Lucky Sevens Sunday Snippet - Cut n Dried pg 17

This weekend I'm taking another snippet from my forgotten mystery - Cut & Dried.

Here private detective, Jordan Almond, is visiting her hairdresser's boyfriend to see if she can't get to the bottom of why anyone would think Gerry would commit murder.

“I’m here to see Paddy Fitzgerald.”  Sounding authoritative is sometimes half the work when getting into someplace you don’t belong.  Not this time, but it was worth a shot.

“Do you have an appointment with Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald, ma’am?”  She laid the emphasis on his first name so thick, I could almost hear the implied, ‘how dare you’.

If there’s one thing I hate worse than being condescended to, it’s being called ma’am.  I clenched my hands, trying desperately not to leap over the chincy fake mahogany.  “Nope.  Just tell him Gerry sent me.”

“I’m afraid Mr. Fitzgerald is very busy at the moment…”

“I’m not kidding, missy.  Tell him Gerry Fitzpatrick sent me or I’ll have to start shouting for him.”  I smiled what I hoped was a cross between pretty and alligator.  “Gerry was so very insistent I see Paddy this morning.  Since it’s either upset you or upset my hairdresser, which do you think I’m going to pick?”

If you want to play along, feel free.  Pick any 7 page from any manuscript - preferably your own, but if you want to post a neat bit from a book you love, make it short so you don't violate any copyrights - and post it to your blog.  Drop a comment so we all know and so I can link back to it here.

FYI - I am out of town right now, so if your comment doesn't post immediately, don't worry.  I'll get to it when I can.

Lucky Sevens Sunday Snippet - Cut n Dried pg 7

We're hopping into the way-back machine this morning to visit a book I never quite finished writing, but one I really enjoy.  It's a humorous mystery called Cut & Dried, and was intended to be the first in a series about a private detective named Jordan Almond.  And no, she's not sweet.  Maybe a little nutty, but not sweet.

Here at pg 7 we have Jordan down at the local police station - called in the middle of the night by her cop ex-boyfriend to bail out a murder suspect who mentioned her name.  Turns out the suspect is her hairdresser...

Don’t get me wrong.  Chic’s one hell of a cop—almost as good as he is as a lover.  He’s just not a great boyfriend. 

Chic gave me that ‘so that’s how it’s gonna be’ look, and became all business.  At least I could always count on him for that.  Leading the way, he brought me into a room in the back, complete with one way glass looking inward at an extremely upset hairdresser. 

“Gerry’s in deep,” he said without blinking. 

“That’s where I come in?”

“He wanted to call some chick named Patty, but after I asked him if he knew any good lawyers, he said the only person who even came close was you.  I told him to forget the girlie and call you.”

“First off, thank you so much.  The next time you’re due for some much deserved sleep, I’ll make sure someone calls you down to my office.”  I gave him a wicked smile, and I could tell he knew something was off.  That’s when I dropped the bomb a cop of his caliber shouldn’t have missed.  “Second, if you took a moment to think about who you’re holding in there, you’d realize the last person your suspect would want to contact is some girlie.”  Not only was the person in question not female, but he was Gerry’s latest love to end all loves.  Actually, Gerry still seeing Paddy after whole two months was a record.  I whipped open my potato-sack of a purse, and grabbed my handy-dandy notepad.  “So, now that I’m here, tell me what’s up.  Gerry’s message said you think he’s good for a murder?”  I shook my head.  “You must not have spent much time with the guy.  Whatever happened, he couldn’t have done it.”

If you want to play along, all you have to do is go to a 7 page in your manuscript (or someone else's - as long as you don't violate copyright laws), find a snippet you want to post, and post it.  Tada!

Oh, and let me know here so I can link to you over there.  =o)

(Yes, this actually posted on Saturday.  I screwed up and I left it for all of you to enjoy one day ahead of time.)

WINNER!

I just did the drawing for Larry Correia's book Monster Hunter International and the winner is...

JANET!

Congratulations, Janet!  Thanks to the rest of you for stopping by.  I hope even if you didn't win, you'll check Larry's books out.  =o)

Lucky Sevens Sunday Snippet - Sleeping Ugly pg 17

Morning again, folks!  It's time again for another Sunday Snippet.  Today we're headed back to Sleeping Ugly (because I've actually got more pages in that book now).

Here Jeni and Gus's conversation got interrupted by a call to come down to the police station.

“You’re sure this isn’t about my folks?”

“I’m sure they’re fine, Miss Braxxon.  This isn’t about them.” He paused.  “It’s about your brother.  His wife reported him missing this morning.”

Good riddance to bad rubbish, I thought.  “I don’t see how that has anything to do with me.”

“She said the last time she saw him, he was headed to your place.  Something about clearing up an old misunderstanding.”

“He wasn’t… I mean, he wouldn’t… We’re estranged.”  That last part came out lame and I knew it.  I just couldn’t envision Ron traipsing up to my place to talk about something that happened years ago.  He knew there wasn’t anything he could say to change my mind.  Even if Anne believed it was all a misunderstanding, my shithead brother knew differently.

“Still, I’m sure how you can understand why we might want to talk to you about this, Miss Braxxon.  Face to face.”

I swallowed hard.  Gus must’ve thought I was going to pass out because he gently pushed me into a nearby chair.  I didn’t blame him.  In seconds I went from disinterested party to suspect.

If you're playing along, the rules are basically pick a snippet from a '7' page - either out of your work or out of someone else's (taking care not to infringe on copyright law) - and post it to your website.  Tada!

Oh, and then link back here and let me know so we can all come see your work.

Other players:

Silver James with a bit from her latest release: Bride's Moon.

Lucky Sevens Sunday Snippet - Monster Hunter International pg 7

Hey everybody!  Welcome to Lucky Sevens Sunday Snippet. 

In case you're new here, the Lucky Sevens Sunday Snippet usually goes like this... Pick a manuscript, go to a page ending in the number 7, find a snippet on there you'd like to post, and post it to your blog.  Leave a comment here so I know to go look at yours.

Today I'll be mixing it up a little and sharing a snippet of a book I love (I mean, one that someone else wrote - I love all my own books).  AND I'll be giving the book away to one super lucky person at the end of the week.  :muppetflail:

This morning the book is Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia.  It's pretty wicked awesome - so much so that after I bought this, I read everything else he had out and am now buying his new releases like they were super-expensive gourmet cheesecake on sale for 99 cents.

And now, without further blathering, I present MHI - page 7.  In this first scene, Owen is working late when he discovers his employer with a severed woman's hand...

...Holy crap! My boss wasn't just run-of-the-mill crazy.  I was working for a serial killer.

The naked, crazy, fat man pointed out the window. "The time has come!  Tonight I am a god!" he squealed.

His sausagelike finger was pointing at the full moon.

As I watched in the pale lunar glow and the yellowish backdrop of the city lights, that finger seemed to stretch.  The hands began to elongate, and the fingernails blackened and spread...

Poor Owen.  He really never expected that monsters were real, but once he discovers they are, the fun ensues.  And now it's ensued through 4 totally awesome books.  (Still waiting for Monster Hunter Legion to come out in paperback, but that's my burden.)

If you want a chance at this copy of this spectacularly incredible book, leave a comment here.  I'll draw a name next Sunday morning and send this puppy winging its way to the lucky winner.  And if you don't win, for godsakes, go buy this man's books.  I have a serious writerly crush on the guy.  And if you really really like him, use the links on his Wordpress page to buy his books - because I think he gets a little extra fundage that way, too.

Other players:

Silver James with a snippet of her upcoming book Bride's Moon.