Guest Blogger Anel Viz

Welcome today, if you will, fellow author Anel Viz, who has bravely answered my infamous Rick Reed questions, and is going to tell us about his Halloween release. Why don't you make yourself at home, Anel, and I'll have the butler bring us something to drink.

The Questions // answered by Anel Viz

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 boyfriend. He gives great massages, so I opt for body lotion. 

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

That’s a tough one. There are a number of musicals I wish I could identify with and others I identify with in my fantasies. In a sense, I do identify with Candide, but I’m definitely a cynical optimist and don’t for a second buy into that “best of all possible worlds” crap. So I’ll say Show Boat, and I’m the Mississippi because I’m an old man and I just keep rolling along.

3)      Take these three words and give me a 100 word or less scenario using them:  allegation, exponent,  downgraded

I had reason to believe the allegations of several guys he’d slept with. Hell, just from the looks of him and to listen to his spiel, I expected this to be a night to remember. He came across as the exponent of hot monkey sex. I should be so lucky! A brief roll in the hay was all it took for me to downgrade him from a higher power to a square.

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?

Fuck first? Does that mean I have permission to fuck everyone I want? How long do I get to stay in this world of fiction? Can I stay twice as long if they can do me too? I feel like a kid in a fucking candy store.

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

How about letting me also have a king size bed on that small island?

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

Neither. I start with a situation and the plot grows out of it. I’m not sure what’s going to happen and don’t know who the main character will be until things start happening. I’ve usually written 1/5 of the book before I start planning.

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

Gee, I don’t know.  He couldn’t be anyone young and would have to be someone who can make the most uneventful story at least mildly interesting,  like Dustin Hoffman or Peter O’Toole or Tom Hanks or… Got any suggestions?

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

Norman Bates. Anybody that hung up on his mother couldn’t be 100% straight and I think Anthony Perkins is damned cute. I can imagine myself saying, “Toss the knife, slip out of the drag, and hop in shower, pressed up against the wall with your back toward me.”

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

Have you ever seen a portrait of Charles-Louis Desaix? I thought not. No matter; there’s more than one and he’s not particularly good looking in most of them. He was one of the generals in Napoleon’s army and died in the Italian campaign. He’s a secondary character in one of my WIPs.

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

If I did, it wouldn’t stop me from writing it.

Horror, Dark & Lite 

Silver Publishing, Oct. 2012

vol. 1: Dark Horror (ISBN 9781614956266)

vol. 2: Horror Lite (ISBN 9781614956273)

“Spiel”:

The collection Horror, Dark & Lite came about because I had a vampire story and a shifter story in two multi-author anthologies that didn’t receive much attention and are no longer available and I wanted them back on the market. One was gothic, the other humorous, so I decided on two volumes instead of one with a mishmash of tones. That way, readers who want to be scared could buy one, those who like funny stories could buy the other, and if I was lucky, most would buy both.

The dark volume contains three novellas: a vampire story that may or may not feature a vampire, a Hitchcock-like mystery about serial killings, and a shifter story set in the late 1970s. Like its companion volume, the “lite” stories begin with a vampire, end with shifters, and the two stories in between complements the middle story in that one is about a stalker and the other has to do with an investigation of sorts. The humor is sometimes lighthearted, sometimes totally screwball. They’re not so much scary as creepy, no more horror stories than lite beer is beer, but you’ll see in the excerpt that I could have turned them into something to scare the pants off you if I had chosen to go that route.

Blurb for Horror Lite:

The vampires, stalkers, aliens, and shape-shifters in these stories prove less threatening than the main characters feared.

“A Layover at Atatürk International” – When their plane is delayed, Chase looks forward to sharing a hotel room with fellow passenger Viet Bloedrank.

“Coffee and Aftershave” – Skyler discovers that the creepy individual who followed him home from the subway is also stalking the men he dates.

“Bryce Olson is Pregnant” – Hoping for benefits, Russell decides to play along when Bryce Olson gets it into his head that his ex-boyfriend is an alien.

“The Stray” – John thought it just coincidence that his housemate and the big grey dog that came by for handouts never crossed paths.  How long would it take him to catch on?

buy link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/products_id/1218/

Excerpt from “Coffee and Aftershave”

It was their first date, and he looked forward to meeting Claude in person. They had a lot in common, Claude seemed intelligent, and unless his profile photo was more flattering than accurate, pretty darn handsome. Skyler had also spoken on the phone with him, and he liked his voice.

They had arranged to meet for coffee and then, if they hit it off, go for dinner together at a nice restaurant. Nearly all Skyler's first dates began at a Starbucks. Dating services, Internet sites, mailboxes in the free newspapers, phone lines all warn it's safest to have a first meeting in a public place. They invariably suggest getting together for coffee. Skyler had drunk a lot of coffee with men he'd never seen again.

Most of the men Skyler slept with he'd met in public places. When he was younger, he didn't use to make advance arrangements or run into them in the kind of public places the dating services have in mind. They mean somewhere with a lot of people milling around and preferably in broad daylight, not bars, lavatories, the park, adult video arcades, or an alley in the warehouse district. Then he'd had a scare at twenty-three and, although he was neither robbed nor raped, he'd followed their advice from then on and played it safe, but he wasn't so paranoid as to run a criminal background check on the man he'd arranged to meet or ask to see his driver's license as one overly cautious chat room suggested. Still, he ended up in bed less often when he knew who he was hooking up with than in his days of anonymous cruising. But it also happened that he went home with the guy within minutes of finishing their cappuccinos.

Claude would be different on both counts. Skyler couldn't imagine not hitting it off with him. Everything pointed to his having found Mr. Right and, frankly, the closer he came to his thirtieth birthday—just over a year and a half to go—the more wearisome it became to play the field. They would definitely go home together, maybe even spend the night, but not within minutes of finishing their cappuccinos. That half-hour at the gym meant he'd had a light lunch. He was hungry and wanted a filling dinner, preferably in a romantic setting.

Skyler got ready for his big date. He laid out the clothes he had chosen—carefully casual—and went to shower. He cleaned himself inside as well, just in case. Then he shaved, brushed his teeth, and combed his hair. Like an anxiously excited teenager before her first prom but looking as calm and confident as a fashion model on a walkway, he checked his appearance in the large mirror above his dresser before heading for Starbucks. They'd agreed it should be one with a number of good restaurants nearby. The one they had picked had the added advantage of being close to Skyler's apartment.

Claude had arrived before him and had taken his coffee to a table by the window, so he saw Skyler crossing the street on his way to the door and was standing to greet him when he came in. His profile snapshot didn't do him justice: a shorter version of the young Gregory Peck with a smile that would have melted the heart of Muammar Qaddafi. It melted Skyler's.

Skyler went to shake hands before getting in line to order a cappuccino. "I knew you were handsome from the photo," Claude said, "but I wasn't expecting you to be this handsome."

"I'm pleasantly surprised myself."

Skyler got his coffee and joined Claude at their table. "Have you thought about where we should eat?" Claude asked. "You said you live somewhere in the neighborhood."

"Anywhere but Indian."

"You don't care for Indian? I like your shirt, by the way. Nice aftershave, too. Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's just that you're not the first person to tell me that today. Some creep on my way home in the subway wouldn't stop talking about it. I tell you, it was nothing short of weird. I've even christened him 'Aftershave' in my head."

"Sounds annoying. I can't stand it when strangers try to strike up a conversation on the subway. It's different on a plane."

"I don't really mind it that much. But my aftershave? I mean, like, where was the guy coming from? Said it reminded him of Indian cooking or something. Does any aftershave smell that strong? Anyway, that's why I said not Indian."

"You think he was hitting on you?"

"I know he was hitting on me. He tried to follow me home."

Skyler came to a dead stop. The man from the subway was standing at the window, looking in at them.

"Is something the matter?" Claude asked.

"Speak of the devil."

Claude twisted his head to see what Skyler was looking at. He turned away quickly. His face had gone white.

"He followed you home?"

"Yeah, him. Looks like I didn't manage to shake him after all."

"He's not here for you," Claude said in a frightened whisper. "That same man has been stalking me for weeks."

Skyler did his best to remain calm. "Have you reported him to the police?" he asked.

"How can I? I don't know who he is and there's never a cop around when he shows up."

"There're cops everywhere."

"Except when you need one. I've tried twice, but both times, when I went to point him out, he was gone. Then five minutes later, there he was again."

In a flash, Skyler was on his feet. "I'll punch his lights out."

"Don't! You'll just get yourself arrested."

"It's too late, anyway. He's gone. I bet I scared him off."

"You scared me, too. If looks could kill…"

"You looked scared enough already."

"I was… I am."

"Well, I'm not. And if you like Indian food, I'm ready to eat Indian tonight just to spite him. Not that he'd know."

"If we're together, he'll know."

Sounds like a couple of good books to curl up with on Halloween, Anel!  Thanks for stopping by, it's been fun!

Don't forget to visit the Howloween Blog Hop and check in with the authors for fun and giveaways!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Serial Killers to Die For and Ghosts with the Most

Good morning and welcome to day two of the Howloween Blog Hop! Yesterday, I delved a bit into the world of Vampires and Werewolves. Today I'm going to talk about ghosts and serial killers and witches.

To my knowledge, I've never seen a ghost, but I find the subject fascinating. You find ghosts in the lore of many nations, many cultures. They can't all be wrong, right? I've been told by at least three people that they've seen the ghost of my first husband in my home. Who knows, maybe they did? They say people who meet violent ends sometimes linger, unable to rest, and he was murdered, so I guess it's possible. My daughter says she's also seen the ghost of a chef. Which brings up an early ghost film that I've seen (and which has been remade, too) - Thirteen Ghosts. The original William Castle film might seem a little hokey by today's standards, but I still like it. I also watch the remake on occasion, which has better special effects, but that isn't everything.

Another ghost story which was remade was House on Haunted Hill. The original featured St. Louis's own beloved Vincent Price as the host with the most, while the remake starred Geoffrey Rush, whom I adore. Once again, the older effects are primitive by today's standards, but hey, it's worth watching for sure.

Of course, there are ghost stories that are as romantic as they are scary, and the first one that comes to mind is an older film, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, starring Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney. It was later made into a TV show, with Edward Mulhare and Hope Lange. It concerns a sea captain, and the widow who can see him, and their unusual relationship. All I can say is this dead sea captain can haunt me any time!

On the other hand, this ghost is one whose visit I could do without. And if someone tells you they have a video they want you to watch - run!

Serial killers. Who doesn't love a good serial killer? I know I do. One that instantly springs to mind at this time of year is - who else? Michael Meyers, star of the Halloween series. You know what they say,  you can't keep a good man down. Well, he proved that, coming back from the so-called dead for several films. Is he dead now? I wouldn't even hazard a guess.

While Michael is someone you wouldn't want to mess with, my favorite serial killer is not only handsome and intelligent, but oh so charming. He only kills rude people. Free range rude, as he refers to them. Who wasn't happy to know that he was going to dine on the obnoxious Dr. Chilton at the end of The Silence of the Lambs? And his relationship with FBI agent in training, later agent, Clarice Starling... well, it's complex. Be sure to read the books, particularly Hannibal, because I prefer the book ending to the movie without a doubt.

In Silence you actually get two serial killers, the other one being Ted Levine in his brilliant portrayal of Jame Gumb. Red Dragon precedes Silence chronologically, and has two versions. The first, Manhunter, starred Brian Cox as Dr. Lecter, and I find that as much as I like Brian (particularly in Sharpe), Anthony has ruined me for any other portrayal and I cannot enjoy Manhunter. Ralph Fiennes played Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon, and very well. On a side note, I thought it was really cool that he worked in St. Louis and lived in St. Charles, and the route he described going home was one I used to take every day when I worked in St. Charles, including Hwy 94.

 In the third film, Hannibal, my long time crush Gary Oldman plays the twisted, deformed billionaire Mason Verger who is intent on gaining revenge on Dr. Lecter. Read the book and you'll see that he died a different death there, including a character that was cut from the films, Mason's abused sister Margot. The relationship between Hannibal and Clarice really intensifies in this film.

My favorite witch is not really scary at all. I grew up watching Bewitched (I haven't seen the movie with Nicole Kidman but I've heard bad things about it, so I'm not rushing out to watch it). Elizabeth Montomery played Samantha Stevens, a witch married to a mortal, Darren Stevens (first played by Dick York, then by Dick Sargent). Life with a witch is hard enough, but then throw in her crazy relatives, and wow... lots to deal with. Her mother, Endora, played by Agnes Moorehead, could never get Darren's name right and would often call him Durwood. Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde) was a trip, a real practical jokester. Elizabeth had an identical cousin with dark hair (played by Montgomery) who was good for causing trouble. And the doctor to the supernatural, Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox) was always fun to see. I always wanted to be like Samantha, get what I wanted by twitching my nose. Alas, I still haven't figured out how to do it.

Well, that's it for now. Yes, there are plenty more, but you have lots of people to see, so Happy Halloween blogging, and don't forget, if you want to be part of my contest, leave a comment and leave your email address. Three winners will receive their choice from my backlist, and one will get a $10 Amazon gc!

Until later, take care!

♥ Julie

Let the Howling begin!

It's that time of year again. Ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties, and things that go bump in the night... and another Howloween Blog Hop! And authors that love to talk about them and give out prizes! No, not candy. Well, eye candy, maybe, but that's another story. At the end of my blog, I'll tell you what I'm offering and how you can win.












Halloween is a magical type of the year, when the line between the so-called normal world and that of the paranormal and supernatural tends to blur... unless, of course, you're one of those people who live in that other world 365 and 24/7.

I find the creatures of the night to be fascinating. Vampires and werewolves and ghosts... oh my. But let's not forget aliens and merpeople, and shifters of all sorts, and the little people and the big people, gargoyles, and so much more. Books and films, there is a veritable cornucopia out there, something to satisfy everyone's taste.

My first supernatural love is the vampire. When I was about twelve, I read Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I was hooked. I didn't even really understand the sexual tension, or the corresponding feelings it sent through me, a tingling at the base of my neck, but it was there and it was real. I watched the movie starring Bela Lugosi, and fell in love with this charming, handsome, charismatic man with the deep, rich voice.

Back at that time, there was a unique soap opera that didn't just focus on who was sleeping with who, as most of them did (and do), but dealt with supernatural goings on in the small town of Collinsport, Maine. And then I fell in love with the main character, another charming and charismatic man, Barnabas Collins, portrayed by Jonathan Frid.  Oh how I loved Barnabas! I clipped photos and articles from the magazines and taped them to my walls. And every night, I kissed him good night.

It only seemed natural that when I went to write my first original novel that there would be a vampire in it. I set the book in St. Louis (where I live), in an imaginary museum and house of horror owned by two brothers. One is engaged to a young woman who specializes in Tarot readings... and vampire lore. When the new investor, Derek Deville, arrives from Europe, she is immediately entranced by him. When people start to die, though, she has to wonder what is going on, and does this mysterious man have anything to do with it? Dark Love is that book, and it was published by Silver Publishing in January of 2011, under the name of Reinette.

There are other sexy vampires, of course. I love the old Hammer films, with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (although I despise the Frank Langella version of Dracula). If you like a little humor with your vamps, try The Fearless Vampire Killers (made before we realized what a pervert Roman Polanski is). Another one of my favorite Dracula films not surprisingly features my favorite actor, Gary Oldman. I know, what a surprise, right? But he is the epitome of sexiness, with that long red hair, and those gorgeous eyes. Takes the sting out of being bitten, if you know what I  mean!

On TV, there are two vampires that merit mention from me, and they are both sexy as hell.  First, Mick St. John from the too short series Moonlight. He was so incredibly hot, sweet and romantic... just thinking about it makes me want to pop my DVD in and watch him! Good thing there's Hawaii 5-0, so that I can keep watching Alex O'Loughlin!

The next beautiful vamp is Damon Salvatore of Vampire Diaries, played by the gorgeous Ian Somerhalder. He's the best thing in the show, literally. If he weren't in it, I'd never watch, to be honest. I love him so much, he's also my FB avatar.  If you want to watch the hottest video ever, watch this - Damon dancing with Vicki. But feel free to ignore Vicki and concentrate on Damon, particular when he's dancing solo on the stair rail.

My next novel came as a surprise to me. I was supposed to be writing something else, but a voice in my head clamored for attention. All I knew was that he was a gay werewolf, no more. But he was insistent, and I thought okay, I'll be nice and jot down his info for now and get back to him. So I let him speak and wrote it down in longhand - and that became the first chapter of To The Max, featuring my beloved werewolf, Max Montague. Since that time, there's been a sequel, For Love of Max, and I'm working on the third book in the series.

Werewolves. There is something about them that I love. They've come a long way from the hairy man portrayed by Lon Chaney, Jr. Or even Oliver Reed's portrayal of the demented unfortunate in The Curse of the Werewolf. Although when he wasn't howling at the moon, he was rather hot.





Well, I've run off at the mouth long enough. You have blogs to visit, prizes to win. Not like I won't be back tomorrow, right?

Oh, the contest? You're right! I did mention prizes, that's the point of this, isn't it? I'm offering four prizes from my blog. Three winners will receive their choice of anything from my backlist, while one winner will get a $10 Amazon gc. What do you have to do? It's simple. Comment with something pertaining to Halloween, be it a memory, favorite creature, or sexiest beast of your dreams. Make sure you include your email address, otherwise you will not be entered in the contest. You have until midnight on Halloween to enter.

Let the commenting begin!

Guest Blogger Michael Mandrake

Welcome back author Michael Mandrake, one of the talented triad of muses of my dear friend Sharita! Today Michael has answered my infamous Rick Reed questions! See what he has to say! And look, he brought along some friends!  Good job, Michael!

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?

Michael Mandrake: Since I am the muse and it is my choice, I’ll take Jason Momoa away from his wife. The one item? Plenty of lube. *smirks* Assuming we have all the daily necessities for survival.

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

Michael Mandrake: Oh boy, I am a gay male muse but I’m not a fan of musicals. Go figure. *cheeky grin*

3)      Take these three words and give me a 100 word or less scenario using them:  surgery, patronizing, bomb

Michael Mandrake: Hmm okay, I’ll give it a go… Ahem

“Stop patronizing me you fool! I asked you where is the bomb?”

“Inside the bulding,” the idiot immediately responded. If I didn’t have lives to save right now, I’d kick his ass and send him to surgery.

Within seconds I was inside the building. Plenty of people were crpuched on the floor , afraid to move for fear they would die a lot quicker than the five minutes they might’ve had left.

“Are you here to save us? Please say you are, young man!” A grey haired old lady exclaimed to me in a terrifying screech.

I smiled and winked at her before heading upstairs to the room where the ticking bomb might be staged. “If only I had the power to see through walls like Superman right now!”

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?

Michael Manrake: Oh see question one. I just love Jason Momoa. He’s incredibly hot, I’ve used him as the muse in 2 of my stories already. I’ve heard he’s very nice and has the attitude of…um, some sort of hobo. In an interview he said he doesn’t own a cell phone. *laughs* He’s so manly, dreamy and uh… okay I digress!

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

Michael Mandrake: Since I’m only the muse, Sharita would probably say curled up on the couch with dinner, relaxing and watching a movie.

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

Michael Mandrake: I begin with characters. If I look at a man, say Jason Momoa, I already have his character in my head to build a story around. Now I need to find out what defines him and makes him different from any others I’ve already written about.

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

Michael Mandrake: I’d like to think someone handsome could play me like Hugh Jackman or Orlando Bloom. Someone with an accent preferably.

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

Michael Mandrake: Sharita doesn’t fill the brain with horror flicks or musicals, sorry so alas, I don’t have one.

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

Michael Mandrake: Hmm, historical crush. If I could be with anyone who lived in the past I think it would be Jim Morrison. He was a poet. Yeah, a druggie too but I love the Doors. I hope that’s what you meant! ;)

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

Michael Mandrake: Yeah, I do actually. It’s a story about a serial killer, supposedly reformed and released from jail on some sort of technicality. Then when he goes out and meets another man, he has the urge to kill him but instead, this guy is a hybristophiliac (Sexual attraction to serial killers). It wold be really gritty, sexy, and dark. *evil snicker*

Thanks for having me today, Julie!

Amazon

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/246411

Over fifty doesn’t mean too old to find love

London Davies desires a man to take care of and despite the advances of his former lover and partner James, he pushes on to search for another to make him turn in his bachelor badge.

Brandon McFerry has been abused and scarred for the duration of his life. His only saving grace is his talent with the paintbrush. Although he hasn’t made his big break in the industry, he pushes on in hopes that one of his paintings will capture the attention of his obsession: London Davies

This is a romance. The kind that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside with some hot smexy sex thrown in. An emotional story between two men of different backgrounds searching for the same happy ever after ending!

Here is an Excerpt!

Brandon and London sat on the couch together as the artist spoke at length about the methods he’d used during the creation of the painting. To Brandon, the object of his desire seemed very interested in everything he’d said. He hoped he didn’t bore him with his babbling. The last thing he wanted to do was make the man tire of him too quickly.

London poured some more of the Cristal into both glasses. He handed the flute back to Brandon. They’d finished half the bottle but for whatever reason, Brandon still felt nervous. He took it and tried his best not to spill it, his hand trembling slightly. “Um thank you.” He sipped a little from the glass.

“You’re welcome.” London lightly smacked Brandon on his kneecap. “Love, chill out, yeah? We’re here just having drinks. Relax.”

Brandon nodded and lay back against the cushions. How could he relax knowing he sat beside the man of his dreams? He took a whiff of London’s manly scent. A mixture of cologne and after-shave, as strong as he’d expected. When it infiltrated his nostrils, he felt himself hardening under the slacks. The goose bumps became rocks on his flesh. He was perspiring a little; he hoped his desired one wouldn’t notice. “I’m tryin’, it’s just...” Brandon bit his lip and set the glass on the coffee table in front of him. “Well, I’ve admired you for such a long time, London, and I... This is really a thrill for me.”

London chuckled and moved closer to Brandon. He took the artist’s palm into his. “I get that, but I’m just a man, like any other. I don’t walk on water. No second coming here, love.”

To Brandon McFerry, he did. London had captivated him for years and now his dreams about being on this sofa with him in private had come true. Deep down he wished he could take London into his arms and kiss him feverishly. He’d envisioned a moment like that too, but he refrained. They had just met. “I know,” he sighed and placed a hand on top of London’s. “Tell me. You really like the painting?”

“I do.” London placed an arm around the younger man’s shoulder. “In fact, it resembles a work of art I have at home. I’d love to take you there to see it tonight.”

Brandon looked at the owner with widened eyes.

Did he just say...?

Brandon thought he just heard London say he wanted him to see a painting he had back at his house.

Could it be? Could the man he’d seemingly desired forever be in possession of a work of art that belonged to him? “I… um.” He swallowed hard. “You want me to accompany you home, tonight?”

London held onto him a little tighter. “Yes, I, I hope that isn’t too forward, it’s just... I really do like you and I’d love to see if that painting is yours. Forgive me for moving too quickly but...”

“No, no, not at all I’m just a bit taken aback by this. I’d love to go, though.”

“Good. Then, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to be my date for the rest of the evening. If it weren’t opening night, I’d certainly just ask James to take over but, since it’s a big event…”

“Yes, yes, I understand. I have no issue with staying here late with you.”

He really didn’t. There was nowhere he’d rather be than here with London and to him, the owner wasn’t moving too fast at all. Just right in his eyes.

“Great, now.” London poured the last two glasses of the expensive beverage. “Let’s finish this off, shall we? Then we’ll go out amongst the people.”

Damn.

Seeing London pour yet another glass of the champagne made Brandon wince. Truthfully, he’d already felt the effects after two glasses coming on quickly and he wished he didn’t have to drink anymore. However, he wondered if he refused London would that upset him. He took the glass. “Thank you very much.”

“And thank you again for the painting as well as your presence this night.” London toasted with Brandon, clinking their glasses together, before he drank the contents.

The painter nodded and did the same, hoping he’d be able to stay up for the duration of this evening.

I have to make a good impression on him if I want a chance at being part of his life.

Once they’d finished drinking the expensive bubbly, London led Brandon by the hand, back out to the main area. The hold London had on Brandon made his head swim, along with the wine.

He just couldn’t believe this. Him, Brandon McFerry, on the arm of London Davies, powerful businessman and owner of the new club, Fantasia. Many of his friends, especially Tyler, had told him to not get so wrapped up in this man, but how could he not? Even though he didn’t know much about the man, he’d long ago fallen in love with him from afar, and the fact that London expressed some interest in him made him happier that he’d never given up his dream of meeting him. 

BIO: Michael Mandrake is the gay male muse of author Sharita Lira who enjoys writing stories of everyday men in love in regular settings as well as extrordinary. Michael’s latest book True Meaning of Love is a self pubbed publication now avaiiable at Amazon and other online retailers. Please visit A Gay Man in a Females Body for more info.

Thanks for stopping by, Michael! And for bringing  your lovely friends!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Wednesday Briefers: Stan and Ollie #4

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Briefs! This week, besides the picture prompts, we had the following written prompts: "You make a better door than a window" or use: spice, intense, cargo or "Falling in love again is like.." or use: secret, balance, radiation or "Look into my eyes..."

Last week, as you'll recall, in Stan and Ollie, a mysterious young woman in a bedraggled wedding dress shows up, and they call in Stan's sister, Gwin, to mind the store for them. Enjoy! And don't forget to visit the other Wednesday Briefers, whose links follow my tale.

Stan and Ollie #4

“What do we know so far?”

Ollie quickly swallows, gesturing with his fork toward the bride. “Her name’s Consuelo. Talk to her, Stan.”

In other words, interact with the client. If one can refer to someone in her condition as a client. Doesn’t that entail payment of some sort? Good thing we don’t rely on this as our main source of income. No sense in bringing that up, though, as Ollie would simply remind me that we don’t do this for the money, so why waste my breath?

I take the seat he just vacated. The bride eyes me warily—I half expect her to bolt, but she looks at Ollie, then back at me, and seems to settle down. At least for the moment.

“Hello Consuelo, I’m Stan.”

“Hello Stan.” Her voice is soft and shy and slightly resonates with an otherworldly quality. Not surprising, considering she’s dead. They all are. Spirits of the deceased who’ve lost their way, or who have unfinished business in this world. Somehow they find their way to Ollie, seeking to have some sort of balance restored in their life. Or death, I should say. Sometimes I wonder if he gives off some sort of radiation that’s only visible to those who’ve passed? 

She shifts her weight in the chair. She’s dark haired and dark eyed. Big wide eyes, filled with apprehension, and sorrow, like two deep dark pools. Her long ruffled wedding gown seems much the worse for wear. I have the feeling that her death was of the violent variety.

Where to begin? At the beginning is usually the best place. But not all of the dearly departed are thinking in a rational manner, so sometimes linear logic is hard to come by.

I glance at Ollie, just long enough to be sure he’s still eating, then return my attention to the bride. The important thing is to focus on her life before we get to the unpleasant subject of her death. It’ll make things go much smoother, trust me on this one. “That’s a lovely dress,” I comment, seeing past the stains and the rips to what it must have been like when she first wore it. “I bet it was a beautiful wedding.”

Apparently I just said the wrong thing. She begins to wail like a fucking banshee, a siren-like caterwauling that slices through me. It’s no secret that I don’t have the same touch for this as Ollie does. He’s the sensitive one, I’m the boor.

Good thing this office is soundproofed for just such eventualities.

Ollie hastens around the desk and pulls up a chair on the other side of the howling ghost. He lays his hand upon her arm and just that suddenly she stills, her cries subdued to mere sniffles and trembles.

Thank God. I’d hate to have to kill her again.

“My wedding,” she says at last, staring up at Ollie with those big doe eyes. “I’m late for my wedding. Can you help me, please?”

“Of course we’ll help you,” Ollie assures her.

That’s all well and good, but unless we get some concrete facts, we’re not going anywhere. And while I’d be more than happy to stay here with Ollie and take care of the diner, obviously that’s not in the cards. Knowing my significant other as I do, he won’t rest until she does. Literally.

The trouble is that these spirits don’t all come through intact, if you know what I mean. Memories and all. Their grip on the reality of their death isn’t always the strongest. Might have to do a bit of investigating before we can figure out who exactly she is and where she comes from and the circumstances of her demise. That’s not always as easy as it sounds. Some of the clients we’ve dealt with hadn’t even had their remains discovered yet, so no newspaper stories, unless they were lucky enough to warrant mention of the missing person variety.

Maybe we’ll get lucky with this one.

Yeah, right. I’m not holding my breath either.

“Do you have a last name, Consuelo?” I lean forward in my chair, careful not to brush against her. She may not be corporeal in the strictest sense of the world, but there is a chill about her that is a bit disconcerting.

“Of course I have a last name.” She turns indignant eyes to me. “What do you take me for, a bastard?”

Jesus, ask a simple question…

“Stan, do you think I could get a milk shake, please?”

Ollie’s look is guileless, but I know better. He’s trying to diffuse the situation by momentarily removing me from it so he can get the information we need to do our job. Plus he’s partial to milk shakes. They don’t have them where he came from. He’s become addicted to them, so I’ve become somewhat of an expert at making them. It’s amazing he hasn’t blown up like a blimp, the way he consumes them. Damn alien metabolism.

“What kind?” I can check on the kitchen while I’m at it, although I’m sure if there were a problem, Gwin would come and get me.

“Chocolate mocha, please?”

“Sure.” Whatever he wants.

As I pass by him, he pulls me down for a kiss and my irritation melts. Damn smooth alien.

The dining room is doing well, although there’s no sign of the Princess, but Lorenzo has things well in hand.

“So where you off to?” Gwin asks while I blend the shake.

“Don’t know yet. Hopefully someplace without snow. I’ll let you know.”

Returning to the office, I knock again. Ollie opens the door, but before I can set foot inside, a small furry shape slips past me and inside. Just fucking great.

I kick the door shut and glare at the intruder. Like she cares.

“Stan.” Ollie distracts me with his touch. “Come see what I’ve found.” He leads me to my desk and my laptop.

Now this is interesting…

to be continued

Now go see what the rest are up to!

Lily Sawyer      m/m 

Tali      m/f

Nephylim     m/m

Michael Mandrake     m/m

Cia Nordwell    m/m

Michael Barnette     m/m    flash virgin!!!!!!

Elyzabeth VaLey      m/f

MA Church     m/m

Be sure to come back next week to see what we've cooked up for Halloween!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie