Six Sentence Sunday ~ Chasing Miss Kringle ~ 6 ( @evernightpub #sixsunday @6_Sunday )

#6 of Six Sentences over six weeks from 'Chasing Miss Kringle.'

     Even Vic was on the fence regarding whether or not what his wife’s team sought out was real. But love had a way of making a man concede to things he wouldn’t otherwise. I was just glad I didn’t have to worry about stuff like that in my own life.
     The paranormal, love, holiday cheer. All bunk in my book. Great myths people fought hard to believe in and bring to life only to be disappointed in the end.

For more, on 'Chasing Miss Kringle' visit: http://www.crmoss.net/ChasingMissKringle.htm & for other Six Sentence participants visit: http://www.sixsunday.com/

(Need to catch up on the Chasing Miss Kringle segments? Read Saturday's 'lead-in' post found below this post.)

Lead in for Six Sentence Sunday for Chasing Miss Kringle (wk 6)

For Six Sentence Sunday, I’m sharing an excerpt from my story ‘Chasing Miss Kringle’ (found within Evernight Publishing’s holiday anthology – Stockings & Suspenders) over the course of six weeks.
1 of 6:
     “You’re the only one left, Jack.”
     Victor’s request had to be some kind of joke. Yet the rigid set of his wide shoulders and straight face told me otherwise. Disbelieving what I’d just heard, I continued to stare at my PI partner and friend. What did Vic mean he wanted me to track down an elf? There were serious cases to work on, like helping my buddies in Metro track down a couple of high end thieves.
2 of 6:
     Suicides and thefts. The holiday season. What a great time of year.
     “I’m not in the mood to be toyed with, Vic. So, let me get this straight,” I stated with more calm than I felt. Being side-tracked from important matters was a pet peeve of mine.
3 of 6:
     “You want me to find a little dude in a pointy green felt hat and long red curly shoes with bells on the tips? Do I have to remind you I’m an ex-cop? That you hired me to catch bad guys and help find the missing? I work with you here at LVH-PI. Not with them.”
     I jerked my thumb toward a tan colored wall littered with stenciling.
4 of 6:
     The design and colors reminded me of the Native American beaded belts people sold at roadside stands. Vic’s wife, Malory, worked in the adjoining office. She loved her southwestern motifs, each room decorated to represent Arizona and New Mexico. Knickknacks and other items of the same colors dominated all our offices. The décor had too many colors and crazy patterns, made my head swim, but clients were comfortable when they came in due to the warm, earthy colors. And in our line of work, people needed to be put at ease and into a state of trust.
5 of 6:
     Malory loved what she did for a living. An ex-showgirl, who still had the body and beauty of a dancer, worked with her PI team, comprised of mostly women, in the office suites next door. There were a lot of girls against boys competitiveness in our outfit. The boys’ part of the business, headed up by Vic, was Las Vegas Hunters Private Investigating Services, real cops and robbers, cloak and dagger stuff.
     Lory’s side…Las Vegas Hunters Paranormal Investigating Services.
     Being a skeptic, it amazed me how many people were believers in the paranormal.

Stay tuned for the last six lines coming up in a few minutes.
Happy Reading!

Six Sentence Sunday ~ Chasing Miss Kringle ~ 5 ( @evernightpub #sixsunday @6_Sunday )

#5 of Six Sentences over six weeks from 'Chasing Miss Kringle.'

     Malory loved what she did for a living. An ex-showgirl, who still had the body and beauty of a dancer, worked with her PI team, comprised of mostly women, in the office suites next door. There were a lot of girls against boys competitiveness in our outfit. The boys’ part of the business, headed up by Vic, was Las Vegas Hunters Private Investigating Services, real cops and robbers, cloak and dagger stuff.
     Lory’s side…Las Vegas Hunters Paranormal Investigating Services.
     Being a skeptic, it amazed me how many people were believers in the paranormal.

For more, on 'Chasing Miss Kringle' visit: http://www.crmoss.net/ChasingMissKringle.htm & for other Six Sentence participants visit: http://www.sixsunday.com/

(Need to catch up on the Chasing Miss Kringle segments? Read Saturday's 'lead-in' post found below this post.)

Lead in for Six Sentence Sunday for Chasing Miss Kringle (wk 5)

For Six Sentence Sunday, I’m sharing an excerpt from my story ‘Chasing Miss Kringle’ (found within Evernight Publishing’s holiday anthology – Stockings & Suspenders) over the course of six weeks.
1 of 6:
     “You’re the only one left, Jack.”
     Victor’s request had to be some kind of joke. Yet the rigid set of his wide shoulders and straight face told me otherwise. Disbelieving what I’d just heard, I continued to stare at my PI partner and friend. What did Vic mean he wanted me to track down an elf? There were serious cases to work on, like helping my buddies in Metro track down a couple of high end thieves.
2 of 6:
     Suicides and thefts. The holiday season. What a great time of year.
     “I’m not in the mood to be toyed with, Vic. So, let me get this straight,” I stated with more calm than I felt. Being side-tracked from important matters was a pet peeve of mine.
3 of 6:
     “You want me to find a little dude in a pointy green felt hat and long red curly shoes with bells on the tips? Do I have to remind you I’m an ex-cop? That you hired me to catch bad guys and help find the missing? I work with you here at LVH-PI. Not with them.”
     I jerked my thumb toward a tan colored wall littered with stenciling.
4 of 6:
     The design and colors reminded me of the Native American beaded belts people sold at roadside stands. Vic’s wife, Malory, worked in the adjoining office. She loved her southwestern motifs, each room decorated to represent Arizona and New Mexico. Knickknacks and other items of the same colors dominated all our offices. The décor had too many colors and crazy patterns, made my head swim, but clients were comfortable when they came in due to the warm, earthy colors. And in our line of work, people needed to be put at ease and into a state of trust.

Stay tuned for the next six lines coming up in a few minutes.
Happy Reading!

Six Sentence Sunday ~ Chasing Miss Kringle ~ 4 ( @evernightpub #sixsunday @6_Sunday )

#4 of Six Sentences over six weeks from 'Chasing Miss Kringle.'

     The design and colors reminded me of the Native American beaded belts people sold at roadside stands. Vic’s wife, Malory, worked in the adjoining office. She loved her southwestern motifs, each room decorated to represent Arizona and New Mexico. Knickknacks and other items of the same colors dominated all our offices. The décor had too many colors and crazy patterns, made my head swim, but clients were comfortable when they came in due to the warm, earthy colors. And in our line of work, people needed to be put at ease and into a state of trust.

For more, on 'Chasing Miss Kringle' visit: http://www.crmoss.net/ChasingMissKringle.htm & for other Six Sentence participants visit: http://www.sixsunday.com/
(Need to catch up on the Chasing Miss Kringle segments? Read Saturday's 'lead-in' post found below this post.)

Lead in for Six Sentence Sunday for Chasing Miss Kringle (wk 4)

For Six Sentence Sunday, I’m sharing an excerpt from my story ‘Chasing Miss Kringle’ (found within Evernight Publishing’s holiday anthology – Stockings & Suspenders) over the course of six weeks.
1 of 6:
     “You’re the only one left, Jack.”
     Victor’s request had to be some kind of joke. Yet the rigid set of his wide shoulders and straight face told me otherwise. Disbelieving what I’d just heard, I continued to stare at my PI partner and friend. What did Vic mean he wanted me to track down an elf? There were serious cases to work on, like helping my buddies in Metro track down a couple of high end thieves.
2 of 6:
     Suicides and thefts. The holiday season. What a great time of year.
     “I’m not in the mood to be toyed with, Vic. So, let me get this straight,” I stated with more calm than I felt. Being side-tracked from important matters was a pet peeve of mine.
3 of 6:
     “You want me to find a little dude in a pointy green felt hat and long red curly shoes with bells on the tips? Do I have to remind you I’m an ex-cop? That you hired me to catch bad guys and help find the missing? I work with you here at LVH-PI. Not with them.”
     I jerked my thumb toward a tan colored wall littered with stenciling.

Stay tuned for the next six lines coming up in a few minutes.
Happy Reading!

Six Sentence Sunday ~ Chasing Miss Kringle ~ 3 ( @evernightpub #sixsunday @6_Sunday )

Happy New Year to all my fellow authors and faithful readers! All my best to you and yours for a wonderful year & may all our wishes come true!

#3 of Six Sentences over six weeks from 'Chasing Miss Kringle.'

     “You want me to find a little dude in a pointy green felt hat and long red curly shoes with bells on the tips? Do I have to remind you I’m an ex-cop? That you hired me to catch bad guys and help find the missing? I work with you here at LVH-PI. Not with them.”
     I jerked my thumb toward a tan colored wall littered with stenciling.

For more, on 'Chasing Miss Kringle' visit: http://www.crmoss.net/ChasingMissKringle.htm & for other Six Sentence participants visit: http://www.sixsunday.com/
(Need to catch up on the Chasing Miss Kringle segments? Read Saturday's 'lead-in' post found below this post.)

Lead in for Six Sentence Sunday for Chasing Miss Kringle (wk 3)

For Six Sentence Sunday, I’m sharing an excerpt from my story ‘Chasing Miss Kringle’ (found within Evernight Publishing’s holiday anthology – Stockings & Suspenders) over the course of six weeks.
1 of 6:
     “You’re the only one left, Jack.”
     Victor’s request had to be some kind of joke. Yet the rigid set of his wide shoulders and straight face told me otherwise. Disbelieving what I’d just heard, I continued to stare at my PI partner and friend. What did Vic mean he wanted me to track down an elf? There were serious cases to work on, like helping my buddies in Metro track down a couple of high end thieves.
2 of 6:
     Suicides and thefts. The holiday season. What a great time of year.
     “I’m not in the mood to be toyed with, Vic. So, let me get this straight,” I stated with more calm than I felt. Being side-tracked from important matters was a pet peeve of mine.

Stay tuned for the next six lines coming up in a few minutes.
Happy Reading!

Six Sentence Sunday ~ Chasing Miss Kringle ~ 2 ( @evernightpub #sixsunday @6_Sunday )

#2 of Six Sentences over six weeks from 'Chasing Miss Kringle.'

     Suicides and thefts. The holiday season. What a great time of year.
     “I’m not in the mood to be toyed with, Vic. So, let me get this straight,” I stated with more calm than I felt. Being side-tracked from important matters was a pet peeve of mine.

For more, on 'Chasing Miss Kringle' visit: http://www.crmoss.net/ChasingMissKringle.htm & for other Six Sentence participants visit: http://www.sixsunday.com/
(Need to catch up on the Chasing Miss Kringle segments? Read Saturday's 'lead-in' post found below this post.)

Lead in for Six Sentence Sunday for Chasing Miss Kringle (wk 2)

For Six Sentence Sunday, I’m sharing an excerpt from my story ‘Chasing Miss Kringle’ (found within Evernight Publishing’s holiday anthology – Stockings & Suspenders) over the course of six weeks.
Last week’s (1 of 6) was:
     “You’re the only one left, Jack.”
     Victor’s request had to be some kind of joke. Yet the rigid set of his wide shoulders and straight face told me otherwise. Disbelieving what I’d just heard, I continued to stare at my PI partner and friend. What did Vic mean he wanted me to track down an elf? There were serious cases to work on, like helping my buddies in Metro track down a couple of high end thieves.
Stay tuned for the next six lines coming up in a few minutes.
Happy Reading!

Welcome special guest: author Jezebel Jorge ( #FF @WitchLitChick )

Today we have author Jezebel Jorge visiting. She’s a practicing witch and medium who embraces both the light and dark sides of the craft. She never knows where a story is going to go when she sits down to write it. Jezebel just listens to the voices and lets them take over from there.

* So, Jezebel, what inspired you to become a writer?
I've dabbled in writing all my life, but I got serious with it in 2007 and joined my local RWA Chapter Music City Romance Writer's in early 2008. My first novel Headlocks & Hexes was released in October of 2011.
* When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
I wrote the first draft of Headlocks & Hexes as escapism from an abusive relationship with a brain damaged pro wrestler. I would take the dogs, lock myself up in the bedroom, and write out all my frustrations. I guess that's why Rowan is such an anti-heroine. After many, many, many rewrites it comes out to about 97,000 words. I decided to go indie with the story after two bad experiences with different epublishers. Headlocks & Hexes is available in ebook format from both Amazon and Barnes & Noble and I will be having a print release in 2012.
* How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
The first story I sold was Hot for Teacher. It's an erotic short story in a spanking anthology with Accent Press. It was actually a scene I cut from Headlocks & Hexes and features two of its characters, Courtney and Bryson (he goes by his first name of Darren in that story).
* What genre(s) do you write in? What drew you to write in it/them? What’s your favorite genre of all to write in?
I like to call my genre Witch Lit. Spicy erotica with an authentic Pagan voice.
* What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
The best is to just keep writing from your heart. The worst mistake I've made was trying to write to sell instead of writing what I love.
* How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?
Pizza and alcohol work in both situations.
* In regard to the book you’re promoting, which actor and actress do you envision playing the roles of your hero and heroine? If there’s a villain or other characters who are pertinent to the story, who would play those parts?
     Rowan from my Ring Dreams series would definitely be a red-haired Amanda Seyfreid. I saw her in Chloe and knew right then that was my Rowan.
     Dylan - that turned out to be a nightmare with the first publisher. In my 3 pages of cover art details I specifically asked that he not be put on the cover because I couldn't image a guy ever living up to my Dylan. I get the cover back and their is some guy with stringy long blond hair hovering over what I guess was supposed to be Rowan, but looked old enough to be her grandmother. Seriously, he looked like a stalker or serial killer. I literally threw up on my keyboard. It gave me an IBS attack that had me in the ER with a morphine drip freshly inserted when I got the email that I could, thank Goddess, have my rights back. Scary cover guy was a total nightmare.
* The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
     Headlocks & Hexes is the first book in my Ring Dreams series, Desire is a Ring Dreams Retro since I go back in time to tell the story of how Dylan and Bryson's father, Billy Dalton, met their mother. Billy was such a scene stealer I had to give him his own story. Seances and Suplexes will be released on February 14th and it's the sequel to the first book.

     I also have a short story, Snow Angel, featuered in Evernight Publishing's Stockings & Suspenders 2011 Holiday Anthology.
*** Now for some fun info… ***
* What’s your favorite color?
Orange - I see it as a color of intense positive energy. When Odessa shields me she always uses orange instead of white light.
* What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Reeces Cup
* Are you a cat, dog or both kind of person?
Dog - I have a 99.9 lb. Golden Retriever / Great Pyrenees mix named Harry Potter.
* Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
My spirit guide Odessa loves her some snakes. I'm not quite as enchanted with them. We have a black rat snake named Marat that summers under our balcony.
* Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
I adore a late night thunderstorm.
* Are you a morning person or night owl?
I'd like to be a night owl, but as long as I have to keep working a day job I have to be up by six am to get my dog walked. I also get to work an hour early to sneak in some writing time and avoid getting stuck in downtown Nashville traffic.
* What’s your favorite day of the week?
Saturday when I can be alone with the voices running amok inside my head.
* What’s your favorite number?
3 for mind, body, and spirit
* If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
     I love it here in Nashville. I belong to a great writers group and there is a strong Pagan community in the area.
     New Orleans is my favorite place to visit. I hoping to eventually see Tombstone, AZ and Salem, MA.

* If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
My MacBook, Kindle Fire, Nook, and hopefully a power source. And, of course my dog since I can't go anywhere without him.

*** About the book(s)/series… ***
I have purchase links up for all my books on my webpage. I wrote Snow Angel when Carolyn Rosewood posted the submission call on our MCRW group. I was working on a YA project and decided to take a week off to write something fun and spicy. The weird thing is I guess I built the story around one of my favorite dog sitting clients. Just like in the story, Marvey is an Olde English Bulldog and a total diva. She shook her booty big time when I told her she was going to get to be in one of my stories.

***Find Jezebel here***

http://www.jezebeljorge.com/, http://www.witchlitchick.com, http://www.facebook.com = jezebeljorge.

I'm on Twitter @witchlitchick and my spirit guide Odesssa has her own account @spiritguidedess

Thank you for joining us here today, Jezebel! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

Jezebel is glad to give away copies of both Headlocks & Hexes and Desire. A winner will be picked on Monday after 3 pm pst. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment on this post.

Six Sentence Sunday ~ Chasing Miss Kringle ~ 1 ( @evernightpub #sixsunday @6_Sunday )

#1 of Six Sentences over six weeks from 'Chasing Miss Kringle.'

     “You’re the only one left, Jack.”
     Victor’s request had to be some kind of joke. Yet the rigid set of his wide shoulders and straight face told me otherwise. Disbelieving what I’d just heard, I continued to stare at my PI partner and friend. What did Vic mean he wanted me to track down an elf? There were serious cases to work on, like helping my buddies in Metro track down a couple of high end thieves.

For more, on 'Chasing Miss Kringle' visit: http://www.crmoss.net/ChasingMissKringle.htm & for other Six Sentence participants visit: http://www.sixsunday.com/

Lead in for Six Sentence Sunday for Chasing Miss Kringle

For Six Sentence Sunday for the next six weeks, I’m sharing an excerpt from my story ‘Chasing Miss Kringle’ which can be found in Evernight Publishing's holiday anthology - Stockings & Suspenders - just released yesterday! For info, visit www.evernightpublishing.com
The first week of six will be up shortly so stay tuned!

Welcome special guest: author Kelly Yeakle ( @KYeakle27 @evernightpub )

Today we have author Kelly Yeakle visiting. Kelly says, “I have three young children that keep me entertained. I enjoy the outdoors and will try anything once, though I’m extremely afraid of heights. Writing is not just a hobby for me, it’s a passion.” Welcome Kelly!

* So, Kelly, what inspired you to become a writer?
I always enjoyed writing and spent a good portion of my high school years writing poetry. I never took myself seriously until my late twenties when I was inspired by a new friend online to start putting my ideas down. I joined a writing website and when I started getting good feedback, I put more effort into it.
* When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
I wrote my first full length story two summers ago. It was 25 chapters long and probably somewhere between 40-50 thousand words. I have it printed out in two versions, first person POV and third person POV, but my old computer crashed and I lost the electronic file. To move forward with it at this point would mean retying up the entire manuscript, a feat I am not yet ready to tackle, lol.
* How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
The Legacy Keeper’s Treasure was my first piece to be picked up by a publisher and was only the second full length I’d written.
* What genre(s) do you write in? What drew you to write in it/them? What’s your favorite genre of all to write in?
I write contemporary, paranormal, and lesbian romance. I am drawn to each for different reasons. Contemporary is the classic love story and the easiest for me to write. Paranormal allows me to create characters and worlds that are strictly from my imagination and I feel I have more freedom with those stories. Lesbian romance was something I challenged myself to write, and I plan to write more in the future. There’s something about writing a love story that doesn’t fall into the normal guidelines of male/female relationship.
* What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
The best piece of advice was to never lose sight of why I began writing, for the love of telling stories. I haven’t really ever been given any bad advice to date.
* How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?
If I receive a rejection, I don’t let it get me down. Instead, I try to take the good advice from it, rework the piece and submit again. Acceptances are celebrated with friends and a night out dancing!
* In regard to the book you’re promoting, which actor and actress do you envision playing the roles of your hero and heroine? If there’s a villain or other characters who are pertinent to the story, who would play those parts?
I could see Cam Gigandet playing the role of Craig. Miranda would be played by a blonde Emma Stone.
* The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
Santa’s Little Helper is a story I wrote for Evernight’s Stockings & Suspenders Anthology.
*** Now for some fun info… ***
* What’s your favorite color?
Green
* What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Mint Chocolate Chip
* Are you a morning person or night owl?
I’m definitely a morning person

*** About Kelly’s story… ***
My latest release is called Santa’s Little Helper. It’s a cute little story about a spoiled brat who gets cut off from her trust fund until she can prove that she’s responsible. She takes a job at a department store working in the Santa photo kiosk. In the meantime she falls for her boss who gives her a challenge to help her step up her game and in turn falls for her just as hard. You can find this at www.evernightpublishing.com in the Stockings & Suspenders holiday anthology!

***Find Kelly here***

www.facebook.com/KYeakle27

www.twitter.com/KYeakle27

Blogs: www.kellyyeakle.wordpress.com & www.kellyyeakle.blogspot.com

Website: www.kyeakle27.webs.com

Thank you for joining us here today, Kelly! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

Kelly is running a contest! Here’s her details:
I will give away a pdf copy of Timeless to one lucky winner. The winner will be chosen at random one week after this post is online. The entrant must name all my current releases with Evernight Publishing and provide their email address to qualify!

Check it out ~ Holiday anthology information! @evernightpub @crmoss

     Coming soon to Evernight Publishing – Stockings & Suspenders – a ten author anthology sure to heat up the cold nights!
     Here’s the blurb…
     As the temperature drops, the women in this collection of stories find naughty and delicious ways to warm up for the holidays.
     A boss with a proposal to make her sweat, a promise from an Italian assistant, a cabin in the middle of nowhere with two men waiting to cater to her every desire, a special surprise for a lonely solider...
     All of these encounters and more from ten talented authors. Get ready for some holiday loving...Evernight style.
     I’d be happy to show you the cover, but the PTB want to do a slow reveal of it. The pic to the right is day one and here is day two:

     To see the rest of the reveals and learn about more stories in the anthology, click on the pic to the right for the list of participating authors. (Yesterday's was http://www.londonsj.blogspot.com/ & tomorrow's is http://www.jezebeljorge.com/) Every day during the 12 Days of Christmas Stocking & Suspenders blog tour, a new spot in the picture will be revealed. Plus, follow and leave a comment on all the wonderful blogs each day to have a chance of winning prizes, including a copy of Stockings & Suspenders and a $15 Evernight Publishing gift certificate (for deets visit: http://evernightpublishing.blogspot.com/2011/11/twelve-days-of-christmas-blog-hop.html). The more blogs you visit the more chances you have to win. For my part of the prize package, I’ll be giving away a cover flat of Wild West Weekend signed by the authors and cover model Jimmy Thomas! To enter Evernight's & my drawing, please leave a comment with your email address and either follow my blog and/or like my page http://www.facebook.com/CRMoss.author  Also, you'll need to go to the Evernight blog (see EP link above) and comment and follow there, too. If you already follow me, though, email me & that will count for an entry. Drawing and notification of a winner for my prize will be on December 10.
     And, now for a taste of my contribution to the anthology… Chasing Miss Kringle
~ Blurb ~
     Ex-cop turned private investigator, Jack Vorst, is a cynic when it comes to love and a skeptic when it comes to anything paranormal. When his PI partner requests his help on a paranormal investigation to find an elf, Jack thinks it’s a joke. It isn’t, and he’s roped into working on the case. In his search for the mystical creature, he meets a beautiful woman named Kristina at a local 5k race who starts to change his mind about love, magic and the holidays. Can the spirited woman melt his icy heart and change his outlook on life in time for Christmas?
~ Excerpt ~
     I looked over my shoulder. Vic’s long-legged, blonde-haired wife leaned against the doorjamb, a smile lingering on her face. Vic was one lucky SOB catching that hot California babe. Raising an eyebrow, I slung my arm on top of the chair’s back. “Is that so?”
     “We’re all of the same mind that with your dark good looks and slamming tall-drink-of-water runner’s body you should be able to find someone.”
     “I find women all the time.” I glanced at Vic and winked. “Another perk of being a bachelor.”
     Malory tsked. “You’re incorrigible. What about that woman you were dating? What happened to her?”
     “It didn’t work out.” The statement was curt, almost harsh sounding, but it was a topic of conversation I didn’t want to cover. Not working out was an understatement. The woman had been so clingy and desperate for love it drove me crazy and made me more surly than normal. Unfortunately, my blunt I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-it tone was lost on her.
     “What about anyone in your apartment complex or at the gym? I’m sure when you’re running on that treadmill for hours at a time training for your races you see a lot of ladies come through.”
     A shrug was all I answered with. My sex life shouldn’t be a concern of hers or anyone else’s. After thirty plus years of living, over a decade of those years with Metro, I understood I had a problem with commitment. Maybe if the right woman came along though.
     She’d have to be the right gal for me, the perfect feminine complement to my masculine. Someone who could bring light to the dark corners of my mind, chase away the scattered nightmarish memories and dreams I had on a regular basis. A tall order no doubt.
     If she looked like the woman I saw the other day, at the gym in fact, that’d be a great bonus. Calling her a Goddess didn’t do the beauty justice. Some might call her amazonish, but not me. Tall, toned, curvaceous women, and red-headed to boot, turned me on. A woman at the gym’s front desk had called the auburn-haired, athletic wonder Kristina. Pretty name. That chick was someone I wouldn’t mind seeing again and getting to know. Hell, my cock tightened at the mere thought of delving it into her hot core, feeling her legs wrap around me, diving my hands into her thick mane. I decided the next time I saw her I’d ask her out. What could it hurt? It would get Lory off my back which would be great. Hopefully, Kristina wasn’t one of those tourists taking advantage of the free week specials the gym constantly had advertised.
     “Okay.” Lory tutted again. “Play Mr. Mysterious. Be the strong, silent type. But you’re a nice guy even if you come off gruff and rough around the edges. I’ve seen it when you’ve paid attention to little Allie at our house. She’s a good judge of character, and she adores you. Plus, I’ll have you know, if you don’t find somebody soon, then I’ll have to start playing matchmaker. I’ll find the woman who will melt that icy heart of yours.”
     My gaze swung around to Vic. “She wouldn’t.”
     “She would.” With a shrug, Vic pushed the case folder named Elf toward me. “Here’s the intel so far. Take it. Read it over. If you have any questions, defer to Yente.” He jutted his chin in his wife’s direction.
     “Ha, ha.” She shook her head but kept a grin on her face. Her golden brown-eyed gaze caught mine. “Jack, I’m glad you’re going to help me out. In a week or so, my load and Trish’s will be lightened. We’ll be able to help you out if you haven’t solved the case by then.”
     A week, I thought. I could postpone starting on the case for a few days, and then by the time she was ready for it, I could just hand it back without having to subject myself to any weirdness. I picked up the folder, tipped it to my forehead then toward her. “No problem.”

     Stockings & Suspenders will be available at www.evernightpublishing.com on December 9th!