Friday, June 7, 2013

#MWBB 16 - Just a Taste

This week's Blue Buster is the song Short Change Hero by The Heavy.  After listening to the prompt, I fell in love with this band.  Now, two purchased CDs later you have my entry.  Enjoy.


Sam sat at the corner of the bar, watching the door for the perfect woman.  His wingman, James, pointed out each pair of large breasts in the place.

    "What about that one?" James asked.  "Her tits are total tens. Or how 'bout the redhead over there with the small perky tits?  She looks fun."

    "Man you have zero class, you know that," Sam replied.

    "Dude, I'm not the one looking to score in this meat-market."  James threw some beer-nuts into his mouth. "Who needs class," he asked between chews.

Sam rolled his eyes and took a sip of lukewarm beer.  The right one would show up tonight; he could feel it in his bones.  He focused on the door again, eyes bright with anticipation.  Thirty minutes later, his patience was rewarded. 

The brunette arrived with a group of friends, but Sam immediately felt the connection all the way across the room.  Her brunette hair swept just over her shoulders, her soft brown eyes glowed with excitement, and her lips - well, they were the perfect amount of full ruby red deliciousness.  She wore a skirt short enough to invite looks but long enough to indicate a chase.  Sam wanted a good chase.  Her eyes darted around the bar, taking in the crowd.  She gaze stopped when it landed on Sam.  He tipped his glass and smiled.  The hue of her lips spread through her cheeks.  She gave an awkward smile before disappearing onto the dance floor with her giggling entourage.  Sam's smile widened.

    "So, are you going after her or what?" James asked.  "That little miss priss is totally your type."

    "Yes. Yes, indeed."  Sam kept an eye on the dance floor as he answered.  He caught glimpses of the skirt or the messy bun a few times.  Then she was on the edge of the crowd, moving to the dark music with a girlfriend.  She threw him tentative glances at first then turned completely toward him.  Her smile seemed more confident as she motioned for him to join her.

    "You're in." James slapped him on the back before getting up from the barstool.  "Happy hunting, my friend.  I'm heading over to those tens I spotted earlier.  Don't wait up."

Sam waved absently at his friend, never taking his eyes off the brunette.  He stood, downed the remainder of his beer, and headed toward the beautiful girl with the tumbled hair.  He didn't say a word as he grabbed her hips and began to sway in time to the band.  He loved the way surprise melted into delight on her face. 

*****

Sam's back slammed though his front door.  He pulled the brunette into the hallway and kicked the door closed with a foot.  Her full mouth moved from his lips down to his neck.  His hands slipped up her waist into her blouse.

    "What's your name?" he whispered.

    "Jeannie."  She sighed as he unsnapped her bra with one quick movement.

    "Jeannie, are you ok with this?" Sam asked.  He wasn't like James.  He wanted consent.

    "Mmm-Hmm," she said between kisses.  It was all Sam needed.

He deftly moved them to the floor.  Her panties were off before she could moan agreement.  He pushed inside her as he kissed her gorgeous mouth.  The incubus drank in her essence, pulling out all her passion and desire with each thrust.  Her eyes widened as her life force escaped.  Sam was hungry; he needed her full soul.  He had waited for the perfect woman and now he drank her dry.  By the time he climaxed there was no body left, just a pile of ashes and bone.

*****
    "Someone had a good evening," James smirked as he kicked bones out of the hallway.

    "It was a very good time." Sam smiled at his friend.  "Back out tonight?"

    "Hell, ya!" James slapped him on the back and tossed his own bag of bones into the pile.


word count - 652
@BrewedBohemian

Friday, May 31, 2013

#MWBB 15 - Hell Has No Fury

So technically, I am late with my entry and therefore disqualified from actual entry this week.  But I did write a Mid-Week Blues Buster piece so I'm posting it here, late or not.

Make sure you read all the wonderful entries at The Tsuruoka Files.

*****


She blew out the candle and waited in the dark.   No need to waste the wax, she thought. She licked her dry lips, tasting the tang of the lingering potion. 
“A few more minutes,” she said to the walls.  The darkness in her room began to pulsate.  She felt the potion moving through her veins.  The demon had hissed a warning before disintegrating into a noxious black smoke.
“It will hurt.”
She relaxed into her bed and closed her eyes.  As her head hit the pillows, the pain bit her fingertips. She tried to relax as the effect moved up her arms and into her body.  Tingles like pin pricks began to consume her.  The agony came on fast, flying through her blood like arrows.  The backs of her eyelids burned.  Her head exploded with lava-like fire.  Her back arched as she languished.
“It will hurt,” echoed in her pounding ears.  The Coven had warned her not to strike a deal with anything she summoned.  She should have listened.  Her heart raced and for a brief moment she thought it would burst from her chest.  Then rational thought ceased.
“It will hurt.”  Tears ran down her cheeks, evaporating before they hit the pillows.  Her skin was literally burning, her body boiling from the inside out.  She knew her corporeal form would be forfeit but had never dreamed of the manner in which it would be shed.  Hell devoured her being. Her bedroom became engulfed in the demon-fire. 
After an hour of pain and torture, the demon released his hold on the foolish girl’s spirit.  He relished in the taste of her pain.  She belonged to the underworld now.  Few mortals called him forth any longer.  It had been 500 hundred years since his last captured soul.  This human had been a simple conquest.
“I want to be a witch; a real one.  You know?  Powerful and shit.”  She had tried to sound casual but her voice had trembled at his hideous form. “Can you do that?  I mean, I order you to do that.”
He had sneered at the command.  Being summoned meant being bound but humans always fouled it up, demanding favors or parlor tricks.  Very few had the intelligence not to bring about their own demise.  She had been one of the stupid ones.
“Of course, my master.  I can perform the task you require.”  He had pulled the potion from his wing bone.
“Where am I?”  The frightened voice pulled him from his reverie.
“Why, hell of course,” the demon replied.
“Hell?” Her voice shook.  “But, I’m a witch.  I’m a real witch.  I can’t be in hell.”
“Oh, but you can.  And you are,” he said with glee.
“But you promised me,” she screeched.  He watched as the reality sank into her ethereal eyes.  Realization was always his favorite part.
“I have fulfilled my promise.  You are a powerful witch.  You are MY witch,” he hissed.  “And you are bound to me as I was once bound to you.”

(503 words)

Review - Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire by Paul Ramey


Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire
by Paul Ramey
Publisher: Nine Muse Press
Copyright: 2013
Format: eBook

Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire by Paul Ramey is the first publication by my friends over at Nine Muse Press.  To promote the book, they developed a read-a-long contest on Facebook for the month of May: read the book, post a review, enter to win a prize. <Schwaayyyy>

I watched the youtube book trailer and became so pumped up I purchased the book on the spot.  The read-a-long contest was actually just an added bonus for a book I was already psyched up to read. ^.^

I wasn't sure what to expect from the book. The trailer was awesome with excellent music, fast-paced pictures and intriguing text.  The book ended up with the same sort of feel.  It was a very fast read with interesting history, plot twists, and mystery.  There was even a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.  I enjoyed the book even though I wasn't actually expecting a young adult story.  There is some swearing and a little mild violence, but all in all the book is geared toward a younger reader.  Once I set up my internal reader voice for a younger audience, things flowed without a hitch.

The only issue I had with the story was character development.  This happens in YA books sometimes; the deeper details of a personality aren't fleshed out for some characters.  I felt that in this book when characters would take leaps outside of their established personalities.   There were also characters who appeared to be "in development" who later dropped off the map.  I found myself thinking, "Was that character important?  Will he/she be back in a later scene?  Why was so much time spent on him/her if he/she wasn't necessary?"

Overall, it's a good book with solid writing.  The story flows well and everything is fast-paced.  I would give it 4 brews and just remind readers it's YA.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Dirty Goggles End of Hop Bash

Come on in and join the Dirty Goggles Blog Hop celebration!

After FB deliberation, pimping by the authors and tons of steamy black coffee for yours truly, the Dirty Goggles team can finally announce the winners and Fan Faves for each dirty  category.

We have Dirigibles and Dragons, Clockworks and of course CUPCAKES.  


So grab a tasty morsel, peruse the entries and congratulate the winners.

Before I jump into the winners, I must first give a shout out to Ruth (@Bullishink) and Steven (@Ashviper).  I've participated in tons of Hops but this was my first venture into hosting.  Without these two amazing peeps, I never would have made it past the first day of planning.  So thanks guys!  It was an awesome adventure. ^_^

And now the bit everyone really cares about - the Winners! Let me tell you, judging was hard.  The stories were amazing and the imagination thrown in to each tale was staggering. Great job to all who entered - it was a difficult genre assignment to say the least and everyone did an excellent job.

Steampunk:

Judges pick and the winner of a $25 Amazon gift card - The Apothecary's Art by the Last Krystallos aka Lisa Shambrook

Fan Fave and bragging rights for eternity - Wings of Icarus by Samantha Geary

Great job my steamy friends!!

Dieselpunk:

Judges pick and the winner of a $25 Amazon gift card - Love at the End of the World by Rowanwolf aka Stacy Hoyt

Fan Fave and bragging rights for eternity - Sixty Seconds Over Empire City by Surly Muse aka Daniel Swensen

Oily awesomeness, guys!!

Make sure to check out all the entries.  Seriously, they are all pretty great.

Linky Thing
 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Dirty Goggles Fan Favorite voting in Full Swing!

Sharpen Your Pencils and Cast Your Votes!

Fan Favorite Contest

Voting is open from midnight Monday, May 20 through midnight Wednesday, May 22.

Vote for your favorite entry by typing the name of the writer and the title of their story in one of three places:
  • in the comment box below
  • in our facebook voting posts
  • in the comment box of our storify post

Writers: get out there and shamelessly pimp your story!

Voters: one vote per person per category, please!

Winners for Fan Fav and the Blog Hop will be announced Friday, May 24.

Questions? Contact a hop cohost: @brewedbohemian / @ashviper / @bullishink  Linky Thing
 

Friday, May 10, 2013

#MWBB Dieselpunk Style

This week's Blues Buster was the love song "Sea of Love" by the Honeydrippers.  The YouTube video of a spinning record took me on a crazy journey to Mars and a Dieselpunk romance.

So here is my #Dirtygoggles Dieselpunk sample and my #MWBB 12

Flyboy
@BrewedBohemian
625 Words
Diesel
Safe for all

Betty's legs pumped around and around.  The kinetic power she generated from the old bicycle tire was just enough to spin the phonograph she treasured; push, push, push with her legs while her hands cranked wrench and screwdriver.  Vera Lynn crooned through the air as Betty wiped sweat and grease down the thighs of her coveralls.   She needed to move to another section but wanted to finish the song first.  Her phonograph rig took some time to move so she would have to finish her work in silence.  Betty savored the last few chords before allowing her legs to slow.  Vera faded as the tire came to a halt.  Betty crawled under the fuselage of the downed Bristol Beau and settled in for a long silent evening.

"How's my little grease monkey tonight?" a deep voice boomed across the silence.

"Bryson!" Betty scampered from under the plane and dropped her wrench on the nearest workbench.  She ran towards the man blocking the entrance to her workshop and jumped into his arms.

"You're safe," she whispered into his ear, nuzzling his neck.

"Just like I promised," he whispered back.  He kissed her tenderly on the cheek before detangling from her limbs.  He pushed her work goggles up onto her messy hair, cupped her face in his big hands and drank in the radiance of her smile.

"I missed you too much not to come back safe," he said.  He kissed her, full and deep.  Damn, he had missed her.  More than he'd imagined possible.  The dangers of the Martian landscape and the possibility of being eaten by the winged bat creatures of the foreign planet faded.  His world decreased to just his girl in dirty coveralls kissing him tenderly.

"I brought you something."  He said once the kiss had ended.  He watched her eyes dance with excitement.

"What is it?" she asked.  He removed his pack and unzipped the main compartment.   He pulled out a canteen and the magnetic coil from an engine.  Betty wasn't sure which item she wanted more.

"You found water?" she marveled.

"Yep. And a little something special just for my girl."  Bryson flashed his best Cary Grant smile before presenting both items as he bowed.  Betty licked her lips then snatched up the coil and darted to her workbench.  Bryson chuckled, straightened up and followed behind her.

"Always the mechanic," he said.

"It's just," she began. "If I can fix that plane with the right alterations, you can fly us off this rock." She finished the sentence looking down at her dirty hands. 

"Always the optimistic mechanic."  Bryson turned to inspect the plane. 

She'd worked wonders, his girl.  She'd done more in six months with this Beau and the parts he'd scavenged than anyone thought possible; even the governmental scientists.  When the War had spilled out into the stars and eventually onto the moon, everyone thought the Americans would save them.  Everyone had been wrong.  The Nazi's dropped the bomb and those who could had fled to Mars, the only friendly territory left.  Now, stranded with little water and even less food, returning to Earth was the only option.  At one point, this plane had been capable of space flight.  And it seemed his girl had restored it back to that capability.  The only issue she hadn't worked out was the power.

He turned back around and saw Betty staring at him.  Her work goggles were still piled on top of her disheveled hair but her face had clean streaks where tears had removed the grime and grease.

"It's a long shot.  I know," she said.

Bryson pulled Betty up into his arms and held tight.

"Sweet lass," he soothed.  "I believe in you."  That was all the power Betty needed.

Monday, May 6, 2013

#DirtyGoggles - Let's Get Steamy

Dirty Goggles has officially kicked off!  YEAH \(^o^)/

steampunk photo: Steampunk Steampunk.jpg
Chaos-Starz's Steampunk

To get everyone in the mood, Ruth, Steven and I have created a few pinboards and playlists.  We also have definitions, will be posting sample stories, and are answering any questions you might have on what makes a story Steam/Diesel punkish.

Plus - WE HAVE PRIZES!! <SCHWAYYYY>

Below is a full recap of the festivities and links.  The Linky Thing is at the bottom as well - thanks Ruth!

Dieselpunk photo: dieselpunk dieselpunk.jpg
TheHappygoldfish

What:      Flash contest featuring Steampunk or Dieselpunk themes
Hosts:      Ruth, Steven & myself  
When:     May 6 - May 12; we will begin at Midnight Eastern time on the 6th and close up shop at 11:59 pm Pacific time on the 12th
Hashtag:  #DirtyGoggles  
Rules:     You may enter two flash pieces, one for steampunk and one for dieselpunk.  Length should be between 500-700 wordsEach piece should begin with the following - 
Title
Word Count
Name or Twitter Handle
Category (Steam or Diesel)
Content label (NSFW, Contains Erotica, Contains Violence, Safe for all, etc.  Mainly, just let us know if your piece has bite or not)

Inspiration:
Pinterest
Spotify
Steampunk playlist
Dieselpunk playlist 



Prizes:
  • $25 Amazon Card – Best Steampunk – best captures the spirit of Steampunk
  • $25 Amazon Card – Best Dieselpunk – best captures the spirit of Dieselpunk
  • Fan Favorite Bragging Rights – Best Technical – best use of technology to create alternate reality
 Linky Thing