a FAMILIAR excerpt

FAMILIAR
a short story by Meg Allison
featured in AFTER DARK anthology
By Grace Publishing

excerpt (c) 2007 Meg Allison

She could swear she had stepped backward in time. The feeling left her a bit disconcerted. Penny had expected things to be different and not so much the same, yet it seemed as though the world stood still.

Then she blinked and the landscape transformed before her eyes. The grocery store had a Piggly Wiggly sign in place of the original; Jefferson’s had four modern gas pumps in place of the two relics; the Clip n’ Curl awning had been replaced with one in a muted shade of pink champagne; and there was a travel agency where the five-and-dime had once flourished.

Smells were familiar—the scents of apple brown betty from the diner and diesel from Jefferson’s filled the air along with the fainter scent of a brush fire burning nearby.

“Penny Lane.”

Startled, she spun toward the voice and the almost forgotten nickname that had vanished along with another part of her life. Given the sudden shift in scenery, she wasn’t too surprised to have her late husband standing behind her, smiling in the afternoon sun. This had to be a dream.

“Lou, what are you doing here?”

“I came to take you to the hardware store.”

“I don’t need anything there.”

“Yes, you do, sweetie,” he insisted and held out a hand. “You have work to do on the house.”

“I don’t need anything!” She crossed her arms over her middle, reluctant to touch her husband in any way. A shiver of unease snaked over her skin. “I’m not going.”

“Stubborn as a mule,” he said with a shake of his dark head. “But everything you need is in that store.”

He disappeared. Penny blinked at the empty space.

“I’m dreaming,” she said aloud, somewhat comforted by the visible proof. “This doesn’t make a lick of sense.”

* * * *

a FAMILIAR blurb...

Familiar
A short story by, Meg Allison
AFTER DARK anthology ~~ Sep. 28, 2007
By Grace Publishing

Sometimes things can be too FAMILIAR.

Penny Brown returns home to West Virginia hoping to get a fresh start.

But a ghost in the kitchen and prophetic dreams make her homecoming feel a bit spooky. It doesn’t help that she’s falling in love again. Could it merely be déjà vu?

***Stop by tomorrow for a short excerpt!***

The Evil quiz

You Are 26% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well. In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

In love with ... love

If I had to give one answer as to why I write romance opposed to anything else, I'd have to say that it's because I've always been in love with 'love'.

I'm a romantic at heart. I enjoy the little tingles I get when I'm in the arms of the man I love. I adore the passion, the sweet cuddles, the smiles and everything in-between. ;)

I suppose it's always been a part of me and that's why I have to write romance. There are no two ways about it. The stories my muse speaks of involve a man, a woman and all those wonderful, scary and tempestuous emotions that spark every romance. I also prefer a happy ending. Yeah, call me sappy, but if the ending is sad or just plain sucks, I'm not a happy reader. So why would I write it any differently?

But you don't always know how those two will get together, because while I do insist on a HEA (happily ever after), I also like to add a bit of mystery and some danger. Maybe throw in some broken trust or a chip on one of the character's shoulders the size of Missouri. It all adds to the tension, both sexual and otherwise, and makes for a much more consuming read. It also makes it more fun to write. ;)

So, yes, I'm a sappy romantic. But don't be surprised if you have to step over a dead body or two before you get to that happy ending. Not everyone can survive.

Themes and things...

Did you notice the new header? I've changed it from Romance Ink to what will now be my 'theme'. I never realized a writer needs one of those, lol! Although I understand now that I've seen them often enough.

It's part of the writing business -- this tricky little bit called self-promotion. Writers either tend to love it or hate it. We jump in with both feet and our wallets open wide. Or we avoid it like the plague and hope that somehow our stories will sell without it.

Doesn't work like that, unfortunately. So here I go... off to promote again. Hopefully this time I'll do it a bit better. ;)

So, if you have a minute or two, drop by my WEBSITE, read an excerpt or two and "Indulge your senses... "

You'll be glad you did. :)

Changing seasons

Fall has long been my favorite season. I love the changing leaves, the cooling temperature and the smell of woodsmoke along with the subtle hint of ice in the air. I love Halloween -- the scary stories, costumes, caramel apples, bags of candy, and mugs of hot apple cider. It also helps that my birthday is right in the middle of it all. :)

But I think the main reason I adore the season is that it puts me in mind of starting over. Sure, that might seem more appropriate for Spring, but Fall, for me, is the time to reflect on the past year; to slow down a bit from the hustle and energy of summer; to re-connect with my inner peace and my muse. Winter tends to zap my energy and motivation; the preceding season does just the opposite.

Nothing inspires me more than a fall sunset cast against the backdrop of orange, gold and red leaves. Nothing stirs my memories more than the smells in the air and the chill in the breeze... memories of a first crush; bonfires and laughter; mountain retreats and roaring fires.

All of us have seasons or things in our lives that inspire and fuel our spirits. What are some of yours?

To use it, or not? That's the question

I haven't been writing a whole lot, lately. But I have been reading. As a matter of fact, I've been delving into some historicals that I had laying around, waiting for my time and attention span to slow down a bit. Although I'm not sure either of those things happened, I did manage to finish a book or two.

One story left me wondering: How do other writers figure out what research to use and which to discard?

I have my own somewhat haphazard method. If it fits and is necessary to add flavor, tension, enhance the romance, and/or explain something in the story, then use it. If it comes off like the characters are writing a history text, let it go.

But there is still a fine line to tread and I think the end result is highly subjective. Some might say my hero rambling about the history of Ireland should have been cut. I, however, felt it needed to be included so the reader could connect with the setting AND the hero. He loves his homeland, his people and their history. He's proud of the roots that have bound him to the rocky, harsh soil that is the western coast. It also allowed the heroine to begin that fateful journey of falling in love.

In retrospect, I could have done it differently. But most writers get that feeling now and then once the story is done. The thing is, you write the best way you can 'at the moment' and hopefully grow enough by the next story to do things *right*. Or at least differently.

The only sure things...

besides death and taxes are the changes we experience throughout our lives.

Just when I get used to a certain schedule -- or lack thereof -- everything gets turned upside down and I have to readjust. Fast.

Take the new school year, for example. My oldest son (age 12) will now be taking two classes on-line via virtual classroom technology. Great for me, because I have two less things to 'worry' about; he's not so sure it's a good idea. But not only will the dynamics of our school year change dramatically, I have a feeling our relationship will, as well. For those two classes, at least, I will no longer be the main authority on the subject at hand. I will not be his teacher, mentor and guidance counselor. He'll have some stranger for that. :\

Yes, I know in my heart this is a good thing. He needs more of that outside influence as he grows older. But part of me is still reeling from the fact that one of my 'babies' won't need me 24/7. He's growing up -- an obvious occurrence since he's now an inch taller than me. :P

However, despite my moments of angst, I know he'll always be my boy. He'll always need me on some level and our special relationship will continue to grow and thrive as long as we both learn to bend with the changes and adjust to those new dynamics.

It's a lot like writing ... we learn and grow; our use of the language and storytelling grows with us if we allow it. But we have to be willing to bend. We have to be willing to stretch those creative muscles and admit when maybe, just maybe, something else might be better.

Yep, life changes are a lot like writing ... or maybe writing is a lot like life. ;)

Mama didn't tell me...

I grew up an only child and therefore missed out on a lot of the dynamics you find in a large family. Well, I'm not missing out anymore. But here is a short list of the things my mom neglected to mention. Partly because she'd forgotten; partly because I'm sure I wouldn't have listened in the first place.


Siblings will fight 24/7 about nothing in particular if you let them.

Children's voices have the knack of making a grown woman cry if they hit a certain pitch. Especially if the woman has a headache to begin with.

Male children are just as emotional -- and sometimes more so -- than female children.

While teen girls get bitchy one week a month, boys can lose it whenever they want. There is little or no warning. No chance to prepare and seek shelter.

When one child is gone -- no matter which child -- the noise level is reduced in half; the number of fights reduced by 1/3; boredom level rises by 1/5.

When all else fails, bribe them for some peace a quiet. You know you will, so let's make it 'legal', shall we?

Having more than one child is an adventure. Having more than three is a zoo. Good thing I like zoos. ;)

You will love your children more than anything; you will never, ever stop being their mother; you will never stop worrying about them.

You will forever be known as so-and-so's mom. And honestly, that's not such a bad identity to have. ;)

The last days of summer....

Summer is coming to an end here in the good ol' US of A. No, in truth it lasts until the end of September, but you'd never guess that by the weather.

Am I looking forward to fall? Yes and no. Like most moms, I anticipate school starting back. I love Halloween -- it's one of my favorite holidays -- and this coming season is my favorite over-all.

But, unlike most moms, I can't look forward to my kids running off and leaving me alone for five or six hours a day. We home school. Yes, voluntarily. ;)

However, I do look forward to the new classes; to learning and re-learning new things along with my little brood. I enjoy watching their eyes light up when something 'clicks'. Most of the time I manage a silent chuckle when they ask the age-old question: "When will I EVER need this?!?!?!"

My answer? I usually say: "You won't, but do it anyway! You can torture your own kids with it someday."

Humor can soothe a lot of angst. ;)

What kind of Fairy are you?

The Air Fairy is teeming with creative energy. She loves all art, music, stories, imaginion, anything that helps her escape her own boring reality. She pours all her emotion into what she does, which makes her an extraordinary artist. Her natural exhuberance gains her many friends, but she likes being by herself doing what she does best, dreaming! She's friendly, but sometimes seems distant and often loses herself (or others) in her thoughts. She might seem eccentric, but it's just her being herself, which is what everyone should do!

Writing contest!

Romance Junkies is having its annual Writing Contest. I was bored and managed to talk myself into entering. Twice. Oy!

Anyhow, the first entry is up this week. Title: DREAM WALK. Yes, I used another name because that's what they ask us published folks to do. LOL! If you have a chance, drop by and read the entries and VOTE!

Post-submission rules

I spent the last few weeks finishing up -- and obsessing -- over a new submission. With most of my writing at this time, I do not have a deadline unless it's self-imposed. This time, it wasn't. Which meant simply this: I HAD to get it DONE!

I'm happy to report that I did. (At least, I think I did...it's all a little fuzzy at the moment.) I got the story submitted right under the wire. Literally. Now I have to wait until the appointed time to find out if the editors like my story enough to offer that golden contract.

I have a few rules that I've worked out for myself that must be followed after each and every submission. And since my brain is about mush today, I thought I'd share them here:

The number one rule is simple but difficult to stick to:

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT read the story before you hear back from the editor.

**I learned that one the hard way. You can't imagine the number of typos and other goofs I've 'discovered' after sending the story off -- no matter how many times I've proofed it up to that point. It's disheartening and discouraging and will make your wait seem even longer. If you've sent it out, you're done. At least for now...don't torture yourself any further. The editor will surely do it for you. ;)

2. Start another story ASAP...or continue with a wip you've left dangling. This is so important for me, because the post-submission blahs set in so quickly. If I don't jump right back on that horse, then I'm sure to run into one monster of a writer's block. Not fun. Besides, loosing yourself in another story will help the time you wait go by a bit faster.

3. The last 'rule' -- CELEBRATE! Even if the story isn't sold, you've finished it! You are among the small minority of writer-wannabees who actually wrote: THE END. It's an accomplishment and something of which you should be very proud. :)

Anyone else have rules they want to share? Whether it's for after submitting, finishing a first draft, or finishing ANYTHING important to you? :)

20 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With

Sunglasses on and point Hair Dryer At Passing Cars.

See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise

Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask

If They Want Fries with That.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It

"In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once

Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions,

Switch To Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For

Smuggling Diamonds"

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With

The Prophecy."

8. Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a diet water whenever you go out to eat

with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To

Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems

Don't Rhyme

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And

Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You

Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The

Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your

Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I

Won!, I Won!"

18.

When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The

Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're

Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The

Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......

Send This list to Someone To Make

Them Smile.

Move those glutes!

One of the big hazards with spending hours a day at the computer -- whether you're a writer, a paper-pusher, accountant, student or whatever -- is the definite lack of exercise we get. Add to that our 'must have' snacks, which honestly do sometimes spark creativity, and we can wind up more than a little out of shape. OR in a shape we'd rather not discuss... pears come to mind, however. ;)

I realize just how far I've let myself go when I manage to get sore from doing simple things like weeding the garden. Yeah, that's bad! So...off to the gym I go; determined to keep those pounds from creeping up on me again and sure that this time, I'll get that buff, trim and toned body I've always dreamed of having.

Trouble is, determination and life often collide. As do my inherent leanings toward the couch-potato syndrome AND my love of all things sweet. :P But I think I've finally come up with a compromise:

I move whenever possible. It can be weeding the garden or walking the dog or jumping on the trampoline with the kiddos or taking things up and down the stairs instead of getting one of the kids to do it. I make myself take whatever opportunity I can to put my body in motion. (That, combined with what I learned at Weight Watchers about eating habits, goes a long way in helping.)

For instance, instead of sitting on my butt and reading that book I can't put down, I take it to the gym and read while on the exercise bike. Reading is my reward and the bike doesn't seem so monotonous. I would try the treadmill, but my 'graceful' gene is somewhat limited. ;)

We all need to take time and put our glutes in motion! It's so essential for a more vital and healthy life. And while reading a hot love scene can get your blood pumping, pumping iron can give us all a real work out...and more stamina. If you know what I mean. (GGG)

Randomness in random order...

My dear friend, crit partner and colleague, Laura Hamby, tagged me. :)

Here are the rules: Each blogger should list 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 random facts as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.

So, here goes...

1. I love chocolate milk made with Nesquik and skim milk.

2. My favorite shoes are a pair of orange sandals with a big sequined flower on top. They're wearing out, however, and I'll cry when I have to throw them out. :(

3. My favorite season is the fall. I love the bright colors -- red, orange, yellow and gold -- that the leaves turn. I love the way the air smells. I love hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick. I love Halloween. :)

4. I love thunderstorms as long as the lightning doesn't strike the ground or anything close. I like the way the air smells and the rain washes everything clean. Just keep the power on and give me a book to read. ;)

5. My favorite dessert is homemade chocolate chip cookies -- made with real butter, of course -- and a glass of ice cold milk.

6. I sing a lot -- and loudly at times. I love all kinds of music except rap and opera.

7. I've seen just about every animated Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks movie made since... oh, 1990. ;) I own many of them AND I still like to watch most of them.

Hate to be a party-pooper, but I'm not going to tag anyone back. Just did this not long ago and can't think of seven new friends to bug. ;)

I understand them?!?!?!

You Have Your PhD in Men

You understand men almost better than anyone. You accept that guys are very different, and you read signals well. Work what you know about men, and your relationships will be blissful.

How Well Do You Understand Men?

Well, apparently I do! Who knew? LOL! Certainly not me...well, I wasn't completely sure on this. But it makes sense. I've been told by at least one male -- another romance writer, Josh Lockwood -- that I do very well in writing the male POV. I suppose 'understanding' them in general terms helps. So how well do YOU understand men? And if any male wants to take the quiz, I'd love to know how accurate it really is.

Have a great week!

Just the facts...and then some.

I'm in the midst of writing a short story and I've discovered I now have to go back to finish my research. Oh joy.

I'd rather be writing, honestly, but I know the story will suffer if I try to fudge the facts even a little. Sure, as writers we have the liberty to 'make up' people, places, crimes, fashion... hell we can create entire worlds and realities! But for this story -- a paranormal, historical romance with suspenseful elements -- I need facts. Dates. Places. Even names. I need a sense of the environment and culture of the time. All this goes into making a story -- yes, a fictional story -- seem more real to the reader.

Can I tell you a secret? You've probably figured it out already, but I HATE this part. If I were a wealthy woman I'd hire someone to do the ground work for me. Seriously. Let some poor flunkie sift through the mounds of info and verify the truth from total fiction or speculation. That alone would save hours of my time. Like I said, I'd rather devote those hours to creating the story.

But even a small fortune wouldn't get me out of all the research. I'd still have to jump in and look at the information for myself. As a writer, you're lucky to use even half of the info you come up with in the actual story. If you use too much -- particularly in historical -- the reader's eyes can glaze over and you've lost them. It's all about balance.

But you cannot write about something if you don't know it or understand it. Remember, I didn't say "write what you know", that's very limiting. What I am saying is you have to know what you're writing about. You have to learn about it.

Being a writer is more than stringing words together in a decent fashion. It's so much more. It involves imagination, creativity, long-suffering, diligence, an open mind, and constant learning and growth. Even if it's that stuff, like Algebra, that leaves you wondering: "Will I ever need this?".

Um, probably not. But do it anyway. ;)

How's it growing?

Summertime at our house means lots of things, but the primary change is that we plant a garden. Willingly? Not me. See the black thumb? Plants do NOT thrive under my 'care'. Hey, I figure I've gave birth to and raised (to some extent or other) five fairly healthy children. That deserves some credit, right?

My dh, however, is the farm boy. Literally. He grew up on one and knows quite a bit about the whole planting/harvesting process. What he still can't seem to figure out is why I do NOT want to plant vegetables that no one -- except him -- will ever eat. I love him, really, I do. But come on! They're called 'wax beans' for a reason! IE: They taste like WAX!

Anyhow, every year we go through the garden thing. He plows, tills, fertilizes, plants seeds and/or small plants, and we wait. Water. Weed. Wait some more. Repeat, ad naseum, until the whole thrill of growing our own veggies wears really thin. That time comes around August when the temps are up in the 90s; the humidity is about 70%; and the weeds are fast beating out the real plants.

Don't get me wrong -- I do enjoy growing our own food. Being able to pluck fresh tomatoes and corn right off the plant is great! And it tastes so much better than anything you can buy in the store. But it is a lot of work and I sometimes wonder (mostly on those 90+ days) if it's worth it all.

Yeah, when I think about it, I admit it is worth the work. We learn a lot from our garden. We've learned just how well zucchini can be frozen and how much the kids love zucchini bread in the fall. :) We actually have fun doing the work together, as a family. It's one of those schmaltzy bonding things we do. ;) Our kids learn the value of work and see the results in a relatively reasonable amount of time. Plus, it does save some money here and there.

Most importantly, we've learned what to grow and what not to bother with... remember those Wax Beans? Heh. Only two of plants actually grew from those seeds. *No, I didn't do a thing to them -- although I was sorely tempted.* We also learned, very early on, that 43 tomato plants is way, way too many. Even for a family of seven. :P

Soothing the beast...

I've never written a shapeshifter character before. It's an interesting change of pace -- minor pun intended. ;) But honestly, I've got to believe that even with the added benefit of changing physical forms, a hero is a hero.

He still has to be sexy, intelligent (Yes, that is a must), gentle with his heroine, tough on the villain, and maybe even a little tough on himself. What else does a hero possibly need? To give him an extra gift -- or maybe curse -- only adds to the drama unfolding. It gives us another conflict that has to be overcome.

Not too far off from real life, isn't it? We all have 'gifts' and 'curses'. Things we have to live with or without. We all have conflict. Life without conflict is impossible unless you're either very deluded or living in a vacuum. Conflict can help us grow even though it causes pain.

But I think that's why so many people love to read -- and why so many love romance. If there's one thing you can count on in a true romance, it's that there will be a happy ending. The "HAPPILY EVER AFTER" fairytale finish that we don't always get in the real world. So we like to read about flawed heroes and heroines... ones with obstacles to overcome. We need someone to cheer on to victory ... confident that the writer will somehow make it work out in the end. The good guys win and love prevails. We need that, because it gives us a little bit of hope, perhaps. Not to mention a small hour or two of escape from the turmoil in our own lives.

Although having a hero who can shift at will from man to beast is a new experience for me, it's not as difficult as I first thought. He seems to relish the power I've given him -- it has completed his personality, his backstory and his conflict.

Just one more thing to figure out ... What happens to his clothes?

LOL! Yes, I am the practical one. ;)