Monthly Archives: September 2012

Preview: Episode 2 of Romantic Tales Bedtime Stories.

Author Ty Langston’s: CRAVE

Preview of Episode 2

Exhausted and burnt out due to a mix of long hours and a steady diet of working hardened news stories, left Harper at a loss when she met the magnetic and mysterious lead singer of Crave, Cass St. Marie.

She was drawn to him, yet frightened. What was he?  Who was he?  Did he have anything to do with Darien’s disappearance?
Desperate for the truth, the more she talked with him, the more attracted she became. Did he really have the answers she sought or was he a distraction of something more sinister.

Author Tigris Eden’s: The Genesis Project

Preview of Episode 2

Xander Treegold sees something in Genesis that he can’t explain. Is it her oddity that captures him or her innocence? Xander’s never taken no for an answer when it comes to getting what he wants and at every opportunity that is given to him Xander seems to fail miserably. That is until he pulls Genesis into a dark alcove in the Great Hall where others are preparing for their journey back to New Earth for Luna.

Will Genesis succumb to his attentions or will she once again deny him the only thing he’s ever truly wanted…. Her.
Politics and other’s seem to get in the way of his every intentions and as Luna approaches so does the private tasting he’s invited Genesis to. Will she indulge like the rest of them, or will she stand in the back, watching, wanting, and needing to be tasted as much as the next female.
Gen is happy to finally be back home with her father Vaggo, and as short as this homecoming is, she is determined not to let the outside influence of Xander Treegold convince her of his intentions. With Adam constantly showing up at her door step, attempting to sway her away from his soon to be brother –in-law she finds that Professor Aylet is correct in her assumptions. There are two males that make her question her every feeling.
Adam’s sultry scent and Xander’s fire.

Author Riley Ross’: The Getaway

Preview of Episode 2

 Mike and Juliet deal with the repercussions of his mother and Brooke’s actions. Juliet and Elaine come to an uneasy truce to appease Mike.

 A surprising secret involving Brooke and a member of Mike’s family threatens to ruin a relationship. Will a surprising proposal shatter their unholy alliance or bring them closer together?
Episode 2 will be out in October 2012… Stay tuned! Leave a comment, tell us what you think if you’ve read the first Episode!

Episode 1 Chapter 1 of The Getaway w/ Giveaway by Riley Ross

Greetings and Salutations some of you may or may not have heard about the New Release: Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories by Author’s Ty Langston, Tigris Eden, and Riley Ross… Here’s a chance for you not only to get a sneak peak of this wonderful book but also meet the Authors! And enter for a chance to win your own free copy of Episode 1.

There will be three episodes and each will continue forward with the story from the previous episode. This next sneak peak is of  Riley Ross’ The Getaway!

Riley Ross
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Chapter 1

“How am I supposed to pack if you will not tell me where we are going?” I asked my boyfriend Mike as he stood in my walk in closet with me. He grabbed some clothes and put them into my suitcase.

“Just pack enough clothes for two weeks. If you find that you forgot something, well we can go shopping.” He said patiently as he grinned at me.

Mike surprised me by slipping a blindfold over my eyes after we left my house. I sighed with displeasure as he chuckled. Before I could voice my concerns about being blindfolded, he lightly kissed me on the lips.

“I want our destination to be a surprise. I heard what you and Stephanie were talking about. I agree with your assessment that you need to relax. You are mine for two weeks, no phone calls, no laptop, no worries about family or their drama. So Sweets, accept the fact that I am in control.” He said softly as he led me outside to his car. He stole another kiss from me before shutting the door. He got in on his side and started the engine of his silver BMW 760LI. I leaned back against the cream leather seats and sighed. I heard him chuckle and felt his hand touch my thigh.

“Can we just stay here? I promise I will relax.” I said as he removed his hand.

“Relax Jules,” he said softly as he put on classical music. After twenty minutes of listening to Mozart and the melodic hum of the engine, I fell asleep. I woke up when the car engine stopped. Mike leaned over and removed the blindfold from my eyes and I opened them to see an unfamiliar house overlooking a lake surrounded by trees. The air was warm, with a light fresh breeze. The house was a charming log cabin with a beautiful wraparound porch. Mike grinned at me as I took in a deep breath of fresh air.

“Welcome to our little getaway for two weeks. Don’t worry about my parents. They will be here in a few days. I hope you don’t mind.” He said sounding a bit fretful.

“That sounds delightful and scary.” I said grinning at him. I tried to help him unload the car but he glared at me. I grinned at him and carried my bag to the porch. Once he brought the last of the bags to the porch he opened the door and scooped me up and carried me inside. He gently placed me on the brown suede sofa. He dropped another kiss on my lips before he moved away from me. I could smell his woodsy aftershave linger for another second before it dissipated as he walked further away from me.

“Stay here while I bring in the luggage. I mean it Juliet, you are to sit here and look pretty.” He said bossily as he went back outside to bring in our bags. While he was doing that, I walked around the cabin. I found pictures of Mike and his family placed around the house. The cabin was warm and spacious. The décor was mostly masculine with a few deer heads mounted on the wall. Mike found me in the kitchen drooling over the gas stove and stainless steel appliances. “Have you checked out the back porch yet?” He asked after planting a quick kiss on my shoulder. He led me out to the enclosed back porch and showed me the small hot tub.

“I am in love with this place.” I said grinning at him.

“I am in love with this place too. I bought it last year. My family checks on it while I am on the road.

When Vince ordered your vacation, I thought I would bring you here to relax. You have been somewhat stressed out since your dad and brother had that falling out.” He said softly as he put his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

“Thank you for always being there. The family battle over the law firm has been affecting me more than I thought. Although I think they are both stupid for fighting over control over the company, I still love them. Enough about them it’s time to relax and unwind. This is our vacation so let’s leave the drama back in Akron.” I said to him before I kissed him softly on the lips. He pulled back before I could deepen the kiss. His muscular arms held me to him and I felt relaxed and safe in his arms.
“I told you Jules, we are going to go slow.” He said softly as he grinned at me. I planted another lingering kiss on his lips that had him panting as we parted. His baby blue eyes were darkened with lust.

“Show me to my room and I will show you what I am wearing or not wearing underneath this sundress.” I said as he looked dazed.

“Juliet you are going to be the death of me, but whatta way to go.” He whispered.

I walked into the house and I heard him mutter a curse word as he came in after me. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the bedroom. He gently put me down on my feet as he slipped his hand up my skirt. He sighed when he felt the bare skin against his warm hand.

“Dammit Juliet,” he growled softly in my ear. “Why do you have to treat me this way? You know I want to take my time with you but you are making it hard for me.”

“I know I feel how hard you are. I can take care of that for you if you would let me.” I said grinning at him as he lustfully glared at me.

“We are supposed to go slow.” He said.

“Fine Michael, I will play by your rules. If you want to take things slow, we will go as slow as you want or fast and hard as you want.” I whispered in his ear as I moved away from him. He went into his designated bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him. I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower. I wrapped a huge fluffy, white towel around me as I went back into my room. I changed into a pair of denim cutoffs and black tank top. The bedroom that I chose to stay in had a full size bed with a walnut headboard. The bedspread was a done in a blue and white quilted pattern

If you like this and are interested in finding out more, be sure to enter for your chance to win a copy of Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories Episode 1!.

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Episode 1 Chapter 1 of The Genesis Project w/ Giveaway by Tigris Eden

 
Greetings and Salutations some of you may or may not have heard about the New Release: Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories by Author’s Ty Langston, Tigris Eden, and Riley Ross… Here’s a chance for you not only to get a sneak peak of this wonderful book but also meet the Authors! And enter for a chance to win your own free copy of Episode 1.

There will be three episodes and each will continue forward with the story from the previous episode. Now here is a chance to read Chapter 1 of Tigris Eden’s The Genesis Project…. Enjoy!

Tigris Eden
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Chapter 1


“Stage one complete, cellular regeneration has started.”

The sound of air being vacuumed from the heated chamber was loud. It made a hissing noise as the vent continued to suck the air out of its space. In order for the regeneration process to continue, there could be no contamination of particles. The chamber needed to be void of oxygen and hydrogen in order to create the life from the cloned cells currently housed on top of a small petri dish.

“Stage two complete, molecular levels are stable, adding Nuero-Technology.”

Nuero-Technology was added to make the cells stronger and infuse them with technology that would allow for enhanced processing of the bodies functions; functioning in a capacity that would allow the subject to heal, but to also deduce any problems that its body encountered as a whole. The electrical highways that connected the brain would also function at a higher level allowing the subject to process information at an accelerated pace. Vaggo decided this was necessary in order to further the survival of his species. If the body healed faster it would also produce faster, or at least that was the hypothesis.
The A.I. computer counted down the seconds until the Nuero Gas was dispersed inside the chamber penetrating each cells membranes, and infusing the atoms with a dose of the Genesis Gene. This new strain had to work, Vaggo thought. If everything went well there would be a cure. A cure they so long ago, thought would never happen.

“Stage three complete, Nuero-Technology infused. Placing embryo in stasis.”
Vaggo watched as the tiny cells were carefully moved by A.I.’s mechanic arm and gently placed in the incubator. He was literally balancing himself on the edge of his seat, praying everything would turn out alright. The species depended on it.

“Shall I give the embryo the immune boost Dr. Vaggo?” A.I. asked in her crystal clear voice.

“Yes, let’s induce the immune boost by seventy-five percent and add retinal and muscles enhancements.” Vaggo replied. The embryo needed to survive as well as endure anything considered dangerous.

“Dr. Vaggo, if retinal and muscle enhancements are given, the embryo may not be able to regenerate.
There is a twenty percent chance during stasis that it may terminate.”

A.I. was practical and accurate; at times it made Vaggo want to shut her down for good. But electricity was sparse now and the council already rationed his use, he needed to get this done, so he could move on to the next stage in the process. The thought ran rampant through his mind, as he watched the cells regenerate in the petri dish inside the incubator. The arm stopped moving mid-way and seemed to stall. Vaggo stood and quietly approached A.I.’s work station.

“A.I. is there something wrong?”

“Awaiting your directive on retinal and muscle enhancements Dr. Vaggo.”

“Proceed.”

The arm moved over the incubator and Vaggo stepped back so he wouldn’t be near the delicate process. He watched with eyes that felt dry and scratchy. He blinked a couple of times and felt as if he’d just scrapped his eyes raw with sand paper. How long had he been at this?

Twelve long years and every attempt had failed. Tonight everything would be perfect, he’d calculated every step, every procedure and what he couldn’t figure out, A.I. had supplied the rest.

“Retinal and muscle enhancements have been injected Dr. Vaggo. Embryo has now been placed in stasis.”

The mechanical arm moved to the station board and input the locking sequence, securing the embryo in its chamber during its incubation period. Over the course of a week the embryo would be surrounded first by amniotic fluid and then placed in a womb like environment awaiting its birth.

Vaggo dragged a tired hand down his equally tired face and rose to go into his sleeping quarters. As he headed out the door he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the incubator one more time. The entire species depended on the rapidly generating cells in the petri dish.
 

Six Weeks Later

Vaggo smiled down at the squirming infant in his arms. Genetics was a tricky thing, but he’d finally gotten it right. The infant was perfect in every way. It hadn’t matter what the final outcome produced gender wise, as long as everything inside worked. What he’d gotten was a perfect little miracle, with ice, blue eyes surrounded by a golden circle, and a crown of silky black hair and honey, almond skin. He’d yet to give the infant a name and didn’t know if he should. A flawless golden toned face stared up at him in recognition. Beneath her skin you could see flecks of gold and blue veins that pulsed with life. An oddity he was sure, but out of her oddness was perfection.

He’d copied the genetic code from old text books he’d gathered from the science section at the Hall of Records. The books pre-dated the first Uni-war. The pages not marred by time or soiled fingers, they were legible and clear. How she ended up looking nothing like her kind was an anomaly. She was growing at an accelerated rate and it worried him. What if she died due to her rapidly aging body and he wasn’t able to harness her genetics in time for proper research? What if she fell ill? Vaggo stared down at the restless baby and decided then, he wouldn’t allow for either of the possibilities. She was his and he would keep her alive always. The baby needed a name, and only one would do- Genesis.
 

23 Rotations (Years) Later

“Why do we do this?”

“To ensure survival of our species father.”

“That’s correct Genesis.”

Vaggo kissed the top of his daughter’s head. There was no one like her. All of his experiments had been successful, but none of them had produced the same results or likeness as she did. She was the only one with her coloring, and skill set. Her body healed rapidly at an amazing rate and her learning skills were limitless it seemed. Her body had stopped showing signs of aging on her twenty third rotation. He’d done numerous cells counts and found that her cells were reproducing at a rapid rate, and destroying the old cells she no longer needed, keeping her in top form. Her stem cells reproduced at such a rate that it was staggering to see it in action. Vaggo had stopped using her as a donor over three rotations, especially when he couldn’t replicate her rapid cell regeneration patterns. It was something that had pleased Genesis to no end. She hated being prodded and prepped with needles.
Vaggo educated her in all things and she had far accelerated anyone of her caliber, or his. He’d kept her home, so that she wouldn’t be singled out and made fun of. The council had no idea that she was born from one of his creations. Genesis hadn’t been exposed to many of the social customs that were considered normal, but what scientist was? She was most happy in the lab, coming up with new and inventive ideas to further the species. A.I. was her friend and confidant. Vaggo had held off for as long as he could, and now that they were proof positive the species would survive and thrive in this new environment the earth had created it was time.

Vaggo handed Genesis her supplement injections and her clothing pack. The council saw her as a mutation, but Vaggo quickly squashed their concerns by telling them her blood was not sustainable by nutrient intake and this was her reason for having to take the supplement injections. To the council she was seen as a weak link. The council never paid too close attention to Genesis as long as Vaggo kept them happy with the latest and greatest developments in Project Harvest. Genesis injected her first set of supplements into her thigh and tossed the vial into the trash receptacle.

“Do not drink from any source of supplements, other than what I’ve provided you with. I will send you more on a weekly basis.”

Genesis nodded her head in agreement and checked her clothes pack.

“Don’t forget about your food allergen. Remember, hydroponically grown sustenance for you.”

“Yes father, I won’t forget.”

Vaggo laughed as his daughter now kissed the top of his head and bounded down the hall to the stairs where she would meet with the Chancellor’s son Adam. She was all grown up and in the twenty-three rotations since, Genesis bloomed into a beautiful and brilliant woman. She was perfect in every sense. Well except for her social skills. Those were lacking but she would quickly pick it up and adapt. It was part of her molecular make up and because of the Neuro-technology she would absorb the customs quickly. He pulled out the hallo-pic he’d taken of her just the other day. Long, silky, lustrous hair was bright against her honey almond skin tone. She was a sculptor’s most prized subject with her ageless beauty and classic lines. She was his daughter, and best creation all rolled into one. He couldn’t have asked the Moon Goddess herself for something so precious.

Vaggo sat in his chair and placed both hands on the table, as he waited for his rapidly beating heart to slow down. No one would suspect she was anything less or more than what she really was. Every other test subject had failed where she excelled, but their outcomes had all produced the desired effect, survival of the species. Each subject could rejuvenate at a rapid capacity, and by doing so kept their way of life, their only way of life alive.

Their supplements only went so far and their strength had been dwindling, taking a bit of their life force with it. It made them more susceptible to disease, and in the early time of colonization they hadn’t been able to overcome the simplest of human disease. Especially after the second Uni-war, but now there was hope, after so many loses, after so many trials and error, things were starting to get better. There was hope for their future.

There were others out there that didn’t agree with what Vaggo was trying to do for his kind. They called him cruel and insensitive. They’d argued humans were more than able to live amicably with them. Studying their ancestors from afar had only showed him that they would never be able to evolve and embrace their way of life. They’d come, not to take over, but to save them from their-selves. Vaggo had even taken a human mate. Lora had been everything to him, but in the end because of their differences he’d lost her. Right on the cusp of discovering a way for them to be together long term, he’d lost her to disease. Then the first Uni-war had broken out and there were major devastations on both sides.

Earth had been ground zero, and in the end sustained so much damage that even humans couldn’t live in its environment. Some had escaped off planet, while other’s remained behind to try and fix earth’s problem. Vaggo had stayed behind as well, trying to fix his ancestral home. All life had started from Gaia, Mother Earth and she sent her seeds far and wide across the known and unknown universes, and for her blessings they’d destroyed her and her sister, The Moon Goddess. What was left of the moon now caused serious eye irritation and blindness if proper precautions weren’t taken. Cosmic dust from the moon’s surface was deadly.

It had been complete chaos during the United Federations of the Universes second Uni-war. Agreements were broken and treaties were put into place to stop the fallouts as a result. The one nutrient that was needed among their kind had been rendered obsolete. There were stragglers out there Vaggo knew, but none would come willingly to their ancestors they deemed monsters of the night. Vampires as they were called by humans, and Pars to everyone else. Pars had been a term given to them by the Celestrials. There were other Pars out there, parasitic in nature, beings that lived off another breathing host in order to survive. To every myth lies the truth.

Vaggo sighed as he watched Genesis on the vid as she waited for Adam Reynard, the Chancellor’s son. Genesis Blackmore was now the last surviving human on what was left from Old Earth. She was the upgraded version of course, but still human. He’d given the council everything and now they wanted his daughter. He wouldn’t give her to them, not truly. If they knew what she really was, he’d be killed and she would be thrown into a cage, and experimented on.

They had their harvested humans, sure, but they were not living breathing humans, they were kept in meat lockers and harvested for the one thing they all needed to survive- blood. Letting Genesis go to the Academy was the only way for Vaggo to not appear suspicious. She’d tested well enough and she only needed one rotation at the academy. Where other’s her age would be starting their first rotation and continuing until they were graduates, she only needed the one rotation. He’d told the council she was his daughter from an unwedded communion between himself and another faction from the south tier of the planet. Vyrkolakas’ skin was darker and their eyes varied in color, and Vaggo knew they wouldn’t investigate his claims as they considered southerners vile and barbaric. They’d accepted that excuse and part of their stipulation for Vaggo having an unsanctioned child was for her to go to the academy like the rest of the maturing adults. Genesis would be home every lunar cycle and then again at harvest. The Chancellor’s son Adam was escorting her and would set her up to be acceptable in most all social circles. No one would suspect anything other than the obvious.

If you like this and are interested in finding out more, be sure to enter for your chance to win a copy of Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories Episode 1!
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Episode 1 Chapter 1 of Crave with Giveaway by: Ty Langston

Greetings and Salutations some of you may or may not have heard about the New Release: Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories by Author’s Ty Langston, Tigris Eden, and Riley Ross… Here’s a chance for you not only to get a sneak peak of this wonderful book but also meet the Authors! And enter for a chance to win your own free copy of Episode 1. 
There will be three episodes and each will continue forward with the story from the previous episode. This first sneak peak is of Ty Langston’s CRAVE!

Ty Langston
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Chapter One

The young woman sat across from her computer and endlessly scribbled in her notebook.
With headphones in place, the frantic pace of the newsroom where she worked didn’t serve as deterrence from her looming deadline. Despite her exhaustion due to the long nights and weekend hours she had spent writing award-winning stories, the early evening with its bright fluorescent lights and the smell of the newsroom favorites of chicken parm and pepperoni pizza from Freddy’s Pizzeria gave her the temporary boost she needed to finish her story

She was used to it; in fact she reveled in it. Writing stories about people, places and the things in her community always intrigued her; from people doing well for others to the popular teenage girl that disappeared without a trace. All had a story to tell.

“Harper? Harper?” Ellen, the assistant to the Editor and friend to Harper, asked while she knocked on the corner of the young reporter’s desk.

Startled, the young woman jumped after seeing the ruby red tips of Ellen’s finger’s tapping on the steel desk out of the corner of her eye. “Jeez, Ellen! What the?” Harper asked as she yanked off the headphones from her ears and placed them around her neck

The assistant’s mouth curved into an impish grin .She loved teasing her good friend when she could; especially during deadline hour. “I’m sorry, Harp. Didn’t mean to scare you, but Ross wants to know how the story is going?”

Frazzled, Harper took her light brown mane and began to pile it tall on top of her head. She surfed through an endless sea of notes in her notebook. Despite the age where computers laptops and tablets reigned, there were some things she preferred to do the old-fashioned way.

She raised an eyebrow and glanced at her watch. She dreaded when her editor did this to her. At her current pace, she could finish, tighten and send it to him with three hours to spare. He either wanted her off this story, or he wanted her to do another story on top of this one, which was already front page news. With a pensive stare, she had an inkling she would dread her answer.

“Nearly done. Tell him he’ll have it in an hour.” She told Ellen.

Ellen smiled while she wrote it on her own notebook. “Ok, hon. I will. He would have emailed everyone, but someone hacked into his email and since he’s at the editor’s and publisher’s conference he wanted an update,.. and a favor…”

Anxious, Harper continued to play with her pen, the gnawing sensation that nagged at the pit of her stomach only justified her concern. Shit, I just want to get out of here, eat a decent meal and actually turn in at an hour that didn’t include the wee hours of the morning.

“A favor? Is he serious?” Harper asked. Her frustration with her editor, Ross began to increase with each new story. No one else kept the hours she did or would work the crazy schedule she had been working these days. Regardless of what the request was, she wished for once, her boss could ask someone else to do something besides her.

Ellen sat on the corner of her friend’s desk. Just before she sat, she pulled out a blue folder and placed it in front of Harper. “He is and this is for me as well. Ever hear of the band Crave?”

Harper’s brown eyes narrowed. Her stomach continued to churn which usually meant that all hopes for a peaceful evening would now be dashed by a friend with whom she could never say no to; and an editor who aggravated her more than her own parents. “No, I haven’t.” she answered, “Why?” she continued with some hesitation.

Ellen’s eyes widened with excitement. “Really? You never heard of them? Crave is one of the rising stars in the music industry. They are a homegrown band in Wakefield that is on the cusp of national stardom. You seriously have no idea who they are?”

Harper placed her pen down and opened the navy blue folder Ellen had placed in front of her “I honestly haven’t, El, and as you know I’m a huge music lover. What kinds of stuff do they play?” she asked.

Ellen pulled out a CD from her sweater pocket and placed it carefully on the desk. “There’s a demo in the folder, but this is their latest EP they’ve been promoting. One of their singles is now number 10 on Billboard’s new artists’ chart.” Harper’s eyes glimmered with delight. “They’re from here? That’s fantastic.” Ellen nodded. “Yes, they are. Well, the guitarist is, Chace Lawson. Apparently, the others are from all over the country. I’ve never heard or seen women get so worked up over hot, sweaty men in leather in my life until I went to a Crave show.” Harper opened the folder and snickered. She could understand why. The five men were quite easy on the eyes. In particular, the one in the center with the long-layered brown hair and eyes that appeared to be burning at hole straight through her.

“I can see why. They’re gorgeous. Especially the brooding one in the middle.” Harper said as she picked up the black and white photo of the band. Ellen got up sat back on the desk and placed herself directly in front of her good friend.

“That would be Cass St. Marie. Pictures don’t do him justice. He’s just not handsome, he’s beautiful. He’s also got this southern drawl that’s just so damn intoxicating that a girl could get drunk just from him saying ‘hello’. And the way he moves his body, from his arms to those corded thighs, there is something about him that’s electric.” Ellen said

Harper let out a huge laugh. Ellen was known as the princess of pessimism, for her to gush so much about a man and his music intrigued her. She knew that by the end of this conservation, she would want to listen to what all the fuss was about.

“I have never known you to get as excited about something like this. So, what do I have to do with this?” Harper asked in an attempt to hide her curiosity.

“The band’s performing later at the Star 80 club. It’s a showcase with some pretty cool A and R guys, other industry execs and so on. Anyways, since Dave, our beloved music writer, has come down with the flu, Ross thought of the next best person for the job.”

“Me? I love music as much as the next person, but what do I know about writing some fluff piece on a rock band?”

“If I remember correctly, wasn’t it your missing girl Darien Anderson who was on her way to a concert the night she disappeared?” Ellen asked.

Harper’s face quickly grew serious. All color was gone. “She was…. She was on her way to a concert, but the police report never stated which one.”

“Her mom, earlier on the T.V. news, told another reporter that it was a Crave concert. So, I called Chace and he said he and the band knew her. They had seen her at some of their shows. Maybe you could talk to them to see if they have any info on her disappearance, while you’re doing your fluff piece that Ross would like you to do for Dave.”

Figures. This is so close to deadline. All I want to do is sleep. I’ve been working non-stop on Darien Anderson’s case for two weeks now.’ Harper thought.

“He said the deadline for the feature isn’t until the end of the week, but since Dave won’t be back by then and the two of you have similar taste in music, Ross and I thought you’d be perfect for job.” Ellen insisted.

“El, I’m surprised that you didn’t want do this. You’ve always wanted to write. Here’s your chance.”

Harper encouraged. The long hours began to creep up on her; she placed the photo down and put
her hand underneath her chin. This was the one night she had in several months where she could relax and get to bed at a decent hour. The months of working nights, six days a week had begun to take its toll.

Ellen nodded. “Not this one. Not right now. This story ties into yours. Even if Dave were here, he would have given it to you based on that angle. I can’t help but think something else is up. There’s a link with all of this somehow.”

“Okay. I’ll do it. You knew I would. What time is their show?”

“Eight. So if you finish, get yourself a little catnap, shower, a bite to eat; you’ll be all set to drool over the hotties tonight. Wish I could go with you, but Ross has me running the night meeting and prepping for tomorrow.”

Harper sighed and rolled her eyes. It was a miracle their paper got out each day. With the way their editor-in-chief, Ross drove them all crazy, today was one of the most peaceful days she had due to him not only being at his conference for a week, but due to his email being hacked.

“Man, the two of you owe me big time when the Anderson story is over. Let me finish this update and get out of here.” Ellen squealed with delight. “Great! Ross said he’ll treat you for a dinner and a weekend off.”

Harper’s weariness turned quickly into a wide grin as she put on her headphones and turned on her iPod “Sold.” She told Ellen as she turned around and began to tap away at her keys. On her playlist for the early evening? A little Nina Simone to calm and focus her on the task at hand. The more she typed with the beat of the music, the closer her goal became. Dinner? She could eat anywhere, but preferred her junk food diet of burgers, subs, pizza and cheese fries. Weekend off? This enticed her a great deal. She hadn’t had an entire weekend off in two years. She’d forgotten what it was like to sleep in on a Saturday or take a ride through town without going to check on a source first. If she could pull it off, it’d be a welcome treat. For the briefest of moments, she hated Ross and Ellen. She hated how they played on her talents to get them what they wanted. But, usually when they did this, the end result was worth it. It was one feature. How hard could it be?

As the legendary’s songstresses vocals seeped through her headphones she typed the end of her follow up story. Before she pressed send, she said aloud, One story down, another to go. The shit I get myself into. Something’s telling me that I’m going to regret this one.



If you like this and are interested in finding out more, be sure to enter for your chance to win a copy of Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories Episode 1!

a Rafflecopter giveaway