I Heart Brains isn't my usual fare. Those that have read it find it more comical than romantic, but I suppose tastes vary. Here's a snippet. The anthology Hungry For Your Love is available now at Ravenous Romance.
Excerpt:
Derrick stared at the man nestled in the wheelchair, giving him a lengthy once over. His body was a thing of beauty—tall, broad, athletic. The fine crevices obtained by hard work and muscle definition were obvious, the outline of a rock-hard six-pack visible. Even nicked from a recent shave, his face was just as good, his short black hair neat and tidy.
Too bad the motherboard upstairs had fizzled and died out, leaving him in this shitty fucking predicament.
About as shitty as mine.
The small folder resting on the table beside him listed pertinent information. His age: 28. His height: 6’2”. His weight: 205lbs. His known allergies: none.
It was like a Best Buy for the brain dead.
So wrong on so many levels.
“Can I help you, sir?” A sales associate approached, wringing his hands.
The showroom was nearly empty. Only one other person was in the area, and he was in the same pickle. The body that held his interest was much younger, in the early twenties, with a nasty-looking scar over his forehead. A large muted television featuring a continuous loop of football was placed directly in front of the wheelchair, the table with his information and stats placed next to him like a playbook.
All the bodies had an area just for them, playing off their strengths. The women were displayed as risqué as the management dared, while the men were groomed to perfection.
It was laughable and depraved at the same time.
Derrick motioned at the once healthy and vibrant man and asked, “How did it happen?”
“Carbon monoxide,” the clerk answered readily.
That got his attention. He stopped staring at the all-but-living body and focused on the small pudgy man hoping to bring in a fat commission.
“Suicide?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Protocol dictated that the fine upstanding employees of Bodies For Your Brains didn’t divulge those sorts of intimate details—reminding the clientele that the “product” was once a living man or woman not too much unlike themselves didn’t help sales—but he could see the gleam in tub-o’-lard’s black beady eyeballs.
He wanted to share what he knew.
“Why?” Derrick whispered and glanced around, as if the fat fucker was revealing the secrets to Atlantis instead of how a guy decided to off himself.
You know, therefore you must tell, he screamed with his eyes and mannerisms, standing before the salesman like a revered mystic on a holy mission. The fate of the world rests on your shoulders. Use the force, Tub-o. Let it guide you.
“Well.” Fat man peered around and lowered his voice. “His wife found him in the garage after he bet everything they owned on a long-shot horse that broke its leg out of the gate. That’s why he’s here.”
“She’s a scorned woman?”
Tub-o nodded eagerly. “And then some. I was here the day she brought him in with the release papers. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, with long legs” —he moved his hands down his stumpy body and brought them back up again, cupping his man boobs— “and the nicest pair of ta-tas this side of Dollywood.” He sighed and shook his head. “Then she opened her mouth. I haven’t heard a woman talk like that since my Aunt Ermer gave my Uncle Mortimer hell for driving the widow Parker home.”
“So she’s fine with donating his body?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good to know.”
He walked in a circle, studying what once remained of—he leaned forward and read the cheap paper name tag—Eric Joshua Bradworth. The body was good, in incredible condition, and he was running out of time.
Glancing down at his own skin, he struggled not to cringe. Once blue veins were now turning black, the surface no longer smooth and silky but becoming dry and parched.
The zombie virus was in full swing.
He’d learned within hours of his expenditure—following the car accident that severed the femoral artery and bled him dry—that he wouldn’t be seeing those heavenly white gates. God had other plans in store. But if he didn’t get his brain inside another body, the only thriving portion of him would slowly start to decompose, and then he’d be singing along with a well-known straw man while searching for the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Goddamn the government and its twisted chemical weapons gone awry.
“When did it happen?” the attendant asked casually.
“Just this morning,” he answered.
“Damn, man. That’s got to be tough. But if you’re here, that means you’re ahead of the curve. It could be worse.”
“You mean I could be like the other assholes without a sizeable bank account to procure a body?”
“You said it, not me.” His rat-sized eyes narrowed and his portly belly rippled as he shifted his feet. “Are you interested in buying or will you shop around?”
He walked to Eric’s wheelchair and kneeled, staring at the body he would control and the face he would assume. It could have been worse. The guy wasn’t ugly and he’d died of something that didn’t affect viability or fuck up his face or limbs. He would be able to continue with his very physical lifestyle, having only the impediment of learning to maneuver and control a body both taller and wider than the one he was accustomed to.
But there was one deciding factor that would put it to the test.
Rodent-eyed associate frowned when he moved closer and placed his hands between the legs of the invalid, accessing the package just between. In a normal setting, he wouldn’t be caught dead copping a feel of another man’s cock and sac. But since he was dead, and the body didn’t belong to anyone at the present moment, he felt his heterosexual status was still on the up and up.
When satisfied with the answer he sought, he asked, “What are the terms of sale?”
“Uh, what?” Tub-o stammered and quickly looked away when Derrick peered up at him and smiled, behaving like the sick bastard Tub-o thought he was.
Writing Status - Don't AskMood - See AbovePlaying on ipod - Lights in the Sky by NINI finally got my website updated. As a computer dummy, it was not fun. I do think it looks a lot better. The dark woodsy thing was nice at first, but eventually got old.If you get a chance, let me know what you think. I created the banner but gave up on centering it. After two-hours, I figured it was best to pick and choose my battles.www.jasaare.com
I remember writing Crimson Moon vividly. The story just kept getting larger, and larger, and larger... Before long, I knew it would have to be broken up in at least three separate installments. There was simply too much material and, at the time, I was incredibly wordy (I did try to scale that down in edits). When I finished Crimson Moon, it topped out at a insane 98k words, and as shocked as I was, I was somehow equally proud for writing this whopper of an epic.Fast forward a few months.Those three-hundred and forty-eight pages have been absolute hell to edit. I've read the story probably thirty times, and each one is a test in patience. For one thing, my writing has changed significantly. So when I go back and read through CM, I find what I consider to be monumental flaws. It's not easy, and I've struggled not to change the material too much to continue with the same voice and "feel", if you will. After all, the editor chose it "as-is", not some altered version of what I think it should be. I'm not sure if this is a result of my editors at Amira (who have taught me invaluable lessons on editing) or if it's because my writing has matured (CM was conceived as a YA), but I can't help but wince when I read the story and note all the 'sighs' and 'chuckles'. *cringe*I finished the final galleys last night and sent them in. I'm very anxious, as my editor will be passing them along to the senior-editor and getting that all important release date. I've always tried to be neutral with what reviewers think of my work because it's so subjective, but this story is very special to me. You won't find oodles of smut, and I'll confess here and now to having portions of adverb repetition (I didn't know any better, honestly). I simply hope that others enjoy the journey of reading it as much as I did creating it.Now, it's on to Crimson Sunrise. I know I said I'd partake in NaNo, and I still intend to. But I have to get on the move and start getting more work completed and submitted. I can sleep when I'm dead.
Writing Status - Final Crimson Moon Galleys
Mood - Tired
Playing on ipod - Rock the Casbah by The Clash
It's not "official" but my Black Rose editor has asked about Crimson Sunrise, the second in the Crimson Trilogy. The story is finished, aside from edits for continuity (from Crimson Moon). All I need to do is get to work and get it cleaned up. It's not as long as CM at 80k, but I think that's okay (95k words is a bit much for any story). I submitted a rough synopsis of Crimson Sunrise and added what will occur in the third story (Crimson Sunset). She asked for me to pass it along when it's done, so I'm taking it as a good sign.
At least I know what I'll be working on now. Hopefully, I can wrap those re-writes up before NaNo. *crosses fingers* If not, I'll be one tired puppy.
P.S. The cover above is not the official Crimson Moon cover...but I still like my version. *grin*
Writing Status - Getting Geared UpMood - Excited and RelievedPlaying on ipod - Take a Bow by Muse
I just got the cover and contract. I Heart Brains will be a part of the "Hungry For Your Love" anthology. It will be available for sale on October 29th. The family drama is now settled. It's been an incredibly rough week. I'll be so relieved when the weekend arrives. I need to regroup. Thanks for all the wonderful well-wishes. You ladies are the best!
Writing Status - Will start shortly
Mood - Excited
Playing on ipod - Chop Suey by System of a Down
I just got the email. My short zombie story, I Heart Brains, has been snagged for contract! I wrote the story when I read the call out for "zombie love" a couple of months ago.
More details will come when I get them! *does the Thriller zombie dance*
Want to know ten weird things about me? Head on over to LASR. While you're there, share some of your quirks.
CLICK ME!!!
I'm also at Razlover's Book Blog, answering a few questions. If you have the time, drop by and say hi.
CLICK ME!!!
I'm visiting the marvelous Wendi Zwaduk today. Come on over to her blog and say hello!
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I'm visiting The Amber Scott Project blog today!! Come on by and read my answers to her questions and say hello.
CLICK ME!!!!
The cover is finally here!! My story, Redemption, is waiting just inside! Will be available at Amazon.com on October 31st!
You can check the details out HERE.
I'm visiting Hot Romance Passion today, discussing "Hot Heroes". Come on over and say hello!
Click Here!!!
This happened last week but I was too busy to post. Devlin from Joey W. Hill's AVampire's Claim, answered a couple of questions for me last week. I was delighted (obviously!). Who doesn't love a sexy vampire servant (and he's an Aussie too!)
If you're a fan, you can read the questions and answers HERE.
The tour is in full-swing. Come visit me over at the amazing Shelley Munro's blog. I'm super duper excited. I'll be discussing Buffy v/s Bella. Which heroine do you prefer?
Remember, one commenter from the tour will receive a $10 gift card to Amazon.com.
CLICK HERE and drop by to say hello!
Writing Status - Last read through on SAM
Mood - Okie-Dokie
Playing on ipod - Suicidal Dream by Silverchair
A few months back, I entered a flash fiction challenge contest at Absolute XPress. The theme was "Creatures of the Night" and the rules were simple:
Homer was able to write about the Trojan War in ten epic novels, The Iliad being one of them. He covered it all: religion, love, war, fantasy, myth, and horror. Now it’s your turn to carry on the tradition and create your own epic story; but there’s a catch… It must be done in 1,000 words or less. That’s roughly 2 pages, which is 3/1000 of the size of the entire Homeric collection! So, I sat down, wrote out a short story called Redemption (1k words exactly!), polished it up, and submitted. I got word a month ago that my story was one of twenty accepted. *does the happy dance* Today, I got the contract and other nifty little things. My story will be available on October 31st, 2009 in an anthology.How exciting!I'll post more as the date nears.
I Heart Brains isn't my usual fare. Those that have read it find it more comical than romantic, but I suppose tastes vary. Here's a snippet. The anthology Hungry For Your Love is available now at Ravenous Romance.
