Back at it

It's been a while but I finally settled in and got back to writing. Definitely been missing Shelby and Winston. Here is a small scene between them.

"It always looks like you're hurting your arm," he said as he walked towards her.
"It's a natural motion," she said as she reached for another ball. "Your sister knows."
He smiled as he stopped beside the bucket. "I don't really talk softball with Mia. You're left-handed."
"You just now noticed?" she asked as she spun the ball in her left hand.
"I guess I never noticed when you take notes," he said as he sat his bag on the dirt.
"You could've left your bag in the dugout. No one would touch it."
"It's okay. It's dirt."
"Some people don't like dirt," she said as she set her feet and fired another ball across the plate.
"How fast do you pitch?" he asked as he handed her another ball.
"It depends on the pitch," she said as she grabbed the ball. "I pitch at three different speeds; mid-fifties, mid-sixties, and low seventies."
"How do batters hit any of them?" he asked.
She smiled. "They find a way. My job is to pitch and their job is to hit."

#diamonddirt #shelbyandwinston #pitcher

Sand meets the Sea

"Where the sand meets the sea, is where you'll find me."

As I write Diamond Dirt, I do have my next book outlined. It even has a name and I've chosen the cover image. It will be the first in my fairy tale series. I can't wait to dive into it especially since I have certain scenes already written. It will be my twist on The Little Mermaid.

#fairytale #sandandsea #upcomingbook

Diamond Dirt

Besides my main characters, I love my secondary characters. Diamond Dirt has two of my favorites, Winston's little sister Mia and his best friend Bennett. Here is snippet of one of their scenes together.

"How old are you? You're in college and you're winging it?" she asked. "You're an adult and should be taking your classes seriously."
"I'm acing my classes. What about you, softball girl? How are your grades?" Bennett asked as he stood up. "You can't possibly be a good ball player and be great in your classes. It's one or the other."
"I'm a straight A student," she said without glancing away from the TV. "I also have a .425 batting average and a .625 on base average. My ERA is 2.1."
"Did she just swear at me in softball?" Bennett asked as he looked at Winston.
Winston snorted as he sat down in the chair. "I don't think Mia wants to put money in the sweat jar. Also she didn't swear at you in softball."
"How do you know? You're not fluent in softball either," Bennett said as he grabbed a bottle from the fridge. "I can ask Shelby. She'll know if you swore at me in softball. I think ERA is some kind of code."
"She'll look at you like you're crazy," she said.

#diamonddirt #amwriting #book9

Anniversary

When I wrote Cursed Soldier, I didn't plan to write this story. After talking with my awesome editor at the time (Jodi), I decided there might be more to Benjamin's former fiancee. She did support him through the war, but due to circumstances beyond his control Ben had to leave her. Of course, we knew she did marry Thaddues Morgan. I dove into her mind and found more strength than was revealed in her letters. I found a strong woman who knew her mind. I couldn't wait to write Kathryn's story.

Now five years later, I still love Kathryn's story. If you want to read her story, its available on all platforms.

#5years #thewomanbehindtheletters #kathryn #2ndbook

Review

Review for my latest book in this month's Indtale Magazine.

#ameliaandbeau #lifeinthemoments

Favorite Scenes

Here is one of my favorites scene from Slay the Demon. It's the first session between Kimberly and Maggie.

“Now, Maggie, who is your favorite princess?” Kim asked as she walked back to the couch.
“Belle,” Maggie said kicking her feet.
“Oh, I love Belle too,” Kim said with a smile. “She loves to read like I do.”
“I love her gold dress,” Maggie said a little louder.
Kim smiled because Maggie was opening up to her.
“Her gold dress is a true princess dress,” Kim said as she sat down beside Maggie.
“But she wasn’t a princess yet,” Maggie said finally looking up at Kim. “She has to marry the beast to be a princess.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Kim said with a smile. “I’m not sure I could marry a beast just to get a castle.”
“She didn’t marry him just for the castle,” Maggie stated. “She loved him for who he was on the inside.”
“Yes, she did,” Kim agreed. Maggie was a bright seven-year-old. “You know lots of people hide who they really are.”
“Do you think daddy hides who he really is?” Maggie asked innocently.
“No,” Kim replied. “I think your daddy is an honest man. He will let people see the real man he is.”
“But he’s not married,” Maggie said.
“Well, he doesn’t have to be married to be happy. He has you as a daughter and I’m sure you are his world,” Kim said.
“Are you going to marry my daddy?” Maggie asked.
Kim held her smile. “No, Maggie, I’m not marrying your daddy.”
“Then why did he want me to meet you?” Maggie asked.
“Because he wants me to help you get rid of these nightmares,” Kim replied. “It is my job to make sure you know how to slay your inner demons.”
“What does slay mean?” Maggie asked.
“Slay means to kill. I’m going to help you kill your demons,” Kim explained.
“What if I’m scared of my demons?” Maggie asked moving closer to Kimberly.
“Then I’ll face them with you,” Kim proclaimed. “Don’t worry; you remember the prince has a sword to slay the dragon?”
“Yes and the fairies made it glow,” Maggie said.
“Yes, they enchanted it so it wouldn’t break,” Kim explained. “I’m going to help you find your sword.”
“Is it in a stone?” Maggie asked.
Kim laughed. Maggie certainly knew all the fairy tale movies. “Well, I don’t know where your sword is, but I will help you on your quest.”
“Okay, but first we got to ask daddy if I can go on a quest,” Maggie stated. “Daddy doesn’t want me to go anywhere without him or Jody.”
“Don’t worry, we will ask your daddy if you can go on this quest,” Kim said as she reached for Maggie’s hand.
She was shocked when Maggie slipped her hand into hers. She connected with Maggie, which was a great first step.

If you want to read more, Slay the Demon is available on all platforms.

#slaythedemon #therapy #quest #turning2

Anniversary

In honor of Slay the Demon's upcoming anniversary, here is one of early scenes with Matt and his daughter, Maggie. Slay the Demon is available on all platforms.

A scream pierced the air and had him opening his eyes. He knew the little voice better than his own.
One of the EMTs was holding a squirming little redheaded girl. It was the same shade of red as his that made his wife smile the day their daughter was born.
"Maggie?" he asked. He wasn't sure if his eyes and ears were playing tricks on him or not.
"Daddy!" Maggie yelled as the EMT finally set her down.
Two little legs ate up the distance between them. Matt couldn't find his voice or his legs. He barely moved his arms in enough time to catch his daughter as she launched into his arms. His arms closed around her and held her close.
"Daddy, there was a bad man in school today," Maggie cried against his shoulder.
"I know, Buttercup, but you're safe now," he whispered as he rubbed her back and placed a kiss on top of her red curls.
She smelled the same as she did when he dropped her off, but he knew she wasn't the same. This morning forced his innocent baby to see the bad men weren't only in her cartoon movies, but in real life, too.
Maggie's safe world was shattered.

#slaythedemon #mattnmaggie #2017
To slay a demon, you have to face it.