Lin Ming stirred and opened her eyes, uncurling from her sleeping bag like a drowsy kitten. It was still dark outside her little tent, and from what she could hear, no one else in the camp was awake yet. She rose to a sitting position, her hair falling ov...
Lin Ming didn’t wake until the plane touched down at the airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The jouncing and bouncing when the aircraft hit the tarmac jarred her into groggy wakefulness. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep, but it must have been quite...
Six Weeks Later Lin Ming could hardly believe it was almost time. Over a month had gone by since she made up her mind to join Dr. Harwood’s expedition to the Amazon rainforest. Six slow, agonizing weeks that seemed to drag on forever. Lin Ming did her bes...
Hope was running out of the cable car, still in the process of refastening the armour she had loosened to entertain the operator, who as she left mumbled something about it happening again. She made use of her religious status and contacts to get into the...
Prologue Lin Ming stood next to the idling car. In a few hours, she’d be on a plane to the United States where she’d go to school as an exchange student, but right now she could only listen with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her as her...
Cat was advising Liddy about how level the new pictures were looking when they both heard Ving swearing on the bridge. Liddy sighed, knowing full well what that meant. “We took off too early, didn't we?” she asked Cat. “I suppose whoever sent the telegram...
One of my favorite old-time TV shows is Gilligan’s Island. Every Saturday morning, I sit back in my Lay-Z- Boy recliner, sip on my Bailey’s and coffee, and watch the Bouncing Beauties Sitcom Power Hour on my favorite YouTube channel, Classic Television Ti...
Things never turn out the way you expect, or so the saying goes. The saying should be expanded. Sometimes, things turn out in ways you couldn’t possibly expect, and then become things that, prior to them turning out, you didn’t even know were the things y...
Diary of Lina Anderson Sunday, June 5th Growing up in the midwest, I’m well versed in what summer in Southern California should look like from the movies. Roller skating in Venice Beach, settled in the hot sand of Malibu as the sun’s rays turn pale skin g...
Belita’s vision swam and her consciousness bobbed like a drowning man struggling to stay above water. The last of the notes of music had finally died, and the last of her crew had retired to their hammocks or passed out near the dying bonfire, leaving her...
“You alright?” Tonya asked, slowly sticking her head through the door to Will’s room. Janie was sitting on the bed using her rosary like a worry stone. She wasn’t even sure why she still wore it, but somehow it was comforting. At the very least it gave he...
“I really appreciate this, Mister Kaduska,” Janie said as she accepted his hand and sat up from the canvas sack she’d spent the last hour hiding in. “Oh, my pleasure, my dear. Anything for you, you know that.” The big merchant grinned. “Besides, any oppor...
“Bella!” A lilting woman’s voice called her name from the darkness. She jolted unexpectedly at the noise, then smoothed her skirts to sweep away the spike of worry. Her heart was suddenly pounding, which annoyed her. She sighed at her own foolishness. She...
“You think he’s still down here?” Jack asked. “I can feel him,” Bella explained. They were in the ship’s hold. It felt like a tomb. Everything was still, and quiet, and lifeless. Bella slowly wandered down the hallway and found herself in front of the Qu...
Rhett and I started a new routine. One night we spent the night at my place, and the other at his. We woke up before dawn for a nice session of steamy sex, then we went for our walk on the beach, then went back to have breakfast on the porch. We usually s...
