Weird Dreams: episode two

Well, I did it again.  Yep. I ate before bed.  And this time, it wasn't just a cookie.  It was a greek sub accompanied by fries, gravy, and pepsi. Oh. And it was three hours past my bedtime. So here you go. The awesomeness that is my food induced dream. The starting scene is pretty basic.  Just picture me walking down a dirt road.

I walk until I reach a dead end.  There are a bunch of run down houses and broken down cars and trucks.  People are sitting around fires in barrels and children running around playing with dogs.  No one seems to notice me standing there.

There's a scream from somewhere in the forest and I jump, surprised.  I glance to the the desolate little group who don't seem to have heard a thing.  I open my mouth to yell to get the attention and I stop cold.  One woman is now staring at me, unblinking. She gives one slow shake of her head.
My voice sticks in my suddenly dry throat.

The scream comes again and and I run into the woods alone.

"Hellll..."

The scream stops.

I pause, trying to decide which direction the echos are coming from.

A rustle to the left has me dashing in that direction.  I immediately regret my decision to try and help.

Laying in the tall grass was a girl. Or what was left of her.  Large claw marks shredded through almost every inch of skin. I could see.  Her long blonde hair was a matted mess with dirt, leaves, and blood.

I race back to the road, and find the people from the sad looking homes all standing there.

"Shit." I abruptly dive right and manage to find an extra burst of speed as I head towards the safety of home.

Stumbling into the house, I try to catch my breath.

"Mi! What's wrong?" Allie hands me a bottle of water.

"Weird people.... scream... body..."

"What are you talking about?"

I manage to get my breathing under control.

"I was walking and I found this little clearing with some weird people in it.  There was this scream and none of them even bothered to look up except for one scary lady.  So I ran into the woods and there was a body.  It was ripped to shreds."  I rush to the bathroom and puke.

"It was probably a deer or something."

I shake me head.  "It was human.  It had long blond hair and ripped clothes and skin..." More of my breakfast makes it into the toilet.

I hear her talking on the phone.

"The police are coming to pick us up so you can show them."

I manage to brush my teeth and decide some gum won't hurt. Two officers pull up in a squad car and we get in the back.

It doesn't take long before I find myself facing the strange people of the clearing.

Allie looks at me.

I nod.  "I told you." I look to the cop beside me.  The freaked out look on his face is enough for me.  "The body was over here."  No one argues as I lead the way.

After an hour of walking around, I still can't find the victim. The blond cop (Kade) is getting impatient.

"I swear, I saw it."

"I believe her.  I've never seen her that upset."  Allie backs me up.

The dark haired cop (Jordan) bends with a frown.  "I found blood."

His partner joins him.

All of us jerk to attention at the sound of a growl to our left.

Jordan and Kade pull their guns and stand in front of us.

"RUN!"  Jordan hollers at us as he and his partner start to fire at whatever is crashing through the woods.

Instead of the cop car, we're greeted by the crowd of strange people with guns aimed at us.  I grab Allie's hand as we are pushed and shoved toward the... beautiful cabin on the edge of a lake...

"This is where you'll be staying."  Scruffy guy with a shotgun shows us to a beautiful room.  "If you need anything just give a call to the main cabin and we'll do our best to accommodate you.  Your boat is ready to go whenever you are."

Anthony claps his hands as we get our tackle and rods ready.  My son and I head out on the lake and find a spot we were told was producing some big pike. We start casting.  Anthony's excitement mounts as he gets a bit and his line tightens.

It takes a bit of work but he manages to pull Jaws into our fishing boat...

We get back on shore and everyone is cheering.

"He's killed the beast!"

I hear gun shots and look up from things I'm unloading.  Allie is running out of the woods and I can tell she's hurt.  She trips and falls, turning to look back at the woods where the gunshots are still happening.

A large shadow comes crashing out of the trees.  All I can make out is black.  It has no solid shape that can I can tell.  Allie screams and her body starts to glow.  She screams again and the glow gets brighter.

The dark thing jumps toward her.  Her third scream has her exploding into a ball of light.

I close my eyes at how bright the explosion is, but not before her light engulfs the dark thing.  Both of them disappear.

The glow starts to spread. It expands, disintegrating everything it touches.

I have time to think that Allie's light is so nice and warm before I poof into nothingness.

Review of Bama Girl Blues by Gracen Miller

It was supposed to be one night of passion…

Winston “Keys” Cornell is the guitarist for Hot Wired, the hottest band around. With hard work and dedication his band has become a household name. He’s no stranger to a high profile life. Being the heir to a New York fortune meant he was nurtured beneath the scrutiny of the public eye. The paparazzi have been kind, dubbing him the gentleman rocker, a man that plucks the heart strings of women everywhere.

…an agreement between friends, nothing more.

Nessa Hayes is a woman on a mission. She’s outspoken, foul-mouthed, and has her life mapped out. Determined no one will sidetrack her dreams, she’s surprised by her attraction to her childhood friend, Keys. Engaging in an affair with no-strings seemed like a great idea at the time, but falling in love might be the least of her heartache.

But scandals never sleep and…

When their different worlds collide, can they overcome their diversity for a chance at romance? Or will they be broken hearted, left to sing a sad and lonely tune?

…this one might leave Keys singing the Bama Girl Blues!

My Review

It doesn't really matter what genre the book is, if the author is Gracen Miller, you know you'll get swept up in the story. Bama Girl Blues was no exception. Having read the first two books of the Hot Wired series, I was already familiar with Keys and I was very excited to read his book. I wasn't disappointed.

Gracen Miller once again does a fantastic job up getting you into the characters' lives. You see what they see, you think what they think, you feel what they feel. And wow, did I ever feel! This book was a roller coaster of emotion.

I'm not big on going into details of the books I review, so I'll leave you with this: if you're looking for a story that will have you on the edge of your seat and neglecting the house work because you can't stop turning the pages then this is the book for you.

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://goo.gl/ZbKS8O

Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/mCGwh9

Amazon CA: https://goo.gl/mRGXV3

B&N: http://goo.gl/dQ04cP

Kobo: https://goo.gl/l75gm2

Oyster: https://goo.gl/Piyv6M

Excerpt:

Keys could pick his nose and I’d think it’s hot.

What’d that say about Nessa when Keys looked like he was one twitch away from going into a full-blown seizure? At least that’s what his version of dancing resembled. So clearly her nose-picking logic made the most sense.

Nessa tried not to gawk, but good lawd, she couldn’t have turned away from watching a train wreck either. An apt description of Keys’ so-called moves.

Train wreck. Poor guy.

His personality and looks made up for this shortcoming, but still… poor guy.

Fang and Derr made him look worse with their rhythmic steps. Even Fallon was better, and she came across as a little stiff. Jase acted the fool, throwing out seventies style strut, a little Footloose panache, and inserted some crazy foot-moves flair she’d only ever seen performed on reruns of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Needless to say those moves had no business ever being performed in public. His over-the-top dance style not only worked for him, but also was fun and demonstrated his zest for life. Despite Jase’s zaniness he still outshined Keys, which was more of a rocking back and forth on his feet and a little hip thrust that was so stiff she cringed each time he executed it.

“Sad, huh?” Her best friend, Samantha—Sam to her friends—said from beside her where they waited at the bar for the next round of drinks.

Tonight was Fang and Sam’s bachelor/bachelorette party and Fang had rented out the nightclub, Double Shots, where apparently Fang—not Heath—had kissed Sam the first time. Sam swore the two personas of Fang’s personality kissed differently. Personally, Nessa couldn’t care less about the details because the idea of Fang’s kisses resulted in bile churning at the back of her throat. Yuck! But her bestie was the happiest she’d seen her since before her parents’ deaths.

“He’s so hawt and then he does that.” Nessa flicked her fingers in Keys’ direction, while shaking her head in mild disgust.

BIO:

GRACEN MILLER is a hopeless daydreamer masquerading as a “normal” person in southern society. When not writing, she’s a full-time lacrosse mom for her two sons and a devoted wife to her real-life hero-husband of over twenty years. She has an unusual relationship with her muse, Dom, but credits all her creative success to his brilliant mind. She’s addicted to writing, paranormal romance novels, horror movies, Alabama football, and coffee... addictions are not necessarily in order of priority. She’s convinced coffee is nectar from the gods and when blending coffee and writing together it generates the perfect creative merger. Many of her creative worlds are spawned from coffee highs and Dom’s aggressive demands. Gracen writes in multiple genres—paranormal romance, paranormal erotic romance, rock star contemporary romance, and dystopian romance. To learn more about Gracen or to leave her a comment, visit her website at www.gracen-miller.com.

Stalker Links for Gracen:

Facebook Author Page: https://goo.gl/1wNrl4

Website: www.gracen-miller.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/br7lLP

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GracenMiller

Review Team Sign-Ups: https://goo.gl/DHTwST

Book Bub: https://goo.gl/SKFb4n

Adventures with Gueguette: chapter one

If there is one thing that is guaranteed when it comes to Alzheimer's it's that life is never boring.  Even if you've never had a loved one afflicted by it, or know someone who has a loved one affected, you've probably heard random stories of somebody who's had to deal with dementia. Most of them are sad, frustrating, and as time goes on, devastating.

Although Alzheimer's is a terrible thing, when you talk to people who have dealt or are currently dealing with someone afflicted by it, there is usually one thing they have in common and that is humor.

In my new mini series 'Adventures with Gueguette', I'll be posting about the good times, the funny times.  Those are the times we need to hang to.  These are the times we need to remember.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It started off as any normal Monday of the summer holidays.  The kids woke up, we had breakfast, and we amused ourselves doing summer things in the sun.  Mondays are also the day I usually pick up my grandma from the day center.  Mom drops her off in the morning then her and dad go off to do things.  It's their day off together.  I pick Gueguette up at three so that the two of them can stay out as long as they want/need to.  

I sent my mom a text at about eleven.

How was Gueguette this morning?

She was a bit confused. 

Okay.  I'll go stay with her at your house after I pick her up.

By one, I knew this wasn't going to be happening.  Though a confused Gueguette always does best sitting in her chair at home, my son with cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy also has days where he does better in his house, in his room, away from everything.  Today is one of those days.  On days like this, I go with the lesser of two evils which is a very confused senior over an autistic meltdown by a teenager.

When I get to the day center, the group is in the main room singing songs.  I get into Gueguette's line of view and make eye contact.  Nothing. My grandma doesn't recognize me.  No big deal.  It's not the first time, it won't be the last, and to get upset solves nothing.  I leave the room, wait until they're done signing, then go back in.

She sees me, smiles, and waves me over so I can help her stand up.

"Did you like that song, Mireille?" (Our conversations are all in French, English is starting to confuse her) 

"I did! It was beautiful."  I take her arm and start walking toward the room that has her back of things.  "Did you have a good day?"

She frowns, trying to think of what she might have done in the past few hours.  "I don't know."

I smile and hug her.  "I'm sure you did.  We can read what the girls wrote in your book to see what you did later."

Satisfied with that, we gather her things and head to the jeep.  "Here, have a Halls.  They're good."

I take one put it in my pocket with the other three she's given me since I got there.

"Where's Danielle?" she inquires.

"She's gone fishing with dad."

"Oh, right.  Good for her."  She stops walking at a red van.  (I used to have a red van).

"My jeep's over here, Gueguette."

"Oh, right." 

I open the passenger door for her, remind her where the holy shit handle is so she can use it to help pull herself in, and a lot of laughing and pushing and pulling later, I do up her seatbelt.

"Oh, Mi.  You must be so tired of me."

I laugh.  "Of course not.  We always laugh when we're together, right?"

She nods, happy.  "When does your mom's plane land?"

It takes me a second to respond and she keeps talking.

"I don't know what I'm going to do when I get back."

I decide to let her keep going to get a better understanding of what she thinks reality is right now.

"I'm glad I came to visit though.  When do I go back to Ottawa again?"

Ding, ding, ding.  She thinks she still lives in Ottawa and that my mom lives there and that they're here to visit me.

"You're here for a while, Gueguette."

"Yeah?"

I nod.  "Yep.  You're stuck here with me."

She laughs.

We're quiet for a few minutes.

"Where's Danielle?"

"She's gone fishing with dad."

"Oh, right.  Good for her.  Here, have a Halls.  They're really good."

I add it to the I'm not sure how many other Halls in the change drawer in the jeep.  

She looks at the bridge as we go by it.  "We're not in Ottawa."

"No."

"How long am I here for?"

"For a while."

We pull up to the house and she moves to the back of the jeep.  "Mi, you need to open the back."

I smile.  "How come?"

"My luggage is in there."

I laugh and catch myself.  "It's okay, I'll bring it in later.  Come in the house.  You must be tired from your trip."

She nods and follows me in.  Exhausted from her flight, she sits on the couch and pets the dogs.  Pet therapy is no joke.  The instant she starts to pet them, you can see her relax.  The dogs decide they need to pee and go outside.  She frowns.

"I can't believe they lost my luggage! (throw in a few choice French words they don't teach you in French class)"

"It's okay, Gueguette.  I'll deal with it.  Emery, can you bring Gueguette a can of ice tea, please?"

My middle boy nods and smiles.  They know what's happening and all my kids are amazing with her when she gets like this.  I take my phone into my bedroom and make sure I speak loud enough so she can hear me.

"This is absoloutely unacceptable!  How is a person supposed to enjoy their holiday when they don't have any of the things they brought along!"  Pause.  "Well, look again!"  Pause.  "See?  That wasn't so hard, now was it!"  Pause.  "Thank you.  We'll be waiting for it tomorrow."

Gueguette looks up from coloring with Ashtynn.  "Did you get it sorted?"

I nod.  "Yep.  They found it and they're putting it on the bus first thing in the morning."

She smiles.  "You're so good to me, Mireille."

"Of course."  I give her a kiss.  "It's cause I love you."

More coloring happens, we eat supper.  It is established about 50 more times that mom is fishing with dad.  Sometimes, Gueguette thinks she visiting.  Other times, she knows she's a permanent resident of Saskatchewan.  It's half and half whether or not my parents live here or in Ontario.  The pile number of Halls in our little Halls bowl grows.

Mom and dad get back from fishing. Gueguette looks up, confused.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm picking you up, mom.  We're going home."

"To Ottawa?"

"No.  To our house here.  The blue house."

You can tell by the look in her eyes she's trying to process this information.  I help her stand up.

"It's okay, Gueguette.  Go with mom."

She mumbles all the way to the truck.

I wait a half hour and text mom.

How is she?

Good.  She got in the house, sat in her chair, and now she's doing her words.

Okay.  Talk to you tomorrow.  Love you.

Love you, too.  Thanks again.

No problem.  Hey, don't forget to go pick up her luggage tomorrow at the bus stop that doesn't exist anymore.

LOL! Will do.

Weird Dreams: episode one

So, last night, I had a cookie before bed.  Yeah.  I know.  Big mistake.  Eating anything before bed guarantees I'll have at least one hell of a messed up dream.  So, here it is.  THE cookie induced dream.

I awoke this morning with a smile.  The night had gone well.  I'd gotten my required eight hours and the kids had slept through the night.  I stretched and sighed before getting up to get some coffee.  As the pot brews, I glance out the window to survey the back yard.  I frown.  Something seems different. I follow the movement of the flies and other insects as they move from grass blades to flowers. I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong.

Ignoring the now finished coffee, I swing open the back door and freeze in shock. my back gate is wide open and everything is GONE! The shed, the table, the chairs, the garden decorations... Even all of my vegetables, flowers and bushes!  Gone!  My yard is now completely empty.  The only clue is a set of truck tracks in the snow.  Yeah.  Snow. 

I pull out my phone and bring up my alarm app.  I'll have the bastards on video!  I scroll through the different clips and my stomach drops.  What the hell? Nothing! Not one clip that has any evidence of the culprit.  Just one that shows my yard gates start to swing open and the next a shot of them wide open and my yard empty. I turn the app off and run inside to check the app on my laptop.  There! There's a snapshot on the laptop that wasn't on my phone.  Weird.  My anger flares.  The photo managed to catch the back end of a trailer as it was leaving my yard.  And I know that trailer.

A holler outside sends me running back to the yard.  There, I can hear my neighbours yelling in anger. We all meet in the alley.

"Someone emptied my yard!" complains one. 

"I have nothing left!"

"Who would do such a thing?"

"I know who it was," I growl.  "I'll be right back."  I jump into my Jeep and race to my cousin's house.

"Shelley!  Open up!"  I stomp into the house.

Shelley smiles and holds out a freshly baked cake.  "Cake?"

"No, I don't want any cake.  I want my shit back.  And my neighbours want their shit back.  What the hell, Shelley!!"

My niece, Chelsea, snorts.  "I told you she'd know."

Shelley's face goes from cheerful to menacing.

She pulls out a knife from under her cake and stabs at me while Chelsea laughs.  I counter by pulling my belt out of the loops on my jeans.  It turns into an electrified whip.  It sparks as it starts to rain in the living room.

"Why did you take it?"  I whip in her direction then pull back in an arc, aiming at my niece who has picked up a sword.  "What have I ever done to you?"

The pair have turned into half naked hairy fairies and their weapons have turned into wands.

"Give us your teeth!"

"I don't friggin thinks so!"  I dash outside and find myself in a room with no furniture.  A large window takes up most of the far wall, though it is so dirty, I can't see through it.  The floor is covered in a layer of dirt so think it feels like I'm walking through snow.

Crunch.  I cringe.  What did I step on? Another step forward and another crunch.  I squat and run a finger through the dust, trying not to cringe. It comes into contact with something hard.  A rock?  I gingerly pick it up between thumb and forefinger.  

"Oh, gross."  It's a tooth.  A molar.  I drop it back into its dusty resting place.

"That's my tooth."  An old, scrawny fairy sits up from under the dust.

"All my teeth are here somewhere."

"Ummm..." 

"It's alright.  When a tooth fairy starts to lose his teeth, that's the beginning of the end.  Soon they'll be dust and then it will be my turn."

"So, this dust is all fairy dust?"

He nodded.  

"Gross."  I wrinkled my nose then caught myself.  "Sorry."  Fairy dust.  The word kept rolling around in my head.  "I wonder..."

I took a handful and sprinkled it over my head.  "Happy thoughts.  Think happy thoughts."

The old toothless fairy burst out laughing then was caught up in a fit of coughing and wheezing.  "Idiot."

"Shut up, Dusty."  

He grumbled something I couldn't hear.  

"How the hell am I supposed to get out of here?"  Despair was starting to set in.

"It's called a door."  He pointed behind me.

Not willing to have it disappear as quickly as it had appeared, I swung it open and dashed through.

"Surprise!"

I stopped short, flabbergasted to find myself in my own backyard.  The grass had just been cut, the flowers had been freshly watered, and a bowl of fresh garden veggies sat atop my table.  

Shelley stepped forward, cake in hand.  "Happy birthday!"

I laughed.  "Awww. Thanks!"  Pausing, I gave her the once over then moved on to Chelsea.  

"What?"  My niece grinned.

"Nothing."

And with that, we all sat down to eat cake... which somehow ended up being a cookie when I put it in my mouth.

Until next time, remember: don't eat before bed!