Thursday, September 10, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
W.I.P. by A.S. Wilkins
Hello and welcome to JoAnne's Blog. This week I have the handsome and talented A.S. Wilkins, as my author guest. Please enjoy his cool photos and don't forget to leave those comments.
The
Hostess
(A Work In Progress Excerpt)
(A Work In Progress Excerpt)
A bewildered grin flickered across her face as she
moved swiftly into the dining room to join the main party of guests, who were
now attacking the buffet table with fervour.
As the hostess of this New Year’s Eve soiree, her absence had been
hardly inconspicuous; she noted a few raised eye-brows and halted conversations
as she entered the room. She managed to
force a smile while endeavouring to make light of the conflicting emotions battling
for supremacy in her head. In one sense
she felt smug, enjoying the obvious effect ‘their moment’ had inflicted upon
him. This wasn't unusual; she possessed
a naturally flirtatious personality, and revelled in the way a few well-chosen
words or a sensual gaze could leave a man hungry for more. But this was different. She had experienced a chemistry so real, so
unexpected, that she was now the one
hungry. This stranger, walking a few
steps behind her, had stirred previously untapped emotions, and as a
consequence she found herself in a state of confusion and frustration.
Scolding herself for allowing these feelings to
dominate her thoughts, she sauntered over to her husband and felt his arm
protectively fall about her shoulders.
She slipped one arm around his waist and held him tight, deliberately
catching the eye of her protagonist. How
dare this stranger make her feel this way? A stranger who commanded her body
and captivated her mind; a stranger who both baffled and inspired her, not
through conversation alone, but through his eyes, his movement, and his simple
touch too. A man who made her tingle
with excitement, had penetrated her tough exterior, destroying the protective
walls as though they were made of paper.
A man who had reached out and touched her naked soul.
The evening continued in a whirl of canapés and
background music. Guests mingled freely,
and as the alcohol flowed, the atmosphere became more raucous. She chatted with friends, but would
intermittently steal a glance in his direction, and their eyes would lock once
again. They studied each other intently
as though trying to determine their next move.
Midnight duly arrived to the jubilant cries of ‘Happy New Year!’ The annual
ritual of hugging and kissing friends, as well as complete strangers, began in
earnest as every permutation in the room wished each other all the best for the
coming year. She looked on as he prised
Jonathan from his latest girlfriend and gave him an almighty bear hug. How long had they been friends, she
pondered? In all the years she’d known
Jonathan, he’d never spoken of this man.
The room was alive to the sound of celebration;
party poppers and streamers, the popping of champagne corks, and drunken
choruses of Auld Lang Syne, many of
which sadly out of tune. Fireworks
exploded from the gardens of neighbouring houses, and several guests made their
way onto the terrace to watch the night time spectacle. She sipped her champagne and congratulated
herself on a successful evening, while half-listening to friends discuss their
New Year’s resolutions. It was then that
she noticed him, tentatively shuffling towards her; with each step the music
and guests disappeared in a haze, until he stood before her. He raised his glass, and she reciprocated; a
faint chink of crystal that only they heard.
“Happy New Year,” he whispered. His voice was warm and inviting, and drew her
closer.
“May all our dreams come true,” she replied,
realising she had spoken before considering her words. She was once more lost in another world,
where time stood still and events were of no consequence.
A thunderous explosion suddenly lit up the night
sky through the French windows, bringing her to her senses. The last of the guests in the room made their
way hurriedly out onto the terrace. He
smiled at her. They both knew there was
little more to be said. Instinctively,
they turned to join the others.
The party continued long after the neighbouring
pyrotechnics had fizzled out. Drinks
continued to flow, and lively dance music now pulsed loudly throughout the
house, providing it with a heartbeat.
She cavorted with friends, doing her best to avoid him, conscious that
her large intake of alcohol could easily lead her into trouble. He seemed equally occupied with Jonathan, who
was beginning to look worse for wear.
She pitied his new girlfriend; she doubted she’d be seeing any more
fireworks tonight.
Once the New Year had been officially seen in,
revellers began slowly departing, and by three in the morning, festivities were
on the wane. The last remaining guests
were assembled in the large hallway, gathering their coats.
“It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” His words were deliberately brief and
somewhat hesitant, while awaiting her response.
“Thank you for coming,” was all she could muster,
desperately trying to conjure a witty remark, berating herself when her
confused mind refused to co-operate.
He took her hand, lifted it slowly towards his
mouth and planted a soft kiss upon it, unaware of the effect such an action
stirred within her. She felt
light-headed, the combination of chemistry and alcohol mixing well. She found herself wishing the moment would
last forever. He read her mind while
gazing into her eyes, then reluctantly let her hand fall to her side as he
nodded in the direction of her husband, who was making his way towards them.
She watched as he took her husband’s hand and shook
it firmly, made his farewell and headed for the front door, supporting a rather
inebriated Jonathan, much to the relief of his girlfriend. Within seconds he was gone, along with the
remainder of the guests, who had now spilled out into the early New Year’s Day
morning to the sound of a mixture of stifled giggles and hushed conversations.
A Few Facts About A S Wilkins (aka Charming Man)
Music is my passion, I love to play drums, in several bands and I love The Smiths, Morrissey, The Cure and Echobelly, to name a few. I can often be heard drumming at my desk when I’m supposed to be hard at it, working on my latest project; I also tap away incessantly to music on the steering wheel of my car too!
I love comedy and wish it was something I could’ve broken into in a professional capacity when I was younger. I’m inspired by the likes of Woody Allen and the Monty Python team. I often make my kids laugh with my silly sense of humour. I have a habit of creating my own characters and voices, and act them out while I’m in the kitchen; my children fall about with laughter, although I often question if they’re laughing with me or at me.
I have a passion for red wine, cheese and Danish television dramas. I love to combine all three of an evening after a hard day at my desk, although my children often place bets as to how long I’ll stay awake once I’ve sat down; it’s tiring work being creative all day!
I’m a die-hard West Ham United supporter.
From a purely physical perspective, Keira Knightley is my ideal woman, and I hope one day to bump into her at a West Ham game.
I’ve lived in many different places around the world including Denmark, France, Italy and Belgium to name a few. I still have a house in rural France, and I hope to one day retire there and see out my days writing in the tranquillity of the scenic French countryside.
It was often said I bear a resemblance to the actor Christopher Lambert. I may have done once, but I think we’ve both moved on in recent years.
I’m not a huge fan of cooking, but I’ve been told I possess exemplary baking skills. Apparently banana cake and Baileys (Irish cream) cheesecake are my forte!
As a young boy, I had a huge crush on Hayley Mills, but who didn’t?
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
3rd Post from
3rd Post from
“Poems About Life, Love, and
Everything in Between” is a collection of personal poems written with love and
respect for others http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore/1478734760.html.
Everything in Between” is a collection of personal poems written with love and
respect for others http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore/1478734760.html.
1st Post from
1st Post from
“Poems About Life, Love, and
Everything in Between” is a collection of personal poems written with love and
respect for others http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore/1478734760.html.
Everything in Between” is a collection of personal poems written with love and
respect for others http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore/1478734760.html.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Message and canvas art by JoAnne Myers
Message and canvas art by JoAnne Myers
“Poems About Life, Love, and
Everything in Between” is a collection of personal poems written with love and
respect for others http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore/1478734760.html.
Everything in Between” is a collection of personal poems written with love and
respect for others http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore/1478734760.html.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
1st Post from Twisted Love 12 cases of love gone bad
1st Post from Twisted Love 12 cases of love gone bad
‘Twisted Love” 12 true
stories of love gone bad taken from the headlines of the most heinous
cases http://www.blackrosewriting.com/other/twisted-love
stories of love gone bad taken from the headlines of the most heinous
cases http://www.blackrosewriting.com/other/twisted-love
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Hello friends and welcome to JoAnne's Blog. Today I'm sharing an excerpt
from my short story, “Dark Visions", one tale from my paranormal
anthology, “Wicked Intentions”.
To check out the other awesome authors click the photo below.
Blurb: When Carrie Reynold’s starts having nightmares on her
twenty-sixth birthday, she believes her “dark visions” can solve the twenty
year disappearance of her father.
Excerpt from “Dark Visions”
Excerpt: Mark was gone from Carrie’s
bed when she awoke. In his place lay a
hand-written love note
decorated with flowers and hearts. “Mark, you’re quite the artist,” she said to
the note with a deep satisfied smile. Checking the clock she found she had less
than thirty minutes to shower, dress and get to church…and be there on time. Anyone
arriving late had to sit in back of the church, and Carrie was expected to sit
with her mother.
She made it to the church
with one minute to spare and dutifully kissing
her mother’s cheek, sat with
her in the fourth row. “I didn’t think you’d make
it,” whispered Myra, noticing
her daughter’s glowing appearance as did others, as evidenced by smiles and
wiggling eyebrows. “So, when’s the wedding?”
Carrie stopped her last
minute primping and whispered. “Does it show?”
“You got ‘I had sex last
night’ written all over your pretty face.”
“He’s the one, Mother. I know
it.”
“That’s what I said when I
met your daddy…and we know how that
ended.”
“Father was morally and
emotionally weak. Mark is not.”
“I may not know everything
about men, but one thing I do know is this, ‘If
a man can get the milk for
free, why buy the cow?’”
“That’s a horrible
presumption to make about Mark.”
“So…when’s the wedding?”
Carrie started to answer, but
the organist’s Prelude interrupted. Angry with
her mom and her attitude
toward men in general and Mark in particular, she
made a quick exit. Once
outside the church, she raced sobbing to her car and
peeled out of the parking
lot. She immediately called Mark.
Reviews for Wicked Intentions
1st Review
5***** on May 2014 by Linda Tonis Member of the Paranormal
Romance Review Team
Review: “This was a
very interesting collection of short stories and all had a touch of the
paranormal. Overall, this is a book well worth reading.”
2nd Review
4**** by Tenaya Jacob 2015
Review: “Good ghoulish bedtime stories. Wicked Intentions is a
collection of short mysterious tales about love gone wrong and restless souls
of the spirit world trespassing in the land of the living. Interesting stories
to keep you up at night reading.”
Author Bio:
JoAnne has been a long-time
resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of
her life. Besides having several novels under her belt, JoAnne canvas paints.
When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, JoAnne spends time with
relatives, and volunteers her time within the community. JoAnne is a member of
several writing clubs. JoAnne believes in family values and following your
dreams. JoAnne’s original canvas paintings, can be found at: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com
Contact JoAnne:
Email: joannemyers@frontier.com
Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/joannemyers
Facebook Author Page: http://facebook.com/authorpage.joannemyers
My Blogs:
Books and Paintings by JoAnne
Blog: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com/page2
Jo Anne’s WordPress Blog:
Jo Anne’s Postings: https://joannemyers.wordpress.com/
Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/joannemyers
Facebook Author Page: http://facebook.com/authorpage.joannemyers
Jo Anne’s Blog: http://joannemyers.blogspot.com/
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