Cat’s need to understand the weather at least as much as any other creature
Every cat knows what to do in the sun.
But what about those times the sun isn’t out?
Start with checking the weather before heading out
If you see snow, don’t go out unprepared
Bundle up first
Better yet, just find someone warm to sleep the winter away
If it’s raining, you’ll want your umbrella
You’ll probably want one big enough to share
Or just go inside
Failing that, find a good place to hide
Sometime rain comes with thunder so you’ll have to plan a place to hide inside too
Even sunny days have their hazards
So you’ll want to hide from that, sometimes
Or you could go swimming (just don’t let anyone think you enjoy it)
Or you could find the perfect balance between sun and shade
The Tree House – Teaser
Here is a bit of a teaser from the collaborative novel (it was supposed to be a short story) that I’m working on with Sammie Maxwell. I hope you enjoy.
Vic turned the key and, with a soft click, opened the door into the cabin. It had been years since he’d been here, but it felt like home already. He turned back to Mutt, from the station, who’d given him a ride. The really cute guy from the station.
“Yeah, Um… Welcome to the cabin?” He waved to the small interior. It wasn’t a big place, it didn’t need to be. The idea was to be out and about. “Let me give you the grand tour.” He gestured to the main room just ahead. “The living room, that should have had at least a couch in here. Kitchen’s over there.” He walked along the counter that separated the tiny kitchen from the living room. “We can skip the little bathroom and finish with the bedroom. Oh good there’s still a bed.”
He could feel the heat in his cheeks. He’d been blushing a lot since he stepped into the station. The guy was cute, no doubt about it. Vic had encountered cute guys before, but none had made him blush this much. What was his secret.
“Sounds good.” He dropped the bags he’d carried in by the door and joined Vic at the bedroom door. He walked right up to Vic and kissed him. Not some shallow little brushing of lips, but a deep, sensual kiss with his hand on the back of Vic’s neck adding to the sensations.
Vic stiffened, not sure what he wanted to do. He should push the guy away and kick him out for such brazen villainy, but every cell in his body craved more. Bit by bit, he gave into his evil desires, taking Mutt’s tongue into his mouth. “What…” He stammered when Mutt pulled away. “What was that?”
“Felt like a damn good kiss to me.” He took a step back, looking Vic up and down. “But I suppose I could have misread you.”
“No… I mean… it was a good kiss” The best I’ve ever had “I just… um… I… wow.” He could feel the doorframe at his back, holding him up. Damn, but it was a good kiss. Not what he was expecting.
Mutt tilted his head and moved in, trapping Vic against the wall. He should have been scared, should have fought his way out, but it was comforting.
“Forgot you’re playing hide and seek and now you’re surprised you’re found?” Mutt’s lips curved up at the corners.
He was still an arm’s length away. Plenty of room for Vic to escape, if he could just convince his body he wanted to.
“I wasn’t playing hide and seek,” was I? “I just… It’s not… I mean Father…” Hell, even his mind didn’t know why he was supposed to reject this. He couldn’t look at the other man, nor the floor nor the ceiling. His eyes ping-ponged around the room seeking something safe to look at. “I just… Why?”
Mutt closes the distance with a single finger on Vic’s lips. “Your father has nothing to do with this. And why what? Why did I say you were playing hide and seek?”
Vic flailed his hands about uselessly. “Why did you kiss me? Why did I like it? Why?”
“I kissed you because I’m gay, and you liked it because you are too,” Mutt said. “Seems pretty simple to me.”
“I know, I know… but…” He gestured to the walls as though they held some greater meaning. With a sigh he whispered, “to Hell.” and grabbed the front of Mutt’s shirt and pulled him closer. He’d be going to hell for this, but at least he’d go happy. “Kiss me again.”
Mutt leaned in until his lips were almost on Vic’s. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Then their lips were pressed together, soft at first, then with more firmness. Victor savored every sensation as Mutt slid his tongue along Vic’s lips, asking permission to come inside. Vic opened to him. Their tongues slid along each other, taste buds rubbing against each other. The flavors of the other man sank deep into Vic, and brought his cock to life.
Mutt pressed forward with his hips, and his hard cock pressed against Vic’s. If it weren’t for the wall at his back, Vic wouldn’t have kept his feet under him.
Vic relaxed into the kiss, allowing Mutt to explore his mouth. Vic ran his hands up Mutt’s arms and over his shoulders. He slipped his fingers into Mutt’s hair, playing with the unruly locks and holding him close. That scent – a mix of the station and aftershave – infused Vic’s nose and memory.
Mutt groaned as their lips and tongues tangled. His hand slid down Vic’s side to his ass. With a firm grip, Mutt pulled them even closer.
“Christ, you taste good.” He nibbled his way along Vic’s jaw all the way to his ear.
Vic gasped. He pulled Mutt closer when his muscles stiffened. So many feelings that he’d tried to convince himself didn’t exist. Now, here he was at their mercy and enjoying every minute of it. The heat rising deep within took his breath away. He gave everything to the kiss, pressing back against Mutt’s lips and thrusting his tongue into Mutt’s mouth.
The other man – a man, dear God, a man – shifted his hips against Vic’s. Their cocks bumped and rubbed against each other. Each bump, each touch, sent a jolt through Vic.
“That’s…” Vic gasped, not really sure what he wanted to say. “That’s… oh…” He pressed into the kiss, though with less vigor. He wanted to kiss as hard as Mutt did, but the jolts were taking his strength. His legs wavered and a small voice in the back of his head warned of something dire. What could be so bad about feeling this good?
They moved against each other, matching the pace between their hips and tongues. Mutt slid his hand between them. His knuckles brushing against Vic’s cock. A sudden and fierce desire to have that hand wrapped around his cock overtook Vic with such force he had to reject it. He pushed, just slightly, breaking the kiss.
Vic stood, back to the wall, unable to lift his eyes to meet this man. Why? Why was this man able to convince him to do so much that he’d never done before. Why did Vic want to do so much more with him?
Mutt, panting too, put a hand to Vic’s chin and lifted it to look into Vic’s eyes. Vic sighed. In those eyes he was lost and found.
Author Spotlight: Renee Grace Thompson
Hello and welcome once again to my new monthly feature: Author Spotlight. This month I have the pleasure of introducing you to Renee Grace Thompson. Renee, once upon a time, worked in health care. Now she has four children and an as yet unknown number of books on the way. She has recently been published in Valentine’s Day Anthology: Hearts and Handcuffs. Her first novel, Luck o’ the (non)Irish, is now available for pre-order.
Let’s start with an easy question. What is your favorite movie and why?
Wow. This is tough. Seriously. I don’t watch movies. Or TV. I may have seen most of Ironman with my son, but I couldn’t tell you which one. There are a couple, right?
Yes, there are multiple Ironman movies… so that wasn’t as easy as I thought. Let me try again. Do you ever get Writer’s Block, and do you have any tips for getting through it?
I feel fortunate in that I have never experienced what I would consider to be writer’s block. I feel sorry for writers who do deal with this, but it doesn’t occur for me. My head is full of about seven different stories going on at once, and for me it’s a matter of quieting six of those stories so I can concentrate on the one.
I have had times where it takes me a few days to work out the best way to get from point A to point B, but it doesn’t last long. Typically, I just sit down and start writing, even if it’s trash, and that’s when everything starts to fall into place. It’s as if having my fingers touching the keyboard is the magic connection. Everything just clicks, and it all comes flowing out.
Having many ideas at once just means you have more options. Or maybe more distractions. Is being a writer a gift or a curse?
Both, I’d say. A gift in that it allows me to create people I love and give them a happily ever after, and I can live in their world. I hope others will enjoy their stories as much as I enjoy writing them. But it’s also a curse because I never turn it off. My characters and stories are heavy on my mind every moment of the day, and I find myself not tuned into reality when I should be.
It’s hard when the characters won’t leave you alone, which brings me to my next question: When you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?
I have a pretty good idea of their personalities before I start. I would think it would be hard to write without knowing that, actually. But they do surprise me from time to time, just like people in real life. We all have changing moods and whatnot, and my characters seem to be the same way.
With all of that, I have to ask: Do you write full-time or part-time?
Well, I do have another job outside of the home, but I spend much more time doing my writerly work than at my job. Not necessarily writing, unfortunately, but all the things that go with it. Like studying the marketing trends and keeping up with social media, beta reading for friends, and revising my own work.
Renee lives in the Midwest with her husband and four kids. She worked as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist for over many years, but now manages her family-owned business. Her spare time is spent hovering over her laptop, trying to transcribe the romance novels playing out in her head. There are several going on at once though, so keeping up with them is hard. She hopes to have her first novel published sometime this winter.
I’ll Show You Mine
My latest collaboration with Sammie Maxwell:
A saucy tale of office revenge.
Alex is having a frustrating day. Someone is leaving him sexy notes, but who?
Now available on Amazon
Cats Love
This month, the cats have come to teach us about love.
There are many forms of love
Motherly love – when we give of ourselves so the younger generation has a chance
Brotherly love – when we support each other in our trials
Love transcends color
It transcends living in different apartments
Love drives us to help each other
And protect our loved ones from the dangers of
Paperwork,
Typing
And reading too much about the world online
We can show our love through kisses,
Songs
And hugs
So get out there and cuddle someone.
Sexy, Not Naked
There is a sense that to be sexy, especially as a woman, you have to show skin.
Not just any skin,
cleavage, breasts and butts need to be seen.
I say it ain’t so.
Sexy can be fully clothed
Sexy is competent
Sexy is fierce
Sexy is confident
Sexy is young
Sexy is old
Sexy is old fashioned
Sexy is… sexy