Hello All. Spring has finally made an appearance here, although it seems for a limited engagement based on next week’s forecast. I’m happy to offer a snip from my novel Both Ends of the Whip up for preorder from NineStar Press. You can save 30% and get the novel three days early if you order direct from the publisher.  

From Both Ends of the Whip:

Octavia washed up in the sink in the mudroom. The house was cool after the heat of the barn, and she shivered as she pulled her shirt on over the tank top she wore. She walked into the kitchen. The table was set with two place settings. In the center rested a crystal water pitcher and a large platter filled with thick wedges of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella slices drizzled with balsamic vinegar and fragrant green olive oil. Dark green basil leaves were scattered over the top and stood out against the bright red of the tomatoes. She inhaled the smell of Bridget’s signature crusty bread. Bridget stood at the counter, scooping berries into dessert bowls.

Taking in the line of her thick hips, the way her broad shoulders filled out her uniform, made Octavia’s mouth water, for more than the gorgeous lunch laid out for them. She crossed the floor and wrapped her arms around Bridget’s waist to pull her against her body. She kissed the soft space under her ear. “This looks and smells amazing. Is it for us?”

“Vivian had a late breakfast and left. She won’t be back until supper.”

Octavia pressed more kisses along the slope of her neck. Bridget brought her hand up and cupped the side of Octavia’s face, resting it there. Octavia stilled. She hugged Bridget closer. Their breathing synced, and the hurt and angry words melted between them. Love. She does love me. As much as I love her.

Rainbow Snippets ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/) is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!).

In this groupyou’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise. The only rule is snippets will be 6 sentences long–one for each color in the Pride flag.

Brenda Murphy writes short fiction and novels. She loves tattoos and sideshows and yes, those are her monkeys.  When she is not loitering at her local tea shop and writing, she wrangles two kids, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot.  She reviews books, blogs about life as a writer with ADHD and publishes photographs on her blog Writing While Distracted.

You can find her on Facebook by clicking here.