Title: Not In the Plans

Genre: General Fiction

When Jackson awoke in the darkness of the early morning, he was prepared to roll over, stroke Savvy’s beautiful long, blonde hair and apologize for overreacting the night before.  It wasn’t in his nature to hold a grudge.  When he turned, however, Savvy was nowhere to be found. 

Despite being an attorney, Savannah “Savvy” Davis was one of the least confrontational people Jackson had ever met.  She had to play it tough to make it in the predominantly male legal world, but deep down, Jackson knew Savvy simply wanted everyone to like her. 

Savvy had never let him go to bed angry with her.  She always snuck in and quietly slipped into bed and cuddled up next to him.  It was her way of saying sorry.  She hated to fight, but she wasn’t very good at admitting fault either.

Jackson felt his muscles tighten and his fists clinching under the thin cotton sheet.  If Savvy was ok with him going to bed angry, did she care what he thought at all anymore?

Ripping the sheets back, Jackson stalked into the bathroom to get ready for work.  As a manager for his father’s construction business, he awoke a couple of hours before Savvy every morning.  With her long hours, he was often frustrated at their tendency to pass like ships in the night.  This morning he was thankful for it.

TITLE: Lessons of the Court!

GENRE: General Fiction

As I pull into a parking space that appears to offer substantial shade I glance at the information displayed in my rear view mirror. The time is listed as 8:23AM. I am 7 minutes early to my scheduled appointment. My stomach tightens just a little at the thought of the task ahead of me. That little voice inside of my head literally asks “why does your stomach still tighten at the beginning of meetings like this?” Over the last 4 years, I have had well over a hundred meetings exactly like this one. There have been times when I had a partner with me so I did not have to focus on this emotional surge causing my stomach to do back flips. But not this time. No, this time I am solo!

Another glance at the tell all display and I notice that it is already 83 degrees outside. There is a reason that my hometown is called Hotlanta and it has nothing to do with the girls that frequent the Buckhead area on the weekends. Well, it could have started from the Virginia Highlands crowd but I am quite sure it has to with the city’s heat index. Or is it the humidity? After all, a dry heat is supposed to feel better, right?  At least that is what my Arizona friends tell me.

I have a few minutes to kill before I am supposed to check in so I might as well do a quick bag check.

Title: October Reflections

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Carly Tatum’s heart raced as she replayed the voicemail, listening for clues hidden somewhere in the deep, Southern tones of Hayden Jackson’s voice.  She’d missed most of what he said the first time around because she was too busy celebrating that six months of the silent treatment had finally made him come to his senses and realize he couldn’t live without her.

“Hey Carly, it’s Hayden.  There’s something I really need to tell you before you hear it from someone else.  Give me a call…please.”  He was almost pleading at the end.

Carly’s heart sank.  Hayden was getting married, she was sure of it.

How could he be getting married?!  A year ago, Carly and Hayden had rekindled their romance, and Carly knew that after all the starts and stops they were finally going to get their happily ever after.  It had only been six months since they’d called it quits for good.  How could he have met someone so fast?! 

Carly simply couldn’t think of any other reason Hayden would need to tell her something before she heard it from someone else.  What would their mutual friends from college know that she didn’t?  Surely Abby would have mentioned if she knew he was dating someone.  Although Carly and Hayden shared custody, so to speak, of their friend Abby each time they broke up, they both knew her loyalty lie with Carly.

Hearing his voice set Carly’s stomach to churning with an odd mixture of excitement and terror. 

Title: The Covenant
Genre: YA Paranormal/Urban

The Furies were here.

 Icy fear clawed through me, and for a moment, I was unable to think as the darkness of the abandoned steel factory settled in around me. I cheated Death before, but this time, as I inched across the creaky boards, I knew the odds weren’t in my favor.

They were on the lower level, searching each room systematically, and there was nowhere to go but up.  Every other time I had been lucky. Always near an exit, always a way out.     

Now I was so screwed it wasn’t even funny.                        

Sweet poured off me, dampening the two day old shirt I wore as I crept towards the crooked door. The heat and humidity in lower Georgia was bad enough, but the anxiety and fear didn’t help.

I halted, straining to hear how many of them were actually here this time. The slim handle of the garden spade cut into the flesh of my hand as I squeezed. A god damned garden spade was the only weapon I had. But it was made of pure iron, and if Furies hated anything, they loathed iron.

The stairway to my right creaked, and a board gave way. A deep howl broke the silence and the Fury erupted into a sting of curses.

They were close, too close.

Then the screaming began. It started as a low whine before hitting such an intense pitch that I winced and stumbled. Nothing in this world sounded like a Fury – a hungry Fury.

Title:  Memory’s Prey

Genre:  Women’s Fiction

“It’s another scorcher!”  That’s how the local meteorologists described the day, and most other June days, in Phoenix, Arizona.  On the evening news, three days on the 7-day forecast even included a graphic of flames.  Marissa Jenkins knew one other place associated with flames and wondered if it implied that Phoenix was Hell on Earth; it made for an interesting tourism slogan.  If next week’s weather forecast featured a pitchfork, she’d know for sure. 

Marissa prepared to exit the mall pushing Sheldon, her almost three-year-old son, in his stroller.  The 67 degree temperature inside the mall starkly contrasted the intense 118 degree heat looming outside the glass double-doors. Pausing at the mall exit to put on her sunglasses, she bent down to pick up a dropped bag.

“Here, you’ve got your hands full.  Let me get the door.”

Startled, Marissa looked up to see a dark haired woman and smiled.  “Thanks. I’ll take all the help I can get today.” 

Marissa admired the woman’s belted sundress, gold bangle bracelets, strappy black heels and stylish angled bob haircut as she trailed behind.  Suddenly, Marissa felt frumpy in her khaki shorts and misshapen blue T-shirt.  She felt even worse when she looked down and noticed her white canvas mules stained with what she guessed might be little jelly fingerprints.

Stopping at the curb, she scanned the crowded sea of cars and nearby landmarks to figure out the way to her car.  The other woman, now a couple rows away, walked in the…