Stress brain

I haz it. I forgot to write my newsletter yesterday. This is what happens when you have a busy Saturday and brain fog Sunday. I took mom to a local farmers/artisan market and it was a good day. But let me tell you, pushing a wheelchair up and over small hills and railroad tracks is exhausting. My knees are not impressed.

I've been working on a short story for an anthology and glaring at Faded Luck. It is not being nice. And here I thought his one would be easy as it was all laid out. It isn't. It is bucking and writhing and refusing to behave. I need to focus on what I've laid out, now if life would let me. Ha! I know I'm asking for a Christmas miracle.

I have a variety of fun reads for you this week.

Up first Aliens and First Contact. I keep hoping they will show up here. Granted I want nice fuzzy Star Trek aliens, not Independence Day aliens. I am biased.

In Alien Redemption you get a woman trying to be the moral compass for a space captain. You never can tell when you can make a difference.

Mmm.... vampires, humans, shifters... this has everything and you never know what you will discover when destiny comes calling. The Awakening is available for pre-order.

And if you thought those vampires were enough here you have vampires, an academy, demons, and Vlad Dracula. The Vampire Knight is book one in a series (available for .99!!!)

Because I was late you get an extra long story today. I don't have a picture for this one? but I think the name works.

Heart's Blood

Elsadora stormed into the grand dining hall. The light from the large red candles made the silver dishes sparkle. The scent from their special wax surrounded her, failing to seduce her. The long aquamarine gown hugged her ample bosom, curved into her tiny waist and dropped in delicate folds to the floor where the bottom was coated in mud and muck and didn't cover the ugly brown work boots she wore. Her steps left a trail of detritus marking her path.

She stomped, a murderous look in her eyes, to where her mother stood overseeing the servants. Groaning side boards were laden with food, and the area looked ready for the swarm of nobles about to descend upon them.

Her mother, with her perfect rose bud lips and raven black hair, watched her approach before snapping out,"Elsadora Magrete Sliverton what happened to your dress? Where are your shoes? How do you expect to ensnare a prince, if you aren't wearing delicate shoes to artfully lose?"

"I want to kill him. I need my knife and a sharpening stone. I want it so sharp he doesn't realize I've shoved it into his chest," Elsadora snarled. Her chest heaving hard enough it almost escaped the low cut bodice.

“He who?” Lady Madra Silverton sighed as she looked at her daughter. "And what did he do?"

"Heir apparent, Prince Corwin. And he," the word came out as an epithet, "threw my tiara into the pig sty." She lifted her hand to display a muck covered, bent tiara. The jewel at the top gone and unmentionable debris dripped from every crevice.

Her mother blinked, before looking at the tiara then back at Elsadora. "Why would he do that?"

"Because I slapped him," she snapped, not looking apologetic at all. Her free hand brushed long golden hair away from her face. She’d destroyed the up-do crafted to enhance her looks. Elsadora knew she was pretty, not beautiful, something her mother reminded her of frequently.

Madra groaned, though she didn't let her face make any expression other than pleasant surprise, it might cause wrinkles, after all. "Dora, I swear. Don't you get it? It's so much easier if you marry them. They cater to you, give into your whims, then when you don't need –"

Elsadora cut her off. "He kissed me and put his thick meaty paw down the front of my dress!" she screeched. Various servants around them paused, looking at the family spat, curiosity on their faces.

A glare from Madra caused them to scurry along, twitching a bit under her gaze.

"Explain." Madra voice dropped to icy levels and her gaze, cold blue eyes with no humor, bore into her daughter.

"I was sitting on the bench in solar, waiting for our guests," she stressed that word as her mother smirked a bit. "My eyes were closed. I heard someone come in, but assumed it was one of the temporary servants. The next thing I knew, I had slobbery lips against mine and a hand grasping one of my breasts, hard."

Lady's Madra's jaw clenched, but she nodded for her daughter to go on.

"I pushed him away and scrambled up, demanding to know what he thought he was doing. His reply, 'I figured I'd kiss the sleeping lady and see how grateful she could be.' At that point I slapped him. Marrying a prince is one thing, but I won't sleep with them just to earn a smile. He grabbed my tiara and threw it out the window." Some of her fury faded and she looked at her mother, the expression becoming a bit pleading. "You know I need that, the magic in it will help-," she broke off at the rage in her mother’s voice. Rage concealed by the perfect face.

"One of the men we convinced to come here dared to assault a woman under my roof? Attacked my daughter? That shall not be tolerated." The icy fury in her mother's tone had Elsadora taking a step back. The temperature in the room dropped as if a cold front rushed through. Lady Silverton reached down into her chatelaine and pulled out her sharpening stone, oily and dark. Made of shadows candlelight couldn't illuminate it. "Becoming the widow of a rich man is the easiest way to power, but I will never allow any woman to be assaulted. Take the stone. Chant the absorption ritual as you sharpen your athame. Take a bite out of his heart as he watches. I'm sure you can get him naked. The spell will keep him still the second the knife touches his skin. Deliver the heart to the cook. Let her know I would want it braised with the dark red wine in the cellar. I expect it to be served to me tonight at the feast." She placed the stone into her daughter’s outstretched hand.

Elsadora fought to hold on to it, the slippery oily stone sliding against her skin. She smiled up at her mother. "I will. The taste of hearts blood while he watches will be recompense for his insult."

"Excellent. Now hurry. Remember it's okay to be fashionably late, but you must not miss the ball. There are still others here that would be excellent catches. Old men with young wives often die in bed from too much excitement. You can gain respect, a position in society, and money you can spend anyway you want. Give me the tiara. I'll fix the spells and have it waiting for you. The magic will assist your own charm."

"The servants won't talk?" Elsadora asked as she turned away.

"They turn back into possums at dawn. They don't understand or care about human schemes. Go. You know what you need to do. "

"Of course, mother." Elsadora left the dining hall and her mother, the witch of the western forest, to arrange the ball. Fairytales warned you disrespect often had fatal consequences.

"I do love heart's blood." Elsadora smiled.

Have a great week. I'm going to try to get better organized. I need a keeper I swear. Le sigh.

Mel

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