Book Excerpt
Here and Gone
Our engagement party stood out as the soirée of all
soirées: co-workers, friends, and I invited Kamisha. I unexpectedly grew used
to the flamboyant lifestyle, but on the inside - it wasn’t me. The focus of the
night centered on Didier and I and it overwhelmed me. People I barely knew, or
never met congratulated me, and young ladies eyed me with envy. Whispers
circulated the room: Who is she? Where
did she come from? Then You don’t belong… You don’t belong in
smudged lipstick echoed inside me. I snuck away finding a deserted room I
closed the door behind me and took a deep breath then composed myself. The
echoes in my head faded, and I emerged into the hallway.
The
door closed behind me and a warm, sweaty hand slipped across my mouth. Heavy
breathing followed by a crackling voice said, “You need to go back to wherever
you came from, Justine.” Her voice reverberated inside me and Sam’s
self-defense skills blossomed into action as I grabbed hold of the mystery
woman’s arm and slung her over my shoulder. A puff of dark hair and a small
frame came thundering forward, landing on the floor with a loud thud. I drove
my shoe into her side for good measure and ran down the hall, rounding the
corner I ran into Sam.
The
expression on my face gave away my fear. “Wow! Where have you been? What
happened?”
“I
threw her in the hall, on the floor.” I squeaked. He burst down the hall.
Didier’s
forehead creased with lines and his eyes grew dark as he walked towards me. He
scrutinized our actions. “Where is Sam?”
“I
used the skills he taught me. A woman caught me from behind, I flipped her, and
left her in the hall crumpled on the floor.”
A
look I didn’t expect came over his face as his lips curled into a smile of
satisfaction. “I will remember not to get on your bad side. Was she the same
woman from Aruba?”
“I
don’t think so. Her hair was dark and short, although her size and frame are
correct. With her hair covering her face, I can’t be sure.”
The
woman disappeared by the time Sam arrived. He and security scoured every inch
of the hotel, and scanned the video footage, though apparently she busted the
camera in that hallway. My immediate thought was, how convenient you little bitch. They didn’t find her, although we
didn’t come up empty handed. I threw her so hard she left a small blood stain
behind, it got collected and sent in for analysis. In the cover of night she
fled, but I would soon know who she was and I’d be ready. My devious mind
schemed for her return.
Over
the next few weeks, I assisted in planning my wedding and succumbed to being a
public societal figure. In the past I worried about my transgressions slamming
me in the face, but now I looked my fear in the eye and assisted in the hosting
and planning of various charity events. I wanted this would-be assailant woman
to find me. With my ears open and eyes peeled, I watched and waited.
Character Interview
What is your name?
Cleo
Do you have a nickname?
I’ve had more names than blades of
grass on a lush lawn Justine and Shanna to name a couple.
What is your hair color?
My natural color is dark brown but it’s
been various shades depending on my persona.
What is your eye color?
Green
How old are you?
21
Where were you born?
Brennan California. Not really, I grew
up there but was born in a hospital in New York.
Where have you lived since then?
Most everywhere in the U.S.
– Alabama, California, New York, Seattle. I also lived in Paris for a couple
years.
Where do you currently call home?
Where ever my heart takes
me.
What is in your refrigerator right now?
I love to cook so a
little of this a little of that. You won’t find any hot dogs or junk food.
What is on your bedroom floor?
The carpet. OK, seriously my
favorite pair of flip-flops. Their black with beads adorning the toe piece.
What is on your nightstand?
A picture of my fun in Santa
Cruz. Fetch, Kacy, myself, and Javier took a group photo in the hot tub. The
picture brings back fun memories I like to think about when I’m falling asleep.
I have an alarm clock shaped like a shell that plays Wipeout.
What is in your garbage can?
Trash, an empty bottle of
Sauvignon blanc,
Who are the people you are closest to?
La Tige, Kacy, James
and Will. We talk and visit every chance we get. La Tige isn’t a big talker so
I dominate our conversations but he’s like a father to me. Kacy is the best
friend I girl could ever have.
Who is your funniest friend?
Kacy! She is crazy and makes
silly facial expressions while doing impressions.
What is your most treasured possession?
My back pack
memories – pictures of Einstein, memorabilia of our times together.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Einstein was
my first love. A huge part of my heart will always belong to him.
What do you most value in your friends?
Their big hearts. I
grew up without a “real” family. My best friends are my family. La Tige has
done more to help me than any single person without prodding. Kacy and I have
an inseparable bond and Will is Will. James was always there for me when I
needed shady business done it felt really great to do something for him.
What is your motto?
Don’t give up
Author Interview
1. Where are you from? The San Francisco Bay area but since have moved to Florida.
2. Tell us your latest news? Publishing Baby Girl Box Set. I’ve spent the past year and a half writing and publishing this book in short stories. Having them all together in one book is my dream.
3. When and why did you begin writing? I’ve been writing most of my life from the time I was a little girl and drew and designed my own comic books to a teenager writing poetry and finally writing novellas.
4. When did you first consider yourself a writer? When I published my first book. I’ve been writing most of my life so deciding and going through with publishing was a big step and a massive accomplishment.
5. What inspired you to write your first book? The love for writing and telling stories. My imagination has a mind of its own. There aren’t usually specific events that generally inspire a story it’s more a spark of creativity that plants in my head and grows into a story. Once it develops beyond the size of my head I type out a rough draft.
6. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? I’d have to say the message in Baby Girl is that humans we have the capacity to survive even in harsh conditions and not every street child has a sad ending. They can rise above their situation – everybody can rise above a difficult situation.
7. How much of the book is realistic? Her story in general is fiction but I drew on aspects of my own life. Cleo and I are both survivors. We find ways against all odds to make something happen.
8. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? City by the Bay Book 3 takes place in San Francisco. I grew up in the area and relived learning to drive. My dad taught me to drive in a green two door pinto then I bought a two door brown Honda Civic stick shift. He had to teach me again so I could drive it. Most of the bay area is hilly as Cleo explains in the book. Learning to drive an automatic up and down hills was a different experience than driving the stick shift, rolling backwards into the car behind me was my worst fear. I learned quick how to keep the car from rolling backwards!
What books have most influenced your life most?
9. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? Marcha Fox and Susanne Leist. I don’t consider them mentors so much as colleagues that I have grown to love and appreciate.
10. What book are you reading now? I’m always reading something. Candi Silk’s The Aroused Milf has been begging my attention lately. Next in line is Robyn Roze HellKat. My Kindle and Google Play Books Apps are always loaded with books.
11. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? That’s a loaded question but since you asked new I’ll narrow it down to Mark Tillbury, Barbara Chioffi, and Dyane Forde. I recently found these authors and they are amazing!
12. What are your current projects? Currently I’m working on Calm Before the Storm Evan’s Sins Volume 2 in the Ruthless Storm Trilogy. Writing this series is different than Baby Girl. Each book isn’t sequential to the next. Volume 2 is a prequel so I went backwards in time instead of forwards. Volume 2 is also written in third person vs. my usual first person. But for this story it’s important for the reader to know what’s happening with each character not just Evan.
13. Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. There is no one entity but many. I have already named a few but I also want to give Ashley Haines a huge thank you for all her help with releasing Baby Girl Box Set. I couldn’t have done it all without her.
14. Can you share a little of your current work with us? I can. Here is my disclaimer before you read. It’s not edited and is not for those easily scared.
“The family plus Evan ate dinner by candlelight. The flames caused shadows to bounce on the walls. Eilida snuggled Sandy close and tried not to look towards the stranger but she couldn’t ignore the creeping, disfigured shadow on the wall behind him. Its arms tendrils of black unfurled to reveal a shiny object dripping in red. Eilida watched in horror as the shadow moved towards her mother seated beside her. She twisted in her high chair, eye wide as flying saucers. She wanted to scream, tried to scream but her vocal buckled and no sound escaped her lips.
“Evan turned his upper body as far as possible looking at the area. Nothing, calm. Then it hit him he was in the eye of the storm. He tilted his head toward the heavens, blackness and a few stars. No sign of the moon. A new moon. Eight years in Windy Oaks in-patient care and two years out-patient care Even was a model patient and was afforded many privileges. He used them to used study hurricanes and a bit of astrology and understood a new moon meant time to set a purpose and plan. The beginning of a new phase of life. A lopsided grin tugged at the corners of his lips. He fulfilled the new moon prophecy without giving it any thought. Plain and simple dumb luck.”
15. Who designed the covers? All the book covers were designed by Author Manuela Cardiga. Cleo’s face is an original Creation of hers. I have to brag on her for a moment I love her books and admire her talents. I’m a single talented author I can write but she writes poems, books, and dabbles in graphic design.
16. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? I’m very thankful for all your support. Writing brings me great pleasure and I hope my books give you great pleasure to read. I haven’t decided yet whether Cleo’s adventure is finished. If you think there should be more books I encourage you to share your opinions with me.
Author Bio
