Saturday's Snark: live and in badassery

This really says it all...

Friday Flash: Incongruent Angel

Lately the deception had eaten at Aaron. He drank more than he used to, and he spent more and more time volunteering with the at-risk kids. Anything to keep the welling panic contained. The desperate pull in the muscles of his back and the equally intense clenching of his stomach was there all along though, every single time he didn’t know where one of the Morris’s was—though it was difficult to separate the old underlying fears and panic he felt every day from the shiny new fear that he’d be the very thing to drive Travis away. Aaron could not afford to lose his last piece of Timothy and his only piece of Travis by letting his ridiculous desire show anymore than it already had. Maybe—

“We’ll need these as well.”

A lean, tanned but battered hand reached around him to slap down a huge bottle of lube and a jumbo box of condoms on the pharmacist’s counter. Warmth climbed the length of Aaron’s spine as Travis slipped a strong arm around his waist and snuggled up to his back. The clerk at the counter, giggled. Aaron stared straight ahead.

“We’ll need them, Aaron. Maybe not tonight, but soon.” Travis’s voice rumbled through Aaron’s back and into his lungs. He closed his eyes. Travis nudged his hips against Aaron’s ass and the hard length pressed along Aaron’s backside had his mouth open and words tumbling out before Aaron had time to process.

“Ring them up with the scripts please.”

Travis opened his mouth over the back of Aaron’s neck. Aaron jerked forward, hitting his knees against the counter as he suddenly slumped, synapses normally used by his brain to keep him upright firing erratically.  Low laughter sounded behind him.

“Nice. I love how responsive you are. ”

The girl behind the pharmacy gasped. Another chuckle rolled over Aaron. Lean hips pushed forward into Aaron’s again. “Please forgive us, miss. We just got engaged, and I can’t seem to keep my hands off him, especially after the car accident. I think we just need time to touch each other enough to believe it’s all okay, that we’re both still alive, and that we won’t ever let each other go.”

Her scandalized expression softened into—“Awww, that’s so sweet.”

Aaron turned and rolled his eyes at Travis. “Brat, leave the nice lady alone.  

...And the Winner IS:

Michelle!! Congratulations to you, Michelle. You should have already received your copy of The Faery Tree. :) Enjoy!

Thursday Think Tank:The Art of Balance

I've been thinking a lot about balance lately. 
It's a commodity we all need, and those you see displaying mastery of balance in their lives often make it look so very easy to achieve.


A pretty fairytale, but for most of us about as realistic as suddenly being able to hold poses like the one these boys are rocking so hard. 


So what are we to do then? I can't speak for everyone, but I can tell you a little about my struggles, stumbles, and successes in the ongoing quest to bring balance into my life. 

My kidlet is what some would call challenging. Hah. Those poor fools don't live with her. She is exhausting, frustrating, brilliant, inspiring and perfect just as she is. Oh, and she happens to have bi-polar disorder. Every day she makes me proud. Every day she tests the very limits of my patience. And every single day she gives me the gift of herself. I'm not sure she realizes how much good she brings into my world... it's hard for her to hear the good things I say. Any chastisement hits straight home, a rocket fueled arrow to her heart. It's a soul shredding job some days, being her mum. Some days it's the greatest high in the world. Most days it's both all mashed up into a complicated pile of manure with the best smelling roses in the world growing out of it.


I wouldn't change being her mum for the world. 


I am more than just a mum though. I'm a woman. I'm an author, a publisher, a friend, a sister, and a hundred other things. So my writing schedule is a little odd. I write around when she needs me. I sleep when I get the chance, and every day I try to be a better mum by being a better me. Today that means working from the time she left for school until she comes home. Tomorrow it may mean putting my writing aside for a few hours and helping her play in the dirt, or clean her room. It may mean being strict or it may mean being lenient. I have to take that on a case by case basis. 


My brother Vic, pictured above with the kidlet, sometimes despairs of me. Well, not exactly, but I do get up on his last nerve with spurs on when I let the kiddo speak rudely. Vic doesn't roll like that. And really, neither do I. But sometimes, the best the child can do is tell me that she's trying... and tell me in a rude tone. 


I can't begin to imagine how difficult her world is, where she's faced daily with the knowledge that no matter what she does her condition will color every aspect of her life. I'm not happy she has to deal with this. I am supremely grateful that I don't have such a difficult path to walk. I think she and my brother Vic are both much stronger than I. For me, loving them and being there for them is all in a day's work/play for me.

I'm a bit of a clown, and that's okay for me. I don't always write enough, and I don't always spend enough time taking care of my family. I forget things. I overextend. And I get up every day and do it all again. I do my level best to be a little more balanced in what I ask of myself every day. The world is a shifty old place though, and I have to keep adjusting. So I take it day by day, and case by case. 


And I remind myself to approach everyday like this: Family first. Do what I love. Prioritize, cause there is no fecking way I can get to it all, and the ass-chewings sure to come my way for the balls I fail to keep up in the air. 


Eh, it's okay. I learned in the Army that ass grows back in about eight seconds. And really, I have a lot of ass to begin with. I'll be alright while I'm out here practicing my balancing act. :)


Tell me how you keep your balance, or how you get it back when you lose it. 


I read Stephani Hecht or JP Bowie or Megan Derr. They are my comfort reads, and always put me right back in balance. 

Happy Release Day~~The Faery Tree

Today is release day for the first book in The Tonawanda Faery Tales series, and I wanted to be sure to give a wee little shout out about it. Because I love this story. The characters are... well, not to sound crazed or anything, but they're kinda my pals.

Especially Thomas, that adorkable nut. If you guess why, whether you get it right or not, I'll enter your name in the contest twice.

Leave a comment here within the next twenty-four hours, along with a contact email and I'll enter you in a little giveaway to win a free copy of The Faery Tree, or if you've already purchased it, I'll substitute with the next book in the series which is due out at the end of next month.

Lator, Gators. I'm off to watch a funny film with my kidlet. :)

Work in Progress Wednesday: More from Incongruent Angel

Travis cracked open his eyes. He was really starting to worry about Aaron. He usually made fun of Taylor for suggesting that everyone needed therapy, but Travis couldn’t help feeling in this particular case the sentiment would be right on the money. He squeezed his eyes shut. God, what had happened to make Aaron so sure he was at fault for Timothy’s death? He let out a shaky breath. He just needed to get home and get some decent rest. Then he’d be in some kind of shape to tackle this. Right now all he could think about was the soft press of Aaron’s lips against his face. He wanted to feel that again.

Watching the front door of the little pharmacy, Travis wondered how Aaron even knew this place was still open when he hadn’t lived around here for years. The Morris’s lived over Noe Valley. Aaron had lived here with his folks before they sold their little electronics company to a bigger company for a lot of money.  After that they’d moved to a beautiful home up in Sea Cliff, and bragged a lot about how they lived right down the street from Robin Williams.

Timothy had once said to Travis that it was funny how that stupid symbol of their status was so much more important to them than the well being of their only child. Right afterward he’d shrugged, dismissing the matter and going on to ask if Travis wanted to come hang out with Aaron and him. Travis, of course, said yes. He hadn’t thought of that conversation in a long time.

The glint of sun against the front door caught his attention. Aaron strolled out of the pharmacy, the late morning sun gilding his face. Travis rolled his eyes. He really needed to stop thinking of Aaron in the angel costume Wasserstein had dressed him in. Sheesh. He was too broken to do anything about the images that quickly followed the first glorious one of Aaron in the damp, skimpy white outfit he’d worn for the shoot. Aaron glanced up. Their eyes caught, and then Aaron’s whole face lit up.

The smile that flashed across his face was incandescent. Travis hadn’t seen one like it on Aaron’s face for years. Oh, he smiled for the cameras, and often grinned for the fans, but nothing like this. This smile came straight from his heart, and seemed to lead straight to Travis’s. He gulped in a huge lungful of air as an answering smile stretched his mouth wide. Reaching up, Travis pushed the hair off his forehead. Aaron reached the truck, glancing away long enough to unlock the driver side door and pull it open. Then his eyes were back on Travis. “Hey.”

Travis grinned wearily, inexplicably pleased to see Aaron, the silver tongued rouge of the entire Bay Area music scene rendered speechless by his presence. “Hey, yourself, goofball. Did they say how long it’s gonna take. I really wanna get to bed.”

A second after the words left his mouth Travis realized they sounded like a teasing come-on. “Oh, hey, I didn’t mean—but only because I’m too sore—I. Shit.” As Travis watched, Aaron’s eyes crinkled up at the corners.

“I know, T. Mr. Winthrop said he can have everything ready in about twenty minutes. If you wanna catch a nap, you can use my—”

Travis slithered down into a prone position. “Your lap makes a nice pillow.” A jaw popping yawn ended anything else Travis intended to say. He hummed low in his throat as his head settled into Aaron’s lap.

Yeah.

This place right here, exactly here was where he was supposed to be. Travis rubbed his cheek along Aaron’s thigh, a mutter of contentment escaping him. Aaron’s hand settled in his hair, stoking slowly from his forehead toward the back of his head. Travis let go, drifting into the softly red and orange place behind his eyelids where sleep met him every night. 

Tuesday Triumph: It's a Rooster & Pig Publishing Thing

Is proud to present a new offering...
in addition to bestselling Author Vicktor Alexander, tomorrow we'll be able to offer you a new book by *drum roll please* Yes, you guessed it, moi.

And babies, I am thrilled. Just got done with the edits and formatting and oh yeah, oh yeah... this lovely cover... so, I'm off to make sure all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed. See you in the funny papers... oh, and of course, over on the Rooster and Pig Website and ARe, of course...