Risky business but what the hell...

Farewell job 27...

Okay, I had job 27 and after a day and a half I knew that it sucked. How? It just did. It felt wrong, wrong and wrong. I’ll write about it in the next book after the one I am finishing. Anyway, I scarpered out of that one Wednesday and manipulated a few things and after some frigging, tense moments I shot straight into 28 today. I start tomorrow. I believe this is one I will stick at for a while. How longs a while in Amarinda job speak? About a year. Ethel, best friend, is pissed off as I have officially had more jobs than her now. Ha! Eat my dust Ethel. Am I a pain in the bum when it comes to jobs? Oh hell yeah but someone has to be. It’s all about taking risks and wanting more. The bonuses in this job – amongst the usual stuff – I get to renew my First Aid certificate at their expense and – wait for it – I can if I want get a forklift license. Why do I want that? You never know when it will come in handy.

Walker etiquette

Those of you who drag your arse out early in the morning to walk will know that there is a certain strange etiquette when it comes to morning walks. Or haven’t you noticed? I have.

Walkers – are unfashionable, They are usually wearing the first thing they saw when they woke up. Walkers pass each other and say “Good morning” because it’s frigging early and it’s quiet and it’s basically rude, to my mind, not to acknowledge another human being. I find that people in my own age group and upwards will speak to you. The older blokes, out with their wives are usually wags, and always try to be witty while their wives just rolls their eyes. All harmless fun.

Ipoders – the Paris Hiltons of neighbourhood exercise – trendy exercise clothes and immaculate hair. Ipoders make no acknowledgement of any greeting at all. Why? Because they have an Ipod intravenously connected to them and it’s sucking all the life out of their bodies as music blasts their brains. I suspect they can’t think and do at the same time. I don’t understand the concept of walking or going on public transport with an Ipod or similar. How can you possibly be aware of anything around you? And why the hell do you have to have it on so loud that everyone can hear what crap music you are playing? Can’t you just see 30-40 years from now all these deaf once ‘cool’ people with hearing aids?

The joggers – no crap sneakers for this sweaty, muscular individual. They never say hello back to a walker. Why? I think it’s because they have the power to ‘run like the wind’ and they are above the lowly schlep walker who is generally out trying to burn off evil calories so they can intake more. Joggers, I’d imagine, take exercise seriously and treat their bodies like temples. Me too. Mine’s just had the ceiling fall in, the stonework has taken a kicking and the statues are on a lean but structurally I’m still standing.

Dog walkers – always friendly and they always instantly drag their dogs off the path. Very courteous. I believe it’s so their dog is not tempted to take a bite of you - and oh yeah, it happens. I carry a big stick to ward off various attacks – canine and human. I haven’t had to use it yet. There has been a molester over my side of town. If he tries it on me I swear it will not go well for him. Touch me without permission? I think not.

The newspaper thrower – okay – not a walker but he always beeps his horn and smiles when he sees me trudging up a hill as he effortlessly drives by in his car. Smart arse. I think it’s quite an art to throw a newspaper from a car as you drive one handed. Only once have I ever had to shinny up in a tree to get it.

The startled neighbour – you know, the one that wanders outside in their underwear because it’s early and who would be up to see them? A walker see everything. Beware the walker.

It’s G’day USA in the US at the moment. All the best from Oz to you. See? We brought you Hugh Jackman. Aren't you glad we did? 'Ever seen him in the movie Paperback Hero? Excellent romance about a man that writes romance novels. Anyway check out http://www.australia-week.com/.

Released today at Cerridwen Press....

- To Love A Hero – Mona Risk (scroll to yesterday’s blog for details) or go to http://www.cerridwenpress.com/index.asp

And.....Measure of Healing - Jacquéline Roth

The blurb

Alejandro Ramirez’s Were-Cougar mother drove him out after his first transformation at the age of fifteen leaving him to seek out his human father and find the family his human side craved but that his animal side can never embrace. Now a man, he finds himself responsible for a traumatized Were-Cougar child. When he turns to the Weres for help, they send him to a human. Dr. Gabriela St. Jerome knows of the Cougars and hates them with every fiber of her being. But now she must swallow that hatred to work with Alejandro to help a Were child who has been thrown into transformation far too early by the horrific death of his mother. As they are forced together in the remote woods of the North Georgia Mountains, both find their mutual attraction overwhelming. But if Brie gives into this man and her own passions, it will cost her dearly. It will cost her her life.

The excerpt

Working together they carried the crate into the small bedroom in the back of the house. Alejandro noticed the Spartan décor. The bed was stripped to the mattress and a couple of blankets were stacked on it. The room had a bedside table and rather than a dresser, a shelving unit. All of it bare. There was one picture, its plastic frame affixed to the wall by screws at all four corners. A small clearing in the Everglades met his eye. Brie opened the door to the crate.
“I cleared everything out of here when I came to get the 4Runner,” she responded to the question he didn’t ask.
“Will it take long to clear out the closet?” Alejandro leaned against the wall of the room. Brie watched him shift slightly against the wall as if he were stiff and was stretching. If he was doing what she thought he was doing she’d slap him.
“I’m not clearing the closet,” she walked over and pulled on the door. The latch was tight.
Alejandro frowned. “You’re not going to give him a place to hide are you?”
“No,” she turned to face him. “We’ll leave the crate with the blanket for a day or two then I’m taking it out as well.”
He opened his mouth to protest but stopped when she glared pointedly at him. “You said you wouldn’t interfere in this.”
“You’re sure about this? That this is the right thing?” He couldn’t help it. His mind kept telling him how stupid it was to trust a human to know what was right.
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him if he didn’t trust her, she could have him and the boy back on the plane in a matter of hours or just open the back door and toss them both out. Instead she forced herself to see past his skepticism and his suspicion. She counted to ten, twice. She told herself he was worried about Tomás and that that was to his credit.
“I’m sure,” she said through tight lips. “He’ll be better if he wakes up alone,” she motioned to the door.
Alejandro frowned at her again. “Alone in a strange place?”
“Not entirely strange. The scents will not be threatening. He will stay in the crate most of tonight and tomorrow, unless I miss my guess.” She looked pointedly at the man, “And I never miss my guess.
“Then he’ll start exploring the room. Something he’ll feel freer to do if there is no one around.” She walked out of the room and he followed, closing the door behind him.
“What if he hurts himself? You’re just going to leave him in there for the next few hours unsupervised, unmonitored?” This was not right. He was a child, cat form or no. You didn’t leave a child unattended for that long. Especially one you had drugged.
“No, I’m not. That’s where you come in.” She’d been thinking about this on the drive in. If she was stuck with him, he might as well be useful.
Alejandro relaxed. Was she being deliberately obtuse? “You want me to stay with him.” He stated, finally understanding. The woman should have just said so.
“No.” She met his eye unflinchingly. “You are not to step foot in that room until I say you can. Those are the terms, Cougar. Take them or go.”
When he didn’t answer but stared at her, eyes blazing, she snorted angrily, “Look, do we really have to do this crap or is there enough human in you to realize that we’re talking about a living child and not a deer carcass that you’re protecting? Because, Cougar, you are either going to help or stay out of my way.”
She didn’t even blink when the low growl came from his throat. “No one who didn’t birth me or raise me ever talks to me like that, lady. And even they don’t talk to me like that any more.”
“Oooh,” she rolled her eyes. “Big scary Cougar-man is angry.” She stood tall and actually stepped closer to him. “See me tremble.”
She was either the bravest human he’d ever known or the most foolish. His brothers and sisters backed off before they pushed him too far. Even his father seemed to know how far to press him.
“Don’t push me, lady.” He stepped up to her and glared down into her face. Even as he did it, he knew she wouldn’t be intimidated.
“Why? What are you going to do about it?” she smirked at him. A little more, she thought, just a little more and we’ll know.
“Are you stupid?” he moved closer, forcing her to back into the hall wall to avoid making contact with him. He braced his hands on the surface to either side of her head. “Little doctor I could rip your throat out before you could even scream.”
“I’d like to see you try it.” She sneered. Alejandro narrowed his gaze and watched her. She was amazing. She wasn’t afraid of his threats. His proximity bothered her. Hell, it bothered him. But he smelled no fear, no hesitation in her. If he wasn’t so angry he’d damn well be impressed.
“As tempted as I am,” he stepped back and turned away from her. “I won’t.”
There it was. What she wanted to know. “Why? How do I know you won’t get pissed off later and kill me in my sleep?”
“Because I said I wouldn’t,” the words came out loud but he stopped them from becoming a full yell. “On the plane I told you I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“And because you never have,” she said softly.
The change in her tone turned him around. Her face was calm and emotionless but her eyes held a shrewd look. Her voice, when she spoke was almost gentle and it ran down his spine as if it physically stroked him. “You’ve never attacked anyone, have you?”
“I’ve had my share of fights and I’ve got the scars to prove it.” He watched the startling blue eyes watch him.
“But you’ve never attacked. You’ve defended yourself but you’ve never attacked.” She said the words as if she knew them to be absolutely true. With humans that was to be expected. But she could feel it in him. He’d never even attacked another Cougar, never challenged another male.
“What does that matter?”
“It matters a great deal,” Brie smiled inwardly. She didn’t trust him. Trusting a Cougar got you dead, or worse. But she didn’t have to sleep with a gun under her pillow. When the time came that he hurt her it would be because he had no choice or didn’t understand the consequences of his actions. He might be the cause of her death but she now believed he wouldn’t be the instrument of it. Then again maybe that’s why he’s here, she thought. It wasn’t the first time this had occurred to her. Maybe he’s a part of it or maybe he’s just an innocent pawn. She was wondering more and more if the whole thing weren’t a set up. Wondering if the Cougars hadn’t gotten tired of waiting. His presence here would give them all the impetus they needed to finish what they started all those years ago.

Wander on over to www.annycook.blogspot.com and check out what the ever zenful Anny has to say. Kelly – aka Grasshopper – has her take on the blog serial on www.kkirch.blogspot.com.

www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/

Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?