#got permission to sell this as a print later when I fix it up and shade it

[fernifox]

Commission for @nowayasock

Thank you for letting draw my hyperfixation!!! Ilu bestie <3

[atlafan]

Take it Slow - Part Sixty-Six

a/n: okay this is my first shot at a harry:y/n fic, and it will be multiple parts. y/n had a bad experience with an ex over a year ago, and finally accepts her coworker and good friend Niall’s invitation to go on a blind date with his friend Harry.

Warnings: Fluff. Smut…there’s, um, some more butt stuff…

Masterpost (all previous parts can be found in the masterpost)

Friday after work you meet Harry at the first of three locations he wanted to look at. He really trusted your eye and vision for things. You didn’t like the first location.

“Not enough foot traffic. You’ll want people to be able to walk in and make appointments.”

He agreed with you. Harry’s main thing was to make sure there were two offices in the back. He needed a private space for himself, and for Mariah if she decided to join him.

“You should also see if you can sell frames and other products to help add to your profit. You could offer special deals for those booklets you make.”

“Good idea. That’ll give Isaac somethin’ to do too if he comes along.”

You liked the second location the best out of the three. It was closer to home, and near a park. There were other businesses and a ton of foot traffic. There were two offices, one in the back, and one upstairs. Harry liked the idea of it being two stories. There was also a large storage closet.

“With some paint and some new furniture, this could be a really great place.”

“Yeah, and the price is right in my budget.” Harry says looking over his paperwork. “Are there many offers on this space yet?”

“Not yet, but it’ll move fast. Take the weekend to think things over and let me know Monday, yeah?”

“Alright, sounds good.”

You and Harry were having Mariah and Isaac over for lunch Saturday, so that would give everyone time to think a lot of things over.

“You have the money in your budget for renovations and stuff like that?” You ask him as you get into the car.

“Yup, I think I’ve thought of just about everything. I’d need to put my two weeks in at work quick though because I’d need to spend my free time fixin’ the place up.”

“Which means you’d need to file for insurance soon…”

“Yeah, and I’d need to get my LLC insured too. This is all happening so fast.” He says excitedly. “When can we start working on the website?”

“How about tomorrow night? Once we know if Mariah’s on board we can add her info to it.”

“Thanks again for helpin’ with all this, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He gives your hand a squeeze.

“I’d do anything for you, Harry.” You smile at him and he nearly starts to cry.

//

“So…what exactly are we doing here, other than to have lunch?” Mariah asks as you set a plate of sandwiches in front of everyone.

“Well, I’m finally jumpin’ into my own business, and to be up front, I want you both to come with me.”

“Me?” Isaac asks in shock.

“Yes.” Harry hands them his business plan. “It’s all right there. Y/N and I looked at some spaces yesterday and found one we think could suit all of us. My freelance work alone would be enough to sustain us, so imagine the few people you work with on top of that Mariah. And Isaac, there’s no one else I’d trust bookin’ shit f’me. I know I’m asking you to leave something comfortable, and it might seem rocky at first, but I think this could be great.”

“What would you call the business? Or is it just a space we’d use together?” She asks flipping through.

“Well, that’s somethin’ we could talk about. I mean I’d want us to have business cards that match. It could just be our last names or we could come up with somethin’.”

“I think we should just call it Styles Photography.” She suggests.

“But you’d be my partner, so where does your name go?”

“I’d be working for you, and it would go on my business card. Your name should be everywhere, this is your thing.” She smiles.

“Harry, I have to say, I’m really impressed with this. I mean the salary you’re suggesting for me is way more than I make now.” Isaac says.

“It’s what you deserve to be paid, you work really hard. And Y/N suggested we sell other little things to help offset other costs, which I think is brilliant.”

“Yeah, we could sell some of those techie frames where you digitally load the photos. People go nuts for those.” Mariah says. “Fuck it, I’m in.”

“Me too.”

“Are you both serious?! I wouldn’t be able to provide many benefits…that’s the only thing.”

“I’m still on my parent’s insurance for a couple more years.” Isasc says.

“So am I, actually.” Mariah says. “So we’d have time save up for all that.”

“My question is, when would we start?”

“Well, I’d be leaving Plant Geo far before either of you. I need to lease the space and fix it up. I’d say by June we could be up and running. Y/N’s going to help put a legitimate website together for us, and she’s going to do this social media campaign to help get the word out.”

“Harry, do you think you could have some legitimate contracts made up for us?” Isaac asks.

“Definitely. I could have them to you by the end of next week probably. So we’re doin’ this, I can go lease the space?”

“Yeah! Do you have any pictures?” Mariah asks. Harry hands her his phone. “I was thinkin’ of putting a wall up in the back and adding a small kitchen area. There’s an office in the back for you, and I would take the one upstairs. Huge storage closet for all our shit. I was thinkin’ of getting a custom desk made for you too Isaac.”

“Can you do all that yourself?” You ask.

“Yeah, I’m pretty handy. So are Lou and Niall, they could help when I need it.”

“My dad could help too…” You bite your bottom lip. You hadn’t really spoken to your dad in a while.

“We’ll see…” Harry smiles. “Anyways, I’m really excited you guys are on board.”

“Me too, I’ve been getting sick of all the drama there.” Mariah says.

“Chris is gonna flip losing her three best people.” Isaac says.

“You two need to keep quiet that you’re comin’ with me. I’m not even tellin’ her I’m getting my own studio, I’m just telling her I’m going to freelance full time.”

“Good idea.”

The three shake on it, and Harry tells them they’ll get proper contacts soon. After they leave he calls the realtor and tells him he’ll take the space and will have a check for him Monday.

“Once I get the blue prints of the place I can get the permits I need for renovations.” He tells you. “Do you really think your dad would help?”

“Sure, I mean it would be good to have him there in case you stumble into any electrical mishaps. Plus he has a ton of tools. He could borrow my brother’s truck and meet you out there. And he’s free labor. Well, mostly free, you’d need to buy him a beer or two.”

“What’s his number I’ll call him.”

“You wanna call my dad?”

“Why would I have you call him? So he can ask you a ton of questions and make you angry? No way, I’ll talk to him.”

You give Harry your dad’s number and he dials it on his phone. He picks up after a few rings. Harry puts the phone on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi Mr. Y/L/N, it’s Harry…”

“Oh! Um, hi. Is everything okay with Y/N?” You two smile at each other.

“Yeah, she’s fine, I asked her for your number actually.”

“Oh boy…you’re not calling for the reason I think you are?” Harry’s face goes beat red.

“Uh, no, no, no, not yet anyways.” He laughs nervously. “She actually told me to call you because I’m officially renting my own studio space and I’m going to be doing some renovations to it. Y/N said you could be a great help.”

“Oh! Well, that’s a much better reason to call.” You roll your eyes and Harry swats an arm at you. “What do you need help with?”

“Well, a lot actually.” Harry takes the phone off speaker and walks away so he can explain everything to your dad.

About an hour or so later Harry comes back to you and plops down on the couch. He takes a deep breath and looks at you.

“Your dad is a chatty guy.” He laughs.

“Yeah, no shit. Did he really think you were calling to ask if you could marry me?”

“Yes, and he talked my ear off about how even though he knows we love each other, we just need to slow down a bit and that it’s too soon for all that.”

“I’m sorry.” You can’t help but laugh.

“S’alright. Don’t really need his permission though do I.” It wasn’t a question.

“Nope.” You smile. “So what did he say about helping?”

“Oh, he’s all for it. Said it would give him somethin’ to do. He said your brother could probably help too. He said once I get all the right permits he’d be able to jump in wherever.”

“That’s great!”

“God, I can’t wait to give my two weeks to Chris on Monday. Been there for four years, feels way longer.”

“I’m so proud of you Harry, this is going to be great.”

//

Monday morning Harry walked into Christin’s office and handed her his two weeks notice.

“What’s this?” She asks looking up at him.

“I’m leavin’ Plant Geo. I’m goin’ to invest more into my own work. No hard feelings, I just can’t do this anymore. The work doesn’t make me happy like it used to.”

“There’s nothing I can do to convince you to stay? You’re the best photographer we’ve got.”

“I’m sorry, Chris. It’s just not what I want anymore. I wanna be my own boss.”

“I understand.”

“I’d like to keep this quiet, I don’t want anyone makin’ a fuss.” She nods and he walks out of her office to go to his own.

//

Harry made a ton of phone calls all week to get the ball rolling on the permits he’d need to start making renovations to the studio. He also worked on the contracts he’d need to give Mariah and Isaac. He asked Rachel if she’d be able to help paint once it was all ready for that. Harry felt lucky to have so many friends that were willing to support him.

Every night you and Harry sat at the dining room table getting his website together. He loved watching you work. He was beyond grateful for you. You’d make sure everything looked the way he wanted. You both worked really well together.

“As you’re renovating we should post on Instagram to show everyone updates. You’ll need to give me the login to your professional insta.”

“Should we just make a brand new one for the LLC?”

“No, we can just update yours. Then we can post an announcement to Facebook, and let everyone know about the site. I can set it up so they book with you on the site too. Isaac would have the final approval on the reservation of course, that way you wouldn’t get overworked.”

“I’ve told a few people and they said they were really excited. A lot of people have more time during the week to get their pictures taken than I thought. Plus I can still freelance for other magazines if I want.”

“Did Christin tell you that?”

“Yeah, we spoke and she said if I ever needed the work she’d give it to me.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah, I appreciated it.”

//

A couple of weeks later, your dad started helping Harry with the renovations. Your dad was actually impressed that Harry had a lot of the proper things he needed like masks and goggles. Harry made sure to take before and after pictures for you to post updates on social media. One night he came home in a pair of jeans, workboots, and a longsleeve shirt. It was starting to get warmer out, but the longsleeve helped keep dust and other scraps off his skin.

“I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but I’m actually havin’ fun with your dad. He’s helpin’ me get the kitchen together this week.”

“That’s great.” You bite your bottom lip while he runs a hand through his hair.

“What?”

“Nothing…you just look…hot. Where’s your tool belt?”

“Left it in my trunk.” He smirks. He comes over to you and rests his hands on your hips. “Why?”

“Be nice if you brought it home some night.”

“You should come by one of the mornings your dad isn’t there.”

“I’m not fucking you in your studio.”

“C’mon, why not? Now that would be hot.”

“Harry.” You suck your teeth and pull his hands off you. He pulls you back closer to him.

“Okay, okay.” He presses his forehead to yours. “I have a wedding to shoot this weekend.”

“I know.”

“So we won’t have much time together again, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m gonna spend some time with Rachel.”

“Oh good.” He kisses your nose. “I needa shower, I must smell like a goat.”

“A very sexy goat.”

//

Rachel comes over Saturday while is off taking wedding photos. You’re enjoying catching up with her. She tells you how excited she is to help paint at the studio, and how excited Mariah is to work with Harry.

“I’m really glad she’s my girlfriend, she’s awesome.”

“I’m so happy for you! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy.” You take a sip your tea. “Can I ask you something kind of personal?”

“Always.”

“Well…you know about the things Sarah and I bought for the boys?”

“Oh yeah, she filled me in on all that.”

“Okay cool, so it’s been a while since Harry and I dove back into all that. He’s just been so busy with everything, I’ve sort of felt bad asking you know?”

“Sure.”

“So like…how do straps work?”

“Oh my god, you wanna peg him?”

“You have no idea how badly I wanna get into that ass.” You both laugh.

“Yes, oh my god, okay, well, I’ve never used one in someone’s butt before, but using the strap in general just makes it easier to like hold onto the person. It’s not like using a dildo where you have to keep your hand gripped on it.”

“But how do you know what you’re doing?”

“You just feel around, talk to your partner make sure they like what you’re doing. Does he know you wanna fuck him like that?”

“Yeah.”

“And he’s cool with it?”

“He didn’t seem not cool with it. You should have seen how amazing he looked when I used the plug on him, Jesus, he was beautiful.”

“I never expected you to be into something like this, I love this for you.”

“I didn’t expect it either. I just don’t know how to bring it up. He hasn’t had a free second.”

“Have you had sex otherwise?”

“Oh sure. We always make time for it. We just haven’t had time for the things that take a little longer.”

“Do you think he’ll want to do it to you?”

“He’s not really a give to get kind of person. I don’t want it for myself and he knows that.”

“Oh that’s nice. Yeah, I don’t really like the strap used on me, I don’t need the dick.” You both laugh.

“So sex with Mariah is good then?”

“So good. I’ve never really connected with someone the way I’ve connected with her.”

“That’s great Rach.”

“Please don’t keep me in the dark about if/when you actually peg Harry. I’m gonna need all the details.” You both start laughing just as he’s walking in.

“Oi, what’s so funny.” He smirks at them, loosening his tie.

“Hi!” You say blushing. “Did you just walk in?”

“Mhm. Hi Rach.”

“Hey Harry.” She smiles at him then at you. “Well, I’ll get going, I have some projects I need to grade actually. God, summer cannot come fast enough.”

“I hear that.” You stand up to walk her out. “Thanks for coming over today.”

“Course! It was fun to catch up. Bye!” You turn back to look at Harry.

“She didn’t need to leave.”

“Oh she’s been here for hours it’s fine. You’re home earlier than I thought.”

“It was an early morning wedding, and they didn’t need me for the reception, just family shots, so I got outta there as soon as I could.” He slips hit suit jacket off and walks down the hall to your bedroom. You follow him. “What was so funny when I walked in?”

“Hm? Oh, I can’t even remember. Sometimes we just get into these laughing fits.” You sit on the bed and watch him undress. He hangs up his suit and looks at you. “You know Aunt Flow left yesterday.”

“Did she now?”

“Mhm.”

“Is that your way of tellin’ me you wanna bone?” You giggle and bite your bottom lip.

“Maybe.”

“Well, we gotta make it quick. I need to go to the studio and get some things done.” He stands between your legs and you can’t help but pout. “Whatsa matter, angel?”

“We’ve been making it quick a lot lately.” You say looking up at him. You put your hands on his hips.

“Aw, you want us to take our time baby?”

“Yes.”

“How about a quick shag now, and then tonight when I get back we can take our time, hm? We’ll do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want?”

“Sure.” He smiles. “Now take your pants off.” You grin and stand up to take your leggings off.

Harry fingered you until you came and then fucked you into the mattress before he left for the studio. You got caught up on some homework while he was gone and made dinner. He got home around seven, exhausted.

“Please take a day off from it tomorrow.”

“I will, I will. I just wanted to get some things done. Your dad is comin’ back to help Monday so I brought some lumbar over and some other things we’d need.”

You both eat quickly. He goes over to sit on the couch, but you put your hands on your hips and make a grunting noise.

“What?” He looks at you just as he was about to turn the TV on. You point to the bedroom. “Babe, I just need-“

“No, you said when you got home we could do whatever I wanted. Now get that ass up and into our bedroom.”

He couldn’t say no to that, so he stands walks with you into the bedroom. He sees that you’ve pulled out the special box and stops short.

“You…you wanna do this tonight?”

“Neither of us have anywhere to be tomorrow, and we haven’t done it since the first time.” You bite your inner cheek. “If you don’t want to we don’t have to.”

“S’not that I don’t want to…what’s the end goal here?”

“I want to be able to fuck you in the ass.” You say bluntly and he nods. “Are you okay with that?”

“I think I could be.” He sits down on the edge of the bed and you stand between his legs. He looks up at you. “I’ve been reading into it a little.”

“You have?”

“Yeah, can’t say I’m not curious…but there’s gonna have to be things that you’ll have to do. I mean you’re legitimately going to need to finger me to stretch me out and stuff. Are you comfortable with that?”

“Maybe if you shower first.” You giggle.

“Alright, let me go shower.” He stands up and starts taking his clothes off. “I want you naked on this bed ready f’me when I get out. I’m still a little hungry, and I really only want one thing.”

You do as he says and excitedly get on the bed and wait for him while he showers. Harry makes sure he’s all clean and comes out to you. He gets on the bed and hovers over you. He kisses your lips and then makes his way down your chest. He takes your nipple between his teeth before sucking on your breast.

“Ah.” Your head rolls back while he sucks on one and kneads the other.

He makes his way to suck on the other, wanting to give equal attention. He kisses down your chest and belly. He kisses one of your hips and sucks on the skin harshly letting it go with a pop. He spreads your legs apart and dives in. He licks a flat tripe up from your center to your clit. He laps at your folds and sucks where he pleases. His tongue goes up inside you while his thumb works your clit. He was really taking his time, only make small, slow circles. Your chest was rising and falling rapids. When he wraps his mouth around your clit, your hands fly to his hair. His middle and forefinger plunge inside you, going in knuckle deep.

“Shit.” He looks up at you while your eyes are rolled back.

He took a great deal of satisfaction knowing that even though in a few minutes you’d totally be in charge, but no matter what he’d always be the one in control. If he really wanted to he could fuck you so hard you wouldn’t be able to walk for a week, let alone stand.

He curls his fingers up inside you while the tip of his tongue flicks back and forth against your swollen nub. You tug at his hair harder. He feels you start to clench around his fingers as he hits that spongy spot you love so much.

“Harry.” You moan. You moan his name over over until you’re coming. He takes his fingers out of you and slips his tongue back inside to suck on you. He wanted all you’d give him. “Fuck.” You were out of breath.

He sits up between your legs and wipes chin with the back of his hand.

“Go get the towel and the lube.” He says to you.

You practically squeal while you grab everything. You lay the towel down for him and he sits on top of it.

“Are you sure it won’t be easier on your stomach?”

“No, I want to be able to look at you while you do it. I’ll just hold my legs up like last time.”

“Okay. I’m just gonna blow you for a few minutes first.”

“Sounds good to me.”

You smile and lick up his shaft. You wrap your lips around his tip and slide down. His hips buck up slightly. He felt like he could explode at any second. Going down on you really got him going. Your tongue slides back forth on his slit, lapping up at his precome.

“Shit.” He groans. One of your hands cradles his balls and massages them lightly. “So good, babe.”

You come off him with a popping sound. You grab the lube and put some on your fingers. You warm it up as best you can. You look at him.

“All clean right?”

“Mhm, I sprayed the water right up in there.” You both giggle.

“Okay.”

You lean up and press your forehead against his while he hooks his arms under his knees to give you better access. Your finger tip lightly grazes around him. You start laughing and so does he.

“I’m sorry, I’m just nervous.” You look at him.

“I am too, it’s okay. We can laugh through it, we don’t need to be so serious. S’kinda funny anyways.”

“Yeah, like, my bare finger is gonna go into your ass.”

“Yup.” You both laugh again. “Hold on, before you push in, just like squirt some of th lube directly on me.”

“Won’t that be too cold?”

“It’s fine, I’ll adjust.”

You grab the bottle and put it directly on him. He clenches at how cool it is but he relaxes again. You kiss him as you lightly play with his hole, getting him to relax more and more. Eventually you start to push your middle finger inside of him. He winces at first.

“Nail’s a little long.”

“Shit, I should have clipped them.”

“S’okay, just be careful.”

You continue to kiss him and you feel him relax around you as your finger goes in deeper. There was so much trust between the two of you and you were so happy. You get it all the way in and you pause.

“What should I do now? Curl it up? Move it?”

“Bring it out all the way slowly, put more lube on, and then put it back in.”

You nod and do just that. Eventually you’re able to get a second finger in, and he seems to be enjoying it by the way his cock twitches.

“Doing okay, Harry?”

“Mhm.” Beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead. “Doesn’t feel too bad actually. DO you wanna get the plug now, think I’m stretched out enough.”

“Yeah!” You pull your fingers out of him. “I’m just gonna go wash my hands, one second.” You race into the bathroom and scrub your fingers quickly. You return with the plug in your hand. You get it lubed up and start to push it inside him.

He gasps but relaxes. You had done a pretty good job of stretching him out. Once you get it all the way in, you focus your attention on his cock. You wrap your mouth around his dripping tip and suckle on it.

“Did you…did you wanna try…” He was panting. You look up at him and you can’t help but smile at the beautiful blush covering his cheeks.

“What is it, Harry? Tell me what you want.” You coo as you pump his dick.

“The, uh, you know…the dildo.”

“Babe, it doesn’t have a base.”

“So tie somethin’ around the end of it.”

“Is that safe?”

“I just…I need somethin’ to go deeper.” Your mouth falls open and then you bite your bottom lip.

“Okay, don’t be mad, but I did buy something else.”

“Why would I be mad?”

“I don’t know, we haven’t done this in a while and I didn’t want you to get freaked out.”

You get off the bed and go into the back of your closet. You grab a bag and your hands shake as you take the item in it out.

“Oh.”

“I…I’m a little nervous to put it on. Is this going to be weird for you?”

“I think we’ve crossed the point of weird, don’t you?” He chuckles.

“But it’s going to be me…with a penis.”

“Not really. Let’s just remember to laugh, okay?”

“Okay.”

You slip it on over yourself and you look at him.

“Straps around your ass look nice.”

“Stop” You laugh. “Should I put a condom on it?”

“Um, I think just the lube should be fine.”

“Okay.”

You take a deep breath and get on the bed. You carefully pull the plug out of him.

“You’re about this, we don’t have to do this, Harry.”

“No, I want to.”

“Not just because I want to?”

“Y/N…” He cups your cheek with his hand. “If you’re too nervous, we don’t have to go this far tonight. I’m honestly okay.”

“Alright.”

You take the lube and squirt it into your hand. You rub it all over the dildo attached to the strap.

“Ready?”

“Mhm.” He keeps his legs held back for you as you slowly slip inside him. He lets out a deep breath and relaxes as much as he can.

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

“How does it…how does it feel?”

“Lotta pressure.” He says through gritted teeth. He looks up at you and smirks.

“What?” You start chuckling.

“You just look…sexy, I don’t know how to describe it.”

“It is pretty hot isn’t it?”

“Little bit, yeah.” He relaxes more and you’re able to fit the whole thing inside him. “Holy shit.”

“Did I hurt you?”

“No, opposite of hurt.”

“Oh! Maybe I hit your prostate.”

“Look at that, you’re a natural.” You both laugh.

You starts to pull out a little and you get some more lube on the dildo to add to his comfort. You thrust back in slowly and he lets out another breath. Eventually it actually starts to feel really good for him. You pump his cock while you go in and out of him. Keeping your eyes on his face the whole time to make sure he’s alright.

“You’re doing so well, Harry. How’s it feel, am I making you feel good?” The tip of the dildo keeps brushing against just where he needs it to, and your hand wrapped around hip, thumb working his tip, was pushing him over the edge.”

“I think I’m gonna come.” He gasps. “Oh my goooodd, please let me come on your tits.”

His moans were really getting to you. You angle his dick towards his chest, and with a couple final pumps and thrusts he was coming all over you.

“Fuck, Y/N.” He groans.

You both take a second to catch your breaths. You slowly slide out of him and take the strap off. His legs fall onto the bed. A lot of the lube comes out of him, but you try not to look. You straddle his hips and hover over him. You hug him close to you, neither of you really caring about how messy everything is.

“Are you okay? You did so good, sooo good Harry.” You give him gentle kisses on lips and cheeks. “Thank you, thank you, we don’t ever have to do it again if you didn’t like it.”

“Babe.” He says breathlessly. “I’m good.” He cups your cheeks in his hands and brings you down to kiss him. “We can do it again.”

“Really? It felt that good?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard.” You smile at him. “And you looked…I mean…it was hot.” You kiss him again. “Not an all the time thing though…maybe for like…special occasions?”

“Sure! How ‘bout if you’re in the mood for it, you tell me.”

“That sounds like a good deal.”

“How are your legs, you had them up for a while?”

“They’re fine, just tired. I feel like I have a whole new respect for what I put your body through all the time.” You giggle and kiss him.

“Would you like me to draw us a bath? Get all clean and cozy?”

“Yeah, I think that would be nice.”

“Okay.”

You climb off him and he watches you go into the bathroom. His asshole was on fire, but he couldn’t muster the energy to care. He was exhausted. You throw a bath bomb into the water and the room fills with the smell of cinnamon and apples.

“Baby? Tub’s all filled.”

“Okay.” He swings his legs over the edge of the bed and you help him up.

“I’ll clean the bed up when we’re done.”

“Alright.”

He lets you get into the water first so he can sit in front of you. He leans his head back against your shoulder and closes his eyes. He just needed some time to come back. You massaged his scalp and peppered light kisses to his temple.

“Y/N?”

“Yes, baby?” You coo.

“Do you think you’ll ever want to try it?” He tilts his head to look at you. “M’just curious.”

“I…don’t know. Maybe. I could try the plug some time I suppose.”

“Only if you want.”

“We’ll see.” You smile and he nestles back down. “So…did it hurt at all?”

“Um, it’s not that it hurt, it was mostly like discomfort for a little bit. But then it sort of just started to feel good, I can’t explain it. You were really careful with me, I appreciate it.” He takes of your hands and kisses the back of it.

“I love you, Harry.”

“I love you too.” He sighs happily.

“Wanna watch a movie tonight? We could get cozy on the sofa in our robes, and I could do your nails for you, and I could pop some popcorn.”

“I will never say no to you offering to do my nails, that all sounds great.”

Harry gets into his robe and meets you to the sofa after you’ve cleaned the bedroom. You come over with some popcorn and a couple of beers. You let him pick through your polish colors, and you let him pick the movie. Believe it or not he really wanted to watch To All The Boys I Loved Before.

“Read the book when I was younger.”

“Don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

You take his old polish off and file his nails. You end up painting them a nice pastel blue and purple.

“How’s it look?”

“Perfect, thank you.” You lean in to kiss him.

“You’re more than welcome.”

“Now, come lay with me so I can spoon you. Time to may some attention to the other bum in this house.”

You giggle and lay down with him, one of his legs slipping between you. He holds onto you and you both enjoy the movie. When you think about what had happened only an hour or so prior, you feel like anyone on the outside looking in would think it was weird. Or that maybe Harry wasn’t as into women as he led on. But you knew none of that was the case. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought because it wasn’t weird for either of you. And if there was one thing Harry loved, it was a vagina. It wasn’t really about him needing or wanting something up his butt. It was about the two of you exploring something together, and seeing where the journey took you.

You roll onto your back and he looks down at you with an eyebrow raised.

“I love you.” You say.

“I love you too.” He says back, and gives you a tender kiss.

Even though he had just been freshly fucked, and he honestly still looked like it, he had caught a second wind. Before you knew it the two of you were giggling with your legs over his shoulders while he fucked you on the sofa. Yup, he still had complete control.

[ammar-b-shakir-blog]

Edison’s Life &  Its Inventions

An article about Edison's life and its inventions:

Admiz Melton writes: One day Edison bought all of Faraday's writings and sat down to study the height and slept there. When my eyes opened in the morning, he was sitting and reading. We were both going to a hotel about a mile away for breakfast. What Edison did read was his mind wandering. Somehow he told me, Adams, I have so much work to do, and life is so short that I have to hurry so badly that I have to go to bed. Started running Most of the things we often use in our daily life are ancient and modern inventions of science. Behind all these inventions is the hands of great scientists and inventors who worked hard and achieved a high standard. One such name was Miss Elwid Yason. Edison was probably the greatest inventor in history. He attended school for only six months, but the invention of his bulbs and phonographs changed the lives of millions of people. Edison has patented 1,000 inventions in his life. In reference to Edison's great service to humanity, Henry Ford once suggested that distant life should be called the Edison covenant. Edison praised extraordinary intelligence in these words: a verdict on the idea and a nascent decision on a sweat. He proved this belief by working all the time that he was just at meal time. Edison seemed to find everything strange. He experimented with pharmaceuticals and proposed a program for people's comfort. He was very close to the invention of the Red U. and he used nuclear energy. Predicted about Edison always strives to create things that can work under normal methods without spoiling and easily repair and improve the inventions of other

Early Life:

Edison Milne was born on February 5, 1847 in Ohio. Samuel Edison and Nanny Edison were the seventh child. Edison's grandfather was Judith Holland and mother was from Canada. The family emigrated from Amsterdam to the United States in the 8th century. Seeing the boy's curiosity and passion, his family called him Elva. Elva used to ask them questions constantly. How does the bird escape from the chicken poop? What makes the bird fly? Why does the water extinguish the fire? His school teacher couldn't even answer some of his questions. If no one was able to answer his question, he would try to get the answer from his own experience. One day, Elva learned that bubbles fly because they have gas. So he sent a boy to sidelight. Feed three sauces of safflow Elva was convinced that when the boy's stomach was full of gas he would start flying. But instead, the boy fell sick and lay on the ground, and the world began to feel him spinning.

At the age of seven, Elva moved with her parents to Ho Chi Minh, where her parents started a grain and litter business. Elva entered a public school and hurried the teacher to ask a lot of questions. The teachers used heavy leather keys to kill the children who asked them questions. One day, Elva told the district school inspector Ho Edna's son, Hoyna, is dirty and unable to study. Elva ran home and told her mother. She would go straight to the teacher and tell her in incredible words (Elva is more intelligent than the teacher's entire body in little swallows) and she dropped him off from school. Thus, the regular recognition of Elva Edison lasted only three months. His mother intended to teach him by playing the game, which was unusual at the time. His mother made education a game for him. At first he was surprised at it, but very happy later. He began to learn so fast that his mother could not teach him any more. When Elva was nine years old, her mother introduced her to a book written by Richard Babe Parker, a well-known teacher of the mid-nineteenth century. Elva Edison refused to accept her writings. She repeated each experiment to prove the author wrong. Elva had more than a hundred smells of different chemicals. She had poisoned all the smells to keep her family members away from them. Charles Bachelor, a friend of Elva's, says: "One night I returned, and I was sitting at the dockside, and in front of it was a pile of alchemy and other books, some as high as five feet." He was studying all day and night. In a few weeks, he had looked at all the books and prepared a volume based on his abstracts. He also did many experiments on farms. From the age of nine to twelve, he spent many years in the history of Hume, England, the rise and fall of the Empire, Potter's Discovery of the Senses, and Tuton's Principal of Teacher, Fla. Now it was fall. At the age of twelve, he got a job as a train boy in a grenade trunk train. He used to save newspapers, candy, tea, and peanuts in the train (which runs between Port Huron and Detroit). Was. In his spare time, he experimented with merchandise and chemicals in an empty container. He bought a press and started publishing his own newspaper (the Herald Daily). Due to its unique nature, it began to go hand in hand. It was the first newspaper to be published in a moving train.

Chemical experiments in Elva's train hit him hard. One day, a fire broke out in the foreshore pen, causing a flare in the train's car. At this point, the conductor hit the powerful Elva's ear. Received and threw her out of the box with her chemicals, printing on it and other things. The incident caused Elva to become deaf. However, Elva attributed her deafness to another incident. While she was trying to board a moving vehicle, the conductor pulled her by the ear and brought her to the platform. Edison said a few years later (I He felt something break in his head.) My deafness started from then on and it only increased.

Edison, though not completely deaf, but in the last years he could barely hear the screams. His depression could have ended with a concussion, but he refused to have surgery. Edison did not mind being deaf but thought of an easy way to get one. Edison escaped Barmouth's mouth because of his ear impairment. It happened that Edison bought a large pile of old books in doodler and he took it and left for the house at three o'clock in the night. In fact, a watchman saw him and ordered the thief to be considered. Jason couldn't hear because he was deaf. The guard fired the bullet, but the bullet passed through Edison's ear. Thus the great inventor survived the target. After the train wreck, Elva started to save the newspaper at the stations. One day at the Clemens Railway station, Elva noticed that a freight train was moving towards the station at Mulla Zam's son. Elva rescues the baby in a timely manner. Thanks to the station, Mulazam taught Elva to use a telegraph in return.

.Early Inventions:

1868, In Boston, Edison worked as a telegraphist in Boston. He completed his first invention, which he sought to sell. It was an electronic voting machine that resembled a machine used in legislative assemblies in various states. It recorded the votes of members of the legislature on a large board. Elva Edison took it to Washington and Congress A committee heard it, but the chairman of the committee told him that the machine was not in the Congress's priority: it takes about 5 minutes to attend. Your machine had to make it work. Elva Edison was very angry with this behavior and said that no I will not invent anything that is not needed. And he kept the words of his words. After that time he committed himself to these words in urgent need of the world. Elva Edison emigrated from Boston to New York in 1940. She had nothing and obtained permission to sleep in the futures of an employee of the Goldandecar Company. Elva Edison used her time to understand the stock ticker most of the time. The telegraph was the kind of machine the company used to tell brokers about the price of cocaine. A few days later the stock ticker broke and Edison surprised the manager by fixing it because everyone else had failed to fix it. At that time, the manager offered him $ 5 for a supervisor job. It was great. Edison's busy brain continued his experiments on the stock ticker. It made it so much better that the president of the Goldland Stock Telegraph Company, Jazel Marcel Lefferts, expressed his interest. The leaflets sent Edison a payday and asked what amount he would take to patent his stock. Edison made a decision that he would say $ 5 and accept up to $ 5. He hesitated and said, "Well do Jazel Fur, you offer me .....", Leffer Toss thought for a moment and then said, "Do you accept 3 dollar  ? For a moment Edison found it difficult to control himself. He grabbed the desk to keep himself upright and said gently yes! I think it will be fine.

Magic of Menlo Park

23 years ago Edison established his first workshop in Newyark, New Jersey, with money from Lefferts. It was there that he began to manufacture his own stock-ticker. In the year 2, he modified the typewriter's steel components with wood. It also corrected the intonation and ink distribution of words. Edison Improved Typewriter It was possible to write with machine speed much faster than Yes. Edison Menlo came in. That same year, he improved the telephone by adding a car bin transmitter. This was a very important step in making the telephone workable. Before this change people had to smell the telephone very loudly. Edison's inventive phonograph or record player has been named the most innovative invention in the world. In this regard, no one had ever made a practical model of phonograph, and the specimen was brand new and untouched. Edison has always called phonograph his favorite invention. The idea of ​​a phonograph came about when he was trying to find ways to automatically record telegraph messages. He wanted to record messages on a rotating plate on paper pads. That disk is like today's phonograph. He was walking around. Edison learned from his telegraph analyst how the diaphragm is being made or how the discharge is triggered in the disc that reacts to the sound waves. He made an opening or one that had a caffeine attached to the cabin. On his neck, one of the elbows was opened in which the opening had been cut. I went or mine! Six o'clock baby eats. And I have promoted a ton of wood. Edison decided that he could recapture those moles rather than give them something. Then he can make the word abusive by saying that he has two. Edison made a note and ordered his cousin's footman to take a cue from Crowley or make it. Croatia did, however, confused her, but he confused her. He was asked to make something that was neither alchemy nor evil, but it was mica goodness. On the contrary, Edison did not destroy anything that could be completely mica-good. C could not imagine who used Edison to make this device but he took it and built it. When the C-C, the cylinder-shaped machine comes with Z. Edison's wings or you ask what it is. Edison unintentionally said, "Oh, this machine will smell. He wrapped the fort's foil on the cylinder's neck! The baby at six o'clock eats. He smelled this alphabet in the machine's silence. The machine gave Edison's words every chance. The croc's face turned white with movement. Edison, however, remains a diamond.

Electrical light (BULB):

Light bulb (bulb) Didn't I like the style of the new photo shot? Many two-headed people worked on this concept for years. The Russian-born Michael Najnier Paula Jiblo was persuaded by Pir's family to be archery at the time, but Edison wanted younger boys and girls who could be used at home and at home. Coin - in fact, it was the gas of the heart that was the main source of energy. In 1879 AD, Edison brought out a successful soliloquy of LED light. He did just that for the second time to observe all the flame minutes, which could illuminate the roaring light. The employee was sent to Azzone and another to the jungles of Japan. He had tried about three thousand things for a minute. On 19 October 1879 , after several attempts, Car Edison's fibers were finally able to be applied to the filament bulb. The bulb gave great light. By the morning of October 7, the precious bulb was burning. Finally on October 7, at 2:30 pm, Edison decided to raise two latches, which caused the bulb to burn. On the 5th of September Edison's lightning flashed a new invention of light. Edison became known all over the world as the magic of Menlo Park. Edison won the patent for electric light in January. Edison did more than 3 experiments for the invention of the bulb. In 9 AD, Edison moved to New Jersey, the large and modern Libya rotary of the West and Najj. He spent most of his time working on his new inventions. He organized many companies to develop his inventions. By the end of the decade, Edison began producing animated films and films. He made a comedy based on the inventions of George Eastman and others. In 2 AD Edison combined phonographs and cameras to create spoken pictures. The machine showed some flaws and Edison put it aside. Other people later fixed the flaws. At first people thought of animated films as a toy, but Edison saw them with the hope that it would be through education. He predicted that one day it would change other ways of teaching. Some of his later inventions and distortions include storage irons Tissimeters, cement mixers, duct phones and photocopying machines. From his first patented invention (Golden Artificial Plant to Artificial Rubber) to Edison's society Participation continued at the same pace. He died in the West and Najj on 18 October 1931 at the age of 84.

Edison’s Friends:

Edison had no special close friends. He often liked to be with Henry Ford, Harvey Fairestone and John Barrows. But he worked hard for hours, not having much time for friends. Used to be Throughout Edison's life, his work has always been a joy and a friend to him. Edison was a musician. Despite being deaf, he claimed he could hear the speaker of the phonograph with his skull. Edison was not a religious man but he believed in great intelligence. One time he told his friend that although he is known as a great inventor in the world, he cannot create even the simplest of life. Edison's most important work for the world was not only to invent electric light, but also to map the world's first power plant to reach millions of people. Edison received so many awards for his achievements that he had to say that I needed a mole to produce them. In 1956, Edison's laboratory was declared a national heritage. In 1959, her house was also declared a national heritage. The fact is that not only in life but also after death, the honor and fame that came to the part of Edison, which is very fortunate.

[wondercustard]

Welcome back to Wedding Wednesday!

Today I’m doing a quick little post about designing my own stationery for the wedding. My background: I have extensive photoshop training and some minor design experience. I took classes for photoshop from middle school up through college. So that is where all of my experience lays.

Let’s get started!

Here is what my stationery currently looks like.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Why did I choose to design my own stationery?

I wanted to be able to really customize it. A lot of the pre-designed packs only allow you to put in some minor details, like names and dates. I wanted to be able to have something unique, recognizable, and fun. I knew that doing it myself would give me the full control of customization that I wanted, as well as save me a little bit of money. A pack of 100 sheets of 5×7 rounded corner paper cost me roughly $12. So instead of spending $200+ on save the dates and invitations, I spent $50 on paper and envelopes. I’d consider that a massive success.

What sort of inspiration did I look for?

Since we are getting married on a ship, I wanted something a little nautical themed, maybe travel related. I took to pinterest to gather some ideas about fun invite ideas. I was seeing luggage tag shapes, airplane tickets, and some that were shaped like the steering wheels of ships. I had an entire pinterest board dedicated just to invite inspo until I re-did my pinterest wedding board and got rid of that.

I had actually found some people selling some that were designed to look like passports, and I adored it. I thought it was such a cute idea, and began sketching out ideas and ways to make my own.

Didn’t you need pictures? How did you get your backgrounds?

I actually have paid access to certain stock photo sites, and had been given permission to pull a few stock photos for my personal use. That’s how I got the rope border on my save the dates, and the background I used and modified heavily. The main photo, my father took. And the rest of the empty boxes in the “passport” will be filled over the summer when we are able to go back to the beach and take some photos there.

Ultimately, I’m happy with how they turned out. The test print of my actual invitation showed me how I needed to tweak the colors, and what sizing issues I needed to fix. But those will be ready to be mailed come August!

Thanks for reading, folks. See you later!

DIY Save The Dates and Invitations Welcome back to Wedding Wednesday! Today I’m doing a quick little post about designing my own stationery for the wedding.

[agilenano]

Agilenano - News: Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala – Spotlight and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Sharon Sala who is celebrating the recent release of her newest book Somebody to Love, the 11th book in the Blessings, Georgia series. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Once in a Blue Moon, book 10 in the series. Welcome to Blessings, Georgia! Whether you’ve lived here your whole life, you’re returning after years of being away, or you’re new in town, you’re sure to find the happy ending you’ve always been looking for. Fifteen years ago, a family member stole the money Hunt Knox had saved for college, while three of his siblings and his father hid the truth and told him to get over it. Betrayed by their lies and thievery, Hunt joined the army and wound up flying Apache helicopters in Iraq. Now, he’s a chopper pilot for an oil company in Houston, Texas, his father has been dead for six years, and he’s finally returning home to Blessings at his mother’s dying request. Ava Ridley, the little girl his mother used to babysit, has grown up and is a nurse at his mother’s bedside when he arrives. Ava is overjoyed to see him. She had a huge crush on him when she was young. And as the two spend more time together, Ava’s crush grows to be even more. Through secrets, lies, family betrayal, and difficult choices, Hunt’s not sure he and Ava can ever make a home together in Blessings. Or if life will once again lead them onto different paths…? Enjoy an Excerpt Hunt rode across town, past the park, and then west down Peach Street to the little house at the end of the block. He’d seen this house a million times in his dreams, but it hadn’t looked sad and run-down like this. A black pickup was parked beneath the carport, so he rolled up and parked beside it. He got the house key out of his pocket, but as he headed toward the back door, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but this house didn’t feel like it wanted him there. That was fair. He didn’t want to be here, either, but a promise was a promise. He unlocked the door and walked into the utility room just off the kitchen, turning on lights as he went. All of the furnishings were here. If it hadn’t been for the faint layer of dust all over everything, he could imagine his mom had just stepped out to run an errand and would be back soon. There was a low spot in the middle of the kitchen floor—probably floor joist issues. The old hardwood flooring was scarred and worn, and the furniture was threadbare. The sight of this neglect made Hunt angry. How could his brothers and sisters let this happen? They were all right here in the same town together. The year Hunt began high school, they’d remodeled the attic enough to call it a bedroom, and for the first time in his life, he’d had a room of his own. Curious to see what it looked like now, he went straight up the narrow stairwell at the end of the hall and opened the attic door. The single window was bare of curtains or shades, and the dust motes in the air stirred as he moved through the space now filled with boxes of old memories that should have been laid to rest years ago. The bed he’d slept in was gone. The closet door was missing, the closet empty. Even the rod where his clothes used to hang was gone. It was as if they’d wiped away all memories of him. If only he’d been able to do the same. He went back downstairs, glancing in his mother’s room and accepting it was the only one decent enough to sleep in, then began eyeing all of the things that needed repair. He went back to the kitchen to check out the appliances. The burners on the gas stove lit, the oven came on. The dishwasher was clean, and the single glass in the top rack told him it had recently been in use and was likely in working condition—something he’d find out later. The water pressure was good, and the washer and dryer appeared to be in working condition. The refrigerator was the newest appliance in the house, but nearly everything inside it needed to be thrown away. He didn’t know for sure how long his mother had been in the hospital, but the carton of milk was over a month out of date, and the single container of peach yogurt had long since expired. The ice in the bin beneath the icemaker had all frozen together, which meant the electricity must have been off at one time long enough to melt it. Then when the power returned, it froze back. So he took the bin out and dumped the ice in the sink, then put it back beneath the icemaker to start making fresh ice, then dumped everything that was in the freezer and refrigerator into the garbage. The central heat and air were still working, and they looked newer than he remembered, which was good. There was a big job ahead of him to do this right, but in the long run, it would make a huge difference in the sale of the house. However, this task was going to take tools as well as supplies, so he went out back to the toolshed to see what, if anything, was left. The light bulb was burned out in the shed, so he left the door open as he went in to look around, and it was just as he feared. There was nothing left in it but a couple of old hammers, a hand saw, and an old sack of roofing nails. Seeing the nails reminded him he needed to check on the condition of the roof as well. He could rent tools and hire help. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it was going to be a pain in the ass coping with his family while it happened. He found a set of car keys hanging on a hook in the kitchen and guessed it was to the truck. If it ran, it would be handy to use while he was hauling stuff to the house to make repairs, so he went out to check. The insurance verification in the glove box was in Marjorie’s name. He turned the key to see if it would start, and the engine turned over immediately. So he locked the house and drove to the bed-and-breakfast to pack up his things and check out. Bud was scanning Hunt’s card to pay for his room when Hunt thought about the locks he needed to change. “Hey, Bud, is there still a locksmith here in town?” “Yes, there sure is. Mills Locks, next door to Bloomer’s Hardware on Main Street. The owner’s name is Cecil, but everything is probably closed today.” “Okay…I remember him,” Hunt said. “Thanks, and thank you for your hospitality,” he said, then carried his bag out to the truck. Out of curiosity, he drove straight to the locksmith, saw the Open sign on the door, and went inside. The man at the counter looked up. “Welcome to Mills Locks. I’m Cecil Mills. How can I help you?” “I need a couple of new locks put on a house I’ll be remodeling. Would you be available to do that today?” “Yeah, sure. Here in town?” Cecil asked. “Yes, where Marjorie Knox lived. I’m her oldest son, Hunt. I’m going to fix it up some before it’s put up for sale.” “Lived?” Hunt nodded. “She passed away early this morning.” Cecil frowned. “I hadn’t heard. I’m real sorry about that. I’m waiting on a customer who’s on the way in from his farm, but I can get away around noon, if you don’t mind me coming at your lunch hour.” “I’m not on any schedule. You sure you’re okay working on New Year’s Day? It could wait until tomorrow,” Hunt said. Cecil shrugged. “I’ve already been called out twice today for emergencies, and my wife is home and sick with the flu. I’d just as soon be here.” “Then noon is fine. Do you know the address?” Hunt asked. “It’s the last house on the right at the end of Peach Street, right?” Hunt nodded. “Yeah. My Harley and her black pickup will be under the carport.” “Then I’ll see you at noon.” “Right,” Hunt said, and left the shop, then stopped by the grocery store. He was surprised to see that it was no longer a Piggly Wiggly, and had a new facade and a new name to go with it. The Crown. Nobody recognized him, which made shopping easy, until he got up front to pay. The cashier who was checking him out kept looking at him, and when he put his credit card in the reader, she finally spoke. “You sure do look familiar. Are you from around here?” she asked. Hunt nodded as he put his card back in his wallet. “I’m Hunt Knox. I used to sack groceries here back when it was still the Piggly Wiggly. You’re Millie, aren’t you?” “Yes! I’m Millie Garner! I knew you looked familiar. I just heard about your mother’s passing. My sympathies to the family,” she said. “Thanks,” he said, and began putting his bags back in the shopping cart. “Do you plan on staying here?” she asked. “Only long enough to fix up the family house so it can be sold at auction. I promised her I’d do that,” Hunt said, then walked out pushing the shopping cart. By the time he got back to the house and unloaded the groceries, it was getting close to noon. He took off his jacket, then began emptying the sacks and putting up the things he’d just bought. By the time he was through, Cecil Mills was knocking on his door. He let Cecil in, and then pointed out the locations where new locks were needed. “There’s just the front door, and then a back door in the kitchen.” Cecil nodded. “I’ll get those switched out for you and get both locks synced to open with one key. How many keys are you going to want? It comes two keys to a set, so you’ll have four.” “That’s plenty. I’ll be the only one using one here, but when it sells, then that will be handy for the new owners.” “Then I’ll get right to work,” Cecil said. “Call out if you need me,” Hunt said, then took a notepad and a pen and started in the kitchen, making a list of the things that needed to be fixed. *** Excerpted from Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala. © 2021 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author: Sharon Sala has 127 books and novellas in print. First published in 1991, she’s a RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, RT Career Achievement winner, National Reader’s Choice Award, Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence, Heart of Excellence Award, the Booksellers Best Award, RWA’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and the Centennial Award for recognition of her 100th published novel. Her books are New York Times, USA Today,and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. She lives in Oklahoma. Facebook Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Bookshop, BAM, or Books2Read. a Rafflecopter giveaway #Giveaway #SharonSala #GuestBlogs #Romance

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/somebody-to-love-by-sharon-sala-spotlight-and-giveaway

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala – Spotlight and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Sharon Sala who is celebrating the recent release of her newest book Somebody to Love, the 11th book in the Blessings, Georgia series. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Once in a Blue Moon, book 10 in the series. Welcome to Blessings, Georgia! Whether you’ve lived here your whole life, you’re returning after years of being away, or you’re new in town, you’re sure to find the happy ending you’ve always been looking for. Fifteen years ago, a family member stole the money Hunt Knox had saved for college, while three of his siblings and his father hid the truth and told him to get over it. Betrayed by their lies and thievery, Hunt joined the army and wound up flying Apache helicopters in Iraq. Now, he’s a chopper pilot for an oil company in Houston, Texas, his father has been dead for six years, and he’s finally returning home to Blessings at his mother’s dying request. Ava Ridley, the little girl his mother used to babysit, has grown up and is a nurse at his mother’s bedside when he arrives. Ava is overjoyed to see him. She had a huge crush on him when she was young. And as the two spend more time together, Ava’s crush grows to be even more. Through secrets, lies, family betrayal, and difficult choices, Hunt’s not sure he and Ava can ever make a home together in Blessings. Or if life will once again lead them onto different paths…? Enjoy an Excerpt Hunt rode across town, past the park, and then west down Peach Street to the little house at the end of the block. He’d seen this house a million times in his dreams, but it hadn’t looked sad and run-down like this. A black pickup was parked beneath the carport, so he rolled up and parked beside it. He got the house key out of his pocket, but as he headed toward the back door, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but this house didn’t feel like it wanted him there. That was fair. He didn’t want to be here, either, but a promise was a promise. He unlocked the door and walked into the utility room just off the kitchen, turning on lights as he went. All of the furnishings were here. If it hadn’t been for the faint layer of dust all over everything, he could imagine his mom had just stepped out to run an errand and would be back soon. There was a low spot in the middle of the kitchen floor—probably floor joist issues. The old hardwood flooring was scarred and worn, and the furniture was threadbare. The sight of this neglect made Hunt angry. How could his brothers and sisters let this happen? They were all right here in the same town together. The year Hunt began high school, they’d remodeled the attic enough to call it a bedroom, and for the first time in his life, he’d had a room of his own. Curious to see what it looked like now, he went straight up the narrow stairwell at the end of the hall and opened the attic door. The single window was bare of curtains or shades, and the dust motes in the air stirred as he moved through the space now filled with boxes of old memories that should have been laid to rest years ago. The bed he’d slept in was gone. The closet door was missing, the closet empty. Even the rod where his clothes used to hang was gone. It was as if they’d wiped away all memories of him. If only he’d been able to do the same. He went back downstairs, glancing in his mother’s room and accepting it was the only one decent enough to sleep in, then began eyeing all of the things that needed repair. He went back to the kitchen to check out the appliances. The burners on the gas stove lit, the oven came on. The dishwasher was clean, and the single glass in the top rack told him it had recently been in use and was likely in working condition—something he’d find out later. The water pressure was good, and the washer and dryer appeared to be in working condition. The refrigerator was the newest appliance in the house, but nearly everything inside it needed to be thrown away. He didn’t know for sure how long his mother had been in the hospital, but the carton of milk was over a month out of date, and the single container of peach yogurt had long since expired. The ice in the bin beneath the icemaker had all frozen together, which meant the electricity must have been off at one time long enough to melt it. Then when the power returned, it froze back. So he took the bin out and dumped the ice in the sink, then put it back beneath the icemaker to start making fresh ice, then dumped everything that was in the freezer and refrigerator into the garbage. The central heat and air were still working, and they looked newer than he remembered, which was good. There was a big job ahead of him to do this right, but in the long run, it would make a huge difference in the sale of the house. However, this task was going to take tools as well as supplies, so he went out back to the toolshed to see what, if anything, was left. The light bulb was burned out in the shed, so he left the door open as he went in to look around, and it was just as he feared. There was nothing left in it but a couple of old hammers, a hand saw, and an old sack of roofing nails. Seeing the nails reminded him he needed to check on the condition of the roof as well. He could rent tools and hire help. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it was going to be a pain in the ass coping with his family while it happened. He found a set of car keys hanging on a hook in the kitchen and guessed it was to the truck. If it ran, it would be handy to use while he was hauling stuff to the house to make repairs, so he went out to check. The insurance verification in the glove box was in Marjorie’s name. He turned the key to see if it would start, and the engine turned over immediately. So he locked the house and drove to the bed-and-breakfast to pack up his things and check out. Bud was scanning Hunt’s card to pay for his room when Hunt thought about the locks he needed to change. “Hey, Bud, is there still a locksmith here in town?” “Yes, there sure is. Mills Locks, next door to Bloomer’s Hardware on Main Street. The owner’s name is Cecil, but everything is probably closed today.” “Okay…I remember him,” Hunt said. “Thanks, and thank you for your hospitality,” he said, then carried his bag out to the truck. Out of curiosity, he drove straight to the locksmith, saw the Open sign on the door, and went inside. The man at the counter looked up. “Welcome to Mills Locks. I’m Cecil Mills. How can I help you?” “I need a couple of new locks put on a house I’ll be remodeling. Would you be available to do that today?” “Yeah, sure. Here in town?” Cecil asked. “Yes, where Marjorie Knox lived. I’m her oldest son, Hunt. I’m going to fix it up some before it’s put up for sale.” “Lived?” Hunt nodded. “She passed away early this morning.” Cecil frowned. “I hadn’t heard. I’m real sorry about that. I’m waiting on a customer who’s on the way in from his farm, but I can get away around noon, if you don’t mind me coming at your lunch hour.” “I’m not on any schedule. You sure you’re okay working on New Year’s Day? It could wait until tomorrow,” Hunt said. Cecil shrugged. “I’ve already been called out twice today for emergencies, and my wife is home and sick with the flu. I’d just as soon be here.” “Then noon is fine. Do you know the address?” Hunt asked. “It’s the last house on the right at the end of Peach Street, right?” Hunt nodded. “Yeah. My Harley and her black pickup will be under the carport.” “Then I’ll see you at noon.” “Right,” Hunt said, and left the shop, then stopped by the grocery store. He was surprised to see that it was no longer a Piggly Wiggly, and had a new facade and a new name to go with it. The Crown. Nobody recognized him, which made shopping easy, until he got up front to pay. The cashier who was checking him out kept looking at him, and when he put his credit card in the reader, she finally spoke. “You sure do look familiar. Are you from around here?” she asked. Hunt nodded as he put his card back in his wallet. “I’m Hunt Knox. I used to sack groceries here back when it was still the Piggly Wiggly. You’re Millie, aren’t you?” “Yes! I’m Millie Garner! I knew you looked familiar. I just heard about your mother’s passing. My sympathies to the family,” she said. “Thanks,” he said, and began putting his bags back in the shopping cart. “Do you plan on staying here?” she asked. “Only long enough to fix up the family house so it can be sold at auction. I promised her I’d do that,” Hunt said, then walked out pushing the shopping cart. By the time he got back to the house and unloaded the groceries, it was getting close to noon. He took off his jacket, then began emptying the sacks and putting up the things he’d just bought. By the time he was through, Cecil Mills was knocking on his door. He let Cecil in, and then pointed out the locations where new locks were needed. “There’s just the front door, and then a back door in the kitchen.” Cecil nodded. “I’ll get those switched out for you and get both locks synced to open with one key. How many keys are you going to want? It comes two keys to a set, so you’ll have four.” “That’s plenty. I’ll be the only one using one here, but when it sells, then that will be handy for the new owners.” “Then I’ll get right to work,” Cecil said. “Call out if you need me,” Hunt said, then took a notepad and a pen and started in the kitchen, making a list of the things that needed to be fixed. *** Excerpted from Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala. © 2021 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author: Sharon Sala has 127 books and novellas in print. First published in 1991, she’s a RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, RT Career Achievement winner, National Reader’s Choice Award, Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence, Heart of Excellence Award, the Booksellers Best Award, RWA’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and the Centennial Award for recognition of her 100th published novel. Her books are New York Times, USA Today,and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. She lives in Oklahoma. Facebook Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Bookshop, BAM, or Books2Read. a Rafflecopter giveaway #Romance #Giveaway #GuestBlogs #SharonSala

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/somebody-to-love-by-sharon-sala-spotlight-and-giveaway

[shainethecat]

Create your own blog

 Blogging: how to start a blog, using a CMS is as easy as writing an email. The whole purpose a CMS is actually by enable a person to publish content on the web simply by typing or pasting content into a website and clicking on the "publish" button.

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Install wordpress themes: How to install Wordpress themes, Search Engine Friendly - To me, there will not be a point making a website without letting folks to find us easily. WordPress is certainly one the top software at this point optimized for Search Engines - from loading speed to the displayed Page. There is very minimal effort you might want to do outside WordPress to optimize for Search engines. Design features of WordPress: To brand the style of your website, you have got to already have some graphics available that match your organization. Will certainly include a logo, a banner, or a color scheme that your supporters recognize from your print materials. If you're a new organization, this is a great time brainstorm your lifestyle and imagine branding operating your website. Two. With plugins nevertheless deactivated - activate and revert to the "default" how to install wp themes. Does it operate at this point? If so - you've hacked your theme and broken it. Consider downloading on a clean copy (or just switching themes). If that nonetheless doesn't fix the problem attempt the third step. I won't purchase a theme that restricts the quantity of websites and blogs I can create - whether for my use or for client use for the one time purchase cost. I require no restrictions towards use found in a theme I order. What I need then is fundamentally a developer permission.

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 Best Website Hosting: Website hosting, Time can be a factor in your web hosting needs. Several types of websites, readers are highly cyclical. Use analytic tools to take a look at your traffic. Is there spikes where traffic skyrockets at certain times of day, or is the traffic relatively even? You will probably be aware so good best website hosting companies offer special intends to fit your traffic behavior. You may be able to join a plan that works with traffic spikes (especially predictable ones) without costing you extra. The best possible way to pick your service provider is to make a associated with research. Learn all that you can about different hosts the actual others regarding them.

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  Wordpress: What is WordPress, Large amount those plugins and themes are available to install starting from administrative interface of Hubpages. Just write in search box exactly how you interested in, take a look up through plugins descriptions, or use a theme preview, choose what fits your taste and press "install" button. Before choosing your hosting company, it is advisable to determine what your needs are exactly. Do you plan on operating more than one domain? How about a substantial amount of storage uncover the much? Exactly how much speed which allows for transfer of data? Do you want access to free Joomla templates? Will you be needing 24/7 support or are you a Joomla expert oneself? These are all very important questions that please find solution for before you start searching most effective hosting business enterprise. You then will be able to tell them precisely what your needs are and they'll be in the show you what need to be offer, at the very pointing you in very best direction. Tags: learn wordpress, wordpress tutorials

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 Best Wordpress plugins: Wordpress plugins, There most appropriate deal of other good plugins but these are a way to get you began. Search for upcoming posts on other for you to extend Wordpress. Really don't skip out! Subscribe to weekly updates in the proper execution on proper. Custom Headers and Footers: This can be a fabulous plugins that will enable you to be able to extra content above or below your site content and page content despite your appearance. This plugins keeps you from having to change your theme's code and allows you quickly devote items like header images or your copyright information and links to your terms of service, privacy statement and disclaimers. Permalinks might get you found. WordPress creates a dedicated and permanent link every single specific blog. In addition, you are creating a Permalink 1 page and/or each write-up. In other words, you can drill it down to obtain recognition.

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[telltheworld-phff]

Chapter 7: Turning the tide

What Carol didn't know is that Harry was expecting something to leak. Every morning he would wake up expecting to see a missed call from Edward or his grandmother with the new tabloid's headline. He was expecting a history about how he had dinner with a co-worker in Brazil or details about his night in a Brazilian night club. He could almost see all the made up things the press would publish, but although he wouldn't admit it he was expecting that things he had told her to make the headlines. If they ever made the headlines, it'd disappoint him in so many levels. Even though he knew they all had signed NDA's, he knew that sometimes it wasn't enough for someone not to sell him. He waited the ball to drop every single day after he left São Paulo, but since after he was back in London, not a single word about the time he spent with her hit the news.

And he was grateful for that. Grateful for having trusted her with small bits of information. Some of them were true and others were not, something that he hated doing to anyone he met, but that was necessary for him to know if he could trust the person or not. Four weeks have passed since he left São Paulo, and specially that morning, he'd have to talk to her again. He was surprisingly excited. He kind of missed their banter. And Edward needed some more explanation in one of the reports she made. Harry had wanted to talk to her since he left, but he couldn't find a good reason to. And this morning he took advantage of the British punctuality to time the best hour to speak. Harry made sure to ask for Carol's report when Edward was busy and with packed work. He played an act of "I need it now", and Edward just asked him to wait a little bit before he would look for Carolina's number and call her. If it was any other day, Harry would just come back to his office and wait for the paper, but now he wanted an excuse to talk to her. "I'm going to call her myself, Ed.", Harry said already looking through the files where she added personal information in. He got her phone number and with a mischievous smile he went back to his office. He sat a his chair with her number in his hands and wondered a little bit if it was the right thing. If he was completely honest, the report was already very good and it was ready to be signed and archived. Harry had spent the last three days looking for faults in it, and it was so damn hard to find. But he found some information that hadn't made the cut (because they weren't needed in the report) and started asking Edward to change it or have someone to do it. He grabbed his work phone and added her number. It took him a couple more minutes before he texted her. H: Hey Carol. What's up? He didn't want to check on his phone every five minutes, so he set it aside and found something to work with. He started sorting his emails and trying to not think about it. He even scolded himself for being so nervous about talking to her again. She was a colleague. She's Carol. Only Carol. And he had a girlfriend. 45 minutes later an answer made his phone buzz. C: Who's it? Her phone buzzed beside her and woke her up. Who was texting her at 6:00 am? She could sleep at least 40 more minutes before she had to get ready for school and someone was daring to text her at that time of the morning. She cursed a bit before grabbing her phone to discover who was about to hear a very pissed Carolina complaining about messages at that ungodly hour of the day. She thought she was still sleeping when she saw way too many numbers in the screen. There was a message from an unknown number, from London (which she discovered after a quick Google research). She wasn't going to answer it. She didn't know anyone that lived in London anyway. She got up and went to the bathroom to have a shower. After she finished, and she was more awake now, it hit her: It might be Harry. But she then laughed at herself. Why would Prince Harry be texting her? She was going crazy. Prince Harry wouldn't waste his time texting her. But the message did say "Carol", so it wasn't just a coincidence, was it? Her curiosity got the best of her and she answered it while she was fixing her some breakfast. The answer came faster than she thought. H: Forgotten me already, have you? ;) It was him after all. She didn't have to ask. She'd recognize that tone and that sass anywhere. She stopped eating midway when the answer arrived, she even spit a bit of the orange juice she was drinking. How did he find her number? Why was him texting her? C: Probably have. Since I don't really know who you are... Harry rolled his eyes. For someone as smart as Carol, she should've noticed right away who it was. As long as he knew, the only person she knew that lived in London was him. Or Edward. Or one of his PO's. But why would any of them text her if not him. Duh. He typed and erased the answer a few times before hitting send. H: It's your favorite prince! Carol decided to have some fun and she never typed an answer as fast as the next one she sent to him. C: Carl Philip! :O How did you get my number? Harry rolled his eyes. Again. H: Not Carl Philip... C: Haakon, then? H: No, Carolina. It's not Carl Philip and not Haakon. It's the best looking prince in the UK. With his reply she laughed out loud. Harry could be so full of himself when he wanted. She was hot, of course. But she wouldn't admit that out loud... or, worse, to him. So she decided to push even further to see what he was going to say. C: George! I didn't know you knew how to type that well being only 3 years old. But yeah... How's Lupo and Marvin? H: Fuck off, Carolina. C: Your Royal Highness, what do I owe this pleasure of waking me up at 6 am? H: Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot we were in different time zones. C: That was awfully unkind of you. My sleeping pattern is a sacred thing. But since you're a prince - not the very best looking one, btw - I won't tell you off. I'm on my way to school. In that moment Harry laughed out loud. Carolina's sleeping pattern came as close as a hibernating bear. He wouldn't mention it to her, but she was the most sleepy person he knew so far. H: I said I'm sorry. So... how are you? C: I'm fine and you? How did you get my number? H: I'm alright. And I just looked through your file. But I also could've asked James Bond to fetch it for me. C: Should I know why would you disturb Mr. Bond's fight against criminals just to get a phone number? H: We need something from you... And then he explained what was needed of her and he hoped that she'd find a good enough reason for contacting her after so many time. Somehow he thought she'd know it was just an excuse to talk to her again. As always, she said she'd get to work on it when she was back at home. They texted each other for a little longer before she turned her phone off to pay attention in the class that was about to start. When she arrived home she opened her e-mail to see the message she received a few hours before. She soon did what was asked and sent it to Edward and Harry saying she was available for any necessary changes on the file. While she worked, another e-mail came in her inbox. She had been selected to participate in a job interview. The company remained in confidentiality and she'd have to be there next afternoon. She considered not going to the interview. Just because when the company didn't show it's name, it meant that it was shitty position in a shitty place. She answered the e-mail asking for more information about the job position and what field would she be working on. She turned on her radio and started singing along while she cleaned her whole house. She was doing everything she could to not think about her last encounter with Rodrigo. She could say that the love she felt for him, was disappearing. Slowly but constantly disappearing and she was looking forward for the day where she'd not feel anything for him. She actually got a reply from the company. It wasn't a detailed job position, but she could at least see that it was a communication company and that she'd get an internship in revising and editing texts and internal communication. She confirmed her presence and started to prepare for the interview: looking for the address online, getting the information about the buses she'd have to take to get there, picking out an outfit and to print her new portfolio. To avoid disappointments, she didn't mention it to her mom. They chatted for a bit after dinner that night. "You know, Flavio asked me to go have dinner with him on Friday.", she said sitting on her daughter's bed. She was biting her lip, a clear sing she was nervous about the topic they were chatting about. "And what did you say?", Carol looked at her mother. "I said that I had to think about it. Meaning that I'd ask you first. What do you think about it?", her mom was looking for a sincere answer. "Well... you're 60 and you're asking me permission to go on a date with a guy? That's weird.", she laughed and her mom only rolled her eyes. "I mean. If you want to go out with him, then do. You're a single woman." "You won't be upset with me?", her mom asked. "No. You deserve to be happy for a change. Both of you are single and grown ups.", she smiled. Her mom got up and kissed her forehead before leaving the bedroom. "Is now the time we should have the talk?" "What talk?", her mom was confused. "The talk about where babies come from and how two people who really like each other hug..." "Shut up, Carolina!", her mom interrupted her rambling and opened the door to leave her bedroom. "But I don't want anyone pregnant, miss!", Carol yelled jokingly when her mom left. --- She arrived at the place of the interview a few minutes before the time they asked her to. She entered the building and gave her ID at the reception. She was headed to the 5th floor and waited for a while. There were ten people waiting with her. She tried to look for a sign to discover where she actually was. But probably it was just a building rented for a HR company to make the interviews for the employers. The interview was like many others she did. A Portuguese test, that she always finished first; a journalism test, an English test and a brief conversation where they asked about her work experience, her hobbies and how she saw herself in 5 years. They asked about the time she was a freelancer at WorldWide and she told them the work she helped to develop there. The woman interviewing her seemed interested but she asked her to wait on the outside for a couple minutes. This time, though, she got to talk to the supervisor. And that's when she was a bit more relaxed, she knew she had done something right. Talking to a supervisor or a manager was always a good sign. They chatted for a few minutes and he said what she was waiting for the past months: "I think this is it. You're part of our team. You had the best scores in all the tests we gave you." She wanted to scream and run and scream again. But she just smiled and thanked them for the opportunity. He explained what her tasks would be, payments and hours and every practical thing for when you're starting a new job. And that's when she got to know the name of the company: she was the new trainee at BBC Headquarters in Brazil. She couldn't believe it that an non eye-catch ad had led her to be employed at BBC. She had been accepted in one of the greatest companies of media and communication in the world. It took her a few minutes to calm down, for her hands to stop shaking and to her breathing to go back to normal. She thanked her new boss and left with all the necessary paperwork for her admission. Losing no time, she went to all the needed places she had to before going home. When she got there, her mom was making dinner and had a worried expression on her face. "Carolina! Where were you?", she said drying her hands on her apron. "I was doing an interview, mãe.", Carol answered putting her bag away. "Why didn't you tell me? How was it?", her mom seemed interested and surely more relieved now that her daughter was home. "Because I was tired of always telling you and coming home with bad news. Today, though, I got the job!" "You did? OH MY GOD! OF COURSE YOU DID! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU", she said hugging her daughter. "Yes, mãe, I did.", she was smiling. "Where are you going to work at?" "BBC." "Holy shit! You serious?", her mom had her hands over her mouth. "Yes! I didn't know it was there until this afternoon, though. But I start Monday". "Oh, thank God! I am so proud of you, Carol." "Thank you mom.", she said smiling at her mom "I'm going to finish dinner and then we can eat, ok? Now I wish I had done something more special for us to celebrate. On the weekend I'll make your favorite food and a cake. You know, your grandmother always said everything gets better with a cake." "Yeah...", Carol said laughing and going to her bedroom to change clothes. She sighed relieved while sitting on her bed. Not only she was now employed, but in her field of study and in one of the best places to have an internship in. She looked for her phone inside her bag and took a deep breath. She texted Julia and was happy with her friend's reactions. Lots of smiling pictures and thumbs up... and even an improvised "well done" sign. However there was another person to share her big secret. The one that made sure to give her an excellent recommendation letter. Carol smiled and texted the number he texted her a few days before, hoping it was really his. C: I got a job! The answer came a few minutes later while she was changing her clothes. H: You did? That's great! Where? C: At BBC. Harry sat up on his bed surprised when he saw what she had written. If anyone would get a job at BBC that person would be her. But he knew it was a very competitive place and worried a little about it. H: REALLY? She laughed then. Everyone was reacting the same way. C: Yes! I just got home from the interview. H: Congratulations, Carol. I knew you'd be working soon. C: Thank you, Harry. Your letter of recomendation helped me a lot. He got distracted with other texts on his personal phone and took a while to answer. She was getting ready to sleep when her phone buzzed beside her. H: But I didn't put my name on it, nor anything Royal related, though. So the merit is all yours. How are you? C: I'm alright. And you? He couldn't tell her the news his grandmother had given him a few hours before, that had killed his humor and made him upset. Nor could he comment on his relationship with Meghan, because it was still a secret. So he went the easiest way. He lied about how he was feeling. H: I'm great. I've got a few free days. C: Always good to have those. H: Yeah. And your mom? How is she? C: She's great. Has a date on Friday. He was trying to keep his mind of it, but all he could hear was his grandmother's voice inside his head repeating those awful news over and over again. He got up and went to the kitchen to drink water. He took only a sip before putting the bottle inside the fridge again. H: Yeah? That's good for her. How are you feeling about it? C: Normal, I guess. I don't really know him. Only a few stories my mom told me. H: Hopefully he's a good lad. C: Hopefully he'll make her happy. That's all that matters to me really. H: That's important, yes. C: So, what are you doing with your free time? He was doing fine, to be honest and was enjoying his free time up until this afternoon. H: Sleeping, mostly. Your panda habits really stuck with me. Then hitting a few pubs with some friends and resting. We're going to have a busy couple of months ahead of us. C: Make sure you're well rested, Your Royal Highness. He went back to his bedroom and rolled his eyes when he read her reply. H: Why do you always have to say that? C: It is your title after all :) H: Never a fan of both the title and that smiley face to be honest. C: No? Why not? I shall call you Your Royal Pickiness then. H: It's a long history... But not calling me Your Royal Pickiness either. C: Can't a girl have fun? She actually pouted while texting that. H: At me? No. With me? Hell yes.

[theamazingsallyhogan]

Sonic the Hedgehog, Scott Fulop, Narrative Ark LLC, Archie Comics, Sega of America, etc. : An update

Bear in mind that this is all pre-trial, and the situation is still very fluid. But I’ve had a few people ask for an update and I’ve seen many people spouting pure nonsense with their speculation, so I want to try to get people up to speed. This isn’t really my area so I might get some nuance wrong, but going through various public records I think I got the gist.

Before I say anything else I need to clear up a misconception. It’s a common error, one I made myself. People have been talking as if Scott Fulop is suing SEGA and Archie.

But Scott Fulop isn’t doing anything of the sort.

SBack in 2010, following Ken Penders’ lead, Scott Fulop filed copyright claims for a massive number of characters, stories, and concepts seen in the Sonic the Hedgehog comics published by Archie (I went into the situation between Ken and Scott here).  In October 2014, Fulop created a Limited Liability Company named “Narrative Ark LLC,” and on October 5, 2015, he legally transferred his copyrighted works and other intellectual property rights to the company.  The following day, Scott’s Narrative Ark’s lawyer sent Archie a letter informing them that they did not have permission to use Narrative Ark’s copyrighted material in any form.  Scott isn’t claiming to own anything and isn’t pursuing any legal actions, it’s all being done by Narrative Ark LLC, and Narrative Ark LLC isn’t Scott Fulop, it’s just a company founded by Scott Fulop that’s apparently done nothing but follow up on legal ownership of stuff that Scott Fulop created, with Scott Fulop being someone who would benefit financially from a legal victory.

After Narrative Ark provided Archie with photocopies of Fulop’s copyright registrations there was a period of negotiations that ultimately did not resolve the matter.  In August 2016,  Narrative Ark’s lawyer filed a lawsuit against Archie and Sega of America (SEGA) listing all the ways (”counts”) that those two companies are allegedly breaking the law. In October 2016, Archie’s legal team submitted arguments asking for most of the charges to be dismissed outright. 

In Counts I and II, Narrative Ark claims Archie and SEGA committed copyright infringement, and Archie’s legal team isn’t asking for that to be thrown out.  What they are asking to have dismissed are Counts III to VI.

In Count III, Narrative Ark claims that Archie violated the Lanham Act (the main trademark law in the United States). Archie cited the case of Dastar Corp vs. 20th Century Fox in their defense, and they’ve probably got good reason to be confident there. To give an example of how that defense has worked, some years ago General Universal Systems (GUS) developed a computer program called “Champion Packer” for one of their clients, Joe Lopez, who worked in the shipping industry. GUS only licensed the program to Lopez, while retaining full ownership of it.  Lopez then founded “HAL INC” with the intent of selling software that was really really blatantly based on Champion Packer.  When the case went to court and HAL INC cited Dastar, the ruling was basically “HAL INC didn’t pretend to be GUS while selling this, and HAL didn’t steal physical copies of GUS’ product and put them in new boxes with HAL’s name on them, so whatever else might be going on this isn’t a trademark issue”.

So Archie is making the case that this isn’t a trademark issue because it’s not like Narrative Ark LLC printed a bunch of comics and then Archie put new covers on them and pretended to have printed them. They printed the books and nobody disputes that, so they don’t think there’s any trademark issues here. 

In Count IV, Narrative Ark LLC also attempted to use New York’s General Business law against SEGA and Archie.  Archie’s lawyers pointed to where Narrative Ark’s lawyers made the claim that SEGA and Archie’s acts “have caused harm to the public,” and pointed out that even if everything else Narrative Ark claimed was actually true (which Archie/SEGA denies), then the only harm done to the public would have been some confusion, which isn’t enough to violate New York’s General Business Law.

Narrative Ark also filed against Archie and SEGA by arguing that the situation constitutes unfair competition (Count V) and unjust enrichment (Count VI).  Archie’s lawyers argue that those claims all hinge on the issue of copyright, so it’s preempted by Federal Copyright Law - the argument being that the correct way to resolve a dispute of this nature is to sue over breach of copyright, which Narrative Ark already did, and if Narrative Ark wants to explore other avenues then legally it will have to wait until after the copyright cases are finished.

Before I go any further I should point out that SEGA early on took the stance that they’re headquartered in California and do all their business there, plus they never had any dealings of any sort with Scott Fulop, so all this legal stuff happening in New York about Fulop’s work for Archie shouldn’t involve them.  On January 3, 2017, Narrative Ark’s lawyer put forth the argument that SEGA was still subject to the jurisdiction of New York courts, that it did business in New York, and it had sufficient supervision and control over Archie to be named as a co-defendant.

Back to the copyright issue (Counts I and II). 

Narrative Ark LLC compiled an extensive listing of material that allegedly made use of Fulop’s copyrighted work without his permission and without paying him for their usage.  It is a very very long list (over a hundred pages).  I included some examples here to demonstrate just how exhaustive it is.

Archie’s legal team make the argument that Scott created all the material he copyrighted and gave to Narrative Ark while working as an independent contractor for Archie, and that there was a formal expectation at the time of his employment that he would not retain ownership of his work.  In addition to claiming that Fulop did Work For Hire (something I explained earlier), and claiming that Fulop had been required to give up any ownership rights that were not covered by Work for Hire agreements, Archie’s legal team has invoked the doctrines of laches, estoppel, and unclean hands.

When “unclean hands” is invoked in a situation like this, it means the defendant is saying “it might look on the surface like the plaintiff has a case, but this all started when the plaintiff deceived us”.  The classic example is a building contractor suing a client for not paying a bill.  The client says the contractor has “unclean hands” because the contractor tricked the client with building cost estimates that were clearly too low (listing building materials for prices that are lower than they actually cost and the like).  Since the contractor only got the job by pretending the work would cost less than was reasonably possible, the contractor is in the wrong legally even though the client is the one not paying bills. 

Estoppel is a defensive doctrine with a few different aspects - here we’re talking about what’s called “promissory estoppel,” which is where an individual finds themselves in a situation where they stand to lose money due to a broken promise. A good example is a situation where a landlord promises a tenant that a lease will not be terminated, resulting in the tenant using his own money to improve the promises, followed by the landlord going against his word and terminating the lease.  The tenant can invoke estoppel since he wouldn’t have spent money fixing up the place if he hadn’t been promised that the lease wouldn’t be terminated. Another example would be a situation where a Amy saw a hammer she desperately wanted to buy after seeing it was on sale and got the storekeeper to promise to hold it for a few hours.  Amy came back the same day, having sold her ring for less than it’s actual worth to raise funds, only to find that the storekeeper had raised the hammer’s price because he knew that Amy was interested in buying it. Estoppel could be invoked because Amy lost money selling her ring for less than its worth based on the promise she’d made with the storekeeper.

The doctrine of laches is another legal defense.  Essentially it states that if you find yourself in a situation where you might be able to file a civil suit against another person, you have to make your move within a reasonable amount of time.  You can’t wait so long that they’re much less likely to be able to put up a good defense (memories have faded, documents have been lost), and you’re certainly not allowed to sit idly by with the intention of allowing them to continue what they’re doing just so they’ll find themselves in a bigger legal hole - laches is a way to stop people from setting up “lawsuit ambushes.” For example, let’s say that Mr. Hedgehog sees that his neighbor, Dr. Eggman, is doing some construction work. Mr. Hedgehog realizes early on that part of the garage Dr. Eggman is planning to build will cross the property line onto Mr. Hedgehog ’s property, but he says nothing. Years later the two have a falling out and Mr. Hedgehog files a lawsuit, demanding he be paid for the land now underneath Dr. Eggman’s garage. If in his statement Mr. Hedgehog happens to admit that he knew his neighbor was making a mistake even before construction started, then Dr. Eggman can use the doctrine of laches to say “Mr. Hedgehog had the chance to avoid all this and he didn’t, so he forfeited his legal rights”.  You’re required by law to speak up within a timely manner.

So in the Fulop case Archie’s legal team is saying that, yes, Scott Fulop did secure copyrights for his work (years after producing it), and he did turn those rights over to Narrative Ark, so on the surface it would look like Narrative Ark has a case.  But, they argue, for one thing Fulop should never have applied for those copyrights because he was Work For Hire and gave up all his rights to ownership when he was hired.  Furthermore, Fulop would have known for years that Archie was saying that all rights had been turned over to Sega, and he would have known that Archie was only employing him because they assumed there would be no legal issues regarding ownership of the work.  Moreover, they argue, if Fulop had any doubts about the situation he should have tried to address them years ago, instead of waiting while his stories were being reprinted and characters were being used over and over, thus creating a situation where he had more to gain and Archie/Sega had more to lose, while also making it harder for Archie and Sega to put together a defense due to the passage of time. 

At the same time that Archie was making these defensive arguments, they also accused Scott Fulop of libel for ever claiming that he had sole legal ownership of the work he had created while working for Archie. They argue that the lawsuit between Narrative Ark and Archie/Sega resulted because Scott lied to Narrative Ark when he turned over ownership of his copyrights and. And in so doing he hurt the perception of SEGA’s ownership and how Archie operates, which they argue is grounds for a libel suit.

On February 8 2017, Narrative Ark’s lawyer filed a motion to dismiss Archie’s claim against Fulop himself, arguing that Archie’s legal team had not correctly followed the procedures for making such a claim, that Archie was just trying to make life for Fulop financially difficult, and that obviously it makes no sense for Archie to seek legal action against Scott since it’s not like he owns the copyrights - Narrative Ark does, and clearly Narrative Ark is not Scott Fulop. 

And that’s where things are right now.

[thesassybooskter]

SOMEBODY TO LOVE by Sharon Sala: Excerpt & Giveaway

NOW AVAILABLE

Welcome to Blessings, Georgia! Whether you’ve lived here your whole life, you’re returning after years of being away, or you’re new in town, you’re sure to find the happy ending you’ve always been looking for.

 Fifteen years ago, a family member stole the money Hunt Knox had saved for college, while three of his siblings and his father hid the truth and told him to get over it. Betrayed by their lies and thievery, Hunt joined the army and wound up flying Apache helicopters in Iraq. Now, he’s a chopper pilot for an oil company in Houston, Texas, his father has been dead for six years, and he’s finally returning home to Blessings at his mother’s dying request.

Ava Ridley, the little girl his mother used to babysit, has grown up and is a nurse at his mother’s bedside when he arrives. Ava is overjoyed to see him. She had a huge crush on him when she was young. And as the two spend more time together, Ava’s crush grows to be even more.

Through secrets, lies, family betrayal, and difficult choices, Hunt’s not sure he and Ava can ever make a home together in Blessings. Or if life will once again lead them onto different paths…?

  Buy Online: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple Books

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  Excerpt

Hunt rode across town, past the park, and then west down Peach Street to the little house at the end of the block. He’d seen this house a million times in his dreams, but it hadn’t looked sad and run-down like this. 

A black pickup was parked beneath the carport, so he rolled up and parked beside it. He got the house key out of his pocket, but as he headed toward the back door, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but this house didn’t feel like it wanted him there. That was fair. 

He didn’t want to be here, either, but a promise was a promise. 

He unlocked the door and walked into the utility room just off the kitchen, turning on lights as he went. All of the furnishings were here. If it hadn’t been for the faint layer of dust all over everything, he could imagine his mom had just stepped out to run an errand and would be back soon. 

There was a low spot in the middle of the kitchen floor—probably floor joist issues. The old hardwood flooring was scarred and worn, and the furniture was threadbare. The sight of this neglect made Hunt angry. How could his brothers and sisters let this happen? They were all right here in the same town together. 

The year Hunt began high school, they’d remodeled the attic enough to call it a bedroom, and for the first time in his life, he’d had a room of his own. Curious to see what it looked like now, he went straight up the narrow stairwell at the end of the hall and opened the attic door. The single window was bare of curtains or shades, and the dust motes in the air stirred as he moved through the space now filled with boxes of old memories that should have been laid to rest years ago. 

The bed he’d slept in was gone. The closet door was missing, the closet empty. Even the rod where his clothes used to hang was gone. It was as if they’d wiped away all memories of him. If only he’d been able to do the same. 

He went back downstairs, glancing in his mother’s room and accepting it was the only one decent enough to sleep in, then began eyeing all of the things that needed repair. 

He went back to the kitchen to check out the appliances. The burners on the gas stove lit, the oven came on. The dishwasher was clean, and the single glass in the top rack told him it had recently been in use and was likely in working condition—something he’d find out later. 

The water pressure was good, and the washer and dryer appeared to be in working condition. The refrigerator was the newest appliance in the house, but nearly everything inside it needed to be thrown away. He didn’t know for sure how long his mother had been in the hospital, but the carton of milk was over a month out of date, and the single container of peach yogurt had long since expired. 

The ice in the bin beneath the icemaker had all frozen together, which meant the electricity must have been off at one time long enough to melt it. Then when the power returned, it froze back. So he took the bin out and dumped the ice in the sink, then put it back beneath the icemaker to start making fresh ice, then dumped everything that was in the freezer and refrigerator into the garbage. 

The central heat and air were still working, and they looked newer than he remembered, which was good. There was a big job ahead of him to do this right, but in the long run, it would make a huge difference in the sale of the house. However, this task was going to take tools as well as supplies, so he went out back to the toolshed to see what, if anything, was left. 

The light bulb was burned out in the shed, so he left the door open as he went in to look around, and it was just as he feared. There was nothing left in it but a couple of old hammers, a hand saw, and an old sack of roofing nails. Seeing the nails reminded him he needed to check on the condition of the roof as well. He could rent tools and hire help. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it was going to be a pain in the ass coping with his family while it happened. 

He found a set of car keys hanging on a hook in the kitchen and guessed it was to the truck. If it ran, it would be handy to use while he was hauling stuff to the house to make repairs, so he went out to check. The insurance verification in the glove box was in Marjorie’s name. He turned the key to see if it would start, and the engine turned over immediately. So he locked the house and drove to the bed-and-breakfast to pack up his things and check out. 

Bud was scanning Hunt’s card to pay for his room when Hunt thought about the locks he needed to change. 

“Hey, Bud, is there still a locksmith here in town?” 

“Yes, there sure is. Mills Locks, next door to Bloomer’s Hardware on Main Street. The owner’s name is Cecil, but everything is probably closed today.” 

“Okay…I remember him,” Hunt said. “Thanks, and thank you for your hospitality,” he said, then carried his bag out to the truck. Out of curiosity, he drove straight to the locksmith, saw the Open sign on the door, and went inside. 

The man at the counter looked up. 

“Welcome to Mills Locks. I’m Cecil Mills. How can I help you?” 

“I need a couple of new locks put on a house I’ll be remodeling. Would you be available to do that today?” 

“Yeah, sure. Here in town?” Cecil asked. 

“Yes, where Marjorie Knox lived. I’m her oldest son, Hunt. I’m going to fix it up some before it’s put up for sale.” 

“Lived?” 

Hunt nodded. “She passed away early this morning.” 

Cecil frowned. “I hadn’t heard. I’m real sorry about that. I’m waiting on a customer who’s on the way in from his farm, but I can get away around noon, if you don’t mind me coming at your lunch hour.” 

“I’m not on any schedule. You sure you’re okay working on New Year’s Day? It could wait until tomorrow,” Hunt said. 

Cecil shrugged. “I’ve already been called out twice today for emergencies, and my wife is home and sick with the flu. I’d just as soon be here.” 

“Then noon is fine. Do you know the address?” Hunt asked. 

“It’s the last house on the right at the end of Peach Street, right?” 

Hunt nodded. “Yeah. My Harley and her black pickup will be under the carport.” 

“Then I’ll see you at noon.” 

“Right,” Hunt said, and left the shop, then stopped by the grocery store. He was surprised to see that it was no longer a Piggly Wiggly, and had a new facade and a new name to go with it. The Crown. 

Nobody recognized him, which made shopping easy, until he got up front to pay. The cashier who was checking him out kept looking at him, and when he put his credit card in the reader, she finally spoke. 

“You sure do look familiar. Are you from around here?” she asked. 

Hunt nodded as he put his card back in his wallet. “I’m Hunt Knox. I used to sack groceries here back when it was still the Piggly Wiggly. You’re Millie, aren’t you?” 

“Yes! I’m Millie Garner! I knew you looked familiar. I just heard about your mother’s passing. My sympathies to the family,” she said. 

“Thanks,” he said, and began putting his bags back in the shopping cart. 

“Do you plan on staying here?” she asked. 

“Only long enough to fix up the family house so it can be sold at auction. I promised her I’d do that,” Hunt said, then walked out pushing the shopping cart. 

By the time he got back to the house and unloaded the groceries, it was getting close to noon. He took off his jacket, then began emptying the sacks and putting up the things he’d just bought. 

By the time he was through, Cecil Mills was knocking on his door. He let Cecil in, and then pointed out the locations where new locks were needed. 

“There’s just the front door, and then a back door in the kitchen.” 

Cecil nodded. “I’ll get those switched out for you and get both locks synced to open with one key. How many keys are you going to want? It comes two keys to a set, so you’ll have four.” 

“That’s plenty. I’ll be the only one using one here, but when it sells, then that will be handy for the new owners.” 

“Then I’ll get right to work,” Cecil said. 

“Call out if you need me,” Hunt said, then took a notepad and a pen and started in the kitchen, making a list of the things that needed to be fixed. 

  ***

Excerpted from Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala. © 2021 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

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  About Sharon Sala

SHARON SALA has over ninety-five books in print and has published in five different genres. She is a seventime RITA finalist, four-time Career Achievement winner from RT Book Reviews, and five-time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award. Writing changed her life, her world, and her fate. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

  SOMEBODY TO LOVE by Sharon Sala: Excerpt & Giveaway was originally published on The Sassy Bookster

[mysurveys]

Random Qs

Survey #13 on the Countdown to 2018!

Just to note, I won’t be posting every single day and I may disappear from time to time. That’s my usual MO so don’t follow me if you’re looking for constant activity. I’ve got a life beyond the internet!

What's the last song that gave you chills?

That usually doesn't happen to me so I can't really say.

Have you had any interesting conversations lately?

I tend to have interesting convos with my closest friends.

Who's the last person to ask to hang out with you?

Miss Cindy went with Mom and I to King Buffet for lunch last Saturday.

Have you been out to eat more than three times this week?

No, not this week. I've only been to the Tokyo sushi bar with Mom on Monday. I’m hoping to eat out again after my chiropractor appointment at one in the afternoon later today, though.

Do you automatically get a disgusted look on your face when you see an overly obese person?

Of course not. I'm obese myself because of hypothyroidism and a slow metabolism. I'm not ignorant enough to believe that people only get fat because they eat too much, but when that happens it's an honest addiction.

But I'm more sympathetic toward those who overeat to self-medicate rather than those who become addicted to things they don't need to survive.

You don't have to pick up drugs or alcohol. You should already be aware of the risks involved before you do, but food is something you can never escape even when it becomes a ball and chain.

Do you think things will ever be cheap again like they were in the old days?

No, I don't see that happening unless a really dramatic economic change occurs.

Do you often wear layers of clothing?

Not all that often, but I've bought some long-sleeve shirts to wear under my usual tees this winter.

What's the last single item you bought that was over $25?

Maybe one of my 3DS games, but I'm not sure. The things I buy tend to be up to $20 a pop if it's not just $10 or under.

When getting change back from a cashier, does it annoy you if they hand you the cash first and then the coins?

It doesn't bother me that much, but it is more convenient to hand over the change first when dealing with customers. It's the other way around when you're handing money to a cashier and I try to keep that in mind.

Do you carry a change purse with you?

I don't even carry cash and my mother carries my personal checkbook with her. She controls my finances due to my severe dyscalculia which has been a part of my diagnosis since I was seventeen.

Do you get super nervous before important events?

Probably not since I'm not that easily shaken and I'm not a worrier like that.

Have you ever attempted anything on TV when it clearly warned you not to attempt it at home?

I've got the good sense not to do dumb TV stunts.

Is anything ever enough?

There are lot of things in my life that're enough for me and some things are just too much.

Do you pee a lot more after you’ve drank a caffeinated beverage?

I'll pee about an hour or so after drinking coffee. That's the only discernible effect, but it might be something else about coffee. I'm not sure what makes that happen since other caffeinated products don't affect me that way.

Was the last song you listened to more upbeat or slow, or maybe even both?

I'm currently listening to Beautiful Stranger by f(x) and it's not too fast or slow, but it's got a steady beat.

Have you ever had an out-of-body experience, or do you know someone who has?

I've never had such an experience and I can't think of anyone who's told me of such right now.

Do your shoes squeak when you walk?

Sometimes they do on certain surfaces or if the floor was waxed recently.

Are you pigeon-toed?

No, I'm not.

How about knock-kneed?

I'm not knock-kneed either.

Are you physically attracted to a lot of people?

I'm a demisexual, but I tend to gravitate toward guys with black hair and light green or light blue eyes in particular. That's just about the only thing that attracts me aesthetically so far.

Do you have a high pain tolerance?

Apparently. It's so strange because I'm physically hypersensitive.

Do you understand the way your mind works?

Truly understanding the human mind requires you to study behavioral science which is something I've done for over a decade.

I combine that with my natural abilities as an intuitive empath and my gift of discernment. I know myself well, but I'm also able to get a read on others too. It doesn't take me long to realize it when I want to know someone.

Do you think way too hard about little things?

I don't tend to dwell much on trivialities, but I can be quite introspective in a positive way.

Do you use a loofah or a washcloth in the shower?

I tend to use washcloths since loofahs usually feel awful.

How often do you wash your comforter?

I used to wash it as needed, but I stopped using one. I've been lying under plush leopard print blankets lately.

Have you ever tried sneezing with your eyes open?

Why would I want to in the first place?

It even sounds unpleasant. (○○○﴿  (; ﾟ ̪ ﾟ) ᕤ

Do you sleep with your eyes open?

I don't think so, but my optometrist keeps worrying that I might. It's just that I have frequent insomnia problems and it usually happens before my appointments. That dries out your eyes super fast.

What kind of animal was the last roadkill you saw?

I don't even want to remember something like that! （・Ａ・）

What was the last thing you spent money on?

Besides some food for myself? Some acid Beanie backpack accessories at Walgreens. I bought another fox and another leopard.

Has anyone ever cheated on their significant other with you?

I sincerely hope not and I would never willingly be the other person like that.

When's the last time you fell asleep watching a movie?

The last time I can think of is from several years ago when I tried to watch one of the Underworld movies. That usually doesn't happen and I really had nothing against the movie. I was just sick with a cold at the time.

What's on your mind?

I'm pretty focused on this survey although I'm vaguely listening to music for background noise via Pandora Plus.

Are you counting down for anything?

I'm waiting for next April when I get to go back over to Galveston for my next endocrinologist appointment. I'm hoping I can revisit the Yamato Japanese restaurant that Mom and I found and then I want to go back over to the Kemah Boardwalk yet again.

If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be?

(ღ˘⌣˘ღ) I'm fine being right here doing this survey, thanks.

Does your hair have layers?

It does now and it's also super short which isn't what I asked for at all. Apparently the woman couldn't handle a bob that's slightly above the shoulders and I never said anything about layers.

She also came up with the bangs which I was only okay with because I thought my hair would be longer than this...

Her idea was apparently some kind of layered bowl cut! （♯・Ａ・）

My mother called the front a "crime against humanity" so we went to a better salon. The stylist fixed the layering in the back and gave me a few tips on how to handle the front until my hair grows back out again.

It's still having ideas of its own, though...

It tried the Farrah Fawcett and then it did the Jane Jetson. ,,( ^✧^)" Haha!

Are your nails done?

I don't paint them or have them done at a nail salon, but I have grown them out nicely since I've been away.

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

Mom. I was just requesting some food.

Do you own anything that's tie-dyed?

I don't think so.

Do you call it fall or autumn?

Either one works for me.

What's something you're not looking forward to?

Nothing comes to mind right now.

Are you feeling guilty about anything right now?

Not really.

Who or what is the last thing you kicked?

I kicked some leaves off the walkway.

What was the last thing you put in your mouth?

I was drinking another Ozarka bottled water.

When's the last time you had fast food?

A week or two ago, I think.

Who're you currently frustrated with?

Mom. She can't remember much of anything anymore.

Are you wearing any clothes that don’t belong to you?

I don't borrow clothes.

Do you like where you live?

Aspects of the surrounding area are nice, but my 'rents and I really want to move someday.

What do you have pierced on you?

I'm against bod-modding for religious reasons so I don't have piercings and tattoos.

Do you blow-dry your hair?

Sometimes if I'm leaving the house shortly after a shower I’ll blow-dry it, but I prefer to let it air dry.

Who was the last person you cried in front of?

Probably Mom since we live together.

Do you straighten your hair?

I don't since it's naturally straight save for some errant wavy bangs which have only gotten worse lately.

Has a good friendship ended recently that you wish had not?

None of my friendships have come to an end recently.

Does anyone call you "babe" or "baby" or anything like that?

A few guys on my besties list do that because they have permission.

Was today a good day?

It was kind of a lazy day since I didn't have to go anywhere and I wanted to stay home in case Lucius showed up.

Have you ever had a garage sale?

I don't think we've ever done that before. Most of my stuff is better suited to being sold to 2NC except for some books and a few knick-knacks that I don't intend to sell anytime soon.

What's the last beverage you had?

I last had an Ozarka bottled water.

[photomattjames]

<strong><span style="color: #f79646;">The Day I Lost £6,000</span></strong>

How a brand new camera holster helped ruin my life for 48hrs

People ask me, on a regular basis, whether I’m happy living in Copenhagen. It’s an easy answer: yes, of course. Then they ask me why. Again, this isn’t difficult to explain, as there are so many reasons. But in today’s journal I just want to mention one reason, and that’s the honesty of its citizens.

To explain this properly we need to go back to April 2014 – the year when my photography business really started to take off. Just four weeks earlier I had shot my very first race with Sparta, who would go on to be one of my best clients. The shoot required me to follow several hundred runners around a course, which turned out to be quite the challenge. My camera equipment weighed a ton, and I was constantly hopping on and off my bike to take photos. And with each hop-on-off episode I had to take my bag off my shoulders, unclip and unzip, whip out two cameras, take photos, and then put it all back again. It was annoying.

My solution was a ThinkTank Pro Speed Belt – a belt system designed to carry individual cameras, lenses and extras. My setup consisted of two separate holsters: one for my 24-70mm (attached to a Nikon D800) and the other for my 70-200mm (attached to a Nikon D3).

Old men and bulging stomachs

It was a strange sensation wearing the belt for the first time, as the weight shifted from my back and shoulders straight to my hips. I still threw a rucksack on, so I could take my laptop with me to the shoot, but the plan was to leave it at Sparta’s office just before the start of the race.

At 8am I hopped on to my scooter (another new purchase to make getting around the course easier) and scooted on down to catch a train. The B-Line was already full of people when I jumped on board, so I took the only seat I could find – amongst the bikes. These seats fold away when not in use, so I folded it out, sat myself down, and unclipped the Pro Speed Belt buckle (which was being challenged by my bulging waistline).

At the next stop an elderly gent with his bike joined the carriage and I could see that I would need to give up my seat. I stood up and walked in to the next carriage where another seat had become available, and a few stops later I got off the train to catch a bus. And this is when the horror struck me.

What the hell did I just do!

As the doors closed behind me, I suddenly realised that the heavy bag currently on my shoulders was not the camera bag I was so used to carrying. My hands immediately shot to my hips, but of course the belt was no longer there – it was on the train I’d just alighted and speeding towards another part of the country!

Now, I have to admit I panicked at this stage. The first person I called was my girlfriend, as she would be able to contact the relevant transport authorities and explain fluently (in Danish) what had happened and what could be done about it. Meanwhile, I raced over to Sparta HQ to tell them the bad news, and apologise for not being able to take any photos. It was an embarrassing experience.

Next I scooted all the way back to the train station where I’d stepped off the train, and I moved like lightning. I can’t remember a time (before or since) where I’ve been forced to keep going despite being completely out of breath. Obviously the financial cost of losing the equipment was starting to dawn on me and the tears were ready to flow.

When the next B-Line train arrived I promptly enquired with the driver whether she could do anything to help. She radioed one of her colleagues, whom she thought was the driver of that particular train I was hoping to locate, and asked him if he could do a quick sweep of the train. I waited nervously for the response, but it wasn’t good.

"You'll not see that again"

The next B-Line arrived ten minutes later, and I asked that driver pretty much the same question. His response was, “you’ll not see that again!”

When the third train arrived I went through the motions again, and his answer was even worse. He explained that the B-Line went through an area of Greater Copenhagen that was home to a refugee centre. “It was highly likely,” he told me, “that a refugee had found the camera and taken it to the centre to sell on the black market.”

He continued, “The problem was, the police weren’t allowed to raid the place, because of Human Rights, etc, etc.” In hindsight I find this highly unlikely, but at the same I was so stressed out that I was willing to believe the most ridiculous of tales if it meant finding my camera. (It was, in fact, this story that lead me to register my missing equipment on https://www.lenstag.com/)

Over the next 60 minutes I approached each and every B-Line train, hoping to eventually speak with the driver of “my train.” Naturally this did finally occur, and said driver allowed me to search the train front to back. It had now been more than two hours since my kit had been left behind, and the odds of me finding it were slim to none. In that space of time the train had driven all the way to Hillerød – approximately 40km away – and God knows how many people had had the chance to take it with them.

(For those Danes who are scratching your heads, yes I know the B-Line doesn’t run to Hillerød, but it did that weekend due to maintenance)

But during all this time I kept hope that it would turn up in one piece. And it was this hope that was keeping me from breaking down. Somehow I managed to hold it all together… until I phoned my mum.

This was the point that everything came tumbling down on top of me. I thought of all the hard work I’d put in to being a freelancer; all the low-paid jobs I’d done just to get by; I thought of my five-month old daughter and what a loser her dad was; and I thought of all the people who had supported me, lent me money, or waited patiently for me to turn the business in to a profitable venture.

The Power of The Press

I won’t go in to details about my sob-fest, but thankfully my parents were there to support me once more and told me that they’d help me sort it. I needed replacement equipment, of course, and sooner rather than later. I estimated that I needed to borrow at least 60,000 Danish Kroner (about £6,000) to replace everything, but buying second-hand was also an option.

The next day, after a restless night, I cycled in to town to meet some friends and tell them what had happened. It helped, to be honest, as I found myself gradually accepting what had happened and what had to be done.

It was during this off-loading that a clever idea struck me. Every day, thousands of commuters read the MX – a free newspaper handed out in the streets and on train platforms. With such a huge readership, I felt there was a strong chance of jogging someone’s memory. It was a long shot, but I made the call.

Explaining the situation in English to the Danish reporter was a challenge in itself, so I was transferred to yet another who listened to my case. He dealt a small blow when he told me that a printed newspaper wouldn’t be produced for the rest of the week, as it was Easter. But, he reassured me, he would still put it online and hope for the best. I sent him a couple of photos of the belt and its expensive contents to accompany the story.

The Easter revenge of Jesus

Meanwhile, I was cycling to all the Lost and Founds in the city, asking whether anything had been handed it. I was met with the same info regarding the Easter holidays and how it was unlikely anything would get to them until the following week! I probably cried some more when I heard this.

So it was with a heavy heart that I sat down the following day – a Tuesday – and started to fill in a police report. All I really wanted was for someone to check the train’s CCTV footage (there’s a camera in every carriage, so I was 100% sure we could find out what had happened). But I was told this was only possible in the event of a real crime having been committed. This seemed totally bizarre to me; I mean, technically someone had most likely taken the camera equipment (without my permission) so surely this was theft. I know, I know, maybe they had been a good samaritan and handed it in, but the circumstances at least hinted towards a crime.

At around 10am I went in to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. I had the Danish version of eBay open and was preparing myself for a morning of making offers on second-hand cameras and lenses.

As I started to pour, an email alert sounded on my phone, so casually I opened it. The subject header read, “Information about your missing camera!” Now my heart really started beating. I read on. “I’m a dentist based in Hillerød and I took the train in to the office on Sunday morning. I saw a man leave the train at Hillerød Station with your belt and hand it in at the 7 Eleven.”

Queuing for Hotdogs

Now let’s just stop right there for a minute. Try to put yourself in my shoes and imagine how that felt. Against all the odds, and after two whole days of feeling totally miserable, it was like a bright light had been switched on inside my head. I could already hear the engines roaring back to life again, and suddenly the caffeine fix I was preparing for myself seemed unnecessary.

I wrote back to the dentist straight away and got all the details from her before jumping on the train towards Hillerød. Mentally speaking it was the longest journey of my life, and when I finally arrived I rushed in to the store, where there was already a queue building for the hotdogs.

Eventually it was my turn to be served and the words fell out of my mouth in clumsy English. “Amancameinheretheotherdayandhandedoverablackbeltwithtwohugeholsters…” I breathed deeply before finishing. “Is it still here?” Oddly, the girl assisting me thought it would be funny to play a game of “I’m not sure, let me go check,” despite the cheeky smile on her face that suggested otherwise.

She disappeared in to the stock room and the door swung closed behind her. I waited.

There was a heart-warming round of applause in the shop as she reappeared with my gorgeous black Think Tank belt in her hands. Both harnesses were full and heavy, and that was enough to know that everything was present and correct. I ran around to her side of the counter and gave her a massive hug and a kiss on the cheek. The applause continued. When I turned to see their faces everyone looked delighted for me. It was a very human moment.

Updates for all

Back on the platform I took a picture of the belt and sent it to as many people as I could. The joyful responses came in thick and fast, and I suspect I had another little cry. When I got home I hugged my girlfriend and decided to take the rest of the day off. I contacted the MX journalist and told him the good news. I was hugely indebted to them for all their help.

As for the man who handed in my camera, I have no idea who he is or where to find him. I offered him a reward via the newspaper, and via the staff at the 7 Eleven, but he never accepted it. Nor did the dentist who delivered the good news.

When I tell (English) people this story they usually respond the same way: “That’d never happen in (ENTER NAME OF UK CITY).” And sadly it’s very true.

So when you find me moaning about how Danes never hold doors open for you, or have a word for ‘please’, just remind me that none of it really matters. I like them just the way they are!

[agilenano]

Agilenano - News: Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala – Spotlight and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Sharon Sala who is celebrating the recent release of her newest book Somebody to Love, the 11th book in the Blessings, Georgia series. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Once in a Blue Moon, book 10 in the series. Welcome to Blessings, Georgia! Whether you’ve lived here your whole life, you’re returning after years of being away, or you’re new in town, you’re sure to find the happy ending you’ve always been looking for. Fifteen years ago, a family member stole the money Hunt Knox had saved for college, while three of his siblings and his father hid the truth and told him to get over it. Betrayed by their lies and thievery, Hunt joined the army and wound up flying Apache helicopters in Iraq. Now, he’s a chopper pilot for an oil company in Houston, Texas, his father has been dead for six years, and he’s finally returning home to Blessings at his mother’s dying request. Ava Ridley, the little girl his mother used to babysit, has grown up and is a nurse at his mother’s bedside when he arrives. Ava is overjoyed to see him. She had a huge crush on him when she was young. And as the two spend more time together, Ava’s crush grows to be even more. Through secrets, lies, family betrayal, and difficult choices, Hunt’s not sure he and Ava can ever make a home together in Blessings. Or if life will once again lead them onto different paths…? Enjoy an Excerpt Hunt rode across town, past the park, and then west down Peach Street to the little house at the end of the block. He’d seen this house a million times in his dreams, but it hadn’t looked sad and run-down like this. A black pickup was parked beneath the carport, so he rolled up and parked beside it. He got the house key out of his pocket, but as he headed toward the back door, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but this house didn’t feel like it wanted him there. That was fair. He didn’t want to be here, either, but a promise was a promise. He unlocked the door and walked into the utility room just off the kitchen, turning on lights as he went. All of the furnishings were here. If it hadn’t been for the faint layer of dust all over everything, he could imagine his mom had just stepped out to run an errand and would be back soon. There was a low spot in the middle of the kitchen floor—probably floor joist issues. The old hardwood flooring was scarred and worn, and the furniture was threadbare. The sight of this neglect made Hunt angry. How could his brothers and sisters let this happen? They were all right here in the same town together. The year Hunt began high school, they’d remodeled the attic enough to call it a bedroom, and for the first time in his life, he’d had a room of his own. Curious to see what it looked like now, he went straight up the narrow stairwell at the end of the hall and opened the attic door. The single window was bare of curtains or shades, and the dust motes in the air stirred as he moved through the space now filled with boxes of old memories that should have been laid to rest years ago. The bed he’d slept in was gone. The closet door was missing, the closet empty. Even the rod where his clothes used to hang was gone. It was as if they’d wiped away all memories of him. If only he’d been able to do the same. He went back downstairs, glancing in his mother’s room and accepting it was the only one decent enough to sleep in, then began eyeing all of the things that needed repair. He went back to the kitchen to check out the appliances. The burners on the gas stove lit, the oven came on. The dishwasher was clean, and the single glass in the top rack told him it had recently been in use and was likely in working condition—something he’d find out later. The water pressure was good, and the washer and dryer appeared to be in working condition. The refrigerator was the newest appliance in the house, but nearly everything inside it needed to be thrown away. He didn’t know for sure how long his mother had been in the hospital, but the carton of milk was over a month out of date, and the single container of peach yogurt had long since expired. The ice in the bin beneath the icemaker had all frozen together, which meant the electricity must have been off at one time long enough to melt it. Then when the power returned, it froze back. So he took the bin out and dumped the ice in the sink, then put it back beneath the icemaker to start making fresh ice, then dumped everything that was in the freezer and refrigerator into the garbage. The central heat and air were still working, and they looked newer than he remembered, which was good. There was a big job ahead of him to do this right, but in the long run, it would make a huge difference in the sale of the house. However, this task was going to take tools as well as supplies, so he went out back to the toolshed to see what, if anything, was left. The light bulb was burned out in the shed, so he left the door open as he went in to look around, and it was just as he feared. There was nothing left in it but a couple of old hammers, a hand saw, and an old sack of roofing nails. Seeing the nails reminded him he needed to check on the condition of the roof as well. He could rent tools and hire help. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it was going to be a pain in the ass coping with his family while it happened. He found a set of car keys hanging on a hook in the kitchen and guessed it was to the truck. If it ran, it would be handy to use while he was hauling stuff to the house to make repairs, so he went out to check. The insurance verification in the glove box was in Marjorie’s name. He turned the key to see if it would start, and the engine turned over immediately. So he locked the house and drove to the bed-and-breakfast to pack up his things and check out. Bud was scanning Hunt’s card to pay for his room when Hunt thought about the locks he needed to change. “Hey, Bud, is there still a locksmith here in town?” “Yes, there sure is. Mills Locks, next door to Bloomer’s Hardware on Main Street. The owner’s name is Cecil, but everything is probably closed today.” “Okay…I remember him,” Hunt said. “Thanks, and thank you for your hospitality,” he said, then carried his bag out to the truck. Out of curiosity, he drove straight to the locksmith, saw the Open sign on the door, and went inside. The man at the counter looked up. “Welcome to Mills Locks. I’m Cecil Mills. How can I help you?” “I need a couple of new locks put on a house I’ll be remodeling. Would you be available to do that today?” “Yeah, sure. Here in town?” Cecil asked. “Yes, where Marjorie Knox lived. I’m her oldest son, Hunt. I’m going to fix it up some before it’s put up for sale.” “Lived?” Hunt nodded. “She passed away early this morning.” Cecil frowned. “I hadn’t heard. I’m real sorry about that. I’m waiting on a customer who’s on the way in from his farm, but I can get away around noon, if you don’t mind me coming at your lunch hour.” “I’m not on any schedule. You sure you’re okay working on New Year’s Day? It could wait until tomorrow,” Hunt said. Cecil shrugged. “I’ve already been called out twice today for emergencies, and my wife is home and sick with the flu. I’d just as soon be here.” “Then noon is fine. Do you know the address?” Hunt asked. “It’s the last house on the right at the end of Peach Street, right?” Hunt nodded. “Yeah. My Harley and her black pickup will be under the carport.” “Then I’ll see you at noon.” “Right,” Hunt said, and left the shop, then stopped by the grocery store. He was surprised to see that it was no longer a Piggly Wiggly, and had a new facade and a new name to go with it. The Crown. Nobody recognized him, which made shopping easy, until he got up front to pay. The cashier who was checking him out kept looking at him, and when he put his credit card in the reader, she finally spoke. “You sure do look familiar. Are you from around here?” she asked. Hunt nodded as he put his card back in his wallet. “I’m Hunt Knox. I used to sack groceries here back when it was still the Piggly Wiggly. You’re Millie, aren’t you?” “Yes! I’m Millie Garner! I knew you looked familiar. I just heard about your mother’s passing. My sympathies to the family,” she said. “Thanks,” he said, and began putting his bags back in the shopping cart. “Do you plan on staying here?” she asked. “Only long enough to fix up the family house so it can be sold at auction. I promised her I’d do that,” Hunt said, then walked out pushing the shopping cart. By the time he got back to the house and unloaded the groceries, it was getting close to noon. He took off his jacket, then began emptying the sacks and putting up the things he’d just bought. By the time he was through, Cecil Mills was knocking on his door. He let Cecil in, and then pointed out the locations where new locks were needed. “There’s just the front door, and then a back door in the kitchen.” Cecil nodded. “I’ll get those switched out for you and get both locks synced to open with one key. How many keys are you going to want? It comes two keys to a set, so you’ll have four.” “That’s plenty. I’ll be the only one using one here, but when it sells, then that will be handy for the new owners.” “Then I’ll get right to work,” Cecil said. “Call out if you need me,” Hunt said, then took a notepad and a pen and started in the kitchen, making a list of the things that needed to be fixed. *** Excerpted from Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala. © 2021 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author: Sharon Sala has 127 books and novellas in print. First published in 1991, she’s a RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, RT Career Achievement winner, National Reader’s Choice Award, Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence, Heart of Excellence Award, the Booksellers Best Award, RWA’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and the Centennial Award for recognition of her 100th published novel. Her books are New York Times, USA Today,and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. She lives in Oklahoma. Facebook Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Bookshop, BAM, or Books2Read. a Rafflecopter giveaway #Giveaway #SharonSala #GuestBlogs #Romance

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Agilenano-News/~3/_Yu0ikbhLoo/somebody-to-love-by-sharon-sala-spotlight-and-giveaway

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala – Spotlight and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Sharon Sala who is celebrating the recent release of her newest book Somebody to Love, the 11th book in the Blessings, Georgia series. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Once in a Blue Moon, book 10 in the series. Welcome to Blessings, Georgia! Whether you’ve lived here your whole life, you’re returning after years of being away, or you’re new in town, you’re sure to find the happy ending you’ve always been looking for. Fifteen years ago, a family member stole the money Hunt Knox had saved for college, while three of his siblings and his father hid the truth and told him to get over it. Betrayed by their lies and thievery, Hunt joined the army and wound up flying Apache helicopters in Iraq. Now, he’s a chopper pilot for an oil company in Houston, Texas, his father has been dead for six years, and he’s finally returning home to Blessings at his mother’s dying request. Ava Ridley, the little girl his mother used to babysit, has grown up and is a nurse at his mother’s bedside when he arrives. Ava is overjoyed to see him. She had a huge crush on him when she was young. And as the two spend more time together, Ava’s crush grows to be even more. Through secrets, lies, family betrayal, and difficult choices, Hunt’s not sure he and Ava can ever make a home together in Blessings. Or if life will once again lead them onto different paths…? Enjoy an Excerpt Hunt rode across town, past the park, and then west down Peach Street to the little house at the end of the block. He’d seen this house a million times in his dreams, but it hadn’t looked sad and run-down like this. A black pickup was parked beneath the carport, so he rolled up and parked beside it. He got the house key out of his pocket, but as he headed toward the back door, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but this house didn’t feel like it wanted him there. That was fair. He didn’t want to be here, either, but a promise was a promise. He unlocked the door and walked into the utility room just off the kitchen, turning on lights as he went. All of the furnishings were here. If it hadn’t been for the faint layer of dust all over everything, he could imagine his mom had just stepped out to run an errand and would be back soon. There was a low spot in the middle of the kitchen floor—probably floor joist issues. The old hardwood flooring was scarred and worn, and the furniture was threadbare. The sight of this neglect made Hunt angry. How could his brothers and sisters let this happen? They were all right here in the same town together. The year Hunt began high school, they’d remodeled the attic enough to call it a bedroom, and for the first time in his life, he’d had a room of his own. Curious to see what it looked like now, he went straight up the narrow stairwell at the end of the hall and opened the attic door. The single window was bare of curtains or shades, and the dust motes in the air stirred as he moved through the space now filled with boxes of old memories that should have been laid to rest years ago. The bed he’d slept in was gone. The closet door was missing, the closet empty. Even the rod where his clothes used to hang was gone. It was as if they’d wiped away all memories of him. If only he’d been able to do the same. He went back downstairs, glancing in his mother’s room and accepting it was the only one decent enough to sleep in, then began eyeing all of the things that needed repair. He went back to the kitchen to check out the appliances. The burners on the gas stove lit, the oven came on. The dishwasher was clean, and the single glass in the top rack told him it had recently been in use and was likely in working condition—something he’d find out later. The water pressure was good, and the washer and dryer appeared to be in working condition. The refrigerator was the newest appliance in the house, but nearly everything inside it needed to be thrown away. He didn’t know for sure how long his mother had been in the hospital, but the carton of milk was over a month out of date, and the single container of peach yogurt had long since expired. The ice in the bin beneath the icemaker had all frozen together, which meant the electricity must have been off at one time long enough to melt it. Then when the power returned, it froze back. So he took the bin out and dumped the ice in the sink, then put it back beneath the icemaker to start making fresh ice, then dumped everything that was in the freezer and refrigerator into the garbage. The central heat and air were still working, and they looked newer than he remembered, which was good. There was a big job ahead of him to do this right, but in the long run, it would make a huge difference in the sale of the house. However, this task was going to take tools as well as supplies, so he went out back to the toolshed to see what, if anything, was left. The light bulb was burned out in the shed, so he left the door open as he went in to look around, and it was just as he feared. There was nothing left in it but a couple of old hammers, a hand saw, and an old sack of roofing nails. Seeing the nails reminded him he needed to check on the condition of the roof as well. He could rent tools and hire help. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it was going to be a pain in the ass coping with his family while it happened. He found a set of car keys hanging on a hook in the kitchen and guessed it was to the truck. If it ran, it would be handy to use while he was hauling stuff to the house to make repairs, so he went out to check. The insurance verification in the glove box was in Marjorie’s name. He turned the key to see if it would start, and the engine turned over immediately. So he locked the house and drove to the bed-and-breakfast to pack up his things and check out. Bud was scanning Hunt’s card to pay for his room when Hunt thought about the locks he needed to change. “Hey, Bud, is there still a locksmith here in town?” “Yes, there sure is. Mills Locks, next door to Bloomer’s Hardware on Main Street. The owner’s name is Cecil, but everything is probably closed today.” “Okay…I remember him,” Hunt said. “Thanks, and thank you for your hospitality,” he said, then carried his bag out to the truck. Out of curiosity, he drove straight to the locksmith, saw the Open sign on the door, and went inside. The man at the counter looked up. “Welcome to Mills Locks. I’m Cecil Mills. How can I help you?” “I need a couple of new locks put on a house I’ll be remodeling. Would you be available to do that today?” “Yeah, sure. Here in town?” Cecil asked. “Yes, where Marjorie Knox lived. I’m her oldest son, Hunt. I’m going to fix it up some before it’s put up for sale.” “Lived?” Hunt nodded. “She passed away early this morning.” Cecil frowned. “I hadn’t heard. I’m real sorry about that. I’m waiting on a customer who’s on the way in from his farm, but I can get away around noon, if you don’t mind me coming at your lunch hour.” “I’m not on any schedule. You sure you’re okay working on New Year’s Day? It could wait until tomorrow,” Hunt said. Cecil shrugged. “I’ve already been called out twice today for emergencies, and my wife is home and sick with the flu. I’d just as soon be here.” “Then noon is fine. Do you know the address?” Hunt asked. “It’s the last house on the right at the end of Peach Street, right?” Hunt nodded. “Yeah. My Harley and her black pickup will be under the carport.” “Then I’ll see you at noon.” “Right,” Hunt said, and left the shop, then stopped by the grocery store. He was surprised to see that it was no longer a Piggly Wiggly, and had a new facade and a new name to go with it. The Crown. Nobody recognized him, which made shopping easy, until he got up front to pay. The cashier who was checking him out kept looking at him, and when he put his credit card in the reader, she finally spoke. “You sure do look familiar. Are you from around here?” she asked. Hunt nodded as he put his card back in his wallet. “I’m Hunt Knox. I used to sack groceries here back when it was still the Piggly Wiggly. You’re Millie, aren’t you?” “Yes! I’m Millie Garner! I knew you looked familiar. I just heard about your mother’s passing. My sympathies to the family,” she said. “Thanks,” he said, and began putting his bags back in the shopping cart. “Do you plan on staying here?” she asked. “Only long enough to fix up the family house so it can be sold at auction. I promised her I’d do that,” Hunt said, then walked out pushing the shopping cart. By the time he got back to the house and unloaded the groceries, it was getting close to noon. He took off his jacket, then began emptying the sacks and putting up the things he’d just bought. By the time he was through, Cecil Mills was knocking on his door. He let Cecil in, and then pointed out the locations where new locks were needed. “There’s just the front door, and then a back door in the kitchen.” Cecil nodded. “I’ll get those switched out for you and get both locks synced to open with one key. How many keys are you going to want? It comes two keys to a set, so you’ll have four.” “That’s plenty. I’ll be the only one using one here, but when it sells, then that will be handy for the new owners.” “Then I’ll get right to work,” Cecil said. “Call out if you need me,” Hunt said, then took a notepad and a pen and started in the kitchen, making a list of the things that needed to be fixed. *** Excerpted from Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala. © 2021 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author: Sharon Sala has 127 books and novellas in print. First published in 1991, she’s a RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, RT Career Achievement winner, National Reader’s Choice Award, Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence, Heart of Excellence Award, the Booksellers Best Award, RWA’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and the Centennial Award for recognition of her 100th published novel. Her books are New York Times, USA Today,and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. She lives in Oklahoma. Facebook Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Bookshop, BAM, or Books2Read. a Rafflecopter giveaway #Romance #Giveaway #GuestBlogs #SharonSala

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