I am so honored (and gleeful!) to have recieved The Circle of Friends Blog Award from fellow author, awesome friend, and one helluva blogger, Natalie Damschroder. If you haven’t read Natalie’s blog yet, you should really check it out.

Thanks, Nat!

Now, I’m going to pass the goodwill (and the award) on to some other great friends who have terrific blogs.

So, my circle of friends blog award goes to:

Jessica Rabbits Corner — Jessica reviews books, has author interviews, and a fantastic sense of humor.

Constance Phillips, A Writer’s Musings — Connie blogs about all sorts of interesting and fun stuff.

Jill Kemerer, Inspirational Author – Jill’s blog is filled with posts on the writing process and inspiration.

I read the above blogs on a regular basis and love them all. You should definitely check them out!

Don’t Forget!

This week at The Novel Girls, we’re talking about setting writing goals.

 

If you’re reading this, then you likely already know that I’m a huge coffee addict. So much so, that 1) I can’t remember a day in the last two years that I haven’t had at least one cup of coffee, 2) I’d rather give up chocolate than coffee, and 3) I can totally relate to the Eve Dallas character in the IN DEATH series written by JD Robb. If you don’t know who she is, then it’s enough to say that she really, really loves her coffee.

And lately, the price of coffee is so much higher than it used to be–at least it is in my neck of the woods–that I’ve been forced to buy (and drink) less expensive beans. I’m not happy about this. I have my favorites, and I’m sorry to say, but coffee is not one of those items that the “store brand” is just as good. It isn’t.

Not by a long shot.

You see, in my house, we go through 3 to 4 pounds of coffee a week. There are four people in my house of six that love coffee as much as I do, so we easily brew two, three, and every now and then–four–pots of coffee a day. I know. It’s crazy. But it’s a fact of life here, so I have to factor that into my grocery shopping. And while I’m totally okay with giving up other things in the name of good coffee…not everyone in my house feels the same. Traitors!

Anyway, this post is mostly a rant. I want MY GOOD coffee.

Of course, there are other items that I’m okay with buying the store brand. In fact, items that I really don’t notice a difference. Toaster waffles, certain types of crackers and cookies, pasta, yogurt, some flavors of cereal, etc. But there are other items that I refuse to buy the store brand: Spaghetti sauce, soda, orange juice, and parmesan cheese, to name a few. I can tell you why for some of these items: our store brand spaghetti sauce tastes more like catsup than it does something you want to put over pasta, for example. But I can’t tell you why I don’t buy store brand parmesan cheese…I just don’t.

The thing is, these items I haven’t had to sacrafice on, because let’s face it–they’re not on my grocery list every single week, and we don’t go through 3 or 4 pounds of them even when they are. But coffee is always on my list, and we always go through a lot of it, and even though I am not happy with the coffee we’re currently buying, I cannot see spending nearly twice as much per pound (and some weeks, more than twice as much) when we’re counting every penny nowadays.

But it still makes me sad. Next year, one coffee-drinking person will be living away from home when he goes off to college, so maybe I’ll be able to revert back, then.

Anyway, I’m annoyed by how much more expensive coffee is. What about you? Have you had to cut back on any of your favorite things because of the economy?

Don’t Forget!

This week at The Novel Girls we’re talking about setting goals. Stop in and say hi!

 

I hope y’all had a terrific weekend!

Today, I thought I’d post a couple of links for your Monday downtime:

Feel like playing a game? My son brought this particular game to my attention. Basically, it’s a twenty questions sort of set up. What you do is think of a person/character/thing and then answer up to twenty questions. At the end, the “genie” guesses who/what you were thinking of. I gotta say, it’s amazed me with its level of accuracy. It guessed the Smoke Monster from Lost for goodness sake!

Anyway, here’s the link: The Akinator! 

I have managed to win a few times. I was thinking of Shaun Cassiday, and it came up with Donny Osmond and then with David Cassidy. Let me know if you try it out, and if you become as weirdly addicted to this thing as I have. Have fun!

Are you a Writer? Then you might find this article interesting. Many different writers were polled on their “10 Rules for Writing Fiction” and this is the first part of that poll. Some of these rules made chuckle, some made me frustrated, and others I agreed with. All in all, whether you agree with most of them or not, it’s a fun read.

And the Link: 10 Rules for Writing Fiction

Do you want to play ANOTHER game? How good of a multitasker are you? This game sets you up with one game and tells you how to play it, then after you’re accustomed to that, opens a second window with a second game and tells you how to play that, then after a few minutes of playtime with these two games, a third window…you get the point. So, my question to you is: Can you multitask? I can. Just not quite as well as I’d like (at least so far as this particular game goes).

The link is: Multitask Game!

Need more places to go/things to read/stuff to do? This link is brought to you by the letter “J.” Or, in other words, my son. Again. What can I say, he finds all sorts of interesting things, and this one is one of his favorites. Have you ever heard of Stumble Upon? Probably, you have. But if you haven’t, then you’ll definitely want to check it out. Basically, you click little boxes next to things that interest you, such as games, animals, philosophy, etc. There’s a whole bunch of possibilities. And, after you’ve clicked whatever you want to click, you then click on “Stumble Upon,” and it will lead you around the web pulling up a host of pages that match your interests. My son has found some very interesting/funny/weird/you-name-it stuff this way.

Here’s the link: Stumble Upon

That’s it until Wednesday. Have fun and stay safe.

Don’t Forget!

This week at The Novel Girls, we’re talking about setting writing goals. I set them, do you?

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has had a terrific week!

Today, I’m posting the second scene from chapter two of A BREATH OF MAGIC. Here are the links to the prior three excerpts I’ve posted:

Chapter One / Scene One

Chapter One / Scene Two

Chapter Two / Scene One

This is the final excerpt I’m posting for now, but I should have the “Browse the Book” feature on my web site soon, which gives a little more of a peek. I’m just waiting for it to show up at my publisher’s site so I can share it here. I’ll be sure to post when it’s up!

And here is Chapter Two: Scene Two — Enjoy!

 

A BREATH OF MAGIC

By Tracy Madison

Available May 2010 from Leisure Paranormal Romance

ISBN 10: 0505528363 / ISBN 13: 978-0505528360

 

Chapter Two: Scene Two

 

Alice drove us to a small, historic hotel in Chicago’s central business district. From what I gathered on the ride over, Verda and my friend had hatched their kidnapping plan within minutes of leaving my place. They’d contacted Elizabeth, who’d jumped on board, taking care of “other details.”

Those details were apparently the hotel room I now sat in. Three chairs formed a half circle around a fourth—mine—in the center. A few lit candles were scattered around the room, their vanilla scent filling the air, and soft music played in the background. If I were there with a guy, I’d have thought it was a scene set for seduction. In this case, I figured they were trying to relax me. Which was so not happening.

“She’s angry. That’s why she won’t talk,” said Elizabeth. “Maybe this wasn’t such a hot idea.”

“Of course she’s angry. But she didn’t give us much choice in the matter,” said Grandma Verda. “And she can leave anytime she wants. It’s not like we have her tied down.”

Leave and go where? Traversing the streets of Chicago in the middle of the night, in my pj’s, was not a smart move. I didn’t have any cash on me for cab fare, and I distinctly remembered Kyle powering off his cell before going to bed. I had zero options. Which, I’m sure, was the entire point.

“We should have waited a few days.” Elizabeth rubbed her eyes. “Or at least until morning.”

“No. Grandma’s right,” said Alice, who for some reason had a baby rattle clutched in her grip. The toy belonged to her daughter, but Rose wasn’t with us. “This can’t wait. She acted totally out of character tonight. The quicker we resolve this, the better for everyone.”

“Hello? Crazy women? I’m right here. Stop talking around me!”

Verda winked, as if delighted by my outburst. “Oh, good! You’ve decided to talk! We can get started now.”

“Started with what?” I crossed my arms, absolutely positive the forthcoming conversation was not one I wanted to have.

“Your intervention, of course. Unless you’d like a snack before we begin? Elizabeth brought goodies,” said Verda. “Cookies, I think.”

“My what?” I tightened my hands into fists.

“Intervention,” Verda said again. “This is a safe place. We’re here for you.”

While I’m quite sure she meant to reassure me, the result was anything but reassuring. I glared at Alice. “What is she talking about? And it better not be about Kyle, because that horse is dead and buried. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”

“Wait!” Verda grabbed the baby rattle from Alice. “We need to go over the rules.”

First a kidnapping, then an intervention, and now rules? Awesome. The night I became engaged would definitely live in my memory, just not in the way I’d hoped. Holding my hands up in defeat, I muttered, “Fine. What are the rules?”

Verda shook the toy, the clattering nearly loud enough to overwhelm the music. “Whoever has the rattle is allowed to talk. If you don’t have the rattle, you can’t say anything unless you’re asked a question by the person who’s holding it.”

Elizabeth and Alice nodded in agreement and looked at me. At that second, it became clear how serious they were. Suddenly, the thought of walking home in my pajamas became a lot more appealing. What were the chances I’d be kidnapped twice on the same night, anyway? They had to be low. Low enough to risk it.

“This is ludicrous. You all realize that, right?” I said evenly. “I don’t need an intervention because I’m engaged.”

“This won’t work unless you’re open to the process.” Verda sighed, her eyes bright with emotion. “We’re family, and we care about you. All we ask is that you give this a shot. Okay?”

“Do I have a choice?”

Elizabeth waved her hands in the air. Grandma Verda tossed the rattle to her. “Listen,” she said. “We’ve all noticed some changes in you, and we’re concerned. I think you’re more upset about not receiving the magic than anything else. What do you think?”

I shook my head, not wanting to respond. I was related to these women by blood, which meant I deserved the gift just as much as Elizabeth and Alice. They had their magic, but where was mine? “I already answered that.”

“Right. You did, but I don’t believe you.”

I gritted my teeth so I wouldn’t argue.

Verda retrieved the rattle. “Try to be open to this,” she reminded me. “We can’t help unless you tell us how you really feel!”

Elizabeth snatched the toy back. “It would bother me,” she admitted. “I would care very much if the people closest to me had something I should have but didn’t. I would feel left out. Alone. And maybe I’d stop believing in the things I used to. Is that’s what’s going on, Chloe?”

The walls closed in. I pushed out a shallow breath, trying to alleviate the suffocating pressure. It didn’t work. What she said had hit a nerve. I had a choice here: tell them this part of the truth, like they thought they wanted, and open the wound that had only begun to close, or continue the charade.

“Nothing is going on,” I said, choosing the charade.

“Why won’t you talk to us?” Liz inhaled a breath, and a tiny grin appeared. “Besides, I think your magic has started.”

Okay, this was not a development I’d expected. “What do you mean?” I asked, barely daring to hope.

“The cake, Chloe. I was somehow…compelled…to do what you wanted, to cast that wish. And I’m telling you now, I had no intention of agreeing.”

I thought back to that moment in the bakery, to everything that had occurred. Maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to believe Elizabeth if the family ghost, Miranda, the source of the Gypsy magic, had visited me even once. But she hadn’t, and from what I knew, that only meant one thing. I shook my head. “No. Nothing happened that was magical. But thanks for trying. Really.”

Alice reached over and grasped the rattle. “If it’s not the magic, then what? Why do you think you’ve changed?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I shot back, still going with the charade. “Changed how?”

“You refused to look at the picture.” Leaning forward, she centered her brown-eyed gaze on me. “The old Chloe, the one who tackled life instead of being resigned to it, would have leaped at that drawing. But you didn’t. And that’s when I got scared. That’s when I realized something was very wrong.”

She was right. The old Chloe would have jumped for joy. But I wasn’t that Chloe now, and thinking about that drawing, and about whatever future of mine that magic had shown Alice, would ruin everything. I shrugged, as if I couldn’t care less. “People change. That’s life.”

“Bull. Not like this. You’re a completely different person.”

So are you, I thought. Saying that, though, would just hurt her. “What do you want from me?”

“I want the truth. Whatever it is, Chloe, just lay it on me.”

I noticed that Verda and Elizabeth had scooted their chairs back slightly, to give me and Alice an impression of privacy. Nice of them, but totally unnecessary. Because I didn’t plan on telling Alice the truth. Not now, not ever. So what if I felt left out? So what if I felt forgotten in the happiness of her new life? If she knew, not only would she be hurt, but it might damage our friendship even more.

She continued to stare at me, waiting for my answer. Begging me to answer. Reaching deep, I found the anger from earlier. Anger was better than tears. Anger shielded me from everything else.

I grabbed the rattle from Alice’s grasp and shook it. “I’m done here! This is dumb, and all you really want is for me to break things off with Kyle. But that’s not going to happen, so this intervention is over!”

Everyone was silent. Alice shook her head in either disappointment or sadness; I wasn’t sure which. Verda began clearing up the room. After a few more minutes, Elizabeth joined her. But Alice stayed in her chair and just looked at me.

I grinned, trying to ease the tension between us. “I’m sorry. I know you all meant well, but come on… This was a little much.”

“You’re right that it was drastic, but we felt—hoped—that drastic would get your attention and you’d open up to us. To me.”

“I know you don’t believe me, but I’m fine. Really I am. I just wish you could be happy for me.” Squeezing my thumb and forefinger together, I said, “Just a little bit? Can you do that for me?”

Indecision colored her features, and I thought she was going to say no. But then a glint appeared in her eyes and she smiled. “I can be, yes, if you’ll do one thing for me. Just one.”

Immediately suspicious—because, come on, with the night I’d had, why wouldn’t I be?—I said, “What’s the one thing?”

Before answering, she called out to Verda. “Hey, Grandma? Do you mind if Chloe uses your car tonight? Elizabeth can take us home.”

“I can?” asked Elizabeth.

“Yes, you can.” Alice’s tone was firm.

My curiosity and my suspicion climbed.

“Um, yeah, whatever,” Elizabeth said.

“That’s fine, dear,” Verda agreed. “I trust Chloe with Greta.”

Greta? Cute. She’d named her car. I thought only men did that. “What’s the one thing, and why do I need Verda’s car to do it?”

With a smile very reminiscent of Verda’s canary-swallowing version, Alice said, “I want you to stay here, in this room, for an hour after we leave. You’ll need the car to get home, but we’ll come by for it later.”

“That’s it? Truly?”

“That’s it. Consider it a little ‘me time.’”

While I figured there was more to her request, and honestly, I’d had plenty of time alone over the last few months, I couldn’t say no. I desperately wanted my best friend at my wedding. And really, what could an hour do? “Okay. You have a deal.”

Pleased, Alice stood and gave me a tight hug. “I’m going to help them carry everything out to the car, and then I’ll be back.”

“I thought it was supposed to be alone time?”

“It is. I’ll only be here for a few minutes.” Another quick hug. “Be right back.”

I washed my face while I waited, using the activity to keep my emotions in check—something I’d gotten pretty good at lately. Then I paced the room, not wanting to sit down, but unable to stand still. For the first time, I wondered why they’d brought me here, to this hotel, for their intervention. There were plenty of hotels closer to my home.

Before I could give it any further thought, Alice barged in. She tossed Verda’s car keys on the bed. “You remember where we parked?”

“Yep. Just down the street a little.”

“The hour doesn’t start until I leave,” she pushed.

“Then maybe you should leave?” I stifled a yawn. “I’m sorry, I’m just really tired.”

“It’s okay.” She walked to the other side of the room and took a seat on the wide windowsill. “Come here, there’s something I want to show you.”

“I’m not looking at that drawing, Alice!”

She showed me her empty hands. “I don’t have it with me. Come here. Please.”

Hesitantly, I crossed the room and sat next to her on the sill. “What?”

Turning her head, she looked out the window. “It’s still dark out, but do you see that building across the street? The one with all the black glass?”

I played along and glanced out the window. “Yeah. It’s sort of big, and there are streetlights, and I’m not blind. Kind of hard to miss a building, Alice. So what’s this all about?”

“In that building is an architectural firm called Malone & Associates. Have you ever heard of them?”

“No. Why?”

“I lied to you last year,” she said, changing the subject. “Remember when you asked me to use my magic to draw a picture of your wedding day, and I told you that nothing happened?”

My throat tightened. “So…it did work? You drew my wedding day, and you’ve had that drawing for this long?” Somehow I’d thought the drawing was a recent thing, something done at the last minute to try to change my decision. The knowledge that she’d had it for nearly a year spun around in my head, clogging everything up. A shiver rolled down my spine, and a hairline crack appeared in the wall I’d built around myself. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“To protect that day. To protect your future.”

Okay. Whatever. It didn’t matter. This altered nothing. “So why are you telling me now?”

She nodded toward the building. “Shortly after I drew your wedding day, I was having tea at a café up the road. And the man from your drawing—your groom—strolled in to buy a cup of coffee.” Her eyes gripped mine. “I followed him, Chloe. And he walked to that building, to Malone & Associates, swiped a card to unlock the door and let himself in. Which means he probably works there.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. The hairline crack widened, and the wall began to crumble. “No. I don’t want to know this. Not now.”

Alice stood and pointed out the window. “Don’t you get it, sweetie? Your happily-ever-after is literally across the street. Not lying in your bed, sleeping. Across the freaking street.” With that, she turned on her heel and left the room.

I sat there for longer than my promised hour of “me time,” long enough to see the early sun of the morning. I didn’t once remove my gaze from that building. My body trembled at the very thought, I wanted to grab on to this new future so badly. But actually taking the steps toward that future, the one I couldn’t see, petrified me beyond reason. Kyle was safe. Comfortable. And I could visualize my future with him.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and turned away from the window. Then and only then did I open them. Numb, cold and exhausted, I retrieved the car keys. Then I left and drove home to where Kyle waited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And–ah–that’s it! Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Forget!

This week, The Novel Girls are chatting about the Winter Olympics.

A BREATH OF MAGIC is availble for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, and Powells Books.

You might remember we took a puppy into our home a few months ago. We love her lots and lots and lots, but training her has turned out to be a pain in the neck. Well, not all training. She’s learned to only chew on her toys and leaves our furniture and other belongings alone. Thank goodness on this one, as before she learned, she chewed up quite a few cords (my daughter’s cell phone power cord, the cord to the Rock Band drums, etc.)

She’s also really good at staying off of the “good” furniture, and seems to know that the futon in my office is okay for her to sleep on. She leaves the cat food dishes alone (and the litter box too, thank goodness). She’s knows which of the two cats she can play with without getting clawed, and she leaves our older dog alone, somehow knowing that Sadie is in her elder years and is not into hyper puppies. (Yes, we have four pets. Crazy, I tell ya).

BUT the housetraining is not going well. At all. Oh, she KNOWS the deal, but she also hates being cold. And it’s cold outside. And there’s lots of snow. So she tries to hide to “do her business” in the house, instead of going outside. In fact, forcing her to go outside has become an athletic event, as she’ll hide herself into corners behind furniture so she doesn’t have to go out in the cold, and when you get close to her, she runs like the wind.

The only way she’ll go out without a huge hassle is if someone goes outside with her. A human someone. The other dog isn’t good enough company, apparently. So every hour on the hour, someone in the house is donning their coat, shoes, and gloves, so we can take the stubborn puppy outside. Sigh.

Any words of advice???

Don’t Forget!

This week, we’re talking about the Winter Olympics at The Novel Girls!

On Friday, I’ll share another excerpt from A BREATH OF MAGIC!

I have more things on my agenda today than I have hours in the day. Why I scheduled so many things on a Monday, I’ll never know, but I’m already regretting it. Hugely.

Besides the normal workday stuff, I have two client meetings, one parent-teacher conference, the cable company is supposed to show up sometime between 8AM and Noon, and my carpets are being cleaned late this afternoon. Yes, I’m crazy. Though, I suppose tomorrow I’ll be pleased that I didn’t schedule things throughout the entire week…and today is supposed to be a holiday. Geesh.

On a sidenote, has anyone been watching the new TV series: Life Unexpected? It’s on the CW and I’m already loving the show. It’s turning out to be a new fave for me.

At any rate, I hope all of you have a great Monday! Think of me while you’re relaxing and taking it easy.

Don’t Forget!

This week we’re talking about the Winter Olympics at The Novel Girls!

Friday, I’ll share another excerpt from A BREATH OF MAGIC

Happy Friday!

Sorry for the late post, but today has been crazy. We’re still digging out from all the snow and today marked everyone’s first day back to school. You’d think the quiet would have helped me get going early, but somehow it didn’t turn out that way.

Today, I’m posting the first scene from chapter two of A BREATH OF MAGIC. Here are the links to the prior two excerpts I’ve posted:

Chapter One / Scene One

Chapter One / Scene Two

And here is Chapter Two: Scene One — Enjoy!

 

A BREATH OF MAGIC

By Tracy Madison

Available May 2010 from Leisure Paranormal Romance

ISBN 10: 0505528363 / ISBN 13: 978-0505528360

 

Chapter Two: Scene One

 

Soft snoring came from my right. Kyle’s arm rested heavily on my side. The sheets felt scratchy, and my pillow seemed hard as a rock. All of this, combined with the craziness of the evening, had put me solidly in the no-sleep zone.

Part of my inability to relax most certainly had to do with Kyle’s abrupt acceptance of my equally abrupt proposal. Would he wake up in the morning with a change of heart? And even if he didn’t, would the magic wear off at some point in the future, and he’d walk away? Obviously, as much consideration as I’d given this, it wasn’t enough.

Ugh. Turning over on my other side so that my back faced Kyle, I carefully removed his arm from my rib cage. My breathing improved instantly. Closing my eyes, I attempted to push every thought from my mind. Bit by bit, the tightness in my muscles eased and the stress in my shoulders lessened. I began the tumble toward sleep, and I would’ve made it except for the sudden low buzz of my cell phone sitting on my nightstand.

I groaned and cracked one eye open before pulling myself upright. Grabbing the phone, I flipped it open without glancing at the display. “Hello?” I whispered as I tiptoed out of the bedroom.

“Oh, Chloe! Thank goodness you answered!” said Grandma Verda.

A knot of stress, the same one I’d just gotten rid of, appeared smack-dab in the upper middle of my back. “It’s late, Verda. I know you’re unhappy with me, but couldn’t this have waited until tomorrow?”

A loud sigh reverberated through the phone. “That’s not it, dear.” She hesitated, and I heard her take another breath. “I’m in a pickle here. I need your help.”

Help? My annoyance disappeared and concern took over. The eighty-something-year-old Verda was spry, but she wasn’t indestructible. “What is it? Are you hurt?”

“I wouldn’t say hurt, exactly,” she hedged. “I didn’t wake up Kyle, did I?”

Okay, she couldn’t be too bad off if she was worried about disturbing Kyle’s sleep. “I had the phone on vibrate. He didn’t hear a thing.”

“Oh, good! Can you help me?”

“Of course!” I wondered why she hadn’t phoned Alice or Elizabeth. “If I can,” I amended. “What’s going on? Where are you?”

“Right outside your apartment. In the parking lot.”

“What are you doing in my parking lot at”—I found the glowing numbers of the clock on the cable box—“twelve thirteen in the morning?”

“Well, you see, Chloe…I never actually left. I was with Alice when Lizzy phoned her, so I followed her over in my car.”

“And?” I waited for the rest of the explanation, far more curious than afraid.

“When you kicked us out—that wasn’t very nice, by the way—Alice left before I did. I was putting my seat belt on and I dropped my…um…keys. Somehow, they ended up beneath the driver’s seat,” she explained in a rush.

“Can’t you find them?” I guessed.

“Hm.” She gave a little laugh I chalked up to embarrassment. “I couldn’t get to them from the front, so I crawled in the backseat to see if that would work. Anyway…I’m stuck.”

“With your hand under the seat?” Oh, my God. Poor Verda!

“It’s my foot. I can’t get it out from under the seat no matter what I try.”

“Why didn’t you call me right away?” I slipped into the shoes I’d kicked off by the door earlier and then dashed out of the apartment into the cool May night, keeping the phone to my ear. Images of a frail elderly lady with her foot wedged for over an hour made me move as fast as I could in two-inch heels. I hurriedly scanned the parking area in search of Verda’s Mini Cooper. “Where? I don’t see your car.”

“Take a left out of your door and follow the sidewalk. I’m down three or four doors down.”

I counted the doors as I walked, dismissing one car after another until I finally spotted hers. “There you are. Just hang tight, Verda. We’ll get you out of there in no time.”

“You’re such a sweet girl.”

Stopping at her car, I went around to the driver side and closed my phone before sliding it into the pocket of my pajama bottoms. I opened the door and knelt down. “I can’t believe you didn’t call me sooner. You shouldn’t have waited out here for so long!”

“Oh. Well…I didn’t want to bother you. I really thought I could handle it myself.” She smiled, as if pleased with herself. “Thank you for helping out a silly old lady. I think, though, you’ll have better luck from the other side. So you can get to the leg that’s stuck easier.”

Her calm demeanor impressed me. In her position, I’d be freaking out. Taking stock of the situation, I nodded and closed her door. On the passenger side, I slid the front seat up and climbed in the back. “Wow, it’s tight in here. No wonder you got stuck.”

“I feel so ridiculous.” She craned her neck to the side and glanced out the back window. Weird, but I’d have sworn she was looking for someone.

Scooting farther in, twisting on my side, I leaned over as much as a person can in a space the size of a sardine can. “Is it your ankle or your foot? And does anything hurt?”

“Oh…both, I think. And no, I’m not in pain.” She shifted in her seat and did that neck-craning thing again. “Your legs are hanging out the door, Chloe. You should pull them in all the way.”

Yeah, right. In this tiny car? “Um, this probably won’t take but a minute…hang on. Let me get my hand under the seat—”

“It makes me nervous, is all,” she interrupted, speaking quickly. “With your legs hanging out, someone unsavory could see us.”

Humoring her, because even though she had a point, I didn’t really think it was necessary, I tried to resituate myself. Rolling from my side to my stomach, I bent my legs backward at the knees and slithered my body forward. “There. Better?”

She clapped, knocking my temple with an elbow. “Yes! Now!”

“Now? Now, what?” Something odd was going on. I knew it, but I couldn’t put my finger on what. Crooking my neck so I could see Verda’s face, I barely registered her cat-that-swallowed-the-canary grin before the passenger door slammed shut. “Who did that?” I nearly screamed.

“Alice. You can sit up, dear. I’m not really stuck,” Verda confided. The driver-side door opened, and the car shifted slightly as someone—Alice?—climbed in. Verda patted my head. “And don’t be mad. This is for your own good.”

By the time the engine purred to life, I’d managed to get into a half-sitting position. “What the hell is going on here?” I asked, not bothering to keep my voice down.

“We’re kidnapping you,” Alice said over her shoulder as she backed out of the parking spot. “And Grandma’s right, it’s for your own good.”

 

 

 

 

 

And–ah–that’s it until next week! Have a great weekend!

Don’t Forget!

This week, The Novel Girls are celebrating the release of THE LIFE OF GLASS by Jillian Cantor.

Next Friday, I’ll post the remainder of Chapter Two from A BREATH OF MAGIC.

A BREATH OF MAGIC is availble for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, and Powells Books.