Considering just how much I normally despise summer, this year, it’s been a fairly decent season here. I am so not a fan of the hot and sticky that is the norm in our area that summer is generally my least-favorite season. I prefer spring or fall, when it’s cooler, either when the garden is just coming to life, pretty flowers blooming, or the changing colors of the leaves on the trees that normally signals cooler days and nights.
This year, I might actually miss some of these nice summer days when they’re gone. Or at least wish there were a few more to be had so I could spend a little time outside enjoying them. I wouldn’t mind a few more days at the beach to enjoy days like we’re having here today.
I have been keeping my head down and myself inside, however, on these lovely summer days, so I can slog through more rewriting of Medusa #2. This has been a particularly hectic week at work and today is my only day off for the week (at least the overtime on my next paycheck will make the super-long week worthwhile), so all of the week’s chores are crammed into this one day, too. I spent half my morning at the garage having the annual inspection done on my car, then home to laundry and other necessary household tasks. But I’m not making supper–Subway, here we come!–and then the evening will be devoted to more time on these rewrites. I decided the other day that once I’ve made this pass through, I’m going to send the whole thing off to my agent, because I’m having a hard time now telling whether I’ve actually made improvements to it, or if it sucks more than our vacuum.
So, because I’m not sure it isn’t the worst bunch of crap ever put on paper, I am pulling a little snippet from Hunting Medusa to share with you. Because I am still in love with Andi and Kallan.
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He gave her a knowing smile, but kept his mouth shut.
And she found herself smiling back.
Stupid.
But her smile didn’t fade as quickly this time.
As she walked, more slowly now, she let her mind drift to what it would be like to actually have a real relationship again. If she could ignore the fact he’d come to kill her, there were other aspects of the past few days she could get used to. Like having someone to talk to who didn’t think she was a complete nutcase. Like having someone who not only believed in the myths that shaped her life, but had also been influenced by them. Like the smoking-hot sex.
She fanned herself a little.
“You all right?”
Heat climbed her throat. “Still cooling down from that last segment,” she called back over her shoulder. “Jackass,” she added under her breath.
She resolved to think of nothing but getting to safety for now. Getting distracted by wishing for things she knew she could never have wouldn’t keep her safe from Kallan’s cousin.
Andi froze in mid-stride, her heart thundering in her chest suddenly, and it wasn’t from exertion this time. Her gaze stuck on the dark, shiny creature lying across their path, and her pulse pounded in her ears.
His hands landed on her shoulders. “What?”
“S-snake,” she whispered.
“Are you kidding?” He moved to stand beside her, and looked into her face. “You’re serious,” he said after a couple seconds, a grin tugging at his mouth. He glanced to the trail ahead and started to laugh. “It’s only a garter snake.”
Andi ground her teeth together, heat climbing her neck to her face, but not in a good way now. Just because that damned Athena had cursed her to sprout snakes on her head every month didn’t mean she liked them.
He laughed until she wanted to hit him. Or better yet, turn him to stone. Too bad she wasn’t PMSing anymore.
Not looking at Kallan, she folded her arms and waited for the snake to finish slithering across the path.
Still chuckling, he gestured to the trail ahead. “All clear.”
She hated him. Sticking her chin in the air, she marched past him, barely resisting the urge to smack him as she went. She consoled herself with that mental image for a few minutes, of punching him square in the nose. Or mouth. Maybe knocking the smug grin off his face. Drawing blood would be good. She curled her fingers into fists at her sides as she went, only vaguely aware of him close on her heels.
After a while, though, she grew more aware of his nearness, as the forest darkened around them. His heat was within reach, if she stopped and stretched out her arm. Not that she would. Especially not now.
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And now I’m off to Subway for an easy supper, then I’ll bury myself in rewrites again. In the meantime, I’d love if you’d pop over to my Facebook page and give it a like. I’m hoping we hit 200 likes before too long and then I think I might need to do a giveaway.