Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
During several of the conferences I attended last year it appeared trading cards were all the rage. People were approaching authors and gathering as many trading cards, as possible. But what do they do with them afterwards? For me, I use them as bookmarks. I also skimmed through them when I got home to see what books I considered purchasing. I’m hoping others are like me, because I’ve contracted for twelve new trading cards. I have to admit I’m really tickled with them.
Take a look…
Can’t you see these beautiful covers on glossy card stock? The backs will have a short blurb of the story, and of course my website and where you can purchase. I’m so please with them, but as a reader what do you find titillating promotional items? Drop me an email and let me know. mackenzie@mackenziemckade.com
Have a wonderful day.
Mac
If you’re like me, you can’t believe that 2011 is almost at an end. Where has the year gone?
I always find this time of year a little sad and maybe that’s because it is hard to say goodbye. Whether if it’s saying goodbye to an old friend, an old pair of jeans or shoes, it is always tough to say goodbye. At the same time, it’s an exciting time of year. It almost feels as if the slate has been wiped clean and you get to start anew. Well, until February rolls around and you realize nothing really has changed. LOL Still, I’m optimistic about the new year.
Like many others I have a list of things I’d like to accomplish: more writing, more exercise, less eating, less bills… For The list goes on.
But within me I feel 2012 is a year of hope. I’m hopeful that we’ll see a change in the economy and opportunities afforded us. That our beautiful country will prosper and not flail like it has these past years. That we see less greed and narcissism. That friendships grow and people learn to help each other. And yes! World peace would be nice.
For my family, friends and readers, I hope you all have health, laughter, and love in your lives. That you find what you are looking for. And, that you know what you mean to me.
Happy New Years. Be safe in your travels.
Mackenzie McKade
2012 Desert Dreams Writers’ Conference, April 27-29, 2012 in Scottsdale,
Arizona. Our early bird registration ends December 31, 2011.
2012 is the biggest Desert Dreams Conference yet! Saturday keynote speaker is best-selling author ALLISON BRENNAN. Best-selling author BOB MAYER presents his “Write It Forward” seminar on Friday afternoon in a four-hour workshop (included in conference registration fee). MARTHA ALDERSON, aka The Plot Whisperer, presents a two-hour workshop on Sunday morning.
Other speakers include: Beth Andrews, Terri Brisbin, Laurie
Schnebly-Campbell, Brenda Chin, Deni Deitz, Winnie Griggs, Michele
Grajkowski, Elizabeth Hoyt, Erin Kellison, Cindy Kirk, Gini Koch, Jess
Macallan, Brenda Novak, Erin Quinn, Tara Taylor Quinn, Caris Roane, Vijaya Schartz, Amber Scott, Maggie Shayne, Linda Style, Kris Tualla, Alexis
Walker, Tawny Weber, Cherry Weiner.
Conference registration includes Friday mixer and dinner, Friday afternoon
workshops, Saturday editor/agent panel, editor/agent appointment, Saturday workshops, book signing, Saturday luncheon, Saturday night dinner and brainstorming session, use of hospitality suite, Sunday Plot Whisperer workshop, discounted rates at the all-suites Chaparral Suites Hotel in Scottsdale.
Attendees are also eligible to enter the Realizing the Dream contest (open
to the first 50 contestants), which guarantees each entrant a read with an
editor or agent.
Everyone registered by December 31, 2011 will be entered into a drawing to win a second editor/agent appointment.
Registration for RWA members is $215 through December 31, 2011; non-RWA members pay $235 through 12/31/2011. Prices increase $20 on 1/1/2012. Registration deadline is March 15, 2012, or earlier if all spaces sell out sooner.
To register, visit
http://www,desertroserwa.org. For questions, email Susan Lanier at
Susan Lanier
2012 Desert Dreams Conference Coordinator
April 27 – 29, 2012
Now available from Ellora’s Cave!
EC Cover Price: $4.45
BLURB:
Can Christmas magic be found with the help of one very irritating little wood faery?
High-profile attorney Kayla Jones thinks she just might be losing her mind when Hector, a mischievous wood faery, appears before her. Are the martinis to blame? Or has her loneliness pushed her over the edge? And if her subconscious must create an imaginary man for the holidays, why can’t it be the good-looking prosecutor who visits her nightly dreams?
When Barry Allred offers to take Kayla home from the bar, he doesn’t expect her to pass out in him arms, leaving him no alternative except to take her to his home. But more surprises await him…
When the beauty awakens the next morning, she’s under the impression that they not only had sex, but that she inadvertently revealed to him her deepest, darkest BDSM and ménage fantasies. He can’t figure out how she came to this misunderstanding… But he is definitely the man to make all her fantasies come true.
EXCERPT:
Kayla opened her eyes. “Where am I?” Glancing around the strange bedroom, she began to reconstruct her evening.
Courtroom and win.
A couple of assholes ruining her day.
O’Malley’s, a faery, and too many martinis.
That was it! She’d been at O’Malley’s celebrating and getting her drink on, or was she crying in her drink?
“So how did I get here? What happened?” she whispered to herself.
“Bow chica bow wow.”
Her startled gaze snapped in the direction of the randy reply.
Lo and behold, her imaginary faery lay on his side in the middle of a big fluffy pillow next to her. Hector’s right elbow was bent. His palm supported his head as he stared at her with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.
“You turned his world inside out.”
Oh, thank goodness. If her apparition still existed, Kayla knew she wasn’t awake, or maybe that she wasn’t sober. Yet by the throb in her head, it sure felt as if she suffered from a hangover. She had dry mouth, an explosive stomach, and the last remnant of beer-goggles blurring her vision. The good news was that wherever she was or whatever she did really didn’t matter. It was only her imagination.
Still, she had to ask. “His? Who?”
Hector rolled on to his back, kicking his legs and flailing his arms. “Oh, Barry, do it to me. Harder. Faster.”
Kayla chuckled at the silly exhibition. “Barry Allred?”
It must have been her subconscious revealing the fact she’d give her eyeteeth to have one night with him. And then her laughter died a quick death as more of the evening’s events began to flood her memories. She recalled seeing him sitting at the bar with another man at O’Malley’s.
Had they spoken?
“Nah. It’s impossible.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
They had spoken. The scene of him standing beside her car tore through her memory. Red-hot embarrassment scorched her face. Panic tightened her chest. “I didn’t. We couldn’t have.”
“Oh yeah. It’s possible and you did.” Hector fanned himself with his hand. “Turned that man’s world upside down. Asked him to tie you up and spank you.”
Kayla swallowed hard.
No. No. No.
She would never have lived out one of her fantasies, much less spoken about it, to a stranger. Just the thought mortified her. Then again, if this was a dream, what did it matter? She leaned back against the softness of the pillow and blew out a breath of relief. It had to be a dream—faeries weren’t real.
“But the one that got me hot and bothered.” Hector sat up on the pillow with his tiny legs splayed wide. Before he continued to speak, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on the downy softness, his palms cradling his cheeks. “Was when you told him about your fantasy to have two men at once.”
Kayla gasped on a new chunk of humiliation.
“I didn’t,” she shrieked. “I would never reveal that dark secret to anyone.” Especially Barry, a man she debated with across tables…and then there was that thing between her and his father.
Dammit. She kept forgetting this was a dream. Any minute now she’d awake in her bed and everything would be as it should be.
Hector stood, stretching his wings and bending his legs before he lunged forward. In a flash, he was soaring around the room, a trail of dark-green dust following him. When he landed on the tip of her nose, she raised a hand to swat him.
“Ah-ah-ah.” He began to pull something from his pocket.
As magic—or insanity—would have it, the item just kept coming. The long, thin staff was obviously longer then the shallow pocket housing it.
“If you were dreaming, do you think you’d feel this?” Hector stabbed the thing into her nose.
Kayla jumped. Her eyes crisscrossed as she glared at the three-inch man now hovering just above her nose. At a closer look, the stick he held appeared to be a pine needle, and he had it pointed at her.
“En garde!” He placed a hand behind his back and jabbed the damn thing at her, over and over.
This time she swiftly brushed her hand through the air, missing him when he darted aside, leaving a trail of bright, angry, red glitter in his wake.
“Who are you?” she growled.
“I’m your Christmas faery. I’m here to bring you holiday cheer.”
“Holiday cheer? Are you kidding me? What you’ve done is make me question my sanity. I must be going out of my friggin’—”
“Shhh…” Hector said as he flew straight at her. On his way, he retrieved that errant lock of hair that continually insisted on coming free from her bun. A wisp of air fanned her face as he swept the blonde strand back, pinning it and him in her hair as if he were a barrette.
Before she could reach up and dislodge the irritating little man, the bathroom door opened and Barry strolled out. Naked. Well, except for the towel wrapped low around his hips.
“You’re awake.”
The prosecutor had a beautiful smile and deep dimples that sent tingles up her spine. His wet black hair was swept back in a finger-combed kind of way. But it was his bare chest—broad and muscular—that caught her eye and held her in awe.
The man really was a magnificent specimen. Although it was clear he had shaved, a shadow still remained on his jaw. His eyes were dark blue, hiding a hint of brooding and mystery.
The reality of the moment crawled across her skin. “Are you real?” she asked hesitantly.
“I like to think I am,” he grinned.
Holy shit!
A sinking feeling made her want to die. This wasn’t a dream. Barry Allred stood before her while she lay on what appeared to be his bed. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was losing her mind. Hector must be her version of Jiminy Cricket, her subconscious taking form. But even that explanation made her ill.
Barry took a step in her direction. “You feeling okay?”
Kayla licked dry lips. “Uh. Yes.” She sounded as if she had a mouthful of cotton. Not to mention her stomach felt as if an atom bomb had exploded inside it. And to top it off, she was going stark-raving mad.
“Exciting night.” He chortled and moved closer.
The fresh scent of soap and a woodsy cologne touched her nose. She inhaled slowly before nearly choking on the memory of what Hector had told her. Sex with Barry. Her cheeks heated and she could only imagine the color in her face rising.
“Ohmygod. I don’t know what to say.”
“Good morning,” he suggested. “Are you hungry?”
Hungry? Was he kidding? Kayla had just made the biggest mistake in her career and he was thinking of food. So like a man.
“I don’t think I could eat a bite.” At least that was the truth. Just the thought of food made her stomach roll.
“Then how about some coffee? I could make you a Bloody Mary, it might help.”
“No. I think perhaps I should just go home.” And bury her head in the sand, because if Barry wanted paybacks for what she’d done to his father, spilling the beans of their night together would be perfect retribution. Her stomach pitched and it wasn’t from the alcohol. She had to get out of here.
Kayla threw back the covers, remembering too late her state of undress. What the hell. According to her three-inch subconscious, Barry had seen far more of her than her bra and thong.
As she wiggled into her skirt, fastening the back, she chanced a look in Barry’s direction. He was staring at her. His eyelids gaped and, judging by the tent in the towel, he was aroused.
Talk about wanting to kick herself—the one time she goes out on a limb and screws the man of her dreams and she can’t remember a damn thing. Her gaze stroked his chest once more. What a shame.
Slipping her arms into her white silk shirt, she fastened the third button and then paused. “Uh. Barry, I trust that what we did last night and the things I revealed won’t go beyond this room.”
His brows dipped. “What we did last night?” His expression turned heated and he smiled. “Maybe you should tell me exactly what you don’t want me to reveal?”
Damn him. Of course he would want her to spell it out and go through that embarrassment once again. Paybacks were a bitch. Okay. If he wanted to play games she had no alternative except to go along, but she wasn’t happy about it.
“The sex. Tying me up. The spankings. And,” she bit her bottom lip, “the thing about me fantasizing about multiple partners. You know I was just joking, pulling your leg.”
Barry coughed several times. His face turned beet-red and it looked as if he were choking.
For a moment she thought of running over and slapping him on the back, helping him. Instead she stayed put. Maybe he would choke to death, and then she wouldn’t have to worry about everyone at the office and in the court system knowing her deepest, darkest secrets.
But when he continued to cough, she asked, “You okay?”
Clearing his lungs, he took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think I am.” He stepped closer. “So let me get this straight. No one is to know we had sex last night. That I tied you up and spanked you. And by no means that you fantasize about being taken by two men at once?”
“Is that too much to ask? I mean, it might gain you stud status, but it would destroy my credibility.” Not to mention Dan and Tom would have a field day with the information.
“Miss Jones—”
“I think after all that has happened you should probably call me Kayla.”
“Kayla—” He hesitated.
Kayla wasn’t sure, but it appeared that he was fighting another grin, because the dimples in his cheeks deepened.
“I’m not completely sure how to tell you this, Kayla, but nothing happened last night.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice pitched high as her eyelids rose so quickly she swore they touched her eyebrows.
“Honey, I wish I could say differently, but much to my dismay there was no sex, no ropes or handcuffs, and no naughty spankings.” Then he did smile. “However, I wouldn’t mind making all your fantasies come true.”
Before Kayla gave thought to her actions, she growled, “When I get my hands on you, I’ll pluck your wings off one at a time. I swear I will.” She realized too late what this might look like to Barry, but someone had set her up.
Concern darkened his eyes. “Kayla, maybe you should sit down.”
“Sit down?” Furious, she pinned her narrowed gaze on him. “Did your dad put you up to this? Who told you about my fantasies?”
************
Don’t miss another of Hector’s adventures.
EC Cover Price: $0.99
BLURB: Christmas and faeries and floggers…oh, my!
When a mischievous wood faery pops out of her newly purchased Christmas tree, Candice Lowry knows this Christmas will be…special. Under the bossy faery’s guidance, Candice gets a makeover and learns the power of her own sexuality. Maybe now she can attract her handsome new neighbor…
Gordon Nash can’t believe the transformation in Candice. Already intrigued by his shy, mousy neighbor, Gordon is captivated by her sexy new look. And when a book on BDSM falls from her bag, he knows that she is perfect for him.
This month seems to be a month of writing, edits, book covers and releases.
Christmas Showdown released the first week of December and readers seem to loving the first story in the Burstyn Blue series. Yay!!! Available now at Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.
BLURB: Kelly McMaster’s first and last one nightstand left her with a child and no idea how to find her son’s father—the man whose touch and kiss has her still wanting more. Now, after almost two years, she’s settled in a new city with a new job… One that has a gun pointed at her head.
When Trey Burstyn answers the bank robbery in process call, the last thing he expects to discover is the woman who left an impression on him one snowy night in Denver. He’s ready to rekindle the fire, but she’s resistant. Then the reason walks through the door.
Anger. Betrayal. Regrets. All fades when Trey realizes he’s as much to blame for the situation, but that ends now. When he insists Kelly and TJ, their son, move in with him, she balks.
Kelly is determined to do things on her own, yet the life Trey offers on the Burstyn ranch is a far cry better than her shoddy condominium. He argues he’s in it for the long run, but perhaps a trial run over the holidays will help him realize that parenting isn’t for him.
Will their differences tear them apart… or will they find Christmas magic in each other’s arms?
************
Next week, December 14, 2011, Tingle All The Way will be published by Ellora’s Cave.
BLURB: Can Christmas magic be found with the help of one very irritating little wood faery?
High-profile attorney Kayla Jones thinks she just might be losing her mind when Hector, a mischievous wood faery, appears before her. Are the martinis to blame? Or has her loneliness pushed her over the edge? And if her subconscious must create an imaginary man for the holidays, why can’t it be the good-looking prosecutor who visits her nightly dreams?
When Barry Allred offers to take Kayla home from the bar, he doesn’t expect her to pass out in him arms, leaving him no alternative except to take her to his home. But more surprises await him…
When the beauty awakens the next morning, she’s under the impression that they not only had sex, but that she inadvertently revealed to him her deepest, darkest BDSM and ménage fantasies. He can’t figure out how she came to this misunderstanding… But he is definitely the man to make all her fantasies come true.
************
I’m currently working on Irresistible’s edits, which will release March 27, 2012 at Samhain Publishing.
Oh! Oh! Oh! I can’t forget Bound by a Secret, third book in the Ties that Bind series. I have four chapters written of Clancy’s story. And here is a special gift from me to you – Samhain Publishing is giving Bound for the Holidays, the first book in the Ties that Bind series free December 2nd through the 14th in Kindle (Amazon) and Nook (B&N) formats. Don’t miss this special offer and while you’re at it pick up Bound by the Past and get your first glimpse of Clancy in action. <g>
Other projects include submitting Bold…in Whispering Cove, the second series of stories set in Whispering Cove, Maine. Burned, Bold, and Brazen written by Nikki Duncan, Cathryn Fox, and me will release June 2012. In the meantime, we are preparing a synopsis for the next proposed anthology, Silk, Stockings, and Serenades to be released December 2012. Did you know that until December 28th, all three books in the Wild, Wet, and Wicked anthology has been reduced to $.99 each for Christmas? Hurry now and get the first series of stories all for under $3.00.
************
As you’re jumpin’ around on the internet, join me in the Loveswept Holiday Hop @ http://www.romanceatrandom.com/page/2/ . Check all the great sites/blogs and have fun during this wonderful season.
Merry Christmas!
Mackenzie McKade
CHRISTMAS SHOWDOWN
I am so thrilled to announce that CHRISTMAS SHOWDOWN, the first book in a new erotic romance western series, is available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/
I love Christmas stories and hope you will enjoy Kelly and Trey’s story. Here is a blurb and excerpt:
Enjoy this excerpt from CHRISTMAS SHOWDOW
Copyright © 2011 Mackenzie McKade - All rights reserved
TAG: One perfect night can bring two people together… Or tear them apart.
BLURB: Kelly McMaster’s first and last one nightstand left her with a child and no idea how to find her son’s father—the man whose touch and kiss has her still wanting more. Now, after almost two years, she’s settled in a new city with a new job… One that has a gun pointed at her head.
When Trey Burstyn answers the bank robbery in process call, the last thing he expects to discover is the woman who left an impression on him one snowy night in Denver. He’s ready to rekindle the fire, but she’s resistant. Then the reason walks through the door.
Anger. Betrayal. Regrets. All fades when Trey realizes he’s as much to blame for the situation, but that ends now. When he insists Kelly and TJ, their son, move in with him, she balks.
Kelly is determined to do things on her own, yet the life Trey offers on the Burstyn ranch is a far cry better than her shoddy condominium. He argues he’s in it for the long run, but perhaps a trial run over the holidays will help him realize that parenting isn’t for him.
Will their differences tear them apart… or will they find Christmas magic in each other’s arms?
EXCERPT: Trey couldn’t take his eyes off the boy Kelly held as she spoke to the thin blonde at the door. At first he had been shocked that Kelly had a child. Then, as he studied the chubby little toddler, he was taken aback by how much the little guy looked like Samuel, his brother’s three-year-old son. Trey would even swear the boy had the Burstyns’ eyes, an undeniable crystal blue. But those weren’t the only similarities that made the hackles on the back of Trey’s neck stir. The toddler had shiny black hair, and damned if he didn’t have the same tuft of hair sticking up against his forehead that matched Trey’s. Poor kid. He’d fought that damn cowlick most of his life.
It was about that time Trey felt his knees grow weak. But what threatened to wipe his legs out from under him was when the woman called the boy Trey. Like a puzzle, the pieces fell into place.
Still he refused to accept the obvious. Instead he did the math to determine approximately when this child could have been conceived. Shit. If he guessed right, that would make conception right around the time of the Denver conference. But he had used a condom.
The last of the air in his lungs rushed out as he stared at the small image of himself—his son. Denying it would be futile.
Overwhelming emotions bombarded him all at once. Disbelief. Betrayal. Anger. Fury so hot that it surged through his veins like liquid fire. How long did Kelly plan to keep his son from him? If it hadn’t been for the bank incident he would have never known he had a son, let alone that they were living in the same city.
Kelly shut the door and turned to him, her face pallid. “We need to talk.” Her voice trembled.
He barely held his rage beneath a veneer of calm—the only thing stopping him from reaching out and strangling the woman. “Looks like the talking should have happened two years ago.” He set his Stetson upon the scarred coffee table before the couch.
TJ started to squirm in her arms. “Down.” But she held on to him with a death grip.
“I tried to contact you.”
Uh huh, he thought silently. Sure you did.
“Momma. Down.” The boy’s request turned into a cry. “Down. Down.”
She started to bounce him on her hip. “Shhh, sweetheart.”
“Let him down, Kelly. I’m not going to run off with him.” And neither was she.
Hesitating, she finally set the boy on his feet before glancing back up at Trey. “I didn’t know your last name, until today.”
“What about the hotel? The conference organizers?”
Her backbone stiffened defensively, but she didn’t raise her voice. “I did contact them. Privacy laws forbid them from giving me any information. You don’t have any idea how many times I heard that excuse. Plus I had no idea where you lived, worked.” With flames in her eyes, she ground her teeth together. “Whether you believe it or not, I did the best I could.”
TJ approached him, staring up at him curiously. He placed his tiny shoe on Trey’s boot and then stretched his arms. “Up.”
Trey’s heart thudded against his chest. He started to bend down and retrieve the toddler when Kelly’s coolness shattered. “No!” A panicked expression flashed on her face before it hardened, and then softened like her voice. “TJ, come to momma.” She took a step forward as Trey hauled the boy into his arms.
For a moment, she stood silently, her breathing labored, her eyes moist—from fear or possessiveness, he didn’t know—and at that precious second he didn’t care.
“Hey, buddy.” TJ smoothed his palm over Trey’s chin and laughed when he felt the small prickles of his beard. The boy’s childish giggle made Trey grin ear to ear. “So you think that’s funny.” He pressed his cheek next to the child’s and rubbed up and down like he did Samuel’s belly on occasion. TJ burst into a plethora of titters, causing Trey to laugh out loud.
“I should get him ready for bed,” Kelly said, holding out her arms expectantly.
“I think due to the circumstances, me spending a little time with my son warrants a later bedtime.”
“Yes, but—”
Trey shot her a look that he knew could curdle milk, because he’d used it on more occasions than he’d like to admit in his line of work to gain a person’s cooperation. It worked to quiet her, but it didn’t last long.
“I don’t want him falling asleep dirty. He needs a bath.” She inhaled deeply and released the breath, unaware that her robe had drifted apart again.
But his cock had noticed, and it firmed beneath his zipper. He let his gaze sweep down her. “I’ll give him a bath while you slip into something less comfortable.” He needed all his senses about him.
She glanced down where his eyes had stopped. “Dammit.” When TJ stared at her, she corrected herself. “I mean darn.” Licking her lips nervously, she glared at him. “Have you ever given a child a bath?”
“Kelly, I come from a big family—two older brothers, two younger sisters, two nephews and three nieces. I’ve given my share of baths and babysat. If you’ll show me to the bathroom I’ll take care of the rest.
Again she hesitated, staring at him like he’d grown two heads, before she finally gave in. “This way.”
Still holding TJ, he followed her up the stairs, his randy gaze locked on the gentle sway of her hips. By the time he made it to the top, his dick was so hard it was uncomfortable.
Didn’t that beat all? His was madder than hell at this woman and still couldn’t think past the desire to bed her.
“The first door on the left. I’ll get his pajamas and a towel.” She disappeared into another room as Trey started to slip off his son’s shoes. The little guy wiggled and squirmed, but fortunately Trey was able to get him undressed without any tears.
Quickly, he checked the sizes of his shoes and clothing. The boy needed a pair of real jeans and boots. He’d have to wing the fit of a cowboy hat. Turning on the faucets, he checked the temperature of the water. When it was lukewarm he set TJ down and the boy immediately started to wave his chubby arms and splash water to strike Trey in the face.
“I forgot to warn you that TJ is a wild man in the bathtub.” She set a diaper, a pair of footed, thermal pajamas and a worn towel on the commode. “His hair needs washed—”
“I can handle it.” The minute the sharp reply left his mouth he regretted it. If what Kelly said was true, she had attempted to contact him. He watched her walked away as he began to soap up the wild sea serpent dousing his father with more water.
In reality, his and Kelly’s night had consisted of partying with her friends and a couple of other conference-goers, and an attraction too strong to deny. Heavy petting led to a quick trip to his hotel room and the rest was history. She had completely worn him out, so much so that he had barely awakened in time to catch his flight. And he wasn’t free of fault either, because she had given him her number, but somewhere between the room, a taxi ride, and the airport he had lost the small piece of paper she’d written the information on. It could have happened any time he had withdrawn money from his pocket.
So clearly he was as much to blame as she, or maybe no one was to blame. Maybe they needed to chalk this one up to Murphy’s Law and just move forward.
After washing and rinsing TJ’s hair, he lifted his son out of the tub and wrapped him in the towel. The boy was in good spirits, jabbering incoherent gibberish that only another child would comprehend. It was beyond Trey.
“Momma!” He threw open his arms.
She smiled lovingly and reached out for him. “I’ll dress him.” He went willingly into her arms.
Trey snatched the diaper and pajamas off the commode before she could. Their eyes met. His determined. Hers weary. When she realized he wasn’t going away, she turned and walked into the bedroom and laid their child on the bed. Trey placed the boy’s clothes beside him.
As she bent over, the t-shirt she wore edged upward, displaying smooth, unblemished skin above the band of her jeans. Would it feel as soft as it had two years ago? She worked with expertise to clothe the ever-moving child as Trey scanned the room.
Her queen-size bed and dresser, which appeared to have several drawers off their tracks, were the only furniture and all that would fit in the cramped room. It sickened him to think what she might have gone through during this last two years. Had she been alone? Did she have family to help her? If so, why would she move away and obviously place herself and their child in financial straits?
“Dink,” TJ cried out.
Trey shot a questioning glanced at Kelly.
“He wants milk,” she answered before he could speak. “Sure, baby, let’s go downstairs.” Kelly heaved the heavy bundle into her arms.
“Here.” Trey extended his hands. “I’ll take him.” But his offer was met with defiance.
“I’m more than capable. Remember, I’ve been doing this for over a year, by myself.” Without saying another word, she spun on the balls of her bare feet and stomped from the room.
Zing! He felt that jab go straight to the heart, because Kelly was right. But dammit, it wasn’t his fault. Crestfallen, he followed her down the stairs and into a kitchen large enough for only one person to maneuver comfortably, which meant she bumped into him.
“Why don’t you go sit on the couch, watch some football or something,” she snapped.
“Okay. And I’ll take our son, so you can do what you have to in here.”
“I’ve been—”
“Yeah, I know. You’ve done this a million times, alone.” He took TJ from her arms and walked out of the room.
Happy Thanksgiving! From my family to yours.
Our turkey is in the oven baking. Snacks are out on the table. The weather is cloudy, but beautiful. And there is a Christmas movie on the television. I couldn’t ask for anything more than.
Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope this day has been everything you want and more.
Hugs and cheers,
Mackenzie McKade
I’m writing feverishly to complete another Christmas story, but I’m running into two specific roadblocks. There are about three and five years old. I still haven’t mastered writing sex scenes or for that matter any scenes with two kids fighting over my IPAD or wanting different programs on television. I thought my babysitting days had ended, but it appears I’m sorely wrong. At least the house is quiet for the moment. One of my daughters took the rug-rats to get something to eat. I believe the plan is to send one kid off to school and the other to daycare for a couple hours, so grandma can accomplish something today.
I have until the 18th to write and get the story critiqued and edited, before shipping it off to the editor. Then she’ll have a round of edits that will take a couple days to work into the manuscript. In the meantime, I’ve lined someone up to do my cover. I’m so excited because this person is fantastic, and I believe this story could kick off a series. One that will probably have about three to four stories.
Since I missed the calendar for my publishing houses, I will self-published this book. So look for TIED IN A BOW early December. Of course, the title could change between now and then. LOL
Have a great hump day.
Mac
After writing 3.5k of my Christmas story, I went to my grandson’s football game last night. Amazingly, the nights have started to cool down here. Dressed in jeans and light sweater it was an enjoyable and comfortable atmosphere, until I discovered I was sitting in gum. Yes. It true. Mackenzie McKade’s ass was stuck to the bleachers. LOL
The JV game was a hard fought battle. Each team took turns scoring, while their defensive lines struggled to defend their positions. My angel boy made a touchdown and my family and I went wild. We had a cowbell and blow horns that we let rip. Sometimes our team took the lead and other times the other team did, but in the end we conquered 35-25. Yay!!!!!
It was the last game of the season, but earlier this week the varsity coaches announced that they wanted my grandson to join them for tonight’s game. What a privilege and thrill for both my grandson and us. We don’t know how much or if Dusty will get to play, but you can bet we’ll be there to cheer him on. Which now brings me to this morning.
I didn’t realize all the writing I was doing would hit me so hard. I woke up this morning feeling like roadkill. It took a while to get into the swing of things and then the husband got up, announcing he was hungry. After 1k written words I waltzed off with him to get something to eat. Now I’m back at the computer wondering where to go from here. Probably the reason I am writing this blog, to keep from getting back to work. LOL
I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. Take care and we’ll chat later.
Mac
Are you Wicked?
This collection is for you!
including DEADLY DESIRES
Now Available in Print
Daily Book Deals