It's Sample Sunday!

Dominic's Pride is the third book in the Virtues & Vices series. All I'll say is that he gets up to enough trouble for three people, before getting his head on right. Then again ...

Nick claimed the empty seat next to Kylie. “Hey, I got here as quickly as I could. What’s up?”

Kylie sniffled but didn’t answer.

He touched her arm. “You thought it was important enough to call me, so now that I’m here, tell me what you wanted to say.”

“I’m losing the baby.”

The stark words hit him in the face. “How do you know?”

Her angry stare silenced him momentarily, but he persisted. “I’m sorry, but you can’t throw out something like that and not expect me to ask questions.”

Kylie tightened her arms around her belly. “I’ve been spotting.”

He didn’t know what that meant, but could make a good guess. “So, what happens now?”

“They gave me something to slow the contractions, but I’ll probably still need to go to the hospital.”

She swiped at the corners of her eyes, while Nick racked his brain. The situation was unreal. He’d resented her, but now he felt sorry over a situation she clearly didn’t know how to handle. 

God knew he didn’t want to get in the middle of what was shaping up to be more drama, but he couldn’t leave her to figure things out on her own.

“So, about the money … will what you asked me for be enough?”

She shook her head. “I’ll need another seventy-five.”

Nick retrieved his wallet and held out two hundred dollars to her.

“Can you pay it at the counter?” she said.

Embarrassed, Nick focused on his sneakers. “What’s your last name again?”

“Barnes,” she spat. 

Without responding to her attitude, he went to the square, wooden counter and paid the money. 

“Are you the baby’s father?” the young woman asked. 

His gaze went to her name tag as he worked out what to say. 

Nurse Holgate pressed her lips together, then said, “Never mind. Can you ask Miss Barnes to come, please? The doctor needs to see her again before she leaves.”

Nick met her gaze, refusing to be shamed over something that had been thrust in his lap. He wasn’t a delinquent baby daddy and wouldn’t allow anyone to make him feel “less than” from their uninformed position.

Find out what happens to Kylie here ... http://bit.ly/DomPrideAMZ

#SundaySample Bankrolled

In the parking lot, he waited until she sat astride Pink Passion before he stepped in close and dropped a kiss to one side of her mouth. "I'm sorry you didn't allow me to pick you up earlier. It would have given me more time with you. I'll touch base later."

Bo came too close to wheezing for her liking and all Imari had done was put his mouth on her for a not-quite-there kiss. Not one to lose her composure easily, she blinked and then said, "Sure."

Although he would have seen her information on file, she had her reasons for not letting him pick her up at home. She was conscious that after she got her helmet on, he watched as she pulled out of the parking lot.

After riding a hundred yards, she came to an intersection. Although it was clear, she slowed a fraction and then kept going.

A couple of minutes later, a screech alerted her to a vehicle behind her. She glanced in the mirror to find a blue Yaris gaining on her. The car had a deep tint and wasn't familiar.

She sped up and as the car gained on her, Bo kept her thumb on the horn. When the Yaris didn’t slow, her heart rate doubled. She gassed the bike again but it was too late, the car accelerated and bumped her back wheel.

In slow motion she tumbled to the ground, cursing. The bike skidded out from under her and she rolled on the asphalt a couple of times. As she landed, the helmet smacked the cement.

Then, her vision went hazy.

Bankrolled is coming on October 15, 2018. Pre-order your copy at lrd.to/Bankrolled

Sample Sunday ... Retribution

Today's #SampleSunday snippet comes from an oldie, but goodie - Retribution. It's a story about a woman who ... I think you better read the excerpt to find out what she did.

The customers in the coffee bar went still. The only sound relieving the lull was the cash register’s chatter. Head lowered, Justine picked at something in her lap. Another moment passed before the other customers forgot them and restarted their conversation.

Xavier didn’t give a shit. He suspected Justine was blinking back tears, but reminded himself to stay focused. Remember what she did to you.

“I want to see my son. I want to talk to him. I need to spend time with him.”

She grabbed his wrist, squeezing hard. Tears hung on her lashes. “I…don’t do this. Please…I…”

He removed his hand from her grip, ignoring the heat seeping into his face. He didn’t need to be reminded of what her touch did to him. “I don’t care how you explain this to your husband. You figure it out.”

“But Milton is…” She sighed. “Why d’you want to do this. Why can’t we just keep things the way they are now? Why d’you have to stir things up?”

A bark of laughter escaped him. Had she lost her mind? “We’re not talking about a pet. This boy is my son, who you chose to hide to suit your purposes.” Reckless with frustration, Xavier spoke before he thought. “Milton obviously couldn’t give you a son, so you soothed his ego with mine.”

She choked on the insult, which in turn shamed him. He felt as if he’d kicked a puppy. He knew better than to say something like that, even if it was the truth. However, he refused to apologize. He didn’t owe her any kindness. If anything, she owed him a whole lot more than an apology.

Justine pulled her handbag off the back of the chair and dropped it in her lap, still glaring at him. “That’s not true!”

“Why else would you pass off my son as your husband’s child?”

“For a quiet and peaceful life!”

She dragged a handful of tissue out of the bag and blew her nose. With watery eyes, she studied him. He stared back at her, refusing to change course. He smiled, but the gesture had nothing to do with amusement. “Milton must be blind or stupid to believe that boy belongs to him. So much for your quiet and peaceful life.”

She hunched over the table, but he continued to punish her.

“Maybe it suits you to think Milton is a fool, like the fool you took me for, but he probably knows what you did. You just refuse to acknowledge that he knows.”

She blew into the tissue again and shoved the wadded paper into her handbag. “There’s no need for you to act like this.”

His forehead throbbed and he struggled not to smash his fists on the table. When he was sure the top of his head hadn’t exploded, Xavier spoke again. “Woman, don’t force me to be rude to you. All I’m prepared to do is give you time to think about how you’re going to arrange for me to meet my son.”

Want to know more? Go to lrd.to/retribution 

When You Can't Deny The Obvious ...

Sherryn adjusted the rear view mirror and inched forward, desperate to escape the unrelenting questions.

Justin stared out of the side window, but that didn't fool Sherryn. He was too still not to be listening.

"Can I get a minute to focus on the road?" Sherryn snapped.

As if Sherryn wasn't already under pressure, Celia stuck a finger in the book she was reading and edged forward.

Sherryn cupped Celia's cheek for a second, making a mental note to take her back to the hairdresser they found recently, who specialized in natural styles. Celia had tamed her crop of spiral twists into two thick plaits that were now fuzzy.

She spoke into Sherryn's ear, "I can see he's related to us, but I can't figure out how, since Daddy doesn't have any family."

"He does have a cousin somewhere or other," Sheryn said, embarrassed by her cowardice. All her delaying tactics were a waste of time and effort, because the truth was bound to come out.

Another peek in the mirror at her eldest child worried her. If she didn't know better, she'd think Justin disapproved of what she was doing. He resembled his father even more when he was being stubborn.

Anxiety tightened her chest and for a nanosecond Sherryn sympathized with Reece. He'd have the devil of a time explaining Maurice to their firstborn, and she wouldn't escape either, for like Brandon, Justin needed an explanation for everything.

Justin, as their first child, used to act as if he owned his parents, but his attitude changed as his siblings were born. He was their natural leader and used his authority to keep them in line, but more often he horsed around with them, particularly Melly to whom he was closest. The affection among her children was something that made Sherryn proud. Glancing at Justin again, she glimpsed the formidable man lying beneath the surface. He'd confront her when she least expected it. He was like his father that way.

He surprised her when he spoke. "Give Mommy a break, man. Remember what happen' yesterday with the police?"

 Melly and Celia grumbled, but went back to their activities and left Sherryn to her driving.

Justin was the last drop-off, as usual. When he stood outside the van, he slung his knapsack over one shoulder, slid the door closed and said, "Hold on, Mommy."

He walked around the front of the vehicle and stood beside the driver's window.

"I know," he said.

She tried smiling. "What d'you think you know, Justin?"

"That boy is Daddy's son."

He moved the knapsack to his other shoulder. "He looks too much like us not to be. Plus, both of you are acting weird, which tells me something big is up."

Sherryn gripped the wheel and waited for her throat to open up, but what could she say? She couldn't deny the truth, and refused to lie to her son. Not that he'd asked a question. Justin had made a simple statement of fact.

He hugged her around the neck and kissed her cheek, right there in the driveway with students passing them both ways. Then, he murmured something in her ear that he hadn't told her in a long time. "I love you, Mommy."

Tears stung her eyes and wet her cheeks, but she answered. "I love you too, baby."

 She lowered her head, ashamed of breaking down in front of him.

Smiling despite the sorrow in his eyes, Justin patted her shoulder. "Things'll work out. You'll see."

She cupped the side of his face, blinking to clear her vision. "Thanks for being my bestest son."

 He grinned at their oldest, corniest joke from when he was her only child. "And you're still the bestest Mommy in the whole of Jamaica."

He walked away, reminding her so much of Reece it hurt to look at him. Justin liked to consider himself a roughneck, which made him cool among his friends, but Sherryn was acutely aware that the little boy in their home had experienced the harshness of life firsthand, having lived in the ghetto.

Justin knew nothing of that life and probably couldn't imagine the hardships that came with living hand-to-mouth. Still, his attitude told her he had matured and would someday be a considerate and sensitive man.

She rested her head on her hands, working out her next move. It didn't take long before she found a stopgap that would clear her mind for a while.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GAQQg4

Video Sample - Dissolution

See below a sample from the women's fiction novel, Dissolution. If you prefer to watch the video, jump to the bottom of the page. Enjoy!

At pains not to alarm Sherryn, or allow his panic to show, Reece knelt beside her and gripped her hand. "Please, Sherryn, I don't know what I'll do if you leave me. Please don't even think about it."

Her hand lay limp in his and she said nothing.

Reece panicked, the blood hammering in his veins. "Please say you won't leave me. We said for better or worse. Don't—"

She cupped his cheek, stroking his skin, giving him hope. "I can't promise you anything. I'm still hurt and confused, and then there's Maurice."

"Sher, please don't let him stand between us."

She took her hand away, but continued to stare into his eyes. "You've changed, Reece."

He tilted his head, not understanding the point she was making. "What d'you mean?"

Her shoulders lifted and settled as she drew a deep breath and looked away from him. "In all the years I've known you, I never expected this from you. And to make matters worse, apart from hurting our family, you're showing us a side of your character we've never seen. How you treat that boy … it's not good for your children to watch.

"From where they sit, you not only betrayed me, but you're taking out what that woman did on Maurice, and it makes you look bad."

He jostled her hand so she'd give him her full attention. "It might surprise you, but I think we connected today."

Sherryn tried tugging her hand away, but he held firm. "You think I'm telling you this because of what you just said, but that's not it."

He got up, pulled her to her feet, and led her across the room. "Today, I was standing by the window. Here. They were playing outside, and Brandon stopped to say hi. Maurice ran into him, and they fell down. When they got up, I smiled at them."

Her puckered brow showed her confusion over where his story was going.

"He looked at Brandon and back at me to be sure I was actually smiling at him. The smile he gave me brightened his whole face. I'm ashamed to admit I've never seen him smile like that before today."

Sherryn spoke softly. "I bet he was thinking the same thing about you."

Reece folded her hand between his. "Sherryn, I know this is hard for you to deal with, but I'm asking you, please, don't give up on me. I don't know how, or what I'm going to do, but I'll do anything to make this up to you. Anything."

She rubbed her eyelids. "There's really nothing you can do," she said. "What can you do when you've ripped a hole in the fabric of our marriage? How d'you fix the fact that your children think they weren't enough to keep you from starting another family? How d'you fix all that, Reece?"

He dropped her hand and whispered, "I don't know."

She lifted a hand as if she were going to touch him, but let it fall.  A few more seconds passed before she crossed the room and closed the door softly behind her.

Fixation on Sample Sunday

By nature, I wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine, which was probably why I found Kelleigh so attractive. She brought lightness to my boring and sober life, which made me question what I had to offer other than my head space and what I was doing to help her.

Gary would have plenty of things to say if he knew I was even thinking this way. He was the best friend a guy could have and had more self-confidence than he should have considering that he hadn't had as good a start in life as I had. 

Right now, my parents were off somewhere in Alaska on a cruise and no doubt they were living it up. Some time down the road, I wanted what they had. A relationship that wasn't perfect but had been tested and tried and was still going strong.

"True that," I said coming back to our conversation. "Are you sure that's not why you went out with me. Feeling grateful and all?"

She jabbed me in the side. "You know that's not why."

I shrugged. "Since you won't tell me, all a guy can do is guess."

"Which may lead you to some wrong answers," she said.

"So go ahead and tell me why you said yes."

"I'm not sure I know."

"I think you're just shot my ego dead with a single bullet."

"Come on, I know you don’t believe that. A guy like you? You're not only brilliant, but run your own business? In your position, my ego would be out-of-this-world large."

Tapping my chest, I said, "This is the same guy you referred to as nerd-boy, remember?"

"I know you couldn't have taken that seriously."

I only raised one eyebrow in response, but she touched a finger to her lip. "You did, didn't you?"

"You have to know I didn't mean anything by it."

I shot her a look that made her burst out laughing. "Okay, I'm sorry, but you did say some nasty things to me."

"I already apologized for those."

"So why do I feel I'm saying sorry twice for committing the same offense,"

"Dunno. Could be because you're always doing something to get in trouble."

"You see now, this is why you shouldn't tell black people your business. They take it and throw it in your face."

That cracked us up for a few minutes, before her phone rang. She ignored it and touched my hand. "I really enjoyed being out with you tonight and I guess I'll see you on Monday."

"I enjoyed it too."

I stared into her eyes, knowing she wanted me to kiss her. We both edged forward and our lips met in a gentle hello. I pressed my lips to hers in a series of gentle kisses, until her eyelashes closed. My tongue teased her lips in a gentle, but persuasive move and when she opened to me, I used the advantage to invade her mouth. With lazy strokes, my tongue played with hers and I held her in place with a hand to the back of her head.

Her hand came up to grip my shoulder and when she made a sound in her throat, I gradually withdrew, letting her catch her breath before leaning away from her.

"I … uh … goodnight," she whispered.

I didn't trust myself to say anything, so I opened the locks and got out of the car, to help her inside. Ten minutes must have passed before I drove away from her gate. I was definitely taking a chance getting back into her orbit again, but I prayed this time she'd be sensible enough to stop chasing after a guy who meant her no good and give me a chance to show her how I felt about her.

Perfection on Sunday & IWSG

Saturday, June 23, 1:20 P.M.

Where Natasha was concerned, it seemed I'd never catch a break.

To top off my run of bad luck this past week, she was the first person I locked eyes with when I opened the restaurant door. Her gaze shifted to Sonya and Zoey and I knew that any chance I had with her was deader than the dried-up mouse I'd removed from behind the stove for Mom this morning.

I hadn't told Natasha about Sonya because it wasn't something I could work into ordinary conversation. I had to tell her, but I wanted to get to it at the right time. So much for that.

I dipped my head toward Natasha in some kind of greeting.

Karim & Natasha

Instead of owning up to knowing me, she showed me a stone face and her back.

Making no attempt to hold my disappointment and irritation inside, I sucked my teeth.

"What's the matter now?" Sonya asked.

"Nothing to do with you," I said.

My feelings made no sense. The last time I felt this way was when my parents told me they were getting a divorce. Not that I had found my way in with Natasha or was even close to it, but I'd still been thinking about calling her, fool that I was.

As we approached the counter, I was upset all over again. Since Zoey, whenever I came home, Sonya was more or less a fixture in my life. She kept going on about Zoey and how she needed time with her father. I understood that, but Sonya could be a bit much. Most of the time, she hung around with me and Zoey, dogging me about this or that. In truth and fact, she spent more time talking to me than letting me interact with Zoey.

An hour ago, Sonya had thrown a fit when I told her I didn't feel like getting any fast food, but she had a hankering for a BK meal and nothing else would stop her craving. To prevent an all-out war over nothing, I'd borrowed the van and taken her to the nearest outlet.

I should have stayed home.

After ordering more food than we could consume, Sonya insisted on sitting down to eat. I don't know what she was trying to achieve with her little act, as if we were a normal family. She and I knew where things stood, so there was no need for this playacting.

I didn't have the appetite for the burger, but since I couldn't sit there watching Sonya eat, I picked at the fries. Bad idea, because they tasted like hot toilet paper. After the third one, I gave up and packed everything into the paper bag.

Zoey was the only bright spark in my day. She blew bubbles on the fry she held in her fist and then stuck it in her mouth.

Across the room, Natasha's gaze cruised past me as if I was invisible. She sat as straight as a broomstick and I knew she had to be uncomfortable.

Her body language made me hopeful and sick at the same time.

In some small way, it seemed I mattered to her, but getting through to her was going to be a challenge. Sonya and Zoey wouldn't be easy to explain, especially since I hadn't told her about them up front.

As I listened to Zoey's baby talk, I wondered whether I'd left my brain at home. I'd never been a dreamer, but here I sat with my head wrapped around a girl I couldn't have and didn't stand a chance with in this lifetime.

This week Wednesday will be post day for the IWSG. The purpose of the group is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Sign up on the linky and remember to post this Wednesday!

Perfection on Sample Sunday

Karim & Natasha

And then it was crunch time for Karim …

Mom wasn't exactly the touchy-feely type, so the fact that she sat next to me holding my hands had to mean something.

Uncle Brian, Kyle and she had returned from St. Ann's Bay forty-five minutes ago and she'd sent them off on an ice-cream run. Knowing Kyle, he'd drag his father half-way around the city while they were at it. The look in her eyes now told me it had been a deliberate move.

Before I returned to the island, I told her I didn't want to know the results of the test I'd asked her to do until I was home. She'd attempted to tell me on Friday, but I stopped her. I wanted that one evening with Tasha before I had to deal with anything potentially life-changing.

An envelope with the logo and address of a diagnostic facility lay on her lap. She lifted the flap and had a slip of paper halfway out before I stopped her. Since she already knew the results, she was only doing this for my benefit.

"Mom, just tell me."

She ran her fingers over the back of my hand, the way she used to do when I was much younger. Leaning forward, she kissed my cheek.

I swallowed, grunted and prepared myself for what I knew was coming.

"Reem, Zoey isn't your daughter."

Her words came at me from a distance and my head felt as if it was stuffed with cotton. I swallowed, and the sound of it echoed inside me.

The first thing that came to mind was how Tasha had examined Zoey yesterday and then turned her eyes on me. She hadn't said anything, but from her expression I could tell what she was thinking. Whether I wanted to face facts or not, Zoey didn't look anything like me, which most people would consider odd. Being a fool, I hadn't thought about it much until lately.

I scraped my teeth over my lip, pulling hard, wanting to ground myself in reality. I'd had so many clues that I'd ignored. I closed my eyes, hearing the echo of Mom and Dad's voices.

If you didn't have sex with her, your name wouldn't have come up.

You made your bed hard, now you have to lie down hard.

You have to man up to your responsibility.

We'll help you, but you're the one who made the choice to sleep with her.

She says you're the father, so you have to take care of that baby.

I wanted to lash out at Mom. Between Dad and her, they had ensured my involvement in Zoey’s life. I could have walked away because Sonya wasn't my girl and we’d had a one-off encounter. Plus, she wasn't a virgin when I slept with her.

When she said she was pregnant and I told them, they ganged up on me and insisted I do the right thing.

I covered my face with both hands, thinking about all the shit I had taken from Sonya in the last two years—her demands, dropping Zoey on me whenever she thought I was interested in any girl and her complaints about how I ruined her life, although she wasn't doing anything to further herself.

I ground my teeth together, wishing I could throw a fit, break something, but that would be childish, not to mention pointless. I relaxed my jaw and scrubbed at my eyes. My parents were right. I'd put myself in this predicament, but still …

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