Monday, January 28, 2013

Tuesday Tales – Light


Welcome to this weeks Tuesday Tales to the word prompt Light. 




Pia remembered repeatedly asking him to bring her back to her hotel room, but Larry kept saying soon.  While walking down the strip, he took her hand leading her into one of the stores.  One thing she remembered distinctively was Larry leading her into a jewelry store telling her to pick whatever she wanted.  That was the last thing she recalled.

The next morning she woke up naked in bed with Larry.  Closing her eyes she tried to think back to the night before.  What had happened between walking back to her hotel room and here?   She sat up.  Her head was killing her.  Boy she had some hell of a hangover.  She slid her legs off the bed, just as she got off, Larry wrapped his hands around her waist pulling her next to him.

“What are you doing?” Pia asked.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing.  Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get dressed and return to my room.”

“There’s no need to do that.  I brought all you things in here last night,” Larry said pointing to her two suitcases standing by the window.

“Why in God’s name would you do that?”  Pia asked breaking free of Larry’s grip.

“Because last night, we got married.”

Pia stood in place.  Her mind flipped in all different directions.  She would have remembered something like that.  “Stop playing games with me.”

“This isn’t a game.”  Larry got out of bed, slid on his shorts and took the envelope off the desk.  “Here you go.”

Pia took the papers out of the envelope.  Her eyes narrowed and her mouth dropped open.  “This is a lie,” she lashed out.  “I would have remembered getting married.”

“Your signature is on the document, right there,” he pointed.

Pia opened the verticals to let the light in.  The room was too dark to see anything. He was right.  The document had her signature right on the bottom. But why couldn’t she remember?  She didn’t love Larry.  In fact she didn’t even like him.  She just put up with him because they were business partner.

“I don’t believe you.”  Pia quickly dressed.

“Believe what you want.”
And that’s exactly what she did, until now.

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Monday, January 21, 2013

Tuesday Tales - Package

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Welcome to this weeks Tuesday Tales.  I hope everyone had a wonderful week.  Here's the continuing story of Pia.



Larry had gotten them a package deal to Las Vegas.  He found some prime real estate he thought they should invest in.  “Let’s face it,” he had said, “New Yorkers either retire to Florida, Pennsylvania or go to Las Vegas.”  Larry had been persuasive, and Pia had agreed to accompany him just as long as they had separate rooms.



The first three days of the business trip was flawless.  They both looked at the dozen different properties, but Larry decided against making the investment.  Right before they got back into their rent a car, Pia watched Larry hand the tall red headed real estate agent a fifty dollar bill.  He whispered something to him, that she didn’t hear before he got into the car.



“What was that all about?” Pia asked him when he started driving back to their hotel.



“Nothing.  What are you talking about?”



“I saw you hand him money.  Why?” she pressed.



“To be honest,” he touched her knee, “he had gone out of his way to show us these houses.  I just wanted to show him my appreciation.”



Pia knew he was lying.  But it wasn’t worth fighting with him since they had another three days left.  If anything, she planned on sitting by the pool with the cocktails coming until she told the waiter to stop bringing them.



Larry had joined her by the pool.  They spent the afternoon, taking in the sun while drinking Bahama mamas while discussing what they were going to do during the next few days.  Throughout their whole conversation that afternoon at the pool, Pia felt Larry had something up his sleeve, an ulterior motive behind this trip. 



There was no hiding that Larry took their business relationship, friendship more serious than she.  A few times prior, Larry had asked her how she felt about bringing their relationship to another level.  Pia always said no.  Mixing business and pleasure had always been a no brainier.



That night, they agreed to meet in the hotel lobby and do some sight-seeing at the other hotels.   They had a lovely dinner, and then began their journey from one hotel to the other, stopping at the casino to play a little and enjoy the free cocktails that the waitress’ dressed in short skirts served while they played.



It took them closer to five hours to visit three of the hotels.  When Pia asked him if he would take her back to her room because she was started to feel light headed, he agreed, but only after one more stop.



That stop being the one she had blocked out of her all these years.




Please visit You Gotta Read and vote for my book cover, Roses. 



I also am happy to share with you the cover for my new novel: Mystical Wonders - Circle of Friends.  This is Book 1 of a 4 book series.


Sunday, January 13, 2013

Tuesday Tales – Picture Prompt



 

Welcome to this week's Tuesday's Tales.  This week, Pia is thinking back to when Larry and she had regular business meeting four years prior.


Pia sat on the cushioned window seat staring out into the valley.  Larry had been asking her for months to join him on a weekend getaway in his house upstate New York.   Finally, she gave in and insisted they use the weekend to outline the expansion of their small closet size office into a free standing building on Hylan Boulevard.  While Larry walked across the yard in the snow to replenish the wood for the fireplace, Pia watched, second-guessing her decision to join him.

She had met Larry in a business class in college.  They started talking and hit it off when they realized they both wanted to start a real estate business.  After his persuasion, she decided to join forces with him.  She had the business sense and Larry had the collateral to get the business up and running.



Their relationship had been strictly business like until the last business trip.  Pia had gotten the feeling Larry was looking for more than just a business partner, and this trip he exposed his motives.

When Larry fell with his arms full of wood, Pia threw on her boots and coat and worked her way in knee-deep snow to help him.  She reached her hand out to help him, and he pulled her down into the snow, kissing her, being playful.  Pia scrambled to her knees making her way back into the house with Larry calling after her.  



Once in the house he apologized, saying he got lost in the moment. Their business relationship had remained strained for months, until he apologized for acting like a jerk.  They continued to go on weekend getaways to discuss business.  It wasn’t until she agreed to go to Vegas with him, that things got out of control.








Coming soon:  Mystical Wonders - Circle of Friends

Monday, January 07, 2013

Tuesday Tales – Gift

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 Welcome to this weeks edition of Tuesday Tales. I hope everyone had a happy holiday season.  Now, it's a New Year and so are the twists and turns in my tale.  Last time we left off with Larry giving Pia something to think about.  A secret that has been buried away for a very long time.  Sit back, grab a cup of coffee, latte, tea or a cocktail and enjoy.     

                                       

The whole drive home, Pia’s mind raced in all different directions.  Twice she had to pull over to blow her nose and wipe her tears.  This had to all be a dream.  She didn’t believe it four years ago and she didn’t believe it now.  That’s why she never took the time to check into his allegations.  She never had a reason to, until now.

Lorenzo had been the missing link in her life.  Whenever he surrounded her, she felt alive and extremely happy.  But if what Larry implied was true, then she had just gotten the screwing of her life.

Her car screeched to a halt in her driveway.  Pia didn’t even remember driving home.  Every time she put the key in the door, they fell out of her hand.  Her nerves were starting to get the best of her.

Pia walked up the stairs up to her bedroom two steps at a time.  Dropping to her knees, she pulled out the stepstool under her bed.  Setting it up, she reached on her tiptoes to the top shelf of her closet, where she removed a black metal box.  She stepped down and placed the box on her bed.

“Now where did I hide the key,” she said out loud, while opening and closing the drawers of her triple dresser.   Pia directed her attention to the nightstand on the opposite side of the bed.  Sliding the drawer open, she searched through the papers and gift boxes. 

A small white box with a purple bow caught her eyes.  Opening the box, she took out another purple velvet box out.  Under the velvet box sat the key to the metal box.  Did she dare open up the ring box?  That memory she had filed deep into the back of her mind, not wanting to open it up.

Pia took the velvet box and key to the opposite side of her bed.  She slid the key into the lock, turned it and the box opened.  The last time she had opened this box or looked into the ring box had been close to two and a half years ago.

Slipping through the box, she stopped when she located the yellow envelope.  She removed it from among the other assorted envelopes and closed the box.  Before she looked at anything she needed to have a glass of wine.  She needed to totally relax her mind and body before she started.

After walking around procrastinating for over a half hour, she finally sat down on the couch and placed the items on her lap.  The minute she opened them, she knew the nightmare would resurface, the one she still didn’t believe.

Slowly she flipped open the purple velvet box.  A little over a carat diamond engagement ring and gold wedding band stared right at her.  Pia placed the box down on the cocktail table.  Next, she picked the envelope up and slid out the paper, the one she refused to look at on that rainy day over four years ago.  It never really mattered before, but since she met Lorenzo, the truth would be essential. 

Pia closed her eyes and opened the paper.  With her hands shaking, she slowly opened her eyes and read the heading, Certificate of Marriage in the state of Nevada.



  

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Secret Cravings Publishing 2nd Anniversary Cruise



Welcome to Secret Cravings Publishing 2nd Anniversary Cruise.  Pack you bag come on board and join the Secret Cravings Publishing Authors on a Cruise of a lifetime.  SCP will be giving away the following prizes:


Grand Prize- iPad2
First place- Kindle Fire
Second Place- $50 SCP gift card
Third place- $25 SCP gift card
The contest will run from Friday January 4 through Sunday January 6.  To be eligible for the grand prizes, you must answer and match a minimum of 25 of the 30 participating authors to their “location”.  You must email your answers to Dawne Prochilo, Review Coordinator for SCP at  reviewcoordinator@secretcravingspublishing.com Winners will be contacted by Dawne Prochilo.

The winner from my blog will receive a copy of Roses.  To be eligible tell me where you dream vacation would be and leave me your email address.




 I am totally excited about this trip.  I have my suitcase packed, and I'm ready to go.





I chose a city where love and romance is always in the air. I yearned for spectacular shopping and a place where the  people are warm at heart.





I love shopping for those one of a kind things.  At this market, everything is handmade, no two items looking exactly the same.







The Gondola is the most romantic place of all.  Traveling up and down the 170 boat canals to choose from, the gondola provides the perfect place for lovers to share sweet nothings, while exploring the country.










Famous people have lived and also traveled down these canals.  Playwright - Giacomo Casanove, Explorer - Marco Polo and Composer - Antonio Vivaldi. 

My favorite part of the cruise was sitting on the top deck of the boat reading from my kindle.  Nothing like the gorgeous  Venice Italy sun warming up my heart and soul.


 Roses

The sudden death of her husband sends Nikki Petrino into a tailspin. Three years later, she's still grieving. Mexico seems the perfect retreat to finish her novel.   Musician Drake Dente needs to get back on track and an excursion to Mexico to work on lyrics for his comeback CD is just what he needs.   Can two ships passing in the night bound for Mexico become the love they both need and want? Attraction sizzles and misunderstandings threaten. When Nikki goes missing can Drake find her before it's too late?






Available at: 






Thank you for joining me on my cruise.  Happy sailing!