Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Wednesday Briefs: Fortitude Part 40

 
Sorry this is up late. I did the whole post last night and saved it, then updated it, posted it, etc... and it still won't appear in my posts. Grrr. Anyway, I hope you'll still enjoy this update inspired by the prompt: Use jerk, follow, wall.

Part 40


“First, we need a report.” I flourished a bit of paper from the supply of finely crafted sheets my parents had insisted I use. “What should we do it on?”

“Well you already told the king your impressions of the concert hall, but we didn’t write them up. Plus we could sneak out by saying we’re going to enhance the memory of the concert and get a sense for the acoustics when the building is empty.”

I grinned at Teddy. “You’re good at that. Maybe you should write the report.”

“Hey! Who says I want to spend all day writing?”

“That’s just what happens when you’re so good at twisting words to make things sound official.”

Grabbing a pen, I folded the paper and put both in a satchel along with a few secreted devices not so easily found. “Shall we go?”

“What about breakfast?” Teddy asked.

“We’ll ask the cook for something to tuck into my bag.” I’d make sure to get a thermos of cocoa for him.

My parents were eager to let us be on our way to perform our supposed duty for the king, so they had no qualms about us missing Michael’s events. My brother glowered at me over the table; if only he knew what we were really trying to do.

We were walking out of the dining room when I jerked to a stop. Teddy was following too close and ran into my back, making a soft sound.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh. Yes. I’m fine. Sure.” I couldn’t believe I’d been so focused on destroying the machine that it was like I’d put on blinders.

Teddy put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Let’s go get some food.”

Cook started putting together a few bundles. “I noticed a few loaves of my fresh bread gone the other day,” she said as she tucked a nicely browned round loaf into a sack with some vegetables.

“Is that so?”

“Noticed Bettice wasn’t washing that many plates after breakfast, either.”

Teddy was a silent presence at my back. Cook intimidated him, even more than my parents. She was a formidable woman, and even more influential with the rest of the staff than Simon. Fortunately for us, she actually liked me.

“Well, a little less work never hurt anyone,” she said. “And the hungry souls who visited the kitchen took the irregular loafs with a bit of a dark crust on one end, so no harm done there.”

I grinned. “Good to hear.”

 

We’d visited the concert hall, took a break for lunch so Teddy could dictate the report—though I wrote it—and then I hailed a carriage to the palace. Unsure of our reception, Teddy and I were cautious as we were shown to a study. We didn’t see the king; I didn’t expect to report to him, but I was unhappy when I saw Varket behind the desk.

“Busy at work, already?” He smirked at me and leered at Teddy.

“Yes.” I crossed my arms over my chest as a servant handed over our report. Teddy stood at my back once again. For once, I wished I was a big as Michael, so I could hide him behind me fully.

Varket thumbed through the pages. “Thorough.”

We were going to need time and a reason to come back more frequently than the king had dictated as the minimum reports. “We’d like to arrange for the musicians to return without the audience, so we can assess the impact the different arrangements have on various areas of the audience hall.”

He leaned back in his chair. “You’re taking this seriously, aren’t you?”

I lifted an eyebrow. “The king himself charged us with this task. I do not wish to disappoint him or shame my family.”

“No, no, of course not.” He scrawled a message in the margin of our report. “I’ll see what I can do about getting the orchestra available for your testing. In the meantime, we have a list here of various other facilities the king wishes for you to assess.”

The page took the list from Varket and trotted it over to us and then he slipped back to his place in the corner. What a waste of time; I could’ve just taken it from him. How many unnecessary servants were lining the walls in this place? 

How were we going to sneak past them? Unless we could turn it to our favor. I eyed the young page. He looked like he was trying to disappear. If he was gifted with Varket’s stares, like the one the vulgar man was still giving Teddy, I didn’t blame him.

Perhaps he was our ticket to finding our way through the maze of the palace.

I glanced at the list in my hand, then slowed down, reading through the various locations.

“Is there a problem?”

Varket’s voice interrupted my focus. I jerked my head up. “No. If there’s nothing else, we’ll be going.” I needed to talk to Teddy privately.

“Of course. I’ll see you again soon.” Varket motioned for his page to see us out.

“Hi. My name is Will. This is Teddy,” I said. He trotted ahead of us, nodding left and right at other servants. “What’s your name?”

“William.” He smiled over his shoulder. “Like you, but Sir Varket says my full name is more befitting his page.”

I smiled back. “We’ll call you Will, if you like it better. You know, I’ve never met another Will close to my age before.”

“Me either.”

“So, Will, how long have you been working at the palace?”

“My mother is a scullery maid, so I’ve been here my whole life.”

“How neat,” Teddy said. “I heard there are all sorts of ghosts here. Have you ever seen one?” He shivered. “The thought gives me the willies.”

“Oh yeah! I know lots of stories.”

“What about skeletons? Ever seen one of them?”

TBC

 

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Wednesday Briefers: Fortitude Part 39


 
This week my flash is inspired by the prompt: Have a character have trouble with a lock.   Enjoy!!

Part 39


Wildman and his friends could care less about the city. No Name and his friends were useless. I fumed the entire way through the tunnel. “It’s all on us, Teddy. No one else is going to help stop the king, at least not before he’s sucked every speck of our abilities from us. What are we going to do?”

Teddy shrugged. “Sneak into the king’s palace, find Schvesla’s machine and shut it down, and then find a key so we can sneak out of the secret tunnel to the theater.”

I stopped. “You make it sound so simple, but it’s anything but easy.”

“You’re right, it won’t be. I don’t even know how we’ll manage it.” Teddy pulled me to a stop. “But I’ll be by your side, the entire time, no matter what.” His smile was too sweet.

“I can’t let anything happen to you.” I reached up and stroked his cheek. This moment, maybe one of the last we’d have together like this, was everything to me. Teddy’s lips were dry and warm against mine. I tasted him, stroking my tongue between his lips. I shuddered when he slipped the tip of his tongue out and touched it to mine.

Warm, slick… taking my breath away. The kiss scrambled my brain. Teddy slid his hand up my arm, capturing the back of my neck and squeezing it tight. I broke away, gasping. We rested against each other, forehead to forehead.

“Won’t let anything happen to you, either.”

 

The entire house was in a tizzy when we got back. My mother and father were so relieved we were back in time, they didn’t even ask where we’d been. Teddy and I were shoved into my room, instructed to make use of the now tepid bathing water, and dress in the suits laid out on the bed.

We’d been summoned before the king for an important audience, an opportunity of a lifetime, my father said.

“Do you think this is it?” Teddy asked.

My stomach churned. “I don’t know. Why would they take us now, before our abilities mature? It wouldn’t make sense.”

Law said we couldn’t take a weapon when attending an audience with the king, but I wouldn’t go like a lamb to the slaughter. We smuggled in a dagger wrapped inside the sling Teddy wore to support his shoulder. I changed the belt my mother had chosen for one with small pockets inside. I lined it with flexible blades and a lock-picking set.

“Just in case we can’t find keys.”

The excitement inside the carriage made me uncomfortable. Teddy and I sat a decorous distance apart on the bench, facing my mother and father. I desperately wished I could hold his hand, but there was nothing we could do.

“You must have impressed him with your knowledge of architecture,” Mother said.

“I highly doubt that. He must have quite a few men with far more knowledge and experience than I. Perhaps it has something to do with the novelty of my status as a beta.” I watched her closely, taking in the tightening of her lips and the way her gaze shifted down and away.

“Either way, remember your manners and mind your tongue,” my father barked. “And make sure that one stays aware.” He gestured with his chin at Teddy, who hadn’t said a word.

“He’s not in a fugue state, Father.” I wanted to tell them to leave him alone, but I didn’t dare. Not yet.

Arriving at the palace, there were other carriages lining the courtyard, stable hands standing by the traces and waiting the return of the nobles. A footman helped my mother out and the rest of us followed her inside. Our secreted weapons passed the cursory search from the guards.

“This is a public audience?” I hadn’t been aware of that. Some of my tension drained away. They wouldn’t try to capture us in front of the masses.

“The king is making appointments.”

Why would we be called to his yearly appointments audience? This all tied together; I was sure of it. We melted in with the masses. My mother preened, brushing her hands across her skirt. My father stood with his nose in the air, stroking his mustache. Their greedy excitement was palpable.

They were so fake. How had I missed it for so long?

Teddy and I stood silently beside them in the ranks of those not of the noble class, who ranked seats closer to the king. Then we were called forward.

“After a private audience, the king would like to acknowledge your position and skill. We have decided to create an advisory committee of the public avenues to ensure they properly reflect our endorsement of the arts. You will head this committee and present a report for the king on a bi-weekly basis. This is to supersede any previous commitments or apprenticeships. A private appointment to discuss your recommendations will be scheduled at our convenience. That is all.”

The king waved his hand and his master of ceremonies passed two certificates down to a scribe who scurried over to us and handed them over.

He’d just handed us legal means to stay together and the excuse for our absences each day. We even had cause to enter the palace again, twice a week. With all the apathy toward stopping him before he could steal our abilities, I’d almost given up hope. I’d started to wonder if my stubborn desire to stop him myself wasn’t going to damn us both, and thoughts of running away to find a safe place for us to be together was tempting me.

But I was afraid if we didn’t stand up to the king’s machinations, no one would. Everywhere we turned there were clues of where we had to go and what we had to do, and now we had a wax sealed pass.
It was almost too good to be true.
TBC

Want more flash fiction? Check out these other authors:

Briefers Website

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Wednesday Briefs: Fortitude Part 38


Hey all! Things are beginning to happen now as we meet some new people. Enjoy this week's update inspired by the prompt: Wonder of Wonders

Part 38

He was bedraggled and dirty. And very hungry. Good thing I’d brought a large bag of cured meat, cheese, and a thick roll of bread. I figured, if he grew up in a city, he’d probably miss fresh break. It smelled amazing. Teddy’s stomach growled, and I pulled out a sandwich I’d made up for him from the supplies I’d filched from the kitchen after the servants had gone to bed.

Wildman licked his fingers and stuck them in bag, picking up crumbs and sucking them off his fingers. I winced; his nails were broken and black, and I could only imagine where they’d been. “Good,” he grunted.

In a move I didn’t expect, he popped up and jumped for a branch of a tree just outside the tunnel opening. “Wait!” I stood up, startled he could move that fast after stuffing himself. We hadn’t even had a chance to ask him for help.

He dropped back down, holding something. “Bad.” He shoved it at me. The leaf wrapped, muddy bundle proved to be the tiny lantern we’d left with the signal. It was still glowing under the muck.

“Sorry, but we needed to talk to you.”

Squatting down, he cocked his head. “Talk.”

I didn’t want to loom over him, so I sat back down next to Teddy. I wasn’t sure if that was a question or a demand I hurry up and speak. “We need help. There’s a bad man in the city hurting people. People like us”—I waved a hand between me and Teddy and then gestured toward him—“and like you. It’s not right.”

He didn’t say anything.

“A guard who works for Anna… remember her?” I pointed toward the abandoned city we’d found. “That guard said you were part of a group of boys who lived in the wild, and that they’d been capturing you and making you stay in the city. The others stayed, but you didn’t. You went back to the jungle, alone.”

Wildman shrugged a shoulder, but he nervously avoided eye contact.

“See, I think you didn’t stay because you aren’t alone out here. I think there are more like you. You can speak because someone taught you. I call you Wildman, but you’re not feral like you’d be if you were all alone all the time. No one could stand that, much less out here, where it’s so dangerous. You try to escape because you have someone to go back to. Someone they don’t know about, and maybe more than one person.”

The longer I spoke, the more agitated Wildman got. He’d narrowed his eyes and was staring at me, a snarl curling up his lips.

“Hey,” Teddy said softly. “Don’t worry. We’re not going to hurt you or them. We don’t want anyone to be hurt, that’s why we’re asking for help. The king, he plans to take our abilities and use them to control all the people in the city. To take away their choices, like how Anna tried to take away yours. We just want to know if they have any information, if they know something that could help us. We need you.”

Teddy’s calm pleading went a long way into easing Wildman away from the edge. He stopped sneering, but he wasn’t really talking either to us either. “You said it before. City bad. We agree, but we can’t just leave. We have to do something to help everyone.”

Wildman picked at a rock embedded in the dirt at his feet, not looking up at us. Finally he stood, and I stood with him.

“No! You stay.” He practically hissed the words before he was up in the tree again and gone before I could track which direction he went in.

“Do you think he’s going to get someone who will help us, or he’s just leaving and doesn’t want us to follow him?” I asked Teddy.

Teddy shrugged and then winced. “I don’t know. I suppose we just have to wait to find out.”

How long was that going to take? We were running out of time.

 

 

“Wonder of wonders.” The sun was rising above the trees already. I had no idea how we’d explain our absence to my parents, but I’d figure it out. I’d started to lose hope, but Wildman dropped to the ground in front of us with a soft thump.

He wasn’t alone.

“You wanted to talk to me?” Wildman’s friend wasn’t dressed any better; his close were ragged and dirty, but his face and hands were clean. And he could actually speak in sentences.

I stood up and held out my hand. “We did. My name is Will, and this is Teddy.”

“John.” He eyed my hand, and I slowly let it drop. “What do you want?”

“Your help. Did Wildman tell you anything?”

“Wildman?” John eyed him where he crouched next to Teddy, scarfing on the little bit of food we had left. “That fits, but he doesn’t really share much.”

“I bet.”

“You’re clearly from the city. We don’t want anything to do with them. We left for a reason. If you’re smart, you’d never go back.”

I shook my head. “I can’t do that. My family let me believe I was something special when all I really meant to them was a source of cash. If I just leave, they’ll find someone else to hurt.”

He shrugged. “Their problem.”

“Really? You care that little about someone else being stripped of their abilities you’ll just leave them to be mentally raped?”

“I’ve lived it. I can’t go back there, and I have responsibilities to take care of my people.”

“Damn it!” I snapped. “That’s what they say in the city too. It’s all about salvaging the shreds of humanity people have left after the king uses them up. Why can’t any of you see that we have to stop it before it happens to anyone else!”
TBC

Do you think they'll help Teddy and Will? Okay, on to more flash! And make sure you swing by the blog of Mann Rambling's as he pops his flash cherry!

Briefers Website
 

Friday, July 10, 2015

Wednesday Briefs: Fortitude Part 40


It's Wednesday again. Yay! Here's the next update for Fortitude inspired by the prompt: Use the words jerk, follow, wall.

Part 40


“First, we need a report.” I flourished a bit of paper from the supply of finely crafted sheets my parents had insisted I use. “What should we do it on?”

“Well you already told the king your impressions of the concert hall, but we didn’t write them up. Plus we could sneak out by saying we’re going to enhance the memory of the concert and get a sense for the acoustics when the building is empty.”

I grinned at Teddy. “You’re good at that. Maybe you should write the report.”

“Hey! Who says I want to spend all day writing?”

“That’s just what happens when you’re so good at twisting words to make things sound official.”

Grabbing a pen, I folded the paper and put both in a satchel along with a few secreted devices not so easily found. “Shall we go?”

“What about breakfast?” Teddy asked.

“We’ll ask the cook for something to tuck into my bag.” I’d make sure to get a thermos of cocoa for him.

My parents were eager to let us be on our way to perform our supposed duty for the king, so they had no qualms about us missing Michael’s events. My brother glowered at me over the table; if only he knew what we were really trying to do.

We were walking out of the dining room when I jerked to a stop. Teddy was following too close and ran into my back, making a soft sound.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh. Yes. I’m fine. Sure.” I couldn’t believe I’d been so focused on destroying the machine that it was like I’d put on blinders.

Teddy put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Let’s go get some food.”

Cook started putting together a few bundles. “I noticed a few loaves of my fresh bread gone the other day,” she said as she tucked a nicely browned round loaf into a sack with some vegetables.

“Is that so?”

“Noticed Bettice wasn’t washing that many plates after breakfast, either.”

Teddy was a silent presence at my back. Cook intimidated him, even more than my parents. She was a formidable woman, and even more influential with the rest of the staff than Simon. Fortunately for us, she actually liked me.

“Well, a little less work never hurt anyone,” she said. “And the hungry souls who visited the kitchen took the irregular loafs with a bit of a dark crust on one end, so no harm done there.”

I grinned. “Good to hear.”

 

We’d visited the concert hall, took a break for lunch so Teddy could dictate the report—though I wrote it—and then I hailed a carriage to the palace. Unsure of our reception, Teddy and I were cautious as we were shown to a study. We didn’t see the king; I didn’t expect to report to him, but I was unhappy when I saw Varket behind the desk.

“Busy at work, already?” He smirked at me and leered at Teddy.

“Yes.” I crossed my arms over my chest as a servant handed over our report. Teddy stood at my back once again. For once, I wished I was a big as Michael, so I could hide him behind me fully.

Varket thumbed through the pages. “Thorough.”

We were going to need time and a reason to come back more frequently than the king had dictated as the minimum reports. “We’d like to arrange for the musicians to return without the audience, so we can assess the impact the different arrangements have on various areas of the audience hall.”

He leaned back in his chair. “You’re taking this seriously, aren’t you?”

I lifted an eyebrow. “The king himself charged us with this task. I do not wish to disappoint him or shame my family.”

“No, no, of course not.” He scrawled a message in the margin of our report. “I’ll see what I can do about getting the orchestra available for your testing. In the meantime, we have a list here of various other facilities the king wishes for you to assess.”

The page took the list from Varket and trotted it over to us and then he slipped back to his place in the corner. What a waste of time; I could’ve just taken it from him. How many unnecessary servants were lining the walls in this place? 

How were we going to sneak past them? Unless we could turn it to our favor. I eyed the young page. He looked like he was trying to disappear. If he was gifted with Varket’s stares, like the one the vulgar man was still giving Teddy, I didn’t blame him.

Perhaps he was our ticket to finding our way through the maze of the palace.

I glanced at the list in my hand, then slowed down, reading through the various locations.

“Is there a problem?”

Varket’s voice interrupted my focus. I jerked my head up. “No. If there’s nothing else, we’ll be going.” I needed to talk to Teddy privately.

“Of course. I’ll see you again soon.” Varket motioned for his page to see us out.

“Hi. My name is Will. This is Teddy,” I said. He trotted ahead of us, nodding left and right at other servants. “What’s your name?”

“William.” He smiled over his shoulder. “Like you, but Sir Varket says my full name is more befitting his page.”

I smiled back. “We’ll call you Will, if you like it better. You know, I’ve never met another Will close to my age before.”

“Me either.”

“So, Will, how long have you been working at the palace?”

“My mother is a scullery maid, so I’ve been here my whole life.”

“How neat,” Teddy said. “I heard there are all sorts of ghosts here. Have you ever seen one?” He shivered. “The thought gives me the willies.”

“Oh yeah! I know lots of stories.”

“What about skeletons? Ever seen one of them?”
TBC

 

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Wednesday Briefs: Fortitude Part 37

Another week, another update. Yay! This week my flash was inspired by the prompt: Have a character lick his lips.

Fortitude Part 37


“I really don’t like being down here,” Teddy said.

“There’s no such things as ghosts.”

“But it’s dark.” Teddy was right behind me, nearly treading on my heels with every step.

“It’s always dark inside a cave; the fact that it is dark outside doesn’t really change that.” Still, I sent a little more power to the lantern I held to light up the area around us. “Better?”

“Not really. I really don’t want to go out there, either.”

We were nearly through the tunnel leading out of the city. We’d had to wait for darkness to enter the cave. I didn’t think we’d be able to find Wildman, but the area he’d been in seemed to get pretty close to the city. My plan was to get a good distance from the wall and then set up a call that would hopefully bring Wildman in.

The true danger lay in what else might come, though, so I brought two pistols as well as my sword. The jungle outside the city smelled very different from the cultured gardens in the city. The scent of dirt and decaying plant matter underscored the perfume of flowers. Without the sun, the riot of color was muted, but everything was eerily beautiful in the moonlight too.

I tucked away the lantern, hanging it on a hook at the base of my pack. “Don’t want to attract unwanted attention. Let’s go, we have a good walk ahead of us.”

Closer to the river gave us a better chance of luring in Wildman. No matter how toxic the water, it was still a rich ecosystem. Whatever he ate when he wasn’t getting supplies from hapless travelers or pilfering it from Anna’s people probably came from around there.

My handkerchief was soaked with sweat by the time we reached close enough to hear the ripples of the water at the bank of the river. A small clearing made the ideal spot to stop. “This looks about right.” I swung the pack off my shoulders and carefully settled it down on the ground.

“What now?”

“Now we set up the signal.”

I pulled out two wrapped packages and then a small lantern with a fine wire mesh surrounding the element. “Here, take these.” I handed a package and the lantern out to Teddy. I unwrapped the other package, and the redolent scent of cheese filled the warm air of the clearing.

“Whew. That’s going to call more than Wildman,” Teddy said.

“That’s fine. The animals migrating over here might alert him to something going on if he’s not close enough to catch a whiff himself. Over here.” I walked over to one of the large trees around the clearing. Unlacing the bag of my pack from the metal frame, I bent a few of the bars to make a crude lid for the boxy frame. I stuck the package Teddy held inside and then tied the top shut with a rope.

First I tied a rock to the free end, then sighting above me with one eye squinted shut, I swung the rope up and over a sturdy branch. “Yes!” I hauled on the rope until the pack hung about chest high. “Put the lantern on the hook.”

Still bound up with his arm in a sling, Teddy needed help opening the hook, but together we got the lantern on the pack board box with the cheese inside.

“Can you find some rocks? Just fist-sized is fine.” I finished the knot holding the bait in the air and then Teddy and I arranged the rocks in an arrow pointing toward the city. I stomped on them several times to drive them into the dirt—far enough they wouldn’t budge from the pattern easily, but not hard enough to bury them under the soil.

“Now what?” Teddy glanced nervously over his shoulder. “I hear something.”

The sound of twigs breaking and bushes rustling was growing louder. I didn’t want to be in the clearing when the bait did its job just in case it brought the four-legged variety of danger. “Now I power up the lantern, and we head back to the tunnel.”

I gave enough of my power that the lantern was blazing white. I slung the nearly empty bag over my shoulder and held up our personal lantern. “Let’s go.”

We traipsed back through the jungle, alert for danger. Exhaustion was beginning to drag at my feet when we finally reached the rocky outcropping at the mouth of the tunnel back to the city.

“Just need to rest,” Teddy mumbled. He collapsed on the ground just inside the tunnel.

It reminded me of the last time we were here, but this time he wasn’t just tired, he was hurt. “We’ll wait here and rest for a while.”

My back ached, and my legs were sore from all the walking we’d been doing. I helped Teddy haul himself up against a smooth edge of a rock and sank down next to him. We leaned against each other, our sides plastered from shoulder to ankle.

“Do you think this is ever going to be over?” Teddy asked.

“It has to.” I left out the rest of what I wanted to say. One way or another, we’d either not care because we’d have lost our abilities and be poor wrecks like all the other betas and gammas, or we’d put a stop to the king’s atrocities.

“I’m tired.” Teddy yawned. He snuggled closer to me, resting his head against my chest.

“Go ahead and close your eyes. I’ll stay awake.”

 

I intended to, I really did. Teddy was leaning across my lap and my legs were deadened from how long it’d been since I moved. I blinked, trying to clear the sleepy crust from my eyes.

What woke me up? I eased my hand down to my belt.

“More food.” Wildman dropped to the ground in front of us. He eyed the pack at my side and licked his lips.

TBC

Want more flash? Check out the other Briefers updates:

Briefers Website

Friday, July 3, 2015

Author Interview: Michael Mandrake with Reconnection

Today I'm featuring an interview and eBook promo/contest with Michael Mandrake (AKA Sharita L) featuring Reconnection. Enjoy, and don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win an eBook copy or a $5 Gift Card.



Do you eat your fruits and vegetables?
Sharita L: Yes, I do. Albeit, not often enough. *grins*

What are you wearing (and no fibbing!)?
Sharita L: A t-shirt and stretch pants. Comfortable writing attire. ;)

Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?
Sharita L: I honestly don’t see the point since me and hubs will end up back in it later on. I do make it up when we have company though.

Chocolate or Vanilla?
Sharita L: I love chocolate of just about everything.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Sharita L: I love spending time with my family and or friends. I also love live music. I often attend concerts.

Do your characters try to make like bunnies and create ever more convoluted plots for you? Or do you have to coax them out of your characters?
Sharita L: My characters and or muses (I write under three names) all try to convince me to make the plots more difficult. And because I’m a sucker, I usually do just that!


Blurb: Every once in a while, the average looking guy scores!
 

Robert McIntyre is a closeted, average looking sports columnist for the Daily Read. Unfortunately, his desire to stay in has cost him the chance at love more than once. However, now it seems his luck will change since his editor has asked him to interview, Jake Valenta. Jake and Robert knew one another in college and when he heard from a mutual friend that Jake might be bisexual, Robert didn’t believe him.

Before Robert’s trip, they discover a mutual affection for one another. Jake shares his desire to stay behind closed doors because he can’t stand being called a fag, but desperately wants Robert to be his man.

Robert and Jake want a chance to reconnect on a more personal level, but will this budding relationship ruin their careers?


Buylinks
Amazon
ARe
Smashwords
Bookstrand

 

Excerpt

Later on that evening, Jake and I finished our meal and we returned to the couch with wine and beers in hand. Jake is a masterful griller, cooking steaks with side salads and corn on the cob. It had been a while since I had such a filling and well cooked dinner. Most of the time in Chicago, my nights were Chinese takeout or fast food burgers.

“Ah, now this is nice. You and me, on the sofa, drinking liquor with sports on the TV. Can’t get any better than this.” Jake popped the cap on his beer open.

“Yeah, well, the NBA isn’t one of my favorite sports, but I guess it will have to do. It’s either that or hockey.” I cracked open the Merlot and poured myself a glass.

“You’re not into either one?

“Nope. Baseball’s my first love. Football is second for me. I love college and pro.”

“See I hate college football. I think it stems from our alma mater’s pigskin team getting more recognition than we did.”

“Yeah, and they got all the funding too,” I added with a laugh. “The NCAA knows college football can command more money than baseball, so they give them more attention.”

“And they didn’t even deserve it. They went 7-4 last year, for fucking last in the conference. We went to the playoffs and beat the number one seeded team.”

“But no one likes college baseball.”

Jake waved his hand and took another swig of beer. “Ah, whatever. I’m gone anyways, but it still sticks in my craw how they considered as unimportant.”

“You weren’t irrelevant, just the team. What happened when you got to single A, by the way? You weren’t seeing the ball, or…”

“I thought we were forgetting about the interview, Rob. Let’s save that for when we talk on the record.”

“I am. I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“I haven’t got a clue, Rob. I just wasn’t picking up the pitches like I should’ve.”

“Hm, well I’m glad everything’s going well now. The general manager was wondering if he’d made the right choice with the pick. I knew you’d get it together sooner or later.”

“You had faith in me?” Jake caressed my leg through my jeans and flashed me a wry grin.

Feeling his hands on me again caused the adrenaline to rush through my veins. I desired nothing more than to attack him on this couch and forget all about the game on television. “I’ve always had faith in you.”

About the Muse and Author

Michael Mandrake pens complex characters already comfortable with their sexuality. Thorough these, he builds worlds not centered on erotica but rather the mainstream plots we might encounter in everyday life through personal experiences or the media.

To find out more please visit Michael Mandrake at Wordpress

Author Sharita Lira: In one word, crazy. Just crazy enough to have 3 4 different muses running around in her head, driving her to sheer exhaustion with new plot bunnies and complex characters.

In addition to being a computer geek and a metalhead, Sharita loves live music, reading, and perusing the net for sexy men to be her muses.  She’s also a founding member and contributor to the heavy metal ezine Fourteeng.net.

For more information, please visit http://www.thelitriad.com as well as her Facebook fanpage, The Literary Triad.

 Contest!

Plus a $5 Amazon GC

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Wednesday Briefs: Fortitude Part 36

This week's flash update with the Wednesday Briefers is inspired by the picture prompt below. I hope you enjoy this week's twist.

 
Fortitude Part 36


“You seriously want us to wait for them to force us into the king’s palace?” Teddy asked. “That sounds dangerous. We’d be under guard.”

“Not necessarily. It is unlikely they would transport you as prisoners, so the king will likely manufacture some sort of need for you to come to him, to allay suspicions. Once you’re there, then you sneak off—”

“Just like that? We lose whoever our guide is, all the guards that are always there, and traipse around looking for a way down to what must be a hidden area under the palace?” I shook my head. “Not to mention, it could be months—until after my coming of age—and I’m not willing to wait that long.”

No Name spread his hands wide. “How do you plan to get in the palace then? Just show up unannounced? Forget a guide and the guards, how do you get past the gate and the front door?”

I frowned. “I don’t know. What about you? You have a whole underground organization at your fingertips. We’re just two people.” I pointed between myself and Teddy.

“Two people with a lot of power and opportunity,” he countered.

“Potential for power. Mine are still muted until I come of age, and Teddy’s greatest power lies in his ability to reason through an idea, but he’s in a fugue when he does it. We can’t rely on our abilities.”

“We need to make our own opportunity to get inside,” Teddy said. “I don’t want to wait months; my father will only let me stay out of the printing shop for so long. Separate, we’re more vulnerable.”

He had a point—a big one. I wanted us away from both our families, away from his father’s drunken abuse and my family’s scheming falseness.

No Name appeared to consider our concerns. His gaze skittered around the room, like a mouse fleeing from the light. “We don’t like to gather. It risks drawing dangerous attention, but you’re right. Whatever happens, it will take a concerted effort.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ll need three days.”

That long? “You can’t make things happen any faster?”

He shook his head. “It’s not like I can gather a large group of people in the city without being noticed. We operate in small groups, passing information—and people—along quietly.”

“Three days and we’ll have some sort of a plan?”

“Hopefully.” He shrugged one shoulder.

His lackadaisical attitude rubbed me the wrong way. I grit my teeth. “We appreciate your help.”

Clearly we were on our own, if we wanted to get anything done before Teddy and I were scooped up and hollowed out, our abilities drained and used for evil. There wasn’t much to say after that, and No Name left with a promise to return in three days.

Teddy tilted his head, watching me. “What are we—”

“Not here,” I said quickly.

We’d spend days purportedly in the gambling dens and alehouses while we searched the city for a way to find Schvesla’s machine—not to fix it like I always wanted to do, but to stop the king from using it for their own evil gain. I was tired, and Teddy was hurt.

“Let’s go get something to drink.”

 

The ale was cool and bitter, a welcome treat. My mouth was dry as I contemplated our future. Teddy sat next to me, drinking quietly. He wasn’t in a fugue, but I could tell his mind was working.

“We’re going to do something, aren’t we?”

I pushed my ale to the side, burying my head in my hands. “There’s not really any choice. We can’t just wait.” I stared at the scarred wood of the wobbly table, studying the nicks and chunks missing as if they’d reveal some map of what to do.

“We need help.”

“The people of this city are sheep, even the resistance. We need someone who isn’t afraid to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. How can everyone here be so blind? How could I have been so blind?”

Teddy put his hand on my shoulder. “You couldn’t know. Neither of us are to blame; we were both groomed to be what they wanted us to be.”

I looked up. “At least I got you out of all of this. I don’t know what I’d do if I were all alone.”

He smiled. “I’d never let that happen.”

Even before I knew I was in love with him, I’d loved Teddy. He was the one person I could always count on to know what I needed, even if he didn’t understand why I needed it. Amid my family, I felt so isolated. My parents and I had never been close—and now I knew why. I wasn’t unique, making them uncomfortable with my superior abilities, I was their cash cow.

How many other betas had been secreted out of the city to face the dangers of the wilderness in a bid for freedom from the city?

Wilderness.

Wildman.

“Teddy! I think I know who could help us!”

“Who?”

“We came back to the city because of what Anna told us, right? But she was wrong—the king didn’t shut down the machine to force people to buy from them. They’re doing something far worse. Why didn’t she tell us that if they’re taking in the betas?”

“Maybe she didn’t trust us? I mean, look what we did. We snuck out and ran away.”

“If they’d been honest, we wouldn’t have had to! The only person who hasn’t had an agenda was Wildman. I think we need to find him. Something drove him and his friends out of the city—maybe there’s more of them, and they’d be willing to help us.”
TBC
Now check out the other brief updates!

Briefers Website