Linzé's Mischief: 21 February 2016

It has just gone past 7 pm and I am exhausted. I set myself the target to sit and write the first draft of Galen's Hope this weekend. I have been coming up with excuses for weeks now and on Friday, I decided that enough is enough. So I kept my notes close, the box of tissues closer and I wrote the story.

Yesterday was bad. I had to do the scenes where Galen's found out that his entire family was killed, except his sister. Then he had to watch her die. Man, it was exhausting. I was crying so much my nose started bleeding. I also seemed to have a burst vein in one eye, although that could have been from the pressure test the optometrist did on Friday. The crying probably made it worse, but yeah, it wasn't fun.

Today's scenes were as emotional but the story was not an easy one to write. I have asked for people to read it to see if the story works. If not, there is still enough time for me to do another one before the JOURNEY project's deadline.

But it's done and I am not going to touch it for a few weeks before editing it.

On a lighter note, I have started editing another story for my blog - The Billionaire Baritone. It is a sweet romance that will soon grace the pages of the Broomstick.

On that note, people have been saying that the links to early chapters of The Friendship Affair were not working. Since I have not had such difficulties, I also published the chapters (already available on my blog) to Wattpad. Now you can read them in order. You can also follow me on Wattpad to get the latest instalment right away.

Look out for several reviews coming over the next few weeks. And they are not just romance novels, I promise.

You might have seen the post about my mother's passing a few weeks ago. In there I mentioned her love for cross-stitch. My dad gave me all my mom's embroidery stuff and the finished projects. I have been pondering what to do with them since the colour schemes of the various designs she had done do not fit my home.

Then I got the idea to make a quilt - a couch cover really - and to use them in such a way that they will blend in with the colour scheme of my living room. So my project for the upcoming winter will be to make the quilt. I have done it before, but this will be a challenge of a different kind. Will keep you posted.

I am going to get some coffee, put my feet up and read the next Embroidery Mystery by Amanda Lee, Cross-stitch before dying ( loving the series!)

Until next time!

The Friendship Affair

Not all long lasting marriages are happy. But what do you do if divorce is not an option?

University friends, Stephanie and Nick, meet again after twenty years. But life has not been easy or simple for either of them. Will this friendship affair stand a chance against reality?

CHAPTER 6

“Hey, Dad. What's up?”

Nick smiled at his youngest holding out a beer to him while she sipped her soft drink.

“I am good. So how was the last official day of school?”

“Surprising,” she replied. “I thought I would be ecstatic, but there is a lingering sadness too. Too weird.”

He nodded. “I get that. It is a phase of your life that will soon be over. I think it's okay to feel a little sadness about that.”

Lindie curled her legs up on the chair. “I guess.”

She took a long drink and pointed the bottle top at him. “So what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean? I will still be here.”

“You should get married again. Then you won't be so alone all the time.”

He almost snorted beer through his nose. Luckily most of it went down the right hole. After wiping his nose with a handkerchief, he eyed the young woman. When did she grow up on him?

“Did your brothers put you up to this?”

She grinned. “Nah, but we all agree.”

“Agree on what?” two more, deeper, voices echoed.

After a lot of hugging and teasing, the younger men settled down and popped their beers. Both having detoured through the kitchen on their way to the outside patio. Neither lived at home, but they always seemed to pop in at the right, or was it wrong, time.

“Dad needs to get married again,” Lindie supplied the belated answer.

The guys tapped their bottle necks together and took a long swallow.

Ñick swallowed around the tightness in his throat. He was so proud of them. Gary and Albert both went to university on scholarships for which they had worked their butts off, saying that he should save his money for their sister. Lindie wanted to go to medical school, and scholarships were rarely awarded to students right out of high school. The boys went into engineering, albeit different disciplines.

“Yeah, Dad. You have been taking care of us all this time. It is time to find someone of your own again.”

“I thought you should have done so years ago, but now you cannot use us as an excuse anymore,” the cheeky chirp came from his other side.

He coughed, even though he had nothing in his mouth. “Why this sudden matchmaking scheme?”

The three siblings laughed together, but it faded into the quiet Friday afternoon. “We know how tough it has been to raise us after our mother had left, but we thought to tell you that we are okay with you getting married again.”

Still trying to get over the shock, he stared at his children. They were laughing and joking about something else, but he simply watched their faces. They were all technically adults, but his eyes had opened to the incredible people his children had become.

Too bad their mother would never see that. Even though he had tried to make their marriage work, it had been clear that she had no interest in doing the same. Lindie had barely been a week old when Lena packed her bags and asked for a divorce.

He had never told them where she was, although they had only kept in contact out of necessity.

He smiled when the youngest and oldest conned the middle one into getting everyone another round. Yeah, they turned out more than just alright.

Missed the previous chapters? Read them on Wattpad

I need your help...for a character

Synopsis: Juliana needs a man that has some adventure in his blood. She meets Ryland on her way home, but does not see his face. She becomes intimately acquainted with his hands though. To preserve the mystery and the excitement of their public affair, she never tries to look at him when he touches her on the crowded bus.

My Intimate Stranger is the first in a trilogy of two people who embark on the sexual relationship adventure of a lifetime.

My challenge to you: I need an occupation for Ryland.

He has to have the kind of job where a regular bus ride would not be out of character, even if it's not an everyday occurrence. It has to be the kind of job my readers will associate with an adventurous, confident man in his early thirties.

Juliana is a forensic accountant the same age as Ryland. Her confidence and adventurous spirit are reflected in the story in the way she dresses and wears her hair.

Share your answer in the comments below and remember to leave a way (one link will suffice) for me to contact you (email, blog URL, Facebook page or Twitter handle). I will choose an answer I think will work best for the story and give the winner a discount coupon for a free download of my erotic romance ebook, Their+1.

The competition closes on the 14th. I will announce the winner on the 15th on my blog and my Facebook page.

I look forward to your suggestions!

Linzé

LOVE IS BLIND - Blog Hop 12 to 15 February 2016

Find some awesome bloggers and authors blog hopping this weekend with me!

http://francishpowellauthor.weebly.com/love-is-blind-blog-hop.html

The Friendship Affair

Not all long lasting marriages are happy. But what do you do if divorce is not an option?

University friends, Stephanie and Nick, meet again after twenty years. But life has not been easy or simple for either of them. Will this friendship affair stand a chance against reality?  

CHAPTER 5

Stephanie knew she was running late, but had warned Nick of the possibility earlier in the day. The meeting had taken longer than usual since the client had misplaced an invoice she had needed to calculate the VAT.

She rushed forward a few steps, then stopped to consult her tablet for his directions.

Five minutes later, she stopped again, this time, to admire the view.

Like the week before, she couldn't believe this place existed.

A tiny cottage, hidden from view in the fairy garden. She had passed several people on the main path.

“For a secret, this place was popular,” she muttered to herself.

Only when she reached the fifth bench situated on the left-hand side of the path did she pause to look around. Once she was sure she was alone, she quickly stepped off the path and slipped into the trees behind the bench.

The trees and bushes were denser, but it wasn't too difficult to find the overgrown footpath.

He was waiting at the entrance.

“Glad you made it.”

She ran a hand through her hair, pulling out a few leaves that were caught in her curls.

“Me too.”

He waved a hand to his left. “Shall we?”

They walked a few meters away from the cottage into a small clearing.

“A picnic?”

“Had to offer you at least something to drink in this heat. Make yourself comfortable.”

While the pencil skirt wasn't exactly suited for casual wear, she managed to sit down on the blanket without making a fool of herself. Of course, holding his hand had helped. That was after she almost let go when she felt an electric current sizzle up her arm.

She only relaxed when it appeared that he hadn't noticed.

After making himself comfortable, he reached into a cooler camouflaged as a backpack and pulled out a bottle with two long stemmed glasses.

Her eyebrows rose. “Are we celebrating something?”

The bottle opened with a pshh.

“Yep,” he replied as he poured and handed her the first glass.

Bubbles tickled her nose when she smelled it.

“Sparkling apple juice. How appropriate.”

He grinned. “Can't have you drinking during working hours now, can I?”

He touched his glass to hers. “I ended it with Danielle.”

She took a sip of the refreshing juice. It was better than anything she had had before. Or maybe it was the surroundings.

“Why? I thought you kissed and made up after the previous time.”

He reached into the backpack and pulled out a prepackaged platter with cheeses and an assortment of crackers beautifully arranged around slices of apples and pears.

Waiting until she had helped herself, he leaned back against a tree trunk.

“I found someone better to spend my time with.”

Nick's words followed her the rest of the week.
When she was updating the books for her clients, or doing the laundry or shopping, it was as if he was haunting her. Not in a bad way, but somehow his presence was everywhere.
When she called the hospital, a sense of guilty relief enveloped her, when the nurse reported that “he was not having a good day”. Those good days were becoming less and less frequent.
She sighed after thanking the woman.
In the beginning, she naively thought that he would remember her and be the man she had married. Now she called first. It was painful to see him as lifeless as a dummy, or so aggressive that she often feared he would hurt her.
Shaking her head to let go of the depressing thoughts, Stephanie poured herself some iced tea and got back to work.

~ Read Ch 1  Ch 2  Ch 3 Ch 4 

~ Next week: Chapter 6

Book Feature: 4 Novellas by Stevie Turner

1. Lily (Historical/ Paranormal)

 Lily is 92 and failing in health.  Her family tells her she is going on a little holiday, and although she finds herself still on her beloved Isle of Wight, to her horror she is now living permanently in a residential home at the mercy of Bridie, the ‘horrible’ one. 

To make what is left of her life happier she thinks about years gone by, and once again wonders about the strange disappearance of her 14 year old sister Violet in 1897.  However, every cloud has a silver lining, and amidst the daily horror of her life she is delighted to find out that somebody at the home can shed new light on the mystery.

Buy Link  http://bookShow.me/B018TA6NPS

2.  The Noise Effect:   (Women's Fiction/ Suspense)

 What lengths would you go to in order to ensure a peaceful existence?  Newlyweds Eve and Leigh Chandler are thrilled to be given a council house on a recently built estate after living with Eve’s parents for a year, and are eager to get to know their new neighbours.  Eve quickly forms a friendship with Tessa Patterson at number 16, but things turn sour when Mark Denny moves into number 18 with his two teenage sons.

 The Dennys enjoy playing their music loud enough for the whole street to hear.  Leigh and Eve, both normally easy-going and placid, complain to the council after being driven to distraction by noise emanating from the house next door.  However, this only serves to make them a sitting target for Mark Denny’s anger, causing Eve to discover a previously hidden side of her new husband that she was totally unaware of.

Buy Link  http://bookShow.me/B018TA6NPS

3.  The Pilates Class:  (Humorous)

 The Pilates Class is a quick read, and a humorous look at the lives and loves of several different characters attending a Pilates exercise class for the first time. 

Roger is a down-to-earth builder type, Judy is the harassed single mother of four teenage boys, and Thelma is a librarian who usually looks as though she's been sitting on a wasps’ nest for most of her life.  Neville is on the lookout for a woman (any woman will do), and Julian just wants to be young again.  Edie is the wrong side of 70, and Roz is a size zero fitness queen.

These characters, together with one very overweight Alice, all meet up for the first time at their local Pilates class.  Petra, the class instructor, has no idea what she has let herself in for!

Buy Link  http://bookShow.me/B018TA6NPS

4.  Cruising Danger:  (Thriller / Suspense)

 When Pauline Edmunds agrees to accompany her friend Shirley on a Caribbean cruise, she is disappointed to be left alone almost at the start when Shirley starts a holiday romance with Joe Collins, a guitarist in a band working on board the ship.  However, Pauline does not like the look of Joe, and tries to dissuade Shirley from continuing the affair.  When Shirley suddenly cannot be found one morning, Pauline suspects that Joe may have something to do with her friend’s disappearance and she starts to investigate deeper, opening up a whole can of worms amidst a background of Caribbean scenery and sunshine.

About the Author 

Website: http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stevie-Turner-432183066899400/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevieTurner6

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7172051.Stevie_Turner

WordPress: https://steviet3.wordpress.com/

The Friendship Affair

Not all long lasting marriages are happy. But what do you do if divorce is not an option?

University friends, Stephanie and Nick, meet again after twenty years. But life has not been easy or simple for either of them. Will this friendship affair stand a chance against reality?

CHAPTER 4

“Hi Annie, have you been waiting long?”

Two bright red spots appeared on Stephanie's cheeks. “I happened to be in the vicinity to see a client.”

He sat. “Did you change your appointment to another day?”

Both knew Nick didn't need to elaborate on who the appointment would have been with.

She waited until the waiter, a young woman today, delivered his coffee, before replying. “I broke it off. Last week. After our talk, I realised that he was getting involved.”

She looked down at her hand resting on a picture of the lunch special. “I couldn't let it go on any longer.”

“Are you okay with that?”

She shrugged, turned the page on the menu and then turned it back. In the end, she pushed it away. “If you wonder about my emotional state, there is no need. I will find something else to help me forget for a few hours. Maybe join a book club. I saw a notice at the library—”

He took her hand. “Talk to me. We are still friends, aren't we?”

She nodded. They were friends. She could feel that.

He pointed to the door. “Let's get out of here and go for a walk. What do you say?”

He dropped a few bills on the table, and ignoring her protest, took her hand in his and led her to the door.

“There is a park close by,” he said and promptly turned right.

Two blocks down they entered the park and took the path to the left.

“It's like a fairy world,” she whispered turning around and around. Small twinkling lights were hanging from almost every tree. Next to the path were statues of gnomes and fairies. Even a dragon made its presence known.

“It is a local secret,” he said standing a few steps away watching her face.

“How do you know about it?” she asked when she joined him, still glancing here and there not to miss anything.

He laughed softly.

She stopped and stared.

He had a lovely way of laughing. Warm and sincere. “My Dad built this place when I was about nine years old. He was the city parks' landscaper. When the city wanted to build another exercise park, you know the kind with obstacle courses and jogging paths, the residents went up in arms. The city relented and brought my dad in to redesign the area. It placated the locals, and it has been a green area ever since.”

“It is beautiful. I think the kids must love this place.”

He nodded with a smile. “Mine sure did, when they were still children.”

She shared a grin with him. “Teenagers?”

“The youngest. She will finish high school this year. The boys are working already.”

She turned in a circle once more. “I would love to live in a place like this.”

“Quiet. Peaceful. Inspiring.”

She shared a sad smile with him. “Yeah. If only....”

Stephanie stopped and shook her head. This was her escape time. Reality wasn't going anywhere.

He waved her closer. “Come with me, I want to show you something.”

~ Read Ch 1     Ch 2     Ch 3

~ Chapter 5: Next week