Scattered Thoughts, Random Musings

"A Walk for Inspiration" Leila hated these stuck moments. She was three days past her deadline and her heroine was still trapped in an abandoned warehouse with a crazed gunman after her and the hero nowhere to be found. Hoping to clear her head and channel her muse, Leila decided to escape the taunting glare of her computer screen and take a walk. The weather was cool and crisp, the start of autumn evident from the reddish brown of the tree leaves. She didn’t realize she had veered off the main path until she was deep in the woods, surrounded by foliage. Before she gave in to her rising panic, she breathed a sigh of relief. A young couple was jogging toward her. “Excuse me,” she called out. “How do I get back to the main path?” They gave her quick directions and Leila tried her hardest to commit it to memory. She headed toward the direction the man had pointed out to her, but after fifteen minutes of walking she suspected he must have either given her bad direc...

  "Mya and the Officer"   What a crock. That old Indian woman didn't know what she was talking about. Mya would find love again. It was just a matter of where . Mya got back into her red and black Jeep Wrangler and sped off onto the highway. It was her own fault for stopping at the little souvenir shop and letting the old woman lead her into the store's back room where she had parted with her last twenty dollars only to hear prophecies of a troubled future, a nonexistent love life, followed by a complimentary red box of chocolate cherries. But it was Valentine’s Day and what Mya really wanted to know was if she would ever find her true Prince Charming. And if so, she hoped he was somewhere in Phoenix. Lost in her overactive imagination, she didn’t realize how fast she was going until it was too late. Red and blue lights flashed behind her and she groaned when the sirens sounded. “Oh, come on,” she muttered. But she knew the drill. She reduc...

Thanks for stopping by and reading another excerpt from my short romance, The Flower Queen . Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~ The pounding came again and Gina jumped out of the bed. She was still a bit disoriented but ran to the door. The cool air of the hotel room brushed against her bare skin and she realized she was just about to answer the door in her underwear. She stopped at the closet and grabbed the robe hanging alone inside. The pounding came again as she belted the sash. “Coming!” she shouted. There had better be a fire, she thought disgruntled. Gina swung the door open and her heart skipped then dropped. She was now fully awake but words escaped her. Gabe stepped into the room, forcing her to move back then shut the heavy hotel door behind him. He appeared disheveled, a shadow of a beard forming on his hard, chiseled jaw. His clear gray eyes held a hard glint as frustration emanated from him. And despite her conflicting emotions, her body still ached for him in a way that ...

After a 6-month hiatus, I'm glad to be back creating new stories for Tuesday's Tales! Below is an excerpt from my new short, The Flower Queen. This week's writing prompt is finger . ~~~~~~~~ She felt like a fool. Seeing the evidence of his betrayal left a rancid feeling in the pit of her stomach. If she hadn’t forgotten to eat lunch, she would have been sick. Gina stared at the picture, taken two months ago, of the smiling couple. It had accompanied the short email that had just come into her inbox. In no uncertain terms it basically read: Stay away from my husband . She deleted the photo from her screen and sprang up from her desk. Trying not to draw too much attention to herself, she walked calmly to the ladies room. Someone called out to her but she kept walking. The tears started to flow before she even made it into one of the bathroom stalls. She had never had her heart broken before and wasn’t used to the ache in her chest that caused the uncontrollab...

Amber stared back at the midnight dark eyes that bore into her as she reached for the phone. She should have been used to the detective’s piercing gaze by now but tonight it was different. More predatory. She tore her eyes away and flipped open the cellphone. “Hello, Austin?” A grunt followed by heavy breathing vibrated through the phone. “Austin?” A chill ran through Amber’s veins when a low husky voice spoke through the phone. “No, honey, Austin's a little... preoccupied right now.” The woman on the other end spoke with slight amusement and all thought fled Amber’s mind. She gripped the phone and willed her voice to sound calm yet firm. “Where’s Austin?” The woman laughed. "Don’t worry, honey. He's alive... for now.” Amber's arm went slack and she stared at the phone as if she didn’t recognize its purpose. Marc immediately grabbed the phone from her hand and pushed a button. The woman’s cool, throaty voice filled the room. “...depends on you.” Marc shoved the pho...

Marc sat in the only chair in the small motel room. Amber, now fully clad in jeans and a simple top, sat on the bed with her leg tucked underneath her. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the sight of her smooth dark skin against the furry white towel. She had stood there, all silk and softness, and it had been like a jolt to his senses. He almost forgot his purpose there. But her exasperated sigh quickly drew him out of his daze. “Look, I'm sorry I left the station like that but like I said, I had no choice.” “Yeah you do. But you choose not to trust me.”  She shook her head, resigned. “You don't understand.” Marc sat back and studied her. She appeared anxious. And defeated. Taking another look another around the room, he couldn’t suppress the frustration that rose in him. “Is this the life you want for yourself? Being holed up in a seedy motel, constantly on the run?” The rustic bedside lamp illuminated the faded wallpaper and brown carpeting that decorated the smal...

Idiot . Marc directed the insult to himself and the woman who had him wrapped around her little finger. She had worked the helpless, desperate act well and he had fallen for it. Hook, line, and whimper. It had been easy finding her. She hadn’'t even bothered checking in under another name. Either she really so naive or she wanted him to find her. And if he could find her, then whoever was after her could too. All he had to do was flash his badge. But anyone with some extra cash and enough interest could pay for that info. He had no reason not to believe she was really in danger. His instincts told him she hadn't been lying about that. But considering how she'd played him for a fool, maybe he couldn't – shouldn't – trust his instincts where she was concerned. He stalked past a row of dim-lit motel rooms until he arrived at the lucky number. Room 409. He hesitated just outside of the door. If he pounded on the door, she could panic and try to crawl out of ...

Amber’s heart thudded against her chest as she walked out of the busy precinct into the cool California night. She couldn’t shake the image of the detective’s harsh, angry face so she tried to focus on getting as far as she can from the police station. She vaguely noted the rapid descent of the California sun and realized there had been no sense of time for her in that tiny interview room. It was getting increasing late and she began to have second thoughts about going back to her house. After what happened today, her stomach knotted at the thought of going back to her dark house, even for a second. But she had no change of clothes and more than anything, she wanted to get out of California as soon as possible. Luckily, she managed to find a cab just a short distance from the police station and gave the driver directions to her home. She promised him a nice tip if he waited for her. She even gave him half the fare upfront in case he thought she would cheat him out of his fare. H...

As soon as the doors closed behind Marc, Amber waited a few seconds then got up from her seat. Though she appreciated what the detective tried to do for her, she couldn't go with him. She had to get to Austen. She went to the door and held her breathe. She slowly turned the knob. It cracked open enough for her to peek through. The halls appeared disserted but she couldn't see beyond the row of file cabinets to confirm. She opened the door wider and stepped out of the room. Two uniform police officers walked toward her and she froze. One of the officers looked curiously at her and willed herself to relax. They couldn’t know why she was there so she plastered a smile on her face, trying not to look suspicious. She nodded to them when they came nearer and, to her great relief, they nodded back and continued pass her. She vaguely remembered the way to the elevators but couldn’t imagine herself simply strolling out of there, unnoticed. And she didn’t. This time a ...

“What are you going to do with Bennett’s sister?” Marc looked through the video monitor at Amber Bennett. She sat staring off into space, looking completely loss and alone in the interview room. She had been sitting like that since he’d left the room. So far her story checked out. Neighbors had witnessed a man fitting her attacker’s description in the area and a quick dump on her phone confirmed that she’d received a call last night during the time she’d purported to have spoken to Austen Bennett. Apparently the call came from someone in Nevada. It was lead but Marc didn’t get too excited about it. Since she wasn’t technically a suspect, he couldn’t hold her. And she wasn’t a witness so he couldn’t take her to a safe-house. It was obvious she was scared shitless, ready to do whatever her fugitive brother told her. But he couldn’t allow her to go on the run. He needed her. She was about to play a key part in his investigation. As Marc thought about it, he knew there ...

Marc sat across Amber Bennett in the small interview room and studied her. It was no secret she was hiding something. He could see it in her big brown eyes and the way she pursed her full lips before she spoke. But he’d had enough of her lies and half-truths. Tonight he was going to get his answers. “We need to find him, Ms. Bennett. He’s the key to helping us find Maggie Davis.” Amber sat staring at the photos he’d placed before her, blinking back tears. He deliberately placed the photo of Marcy Davis and her daughter, Maggie, beside her brother’s mug shot to gain a reaction. And hopefully her cooperation. The feminine replica of Austen Bennett’s face finally looked up at him and he was again caught off guard by his reaction to her. “I'm sorry about what happened to that little girl and her mother, but Austen had nothing to do with that.” Marc tamed the frustration that threatened to erupt inside him. Anger and swearing hadn’t helped him get through to her befor...

“Oh my God, this is not happening,” Amber shrieked. She began tugging at her bound hands but his grip held fast. “You don’t understand, I can’t stay here.” Marc grabbed her cuffed hands and pulled her toward him. “Then enlighten me,” he said, irritation all over his hard face. “I don’t like to be made a fool of and you’ve done nothing but that since we’ve met.” Amber looked at him in confusion. She’d been nothing but polite to the insensitive jerk, knowing full well he didn’t like her much. Maybe if she told him what had just happened he would help her. The unconscious man in her kitchen should be proof enough that she wasn’t playing anyone for a fool. “He’s in the kitchen.” Her voice was so calm she might as well told him there were cookies in the kitchen. “What?” “The guy who attacked me,” she explained patiently. He gave her a strange look and without another word pulled her towards the kitchen. But instead of the validation she’d expected, Amber was dumbfound...

Amber felt light-headed from the anticipation. The pan began to weigh heavily in her hands. She needed to call for help. She immediately thought of Detective Sharpe. No . Austen said no police. Amber sighed in resignation. The detective would as likely arrest her for this foray then the short, blonde man who roamed her house. He already thought her capable of murder. There would be no escaping this if she didn’t do something quick. She would have to make a run for it. She glanced at the narrow kitchen window and wondered at the possibility of fitting through it. But the soft padding of footsteps grew louder and Amber held her breathe. She raised the heavy grill pan above her head just as a dark figure appeared alongside the pantry closet. With heavy force, she brought down the pan. Her strike was wild and uncoordinated yet in her frenzy she heard the man grunt and fall to the ground. Blood mingled in his blonde curls and his glasses lay smashed beside his face. ...

Where was it? Amber pulled another drawer open, frantically scanning its contents. No luck. She slammed the drawer shut and opened another. Where was it? Panic started to set in. She had to find. Austen was counting on her. Amber continued her search, shoving contents around, unaware that she was looking in some of the same places. Maybe Shawn had moved it? Then a thought formed. Kneeling down, she pulled the bottom drawer out of its hinges and set it aside. Looking through the darken space, she found it. Nestled in the floorboard of the tall dresser, lay the padded envelope. She snatched it out of its hiding place and opened it. Nothing appeared to be missing and she breathed a sigh of relief. Stuffing the envelope into her purse, she went back downstairs. She quickly gathered her bags and wrote a brief note for Shawn. Sadness threatened to overwhelm her when she realized she may never see her friend again. But it was for everyone’s safety. Based on Austen’s ...