Adel's Purr Review

Adel’s Purr 

Author: Sui Lynn

Publisher: Silver Publishing

American release date: July 20, 2011

Format/Genre/Length: E-book/M/M Paranormal Romance/277 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Evan Halvard lives like a hermit, up in the mountains, away from everyone—and that’s the way he likes it. Alone with his beloved stone. Evan is a stonemason by trade, as was his father before him. It was while working with his late father, as a young man, that Evans makes a startling discovery—some gargoyle are more than the statuary they appear to be. In fact, they are living stone!

Synopsis:

The time is a point in the future, after mankind has been greatly decimated, and the Church is a large presence in everyone’s lives. To the extent that they control the things that people do and say and see. Gargoyles have gone onto the list of bad things, things that incite people in unwanted ways. The Bishop’s Service actively seeks and destroys the statues whenever and wherever they’re found, which is anathema to Evan, especially once he realizes that some of them are living beings.

Evan’s constant companion is Cela, a young gargoyle that he wears around his neck. He talks to Cela, even though Cela doesn’t speak. And neither do the four gargoyles he’s dubbed the Four Musketeers. They’re his friends as well as his protectors. Evan keeps to himself, eking out a living best as he can with his stone, and keeping an ear out for any sign that the Bishop’s Service has found a gargoyle, attempting to reach it before they can, and save the living ones from destruction. He has an anonymous friend on the Internet that sends him tips. But he also has a nemesis in the form of Father Michael, of the Bishop’s Service. The skeletal priest comes around far too often for Evan’s taste, a matter which is compounded by his obvious physical attraction to Evan, an attraction which is definitely one-sided.

When Evan receives word that the Service has found another gargoyle and is going to destroy it, he moves quickly, managing to evade the lewd and lascivious priest in order to do so. He and Cela go to where the statue is. He turns out to be far bigger than Evan imagined, and he silently prays to it, hoping to find some sign of life. He gets more than he bargained for!

He spirits the large being away, secreting him in the warren of tunnels beneath his home. Tunnels that the Bishop’s Service is unaware of, bequeathed to him by his late father. To his amazement, this one speaks! Deciding he can’t call him hey you forever, Evan debates on an appropriate name for him, and decides on Adel. When Father Michael shows up and sees Adel, Evans claims he is a cousin come to live with him and learn his trade, which does not please the priest at all.

The more Evan knows of Adel, the more he wants to know, and he feels very drawn to the large gargoyle. The attraction is definitely mutual. Things heat up between them!  Then Evan gets another message from his unknown informant—he wants to meet! Is that wise? Could it be a trap? And what is going on with Father Michael?

Commentary:

Adel’s Purr is not your average paranormal romance story. It’s very creatively written, and the unfolding story will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. Sui Lynn has a definite way of creating characters that stick in your mind, and using the unusual. Gargoyles are definitely something you won’t see very often. She also uses them in another upcoming release, Stone Heart. She includes information about gargoyles, taken from a “text”,that she includes at the beginning of chapters. It helps to give the reader and understanding of the seldom used creatures.

The only real criticism I can make is that the editing is less than stellar, but don’t let that deter you from enjoying the book.

I love the way she built her world and populated it, and not always in shades of black and white. There is no Good vs Evil, but there are definite shades of grey. It’s a tale of survival in difficult times. And of finding love when you least expect it. And rising to your potential—and your destiny.

Luckily, it’s only the first book in a series. I’ve had the privilege of reading Nico’s Fire, the next book. Trust me, you’ll love it.

 Adel[s Purr is available from Silver Publishing in e-book and in print!

Guest Blogging with Rawiya

Today I'm not home. Where am I? Visiting with my good friend Rawiya at her blog, and talking about my novel Dark Love - and my love of vampires. Come say hello to me there! Win a copy of the e-book! All you have to do is comment!

Sci Fi Sunday - A Salute to the Men OF DS9

Happy Sunday and welcome to another edition of Sci Fi Sunday! Today we are going to take a look at those wonderful men from Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Enjoy!

Avery Brooks as Commander Sisco, commanding officer of DS9. He started the series with hair, but somewhere along the way he shaved it off.

Not sure what this is from, but it's a good picture of him.

And here he is with William Shatner.

Officer Odo was in charge of security. He was a shapeshifter, before the term was applied to other creatures, such as werewolves. He was able to shift into objects of any kind, and had to spend a certain amount of time in a bucket in a liquid state. Hard to recognize Rene Auberjonois under that make up!

There was something obviously between Odo and Kira Nereis, but Odo wasn't much of one for romance. Or relationships. He was always trying to catch Quark in the act, but by the end of the series, he gained a grudging respect for the Ferengian bar owner.

Everyone liked the genial Doctor Bashir, who could be rather naive at times. He had a thing for Jadzia Dax, but she ended up marrying someone else. I believe he ended up with Ezri Dax later. I could never warm up to her.

Here is Dr. Bashir and his good friend Chief Miles O'Brien, engineer for DS9.

O'Brien was on Next Gen before DS9. He was married to Keiko, and they have a little girl named Molly. You can find him on AMC's Hell on Wheels as a ruthless railroad builder.

Another picture of Dr. Bashir from his imaginary spy adventures in the holo suite.

Can't forget Q, also seen on Next Gen. He was mischievous and troublesome. And charming.

Here's Commander Worf. I know some people thought him standoffish, but I liked him.

Yes, he's the one who stole and married Jadzia Dax.

Garak. On the surface a simple tailor on DS9. In reality, a spy for the Obsidian Order. Very complex, and very fascinating. He became a good friend of Doctor Bashir. Played by Andrew Robinson, who was the bad guy in Dirty Harry, and was also in Hellraiser.








Now for my favorite character of all - Quark. Unscrupulous, sharp, businesslike and opportunistic, still - he had something good deep inside. Best character ever.

Quark was played by Armin Shimerman, whom you might remember from Beauty and the Beast. Usually seen beating on the pipes belowground.

Who's your favorite DS9 character? I'd love to know!

Don't forget to visit Sue Lynn's 2 Cents, and our shared blog, Backdoor Divas!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Should You Sell Your Soul to Sell a Book?

The explosion in the publishing industry brought about by the advent of e-readers such as Kindle and Nook,  and the sudden proliferance and popularity of the e-book has had a profound effect on writers and authors. More writers are becoming published authors; it's easier to do so now. It's also easier for people to become publishers, without having the outlay needed to run a print operation. This is a good thing, right?

Not necessarily.

Some of these new publishers are publishing whatever they can get their hands on that they think will sell. And that's the problem. Publication does not equate to quality. Quite frankly, there are a lot of books selling that shouldn't be. But they are. Some are flat out worse than others; others are adequate. These bad books and adequate books would never have found a home in the days of print. But now they have, because of the ease of electronic publishing.

Bad authors are making decent livings for writing purple prose that would have gotten them failing grades had they ever dared to turn them in to their composition teachers back in high school. Assuming they weren't automatically flunked for the use of excessive foul language. And a whole lot of fucking going on.

And the plots!  Pardon me, I mean plots - what plots?  Many of them are a sequence of sexual encounters strung together under the guise of romance. And don't even get me started on the sudden proliferation of menages and worse. I know I've said it before, but when you have one woman and six guys - that's just a whole lot of sluttiness going on. NOT ROMANCE.

And yet it apparently sells.

So, what's a writer to do? Do you sacrifice quality? Sell your soul for what appears to be the sure thing? Lower yourself to that level, go there, do that, and hope to reap the rewards? Or do  you stand firm, maintain your integrity and your quality, and write better prose, hope that it will sell?

Difficult decision.

Is it the fault of the writer or the reader? Have reading standards fallen so greatly? At one time, the general populace read and enjoyed Shakespeare. What have we come to now, when most people sneer at the idea of reading classic literature, and those who do are pegged as eggheads, nerds and geeks? Part of that problem I lay at the feet of teachers who have no idea how to teach the classics; the same reason a lot of people hate history - inadequate teaching. But I'll save that rant for another day.

Yes, apparently  Jackie Collins sells. Would I want to be her? Hell no. That isn't quality writing, it's trash. Even  if trash sells, I don't want my name on it. Of course, a lot of the writers who are selling don't have their names on their books. Maybe that makes it easier for them to fire off this third class swill and sell it. Nobody knows who they really are and they can laugh about it all the way to the bank.

The big thing now is series. Get the reader hooked, make him/her think you can write, and then milk them as long as you can. I have nothing against series, mind you. I find them a great way to delve into your characters at length. Some stories require it, others don't. But when they become formulaic and predictable - give it up. Also, a lot of these series aren't actually books, they're novellas. I'm afraid we're conditioning the reader to want less and to want it more often. New book, new royalties. Endless cycle.

So the question remains - do you sell your soul, sacrifice who you are and what is quality in your writing, for the sake of a fast buck? Or do you stand firm, bypass the publishers who are happy with the cheap and the tawdry and hold out for the brass ring - the pie in the sky -  the better publishers, those who will guide you into the upper stratosphere, beyond mediocre and the blatantly best-selling bad?

It's a personal choice, but I intend to hold out for the bigger and better, to maintain the quality in my writing. Hopefully my readers will understand and will be willing to patiently make this journey with me no matter how long it takes. I'm gonna reach for that brass ring and make it mine! I'm gonna claim my pie in the sky!

Any comments? Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Guest Blogger Sloan Parker

Good morning and Happy Friday! Today I am privileged to have author Sloan Parker as my guest. She's going to answer a few questions (Yes, those questions!), and tell you a little about her newest release. Sounds awesome, I have to say! She and I are going to hunker down on the beach, with our daiquris. Sloan, go ahead and answer the questions, while I wave over the cabana boy!

The Questions 

1)      You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice—who is that person and what item do you have?

My partner and let’s see…this is hard. I’m going to assume I can have a solar-powered battery for my laptop. Is that cheating? Even without the Internet, I could write for hours, read all the e-books I have saved on my hard drive. Heck, I could even play solitaire. That way I get all my fave things: reading, writing, and spending time with my sweetie. I’m never bored when I’m with her.

2)      Which musical would you say best exemplifies your life – and which character in that musical are you?

Sandy from Grease. I’ve never been a big fan of the end, but if I think about it like she was finally finding her true self, then I can definitely relate. Part of that is about my coming out and part of that is about my life as a writer.

3)      Take these three words and give me a 100 word or less scenario using them:  concert, documented, broadcast

Boy this is a tough one. Here goes…could be the setup for a new story…

My friend Harry used to work as a producer for broadcast TV, but he told me when he finally accepted he was in love with his best friend, he gave up the career he’d always hated, moved to New York, and started a band. See, I’m a guitarist, and I think Harry would do anything for me. He’s even landed us some sweet concert gigs, and he’s documented our journey as a rising band for our website. I watched the footage last night. There’s a lot of me in it. Maybe he really does love me this time around.

4)      You’ve just been let loose in the world of fiction, with permission to do anyone you want. Who do you fuck first and why?

I know it’s probably not all that original since he’s from one of my own stories, and I know he’s gay, but I’d have to go with Richard from MORE. That man just knows how to give someone what they need like he’s reading their mind. I’d love to be on the receiving end of that much care, attention, and determination.

5)      What is your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?

The best nights we have together we enjoy a quiet dinner alone at home followed by music, dancing, and laughing. Just being together and taking time to remember what we love about each other.

6)      When you start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?

I’ve started some stories with the characters in mind and others with a general idea for the plot. In either case, when I outline the plot, I fill out character sketch sheets so the characters help determine how the plot unfolds and how each man will act and react to the various situations.

7)      If they were to make the story of your life into a movie, who should play you?

Oh man. I have no idea. Can I just pick someone I find exceptionally sexy and cool? Like Julianne Moore. Love her!

8)      Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?

In terms of a villain who stayed with me for years, I’d have to go with the shark in Jaws. From the time I was a young child those movies freaked me out and were with me every time I went swimming, and even when I went to bed at night since my brother told me sharks lived under my bed.

In fiction, I’d say Annie Wilkes in Misery. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, but she was just plain creepy and beyond reason.

9)      Do you have an historical crush and if so, who is it?

This one’s another fictional character, but the first man who came to mind with this question was Atticus Finch. Hands down he’s the sexiest hero. And when portrayed by Gregory Peck, my crush on that man is out of control.

10)   Is there a story that you’d like to tell but you think the world isn’t ready to receive it?

Not sure I’ve ever thought up an idea so out there the world isn’t ready for it. The closest I’ve come to something like that was BREATHE. Everyone kept telling me I couldn’t take a man who’d killed a woman and put him together with that woman’s widower and still make it a romantic story. The premise and the drama in that story may not work for everyone, but the positive feedback I’ve gotten has been amazing.

Thanks for having me on the blog, Julie. Those questions were a ton of fun!

Blurb from Take Me Home, coming Dec 13, 2011  

Aspiring television writer Evan Walker has been in love with his best friend since high school, but Kyle doesn’t do boyfriends. Never has. Never will. Evan knows it’s a bad idea to give in to desire when he wants more than a friend with benefits. He has a new dream job. Now all he needs is the dream partner.

Kyle Bennett is a mystery novelist with a severe case of writer’s block. He needs a change. He has three days on their cross-country train trip home for the holidays to figure out how to tell Evan he’s staying there for good. He also has to write the overdue pages for his editor. Only, he’s a little too distracted by the close quarters in their sleeper compartment—and Evan’s ass—to get much done.

The sparks that fly between them are hotter than ever. Good thing they have a real-life mystery to focus on: why people all around them, including Evan’s new boss, want to get their hands on a journal that once belonged to Kyle’s grandfather.

When a blizzard traps them in the mountains, Kyle and Evan steam up the train’s windows and must finally face their true desires.

Excerpt

Evan shivered. Which made no sense. He was still warm from the run, the sweat on his skin not even dry yet.

Kyle took another step. Evan wanted him to stop. He wanted to shout all the reasons why this had to stop, before it got started, wanted to tell Kyle not to move another inch.

He didn’t.

And Kyle didn’t stop coming at him until they were practically touching, Kyle staring down at him.

Evan tried to focus on Kyle’s words, on the news about the journal and his grandpa, but all he could think about was what he’d seen when he’d walked into the apartment: Kyle, all skin and taught muscles, wearing only his tight-as-sin white underwear, the briefs stretched over his cock, and the way Kyle had looked at him in the dim light of the hallway.

Just once. He’s leaving anyway. Evan closed his eyes and forced himself to concentrate on the conversation. He looked up at Kyle again. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Kyle said the word with a slight curve of his lips. He took a step back and reclined against the wall, looking casual, like he was about to flirt with a bartender for a free drink. “After I read it, I was thinking about that night in the motel room in Iowa on our first drive out here.” He slowly swung his head in Evan’s direction. “Do you remember that night?”

Evan nodded.

“Do you ever think about it?” Kyle’s voice was barely a whisper.

Up until a few months ago, Evan hadn’t let himself, but since he’d moved in with Kyle… “Sometimes.”

“Like right now?”

“Yeah.”

Kyle slid along the wall, traveling the last remnants of space between them. “Ev, I’ve been waiting ten years to finish what we started.” He pushed off the wall and turned until they were face-to-face again, his dark eyes unflinching as he leaned in. He stopped before their lips touched. The heat of that mouth and body so close stoked the fire inside Evan.

His own body reacted, his cock pushing at his shorts. He wanted to shove Kyle against the wall and kiss him until morning, do everything he’d ever dreamed of when it came to touching Kyle, everything he ached to feel about the man.

The smile Kyle gave him next wasn’t the usual cocky one he’d used with countless guys over the years. He pressed forward and slid his lips along Evan’s skin from the base of his neck to his earlobe, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake. He lingered over Evan’s ear and whispered, “You smell so damn good. I want to fuck you, Ev.”

Evan shivered again. “We shouldn’t…” He couldn’t say more. Didn’t want to. The time for talking was over. Kyle ran the tip of his tongue along the outside of Evan’s ear, and Evan instinctively moved closer. His breath hitched with the touch of Kyle’s bare abs against him. Why had he worn a T-shirt to go running?

Using only the weight of his body, Kyle turned them until Evan’s back was against the hall wall, then flattened his palms to the wall on either side of Evan’s head. He licked his lips and spread his legs until their bodies lined up groin to groin, then rolled his hips, putting pressure against Evan’s cock. “God, Ev…”

With that movement, those two words, Evan groaned and let his head fall back to the wall. He couldn’t stop himself. He rocked his hips in time with Kyle’s. The feel of Kyle’s body, his hard cock against him, drove his own arousal higher.

Kyle spoke again, his voice even lower. “It could be so fucking good.”

Evan lost track of the arguments he’d been telling himself since he’d left the apartment earlier. He raised his head, and their lips met, the softest brush of flesh until Kyle opened his mouth, seized Evan by the back of the head, and slid his tongue into the touch. The kiss deepened, and Evan thought he’d never be able to stop feeling Kyle’s mouth on his, their tongues pressed together.

Bio  

Sloan Parker, author of m/m erotic romances and romantic suspense, loves to explore the lives of people who are growing as individuals while falling in love. Her novel MORE is the 2011 EPIC eBook Award Winner for Mystery, Suspense, and/or Adventure Erotic Romance and winner of the 2010 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance. Sloan enjoys writing in the fictional world because in fiction you can be anything, do anything...even fall in love for the first time over and over again. She lives in northern Ohio with her longtime partner and their three neurotic cats.

Links
Website: www.sloanparker.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSloanParker 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sloanparker 
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3413928.Sloan_Parker 
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106551238182474847206

Other Links for Images, etc.

Buy Link for Take Me Home
http://www.loose-id.com/Take-Me-Home.aspx

Cover art for Take Me Home
http://www.sloanparker.com/press.htm#TakeMeHomeCover

Bio Pic
http://www.sloanparker.com/images/SloanParker1.jpg

Press Kit
http://www.sloanparker.com/press.htm  

Thank you so much for joining us today, Sloan! Why don't we get another daiquiri? Maybe we can entice the  cabana boy to put on a show for us? Like with another cabana boy?  Can't hurt to ask!

Any questions for Sloan? Any comments?  She'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Dear Zachary Review

Dear Zachary  

Director/Studio/Author: Kurt Kuenne/Oscilloscope Studios/Kurt Kuenne

American release date: February 24, 2009

Format/Genre/Length: DVD/Documentary/95 minutes

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: NR

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Andrew Bagby was a special young man with a big heart, whose potential was destroyed, his life cut short by a psychotic woman. This is his story—and more.

Synopsis:

Andrew was a nice looking, friendly young man with a lot of personality, and a lot of drive. His  death came as a shock to many people. The manner of his dying was especially horrific, coming at the hands of a woman he’d dated but had broken up with. She refused to accept that from him, and because he spurned her, she killed him, then fled the US for her native land of Canada. St. Johns Newfoundland, to be precise. Andrew’s parents, Katie and David, fought to get her extradited back to the US to stand trial for the murder of their son. The plot thickened. It turned out that Shirley Turner, Andrew’s ex and his killer, was four months pregnant with Andrew’s child. What followed was a nightmare.

Katie and David moved from their home in California to Canada in order to be near their grandchild, and to be a part of his life, uprooting themselves from the home they’d lived in for some twenty-five years. In due course, Zachary was born. The legal shenanigans which ensued were extraordinary and ridiculous. Twice, the accused killer was set upon the streets, having been determined to be no danger to the community. Despite having three other children by three other men, all of whom had custody. Despite having threatened other lovers with suicide and/or death. If one examines Shirley Turner’s actions preceding and following her murder of Andrew Bagby, it becomes incomprehensible that this could be.

And yet it was.

And the worst was yet to come…

Commentary:

My son Michael recommended this film to me, and I’ll unabashedly admit I cried my eyes out. He’d warned me about that, told me to watch it without even knowing what it was about. He’s very wise, my son. The film was heartwrenching, poignant, touching… a fitting tribute to a man I would have loved to be able to know. His friends cannot say enough good things about him. His parents are amazing—in their devotion to him, and to his son Zachary, and in being able to instill the love and respect that they have. They’ve had to be strong, in a world gone crazy.

I watched all the extras on this film, including Andrew’s fire story, and his best man toast. And the home movies of Zachary. It’s worth every minute of it. Kurt Kuenne has captured Andrew Bagby for posterity. I commend him for it, and recommend this film to everyone.

Silver Flash: Dallas in Wonderland #3

Happy Hump Day/Silver Flash Day! Feels like this week haas been long enough for two, at least lol  Well, you know it's time for another Silver Flash, right? This week's Prompt Diva was Lindsay Klug, who gave us:  This week our Prompt Diva is Lindsay Klug, who gave us:  "No, I said turn left, not right." or: "I'm not super(man/woman), you know."

My alternate prompts are:

use these three words: velour, circumcision, and balance  or

"Dammit, I'm a (fill in the blank), not a (fill in the blank)! or

eyes closed as if in prayer

Today I'm adding a chapter to Dallas in Wonderland. Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to check out the other intrepid Flashers at the end of my tale. And note that we have a Flash Virgin among us!  Yay!  Without further ado, I give you more of my Dallas in Wonderland!

Dallas in Wonderland 3

Dallas glanced at his watch. Only five minutes had passed since he’d last checked the time. Forty-five minutes since he’d  expected her to arrive, and no sign of Paris. He wasn’t really surprised—his sister had never been known for her punctuality. Having a child had only served to increase her penchant for tardiness. She used her son as her excuse, but Dallas knew better—the seven-year-old Ozymandias was far more on top of things than his ditzy mother.

Unusual names ran in his family. Besides himself and Paris, there was a younger brother, Frankfurt. Each one named after the city he’d been conceived in. As for his nephew, whom everyone called Oz for short, he’d been born during his mother’s Percy Shelley phase. As Dallas told him, it could’ve been a lot worse. She could have named him after one of her food crazes, like steak tartare.  Oz was a cool kid, he took everything in stride. Which is why Dallas didn’t mind watching him for his sister when she had a date. Or whatever.

This would be her first visit to the new apartment since he’d moved in. If she ever showed up, that is.

He’d just pulled his cell phone from his pocket to ascertain her ETA, when he heard a knock at his door, opening it to discover his nephew.

“Hey, Oz!” Dallas peered into the hallway; no one else was there. But then he heard it. The sound of his sister’s cursing—it preceded her up the stairs. He was grateful that the tenant across from him was hard of hearing and kept to herself for the most part. He didn’t need anyone complaining to the landlady about his foulmouthed sister.

“Hey, Uncle Dallas.”  Dallas stood aside to admit his nephew. His backpack was almost as big as he was, and usually held the most interesting items. Oz was very precocious and well-read. He just needed to be watched a bit, as he had a propensity for performing potentially dangerous experiments.

“What took you so long?” he asked his sister.

“Your directions, that’s what,” she said, walking past him into the apartment. He followed close behind her.  “I turned right at Wilmington, like you said, and I ended up in what looked like the red light district.”

Dallas frowned.  “No, I said turn left, not right,” he insisted. “You should have written the directions down, like I suggested.”

“Did not,” she argued. “I wrote them down, Mr. Smarty Pants.”

“Show me,” he challenged her, crossing his arms across his chest and glaring after her.

“I can’t. They’re in the car,” she said. “You’ll just have to take my word on that. Give me the quick tour?”

Dallas exchanged glances with Oz, who shrugged.  “Well, whatever. Sure, let me show you both around.”

The grand tour took all of five minutes. There weren’t many rooms, and the rooms had little furniture. He’d not had much to begin with, and most of that had stayed with the school. He’d remedy that. Some day.

“Not bad, little bro,” Paris admitted when they wound up back in the living room. Oz took a seat on the floor, opening his backpack and bringing out his things: sketchpad and pencils, a few paperback books, a plastic bag filled with trail mix, and some action figures. A lot of young boys played with them, but the ones Oz possessed were of the historical variety. He collected them in different eras. These were his musketeers.

“So, what do you think of your neighbors?” Paris asked. She smoothed down her mid-calf length skirt over her russet boots, before turning her attention back to him.

“They seem okay. What little I’ve seen of them.” A sudden image of the enigmatic Dr. Levi came to mind. Dallas felt flames warm his cheeks. He chided himself for being so silly over a man who probably never gave him a second thought, once he left the laundry room. Silly Dallas. “So where you going tonight?”

“Henry comped us two tickets to Legally Blonde. I was curious.” Paris shrugged.

“You’re lucky I’m off tonight.”

“You’re right, I am.” His sister smiled and patted his cheek, turning her steps toward the door. “If I don’t make it back tonight, can Oz stay ‘til morning?” She grabbed her purse from where she’d tossed it on her entry, turning inquisitive eyes toward her brother.

“I have an early class,” Dallas protested. She turned the full battery of her eyes on him, gave him the helpless and horny damsel in distress look she wore so well.

“Well, maybe,” he relented. “Can you pick him up at the school?”

“Sure thing,” she beamed. “Thanks, bro.” She kissed his cheek, and turned to Ozymandias. “Come give Mama a hug,” she said.” The boy closed his book, and obediently did as he was told. Paris held him tightly for a moment. “Night, honey. Be a good boy for Uncle Dallas, do everything he says.

“I know the drill,” he insisted, with his usual eye roll.

She gave him a last hug before heading out at last, waving good-bye as she did so.  It took a full five seconds for Dallas to realize she’d managed to leave her cell phone behind. “Be right back,” he told Oz, diving for the stairs.

She was faster going down than she was up. By the time he’d managed the two flights of stairs and out the front door, her car was a fading memory on the horizon. Shrugging, he pocketed the phone and turned back inside.

As he started up the stairs, he thought he saw something in the shadows near the entrance to the basement. A shadow which resembled Dr. Levi.  Eyes closed as if in prayer He stopped and looked again. Nothing.

Mumbling to himself about having an overactive imagination, he climbed the stairs back to his apartment to spend some quality time with his nephew.

But he couldn’t get thoughts of Dr. Levi out of his head.

 to be continued

And don't forget to check out the other Silver Flashers!

Here is the final list of who's flashing 12-7-11. See, I got it right this time, Lily lol Lindsay Klug   (m/f) West Thornhill    (m/m) Lily Sawyer     (m/m) AJ Jarrett    (m/m)      FLASH VIRGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sui Lynn     (m/m) Heather Lin   (m/f) Hope you enjoy reading these as much as we enjoy writing them! Have a great week, and until next time, take care! ♥ Julie