Teaser Tuesday: This One's For Kelly

Yes, it's that day again, peeps.  Teaser Tuesday on this fair blog and F&G Tuesday over on Kelly's site.  So, I figured that I might as well tease something she's been begging for for like...well...ever.

So, here's a little snip from my Texas Twin Love Triangle piece LOVE IN A TIME OF POPULARITY.

Enjoy!

I swung the car into the Lawrences’ driveway as Becca launched into a full-scale rant about her dad and his many dating rules. Both Dallas and Austin were standing around Austin’s car, bent over the engine. I honked, and both their heads jerked up simultaneously.


Grinning, Austin jogged around the front of my car and opened the door for me. “Hey, Jenny!” he greeted enthusiastically. “What’s up?”

I just about melted right then and there, especially when his smudged fingers brushed over the back of my hand. “Movies,” I stammered out. “Becca and me. You want to come?” Could I be any more of a train wreck?

“We sure do. Don’t we, Dal?” He didn’t wait for his brother to reply before continuing on. “Give us five minutes to go wash up and change.”

While Becca and I waited, she fiddled with the AC vents in the car, the radio, and the seat position, all while keeping up a steady stream of conversation. I didn’t have to participate, couldn’t have even if I wanted to. By the time the boys climbed into the backseat, I’d probably said three words. Maybe four.

The movie theater was teeming with people when we arrived. All of them, no doubt, had the same idea as us. Get out of the heat and into the cool confines of a darkened theater to see the latest post-apocalyptic zombie flick. Austin braved the crowd at the ticket window while we headed in to the concession stand. When he found us a few minutes later, tickets in hand, there was only one person ahead of us.

“So,” he said, slinging his arm around his brother’s shoulders. “What are we getting? Popcorn? Candy? Nachos? All three?”

“Get off me, you big goon.” Dallas grumbled, pushing Austin away from him. In turn, Austin caught him up in a headlock and gave him a noogie that had both Becca and me cringing.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the two of them, bickering and playfully swatting at each other.

As soon as the guy in front of us stepped away from the counter with his goodies in hand, they stopped horsing around and instantly became all business. Becca and I each ordered and pop—Coke for her, Dr. Pepper for me. Then, the boys stepped up the order with two jumbo tubs of popcorn, Twizzlers, Milk Duds, M&M’s, and Goobers. The only thing on the menu that they didn’t order was nachos. Go figure.

Loaded down with half the contents of the concession stand, we shuffled into the theater and settled into our seats only moments before the previews started. In the darkness, I was hyper-aware of the fact that Austin was sitting to my right, his arm pressed up against mine on our shared armrest and his warm breath fanning mint-flavored waves across my face whenever he leaned in close to whisper some comment about the upcoming movies being previewed. Of course, I was in complete meltdown mode and could do nothing but nod each time he lobbed a question my way.

Twenty minutes into the movie, the zombie apocalypse was in full-swing. Blood splattered across the screen in arches of corn syrup crimson, coating everyone in the fictional world. The living dead ruled the night as the handful of still human survivors cut and run for their lives.

And, I was enthralled. So much so that when the blonde Playboy-model-type character went off on her own, looking for something stupid, I was completely engrossed in her search. When the zombie predictably jumped out from a shadowed corner, not only did I let loose a loud shriek, but I jumped about a foot in the air.

Unfortunately, I happened to have not only the tub of popcorn in my lap but also the bag of M&M’s. And, it all went flying. Sticky, buttered popcorn rained down around me. M&M’s showered to the right, pelting Austin in the face.

My mouth dropped open for all of second before I erupted into a fit of giggles almost as loud as my earlier shriek had been. Austin shook his head, once, twice, and then gave me a look that rivaled Dad’s You’re grounded for life glare. That just made me laugh harder. I reached out to help dust some of the buttered corn and brightly colored chocolate pieces from him, but he waved me away. Unfortunately, as he was trying to shoo me back to my own side of the armrest, he knocked over his still mostly full Coke. Shooting up out of his seat as the cola flooded his lap, he cursed under his breath and bounded out of the theater.

Now, it wasn’t all that funny anymore.

While I was staring at the empty space Austin had left behind groping for the best way to apologize, the tub of popcorn that surprisingly still had some kernels left clinging to the bottom was extracted from my grasp. I turned to Dallas, with a questioning look. Really, why take it from me now? The damage had already been done.

“I’d like some popcorn to end up in my stomach tonight,” he smirked.

A startled giggle tumbled out, louder than was probably acceptable in a movie theater. My hand flew up to cover my mouth, a belated attempt to keep the sound locked up tight. I stared at him for another long minute, his gaze not wavering from mine. Then, I shook my head, plucked a stray puff of corn from his shirt, and lobbed it at him.

Not missing a beat, he sprang forward, catching it easily with his mouth. “Now, that’s more like it.” He murmured as he settled back in his seat.

I did the same, but I couldn’t concentrate on the movie now, not with Austin’s empty seat staring accusingly at me. He’d been gone a while, and I couldn’t help but wonder how mad he was at me for the popcorn, M&M’s, and ultimately the Coke.

As if reading my mine, Dallas’ hand covered mine and squeezed gently, the heat of his touch radiating through me. “Don’t worry,” he leaned in close to whisper. “He’s not going to be mad at you. It was an accident.”

“Are you sure?” I squeaked out, my eyes not leaving the empty seat beside me. “He didn’t look particularly happy with me when he left.”

His fingers tightened around mine again, instantly soothing. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he replied. “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

His softly whispered words of reassurance really did help, and a few minutes later when Austin came back, I felt even better. He brushed off my profuse apologies with a short laugh and quickly uttered, “No worries, Jenny.”

And, I knew it was alright. If I could throw three pounds of popcorn at him, pelt him with chocolate, and douse him with a gallon of pop and have him be totally okay with it, I knew it was meant to be. Oh yes, Austin Lawrence would be mine.

 
So...what do we think? Is this the one...or should I focus on one of the many dozens of other half-finished works I have going? Only time will tell, I suppose :)

I am Such a TEASE :)

Happy Teaser Tuesday all! Yes, I am still teasing from LOVE IN A TIME OF POPULARITY. You all will be glad to know (ahem, Kelly) that I foresee this being complete within the next three weeks. Three because one of those weeks I am on vacation. WOOT!

Anywho...here you are. Enjoy!!

“Miss Jenna! You’re here!”

I’d just gotten the blanket spread out, and Cindy was cracking open our root beers when I heard Chad’s gleeful shout. Grinning, I turned around just in time to catch him as he launched himself at me, knocking us both to the ground. When I had him set back on his feet, he started talking so fast my head was spinning.

“Whoa! Slow down a little,” I laughed. “I’m not going anywhere. Now, tell me about this outfit. Have you been out slaying dragons?” He was costumed in his normal shorts and t-shirt, but that was topped by a paper crown like what you’d get at Burger King, a pillow case tied around his neck to fashion a dark red cape, and he held a long cardboard sword covered in shiny aluminum foil.

He nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, Miss Jenna. I’ll keep you safe.”

It took everything I had to swallow the laughter that was fighting its way free. He was just too adorable in his get-up.

“Hey, there’s PJ!” Cindy jumped to her feet and frantically waved her hands above her head. “PJ! Over here!” She shouted, motioning for PJ, Dallas, and Austin to come over.

When they were close to us but not quite within reach, Chad leaped out in front of the blanket, cardboard sword drawn and blood in his eyes. “Villians!” he yelled, jabbing the air around Austin’s stomach. “This village does not allow dragons! I will slay you!”

Austin threw up his hands in surrender and backed up a few steps. “I come in peace, kid.”

“Liar!” Chad jabbed at Austin again. “You and your dragon—“ he slashed at Dallas, who was doing his best to keep from laughing out loud. “—will say anything to filterate the kingdom and kidnap Queen Jenna.”

“Filterate?” Austin echoed, backing up another step when Chad lashed out at his leg, the cardboard just barely missing his appendage.

“Chad,” I began, swallowing back laughter which took more than a little effort. “I think you meant ‘infiltrate’.”

“That’s—“ He swung at Dallas. “—what I said, Miss Jenna. Filterate.” He swung again. “I will slay you dragon! You won’t get Queen Jenna!”

“Dude,” Austin looked over at Dallas. “At least, you get to be a dragon. They can breathe fire and protect themselves. I got nothing.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. Neither could PJ and Cindy.

“Arrrr!” Chad lifted his sword overhead and charged at Dallas, who just stood there, waiting to be slaughtered. The boy slammed into Dallas, eliciting a loud grunt from him as they both toppled to the ground.

Austin, not even looking to see if his brother was alright, sauntered over to me, caught me by the arm and yanked me to my feet. He didn’t stop there. He lifted me at the waist and hoisted me over his shoulder.

“Looks like I got me a queen. Thanks for being the bait, Dal.” He laughed as he started to walk away with me hanging halfway down his back.

Chad, seeing Austin carting me away, leaped off Dallas and bounded toward us. “I’ll save you, Miss Jenna. Don’t you worry!”

Of course, by this time, we’d amassed quite an audience, and Austin, being the ham that he was, played this up. He threw back his head and cackled maniacally. “You shall never see your queen again, Sir Chad. You may have gotten my dragon, but you will never get me!”

Chad screeched out a war cry and charged after us.

Austin, seeing the torpedo that was the six-year-old closing in, set me on my feet and shook his head. Then, he whirled around, swiveling his head back and forth to determine the best escape route. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot!” Dropping to his knees, he rolled out of Chad’s reach right as his sword came crashing down. Then, he was gone, disappeared into thin air.

And, that's it for me on this fine Tuesday. As I said, I am going on vacation, so I may not be able to reply to your comments in a timely manner. But know that I appreciate each and every one of them! Thanks for stopping by!

A TEASE By Any Other Name...

So, Karla has been BAD! Not a single word written since last week's tease. Not a one...well, unless you count the nonsense I spew on Twitter. Then, I've written enough to fill volumes. Yes, friends. I have become addicted. I just can't help it. Twitter is like crack for me. Wonderful, intoxicating crack. Ahhhhhh....

Uh...wait. Where were we again? Oh, right. TEASE. This snip is still from my current WiP that just won't die already. Yes, this scene from LOVE IN A TIME OF POPULARITY comes on the heels of the carnival scene. You know the one where Dallas won Jenna a giant panda? It's the next day, actually, and Austin and Dallas have come over to Jenna's house to play in her pool.

Enjoy!!

“So,” he said after a few moments of silence in which we just watched the antics going on in the pool. “How’s Mr. Panda enjoying his new home? Is he making the transition okay?”

I snorted. “Well, you know there’s always a period of adjustment.” I heaved out a dramatic sigh. “He’s afraid of the dark, terrified really, which is funny considering how big he is.”

He nodded sympathetically. “Even big guys can be a little scared sometimes.”

“Yeah, well he ended up crawling into bed with me in the middle of the night. He’s a pillow hog, and he steals the covers.”

“Bad Mr. Panda,” Dallas chortled.

“You didn’t have to sleep with him!”

“Well, at least he didn’t have gas…wait, he didn’t, did he?”

“Thank god no!” We both broke into giggles at that. Our laughter drew Austin’s gaze over to us and he smiled.

“You two coming back in, or are you going to be anti-social?” He called.

I thought for a moment. “Anti-social,” I yelled back.

Dallas grinned at his brother and then took another swig of his lemonade.

“So Dallas,” I began. “And Austin.”

He nodded.

I rolled my hand in the air between us, pressing the question without having to speak.

“Born in Texas.” He told me. “You know we’re twins, not identical of course.”

I rolled my eyes. “Kind of hard to miss.”

His lips twitched up at the corners as if he was trying to hold in a laugh, and failing miserably.

“Well, Dad was stationed in Dallas at the time we were born, but Mom was in Austin visiting my aunt when she went into labor.” He shrugged. “So, Austin was named for the city we were born in—“

“And you were named for the city you lived in.” I finished.

He nodded. “Six more months and we would have been named Fort and Bragg.”

Another round of laughter peeled out of me. “Can I call you Braggy for short?”

“Not if you expect me to answer.” He deadpanned.

One thing about Dallas. He never failed to make me laugh. In fact, my sides were already beginning to hurt. “So, what about PJ?” I had to ask.

“Hawaii.” He answered. “PJ is short for Pearl June.”

“But, Pearl Harbor is a naval base.” I pointed out, confused. “I thought your dad was army.”

“Rangers,” he clarified. “Yeah, we were at Fort Shafter then.” One brow quirked up, and he smirked at me. “My mom may be a little nuts about naming her kids where we’ve been, but even she couldn’t name her daughter Shaft.”

Now, I really couldn’t breathe, I was laughing so hard. “I certainly hope not!” I gasped out between guffaws. When I finally got my chuckles under control, I poured myself a cup of lemonade and topped off his. “I take it PJ was born in June?” At his nod, I continued. “So, does that make your middle name March?”

“Close,” he chuckled.

“May?” I snickered. “Oh, please tell me it’s May!”

“You wish.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s August, and before you ask, no Austin’s middle name isn’t August, too. Or Thursday for that matter.” He didn’t wait for me to verbalize the question before he answered it. “It’s David…Dad’s name.”

He eyes turned sad then, and I reached out to squeeze his hand. “You miss him, don’t you?” I whispered.

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug that tried desperately to be careless but fell short by a mile. “He was gone a lot anyway.”

Dude, Where's My TEASE?

I seriously forgot all about it being Tuesday. Like, really...I honestly thought today was Wednesday, to the point that I was looking for the Road-Trip Wednesday topic. GAH! How could I forget something as important as Teaser Tuesday?

Anywho, this week's tease comes courtesy of Jenna, Dallas, and Austin's love triangle in my current work-in-progress LOVE IN A TIME OF POPULARITY. Enjoy!


As I closed the distance between our houses, I noticed that Austin’s muscle car was jacked up in the driveway, the hood propped up, and him lying beneath it.

“Having car trouble?” I asked, nudging him with my foot to get his attention.

“What?” Gripping the underside of the car, he rolled himself out so that he could see who was kicking at him. “Hey, Jenny. What’s up?” He sat up on and wiped his hands on a grease-stained rag he’d had shoved in his pocket. “You look nice,” he whistled softly under his breath. “You’re hair’s all,” he waved his own hands around his head. “Poofy and curly. Looks good.”

“Uh…thanks,” I stuttered out, tongue-tied and face flushed.

He rummaged in his toolbox and then rolled himself back under the car. Apparently, that one compliment was about all I was going to get out of him today. I started to head into the house when he spoke again.

“So, you have a hot date or something?”

“No, just taking the girls to the mall.” At his disbelieving snort, I elaborated. “Cindy was being a little demanding when she asked. Well, more like she told me that I was going to take her—“

“Ouch,” he cut in with a snicker. “So, you decided to take your time and make her wait? Very vindictive of you. I’m impressed.”

“Impressed about what?”

I whirled around to see Dallas strolling toward us. He halted mid-stride, his eyes widening as he took in my appearance, his gaze sweeping over me from top to bottom. “Uh…hey, Jenna,” he mumbled. “Cindy and PJ said you were taking them to the mall.”

“Yeah,” I instantly perked up at the idea of having a friend of my own to wander the mall with instead of trailing behind Cindy like a bodyguard or a chauffer. “You want to come with?”

“Great!” Austin piped in from under the car. “Dal, you can get the part my baby needs.” He slid out from under the car again and sat up. “I need you to stop—“ He halted mid-sentence, staring in horrified fascination at Dallas’ bare feet. “What the Hell did you do to your feet? You’re toes are pink!”

We all looked down.

“That’s not pink,” I told Austin, matter-of-factly. “It’s Purple Passion.” For some reason I couldn’t quite figure out, I was absurdly happy that Dallas hadn’t scrubbed the polish off his feet last night. Although, it was kind of weird seeing such a feminine color gracing his toes.

“Purple Passion?” he choked out.

“Yeah,” I wiggled my own flip-flopped foot in front of his face. “Purple Passion.”

“Dude! You let a girl paint your toes?” He flashed his hand in the air like he was cracking a whip, making the sound effect to go with it. “And pink, too.”

“Purple passion.” Dallas grumbled before stalking away muttering about how Austin could get his own damned part for his damned baby.

“Well,” Austin said to me when he got his laughter under control. “I guess I shouldn’t have poked fun at him until after he came back with my part, huh?”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. “It wasn’t very nice of you.” I agreed.

“Seriously, though,” he told me, soberly. “How did you convince him to let you paint his toes pink? Purple Passion, I know.” He amended before I could correct him.

I just shrugged. “I was bored, and he let me.”

“Hmm,” he stared at me for so long, I started to fidget under his close scrutiny. Then, he blew out a heavy breath and rolled his shoulders. “Well, since I’m on my own parts-wise, mind if I tag along?”

I shook my head, carelessly. “Not at all.” Inside, I was teeming with nervous energy and giddiness at having Austin along, even if he was only going because Dallas refused to help him. It was just more time I’d get to spend with this hot boy.

His answering grin was wide and blinding. “Great. Just let me get cleaned up, and I’ll be ready to go. Thanks, Jenny.”

“It’s Jenna,” I corrected, but he’d already disappeared into the house.

I TEASE Because...I Can!

This week's teaser is the scene that follows last week's. Ah, the carnival...home of wild and crazy rides, fried, sugary foods (yay, Elephant Ears!), and rigged games.

Enjoy!



About halfway down the third row of game booths, I passed a booth filled with large stuffed animals hanging from the posts in front. “Three throws for a five spot!” the man operating the booth called to me, a smirk riding his lips. “Easy as pie to win, sweetheart. Just step up and throw.”

Digging into my pocket, I stepped up to his booth and handed him the money. “What do I do?” I asked, eyeing the tall bottles stacked up on top of each other about ten feet away.

He tossed a baseball in the air once, twice and grinned at me, a sly smirk that told me my money was wasted here. “Knock down all the bottles in one throw and win any prize here.” He told me. “Three tries.”

Easy enough. I held out my hand for the ball, not at all surprised when I found the ball to be lighter than it should have been. Probably hollowed out on the inside. I glared at the bottles stacked up. Made of thick, green glass, it’d be nearly impossible to knock them down with this sad excuse for a ball. Still, I had to give it my all.

Gripping the ball the way Grant had shown me all those years ago when I got it in my head to go out for softball—and failed due to an extreme lack of hand-eye coordination—I threw my arm back to get as much force behind the throw as possible…and slammed my elbow into the shoulder of some innocent passerby.

How many people was I going to clobber today?

I whirled around at the same time that he stumbled back into the stream of people parading through the area.

“I’m so sorry!”

“Ow! Hey, watch what you’re doing!”

My mouth dropped open as I gaped at Dallas, his brown eyes flashing angrily behind his ugly glasses. Hands automatically extending, I stepped toward him. “Oh, Dallas, I am so sorry. It was an—“

“Accident, I know.” He grumbled, waving off my hands. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“But—“

“I’m okay. Really,” he cut in, rubbing his shoulder. Then, he forced a smile to his lips. “But, you really do pack a punch for a girl. I might need you to give me some tips.”

I barked out a surprised laugh and shook my head. “I don’t really know what advice I could give. It’s all just dumb luck.”

“Listen, lady,” the game guy interrupted, annoyed. “Are you gonna take your throws or what? I can’t afford to stand around here all day while you make googley-eyes at your boyfriend.”

We both turned to the irate man. To be honest, I’d just about forgotten he was there. Before I could respond, Dallas plucked the ball out of my hand and tossed it a couple times, measuring its weight. He slid a quick glance at me. “Mind if I take your throws? I don’t want to see anyone else get incapacitated tonight by those sharp elbows of yours.”

“You’re the only one they seem to enjoy injuring,” I shot back on a chuckle.

He threw back his head and laughed. It was a nice sound, deep and rich. Then, he pulled his arm back and let the ball fly. It slammed into the bottles with such resounding force that they toppled almost instantly. The game man’s jaw dropped, but Dallas just looked over at me, completely uninterested. “Which one do you want?”

Teasing at the Carnival...

So peeps, it's official! I am concentrating on my contemporary romance LOVE IN A TIME OF POPULARITY...well, for now anyway :)

A little story info: Austin and Dallas Lawrence have just moved to town and Jenna is already crushing on Austin (who is super nice, super cool, and did we mention super hot?), but it's in Dallas (the not so cute, painfully shy nerd) that she finds a kindred spirit.

Enjoy!

Dallas and I both shrugged and then grinned at each other. “So, where to first?” I asked Austin.

He looked around for a moment and then took off, leaving Dallas and me no choice but to follow or be left behind. After weaving his way through the crowd, he stopped so suddenly, I plowed right into him, but being the brick wall that he was, I bounced off him, stumbling back a few feet.

Skinny arms that were much stronger than I’d imagined they’d be caught me before I landed on my butt. “Whoa, there,” he murmured in my ear. He gripped me under my armpits and yanked. When I was upright, his hands loosened and slid away, his fingers lightly grazing the sides of my breasts. An innocent enough touch, but I still couldn’t ignore the tingles his fingers left behind or the splash of color that sprang up to my cheeks.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Didn’t mean to, you know, touch you there.” His own face was so red it was almost purple, relieving some of my own embarrassment.

Swiping a hand over my face in an attempt to scrub away the crimson riding my cheeks, I shook my head and blew out a heavy breath. I glanced around, finding that Austin had stopped between the bumper cars and the tea cups to count out tickets.

“Tea Cups?” I asked. “Well, I guess you can’t get much littler than that. Do you know I haven’t been on them since Cindy was like five? And, they used to be my favorite ride.” I started walking toward them, more excited to ride them than I was willing to admit aloud.

“Uh, Jenna?” Dallas said, his voice a little unsure.

“Hmm?” I wheeled around just in time to catch the sidelong glance he gave his brother.

“What?”

“Well,” he shifted from one foot to the other. “I think Austin meant the bumper cars.”

“Oh…okay.” I turned toward the other ride, trying to conceal my disappointment, but I knew they both caught my longing glance at the brightly colored cups that were twirling around amid shrieks and laughter.

“No, no, we can go on the tea cups.” Austin cut in. He pulled in a deep breath and then started toward the line.

“Are you sure? I mean, we can do bumper cars first.” I told him, but my heart wasn’t in it, and I’m pretty sure both he and his brother knew it.

“Nah, let’s do this.” He shot a significant look at Dallas before turning a bright smile on me. “It’ll be fun. Then? The Ferris wheel.”

Well, how could I argue with that?

The line was short and full of small children with their parents. We were the only ones without kids in tow. “Jenna? Is that you?”

I turned to find Mrs. Mickelson bouncing her eleven month old son on her hip while Chad, her rough and rowdy six-year-old literally ran circles around her. “Oh, hey. Is Mr. Mickelson working tonight?” I asked sympathetically. Not waiting for an answer, I squatted down, reached out, and snagged hold of Chad before he could make another go-round of his mother.

“I’m a little scared, Chad,” I said when I had his full attention. “Do you think you could hold my hand through this ride?”

He giggled and looked up, up, up at Austin and Dallas. “Who are you?” He demanded. “And why are you making Miss Jenna go on a ride that scares her?”

“Chad Aaron!” His mother exclaimed.

Dallas’ face darkened even more while Austin threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Well, kid,” Austin said between guffaws. “My brother and I are just big meanies, aren’t we, Dallas?”

He just nodded along and mumbled something under his breath. I almost felt bad for him. Being as painfully shy as he was must be so hard.

Just then the current ride stopped, and the line started moving. “So, what do you say, Chad?” I asked, hopefully.

He looked over at his mother and then jerked his head up and down vigorously. “You wait over there Mom.” He told her, pointing toward the sidelines where other parents were lined up watching their kids get seated. Then, he grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. “I’ll protect you, Miss Jenna. Don’t you worry.”

We handed our tickets over and then Chad led us to a bright blue cup with yellow flowers on it.

We all settled in, Chad beside me with Austin and Dallas across from us.

“You know what my favorite part is?” Chad asked Austin.

He shook his head, a small, tight smile compressing his lips. “What?”

“The twirling in the middle!” He cried gleefully, pointing at the wheel between us. “We can make the cup go as fast as we want even before the ride starts.”

“Uh…I don’t think that’s such a good idea, kid.” Austin tried to dissuade him. “I mean, we don’t want anyone to get sick now do we? Especially not Miss Jenna.”

Chad looked over at me for all of a second and then turned an evil grin on Austin. “Course we do! ‘Sides, Miss Jenna loves this ride. She told me so herself.” He reached for the wheel and tugged. “Come on! Let’s go!”

A jubilant laugh tumbled from my lips. I lifted my shoulders in a small shrug for Austin’s benefit and then reached out as well. Dallas did the same, but Austin kept his hands folded in his lap.

Round and round we went. Faster and faster and faster. Chad’s joyful shrieks filled the air, and the world outside our cup was little more than a blur even before the ride began. Things got even more jumbled when the ride whirred to life, and loud gasping laughter was ripped from my throat. Rich, deep bellows joined with mine and I wondered from which of the brothers the melodious sound was coming.

The ride was over all too soon. Still, it took a moment for my vision to right itself, but when it did, my gaze locked with Austin’s. Whiter than any corpse I’d seen on television, he looked about an inch away from meeting his maker. He groaned loudly and shoved at Dallas until he was able to stumble his way out of the cup and off the ride.

“He…uh…he gets motion sickness sometimes.” Dallas explained.

I shot him an incredulous look. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That was fun, Miss Jenna!” Chad crowed, tugging on my arm. “Can we go again?”

“Uh, I’m going to go check on Austin.” Before I could respond, Dallas turned on his heel and hurried away.

With Chad pulling me in the other direction, I let him drag me back to his mother where they tag-teamed me into riding the tea cups yet again, the bumper cars, the swings, and then going through the fun house. By the time, he’d worn himself down, Dallas and Austin were nowhere in sight, and I still had an hour before the agreed upon eleven o’clock meet.

So much for my fantasies of having a very date-like night out with Austin. I’d be lucky if he ever wanted to see me again. Really, it about summed up my life perfectly. At least, I didn’t beat up his brother again.

Double the Teasing, Double the Fun...

Thanks again for all your comments last week. I'm still not sure which of the two bright and shiny new ideas of mine to focus on. Last week's poll came out to a three way tie. Just as many people said HUNTED as said LOVE as said 'do what you want'. So I'm still undecided :(

Anywho...I thought that since I'm still so undecided, you all can get two teasers again this week! yay for Two for Teaser Tuesday!


LOVE IN A TIME OF POPULARITY (YA contemp romance)

The basket filled with all sorts of welcome goodies Mom had all but thrown at me this morning easily weighed more than both me and Cindy combined. It was all I could do to make it the short distance across the street and four houses down to greet our new neighbors. Cindy skipped up ahead, her blond curls bouncing in the mid-morning sunlight as I trudged behind her.

“C’mon, slow poke.” She sang out, tapping her foot and glancing at her watch in fake impatience all the while fighting to hold back giggles.

I tried to melt her with my glare, but it didn’t work. Instead, I hiked the basket higher in my hands and forced myself forward. It was nice of Mom to think of the new people, but how come I was the one who had to be the ‘welcome wagon’?

Cindy was already leaning on the doorbell when I finally made it up to her side. We stood and waited, listening to muffled clanging sounds from deep within the house. Another few minutes and she jabbed at the doorbell again. The slight chiming that echoed back at us was drowned out by the raucous sounds of people moving furniture and unpacking. She rolled her eyes and pressed longer and harder on the bell. A twelve year old girl—especially one as curious as my sister—lacks any kind of patience or tact.

She was about to hit the bell again, but I stopped her. Shifting the basket so as to free one hand, I knocked loudly, rapping my knuckles against the hard wood. Waited…waited…waited. Groaning—even I was beginning to get a little miffed—I balled my hand into a tight fist, pulled it back, and slammed it forward as hard as I could. They’d definitely hear that.

But, as my fist was just about to connect with solid wood, the door swung inward, and my knuckles met with soft flesh stretched over sharp bone.

“Ow!” He cried, his hands automatically flying up to cover his face.

“Oh!” I gasped, dropping the basket and stepping forward, hand outstretched to help. “I am so sorry. I didn’t—“

“Don’t!” He cut in, one hand clapped over his nose while the other palm slapped out between us, warding me off.

Beside me, Cindy’s mouth was hanging open, her eyes darting from me to the boy and back to me again. Then, nervous giggles erupted from her. “Well, isn’t that a nice way to welcome our new neighbors?”


and...


HUNTED (YA paranormal romance)

He fell in as I yanked the door open, a bloody sack of broken bones and shredded muscle collapsing heavily into my surprised arms. Another shriek made its way back up to the tip of my tongue before my senses came back to me enough to stop it cold. My eyes rounded in shock, disbelief, and over-whelming relief.

“Tanner!” I choked out, my arms locking around him as I stepped back to pull him into the shelter of our home. “Tanner, you’re alive! I’d begun to think that—“

“No time for thinking.” He cut in with a low, pained growl. “We’ve got to bounce before they unleash the hounds.”

Ice slithered through my veins at the mention of the hounds. They were close if the hounds were coming into play. Very close. I kicked myself mentally and focused all my attention on my brother.

“You’re bleeding.” I said, stating the obvious.

He rolled his shoulders, more to pop the bones back into place than to shrug. “Doesn’t matter now. Come on.”

He grabbed my arm and pulled, dragging me along close behind him as he staggered toward the back of the house. I followed him mutely, all the while worrying about the blood dripping down his arm and sliding into the folds of our entwined hands. How bad were his wounds? He’d made it back to me from who knows where, and I was certain that he wouldn’t last the night, not with so much blood oozing out of him. What would I do without him? How would I survive? Did I even want to?

There was no time to entertain such morbid thoughts. Tanner led me back to the tiny bedroom and shoved the window open. His breathing was already labored, and his movements were jerky, but they weren’t slow. In times like this, speed was key. Being wounded did not allow for any mistakes. If anything, it meant you had to fight that much harder to survive.

He motioned toward the window and yanked me forward. “Go.” He ordered as he pushed me through.

I landed on the cold hard ground just outside the window with a sharp thud that resounded painfully, slicing through the still night. Palms to earth to push myself upright, but I only made it to my knees before the heavy backpack slammed me back to the ground. I threw a quick glare over my shoulder at Tanner and then shook it off. Grabbing up the bag, I just barely had it on my back when he stumbled out the opening behind me.

He waved off my nervous hands, offers of help, and frantic questions of whether he was okay. Of course, he wasn’t not okay. He looked like he’d been tied to the back of a Buick and dragged for miles. Maybe he had, but I really didn’t want to know, nor was there any time to ask.

A flash of an instant and we were up and running. No time to stop. No time to think. We ran on pure instinct. Cut across the tiny back yard, sliced through the line of hedges that bordered the property, and then we were in the dense forest behind the house. We stopped once we were just inside the thick stand of trees. Hands on his knees, Tanner heaved out a long stream of labored gasps.

“We. Have. To. Keep. Going.” He wheezed.

I nodded mutely, not wanting to push him too hard but knowing that if we didn’t move soon, it would be our end. My ears perked up. There was something…The hair on my arms raised in warning, and cold panic speared through me. My hand shot out to clutch at Tanner’s arm, my fingers curling into the bloodied flesh. “Do you hear that?” I whispered loudly.

He gave a quick nod—just one small jerk of his head—as his eyes darted back and forth, calculating where the sound was coming from, which escape route was the best, and most importantly, whether we had a snowball’s chance in Hell of getting out alive.

Our chances of survival melted more and more the longer we stood still, and we both knew it.

Quiet reigned as we waited, frozen in place by the notion that the hunters were closer than we’d originally thought. Long minutes passed. Nothing…not even crickets chirping their midnight songs. Something about the stillness felt wrong. I tossed a glance Tanner’s way and found his face held the exact same expression as mine no doubt did. It was just too quiet, and that kind of silence only meant one thing.

A Slacker and A Tease...Yep! That's Me!

I'm sure you all have been wondering where I've been the last couple of weeks. Yes, I did fall into a hole...one called SNI Heaven/Hell, depending on how you look at it :) Heaven because I absolutely LOVE Shiny New Ideas...Hell because I abhor writing beginnings. Ah well, such is the life of a writer.

This week, I am hopping on the Two for Tuesday Bandwagon that Kate Hart started. Yes, friends! I am going to give you TWO Teases for the price of one! How sweet is that? The only catch? I need all you lovelies to tell me which one I should concentrate on. I like them both!

Okay...so deal? Yes? AWESOME! Here you go...your comments and votes are much appreciated!!!

HUNTED: YA paranormal romance

Sucking in a shallow, almost silent breath, I flipped back through my memory banks, searching for Tanner’s location. We’d split up several days ago. Traveling was always easier when we were separate. Much easier to elude the hunters that had been tracking our every movement for nearly a decade. Tanner had promised that he’d meet up with me in a day, no more than two. The morning would bring day three.

Had they found him? Tortured him into giving up my location? Had my sudden wakefulness been my body’s attempt at self-preservation? I didn’t really have a chance to mull any of these questions over for the little leprechaun that lived in my head was violently screaming for me to Run! Run! Run! as fast as I possibly could. And, I knew he was right. If I wanted to survive to see another dawn I had to get out and now, but at the same time, another smaller but more insistent voice was telling me to calm down and think this through.

If nine years of running, constantly looking over my shoulder had taught me anything, it was the value of being smart. All the muscle in the world would not save you if you were stupid enough to walk right into a trap. Even if there was no time, I had to stop and plan my next course of action. My survival depended upon it.

I had to leave. There was really no way around that. If they found Tanner...who was I kidding? They did find my brother. There could be no other explanation for his continued absence. Grief slashed painfully through me, ripping my chest wide open at the terrible realization that I was the only one left.

And then there were none. Our line ended with me. The hunters were so close to getting what they’d wanted for all these years…destroying my family.

Gathering up as much courage as I could muster, I shoved up and raced around my room, grabbing up the few clothes and possessions I really couldn’t live without. The one and only bright side to living on the lam was that you never amassed more than a handful of things. You learned quickly what was of true value and what you could do without when you could only take what you could carry in a small knapsack.

I shoved it all in, yanked the zipper shut, and hoisted the bag up onto my back. Then, I crept slowly toward the bedroom door. Easing the old, rotted wood aside, I peeked out into the living room. The house I was currently living in was tiny, no more than a shack, so it was easy to see from my vantage point that the rest of my home was empty…but not for too much longer, I was sure.

I slithered out through the door, slinking my way through the living room. I snatched up a loaf of bread that was sitting on the table as I moved by. When I reached the front door, I breathed out a small sigh of relief. Squaring my shoulders and telling myself that I would make it, I would survive this night, I pushed the door open.

The scream flew out of my mouth before I could think to stop myself. It didn’t matter anymore. I was about to join the rest of my family in death.


And....another :)


LOVE IN A TIME OF POPULARITY: YA contemporary romance

The great thing about living in a small town is that nothing ever happens. Everyone knows everyone. The girl next door is the same one who’s been there since you were five. The man delivering your paper, the one fixing your car, the kindly old woman running the bakery, the doctor who fixes all your hurts: always un-changing.

There is an immeasurable amount of comfort in familiarity.

On the same token, the bad thing about living in a small town is that nothing ever happens. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows everyone else’s business. For instance, Mrs. Fellows, across the street, has four grown children and a large collection of grandchildren, but what she loves above all else is the assortment of stray cats that she feeds. Mr. Greenberg, on the next block, runs the hardware store. To anyone who hasn’t lived here all her life, he might appear to be a macho guy, but even if no one talks about it, we all know that Mr. Greenberg’s favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle and he cries every time he sees it.

My family—like everyone else—has its own rituals, an unending cycle of sameness. Every fall, we go as a family to the cider mill outside of town and get several bushels of apples so that Mom can create an applesauce sweatshop in which my sister and I spend long hours hunkered over the table, peeling and coring apples until our fingers are about to fall off. Every Christmas, we trudge through the streets singing off-key carols. For New Year’s, it is our house that is crammed with half the town, everyone toasting in celebration of another year of absolute monotony.

And, after school lets out for the summer, Dad always comes up with some sort of project to do around the house, something designed to keep us kids out of trouble and simultaneously improve the overall aesthetic of our home. Usually, the heavy lifting would fall to Grant because 1. he is the oldest and 2. he is a boy and by all rights should be able to handle any kind of manual labor. But, with him off to college, the one who would be drafted into slave labor would be me. Oh, joy.

This year’s project? Repainting the house. Double joy. So, while other kids were off having fun and doing things that were so much more interesting, I would be painting a house.

Telling myself that I really didn’t have anything else planned for the summer didn’t seem to help. Yes, all my friends had already shipped off to various summer adventures. Becca was going to California with her parents on vacation. Charlotte, Katherine, and Micah were all going to band camp while Jill and Maggie were headed off to soccer camp. None of them would return until just before school started back up. I was all alone. Just me, a paint brush, and the house. How lucky could a girl get?

Thus began my summer of sameness…that is until he arrived.