tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11741462811843555412012-02-16T07:18:29.396-08:00Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.comBlogger971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-79138400085671006692009-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-28T06:00:05.588-07:00

entire cliff. “Scanner,” muttered Daren. “What could they be looking for?” The ship was only a speck in the distance and he thought they were leaving. Then it grew rapidly larger until it hovered over the cliff dwelling. Daren could see everyone had gone inside after the first pass. “No!” This beam was high violet and barely visible. The mark of an energy weapon. The ship held

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-68005689726644788212009-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-27T06:00:07.723-07:00

Darin had always liked Cesily and she looked so miserable and lonely that he wanted nothing more than to hug her close and tell her that everything would be all right. But he knew it wouldn’t. In the tests he’d been given he’d always scored at the bottom in precognition but right now something was screaming in his brain that they had maybe a fractional chance to live through the next ten

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-10792212058126826582009-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-26T06:00:02.905-07:00

Cesily shrugged. “Either several barrels of it got accidentally spilled when a caravan went through or…”“What?”“Someone put it there deliberately to slow down travelers.”“Hmm.” Darin didn’t care much for that idea. They’d have been completely helpless if an attack had come while they were occupied there. He couldn’t help casting a few extra glances over his shoulder. There was nothing to see

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-9304656104979236572009-07-25T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-25T06:00:02.552-07:00

“Dead?” Darin felt a twinge from his newly sharpened senses. He’d known that he needed to get home, but he still wasn’t good enough to get a clear why. “How can they all be dead? Your cousins and uncles and others too?” She nodded miserably, tears leaking from closed eyes. “Who killed them Cesily?” “Outworlders I think. Rumor has it there’s something here they want.” “On Targus?” Darin

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-31592948807035643892009-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-24T06:00:05.426-07:00

slivers of ice that curled around it’s legs but Darin could see it wasn’t going to be enough. It was going over the edge. Cesily screamed and Darin grabbed for the cat’s heavy tail as it whipped by and thumped him in the stomach, nearly knocking the breath out. Now he was being dragged along sliding behind the hill cat. He knew he should have gotten his old boots restudded.Darin grabbed the

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-29606301832989668872009-07-23T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-23T06:00:01.419-07:00

confident and even ready to commit deadly actions on someone she considered a stranger and a threat. What had been happening here? “Cesily, it’s me, Darin. Don’t you remember me?” She backtracked, crossing the chasm on the bridge connecting it’s narrowest points, and came toward him with her weapon still pointing in his general direction. As she got closer, he could see the puzzled look on

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-68136069012424349572009-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-22T06:00:00.342-07:00

his nose, sniffing. It smelled like grill cakes. No, like the oil his mother cooked them with. Why would cooking oil be on the path? Above him something coughed. Or growled. Darin looked up and found himself staring into the violet eyes of the biggest hill cat he’d ever seen. Reflex brought his hand out of his pocket with a needler at ready. This was crazy. What was a hill cat doing

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-15274609450374134842009-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-21T06:00:04.646-07:00

Cold Comfort by Don Chapter One What a homecoming this was. Darin groaned, reaching for his head. The ice-covered shelf of rock he lay on was smeared with a reddish stain from the blood seeping out of his scalp. He couldn’t be that out of shape; he’d only been away for two years training in the Psi program. The grav-and-a-half of

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-33444256451519393692009-07-20T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-20T06:00:02.577-07:00

table, then his gaze calmly swept the room. Her eyes widened in shock. “These worthless texts were taken from a Roman galleon. You will return them. Now.”The sharp steel piercing her arm hurt terribly, but it was as nothing compared to the Vision imposed by contact with the soldiers’ knife. In a distant time, she saw the soldier laughing as the library burned. But overlaying that, she saw

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-417211998644050982009-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-19T06:00:03.187-07:00

do the same—preferably on documents dealing with magic and the arcane, but nearly any subject would be of some interest. Patiently, she waited for Tellus to notice her.“Yes, what is it boy?”“Diokles sent me to help with the translations sir.”Tellus raised his bushy brows. “You are familiar with Sumerian?”“Yes sir.” She might be only nineteen but she had no doubt her gift with language would

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-34611151887328594032009-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-17T06:00:05.442-07:00

like and none of those she had seen so far looked likely.By now she must be far outside the walls of the Library building above. Down another corridor, she saw workers removing dirt and stone, hauling it up to the street above in baskets attached to a long rope. Moles building a maze of muddled meandering, she marveled.She slowed as the corridor ahead became dark. One of the torches placed at

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-66066619008951741292009-07-16T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-16T06:00:00.847-07:00

Leonides behavior was still an open wound, but the other was probably one of those who felt strongly women should be kept as cattle. He would be a problem even if Herophilus decided to keep silent.Herophilus noticed her gaze on the guard. “I will speak nothing of your secret, little one.” He raised his voice and a steely note of threat crept in. “Neither will they, if they don’t wish to

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-46203017506914347752009-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-15T06:00:07.426-07:00

naked, exposed also in heart and mind. “How did you know?”He smiled, and Calixte was surprised to see genuine warmth reflected there. He might be crazy, but she thought he wasn’t evil—exactly. “I search for the secrets of the human body child. I wouldn’t be much good at it if I couldn’t tell a girl from a boy, now would I?”She decided to beg. “Please don’t tell the others, sir. This library…

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-57327656656951206612009-07-14T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-14T06:00:05.756-07:00

The man named as Herophilus looked up from making another cut. “It’s not torture child. We are trying to learn how the body works. And what would a scribe know of torture anyway?”Calixte knew far more of it than she wanted. She had many uncles and one had a job in that very profession. He extracted confessions from suspected criminals, many of whom, she thought, would probably say anything

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-63297021126216977362009-07-13T06:00:00.001-07:002009-07-13T06:00:10.462-07:00

might have just offended someone who could have her drawn and quartered without a second thought. “I, I, was sent here by Master Diokles, sir. No offense intended. I am to help Tellus with the Sumerian translations.”The old man showed a brief spark of surprise but his gaze was quickly recaptured by the open pages beckoning. “Well, off with you then.” He waved vaguely in the direction she’d

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-184244781257366632009-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-12T06:00:06.192-07:00

Calixte found the cool stones of the underground stairway soothing under her feet, in contrast to the heated whirl of her thoughts. The workmanship was good and the stones were smooth but not as smooth as they would be, she knew, after the passage of years and many feet polished them further. She was not surprised the Archive halls were nearly deserted at this early hour of the morning. This

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-862433997061811522009-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-11T10:26:04.617-07:00

lanky form watching her from across the room. Perhaps she was a bit too pretty a boy, she thought uneasily. "Report to Tellus in the Archive then; he's heading the Sumerian translation," Diokles said, then bent down to scold one of the boys for making a smudge. "Thank you sir!" She couldn't wait to see what the Sumerian scrolls had in them. Calixte turned and started to dash toward the stair

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-83069267927009961082009-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-10T06:00:08.830-07:00

vellum copy of some ribald verses that needs to be finished by the end of the week. Can you do it and not make a mess of it?" "Of course sir, but..." "But what, boy? Out with it." "It's just that I was hoping to get to help with the texts from Samaria." "You can translate Sumerian?" Calixte heard the disbelief in Diokles voice and added a small lie quickly. "My uncle taught me.

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-92134009896560983352009-07-09T09:17:00.000-07:002009-07-09T09:29:40.670-07:00

Alexandrian Visions by Don Chapter One"Calix. Calix! Are you deaf boy?" Calixte looked up from the scroll she was copying to see the red face of scribe master Diokles glaring at her. "No Sir." Sometimes the male form of her name just didn't register yet. She'd have to be more careful; if they discovered she was a woman she'd be sent home in disgrace. Some of the

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-13576520226986328302009-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-08T06:00:15.708-07:00

didn't think he would be moving again any time soon."Your son's out in their car Sylvia." He could hear her rush out as Dora's footsteps came through the kitchen doorway. "The big goon is dead." Isaac thought she sounded quite satisfied with herself. "Nice move with the gun. You are quite the old coot, aren't you?" Again he felt the fan of air as she picked up the painting. He waved goodbye.

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-66936022274316887212009-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-07T06:00:47.803-07:00

"I'll be gone before they get here anyway." Dora’s footsteps headed toward the door and then the screech of braking tires on asphalt outside obscured the sound. A thump signaled the painting being set down. "What do you think we should do?"Isaac positioned them quickly then removed his hand from the bug saying, in his best querulous old man voice, "Ladies... Don't leave me alone with them...

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-42352363752350148142009-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-06T06:00:29.260-07:00

conversation! A bug had fallen off and stuck to his chair wheel. He had to guess that those who had hired Sylvia were on their way over because Dora was out to transfer the painting-- and whatever its illicit contents were-- to a different buyer. This just kept getting worse. But at least he and Sylvia hadn't walked into a trap with them. They certainly knew about his 'helpless blind man'

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-930264829969010362009-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-05T06:00:06.744-07:00

A gun complicated things. He couldn't see where it was pointed nor could he really move fast enough to get out of the way. The scent of lilacs grew stronger as Dora approached. "Why did you do it Dora? What's in the painting?""Lot's of money. Don't care."Isaac could feel a fan of air brush his face and assumed that Dora had grabbed the painting."Don't even think about it, sweety."He could

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-27241533273995738122009-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-04T06:00:11.489-07:00

It was her turn to laugh. Her laughter quickly became hysterics mixed with hiccups and sobs. Isaac aimed a moderated slap at where he knew her face must be and she subsided into snuffles. "I would have killed you.""I know.""Why would you help me?""Because I know Mothers must try to protect their young. It's built in." And because there is something about you that reminds me of my Angela, he

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-52907976844614988242009-07-03T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-03T06:00:37.247-07:00

his cheek you will die. Your son may not fare much better.""How did you know… You're just saying that so I won't take the painting!""I don't care about the painting. It isn't mine and I don't know where it came from. It isn't even good art. I have no idea why someone would kill for it, but that is what will happen." He also didn't know why he cared about this woman and her son, but it seemed

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-77011742656627772022009-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-02T06:00:30.399-07:00

There was a long silence then, "You can't stop me from taking it.""I'm sure you can fashion an excellent career around stealing from blind men." He heard her moving and it wasn't long before there was a thump on the carpeted floor in front of his feet. Curiosity, he knew, was a powerful force. It had certainly gotten him in trouble enough times. He reached out, his fingers encountering a

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-41664257225507484092009-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-01T06:00:01.528-07:00

lot of trouble for nothing.""Ahhh." Her neck turned under his arm. "None except that one, I suppose." The sarcasm in her voice was hard to miss. "Clever making it look like part of the wallpaper. I'd have seen it earlier, though, if it weren't so damn dark in here. I'm only looking for one and that certainly appears to be it."What could she be talking about? She seemed to think there was a

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-69301911721749038262009-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-30T06:00:07.656-07:00

his rib against the arm. “I think it’s…” he began in a hoarse whisper, then stopped.“Where is it!” He could feel her leaning forward and his old Commando training took over. His arm was a striking snake, grabbing her neck in a chokehold and snapping her head to his lap. She fell to her knees then tried to scratch at his eyes with her long fingernails. “They are already gone,” he spoke quietly

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-15690147203492680402009-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-29T06:00:25.810-07:00

Then, just as suddenly, he realized that it was no daydream. It was a vision. He hadn’t had one of those since he’d been blinded in the war. Since the last time his life was in danger, he realized. As it was right now. He could feel the presence of his own death very near. It smelled like the heavy ozone of a hovering thundercloud.Isaac couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. He might be

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-35835132116369580022009-06-28T07:40:00.000-07:002009-06-28T07:40:01.017-07:00

Seer by Don(Previously published in Romancing The Ozarks anthology.) Isaac heard a noise at the door and went to let the cleaning lady in. One wheel of his chair made a ‘click’, ‘click’ as it rolled over the marble of the entryway. Must have picked up something on the wheel, he decided. He could have her look at it while she was here. Abruptly the chair stopped moving, throwing him forward

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-40050948132423516002009-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-27T06:00:12.307-07:00

“I’m old enough to be on MVU**SD#TTH.” Nate frowned, wondering if there was something wrong with his hearing, or if the other was slipping a sprocket with the nonsense syllables. “And how old is that?” “637 of this planet’s cycles.” Nate saw his grin spread across the little girl’s face. For some reason her heart was racing in her chest with an irregular double-thump beat. Then it hit him and

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-39244428290914352932009-06-26T09:55:00.001-07:002009-06-27T08:01:35.509-07:00

It was not my intention to write a Harry Potter review at this time-- or any other time-- even though I dearly love the series by J.K. Rowling. After all, my purpose is to acquaint people with excellent books they might not be familiar with, for one reason or another, and the only one's who haven't read the Harry Potter books, or seen the movies, probably have been either in a deep coma the last

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-10016149542512800662009-06-26T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-26T06:00:23.762-07:00

a strong student of history, but it looked like there was a six inch tall apatosaurus coming out from under the bed munching contentedly on the remains of a potato chip. Nate heard a gargling noise but he was pretty sure that wasn’t him. It was really kinda cute. Nate reached down to see if it would let him pet it—and immediately straightened up and staggered back into the wall. “Now what?”

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-13050332477519987902009-06-25T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-25T06:00:23.809-07:00

inside. The room’s furnishings consisted only of a Spartan bed, a nightstand with mirror, and a small lightly-padded chair. As soon as they were inside the innocuous roomthe other rounded on Nate, sealing the door behind them.“If you ever do something like that again I’ll have you Voided. Didn’t I tell you I don’t want to be a Rider? Didn’t you learn anything by getting killed? You have to

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-15067301937228201092009-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-24T06:00:56.171-07:00

for the shift, but glowed dull red like overheated metal and the woman sagged to the ground. Something like a heat shimmer ran over her. For a second it looked as though she was covered with a layer of silvery liquid mercury, and then she wasn’t a woman anymore. “A robot,” Nate breathed. A very good one too, from the look of it. A.I. robots were still very expensive. The Silverstones owned

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-16715132360378434362009-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-23T06:00:03.769-07:00

of his antagonist vaporized. Lower legs and head and shoulders that remained thudded to the pavement.He looked at the gun and the hand and the remaining body parts in astonishment. “Damn, these people are serious. What did you do?” There was no reply as he lost control again and began to run toward a rusty blue door. Getting trapped inside a building with people coming after them didn’t

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-64655523833543240562009-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-22T06:01:02.718-07:00

anyway. He’d always been kind of a maverick, not ready to take up the family traditions, but after everything that had been happening he was beginning to feel a real need to see them again. “Look, I don’t know how we came to be sharing a body but…” “It’s my body. You died, didn’t you?” “I suppose so.” Nate really didn’t want to dwell on the whole being eaten by beetles experience, but it

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-40038697153759939462009-06-21T06:00:00.001-07:002009-06-21T06:00:47.647-07:00

in operation. “Yes, of course.” “Good. I won’t be able to do an area stun again for several hours yet and we may run into more hostile humans so be ready with it. I may be otherwise occupied.” The delicate right hand and arm only were now under his control. He gripped the weapon experimentally and noticed it was made for the left hand. “I could use it better with the other hand,” Nate

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-91363702665370709772009-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-20T06:00:33.079-07:00

A disgusted noise came from his mouth. “Why do I have to get stuck with a moron for a Rider?” The delicate hands wiped themselves off on a not-entirely-disgusting rag dangling from the edge of the garbage bin, removed a nondescript canvas bag from the plastic sack and abruptly Nate was moving deeper into the alley, away from the open courtyard. This just kept getting weirder. Nate now had

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-50277324166887519512009-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-19T06:00:21.201-07:00

martial arts systems, but there was nothing to fight. The jumpsuit he was wearing had several pockets but no weapons anyway, he discovered, after giving them a quick search. Taking a deep breath, he started cautiously toward the open courtyard again—and froze in mid-step. He was completely paralyzed. Try as he might, he couldn’t even blink an eye. “I told you not to go that way.” The voice

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-18250088116631167782009-06-18T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-18T06:00:10.252-07:00

close out the smell. It was night but three small moons-- not even the same planet then, he noted-- gave sufficient light to make out the crudely jammed together mud-brick buildings. To his left there was a door made of a dull looking metal while the alley narrowed further and continued in the distance. To his right the alley opened into a slightly brighter courtyard. He headed toward it

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-16332632861093513242009-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-17T06:00:01.628-07:00

Chapter OneNate woke on a very hard surface with his face pressed against slivers of broken glass. Considering that his last memory was of being eaten by a horde of Rigellian desert beetles, he wasn't quite as put off by that as he might have been—until he saw his hand. The delicate small-boned feminine appendage definitely wasn’t his.Nate swiped at the glass sticking to his face, bringing it

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-27822137542822859452009-06-16T06:00:00.001-07:002009-06-16T06:00:01.771-07:00

Father’s stasis capsule in one hour.”A shorter pause, then, “We will be ready.”Nate fought to repress a triumphant grin. It only took him forty five minutes to wake a startled junior engineer, load an empty stasis capsule with sand-filled bags approximating the mass of his father, and get it back to the ship. The befuddled look on the engineer’s face alone was priceless. He was really going to

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-16167629436124295472009-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-15T06:00:01.093-07:00

manipulate. After all, why would it expect dishonesty from someone with high-level Silverstone authorization, even if he wasn’t quite the top?“Cancel query. Time is pressing. Prepare Anon One for liftoff in one hour.”“Present authorization.”Nate knew that was coming. “Alpha One authorization is not currently possible. A threat has been made to his life so Father has been placed in a keyed

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-24056075702455442012009-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-14T06:00:00.831-07:00

“I’ve already given you my authorization.” Was this A.I. a moron?“Alpha One authorization required.”Ohhh. A glimmer of light was beginning to dawn now. He’d been looking for the most average, least noticeable ship in the fleet and, apparently, his Father had at least occasional use for such a vessel himself. The sly old fox. Maybe he wasn’t quite the boring stuffed shirt Nate had always

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-14544295419902395062009-06-13T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-13T06:00:00.456-07:00

outside, but he’d bet it was fast enough to do the job and almost certain not to have a back-talking A.I. nanny. It would do.The ship identification code was smaller than usual and Nate had to walk halfway around the ship to locate it. He spoke into the voice receptor beside the airlock, “Ship Anon One open airlock for boarding. Authorization Silverstone Alpha Three.A crisp robotic voice

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-61090407425432828462009-06-12T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-12T06:00:02.057-07:00

harness and, it felt like, bruising his eyeballs as they tried to pop out of his skull. Smart aleck A.I. He certainly hadn’t told it to do that. It could use some lessons in manners from his butler Chives. Nate raised his arm and almost spoke the words to summon the old family robot… then thought better of it. Chives would certainly try to talk him out of his adventure while he was at it.

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-31807469028424008502009-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-11T06:00:00.892-07:00

Riderby Don (copyright 2009) PrologueWhat Nate really needed was a radical change of scenery and he was pretty sure how he could get it. “Transport,” he said in the general direction of his armband. Ten seconds later a silver egg-shaped hovercraft whooshed to a stop beside him.The hatch clicked shut cutting off the hail of one of his female admirers. “Nathaniel, darling. I’ve been looking for…

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-35135572812533564272009-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T15:16:30.283-07:00

She pointed to the woman beside him and gave him a big thumbs-up. “What?” A man walked by passing right through Mandy. He looked a little startled, took a suspicious glance around, looked behind him not seeing her, then shrugged and went on. Seeing Ryan’s puzzlement, Mandy pointed at him, then at the woman beside him. She made a big hoop with her arms then made exaggerated kissing motions.

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-69800801623145053312009-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T15:11:09.745-07:00

were now at his disposal—not even counting all the property he owned in New York. But the one thing he thought he had, that had made him so happy, was now gone forever. He couldn’t just take Mandy’s word about Linda, even though she’d been right about Uncle Al and the money. So the same day the money was transferred to his bank he told Linda that he was giving it all to charity. She’d

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-32743809501748164062009-06-08T16:19:00.000-07:002009-06-09T13:55:19.176-07:00

Disclaimer: My Science Fiction Reviews are about the BEST SF Novels... not necessarily the latest.I want to begin by saying that if Robert Heinlein is the Grandmaster of Science Fiction then certainly Marion Zimmer Bradley is Grandmistress. Though now deceased, as is Heinlein, MZB wrote many good books during her career and the Darkover series, to me, represents the very best of her efforts.

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-42258915611349975232009-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T15:07:08.358-07:00

Mandy shrugged. “I just know. The longer I’m here the more things come to me.”Frustrated and unsure of what to do, he snapped, “Why are you still here? Aren’t ghosts supposed to move on? Sixty years seems like a long time to still be hanging around.”Instantly he was sorry he’d spoken so harshly. Her eyes filled with tears that ran down her cheeks and soaked into her ragged nightgown as they

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-81025519853559969952009-06-07T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T15:03:30.366-07:00

estate. And how, if he went through with his rushed marriage plans next week, Ryan would be bilked out of the inherited fortune by Linda before a year had passed. Mandy said Linda had learned about this through a friend with some intermittent psychic abilities. Stunned, he could only stare at Mandy as she floated up to perch back on the bureau. What she was saying wasn’t fantasy. He did

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-87683672759137961472009-06-06T11:32:00.000-07:002009-06-08T14:46:48.734-07:00

Disclaimer: My Science Fiction reviews are about the BEST SF novels... not necessarily the latest out.I first read Stranger in a Strange Land many years ago when it was originally published in the 60's. To this day, it remains my top pick for 'Best Science Fiction Novel of all time.' I've reread it at least five times over the years since its first publication and, at one time, I had three

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-28611891994997762812009-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T14:58:55.431-07:00

“You are trying my patience, young man,” she said icily. “You can have no inkling yet of what this existence is like. I am trying to help you if you will just let me continue.”Ryan still felt confused and put upon. “Why the little girl act?”“It is my natural form. When you die like I did, you are forever stuck as you were. This is what I would look like now if my father hadn’t raped me and

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-32643146771005421562009-06-05T07:04:00.000-07:002009-06-05T10:19:15.025-07:00

Most people think about book reviews in terms of being about the latest books out. My reviews, on the other hand, will focus on the BEST Science Fiction and Fantasy I've read over the years.I read a lot of books but, frankly, there are way more out there than I have time to read. I have to assume that is the case for a lot of people. In today's busy world, you have to pick and chose the best

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-60140993192602496922009-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T12:19:31.607-07:00

wall, hitting his head. He sank to his knees, holding his head. By the time he could get up, Mandy was floating out of Linda settling to her feet on the floor. She looked solid as a real person now. “What did you do to her?” he demanded. He flipped on the bright overhead light, yanked off the covers and examined Linda anxiously. The skimpy nightgown she insisted on wearing concealed very

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-82293642650096876762009-06-04T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T12:14:09.509-07:00

He couldn’t help interrupting. “But she’s the best thing that ever happened to me! She’s so beautiful and nice to me. I know she sleeps a lot and she’s not always that good in bed… her attention wanders, you know, lots of people have ADD of some sort these days…” The little girl floated two feet off the floor and she now had her hand through his vocal cords. His lips were moving but not a

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-20209884408640554452009-06-03T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T12:09:46.767-07:00

She shrugged. “Okay.”“I’m naked.” The little ghost girl looked blank for a minute. “I know.”“Whatever.” Ryan slipped out of bed and quickly into the bathroom closing the door behind him. Maybe she would be gone by the time he got back. He felt blissful relief as his stream splashed noisily into the bowl. “Men are funny.” He jerked, splashing an arc on the wall before he could get

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-5629685269509314232009-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T12:02:38.705-07:00

Linda one last vigorous shake, not taking his eyes off the little girl. Her feet had now disappeared entirely into the woodwork.“Jus’ play with it yourself. ‘M sleepy.” Linda rolled away from him onto her back.“She won’t see me anyway.”He thought the little girl sounded impatient. What she’d just said didn’t make sense. He didn’t want it to make sense. Then she walked over to him and put

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-44620323067207775732009-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-10T11:53:07.478-07:00

“How did you get in here?” he choked out, and then hastily threw the covers back over himself. She thought about it for a minute. “Walked, mostly.” “I mean, how did you get in the house?” Ryan knew he had locked both doors and it was too cold now for any of the windows to be open. “Through the door.” Ryan was about to kick himself for sleep-walking through his nightly rounds when he

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-84416325680678466632009-05-31T06:00:00.001-07:002009-06-10T11:44:18.397-07:00

Matchmaker by Don (copyright 2009) Ryan yawned and stared bleary-eyed at the time projected on the ceiling in foot-high numbers by the nightstand clock: 3:13 AM. He sighed. The bathroom called—even if it was Saturday and no other earthly reason to get up. Linda’s arm was across his chest and her soft warmth pressed against his nakedness. He patted her pert bottom

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-4005549554213877082009-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-31T06:00:00.227-07:00

“I’ll explain in the morning, Little Miss. It is late now. Try to go back to sleep. I think it will not happen again.”She started to protest, then shrugged and blinked sleepily and sank back into the covers as Rajiid turned out the light.

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-8445536695413471672009-05-30T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-30T06:00:00.080-07:00

The twinge he felt in his head told him he’d done that even though it certainly hadn’t been a conscious thing. He sighed. He supposed he already know it. His talent wasn’t gone at all. Just buried.The head flew off the madly spinning doll and bounced off two walls before dropping to the floor.“Missy!!!”Her eyes opened, squinting at the light. Confused, she sat up slowly and looked at the

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-76032863860845037812009-05-29T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-29T06:00:00.220-07:00

“Missy.” He spoke softly and restrained himself from shaking or nudging her. From his own experiences, he knew that was not a good idea. She had always been a heavy sleeper, though, so he might wind up having to shout to wake her. He thought was pretty sure that once she woke the phenomena would be interrupted and she could then continue sleeping normally without the side effects from her

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-75246952669833683632009-05-28T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-28T06:00:00.086-07:00

Chapter 5Rajiid was having a hard time keeping his eyes open as he rocked in his favorite chair in front of the wall-mounted HDTV. Some comedian was droning on about something and he couldn’t seem to keep his mind on it long enough to decide if it was funny. Really should get up and go to bed before…Thump. CRASH!!! His eyes popped open wide. It was coming from Missy’s room! He jumped up

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-65649728548767724132009-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-27T06:00:00.515-07:00

witches itching to lead you astray. If any have the powers they claim… they certainly don’t come from God.” He shook his head at them slowly to show his disappointment. Then shook his finger and roared, “YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS about Diviners, Witches and Sorcerers!” He heard many cries of “Burn them!” over the general noise. He waited a minute for their belated enthusiasm to quiet then

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-67530726722688344422009-05-26T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-26T06:00:01.316-07:00

their own ends or line their own pockets?” Only a few scattered hands were raised hesitantly. “I know you’ve seen them. You might as well be honest… God is watching too.” Over half the hands were now raised. He had already made sure that four such insults to God were discredited and others were in the works. “You see this every day… and you do nothing.”“How many of you watch the news and

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-33560290611968546522009-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-25T06:00:00.999-07:00

difficult, he knew. He raised his hand and struck the podium a hard blow with the flat of his hand making it CRACK into the microphone. “Before we ascend to the Throne of Heaven we must cleanse the earth!” The shocked silence was total. He spoke slowly and distinctly, confident he had their full attention. “You wouldn’t leave your trash on the ground after a picnic, would you?”He had to

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-64257403085970664012009-05-24T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-24T06:00:01.126-07:00

to make sure the rest of his audience could too. “Many of you know the End of Days is nearly at hand.” He sliced off the murmur of approval with a gesture. “But how many of you know what that means?” A few eager hands raised in the congregation including one of his best contributors in the front row who loved the limelight. Ron gestured for an attendant to hand him a microphone.“We must

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-67630255101780167212009-05-23T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-23T06:00:00.476-07:00

Chapter FourRon couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in the new church as he looked out on the thousands of new faces in the crowd. Many were standing, making enthusiastic praise gestures to their brethren as they spoke about the Glory of God and their place in the hierarchy as members of his ministry. He could see there were only a very few seats still open.Soon even this

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-19701234603946118802009-05-22T10:01:00.000-07:002009-05-26T13:31:09.641-07:00

There are big differences between Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror genres and you will probably find many different definitions of them. My purpose here will be to define them in a practical manner so you will know what I mean when I refer to them in the future. One caveat I should mention: In general, I tend to like both science fiction and fantasy-- but I do NOT usually like novels (or

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-53230454890324316862009-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-22T06:00:01.105-07:00

“Bill Jones. I’ll be back by sometime but I may not be the one who pays for the next week.” Rajiid must have looked his shock because the man continued, “Don’t worry. I’ve been around enough to know an honest man when I see one. Later.”Jones climbed in the truck, revved the engine and was soon lost to sight down the highway. Amazingly enough, on the nearly deserted stretch of highway another

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-90932602481605473282009-05-21T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:52:59.711-07:00

to give the repair service another call first thing in the morning. The driver slowed, then stopped in his tracks. “Sir, I really don’t have time right now. I’m already late.”“Surely you would want to see what you will be getting for your money. I had not intended to charge quite so much…”Missy gave Rajiid a sharp look and interrupted. “But for exclusive use, it certainly isn’t too much. We

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-16304133039280866972009-05-20T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:51:59.035-07:00

“Hi. Are you the new owner of the motel?”Rajiid squeezed his eyes shut tightly for just a second. “Yes, yes. Are you needing a room for the night?”The trucker looked surprised. “Me? No, not at the moment. But we will be having more drivers by shortly and some of them will.” He coughed at the dust still swirling in the air from the passage of his truck. “Sorry, allergies. I stopped to ask

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-70255563818360958892009-05-19T14:31:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:50:52.500-07:00

“Sarah told me her dad uses this road a lot when his truck is overloaded.”Rajiid’s interest was caught. “So you are making friends already. Good! You must tell me about this Sarah.”“I was meaning to ask you if she could spend the night sometime…”Rajiid had just opened his mouth to answer when the driver succeeded in getting the big rig stopped and, leaving it parked along the road, hopped out

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-72153140259565447192009-05-14T18:51:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:49:40.873-07:00

She shrugged, obviously not at all concerned. He noticed her eyes kept straying back to the workmen. “Not much logic in anything teachers do if you ask me. School is pretty boring here anyway. They won’t let me test out of anything. They must think everyone is retarded.”“Missy!”“Well, it’s stupid for me to go through stuff I already know about. Having an extra day off can’t be a bad thing

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-66843902407646485072009-05-14T18:44:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:48:45.813-07:00

“Take it up!” The foreman of the work crew called to the crane operator. As the cable tightened, the new sign, bearing the logo ‘Motel 666’, rose slowly into the sweltering dry air. Heat waves shimmered from the newly asphalted lot. Most of the shirtless workmen were sweating profusely as they heaved the lower end of the pipe into position over the hole. It dropped down with a ‘plonk’ and

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-34901998832954982622009-05-14T18:26:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:47:45.895-07:00

Sometimes he wondered if they should have picked another country for relocation. But he did have family here—or at least in Kansas City—and his brother’s descriptions of America had always been very positive. “People in American sue each other over the oddest things. Well then, we could call it Motel 66… after that famous road.She pointed out the window at the empty street. “But we’re not on

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-88751953674491915702009-05-14T18:15:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:46:55.748-07:00

“Daddy, what are you going to call this place? It needs a name that will stick in people’s heads since it’s practically in the middle of nowhere.” She looked out the window at the empty road in front pointedly. “Shouldn’t you have asked your brother about locations and such before you bought this?”He had already heard from his brother on the subject. His email hadn’t spared the adjectives in

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-82508075028752449332009-05-14T18:02:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:44:32.797-07:00

Chapter 3Rajiid swept the last of the dust bunnies into the dustpan and looked up as he caught a motion from the corner of his eye. Just a few feet away stood his daughter bent over the counter wiping away in her underwear! “Little Miss! You cannot be wearing your underwear in the lobby. What if a customer should walk in? It is not decent!"She looked down at herself and grinned at him

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-83222837591138536662009-05-10T15:51:00.001-07:002009-05-21T12:43:22.457-07:00

“NO!” She looked scandalized. “I don’t want all that icky goo in my lungs.”He smiled at her. “As soon as they get the fire out I want you to pack a bag and get ready to leave.“Where are we going?”“I think it is time to take my brother’s advice and get into the motel business.”

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-29039880097283031512009-05-10T15:41:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:41:16.780-07:00

rubbed her bruised bottom. “I just got a bit of a bump when they dropped me, that’s all.”He let out a sigh of relief. “Looks like we got lucky this time.”She looked at him bewildered. “What’s it all about? What did they want?”He struggled to put it into words. “Some people are afraid. Of others who are different.”“Different?”“There are some things I have not told you about myself.”

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-72344846477195220662009-05-10T15:33:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:40:20.984-07:00

Just as they got the front door open and stepped outside, Missy woke up and tried to sit up groggily on the bouncing blanket. “What are you doing…?! Daddy!”Rajiid’s car pulled into the driveway, screeching to a stop in front of their van. Faheen dropped his end of the blanket, dumping Missy unceremoniously to the grass. “Hey!” He ran toward the low picket fence in the back and, as she

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-6403912954749432372009-05-10T15:26:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:39:23.511-07:00

Indecision rooted him to the spot. They had accomplished nothing, but it would be worse than nothing if they were caught here. The secular police here would accept none of the spiritual imperatives. They would be jailed and another black mark would go on the Pathan record. Punjat would not be pleased. He doubted Allah would be pleased either. The whole thing was a miserable failure. Was he

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-25589433486627983982009-05-10T15:20:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:38:07.778-07:00

Six inches from her frilly pink blouse the knife stopped. It felt like he had already plunged the blade into living flesh. Tough flesh. It would move a bit sideways but no further downward. Moving closer to the bed, Abdul applied not only his strength but his considerable weight to the knife. It might have moved another quarter inch. If it wasn’t his imagination. Stubbornly he continued to

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-77930578345957174222009-05-10T14:54:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:37:17.757-07:00

jarring noise that he supposed was intended to be music coming faintly from the muffs. Good. With a little more irony than necessary Abdul motioned the other to enter and proceed. An itch under his turban distracted him momentarily and when he looked back he saw the idiot Faheen about to slit her throat.Abdul couldn’t help a disgusted expression as he motioned for the other just to stab her

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-68225427702089452272009-05-10T14:44:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:36:28.260-07:00

Chapter TwoAbdul wasn’t one to question his spiritual leaders, but right now he had to wonder. First, why had he been stuck with such an idiot to help him in this task? Faheen was practically drooling in his beard to kill the little girl himself. Allah might require one to remove a diseased member, but surely such pleasure should not be taken in the act. Secretly, he also wondered if this

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-51751677283401138812009-05-09T15:57:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:35:27.574-07:00

He stomped the accelerator to the floor and the car took off with a wild shriek as both the electric motors and hydrogen engine kicked in together. Right now he didn’t care if there was a shred of rubber left on his new tires by the time he reached home.Even in the midst of his worry, he felt the exhilaration of reckless abandonment to the engines roar as he swerved to pass a car blocking his

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-15892359262914545792009-05-09T15:50:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:34:23.079-07:00

for the door, making a quick jump to the side to avoid the Arab who tried to step into his path.“Wait, sir. I have a question…”Ignoring him, Rajiid straight-armed the door, startling a couple who were about to come in. He pushed between them, promising himself he’d apologize later. He wasn’t in the same shape he’d been in back in college when he left his friends in the dust, but he could still

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-20621833855952350922009-05-09T15:44:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:33:27.763-07:00

The old woman was speaking. “What kind of doctor are you anyway.” Then to Anna, “What has he been taking?”He could feel Anna shaking his shoulder. That was good. He needed to get out of this fog and get over there. But he couldn’t seem to move. One of the men was pulling a knife! He saw Anna’s hand waving in front of his face. Okay… he’d gotten the warning. Now he needed to get out of

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-53675514181037308562009-05-09T15:35:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:32:34.501-07:00

jacket, you Russian slut’ simmering in there and—apparently—so could Anna. He’d be the first to admit he didn’t know much about women, but he’d been around Anna long enough now to know when she was coming to a boil. Without thinking about it he put his arm around her and tried to move himself in between the women to prevent a runaway loop of bad feeling. Then he had to wonder if that was a

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-52098354232224442812009-05-09T15:26:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:31:28.725-07:00

The front bell dinged and an old woman entered the pharmacy. Rajiid remembered seeing her before but couldn’t remember her name. He was usually pretty good with names. Must have something on her mind from the way she was striding toward them. Anna squeezed his fingers. She was so pretty. And so—nice—really. He wished…She was still looking into his eyes, searching for something. “I know

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-36123128793086136002009-05-09T15:17:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:30:35.348-07:00

waiting for you…” She pulled her jacket back, revealing more tempting cleavage, put one leg forward—hiking her skirt and showing off her wonderful legs in the process—and wet her lips. He didn’t know which was more tempting. “…stark naked.” Rajiid stared at her for a moment, stunned. He thought about her being naked often but… “I would, I would… Why would you do a thing like that?!” Anna

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-14671264704466963452009-05-09T14:57:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:29:36.188-07:00

With her bright smile, bouncy blonde hair and bountiful endowments peeking decorously from the semi-concealment of her jacket, she was always a joy to watch. “Good Morning Anna. You are looking especially lovely today.”She gave him a look he didn’t quite know how to interpret. “You say that every day, you know.”“Probably because it is always true.” It slipped out before he could think about

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-61100572874145316732009-05-09T14:32:00.000-07:002009-05-21T12:27:21.117-07:00

Motel 666 By Don (full name on file)(copyright 2009) Chapter OneRajiid threaded his way through the cluttered aisles at the front of the pharmacy

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174146281184355541.post-10908374715890060372009-05-06T09:08:00.000-07:002009-06-08T18:25:40.109-07:00

Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551425483321498744noreply@blogger.com