A Note From the Author: I lived in Armenia for two years (between 1995-97) as a Peace Corps volunteer. While I never visited NAGORNO-KARABAKH itself, I do recall being able to see the comet HALE-BOPP, which was visible to the naked eye for a record 18 months as it passed by our planet. In ancient times comets were always seen as harbingers of evil, and sinc...
(In which our hero, Jorge, settles some old affairs, honors some old traditions and pulls off the hat trick with Serenity's lovely ladies in our little ship on the edge of the black.) As Serenity climbed out of the ionosphere of New Kashmir, River was idly singing Mera Joota Hai Japani from an old Bollywood rasta about leaving while she danced in the pilot'...
We discussed the positives and the negatives of the club over the week. One big positive for me was that we were going to be forced to get into shape if we wanted to be accepted. The biggest was that I thought it would help our marriage. I knew it would certainly help our sex life. The negative was the money. It wasn't a huge stretch for us. Mercy had an a...
Charles Richards was right... Jonnie North and his daughter Megan were building a fire between them that was so hot it was threatening to singe the clothes from their bodies... until they hosed them down from the inside! They had started out sitting on the couch in the den at Jonnie's house watching television, trying to find something mundane, but every sho...
Ginger had a regular group of friends who went caroling every Christmas Eve, and they were all glad to be two voices stronger and happier this year. Since Sammi hadn't met any of them before today, they couldn't tell that her hair was a little more tousled or that her makeup a bit less put-together than she would have preferred. Only Ginger knew what her reg...
Chapter 19 ==== On the Way Back Home One of the benefits of seeing Frederick is I usually come home with a carriage full of his cured meats. I think there is enough to last the entire Winter. Thankfully, he also opened up a few bottles of wine for me to sip through my trip back home. The Chianti goes well with one of his more peppery salami and the Speck to...
(Disclaimer: These characters are mine. Any similarities between those living and dead, is purely coincidental.) John Vanderbuilt was recently widowed and a young man only twenty-nine years old. Most of his wealth was inherited from his father who had it passed to him by his father. He was from a very long and prestigious line. The old money was made in st...
The world is a lusty and ravenous whore. Her chewing us up and spitting us out can't be prevented. Nothing can keep her from sticking her fangs into the ripest of us and sucking us dry. She fattens us for her slaughter; enriches us, lets us drink heartily from her breast until we are so full enough of happiness and contentment, that, when she comes to finall...
Chapter 3 A New Career "Okay, gentlemen," Leo said, "Here's what I've decided. We will order one press now, along with a laminator and a pouch machine. Ralph, you indicated that the laminator and that one larger press were available almost immediately, correct?" Ralph nodded. "The pouch machine comes from Japan and delivery is minimum sixteen weeks," Ralp...
As she opened the door to let the cat out for the night the door was taken out of her hand, opening fully to reveal him standing there. He smiled at her as the cat darted past him and, as she backed away from the door, he moved up the stairs and into the house, turning to lock the door behind himself. Her heart was hammering in her breast as she backed into...