Monday, September 23, 2013

Take The A-Train-er-Autumn Blog Hop!


Do you have a favorite fall memory linked to a train? What do you imagine you would see if you were riding a train in the fall? Join the authors of Wild CHild publishing and Freyas Bower as we Take an Autumn Train Ride through our blogs.

Prizes will include

  • Four $50 gift certificates (two for Wild Child and two Freya's Bower)
  • An awesome swag package that includes:
    • Bookmarks
    • Books
    • Wild Child T-shirt and mug
    • Wild Child and Freya's Bower bags
    • Four handmade, crochet coasters by Kit Wylde
    • An autographed copy of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
    • A rare DVD copy of the Matheson/Furst classic "Up The Creek" (lovingly used)
    • One ebook copy of Nita Wick’s short story, The Dream (previously published as part of a Freya's Bower anthology.)
    • Book trading cards
    • Signed Dangerous Waters poster
    • of "Battle for Blood: The Blood Feud"
    • winner's name as a character in Kissa Starling’s next sweet romance story.
    • A Yankee Candle
    • more...

Chance Encounter
by
Kenzie Michaels

She gazed at the majestic black engine, fourteen feet tall and ninety feet long.  For years the NKP 587 steam locomotive had held wonderful memories.  The first time she had climbed behind the controls and pretended to be the engineer.  The first time she dared to slide down the coal chute.  The first time she balanced precariously on the top, feeling like a giant and pretending to be a train robber.

But this time, she had come to say goodbye to her old friend.  For years the engine had sat in Broadripple Park in Indianapolis, just two blocks from her grandmother's house.  One of the happiest days of her life had been the day she was allowed to walk to the park alone.  No rocket slides for this gal; no, her love was the locomotive.  But now the engine was off to new beginnings.  A library now sat where the engine had been housed for most of her young life, and this is why she'd made the trip to Nobleville, to the transportation museum.  Here it would make one last run before being shipped to another home.

She gazed at the coal car, now filled to the brim.  Oh, how she'd love for it to be empty again, to take one last slide down, and see if it was as steep as she remembered.  She walked around the to the side and climbed up to the engine's door, taking one last nostalgic climb around to the front and along the side.

"I'm going to miss her when she's gone," said a deep male voice.

She turned her head to see the dark-haired man perched on the ladder.  "Did you used to climb on her at Broadripple too?"  She made her way closer to the engine's door.

He joined her on the catwalk and stroked the side of the nose.  "I sure did.  Every chance I got.  I even met my wife there."

"That's amazing.  So the two of you played together as children, or did you meet in high school and use it as your secret hideout?"

He laughed.  "You know, I owe it all to a stranger.  I'd gone to the park to meet a girl I'd never met, but spoke to on the phone."  He picked his way to the front, carefully setting one foot in front of the other.  "But when I arrived, this skinny kid-she couldn't have been more than twelve-was climbing out of the coal car.  Remember how we could slide down the coal chute?  Anyway, she looks at me and says, 'If your name is Brian, your girlfriend's too afraid to meet you.  She asked me to meet you instead and ask you a bunch of questions.'  Then she pulled a sheet of paper out of the pocket of her shorts and proceeds to grill me on likes and dislikes.  Halfway through-"

"Your girlfriend came out of the coal car and said she'd heard enough; you seemed like a decent guy."

His jaw dropped.  "How the hell-"

She smiled.  "I'm guessing you're Brian and you ended up marrying Nancy, whom I met when I was fourteen?"  She stuck out her hand.  "Nice to meet you officially, Brian."

Question:  
Have you ever switched places with a friend, to 'test out' the blind date? 

Welcome to my world!  One lucky commenter will win his/her choice of my back list:)  So browse through the covers and pick the one which appeals to you the most. Don't forget to leave your choice and your contact info in your comment!

The Anderson Chronicles (trilogy).....


When Amber Johnson agrees to fill in as a last-minute chef of a dinner party, she is surprised to learn the client is none other than her ex-boyfriend, Marc Denton. The kitchen sizzles with their unfinished business; will the flames of love reignite, or will Marc’s scheming father succeed in keeping them apart?

Marc and Amber are furious when they discover lies that have kept them apart for three years. With Amber by his side again, will Marc find the courage to stand up to his father and hold on to his true love?

Buy link:
Freya's  Bower

Amazon


Nook


ARE





After being burned pretty badly by two different women in his past, Brian Vellinger has sworn off romance. Commitment-shy for the past fifteen years, he is stunned by his sudden attraction to a woman he's not seen since the last day of their senior year.

Natalie Collier thinks she's successfully put Brian Vellinger out of her mind. After harboring a secret crush all through high school and into college, she is both alarmed and thrilled when Brian makes his intentions known at their 25th class reunion. But will she succeed in softening his casual, 'sex only' policy, or will she end up just another notch on his belt?

Buy links:
Freya's Bower

Amazon

Nook




Austin Harmon is intrigued by his quiet, efficient new administrative assistant. Why does she have an obsession with her watch, and what does she do after hours?

Cara has put her social life on hold while caring for her elderly mother. But after her boss helps her through a crisis, she can't deny their attraction. Romance and Alzheimer's don't mix... or do they?

Buy Links:
Freya's Bower

Amazon

Nook

Teacher's Pet is a stand-alone, and happens to be my best-seller!


What happens when you discover the man you had mind-blowing sex with three months ago is your son's teacher?  Tammy Saunders is horrified when she realizes the man who set her heart racing is her son's favorite teacher.  With one bad relationship behind her, will she trust her heart again, or will she continue to deny her feminine side?
 
And is this particular teacher popular only with his students?  Kevin has made some bad choices in his life, but sleeping with not only one, but now two, of his students' mothers, has got to be the worst mistake he ever made. Especially when he realizes he's lost his heart to one of them...

Buy link:
Freya's Bower

Amazon

Nook 

Please visit these sites for more chances to win, the more you visit the more chances you have to win. We have 46 participating authors. You can stop at as many or as little blogs as you wish. At each stop, you will find either two chances to enter per blog to win some awesome prizes. If you visit all, that's 92 chances to win! There will be five, lucky winners.

Take the Blog Train and Visit These Blogs for more chances to win
Marci Baun/Kit Wylde
Critters at the Keyboard
Teresa D'Amario
Judith Leger, Fantasy and Comtemporary Romance Author
Writing
The Fictional World of Jaime Samms
Follow Where the Path will Take You
The Wandering Mind of Lizzy P. Bellows
Where Love and Magic Meet
Kissa Starling
Marianna Heusler
Hell's Ambrosia
C.M. Michaels
The Shadow Portal
The Blog Zone
Blog By iMagine
Ardyth DeBruyn Author Blog
Shadows of the Past
Dear Reader
Cassie Exline -- Mystery and Romance
Sarcastic Rambling & Writing
That's What I Think
Sue's Random Ramblings
Make Old Bones
Elements of Mystery
Molly Dean's Blog
Kenzie's Place
The Forbidden Blog
David Huffstetler
Cassandra Ulrich
Carol Marvell
Andrew Richardson
Nick Lloyd
Fiddleeebod -- land of stories
Nita Wick's Blog
Ruth G. Zavitsanos
Too Poor for Texas
Jenn Nixon
City of Thieves
Musings and Doodles
Husein
The Western Writer
Bike Cop Blog
The Character Depot
Allen Currier
Tracy Holohan

a Rafflecopter giveaway

14 comments:

Melissa Keir said...

Loved the story. It reminded me of the train station I used to play at growing up. We would go there to make out. :) Poor train ended up with so much graffiti on it. All of it hearts with initials.

Melissa
daringzoey at yahoo.com

Liz Flaherty said...

Great story, Kenzie. Good luck with the blog train!

Cassie Exline said...

Terrific story. And no I never switched places with a friend to meet my blind date. Loved the ending, well done.

billiemccoy said...

Nice story, Kenzie. I've never had a blind date experience. I met my husband as a kid though. I was 10 and he was 11.

carmens007 said...

I thoroughly enjoyed your story! Thank you for sharing with us!
Carmen
http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/

J.L. Campbell said...

Hi, Kenzie,
You have some nice covers. I liked the story as well.

Kenzie Michaels said...

@Melissa: Thank you:) Fortunately, I learned the NKP 587 is back in Noblesville; I'd love to go up and see her again!

@Liz: Thanks for stopping by!

@Cassie: LOL...I argued with the girl about what a stupid idea it was; while we were arguing, he showed up and I headed for the rocket slides to give them privacy:)

Kenzie Michaels said...

@Carol: That is awesome!! I 'dated' my 1st b/f from age 12-16. I use that term loosely, since we only saw each other once a week and more if our parents got together socially.

@Carmen: Glad you enjoyed it!

@JL: It's hard to choose, isn't it? Everyone loves the cover to Teacher's Pet; when I first posted it, women drooled and said they would buy it, based on that cover alone! And I want the necklace in Off The Clock.

Marci Baun said...

Love it, Molly! I almost thought they were pretending to be strangers. Fun!

I met my husband through the internet. LOL Fitting for an eBook publisher, I guess. LOL

Marci

Unknown said...

We had an old engine my kids could play on in a park not far from where we lived. I could picture them playing on it reading your story. Thank you, I loved it. DAB

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Krista Ames said...

Great story Kenzie! I remember getting the chance to take a day trip when I was younger on a steam engine powered train ride and ill never forget that! People waited at the crossings of each town to wave as we went by.

Thanks for a great giveaway!

Krista Ames said...

Of course I forgot to leave any contact info :) Krista@Kristaames.com and I want them all....but I'd have to choose between All She Ever Wanted or Class Reunion.

Thx krista

Kenzie Michaels said...

@Marci: LOL....I ALMOST went in that direction, then changed my mind:)

@Dorothy: Old engines are fun, aren't they? I would LOVE to slide down that coal car again!

@Krista: I've ridden the Durango-Silverton; the 587; and Amtrak. The fun part was going through towns and waving at people:)