novellas stories and histories

There they were. Lined up by the dozens.
Uniformly tall. Uniformly beautiful. Nearly uniformly blond.
Marching out the front entrance of their glittering sorority house in their coordinated pea coats. Casting nary a glance at the house staff attendants who dutifully held open the enormous double doors for them as they strode into the chilly evening air....

"Maybe you should come inside," Kate replied calmly. Almost too calmly. She motioned to the door. "We just finished packing a bunch of old family heirlooms to ship off to my cousin in Colorado and are about to order some pizzas. Would you care to join us?"
She tried not to notice Savvy and Jerry exchanging worried glances. The revelation of a husband's secret girlfriend usually led to a lot of screaming and perhaps a violent fight. At least in most relationships it did. Katie's relationship with her husb...

"Sir,
PSALM 14:
PROVERBS 26:11
It seems that you intend to proclaim your blasphemy in public. If you have not renounced your folly by the fateful hour, all assembled shall perceive with their own eyes an Evolutionist's degraded nature.
For the good of your soul, I am,
ONE WHO PRAYS FOR YOU"...

Chapter 74
Mitchell stared at the sprawling medieval metropolis before him. He imagined it was what London or Paris must have looked like in the Middle Ages. Or maybe even Rome since Mitchell knew that, at its peak, there were roughly a million people in the city whereas London in the Middle Ages didn't even have a tenth of that. And Lorivin definitely held more than fifty thousand people....

Chapter Ten
By my fifth conscious summoning, the novelty had worn off.
When the world froze the next evening, I made myself just as still and waited. The fire came, followed by a flash of purple, and just like every time before, I was carried away from the comfort of my apartment.
I was back in the large circle. My three masters were lined up waiting for me just a few feet outside of it....

Jaleh knocked on the door, hoping that someone would open it.
She knew Rebecca was inside the house, but did not know if anyone else was home, and wasn't sure if Rebecca would be in any mood to answer it. If she'd still had access to Jessie's powers, she could have reached into the girl's mind and make her feel an urge to get up and come answer the door....

Eva woke up to Lucas getting dressed.
"Good morning, Sweetie," he said. "I've ordered some breakfast for you. I have a short meeting this morning, and then we can walk around town a bit, see the sights, and do a little shopping. How does that sound?"
"I'd be happy to just stay in bed with you all day," Eva said, only half teasing. She did want to enjoy her trip, but she also wanted to spend lots of time in bed. "You're not really going to leave me alone are you? I don't know any German," Eva complaine...

Chapter 9: MAUDIE
Gertie meets Johnnie's Grandmother
Her friendships with her 'sisters', Evie and Milde, were firmly established by the end of the calendar year and Gertie had also found a great friend in Johnnie's grandmother Maudie, who was 81 by the time Gertie first met her in November 1948....

Many thanks to my advance readers, including Not_E and happyyy_, as well as to my editor LaRascasse.
Content warning: references to sexual assault, references to bodily mutilation
***
Litheian walked down the long stone hall, pausing as the walls gave way to the open courtyard, the summer sun shining down on the carefully tended garden on the ground floor. The royal palace in Kiridas was full of such small wonders, balancing the need for light and warmth in the lowland plains of Anderar. She smiled...

Chapter 17 -- Take a Drunk Girl Home
Saturday December 31
"Get your butt up," I said as I jumped on Peggy's bed.
"What time is it?" she mumbled and saw the alarm clock.
"Get up. We're going running," I announced. "I'll get the boys up while you change."
I overheard my mom tell Duke to get off the bed, so I knew he was doing his job by waking them up for his morning loving. When I went into the boys' room, I saw Little David standing up in his crib, so I picked him up....

Chapter 71
"Going overland, avoiding roads and towns as much as we can, I expect it to take us about two ten-days to get to Lorivin," Allora repeated as they made final checks in the pre-dawn light. She looked longingly at the pack that held her armor and Mitchell knew how much she wished to wear it again, but that would be painting a target on their backs. She'd also freshly wrapped the pommel of her sword, hiding the gemstone from view....

Author's Notes:
So the first part of this did not do well as of the time of posting this. I can't see what ratings people leave but I can see how many have rated each work. Small number of votes and me watching to see how the overall rating changed meant I can back into what the votes likely were. Part 1 got almost exclusively 1s and 5s. I think some of the low ratings are because it was originally posted in Romance and I was later informed the story does not fit that category. Regardless, my hope is tha...

Chapter 8: AT WORK
Johnnie and Gertie learn the banking business together
When Gertie started going into work with Johnnie, she thought that most of his colleagues at the bank regarded her presence as merely amusing, but Gertie sat in on all his meetings, making herself useful by making notes for her own benefit at first. Johnnie agreed that her note taking and her assimilation of the salient points were every bit as good as his own notes and he encouraged her to take over the note taking as her valua...

Chapter 1: Alaric
On the corner of Main Street, the autumnal sun lilted down through the clouds, projecting a prism of light through the changing leaves. The crisp breeze carried a hint of the coming winter, mirrored by the hues of red and orange that adorned the trees. Collingwood had always been locked in this beautiful dance between untouched nature and the technological growth of humanity....

( I cannot express my deepest appreciation to those that continue reading and enjoy my efforts here. This chapter was not as hurried as the last one was, due to indecision on my part whether to continue and then keep doing so in a timely fashion.
Also, as it was pointed out to me in a comment: these will not be 'standalone' stories. That decision was made after Ch 3. Thank You all again for your patience, understanding, votes and comments. )...

For those reading in real time: I've made changes to the previous chapter (i24) after receiving some helpful comments about the opening of that installment. The changes aren't huge or radical but they are material. I am posting this chapter now that those revisions have been published. I am grateful for everyone's input. I believe the story has been improved by our exchanges....

The three travelers were moving quick to Independence, traveling in a special altered railroad car. A fresh made wall had split the car in two, a white door on the left of a long buffet built against it and a wide wardrobe on the buffet's right. All the seats had been removed, replaced by two settees nestled into the front corner and four wing backed chairs. A low table fronted the settees', a larger table made for serving food or playing cards set in the opposite corner of the settees....

"Ah cain't believe he did that," Savvy exclaimed, pulling away from the parking garage where Magic Maybelle sat during pole dancing class.
"He didn't act interested in my opinion," Katie admitted with a dismissive shrug. "And I didn't care enough to stop him."
"But hunny, that's rape! Husband or not, iffin yew don't wanna, then th'answer's 'No'." Savvy fumed so much, Katie could almost see the cartoonish steam cooking out of her ears and found herself pleased by her girlfriend's concern....

( After 18 Chapters and near one hundred fifty thousand words, this will end my efforts concerning Winding Creek. Again, I cannot Thank those enough that have voted, commented and shared my tale. )
Sally Tart was special dressed to meet Lucas and Anna Ruth as she waited for their return at the rail station. She mightened be as pleased to see Tiffany Ann, her often wondering what she might have been up to these past three weeks. There'd been no problems here in town, and she was more than pleased about th...

(I can only apologize for the lateness of this chapter: My health does and always will come first... Many, many Thanks for those folks that follow me and comment on my tales. The last chapter is near written and will be posted in the next two weeks... After that, We will see. Again, My deep appreciation for your patience and understanding.)...

Lucas Blake might have had three, maybe four hours of sleep. Linda Jean was hard sleeping, her breathing coming deep from inside. She laid curled up tight, her smooth bottom pressed up against him. Deep asleep. Peaceful. Content: it were something that happened rare as a southern breeze on a cold day in January....

Many thanks to my advance readers, including Not_E and happyyy_, as well as to my editor LaRascasse.
Content warning: depictions of childbirth, references to maternal and infant death
***
Bethaer awoke early the next morning, Litheian still in his arms. He watched her sleeping form awhile, the soft rise and fall of her body. He wanted to reach out and stroke her hair, whisper to her belly and tell their child how beautiful and strong her mother was, but he didn't dare....

Author's Note: Well, we've made it! The final chapter of Traffic Girl: Katie. I hope you find that this is a rollicking good time, if a bit different from the usual. But I think it's a fun change of pace. Don't worry -- the fun doesn't stop here. We'll be rolling right into a continuation of this timeline in Traffic Girl: Stephanie, with the first chapter already well underway....

New Blood
They had left early, as the first hint of lemon began to imbue the landscape with delicate color. The day promised fair weather and a light breeze. The men were mostly well-rested and in good spirits, though they were well aware they were about to enter the toughest leg of the expedition. The home run to their base camp across the unforgiving nothingness. There was so much that could go wrong to jeopardize all their efforts and dreams....

Chapter 7: THE AMAZON
Gertie meets Johnnie's older sister
The knock on Gertie's bedroom door at the Dorset's Kensington mansion was soft but Gertie heard it cut through her quiet reflection.
"Come!" she called out.
The door opened and one of Evie's younger housemaids entered. "Sorry to disturb you, Miss Gertie, but Ma'am was asking whether you was ready to go yet or not?"...

For the first time in her life she wasn't hungry. Every male that she passed on the street didn't fill her with the urge to drink from them. She no longer wanted to make them pay or make them suffer for what had happened to her. For the most part, she simply didn't care what happened to them. All she wanted was for them to just let her be....

"He's not answering," Jake revealed needlessly.
"Good. Maybe I can avoid the fight," Luke joked, watching as his friend typed a message. He'd witnessed Phinn's tantrums over cases in the past. So, he fully expected Jake's partner to be upset over being unable to listen to their conversation with the Tarrs....

Shadows from the House of Scent Ch3
Juliet's Tattoo, the Pink PussyCat, and living vicariously.
Something happens. It forms into a mould. It becomes palpable. Real. Throbbing. You think you can reach out to hold it. But then -- in that nameless hour -- it is gone.
ONE: AMBER UNDERCOVER
Amber read Lizzy's script until late that night. At one point, she fell asleep. The script was still in one hand while her other was between her legs; a finger engulfed in her soft moist lips. Her long skinny fing...

"Officer Dillon," repeated Danielle, looking dazed. "What could he want?"
"Honey, he's been waiting for you about an hour, now," Aunt Marie sounded upset, "your uncle and I are worried about what he..."
"It's ok Aunty," said Danielle in a reassuring voice, with one hand in the air. Quickly she opened the kitchen door, motioning her aunt ahead of her, "Let's just see what it is he wants."...

She lay in star fashion facing the deep blue sky, eyes closed as the sun warmed her naked form. A blanket below her separated her body from the grass, the sound of insects and birds reached her ears, and the smell of country air filled her nostrils. In that serene moment, her thoughts wandered freely, liberated from the demands of everyday life. She felt a profound sense of peace and contentedness with nature, as if the boundaries between herself and the world around her had dissolved. The sensual feeling o...