Elise Manion's Blog - Posts Tagged "romance"
Jarod's Heart Sneak Peak
Dear Readers,
I wanted to share with you a special sneak peak of Jarod's Heart, the second book in the King Brothers Series.
Please feel free to leave your comments either here or on my Facebook page!
Sincerely,
Elise
Chapter One
He looked up at the dark sky feeling a kinship with the clouds. The oncoming storm reminded him of those chaotic, black days when she’d broken his heart, scattering the pieces to the four corners of the universe. He coughed up a disgusted laugh at such melancholy thoughts and turned the key in the ignition.
Sheriff Jarod King drove his cruiser out of his parent’s palatial family home in the high Sierra desert, the sweet tang of wet sage billowing through the air vents in the dashboard. The aromatic flavor was much better than the crusty funk coming from the backseat, where drunks and petty criminals had left a little something of themselves behind. He’d call the detailer to have the cruiser cleaned out today if the weather held out. The forecast was for ice and possible snow in this freak October storm, so the chances weren’t good that he’d have it freshened up anytime soon, as the wrecks would keep him busy.
He was the oldest son in the King family, who were prominent in this little corner of Nevada. His father built his construction company from the ground up before Jarod was born. King Construction was now one of the leading outfits in the state. But Jarod had eschewed his birthright, handing over his legacy to Jason, the second of three brothers who he loved dearly. He preferred law enforcement, working with and helping the people of his community.
After a bitter divorce from Miranda, his high school sweetheart who’d left him for her drug dealer five years ago, he’d moved back home to the King estate. For the past five years, every morning was a carbon copy of the last, making this morning number 1,802 since she’d left him for her drug dealer.
Rain was falling pretty hard, the wipers having a hard time keeping up with the deluge, when the car in front of him blew a tire.
Might as well start protecting and serving.
Sighing out loud, he pulled his cruiser over behind the disabled vehicle and called it in to dispatch.
An hour later, he made it to the county offices, drenched to the bone. It wasn’t too cold yet but the weatherman expected the temperature to fall in a few hours, dropping the snow level to the valley floor, just in time for the afternoon commute. He expected plenty of traffic problems tonight that would keep him and his deputies putting in some long hours.
He sloshed through the doors, hoping no one would make eye contact with him.
Today just wasn’t his day.
“Good morning, Sheriff!”
“G’morning, Marguerite,” he replied and shut his office door. The last thing he needed at the moment was to get caught up in a gossip session with the town cryer. Oh, she was pretty enough and she had impeccable office skills, but there was something about that woman that rubbed him the wrong way.
Not that Jarod was interested in conversing with any woman. He had been-there-done-that, and he’d found they were only good for one thing; making sure his office ran smoothly.
Ok, they were good for more than that, but he was only interested in impeccable office skills. If he got the “itch”, he went out of town and gave a fictitious name…
And a fictitious number.
Closing his office blinds, he changed into the extra uniform he kept in the armoire that his mother insisted he install in his office. There was a small locker room in the building for his undersheriffs to use, but he seldom went down there. Once he was dressed, he sat at his desk and began the report on this morning’s incident; as it turned out, the driver of the car with the flat tire also had a bench warrant for his arrest. He was being booked downstairs now.
Finishing the report, he shoved his chair back. He needed coffee in a bad way, but in order to reach the break room, he had to enter the main reception area, which was one big room that had been partitioned off with glass walls that separated his office from the main reception area. Marguerite ran the long counter that divided the room from the public. In order to get to the much needed coffee pot, he would have to cross paths with her.
He kept his head and eyes down as he made his way to the break room. Lucky for him, Marguerite was helping someone at the counter and didn’t see his reappearance. He sighed in relief when he pushed his way through the break room door unnoticed. He reached into the dishwasher for his favorite mug only to discover that it hadn’t been run yet. Sighing, he grabbed a soap cube from the box under the sink and added it to the dispenser in the door of the washer, closed the door and pushed the “short-cycle” button. He reached in the cupboard and got lucky. There was one plain mug left. All the rest had either vulgar sayings, flowers or were holiday themed. He would rather drink straight from the pot than use one of those.
He put his mug next to the coffee pot and grabbed the empty carafe.
Son of a …
Reaching deep down inside for a calm that was practically nonexistent, he swished some water in the carafe, dumped it out and refilled it. Then he poured the water into the reservoir, added a new filter and coffee grounds and, out of sheer spite for his lazy co-workers, added two extra scoops.
He smiled and pressed “brew”.
He was leaning against the counter, whistling a jaunty tune, when Lauren Lockwood crashed through the door. She was his secretary, but she preferred the title of administrative assistant. She also happened to be best friends with his baby brother, Josh, and his soon to be sister-in-law, Julie. Lauren was beautiful, smart and perfect for the job. She was also a huge pain in his ass when her temper was up.
Currently, she was soaked to the bone, her clothes sticking to her perfect body and looking like she could commit a homicide if pushed in just the right direction. Right now, he felt like pushing.
“Nice outfit,” he deadpanned.
Frosty beams of anger bore through him from her baby blue eyes. She still wasn’t speaking to him. It had been over a month ago since he forced her into the back of his cruiser in an effort to keep her safe from Julie’s crazy ex-boyfriend. They’d all been in danger, as Billy tried to enact vengeance on his brother, Jason. Thankfully, Billy had been apprehended, but at the time of their fight, he couldn’t help worry that Lauren might be kidnapped to be used by Billy to get at Julie. He hadn’t been willing to take that chance, and Lauren hadn’t appreciated his efforts to keep her safe.
Whatever.
She shoved a soggy, brown paper sack into the refrigerator before moving to the cupboard to grab the mug that said, “HAVE A NICE DAY” on the front. Slamming the mug on the counter, she reached over for the carafe before she realized it was still brewing. She narrowed her eyes at him again.
“It was empty when I got here,” he said, showing her his empty mug. “So, I made a new pot.” He grinned evilly.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she went back to the refrigerator for the artificially, over-sweetened creamer. She slammed it on the counter next to her mug.
She tapped her perfectly manicured fingernails on the counter, staring daggers at the pot. He knew how she felt. She was in the same mood he had arrived in over an hour ago.
He frowned. She should’ve been here before him this morning.
Genuinely concerned by her soggy appearance, he asked, “Run into any trouble on the way in?”
She took another deep breath through her nose, probably working out how she could get out of actually answering his question without speaking aloud. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Just a flat tire.”
That explained the wet cat fashion statement. “Why didn’t you call for road assistance? One of us would’ve come out to help.”
She grabbed the now full carafe off of the burner and poured a small amount of the very strong, black coffee into her mug. He watched, mesmerized, as she measured in a healthy amount of creamer and four packets of stevia. She mixed her concoction, turned to face him and very deliberately took a drink. As she tipped up her mug, the image on the bottom was hard to ignore; a hand flipping him the bird.
He glared at her.
She smirked back with a raised eyebrow, turned back to the counter to fill her mug with more of the bitter brew and stormed out of the break room. He watched the sway of her perfectly rounded hips, as she sashayed to her desk before the door closed in his face.
I wanted to share with you a special sneak peak of Jarod's Heart, the second book in the King Brothers Series.
Please feel free to leave your comments either here or on my Facebook page!
Sincerely,
Elise
Chapter One
He looked up at the dark sky feeling a kinship with the clouds. The oncoming storm reminded him of those chaotic, black days when she’d broken his heart, scattering the pieces to the four corners of the universe. He coughed up a disgusted laugh at such melancholy thoughts and turned the key in the ignition.
Sheriff Jarod King drove his cruiser out of his parent’s palatial family home in the high Sierra desert, the sweet tang of wet sage billowing through the air vents in the dashboard. The aromatic flavor was much better than the crusty funk coming from the backseat, where drunks and petty criminals had left a little something of themselves behind. He’d call the detailer to have the cruiser cleaned out today if the weather held out. The forecast was for ice and possible snow in this freak October storm, so the chances weren’t good that he’d have it freshened up anytime soon, as the wrecks would keep him busy.
He was the oldest son in the King family, who were prominent in this little corner of Nevada. His father built his construction company from the ground up before Jarod was born. King Construction was now one of the leading outfits in the state. But Jarod had eschewed his birthright, handing over his legacy to Jason, the second of three brothers who he loved dearly. He preferred law enforcement, working with and helping the people of his community.
After a bitter divorce from Miranda, his high school sweetheart who’d left him for her drug dealer five years ago, he’d moved back home to the King estate. For the past five years, every morning was a carbon copy of the last, making this morning number 1,802 since she’d left him for her drug dealer.
Rain was falling pretty hard, the wipers having a hard time keeping up with the deluge, when the car in front of him blew a tire.
Might as well start protecting and serving.
Sighing out loud, he pulled his cruiser over behind the disabled vehicle and called it in to dispatch.
An hour later, he made it to the county offices, drenched to the bone. It wasn’t too cold yet but the weatherman expected the temperature to fall in a few hours, dropping the snow level to the valley floor, just in time for the afternoon commute. He expected plenty of traffic problems tonight that would keep him and his deputies putting in some long hours.
He sloshed through the doors, hoping no one would make eye contact with him.
Today just wasn’t his day.
“Good morning, Sheriff!”
“G’morning, Marguerite,” he replied and shut his office door. The last thing he needed at the moment was to get caught up in a gossip session with the town cryer. Oh, she was pretty enough and she had impeccable office skills, but there was something about that woman that rubbed him the wrong way.
Not that Jarod was interested in conversing with any woman. He had been-there-done-that, and he’d found they were only good for one thing; making sure his office ran smoothly.
Ok, they were good for more than that, but he was only interested in impeccable office skills. If he got the “itch”, he went out of town and gave a fictitious name…
And a fictitious number.
Closing his office blinds, he changed into the extra uniform he kept in the armoire that his mother insisted he install in his office. There was a small locker room in the building for his undersheriffs to use, but he seldom went down there. Once he was dressed, he sat at his desk and began the report on this morning’s incident; as it turned out, the driver of the car with the flat tire also had a bench warrant for his arrest. He was being booked downstairs now.
Finishing the report, he shoved his chair back. He needed coffee in a bad way, but in order to reach the break room, he had to enter the main reception area, which was one big room that had been partitioned off with glass walls that separated his office from the main reception area. Marguerite ran the long counter that divided the room from the public. In order to get to the much needed coffee pot, he would have to cross paths with her.
He kept his head and eyes down as he made his way to the break room. Lucky for him, Marguerite was helping someone at the counter and didn’t see his reappearance. He sighed in relief when he pushed his way through the break room door unnoticed. He reached into the dishwasher for his favorite mug only to discover that it hadn’t been run yet. Sighing, he grabbed a soap cube from the box under the sink and added it to the dispenser in the door of the washer, closed the door and pushed the “short-cycle” button. He reached in the cupboard and got lucky. There was one plain mug left. All the rest had either vulgar sayings, flowers or were holiday themed. He would rather drink straight from the pot than use one of those.
He put his mug next to the coffee pot and grabbed the empty carafe.
Son of a …
Reaching deep down inside for a calm that was practically nonexistent, he swished some water in the carafe, dumped it out and refilled it. Then he poured the water into the reservoir, added a new filter and coffee grounds and, out of sheer spite for his lazy co-workers, added two extra scoops.
He smiled and pressed “brew”.
He was leaning against the counter, whistling a jaunty tune, when Lauren Lockwood crashed through the door. She was his secretary, but she preferred the title of administrative assistant. She also happened to be best friends with his baby brother, Josh, and his soon to be sister-in-law, Julie. Lauren was beautiful, smart and perfect for the job. She was also a huge pain in his ass when her temper was up.
Currently, she was soaked to the bone, her clothes sticking to her perfect body and looking like she could commit a homicide if pushed in just the right direction. Right now, he felt like pushing.
“Nice outfit,” he deadpanned.
Frosty beams of anger bore through him from her baby blue eyes. She still wasn’t speaking to him. It had been over a month ago since he forced her into the back of his cruiser in an effort to keep her safe from Julie’s crazy ex-boyfriend. They’d all been in danger, as Billy tried to enact vengeance on his brother, Jason. Thankfully, Billy had been apprehended, but at the time of their fight, he couldn’t help worry that Lauren might be kidnapped to be used by Billy to get at Julie. He hadn’t been willing to take that chance, and Lauren hadn’t appreciated his efforts to keep her safe.
Whatever.
She shoved a soggy, brown paper sack into the refrigerator before moving to the cupboard to grab the mug that said, “HAVE A NICE DAY” on the front. Slamming the mug on the counter, she reached over for the carafe before she realized it was still brewing. She narrowed her eyes at him again.
“It was empty when I got here,” he said, showing her his empty mug. “So, I made a new pot.” He grinned evilly.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she went back to the refrigerator for the artificially, over-sweetened creamer. She slammed it on the counter next to her mug.
She tapped her perfectly manicured fingernails on the counter, staring daggers at the pot. He knew how she felt. She was in the same mood he had arrived in over an hour ago.
He frowned. She should’ve been here before him this morning.
Genuinely concerned by her soggy appearance, he asked, “Run into any trouble on the way in?”
She took another deep breath through her nose, probably working out how she could get out of actually answering his question without speaking aloud. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Just a flat tire.”
That explained the wet cat fashion statement. “Why didn’t you call for road assistance? One of us would’ve come out to help.”
She grabbed the now full carafe off of the burner and poured a small amount of the very strong, black coffee into her mug. He watched, mesmerized, as she measured in a healthy amount of creamer and four packets of stevia. She mixed her concoction, turned to face him and very deliberately took a drink. As she tipped up her mug, the image on the bottom was hard to ignore; a hand flipping him the bird.
He glared at her.
She smirked back with a raised eyebrow, turned back to the counter to fill her mug with more of the bitter brew and stormed out of the break room. He watched the sway of her perfectly rounded hips, as she sashayed to her desk before the door closed in his face.
Happy 2015!
Happy New Year! My mind is spinning at what potential 2015 brings and here are just a couple of things I’ve got in the hopper:
The Autographed copy of Jason’s Princess giveaway contest is well underway and ends on January 18th. I’ve ordered the winner’s copies so they will be ready for immediate shipment when GoodReads sends me the list of winners (ten). By the way, I just want to give GoodReads and its members a special hello. What a wonderful way to meet fellow readers and authors who are as serious about reading and writing as I am.
Jarod’s Heart is almost complete. (YAY!!) Just putting the finishing touches into the story and will be ready for professional editing (a change from Jason’s Princess) hopefully by the end of January. I was planning for a Valentine’s day release but I’m not so sure that that will happen. I’ll be working with a graphics design and self-publishing consultant this time around (shout out to Vern at Blue Harvest Creative… can’t wait to get started!) and, God willing, I will have the ability to offer my readers a pre-order option. To quote Tom Hanks from “A League of Their Own”, … things are gettin’ kinda excitin’ around here!
While Josh’s and Charlie’s stories are still awaiting evolution, I had a wild experience the other day in the shower. (This is rated G, people. Geez.) The workings of a different kind of story started formulating of its own free will; an historical romance ( or is it 'a historical' romance? **sigh**, thus the need for a professional editor!). I was so shocked that I rushed through drying my hair, skipped my curling iron and got the main ideas down in outline form before I forgot them. I didn’t think I had that kind of imagination but I will give it a shot.
I also discovered two new social networks that I feel are worth mentioning; tsu.co and biosgraphy.com Tsu is more like a combination of Twitter and Facebook with the opportunity to make money. How you’re supposed to make money is a bit of a mystery to me (I am not a numbers, math or business person) but there are a lot of people already posting, and it’s another great way to meet and connect with people of similar interests. biosgraphy.com is touting itself as “the Instagram for writers”. The cool thing about bios is that it looks pretty and it’s ad free. It’s easy to sign into using Facebook or Twitter and I will be posting this blog there as well. (update: I just found out that you cannot copy and paste into bios.... so, that one needs a bit of work).
And finally, on a different note, I have discovered a new passion for college football. I spent five days locked in my house, glued to my TV watching the bowl games this year. Why? Because I was suckered into playing in an office football pool. Twenty-five bowl games for $5; first and second place split the pot 70-30. Of course, I won 20 out of 25 games but that’s beside the point. I found myself rooting for teams I barely knew existed, screaming at the TV and acting like a total football junkie. I’m not so sure that sports betting is right for me! My husband, however, is totally turned on by the fact that we can now have a meaningful discussion about draft picks, statistics and beer. Oy vey.
So, I’m glad to say that the games (in the pool) are over, although the NFL is gearing up for playoffs. I live in a household of Oakland Raiders fans, so this year is a sad one. However, for all my Seahawks family and peeps, we are changing our colors over to the 12th Man and rooting for you… GO HAWKS!
Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2015,
Elise
The Autographed copy of Jason’s Princess giveaway contest is well underway and ends on January 18th. I’ve ordered the winner’s copies so they will be ready for immediate shipment when GoodReads sends me the list of winners (ten). By the way, I just want to give GoodReads and its members a special hello. What a wonderful way to meet fellow readers and authors who are as serious about reading and writing as I am.
Jarod’s Heart is almost complete. (YAY!!) Just putting the finishing touches into the story and will be ready for professional editing (a change from Jason’s Princess) hopefully by the end of January. I was planning for a Valentine’s day release but I’m not so sure that that will happen. I’ll be working with a graphics design and self-publishing consultant this time around (shout out to Vern at Blue Harvest Creative… can’t wait to get started!) and, God willing, I will have the ability to offer my readers a pre-order option. To quote Tom Hanks from “A League of Their Own”, … things are gettin’ kinda excitin’ around here!
While Josh’s and Charlie’s stories are still awaiting evolution, I had a wild experience the other day in the shower. (This is rated G, people. Geez.) The workings of a different kind of story started formulating of its own free will; an historical romance ( or is it 'a historical' romance? **sigh**, thus the need for a professional editor!). I was so shocked that I rushed through drying my hair, skipped my curling iron and got the main ideas down in outline form before I forgot them. I didn’t think I had that kind of imagination but I will give it a shot.
I also discovered two new social networks that I feel are worth mentioning; tsu.co and biosgraphy.com Tsu is more like a combination of Twitter and Facebook with the opportunity to make money. How you’re supposed to make money is a bit of a mystery to me (I am not a numbers, math or business person) but there are a lot of people already posting, and it’s another great way to meet and connect with people of similar interests. biosgraphy.com is touting itself as “the Instagram for writers”. The cool thing about bios is that it looks pretty and it’s ad free. It’s easy to sign into using Facebook or Twitter and I will be posting this blog there as well. (update: I just found out that you cannot copy and paste into bios.... so, that one needs a bit of work).
And finally, on a different note, I have discovered a new passion for college football. I spent five days locked in my house, glued to my TV watching the bowl games this year. Why? Because I was suckered into playing in an office football pool. Twenty-five bowl games for $5; first and second place split the pot 70-30. Of course, I won 20 out of 25 games but that’s beside the point. I found myself rooting for teams I barely knew existed, screaming at the TV and acting like a total football junkie. I’m not so sure that sports betting is right for me! My husband, however, is totally turned on by the fact that we can now have a meaningful discussion about draft picks, statistics and beer. Oy vey.
So, I’m glad to say that the games (in the pool) are over, although the NFL is gearing up for playoffs. I live in a household of Oakland Raiders fans, so this year is a sad one. However, for all my Seahawks family and peeps, we are changing our colors over to the 12th Man and rooting for you… GO HAWKS!
Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2015,
Elise
New Puppy
Three-year-old Thomas sat by the campfire, marshmallow roaster in his hands and booted feet swinging to a rhythm of their own. Mommy was explaining the benefits of browning the treat, rather than catching it on fire.
As Thomas ate the golden brown crust off of Mommy’s marshmallow (because his had fallen into the fire), he listened to the conversation going on around him on this summer’s night near Yellowstone National Park.
Uncle Jerry was talking about his cattle dog, Daphne. Papa had already discussed a litter of puppies he’d help ween on the farm when he was a boy.
Thomas wanted a dog too, one who would sleep on his bed and scare away the monster who lived in his closet. He imagined his dog running to the pond with him and chasing ducks or following him to school.
“I used to have a dog,” he suddenly said.
Grandma smiled at him. “You did, Thomas? What was his name?”
“His name was Montana and he was the best dog ever.”
“Was? What happened to him, honey?” Mommy wanted to know.
“Well,” Thomas began, but Mommy knew that he’d never had a dog, he improvised with “he died, but only after he was my best friend and played with me and kept the monster out of my closet.”
“Ah,” was all she said.
Months after that camping trip, Thomas didn’t get a puppy for his fourth birthday.
Christmas came, but Santa didn’t bring him a puppy either.
The scary monster was still in his closet.
On New Year’s Day, Daddy hung up the phone with Uncle Joe. He talked to Mommy quietly in the kitchen before calling Thomas into the room.
Daddy said, “Uncle Joe’s neighbor has twelve puppies and invited us to come look at them.” He stressed the word look and seemed to be in pain but Mommy gave Thomas her secret grin and gave Daddy a kiss on the cheek.
Later that day, Thomas stood in the front yard across the street from Uncle Joe. He was waiting for the puppies. When the front door opened, it was like a furry waterfall flowed down the porch steps and pooled around his legs! The puppies made little yip sounds and small tails were wagging around his ankles.
“Thomas, let’s sit down in the grass to see which ones like us,” Mommy said.
“What if I like one who doesn’t like me?”
“You will know your puppy, Thomas, because he will know you.”
A white puppy with large golden spots all over its body and freckles on its nose climbed into Thomas’s lap. It sniffed his pockets and played tug-of-war with his jacket. It kissed his face with a big sloppy tongue making Thomas laugh, before it curled into a ball and fell asleep.
“Can we keep Montana, Daddy?”
Mommy and Daddy looked at each other. With a sigh of resignation, Daddy talked to Uncle Joe’s neighbor, while Uncle Joe laughed. He was cradling a black and white puppy under his own arm.
Later that night, Mommy tucked Thomas and Montana into bed; the boy on his pillow and the puppy at his feet.
And the monster moved out of his closet that very night.
The end
I wrote this short story as practice in a small FB group I was invited to join a while back. It's based on my family's own dog, Washington, and she was named by my son in a much similar fashion as Thomas's puppy in the story above.
Yesterday, we had to put our baby girl to rest. She was fourteen.
For a long time, if you asked my son what kind of dog she was he'd answer with, "She's a pure bred mutt." No truer words have been spoken about her. She was a total mutt with the best personality and behavior. When the vet was taking her history she'd asked me if she'd bitten anyone in the last ten days. Honestly, Washington hadn't bitten anyone... ever. Oh, she'd told off a few people in the past fourteen years but never bit them.
I swear she could speak English as well. Our family also has another dog, Franklin. He's a dachshund and he doesn't speak a lick of English! He's ten. And he misses her too.
As Thomas ate the golden brown crust off of Mommy’s marshmallow (because his had fallen into the fire), he listened to the conversation going on around him on this summer’s night near Yellowstone National Park.
Uncle Jerry was talking about his cattle dog, Daphne. Papa had already discussed a litter of puppies he’d help ween on the farm when he was a boy.
Thomas wanted a dog too, one who would sleep on his bed and scare away the monster who lived in his closet. He imagined his dog running to the pond with him and chasing ducks or following him to school.
“I used to have a dog,” he suddenly said.
Grandma smiled at him. “You did, Thomas? What was his name?”
“His name was Montana and he was the best dog ever.”
“Was? What happened to him, honey?” Mommy wanted to know.
“Well,” Thomas began, but Mommy knew that he’d never had a dog, he improvised with “he died, but only after he was my best friend and played with me and kept the monster out of my closet.”
“Ah,” was all she said.
Months after that camping trip, Thomas didn’t get a puppy for his fourth birthday.
Christmas came, but Santa didn’t bring him a puppy either.
The scary monster was still in his closet.
On New Year’s Day, Daddy hung up the phone with Uncle Joe. He talked to Mommy quietly in the kitchen before calling Thomas into the room.
Daddy said, “Uncle Joe’s neighbor has twelve puppies and invited us to come look at them.” He stressed the word look and seemed to be in pain but Mommy gave Thomas her secret grin and gave Daddy a kiss on the cheek.
Later that day, Thomas stood in the front yard across the street from Uncle Joe. He was waiting for the puppies. When the front door opened, it was like a furry waterfall flowed down the porch steps and pooled around his legs! The puppies made little yip sounds and small tails were wagging around his ankles.
“Thomas, let’s sit down in the grass to see which ones like us,” Mommy said.
“What if I like one who doesn’t like me?”
“You will know your puppy, Thomas, because he will know you.”
A white puppy with large golden spots all over its body and freckles on its nose climbed into Thomas’s lap. It sniffed his pockets and played tug-of-war with his jacket. It kissed his face with a big sloppy tongue making Thomas laugh, before it curled into a ball and fell asleep.
“Can we keep Montana, Daddy?”
Mommy and Daddy looked at each other. With a sigh of resignation, Daddy talked to Uncle Joe’s neighbor, while Uncle Joe laughed. He was cradling a black and white puppy under his own arm.
Later that night, Mommy tucked Thomas and Montana into bed; the boy on his pillow and the puppy at his feet.
And the monster moved out of his closet that very night.
The end
I wrote this short story as practice in a small FB group I was invited to join a while back. It's based on my family's own dog, Washington, and she was named by my son in a much similar fashion as Thomas's puppy in the story above.
Yesterday, we had to put our baby girl to rest. She was fourteen.
For a long time, if you asked my son what kind of dog she was he'd answer with, "She's a pure bred mutt." No truer words have been spoken about her. She was a total mutt with the best personality and behavior. When the vet was taking her history she'd asked me if she'd bitten anyone in the last ten days. Honestly, Washington hadn't bitten anyone... ever. Oh, she'd told off a few people in the past fourteen years but never bit them.
I swear she could speak English as well. Our family also has another dog, Franklin. He's a dachshund and he doesn't speak a lick of English! He's ten. And he misses her too.
Excerpt from Jarod's Heart
"Charlie looked disgustedly around the yard at all the pumpkins surrounding them.
Lauren had lost count of how many they’d carved so far. Her hand was beginning to cramp a little but she was enjoying the warm sunshine and the idyllic setting of the fall day. The sky was a brilliant blue and there was not a cloud to mar its azure perfection. The trees surrounding the main house were in vibrant shades of red, gold and orange; colors that signified that they were on the other side of summer. The sage and rabbitbrush were yellow, their nasty pollen a problem for some people, but not Lauren. There was a crispness to the air that warned that winter wasn’t far away, but for now the Old Man still slept."
Working hard to get this published. :)
Lauren had lost count of how many they’d carved so far. Her hand was beginning to cramp a little but she was enjoying the warm sunshine and the idyllic setting of the fall day. The sky was a brilliant blue and there was not a cloud to mar its azure perfection. The trees surrounding the main house were in vibrant shades of red, gold and orange; colors that signified that they were on the other side of summer. The sage and rabbitbrush were yellow, their nasty pollen a problem for some people, but not Lauren. There was a crispness to the air that warned that winter wasn’t far away, but for now the Old Man still slept."
Working hard to get this published. :)
What's Happening Now?
The last couple of weeks have been a little crazy!
My son spent ten days on my couch with some sort of diabolical bug! He's eighteen, in his senior year of high school with graduation looming in June, and he comes down with a virus that leads to strep throat. Horrible! He went through a round of antibiotics but what really kicked this bugs butt was the addition of essential oils (who knew?), which was something completely new to our family.
His Spanish teacher recommended a dose of peppermint, lemon, oregano and something called OnGuard in a gargle. He had improvement after the first gargle. It was slow but he finally bounced back... after he'd lost fifteen pounds! He attended school for the first time today with his clothes hanging off his body. Poor kid. I'm just thankful that he's well.
In the meanwhile, Jarod's Heart (the second book in the King Brothers series) is under editorial review. I'm hoping for a summer release.
Other things in the hopper; I've created a Pinterest account for those of you who like to Pin. You can follow me at www.pinterest.com/elisemanion. I've got three boards going so far and I'm finding that they help me organize my research for the stories. (Wink: I do have Josh's board started, but it's secret for now... I don't want to give too much away. There might even be a Charlie board in there somewhere as well... tee hee)
If you would like to receive emails from me, there is a link on my website at www.elisemanion.com I'm calling it SLLS News (Silly Little Love Stories). I promise that I won't email that often and only when something is happening with the books. If you choose to sign up I AM THE ONLY PERSON SEEING YOUR EMAIL. I take confidentiality seriously and would never ever EVER share your personal information with anyone. Not even my husband. I'm using MailChimp, which is supposed to be one of the best. I would love to connect with you, so please sign up. Emails would probably be once a month, just to check in with you.
I do have a cover for Jarod's Heart but can't release it just yet; however, for those of you who connect with me through SLLS News, you'd be the first to see such things ;) You can also sign up on my Facebook page.
I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. And for those of you who are not mother's, or no longer have mother's, my wish for you is the same; for a very blessed day!
Sincerely,
Elise
My son spent ten days on my couch with some sort of diabolical bug! He's eighteen, in his senior year of high school with graduation looming in June, and he comes down with a virus that leads to strep throat. Horrible! He went through a round of antibiotics but what really kicked this bugs butt was the addition of essential oils (who knew?), which was something completely new to our family.
His Spanish teacher recommended a dose of peppermint, lemon, oregano and something called OnGuard in a gargle. He had improvement after the first gargle. It was slow but he finally bounced back... after he'd lost fifteen pounds! He attended school for the first time today with his clothes hanging off his body. Poor kid. I'm just thankful that he's well.
In the meanwhile, Jarod's Heart (the second book in the King Brothers series) is under editorial review. I'm hoping for a summer release.
Other things in the hopper; I've created a Pinterest account for those of you who like to Pin. You can follow me at www.pinterest.com/elisemanion. I've got three boards going so far and I'm finding that they help me organize my research for the stories. (Wink: I do have Josh's board started, but it's secret for now... I don't want to give too much away. There might even be a Charlie board in there somewhere as well... tee hee)
If you would like to receive emails from me, there is a link on my website at www.elisemanion.com I'm calling it SLLS News (Silly Little Love Stories). I promise that I won't email that often and only when something is happening with the books. If you choose to sign up I AM THE ONLY PERSON SEEING YOUR EMAIL. I take confidentiality seriously and would never ever EVER share your personal information with anyone. Not even my husband. I'm using MailChimp, which is supposed to be one of the best. I would love to connect with you, so please sign up. Emails would probably be once a month, just to check in with you.
I do have a cover for Jarod's Heart but can't release it just yet; however, for those of you who connect with me through SLLS News, you'd be the first to see such things ;) You can also sign up on my Facebook page.
I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. And for those of you who are not mother's, or no longer have mother's, my wish for you is the same; for a very blessed day!
Sincerely,
Elise
Jarod's Heart: A King Brothers Novel
Finally! Jarod's Heart is complete and up for pre-order on Amazon Kindle. The book will be released next Tuesday, July 14th as a Kindle Select e-book. Paperback will also be available on the same day.
Working with Blue Harvest Creative has been a joy, and one of the best decisions I've made. Not only have they provided me with amazing graphics and formatting for my book, but they have been there for me night and day, giving advice and lending a shoulder to cry on when things have gotten a little scary. Thank you, Vern and Joni!
On a personal note, our family life this summer has been crazy. My son graduated high school, we've had lots of family staying with us, we welcomed a new nephew into the family and are waiting for the arrival of a baby girl, and the hubby and I are planning a couple of trips. All while I'm trying to get Josh's story on paper (first draft, at least!) Crazy, right?
If you've followed any of my Tweets or Facebook posts, then you already know that the fish are going crazy in the pond and the hummingbirds have finally arrived in the backyard. They sure took their time. I'm thinking that it has something to do with the unstable Northern Nevada weather we've had this summer. Most of the west is suffering a drought, the Truckee Meadows is now exception, and so it's been a wonderful relief to have thundershowers almost every night for the past two weeks; although we can do without the flash flooding. The desert is looking green and lush for the first time in a long time and flowers are blooming like crazy. I know my friends and family in the northwest are jealous! ;)
For now, I will end this mad rambling so that I might get back Timbisha and the King Brothers. There are still a few stories that need telling!
~Elise
- See more at: http://elisemanion.com.hostbaby.com/e...
Working with Blue Harvest Creative has been a joy, and one of the best decisions I've made. Not only have they provided me with amazing graphics and formatting for my book, but they have been there for me night and day, giving advice and lending a shoulder to cry on when things have gotten a little scary. Thank you, Vern and Joni!
On a personal note, our family life this summer has been crazy. My son graduated high school, we've had lots of family staying with us, we welcomed a new nephew into the family and are waiting for the arrival of a baby girl, and the hubby and I are planning a couple of trips. All while I'm trying to get Josh's story on paper (first draft, at least!) Crazy, right?
If you've followed any of my Tweets or Facebook posts, then you already know that the fish are going crazy in the pond and the hummingbirds have finally arrived in the backyard. They sure took their time. I'm thinking that it has something to do with the unstable Northern Nevada weather we've had this summer. Most of the west is suffering a drought, the Truckee Meadows is now exception, and so it's been a wonderful relief to have thundershowers almost every night for the past two weeks; although we can do without the flash flooding. The desert is looking green and lush for the first time in a long time and flowers are blooming like crazy. I know my friends and family in the northwest are jealous! ;)
For now, I will end this mad rambling so that I might get back Timbisha and the King Brothers. There are still a few stories that need telling!
~Elise
- See more at: http://elisemanion.com.hostbaby.com/e...
Giveaway-Jarod's Heart
I'd like to thank everyone who entered the giveaway for a signed copy of Jarod's Heart: A King Brothers Novel. JH is the second book in the King Brothers series and it was a pleasure to write. I hope you enjoy Jarod's and Lauren's story. As always, please feel free to contact me here on Goodreads, or on Facebook, Twitter and/or my website at triple w elisemanion dot com (no spaces and use the usual characters in the address.)
I've also ventured out into the SnapChat world at my son's request. He deleted his Facebook account, exchanging his social media connections to SC. If you're on SnapChat, please feel free to connect/follow/add me there. My handle is JacksWriterMom. It's a new experience and I mostly post shots of the hummingbirds and butterflies that zoom or float around my backyard! (Or all the new babies that have been born into our family this summer. I tell ya, it's not hard to figure out what most of the cousins were doing about nine months ago! Ha!)
Finally, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to the five winners of the contest: there were two Kelleys-one from Ontario Canada and the other from Virginia, a Jacki from Washington state (not far from my in-laws), a Georgia from Tennessee (how ironic) and finally a Manda (not to be confused with Amanda) from Jersey! Thank you all for your interest in Jarod's Heart! Your copies have been mailed today so you should be getting them soon!
Best wishes and I hope to hear from you all!
~Elise
I've also ventured out into the SnapChat world at my son's request. He deleted his Facebook account, exchanging his social media connections to SC. If you're on SnapChat, please feel free to connect/follow/add me there. My handle is JacksWriterMom. It's a new experience and I mostly post shots of the hummingbirds and butterflies that zoom or float around my backyard! (Or all the new babies that have been born into our family this summer. I tell ya, it's not hard to figure out what most of the cousins were doing about nine months ago! Ha!)
Finally, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to the five winners of the contest: there were two Kelleys-one from Ontario Canada and the other from Virginia, a Jacki from Washington state (not far from my in-laws), a Georgia from Tennessee (how ironic) and finally a Manda (not to be confused with Amanda) from Jersey! Thank you all for your interest in Jarod's Heart! Your copies have been mailed today so you should be getting them soon!
Best wishes and I hope to hear from you all!
~Elise
Is it really May??!!
I cannot believe it's been since October when I last checked in with Goodreads! A lot has happened for me in that span and I thought I should get you all caught up on the happenings in Timbisha, Nevada, plus a snippet of something new on the horizon.
Jason's Princess is getting a makeover. (Yesssss) While I love my original cover hottie, it didn't feel right to NOT update the cover when I've updated the story. As most of you know, JP was my very first foray into storytelling, (well, at least, to the general public) and I made ALL the classic mistakes, the biggest one being that I didn't hire an editor. Heck, I didn't even have a free editor. I just let it fly, all on my own. I even sent copies of it to my family.
But, the King Brothers are such a cool trio, they deserved more. So, I hired a professional for Jarod's story, and a cool graphics design team. (Love, love LOVE my Blue Harvest Creative people. They are seriously THE BEST option for independent authors.)
Once Jarod's Heart had been completed, I wanted Jason and Julie's story to look and feel just as good, so I reworked it, A LOT. Now they flow together like peas and carrots, Jenny. The cover release is coming soon and the rerelease will be sometime in the middle of June.
After I wrote Chloe's Frost for A Winter's Romance anthology, I was kind of burned out and had to take a breather. My muse was sleeping and couldn't be roused for Josh's story. That's right, I had a classic case of writer's block. I hate that. Even though I'd already plotted an outline, the words just weren't hitting the pages like I wanted. But never fear, I've been working on something completely different to counteract the block and it's worked. I can't give you details as of yet, but let's just say there was a paranormal bloodsucker in my head fighting Josh for a way out first. You'll meet her this fall, and then a full-length novel will come out in 2017. (wink wink)
I'm now happy to report that Josh's story is finally hitting the rough screens of my Scrivener program and will hopefully be out by late 2016 or early 2017. It depends on how the word-flow comes out and how busy my team is. For now, fear not, for my muse is fully rested and is spinning her yarns at a fast pace.
TTFN!
~Elise
Jason's Princess is getting a makeover. (Yesssss) While I love my original cover hottie, it didn't feel right to NOT update the cover when I've updated the story. As most of you know, JP was my very first foray into storytelling, (well, at least, to the general public) and I made ALL the classic mistakes, the biggest one being that I didn't hire an editor. Heck, I didn't even have a free editor. I just let it fly, all on my own. I even sent copies of it to my family.
But, the King Brothers are such a cool trio, they deserved more. So, I hired a professional for Jarod's story, and a cool graphics design team. (Love, love LOVE my Blue Harvest Creative people. They are seriously THE BEST option for independent authors.)
Once Jarod's Heart had been completed, I wanted Jason and Julie's story to look and feel just as good, so I reworked it, A LOT. Now they flow together like peas and carrots, Jenny. The cover release is coming soon and the rerelease will be sometime in the middle of June.
After I wrote Chloe's Frost for A Winter's Romance anthology, I was kind of burned out and had to take a breather. My muse was sleeping and couldn't be roused for Josh's story. That's right, I had a classic case of writer's block. I hate that. Even though I'd already plotted an outline, the words just weren't hitting the pages like I wanted. But never fear, I've been working on something completely different to counteract the block and it's worked. I can't give you details as of yet, but let's just say there was a paranormal bloodsucker in my head fighting Josh for a way out first. You'll meet her this fall, and then a full-length novel will come out in 2017. (wink wink)
I'm now happy to report that Josh's story is finally hitting the rough screens of my Scrivener program and will hopefully be out by late 2016 or early 2017. It depends on how the word-flow comes out and how busy my team is. For now, fear not, for my muse is fully rested and is spinning her yarns at a fast pace.
TTFN!
~Elise
Don't Shame Me for Wanting "the Feels"
Paul McCartney asked this question: Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs. What’s wrong with that?
I say there’s nothing wrong with that, Paul. I am a junkie for all things silly and romantic. I’ve got a sweet tooth for the sweet stuff. Give me a good laugh, a good cry, maybe even a steamy love scene and I’m happy, just as long as it all works out in the end. I think we all want a little happily ever after in our lives. I see nothing wrong with that.
View more on BHCAuthor Spotlight
I say there’s nothing wrong with that, Paul. I am a junkie for all things silly and romantic. I’ve got a sweet tooth for the sweet stuff. Give me a good laugh, a good cry, maybe even a steamy love scene and I’m happy, just as long as it all works out in the end. I think we all want a little happily ever after in our lives. I see nothing wrong with that.
View more on BHCAuthor Spotlight
Plodding Along
First, I want to say Congratulations to the winners of the St. Patrick's Day give-away. It was an honor to have so many enter to win and I am grateful for the interest in The King Brothers trilogy.
Second, two days after the give-away, my father passed away. I'm struggling to be excited about anything these days. Grief is a strange emotion that has no rhyme or reason to it. One minute I think I'm okay and the next I can barely see through an intersection on my home because of the tears. To read more about what happened to my dad, please click here.
And, finally, I want to wish everyone a very happy Easter this weekend. Spring is here and I hope it brings you joy and love.
Happy Reading,
Elise
Second, two days after the give-away, my father passed away. I'm struggling to be excited about anything these days. Grief is a strange emotion that has no rhyme or reason to it. One minute I think I'm okay and the next I can barely see through an intersection on my home because of the tears. To read more about what happened to my dad, please click here.
And, finally, I want to wish everyone a very happy Easter this weekend. Spring is here and I hope it brings you joy and love.
Happy Reading,
Elise
