tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78956126032157066682024-03-13T10:03:30.878-07:00Random Rants and Rambling from a Rock n Roll Drama QueenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-64916770809813962962019-03-24T16:59:00.000-07:002019-03-24T16:59:36.862-07:00Mötley Crüe THE DIRT: Movie vs Book<div style="text-align: center;">
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Mötley Crüe: Tommy Lee (Thomas Lee Bass), Vince Neil (Vince Neil Wharton), Nikki Sixx (Franklin Carlton Serafino Feranna), and Mick Mars (Bob Alan Deal).<br />
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This weekend Mötley Crüe group autobiography <i><b><a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/80169469?source=35" target="_blank"> THE DIRT a Netflix Original</a> </b></i> directed by Jeff Tremaine premiered. How does it compare to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Confessions-Worlds-Most-Notorious-ebook/dp/B00JOFS5BS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=autlisgil-20&linkId=f8c5d0b2b3003ec6d3130b3c57a1343c&language=en_US" target="_blank"><i><b>The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band</b></i></a> the autobiography authored by Mötley Crüe and Neil Strauss published 2014?<br />
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Netflix The Dirt Omissions (and almost) </h2>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83XNHNBFA6s&" target="_blank">O’Dean Peterson</a>, who still occasionally performs in Los Angeles, is missing in the movie as the original signed vocalist (1981) on the earliest Mötley Crüe demos. His vocal talent is undeniable, but some in the early formation of the band had issues with his image and vocal pitch being right for their vision of the band.<br />
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Doug Thaler, seen disappearing in one scene of the movie, met the band as Doc McGhee's partner at the Santa Monica Civic Center after a show, and later on after DM was fired by the band, became Mötley Crüe's sole manager until the flop of the self-titled <i>Mötley Crüe</i> album.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JohnCorabiMusic/" target="_blank">John Corabi</a> who replaced Vince Neil in 1992 was more significant as a band member than depicted in the movie. While JC was with the band, Mötley Crüe released an album and an EP. As a band, they worked on another album, Personality #9, later re-titled <i>Generation Swine</i> after the departure of JC and return of Vince Neil. The label met with JC assuring him several of his songs would be on the album he'd collaborated on and that he would make more money out of the band than in it. JC also agreed to come into the studio during recording and help with recording.</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Castillo" target="_blank">Randy Castillo</a>, former drummer for several bands, most notably ten years for Ozzy Osborne was recommended by Sharon Osborne to replace quitting Tommy Lee (who had initially introduced him to Ozzy--confused yet?) in 1999. Randy Castillo died in 2002, several weeks before Mötley Crüe was set to tour the <i>New Tattoo</i> album, causing the band to go on an indefinite hiatus.<br />
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Tommy Lee married actress <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Anderson#Relationships" target="_blank">Pamela Anderson</a> after meeting her four days prior. They made two children and an infamous sex tape in their three and a half year marriage. TL spent six months in prison after being arrested for assaulting her. Also, she accused him of giving her hepatitis C. "All of this insanity got about 10,000 times more attention than anything the band did in the Nineties, but there’s not even a single mention of her name in the movie." <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(from Rolling Stone online)</i></span><br />
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Netflix The Dirt Scene Adaptions and Timeline Alterations </h2>
Movies based on true characters or events often make adaptions and timeline alterations to organize the plot and further enhance scenes and Netflix's <i>The Dirt</i> is no different.<br />
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Auditions</h3>
In the movie the early formation of the band shows up at a house party and watches Vince Neil cover Billy Squire's <i>My Kind of Lover</i> which in reality wasn't released yet at the time. Likewise <i>Live Wire</i>, depicted as their first jam together as a band, hadn't been written yet. In actuality, the first meeting was at The Starwood after having stalked a reluctant VN for several weeks.<br />
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In the movie, Tommy Lee runs into Nikki Sixx, who plays with Londen, at Denny's restaurant after a show. In the book and reality, the meeting at Denny's at 7373 Sunset was planned. NS had seen TL performing with his band, Suite 19, and sought him out to play in the new band he was beginning which would become Mötley Crüe.<br />
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In the movie, Greg Leon, a highly regarded guitarist at the time, is possibly the character referred to vaguely in the Mick Mars audition scene as "the hippie." However, Leon maintains that although he often jammed with NS and TL, he never had any intention of staying in the band.<br />
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Nikki Sixx's Death Reported</h3>
In the movie, Vince Neil watches reports of his bandmate's death on television but in reality, he says he heard it on the radio. "I cried. And I never used to cry then.” <i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band)</span></i> The movie is accurate depicting Sixx’s two life-saving adrenaline shots.and his ride home from the hospital by two mourning fans. “No one’s going to die in my f***ing ambulance,” Sixx recalls the paramedic saying ... "It was so funny to me that everyone thought I was dead that, as soon as I returned home, I walked to my answering machine and changed the message. Hey, it's Nikki. I'm not home because I'm dead. Then I went into the bathroom, pulled a lump of heroin out of the medicine cabinet, rolled up my sleeve, tied off, and with one sink of the syringe plunger realised that all the love and concern of those millions of fans still didn't feel as satisfying as one good shot of heroin."<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (From <i>The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band, by Mötley Crüe and Neil Strauss</i>.)</span> The song '<i>Kickstart My Heart'</i> is generally believed to be about Nikki Sixx' revival.<br />
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The Record Deal</h3>
In the movie a just promoted young A & R rep sees the band perform, loves them, and signs them practically on site--after turning down a surprise under the table blow-job. In reality, Mötley Crüe created their own label, Leathür Records and were courted by Virgin as well as Electra before signing with Electra through A & R Tom Zutaut.<br />
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Relationships</h3>
In the movie, Tommy Lee meets Heather Locklear at a party the night of Vince Neil’s DWI crash where Razzle Dingley of Hanoi Rocks dies. In the book and reality, TL and HL were introduced and met backstage at an REO Speedwagon concert. In both movie and book versions, TL confused HL with Heather Thomas from 'The Fall Guy.'<br />
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In reality, from 1981-1985, Vince Neil was married to first wife, Beth Lynn with whom he has a daughter. Two years after their divorce he married Sharise Ruddell a mud wrestler and fashion model and the couple had daughter Skylar who died of cancer at age four. During the 90's he married and was divorced from Heidi Mark and in the early 2000's was married and divorced with Lia Gherardini. He has a son from a girlfriend in the 70s whose name was Tami<br />
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Unmentioned in the movie: In 1987, Denise "Vanity" Matthews who may have been engaged to Nikki Sixx during their own and off again relationship. NS married first wife, Playboy Playmate Brandi Brand, and they have three children. One month after his first divorce NS married second wife, another Playboy Playmate, actress Donna D'Errico and they have one daughter.<br />
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Also unmentioned in the movie, Mick Mars was married for three years to Emi Canyn. Mick married for the second time to Sharon with whom he raised son Les Paul and daughter Stormy Deal.<br />
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Publishing Rights</h3>
Mötley Crüe's catalog was restored to them in the movie after a disgruntled conversation with Tom Zutaut around the time Vince Neil returns to the band. In reality, the settlement including their publishing rights didn't happen until around 1998 following a long ugly legal battle with Elektra. By this time Zutaut was long gone from the label.<br />
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Doc McGhee is fired on the spot</h3>
In the movie this happens in a hotel lobby after DM invites NickSixx's mom to see a show around Christmastime. In reality, this happened on the spot at Moscow Peace Festival in 1989 with Bon Jovi, the Scorpions, Osbourne and Mötley Crüe after DM conveyed wrong information to the band regarding the sets.<br />
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Mick Mars hip replacement</h3>
In the movie, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee pick up Mick Mars who is released from the hospital following hip replacement surgery which was a result of a painful disease he was diagnosed with before he joined the band. They go on to talk Vince Neil back into the 'fam' and the band. In reality, MM's surgery was in 2004, occurring well after the lineup was back together.<br />
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Vince Neil Rejoins Mötley Crüe</h3>
In the movie this comes easily after each member of the band suffers a personal set back or tragedy and they realize their brotherhood is more important than petty arguments. In reality Vince Neil had embarked on a failed solo career. Mötley Crüe with John Corabi had signed a 25-million dollar contract and had released self-titled <i>Mötley Crüe</i> which was a commercial failure. The band wanted to make another record with Corabi, but reluctantly set up a meeting with a likewise reluctant VN at the insistence of the label who refused funds to record the album unless VN was let back in the band.<br />
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<h3>
Buy the book on Kindle or Amazon</h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Confessions-Worlds-Most-Notorious-ebook/dp/B00JOFS5BS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=autlisgil-20&linkId=24f5c6c22bc26696c6756fe818e681a3&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00JOFS5BS&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=autlisgil-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=autlisgil-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B00JOFS5BS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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Check out the cast and more</h3>
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<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800325/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="250" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/IMDB_Logo_2016.svg/250px-IMDB_Logo_2016.svg.png" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://members.ozemail.com.au/~cruekiss/81.htm" target="_blank">A great factual chronological order compilation</a></div>
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Find Lisa Gillis Reads That Rock on Rock Star Reads!</h2>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-82633213141741358412019-02-27T09:24:00.001-08:002019-02-27T09:26:01.724-08:00February<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LmOJ1spvb-k/XHbBg6nNayI/AAAAAAAABeU/FJmVQDlT1wMuFtpzc9aWFmhtEBVC10ZAgCLcBGAs/s1600/lisa%2Bgillis%2Brockstar%2Bauthor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rockstar romance author lisa gillis" border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="242" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LmOJ1spvb-k/XHbBg6nNayI/AAAAAAAABeU/FJmVQDlT1wMuFtpzc9aWFmhtEBVC10ZAgCLcBGAs/s640/lisa%2Bgillis%2Brockstar%2Bauthor.png" title="february rockstar romance reading by author lisa gillis" width="640" /></a></div>
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Valentine’s Day Storms</h2>
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G-Strings Set of Silver Strings Rockstar Romance Series by Lisa Gillis contains three (so far) novelettes featuring Jack and Marissa Storm. Fans of the series are for the most part aware of <a href="https://www.rockstarreads.com/storm-cells-novelettes.html" target="_blank">Storm Cells</a> the novelettes, but every once in a while these fall off of the radar for some readers. </div>
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For the month of February, <a href="https://www.rockstarreads.com/storm-cells-novelettes.html" target="_blank">Storm Cells: A Difficult Date with a Rock Star by Lisa Gillis </a></div>
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is a fun Valentine’s short read (about one hour). </div>
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ABOUT STORM CELLS: A DIFFICULT DATE WITH A ROCK STAR </h3>
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February 14 falling in the middle of a Jackal tour complicates everything. Jack has a date with a lucky fan who won a radio contest, and with a show that night, it's beginning to look like he and Marissa may not have their own date on Valentine's Day.</div>
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SHORT EXCERPT:</h3>
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The silence was broken only by the rustle of their movements and their kisses– and the fan club just outside the bus. The soprano shouts were barely discernible, but she heard them just the same.</div>
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“Is Jack in there?” … “I love you Jack!” … “I want to have your babies!”</div>
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If this Valentine’s Day was only sex in a coffin with a chorus of fan girls unknowingly cheering them on, she would happily endure the rest of the evening.</div>
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LONG EXCERPT: </h3>
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“Who’s that lady with Daddy?”</div>
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She had heard that very sentence too many times, but even now, nothing ever made her head swivel faster. Taking in Jack escorting the buxom brunette who had earlier been out by the bus, Marissa chose her words carefully. Words she’d repeated more than a few times, but caution always glazed her words to their son. “Someone that likes his music.”</div>
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Jack’s gaze scanned the room, stopping on her and Tristan.</div>
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The first few times this scenario had happened, he’d resembled a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. Their relationship had been new, and even though they had trust between them, he’d thrown up his defense shields. Lately though, anytime this sort of scenerio happened, he always seemed relieved to see her. In fact, he always attempted to foist his ‘cookies’ off onto her. Just last week, he’d introduced the night’s winners—two of the giggliest girls she’d ever encountered. Aside, he’d pleaded with her to divert their attention until he was safely onstage. And she had.</div>
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Tonight, he escorted the young woman toward the buffet and politely passed her a clean plate. Bending, he spoke to her, and she nodded with a smile.</div>
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Then, he crossed the room to Marissa and Tristan. A leg scraped the floor as he pulled out a chair.</div>
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“Another contest winner?” Usually, she liked to torment him. But tonight, for the last half hour, she had dawdled over her meal, hoping he’d show up and eat with her. And now that he had appeared, some hot chick was in tow.</div>
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Glancing at Tristan’s watchful gaze, he cautiously nodded.</div>
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The charade of a ‘Date With Jack Storm’ rarely bothered her. She was the one who wore his ring.</div>
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A ring that had headlined stories of gossip sites and tabloid magazines for more than a month after she’d received it.</div>
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The exquisite black diamond screamed to the world that she belonged to Jack.</div>
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Maybe, what did bother her was that the two of them had not screamed to the world of their engagement.</div>
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Sure, it had been unofficial and speculated about since the day he had showed up in LA with Tristan and her. The week paparazzi had noticed the ring on her finger, headlines had pretty much confirmed the engagement to the public. However, Jack hadn’t publicly confirmed it. The ring pictures in these magazines had come from telescopic lenses with shutters as quiet as she and Jack remained about their private life.</div>
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“Eat supper with Jack Storm? Seriously?” The ridiculousness of it hollowed her words with scorn toward whatever radio station or entity had cooked this contest up. Normally, ‘Jack Storm Dates’ were nothing more than a place side stage to watch the show– with her and Tristan– and a drink or two after the show, sometimes on the tour bus– with her and Tristan. Looking at these ‘dates’ from the lucky woman’s point of view, she could see that they might be special. Yet, there was nothing special that she could see about a buffet style dinner served among folding chairs and tables– even if it was partaken with a rock star.</div>
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One of his shoulders lifted in a slight shrug, and he seemed uneasy. Looking back at the girl, Marissa found her happily choosing between the salads. Making the choice, the girl picked up a few napkins, and that is when comprehension dawned. There in front of her own plate were her own extra napkins. White with red hearts.</div>
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A Valentine’s date with Jack Storm.</div>
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She knew it as surely as if it had been monogramed on those napkins or printed on a ginormous banner stretching across a wall. She KNEW it. And she couldn’t even get a Valentine’s date with him– her own fiancé.</div>
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Shoving her chair back, she stood. It was wrong to be this angry with Jack. He didn’t create the contests and promotions. Hell, he hardly ever knew of them until he was told where to be and what to do. If the event did show up on some daily manifest, he usually didn’t see it because he was too busy to check his email or too tired to read the papers that showed up daily in the bus.</div>
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Sometimes when she threw these fits, he was more sensitive and sweet than she deserved. Calling her back, he would tenderly calm her down with the reminder that it was a life that would soon be behind them. Tonight was one of the nights that he looked too exhausted for confrontation. She knew it when his wary shield slipped for a second revealing his fatigue and apathetic acceptance of her upcoming tirade.</div>
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With another look beyond his head at the dark exotic beauty, she paused. Bracing a hand on his shoulder, she bent laying a long, publicly possessive kiss on his lips. “Have fun on your date, Jack Storm. Just remember, I’m the one who’s going to have your babies.” Unable to resist another barb, she leaned again. “And I’m the one who will be–” With an X-rated whisper for his ears alone, she moved away.</div>
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Wadding her napkins, she tossed them in the leftover food, and stacked Tristan’s plate with hers as she let that image sink into his skull.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
STORM CELLS is a collection of sexy novelettes/storyline extras about Jack & Marissa</h4>
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<b>Who are Jack & Marissa?</b></div>
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MC’s in the Silver Strings Series G-String Set by Lisa Gillis:</div>
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Jack Who?</div>
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Weathering Jack Storm</div>
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Snow Storms</div>
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<b>What if I haven’t read the G-String Set? </b></div>
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The Storm Cells novelettes are meant to enhance the above series and contain references to story lines in the series.</div>
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<b>Are these mini books?</b></div>
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They will each be at least 10,000 words. They're character driven and not plot driven. Think of them as extra scenes not in the books.</div>
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<b>How many are there?</b></div>
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Three in the collection at this time. Readers asked for more of some story lines--the tour life & June--and these <span style="text-align: justify;">novelettes</span> were born.</div>
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Storm Cells: A Difficult Date with a Rock Star<br />Storm Cells: Honeyed Moons<br />Storm Cells: June Bugs </h4>
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<a href="https://www.rockstarreads.com/storm-cells-novelettes.html" target="_blank">Available Now</a></h4>
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<a href="https://www.rockstarreads.com/files/theme/images/covers/sc1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="storm-cells-novelettes-rockstar-romance-author-lisa-gillis" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://www.rockstarreads.com/files/theme/images/covers/sc1.png" title="difficult date with a rockstar" width="230" /></a></div>
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STORM CELLS:A Difficult Date with a Rock Star</h3>
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Where on the G-Strings timeline does A Difficult Date fall?</div>
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After Jack & Marissa became engaged but before they married</div>
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What is A Difficult Date about?</div>
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The problems of their first Valentine’s Day falling in the middle of a tour. <a href="https://www.rockstarreads.com/storm-cells-novelettes.html" target="_blank">Shop Now</a></div>
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STORM CELLS:June Bugs</h3>
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Where on the G-Strings timeline does June Bugs fall?</div>
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After Snow Storms</div>
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What is June Bugs about?</div>
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The requested story of why June came along so many years after the wedding. <a href="https://www.rockstarreads.com/storm-cells-novelettes.html" target="_blank">Shop Now</a></div>
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STORM CELLS: Honeyed Moons</h3>
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Where on the G-Strings timeline does Honeyed Moon fall?</div>
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After the wedding</div>
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What is Honeyed Moon about?</div>
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Jack and Marissa's honeymoon!</div>
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<a href="https://www.rockstarreads.com/storm-cells-novelettes.html" target="_blank">Shop Now</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-47489128215425018292018-10-28T15:31:00.001-07:002018-10-28T15:38:52.071-07:00Halloween in the Silver Strings Series by Lisa Gillis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Binge watching scary movies in the days leading up to Halloween has become practically a tradition, especially now with access to on-demand and streaming. As a teenager, my favorite October movies were often slashers like <i>Scream</i>, <i>Saw</i>, and the classics like <i>Friday The Thirteenth and Halloween</i>. As an adult, thrillers and paranormal have become my Halloween favorites.</div>
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What about books? Holidays with favorite book characters are a must! Christmas novels in December and happy ending romances in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day. As an author I've included at least a mention of all winter holidays scattered throughout all series. When it comes to Halloween, though, I had to think for a minute. As an author had I'd been as enthusiastic about Halloween with my characters?</div>
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In <i>Silver Strings Series</i> D Set, <i>Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars</i>, the Matt and Jules timeline begins mid-year in the early 1970's, and over a several year span, includes possibly every well-known USA holiday--including--yes--<b>Halloween</b>, not only once, but twice.</div>
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Chapter 11 of Rising Sun is Matt and Jules' first Halloween together.</h4>
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At this point, their very hot and steamy relationship is on the "down low" To their bandmates, Candi and Star, their families such as Jules' brother, Marc, and the rest of their intersecting circles, Matt and Jules are friends only. But can the same be said truthfully to themselves? The scenes in this chapter show the subconscious turning point of a friends with benefits (a label not yet born in the 70's) relationship to something more.</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 44.5pt;">“J</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">uJu?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mmh?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I was asking if you want to come.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With great difficulty, Jules cleared the fog from her mind to focus blankly on her brother. “Where?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“To build a fire!” Marc’s exasperated reply actually shot a crumb of his sandwich from his lips, and she realized it was not the first time he had repeated his plans to hang out somewhere on the shore around a driftwood fire with his friends.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, um, no. Practice.” The hands on the oven clock spread wide, displaying a quarter after nine.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Practice? Tonight?” Immediately, the inquiry ricocheted back to her. Now he was the one to stare vaguely over the kitchen bar as he awaited her answer and continued to devour his sandwich with giant bites.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sort of,” she amended, wondering why she was suddenly being asked to account to Marc about the band.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Their parents were absentee again. It would be up to a week before their father returned, and their mother at least a week. But Marc’s interest didn’t seem voiced out of responsibility. Her brother’s nosiness about the band seemed personal, as it often was these days.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lately, if he didn’t have better things to do, he would watch them practice while he shot a few solo games of pool. That night, he clearly had more interesting plans. She noted his usual shaggy hair now tamed against his scalp.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well, not with everyone. I don’t think Star and Candi are coming.” Treading carefully, she omitted Matt’s name from the conversation, but Marc shrewdly interrogated.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He sure is here a lot.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I guess.” She shrugged.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So… the two of you…” Marc withstood her wide-eyed, hopefully innocent glare. “What’s the deal with the two of you?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Matt? And me? Nothing. Have you ever heard of ‘D’ tuning? He’s been showing me a lot of chords I didn’t know about. He’s a guitar boss,” she babbled, although it had been months since Matt had first tuned her guitar down to ‘D.’ “Besides, if he were going to date any of us,” she vaguely alluded to the females in the band, “it would be Candi. He likes Candi.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Candi? Is that so?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There was an odd pitch to her brother’s words, and fearing she had gone overboard in trying to steer Marc away from the truth, she didn’t dare look up. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Alright then, sis.” Marc crooked an arm about her neck, giving her a combo of a shake and a hug. “If you change your mind, it will be a few before I leave. Got to load my board.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The last short sentence sparked her attention, and she finally sought his eyes, narrowing her own. “Why are you taking your board?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“None ya!” As he exited, Marc threw over his shoulder the slanged ‘none of your business’ phrase they had goaded one another with since childhood.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She had to force her feet to stick to the brick floor. To run after him, protesting his night surfing, would do no good. She had learned that she would end up in tears fearing for him, or that her confrontation would simply force him to fib to alleviate her distress.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Marc? You are coming back tonight?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Planning on going out at daylight,” he hollered back from the hallway, to justify taking his surfboard with him.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The door slammed, and she let out a long shaky breath. Whenever his plans involved coming home before daylight, at least her hours of worry narrowed down.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For several long seconds, she stared at the empty doorway and then at the packages of lunchmeat and cheese slices on the counter top. After putting away his snack mess, she tried to put her brother entirely out of her mind.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt had called over an hour ago to inform her of his plan to come over as soon as he and his dad closed the Surf Shack at dark—and it was dark now. She headed upstairs to freshen up and left her bedroom door open so she could hear downstairs.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt had recently been okayed by her parents to use the gate code.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With the house to herself, she left the bedroom door open while dressing. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she noticed her lone audience. Matt was standing in the hallway just outside the threshold, and the flame in his eyes singed her in every way. Emotionally. Physically.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You fuck head,” she cursed, as her heart picked up its pace. “You scared the shit out of me!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She had just pulled a tee shirt over her head, and her jeans were in her hand.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Don’t bother?” He phrased the two words as a question, but his body against hers was not an interrogative.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The jeans dropped to the floor.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There was something delightfully decadent about falling with him onto her own bed—the bed of so many Matt fantasies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Guess where the Halloween gig is!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His weight balanced equally on her and one of his knees, and the words spoken into her neck made guessing difficult, but she threw a few club names out.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Doing an imitation of a game show fail buzzer, he never paused in their play. “Guess!” he prompted again, but she could only gasp.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With strength born of determination, she shifted their positions, and when she heard his gasp, she demanded, “Tell me!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His laughter rumbled pleasantly into her ears and against her body. “No. You guess…”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Tell me…”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Guess…”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They played until the game ended with a wildcard guess from her and his acknowledgment. Pushing herself up, she resounded, “No way!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Way.” And he pulled her back down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The gigs seemed nonstop. Matt booked area dance clubs and private parties. They all preferred the private parties, but the exposure seemed to be in the clubs with the other bands.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once school started, her parents and Starla’s mother initially put up some resistance to any late weekday nights. Finally, the united parental trio came up with a compromise limiting school night gigs to twice a week.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For Jules and Starla, school was interesting with the notoriety the band brought. Once word got around, they were treated like the queens in their senior class.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Classmates-turned-fans sought them in the halls at school. Because Jules had become a self-imposed recluse during the prior year, after her break up with the unfaithful jerk, this change was refreshing. It was a chance to dish back every injustice ever done to her. The breakup had divided their class last year. Now, girls who had once snubbed her were snubbed back, and guys who had deemed her unworthy of asking out, were shot down when they did.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Starla kept the school bulletin board tacked with current fliers of the show, and a huge group of kids became familiar faces at every show. Possessive emotions reared whenever any girl from her school began flirting with Matt. Although Matt returned this type of attention, she never saw him leave with any of these girls, even for a short time. Before the shows, they loaded the equipment from the rec room to the trailer, and she rode with him. He was always there to give her a lift home afterward, and almost all of the time, they detoured for some private time between themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There had been no more intense moments like the one in his car the day after the starlet party. They were back to their semi-easy friendship state. It was best for the band. Besides, in some way she did not want to think too hard about, it was best for her.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They played a private Halloween party on the weekend before the Hallows Eve and then on the actual night of Halloween, they played the infamous club whose name she had guessed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jules smoked a cigarette as they mingled, post show, in the back lot of the club with a group that included some of the kids from school.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Star and Wayne stood a few paces away, laughing it up with another couple. Jules watched with a weird feeling as Marc flirted with Candi, zipping her jacket up and stealing a touch as the zipper settled mid chest.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Realizing she really didn’t know anymore how Candi was arriving and leaving shows, she had her suspicions confirmed when the two unobtrusively moved away from the group, and a minute or so later, the taillights on her brother’s Gremlin arced into the street.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Either Matt had been right a couple of months ago about Marc returning Candi’s interest, or he had predicted it. Sourly, she accepted the fact that her brother was male, and what male was immune to Candi? Only the ones that had watched her in a full-out rage over some stupid something—like Matt, thankfully.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Jules, babe, you are looking fine tonight!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The voice came from behind her, and maintaining strict control, she did not immediately swing her gaze from the road. Still sweaty from the show, she had carried her jacket out, needing the cool air on her skin, and now, she took the time to push her arms into it. Only then did she leisurely turn toward the flattery.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The buddy of the unfaithful boyfriend of last school year was part of the dwindling group that remained, and his grin grew wider when she recognized his voice.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Strolling over, she drawled, “What are you guys drinking?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Feeling glad she had already quenched her after performance thirst with a cream soda before heading outside, she accepted the beer that ‘Buddy’ quickly passed, and pretended to drink it. She had never understood why beer was the one alcoholic drink that she couldn’t even choke down.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the night wore on, it gave her some satisfaction to realize that ‘Buddy’ was making a play for her. She considered doing it with him just to get back at ‘Unfaithful Jerk.’ The thought of him calling her ex up, the moment he got home, and bragging about ‘making it’ with her was an exhilarating one. With that thought, and unfinished potential plan in mind, she turned up the charm.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The last she had seen of Matt, he had been pouring on his own charm while several heavily mascaraed eyes ogled him. She had looked away, determined to ignore his new fans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She used the rim of the beer can, putting it to her lips to avoid ‘Buddy’s’ attempt at a kiss, for now at least. Swiveling her head away, she found Matt’s intent stare. Ending an eye roll with a cut of her gaze at ‘Buddy,’ she smirked at Matt, and he returned the gesture.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A short petite girl joined the group, and although Jules shot her a smile, vaguely recognizing her as a cheerleader from school, the girl simply glared back. Irritated at the brushoff while her spirits were so high from the show, Jules put her mouth to the beer again just as the girl stalked away. A few fake sips later, she realized why the girl had acted in that way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Jules demanded, removing ‘Buddy’s’ hand from the arm of her jacket. The recollection was suddenly clear. At school, a tall, tan cheerleader was usually with him.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Somewhere. Not here. Out of sight out of mind,” he joked. A couple of the others snickered in male fashion with him. A few who knew the history—Jules’ six-month relationship and then ugly breakup with ‘Buddy’s’ best friend—were probably lingering just to see where this was going.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So true,” she agreed and received a wide smile of anticipation in return. Nonchalantly putting the can to her lips and faking a sip, she went on, “Unless, of course, when she’s out of sight, Y</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">OU</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> are out of mind.” When he frowned, she finished off with a fabrication aimed at keeping him in his place. “Our drummer digs her.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It took ‘Buddy’ several seconds to process that the tables had turned on him, and for a moment, she was aggravated with herself for not sticking to her original plan. She really had no animosity toward this guy, other than the fact that he was so tight with ‘Unfaithful Jerk.’ As a once disrespected girlfriend, it just made her angry that he disrespected his girlfriend in front of everyone. She wouldn’t be a part of someone cheating.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her insinuation that his girlfriend might be enticed by Matt after a future show penetrated his beer brain, and his eyes swung the short distance across the lot toward Matt and the gaggle of giggling girls falling all over him.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt intercepted the look and held it until ‘Buddy’ was the one to break it. Upon winning the stare off, Matt immediately turned eyes to Jules. His expression was tempered with inquisitiveness and—and something she couldn’t quite read.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Star shrilled out a squealing peel of laughter across the lot while horsing around in her group. Jules transferred her attention from the white sheen on Matt’s features, to the ghostly glow of Star’s face in the neon night, then back to Matt. He was no longer looking at her, but neither was he looking at the group of girls around him. His attention seemed held by the traffic on the boulevard.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was in that strange moment when she realized she wouldn’t have left the club with ‘Buddy.’ Matt had brought her, and with the exception of the show at the starlet’s house, they had never left the shows separately.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She thought about taking the beer in her hand to Star before it got too hot to drink, any excuse to leave this group. Because her attention was diverted, she didn’t see Matt move. Yet, oddly enough, she knew it was him when she felt the presence behind her and the hands on her waist.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They settled with the ease of hands that had pulled her waist to his many times before, whether jeans to jeans, or skin to skin. A surge of desire rippled through her nerves, but she made light of his nearness. Removing a lighter from the hip pocket of her ripped jeans, she lightly joked, “Is this what you’re after?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt seized it and stepped around to her side as he murmured, “Among other things.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Raising her brows in warning, she pierced him with her eyes while shooting him a smile for the benefit of the others. “Cigarette, too?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt beseeched a sardonic, “Pleeease?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From her other pocket, she slid her slim gold cigarette case, handing it off to him. After lighting his cigarette, he slipped the lighter and the case back into their respective pockets, lingering a second or two more than necessary with his hands. Fingers curved unseen to caress her thighs through the thin cotton pocket. With a counteractive yank to her hair, he milled back toward the girls, but halted midway when ‘Buddy’ called out.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hey!” The word slurred as a drunken syllable.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt curiously turned, as did everyone in the vicinity, unsure for whom the directive was meant.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">‘Buddy’ was scowling Matt’s way. “Stay away from my girlfriend!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Removing the cigarette from his lips, Matt blew out a billow of smoke as he sent a measuring look Jules’ way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With aversion, she realized Matt was wondering if she herself was being referred to in that possessive way by her classmate. When she shook her head slightly, silently setting him straight, Matt glanced over at his groupies of the night. “Which one?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“She’s not here.” ‘Buddy’ stammered, when Matt gave him look of confused ridicule, “I mean, when she is here. Stay away from her then.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If possible, Matt’s face was even more comical, and each surrounding face mirrored his outlandish expression. Matt looked to Jules, and she simply turned her palms up. “So how would I know your girlfriend? Got a picture of her?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Curiously, she eyed Matt, finding it strange that he hadn’t performed his usual ‘scoff and turn away’ gesture, which he frequently did in moronic situations. She simply stared in astonishment as ‘Buddy’ accommodated by pulling a picture from his billfold, and Matt crossed back over to peruse it.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After passing the picture back, Matt began walking backward toward his waiting female fan club and smoothly phrased, “Sorry man. She didn’t say anything about a boyfriend when we fu—”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A car geared up at that moment, but there was no mistaking the word. Across from her, ‘Buddy’ cursed, throwing his cigarette down with a fist curl. Seeing the dangerous anger in his eyes, Jules recovered enough to assure, “He’s joking…” But was he? “Matt, tell him you’re joking!”</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt, tell ME you’re joking…</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> her heart cried before her mind could rebuke it.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then she saw it. A glint of something in his eyes. A shadow in his facial expression. Matt was picking a fight. Matt wanted to hit him.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sike…” From his area, Matt’s dark eyes reassured what she might not have otherwise believed from his reluctant lips. Then, he flicked his gaze to the infuriated ‘Buddy.’ “Stay away from my girl—and that’s no joke.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Got a picture of her?” ‘Buddy’s’ retort drew laughs from his cohorts.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even Matt grinned, but the twist of his lips was fleeting and totally gone when stone cold serious, he replied, “No. But you’ll know it’s her when I kick your ass!”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">***</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So what was that all about?” Jules demanded, once they were alone in the ’Vette. At this time of the night, traffic was at its lightest. Matt was driving faster than the posted limit and faster than he should in town.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everyone had dissolved into even more hysterical laughter before Matt even finished the last word of the sentence. ‘Buddy’ had been the first to leave, actually dragged off by those he was with for wanting to fight Matt. The rest of the crowd had soon dispersed.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A quarter of a minute went by, with Matt innocently pretending he didn’t know what she was talking about, and her pressing him until he finally admitted, “Just having some fun.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Fun? What was fun about that?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I didn’t like him,” Matt returned, without taking his eyes from the road. A hand left the wheel long enough to turn the stereo up.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She knew he didn’t like her school crowd. He thought they were stuck up, and except for a few, they were, so it wasn’t as if she could be mad at him for saying as much. Feeling the way he did, he had restrained himself fairly well in the past around them.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Turning the volume back down, she asked, “So you didn’t mess around with his girlfriend?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She just wanted to hear a verbal no, and he gave it to her without pause and with the slightest smile. “No, I’ve never seen her.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He had though. Jules had seen the girl talking to him a week ago. It made her feel good that he didn’t remember those faces from one night to the next.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">However, she wondered what he had seen in her own face back at the club parking lot, prompting that split second of softness in his eyes when he had affirmed he was joking, and what had brought on that sweet smile after his denial just now.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Worried that she was revealing the possessive streak she sometimes had, she tried to recover and tantalized, “She’s fine! You should go for it…”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’ll pass. She’s all yours…”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ha and ha,” Jules retorted, and then hoped she had successfully hidden the green-eyed monster enough to ask, “And that stuff you said about your girlfriend?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He slowed the car for a stoplight, stretching an arm across to her side of the car. “If I had a girlfriend, I would be doing this to her…never anyone else…”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His fingers always took her breath away, no matter where he put them.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sometime back, they had discovered a vacant lot just down the canyon road from her house. It quickly became their private parking place. The view was amazing. The convenience of it was perfect, since on curfew nights it would be hard to explain dumping the trailer in the driveway and then leaving again for privacy. The disadvantage was the super spooky setting. Even during the day, there was something unsettling about the clearing in the woods, and at night, the feeling was amplified.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt slowed before the dark overgrown dirt drive that led to ‘their place.’</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She jerked from her thoughts with sudden inspiration and informed him of the two days and nights of freedom she had. “My parents are both out of town until Monday.” The car was now idling in the dark road, and turning down the music, he looked over expectantly. “We could go up to my room, or hang out in the rec room…” The rec room couch had not been used in that way since.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt nodded, and the car once more began to roll.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The shiny bumper of Marc’s car had the effect of cold water on their hot thoughts as the ’Vette coasted to a stop behind it. They both silently stared for a few moments.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jules wondered if Candi were here at the house. How weird would it be—if the rec room were already in use, or if Marc had her in his room? The thought was distasteful, but she didn’t voice it to Matt. The last thing she wanted was for him to conjure an intimate image of Candi.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Didn’t know your brother was home…” Matt’s tone was glum. He soon had his own ideas about how to salvage the night, suggesting they leave the trailer and go to his house, if she didn’t think curfew would be a problem. “What time is your curfew anyway?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No time,” she beamed. “Even if Marc cared, he won’t notice I’m gone until daylight when he leaves to surf.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unless he had brought Candi home, and was going to drive her home</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. The pondering thought unwillingly crossed her mind once more.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They unhitched the trailer, and she decided to step inside the house to see if her worst fears were true. Telling Matt she had to go to the bathroom, she unlocked the door, passed the empty rec room, and traipsed through the quiet house. The only sound was the clock and the slight squeak of her soles against the stairs.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As she went into her room, she glanced at Marc’s closed bedroom door, but all seemed silent behind it. Their method of communication in passing was to leave a note on one another’s doorknob. Tearing a sheet from one of her binders, she quickly scrawled something about grabbing a bite to eat with Matt and friends. Folding it in half, enough to rip it without tearing to the edge, she did so and then hung it and went into the bathroom.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She jumped in and out of the shower without taking the time to adjust the water temperature. After throwing on fresh clothes, she returned to the car where Matt was chilling with a smoke and his newest eight-track.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On several occasions, she had met Matt’s father, Cyrus Loren, who was as hunky hot as Matt in an older way. His father surfed in the dawn hours before opening his shop, and most nights was asleep by dusk. Therefore, at this late hour, the Loren house was as quiet and dark as her own had been as they crept through to Matt’s room.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In perfect unison, Matt turned on his black lights; Jules locked the bedroom door. Matt pulled at the bedspread; Jules switched on the FM radio. It was not the first time this had been their private get away. A few times, when curfew had not been an issue, they had driven the extra miles here to Santa Monica and this bed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt encircled her from behind, as she stood lost in that particular memory.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You smell good…,” he whispered against her neck. “How come you smell so good, huh?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Cos I’m not the drummer…”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Liar…liar. Pants on fire…” The teasing lilt in his quiet words was beguiling. Fingers hooked into the waist of freshly laundered jeans—not her studded show jeans. Fingers making her crazy on the silk under the jeans… “You snuck a shower in…”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh well…Oh well, oh well, oh well.” Despite the delirious sensations, she managed somehow to taunt the hook of the song he was quoting.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt whispered something about getting his own shower, but things got crazy fast.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Vertical became horizontal.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Blissful minutes had passed when he spoke again. “I will be right back…”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The heck you will—” Her protest was accompanied by a lock of her legs around his waist.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He chuckled against her lips, “Come with me then…”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No… Just stay…” A cajole coated her tone… a way with words that always won with Matt, and this time was no exception.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They were resting comfortably together, music thumping quietly through the speakers on the headboard, when he softly admitted, “I almost kissed you.” When she, having been thoroughly kissed for the last half hour, phrased a quiet, confused interrogative, he elaborated. “With your friends tonight. I forget sometimes that we’re on the down low.” She made a non-committal sound, her attention and lips solely on the pulse of his neck, already wanting again. A groan escaped his lips, but he remained focused on his interrogation. “Why are we anyway? On the down low? Remind me?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She lifted her lips to look into his eyes. Looking for what, she didn’t know. “It’s just easier, right? At the shows, the folks eat it up thinking me and Candi and Star are fighting over you.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Have you told Starla about us?” Matt queried. When she shook her head, he pressed, “Why not?” The silence stretched, and he pushed on, “She’s your best friend, and more right?” She nodded, but uneasy at his odd tone, continued to search his face. “So tell her.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why was he so adamant that Star know? Was Star putting moves on him again?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His eyes were searching deep inside hers, probing beneath into her mind. She broke her own gaze, looking beyond him to a psychedelic poster. Starla would make the admission into more than it was, never believing for a minute that Jules and Matt were friends and bandmates as a priority. “I can’t. She wouldn’t understand.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt never agreed or disagreed. Pushing away enough to climb out of the bed, he moved through the shadows of the room, stepping into a pair of shorts. He pulled open the hall door and disappeared through it, leaving her to wonder what he was up to. The bathroom? A drink?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Was he actually mad? If he was mad, then why? He had agreed when they had begun this thing between them that it was best kept between the two of them.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matt returned to the bed, freshly showered, and passed her a Coke. Cold hands. Cold lips. Cold hair. Passing the can back, she returned the torture of these cold caresses. The disagreement or whatever had happened a minute ago was forgotten as quickly as their body temperatures warmed.</span></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Chapter 22 in Rising Sun is a year forward, but much has changed. </h4>
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Our characters are on tour and despite infighting and lineup changes, they've made a name for their band. They're enjoying fame, and although it happened fast, it's the result of talent and a grueling schedule. Matt and Jules have turned a point in their relationship. Intense feelings are something they no longer hide. As for contentions among band members, bitterness has dissolved into friendships and the band is comfortable together. Halloween one year later is very different from the previous.</div>
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Halloween came. In the matter of costumes, the band had finally decided to use a ballpoint pen and permanent marker on their skin. Under the bright dressing room lights, they dissolved into hysterical fits as they took turns doing pushups, or whatever it took to get the blood flowing, the veins bulging. They helped each other paint over the actual veins that showed through their skin. From there, they improvised for effect, covering in this way any skin not concealed by their clothes. The effect was dramatic, like some sort of alien beings. The Halloween show was part of a state fair, and afterward, they all walked around, eating like crazy and playing the games on the midway as the other band took the stage.</div>
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Marc won Candi a huge stuffed Saint Bernard, complete with a barrel around its neck, by doing a ring toss. Matt was determined to win one too, but after several tries, Jules dragged him away. The others were patiently waiting. They all knew by now to stick together. Dan was with them, either out of boredom, or for once, taking his chaperone responsibilities seriously since they were uncaged—out of the hotel and loose in town.</div>
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“No separating from the herd,” Dan reminded them upon leaving the stage area, rousing snickers from them all as they recalled the day he had coined the phrase for them personally.</div>
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The herd theory became nonexistent at the fair. Over and over, they were stopped for pictures and autographs with fans.</div>
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Most of the people asking for autographs did not have a THING to sign, and Jules hid her possessive feelings with an amused smile as Matt and Dan signed the fifth or sixth breast. One girl’s boyfriend literally glowered as the girl flushed and flirted. It was a tense moment, and Jules was sure punches were about to be thrown, but Matt began talking to the boyfriend about sports scores and things smoothed over. Jules and Candi signed clothing, arms, and in Jules’ case, one extreme lower back, giving Matt his turn to smirk.</div>
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In the frenzy, Marc was even asked for his signature. Comically, he scribbled something unreadable and probably less than tasteful each time. Word of them wandering the fair seemed to spread like wildfire, and it got crazier and crazier. While it was fun at first, eventually, they couldn’t go five minutes without being stopped and drawing bigger crowds with each stop.</div>
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Unanimously, they decided to sprint for the bus, an impossibly slow feat, given how many times they were waylaid. At last, by stepping over cables and crossing over to the deserted, dark backside of the rides, they somehow emerged at a fence and stopped, staring stymied at their bus on the other side. It was either go around and back into the midway area, or climb it. They climbed.</div>
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Safe on the bus, it was only a couple of exits off the intrastate to their motel. They all babbled about the mobbing, as well as unmercifully teased each other about certain incidents before separating to their rooms.</div>
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Matt twisted on the shower, and she lingered at the sink, moping at her spidery vein face in the mirror. “I really, really wanted to ride some rides.”</div>
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Matt retorted with a totally male comment about a ride waiting for her. But when he saw how serious and disappointed she was at not being able to fully experience the fair, he made it his mission to take her back.</div>
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In the shower, they scrubbed at the black ink on their necks, faces, hands, and arms. As they dressed, Matt offered the advice that her ripped jeans were a dead giveaway, so she drew a rarely worn short black skirt and matching satin shirt from her luggage. The leotards and legwarmers she held up as a joke, but when he nodded eagerly, she shrugged and pulled them on. Her hair was soaked, and she braided it into one long braid, which she then folded and pinned up. Its red color would not be obvious until it dried. Matt used a combination of hair bands to keep his long hair pushed into a cap, and he held one of his jackets while she slipped into it.</div>
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A little more than an hour later, she screeched at the top of her lungs as their roller coaster car lunged down a long drop of track and then jerked around a sideways curve.</div>
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“You look ten years old,” Matt teased, fingering her braid, which had come loose as they waited in their Ferris wheel car for the ride to load and begin.</div>
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“Oh really?” She wiped cotton candy from her fingers to his jeans and darted her tongue out to clean her sticky lips. Their car gave another lurch as another loaded on the platform far below.</div>
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“Maybe not so much.” He retracted his observation and helped her clean the candy from her mouth. His tongue swiped her lips a few extra times. “Mmh we are definitely getting one of these to go.” Pulling at the sugary threads, he stuck a few to her lips before eating the bite, and instead of kissing the candy off, he sat back to watch her lick it off.</div>
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They retained their anonymity as they rode the Matterhorn, bumper cars, the hammer, and more. Matt stopped at the pool table game on the midway, and after a few shots, made the one that won her a pink panther.</div>
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As promised, they stopped at a cotton candy vendor on their way out.</div>
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Find more about Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars and Lisa Gillis on <a href="https://www.rockstarreads.com/rising-sun-hm-rock-stars.html" target="_blank">RockStarReads.com</a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-otALLaqj0rQ/W9YShB6Nk6I/AAAAAAAABao/9eV8wnZ1BYQ0u4-CRgzYDXNEptCPKXbDQCLcBGAs/s1600/halloween_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="86" data-original-width="71" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-otALLaqj0rQ/W9YShB6Nk6I/AAAAAAAABao/9eV8wnZ1BYQ0u4-CRgzYDXNEptCPKXbDQCLcBGAs/s1600/halloween_06.jpg" /></a>Lisa Gillis resides in Texas, with her husband who is the inspiration to her fictional men, her son who is the light of her world, and a spoiled chocolate lab, Bailey. She strives in her books to blend a perfect mixture of fantasy and reality. Her love for music, bands, and concerts inspired her Silver Strings Series. When she is not writing those little voices out of her head while listening to music, she is making her own noise on drums or guitar.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_867930298"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-77653593725134302382018-06-30T20:10:00.000-07:002018-06-30T20:10:29.665-07:00Author ConfessionsLately on various social media sites, #authorconfessions has been a trending hash. I was tagged in a few of these posts, but lack of time kept me from reciprocation. So with a few minutes today to kill, I'll make my post here, instead of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snap Story, etc. Besides, this blogger has been absent from post entirely too long!<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
I'm mental. Not certifiable because I hide it really well:</h3>
<h4>
<ul>
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hWH2vWOy3HI/WzhELZmFOSI/AAAAAAAABWI/ApyTmEi3MEs5AGdN3DtELLFgDyVvUCz1gCLcBGAs/s1600/lisa-gillis-author-confessions.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hWH2vWOy3HI/WzhELZmFOSI/AAAAAAAABWI/ApyTmEi3MEs5AGdN3DtELLFgDyVvUCz1gCLcBGAs/s320/lisa-gillis-author-confessions.png" width="152" /></a>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">channeling MPD into heroes and villains</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">delusions into story arcs</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">manias into jaw dropping scenes and quirky character flaws</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">bipolar moods into angsty scenes and happily-ever-afters. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Writing voices I hear into stories is therapeutic enough to keep me running errands among you instead of rocking in a ward somewhere.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</h4>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer. Truly this post isn’t meant to lighten any type of mental illness. Diagnosed mental illnesses plague family and friends I love, including a cousin who for almost two decades has resided in a psychiatric facility. At times, I’ve battled anxiety or depression, and I believe everyone does deal with mood disorders, phobias, and more at some point in life. I admire all who overcome daily and those who support them. My heart breaks for all who don’t and their loved ones who don’t understand or see. </span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-54422406425123364612017-04-03T16:49:00.000-07:002017-04-03T16:57:15.241-07:00Music is more than a mood<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">I love when series and
movies use music as more than a mood to enhance the setting. My latest of these to fall in love with is
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3920596/" target="_blank">Big Little Lies</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><b>Big Little Lies</b> is
an HBO miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie,
Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright, Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman, Zoë Kravitz
as Bonnie Carlson—all mothers of young children in the same grade. As an act of
bullying plays out as one of the many plots of the show, each episode opens with a short
clip six months into the future of a murder involving the characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2VjYmU2NjYtMzgyZi00YmYwLWJhNWUtNTk4ZmRmNWNmZTljL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDkzNTM2ODg@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182,268_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2VjYmU2NjYtMzgyZi00YmYwLWJhNWUtNTk4ZmRmNWNmZTljL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDkzNTM2ODg@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182,268_AL_.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">A lot of the appeal
of Big Little Lies is the soundtrack. Not only does Chloe’s (daughter of
Madeline Martha and husband Ed) iPod capture the perfect mood anytime the camera pans
to the Mackenzie house, but also many heart wrenching messages are subtly—and sometimes
blatantly</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">woven into the scenes with lyrics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In episode 6, my
heart cracks when Ziggy, son of Jane Chapman, lip syncs </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">“Papa
Was a Rolling Stone.”</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;">Episode after episode we watch as Ziggy begs any information on his father. We wonder if gun-wielding Jane is actually contemplating murder as revenge on the man who is a mystery not only to his son, but also a nightmarish blur to her, the mother of his child. As Ziggy takes up a choreographic stance and mimics a mic in his hands, she smiles with motherly pride at the first lyrics.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><i>It was the third of September</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><i>That day I'll always remember, yes I will</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;">And then her smile falters a little with the next line.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><i>'Cause that was the day that my daddy died</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;">She completely pales when he carries on with the song.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><i>I never got a chance to see him</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><i>Never heard nothin' but bad things about him</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><i>Momma I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">**Spoiler alert</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"> **<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">I’m not sure about
you, but this is the point where I became positive Jane wouldn’t be the killer
in the murder, lingering in the shadows of this show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Another poignant
moment spoken </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">far better </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">with lyrics than any </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">delivered </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">lines could have ever done justice to came the night of the climatic fund raiser.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Ed Mackenzie, who
has in earlier episodes revealed he feels he comes second to Madeline Martha’s ex-husband
Nathan in her affections, takes his place on stage. Even after much practice at
home of his intended Elvis cover, <a href="spotify:track:78tuHzwhY28c7ikM10hFYL" target="_blank">"<i>The Wonder Of You</i></a>", it takes a drink to bolster
his courage enough to pour his heart out with these lyrics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">When
no-one else can understand me<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">When
everything I do is wrong<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">You
give me hope and consolation<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">You
give me strength to carry on<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">And
you're always there to lend a hand<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">In
everything I do<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">That's
the wonder<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The
wonder of you<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">And
when you smile the world is brighter<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">You
touch my hand and I'm a king<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Your
kiss to me is worth a fortune<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<h1 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Your
love for me is everything</i></span></span><o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">I'll
guess I'll never know the reason why<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">You
love me like you do<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">That's
the wonder<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The
wonder of you<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">And then up next is ex husband Nathan with his song choice <a href="spotify:track:06KWxPWcaOBaKGIPhjPLLq" target="_blank">“<i>How’s The World Treating You?</i>"</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"> which seems to affirm that he feels regret for
his divorce with Madeline Martha.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">I've
had nothing but sorrow<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Since
you said we were through<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">There's
no hope for tomorrow<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">How's
the world treating you?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Every
sweet thing that mattered<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Has
been broken in two<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">All
my dreams have been shattered<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">How's
the world treating you?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Got
no plans for next Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Got
no plans for today<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Every
day is blue Monday<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Every
day you're away<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Every
sweet thing that mattered<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Has
been broken in two<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">And
I'm asking you darling<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">How's
the world treating you?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Listening to those
lyrics, Ed knows he’s been right all along about his 'first love fire still
burning' suspicions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Big Little Lies is
one I’ll be watching a second time, hoping to catch little things I may have
missed the first time. The soundtrack and songs aside, the biggest acclaim I
feel this series has is the diverse ways in which these women each with very
different upheavals in their lives see themselves, are seen by others, and the
ways that they act accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The playground plot
of bullying serves as both a mirror and a catalyst to even bigger things going
on behind closed doors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">There were more
than a few ways in which I felt disappointed during the finale, but for every
loose end seemingly left dangling, and every backstory that should have been
expanded a bit more to explain the ending, I give just as many props and nods
for the way in which the deep and dark subplots are exposed and handled as they
come to light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Notable subjects
tackled head on in a worthy way for such a short series is rape, spousal abuse,
bullying, marital affairs, alcoholism, and even human trafficking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">I’ve yet to find a
full soundtrack for what seems to have easily been up to a hundred songs, but
here’s a couple of lists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON_IwYg0nvs&list=PLkh9ONH487DiXVlGP1pqyGPdzjjUgZ-2P" target="_blank">YouTube List</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><a href="spotify:album:4YU2XJH8yVtQh5oPylvoDw" target="_blank">Spotify List</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/big-little-lies-music-from-the-hbo-limited-series/id1217664249" target="_blank">iTunes</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">My favorite cover
in Big Little Lies is hands down <a href="spotify:track:22koI34FpNt6irOht3N8nJ" target="_blank">Zoe Kravitz’s cover of “Don’t.” </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-51884877899754662032017-02-24T06:08:00.001-08:002017-02-24T06:08:25.777-08:00Riddles and Rhymes<div style="text-align: justify;">
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A Reality in the Fiction episode</h3>
If you've read the D-Strings trilogy of the Silver Strings series, you'll remember a lot of emphasis is on song writing. A lot of conversations stem around verses and song writing and each chapter begins with a snippet from one of their songs. In Rising Sun, the first in this series, Matt and Jules collaborate. In Half Moon, Jules stays in the biz writing for other bands, and it's here she branches out into a completely different style than when co-composing with Matt. </div>
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At some point, Jules is reflecting on how her song style has changed. She admits to stringing together words and meaningless phrases that sound good together and that "To her surprise, these meaningless, yet poetic songs [became future chart toppers.]"</div>
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The reality in the fiction is this. Musician's for years have been saying the same. Time and time again, they're asked to explain a song that truly has no meaning. John Lennon continually laughed at the misconceptions of and the attempts to decipher his lyrics. Here's one of the many times Kurt Cobain spoke about lyrics being just that--lyrics nothing else. </div>
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<i>(2:30) I notice people expect a thematic angle to our music... they want to read into it... i was just writing pieces of poetry... pieces of poetry... garbage that would spew out of me... and then i find myself having to come up with explanations for it...</i><br />
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And that sums it up nicely!</div>
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Excerpt from Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars, Silver Strings D-String trilogy.</h4>
“Can I ask you something?” Matt brought his hand from her hair to splay his fingers through hers.<br />
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“’Kay…”<br />
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“Which album is better?”<br />
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“That’s an impossible question…” She considered and reconsidered, wanting to give him a real answer, but she really couldn’t decide between the two. They were both just as great in different ways. “I love them both, just as much.”<br />
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“If you were going to be stranded on a desert isle, which one would you take?”<br />
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“A desert isle? Like with cactuses and scorpions and geckos?”<br />
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“Now, his hand went back to her hair, but it was to pull. “A deserted island, Gilligan. And it’s cacti.”<br />
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“You’re not a real professor you know…”<br />
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Toying with one of her ponytails, he raised his brows. “Oh really? So why did you work so hard for that ‘A’?” When she blew out an exasperated breath, irritated that he had bested her, as usual, in their repartee, he shot her a victorious grin before tugging on the ponytail. “You’re changing the subject.”<br />
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“Well…” she mused, “You mean, I know I’m going to be stranded? In advance enough to plan out my album collection?”<br />
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“Cari…” Matt warned, in that coated-with-the-sex-rumble which always came from deep within his throat. “You’re fixing to get it… and get it good…”<br />
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“It’s an impossible question… I mean it…”<br />
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“Just try…”<br />
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Another loud sigh expelled through her lips, this time from frustration at the situation. How could he seriously expect her to choose between the two albums? But there he was, patiently waiting. She could feel his anticipation of her answer in the darkness.<br />
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“The first one, I love for the lyrics, the way the words flow. I guess if everything else disappeared but the words, the songs would still be phenomenal.” She reflected on the two albums and chose her words in careful honesty. “The second easily has the best guitar riffs I’ve ever heard—E<span class="wrap1">VER</span>. To be honest, I don’t understand the words to half of the songs. I’m not sure they’re real words. But every time I hear any song from that album, I want to grab the guitar and start ripping.”<br />
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“Favorite songs?”<br />
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“Oh c’mon already… that’s too hard, and you know it. I did what you asked…”<br />
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“Not exactly—but good enough, better maybe…”<br />
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“Thank you!” She breathed the words dramatic. “Why the quiz?”<br />
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“On Precious Jewels, every song is from something.”<br />
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“Something?”<br />
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“Something about you. I know you had to have figured that out.”<br />
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“Every song? I mean, I knew two. Three, really I guess.”<br />
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“Three?” Matt squeezed her tighter, his earlier tension gone. Knuckles brushed her neck, and her fingers were massaging on his scalp. “Three? Damn girl, this is going to be fun. You got homework to do.”<br />
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“<i>E<span class="wrap1">very</span></i> song? And you called <i>me</i> a stalker. Can’t you just tell me? What they mean?”<br />
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“That’s no fun…”<br />
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“I could make it fun…”<br />
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“No doubt about that…” he growled, reading the look in her eyes.<br />
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His gaze changed, and his every movement stilled. “Can I ask you something else? Something about your songs?”<br />
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“Sure.” But in mistakenly thinking he was speaking of Julian songs, she was unprepared for the question.<br />
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“When you recorded ‘Rightfully Mine,’ were you… were you crying, cari?”<br />
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The room faded, and she was back in the studio, Marc and Candi having left her to record in private, the technician a silent entity behind glass. The feelings of that day assaulted her. Sitting alone in that room with the world beyond the glass partition had seemed symbolic. Possibly sitting, where only weeks ago, Matt had but hadn't cared to stay.<br />
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“I'm sorry, Jules.” His arms encircled her, tightening with emotion, and she realized she had nodded in answer to his question. “After almost every session, I drove to the beach or to my room at my old man’s house and cried my eyes out.”<br />
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“Can we not talk about this?” It hurt too much. It was the past, and they were in the present. She was done with hurting.<br />
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His lips brushed hers gently, again and again, until the kisses were possessive and demanding, until the pent up emotions hanging in the moment were lost in lovemaking.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-51395124585213438432017-02-16T00:51:00.002-08:002017-03-14T14:10:37.206-07:00Get Rocked! In Vegas' Rock Casualty in the Making<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://www.subscribepage.com/GetRocked" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KL2-bl3JSfk/WKZQTD3fb4I/AAAAAAAABRA/jef91BizzHMv58KqQVAcG7oAGJ2VMax4gCLcB/s640/lisa-gillis-get-rocked-vegas-prerelease.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Get Rocked! In Vegas</span></div>
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The pitch was each author write a new story about existing characters in their series. A story in which the characters of every series included would be together in one place!</div>
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When approached about this project, I was stoked. I was ready to get back to writing and excited to be writing with the authors in the set: Jenna Galicki, Jade C. Jamison, Theresa Hissong, Lashell Collins, Jennifer L. Allen, Bella Jeanisse, Maria Bernard, Sadie Grubor, Kacey Hamford, Toni Kenyon, Lindy S. Hudis, and Gina Kincade.</div>
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This fervor lasted until I actually pulled up that blank MS Word file and put my fingers to the keyboard. I was stymied. Who would I write about. What side story from Silver Strings Series could I tell that hadn't been told already in Storm Cells?</div>
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<i>Vegas.</i></div>
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<i>Marissa is a previous casino dealer.</i> With this in mind, I decided on an alternate reality Jack and Marissa story. The premises would be destiny: If Jack and Marissa had never crossed paths at the Hang Fest, would destiny have still brought them together? Would a blackjack dealer restarting her life in Vegas have hooked up with a metal musician passing through Sin City with his band?</div>
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I couldn’t stop thinking about this. Intrigued, I wrote out the bare bones of the story and a few chapter samples. I pitched this plot to several close author friends. The all around consensus was that Jack and Marissa have been done to death.</div>
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<i>“Besides, you haven't yet completed E-Strings.”</i></div>
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With a heavy heart, I shelved the project.</div>
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Instead, I remembered a tweet turned reader discussion, a couple of years back. The original tweet went something like “Hey, are you going to write June's story?”</div>
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Truthfully, I’d never considered June. But this child Jack and Marissa wanted badly enough to put emotions, time, and money into for years—this beloved little sister Tristan picked out a present for at a truck stop toward the end of his great adventure—this precocious older sister to the miraculous accident baby Zoe—June had worked her way into the heads of readers! A dozen or so replies to this simple tweet was testament of that.</div>
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To readers who began the Silver Strings Series with D-Strings, I beg you, don’t think about timelines. New rule for Silver Strings. Timelines only exist for an orderly sequence of events. Think of Silver Strings timelines in dog years!</div>
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My editor Debbie Williams said it best with a comment similar to, 'Matt and Jules would’ve remained rockers while in their rockers.' A nod to this rocker pun, and to rocking with a soulmate in the decades to come is played out in <i>Rock Casualty. </i>The rocking chair on the porch becomes a nightly routine to Crey Stone—and June Loren.<br />
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Here's your story, June Bug!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rock Casualty Blurb</span></div>
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With this ring… or not?</div>
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June and her metal-music-god have an open relationship. No drama. No complications. That is, until down on one knee, he suddenly declares himself monogamous. On the night before their wedding, convinced there's no way this man-whore musician who spends 200+ days on the road is faithful husband material, she tears off her rose colored shades and escapes to Vegas.</div>
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One-time rock star Creighton spent the last few years fighting his demons. After getting kicked out of his band Soul Rift, and a stint in rehab, he needs more than a little luck to get his life back on track. The GET ROCKED IN VEGAS Festival is the perfect opportunity to redeem himself. But when he’s sidetracked by a beautiful girl on a losing streak at the Blackjack table, his world is turned upside down… again.</div>
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Hard liquor and heavy partying lead to a night Creighton Stone and June Loren wish they could remember, especially since the next morning they wake with more than a hangover. The gleaming platinum rings on their fingers suggest they had more fun than a one-night stand.</div>
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Everyone knows</div>
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'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.'</div>
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but...</div>
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What happened in Vegas?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rock Casualty Excerpt</span></div>
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My gaze snapped from a fixation on his mouth, to his eyes, and then away. Every pink and yellow shade on a palette streaked the sky. The sun was a great orange orb sinking fast. “Do you remember? Any of it? The chapel or ceremony?”<br />
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“All I remember is luring you into the bedroom.”<br />
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“Luring me? No, that doesn’t sound creepy at all…”<br />
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He grinned at the mockery and defended, “Yeah. Well, I was pretty direct about it. Asked you if you wanted to move our party to the bedroom. You said sure.”<br />
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Sure. I said sure. Of that, I had no doubt. Neurons fired lobe-to-lobe as I strained to recall the conversation or anything beyond. “Did we?” My eyes landed on the zipper of his jeans and then skittered away. “I mean I know we didn’t, but did we…” For the first time, I realized just because we hadn’t completely hooked up didn’t mean we hadn’t done other stuff. An imagination of my knees between his Nike-clad feet sent my stomach into one of those flip-flops that seemed to be happening a lot around him.<br />
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His brows furrowed slightly. “I don’t think anything happened. But then again, who knows? If it weren’t for the rings, we wouldn’t even know—well you know—what we know.”<br />
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“Maybe it’s good we don’t remember the wedding.” I was beginning to think replaying the marriage in my head would be more bittersweet than embarrassing.<br />
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“Know what I wish I remembered?” His eyes darkened with an intensity I’d seen earlier at the restaurant. “I wish I remembered the part that goes, ‘You may kiss the bride’.”<br />
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“You may kiss the bride.” My words were an instant and instinctive whisper in the spell of a moment.<br />
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Our lips brushed, once, twice, before melding together. The kiss was wild and sweet as we tested, tasted, and finally consumed.<br />
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My phone rattled again, and I removed my hand from where it curved his neck long enough to wrestle the device from my pocket and toss it aside.<br />
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I knotted my empty fist in his shirt, and swallowed his hungry groan. Nothing existed in the world except his lips against mine. His tongue tangled with mine. The stubble on his face against my chin. Our shallow pants synchronized, becoming increasingly ragged until dizzy from the deprivation of breathing, we pulled apart.<br />
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The distance between the mountain rise in the distance and the bottom of the sun had narrowed even more.<br />
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“Damn, I’m sure I would’ve remembered that.” His breath caressed my face, and the hoarse and husky words caressed my ears.<br />
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“Yeah,” I agreed. I was sure I’d never been that moved by a kiss.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Show Some Rock★</span><span style="font-size: large;">Star Love!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like and/or Comment this Star Trailer by Theresa Hissong</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to 5 Stories for the loan of this great song! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Much ♥ to the band's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/5StoriesMusic/" target="_blank">page</a> too!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-3351686910124153492016-03-11T18:49:00.000-08:002018-09-08T13:39:48.927-07:00Fact From Fiction: Bird Island<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Uncovering the truths in the story telling</h3>
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Bird Island?</h3>
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Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars</h2>
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Jules wadded her paper and swallowed her last bite whole as they started over the long causeway connecting the mainland to the particular beach their house occupied.<br />
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“See, if you look in the water up here, you’ll see a little bitty island, just big enough to stand on. In fact, my dad took us out there once on a friend’s boat and let us stand on it—” Her excited patter tapered off as she searched the emerald green water below them.<br />
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“I don’t see it. Am I supposed to see it yet?” Beside her, Matt peered over her shoulder into the choppy water.<br />
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“Yes, it’s right… should be right there…” She scanned again and again. “Marc, do you see Bird Island?<br />
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Bird Island’s disappearance was not the only change.<br />
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Entire buildings were gone as if they had never existed. Almost all of the houses she remembered were gone, a few of them replaced by skeletal structures that would eventually be new homes.<br />
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Jules had known about Hurricane Eloise in September, having watched its progress while in a few different hotel rooms. She’d never seen a newscast or newspaper with a picture of the damage. Her father had later told her, many homes were affected, but theirs had withstood the wind and the surge.<br />
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Affected, her father had said. Not gone.<br />
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Silently, she exited the car when Marc came to a stop at the underside of the pier-and-beam structure house, out of the sun. Through the years, this area had gone from being a carport, to a screened-in porch, and apparently, with no sign of the screen now, back to a carport.<br />
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Taking as many of the brown bags as she could carry, she eyed the lighter wood at the lower half of the beams while Marc pointed out what she was seeing would have been the water level during the storm surge. The line was above her head.<br />
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What is this Bird Island mentioned in Half Moon?</h2>
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The True History of Bird Island</h3>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: xx-small;">above picture from www.getthecoast.com/unbelievably-gorgeous-crab-island-drone/</span></div>
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<i>Crab Island</i> is an underwater Island located on the bay side of the Destin bridge. It’s a world favorite "beach" to countless tourists and locals. Because the currents are too strong to walk or swim to it from the coast, it’s only accessible by wave runners or boats. It is waist deep to most adults. Adding to the fun is an inflatable slide and several floating food venders. But this party destination and place of family fun has an interesting history.<br />
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Viewable from the bridge from Destin to Fort Walton and known as “<i>Bird Island</i>” through the seventies, it was a miniature sandy island big enough for only about 50 seagulls to stand on, thus earning its name. In 1974 Hurricane Eloise flattened beach houses, eroded the beach on the mainland, and washed Bird Island underwater permanently.<br />
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The name is said to have changed from Bird to Crab Island by children on a school bus crossing the bridge each day. <b>“There’s Bird Island,”</b> they exclaimed prior to the hurricane. And after the hurricane, the same exclamation met retorts of “There's no birds! It's 'Crab Island” now." Eventually, the name stuck.<br />
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Over the decades, Crab Island grew larger with the passing tides, hurricanes and storms, but it never again peeked above sea level. Boaters and wave runners found it to be a beautiful shallow place to anchor and swim in this ‘waist-deep swimming pool.’<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-48275790486364601482016-02-23T22:53:00.000-08:002016-02-23T22:53:23.717-08:00Decade Differences: Love Makers and BreakersIn <i><a href="http://www.rockstarreads.com/rising-sun-hm-rock-stars" target="_blank">Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars</a></i> the setting is the 70's. When researching this decade, I was amazed at how much technology has changed in a short time. I know I've done these posts before, but thought I'd begin adding them in again--the throwback to that era.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Tonight is about phones.</h4>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 20.7px;">"She missed Matt, and there were times when she would've called him <b>had a telephone been as close as the tips of her fingers</b>." </span></blockquote>
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<br /></div>
<div>
In Chapter 10 of <i>Half Moon</i>, Jules is on a trip with her mother drinking away relationship worries and rethinking her relationship with Matt. If cell phones had been around then, would this chapter have ended differently?<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Hmm, I'm thinking a resounding yes!</h4>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<br /></h3>
Chapter 10 of <i>Rising Sun</i> falls during a year when rotary dial phones were being phased slowly by households into push button, and presumably, more quickly into businesses.<br />
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Excerpt from this chapter:</h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“Think I will get this.”
Jules fingered a shiny orange, sleeveless top picturing it under her black
jacket. Holding it up to her chest, she swung around to the mirrored column.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.4in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Starla let out her
signature squeal of approval. “Makes your hair pop.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And, hopefully, Matt’s
eyes pop</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">. Jules smiled at the
secret thought. They were just friends, but that didn’t stop her from wanting
to look good for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">They left the store
after Jules actually paid for her shirt. Star drove Jules to her therapy
appointment and then sat in the waiting area, thumbing through a magazine until
Jules was done. Since they had been fifteen minutes late, it was only a
forty-five minute ordeal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The therapist, upon
hearing Jules’ parents were back in town, was interested in the so far elusive
appointment with them as a family unit. Jules let her know that realistically,
it would most likely never happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“Why don’t I just give
them a call now, since they are both home, you said?” Nodding, Jules picked at
the color on her fingernails, listening with interest to the soft bleep of each
digit as her home number punched into the sleek phone with buttons instead of a
rotary dial. The conversation with her mother was over in less than a minute.
With her usual stoic face, the woman jotted something in her file before
looking up with an actual sympathetic smile, which threw Jules off guard. “I’ll
see you next week then?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Jules couldn’t muster a
return smile, and with a mumble of acquiescence, she rushed home with Star to
practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Their gig planned for
the next night was at a rising young starlet’s home. Marc asked to be included,
offering to help them set up, and of course, they didn’t deny him this. Marc
had, after all, introduced Matt into the band, was Jules’ sibling in blood and
bond, and they welcomed the help. Candi’s obvious glee was something Jules
tried to ignore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Chapter 11 Half Moon. The fight</h2>
<br />
Remember--or your parents will--when you could slam the receiver down in a fit of rage? Somehow "end call" on a cell phone is not as satisfying...<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Excerpt from this chapter</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The next fateful ring of
the phone came just days later during those wee hours, which could be called
night or morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“Hey…” The quiet word
was a hesitant breath from Matt’s side of the line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“What do you want?”
Unlike his, her voice, fed by the alcohol in her system, was strong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“To hear your voice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Breathing stopped, her
throat clinched, and she felt the faint crackle in destiny. Later she would
look back and remember it strongly, but that night it was fate’s feather brush,
and she stupidly and senselessly ignored it. “Why? Already sick of Donna’s
hoo-ha?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The silence between them
stretched. Either he was declining to answer, or she’d rendered him speechless
by the mere fact that she knew of his duplicity. Foreigner’s ‘Hot Blooded’ pounded
softly through her speakers, a song which had been one of their favorites as a
couple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“Don’t,” he finally
spoke, barely above a whisper. “Don’t, Jules. Do that. Don’t…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The alcohol, the fury,
the embarrassment, and the hurt—all of it was a fog in her brain. She would
never remember anything except bits and pieces of what was said afterward.
Ignoring his ‘don’t’ plea, she raged at him. Horrible things about him not
being able to wait to screw someone else. When he denied it, she said something
about the kiss—that he couldn’t deny kissing someone else THIS time. At one
point, she thought she heard her brother pick up his line, but Matt had begun
screaming back at her by then, and it was a clicking sound swallowed, and
forgotten in the anger of the argument.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Matt ended up hanging up
on her accusations, but even that was done in perfect Matt style. All yelled
out, he said something like, “I’m hanging up now. Call me if you grow up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-indent: 0.4in;">Even though Matt had
already disconnected, <b>she slammed the receiver into its cradle, again and
again, and finally threw the entire phone across her bedroom, ripping the cord
from the phone jack</b> in the process.</span></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Payphones! Still around but scarce and definately not a dime anymore!</h3>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Excerpt from Half Moon Chapter 10 Pop Rocks and Other Obstacles</h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Jules began the drive home and realized within two minutes that she
shouldn’t be behind the wheel. She wanted to call Matt to come get her. She
wanted to go home to him. To his home which should be their home. To the couch,
or the bed, or whatever Matt had tonight. The <b>payphone was even in her hand
with a dime in its slot</b> when she remembered their last conversation about her
drinking, and she replaced the receiver. Buying a coffee, she iced it despite
the store clerk’s revolted stare. Carrying it to the car, she chugged it in her
usual manner before twisting the key.</span><br />
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That's all the phone examples I could think up on the spot, but I remember the story being riddled with busy signals, long distance charges, and times when an easy phone call would have smoothed over a huge relationship rift.<br />
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The differences over the decades is part of what makes this story evolve how it does.<br />
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<h2>
Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars </h2>
<h3>
Silver Strings D-String Set Trilogy</h3>
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They are friends in public, lovers in private. In an age of sex, drugs, rock and roll, they want it all. But 'all' has a different definition to everyone. What happens when sexy drummer Matt Loren wants bandmate Jules Breaux as more than a bedroom plaything? Is her love more than a four letter word? </div>
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<a href="http://www.rockstarreads.com/rising-sun-hm-rock-stars" target="_blank">Buy and Browse Links</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-6608678598954503482016-02-13T21:00:00.001-08:002016-02-13T21:00:22.984-08:00Valentine's DaySomeone asked not long ago out of all the holidays included in the Silver Strings Series why not Valentine's Day? I had to think a moment. Because Christmas comes up time and again in my novels and Halloween too. But Valentine's Day? Other than the one Jack and Marissa novelette dedicated to the holiday, they were right. It never comes up.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's because I have issues with the holiday myself. For a romantic who always has a love story in her head with a HEA ending, in reality, I've never been a Valentine's Day sort of gal. In fact, my man and I have for two decades have exchanged scratch offs on the 14th. My theory is it will be a great story when we do win that giant prize. Can you imagine smiling for the local television crew and explaining for more than twenty years we've had a glass of wine while scratching our valentine tickets?<br />
<br />
In truth it's not as bad as all that. You see, my hubby is way more romantic than me. And most Valentine's Days I'm met with a giant bouquet of long stemmed roses--or lately some of the most beautiful exotic flowers I've ever seen. And then me, being he VDay bitch I am, inwardly add up the cost and wonder, why oh why while outwardly squealing in delight and saying thank you in all the ways men love. Win win. Because secretly I love he's that kind of guy ;)<br />
<br />
Here I present to you my one time go at fictional Valentine's Day. I'll even give it away for free through the 14th. And if you haven't read the series yet, no biggie. It's pretty much a stand alone.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.instafreebie.com/free/LKHCF" target="_blank">Get it free here</a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Excerpt #1</h3>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
“Who is that lady with Daddy?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She had heard that very sentence too many times, but even
now, nothing ever made her head swivel faster. Taking in Jack escorting the
buxom brunette that had earlier been out by the bus, Marissa carefully chose
her words. Words that she had said more than a few times, but the caution was
always in the tone of the words to their son. “Someone that likes his music.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jack’s gaze scanned the room stopping on her and Tristan.
The first few times this scenario had happened, he had looked like a kid with
his hand in the cookie jar. Their relationship had been new, and even though
they had trust between them, he had thrown up his defense shields. Lately
though, anytime this sort of thing happened, he always seemed relieved to see
her, and always wanted to foist his cookies off onto her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He escorted the young woman toward the buffet and politely
got her started by passing her a plate. Bending, he spoke to her, and she
nodded with a smile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, he crossed to her and Tristan. A chair scraped the
floor as he pulled it out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Another contest winner?” Usually, Marissa liked to torment
him, but tonight, for the last half hour, she had dawdled over her meal hoping
that he would show up to eat with her. And now that he had showed, some hot
chick was in tow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glancing at Tristan’s watchful gaze, he nodded.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The charade of a ‘Date With Jack Storm’ rarely bothered her.
She was the one who wore his ring.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A ring that had headlined stories of gossip sites and
tabloid magazines for more than a month after she had received it. The
exquisite black diamond screamed to the world that she belonged to Jack.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe, what did bother her was that they had not screamed to
the world of their engagement. Sure, it had been unofficial and speculated
about since the day he had showed up in LA with Tristan and her. The week
paparazzi had noticed the ring on her finger, headlines had pretty much
confirmed the engagement to the public. However, Jack hadn’t publicly confirmed
it. The ring pictures in these magazines had come from telescopic lenses with
shutters as quiet as she and Jack had been about their private life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Eat supper with Jack Storm? Seriously?” The ridiculousness
of it hollowed her words with scorn toward whatever radio station or entity had
cooked this contest up. Normally, ‘Jack Storm Dates’ were a place side stage to
watch the show– with her and Tristan– and a drink or two after the show,
sometimes on the tour bus– with her and Tristan. Looking at these ‘dates’ from
the lucky woman’s point of view, she could see that they might be special. Yet,
there was nothing special that she could see about a buffet style dinner served
among folding chairs and tables– even if it was partaken with a rock star.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of his shoulders lifted in a slight shrug, and he seemed
uneasy. Looking back at the girl, Marissa found her happily choosing between
the salads. Making the choice, the girl picked up a few napkins, and that is
when comprehension dawned. There in front of her own plate were her own extra
napkins. White with red hearts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>A Valentine’s date
with Jack Storm.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She knew it as surely as if it had been printed on those
napkins or on a ginormous banner stretching across a wall. She KNEW it. And she
couldn’t even get a Valentine’s date with him– her own fiancé.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shoving her chair back, she stood. It was wrong to be this
angry with Jack. He didn’t create the contests and promotions. Hell, he hardly
ever knew of them until he was told where to be and what to do. If the event
did show up on some daily manifest, he usually didn’t see it because he was too
busy or too tired to read the papers that showed up daily in the bus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes when she threw these fits, he was more sensitive
and sweet than she deserved. Calling her back, he would tenderly calm her down
with the reminder that it was a life that would soon be behind them. Tonight
was one of the nights that he looked too worn for confrontation. She knew it
when his wary shield slipped for a second revealing his fatigue and apathetic
acceptance of her upcoming tirade.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With another look beyond his head at the dark exotic beauty,
she paused. Bracing a hand on his shoulder, she bent laying a long, publicly
possessive kiss on his lips. “Have fun on your date, Jack Storm. Just remember,
I’m the one who's going to have your babies.” Unable to resist another barb,
she leaned again. “And I’m the one who will be–” With an X-rated whisper for
his ears alone, she moved away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wadding her napkins, she tossed them in the leftover food,
and stacked Tristan’s plate with hers as she let that image sink into his
skull.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Taking Tristan’s hand in one of hers, and their trash in her
other grasp, she crossed the room, making sure to smile at Jack’s date. It
wasn’t the girl’s fault either. Marissa knew Jack, as always, would be sweet
and courteous, making sure the fan was comfortable. That is who he was– the
gentleman beneath the Jack Storm exterior. It wasn’t Jack or his ‘date’ that
put her in pissy mode. It was the shitty situations that came from living in
the public eye.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.rockstarreads.com/" target="_blank">More Lisa Gillis Rock Rom Books</a></h3>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Excerpt #2</h3>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
“Mariss! You are sure taking your time, my honey.”
Jack’s voice rumbled pleasantly through her head. Real this time. Not imagined.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Crossing to the bunks, she shrugged out of her
shirt and pulled back the privacy curtain. “How long have you been awake?”
Dropping a knee to the bunk, she crawled in with him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Long enough to know you’ve had more than enough
time to take off all of your clothes.” His eyes were dark pools in the shadows,
but from experience, she knew that the playful tone was matched by a teasing
glimmer in their depths. “And yet…” A finger hooked in the strap of her bra.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Guided by his voice, her lips had no trouble
finding his in the dimness. Her tongue met his and mingled. Their lips brushed
over and over, and their breath became one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“You want them off so bad, then–” Her mouth moved
against his as she spoke, and his nip to her lip cut her sentence short.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Then what?” he goaded. Even through the denim of
her jeans, Jack’s touch tingled the skin below as he curved his fingers to her
back pockets and squeezed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Then take ‘em off…” She managed to infuse a
little sass although her motor skills were becoming muddled.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
With expert movements, he unclipped the silky
triangles of fabric and let the bra fall somewhere in the grayness. She
whimpered into the kiss as his hands familiarly claimed their prizes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The silence was broken only by the rustle of their
movements and their kisses– and the fan club just outside the bus. The soprano
shouts were barely discernible, but she heard them just the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Is Jack in there?” … “I love you Jack!” … “I want
to have your babies!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
If this Valentine’s Day were only sex in a coffin
with a chorus of fan girls unknowingly cheering them on, she would happily
endure the rest of the evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
She was lying fully on him and enjoyed the contact
of their bare skin anywhere it came together. Hard abs to softer. Pecs to
peaks. She curled her fingers to a bicep guiding her touch to his shoulder and
the mental image of colorful ink and skin melted into her mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Wanting to bare more important skin, she reached
down hooking a thumb into his briefs. Thinking about his package had her
craving it. Heaving a heady breath that was all Jack, she kissed a well frequented
trail to his waist. With a groan, he pulled her upward before she could drag
his briefs down.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“I wasn’t finished undressing you…” His kiss
landed in the cleavage where her necklace generally rested, and he seemed in no
rush to remove the remainder of her clothing. Closing her eyes, she drew in a
ragged breath, as he trailed his tongue to amazing places. When his teeth came
together in a nip, she saw stars on the backs of her eyelids.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Her ears were slower in picking up music. Once her
overloaded brain registered the sound for what it was, her moan was no longer
totally from the pleasure of the things his tongue was doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The melodic ringtone caused him to pause, and she
uttered a deprived sound as the air chilled the areas his mouth had been
warming. When the unanswered ring sent the call to voicemail, and the phone
went dark, his muscles relaxed. He savored another mouthful and his grip went
to her jeans, but he groaned with frustration when the tiny screen again lit up
and the same ringtone repeated. This time, she knew she was not seeing stars,
and she sighed along with him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
One of his thumbs circled the tip his teeth had
been teasing as he waited for the rings to stop again, and then pressed the
voicemail button. Her touch went back to his briefs, traveling familiarly over
him, before slipping beneath the waistband, determined to keep his body focused
as he tended to whatever ‘other business had come up.’<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The phone was not on speaker, but she clearly
heard Chris’ freaked voice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Jack! I’m sorry dude. I know you’re– busy. But,
erm– you need to know this now. Some stupid roadie– not with us– totally fucked
up Shay.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
She and Jack had been together for almost a year,
and she had never experienced to this extent what happened beneath her touch.
Her fingers stilled. Jack may as well have been in a dead sleep. Strike
that—even when he was in a dead sleep, her touch would rouse his body before
his mind. Annoyed, she retracted her hand, and she wondered if they would pick
things back up, or if she should just give up on Valentine’s sex.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Even as she mused, he pushed to his elbows, and
she slid to the side.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Another jab at his phone, and the quiet purr of
rings filled the silence. Only two rings passed before Chris answered in
monotone. “Jack.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“The fuck, Chris?” Jack growled.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
She pushed her hair from her face and sat up. The
phone provided enough illumination for her to watch the expressions play over
his face. It was easy to hear Chris explaining that ‘Shay’ had been dropped a
half story and then rolled over by a tour case in that split second.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
‘Shay’ was Jack’s Midnight Blue Metallic Frost ES.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Fuck!” In a smooth arc, his legs swung over the
side of the bunk. “I’ll be right there.” A furious jab of his thumb ended the
call.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Jack?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Oh, sorry,” he patiently explained. “It’s Shay.
Some wacko dropped and destroyed her.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“I know. I heard.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
He nodded as if that were that. His feet hit the
floor, and he pulled a shirt from his storage area. Frowning, his fingers
fumbled through a search of the tiny closet before he moved away empty handed
and instead stood in the bathroom. Flushing the toilet, he turned as if feeling
her gaze, and his eyes impassively dropped to her bare chest as he gripped the
brush and ran it through his bed head.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="SWItalicsCxSpFirst">
This was insane!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="SWItalicsCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
“Are you seriously bailing?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The brush strokes stilled, the bristles freezing
inches from his skull. “I have to take care of this. Fuck, I can’t believe it
happened.” He abandoned the brush, clearly wary of what he was seeing in her
face, and clearly not swayed by what was below her face.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“It’s a guitar…” Now, she swung from the bed and
expelled the aggravated exclamation. “It’s a damn guitar!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Okay, she might have slid by with a disparaging
remark about one of his ‘girls,’ but in addition, she’d gone and cursed this
one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Yes!” Sparks ignited then shot from his dark gaze
as the furious words flew from his mouth. “A guitar that I need.” Moving toward
her and then beyond her, he searched again presumably for jeans. Her eyes ran
down his backside, lingering on the briefs she had been unsuccessful in
removing, and then the long muscled legs and large bare feet. “I can’t do this
show without that guitar!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Cursing the guitar had been bad, but laughing at
that moment was not good. Not good at all. With a faded pair of black jeans in
hand, he spun around as soon as the sound left her lips, and his look was so
dark that she almost choked as she swallowed the snicker.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Mariss! What do you want from me?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Some dick!” The screech felt as ugly coming from
her throat as it did echoing through the bus. “But you go– you go and take care
of Shay on Valentine’s Day!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The jeans fell to his side, his grip on them
loosening some. His shoulders also dropped. In fact, his entire body seemed to
sag. The date was unknown to him. What had she expected? In the heat of the
tours, he usually did not even know what day of the week it was, much less,
what day of the month.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
His faltering gaze fell to the floor, and he used
that moment to step into his pants. The earlier urgency vanished from his
movements. Still not meeting her eyes, he dragged them to his lean hips. His
fingers worked the fly but abandoned the buttons midway up the vee. Devoid of
the exasperation and anger of the previous minutes, he locked a beseeching gaze
to hers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“I didn’t– I should’ve– I’m so sorry that I slept
all day.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“It’s okay, Jack. You need the sleep.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Regardless of how embittered she felt over their
interrupted tryst, nothing changed that fact. He was on the verge of
exhaustion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“No,” he returned. “It doesn’t feel okay. Not at times
like this.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-44754575988908867282015-10-29T16:22:00.000-07:002015-11-01T14:46:21.593-08:00NOLA 17th Annual Voodoo Fest<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">UPDATE: VooDoo Fest Sunday Gigs Canceled.</span> November 1st goes down as the first ever Voodoo Fest "Rain or Shine" event canceled due to dangerous conditions the weather wrought. "Saturday was kind of fun in this slop," said one fan as he mucked through the mud Halloween night. Refunds for passes and parking are offered. Many bands are looking for new venues in the NOLA area.<br />
<br />
Known gigs so far:<br />
<ol>
<li>Quickie Mart with Unicorn Fukr at the Dragon's Den during Church for a late-night set. Get details on Facebook.</li>
<li>Title Fight at 7 p.m. for a house show in Metairie. Entry is $5. Get details on Facebook. </li>
<li>The Ludlow Thieves will join Cary Hudson and Joe Kile at Siberia for an early show at 6 p.m. Get details on Facebook</li>
</ol>
<br />
As for Ozzy... The Ozzman Rocked!<br />
Not only did he show, he killed it. You have to love Ozzy, the rocker who pours a bucket of water over his head when buckets are pouring from the sky and drops to his knees in a humble bow to an audience who worships him. He ended a set of favorites including <i>Iron Man</i> with <i>Crazy Train</i> and two encores, <i>Mamma I'm Coming Home</i> and <i>Paranoid</i>,<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FgPSWjQuBI0/VjRPAese6TI/AAAAAAAABEA/L5ZtQXM9QnI/s1600/voodoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FgPSWjQuBI0/VjRPAese6TI/AAAAAAAABEA/L5ZtQXM9QnI/s1600/voodoo.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
When</h3>
October 30-Nov 1<br />
<br />
<h3>
Where</h3>
New Orleans' City Park<br />
<br />
<h3>
At the Gate Prices</h3>
$125 per day or $250 for all three days<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://worshipthemusic.com/lineup/" target="_blank">2015 Lineup</a> includs 70 confirmed acts</span></h3>
<br />
<b>Ozzy Osbourne backed by Geezer Butler on bass and guitarist Slash</b>, Florence + the Machine, the Zac Brown Band, Tom Morello and Slash, the Skrillex / Diplo duo Jack Ü, Jane's Addiction and Deadmau5. They'll join Santigold, Modest Mouse, Jason Isbell, Girl Talk, the Cult, Duke Dumont, Giorgio Moroder, Slightly Stoopid, Yelawolf, Fishbone, <b>Third Eye Blind (headliner of the first ever Voodoo fest!)</b>, Chance the Rapper, Gerard Way, Alesso and many more.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Locals on the bill</h4>
Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard and his E-Collective, Dumpstaphunk, St. Cecilia's Asylum Chorus, Flow Tribe, the Mississippi Rail Company, the Deejays Hello Negro and Quickie Mart, Tysson, and the Soul Rebels with Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.nola.com/voodoofest/index.ssf/2015/10/voodoo_fest_live_stream_online.html" target="_blank">2015 Live Stream</a></span></div>
<br />
<h3>
Weather</h3>
Wet! <br />
<br />
Don’t let the clear skies Friday fool you. Saturday and Sunday will be more than NOLA muggy, In fact the weather not even fit for ducks. The rain is forecast to be accompanied by heavy storms, winds, and tornado watches.<br />
<br />
Already bought tickets? Already there? (*high five*) This is a rain or shine event. Wear warm clothes, boots, and a slicker—umbrellas are not allowed—<b>and Rock On!</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="254" src="//giphy.com/embed/hdWNDjsQZ6r3W" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/rain-hdWNDjsQZ6r3W">via GIPHY</a></div>
<br />
<h3>
Need to know</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Security Search at Gate: Yes, bring ID; no drugs, alcohol, food or drink, eyedrops, kites, tents, umbrellas,professional cameras /recording.</li>
<li>Bring an <b>empty</b> water bottle and fill up free.</li>
<li>No camping this year</li>
<li>.Parking: No</li>
<li>Onsite parking only available to some VIP ticket holders; Shuttle from LSU Med center (parking $60-70) or the Hyatt if a guest; or take your chance on the streets (car towed? 504.565.7450)</li>
<li>Lockers: Yes</li>
<li>Food: On location featuring traditional New Orleans fare</li>
<li>Bicycle Racks: Yes; download free bicycle map <a href="http://bikeeasy.org/" target="_blank">here</a></li>
</ul>
See you there!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://glittertextmaker.info/" style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">glittertextmaker.info</a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://www.nola.com/voodoofest/">http://www.nola.com/voodoofest/</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-45920516078466919472015-09-03T01:00:00.001-07:002015-09-03T01:10:26.335-07:00Book Birthday Bash #pdf1<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvCScOw9VDE/Vefvv1DMoKI/AAAAAAAABBw/YhVDXT9XpUI/s1600/twitter-birthday-bash-sale-%2Blisa-gillis-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvCScOw9VDE/Vefvv1DMoKI/AAAAAAAABBw/YhVDXT9XpUI/s640/twitter-birthday-bash-sale-%2Blisa-gillis-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Happy Book Birthday/Anniversary to Jack & Marissa.</h2>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Two years ago this week, Jack Who? and Weathering Jack Storm took Kindle by storm. In reflecting back on this memorable time--what a rush--I began wondering, would it be called a books birthday or a book's anniversary? I'm still undecided by since I'm always down for cake, I'm going to call it a birthday.</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8b/a6/04/8ba6044e85d3a939fb7461c8ca43b7cb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8b/a6/04/8ba6044e85d3a939fb7461c8ca43b7cb.jpg" width="210" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://cdn.cakecentral.com/gallery/2015/03/905312sQBB_1jpg_900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.cakecentral.com/gallery/2015/03/905312sQBB_1jpg_900.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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To make this week special, I thought, why not do something that's never been done? Why not go full on crazy with the annual sale?</div>
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Yes!</div>
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<b>All titles 0.99</b></div>
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<b>This week on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iBooks, GooglePlay</b></div>
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And probably more places I've forgotten.</div>
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At this price, there's no reason not to pick up titles that may have been put off and to recommend to anyone who loves rock romances series.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rhrhTDxJqSY/U8k_ii9q0uI/AAAAAAAAAV0/lD-gTP7ANNk/s1600/Blue-Sound-Wave-Lisa-Gillis.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rhrhTDxJqSY/U8k_ii9q0uI/AAAAAAAAAV0/lD-gTP7ANNk/s320/Blue-Sound-Wave-Lisa-Gillis.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Six Silver Strings Series is made up of six sets</h3>
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D-Strings</h4>
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Rising Sun</div>
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Half Moon</div>
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Rock Stars</div>
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<br /></div>
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G-Strings</h4>
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Jack Who?</div>
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Weathering Jack Storm</div>
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Snow Storms</div>
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<br /></div>
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E-Strings</h4>
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A Shit Storm</div>
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Other sets to be completed</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0HBC1sHVp8/U8lFTHXtfHI/AAAAAAAAAWU/xJWogFkAcTs/s1600/2-Blue-Sound-Wave-Lisa-Gillis.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0HBC1sHVp8/U8lFTHXtfHI/AAAAAAAAAWU/xJWogFkAcTs/s320/2-Blue-Sound-Wave-Lisa-Gillis.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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D-Strings is only sold as a boxed set</div>
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So grab this one up while it's $2.99 (normally 6.50)</div>
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Buy Links</h3>
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They are friends in public, lovers in private. In an age of sex, drugs, rock and roll, they want it all. But 'all' has a different definition to everyone. What happens when sexy drummer Matt Loren wants bandmate Jules Breaux as more than a bedroom plaything? Is her love more than a four letter word?</div>
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The G-Strings Set</h4>
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is sold both as a </div>
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Boxed set <b>$2.99</b> (normally 6.25)</div>
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and individually</div>
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All titles<b> 0.99 </b></div>
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Buy Links</h3>
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Jack Who?</h4>
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Marissa finds sexy inked up, metal musician Jack Storm is not the average girl's revenge fling.</div>
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Weathering Jack Storm</h4>
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Falling in love with Jack was easy, but there is nothing easy about staying in love with this arrogant rock star while settling into a new life in Los Angeles.</div>
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Snow Storms</h4>
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It all begins with one wrong wish on a star – a ROCK STAR. </div>
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This series follows the Storm family through the harsh realities of life in the rock world.</div>
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E-Strings Set</h3>
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A Shit Storm</h4>
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$0.99 </div>
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Tristan Loren is the first to admit he’s lived a privileged life. </div>
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However, the top schools, the best games, phones, and cars, the motocross track winding around the back acreage of his family home, and the finest of whatever his heart desires has come with strangers yelling for his attention and camera flashes in his face. </div>
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His classmates have visions of college life in the fall following senior year, while his fantasy is a normal existence. Whatever normalcy is, he’s sure it’s not graduating with honors--and an unopened condom in his billfold. </div>
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Chasing the vision of a woman and a world who doesn’t know of him takes him from the sunshiny suburbs of Dallas to the snowy streets of Detroit. </div>
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When he sees Sash in person, the girl he’s texted, phoned, and Skyped for the better part of a year, he’s drawn to her secret smile, and the tattooed half sleeves decorating her arms. </div>
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But Sash has her own secrets. Falling for Sash and finding his own identity may cost him more than what’s in his wallet.</div>
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Stalk</h3>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-14503446157801005242015-08-15T11:00:00.001-07:002015-08-15T11:03:04.553-07:00Guest Post: Jayne Frost author of Gone For You <b>Jayne Frost</b> is a rock romance author I ran across recently and fell instantly in love with her writing style and characters. Her debut novel,<i><b>Gone For You</b></i>, is a sweet and sexy rock-and-roll romance written from the male protagonist's point of view. I'm about halfway through it and let me tell you, it rocks! It's an honor to have Jayne as a guest on the blog today. Below Jayne's post is the blurb and link to Gone For You. A must add to your TBR list!<br />
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Please Welcome Jayne Frost Center Stage</h3>
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What I love about writing, and more specifically romance, is that almost any story has a romantic element. If you think about some of the greatest books or movies that you’ve enjoyed throughout the years, you will uncover the romance. I’m speaking in general, as I’m sure that there are many stories that do not include romance in terms of people. But even in solitary pursuits, the lead character usually waxes romantic about something. It could be a way life that he or she aspires to. Or a gentler time. But romance is always in the picture if you delve deep enough.<br />
Rarely is there a story where there is not some kind of romantic tension. Since I’m a simple girl, I just cut to the chase. The boy girl stuff. I am a born romantic, and I make no bones about it.<br />
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When I started writing my Sixth Street Band series, I wanted to take the two things that I love most and combine them: romance and music. More specifically, bad boy rockstars and their quest to find “the one.” I decided to write my first and second novels from a male point of view. Why? It just turned out that way. It was their stories. Their music. And I wanted to explore the world through their eyes.<br />
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In all of my books, I believe that you will see the characters in the band have one overriding thing they love above all else—their music. To watch that granular shift when they realize there is more to life than music, and more to women than the shallow relationships that they’ve encountered in the past is the real crux of the story. And of course, the relationships that the band members have with each other. The “bro-mances,” if you will. If I can get that to resonate with the readers, I feel like I have accomplished what I set out to do.<br />
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Of course, it’s not always easy. First of all, I’m writing about a very specific world, and I’m then taking that world and reducing it to a specific area—Sixth Street in Austin, Texas. The love these bands have for their hometown borders on romantic. The are as devoted to the place they live as they are to the music they play. And I struggle sometimes in trying to weave in that little element to my story. I have readers from all over the United States and other countries as well.<br />
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It is apparent from my writing that I am very much a Texas girl at heart. The first time I ever sent my New York editor a scene where someone used the phrase: “Let me hug your neck,” she was sure it was a typo. To be fair, I thought that was a common turn of phrase—but, again, I’m from Texas.<br />
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Recently I’ve started fleshing out an idea for a new series of novels that don’t take place in my home state. And I can tell you, its hard. I’m leaving my comfort zone of rockstars and Sixth Street and taking on other challenges. As a writer, I truly can write about anything. But, it’s almost like falling in love again. I fell in love with the world that I built on Sixth Street, and I’m not abandoning by any means. But I almost feel like I’m cheating—in the good old romantic sense. Like I’m leaving my first love in order to broaden my horizons. One of those awkward scenes where one character says to another: “It’s no you. It’s me.” Because it’s not Sixth Street that I’m moving on from. Or my love of music.<br />
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So, I hope that as the next few books come out in my series and you get to know me as a writer, you’ll let me take you on a journey into another world. Another romance. Variety is the spice of life, after all.
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Thanks Jayne!<br />
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Here is the blurb and links to <b><i>Gone For You</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51rMYtsR1IL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51rMYtsR1IL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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As the guitarist for the rock band Caged, I know the rules: no relationships. No complications. Leave ‘em smiling when you go, but always go. Besides, it’s not like I’m ever in one place for more than a few days at a time. As the next hottest thing out of Austin, the band and I are riding the wave, and the music is all that matters.<br />
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Until her…<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U6U8CLS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00U6U8CLS&linkCode=as2&tag=autlisgil-20&linkId=PS2TFCHW5TLP5EUG">Gone for You: Sixth Street Band Contemporary Romance Series (Sixth Street Band Series Book 1)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=autlisgil-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00U6U8CLS" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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Jayne's website is <a href="http://www.jaynefrost.com/">http://www.jaynefrost.com</a> if you would like to read more about her and the Sixth Street Band seriesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-26960263888345267612015-04-28T18:44:00.003-07:002015-04-29T20:33:20.867-07:00Summer Reading List #BeachThursday<div style="text-align: center;">
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Summer's closing in and I know I'm thinking sand and waves. Maybe not so much sand, but for sure waves! Besides planning a spray tan-because I've got the graveyard tan going on-and picking out cute shorts and comfortable shirts, I'm also stocking up on books in my Kindle.<br />
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If you find yourself doing the same, you will want to check some of these great authors out and be entered into a giveaway while you're at it! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-55954756927265982462015-03-15T20:51:00.000-07:002015-03-15T20:54:05.665-07:00New Release Ramblings<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NsCV2sJo_Bo" width="420"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Tristan
Loren, son of former rock star Jack Storm, is the first to admit he’s lived a
privileged life. However, it's never been a normal life, and he dreams of an </span><span style="line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">incognito</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> existence. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Chasing
the vision of a woman and a world who doesn't know of him takes him from the
sunshiny suburbs of Dallas to the snowy streets of Detroit.</span></span></h2>
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Title: A Shit Storm</div>
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Author: Lisa Gillis</div>
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Genre: New Adult</div>
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Series: Six Silver Strings</div>
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Subset: E Strings</div>
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Pages: 328</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25075882-a-shit-storm" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
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Buy Links</h3>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shit-Storm-Runaway-Silver-Strings-ebook/dp/B00ULL86ZO/" target="_blank">Kindle </a><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121415076" target="_blank">Nook </a><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-shit-storm" target="_blank">Kobo </a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-s**t-storm/id976313571" target="_blank">iBooks </a><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lisa_Gillis_A_Shit_Storm?id=2QIvBwAAQBAJ" target="_blank">GooglePlay </a><a href="https://www.createspace.com/5360399" target="_blank">Paperback</a><br />
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A breakdown of the book</h3>
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<i><a href="http://www.lisathedramaqueen.com/a-shit-storm" target="_blank">A Shit Storm</a></i>—the first novel in the <i><a href="http://www.lisathedramaqueen.com/e-string-set" target="_blank">E-Strings Set</a></i> is already
being hailed as the new favorite in the 6 <i>Silver String Series</i>. <i><a href="http://www.lisathedramaqueen.com/g-string-set" target="_blank">G-Strings</a></i> fans
are defecting, but to be fair, <i>E-Strings</i> gives Jack and Marissa almost as much
spotlight time as Tristan. Matt and Jules even make cameo appearances. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What makes this one so special? Damned if I know. In fact,
this author is still in love with the predecessor to the series, <i><a href="http://www.lisathedramaqueen.com/rising-sun-hm-rock-stars" target="_blank">D-Strings</a></i>.
However, a couple of reviews have already come in by loyal fans, and talk is
going around that can’t be ignored.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The main difference in<i> E-Strings</i> and the rest of the sets in<i>
SSS Series</i> is the voice. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The book begins with Tristan babe watching on the beach in
front of the Destin vaca home--in first person present tense. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Chapter One--in 3<sup>rd</sup> person past POV--opens with Marissa discovering her until now
almost perfect son has gone rogue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chapter Two, back to Tristan. Tristan chapters are always
distinguished with a text or some type of correspondence relating to the
timeline.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chapter Three is a scene in which Jack is playing with his
two young daughters in the backyard pool while waiting anxiously for Marissa to
get home, hoping she’ll beat the bad weather blowing in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And on like this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chapters alternate from Tristan’s telling in first present
POV to Jack or Marissa and their 3<sup>rd</sup> past POV. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
If you haven’t read it yet, or if you have and haven’t
weighed in, I’d love to hear YOUR POV. Thanks for loving the Loren family of
rock stars!<br />
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Are you a reviewer interested in a review copy? Just give me a shout at any one of my social media sites below.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Are you a blogger who would like to help with the tour of
this book this coming month? If so, here’s the signup and many, many thanks!<o:p></o:p></div>
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A Shit Storm</h2>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-39548834628025968702015-02-02T21:15:00.003-08:002015-02-02T21:15:53.955-08:00A Picture is Worth…<br />
We’ve all heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” <br />
<br />
But if it doesn’t belong to you, those words may eventually come to you in the form of an email and money owed for its real worth and more!<br />
<br />
In the wake of several bloggers receiving cease orders to take pictures down from their blog, and one blogger under the threat of a lawsuit as well, images are being ripped off blog pages by panicked bloggers whose only crime was to post a promo given to them by an author or authors tour company.<br />
<br />
What’s going on? Seems celebrity images from google search and other images are commonly used to make book teasers.<br />
<br />
<i>Seriously?</i> Yeah.<br />
<br />
<i>What about those hot Jack teasers?</i><br />
<br />
<b>Safe</b>. Ever wonder why I use the same images over and over?<br />
<br />
First because it’s not easy to find men hot enough to pass for Jack on stock photo sites ;)<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YleWnLE7QPs/VNBWyx_UAsI/AAAAAAAAAxs/UoInI7vTuSA/s1600/snowstormscouple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YleWnLE7QPs/VNBWyx_UAsI/AAAAAAAAAxs/UoInI7vTuSA/s1600/snowstormscouple.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And second because when I do, I pay for my images and scour free stock photo sites for others—and this cuts into the amount I have available to use.<br />
<br />
<b>Lisa Gillis and Rock Star Read teasers are safe.</b><br />
<br />
Here’s a hint to make sure you know your blog is safe. <br />
<br />
Don’t upload teasers. Always link to them from the author’s website. (Right click, copy img url)<br />
<br />
I don’t expect bloggers to just take my word that I’m responsible with my teasers. This is the reason one entire <a href="http://www.lisathedramaqueen.com/teasers" target="_blank">page of my website is devoted to teasers</a>. It lets you choose the ones you like best and <b>most importantly gives you peace of mind</b> because it <b>takes the liability from you and puts it on me</b>.<br />
<br />
Based on the 9th circuit court of appeal ruling in Perfect 10 v. Amazon:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">When a site like Google hosts html that instructs a users browser to point to (i.e. “display”) an image hosted by a third party, the first party (e.g., Google) does not violate either the copyright owners right to copy or their right to display as those terms are defined under US copyright law. Like Google’s actions with regard to full size images in Perfect 10 v. Google and Perfect 10 v. Amazon, the web page included html that instructed a browser to point to an image at a third party site. Under US copyright law, this action does not violate the display right of the copyright holder and it does not violate their right to copy.</span></blockquote>
<br />
By never uploading the image to your server or website, you are not violating any US copyright law.<br />
<br />
<h3>
A picture is worth…</h3>
<br />
<br />
Speaking of pictures worth and teasers… an excerpt from Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars because we all know if there is anything I love more than teasers, it's excerpts!<br />
<br />
“What bands do you listen to? Influence you?”<br />
<br />
Jules laughed and pretended to look at a nonexistent watch. “I was told this interview was only twenty minutes. That answer will take all day.”<img alt="book bangs image" border="0" src="http://imageprocessor.websimages.com/width/311/crop/0,0,311x503/www.lisathedramaqueen.com/Rising%20Sun-lisa-gillis-six-silver-strings-series-rock-romance-kindle.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 5px 0 0;" /><br />
<br />
They both laughed, and Jules named off Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Aeroplane, Queen, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin… “I LOVE KISS… oh and, have you heard ‘Don’t fear the Reaper’, just came out by Blue Oyster Cult? And ‘Love Hurts’, by a band called Nazareth. OH, OH, you’ve heard Foghat’s ‘Slow Ride’ right? I LOVE it. Pink Floyd, can’t forget. Um, RUSH, Eric Clapton, The Eagles, The Stones, of course, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper…”<br />
<br />
Jules began again going through the alphabet, not wanting to miss a band. Besides, as long as she was rattling off bands, the closer the end of the interview was with fewer embarrassing questions.<br />
<br />
At least, it was her plan, but when she paused for a breath between Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Lennon solo, the young woman slid a photograph across the table. The black and white picture had been pulled from a stack of prints extracted from a folder.<br />
<br />
Clamming up, Jules leaned forward. She knew this routine. She would be shown a picture of Dan helping her off of the bus, or Ken backstage, making her taste his drink, or some other innocent something, totally out of context. Journalists seemed to love shocking a response during interviews, to glitz up their creation.<br />
<br />
But the picture resting on the table was of her and Matt.<br />
<br />
In a clear shot, the photographer had been lucky enough to be at the precise angle, and click the shutter at the precise three seconds needed to end up with this picture. Matt’s tongue to her cheek.<br />
<br />
She clearly remembered the day. A fresh snow had fallen. They were loading the bus that morning and snowballs were flying like crazy from all directions. Except for Matt, they were all born-and-bred California kids, so snow was a major deal. Candi and Dan had never seen snow until this tour. Jules had traveled some with her parents, but the snow destinations she could remember were few and far between.<br />
<br />
<em>“Hey Jules,” Matt called. She had gotten too cold and was abandoning the snowball fight to board the bus and warm up. At this hail from the husky voice she loved, she paused just before taking the first step up. “Jules!”<br /><br /> Unsuspectingly, she turned into a perfect pitch. Matt’s large snowball slammed into the side of her face, painfully so, and broke on impact.<br /><br /> Her yelp brought a remorseful Matt running. He squeezed her into a hug even as he couldn’t stop laughing. “Oh, VooJu! You should’ve seen your face. Wish I had a picture!”<br /><br /> How ironic!<br /><br /> The shock faded some, and high on hysteria, she quipped a line from a sitcom they had taken on as a private joke. “Oh, my nose!” Her exclamation had modulated the girl on the show perfectly, whose nose had been broken by an accidental football throw. She flicked some of the snow from her shoulder onto him and then hit him for good measure.</em><br />
<br />
And that’s when it had happened.<br />
<br />
Laughing as he begged an apology, he’d licked the remaining snow from her face!<br />
<br />
As a chorus of “ews” and “raunchys” had chimed, she’d slapped at him again and stepped on the bus. Apparently, whoever the photographer had been hadn’t been on the bus. Because when Matt had boarded, feeling bad about hitting him, she’d broken her public affection stance and told him there was snow on his mouth…<br />
<br />
Jules tapped her fingers on the glossy photo. “Huh. Good one. Matt is such a clown. Do you mind if I keep this? I’d love to blackmail him with it.” Here she laughed.<br />
<br />
While she was still congratulating herself on her answer, another photo came her way, and she picked it up. Matt and her dancing. Their only physical contact was Matt’s hands holding her waist flush to his. Her arms were slightly raised as if in rhythm to the song. Although his tongue was in his mouth in this picture, their lust for one another was obvious in their eyes.<br />
<br />
An after party. Jules struggled to place it, but one hotel suite was pretty much the same as any other. She was at a loss for words, because she’d never known they looked that way together. Perfect. In love.<br />
<br />
Spellbound she continued to stare and quietly admitted, “A picture is worth a thousand words I suppose…”
<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
above excerpt from Lisa Gillis' Six Silver Strings Series: Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars</h4>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-57130384797992651092014-12-28T20:30:00.001-08:002015-01-23T04:38:37.509-08:00Soul Mate SightingsDid you know the moment you met your soul mate?
<br />
<br />
I met my soul mate at the carwash. True story. One of the outdoor coin operated rigs. Wearing a red dress and red heels, I wrestled the spray wand, dodging the ricocheting mist of the soap. A white Camero slowed to a stop--an older souped up model, suggesting it's owner is skilled under the hood;) The driver leaned out the open window. "Nice car!" He complimented my red Mustang. <i><span style="color: #444444;">I know. I've often wondered if I hadn't matched my car that night if I would have still caught his notice</span></i>. Exiting, he relieved me of the spray wand and took over the job. "You should take better care of it." If I answered, I don't remember. "Not let it get so dirty," he elaborated. <i><span style="color: #444444;">What an ass, right?</span></i> I didn't know it at the time, but that was my soul mate talking...
<br />
<br />
Fictional soul mates are easier to recognize. Have a favorite true or fictional soul mate story? <br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Now take a </h4>
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<a href="http://cooltext.com/"><img alt="Trip into the 70's" src="http://images.cooltext.com/4059102.gif" height="90" width="354" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Soul Mate Sighting Jules Breaux and Matt Loren</h3>
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“But he’s a guy…”<br />
<br />
“Yeah, I know, but Marc told him he could try out.” Jules did not even pause in her tidying up of the rec room as she shrugged in answer to the roll of Starla’s eyes.<br />
<br />
“But he’s a guy.”<br />
<br />
“We don’t have to let him in the band. Just be cool to him when he gets here. Then we can keep looking.” Snatching an ashtray, she dumped it into the trashcan she carried.<br />
<br />
“You told Marc it was going to be all girls, right?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, Star, yes.” One of Marc’s discarded shirts had the misfortune of being handy enough to double as a dust rag, and she swiped it over the drum stool and heads.<br />
<br />
“So why would he…” Star trailed off, clearly peeved.<br />
<br />
Holding the shirt, Jules surveyed the room. The area was cluttered with an assortment of guitars, a drum set, and a few other varied instruments, as well as a pool table, stereo, and sofa. Once her father’s toy room, the area had gradually become mostly her and Marc’s chill zone.<br />
<br />
And now, it was begging to be a band practice room.<br />
<br />
“Probably for a bag of weed, or wax for his board. Yeah, probably the wax since the guy works at ‘The Surf Shack.’” All of Marc’s surfer tribe smoked weed.<br />
<br />
To that logic, Starla expelled a frustrated scream just as the doorbell chimed.<br />
<br />
“Remember, be cool to him.” Jules turned a warning glance on Star as they filed down the hall to answer the door. “It’s not his fault my brother is a—”<br />
<br />
“Okay!” Star hissed the interruption, motioning with a jerk of an irritated hand for Jules to proceed. Obviously, she wanted this inconvenience over and done with.<br />
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ty3X0aRsrW8" width="420"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
When Jules unlatched the door and pulled it open, both girls exchanged a quick surprised glance, and all traces of animosity dissipated. She found herself eye level with a shark’s tooth on a hemp string, resting just below the neckline on a white tee shirt. The neck it encircled was long, masculine, and tan. Tilting her chin, she stared into a face which fluttered her insides and flushed every cell. His eyes were as dark as the hair spilling around his features, and her gaze seemed glued to those chocolate pools.<br />
<br />
“Hi! Come in!” Star edged forward when Jules couldn’t find her voice.<br />
<br />
“He’s so fine!” Jules mouthed as she and Star led the way down the hall to the rec room. Maybe this audition would be a waste of time, but it would be an enjoyable waste.<br />
t
He had sauntered straight to her father’s drums, and currently stood assessing the white Pearl set with sheer reverence. A pair of drumsticks extended from one of the back pockets of his jeans, and her gaze lingered, transfixed by this area of his anatomy.<br />
<br />
When he turned, she tried to jerk her eyes to his face, but was waylaid by the new eye candy. Until now, she had only curiously scoped out a guy’s crotch. Now, her heart pounded in a weird new way. <i>Up. Up</i>. Tee shirt hem. Surf Shack logo. Neckline. Adams Apple. <i>Up</i>. Lips. Helplessly, she lingered again. <i>Up</i>. Deep dark eyes framed by black lashes, enhanced by brows almost as black. A lock of dark hair fell over one of those brows, and he pushed it back as he waited for her to continue. His eyes skimmed down to the Wayward boots, seeming to stop for split seconds along the way, but by the time they met hers again, they were politely impersonal.<br />
<br />
When she couldn’t seem to speak, and Star didn’t chime in, he curved an arm behind his back, whipping the sticks from his pocket. “Let’s rock!”<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
above excerpt from Lisa Gillis' Six Silver Strings Series: Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars</h4>
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<a href="goodreads:%20https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18402055-jack-who" target="_blank"><img alt="Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18402055-jack-who" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9SzVWdggDqU/VHJnm0_bmMI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/GogYy1LFw50/s1600/goodreads_icon_1000x1000.png" height="50em" width="50em" /></a></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
PlayList</h4>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:user:1289725620:playlist:4WcaVrBxSnbcHSspy4nEAG" width="300"></iframe><br />
Add your favorite songs from the 70's decade!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-85774034463709152662014-12-16T07:26:00.001-08:002014-12-16T07:31:21.373-08:00Trailer Wars<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Trailer Wars Returns</h2>
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Trailers below. You know the drill. Tweet, FB Tag, or comment your favorite!</h3>
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Trailer #1 Soundtrack SouthC</h4>
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<a href="http://ctt.ec/r3eAV"><img alt="Tweet: Trailer 1 #Rocks my sox off http://youtu.be/SHInyfsw1sU @LiGillis" src="http://clicktotweet.com/img/tweet-graphic-3.png" /></a>
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Trailer #2 Soundtrack #PimpDaddy</h4>
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<a href="http://ctt.ec/nScNb"><img alt="Tweet: Trailer 2 #Rocks my face off http://youtu.be/i4tgRkXteGA @LiGillis" src="http://clicktotweet.com/img/tweet-graphic-3.png" /></a>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Tweetie bird will cast your vote with one click</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">or</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Tag Lisa Gillis (www.fb.com/LisaTheDramaQueen) on FB</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Comment Below</span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Storm's Eye Released on December 15th!</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Exclusive Extra Long Teaser</h3>
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Kicking off my flip flops, I approached the guitar neck, descended the incline, and sat with my knees pulled up in the inch or two of water.<br />
<br />
My thoughts contorted like the surface reflections, my future seeming as mysterious as the shimmering shadows. There was no doubt this could be my dream house, my dream life with the man I loved. But not so dreamy was all I was beginning to see that came with him.<br />
<br />
The crazy hours. The active life. A loud hoot of laughter sounded over the pounding music as if to enforce this point. The moody and presumptuous rock star.<br />
<br />
Scooting up enough so lying back would leave my head out of the water, I reclined. After staring at the stars a bit, I closed my eyes.<br />
<br />
The displacement of water rippling the ends of my floating hair was my cue that I was no longer alone. My lids fluttered open, seeing the light behind me blocked by a shadow. Jack eased down, and without touching me, lay back in the same manner.<br />
<br />
He was the first to break the silence, a minute or so into it. “All good?”<br />
<br />
The satellites among the stars winked and blinked, and I let a couple of breaths expel. “Sure.”<br />
<br />
“It just seems like you’ve been mad at me all day.”<br />
<br />
Now I did turn my head to study his profile. “Me? Mad at you?” Emphasizing the pronouns, I looked back to the sky when his head turned to me.<br />
<br />
The feel of his gaze roving my face was a physical thing, but the humiliation of last night kept me from meeting his speculative eyes.<br />
<br />
“I’m not the one mad if that’s what you’re saying.” His words were quiet, unsure.<br />
<br />
“Aren’t you?”<br />
<br />
“Why would I be?”<br />
<br />
“I don’t know!” Emotion clogged my throat, and for a split second, I debated running from what had become a confrontation. Maybe Jack was right. Maybe I always ran when I could.<br />
<br />
Damming up my feelings, I struggled to keep my voice from wavering. “It is not fair for you to hold the same shit against me that you’ve done.”<br />
<br />
“Meaning?”<br />
<br />
“It’s true I was kind of a slut. But I tried not to let it touch Tristan in any way. I thought—I mean—I know he looked forward to spending the night at Liv’s.” Stealing a quick sidelong glance, I pushed on, reluctantly spilling my past. “They would plan for two weeks the movies they were going to watch and what they were going to eat. I never thought he wondered where I was.”<br />
<br />
A sad sigh left my lips, and just as quickly, the confused simmer of emotions boiled over. “But damn it, Jack, I was getting mine off a couple of times a month. You can’t tell me you weren’t every damn night!”<br />
<br />
“So you’re thinking I’m pissed about what Tristan said last night?”<br />
<br />
“Obviously you are.”<br />
<br />
“I don’t like thinking about it. Hell, I can’t stand thinking about it—”<br />
<br />
“You know, I was kind of wild in college, but I never had continuous random hookups until after you. That day with you, I had never had that connection before. And I made the mistake of thinking it was out there for me again. That fate was not so fucked up to make just ONE freaking man THAT guy.” The years of loneliness converged into this moment as I softly spoke. “I wanted that again, and thought that all I had to do was…”<br />
<br />
“Was what?”<br />
<br />
“Was keep looking until I found him.”<br />
<br />
“Why? When you already found him?”<br />
<br />
“You know why.”<br />
<br />
“I don’t, Mariss…”<br />
<br />
Now, finally, I looked at him, the anger and angst in my heart softening with his candor. “I think that’s one of the things I love about you. You’re from a different world and don’t even know it.”<br />
<br />
“Not really.”<br />
<br />
“Mmh.” I let it go and breathed an unburdened breath.<br />
<br />
Behind us from the patio, the music thumped and voices rang out. Jack’s hand moved across the space between us to settle on my thigh. Not the least bit remorseful, his husky words were saturated with pride. “So I ruined you, huh?”<br />
<br />
The cool night air could not keep the heat from flaming my face. Leave it to Jack to make an issue of anything sexual. “Yeah, I guess you did.”<br />
<br />
“You guess? Maybe we should settle this right now.” Rolling to his side, he teased, trailing his fingers to naughty places.<br />
<br />
With an exasperated sound, I pushed up, then stood, walking the several steps until I was deep enough to submerge into the tepid water. Without breaking the surface, I swam to the island and was not surprised when Jack surfaced next to me.<br />
<br />
His kiss was wild and sweet, and my arms rose to rest on his shoulders, hanging on him as I often did when my knees went weak. My feelings were still mixed, and when I could think enough to remember why, I twisted some away from the tongue that so pleasingly scorched my ear.<br />
<br />
“If you weren’t mad, then why wouldn’t you…” My words paused before I brokenly beseeched, “…fuck me last night?”<br />
<br />
Deliberately, I whispered the dirtier word to entice him, because although I was still angry about the previous night, I still wanted him tonight.<br />
<br />
Jack pushed me away enough to stare down into my face. “I told you last night!”<br />
<br />
“Exactly. You said because of all the…” Trailing off as I suddenly gleaned the misunderstanding, I stepped back to him, dropping my head onto his shoulder. “I feel like an idiot.”<br />
<br />
Just hours before that fight, I had been the one to turn down a quickie in the shower because going after each other like animals for days had taken its toll on my body. When confessing this in the shower, I had seen the guilt in his eyes.<br />
<br />
“I thought…” I was whispering against his skin.<br />
<br />
“Thought what?” Gently he probed as he held me tight.<br />
<br />
“You know. What I just said. I thought you were mad because of what Tristan said.”<br />
<br />
“I’m so sorry you thought that…” Like bands, his arms tightly and protectively encircled. “Damn, Mariss. I’m sorry. You don’t know how hard it was to try and convince you to go to sleep… And then when you ran out, I knew if I called you back or came to you, I would—I would be all over you.”<br />
<br />
“I wasn’t hurting last night.”<br />
<br />
“You had been drinking.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah…”<br />
<br />
“So how’re you feeling tonight…”<br />
<br />
“Much better…”<br />
<br />
“Maybe I should verify that. After all, you’ve had a couple of drinks…”<br />
<br />
His head disappeared beneath the surface. When he came back up, I was gasping. Rewarding me with one of his smirks, he went back down.<br />
<br />
A wary eye remained on our guests but no one turned their heads while I was getting head. With his first dunk, Jack had teased over my swimsuit, and now he wasted no time hooking one finger and dragging the thin strip aside. His hair floated around this fiery kiss, tickling my thighs and stomach as his tongue branded me.<br />
<br />
He came up for air and leaned his forehead on mine.<br />
<br />
“Mariss?”<br />
<br />
“Hmm?”<br />
<br />
“Don’t always think the worst of me…”<br />
<br />
“I don’t. I asked…and you said…and I just misunderstood.”<br />
<br />
“I’m sorry…” He kissed the apology from his mouth to mine as he dipped a hand inside the front of the swimsuit. “I thought I was looking out for you…”<br />
<br />
“And this morning?”<br />
<br />
“I was giving you something to think about in the shower.”<br />
<br />
“What made you so sure I was going to take a shower?”<br />
<br />
“I don’t know. Maybe because I took a long one myself.” He dipped a hand inside the front of the swimsuit. “Did you?”<br />
<br />
Raggedly, I made the truthful admission while he made me crazy with his lips on my neck and the tease of his hands. Since his body was blocking me from being seen, I didn’t protest at first, too caught up to care about anything outside our make-out session. He figured out my swimsuit unhooked from the shoulders. Peeling it down, he played with the unveiled curves, but when he knelt enough to put his mouth to them, I was slapped back to reality, looking over his head to the party beyond.<br />
<br />
A nip. A tongue lash. A suck. His knee moved up between my legs, keeping warm the other part of my body, which was still throbbing from this same treatment. Jack stood up enough to rub another kiss to my lips and to push the fabric to my waist. When I felt the drag of it over my hips, I protested.<br />
<br />
“Seriously? With everyone just right there?”<br />
<br />
Was this the rock star life? Yet I knew the answer. No one had taken notice yet. Jack’s answer was a simple rock star answer. Barely raising his lips from mine, he raised his voice, and it carried over his shoulder across the water.<br />
<br />
“Party’s over! Bye!”<br />
<br />
His tongue reunited with mine as if the time apart to say those few words had been an eternity. Tilting my head, I watched in astonishment as the patio emptied in less than three minutes. Most of our guests even called out a cheerful good-bye.<br />
<br />
Reassuringly, I sought out Tristan’s sleeping form on the couch before taking a dip under the water myself. It was strange to turn him on in all of the ways he loved but not be able to hear a response. Combined was the freaked half-fearful feeling to be in this position completely at anyone’s mercy, even a lover’s.<br />
<br />
Sucking air into my burning lungs, I surfaced, whispering against his wet skin, “Can’t hold my breath as long as you…”<br />
<br />
He hopped up onto the sunning island, pulling me with him, and when he occupied himself stripping me out of the swimsuit, I looked nervously to the house again.<br />
<br />
“What about Dax?”<br />
<br />
“Don’t worry about Dax. He’s as good as gone.”<br />
<br />
The wet fabric made a splash in the inch of water beside us. My eyes fell to the dark shadow of his trunks in the deeper water where we had been standing.<br />
<br />
Finally, I took him in, all wet and sexy beneath me.<br />
<br />
Every breath and groan echoed over the water. I alternated my gaze from the stars in heaven to the rock star who was my current heaven.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PBKOHS0/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AjK8pZstryg/VJBLOcz_YWI/AAAAAAAAAvg/xTpIFKwrATI/s1600/fb-storms-eye-lisa-gillis-star-in-heaven.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PBKOHS0/" target="_blank">Live in the Amazon Kindle Store</a></div>
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Stalkers Only Zone</h2>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-19532509787305570612014-12-14T00:06:00.002-08:002014-12-14T00:49:22.768-08:00Countdown to Release<h3>
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Storm's Eye will release on December 15th.</div>
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Until then it can be pre-ordered on amazon at a .99 price!</div>
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Is this the first you're hearing of it?</div>
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Check out the trailers and teasers to see how hot it can get in December<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/128916584@N03/16016636452" title="twit-storms-eye-lisa-one-love-title by Lisa Gillis, on Flickr"><img alt="twit-storms-eye-lisa-one-love-title" height="70%" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7509/16016636452_f6c0aaafa0_o.png" width="90%" /></a>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-42192880967282272052014-12-03T01:05:00.000-08:002014-12-07T20:40:22.224-08:00Stop to Enjoy the HolidaysMidway through Cyber Monday I realize I'm being sucked into the holidays in the usual way. Except, I'm falling deeper. This year instead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we had Black Friday Deals WEEK and Cyber Monday WEEK. This means I haven't stopped my manic shopping yet, desperate to find each and every deal that applies to my Christmas list.<br />
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I've watched traffic get crazy in my tiny town, people become impatient. This time of the year didn't begin as retail, and even though it's our way of life right now, we shouldn't become so stirred up in the retail, the pretty lights, and the delicious recipes that we forget the details of the season.<br />
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Have a safe holiday season, love your family, think of your blessings, and give humbly to those in need.<br />
<br />
Have you previously been in involved in holiday cards for US soldiers? This program is changed in 2014. If you have cards, you can get in touch with your local red cross, get info on how to make them out, and in most cases drop them off for the <a href="http://www.redcross.org/support/get-involved/holiday-mail-for-heroes">Red Cross</a> to distribute.<br />
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Looking to give toys to underprivileged children or canned goods to needy families? Contact your local fire station or Chamber of Commerce.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-49117657045615137952014-11-16T21:19:00.003-08:002014-11-17T09:13:35.353-08:00Who is your book boyfriend this holiday? And do you want a new Kindle Touch to read him?A lot of books are releasing and on sale this week, and many more planned through the holidays. Among them *cough* <b>Jack and Marissa's hot and steamy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PCFX3ZM" target="_blank">Eye of the Storms</a></b> that just went live! I'm so excited about this release that I wanted to do something special.<br />
<br />
Along with Eye of the Storm release will be a <b>giveaway of the new Kindle Touch</b>!<br />
<br />
I've never done a giveaway with a book release. I push the publish button, the book goes live, and the enthusiasm shown for Jack, Marissa, and Tristan always makes me teary and giddy. I want to give back, and wanted to do it in a big way. And at the same time, I want to introduce more readers to the Storm family.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>If you're a subscriber to Lisa Gillis Email That Rocks, you've already been entered, </b>but you can earn more entries.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://goo.gl/iu37Ii" target="_blank">There's a rafflecopter ticket entry below</a></b></div>
If you haven't subscribed to <i>Rock Your Read, Email that Rocks</i>, just enter your info to enter the contest. <b>I promise, no spam</b>. In fact, sometimes months go by with no emails in between book releases. Come rock with us!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://laurataylorromancewriter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Laura Taylor</a> who is well known for her military, and romantic suspense novels, and <a href="http://www.kristinecayne.com/" target="_blank">Kristine Cayne</a> who is well known for military, romantic suspense, and the hottest fire fighter novels you'll ever read have joined the giveaway. Their works have been on bestseller lists and have won awards. I want to introduce you because I'm pretty positive you will love their fictional worlds if you love mine.<br />
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Check 'em out </h4>
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On Sale now from <a href="http://www.kristinecayne.com/" target="_blank">Kristine Cayne</a></h3>
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A Celebrity Stalking Story</div>
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<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1tzObjT" target="_blank">Deadly Obsession (Book 1 of Deadly Vices)</a></b></div>
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$0.99 until Thursday</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BestHolidayBooks/photos/p.475534822585682/475534822585682/" target="_blank">More Links Here</a></div>
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On Sale now from <a href="http://laurataylorromancewriter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Laura Taylor</a></h3>
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New Boxed Set Romantic Suspense</div>
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<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1tFNV4L" target="_blank">Love at the Beach</a></b></div>
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$1.99 until the 30th </div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BestHolidayBooks/photos/p.475534822585682/475534822585682/" target="_blank">More Links Here</a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Just Released from <a href="http://www.lisathedramaqueen.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Gillis</a></h3>
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Rock Star Romance</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PCFX3ZM" target="_blank">Eye of the Storms</a></b></div>
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$0.99 Today</div>
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<a href="http://viewbook.at/EyeStorm" target="_blank">International Link</a><br />
<h3>
Keep up with the best Fictional Boyfriends</h3>
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<a href="https://www.fb.com/OutrageousHeroes" target="_blank">Outrageous Heroes of Romance</a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Kindle Touch Giveaway</h2>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dc6936c72/" id="rc-dc6936c72" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-31729771888412072322014-11-13T01:05:00.000-08:002014-11-13T01:05:27.537-08:00A Little Déjà vu and A Lot More Fun<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-peN5l5LZgeY/VGRpzeuis1I/AAAAAAAAAgE/ziYaMwRb124/s1600/one-mission-lisa-gillis-rock.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-peN5l5LZgeY/VGRpzeuis1I/AAAAAAAAAgE/ziYaMwRb124/s400/one-mission-lisa-gillis-rock.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
So you've heard this somewhere before? </h2>
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Sure</div>
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Read it in a book? </div>
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Yes. But you've never read it like this. </div>
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Eye of the Storms is the same Jack and Marissa story, but with expanded steamier scenes, all new scenes, and a whole new point of view.<br />
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We now read from Marissa's point of view instead of a narrative--<b>Eye</b> being the keyword equated to <b>I</b>. Jack also jumps in with several chapters of is own.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Ever wonder Jack's thoughts that fateful festival day? It's in the Eyes book.</h3>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Remember the fateful phone call? </h3>
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<b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">The seconds ticked by, and only background sounds filtered through: the light pound of music, the whip of wind on the phone mic, the rumble of traffic. She didn’t know whether to imagine him in his car or standing on a porch at his home. Then he spoke, and both images dropped away.</span></b><br />
<b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> “Not mine, you’re not. You are not looking at my kid.” The denial was firm, and she wondered if he was willing it to be true, or if he actually believed it so</span>. ~<i>Excerpt From Jack Who?</i></b><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Ever wonder what was happening on Jack's side of the phone that day?</h3>
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<b> <span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> With each unreturned text and that last ignored voicemail I’d told myself I was ignoring her because I wanted to call her on my terms. Not because after five fucking years she decided she wanted some of Jack Storm again and hit me up...</span></span></b><br />
<b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> ...I closed my eyes against the sun, the sway of the trees, and the cottony clouds. I closed out my pool and the three smokin’ hot babes who drifted on floats—completely nude.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> </b></span><br />
<b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> “Not mine, you’re not. You’re not looking at my kid.”</span>~<i>Excerpt From Eyes of the Storms</i></b><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
If you've read Jack and Marissa before, no doubt, you'll experience a lot of déjà vu. But fear not, you'll also be treated to the book in a whole new way. </h3>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>"Jack and Marriss were pretty great the first time around, but they are simply exquisite now. A bit sexier, a bit more rounded out, and simply fantastic."~<i>GoodReads review from a reader of both books</i></b></span></span><br />
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Coming to Kindle November 17, 2014</h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-55196227403240028092014-10-31T19:55:00.001-07:002014-10-31T19:55:37.828-07:00Rock and Roll Halloween 70's StyleThe D-Strings Trilogy <a href="http://bit.ly/RSHMRS" target="_blank">Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars</a> covers a decade of rock and roll scenarios involving members of the book's fictional band Cawaba beginning in the early 70's.<br />
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Today with Halloween on my mind, I realized these novels make mention of the black cat holiday more than once. So here they are, pieces of the scenes. Don't worry, spoilers are cut out for anyone who still hasn't met Matt and Jules.<br />
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If you've read the book, vote your favorite Halloween scene in the comments and your name will go into a monthly drawing for winner's choice swag pack!<br />
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Halloween Scene One: “You scared the shit out of me!”</h3>
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With the house to herself, she left the bedroom door open while dressing. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she noticed her lone audience. Matt was standing in the hallway just outside the threshold, and the flame in his eyes singed her in every way. Emotionally. Physically.<br />
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“You fuck head,” she cursed, as her heart picked up its pace. “You scared the shit out of me!”<br />
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She had just pulled a tee shirt over her head, and her jeans were in her hand.<br />
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“Don’t bother?” He phrased the two words as a question, but his body against hers was not an interrogative.<br />
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The jeans dropped to the floor.<br />
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There was something delightfully decadent about falling with him onto her own bed—the bed of so many Matt fantasies.<br />
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“Guess where the Halloween gig is!”<br />
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His weight balanced equally on her and one of his knees, and the words spoken into her neck made guessing difficult, but she threw a few club names out.<br />
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Doing an imitation of a game show fail buzzer, he never paused in their play. “Guess!” he prompted again, but she could only gasp.<br />
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With strength born of determination, she shifted their positions, and when she heard his gasp, she demanded, “Tell me!”<br />
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His laughter rumbled pleasantly into her ears and against her body. “No. You guess…”<br />
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“Tell me…”<br />
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“Guess…”<br />
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They played until the game ended with a wildcard guess from her and his acknowledgment. Pushing herself up, she resounded, “No way!”<br />
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“Way.” And he pulled her back down.<br />
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Halloween Scene Two: “How come you smell so good?"</h3>
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They played a private Halloween party on the weekend before the Hallows Eve and then on the actual night of Halloween, they played the infamous club whose name she had guessed.<br />
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Jules smoked a cigarette as they mingled, post show, in the back lot of the club with a group that included some of the kids from school..<br />
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Because her attention was diverted, she didn’t see Matt move. Yet, oddly enough, she knew it was him when she felt the presence behind her and the hands on her waist.<br />
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They settled with the ease of hands that had pulled her waist to his many times before, whether jeans to jeans, or skin to skin. A surge of desire rippled through her nerves, but she made light of his nearness. Removing a lighter from the hip pocket of her ripped jeans, she lightly joked, “Is this what you’re after?”<br />
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Matt seized it and stepped around to her side as he murmured, “Among other things.”<br />
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Raising her brows in warning, she pierced him with her eyes while shooting him a smile for the benefit of the others. “Cigarette, too?”<br />
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Matt beseeched a sardonic, “Pleeease?”<br />
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From her other pocket, she slid her slim gold cigarette case, handing it off to him. After lighting his cigarette, he slipped the lighter and the case back into their respective pockets, lingering a second or two more than necessary with his hands. Fingers curved unseen to caress her thighs through the thin cotton pocket. With a counteractive yank to her hair, he milled back toward the girls...<br />
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(and then the best part of this scene is what happens at the end of the night ;)<br />
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In perfect unison, Matt turned on his black lights; Jules locked the bedroom door. Matt pulled at the bedspread; Jules switched on the FM radio. It was not the first time this had been their private get away. A few times, when curfew had not been an issue, they had driven the extra miles here to Santa Monica and this bed.<br />
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Matt encircled her from behind, as she stood lost in that particular memory.<br />
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“You smell good…,” he whispered against her neck. “How come you smell so good, huh?”<br />
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“Cos I’m not the drummer…”<br />
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“Liar…liar. Pants on fire…” The teasing lilt in his quiet words was beguiling. Fingers hooked into the waist of freshly laundered jeans—not her studded show jeans. Fingers making her crazy on the silk under the jeans… “You snuck a shower in…”<br />
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Halloween Scene Three: Cotton Candy</h3>
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Halloween came. In the matter of costumes, the band had finally decided to use a ballpoint pen and permanent marker on their skin.<br />
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Under the bright dressing room lights, they dissolved into hysterical fits as they took turns doing pushups, or whatever it took to get the blood flowing, the veins bulging. They helped each other paint over the actual veins that showed through their skin. From there, they improvised for effect, covering in this way any skin not concealed by their clothes.<br />
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The effect was dramatic, like some sort of alien beings.<br />
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The Halloween show was part of a state fair, and afterward, they all walked around, eating like crazy and playing the games on the midway as the other band took the stage....<br />
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Over and over, they were stopped for pictures and autographs with fans.<br />
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Most of the people asking for autographs did not have a THING to sign, and Jules hid her possessive feelings with an amused smile as Matt and Dan signed the fifth or sixth breast. One girl’s boyfriend literally glowered as the girl flushed and flirted....<br />
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Word of them wandering the fair seemed to spread like wildfire, and it got crazier and crazier. While it was fun at first, eventually, they couldn’t go five minutes without being stopped and drawing bigger crowds with each stop.<br />
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Unanimously, they decided to sprint for the bus...<br />
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Matt twisted on the shower, and she lingered at the sink, moping at her spidery vein face in the mirror. “I really, really wanted to ride some rides.”<br />
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Matt retorted with a totally male comment about a ride waiting for her. But when he saw how serious and disappointed she was at not being able to fully experience the fair, he made it his mission to take her back.<br />
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In the shower, they scrubbed at the black ink on their necks, faces, hands, and arms. As they dressed, Matt offered the advice that her ripped jeans were a dead giveaway, so she drew a rarely worn short black skirt and matching satin shirt from her luggage...<br />
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(And they go to the fair, ride some rides, and I'm still kicking myself for not expanding on that cotton candy scene once they got back to the hotel)<br />
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Have a rocking Halloween!<br />
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And you can vote your favorite in the G+ comments, or on twitter @LiGillis, or on the facebook page post <a href="http://www.fb.com/lisgthedramaqueen">www.fb.com/lisgthedramaqueen</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-20522275432667437532014-10-30T00:28:00.002-07:002014-10-30T00:28:37.930-07:00So You Wanna Rock? Looking for bloggers to rock release day! ARC's on request<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Eye of the Storms by Lisa Gillis</h2>
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Release Date November 17, ARC's available on request</h3>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rSMkg3PaaGVuxdWuJSmoOsQ8flR3-vBleiXFy4TXq2w/viewform?embedded=true" width="550">Loading...</iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02023489468318591642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7895612603215706668.post-37684023418341830632014-10-24T13:35:00.004-07:002014-10-24T20:58:43.217-07:00The Unusual Story Behind Lisa Gillis' Upcoming Release Eyes of the Storms <h2 style="text-align: center;">
<i>Eyes of the Storms</i> by Lisa Gillis </h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is a Rock Romance with an interesting story behind it. <i>Jack Who?</i> and <i>Weathering Jack Storm</i> enjoyed a successful debut a year ago. However, the released version of the books varies greatly from the original which were written and enjoyed by over a million readers on Wattpad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Wattpad friends and readers said I should publish, I edited out the steamier parts, switched the POV view from 1st to 3rd, and shopped the manuscript around to a few agents. I'm not a patient person and the 90 to 120 day waiting response period wasn't working for me. It was an easy decision to self publish. When I made the announcement, my Wattpad readers, who are a great support group, said I should publish the Wattpad version. Did I mention I am impatient? I didn't want to go through months with another editing, so instead I published the 3rd POV, non-steamy version that was already ready.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although the readers who first loved Jack, Marissa, and Tristan thew their full support behind the project, many of them mentioned the published version lacked a spark the original Wattpad version had. So now in the anniversary era of Jack Who? and Weathering, I'm happy to present <i>Eyes of the Storms</i> (I's of the Storms-get it? :) for my rock star readers who first loved the Storms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Steamy scenes are back and even hotter. The POV is restored to first. Extra scenes have been written in because we needed more Jack :)</span><br />
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Excerpt</h4>
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Our kiss became separated as he pushed at his jeans, and I took that opportunity to rid my feet of socks and shoes. Straightening, I found his eyes skimming over me, and I was glad I’d listened to Olivia and worn the lingerie from the back corner of my drawer. Standing before him, wearing only a pair of red G-string underwear, I’d never felt sexier.<br />
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And that was good. Because I’d never seen any man as sexy as Jack. He was just stepping from his jeans, and with a little kick, he sent them to the side. My breath came in short pants as I took in once more all that had spellbound me since first laying eyes on him. The shiny, shaggy hair falling over broad shoulders, inked triceps, biceps, forearms—when had I ever thought a man’s forearms were sexy? Yet Jack’s were. Long fingers. Abs tapering into a now bare waist, lean strong hipbones, and between them…<br />
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<i>Holy fuckin' shit</i>…<br />
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I could feel the short hitches of my breath as I admired, and at the same time, craved every inch. Could I take every inch? That remained to be seen, but I’d die a happy woman trying. Briefly, my eyes touched over tan muscular legs, and long sexy feet, before they greedily came back up to those many thick inches… is this why Olivia was rock star crazed? Is this why groupies acted demented? Were all rock stars this blessed anatomically?
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Bloggers Welcome</h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All blogs welcome and much appreciated. If you're a blogger who can host a Release Blitz or a stop on a tour, links to signup forms below. ARC's are being offered a few weeks before the release date of November 17, 2014.</span></div>
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Contact Lisa or Find the Six Silver Strings Series</h3>
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