Flash from Mercy is for Sissies

A lovely mild day on the tame prairie, my Beautiful Big Cats... most definitely a sweetness that nurtures the Kougar’s soul. Simply to look out and see the land, the autumn-transforming trees... oh, and yesterday, moi was awakened by several loud knocks outside her window... familiar sounds from the past. However, the Kougaress had never been able to find out who, what made the noises. She got lucky this time, catching sight of a feathered creature beneath the roof’s overhang... Mr. Loudly Pecking turned out to be a red-headed woodpecker obviously dining on insects. After a bit, he flew off, followed by another smaller woodpecker, who was probably his mate.
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Flash Fiction Sunday at Liquid Silver Sex blog, it was Jolie Cain hosting ~ ‘Twas a dark and stormy night….for flashing! ~ “Fade in….An old mansion sits on a bluff overlooking a stormy sea. In the background lightning flashes and the sound of thunder booms in the distance.”

Here’s the Kougar’s flashie ~

From her WIP ~ Mercy is for Sissies

Skycat strode down the long ramp of the docking station. She moved at a slower pace than usual, fried and drained from her last assignment, capturing a particularly nasty space raider. Still, her superior senses remained on duty and she recorded everything around her, including the glint of her immediate’s superior’s hovering eye as she called the small sphere device he used like a second pair of eyes.
Darkly amused, Skycat snapped a mocking salute and moved toward her silver flight cycle. If he’d wanted a fast report, Benx would have met her or sent one of his flight pods.

Even with her weariness, adrenaline kept her in its relentless grip and Skycat swung astride the cycle as if off to the races. Not bothering with any protective gear, she anti-graved above the ground, rotated to the air lane that would take her beyond the thriving spaceport city, then zoomed toward her domain located in the red cliffs.
Arcing the aerodynamic cycle above the minimal traffic, she traveled over the latest construction, slender swirling spires that looked like they’d been constructed out of wire. Normally, she would have stopped in for a leisurely meal at her favorite, off-the-beaten track tavern.

But that could get her into the kind of trouble she didn’t want, given her over-taxed body and mind.
Lowering her speed, Starcat leaned forward entering the sparse forest of pine trees, high on the cliff’s time-worn side. She wove an unmarked path through the spindly, yet majestic trees, aware that several pairs of critter eyes watched her as she passed. She didn’t bother identifying them her with her psi-sight. Most of the area’s animals had become used to her living among them. Instead, she inhaled deeply, indulging in the fecund odors of the ground littered with drying pine needles.

The slightly acrid scents of prickly bushes and dry-climate berries drifted around her. Still immature, the berries would soon be a feast for her, the birds and especially, the red-coated small bears. That is, if she wasn’t on assignment, gunning for some bad ass galactic criminal.
In a smooth move, Starcat swerved toward the cave tunnel, short in length, that led inside her abode. Straightening her arm, she shot energy from her palm at the invisible field protecting the entrance, dissolving it. Sliding inside the dim interior, she halted instantly, then swung her leg over the front of her flyer.

Behind her, the barrier restored itself as she landed on the balls of her booted feet.
Starcat had sculptured every inch of her domain, using her energy-force to shape the front entrance of the small cave into her private haven. Knowing the snaking curve of her enclosed stairway, she trotted up rapidly in the semi-darkness, ready for a cold drink, then something to eat. Then the sweetness of sleep.
Entering her food area, she hit the switch that opened her huge skylight. Beams of sienna-colored light poured inward from the lowering sun. Starcat sighed with the relief of being home.

Moving toward her chest-high cooler, also carved out of the rock, she pulled out a bottle of sassafras brew. As she flicked off the old-fashioned lid and took a leisurely sip of the tangy potent liquid, Starcat smelled him. A real man.
Nope, not an android. However, by his scent, he’d been brain-altered enough that he couldn’t use whatever abilities he possessed to harm her. No wonder her psi senses hadn’t clanged a warning. Starcat tipped up another sip as she slowly spun around gazing into her large central room. Sunbeams barely outlined the figure of a man laying prone.

Unmoving, he appeared to have been positioned on one of her lounge chairs. Various scenarios of how and why a man had been placed inside her domain sped through Starcat’s mind as she approached, her tread silent. She certainly hadn’t ordered him. She’d never ordered a man to service her sexual needs.
Of course, it could be one of Benx’s pranks. It’d be like him to place a fake order, then use his access to her abode in this ‘gotcha ha-ha way’. She could imagine him before her mind’s eye now, laughing his skinny hind end off at her expense.

Yep, Benx would be clutching his concave stomach.
It wasn’t her birthday or any other gift-giving occasion, so that probably left her mother out. Besides, her beloved mother would be matchmaking, not sending her a sex-for-the-night gift.
He hadn’t been transported inside her home. Starcat would have seen the residue frequencies and felt them. Only her sister and her best friend, Priov, had the code to enter her front door. Her sister, Lilydragon, wouldn’t have parted with the coin, being ultra careful in her expenses.
Shortly before departing her cruiser at docking, she’d had a long welcome-home chat with Priov.

He’d been on his way out, ready to dine and dance the night away with a new man friend who’d intrigued him with his intellect and, of course, his handsome physique.
Priov swung both ways in the sex department and preferred threesomes. That was one reason their friendship remained strong and had survived since childhood. Sexual attraction never got in the way and their preferences were starkly different. Yet, there was no one Starcat loved more than Priov. If her friend had set up this scenario, he’d have given her a couple of sly hints, urging her to go home.

Whoever the naked man was, at least, he appeared naked from this distance, he’d been elaborately bound, trussed up by the type of soft rope used in playing out erotic fantasies. Sunbeams highlighted the impressive ultra-masculine planes of his torso, buttocks and thighs. Not only that, the reddish light enhanced his skin color, a dark brown with a bronze sheen, the kind of coloring on a man that always tempted her tongue to lap and taste.
Not sensing an ambush, Starcat sauntered closer. With her luck, he’d probably be temporarily neutered, a practice men used to curb their carnal appetites.
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Authoress news and mews ~

From: SHE WRITES ~ http://shewrites.com ~

Wow, did I feel good yesterday. 5000 women writers here. A depth and breadth of talent that takes my breath away. We write fiction, we write memoir, we write scifi; we are bestsellers, we are award winners, we are just starting out; we are working hard, we are writing well; we are...not as good at it as men are.

Or at least that seems to be the opinion of Publishers' Weekly, which published its "Best Books of 2009" list on November 2nd and could not see its way to including a single book by a woman without destroying its integrity or betraying its unassailable good taste...

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, GOOD AUTHOR CATS ALL!!!

Here’s the Kougar’s comment ~

...that is so disgusting I can hardly believe it!!!
Still, the truth is, this kind of prejudice against women authors and against women as valued heroines in the movies, etc., has been ongoing for so long, I don't bother with the mainstream shows, TV or films, anymore. I'm personally sick of seeing men presented as THE VALUED ONE most of the time. Hey, it's Harry Potter, not Henrietta Potter. Puhlease...!!!
I lived that scenario growing up. In school the boys were called on, instead of me, to answer questions because it was thought it was more important to educate them and encourage their intelligence. Oh, and their precious egos might be crushed. Everything was geared around boys... everything!!!
When women's liberation arrived, there was some relief and some opportunity... but, honestly, the prejudice remains beneath the surface no matter the appearance otherwise.
I find it sickening, disheartening and enraging. However, I will say that men, in general, are being played for fools by the system or the establishment, also. The game by the *Big Boys Powers that Be* is to divide and conquer, to keep women and men divided by the use of sophisticated psychological and propaganda techniques. Because, if women and men ever truly came together, as is possible, it would be a whole new world of love, one truly worth living in, instead of the current despicable mess.
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From, erotic romance author, Jolie Cain ~

Found some interesting statistics about people who read romance novels on the RWA Website, and I thought I’d share with you guys. No, I know it doesn’t fit the theme today, but what the heck. lol!

* 74.8 million people read at least one romance novel in 2008.

* The core of the romance fiction market is 29 million regular readers.

* 24.6 percent of all American read a romance novel in 2008, versus 21.8 percent in 2005.

* 29 percent of Americans over the age of 13 read a romance novel in 2008.

* Women make up 90.5 percent of the romance readership, and men make up 9.5 percent.

* The heart of the U.S. romance novel readership is women aged 31–49 who are currently in a romantic relationship.

Location of romance readers in the United States (see map above)

The percentage of people in each geographic area who read romance novels:

* Northeast: 21.5 percent
* Midwest: 28.8 percent
* South: 25.1 percent
* West: 23.6 percent

Stats again:

Purchase Behavior/Influences

* Impulse purchases outnumber planned romance novel purchases.
* About 12 percent of romance novels are either purchased as gifts or received as gifts.
* Most critical purchase influences:

o Author
o Description of the book
o Word from friends/acquaintances
* The most popular resource romance readers use to learn about new/upcoming romance titles is a romance novel. Readers learn about new romance titles most often by reading the advertisements for other books contained in the books they are currently reading.
* The most popular online resource for a reader looking for information on a romance novel is a retailer Web site
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Now ~ FIRST! just for the big cool cats ~

Happy Courtship on another Earth

X-Serial Flash in Two Hundred ~ Sylva and Zeke’s story continues...

Part 316 ~

Sylva had never felt safer, held by her cowboy husband, even with her nightmare taking emotional nips out of her psyche. “Judge Carlson,” he quietly spoke. “I talked with him while we were at the Emerald Shamrock. He brought up the nefarious possibility of an underground testing facility for particle beam weapons at Death Valley. He was investigating and wanted my assistance. Our assistance.” Sylva couldn’t imagine how she could help, unless it was with her intuitive abilities. “Now,” he hugged her closer, “I’m wondering if that was a cover story for what he’s really investigating. Unless, there’s a connection.”

Zeke rested his chin on the top of his woman’s head, her hair sweet against his skin. “Connection?” she asked too softly. “I don’t know for certain, darlin’. There’s been constant rumors about remnants of an ancient group of warrior-kings who have remained underground, but have been behind every attempt to establish a world tyranny.” She shuddered, his Sylva. “Shades of my Earth. World War II, Germany was defeated. The Nazis themselves weren’t. There’s all sorts of documentation about Nazi groups going to Antarctica and South American countries. Not to mention Operation Paper Clip. Their scientists came to the US.”
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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Part 1 - 15 ~ see blog ~ January 15th Cometh, then Part 15... and before...
Part 16 ~ 315 ~ see the Kougar’s prior bloggies... or the Passionate Ink forum, the FREE READS page ~ http://passionateink.org/forum ~ OR! Now available on The Romance Studio Forum, January through September 2009 flashes ~ http://theromancestudio.com ~ Click on the FORUMS
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HAPPILY EVER AFTER blog ~ GRATITUDE BLOGS COMING SOON!
Saturday ~ Lindsay blogs ~Time for a roaring fire ~ “After a rainy and recession-dampened Bonfire Night in my neck of the woods, I began to think wistfully of enormous medieval fireplaces, logs cut from the woods by peasants in grubby tunics, the warm glow of a winter fire.”
Monday ~ the Kougar blogs ~ A bit of romance for the devil...
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THE PINK BLOG ~
Thursday ~ A Horse with a heart: from Francesca Prescott
He was coming down the long side of the arena the first time I saw him.
Tuesday ~ Linda Acaster: Torc of Moonlight ~ “Do we ignore the history so close beneath our feet because it is dead, or because we fear it might rise again?”
Monday ~ Chelle blogs ~ People do scary things... ~ “By scary things, I mean not nice things, dangerous things - evil even. And we writers capitalize on those nasty doings.”
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SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS blog ~
Saturday ~ Paris blogs ~ Pay it Forward! ` “This has been an exciting, rewarding and crazy year!”
Friday ~ Serena blogs ~ I Only Talk To Them Out Loud When I'm By Myself... ~
“Wow, it's Friday again, time is flying by faster than I can keep up. October seems to have flown by on its multicolored broomstick.”
Thursday ~ Welcome Eva Gordon! ~ “Please welcome teacher, author and animal sanctuary volunteer, Eva Gordon.”
Wednesday ~ Crystal blogs ~ I Will Never Kill My Hero. Unless... ~ “If you saw my last post about Primeval, let me just say I’VE CHANGED MY MIND!”
Tuesday ~ the Kougar blogs ~ Are ShapeShifters Grateful? ... and Darius Speaks
Monday ~ Francesca blogs ~ Selling Myself ~ “So on Saturday (after working my shift at the library) I drove to a nearby city to visit an upscale adult store to make a purchase.”
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For the next part of the Never-Ending Story by the Kougar ~ When you see it, say ‘Rachel’ ~ “Kallyn flew faster, yet saw nothing ahead of her, except the driving sheets of rain.” ~ RomanticSynonymous ~
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Volcano’s Angelic Forecast for this week ~ Siren-BookStrand blog ~

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No! Internet Two... Resistance is victory...
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PLEASE! Darling KitKats, if you have any thought about taking the flu shot/swine flu shot, please! Read the insert first, not just the info sheet.
ALSO! *Private* contracts with the vaccine suppliers require that any deaths or injuries not be reported. Plus, all the vaccine companies are immune from being sued for injuries and death due to their vaccines.
Yes, please! Let the privileged have the Kougar’s designated flu shot.
And! DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING THE FDA TELLS YOU!
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny ~ http://drtenpenny.com/the_truth_about_the_flu_Shot.aspx ~
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Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving...
May your most romantic dreams come true...

Hear me roar kisses from the Kougar...