Sneak Peek ~ Fortunate Wolves

First day of October howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

You know what that means. The Halloween vibes are gathering, circling around us like a hungry pack of werewolves running on the bad side. Yeah...gotta play the paranormal drama queen at times.

So, I have two announcements. First the promo for author, Karen Nutt's HALLOWEEN FLASH FICTION BASH.

***Centuries before The Wolfman and Bram Stoker's Dracula became Halloween favorites, the ancient Greeks and Romans loved tell scary stories about monsters, ghosts and the afterlife.

I'd like to carry on the storytelling tradition at KMN Books Blogspot with the Halloween FLASH FICTION BASH!

OCT. 1 to Oct. 31. Thirty one days of FREE stories form 31 authors! Some of the authors are also giving away extra goodies, and at midnight on Oct. 31st there will be a grand prize drawing. 3 GRAND PRIZES FOR 3 LUCKY WINNERS!

Don't be late and bring a friend! We promise we won't bite... unless asked.

Karen Michelle Nutt ~kmnbooks.blogspot.com~ ***

ON OCTOBER 6, my Halloween flash fiction will be featured. And if you'd like a chance to win a PDF copy of Kandy Apple and Her Hellhounds come by and leave a comment.

~~~

AND... I'm *thinking* of joining Pat and Rebecca by entering the first chapter of a manuscript I've never had time to polish in the So You Think You Can Write contest ~soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/contest/contest-rules~

Here's a sneak peek, the opening paragraphs of Chapter One.

Fortunate Wolves

Chapter One

Wisconsin, May 2006

In a hurry Keira snatched the stapled pages off her cluttered coffee table. She checked the title moving the short distance to her ringing phone. Yep, she'd grabbed the right set. Werewolves of London, Coming to America by Robert Bateman was her cousin's latest attempt at writing an article for a topnotch paranormal website.

Keira quickly shoved the pages inside her packed duffel bag then shouldered the phone. “Aunt Debbie, hello. What can I do for you?”

“Dear, are you busy?”

“On my way out. I'm taking some of my jewelry pieces up to Diane's shop." Keira perched on the sofa then reached down to tighten the laces of her black suede half-boot. "Oh, and Rob wants me to proofread his article. He might have mentioned that to you. I'll do that tonight at the motel.”

“Yes, dear, he did. And your mother mentioned you were making a delivery to the shop.”

Keira straightened slowing her breaths while summoning her patience. She should have been on the road by now--but for a serious case of life-interruptus. “What is it, Aunt Debbie?”

“Hunt For the American Werewolf.”

Keira blinked as her mind went blank for a split second. “Are you talking about Rob or the radio show we listen to? You know, Paranormal at Night. The author of that crypto book was on recently.”

“Yes, the show. Rob mentioned it. I’m worried about him.”

No panic edged her aunt's voice yet Keira tingled in that way she didn't like. Never liked. Trouble loomed.

“What’s going on, Aunt Debbie?” A giant spider named eery crawled through Keira's belly. 

“Rob hasn’t called...and...”

Tingle-spiders raced through Keira. Anything to do with cryptozoology was Rob's passion. He chased after unknown fantastical creatures at every opportunity.

“What’d he do? Grab all his camera gear? Head up to Lake Geneva to hunt for the American born and bred werewolf?”

“Yes, Keira dear. And he hasn’t called.” Her aunt's worry raised the pitch of her voice.

“Where is Rob supposed to be, Aunt Debbie?”

“He’s staying at a small motel, The Half Moon. I spoke with him not three nights ago." Her aunt paused, and Keira heard her draw in a breath. "He promised to call last night.”

“What town, Aunt Debbie?” Keira felt her brow furrow with worry. Rob always called his mother, being a bit of a mother’s boy.

“Blue Moon Bay, it's called. A speck of a town. I'm not certain it’s on a road map, dear."
  
"Blue Moon Bay." Keira stretched her words and stilled the anxious whirl inside her head. "That does ring a bell."

Aunt Debbie sighed audibly. "My friend at the library couldn't find the town on that internet thing.”

“Okay...I remember now. I've seen the road sign--where you turn off." Keira stood quickly gathering up her travel bags. "Sure, I’ll stop. Check on Rob.” She didn't add how concerned she was for her cousin. Although her internal alarm wasn't screaming at her either. Not yet. 

“Thank you, dear. Be careful. Storm movin’ in...heard it on the morning news.”

“Call you on the cell, Aunt Debbie. You do have my number?” Keira hefted the last bag over her free shoulder then reached for her purse. In a creative fit, she'd crafted it with luscious amounts of glitter just for the fun of it.

“Yes. Your mother gave your number to me. Again, be careful.”

“I will. Goodbye, Aunt Debbie.” Keira replaced the phone receiver and rushed toward the front door.

In minutes she'd tossed the bags into her '94 Eclipse. “Let’s go.” Keira hopped inside the Plum Silver Goddess, the name she’d given her car. She checked the traffic, zipped onto the street and headed for the old two-lane highway.

Blasting up the music playing on her favorite radio station, Keira drove toward the land of the American werewolf--an area in rural Wisconsin east of Lake Geneva. That is, according to the crypto-hunter author she'd heard on the Paranormal at Night radio show.

Even though her foot itched to crush the accelerator, Keira stayed at her usual five miles over the speed limit. “I wish I owned the power to manipulate time,” she dramatically whispered. "But so far my study of the craft hasn't included that little secret."

The miles slipped by and Keira entertained herself by imagining she'd suddenly been transformed into a powerful fantasy sorceress. Waving her star-sparkling wand she envisioned scenes from her life, stopping and starting time.

Yeah, her life could use some major adjustments.

Turning her attention to her surroundings, Keira watched farmland change to dense woodland then deep forest. “Born to be wild...” she belted out when the song came on the radio and boomed from the speakers.

The Steppenwolf music revved up her spirits and quickened her pulse to deliciously reckless. Keira loved it. She rocked in her seat continuing to sing along.  All the while  concern for Rob shadowed her enjoyment.

Above the towering trees--the trees she always thought of as majestic, mystic beings--the gray skies darkened rapidly becoming the color of pewter.

As Keira drove through the old-growth forest, the rains came--slashing, window-crashing sheets of rain. Her wipers on high, slowing to a near crawl, Keira leaned forward and focused her gaze on the center line. Even so she glanced to the side of the road looking for the turn-off sign to Blue Moon Bay.

“Oh crap!” Keira pressed her accelerator again. And again. No response. Crap, double-crap.

~~~~~~

 
Wishing you shapeshifting love on the wild side… 

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance