Cast a vote for Winning!

My book trailer for my short story Winning is one of this month's entries at You Gotta Read Videos. I'd love your vote for #18!

Release day for Winning!

Today, Eternal Press releases my short story, Winning! I love release days. Not only for the excitement of seeing my work out in the wide world, but for the wonderful camaraderie they inspire.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. EST, I'll be chatting on the Eternal Press site. Click the link to join the chat, and you could win a PDF copy of Winning!

Here is the story excerpt and trailer again.

The beggar sat, as he did every morning, a colorless rag of a sentinel leaning against the smooth, black marble wall. Most days, Joe did his best to avoid him, ducking into a crowd before pushing through the gold-framed revolving doors to the bank where he worked. He hated to be callous, but didn’t want to feed the old man’s addictions–he always smelled like a landfill doused with booze. His slitted eyes appear filled with liquid steel, and his gaze felt as powerful as a laser probing Joe’s conscience.
This May morning, the beggar couldn’t mar Joe’s good mood. Even the air smelled sweet. Spring’s official started several weeks earlier sullen and glum, but this morning’s warm, bright sun caused an eruption of blooms and birdsong. In fifteen minutes, he’d meet with Mr. Brown and likely get a promotion and a raise. His wife had felt unusually affectionate this morning too. Everything seemed to be falling into place in perfect synchronicity and harmony. No, Joe didn’t want anyone to spoil it.
He walked behind three teens with spiked, multi-colored hair, heavy chains on their black leather coats and baggy jeans. The beggar held up a dirty paper coffee cup as they passed. The boy nearest the old man deftly lifted a heel in passing to knock the cup from his leathery hand. The three laughed and kept walking. The old man’s hand didn’t waver, as if the cup and its contents weren’t strewn across the sidewalk.
Scattered people sidestepped the coins as the cup skittered between their shoes. Joe glanced at his watch; his supervisor would be more conscious today of his clock-in time. With a forceful exhale, his fingers readjusted on the handle of his briefcase. A tattered dollar flopped like a fish away from the beggar, who stared somewhere beyond, his eyes unmoving. Joe quickly set his briefcase on the dollar, retrieved the cup, picked up coins from the concrete and tossed them inside the cup. He reached into his pocket, frowned at the fifty–his only bill. Crouching before the beggar, he placed the cup back in his still-outstretched hand. With a rotten-toothed smile, the old man nodded and mumbled unintelligibly.
“Hey, do me a favor.” Joe inserted the fifty dollar bill into the cup. “Go get yourself cleaned up and get something to eat. Okay?”
The old man peered up. “Fortune will smile upon you.”
“Not if I don’t get inside.” Joe gathered his briefcase; let the revolving doors whoosh him through.

More tour stops

The tour carries on!

In case you missed the live interview last night on BlogTalk Radio with BK Walker, you can listen to the archived session here. It's preceded by a wonderful oldie, When a Man Loves a Woman, but does eventually play. :)

Today I'm visiting with wonderful Rachel Brimble - come on over!

Tomorrow, I'll be at Lisa Hazelton's Reviews and Interviews blog. I hope you'll join me there!

It's also release day for my short contemporary story, Winning. Tomorrow I'll post more info on that, including a link to the live chat at Eternal Press.

I hope all my American friends had a wonderful Fourth of July! Here's a little holiday treat for you from Bruce, my Jersey boy.



And a little Jimi to spice it up. Who needs fireworks when we have him? Happy Fourth!

Winning to be released July 7!

Winning is a really cool little story. I'm so glad Eternal Press is open to all genres, because I love to experiment. :) I'm really not sure into which genre it fits, truthfully.

Here's the story blurb:
Joe doesn’t expect much more from life. His marriage is average, kids are average. So when he wins the lottery -- one of the biggest jackpots of all time -- everything changes. Or does it? Would they have made the same choices anyway?

Excerpt:
The beggar sat, as he did every morning, a colorless rag of a sentinel leaning against the smooth, black marble wall. Most days, Joe did his best to avoid him, ducking into a crowd before pushing through the gold-framed revolving doors to the bank where he worked. He hated to be callous, but didn’t want to feed the old man’s addictions–he always smelled like a landfill doused with booze. His slitted eyes appear filled with liquid steel, and his gaze felt as powerful as a laser probing Joe’s conscience.
This May morning, the beggar couldn’t mar Joe’s good mood. Even the air smelled sweet. Spring’s official started several weeks earlier sullen and glum, but this morning’s warm, bright sun caused an eruption of blooms and birdsong. In fifteen minutes, he’d meet with Mr. Brown and likely get a promotion and a raise. His wife had felt unusually affectionate this morning too. Everything seemed to be falling into place in perfect synchronicity and harmony. No, Joe didn’t want anyone to spoil it.
He walked behind three teens with spiked, multi-colored hair, heavy chains on their black leather coats and baggy jeans. The beggar held up a dirty paper coffee cup as they passed. The boy nearest the old man deftly lifted a heel in passing to knock the cup from his leathery hand. The three laughed and kept walking. The old man’s hand didn’t waver, as if the cup and its contents weren’t strewn across the sidewalk.
Scattered people sidestepped the coins as the cup skittered between their shoes. Joe glanced at his watch; his supervisor would be more conscious today of his clock-in time. With a forceful exhale, his fingers readjusted on the handle of his briefcase. A tattered dollar flopped like a fish away from the beggar, who stared somewhere beyond, his eyes unmoving. Joe quickly set his briefcase on the dollar, retrieved the cup, picked up coins from the concrete and tossed them inside the cup. He reached into his pocket, frowned at the fifty–his only bill. Crouching before the beggar, he placed the cup back in his still-outstretched hand. With a rotten-toothed smile, the old man nodded and mumbled unintelligibly.
“Hey, do me a favor.” Joe inserted the fifty dollar bill into the cup. “Go get yourself cleaned up and get something to eat. Okay?”
The old man peered up. “Fortune will smile upon you.”
“Not if I don’t get inside.” Joe gathered his briefcase; let the revolving doors whoosh him through.



Today I'm a guest at AZ Publishing Services. I hope you'll pop over and comment!

Cover for new short story, Winning!

I am so psyched! Dawne Dominique is an incredible cover artist, isn't she?
I love this story's premise: If your life changed completely, how much would it change you?

It intrigued me so much, I had to write about it. The concept explores whether anyone would behave the same in different circumstances. Would winning the lottery enable behavior that they'd otherwise not have had the means for? Or would they behave the same, but on a larger scale?

Here's the (unofficial) excerpt:
Scattered people sidestepped the coins as the cup skittered between their shoes. Joe glanced at his watch; his supervisor would be more conscious today of his clock-in time. With a forceful exhale, his fingers readjusted on the handle of his briefcase. A tattered dollar flopped like a fish away from the beggar, who stared somewhere beyond, his eyes unmoving. Joe quickly set his briefcase on the dollar, retrieved the cup, picked up coins from the concrete and tossed them inside the cup. He reached into his pocket, frowned at the fifty–his only bill. Crouching before the beggar, he placed the cup back in his still-outstretched hand. With a rotten-toothed smile, the old man nodded and mumbled unintelligibly.
“Hey, do me a favor.” Joe inserted the fifty dollar bill into the cup. “Go get yourself cleaned up and get something to eat. Okay?”
The old man peered up. “Fortune will smile upon you.”
“Not if I don’t get inside.” Joe gathered his briefcase, let the revolving doors whoosh him through.
Two hours later, he called June at work. “Good news.”
“You got the raise? How much?”
“Five percent. Not as much—”
“Five percent? We’ll never afford the cruise now.” Her whimper’s not as sexy as it sounded fifteen years ago, when he’d slipped the ring on her finger.
He couldn’t blame her. He’d promised her a fifteenth anniversary cruise, and he’d make sure she got it. “Sure we can. We’ll watch our pennies—”
Her tone sharpened. “Watch them disappear. Another twenty’s gone from my purse.”
He groaned, half to himself, “Not again.”
The more money that disappeared from her purse and his wallet, the darker the circles around Janey’s glazed eyes. The more she retreated within herself.

Eternal Press will release Winning sometime later this year.

New short story contract!

Eternal Press contracted my 10k story, Winning! This is an oldie I've always loved, about a man whose life is turned upside down.

Here's the unofficial story blurb:
Joe doesn’t expect much more from life. His marriage is average, kids are average. So when he wins the lottery -- one of the biggest jackpots of all time -- everything changes. Or does it? Or would they have made the same choices anyway?

My husband and I have discussed this on occasion, namely when the Powerball rockets higher and we debate buying a ticket. While we'd love to be able to spread the wealth around, it comes with an awful lot of baggage. And ever notice how lottery winners seem to be snakebit? But are they really, or are they making the same choices they'd have made anyway, but with a little more money to play with?

So sometimes I buy a lottery ticket, but mostly I don't. When I get a new book contract, though, it feels much better than winning the lottery. I'd much rather hit the jackpot with my writing.

Eternal Press is restructuring after merging with Damnation Books. Contrary to some quippers, they're not changing the name to Eternal Damnation Press. :) They are, however, expanding their line and moving from Canada to the U.S. Exciting stuff.

Winning - short speculative

Available July 2010
from Eternal Press

UPDATE:

Eternal Press has a new publisher. The new owner contacted me and has removed my books from their site, for which I am grateful. He has promised to remove them from affiliate sales sites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, etc., as well.

If you're interested in reading this story, click here.
Please do not purchase any copies of my books issued by Eternal Press.

If you are an author, I still caution you to please do your research before submitting anywhere.