Skullduggery Amidst the Ruins
Hi again, Doralynn here, thought I’d post another quick excerpt from my character Danny’s perspective. I’ll give you the background on the real Danny. Dan Webb was one of my partner’s in the military police. We had some interesting assignments together. In a way, Danny was the love of my life… unfortunately, I let him get away. He once told me I’d regret that. I guess he was right. I used his real name in this novel, though this character is not like the real Danny. Danny was as faithful as they come. I’m sure some lucky woman is now married to the love of my life.
Excerpt from SLEEPING WITH SKELETONS available at The Wild Rose Press.
The farmhouse’s blackened skeleton rose like an indistinct shadow in the diminishing daylight. Even from the orchard road the air smelled of sulfur. Danny hid the car in the trees, wondering how far behind his pursuer was, then made his way toward the sprawling, burned-out structure.
An eerie silence hung over the charred remains, and apart from a few nearby animal noises and his footsteps, there were no other sounds. He stepped over the shredded remains of the red and yellow fire and crime scene tape, ignored the danger signs, and walked into what had once been an entrance hall.
One side of the house, though severely fire damaged, still stood. Beams that shouldered the ceiling now leaned precariously, some were fallen and broken, collapsed against furniture that had been warped and melted in the fire’s heat. Charred and crumbling stairs led up into even greater destruction. Most of the second floor was gone, and what remained lay below his feet or slumped against the first floor’s scorched walls.
The place was ready to collapse. If anything of significance still existed in this rubble, he needed to find it quickly. The demolition crews would arrive tomorrow to clear away the debris. He only hoped the place didn’t bury him in the meantime.
Great imagery in your excerpt. I’ve found that the men in my past are better off there. Today’s reality ruins the memories.He’s not as nice as I remember, or worse his memories of me are not as nice!
Hi Doralynn, thought I would come and check it out. Do you mind if I blog about this site? And for all of you who have not checked out this book ‘Sleeping With Skeletons,’ I suggest you do so.
Ann
Hey, Doralynn! Okay, now I’m just aching for you and Danny.
Speaking of men from our pasts, the hero on the cover of my upcoming release looks a lot like my ex. Is that weird or what?
I’ll keep checking in to see what you have to say about spycraft, etc. I’m totally intrigued!
Kaylea
Hi Emma, thanks for the compliment. That’s so true. I often remind myself that if we’d married, we’d probably be divorced by now, and my fond memories would be replaced by bitterness. Of course, that might be because I just bit into a sour grape. I shudder to think what his memories of me are… though I will say that he saw some things that he misinterpreted. He didn’t know the full story, and he never found out. I do wish I could set him right on a thing or two.
Who knows the mind of men? Back in college, I contacted a guy, who I thought was one of my best friends in high school. Before the conversation even started, he crushed me by saying if all I wanted to do was complain about my love life like I did in high school then he didn’t want to talk to me. The way I remembered it, he did just as much complaining. Ruined my good mood and ended the conversation pretty quickly. The funny thing is I always thought we might end up together after college. *Sigh.* Doesn’t matter now…I have my prince.
Hi Doralynn!
And you’ve got to keep me posted about the real Danny, if you ever hear what he’s up to. I’ve felt that way about lads in the past…but luckily ended up married happily to a different one. So I’m confident there’s more than one “love of your life” possible, and someone will still sweep you off your feet. Write that story when it happens, too… 
I loved ‘Sleeping with Skeletons,’ as you know by now.
Molly
Hi Kaylea, thank you for dropping in! Not so lonely around here anymore!
LOL…. sometimes I ache for Danny and me too. I really blew that one.
I need to go check out that cover again. That is strange that he looks like your ex… I know that wasn’t planned. I’m really looking forward to “Cover of Darkness.” It’s exactly the kind of book I enjoy reading.
Thanks for following this… really appreciated.
Hi Emma, I think men are so much easier to figure out than women… but sometimes they really throw us some curve balls… like your friend from high school. Crying on shoulders is what women do with friends, though. He must have thought of you differently than you thought of him at that time. Perhaps he was jealous of those guys and wanted you to know that he felt deeper for you than ‘just a friend.’ He may have been thinking, “Hey, what about me? I wouldn’t treat you like that.”
I’m so glad you have your prince… and your little prince as well. Or is your young, newly-born prince a princess?
Hi Ann!! I just saw your post… somehow I overlooked it. I must be blind. It’s always so nice to hear from you, and I’d love for you to blog about this site. Coffee Time Romance is one of my favorite sites. The people here are great. Thanks for the recommend on Sleeping With Skeletons. You helped make it what it is, and of course, you’re listed in acknowledgements. Thanks again.
My newborn is a prince just like his daddy!
Very atmospheric piece, Doralynn! Definitely makes me want to read the book to find out just why Danny was willing to brave that burned out farmhouse…and what’s waiting there
I think we all have our Danny – and usually, when we meet them again after time has past they’re, well, not quite as we remember!
Congrats to you, Doralynn!! It’s excellent to see you here in the limelight. Just wanted to pop in and say ‘hello.’ I’m inspired by your successes!
All the best to you,
corra
Hi Molly, thanks for stopping by and for all your help with ‘Sleeping With Skeletons’. You were actually my first editor, and I’ll always be grateful for your help and for recommending me to The Wild Rose Press. You know how much I love your work, especially ‘The Ghost Downstairs’.
Maybe one day I will get to see Danny again, and if I ever do, you can be sure I’ll write a story about it. And if some handsome stranger sweeps me off my feet, all the better, and I’ll be writing about that too.
Hi Emma, seems like everybody I know is having little boys. My friend Molly, who posted above, recently had a little prince too… plus there is my niece’s son as well. He was named Cullen in honor of Katie’s mom, Holly. Holly passed away in 2002 from cancer. Cullen is Gaelic for holly.
Hi Glenys, thank you for the kind comments. We women do have a lot of Danny’s in our pasts. Of course, that’s a fantasy, and reality never quite lives up to that. Thanks again. I appreciate you stopping in and commenting.
Hi Corra! Nice to see you in here too! Thank you for coming in to lend me your support. I appreciate it, and I’m thrilled to hear I’ve inspired you in some way! Doralynn
Hi, Doralynn,
Just popping in to say hello. No Danny’s in my past, Thank God. Although I did have one who tried to get together again, 20 years later. That was a disaster. We’re sick here at our house, so can’t stay long. Off to take the first nap of the day…
Liana
Hi Li, I’m glad you don’t have a Danny in your past… but I hate to hear you’re sick. I’m still trying to recover from the flu myself. I’ve had it now for about a month, and it just won’t go away. Cullen is still recuperating from Swine Flu, but he’s doing much better now. Thanks for popping in to say hello. I hope you feel better after your nap. Doralynn