Phooey on Revision

To offer a revised addition or not, that is the question.

For the last few months I've been working on revising some of my older stories. Oddly though, the work I was revising (or, attempting to revise) was a work I offer free titled "The Fifth Beauty." Problem is this story has suffered an average three-star rating, and some of the comments for this story are just downright disrespectful.

Yes, I understand that, especially when a work is offered free, many people will download the story and read it without realizing just what kind of story they are reading.  It kind of puts me into a fix because I take these reviews seriously. I want everything I offer, whether it is for sale or free, to be the best I can create.

Well, after struggling with the thought of changing the aforementioned story, I finally gave up and said, poo on revising this, or any story.

I believe my efforts could be better directed working on new material  and making this the best I can. I believe all writers grow and change, and it shows in the stories they write. My writing style has changed but I'm afraid of putting out something new and having it seen as too different or not as good and other material.

This fear causes a kind of paralysis or stagnation in my writing. Of course, I do not want that to happen so this is my mantra from now on. When in doubt, I will just begin writing something new and exciting. I will hope that others will find my stories new and exciting but will write what I want to write without allowing myself to become mired in the sticky goo of trying to achieve mass acceptance.

What do think, readers? If an author you read offers a revised addition to a story, do you give it a read or pass because you've already read the original story? 

Some Fine Tuning

It appears Lexi's Run is on track for a September release. With edits underway, I thought it would be a great time to take another look at something that I feel can make or break a novel before it has a chance to be read - the cover.

Since the second novel marks my commitment to the Immortal Desires series, it stands to reason that I should create a brand or some item that remains constant and identifiable throughout the series.

Enter the series banner.

Take a look at the covers below and comment with your opinion on whether this works as something that ties the series together.

I've also remade the cover for the first novel as seen below:

What do you think? Does the branding work?

The cover you see for the first novel comes from the ebook version. The paperback version still shows Azra's face behind the night skyline of Atlanta, Georgia. This cover will soon replace both version currently on sale.

As some of you may know already, I take great pride in being a completely independent author, even creating my own cover artwork. In the updated cover for Lovestruck Succubus, I moved the photo of the man and woman down to minimize the, uh, exposure of the woman's nakedness. Although this image may seem to risque for some readers, I feel it best depicts the main character of the story, Azra. As most paranormal readers know, the Succubus like to be on top.

The new cover above will likely be the final for publication of Lexi's Run. The new cover for Lovestruck Succubus will appear after the book goes through a late rewrite and the second edition is ready for publication.



For those who might be wondering, writing is underway for the next novel in the series, Demon Among Wolves, and will likely be ready for release next September.





Bleeding Out the Last Word



It is finally completed. I've typed out the last word in the second story of the Immortal Desires series, Lexi's Run.

Okay, so maybe it is just the draft and still needing editing (which the real writing occurs) but the wait won't be long now. The cover design shown above is still tentative, as with the story title, although the title is growing on me.

After a few rounds of editing, I'll be ready to send advance copies of this story out to dedicated readers. If you would like to be a dedicated reader and receive an advance copy of this story, please sign up for my mailing list, or simply email me your request. Of course, I will announce this in a newsletter upon completion of editing.

Also, please do not hesitate to let me know if you have an idea for another cover concept or title. I'm currently working on putting elements together in some form that will tie all the stories of the series together-something like a border or caption.

I would also like to put a word out to Rasj Prophecy Sanders, a facebook friend and the person I see when I think of Joseph Johnson. Hang in there. I haven't forgotten about you. I will find a way to get pictures of you and use them in my cover art ... somehow.

Meanwhile, I'm back to work on what was supposed to be the second book in the series, Demon Among Wolves. As of this post, I'm in the early planning stages for the last book. I have a tentative title chosen of, The Last Lycan or The Last Lycan King.

Until then, live to the fullest, and never be afraid to seek for yourself, fantasy, intrigue, and immortal desire.

WIP Wednesday

In this week's post. I introduce a new character. Well he's not exactly a new character; he played opposite Azra Barsonus, my main character in "Lovestruck Succubus."
In this scene, Leonidas has received news of his father's passing. Naturally, he's not too happy about it and, furthermore, feels terrible that he wasn't there when his father died. His emotions out of control, he shifts, and finds himself hunting within the confines of Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

Raif Lungren snatched the microphone from the holder, and responded to the call.

"This is unit thirty-four. Whatcha got, dispatch?"

"Got a call about some kind of wild animal running through Piedmont Park."

Raif looked at his partner, sitting in the passenger seat, stuffing a chicken nugget in his mouth.

"You wanna take this, McClinton?"

McClinton licked his fingers. "We're close enough, why not?" He said, spitting little chunks of chicken nugget out as he spoke.

Lungren clicked the button on the microphone, "We're in the area," he said. "We'll take it."

"Roger, thirty-four," the dispatcher's voice resounded through the car's speaker system. "Animal control is on their way, if you'll do some crowd control until they get there."

Lungren flipped the switch turning on the lights and siren, and weaved through traffic. He turned off the siren before reaching the North parking lot of Piedmont Park, but left the lights on to warn any lovers parked in the dark. He didn't really feel like processing a bunch of late-night lovers and giving citations while waiting for animal control.

"Holy shit," McClinton said as Lungren turned the squad car into the middle of the small parking lot.

Lungren looked through the beam of the headlights in time to see a huge beast standing in the light, looking at them.

"What the hell is that?" Lungren said.

Lungren understood why dispatch just said it was a wild animal running through the park. There really was no rational explanation of what he was looking at. The thing standing in the beams of the headlights was more like a bunch of animals put together like some kind of weird medical experiment. It didn't even move from the light. It just stood there motionless, looking at them with a kind of snarl forming across its snout; and they looked back, equally transfixed, from inside their squad car.

"Is that a wolf?" Lungren heard McClinton unsnapping his holster as he spoke. "Or, maybe it's a bear."

It was hard to tell. The thing was standing on its hind legs like a bear, or a man, but it looked like some kind of huge wolf.

"Wait," McClinton said as he pulled the door handle, popping the passenger door open just a crack. "It's a man in a wolf costume. Gotta be. It looks too much like a human."

"Wait," Lungren yelled at him. "I don't think so." But it was too late. McClinton was already pushing the door open, and stepping out of the car as he unholstered his weapon.

As soon as McClinton stood outside the door, the animal charged. Lungren wanted to yell for him to get back in the car, but the animal moved too fast. In the next instant, it closed the distance with his partner, and had him by the neck, ripping at him and dragging him toward the edge of the parking lot into the darkness. The animal only moved about twenty feet back but had already left pieces of his partner in a trail from the squad car. McClinton's arm lay by itself just feet from the car, his lifeless hand still gripping the handgun. Lungren didn't think, simply reacting to the violent display in front of him. The beast moved so fast, McClinton didn't even get a shot off. Lungren was not going to make the same mistake. He felt his face burn with rage. He wasn't just going to let this beast drag his partner away and tear him to shreds. He didn't know what the hell this thing was, but it was no human. He opened the car door and jumped out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. The noise got the animal's attention, and he dropped his partner, looking squarely at Lungren.

Lungren raised his pistol and fired. He saw blood spray from the animal's shoulder. The beast barely flinched before launching itself toward him. He fire again, three times. The beast flinched each time, signifying a hit, but it didn't stop. Lungren tried to step backward, pulling the trigger until he heard the click of the hammer on an empty chamber. Just as the beast launch itself at him, he tripped over something and fell backwards. The animal flew over him, landing somewhere out of his field of vision with a thump and a growl. But the beast was back, and ripping at him before he could move. He felt his own skin ripping from his chest as the thing tore at him, felt large canines cupping his arm and clamping down until his bones snapped under the pressure.

Darkness closed in on him, moving from the corners of his vision until it was inside him. Everything slowed down, as if time itself was tormenting him, making him live in this brief moment for an eternity. He saw the beast all over him as if looking at snapshots in time--the shiny glint of eyes and bloodied teeth flashing in front of him. He felt the animal's mouth close around his throat, and he could do nothing to stop it. He could not even feel his arms or legs. He was not sure if they were still attached, or laying somewhere in the parking lot like the parts of his partner. Suddenly, he was weightless, as if flying through the air, suspend but out of the animal's reach. Then, just as suddenly, he hit the ground. He heard his head crack against the asphalt but could do nothing. A brief flash of pain, and darkness overtook him.

An immeasurable amount of time passed in darkness. Flashes of light and voices from strangers momentarily brought him from the darkness, but it was fleeting. He heard someone telling him to hold on, telling him help was on the way. He was still alive, he knew that much, and the words somehow sank into his brain and his heart, giving him permission to let go. It was a feeling of relief really, being able to let go and let nature take its course. A sharp stabbing pain brought him back briefly as he felt himself being lifted.

"Hold on, officer." He heard the voice as if it was already inside his head, as if he were talking to himself. But the voice was soothing, and he let go, allowing the darkness to take over him once more, like a warm blanket on a cold night.

Hope you enjoyed this scene. If you would like to get to know this new character, Raif Lungren, you can find him as one of the main characters in the aformentioned story.

Also, I am in the process of outlining a short story involving Raif, his transformation, and promotion to Police Detective. I would offer this story free like my historical fantasy about Azra in China "The Fifth Beauty."

WIP Wednesday

In this scene, Joseph decides to go to the Pink Pony and see Paulina (Alexis). He's still confused about her pushing him away the night before when he thought they were making progress and getting ready to become intimate.

Now, he walks right into another situation because Norman "Knuckles" Taylor is at the bar, and he wants desperately to take the man in. I'll explain here in case I did not post the prior scene. Previously, Joseph went back to the bond office and was given a skip ticket for none other than Norman "Knuckles" Taylor. Only thing is, Knuckles is a big time player in the local crime underworld, and noboby really thinks he can be brought in. Joe takes the skip because Knuckles' bail is set at a cool million dollars. This means that Joseph's cut would be one hundred thousand dollars.

By sundown the next day, Joe couldn't stand it any more. He had to see Paulina. He had to know why she suddenly pushed him away the night before. Was it something he did? He wasn't ready to confront her at the Pink Pony, but figured she'd be working, and besides, he may just find Knuckles there. He needed to make some progress on cornering the thug, and he wasn't going to do it chasing some woman around.

He saw Knuckles as soon as he walked into the Pink Pony. The man sat at a large round table in front of the stage, surrounded by his bodyguards. Paulina stood in front of him with her order form in her hand. He said something to her, and she held her hand up, shaking it as a gesture of saying no. He said something else to her, Joe couldn't quite make out through the noise in the bar, and she put a hand on her hip while pointing a finger at him. She looked upset, but she wasn't yelling loud enough for him to make out her words. Knuckles said something else to her and she flipped him off.

"Fuck you," Joe heard her say this time, over the din in the bar.

She turned to walk away, but she must not have seen Knuckles' cronies get up from the table and walk around behind her when she flipped him off. Sam stood behind the bar, watching everything but not doing a damn thing. Knuckles reached forward and grabbed Paulina's arm, yanking her violently into his lap. That's when instinct took over, and Joe sprung to action.

He ran directly to the table using his momentum to smash his arm into the head of one of the thugs moving in on Paulina. The thug flew into the man beside him, their heads clunking like empty coconuts before they both fell to the floor with a thud, like a fifty-pound sack of flour. The third man was pulling his arm back, getting ready to pop Joe in the head, but it was too late, Joe swept his leg around and caught the man at the knee. He went down like the other two, falling into a table and breaking it, sending glasses and customers flying. He turned and prepared to face down Knuckles. He was already moving when he heard the faint but distinct sound of a hammer being drawn back and clicking into place. He stopped, dead in his tracks. Knuckles had one hand around Paulina's neck, and the other around a handgun. Oddly enough, Paulina didn't look scared in the least little bit. She looked angry, something animal in her eyes. She had the same look he thought he'd seen from her in the alley the night he brought Lefty into the station. Only this time, fighting back could get her a bullet in her chest, and Knuckles' file suggested he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. On top of all that, he was smart enough to lawyer up and claim self defense. If he hadn't already jumped bail, he'd probably walk, but Paulina wouldn't.

Joe backed away, bringing his hands up over his head. The other three thugs were getting up, and he knew they were going to get some retaliatory punches in on him since Knuckles had a gun aimed at him. He could take the three of them out. Knuckles held the gun in his right hand, to the side of Paulina, exposed, and vulnerable to attack. He could reach his left hand forward with his finger extended, catching the hammer in the webbing between his finger and thumb. He could follow it with his right palm into Knuckles' nose, rendering him useless, or possibly, dead. He couldn't do dead; he needed the money for bringing him. He knew he couldn't stop Knuckles and his three goons at one time. No, he was going to have to take a few punches, and try to snatch Paulina away somewhere in the confusion, shoving her safely away from the gun poking into her side.

He looked at Paulina, trying to send her some kind of mental message, hoping she could see his plan in his eyes. She didn't look scared in the least little bit. In fact, she had a look in her eyes that was predatory. Her eyes even seemed to glow, as if they picked up some unseen light source and reflected it back. He wondered if she had a plan, although, if she did, he feared for her even more. Especially, if her plan was anything like the one she had with Lefty.

The first blow came to his midsection. They were going right for the kidneys, but he reflexively bent over to absorb as much of the punch as he could. The second punch landed squarely on his jaw, just as he anticipated. With that, he stood back up, straight into the arms of the two thugs standing on either side of him. As they grabbed onto his shoulders, he used them as leverage to kick his left foot up, knocking the gun out of Knuckles' hand. The gun flew off somewhere behind him. Another punch came to his kidneys, and he wasn't quite ready for it, a deep grunt escaping him.

Knuckles suddenly released Paulina, pushing her off to the side as he moved forward to get his licks in. Joe took the two punches to his ribs, but he was more concerned with Paulina. The punches made him bend forward, more grunts surely giving his opponents a thrill, but he straightened after each punch and looked for Paulina. She had moved out of sight, probably standing beside the bartender behind the bar. Knuckles squeezed his hand around Joe's neck, and moved close to him, talking in a whisper.

"If I ever see you again, I'll fuck you up." His breath reeked of whiskey and cigarettes. "You understand me, boy?"

Joe said nothing, and it took all of his restraint not to head butt Knuckles, and lay out his thug buddies. No one called him 'boy' if they wanted to live. Besides, there were only four of them, all bunched up against him. Hell, he could take them out two at a time, but for now anyway, he needed to just stand there and take an ass whooping. He couldn't take a chance on this thing turning into a gunfight, and there was no doubt, they'd all go to guns if he started kicking their asses.

Knuckles stepped back, looking at him, sizing him up. Joe gave him nothing except some feigned struggling against the two losers holding him by the arms. Knuckles slapped him hard across his face, another thing that would get him killed if the situation were different. The sucker punch landed next, right to his midsection. Joe absorbed the punch but exaggerated the pain, allowing his knees to buckle. Knuckles turned to retrieve his gun, and his two goons dropped Joe to the floor, stepping over him as they followed. The third goon got one last kick into his gut as he stepped over him. His posse reassembled, Knuckles left the bar.

Joe waited until the door shut behind Knuckles and his gang to stand up. Paulina ran out from behind the bar and toward him. He was happy, thinking his act of heroism would convince her to finally explain herself to him, lower her guard and admit her feelings for him. He was certainly ready to admit his feelings for her. He opened his arms as she approached, waiting for to jump into him with a big thankful hug. Instead, she stopped short and slapped him over the same cheek Knuckles slapped earlier. Her slapped stunned him. He stood motionless and confused as she pointed a finger at him, and started a rant he would probably never figure out.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Paulina seemed genuinely pissed, not at all thankful. "They were giving me great tips."

Joe could do nothing. There simply was no way to respond.

"I'm so sick of you showing up and trying to play hero. I'm sick of you walking around thinking everyone needs to be saved."

Something gave Joe the sinking feeling she was just getting started.

"I can take care of myself, you know. I had the situation under control."

"Yeah," he said. "I like the way you controlled that gun pointed at you, and some thug practically having his way with you right in the middle of the bar." He realized it was wrong to say it, but it just slipped out.

Paulina fell silent. The whole bar became silent, even the music had stopped, as if they were in some surreal spaghetti western, and the gunfighter just challenged someone in the saloon. Paulina opened her mouth to speak, her finger still pointing at him, and he prepared himself for the onslaught.

"You know, Joe, you’re an asshole." Paulina didn't look mad anymore, she looked like she was about to cry. "Just get out," she said. "Get out the bar, and get out of my life." She turned, and ran behind the bar and through the doors to the kitchen.

There was nothing left for him to do, but leave. The entire bar was silent, every eye upon him. Without another word, he left the bar, half-expecting Knuckles and his thugs to be waiting for him outside. May have been waiting for him but luck was on his side. They were too busy discussing something in the parking lot. Joe found, in his experience, every failure presented in itself, opportunities for future success. Joe stepped into the shadows and quietly waited. With luck, Knuckles would give him the opportunity he was looking for.

Hope you enjoyed this week's work in progress post. I may skip ahead in the coming weeks as I complete the draft and begin the initial edit. After finishing the first edit, I'll send the entire manuscript out to anyone willing to read and comment on the project. I'm willing to take whatever feedback I can get, from grammar comments to story concept, character development or overall feeling of the story. Thanks for joining this week.

Until next week, then...

WIP Wednesday

This week I skip ahead again to a pivotal scene that relieves some of the tension I'd built up in the previous chapter.

I end the previous chapter with Leonidas discovering that Alexis continued on the bus to Montgomery, Alabama. He is now getting ready to drive there and collect her up to be his mate, whether she agrees or not.

Before he makes it out of Atlanta, he receives a call from Ellijay with bad news. The news puts the brakes on his quest and prompts him to shift into wolf form. His actions will ultimately create a secret he must keep, along with a game-changer for Dimitri, who wants his granddaughter back without the condition of ritual mating with the future pack alpha.

Enjoy:

The moon disappeared and reappeared behind tall buildings as Leonidas walked to his car. It would be full in a few days.

"Full moon rising," he said to himself, and chuckled under his breath.

He'd always found it amusing how mortals, and even some ferals, thought a werewolf was somehow tied to the moon. The moon guided him no more than anything else but he did need the full moon for the mating ritual, and he planned to be mated to Alexis in just a few days, with or without his father's blessing.

It would be easier to wait till morning, get a fresh start to Montgomery, but he didn't want to wait. He'd checked a map and found Montgomery was only about three hours West on Interstate eighty-five. It would be better to get there tonight, find the bus station first thing in the morning. Alexis would be back to Ellijay by tomorrow afternoon, or He'd find a way to get her ostracized from the pack. If that didn't work, he'd find a way to make her dead.

His cell phone rang as he was pulling into traffic.

"Leonidas, it's Paul. I'm afraid I've got some news."

Leo threw the phone from his ear. It landed on the seat next to him and he could still hear the pack doctor talking on the other end.

"Leo ... Leo? You still there?" came from the phone in a minuscule, tinny voice.

Whatever the doctor had to say, he didn't want to hear it. Leo pulled to the side of the street and took a deep breath. He was prepared for bad news, but there was always the chance the doctor was just calling to tell him his father's health was improving. But Leonidas knew the doctor wouldn't be calling him with good news. For that, he'd wait until he returned. Leo gathered his strength, and hesitantly reached for the cell phone.

"What is it, doc."

"It's about your father, Leo," the doctor's voice sounded hushed on the phone. The kind of voice doctors always use when they give bad news to family members.

"Don't say it," Leo yelled into the phone.

"He passed sometime last night."

"Damn it, I know," he yelled back, his voice starting to crack as his vision blurred."You didn't have to tell me."

"You need to come home, Leonidas."

"I'm on my way." Leo ended the call and threw his phone away. It bounced off the roof and cracked the passenger window before landing right back beside him on the seat.

I should have been there.

Leo fought through a torment of conflicting emotions as he mindlessly pulled into traffic and drove. Lights from oncoming traffic blinded him, appearing as sunburst, cutting harshly through the darkness.

I should have listened to him.

He drove. Leo drove blindly through the streets of downtown Atlanta, unaware of his surroundings, not caring where he went. Just driving, running. He fought hard against a rage building within himself. It was the only emotion he knew, and the most dangerous. He struggled to contain a building howl, a shifting. There was no outlet for his rage. He was in his car amongst a city of mortals, like an animal locked in a cage. He found himself driving along a dark street, some kind of park out his driver's side window. The need was too great. He slammed on his brakes, sliding sideways into a parking spot.

The shift came within three steps of the car, and the wolf ran into the darkness. The wolf ran blindly down deserted park pathways along a lake, tears wetting the fur along the sides of its face. The wolf ran, stopping only to sniff the air for any creature to hunt down.

Hope you enjoyed this scene. I will continue to skip ahead on scenes as I am in the process of finishing the draft now. For those interested, I'm now in the process of looking for Beta-readers after my project goes through the first edit. As always, comments and critiques are welcome.

WIP Wednesday



I was planning on skipping ahead again for this week, but decided to post an earlier scene instead to provide some insight into Joe's personality. In this scene, Joe takes Paulina (Alexis) and Becky (the dancer) out to a local coffee shop after their shift at the bar. Joe is a wonderful gentleman and impresses becky, especially.

On a personal note, I must say that Becky was inspired by someone I knew as a teenager. That's all I'll say about that.

Enjoy,

"I see you like to ride in class," Alexis joked, as Joseph opened the passenger-side door of his truck for her.

"Hey, don't knock it," Joe said. "It gets me from A to B."

She crawled into the middle of the bench seat and Becky sat beside her. Joe jumped in the driver's side and shut the door with a hollow thump. They drove the short distance down South Boulevard to a waffle restaurant, the light from the big yellow square-lettered sign diffused through the truck's dirty windshield as they pulled into a parking spot. Joe ran ahead and held the door open for them.

"Such a gentleman," Becky said.

"It's just the way my momma raised me," Joe said to Becky, but he looked at Alexis, winking at her as she walked through the door.

They found a booth and Joe again waited until her and Becky sat on one side before he slid into the seat on the other side. She ordered a half-stack of pancakes and coffee, and Joe followed suit, ordering the same thing, right down to the coffee. Becky ordered some kind of mega-special with three eggs, a full stack of pancakes, three slices of bacon, and grits.

"Where do you put it all," she asked, as Becky handed her menu back to the waitress.

"Dancing is hard work," Becky said. "I Burn a lot of calories climbing up and down that pole."

Joe shook his head in agreement. Lexi thought about it. It made sense. Becky's workday must've been like a six-hour marathon of aerobics. No wonder she was so skinny. The food arrived quickly, and when the waitress asked, Joe motioned for her to keep the coffee coming. They fell into silence as they ate, the only noise the occasional grunt from Becky as she stuffed her food into her mouth with a fork in one hand, and a spoon in the other.

Lexi glanced at Joe to watch him eat, whenever she thought he wasn't looking. He was a quiet eater, very deliberate, and well mannered. His upbringing was clearly better than his current circumstances. His biceps stretched the material on his shirt each time he brought the fork to his mouth, and it sent a little thrill through her. She found his reserved power somehow alluring and sexy. He caught her looking at him a few times. Or, maybe she caught him looking at her. Either way, she felt she was getting to know him almost without words.

Joe finished his food, but Becky was still going at it. In fact, she was eating the food Joe left on his plate. Lexi caught Joe glancing over at Becky, then back at her with a strange look on his face, and she nearly blew coffee through her nose trying not to laugh. She thought she even heard a little chuckle out of Joe, the first since she'd met him. She wanted to know more about him, but she didn't want to have to reveal to much of herself, not now, anyway.

"So, Joe," She said. "Do you do anything else, besides roughing up hoodlums?"

"I used to, but now, that's what I do--rough up hoodlums."

Lexi shook her head. She wanted to ask him more, but was afraid it might lead to questions about her. But she'd opened the gate with her question, and she could tell, when he brought his coffee cup slowly down to the table, staring at her, he was about to force her hand.

"What about you, Paulina?" He said. "I know you're new here. Where you from?"

"Florida," was the first thing that came to mind. "Just moved up from Pensacola."

Joe looked at her as if he could see right through her lie. He was probably thinking of some way to catch her in the lie. She was a terrible liar, always had been, and now she wished she did not have to lie, and despised Leo for putting her in this position.

"What made you decide to move from Pensacola to Montgomery?"

"I don't know. It's just where I ended up." She wasn't going to last long under this kind of interrogation. She figured changing the subject might help. "What about you," she said. "Have you always lived in Montgomery?"

"Born and raised here," Joe said. "Did a stint with the Army, but had to quit that gig to help my sick mother."

"How is she now?"

Joe fell silent, looking down at his napkin. Lexi thought she saw tears welling up in his eyes, but he played it off, like he had a sneeze coming on.

"His mother passed about six months ago," Becky said in a low voice, as she reached over and rubbed Joe's back.

"I'm so sorry."

Joe looked up at her and said, "That's okay. It's just that she was the last of my family. She was a good person, but she got the cancer. It tore her up. She tried to hide it from me, but I could tell when I talked to her on the phone, she was really sick."

Lexi reached for his hands, and he allowed her to take them in hers, or rather, laid her tiny hands on top of his big mitts. He smiled at her, and continued.

"It started affecting me on missions, so I was told to go take care of her."

"They kicked you out of the Army because of your sick mom?"

"No," he said. "The job I was in, I wasn't really in the Army anymore. It's hard to explain. They gave me the option to come back after things were settled, but I couldn't"

"Why not," Lexi asked. She wondered what could have happened to make him live a life as a bounty hunter after doing something obviously more important for the government.

"My mom was sick for a long time. The last few months, she was in hospice care. She didn't have enough insurance to cover it all, and the bills piled up."

"Wouldn't the Army help with that?"

"Well, like I said, I was technically out of the Army, and besides, their insurance doesn't extend to parents. I realized after she died, if I went back in my old job, I wouldn't make enough to pay off her medical and burial costs."

"You make that much as a bounty hunter?"

"Recovery agents can make as much as they want, as long as they're willing to accept the risk."

"Yeah," Becky said. "And plus, rumor has it, Joe's the best around."

Joe said nothing to Becky's comment. He fell silent for the rest of the meal and coffee. Afterward, he drove them home, dropping off Becky first. She, surprisingly, lived in a small row house along South Boulevard. Once Becky told him she lived at the Woods RV Park, he needed no other directions. He didn't speak until they were turning down the gravel road in the back of the RV Park where the trailers lined its length.

"Which trailer are you in?"

She told him it was the first one on the left. It was so quiet in the cab of the truck; Lexi heard the gravel crunching under the tires as Joe brought the truck to a stop in front of her rental. Joe got out of and ran around the front of the truck to open her door.

"You working tonight?" Joe asked, as she stepped out of the truck.

"Yep," she said. "I'm working every night I can."

"Maybe I'll see you there," he said.

She saw his eyes reflecting the moonlight. He looked sad, hurt, like he wanted to say something. They stood, motionless for a moment, and then reached up and kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight," he said, and ran back to the driver side of the truck, sliding quickly into the cab.

After he drove away, she stood at the front of her trailer for a moment, wondering why she kissed him. She wondered why he left so quickly. Maybe talking about his mother wasn’t the best way to avoid talking about her own past.

Hope you enjoyed this little post. My goal in this scene was to provide some background information on Joseph Johnson. I need to depict him as a more gentle soul and work on his likeability as a character because, later on in the story, he is forced to do some nasty mean stuff.

As always, comments and critiques are welcome.

WIP Wednesday

This week, I've skipped ahead just a little to introduce the next character, Norman "Knuckles" Nelson, a local crime boss that takes a liking to Alexis, and wants her to dance in the Pink Pony Bar and Grill. Unfortunately, Joe Johnson also meets Knuckles as he picks him up as a new skip.

Hope you enjoy this weeks post. I may be skipping around a little more as the week progress since I may be done with the draft to this story soon. After that, I would like to continue posting little snippets of the story until it is published, or I have other stories to reveal.

Enjoy,

The next day, despite not having a job to go to, Joe woke up with the Sun, just after five in the morning. Last night's skip securely in jail and no chance of getting hold of Jake for his money until he opened his bail bond office at ten, he was forced to cook a hearty breakfast and clean his apartment from top to bottom just to pass the time. Finally, the apartment reeking of pine oil, and the air conditioning already straining against the late morning heat, he checked the clock and swept his skip ticket off the table and bolted out the door to his truck.

"Damn dude, you spend the night in a pine forest or something," Jake said the moment Joe came through the door.

"Now you know what clean smells like," Joe responded. "You know, your office could use a little GI detail."

"Yeah right, you gonna do it?"

"You're a big time bondsman. Hire yourself a maid."

"I'm not that big time," Jake said with a snicker. "What brings you here today? You looking for more information on Lefty?"

"No need. I brought him to the station last night." Joe handed Jake his prisoner ticket from the police station. "Just coming by to get paid."

"Damn Joe, that was the fastest pick up I've seen," Jake said, as he worked the dial on his big freestanding safe.

"I got lucky," Joe said. Found him in the first place I checked."

"Funny," Jake said as he handed Joe a small stack of bills. "They're usually in the last place you check."

"I caught him hassling some woman in an alley by the Pink Pony. I just strapped him up and brought him in, was back to my apartment by midnight."

Joe counted the money and stuffed it in his pants pocket. He took a hard look at Jake, staring until he started shuffling his feet.

"What," Jake said. "The money's all there, isn't it?"

Joe said, "Yeah, it's all there." He turned to leave but stopped short. He just had to ask.

"Look, Jake. I know you just paid me for a skip, but you got anything else?"

Jake stared at him for a moment, then said, "Lefty was a pretty big score. Why don't you take a break. Spend some of that money. You're gonna wear yourself down taking one skip after another, Joe. Why don't you save some energy for your full time gig?"

Joe looked down at his shoes. "I don't have a full time gig. I got laid off yesterday. Boss said they have to downsize with the economy and all."

"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that, Joe." Jake put his hand to his chin, looking like he was considering something, and then pulled a file from the top of a stack of papers on his desk. "I just got this new skip in, but it's a risk."

"You know me, Jake. I'm all about the risk." Joe held out his hand for the file. "What was bail on this one?"

Jake handed him the file and said, "a million."

"A million dollar bail?" Joe had to force himself not to cough as he said it. "That's a hundred-thousand dollar skip ticket. Who is this guy?"

His name is Norman Taylor but most know him as Knuckles."

"Knuckles? What is it about thugs and stupid nicknames?" Joe forced a laugh, but he knew with a million dollar bail, this skip wouldn't be easy.

"This one's no joke. He's kind of the local crime boss. He's had his hands in everything from extortion to murder." Jake continued while Joe thumbed through the file. "He never goes anywhere without protection, and he's known for recruiting ex-military baddies like you. Are you okay with that, Joe?"

"A hundred thousand could pay off all my Mom's medical bills. Hell yeah I'm okay with it."

"I don't doubt you could bring Knuckles in on your own," Jake said. "You just have to know that you may have to go through a former teammate to get to him."

"I got no heartache taking out a rogue operator if he's he's between me and a hundred thousand. I need this, Jake."

"Just be careful with this one, Joe." Jake put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll have to take your time on this one, be smart, catch him without all his protection."

"No problem," Joe said. "Just have my money ready when I come to collect." He leaned in and gave Jake a big man hug, slapping his back hard, before leaving his office, full of energy and restored hope.

As with my other stories, I've spent the first three chapters building characters, and establishing relationships. In future scenes, one can expect the action and suspense to increase in alternating paths until I have to reveal some secrets.

Hope you enjoyed this week's work in progress post. As usual, comments, critiques, bitches, and especially encouragement, is welcomed.

WIP Wednesday

Today, I'm posting the scene where my two main characters, Alexis and Joseph, are brought together by fate (or could it be luck) and meet for the first time. I'm not going to proclaim the meeting goes well, since they are both so strong-willed, but maybe they will have occasion in the future to meet again under better circumstances.

Enjoy,

Joe walked across the old crumbling asphalt parking lot, and over patches of loose gravel in front of the abandoned auto parts store toward the bar. As he crossed the alley, he heard a voice and, looking into the darkness, he saw a man and a woman in the shadows by a garbage dumpster. The man said something, and the woman jerked her hand away from him. Joe's body reacted before his mind even realized the two were not standing in the dark for romance. The woman was backing up, and the man was advancing toward her.

"You alright Ma'am," he heard himself say as he closed the distance between him and the assailant grabbing at the woman. He made it to the man in five easy steps. The man was preoccupied with the woman, allowing Joe the opportunity to wrap his arm around the man's neck and drag him away from the woman, making sure to jerk his knee into the man's back at every step backwards. Joe kept dragging the man backwards until he was brought off balance and went to the ground. He then knelt down with his knee in the man's back again, rolling him over onto his stomach, and yanking his arms behind him. Joe grabbed his zip straps out from the left side of his waistband, and tightened them around the man's wrist before bringing his attention back to the woman.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Joe looked up at the woman, standing among the dark shadows of the alley. He could only make out her general shape in the dark, but he was certain he saw her eyes, just for a brief moment, nearly glowing, something primal reflecting in them through the darkness. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the alley, and the two standing in front of him came into better view. He recognized the man as Lefty, the local sleaze ball, and the very skip Jake contracted him to bring in. His luck was certainly changing from earlier in the day. The thug wannabe down and secure, Joe turned his attention back to the woman.

"It's alright, I got him under control," He said to the woman, as he jerked Lefty up by his cuffed wrists. Standing closer to the woman, he got a better look at her. She looked, not too pleased that he stopped Lefty from doing to her ... whatever it was he was thinking of doing. In fact, the smug look on her face made her seem completely ungrateful that he just saved her life, or, at the very least, her honor. Her pale skin reflected the dim light from the crescent moon overhead, and contrasted sharply with her dark hair. Joe didn't usually think much of white women, but even in the dark, he saw something special in her, a kind of confidence, a deep, animalistic skill for survival. He was beginning to wonder if he hadn't shown up, if she would've taken care of Lefty herself. Then she spoke, and removed any doubt about her confidence.

"I'm alright," the woman said. "I didn't need any help." She crossed her arms, and moved into a stance that, even in the darkness, came off as arrogant.

"Yeah, I could tell, you had everything under control," he said, with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

She glared at him; a cold hurt showing in her eyes, even through the dark, and he regretted the words as soon as he said them. Truth was, the woman looked like she could take care of herself. She was taller than most women, with a solid build. She was more hard-rubenesque than stick-thin, and her eyes showed strength. Even in the dark alley, her eyes conveyed volumes. Joe liked beautiful eyes, and he liked a strong woman. He decided to take on a different approach in talking to her.

"I didn't get your name."

"I didn't give it," she said as she turned, and began to walk away. "Like I said, I had everything under control until you showed up."

"Sorry if I interrupted your ass-kicking, but I've been looking for this guy." Joe left out the fact that he had just started looking for him.

"Well, you got him," she said as she walked toward the street. "Can I get back to work, now?"

"You work here?"

"No, asshole, I don't work here. Not on the street. I'm a waitress at the Pink Pony."

"Oh, I didn't mean ...” But it was too late. She'd already rounded the corner and disappeared. "Wait," Joe yelled after her as he moved as quickly as he could to the street, while pushing Lefty in front of him.

He reached the crumbling parking lot just as the woman stepped into the building, the door closing behind her.

"My name's Joe," he yelled as the door closed.

"Damn you, Lefty," Joe said as he jerked him toward his truck and pushed him along. "You just cost me a date."

"More like, I just put the two of you together," Lefty countered. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Nobody really, Lefty. I'm just the guy that gets paid for collecting trash like you and bringing them to jail."

Hope you enjoyed this scene and, as always I would love your comments and/or criticisms on the work. Always keep in mind that what I post here on WIP Wednesdays, is my first draft. I know it seems odd that I would post something for readers that is less than fully edited and perfected, but I want you all to have the opportunity to see the work as it's being developed-exactly as it was when it first dribbled out of my mind, through my fingers, and onto the screen.

One last note, in the coming weeks, I will begin skipping ahead scenes to post only what is most important or exciting. Of course, I'm going to hide some pivotal scenes otherwise, how could you later enjoy reading the finished story? I will be finished with the draft by the end of February and am way behind on scenes posted. So, in order to merge the end of my WIP posted scenes for this story, and the actual release and publication, I'll have to do some skipping ahead.

Until next week ...

WIP Wednesday

This week, Joseph Johnson collects information on his skip, and heads out to look for him. This is the scene before the scene that will put Joe and Lexi together, and on an irreversible path to a relationship. But, there will be plenty of barriers to that relationship. Eventually, Lexi will have to reveal four truths about her to Joe.

Just a reminder. What you read each week on work in progress Wednesday is a scene in draft form. I'll repeat:

THESE PREVIEW SCENES ARE IN RAW DRAFT FORM.

I just want readers to know that, even if you follow my scenes each week, you can still expect a great reading experience in the future, and when this story is published as a novel.

Enjoy:

Joe looked over the file Jake gave him. The man in the picture looked like the typical thug wannabe. The skip was a diminutive white guy with greasy hair and a pock-marked face. Of course, most arrest photos weren't taken when the perpetrators were at their best. Jake filled him in on what he knew, while Joe flipped through the pages of the file.

"The guy you're looking for is Louis Thompson. His only known alias is Lefty. I guess I shouldn't really say alias, more like a nickname. I don't think he's proud of it."

Joe looked up from the file. "How'd he get the nickname? Is he left-handed, or something?"

"He is now. At least he has to shoot left-handed. Seems he lost half his trigger finger in some kind of freak accident while trying to rob a convenience store."

What was bail on this one?" Joe asked, as he thumbed through the file until he found the remark about the missing right index finger.

"Fifteen grand," Jake said. "Your take's ten percent, same as always."

Joe looked for patterns in Lefty's arrest records. The man had been arrested for everything from grand theft to solicitation, with at least five of his arrests coming from some form of sexual harassment of dancers in the local strip clubs. Lefty missed a recent court appearance after posting bail from a attempted car heist and short-lived low-speed chase. The notes on the record showed the reason it was a low speed chase was because he stole a stick shift vehicle and couldn't get it out of first gear. The police followed him for more than ten miles on the freeway until someone finally just passed him, and threw out a spike strip in front the car he stole. Joe wondered why a wannabe thug would work so hard at being bad, but still believe that just finding a job at some fast food restaurant was out of the question. He continued to flip through the many pages of his file, getting into Lefty's head, trying to think where he might show up next.

Joe threw the file back on Jake's desk. "Got anything recent on this guy? Where's he like to hang out?" He asked, as Jack swept the file up from the desk, putting into a large cabinet against the wall.

"Pick a strip club and hang out long enough, and he'll probably show up."

"That's it?" Joe reached behind his back, shifting his concealed holster along his back, before fanning his shirt and pulling it back down over his waist. "This loser spends all his time in strip clubs?"

"I'd say Lefty spends most of his waking hours in strip clubs. Most of his harassment arrests were in strip clubs. Police say he's just not smart enough to find another hangout." Jake snickered at his own comment. "Only thing is, you'll never see him north of South Boulevard."

"What's the deal with that," Joe said. "He afraid of getting out of yelling distance from his mom's house?"

"No. Rumor has it, He's afraid of getting too close to the police station."

"Does he not know there's a station on South Boulevard?"

"I guess he doesn't see them as a threat, since he's always done his jail time at the main station across the street." Jake slapped Joe across his broad back as they walked to the door. "Like I said, he's not the knife in the drawer."

Joe got into his truck and gave Jake a wave as he pulled out into traffic, heading south on Union Street. Street lights shot bright cones of light below them, leaving contrasting shadow around them along the dark street as he continued south until he arrived at the intersection with South Boulevard. the Greyhound bus station was an island of light on his left, while neon lights from the Pink Pony bar and grill across the street on his left cut through the night in cloudy pink hues.

Good a place as any to start.

Joe stomped on the accelerator, and his truck sputtered and lurched across six lanes of traffic, and onto the service road in front of the bar. He drove past the bar, parking in the darkened lot of an auto parts store long out of business. As he turned the key and waited for his truck engine to sputter to a stop, he took a deep breath and went through his mental checklist, preparing for a long night in bars and strip clubs.

As always, your comments, critiques, and/or complaints are welcome.