Harmony Williams’s Reviews > Once Upon a Pirate > Status Update

One of my favorite pieces of wisdom I've added into a book: “There is no love without mutual respect.”

On the bed directly in front of the door, Milton was stretched out, covering every inch of the mattress, a calico cat curled onto his chest. The cat was his only adornment. He was absolutely, gloriously naked. And he didn’t seem the least bit concerned that I walked in on him.

With a sheepish expression, he gestured to his chest. “I appear to have been taken captive.”

I baited him, hoping he would make a mistake. “You won’t win my ship with those kitten swipes.”

The ghost of a smile crossed his mouth, drawing my attention. “Perhaps I’m aiming for the woman this time.”

“What do you say, my lady? Shall we duel?”

“If you have your heart set on defeat, I am more than happy to oblige.”

They didn’t call me Lady Quickblade out of irony.

Although fear of the future made sweat bead on my upper lip, I wanted independence. One way or another, I would find a home and a place to belong. I would make one.

"On the floor, the calico cat, Papillon, purred deeply and twined around my ankles as if trying to cast me back into the neatly made bed. Not tonight, hairball."

I love writing animals into my books. Love, love, love it! This one has a cat with a tendency to be in the wrong spot at the right time.

"Eavesdropping did not become a well-mannered lady. In my defense, England was a cold, wet, maudlin place, and if I couldn’t spend time out of doors, I had to entertain myself somehow."

I love it when a first line just clicks into place. This one propelled me into finishing the rest of the novella!

It's getting so much closer! Today I'm reading through my novella for this collection, THE SPINSTER'S GUIDE TO PIRACY AND PLUNDER. For fun, I will share my favorite lines here as I do. Out January 1!