Chapter One Chateau Bertrand, Paris, 1795 From the shadows, Roland Bertrand watched the young woman paint onto a canvas with delicate strokes. His library was illuminated by tapers, and they cast a soft glow on the dark- skinned beauty who was immersed in her art. She was now focusing on the figures, but from the distance, Roland could not make out the ex...
It was one of the nastier periods of my life, but it came with a silver lining. Recently separated, I had moved in to an apartment. And Even if it wouldn't have made Playboy's list of the top 100 hippest bachelor pads, it did have a big bed, a big screen TV, and a refrigerator big enough to hold my stash of Gray Goose, a generous supply of Sierra Nevadas, an...
"Card, please. Welcome back, Frank." "Mike, you know me by name", said Frank. "You know I don't drink, I'm here for your arcade games. Why do I have to show my ID?" The bouncer looked at him. "I get paid to make everybody show an ID. You too. You didn't lose your ID again, did you?" Frank sighed. "New year, new ID." He produced his new student ID. He was...
No moon, no stars, just dark clouds and headlights. She continued driving in the near pitch black staying focused on the lines of the road and trying not to get blinded when another car passed her going the other way. She was headed home after attending a party with her friends, it had been a good night but she wasn't happy that she had to make the drive hom...
The double doors of the church stood open, and a man outside was greeting people as they walked up. Kelly tossed her blonde hair behind her shoulder, and thought, 'Here goes nothing.' She could hear the piano playing and people singing as she approached. The man said good morning to her, and she replied with a smile. As she walked up the stairs, people came...
Chapter 8 -- Of Vulgarity and Murder "It was once asked of god and dragon alike whether it is better to serve on one's knees or wield the power of the infinite and unknowable, and while they both provided different answers, they seemed to agree on a fundamental concept-- power and service can be one and the same. Wielded properly, power is a quill that can...
My Dearest Readers, Thanks again for your comments! First off this installment is a bit longer than usual, however when I first wrote it, it was much longer. But I didn't like the direction I took, so I quickly revised it. (As you read you'll understand why I left off where I did. :D) I'm actually really pleased with the great ideas my laptop gave me, and I...
Violet was in her office on the first floor of her three story townhome getting some work done when she heard the doorbell. Who's that, she wondered as she headed to the door as she looked through the side window and saw Nedra standing there. "Hey, girl," Nedra said as she opened the door. "Hey." Nedra stepped in and took off her jacket and hung it on the...
Gnarly had his first night of truly good sleep since moving to Chicago. Stretching out on a nice firm Queen sized bed with the Queen spooning under his arm. His Landlady Naomi Carpenter had spent the night after setting up the furniture she had treated him to. Having been given a sizeable loan by her Bank for renovations. Not to mention and extra $5,000 for...
Bella sat with her husband, Clarance, trying to enjoy the fine spring weather. Unfortunately for her, Clarance had to ruin it with his boorish voice. "Andrew Johnson deserved to win the election!" he boomed, cake spewing from his mouth. Bella tried to hold back the disgust on her face. "What was that, dear?" "Have you not been listening to me, woman?" O...