Snippet 3

Shh. I have a secret. Huge! Too big to keep to myself so I'm going to share it with you. C'mere. It's the moon. She's mine! No, silly. Not like that. No one can own the moon. I mean she's my best friend. Oh sure, I let everyone else enjoy her but way down deep inside I know without a doubt that she's there for me. Always watching over me, protecting me, lighting my way when I need her to. Sometimes we play hide and seek, her behind the clouds, me in the shadows. She wins more often than I do because she know just how to shift so I'm back in her light again. Honestly, I wouldn't want it any different. Sometimes she can't wait until night to see me and pops out during the day. Did you see her a month or so ago? Strutting out at high noon so fast to find me that she blocked out the sun! Boy, did that cause a stir! And last night, after the rain, did you see her? Wasn't she glorious! All that, just for me. I am so loved!

Another Snippet

He watched her wander into the market. There was something about her, a stillness even when she was in motion that captivated him. He’d had a stand there for years and knew all the regulars. He also recognized the occasional patrons. She was new, different. From away if he were a betting man. He liked his routine and just her being there was disrupting it somehow. He wanted to ignore her but couldn’t. She both disturbed and fascinated him in ways he knew he’d never be able to explain to anyone, not that he had any intention of trying. When she stopped at the end of his table he had to fight the urge to run away almost as much as his impulse to rush towards her. He watched in awe as his helper greeted her as if she were anyone. Looking around, he saw that no one else seemed to notice anything odd about her. Or if they did, they were hiding it much better than he was. When she looked up at the young man and shook her head his breath caught. He’d never seen an expression of such pure peace before. As if on cue she turned toward him and snared him with her gaze. Waves of serenity exuded from her and washed over him. He still wanted to flee but found himself gravitating to her instead. She glanced at the peaches before her and waited quietly. Without conscious thought, he chose one perfect peach and handed it to her. The anticipation nearly killed him. For a brief instant everything went silent. The surrounding area was as still as she was. Then she brought the fruit to her nose and inhaled deeply. She smiled at him and nodded, biting into it, letting the juice run freely down her arm. She thanked him softly and moved away. The simple act was nothing yet it was everything. He knew deep in his soul that his world had just shifted. She would be back and his life would never be the same…

A Snippet

And the world faded around her. She had fought so hard to be what they demanded, to become what they saw her as. But in her shattered heart she knew it wasn’t her. She finally accepted the impossibility of it. Time to let it all go and move on. Maybe, hopefully she would one day step back out of the shadows and find a tribe to call her own. One where she was accepted, cherished even, as she truly was. For now though, she had to begin the journey on her own. The one to reclaim herself and discover who she really was behind all the masks she juggled for eons. It was so long that she’d hidden her true self that even she didn’t know her anymore. If you see her going along her solitary way, please be kind. She carries enough disappointment in herself for the masses. Don’t add to it. Nod and let her pass. This empty shell phase won’t last forever. She will sooner or later be back in all the shining glory she held when she was young. Before she was beaten by the life she struggled to fit in to...

Different Lifetimes

I know.  I haven’t been here in ages.  I apologize for that and thank you for stopping by.

I wasn’t here because it hurts too much to try and write.  Even this little bit is painful.  Not physically though my thumbs aren’t moving well today.  No, the pain is mental, emotional.  You see my publisher, who I trusted enough to place a dozen books with, ran into some difficulties and closed down.  (Or so it seems but that’s for another day.)  I became disheartened.  No, that’s not really the right word.  It’s more than that.  It sucked the writing soul right out of me and left me so hurt and angry that the characters who live in my head went into hiding.  The ones who used to whisper blogs to me got so quiet I can no longer hear them.  So all you get to today is me, on my own, trying to string words together that make sense.  It’s a new experience for me, writing on my own.  I don’t like it one bit.  Part of me is petrified that the writer lifetime of me is over.

Like the musician lifetime.  When I was a child I played a string bass.  Quite well actually.  I was good enough to be invited along for an orchestra trip that traveled to a music festival in England.  I auditioned for local events and made it all the way to the state level.  I was loaned out to other schools that didn’t have a bass player and played for their spring musicals.  I even spent several summers at a high quality music camp.  Nope, can’t play now.  Last time I tried it was bad.  Very, very bad.

For part of my college lifetime I was multi-lingual.  I took German and Spanish in high school.  German, Russian and French in college.  I had a study system where I reviewed things in several languages at one time, not just whichever class I was preparing for and English.  It worked tremendously well.  I was good at it.  I was happy making it all blend in my mind.  Sadly once I graduated I didn’t stick with it and most of the things I knew in that lifetime are gone now.

I had a job stitching original models for the design department in a craft kit manufacturing company.  Back then I did beautiful needlework.  All forms of cross stitch and needlepoint.  I remember one piece was a line of bears with sweaters that looked knitted.  Every morning I would top stitch a new expression on each of their faces so I could enjoy them as I worked throughout the day.  Even after I transferred into a different department I continued to stitch.  I drifted away from that years ago.  Recently I came across some things I’d made.  They’re beautiful.  I wonder if my fingers would remember how to do that.   I’m intimidated to try.  I’m afraid it’ll be as much of a disaster as attempting to be musical was.

 

These days I’m knitting.  I learned to do that as a child, taught by my grandmother.  I made a few things and then moved on.  Thirty years later a friend inspired me to try knitting again.  I’m happy to say that it came back.  You should see the socks I’ve made!  And the reversible scarf!

  I’m thrilled with them but not.  They seem to be draining away all my creative energy.

Which takes me back to writing.  I don’t know if knitting is actually using up my creativity or giving me an outlet to keep my head from exploding while my characters are in exile.  I’m very restless these days.  I haven’t been able to sit still long enough to knit lately.  Upsetting as I’m in the middle of several projects that I really want to finish.   I weave magic into my knitting and I don’t want it to go wasted.  That would not be cool, trust me.

So there is change coming.  A new lifetime starting.  No, I don’t know what it will be.  I’m not even sure I want to know.  My only hope is that I don’t lose what I’ve learned in the last ones this time.  Maybe, someday, the universe will give everything back at once.  Wouldn’t that be amazing?  Can you imagine me able to do all that I ever could?

At the End

He stood in the shadows, watching the hate flow between the humans. He’d been there for what they called a month. One after another, sometimes more than one a day, they picked each other off, spilling their blood into the ground. Senselessly. At first he thought there was a point to it. But no, there wasn’t. Not one he could determine anyway. They seemed to thrive on killing each other. 

He’d been there before. In fact, he was the one who’d suggested this little planet as a possible host to his kind. They were chameleons. Able to fit in anywhere. Anywhere peaceful. His brethren could never survive in the current atmosphere. The non-stop mindless violence would leech the goodness from their essence and they would perish in a slow and horrid manner. No, earth was no longer an option. They would have to find somewhere else to call home.

He turned, preparing to go, when he was noticed. The native yelled at him, calling him an old man, demanding to know what he was looking at. He spun about, pulling the weapon he swore never to use, not even in self-defense. Without the slightest pause to consider what he was about to do, he aimed it toward the voice and pushed the button, vaporizing the human instantly.

Nothing, he thought to himself. He was looking at nothing.

Great sadness filled his being. It was too late for him. Now that he’d done the unthinkable, he could never return to his society. He looked down at the weapon, still in his hand. It only took a few clicks to change the settings. It was their doing that his existence was over which meant theirs should be too. He pushed the button again. 

His crew, watching from space for his signal to begin transporting their people to their new home, suddenly saw… nothing.

© 2015 Barbara Huffert

Annoucement!

 It is with great sadness that I am removing the books I have published with Ellora’s Cave from my website.  I love those books!  When the first was accepted back in 2006 I was so happy.  I was extremely proud to become part of the Ellora’s Cave family of authors.

In the past year however, there has been some, let’s call it, unpleasantness occurring with the company.  No, I will not go into details here.  You can find more information by doing an internet search if you are that interested.  From my standpoint, and I speak for no one but myself, I no longer have any confidence in the longevity of the company.

I have requested the rights back on all my books.  Even the ones that don’t currently qualify.  Why?  Because when all the badness comes to a head, I want it on record within the company that I have done so.  I am stating this here, publicly for the same reason.

Hopefully, Ellora’s Cave management will do the right thing and return my books to me in a timely manner.  As soon as they do so I will work on finding a new home for my art and go back to sharing it with you.  In the meantime, I apologize to anyone who is interested in reading my stories. 

I am truly sorry Ellora’s Cave has made it nearly impossible to locate any of my work on their site.  And, just so you know, they haven’t sent me any royalties in months so please, even if you do manage to find my books, please don’t buy them.  It no longer seems as if your hard-earned money will find its way to me, the author who poured my heart and soul into creating those stories.

I do have four other books available from different publishers.  Stop by the Books page of my website for more information.

Thank you.

Available Today - Strings of My Heart

After spending most of her life being a nothing but a buddy, his best friend’s kid sister, Lauryn decides it’s long past time to show Dan that she’s pure woman. She thinks she’s found the perfect way—until absolutely everything goes wrong. Risking it all, she opens her heart and lets the music Dan inspires sing out. But is it enough to overcome the barriers that have always stood between them?

Click here for details.

I'm in a BuzzFeed!

Two of them actually.  Jarry Lee was roaming BEA last Friday and stopped by the Ellora's Cave booth with some questions.



Go here to see 26 Reasons Why You Need to Read More



And here for 9 Pieces of Advice for Writers

Released Today!

Karma, the fourth and final book in my Cosmic Connections series.  I love this book!  Go read it to see why.

Blurb ~

When a mix-up at the airport throws Jesse James and Jessie James together, he knows immediately she’s the one for him, but she’s not so sure. On the run from an abusive relationship, she’s terrified to trust this stranger who seems too good to be true.

He must find a way to prove she’s safe with him and to show her they’re destined to be together forever. She must find the courage to truly leave her past behind and open herself to love.

My Other New Pretty

Available from Resplendence Publishing June 10th

Look at my Pretty New Cover!

I Write

Yes, you know that.  After all, that’s the whole point of having this blog, isn’t it?  But I don’t talk exclusively about writing.  That would become boring for all of us, me included. 

Today however, I think I’d like to ramble a bit about the process of starting a new story.  I recently submitted the book I’d been working on to my publisher and am now faced with choosing a next project. 

There are several options.

1.  Attempt to find an agent for my horror novel, Indiscriminate Slaughter.  This is something I poke at occasionally.  Not at all fun.

2.  Revise something that is already written.  Polishing rough drafts is something I do when all my not-yet-revealed characters dessert me and go on vacation without me.  Sometimes fun, sometimes not.  I’ve already spent time discovering those stories.  There are times when revisiting the characters works but also times when it doesn’t.

3.  Beg Beau to continue on with the numerous stories he and I have started.  I’ve learned in the past year that he has even more mind bounce than I do so sometimes going there is not a good thing.

4.   Start something brand new.  Okay but what story?  In general when doing this, I let my subconscious choose.  I go about my daily life while listening to conversations going on within my head. Usually the loudest is the one I will work on next.  There are times when that works and they reveal the entire story to me as I hope every time I start one. 

However there are also times when a different set of characters barges in and demands instant attention.  Shane and Alyssa from Chaos did that.  Boy, did we have a blast!  Conversely there have been characters who lurk in the background of the story I’m working on, whispering just loud enough for me to catch snippets of what they’re saying.  Eventually this becomes highly distracting, so much so I have to put aside what I intended to write and ask the lurkers what is going on.  Then there are the characters that play hide-and-seek with me.  They pop into someone else’s story, boldly interrupting the flow only to vanish just as quickly as if daring me to come find them.

So.  Nope, not a clue what’s up next. 

I have wondered at times if the conversations within my head are being had by real people and I’ve somehow managed to tap into them, eavesdropping on their personal lives.  Hmm, there’s a thought for you. Next time you’re talking to someone and get that prickly sensation of being watched even though there is no one around it might just be my, spying on you from inside your own mind.

A Dilemma

I spent much of my day reading a book.  One that I wrote that I have yet to submit to my editor.  It's been so long since I looked at it that I'd forgotten huge chunks so it was like reading something someone else wrote.  I was amazed to find myself enjoying it as much as I did.  Generally, I am very critical of my writing.  But, as I said, I don't remember writing much of this one.

What is it?  The fourth in my Cosmic Connections series, working title of Karma.  It's a bit different from my other books in that the heroine is just out of an abusive relationship.  I set it aside because I wasn't sure anyone would want to read it but now I'm reconsidering that notion.  Actually, I've decided I really like her!  At first I thought she may come across as being a bit weak but then I remembered the book starts with her getting out, deciding she wanted to live, deciding she was worth saving.  Do you  know how HUGE that is?  How much strength it takes to make that decision and stick to it?  Just my opinion and not because I wrote it but anyone who sees her as weak is someone who needs to get a clue.

So now I'm faced with the challenge of tidying it up, should I choose to submit it that is.  I'm still unsure about that.  Oh not because I doubt it is worthy of publication.  It is.  I'm just not sure I want to share it with the world but I've gone through that with every book I've ever sent out there.

Any thoughts?  Would you read it?  Have you read the beginning of the series?  In addition to this being Jesse's story it also ties up all the loose ends from the first three books.  I don't know.  I'll have to think about this some more.  Once I finish reading the rest of it.

Happy Dance!

One of my older books, Drake's Rules is available in print on February 20th!  I'm extremely happy about that because I adore that book.  I reread it when I found out it was being released and there was so much I had forgotten.  Cool stuff that I don't remember writing!  I truly enjoyed the story as I read.  How awesome is that!

Although this is an erotic book there is a little girl in the story who steal just about every scene she is in.  The group of minor characters are great and the book ends with a happy sigh.  The rules of couplehood that Drake comes up with throughout the book are pretty nifty too.  Yeah, they are some of what I don't recall creating.

If you haven't read it yet, you really should!  Click here to find it.  I'd love to hear what you think!

Blurb ~

Megan Lewis has been alone ever since a bad experience in college left her afraid to trust her instincts about men. When she comes home from her morning bike ride to find her neighbor’s young daughter alone in the hallway, the last thing she expects is overwhelming surge of desire she feels the moment her panicked neighbor joins them.

When Professor Drake Edwards loses his wife and son in a horrible accident he moves his daughter to a new town for a fresh start. He has no intention of getting involved with anyone. But when he finds his neighbor, Megan, watching over his daughter, his body has plans of its own. Can his heart and mind overcome the guilt he feels?

A few of Drake's Rules ~

Rule number one of couplehood. Never let the other person deal with a situation alone when you were both responsible for creating it.”

Rule number two of couplehood. Nothing terrible will happen if you both give yourselves permission to put all your concerns on hold and take a break for a few hours to enjoy what’s right in front of you.”

Plus ten more!

Bitten & Defiant

Released Friday, February 7th.  The same day as the beginning of the Olympics.  How awesome is that!

Blurb ~

Frankie Morgan’s life was over. Her family was gone and she had nothing to live for, nothing save revenge on the individual who took them from her. But to accomplish that she needed help. And who better to enlist than the hottest vampire around?

Kellen didn’t know the woman was who was stalking him but he sure wanted to.  Intimately in fact. There was something going on and he needed to get to the bottom of it, to the bottom of her. He'd allowed her to watch him feed, something that simply wasn’t done. Even then, with all his senses heightened, he still couldn't tap into her thoughts which had him more curious than he ever remembered being. Perhaps, after some out of control sex, she’d loosen up enough to share all her secrets with him.

Click HERE to buy.

I Have a Release Date!

For Bitten & Defiant!  February 7th!  As in just over a week away!  YAY!!!

Blurb ~

Frankie Morgan’s life was over. Her family was gone and she had nothing to live for, nothing save revenge on the individual who took them from her. But to accomplish that she needed help. And who better to enlist than the hottest vampire around?

Kellen didn’t know the woman was who was stalking him but he sure wanted to.  Intimately in fact. There was something going on and he needed to get to the bottom of it, to the bottom of her. He'd allowed her to watch him feed, something that simply wasn’t done. Even then, with all his senses heightened, he still couldn't tap into her thoughts which had him more curious than he ever remembered being. Perhaps, after some out of control sex, she’d loosen up enough to share all her secrets with him.

Look How Pretty!

NaNoWriMo 2013 - Maisey's Secret - An Excerpt

Maisey opened the heavy oak door and stepped into the silence. The tension was almost palpable. She wished there was an alternative to going on in but there wasn’t. She’d lingered as long as she could already. It was near suppertime and if the meal wasn’t on the table, waiting, there would be hell to pay though more often than not it went uneaten.

She tried to slip into the kitchen unnoticed but failed. It was her own fault for neglecting to unlatch the screen door before school that morning. They were in the study, glaring at each other and caught the movement of her passing by the doorway.

“About time, girl,” her Uncle Silas yapped, his voice even more nasal than usual.

“Late again,” Aunt Petunia slurred. “What a disappointment you turned out to be.”

“I was at the library working on my book report,” Maisey offered by way of explanation. It was a half-truth but she wasn’t worried about being caught out. Her momma’s brother and sister had already dismissed her.

Maisey prepared a simple meal. Things that could be easily reheated. As she cooked she wondered about her classmates’ lives. Several of them came from single parent homes. Others lived in multigenerational households. A few even had the traditional family, a momma, daddy and siblings. On the surface her situation didn’t appear significantly different. But it was a façade. She doubted any of the other eight-year-olds in her grade were responsible for getting meals on the table at the end of the school day.

It was the norm for her. Had been for as long as she could remember. Her daddy was on the road the majority of the time and her monna couldn’t handle things on her own. They’d moved back home to Granma’s when Maisey was but four. When Granma got sick her aunt and uncle swooped in like turkey buzzards, staking their claim on the house before she was even gone. Since she passed they’d been at one another’s throats nonstop, each trying to evict the other.

The constant bickering overwhelmed her momma. She’d withdrawn deep down inside herself. Some days she didn’t even speak. Which left Maisey pretty much on her own, fending for herself as best she could.

It was okay at the beginning. Her aunt and uncle hadn’t paid her much mind. Not until they walked up on her carrying a tray to her momma. Once they discovered she could cook they demanded that she make their meals too. Occasionally they even ate them when they were still hot but more often than not they snuck into the kitchen later on and microwaved the leftovers separately. It was like they didn’t want to be caught eating or something. Too bad they left their dishes for her.

Momma didn’t eat much these days. She was pining for Daddy most likely. It was a year and then some since his last visit and that was way too long. Maisey used to wonder if he stayed away because he didn’t want her as part of their lives but then she realized that it was just his nature. Oh he surely loved them. In his own unconventional way. He was happy enough when he was there but it just wasn’t in him to settle down with them fulltime. He’d hang on less and less each time he blew in. She expected sooner or later he’d stop coming by altogether. She couldn’t help but worry what would become of Momma when that day came.

Maisey filled her momma’s tray and took it upstairs. “Momma? I brought you some supper.” No response. “Momma? Won’t you please eat some? Just a bite or three?” Again, there was no reply. “Well, I’ll just leave it here, should I? Maybe you’ll want some later.”

She went back down and stuck her head in the study where the tension had gone up another notch. “Supper’s on,” she said.

“What slop did you throw together tonight?” Aunt Petunia asked, pouring herself another tumbler of rye whiskey.

“Chicken and waffles, ma’am. Your favorite. And some of those early sweet peas I picked out of the garden yesterday. I know how you like them, Uncle Silas.” It was a challenge sometimes, keeping them balanced in her comments so neither would complain that she was taking sides. What she didn’t understand was why it concerned them at all. She was a child. What would it matter if she did choose one over the other? It wasn’t like she could be of any help to either of their causes.

Soon as Maisey ate her own meal she made up two plates, one for each of her kin, retrieved her momma’s untouched tray and finished up the dishes. Tidying the kitchen as quick as she could, she escaped to her room in the front corner of the house. No one else ever came up there. Not even Granma back when they first moved in.

She had thought it was strange. Until she figured out that something in that room weren’t right. In the beginning when she was still mostly a baby she thought her imagination was conjuring up things out of her nightmares. But then, as she aged, she realized that they weren’t just dreams. There was pure evil in that room. When she tried to talk on it with her momma or Granma they both told her to hush up, that she was talking foolishness. She knew they were wrong of course. If her notions were such nonsense why were they both too afraid to venture into her room?

It's That TIme Again

NaNoWriMo!  National Novel Writing Month. 

If  you didn't stop by last year this is a challenge to writers. Write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November.   I completed the challenge last time.  Indiscriminate Slaughter, a creepy tale of how everyone deserves to die.

This year's venture is Maisey's Secret.  The premise - Maisey's life has never been easy. Her family is dysfunctional with a capital D. And now there are Spriggans sneaking through the hole in the ceiling, trying to steal her. What's a girl to do? 

I've been watching old reruns of the Waltons.  When I hear Maisey's voice in my head it sounds like she lives down the road from them.  I only managed 917 words today.  That's 750 words short of the projected goal but it was only the first day.  Plenty of time to make that up.

I'm not at all sure where this tale will take me but I do know already that it will be an adventure.  You're welcome to tag along if you'd like.

Happy Weekend!

Wow!

This is blog post #1500!  I thought, in honor of that, I'd reshare all my book covers since that's the reason for all this in the first place.  See any you haven't read yet?  Click on the cover and it'll take you to the appropriate page.

As always, thank you for stopping by!