Prompt challenge WEEK #1

HEY!
First of all, I'm so glad for all of your responses to my last post! I'm really glad to see all this action here, and I hope this inspires some of you wonderful people to come back or to start posting! It's genuinely helping me with my writer's block and I can't say thank you enough <3  
And since inspiration works in mysterious ways, the prompt I picked was completely unintentional; it's something you all said:

I'm still here!

So yeah, I hope you enjoy Matt and Vee as much as I do!

Please, let me know what you think and don't forget to leave a prompt/phrase/word, and I'll be back next sunday with something new! 

Feel free to write your own takes on the prompts in the comments--I'd love to read them and I'm sure everyone else would too!

See ya!

*knock knock*......is anyone still there? I have an idea!

Heeeeeeeey, guys! 

As a long time (LONG time) reader here, I get really sad to see how the blog hasn't had new stories in a while, and even more sad to know I'm also to blame, as a writer! Unforunately, life has been tough and I haven't had much time to write, but I'm feeling creative and I didn't wanna waste it! 

Is anyone still there?? Because I have an idea!!! I remember how a few years ago we had a weekly random prompt thing here, where you'd write sentences in the comments which would get picked as a single-chapter story by the blog authors, and even readers, and I thought that was such a clever way to get ideas going and give some motivation to keep the blog active! So I wanna do that, but I need whoever's reading to do it!

Please, leave a sentence, word, prompt, whatever works for you, in the comments, and I'll come back next week with a dev-y story inspired by it! 

(and yes, I do have plans to update Let it Snow, and also Onde Anda Você, and some new ideas too, but I need time to work on them. I just didn't wanna see the activeless for so long.)

More than a Man in a Red Sheet

Sarah boarded the train, her eyes routinely scanning for her assigned seat. She finally spotted it by a window, next to a man she hadn't noticed until now. His long legs, draped in what appeared to be a red sheet - or was it his jacket? -, partially extended into the aisle.

"Excuse me," Sarah said politely, attempting to navigate around his legs. “I think I’m seated next to you.”

The man looked up from his phone, slightly startled. "Oh, I’m sorry,” he apologized but didn’t move to stand. Sarah couldn't help but notice his striking features - dark hair, remarkable jawline, and piercing blue eyes. "Um... I'm afraid I won't be able to get up to let you through. One moment, please..."

New Audiobook!

 

Hi everyone, thanks so much for supporting my latest book, Good Looking. I'm happy to announce that it's now available as a professionally produced audiobook. You can find it on Audible, Spotify, or anywhere else you get audiobooks, including some libraries. 

Here is the direct link on Audible. If you get the ebook on Amazon, there's a big discount. 

And if anyone wants a free review copy in exchange for an honest review, I'm happy to share promo codes. Just let me know! 

The same goes for my previous two books, which are also available in audio. You guys, all these narrators are so good, and they make the stories even more devvy. Check them out!

Thank you for supporting The Walled Garden!

Hi PD blog,

Thank you so much to everyone who has been buying and reading my new dev romance novella, The Walled Garden - it's been so exciting to see all of the support. 

I'm checking back in with a few updates. First, the paperback edition is now available through more etailers: check out this link for a full list of purchase options.

Also, if you've already read The Walled Garden, please do take a minute to leave a rating/review on Goodreads or Amazon. It really helps!

Finally, to say thank you - I haven't been able to make time to draw Helena & Michael yet, but I did find a cute sketch of Roy and Asher from Shadowboxing that I never shared. Enjoy!

- R 

New Book Release: The Walled Garden (a.k.a. Jazz Age!)

Hi PD,

I'm very happy to announce the release of my newest dev romance, The Walled Garden. "Jazz Age" has always been the story that received the most requests for a sequel, and I've finally expanded it into a 43,000-word novella! It's chock-full of romantic longing, 1920s glamour, eccentric friends and family, and of course devvy details.

• Buy the ebook/paperback on Amazon

• Preview: read the original "Jazz Age" on the PD stories blog

1922: Helena De Vries is an East Coast heiress dispatched to Southern California, where she wants to help her eccentric aunt establish a museum—while her parents aim for her to court young men of suitable stature. Lonely and dissatisfied, Helena flees a glittering soirée, only to encounter a man who presents her with an impossible appeal.

Thoughtful, witty, and kind, Michael Byrne is a son of one of the nation’s wealthiest families, yet has lived his entire life confined to one wing of the Byrne mansion. Born with cerebral palsy and deemed incapable of public appearance, Michael has never been allowed to meet anyone like Helena. For him, their friendship is an unexpected gift.

But after the first sparks of warmth—and desire—Helena finds herself longing for more. Equally afraid to expose their affection to public censure and to give Michael promises that she might not be able to fulfill, Helena faces an irresolvable dilemma: how can you confess your love for a man who isn’t supposed to exist?

The Walled Garden is a sparkling, lush, and sensual Jazz Age romance novella, featuring a rich cast of characters who struggle to reconcile exacting social expectations and the demands of the heart.

Please read and enjoy -- and if you can, leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads to help the book get off the ground! <3

- R

Buttered Bread

Spencer positions his wheelchair at the kitchen counter and leans slightly forward, bracing his forearms on the counter’s edge for stability. Using his wrist flexors, he paws the knife towards the edge of the counter, getting it just close enough that he can grasp it loosely in his slightly curled fingers. His fingers are unable to wrap around it, but he has enough control and strength in wrists to lift it. 

Even though most would have considered him an old hack at this, an intense look of concentration still breaks out across his face as he dips the knife into the butter and guides it to the bread. His arm moves in a sweeping motion, his shoulder and elbow clearly compensating for his lack of fine finger control. 

The butter clumps. The bread breaks  in the middle where the knife catches it wrong. It takes some time, but eventually the bread is buttered – not perfectly, but satisfactorily. 

With a satisfied nod, he glances around the kitchen, already thinking through his next move. He leans over, hooking one arm behind the small black push handle attached to his chair’s backrest for some added stability, then grabs a lightweight plastic plate in the dishrack. It looks like something made for a child, but it’s more practical than traditional – and heavy – ceramic dishes. Using the back of his hand and wrist, Spencer manages to slide the plate closer to the bread. With a practiced motion, he uses the knife to carefully push the slice of bread onto the plate. It doesn’t land perfectly centered, but it’s on the plate and he’s fairly confident it’s secure enough for transport. 

He backs his wheelchair away from the counter, creating space to maneuver. Without finger dexterity, he can’t grip the plate’s edges, so he grabs it with the heels of his hands and moves it carefully to his lap, then turns towards the living room where his roommates are watching TV.