20 minutes ago, Libby Drew said:

I've been nurturing my plot bunny for the anthology for months, but my new job is kicking my ass. Adulting sucks. 

The race is on to see if I can get it done in time. 

I love the idea of posting a snippet/excerpt/teaser. I hope some people do this! 

I suck at snippets and the like... I'm a horrid salesperson so I never know what to do or how to go about doing those sorts of things. 

Ok. So if teasers are getting dropped....

Mine is done. Edited and beta read. For a change it's a cute, light, fluffy short piece. 

Last year's anthology was heavy and let's not speak of the Secret Author... we're talking blue whale heavy there. 

So yeah... a lot lighter for sure!

On 8/19/2023 at 8:44 AM, Valkyrie said:

Well, I'm hooked!  

Me too!  A sad start... Praying for a happy ending. ☺️

On 8/19/2023 at 8:47 AM, Valkyrie said:

No snippets from me, but I will tease with what I have in the works...

Story one - will feature Damiano and Patrick from my story Accused.  It will be from Damiano's perspective. 

Story two - will solve the mystery of Cloud Rider from my secret author story   

I guess that means I have to get writing!  

Oh, thank God. I really want to know the story behind Cloud Rider's disappearance!

I will snippet, because maybe then I will feel compelled to get this thing finished and edited by the deadline. 

Quote

Jess came back to himself bent at the waist and ankle deep in a shallow pool. He reached out, desperately seeking purchase, and his hand connected with something wet and solid: the plump thigh of a gray cement cherub. A gentle waterfall splashed from the end of the creature’s bugle, dousing Jess’s wrist.

“I’m in the fucking fountain,” he muttered. 

“You are,” a man’s voice answered.  

Jess lifted his head and gave the stranger side-eye, taking in the barest of details -- tall, blond, and well-dressed -- before dropping his gaze to the orange and white dog at his side. 

The dog panted and smiled. Jess snorted, accustomed to being laughed at.  

The man stepped over the lip of the fountain, leather loafers and all, and waded toward Jess. “Here. Give me your hand,” he said. He held his out, which was strong and capable-looking, and wiggled his fingers. “Your right hand. You can keep holding on with your left as long as you need to.”

The instructions touched something in him which should be dead, but probably would never fade completely: the compulsion to obey orders. “Yes, sir,” he said. The sarcasm he’d hoped to convey missed the mark entirely. Or the man ignored it. 

“Name’s Ben. Haven’t been called ‘sir’ since I left the Sandbox.”

“Yes, Ben,” Jess obediently recited. 

“Good man,” Ben said when Jess raised a shaky arm. He grasped Jess’s hand in his and squeezed. “How are you feeling?”

In general, the same as always these days. “Fucked up,” Jess said, then sighed when the stranger huffed a laugh. With a deep breath, he released his grip on the cherub, straightened his spine, and went where he was pulled, through six inches of frigid water toward dry ground. The stranger helped him step over the fountain’s lip onto the cobblestones, then promptly pressed him to sit on the edge. Morose, Jess frowned at his water-logged sneakers.

The dog, who’d been watching with her front paws perched on the ledge, dropped to all fours and settled between them. Uncaring of his damp state, she leaned into Jess’s leg and stared up at him. She had a beautiful, boldly-patterned coat, vivid white and bright orange. They stared at each other for several seconds. 

“This is Cora,” Ben offered. At her name, the dog’s ears shot forward and she smiled. 

“I don’t like dogs,” Jess said. “Back off.”

Cora set her chin on Jess’s knee. 
 

12 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

Let's make a pact... I will finish Cloud Rider if you finish this!  

DEAL!

No snippet, but here's my Synopsis:

How does a man deal with the death of his wife and picking up the pieces? Sometimes not well.

 Finished, edited, and ready to go (except for little tweaks every time I look at it).

Title: The Old Man

Harlon Eldrick's mother is dying of cancer. She wants him to go visit his father to tell him the news. Harlon lives in Cambridge, MA. His father lives in Black Dog, WA. Rather than flying to Seattle and renting a car to drive over the Cascade Mountains to Black Dog, he decides to take the train to Chicago, and then hitchhike on I-90 to Black Dog.

On 8/20/2023 at 1:43 AM, kbois said:

Ok. So if teasers are getting dropped....

Mine is done. Edited and beta read. For a change it's a cute, light, fluffy short piece. 

Last year's anthology was heavy and let's not speak of the Secret Author... we're talking blue whale heavy there. 

So yeah... a lot lighter for sure!

Can’t wait, but I have to say the secret author anthology took me way out of my comfort zone overall, something you darn authors love doing to the likes of me.  Role on 10.10.  🤗

On 8/20/2023 at 1:43 AM, kbois said:

Ok. So if teasers are getting dropped....

Mine is done. Edited and beta read. For a change it's a cute, light, fluffy short piece. 

Last year's anthology was heavy and let's not speak of the Secret Author... we're talking blue whale heavy there. 

So yeah... a lot lighter for sure!

BTW can anyone tell me how to revisit the secret author anthology and the answers, please?

35 minutes ago, Gary L said:

BTW can anyone tell me how to revisit the secret author anthology and the answers, please?

Here's the link to the GA News blog article for the Secret Author reveals.