Sizzling First Encounters from the Amateur 😉

by | Jul 5, 2010 | Christian authors | 19 comments

Well, I’m still trying to get some other newbies to post their first encounters, but I think they’re a bit shy (SHERRINDA) and Casey’s not back from vacating yet. So no worries, I’ll keep bugging people to see who my next vict…er…guests will be.

Announcement!! – Miss Kallie won Jamie Carie’s novella, The Snowflake. Congrats, Kallie. Please email me at pepperbasham(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Okay – my turn. (gulp)

So what do I think makes a great first encounter?

One word:

Explosions. (With three boys in my house, it’s a very common word too)

Explosions of wit, anger, attraction, danger…oh about any kind that automatically puts the hero and heroine into discomfort 🙂 Even though most of my guests didn’t use the word ‘explosion’, it’s really what many of them meant. Something between the characters ignites! Fireworks are going off externally, but definitely internally.

Now, I’m always incredibly nervous when I post my own writing for the world to see, especially among such wonderful authors as the ones who have stopped by, but here’s a try

From a BRAND NEW BOOK – Heartless

And it’s my first attempt at a Christian Supernatural – so here ya go. I envision Rachel McAdams as my heroine and Ethan Hawke as the hero (I didn’t mean for the names to match so well 😉 The heroine has just come from rescuing a teen in the forest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Something…er…someone was chasing her.

******

Rose had been gone half an hour. Too long.

Sophia closed her eyes, allowing her senses to reach beyond the bookshop to locate Rose, but another feeling sliced into her thoughts with sickening familiarity. Black. The soul of her purpose. His scent clawed the shadows of her mind like a foggy dream.

Why would a Forsaken come so close?

She raced down the stairway and into the front room, the jingling of bells pulling her attention to the front door. The full aroma of his essence breathed through her, igniting fire in her chest. One look solidified her assumptions. He was perfect. His honey-colored hair fell over his forehead in waves, his skin glimmered too pale in the afternoon sunlight, and his eyes… Blue? Pale blue, even, almost taunting the soulless black she’d expected. How was that possible?

“Afternoon,” he said, closing the door behind him, his stance relaxed – almost friendly.

Friendly? Her voice lodged in her throat. Friendly? When had a Forsaken ever been friendly?

He quirked a honey colored brow. “You’re not exactly what I expected.”

“No?” She fingered her cross necklace and steadied her breathing, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. She didn’t like games, especially this kind.

“When the others mentioned you were coming, I thought you’d be older.”

Sophia stared at him, trying to make him out. His gaze trailed the room and finally came to rest back on hers, a distracting blue. Unearthly.

“I didn’t expect to be chosen, but I told them I’d make sure to take care of you.”

She stepped back and lifted to her full height. “That won’t be necessary.” Her voice vibrated in the back of her throat like a growl, every muscle tensed to alert. “I can take care of myself.”

Heat radiated from underneath her skin, pulsing through her as rapidly as her heartbeat. The change of his expression cleared any confusion his behavior might have caused her. He was a Forsaken.

His pale eyes darkened, slowly, like light fading at dusk, moving from baby blue to aqua and ending in a navy. He gravitated forward, almost robotic, his gaze glazed like a drug induced stare. “What are you doing?”

His raspy voice secured her power. Her gift. The scent of her pure blood captured him and with one taste would burn through him, slowly killing him. The same desire he used to prey upon the innocent would destroy him. Watching him writhe would be a benefit.

Sophia’s nails bit into the palms of her hands, gaze locked with his, willing him forward. Closer. He took two steps.

“Don’t. Do. This.”

His request shook her. Her skin cooled a few degrees. “What are you?

His darkening gaze intensified. “I’m not your enemy.”

Not her enemy? His words seared any confusion or mercy she might have felt a few seconds before. She had been born to rid the world of his kind, of his evil. His kind had taken enough from her. Not her enemy? Liar.

He was within touching distance now, eyes half-glazed, almost black, and unblinking. She pushed back her hair from her neck and felt her pulse beat against the cool air.

His gaze flickered to her throat and his mouth dropped open, his breath pumping with the rapid rise and fall of his chest. One more step and it would be all over.

“God help me,” he gasped and closed his eyes, a visible shiver quaking his shoulders.

His plea doused her spell and confidence. She stumbled back to grip the counter, lost in this impossibility. A prayer from him?

A crash of the back door shattered into her thoughts followed by Rose, arms laden with two brimming bags. Sophia stepped between Rose and the intruder, blocking his access. One step and he’d be picking his teeth from the back of his head.

“Hey, Ethan. I see ya met our new neighbor.”

Sophia’s skin cooled to ice. “Ethan?” Her contact’s name was Ethan.

Rose stepped around her and set the bags on the counter, but the man’s gaze remained fastened on Sophia’s as he loosened his jaw. “Ethan Taylor.” His Adam’s apple bobbed with an effortful swallow. “I think we have an appointment?”

**********

Well – there ya go. Hope to have another for you by Wednesday. In the meantime, I’m keeping my wordcount on track for ACFW Novel Track for the month of July.

BTW, speaking of Christian Supernatural fiction – what do you guys think about that? I never imagined wanting to write one, but (much to my surprise) the idea came. Ever had the urge to step out on the edge in your writing? 🙂

19 Comments

  1. Jennifer

    Aaaack!! Now I have to know what happens!! PLEASE tell me this will be out soon? Pretty please? I loved it, and thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Pepper

    Jennifer,
    You just made my day…not wait, maybe you just made my MONTH.

    I’m excited about this story too, but it’s brand new and I’m only on chapter two -so it’s gonna be a while.

    But I can say – it’s the first book in a 3-book series: Heartless, Soulless, Endless (well, those are MY titles, anyway)

    It’s pretty rough when you have to be a partner with someone you innately want to kill. 😉

    Reply
  3. Kaye Dacus

    Wow, Pepper, that’s fantastic! I wanted to keep reading.

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Kaye,

      What a wonderful surprise to see you here. Thanks so much for the encouragement. Now if I can keep up the momentum, I’ll be doing okay 🙂 I love the idea of the story, though I NEVER imagined writing something like this. Of course, I never thought I’d write contemp romance either, but…well…God MUST have been laughing 🙂

      Reply
  4. Julie Lessman

    I’m not into supernatural as a rule, but that was pretty compelling, Pep! Wow … eerie and sexy at the same time, which I guess makes sense for a supernatural romance, right? LOVE the titles!!

    Hugs,
    Julie

    Reply
    • Pepper

      LOL, Jules
      I was going for eerie 😉
      Guess what? It has a fantastic morale.

      Reply
  5. flyingmulestudio

    I think this really shows how far you’ve come in you’re writing Pepper. It is REALLY well written and compelling, I’d like to read more and look forward to seeing it published.

    *.*.*Sharon*.*.*

    Reply
  6. Pepper

    Hidee Sharon,
    Oh thank you for the compliment – and you would know about how far my writing’s come, wouldn’t you?
    What’s it been now? Almost 3 years of bumbling through with me 🙂
    I’ll send the chapter if you want to read it. I’m now moving through chapter 2 (at my usual turtle speeds) 🙂

    Reply
  7. flyingmulestudio

    Sure, send it. You know me, I’m always looking for more reading material to devour 🙂

    And I’ve enjoyed ‘bumbling through’ with you on your writing journey!

    *.*.*Sharon*.*.*

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Nice new photo, Sharon
      It’s a great color on you 🙂
      And, I’ll try to send the chpt to you tonight 🙂

      Reply
  8. Sherrinda

    Love, love, love it! You really nailed it with this chapter, Pepper! I am looking forward to reading the rest!!!!

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Sherrinda,
      I’m so thankful for you. Thanks for giving it a read through AND…if I can ever get time to write, I’ll get another chapter to you 🙂 I’ve only gotten the first two pages of chpt 2. And thankfully, yesterday I had another idea of how to send the hero and heroine into immediate peril.
      Sigh…
      What fun.

      Reply
  9. Casey

    I just love your writing. Even if it is supernatural….not my style, but still very good. You have a way with words. Wanna coach me?? 🙂

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Case,
      I’m sure you’re writing is great – and I can’t WAIT to feature it someday soon. What fun!
      My next series? Whatya say? 😉

      Reply
  10. Susan Mason

    Hi Pepper,

    I loved your piece. Definitely great chemistry and tension between the two. And personally I love a little bit of the supernatural in a book. Sounds like your new series will be great.

    Good luck & happy writing!

    Sue

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Susan,
      Thanks so much for the encouragement. I’m thinkin’ a little supernatural can be pretty fun in a book. We’ll see if I can portray it as well as I can imagine it in my head 🙂

      Reply
  11. flyingmulestudio

    Thanks! I look forward to reading it 🙂

    *.*.*Sharon*.*.*

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Mary!!
      Woohoo, thanks for stopping by.
      Btw, I hope to post my review of Doctor in Petticoats on Friday or SAturday. Yipee!!

      Reply

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