12 Blogs announcement, excerpt from Xander's Garden

Happy Holidays! I am so pleased to announce the 12 Blogs of Christmas beginning December 13. Please visit here daily for posts by 11 best selling and award winning authors...and me. Yup, the newbie got invited to the grown-up's table!

Schedule:

Dec. 13     Ellen Chauvet

Dec. 14     Sarah Lane

Dec. 15     Keith Baker

Dec. 16     Virginia Gray

Dec. 17     Gordon Long

Dec. 18     RJ Clayton

Dec. 19     Jennifer Ellis

Dec. 20     Laurie Boris

Dec. 21     Jeather Haley

Dec. 22     Jordan Buchanan

Dec. 23     Cate Pedersen

Dec. 24     Martin Crosbie 

Meanwhile...back at the best little whorehouse in space

 I finally finished the first draft of Xander's Garden. Feedback from beta readers has been good, but I'll be reworking the ending. Funny how putting it down for a few weeks gives a new perspective.  Here's a sneak peek:

“Fucking fuck!” He tried to hop on one foot and nearly fell over. Bloody hell, that hurt! The overhead light blared to life, and his eyes squinted in protest. He didn’t know what hurt more—his toe or his head.

“Good God, Xander! What are you doing bumbling around in here in the dark?” Rose stood in the doorway, wrapped in a robe, her hair a tangled mess. He thought she looked beautiful.

He stood there, shirtless and barefoot, trying to recall why he had come into his office. Oh, yes, a battery! He smiled, ever so pleased with himself for remembering. “I need a battery for my CommComp,” he announced grandly. “Then I stubbed my toe on the bloody desk.” He scowled at the offending piece of furniture.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she muttered and took a few steps into the room. She stopped abruptly, wrinkling her nose. “You were out drinking with Nebo!” She pointed an accusing finger at him, then folded her arms across her chest. For some unfathomable reason, he suddenly thought of his mother.

“We stopped at the bar he supplies with contraband. He wanted me to try his favorite Scotch whiskey.”

“And before that, where did you go?”

“Terra V. Hey Rosie, you came from Terra V, didn’t you?”  He grinned widely again--he’d remembered another thing! He was on fire!

“You know I did, or at least you would if your brain wasn’t pickled at the moment.”

“C’mon Rosie-Rose, don’t be such a hardass. I only want to ask you something.”

“Go ahead then.” She tapped her toe impatiently.

“Mmm…wait, I’ve got it. Did you know a girl there named Bianca?”

She turned her back to him, and suddenly busied herself straightening a pile of papers. “Bianca? I don’t recall her. Why do you ask?”

“I heard a story about her at the brothel. It’s not important.” He looked around, confused. “Now where’s my damned battery?”

Rose took him by the arm and led him through the door to his adjoining bedroom. “It can wait until morning, Boss. Let’s get you to bed.”

She pushed his shoulders, and he fell back onto the mattress. “How was your visit to V? I’m sure you did more than listen to stories.”

He yawned and then realizing how rude it was, apologized. “I’m sorry, Rosie. You were saying? Oh yes, about my trip. A waste of time.” Then he pictured Amber’s pert little breasts—that’s three, no, four things he remembered! “Maybe not a complete waste.”

Rose tugged his pants off and threw them onto a chair. She pulled the covers up over him. What a sweet woman! “You know what, Rosie? I wanna go back to Terra III. Everything grows there. You wouldn’t believe the amazing things I grew. I can’t grow a damn thing here.”

“If you think that, you’re a blind man, Xander Pax.” She fetched a flask of water from his small cooler and two pills from the medicine cabinet. “Take these and drink. You’re going to be a very sorry boy in the morning, you know.”

He swallowed the tablets and drank obediently. “It’s all that fucking Scotsman’s fault. He drinks like a bloody fish!”

“Yes, yes, I know. Blame it on Nebo.” She took the water from him and tucked him in like a child.

His eyelids were heavy, so heavy. “D’ya know Nebo’s not his real name,”

The last thing he remembered was the sound of her soft laughter as she turned out the light. “Real names? Pfft. Who even remembers ‘em.”

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