Copy, do you read me?

If you haven't heard from in a little while it certainly hasn't been because I've been slack. Instead, I've been Up North on fieldwork - I'm still an archaeologist, you know - and been pumping out fiction after hours like there's no tomorrow! 

I have a very raunchy scene for you, but as you know only people who ask me directly get to read them. I'll give you a little taste of it later, anyway. 

So, where am I at? How am I going? NaNo this years is almost proving a minimal challenge - I'm churning out the words and letting the story flow easier than ever before. In fact, it is day 16 today, just over halfway through the month, and I am just about burst through 30,000 words. 

And I haven't even resorted to chopping scenes as they come to me this time - for the most part, everything is sequential. 

The Back-Pocket Book I started up to keep on me on site helped a fair bit to flesh out scenes and snippets whilst on lunch and morning-tea breaks. But perhaps it is also the routine of getting up everyday, going to work, doing yoga, having dinner then settling down with my computer to write that has really spurned me into action? Whatever the reason, it is certainly working and writer's block has been rallied to a minimum. At this rate I'll have up to five days spare at the end of the month!

Certainly an achievement I'll say. 

On the other scale of things, my trip is drawing nearer and London is beginning to call to me in anticipation. Christmas is just around the corner, and all things merry are certainly coming my way! And that's not even beginning to add the joys of early next year with my jaunt to Egypt with the Adventurous Alyce! 

I think I deserve it for not losing my mind after the dramas of last year and early this year. At least my Christmas in London will be beyond magical when last year I was broken-hearted and sad. Blergh, I know right? No way!

But this year has been much better, and I am much  for it - Stress levels lowered, toxic friends eradicated, forgiven and put out of mind. If it's not too arrogant to say, then I certainly like myself much better than I ever have before.

And you know what? I thought it over, considered the possibility of time travel even (thank you Dr Who!), and realised that even if I could go back I wouldn't change a thing. Because I learnt, and I grew. 

Such is life.

Enough waffling and philosophising - here is a raunchy snippet of Daphne and Eric's passionate argument after she is cornered in Central Park by Adarian Leveaux and the Necromancer..

What's Happening: Daphne and Eric's argument turns heated when they can't agree over Daphne's reasons for meeting Adarian in the Park at night. 

Current NaNo Word Count: 29, 111

Happy reading, may the muses ever be with you!

Mara

On the tenth floor the elevator pulled to a halt and I stepped out. My incredibly hazy memories of the night before and coming here, then those of me leaving in the morning pointed me in the direction of 10-07B. 

            I sidled up to the door and looked over at Mim before raising a hand to knock. The were-cat stood a few steps back and glowered at me. I just shrugged at him in return and rapped on the door.

            A sudden fission of excitement rolled through me and I realised this was the first real time I was going to Eric’s apartment – in New York – when I wasn’t either severely incapacitated or pulling a morning-after walk-of-shame escape out the door. In his shirt, but hey, it worked with the belt.

            Eric answered within seconds and for a second we stood there in silence, face to face.

            “Hi,” I said.

            “Hi,” he replied, a faint smile on his lips that dropped slightly when he noticed Mim pouting behind me in the hall. “You brought your cat?”

            Mim’s hiss permeated the thick air of the landing, and I quickly waved him off. “Mim was just walking me over, isn’t that right, Mim?” The man in question stood stock still, looking like he wanted to rally and argue, but at my look he simply forced a toothy smile and nodded like a ventriloquist dummy.

            “Yes, Priestess.”

            “Good, now thank you for the escort – safe trip back to the Plaza.”

            Eric took a step aside to usher me in, but Mim stopped him, stalking forward until they were, once again, nose to nose.

            “You had best protect my Priestess, Jackal,” He hissed, raking one clawed hand down the wall beside the door, leaving a mark. “Or there will be a reckoning so many years overdue.”

            Eric growled back. “Bring it on, kitty.” He was returning back into the room towards me when, as an almost afterthought added, “Oh, and just FYI; Daphne may be your Priestess, and protecting her your primary purpose of existence, but she is my girlfriend and at the end of the day her heart will always be mine as mine will be hers. Your failure would be enough.” Then, with a great flourish, Eric slammed the door right in Mim’s face, latched the door and strolled over to me.

            Without a word he scooped me up and kissed me soundly, crushing me to him so tightly I could hardly breathe.

            When he released me and let me slide down his body, we were both breathing hard. Eric kept a loose arm around my hips and sighed.

            “Don’t ever do that again.”

            Mind fuzzy from the kiss, I blinked up at him in confusion. “Do what?”

            “Run off after some crazy-ass fucking Frenchman and knock ten years off my life when you’re nearly hurt or worse! Jesus, Daph, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

            I groaned as realisation dawned, and took a second to drop my bag to the floor by couch before confronting yet another argument. I was starting to think that this was the day that wouldn’t end. For starting the day with the hangover from hell, the day certainly descended into shit pretty quickly.

            “Ok, Eric – give it to me,” I sighed.

            “Oh do not give me that, Daphne,” Eric stalked closer, putting me between him and the couch. “I’m sure Mim gave it to you when I left, but you can’t keep taking such huge risks like this – what would any of us do if something happened to you? I love you so fucking much I can’t think straight when you’re in danger, and even though you are the most stubborn woman I have ever met I refuse to give up on you! For god’s sake, please just try to take better care of yourself!”

            “But Eric-

            “Do you have any idea what I thought when I saw you crumble into my arms at the park? When I had to carry you boneless to set you down somewhere else?”

            “Eric, I’m sorry-

            “When we have children, I’m going to tell them all what a completely irresponsible, stubborn ass their mother was when we were young. I’ve half a mind to spank you like a naughty school girl!”

            We both froze for a second as his words sunk in. I gulped and took another half step back, bristling under the sudden sexual tension that had burst into the room.

            With an awkward cough, Eric ruffled the back of his hair sending locks of hair spiking upwards. “Er, that’s not what I meant...” I didn’t doubt it, but now that it was out there I knew he was thinking it.

            I cleared my throat to diffuse the tension. “I’m sorry, Eric, I really didn’t mean to make you freak out. I didn’t even expect you actually – I didn’t tell anyone except for Mellie, my, uh, new friend.”

            He groaned again and I realised that hadn’t been the right thing to say either. “I know you didn’t, but you were still reckless and you’ve been lucky so far, getting out at the last minute, I’m just terrified you’re going to luck out someday and I’ll be too late!”

            “No, you’ll always be there, at the last second, you’ll always be there!” I realised I hadn’t actually considered what Eric had been doing in the park when he’d gotten the same cover story I gave Mim – spending the night with Roy. “Er, how did you happen to find out what was going on?”

            Eric glared down at me, I lifted my palms up in a sort of ‘please-don’t-hurt-me’ motion. “From your bloody cat! I was leaving the bar where I was having a drink with Frank when I saw your Guardian come racing heal for leather out of the elevator like he’d seen a ghost and I just knew it was something to do with you, so I followed!”

            I mentally slapped myself on the forehead.

            “And it’s a good thing I did! Things may be weird between us right now, Daphne, and you won’t let me in but you need to trust me!”

            “Or what, Eric, you’ll spank me?”

            He seized me up in his arms again and bent me back into a dip, lips firm on mine. But what started out as an angry, punishing kiss soon progressed into something far, far more passionate. Eric’s tongue thrust between my lips as his hands brushed down my body to land on my behind, gripping the backs of my jeans with a ferocity that made liquid begin to pool in my stomach and me press closer.