Tag Archives: excerpts

Vacation, Writing & Drafting + Excerpt

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My vacation comes up next week on June 12th. I’m headed out with some friends to Philadelphia to celebrate another friend’s birthday. It’s going to be a blast and the anticipation we all feel has been just bursting. I can’t wait to hang out with them all again. These girls helped me get through some of the worst times. Those are the kinds of people I treasure more than anything.

Before that, the weekend will be filled with a lot of things. Mostly, I’ll be doing some writing by starting two of my short stories I plan to release before Killer Orange, my next novel slated for August release. I will also be doing some marketing for Unbridled so I can leave some business cards with my book links in every place I go on my vacation! I don’t know how effective that is as marketing plan but hey, it’s better than nothing. We’ll see what the conversion rate is on that. I might even need to get a T-shirt made. 🙂

After my vacation, work will get serious! It’s time to start drafting Killer Orange as well as making those short stories presentable.

But to just wet your appetite for Killer Orange, here’s an excerpt — (Bear with me, it’s so raw and unedited at this point.)

***

Before she could push the button, she spotted someone coming up the driveway. Rolling her eyes, she marched forward, ready to punt the next person off her property the moment they asked her how much she was selling her things for!

“It’s not…” Her tempered voice trailed off when she set her eyes on the golden face with a bright smile. His hair looked like golden fleece in the sunlight, and she had to avert her eyes quickly before plunging into his whiskey colored eyes. “a garage sale…”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, chuckling. “I could hear you yelling it a million times from my house.” Rebecca tried not to stare, but she gave up and looked him over. Wow. Wow and double wow. He was a sight! The only problem was…like everyone else in this neighborhood, he was a tanning nut too! On closer look, she thought, at least this new neighbor looked natural and healthy. Very healthy, for she started to find it difficult to not look over his lean and toned form, towering slightly over her.

 

Until later, Cheers!

H.K. Rowe

Unbridled Excerpt #3

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Unbridled Excerpt #3 — Last one in celebration of my print proofs coming today. It is in review and the print link will be available soon!

***

“Ethan?” The feminine voice called out again, and Ethan could make out a small petite Asian girl running toward him. “Ethan!” She broke out into a sprint as a wide grin opened on Ethan’s face.

“Howin!” Ethan waved, and Elekta appeared shock that Ethan would show such emotion in public, if at all.

She saw Howin tumble into Ethan’s arms, and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Ethan plant a quick kiss on Howin’s forehead.

Howin laughed and looked up at him. “You didn’t tell me you were coming here, of all schools.”

Ethan laughed. “I guess I forgot. Sorry. How’s Master doing?”

“Father? He’s good, gruff as ever but good. And you?” she asked, staring at him affectionately.

“I’ll survive,” he joked, and then he saw Howin turn her attention to Elekta.

“Oh, Elekta! I’m so glad your cousin is coming to Howl’s. We’re old friends, he and I. Well, actually we’re both students at my father’s martial arts studio. I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you I knew them,” Howin shrugged innocently and beamed.

“It’s quite all right,” Elekta nodded, forcing a sweet smile. “Howin, I’m so glad. I trust your break was a good one?” Elekta may have not have been outwardly pleased at their closeness, but she could at least muster up politeness.

Ethan was most interested in her reaction to Howin’s presence. He smirked wickedly and continued to hug Howin much to Elekta’s mildly visible discomfort.

“Yes, it was good – incredibly short, but good,” Howin seemed bored by the conversation and then directed her attention to his brother. She nodded and Brian smiled.

Ethan found this funny that Brian seemed to smile more to his obvious affections to Howin than when he ever mentioned Staisha. As funny as that fact was, there was nothing he could do about it. Howin was merely a friend, among other things, but not someone he could get involved with while he was tied to Staisha.

Though as Howin talked to Brian, Ethan looked over to Elekta, whose smile was so fake it was frightening. She was undoubtedly seething in the inside.

He looked back at Howin and inwardly grinned.

Unbridled Excerpt #2

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Please enjoy another excerpt from Unbridled…

 

“In moments, he felt her nails dig into his arms as she pulled his hands away from covering his face. He looked at her, piercing into her vehement eyes with his own. She was enraged, her brow furrowed and her lips curled in disgust.

“You mean little punk! How dare you say that about my father! He’s done everything for you and your pathetic family. He doesn’t even compare to the lives of your parents! Now show him your respect!”

She didn’t need to threaten him; it was just instinct. He knew what she could do if he didn’t obey her. And all he could do was listen to her. He wouldn’t even allow himself to show emotion for what she said about his parents, and he knew that they were better off dead than knowing the mess he had gotten into with her. As much as it pained him to think like that, he felt it was true.

He relaxed under her grip as she held his arms above his head. His face softened to a listless expression. He saw Staisha relax as he stared at her with his own submission.

He said in husky tones, “I apologize, Staisha.”

She frowned, and her angry disposition faded with her strength around his wrists. His voice could sometimes do that to her, no matter how angry she became. Though if he ever brought up her mother, it would take more than that to subdue her. She fell over his chest and lied on top of him, stroking his skin on his arms lovingly.”

Thanks,

H.K. Rowe

Writing Helpers

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I hope everyone enjoyed the excerpt from Unbridled yesterday!

It’s a quiet Sunday morning and I’m about to get ready to go pick up my client for lunch and do her community and personal goals for the day. I usually hang out with her on Saturday but she had a wedding yesterday so we’re getting together today.

helpers

helpers

Before that, I’m enjoying my coffee while I preview my print version of my book that will be released through Create Space. Of course, I wasn’t happy with how the cover looked, so I edited in Photoshop and re-uploaded it. I have to wait all over again for the review process to finalize. I guess it’s better than looking at a cover all the time of my own story that bugs me!

In the picture above are my helpers, Malachy and Whiskey. Whiskey is purebred beagle and Malachy is a beagle/schnauzer mix. Other than my husband, they are the loves of my life. They have been with me through some tough times. Beagles are sweet, loving dogs, but they are also very stubborn and food-crazy, which I guess makes life interesting.

I hope everyone has a great day. It’s already beautiful out here in the ‘burbs of Chicago. Sunny and a clear day with beautiful temps. I’m looking forward to enjoying it!

I’ll be posting the print links to Unbridled soon!

Cheers,

H.K. Rowe

 

Unbrided Excerpt #1

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Sharing some excerpts from my book “Unbridled”. I hope you like this first one. This is basically one of the first scenes that popped into my head that gave form to the rest of the story.

Unbridled
by H.K. Rowe
Available Now

Ethan clenched his jaw in annoyance. Apparently, he was trying to be serious when she wasn’t taking his anger to heart. Elekta didn’t want to be serious; she was still too scared.

“No, it’s not,” Ethan said. But he said nothing. Elekta regarded him curiously.

“Why don’t you come into the pool then, Ethan? If it’s going to be a longer chat.”

He sighed in defeat. “Is that the only way you’re going to listen to me?”

Elekta nodded slowly. “Besides, it should cool you off.” She locked eyes with him, her expression intense. “We both had a bad night.”

Her confidence wavered though when Ethan began undressing himself at the edge of the pool, standing before her in nothing but his underwear. She eyed him hungrily, with his taut, youthful muscles, his darkened flesh, and his skin still glistening from sweat. She tried to avoid looking below his stomach, but could not resist. He was wearing tightly fitted black briefs after all. 

And suddenly, with his feet first, he jumped into the pool with her. She swam around him, but was suddenly surprised as he came up close to her and grabbed onto her arms. He pushed her flush against the adjacent edge. Ethan’s head surfaced and he was glowering at her, yet there was something else plaguing his troubled eyes.

“They almost killed you tonight,” he said, his voice an angry whisper. “I can’t believe how stupid you were.”

“I know, Ethan,” she said softly. She shifted in his grasp, and she felt him rub against her body under the water. She lifted her head and stared at him. “I know. I shouldn’t have followed you and Howin. I didn’t know that you’d be in such danger.”

“But why, Elekta? Why are you following me? Why do you even care? Haven’t I rejected you enough? When will you get the hint?” he asked bitingly at her, and his grip on her arms tightened. Elekta winced, and she knew she’d have bruises there tomorrow.

“I’m… I’m sorry, but I can’t stop,” she whined. “I had to know where you work. I wanted to find out more about you because…” She stopped. Could she really tell him her grand plan? She was afraid how he’d take it. She was sure, given Ethan’s personality, he would get angry at the idea of a silly girl wanting to save him.

“Because what, Elekta?” He shook her in the water. “Tell me!”

“Because I want to save you!” she yelled out, sobbing. Her head fell down against his chest as she cried. Ethan froze, stunned from her words. She slowly lifted her head to him, cupping his jaw in her hands. “I don’t know how, but I’m in love with you. I’ve felt your suffering since day one. Something wasn’t right, and I knew you were cursed. I also knew it had to be me that would help you.” She pleaded with him as he started to back away.

She grabbed his face. “Listen, Ethan Carpenter, you give me purpose. I’m nobody here. I’m stuck in this family with parents who barely acknowledge me, and they push me away and drop me into stupid ballet classes and piano lessons so I’ll keep away from them. My mother is an alcoholic and my father doesn’t love his family anymore. He’d rather sit downtown in a cathouse than spend time with his family. If someone annoys him enough, he just throws money at them. No one has ever cared for me, but I can still care for others.”

She paused and smiled at him. “Ethan, I have all this love to give someone, and I want to give it to you because you have none.”

He looked bewildered by her confession, and he dropped his hands from her, backing away from her. He frowned, his eyes glazing over with despair and anger. “I’m sorry, Elekta,” he said. “You can’t save me. My life belongs to someone else.”

Thanks for reading!

H.K. Rowe