Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Jacqui vs. Christmas

December 24, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Greetings and Happy Holidays! And if you don’t observe this particular holiday, Happy Ordinary Day! In my eastern European family, today is the big day when all the celebrating happens, but I hope to visit everyone on the hop before things get too crazy around here. I had big plans to post a Christmas short story today, but life sort of intruded, so I have the opening excerpt instead, and hopefully will post the rest of the story next week. The story features Jacqui, my cat shifter hero, and how he and his inner cat deal with the temptations of the holiday. Hint- not very well.

Jacqui vs. Christmas

***

Jacqui curled up in the corner of Wyatt’s couch, feet tucked in beside him, hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate. A fire danced in the fireplace, Bing crooned carols from a scratchy vinyl album and a dusting of snow was visible through the big bow window.

Every nerve in Jacqui’s body tingled and his hair stood on end.

Christmas had pounced on Wyatt’s apartment like a giant, multi-colored, flashing neon Rottweiler of doom, shedding tinsel and drooling eggnog.

Jacqui wasn’t fond of the holiday.

The twinkling lights—no touchee.

The curly ribbons—no touchee.

The glittering ornaments—no touchee.

THE TREE.

So whose idea was it to bring a tree inside, hang a bunch of shiny dangling bits from it and then yell at the cat when natural instinct takes over?

***

The calm before the storm

Jacqui the Cat Mysteries, the cozy gay shifter romance mystery series the world has been waiting for~

Jacqui Corleone is a fashion designer, a yoga-instructor and a concerned citizen who selflessly helps the police solve crimes. Oh, and he occasionally turns into a small wild cat. Probably due to a wizard’s curse or an evil government plot to create super warriors.

Or, he’s a cat cursed to turn into a human and only the bite of a sexy alpha lion will allow him to remain in his superior form of Cat.

Jacqui does not have a split personality, but sometimes his cat personality can get rather loud.

Loud? You’re loud.

Jacqui Corleone is a cat shifter who doesn’t know why or how he turns into a cat. He lives a solitary life in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. He’s not afraid of intimacy (yes, he is) but sensibly refrains from potentially awkward entanglements. Unfortunately, the sexy new deputy sheriff just moved in across the street and Jacqui’s vow not to get mixed up with island dudes is sorely challenged.

When the mysterious disappearance of three blue pots draws Jacqui to investigate, he’s drawn ever deeper into danger–and into the muscular but not too bulgy or veiny arms of deputy Wyatt West (you wish).

Join Jacqui (and Cat) in this new exciting and sexy gay shifter romance mystery series from bestselling author (she wishes) Alexis Duran. Coming as soon as Alexis gets her s**t together.

***

This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight to ten sentences from a published work or perhaps their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book. Click here or use the address: http://www.wewriwa.com

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ A Bad Idea

December 16, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Hello everyone, and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of us crazy writer-types share excerpts from our published work or work-in-progress. If my fellow writers take exception to being called crazy, I apologize, but I’m feeling a little off my rocker lately because of all the time I’m spending in the head of my main character–Jacqui the cat shifter. Jacqui has a bit of a split personality and spends a lot of time arguing with his inner cat, who just isn’t as concerned with things like privacy, politeness and other inconvenient human social restraints. In this week’s snippet, Jacqui in his cat form is spying on his new neighbor. Even though he has a rule about not becoming romantically entangled, his interests have been–shall we say–aroused. You can read last week’s snippet here.

***

Jacqui stared, mesmerized, as Wyatt leaned to one side and then the other.

I give him a nine and a half. He loses half a point because he has no sense of style. His hair looks like he used that weed whacker on it. And the five o’clock shadow? That’s so spot-on trendy—he needs our help badly.

Don’t distract me from the sweat trickles. I want to lick them. I want to bite the back of his neck and make him mine.

This was such a bad idea.

***

Looks like a pretty good cat perch to me

Jacqui the Cat Mysteries, the cozy gay shifter romance mystery series the world has been waiting for~

Or, he’s a cat cursed to turn into a human and only the bite of a sexy alpha lion will allow him to remain in his superior form of Cat.

Jacqui does not have a split personality, but sometimes his cat personality can get rather loud.

Loud? You’re loud.

Join Jacqui (and Cat) in this new exciting and sexy gay shifter romance mystery series from bestselling author (she wishes) Alexis Duran. Coming as soon as Alexis gets her s**t together.

***

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Peeping

December 9, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Hello and welcome to my corner of Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of awesome writers share short excerpts from their work. There’s a wide diversity of genres and styles here, so you’re sure to find something you enjoy.

I’m sharing from my current work-in-progress, a cozy gay shifter romance mystery tentatively titled Prowl. In this scene, Jacqui is in his cat form and is taking a little stroll through the neighborhood and quite innocently (not) ends up in the backyard of his sexy new neighbor, Deputy Sheriff Wyatt West. I’ve skipped ahead a bit from last week.

***

At last Wyatt appeared. He was still shirtless, but held one in his left hand, a bottle of beer in the other. He placed the beer on top of the stack of boxes and wiped his forehead with the T-shirt. And he would no doubt put it back on, sweat-sodden and everything. Jacqui crouched down, peeping around the edge of the couch.

Wyatt shook out the shirt, appeared to think better of it, and tossed it on the box next to the beer. Then he stretched.

Oh, yes, he did stretch. He placed both hands behind his neck and leaned back, the smooth lines of his muscular chest clearly defined and gleaming with a sheen of sweat. A tiny bead made its way around the belly button and trickled toward the barely visible trail of dark hair poking out of the low-slung jeans.

***

Jacqui the Cat Mysteries, the cozy gay shifter romance mystery series the world has been waiting for~

Or, he’s a cat cursed to turn into a human and only the bite of a sexy alpha lion will allow him to remain in his superior form of Cat.

Jacqui does not have a split personality, but sometimes his cat personality can get rather loud.

Loud? You’re loud.

Join Jacqui (and Cat) in this new exciting and sexy gay shifter romance mystery series from bestselling author (she wishes) Alexis Duran. Coming as soon as Alexis gets her s**t together.

***

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ A Temporary Lapse of Sanity

December 2, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of really awesome writers share excerpts from their work in snippets of ten sentences or less.

So, it’s December again, and the silly season is officially underway. As usual, I’m in denial, ignoring the hundred and one things I should be doing in order to write, write, write. The crazier things get out there, the more appealing it is to stay in my office in my robe and fuzzy slippers writing about the adventures of a cat shifter named Jacqui Corleone.

I blame Jacqui. He’s very insistent that I get his stories finished so I can publish early next year. In the meantime, I hope you’re enjoying these in-the-rough snippets. I skipped a head a little from last week. Jacqui, as Cat, is taking a little stroll to spy on his new neighbor, Wyatt West. He’s now in Wyatt’s back yard.

***

Boxes filled about half the patio, and a couch had been parked in the weeds.

Wait a minute, if Wild West had lived on a sailboat, where the hell did all this shit come from? Why does he need a truck and a moving van?

Clearly, the boat episode was a temporary lapse of sanity. He had his stuff in storage somewhere and is now ready to return to the land of the sensible.

Music thudded softly out of the open patio door: classic rock—seventies—Zeppelin. Jacqui flicked his ears. He preferred classical, jazz, and when he drank too much, Prince, the Eurythmics and an embarrassing selection of Eighties hair bands. Annie Lennox had been his first fashion guru. At sixteen, he’d given himself a crew cut and died his hair neon red, only to be told by everyone he looked like an anemic bozo the clown; it was a defining moment.

***

It’s coming!

Jacqui the Cat Mysteries, the cozy gay shifter romance mystery series the world has been waiting for~

Or, he’s a cat cursed to turn into a human and only the bite of a sexy alpha lion will allow him to remain in his superior form of Cat.

Jacqui does not have a split personality, but sometimes his cat personality can get rather loud.

Loud? You’re loud.

Join Jacqui (and Cat) in this new exciting and sexy gay shifter romance mystery series from bestselling author (she wishes) Alexis Duran. Coming as soon as Alexis gets her s**t together.

***

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Threats and Enticements

November 25, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Greetings and welcome to my corner of Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of really awesome writers share snippets from their published work or works-in-progress. If you’re in the states, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and if not, I hope you had a great ordinary Thursday!

I’m currently sharing from a work-in-progress, Prowl, which is the first book in a series of cozy mysteries featuring Jacqui Corleone, fashion designer and cat shifter extraordinaire. I’ve skipped ahead from last week, where Jacqui was in the process of shifting into his cat form. Now he’s ready to prowl, and perhaps spy on the sexy new neighbor across the street.

***

He raced across the floor to the balcony, sprang to the wrought iron rail and then made the three-foot leap to the large madrone tree outside his apartment. The bronzed tree glowed in the light of the setting sun and it smelled like heaven, a piquant blend of warm wood and feathery bird. Jacqui scrambled into its branches and scanned the street below for threats and enticements.

The little birds had scattered at his launch.

Lucky for them.

We don’t kill birds.

Party pooper.

After determining no loose dogs or grabby children roamed the hood, Jacqui scrambled down the trunk and sauntered nonchalantly toward the condos across the street, where fenced backyards opened onto the sidewalk. Wyatt West, in the middle of moving, had left his gate open. Jacqui paused and peered around the corner.

***

Happiness is a warm tree.

Jacqui the Cat Mysteries, the cozy gay shifter romance mystery series the world has been waiting for~

Or, he’s a cat cursed to turn into a human and only the bite of a sexy alpha lion will allow him to remain in his superior form of Cat.

Jacqui does not have a split personality, but sometimes his cat personality can get rather loud.

Loud? You’re loud.

Join Jacqui (and Cat) in this new exciting and sexy gay shifter romance mystery series from bestselling author (she wishes) Alexis Duran. Coming as soon as Alexis gets her s**t together.

***

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ The Spirit of Cat

November 11, 2017 by Alexis Duran

Greetings and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of really awesome writers share snippets from their published work or works-in-progress.

I’ve just returned from World Fantasy 2017 in San Antonio, where it was 90 degrees and balmy. Coming home to the cold and rainy Pacific Northwest has my inner cat wanting to curl up under an afghan and snooze until spring. But there are books to be written so I’ll resist the urge to hibernate. Sharing on this blog hop helps. As I was reminded at the WF convention where over 800 fellow fantasy writers gathered, it really helps to break the isolation and spend some time with the clan. So thanks for being here and participating.

I’m sharing from my work-in-progress, tentatively titled Prowl, a gay shifter romance mystery featuring Jacqui, a fashion-designer who also happens to be a shifter and excels at getting into trouble. Jacqui has talked himself into shifting and going for a prowl. You can read last weeks snippet here.

***

Jacqui stood with eyes closed and waited for the spirit of Cat to stretch and grow inside him. He conjured up a clear vision of himself, his human form, his eyes, then watched as his pupils narrowed and shifted from dots to slits.

He and Cat shared the same eye color, an unusual blue-green that a few observant people had noted was rather uncanny. If only they could see what happened to them when Jacqui prepared to shift. Sometimes the cat eyes looking back at him were golden and he wondered if the strange eyes might belong to one of his parents. Whenever they appeared, he held his breath and waited for a message that never came.

Tonight, his cat eyes were blue-green, a sort of teal. His blond hair thickened and spread, his outline stretched and warped.

He ran his hands over his nude body. The touching helped ground him and allay his fears that Cat would take over and he’d forget all about his human side.

***

Jacqui is no ordinary house cat

Jacqui the Cat Mysteries, the cozy gay shifter romance mystery series the world has been waiting for~

Or, he’s a cat cursed to turn into a human and only the bite of a sexy alpha lion will allow him to remain in his superior form of Cat.

Jacqui does not have a split personality, but sometimes his cat personality can get rather loud.

Loud? You’re loud.

Join Jacqui (and Cat) in this new exciting and sexy gay shifter romance mystery series from bestselling author (she wishes) Alexis Duran. Coming as soon as Alexis gets her s**t together.

***