Alumni Reunion

All you alumni from Beginner's Writers Workshop with our favorite teacher Ann, please go to her site (in the favorite blog column at the right) and drop her a message. She'd like to know what y'all have been up to.

Why you're at it, jump in one of the discussions and leave a bit of your writing behind.

See ya there.

Book Review - Baer Truth

Another cyber friend, Linda McMaken, has published a book, "The Three Baers, Book One: Baer Truth". Like my last review of Linda Yezak's Book "Give The Lady A Ride" this is a modern day Cowboy romance. And like Linda Y, Linda Mc's (confused yet) characters are well defined and lovable, in fact I'm in love with Tessa, when you read it you'll figure out why. There are several laugh out loud parts, which come at unexpected times, a very enjoyable read. It is the first of a trilogy about three brothers, which has it's twist in itself, the oldest, Joe, is the hero in this one. This is Linda's first book, but she has written articles for several magazines, she the Senior News Editor for Reader's Entertainment News, Senior Media Marketing Manager, and scriptwriter for COS Productions, and she also has a blog which you can click on over on the right in my blog list.

Linda, good job, I'm waiting patiently for book Two.

A Long Dark Highway - Finally

He awoke to the smell of stale cigarette smoke and pickled herring. He immediately lost all bile that was in his stomach, causing his head to fill with pain. "That's it," he thought, "I finally made it to hell." He tried opening his eyes, but all that was there was darkness. He searched for any small trace of light that might indicate a door or window, but all he saw was darkness. "I'm blind." he said out loud, the sound of his voice made him jump. He felt around and came to the conclusion that his room was about six feet wide and 10 feet long. What he thought was the door was in the middle of one of the six foot walls, but no hinges, or no door knob. He felt the crease in his forehead, it was still moist, slowly oozing blood and sweat. He put his back again the wall opposite the door and sat down. "It's another fine mess you've gotten me into Stanley."

The sudden screech of an eagle over loud speakers caused him to jump to his feet. He immediately fell to his knees as he became light headed because of his head wound. Lights flashed on and off, her laughter boomed, echoing off the wall, then the worst came as she started playing Lady Gaga. He put his hands over his ears but the noise was just too loud. Then her voice came boomed, "Give it to me. Give it to me," over and over and over.

"No! You'll never get it. Never," he yelled at the top of his lungs. The noise stopped immediately and the door cracked open. She stood there with his Glock in her hand, up to the temple of his best friend.

"Give it to me. This piece of trash is all that cares for you. Are you going to give that up for it?"

He stood there looking into the two pairs of eyes. One full of hope, one full of hatred. "Ok, you win. I put it next to your collection of Bibles, I knew you'd never find it there."

"It had better be there, or I'll hunt you down and next time I won't just graze you." She threw him his gun, "It's not loaded anyway." She laughed all the way out the room, and headed straight to her study. After moving a dusty pile of Bibles, she saw it, "That clever SOB, I'd never would have looked for it two feet from my desk." She slowly picked it up and ran her hand over it. The hairs on her arms stood on end as her excitement climaxed. "Finally, my very own copy of Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure."

A Long Dark Highway - Smoke If You Have Them

The tire smoke looked all convoluted through the broken windshield, but the smell left no doubt that the tires did their job and shut the Mustang down. "Glad it's a rental." he thought as he pushed the door open. He stood on the bridge, and scratched his head. The sign said "Bridge Out" but it's not, it spans the creek perfectly. That feeling came back to him, his "Spidey Sense", and the hair stood up on his neck again. He reached for the Glock but then remembered he put it in the seat next to him.

He turned and started to run for the car, he just about made it before the shot rang out and the bullet put a crease in his forehead. As the dawn turned to dusk, and dusk to dark he hears her laughter ringing in his ears. His last thought was that now she would never get what she wanted most in the world.

A Long Dark Highway - Road Signs

"You'll never get it, even if you rip my beating heart out of my chest, you'll never get it. Only I know where it is, and only I can retrieve it, so take the bacon and shove it."

"You are so cute, trying to act all tough and such. You'll give it to me, you know I'll find you wherever you try to hide. I found you here, I'll find you there." She looked out the window at the sun peeking over the horizon, "Looks, like another beautiful sunrise."

I slowly moved my left hand around to my Glock, yeah, it's not my gun hand but at this distance I don't think I could miss.

"Leave the gun alone, Romeo, you'll never get a shot off." The hair on my neck bristled, I could feel my blood pressure rise, I slid out of the booth, threw a twenty on the counter and without a word, walk out, sounds of her laughter echoing between my ears.

Gravel flew as I hit the pavement. I headed back the way I came, headed back to the only home I have ever knew. Once there, she would be on my turf, on my terms, it was going to end my way.

I never saw the "BRIDGE OUT" sign until I hit it.

A Long Dark Highway - Breakfast Is Served

She pulled herself into the booth just as Ambrose brought her meal. "Two eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gray and a double order of bacon. Is there anything else?" Ambrose said as he glanced down at her cleavage.

"How about some privacy?", she spouted back at him. Ambrose turned and walked behind the counter shaking his head.

"So, in what way are you going to ruin my life this time?" I said as I looked into her eyes. "You don't show up unless you're bored and want to screw with me."

"O ye of little faith. I only want one thing." she said as she crunched some bacon.

The hair stood up on my neck and I started to wonder if I should pull the Glock. I knew what she wanted, she's wanted it for years, and I also knew that if I gave it to her she would leave me alone and I could once again settle down. I just wish it was that simple, because there was no way I could, or would, give it to her.

A Long Dark Highway, continued

The cold metal barrel of my Glock was hard against the small of my back, where it was stuck in my waistband. She knew I had it, I always did, and she knew I'd use it, I usually did. I tried to open the driver's car door, it was locked. I slowly put the key in and turned the lock, my hand slowly opened the door, I wouldn't put it pass her to blow us both up for spite. As I stepped in, her perfume enveloped me, I missed that fragrance, and the feelings that came with it.

"So, come here often?" I ask in my best tough guy voice.

"I would really like some bacon and eggs." she said without eye contact.

Bacon, I thought, damn, I forgot bacon with my eggs. "If you want a meal, you better hurry before the rush starts."

She looked at me, a shy smile across her lips, "I forgot your stupid, dumb-as-a-rock humor. Let's go, we can talk inside."

Ambrose looked funny at me as we walked to a booth in the back. "Same as I had, Ambrose, except add some bacon."

She said, "I need to freshen up." Ambrose pointed to the other end of the diner. As she walked away from us, Ambrose smiled and said, "Wow, she is gorgeous, you sure work fast."

"An old fiend." I said.

"You mean an old friend?"

"No, fiend, she took the 'our' out of friend a long time ago."