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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Flash Fiction Savior

Co-Written by Maren Kaye.  Something a little different this time.  Enjoy.


 “How'd you get in here?” President Madeline Winters asked the man standing in front of her. A moment ago she had been alone in the oval office, reading the day’s briefings. She had been specific about not being disturbed. This issues of the day were too important to her to let anything slip by.
“Please, don't be alarmed. We're here to save you,” the taller, darker man said.
“I'm not alarmed,” the president said, pressing the silent panic button on her wrist.
“We are here from the future, to save you,” the other one, the blond one said.
“I see,” she said, pressing more urgently.
“It won't work. We're blocking the signal,” the first man said, holding up a pen like device. “Please, if we were going to hurt you, we would have done it already.”
They had a point. And, since armed guards hadn't stormed in, they must be telling the truth about blocking the signal. They also hadn't made a move to get any closer. They remained standing in front of her desk.
“Tomorrow, at your 'spontaneous' stop in Virginia, you will be assassinated.”
Madeline couldn't keep the surprise from her face. Almost no one knew about that stop. It wasn't on any agenda.
“I know you don't believe us but just let me show you something.” He carefully placed what looked like a clear marble on the center of her desk. He tapped the center and the area above the device filled with a flawless holographic image. She couldn’t stifle a slight gasp, the quality and definition were identical to reality. She swayed a bit as her mind worked to organize and make sense of what her eyes saw. She couldn’t resist putting her hand through the image and as she did, it responded like liquid glass. Was this possible? Time travel?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the images in front of her. It was news coverage of her being shot and killed in Virginia!
“But this is... it's impossible.”
“It's completely real. I wish we had more time to explain, but we don't. There are people coming right behind us. They tried to stop us. To keep us from warning you.” He looked behind him, like he'd been startled by a noise.
“Please listen,” he said turning back to face Madeline. “They are your enemies. They came to power after you were killed and they don't want that to change.”
“You must not listen to them!” the second man said.
They both closed their eyes and two women appeared, one behind each man. The women were tall and lean with hard muscles. Combat muscles, not muscles from a gym.
They had the men on the floor, hands restrained, before the president could even process the fact that people had just APPEARED in front of her. The taller woman pushed a button and the two men evaporated. This wasn't real. It couldn't be!
“Madam President, it's an honor to meet you, a great privilege,” the first woman said.
“Stay back,” Madeline said, picking up a letter opener. “I may be old but I will defend myself.”
“We are well aware of your history, Madam President,” the taller woman said. “Ten years military, a decorated war hero, six years as a Senator. Even with a minority in the Senate you were able to push through sweeping reform for women's rights, the best negotiator of your time, elected President in a landslide.” Genuine admiration filled the woman’s eyes as she spoke. Madeline recognized the look from her most ardent supporters. She relaxed slightly.
“Then what is this? Why are you here? What has happened and who were those two men?”
“What did they tell you?”
“They said I would be assassinated tomorrow, in Virginia. They said someone would come and try to stop them. Someone who came to power because of my death.”
The two woman looked at each other, then back at Madeline.
“They were lying? But they showed me footage. Oh,” she said sitting back down, “of course. If you can travel through time, you could doctor some video footage.”
“I'm sorry Madame President, but what they told you was one hundred percent true.”
“But, I don't understand. You are here to stop them from stopping my assassination?”
“You're so beloved. You have no idea,” the woman said with a pained expression.
“My death...Oh,” the President said, the truth crashing down on her.
“Yes, I'm sorry. But after your assassination, there was so much outrage from women of all stripes. Conservative, liberal, religious... even the Amish women broke with tradition and marched in protest. No one dared fight your platform. Sweeping reforms were passed for women and family rights.”
The president couldn’t help smiling as she pictured the hooded Amish women arm-in-arm with atheists, and baptists alike. She had often been baffled as to why so many women were complacent in their own repression.
“Your death leads to an equality, never before seen,” the woman continued. “But... unfortunately...”
“Not everyone was thrilled with the changes,” Madeline said, finishing the sentence.
“That’s right, Madam President. Men lost a lot of power. And it turns out, a lot of them don't like it.”
“Like the two that preceded you.” The two women nodded somberly.
“I,” Madeline swallowed hard,” understand.”
“We know you'll do the right thing.”
“The good of the many...I will go to Virginia.”

Maren and I don't write Science Fiction but if you like the style of the story why not check out The Devil's Game; a psychological thriller about what happens when a stalker stalks a stalker. Just 2.99 at all major ebook sellers.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Devil's Game Book Tour

Please stop in at these great blogs to read out guest posts and participate in the giveaways!  If you missed the giveaways (b/c my post was late) check back here at the end of the tour and I will be giving away two copies starting on the 28th!

8/14  giveaway @ Jagged Edge Reviews
8/14  author guest post @ Deena Remiel's Place
8/15  excerpt @ Reader Girls
8/15  excerpt @ Lisa's World of Books
8/15  giveaway @ Deena Remiel's Place
8/16  excerpt @ Keeping Up With The Rheinlanders
8/19  author guest post @ Reader Girls
8/17  interview @ Lisa's World of Books
8/17  excerpt @ Books Glorious Books
8/19  giveaway @ Books Glorious Books
8/23  author guest post @ Keeping Up With The Rheinlanders
8/24  author guest post & giveaway @ Workaday Reads
8/25  author guest post @ As The Pages Turn
8/26  author guest post @ Sugarbeat's Books
8/27  excerpt @ Sugarbeat's Books
8/27  author guest post @ Jagged Edge Reviews
-- 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Flash Fiction - The Briefcase


The Briefcase

“We can't keep it.”
“Sure we can.”
“No, it has to belong to somebody. This kind of money. It's going to be missed.”
“No one is missing it. Look how dusty the case is. You wouldn't even have found it if it weren't for me.”
“So! What does it matter who found it?”
“So I should get to keep it.”
“You? How do you figure that would work? What's wrong with you today?”
“I'm bored! This convention is boring. You are boring.”
“I'm not either. I've done everything you wanted to do at this convention. Even stuff that could get me fired. You are never happy!”
“I would be happy with this money.”
“No you wouldn't. You won't be happy until I'm gone.”
“Well there's no arguing that. But it's impossible, isn't it now?”
“Yes. It is.”
“Unless...”
“Don't even think about it. I won't go.”
“I could make you go.”
“No you can't. You think I don't know you've been trying? I'm not as weak as you think.”
“Yeah, you're right. I've come to realize that lately.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Forget it. Just take the briefcase and let's get out of here before someone sees.”
“Okay, but I'm taking it to the front desk.”
“No! No, we are keeping the money!”
“It's probably marked anyway. As soon as we try to spend it, they'll find us.”
“If that's the case, they'll find you. I'll be long gone.”
“Oh, is that how it is? You want me gone so you can keep the money to yourself but if we get caught I take the blame?”
“Quit being so sensitive. You were always the responsible one. This shouldn't surprise you.”
“Oh shit. That bellboy is watching us.”
“So just act natural. We aren't actually doing anything wrong.”
“I'm leaving.”
“Not without the MONEY!”
“I'm not taking it.”
“Then I will.”
“You can't. Not without my help.”
“I think I can. I'm sick of you. Sick of depending on you for everything. I never get to decide.”
“That's because you would kill us both.”
“I don't think so.”
“No! Stop! You're choking me. I can't...br..”
“I can kill you. I know it! This will work. You just have to think you're dead.”
“ahh...won't..work...kill both...”
“Sir? Are you okay. What's wrong? Are you choking? No, an allergy? Do you have an epi-pen? Sir? Sir?”
*************
“He was just standing there talking to himself-”
“To himself?” the office asked. “You're sure? There wasn't someone else here.? Someone you couldn't see?”
“No, he was alone. I'm sure of it. He was talking, real quiet, and then, he just grabbed his throat.” The bellboy stopped and thought about it. “Well, I guess he wasn't grabbing his throat as much as clawing at it. By the time I reached him he was almost unconscious. I wasn't sure what to do.”
“I'm sure you did what you could. It probably was an allergic reaction. Something pretty severe though, to close up his throat like that so fast. What about this briefcase? Is it his.”
“I didn't notice. Sorry.”

Like this flash fiction?  There's lot's more in the archives. You can also sample my mystery/thriller ebooks on 

All my book are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.  



Sunday, August 7, 2011

Sample Sunday August 7

This sample is from my Mystery/Thriller Secrets.


The hard part of killing someone? No, it's not the actual killing. It's the cleanup. What a mess. Cleanup had never been part of my job, but now there was no choice. Luckily the rug had soaked up most of the blood and mess. He rolled up nicely in it. Like a pig in a blanket. Just a little blood on the floor, and on my clothes.
The sound of the doorbell startled me.
Startled by a doorbell? Man, I was out of practice.
What now?
Careful not to be seen by anyone who might be looking in the glass surrounding the door, I went into the second bedroom and looked out the window. In front of the house was a black and white cop car.
Shit,” I whispered. The doorbell rang again.
Just a minute.”
I ran to the kitchen and looked around. Blood on the floor and a dead body rolled up in a rug. No way to talk myself out of this one. But I had an idea. I stripped off my clothes and piled them on the rug.
I ran to the door and opened it a crack, just enough for them to see I was naked. “Yes?”
These two guys were good. They didn’t show any reaction, though the short one was suddenly very interested in something on his fingernail. “Sorry to bother you Ma’am, we had a call about possible shots fired. Can we come in?”
Shots?” The surprise was real. Someone heard that and called the police. This was a better neighborhood than I thought.
Oh, uh, sure. Could you just give me a second to grab some clothes? I had a little accident in the kitchen.”
Sure,” the tall one nodded.
I closed the door and ran down the hall. Lucky for me Jack cared about the decor of the house and had a runner in the breakfast nook that matched the kitchen rug. I rolled the runner up tight and stuffed it into the end of the rug that was facing out. It wasn’t perfect, but on quick inspection, it would look like a large rolled up rug.
I opened the refrigerator and grabbed a jar of jelly.
Grape! And a plastic bottle. Why didn't I like strawberry? This is really not my day.
I dumped the jelly over the blood on the floor and smeared it around a little. I took a clear glass from the shelf, wrapped it in a towel, and tapped it with a rolling pin, then sprinkled the pieces around the jelly and the open end of the rug. After grabbing my bathrobe from the laundry room I returned to the door.
Come on in,” I smiled.
What’s your name, miss?” The tall one asked as they entered.
Gwen. Gwen Michaels.”
Did you hear any shots, Ms. Michaels?”
No, I’m afraid not. I haven’t been home very long though,” I said, walking down the hall. They followed. “Just long enough to drop the jelly,” I laughed.
Anyone else here?”
No, my husband's not home yet,” I said.
Just you and your husband live here? No one staying with you?”
No, just us.” Shit. I saw some drops of blood in the hall. How did I miss that?
Oh crap,” I said grabbing my finger then a towel from the counter. I find people like it less, subconsciously or not, when women swear. I don’t typically clean up my language for anyone, but I did have a dead body on the floor.
What?” they both had their hands on their guns.
I wrapped the towel around my hand. “I must’ve cut my finger on the glass,” I said pointing to the drops of blood in the hall.
They looked, but weren’t very interested. “Mind if we look around?” the tall one again.
Not at all.”
To their credit, they didn’t leave me alone. For all they knew I was a crazy lady with a gun. The short one stayed in the kitchen with me while I rinsed imaginary blood from my hand, while the tall one took his time looking around the living room. When he was done he nodded to the short one and he went to check out the bedrooms. They weren’t casual and they weren’t talking, so neither did I. Forcing small talk is a great way to say something stupid. Something that would make them suspicious.
Then again, wouldn’t a normal person express some curiosity? Wouldn’t they try to get some more information out of the cops? I wasn’t sure so I stayed quiet.
Sorry to have bothered you,” the short one finally said when they finished looking around.
No problem. Better safe then sorry, I always say.” God, could I sound like a bigger idiot? “Could you lock the door behind you?”
I tiptoed to the window in the bedroom and peeked out.
After they drove away, I double checked the door lock and breathed a sigh of relief.  

Secrets is available for 99 cents at the following retailers: