Excerpt from Horseman Spell by Cheryl Rhodes

 

“Ladies,” greeted Bob. “Pam, I’d like you to meet Scott.”

Pam had put her hand out to shake the newcomer’s, but snapped it back to her side as if it had been burned. Scott wheeled to face her.

“You!” Pam backed up a step.

“You!” The accusation in his tone cut off and filled the room with an awkward silence.

They stood motionless glaring at each other.

“I, uh, take it you’ve already met.” Bob cleared his throat and twirled the beer bottle in his hands.

Scott set his bottle down on the fireplace mantel and Pam scurried to the front hall. She grabbed her coat from the closet and curled her fingers around the front door’s handle.

“Don’t leave on my account,” the sarcastic voice behind her mocked.“I’ll go.”

Looking over her shoulder, Pam saw Joanne and Bob frozen in the doorway of the living room. They looked dismayed, but she couldn’t deal with them now when they only thing on her mind was putting some distance between her and Scott. She gripped the doorknob tighter, turned it, and marched out of the house. Hearing Scott’s footsteps close behind, she quickened her pace, reached the car and fumbled for the keys.

“I want to talk to you.”

“Forget it. Nothing you have to say interests me.” Pam tugged her car door open and slid into the driver’s seat. Before she could slam the door, Scott maneuvered his body between the open door and the driver’s seat. He braced his hands on the roof of her car and used his body to prevent her from closing the door. Pam desperately fought not to notice his thigh muscles bulged against his blue jeans as he flexed against the door at her eye level.

“You need to hear this.” Scott slapped the roof of her car once.

Pam raised her eyes and his dark eyes stared back into hers. Frown lines wrinkled his forehead and he scowled at her. Pam swallowed, remembering how many times she’d seen that expression before.

“Leave me alone or I’ll scream so loud I’ll have every person within five miles running to help me.”

“When are you going to grow up?”

They glared at each other. Scott bent down, his mouth drawn into a hard, thin line, his face getting closer to Pam’s. She pulled the seatbelt out, clicked it into place, turned away to put the key in the ignition, and started the car. Scott backed away from the car, palms toward her as if he were trying to ward her off. Just before Pam slammed the door shut, she heard him say, “You can’t avoid me forever.”

 

Buy links:

Musa Publishing
Amazon US
Amazon Canada
Barnes & Noble
All Romance Ebooks

Horseman Spell is available through other online booksellers and on iTunes.

Release Day for Horseman Spell!

My romance novel Horseman Spell is available today!

Your pace or mine?

The story takes place around Cloverdale but the settings are all fictional. We don't have forests and hills with riding trails. And there are no hobby farms around town. Though there used to be on 181A and 182 Street and points further east through to 192 Street when I was growing up.

Blurb:

Pam never expected to be spending time at the racetrack again, but a romantic connection with Scott – her new next door neighbor and ex-boyfriend’s brother – throws her back into the exciting world of horseracing.

Dealing with trips to the racetrack, mysterious phone calls, unknown late night visitors, and an unexplained light appearing upon the hill, the tranquil farm life Pam loves has been turned upside down ever since Scott moved in.

If Pam’s life hadn’t already become chaotic enough, her relationship with Scott is threatened when his brother, Lyle, returns to town.

Excerpt:

“Ladies,” greeted Bob. “Pam, I’d like you to meet Scott.”

Pam had put her hand out to shake the newcomer’s, but snapped it back to her side as if it had been burned. Scott wheeled to face her.

“You!” Pam backed up a step.

“You!” The accusation in his tone cut off and filled the room with an awkward silence.

They stood motionless glaring at each other.

“I, uh, take it you’ve already met.” Bob cleared his throat and twirled the beer bottle in his hands.

Scott set his bottle down on the fireplace mantel and Pam scurried to the front hall. She grabbed her coat from the closet and curled her fingers around the front door’s handle.

“Don’t leave on my account,” the sarcastic voice behind her mocked. “I’ll go.”

Looking over her shoulder, Pam saw Joanne and Bob frozen in the doorway of the living room. They looked dismayed, but she couldn’t deal with them now when they only thing on her mind was putting some distance between her and Scott. She gripped the doorknob tighter, turned it, and marched out of the house. Hearing Scott’s footsteps close behind, she quickened her pace, reached the car and fumbled for the keys.

“I want to talk to you.”

“Forget it. Nothing you have to say interests me.” Pam tugged her car door open and slid into the driver’s seat. Before she could slam the door, Scott maneuvered his body between the open door and the driver’s seat. He braced his hands on the roof of her car and used his body to prevent her from closing the door. Pam desperately fought not to notice his thigh muscles bulged against his blue jeans as he flexed against the door at her eye level.

“You need to hear this.” Scott slapped the roof of her car once.

Pam raised her eyes and his dark eyes stared back into hers. Frown lines wrinkled his forehead and he scowled at her. Pam swallowed, remembering how many times she’d seen that expression before.

“Leave me alone or I’ll scream so loud I’ll have every person within five miles running to help me.”

“When are you going to grow up?”

They glared at each other. Scott bent down, his mouth drawn into a hard, thin line, his face getting closer to Pam’s. She pulled the seatbelt out, clicked it into place, turned away to put the key in the ignition, and started the car. Scott backed away from the car, palms toward her as if he were trying to ward her off. Just before Pam slammed the door shut, she heard him say, “You can’t avoid me forever.”

Buy links:
Musa Publishing
Amazon US
Amazon Canada
Barnes & Noble

Horseman Spell is available through other online booksellers and on iTunes.

 

My winning poetry entry

Ten years ago I used to subscribe to an online writer's ezine called Inscriptions. Unfortunately it is no longer in existence. The woman who owned it sold it to another woman who sporadically published it, changed its name to something I've long since forgotten, and continue to sporadically publish it. The content was never the same and I unsubscribed. I have no idea if its still active

But back in the Inscriptions days the owner used to run monthly contests with various prize packages. Then early one year, in time for Valentine's, it was announced the world's worst poetry contest. The prizes were a $50 gift certificate for Amazon.com and a box of chocolates. My two favorite things! Books and chocolates! I had to enter, but I'm no poet. But still, this was a contest for bad poetry. Maybe I had a shot. So I borrowed the cadence from an old Christopher Marlowe poem "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love". It took me 15 minutes to write. Then I talked myself out of waiting and coming back to it later to make any changes. This was supposed to be a bad poem. So I emailed my entry immediately. And yes, I won. I received an email with the code for the $50 to spend at Amazon. I was disappointed that I didn't actually receive chocolates. What I received was a $20 gift code for Godiva chocolates web site. Imagine my disappointment when I went to their site and found that they only ship to the lower 48 states. No good to a Canadian winner! :(

But I had an aunt who lived in California so I used my gift code and had a box of chocolates sent to her, much to her great surprise when she received them in the mail.

And here is my winning entry:

The Forgetful Maiden to Her, her, her... (with apologies to Christopher Marlowe)

Come live with me and find my glove
Your reward is my undying love.
For I am forever losing things,
I swear my possessions all sprouted wings.

And we will sit upon the docks,
And watch the waves crash on the rocks.
My love for you is like these flumes,
A rose in summer that always blooms.

No cap of flowers, no buckles of gold,
Help find my glasses before I grow old.
They're lost forever and that makes me sad,
Please find them for me and make me glad.

Keep an eye out for my gown of fine wool,
Then we'll enjoy a swim in the pool.
And I'll gaze adoringly into your eyes,
Find my things, and I'm your prize.

I'll give you pleasures all year round
If you brave the snow and find my lost hound.
I opened the door and he bounded out,
If you bring him back, I'll nevermore pout.

Every night we'll sing and dance,
Come live with me and take a chance.
Incredible delights await you my love,
But first find my glasses, my hound and my glove!