the family heritage. Once he gets an eyeful of the beautiful Sheriff, as they investigate the Hair Spray serial murder, Zryphus knows he's found his one woman, despite her cold disinterest.

When the Hair Spray Killer stalks Kalypso, Zryphus won't let her out of his sight, or his bed. They realize those controlling the Killer's leash will use every evil to win world dominion.
~~~~~~

Available at ~ bookstrand.com/murder-by-hair-spray-in-gardenia-new-atlantis ~ bookstrand.com/savanna-kougar ~
~~~~~~

Best Gift Ever!

Happy Holiday's Everyone. I hope this blog finds you happy, healthy and hale.


I wanted to spread a bit of joy this year with a moment of happiness now burned into my heart and soul. Christmas came early this year bringing with it, the very. best. gift. EVER!

What is this wondrous gift you ask? Well, my Darling Diva showed me once again what a beautiful and blessedly giving old soul she has.

With times what they are and money being tight for the majority of people out there, our local news was doing a story about how low the donations have been this year for Toys For Tots. They were especially low in gifts for Tween girls.(my darling diva's age bracket) They were looking for Curling irons, hair accessories, bags and such-things on the minds of many a girl that age. So when my daughter saw that she looked at me and said..."We should donate one of my gifts to that, mom."

~We should donate one of my gifts to that, mom.~

I'm so darn proud of her.

In all honesty, we are one of those families where times are tough and belts have been tightened. There will be no fancy electronic doo-dads under the tree, nor gift cards galore, but our gifts will be given with love and there will be food on the table and a roof over our heads. This is a reality my Darling Diva is well aware of, and still she's willing to give one of her gifts to make anothers Christmas merry.

So, my favorite gift this year, er, ever? Those ten little words my daughter uttered to show me that the spirit of giving was alive and well.

May you all find your BEST GIFT EVER this holiday season.

Summer Recipe - Grandma's Yummy Banana Bread

Good Sunday morning, one and all.

When I saw that we were sharing our favorite summer recipes this week, I wanted to jump in and offer up my grandmothers yummy Banana Bread recipe and a humorous tidbit about the very first time I made this recipe.

Now I should tell you, I am not much of a cook, baker or in the kitchen type person, but when I first tried out this recipe I was seriously considering a career in the culinary arts with a focus on baking. I mean who wouldn't want to be able to create those fabulous confectionery delights. Wedding cakes, truffles and trifles, just to name a few.

So I thought to start with an easy banana bread...

I was fine mashing the bananas. Mixing the dry ingredients - a snap. Cracking eggs, not a problem. Then came the sour milk. Where did one find such a thing? Did they sell it somewhere? Should I leave some milk out of the fridge...did that make it sour and for how long?

Determined to do this on my own and not call my dad (he's awesome with food) I went back to the recipe. And there in small scribbled script was a note - sweet milk plus 1 tsp vinegar. Vinegar? In banana bread? Ooh, ick! LOL Some baker huh. Now I did call my dad, sure the recipe must be faulty and wondering at all of the banana bread I'd had over the years at my Grandma's house...had there been vinegar in those yummy slices?

Yep, indeed. Per my old man, vinegar sours milk. So I trudged on and finished making the bread. It was good, but it got me thinking about all the sweet delights I enjoyed...did they have weird things in them too? Did I want to know what was in them or did I just want to enjoy them?

Needless to say my life's calling did not include professional baking, but that's okay. My dad still cooks a bunch for family get-together and my hubby rocks in the kitchen so I'm covered. :)

Enjoy the recipe!

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix and sift dry ingredients together

1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
l/2 cup sour milk (or regular milk with 1 tsp vinegar added)
1 cup mashed bananas

Cream sugar and shortening. Add sifted dry ingredients and eggs. Add mashed bananas alternately with the sour milk. Mix well.

Add 1/2 cup walnuts if desired.

Pour into well-greased (one large or 2 small) pans.
Bake at 350 degrees.
1 hour for large pan, 40-45 mins for small pans

Green - Just One Color Of Spring

Top o' the morning to ya on this fabulous St. Patrick's Day.

The sun is shining down on me here in the formerly frozen north, I've got my green on and the thought of beautiful blooms fill my brain. There are so many different varieties of flowers available to fill me with the blissful happiness of natures smiles. Which do I choose?

Tulips - their stately beauty and gentle lines take my breath away and leave me softened and ready to be filled with love.

Guarded within the old red wall's embrace,
Marshalled like soldiers in gay company,
The tulips stand arrayed. Here infantry
Wheels out into the sunlight. What bold grace
Sets off their tunics, white with crimson lace!
A Tulip Garden by Amy Lowell

Crocus - Delicate blooms of the gentlest color carpeting the ground, proceeding the grass to herold the coming of spring at last.

First a howling blizzard woke us,
Then the rain came down to soak us,
And now before the eye can focus -
Crocus. ~Lilja Rogers

Daffodils - The sunny yellows and pure whites beckon us to come enjoy a spot of tea.

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Daffodils by William Wordsworth

Impatiens - The excited overachievers of the flower world, spreading their glorious colors.

Primrose, Lilacs and Peonies - Beauty in shrubbed form to brighten my day, but what to choose to line my way?

Sadly, the shrubbed flowers are not available to me this year, simply no room for them so I will have to enjoy them from a far. Darling Diva and I shall, however, indulge our visual needs with potted plants. Though the fields shall be reduced to bits, we are grateful to have the area to do something rather than nothing. :)

How about you out there, what flowers must you have in your gardens? What flowers make you smile?

Have a wonderful day and remember, anyone not wearing green today gets a pinch. Here's to hoping we all find someone sexy who forgot! hehe

Why I Am Thankful...

When I lay my head down at night, exhausted from the stress of everyday life and wondering just how much more I can take, I play a game with myself. It's called the I'm Thankful game and it goes like this...

*Though my home may be messy, I'm Thankful for the four walls that surround me...some don't have that.
*Though I fought with my nine year old today, I'm Thankful to be looking into her beautiful green eyes to do it...I almost couldn't.
*Though we had Macaroni and Cheese with Hot Dogs and a vegetable for dinner last night, I'm Thankful I was able to put at least that in my child's stomach...some parents can't.
*Though the years have not always been kind to this middle aged body, I'm Thankful to still be in love and loved by a wonderful partner...Some aren't so lucky.

My list goes on and on, but I think these four explain it well enough. While my problems seem overwhelming at times, I've found it's important to take a step back and regroup.

Things can be worse. And right at this moment, for somebody else out there they probably are.

As I've told my daughter on many occasions, it's easy to see the bad rather than the good. The bad things tend to jump into our path and get bigger and harder to go around, but not insurmountable. In the end though, finding the good things this life has to offer proves to be much more rewarding.

*Friends-there to encourage and support your desires.
*Love-in any form that finds you, from Parents or Child, lover or spouse right on down the the big brown puppy dog eyes that follow you around the room.
*Help make the good things-A can or two dropped off at the local food shelf, will bring a meal to another's table. Winter jackets that have been outgrown, will warm another child. A toy or two will make one child's Christmas special.
*A simple smile to those you meet along the way, may make another's day.

As I sit down this afternoon with my family surrounding me to share in the feast I will turn my eyes inward, as is my own private tradition, and remember why I am lucky, I will remember what makes me happy, I will remember where I need to do more, but mostly I will remember ...Why I Am Thankful.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Bump In The Night

So it’s that time year again, the time when fear is the currency and we are all chomping at the bit to buy some! Costume, books, décor and movies all displayed predominantly in the stores, out there trying to be the scariest and most terrifying. One of the scariest things to me as a child was the thought of demonic possession; yeah I watched a lot of the horror shows my dad so enjoyed.

When you’re young, it’s harder – I think, to see the nuances in horror. Shows like The Exorcist, The Shining and The Amityville Horror all had a type of possession in them, but were they all the same. In my child’s eye, yes. They each had The Devil all up inside them. The reality was though a big old no. One was demon possessed, the other was the malevolent spirit of a hotel and the last was the spirit of a crazy, family killing man.

These movies and the idea that my body could be “taken over” by evil, gave me the willies for years.

As I grew out of childhood and into adulthood, I began to realize there was something even scarier out there than a good old nasty being, taking up residence in your skin.

The Chase.

Oh yes, here we have Jack the Ripper, Michael Myers, Jack Torrance. All freaky characters who stalk their pray – women. Is it any wonder this freaks me out? As an adult, it’s easy to look back and see that while possession is scary, it’s a bit unrealistic. Not so with the chase. I could walk out my door tonight to take the pups for a walk and be confronted by the chase. I could stop for gas and be confronted by the chase. At any point and time in my life, I could have to deal with the chase…now that makes for a complete scare!

Therefore, in honor of my fear and scary movie plots, I’m adding a flash I wrote a while ago…hope you enjoy.

Bump in the Night

One more peek over her shoulder was all Faith needed to know she was being followed. Too many years as a single woman had made its mark on her. She was always wary of those around her, questioning the motives of both friends and enemies as well as acknowledging her stupid errors in judgment—like walking through the dark streets of her not so up to par neighborhood, alone.

The invite to a co-workers costume party had intrigued her enough to pull her into the streets of London on this cold, foggy evening. She’d hoped to meet someone, anyone who could free her mind and spirit for just a little bit. Someone who would ease the endlessly long life she seemed destined to live, but it had been a bad idea, she could see that now.

Faith went from a walk to a run, well as much of a run as her pencil thin heels would let her, as she neared her flat. Please let me get inside before the presence catches up.

“Faithhhhh…,” A slithery voice called out from the blackest shadows.
She wouldn’t listen. She was so close to her home, to safety.

“Faithhhh,” the voice oozed out its evil request. “Love and Hope send their regrets, but you can join them…little witch.”

True darkness overtook her in the flash of time it took to blink. Her last plea to whatever powers that be was a mournful “Save me” before the sharpened steel fangs eased into the soft flesh of her neck.

Happy Halloween!

I Do, Again?

Being a romantic, I am always thrilled when the subject of weddings come up. I love to listen/talk about weddings. Dresses, flowers, music...vows, receptions and cake!

Oh yes, don't forget the cake, erhm hint though, don't fall for the save the top for the first year anniversary...it does not freeze well. Eat that baby up then and there, or find some interesting game to play with it. ~whistling angelically~

Yep, I love weddings. However, I don't feel the romance in vow renewals, per se.

Wow, doesn't that make me sound like a grumpy grump. Wait, let me explain.

I love vow renewals, just not the public ones. Huh? I'm getting there, I promise.

See, I think of renewing ones vows is a very personal thing, far more so than a wedding. Odds are, this is the partner I've spent 20 or more years with. This is the love I've gone through heck and back with, the lover I've trusted with all of my fantasies and sometimes interesting desires. This person is the match to my soul and over the years our connection has grown larger than I could ever imagine.

For me, I can think of nothing more romantic than finding a beautiful spot in this big wide world were my love and I could sprawl out and tell each other all of the reasons we love each other, warts and all, including things I would not say in front of anyone else. Now that for me, is a vow renewal.

Okay, I hear ya, shouldn't we do this everyday? Heavens yes, but do we? Or do we some days chase our tail to the point of exhaustion and flop into bed with a "Hey, I love..." snort, snoring ensues.

How about the flip side to that, do we overuse that love word? Say it every time we leave the house or room? Has it become a non word?

Probably not, but hey, you never know.

So tell me, what would be your perfect vow renewal?

A Room With A View....

Happy Monday! I wanted to start by congratulating my fellow HEA bloggers. There have been some awesome room blogs over the past few weeks. Brava ladies!

So, the room I chose to chat about today is one we take with us everywhere. This room can be a place of comfort and peace or it can be a place where we relive our worst nightmares, repeatedly. As an individual, I find my space is very private. As a woman, there are times I find it to be a swirling pit of emotions where copious amounts of chocolate are needed to lull it into submission. However, in all honesty, there are times when even I think the room needs a strong bolt and a warning sign telling passersby to steer clear. ~grin~

This got me thinking about my characters. Do they sometimes wish for a no trespassing sign to keep me from bursting into their lives and rummaging around upstairs looking for fear and conflict to grace the pages of my book? Do they cringe when I pull out their deep, dark secrets and present them for others reading pleasure? Do I leave that tempestuous room a barren and desolate place? Or perhaps, I change it for the better? You know knock down a few walls; let in the light, brighten the place up, as it were? Or maybe I stayed up too late while writing this and am over thinking this whole thing?

I don’t think so. Nope, I don’t think so.

These characters trust us to be gentle. They trust us not to pillage their minds then run with our ill-gotten gains. They trust us to always make things right.
Or as right as we can.

I have to wonder though, does my intrusion ultimately help the damsel in distress, fearful for her life and/or dignity, locked in the pirate’s cabin waiting for the dread sea stalker to arrive. Could I be doing lasting damage to the hero by locking him up, holding him against his will only to torture him with the threat of harm befalling his woman?

Ugh!

As a writer, I try my best to fix what’s broken. To leave my characters with their happy ever after and then some, but as their creator it sometimes bothers me to rifle through their secrets, their pain, their private rooms looking for a story.

Am I the only one who feels like this?

Here’s a snippet of what I found in Mari’s head when she wasn’t looking…

Had she’d known this man would be dangerous to her well-being, she might have waited for the next alpha to cross her path. To love him would be easy, though the broken heart could kill her.
Marina took one last look at the man who had changed her world before leaving the haven they’d created inside the gazebo. She would regret this decision for years to come. Unfortunately, she had no choice. Half-breeds never had a choice. They were not welcomed by full-bloods, nor were they allowed in any pride. He’d accepted her as a full-blood only because she’d hidden her scent.
She was several miles down the road, clothes on, in the car they’d brought from the casino, when she heard the pained cry of a cat. Agony, too great to be hers alone, tore at her chest. Tears ran down her face as she wished the cry was for her.

~Note - she did eventually forgive me for the intrusion...

Have a great week everyone!

What Almost Killed My Happily Ever After?

HEA afficiandos, please welcome Serena Shay, our guest blogger. She’s a new author and *today* is the very magical day of her first release, THE CHALLENGE, a shapeshifter erotic romance from Liquid Silver Books.

What Almost Killed My Happily Ever After?

By Serena Shay

Happy Monday, Everyone!!!

My thanks to all of the wonderful authors here at the Happily Ever After blog for having me here on the release day for my very first story, The Challenge. ~Happy Snoopy Dance~

So what to talk about? I've been wracking my newbie brain for a good topic to discuss today that is related to Romance and the Happy Ever After. I could go with sex, love, the character background that allows for a HEA ending to all stories...What? Yeah, I made that one up as I was falling asleep last night, amazing how fantastic it sounds at that moment just before the sleep rolls in, doesn't it.

Then I thought, hey how does my hero compare to Prince Charming? Erhm, well he doesn't. At least not in a little girls fantasy kinda way. Nope, Bastian is a full-blooded jaguar shifter. A pride leader. A takes what he wants, when he wants kinda guy. He's the has his (heroine) cake and eats it too type of hero, but when he loses said cake, another intensely intimate bodily function goes right along with her! It's okay, Bastian, it happens to a lot of men...

Yep, I gave my hero a case of erectile dysfunction. Thunk, what? Huh??? I can hear it all now, the question that ran through my newbie brain day after day of working on this story...how the heck can I give the hero of my erotic romance, ED?

This development in the story left me with many a wordless day and quite a few losing battles with Bastian himself, always ending with me sniping at him "You're killing my happy ever after!" and him calmly replying, "That's what happened, write it!"

After much cajoling and hours at the storyboard, we did finally settle on an acceptable medium ground. A way to keep the ED for awhile, make it work for the story and be resolved for a HEA. Only by then he had another nasty surprise to throw my way. He was determined to make me work for my Happy Ever After!

So that brings me to my questions for you out there, What was the biggest obstacle to the Happy Ever After you've ever written and/or is there anything that could truly stop the HEA from happening?

Thanks again for having me here today! I'd like to leave you with the blurb to The Challenge, and a small snippet to introduce you to Bastian. Have a great week!

The Challenge, Releasing today at Liquid Silver Books...

Blurb:

Marina Jamison is a mystery. As a half-breed shapeshifter, she lives on the fringe of were-jaguar society. Though her love for pride leader Bastian LaRue is forbidden, she finds herself tied to him by a bond stronger than their individual wills, a psychic link born from their one-night stand. When her secret is revealed, she is scorned and excluded. Neither Bastian nor the pride can accept a half-breed queen.


Snippet:

“We’re here.” His hand reached out, palm up, ready to assist her from the car. He left her breathless with his considerate gesture. How many men these days opened car doors? A symphony of nature met her as she rose from the car. Water lapping onto the shore and a fresh pine bouquet filled her with a wild yearning. She could run here, be free here. Maybe she could be more, here.
They moved along the dock towards a giant gazebo outlined with twinkle lights. Silky netting hung suggestively around a raised pedestal in the center of the room, a bed hidden within its depths. They were alone, and the incredible man at her back demanded her full attention.
“Shh, pretty kitty.” Bastian wound himself around her, calming the shakes racking her body. When had those started? “There’s probably a minimum of a hundred things I could call you.” His tongue dragged lightly over the whorls of her ear. “But do you know what I would like?”
She tingled as pictures raced through her head. Her body sprawled over the hood of the car, the warm metal teasing her breasts as he pounded into her from behind.
“Wha—what?”
“Your name, darlin’, what do I call you when I demand your release?”
~~~~~~

Where else can you find Serena Shay hanging out?
http://serenashay.com ~
She contributes regularly to SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS blog.
Her blog is MY MIND WANDERS.
http://myspace.com/authorserenashay ~