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| The Hideaway at Holly Tree Manor |
There's a new blog post up at Holly Tree Manor. Holly Tree Manor is where I talk about my personal life outside of writing. It's about rural living and my country lifestyle.
Today, I wrote about some of the difficulties the month of January brings.
If you'd like to visit Holly Tree Manor to read about it, click here.
KC/Rayne
A few days ago, I shared my ponderings about whether or not the Southern Cross books needed new covers. Such things are usually on my mind for a while before I blog about them. One big thing to consider before undertaking a new cover is finding a layout that works. If parts of the older cover still work for me, I really hate giving them up.
I began to play around with ideas for a new cover for Netting Neptune that would keep the guy dancing in the surf. I also knew I wanted to add the Southern Cross banner I made. But I needed a new guy, one without sunglasses, and I needed a new title font. I'm a lot better with Photoshop than I used to be and everything came together rather quickly. I like it. It's a change but not a huge one.
One thing I gave serious consideration to was changing the titles of the first three Southern Cross books, but I decided against it. It might have aided sales on the series but it felt dishonest. The use of the name "Neptune" is figurative, not literal. If a book buyer thinks it's fantasy and bypasses the book, that's fine. Netting Neptune was, after all, written for ME.
You can check out all the new Southern Cross titles here.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_
“I could’ve done better.”
“No doubt. You’ve had practice. Now open that fancy atlas you bought and figure out where we can stop for the night, because we’re stopping as soon as it gets dark. I want off this main thoroughfare before we lose the light, too. ”
Sophia gave him a surprised look then grabbed up the book and started rapidly flipping through the pages.
Rhys hoped she realized they would share a room tonight. And a bed. He couldn’t let her out of his sight. It was too risky. She’d bolt like the hounds of Hell were after her. Thank all deities she’d never see the real thing. They’d blocked the way out of the lower layers of time known as Hell.
The thought of being in a bed with her, even if he stayed on top of the covers while she was under them, brought his cock to attention. The memory of her beneath him burned in his blood. He wanted her, and he had five years to get her. Starting tonight would work out just fine.
“Oh, and find a place that has, um, what’s it called? Room service? I’m hungry.”
“Eat your crackers if you need food,” she shot back. “We can cross the state line and look for a place. Crossing the state line makes you a worse sort of felon or something.”
“Really? You mean I might become wanted by NASA?”
She groaned. “Why me? Why does it always have to be me? Why do I get the good ones?” She finally shifted in her seat to face him. “It’s the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rhys. The F-B-I. Not NASA. NASA is the people who go into outer space. You know outer space. Isn’t that where you came from? Didn’t Scotty beam you down?”
His hands clenched around the steering wheel as he gave her the truth.
“No, beautiful. I didn’t come here from outer space. I came from the seventeenth layer of time. Oz.”
_*_*_*_
Step Into Tomorrow is available at:
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6445442306
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSG2XT8B
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BSG2XT8B
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BSG2XT8B
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BSG2XT8B
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/step-into-tomorrow-rayne-forrest/1109557582
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1320615
Rakuten/Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/step-into-tomorrow-1
Universal link to additional book sellers: https://books2read.com/u/47VzGN
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Quite a while back I opened an account at Patreon for the purpose of being able to check out what was so special about the site. One of my must-read authors has a presence there and I wanted to see how she utilized the site. I also needed to know what terms of service Patreon required.
I was still working at the time and I questioned if I'd be able to generate "exclusive" material. Then there's the entire "exclusive" issue. I'm not a fan of "exclusive." It seems to me to be part of a more liberal mindset than what I have. It's the reason I don't put my backlist on Kindle Unlimited. You'll find only one book of mine on KU, and that's the very short book of poems, Just the Rain. Frankly, you can find most of those poems previously posted on this blog. The book was my way of getting them together so I could have them on my Kindle.
I may be in the process of changing my thinking about Patreon.
The results of the Smashwords end-of-year sale are in. I moved a lot of books, and I do mean a lot. Now is the time for you to make note that I said I moved a lot of books. Yes, I sold a number of books, too, but the stats clearly show the freebies won. Those taking advantage of the sale swept up the four books they could get for free faster than Grant took Richmond.
This led me to examine the value I place on my time, specifically the time it takes to write and market each book. That led to pondering the benefits of Patreon, if there are any.
I already create "exclusive" material right here at Between the Keys, at Holly Tree Manor, and at Deuce's Day. I also have a YouTube channel called The Hideaway. Everything I post at these four sites is free which is apparently what people want - free stuff. I've never monetized my blogs because 1) it seemed like too much hassle, and 2) I hate blogs with a bunch of pop-up ads.
But this "something for nothing" mindset is bugging the hell out of me. I participated in that sale and it feels like I sanctioned piracy. I won't do it again.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_
A few days ago I commented on a Facebook post about artificial intelligence. The discussion mentioned quite a few things including, but not only, the use of Grammarly. I use the free version of Grammarly and find it helpful. Will I ever use AI to write an entire book and then put my name on it. That's a firm NO.
There are a substantial number of programs available to assist the writer. A quick Google search turned up 236,000 hits and listed things I'd never heard of. It's never occurred to me to have AI write for me. Spell-check me? Yes. Find those pesky missing words, as in a forgotten "the" or "and?" Sure thing. But a whole book? But that's just me.
I was up early this morning. My bed got too crowded around four o'clock. Hello, Deuce. Hello, Loki. Goodbye me. I toddled to my recliner and settled in to get a bit more sleep by myself. It was a fruitless endeavor, and I ended up reading an older book of mine - and finding a typo.
Now this book had three sets of human eyes edit it, and I still found a typo. I mention this because, in that Facebook thread, there was a bit of insinuation that only a human editor is suitable. Really? I've had some good human editors but I just found a typo none of us caught. Being the curious sort, I ran that page through Grammarly, and Grammarly caught it on the first pass.
So what's my point? It's this - a writer should use the tools available to them be that a human editor, a program like Grammarly, or any combination necessary to get the book written to the best of their ability. The second part is that we as writers need to be careful in suggesting there is only one way to get the job done.
Would I prefer to be a newbie writer in this decade? No, I would not. I benefited greatly from having human editors. I have what they taught me to fall back on. I may have argued with some of them over a point or two to protect my vision of a story, but that doesn't mean either of us was entirely wrong. Would I want to have to rely on nothing but computer software to edit? No, I would not.
I suspect that one day soon I'll download a book that has been written by AI and I'll not know the difference. Why not? Because somewhere along the line, a real human writer had to read that manuscript and if they're worth the moniker, they made sure it was their story.
This brave new world is pretty scary.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_
I can't speak for other authors, but after a while, I get tired of looking at the same old book covers. It's a problem because I generally create my own covers, and I'm not in the mood at the moment. I fear retirement is making me very lazy and that simply will not do.
Creating my own covers is usually a fun endeavor. I love to play around with Photoshop - if I have a clear vision of what I want the end product to look like. If I don't have that vision, it gets frustrating.
With summer coming (and it can't be too soon for me!), I thought I'd take a look at my three problem books and see what I should do to give them a boost for 2023. I'm talking about Netting Neptune, Taming Triton, and Poseidon's Pleasure.
Something about those three books doesn't seem to resonate well, and I think people just don't get the titles. It's not mythology, for heaven's sake. I wrote them as an intentional trilogy which is why there is the reference to Neptune, Triton, and Poseidon. The God of the Sea isn't part of the stories. They are NOT fantasy stories. I just thought they were good titles. Now I think I went over a few heads which is not a good thing for an author to do.
I don't want to change the titles because I don't want people to purchase the story with a new title and then realize they already own the story. That would not be good. It's happened to me a few times and it didn't make me happy. It's the only reason I've ever returned a book.
So I'm back to should I or shouldn't I make new covers? I suppose I'll do it. I've not given those stories a look in a long time. I need to update the booklists in them, and maybe the author bio. It wouldn't happen at a publishing house, but I have no reason not to do updates.
If you're looking for reads set in a sunny location to hide from the winter blues, give the Southern Cross series a look. I know they will surprise you.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Very little raises my blood pressure the way censorship does.
More to the point it's people expecting ME to protect THEIR delicate feelings. Or expecting ME to police THEIR children who are on the Internet/Interweb.
Personally, if you post something I don't care for, I just click away. Problem solved.
What has me growling is Draft2Digitals recently put in place requirement for uploading a manuscript. They want to know if the manuscript is for "mature" readers. Define mature. I read Gone With the Wind before I was twelve. It was my mother's copy and she gave it to me. I've never been a snowflake. My parents and grandparents made sure of that.
Yes, I've given ground and put a trigger warning on a couple of my books. Bad things to happen to people. I was kidnapped at gunpoint when I was seventeen. I got past it, and I'm a legal gun owner. It doesn't bother me a bit to read detective fiction in which there is a kidnapping and the use of weaponry. I'm not a snowflake.
I've said this before, many times, that censorship is inherently wrong. It's about controlling someone else. When I participate in censorship, I've increased someone's control over ME as well as everyone else.
Do I understand a corporate entity like Draft2Digital suddenly after so many years requiring authors to take an extra step to categorize and censor their work? Sure. It's legal crap.
I don't want to follow the herd and tell YOU what is proper for you to read. I don't want to make YOU afraid to read a particular book because of fear - yours or mine.
Our rights are being eroded, nibble by nibble. Wake up. Free speech, freedom of the written word, matters, people. Let our so-called government acquire a toe-hold and watch how fast freedom goes away. We should not be making decisions for another person. If you think making a decision for someone else doesn't matter, think abortion. Yeah. Control.
The censorship game is not something I'm willing to play.
KC Kendricks/Rayne Forrest
Between the Keys, KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, censorship, freedom of speech, constitutional rights, legal fears, restricting others, controlling others
Thanks to everyone who purchased a book during the Smashwords end-of-year sale! The numbers bear out that quite a few of you also went for the freebies, and I knew that would happen. It's fine to do that.
I was hesitant to participate in this sale event but decided since my books were newly listed on Smashwords, I should. I'm glad I did. I hope some of you have found a new favorite author - ME!
It's nice to see those numbers as we begin a new year.
Thank you, everyone!
_*_*_*_*_*_*_
KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, sci-fi romance, LGBT gay, love and romance, ebooks, sale, Smashwords
There is a song I like by the group U2 entitled, "New Year's Day." The song says all is quiet on New Year's Day, and that nothing changes on New Year's Day.
Some things do in fact change, but one thing does not. It is the hope and optimism of people around the world who embrace this new year. We all strive for peace and prosperity for humankind.
We are learning, each of us, to be more understanding and embracing of the differences and similarities of those around us. Some are merely tolerant of the differences, but accept that for the positive change that it is! Don't insult the person walking behind you if they can't keep up. Be gentle and show them you pose no threat to them. Allow them to catch up!
A lot can happen in one short year.
How you look back on 2023 will depend on you, and only you.
I wish you health and success on your journey to 2024.
KC/Rayne
At the end of the year, many of us take to our blogs, or maybe a more personal diary, and put into writing our thoughts regarding the year passing. It's been my habit to do so even when my retrospective doesn't have many books to talk about, not like I had back in 2009 - 2012. Those were productive years. Even as I was able to complete a lot of books, I knew that level of completion was unsustainable. A lot of factors go into what a person can achieve (or not) in a day.
What did I accomplish in 2022? As always, not what I'd hoped and dreamed with my writing, but I aced a few other biggies. I RETIRED!!! Yes, a long-coveted dream finally became reality. I got my first part-time job when I was sixteen, and I worked a job fifty-two weeks a year, every year of my life until May 22, 2022. God alone knows how many people my tax dollars have supported over the years, but I'm sure it's a huge number.
Writing a yearly retrospective is to my way of thinking a good thing. Looking back helps me focus on going forward. I need to examine where I've been to set the plan for where I'm going. Do I change course or do I continue with a few, if any, tweaks? Having been retired for seven months, I think a couple of tweaks may be in order to aid my vision to mesh with my reality.
THE BIG THINGS
So what were the Big Things of 2022? I think a lot of us went into the year with Covid battle fatigue. We certainly did as we needed to be diligent because of RC's health concerns. Writing actually went on the back burner as my retirement date edged closer. Readying things for a new person to come in behind me at the day job took most of my focus - and energy.
With that said, I was able to work on Riding Against the Wind, which was finally published in September. After that, I set myself to finishing an old, and I do mean old, Rayne Forrest story which ended up being titled, After the Sea Sprite Ball. That story was released in November.
In a huge departure, for me, I published a small collection of poems at the end of 2022. Just the Rain: A Collection of Poems will be on Kindle Unlimited indefinitely. I can't in good conscience ask a reader to purchase what is basically a twenty-page work I did for my own satisfaction. Why poems? We live and we grow.
Seducing Light, an older work that is near and dear to my heart got a new cover, as did September Morning. It's necessary to update covers from time to time to keep the promotion looking fresh. And speaking of promotion, I set a goal to promote all twelve books in the Men of Marionville collection in the Facebook groups. I did that in my original list of groups, and then Facebook kept sending me group suggestions. I joined new groups and started promotion in them. Then Facebook sent even more suggestions and the whole thing got out of hand. I say "out of hand" with tongue-in-cheek. I think the promo is going well even though it eats up a lot of time. Unfortunately, I discovered a bit of an underside to a few things in some of the groups. I discussed it here.
This was the year I made the move toward getting my own vendor accounts. Currently, I use an online service that I like very much. It's easy to use and it gets the books into a lot of places, for a fee, of course. But I'm reminded of the old All Romance eBooks site. Back in the day, I made a lot of money at ARE so I shuddered to think how much was embezzled from me. The old adage is true. Having all your eggs in one basket is foolish. So I'm working on it behind the scenes. Readers won't notice any difference when they purchase a book. Many, many, many authors have separate vendor accounts because it provides a safety net.
I've continued Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway). This is a more personal view of rural living and my life. I put together a series on Preparedness, and while it's not totally comprehensive, I think I've presented some tips for anyone who wants to be more prepared. It's not Doomsday prepping at all, but it is pantry building and being aware that we have to provide for ourselves. To be frank, if you didn't learn we all need a little preparation for crisis management during the Covid pandemic, then it's not a series for you.
One of the big fails of 2022 is my dot com website, http://www.kckendricks.com. I've been struggling with it since Yahoo shuttered its old SiteBuilder software. So I have the website, which I pay for, but I just can't wrap my head around how that software works. I ended up linking to all the book pages here. That works, but it IS NOT WHAT I WANT and so I ponder the feasibility of continuing to pay for it.
WHAT IS AHEAD?
A new year offers three hundred sixty-five days with at least three hundred sixty-five new opportunities. If there is one thing I've learned, it's that you can't plan or organize all of them. The key is to recognize the opportunity when it presents itself and act.
I'm still learning how this "retirement" phase of my life actually works. I want to write, but I want to enjoy this wonderful plot of land my grandparents gave me. I will continue to seek balance whenever possible. I may be able to plan and plot a story, to develop and write a character bio, but when the dawn brings the perfect day to work in my garden or day trip with my spouse, I need to take full advantage of it.
I've set a goal of one new story a quarter. I don't want to make that a New Year's resolution because we all know how they work out. No, this is my goal. This is what I'd like to accomplish. I hope you'll stick with me to see how it works out.
Peace to you and yours in this New Year,
KC/Rayne
KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, contemporary gay romance, sci-fi romance, series romance, Kindle romance, m/m romance, a writer's life, career goals, rural living, organization, contemplation, 2023 resolution, New Year's,
I am very happy (and proud) to announce I've published a small collection of poems! Just the Rain: A Collection of Poems is available on Kindle Unlimited. You can also purchase a copy for $.99 if that's your preference.
Writing is indeed a solitary pursuit. A writer pulls words only they see out of the air and trap them on the page. Sometimes the writer simply needs a change of pace. Sometimes the writer has captured words that don't fit into a story. Sometimes the writer needs to stretch a little bit. And sometimes it's all these things.
It's difficult to say if I will ever write another poem. They come to me, unexpectedly, and I commit them to the page. If it happens, I may start another volume. I'll let the Muse decide when the time comes.
I hope you will enjoy Just the Rain: A Collection of Poems.
Available on Kindle Unlimited
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQZ1JM4B
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BQZ1JM4B
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BQZ1JM4B
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BQZ1JM4B
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Last weekend we survived the annual Christmas gathering of my partner's family, and it was a survival. My husband is not in good shape and his decline was never more evident than at that party. I watched him shrink right before my eyes. The noise and confusion of small children and young adults we didn't know, coupled with the fact SOMEONE (it was his sister!) invited his ex-wife (of over thirty years) to participate, sent him spiraling. Just because he added her on Facebook ten years ago doesn't mean he wants to be in the same room with her. Yes, I let her (and his sister) live. I think we've been to our last gathering at the sister's house. He physically can't take it, and his anger didn't do him any good, either.
Writers often get asked if we include real-life scenarios in our stories. I confess little snippets have drifted into mine. Snippets. It has now occurred to me I have chapter upon chapter worth of drama to feed from should I decide to write party scenes into stories.
My family's Christmas gathering is today. Thanks to last weekend's debacle, he's not attending even though I suspect it will be a quieter affair, and I can assure the entire population of the known galaxy my ex-spouse will not be in attendance. My family will splinter into special interest groups. Those of us in Gen 3 will congregate at the dining room table to catch up with each other and to remember Gen 1 and Gen 2. Those in Gen 4 will eat and then hustle off downstairs to the bar - the cousin (Gen 4) hosting us brews small batches of beer in his basement and the sampling will commence. The younger of Gen 5 and Gen 6 will rush to the family room to stream the Disney channel while the older of that generation hide in a bedroom playing video games. Only gaming shouting will be heard, and the occasional applause from the bar.
So I think I have my scene. I can see it, I can plot it, I can write it. The family gathers to eat, then the generational divisions happen. Enter an ex-partner/spouse/lover. Mayhem ensues. Yeah, that will work.
And I will deny, and never confirm, that I include family members or events in my stories. It's all fiction, folks.
You've got to watch us writers. We view things through the lens of story.
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Becoming a full-time writer has not been as easy as I anticipated. Distractions abound and some of them are important and need to be addressed. When Deuce comes and rests his head on my knee, I know it's time to step outside with him. Ignoring his request isn't fair to the dog. The man needs fed from time to time, and I have chores to complete. I don't know why I imagined I could simply step into my office and be productive.
Yes, that's a whine.
The problem is I want to be more productive than I am, and starting this new phase of life at the beginning of summer, well, there was just too much other *stuff* to do. Now winter is almost upon us and I realize I don't want to be confined to my office. I still want to be outside, even if it is cold. Country girls have to country.
The good news is that I'm getting a handle on it! I finished After the Sea Sprite Ball, started a new story, set up a vendor account at Barnes and Noble, and I'm getting some promotion done. Promotion doesn't come easy to me. I'm not comfortable standing up and shouting, "look at me, look at what I've done!"
To me, promoting in Facebook groups is an exercise in frustration. I have an extensive spreadsheet with a lot of notes, and every promotional day I discover fewer groups I'm willing to spend my time on. The big groups are full of spam and the little groups, well, some folks live for rules. Some folks like the power of putting a post into review and leaving it there, too. My spreadsheet shows all that.
I spent some time tweaking the spreadsheet today. I'm in a bunch of groups that have "buy and sell" as their main tab. If you post on the "discussion" tab, it doesn't show on the main page. Those groups now have a worksheet all their own. There's also a separate M/M group worksheet and a sci-fi paranormal worksheet.
It's all about time and how much I'm willing to spend on promotion. Maybe breaking the groups down into categories will help. I need to keep writing the next story as my primary focus when I'm at the computer.
We shall see how it goes.
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"Do you want your books listed on Smashwords?"
That's a very innocuous question. In today's vernacular, it's a no-brainer. Of course, I'd like my entire catalog to be available at Smashwords. And to accomplish this, it's a simple click, and somewhere out there in cyberspace, AI takes care of it? Hell, yeah! Do it!
So I did.
So I did not think this through.
There were EIGHTY emails in my writer's inbox this morning. That's 8 followed by a 0, or 80. Yep. My first thought was what the hell, someone spammed me. Nope. Only two were spam. A handful were legit from mailing lists, etc., but seventy of them advised me that a book is now available at Smashwords.
Yea? Hooray?
I now have seventy book pages to update here at Between the Keys. Oh, holy shit crap.
This is going to take a while.
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KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, a writer's life, Smashwords, contemporary gay romance, romance books for ereaders, m/m romance
December 4, 2022
Did you know that Rayne Forrest is the alter ego of KC Kendricks? I first wrote under the pen name of Rayne and then became KC when I wanted to write m/m romance. Both Rayne and KC share KC’s website and blog, so don’t be confused when you see KC in the links or see that KC posted Rayne Forrest’s material.
It's been a long time since I published a Rayne Forrest book, but it's one of those things I want to get back to doing now that I'm "retired" and can call myself a full-time writer.
I hope you enjoy After the Sea Sprite Ball, a romance set in the very near future, because who wouldn't like to visit an undersea resort and watch a Kraken float outside your window?
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A romance set in the very near future.
Eve Archer checks in for her dream
vacation at the new undersea resort, The City of Amphitrite. Unfortunately, her
luggage went to the Catskills. To make amends, the concierge upgrades
her package to a suite in the Tower of Triton, the poshest accommodations at
the resort. As a Triton guest, Eve receives an invitation to attend the nightly
costume ball in the Palace of Poseidon. And since the resort transportation
lost her luggage, she is offered her choice of gowns, free of charge. It will
make her job a lot easier.
Actor and supermodel Alex Gerard
needs a break, and the Triton package offered by the City of Amphitrite resort
is just the thing for him to get a little privacy and rest. He’s been working non-stop for three years, and while he doesn’t mind suffering for his craft, enough is
enough. For the next two weeks, his meals, massages, and the company of other
celebrity guests can all be brought to his suite.
Alex can’t believe the woman who
literally ran into him in the hall has no idea who he is – and he doesn’t enlighten
her. It’s refreshing to have a woman not care about the opportunities being on
his arm will provide. Intrigued, he follows her and discovers she’s been sent
to spy on the resort, an activity that could get them both detained. It’s
obvious, at least to him, that the best way to keep her out of mischief is to
get her into his room – and his bed.
EXCERPT
Eve. Nice name. He had to admit she was a pretty little thing. Not beautiful, no, or even what might be called cute. She was pretty. Curly black hair swept her shoulders. Wispy bangs obscured her arched eyebrows, but he’d seen them. They were as black as her hair, and she didn’t wax them down to where she had to paint them back on. He liked that natural look, and her womanly curves. He’d had his fill of pencil-thin model-types. Eve’s round bottom would fit right into a man’s hands.
He shouldn’t think about that. She seemed to be the kind who would pummel him to a pulp if she even suspected him of looking her over like this. Alex ducked behind a potted tree.
Damn! She’d seen him. Was she telepathic or something?
Whew. He was safe. Eve had glanced this way, but she obviously hadn’t noticed him. Well, he could skulk in the plantings, or he could act like a man. He stepped from behind the foliage and joined the flow of walkers, angling his way over to her. Alex stopped in the doorway.
“Red looks really good on you.”
Eve turned, then jumped, her eyes narrowing. “What do you want? You are stalking me! I’m calling security.”
Alex grinned. “I’m shopping for something special. Can I help it you’re here?”
“You’re insufferable.”
She had brown eyes, so dark they looked black, and long, blond-tipped eyelashes. Alex grabbed the hanger and held up the red dress.
“You should get this. It really is your color. Trust me, ‘cause I know about what looks good on a woman.”
“You egotistical ass!” Eve yanked the hanger out of his hand and stomped towards the back of the store, yelling over her shoulder at him. “Go away!”
Alex hastened to follow her. “Have dinner with me, Eve.”
She whirled around, her gaze angry above her pursed lips. “How did you find out my name?”
He stopped a safe distance from her. “Well, I suppose I did the obvious, babe. I asked.”
Her mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. “Babe? Babe?”
Alex backed up a step. “You don’t like ‘babe’? Okay. How’s ‘honey’ work?”
Eve let out an angry growl. Her head lowered as she took a menacing step in his direction. “First, you’re totally rude to me in the hallway, even when I tried to apologize. Then you follow me here – and don’t try to deny it. I know you did. Then I find out you’ve asked about me. Just who do you think you are?”
He held his hand out to her. “I’m…”
Oh, hell. He almost blurted out his professional name, Gerry Alexander, from the force of habit when he was out in public. She’d get that look that all the women did, and start stammering and stuttering, and then blather on about how she loved his last movie or some photo in an ad, please God not the one where he was naked in the shower with just a ball cap to cover the goods.
Was it so wrong to want to be appreciated for himself, and not his looks or his star quality?
If he wanted to have a little vacation fling with her - and he suddenly did, if she was willing to walk away and not look back - shouldn’t he tell her his real name? Surely, he could make any necessary confessions later, couldn’t he? Would one little vacation deception be all that bad? He didn’t think so.
“I’m Alex. Alex Gerard. Pleased to meet you. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight, Eve?”
