Bet you thought I wasn't coming back. Well, I've caught this strain of crud that I can't seem to get rid of, so for a minute there, I wasn't sure myself.
But back to the business at hand. I promised to show you examples of the idioms I named earlier. I've used some of them in my books, or other stories. I was having trouble finding an example of one, so we'll see how that goes.
So, in no particular order, here are some of the examples/excerpts that I promised:
We'll start with "Bob's your uncle" which I've actually used more than once. It's more often used in England, as I'm sure you know…or might have realized. : -)
The first time I used this idiom in a book was in the Montgomery Series:
The Montgomery Family Chronicles – Book Two
by J.J. Massa
Lakon Montgomery tried to avoid Mya Brooks, the beautiful Englishwoman who had the voice of an angel, but he can't resist her. She was destined to be his mate and he is powerless to stop himself. Just when he's getting closer to Mya, his brother and his own primal instincts scare her away. What will Lakon have to do to get her back? Will her family, and his, keep them apart forever? With Mya out of reach, how will Lakon protect Mya from the evil that stalks her?
Excerpt:
“I want to go in there snarling and ripping and tear that …” Lakon turned to the nearest tree and rested his forehead against it. “I can’t think of the right word,” he mumbled.
After a minute, Lakon felt Myles’ hand on his shoulder. “I guess we both have some issues to deal with, mate. Meantime, we’ll go in there cool and suave – The cocky singer and his jazzy, saxophone playing little brother.”
Lakon grinned. “Yeah, attitude is half the battle. Between us I guess we’re arrogant enough to piss anybody off.”
They moved back to Yancey and Mik and slowly began making their way up the mountain. When Tav smelled them beginning to approach, he would circle around to trap Auggie and his party from the northernmost side.
Yancey dropped back, moving west to keep the men surrounded and Mik slowed down waiting for Lakon and Myles to entice the four werewolves into revealing themselves.
Lakon and Myles strolled up between the rocks chatting. “Just a little duct tape and a nice normal envelope, fold it, and Bob’s your uncle, you’ve got a wallet!”
“You know, you can do damn near anything with duct tape!” Lakon shook his head marveling.
“You’re an idiot, Myles!” growled Gil shrilly. “One tap and you’ll be killed. Why’d you come?”
“Thought I’d like a stroll. The mountains are lovely this evening, hey Lake?” Myles inhaled deeply, apparently enjoying the night air.
“The weather’s been great. Not too hot, not too…” Lakon’s observations were cut off.
A buff colored wolf shot out of the rocks to their right and landed on Myles’ chest. Instead of falling backward, Myles wrapped both arms around it and turned in what looked like an intimate dance step. Instead of crushing Myles’ throat, the wolf let out a strangled, gurgling scream and went limp.
“So sorry old man.” Myles’ voice wasn’t quite steady. “I didn’t mean to kill him. Just thought I’d keep him from killing me.”
~~~
Next is Safe as houses–meaning a safe bet or you can count on it. I put it right after this one because I actually used both idioms here:
Coming soon from New Concepts Publishing
Metamorphose
Excerpt:
The morning had been somewhat hectic with Livia making the candles and Rand and Wynn going over everything to ensure that they had what they needed for any spells in that other place. They would cast a spell right away so that they could locate Ely. Immediately after that, they would cast a second spell so that they could remain hidden from anyone whom they didn’t want to find them.
It was all pretty tricky, of course. The provisions they packed included almost as much spell ingredients as food.
The only good part about the whole travel plan was that they didn’t have to be any certain place to cast the spell that would bring them home. It was primarily made up of words and the words worked on all worlds. By binding themselves to Livia with rosemary, blood, and honey, they would return right into the kitchen of the suite.
Wynn had made a large circle on the faux custom flooring using crystals and stones. The circle was pretty large so there were a lot of those. The black, red, and white candles made a triangle and a shiny blue one she’d made stationed in the middle. The candle flames had flared high and gone out on their own when Rand and Wynn disappeared.
Livia gave the maid service a twenty dollar bill so that they wouldn’t come in, gratefully taking a stack of towels and sheets. She’d toyed with the idea of not changing them, wanting to keep the scent of the three of them together that much longer. Still, when Ely came, the sheets should be clean, so she took a fresh set telling the housekeeping staff that she would put the dirty sheets out when the men woke up.
That had been her reason to keep them out. One was on the couch and the other still in the bed she’d whispered. She’d hung the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door after exchanging towels and had hurried down to the lobby for coffee and a roll.
Now, coffee gone and the roll cold on the table, Livia paced, worrying. Rand had promised they’d go find Ely, and bob’s your uncle, they’d be back, safe as houses. She had no idea what all that meant, except that he was trying to make her feel better.
She decided not to call him on it as a courtesy.
He might not even know what blowing smoke up my ass means…or maybe he does. He sure is giving it the old college try.
~~~~
Keeping it British, I've got "bee's knees" which, more or less means, if something is the bee's knees, it's great!
The Montgomery Family Chronicles – Book Three
by J.J. Massa
Tavist Darke lost his mate and pup years ago and never expected to have a family. He no longer looked for happiness in life. He didn't expect to find another mate. The love of his adopted pack was more than he ever expected. When he met beautiful Tracey West and her enchanting children he knew his secret prayers had been answered.
Tracey West had a family and she would keep them safe at all costs. She didn't want another mate. She'd been married for almost a decade and had three beautiful and special children as a result. Living in and getting out of that marriage had been a nightmare. All she wanted now was peace and safety for herself and her kids. Why couldn't her sexy neighbor understand that?
Excerpt:
Tav and Riker moved around the side. They’d still hear the conversation and Myles knew it. Possibly even Ashley did, Tav wasn’t sure. Between Ashley and Jacob, maybe all three children, Tav was convinced they had some sort of seer abilities. There was just something supernatural about them. Half hidden behind a large tree on the edge of the woods, Tav watched Myles take Ashley’s hand and sit on the step, pulling her to stand in front of him.
“After that, though, after you think we’re safe, you’re leaving, aren’t you?” Ashley’s voice sounded infinitely sad.
“I have to, Princess,” Myles sounded desperately sad as well.
“Why, Myles?” she asked simply.
“I have to give you a chance to grow up. If I’m here all the time, you won’t get to play and run around like you should,” Myles explained.
“I’ll run around if you want me to, Myles. You can chase me. We’ll have fun.” Tav could hear the tears in Ashley’s voice.
He heard the swishing sound of fabric against fabric. Myles was hugging the little girl.
“Don’t cry, Princess. Someday we’ll be together as much as we want. Until then, I’ll come to see you on your birthday and when important things happen,” Myles promised.
“You mean like the school play and dance recitals?” Ashley asked shyly. “And maybe Christmas and Thanksgiving?”
“That’s exactly right. We can write letters to each other, as well. It’ll be bee’s knees, won’t it?” He was obviously trying to sound cheerful.
There was silence for a minute then, “Myles, are you sure bees have knees?” she asked skeptically.
“Well I’m not, really, but it would be almost as smashing as having a letter from you in my mail, wouldn’t it?”
Tav heard the swishing sound of a hug again. “I’d rather have you here.” Her muffled voice sounded very pouty, he thought. He’d never heard Ashley pout. “But, I won’t be a big baby, I promise,” she said on a very shaky sigh.
“You can be as big a baby as there ever was and you’ll still be my little Princess,” Myles told her. Tav could hear them standing. “Let’s go in and have Grandma Elke spoil you, shall we? You’ll be the only girl.”
“Spoiling is bad, Myles. If something gets spoiled, Mama usually throws it away.” They heard Myles laugh and try to explain how painless being spoiled really was.
~~~
I use the phrase, "cut to the chase" quite a bit, meaning "get to the point." I especially like this particular example just because it comes from one of my favorite books–Civil Liberties.
Excerpt:
Starting at: $3.99
by J.J. Massa
When cop Christian Parker meets D.A. Denny at a bar and takes him home, they have one steamy night of passion. That might be the end of it, but a deposition brings Christian back into Denny's life. Denny tries to deny his feelings for Christian, preferring to be a player, but when a family tragedy brings Christian down, Denny is there to comfort him.
Everything that can go wrong for these two does go astray, and Christian is ready to give up. When another tragedy threatens to tear them apart forever, though, it might just be Denny who has to convince Christian that he's ready to settle down. Can they struggle through everything life throws at them and find a way to stay together?
Excerpt:
It didn’t really surprise Denny when he heard her voice on the line. He and Amanda Arbuckle had known one another for a number of years. They’d been on again-off again lovers from the beginning. Causal friends, casual sex.
“Denton, how are you my dear?” she gushed enthusiastically. He could practically see her sitting in one of her spindly, Victorian chairs, holding her telephone oh so properly, her scheduling book on her lap ready for her to jot down the date and time he would be squiring and then bedding her.
“I’m just fine, Mandy, how are you these days?” She hated when he shortened her name, but he chose to interpret it as a mark of their friendship that she let him use the nickname.
He wanted to demand she just cut to the chase, but that wasn’t how these things were done. Though he had no intention of attending whatever soiree she felt she couldn’t possibly miss, nor did he have any desire to roll around in her silk sheets, it was bad manners simply to say so.
“I’m so glad to hear that, I must say! You were spotted on your own at the country club looking positively morose!” Her tone changed to one of empathetic sadness. “You know how much your happiness means to me, Denton.”
And how much would my happiness mean to you if you knew I was pining for another man, Mandy? “You’ve always been one of my dearest friends, Mandy,” he said, keeping his thoughts to himself. Since his dearest friends knew little more about him than his name, job title and whatever they read in the paper, that designation of friend carried little weight with him.
“Of course I have, my dear,” she purred. “And that’s why I want you to accompany me to Daddy’s company’s charity dinner the Thursday after next. It’s formal, of course, but…”
“Mandy,” he interrupted her.
“…black tie is quite acceptable, and you always look positively edible with your salt and pepper hair and…”
“Amanda!” he stopped her.
“Denton, you don’t need to shout,” she objected, a studied vein of hurt clear in her voice.
“I’m terribly sorry, Mandy,” he apologized as expected. “Very rude of me. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Well,” she continued to pout. “You might as well tell me what has you acting so out of character.” And that right there clarified that she didn’t know him and wasn’t his friend.
Denny knew himself to be controlling, aggressive, had an intrinsic need to be in charge. The sweet, blond detective that liked it when Denny held his chair, liked it when Denny rolled him over, touched him, fucked him–he knew. Denny’s breath caught in his throat, the ache building in his chest.
~~~
Okay, that should hold you for an hour or two while I round up the rest. Don't forget, everyone who responds is part of a contest for a free book.
Back soon!
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