Wings ePress
Authors' Showcase
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Wings ePress Authors' Showcase |
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The Letter
Dear Gloria, I adore you. I am utterly and completely infatuated with you and have been since the moment we met nearly twenty years ago. Okay, that may sound corny, but I can still remember what you were wearing the day we were introduced, so you clearly made an impact on me from the beginning. By the way, it was a muted brown skirt and a pale goldenrod colored sweater, long sleeved even though it was early summer. You wore dark-rimmed glasses and had loose curls in your hair in those days. You were beautiful. I don’t know how, but immediately I knew that there was going to be something special about you. We didn’t have many occasions to work together at that time, but I took any opportunity to walk through that section of the offices hoping to catch just a glimpse of you or maybe even pass you in the hall to exchange a few words. I began to fantasize about you almost immediately…
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There & Back
excerpt author's page order now Shortly before dawn, and before daylight added a touch of colour to the wintry twilight and while the world outside was still as dull as an underexposed black and white photo, I tiptoed to the window and peered out. The sky above the factory wall was the colour of charcoal, and across the road the canal stretched away in both directions like a black eel. Shuddering, I strained to see along the pavement towards the bridge. The street lamps were still lit, shedding little pools of light onto the street. It had been raining, and greasy puddles shimmered darkly in the clogged gutters. The vague outline of a black cat moved through the grass on the near bank, stopping at intervals to sniff and listen, one paw raised. Fascinated, I watched as it probed its way along, all senses alert. After several yards it abruptly shot over the street and disappeared into an alleyway between Tessie’s flat and the next row of terraced houses. Curious to see if the cat might appear once again, I kept my eyes fixed on the entrance to the dark laneway. I had been staring into the gloom for quite some time when I suddenly noticed a tiny pinpoint of light glowing in the blackness. Shifting my position at the bay window, I strained to get a better look. After a while the red pinpoint flared up again. A cigarette. Someone was standing in the shadows smoking. I ducked instinctively, forgetting I couldn’t be seen in the darkness behind the net curtains. Squinting, I peered down into the street. It was him. Doyle. I felt quite sure of it—could literally feel his intense stare. For what seemed like a long time, though probably little more than fifteen minutes elapsed, I waited and watched, begging the sun to rise and eat up the shadows. It wouldn’t be long. Then, at last, sunlight slowly began to creep up over the horizon.
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Life On The Homestead
excerpt author's page order now
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A Lethal Quest
excerpt author's page order now The Embassy building was quiet, most of its staff having long left, but some areas never slept. Hanif pushed the button marked ‘Security’ on the desk telephone. The voice sounded thin and metallic over the small speaker. “Yes, Mr Hanif?” “I shall be leaving in twenty minutes. Have my car ready.” “Yes, Mr Hanif.” Hanif kicked off his shoes and padded across the room to the personal dressing room adjoining his office. Twenty minutes later, immaculately dressed and looking forward to an evening of promise, Omar Hanif was let out of the Embassy into the darkened London street. “Have a nice evening, Mr Hanif,” the security guard said, holding the door. “I intend to, Joseph,” Hanif replied with a smile. “I do intend to.” For May it was particularly mild, but a fine drizzle drifted in the dark, late evening air. The car, its tinted windows glistening blindly under the street lights, its engine quietly ticking over, stood waiting obediently at the curb. Hanif pulled open the door and slipped quickly into the back seat. He leaned forward and slid the glass interface panel to one side. The select Pimlico address he gave the driver was little more than ten minutes from the Kensington Embassy building. As the car slid silently away from the curb Omar Hanif closed his eyes and relaxed back into the soft leather upholstery. He thought of the evening to come. A fine meal and then… His pulse increased just a shade. It was just a few moments later, when the car glided to a gentle halt, that Omar Hanif, only mildly surprised, opened his eyes. He peered at the illuminated clock set in the upholstery in front of him. It was too soon. He leaned forward, again pulling the glass divide to one side. Was there a problem? The driver turned and only then, as he looked into hard, expressionless eyes, did Hanif realise he did not recognise the man as one of the regular Embassy drivers. Only then, for just a single heartbeat, did he realise the identity of the driver was of little consequence because the pistol pointing directly between Omar Hanif’s eyes, its silencer screwed firmly in place, was already spitting its first lethal missile. Though it was unnecessary, the pistol spoke for a second time, its handler, though not British himself, believing in the old British adage that if a job was worth doing, it was worth doing well. Satisfied with the evening’s work, he slid the pistol back into his pocket and eased himself from behind the wheel. He closed the door quietly behind him and without a backward glance strolled unhurriedly away from the car.
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A Colorado Destiny
In the closeness of the elevator, Danielle became even more aware of Blake’s maleness and sophistication. His blue eyes seemed to pierce her soul with a twinkling mischief. It had been a long time since she had been in such close proximity with this kind of urbane masculinity. But it was his physical resemblance to Herb that unnerved her the most. Herb, the country hayseed and Blake, the debonair city man. Two different personalities but the same physical type. How did she get into this situation? And did she want to get out of it? When the elevator stopped, he casually nudged her elbow, causing an electric current to run through her, surprising her to no end. He walked her out of the elevator through the lobby into the night. She felt giddy and was more than just a little annoyed at herself for feeling that way. Get a grip, she told herself, furious she couldn’t control her feelings.
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Facing Forward
excerpt author's page order now For three days, I stayed in my apartment and refused to answer the phone. I hated everyone and everything, and I felt sure that this bitterness would be with me forever. I didn’t want to see friends or talk to my family. I had to return to work, though, so I focused all of my energy on the kids. As the school year began to wind down, I realized I couldn’t stay in New York any longer—it just wasn’t the same. I wasn’t the same. My whole existence had been turned on end. I needed to start over, but I didn’t have the energy to tackle somewhere new so I decided to go home. I called my mom, and my embarrassment at having another messed-up relationship was quickly negated by her warm and practical approval. My emotions had been raging out of control, and some time with my level-headed mother was just what I needed. As I drove past the familiar fronts of Smith’s Hardware Store and McBride’s farm stand, my anxiety gave way to exhaustion, and then I felt an intense longing to be in the comfort of home. I was mentally and physically drained when I pulled into the driveway of my mother’s house, but when she ran out to greet me, the pain returned. “What am I going to do?” I asked through my tears. My mother released me from her protective grasp, looked me square in the eye and calmly said, “You, my dear, are going to get on with your life.”
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Cider Creek Plantation
As quietly as she could, she reached out to touch the thick metal warmed by the sun, opened the gate and walked to the concrete bench Brandon had placed next to Lolly’s grave. After she sat on the rough stone, she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested a cheek on her knees. “Aunt Lolly, what did you do to me?” she whispered, her voice choking on the lump in her throat. “You leave me this big old house with so much stuff in it, I can’t move. And all of these wonderful old recipes, that if I make them, I’ll be eating leftovers for six months.” She snorted. “Brandon seems to think I shouldn’t be here alone, so he brings me renters. I can’t do this. Why did you ever let me continue to believe I could ever own my own Bed and Breakfast? You know how opinionated I am. I couldn’t keep my mouth shut if it was caught in a bear trap. And I’m caught in one right now |
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Coming Next Month (subject to change) Chances by Suzanne M. Hurley FBI agent Ryan Leam's son is missing. Seeking truth, Psychologist Samantha Barclay risks her life to go undercover at Sacred Heart Academy. The results are shocking and unbelievable.
Endgame by David Toft Suicide bombers have become a renewable resource, but who is buying their souls, and why?
Murder In The Bathroom by Don Higgins
Savvy My Heart... Love Bites by Elliot Love Lock your doors, there’s a new breed of vampire in
town. You won’t see them coming. Gorgeous, wealthy men swooping in
to steal any woman they choose. There isn’t a thing you can do to
stop them. Recipe For Love by Fiona McGier Patti Johnson is to be maid of honor, AND caterer
for her best friend’s wedding, so she advertises for an assistant.
When a tall, bald, bearded, tattooed gypsy biker rides up on
a Harley, and says he is an expert in cooking “hot” food, Patti just
wonders how “hot” things will get sharing her tiny kitchen with him. The Lethe Gene by Mary Ann Mogus Archaeologist Keri St Cloud is plagued with vision dream she can’t control and that leave her with unbidden knowledge and energy. A simple request from her ex-husband and FBI Agent Ray Glover forces her into initiation as a shaman and a confrontation with a past life and the man who killed her trying to steal her talent. She must succeed to save her present life, that of her husband and of all who carry the Lethe Gene. The Minox Chronicles by M. Frank Proctor An English policeman has been chasing a killer for
two decades. The hunt brings him face to face with an age-old power,
but is it a power for evil or for good? The Freedom Gang: The Rising by Cassie Meno
After moving to
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