Yay, we made it through the first month of 2021! How did it go for you? For me, not too great, but not horrific either. Since 2021 is trying to be 2020's doppelganger, I wasn't expecting fabulous. I'm trying to consistently post a blog once-a-month, which I successfully did in 2020, but coming up with content is tricky. Since politics and corona virus have saturated our news and entertainment to the point we all want to go to a fictional world inside a book, I decided to take you there in my blog. Each month of 2021 I will give you a glimpse of my current work-in-progress or a part of one of my already published books. If it is my current WIP, it won't be the final product. It may end up changing before it gets published. Please read it for entertainment and as a way to pique your interest. Much like a sneak preview to a movie, it is a teaser to entice you to watch the whole movie. It's my attempt to get you to read the whole book, but if you don't, you can enjoy this small journey inside my stories. (Inner voice: let's hope this works and doesn't blow up in your face.) Excerpt from Jasper: release date and cover have not been revealed yet. Chapter 1 Jasper Captain Jasper Falcon was a pirate. Even though he told the local business owners in New Orleans that he was a privateer, everyone knew that he didn’t have a conscious or moral compass to prevent him from doing whatever it took to get anything he desired. Since he grew up in a poor home with abusive parents, Jasper had known the only solution to escape his despicable life was to become part of a ship’s crew and sail far away from home.
When he became a cabin boy of the Black Fear he had assumed his life would be better. Jasper hadn’t known what he was getting into when he had originally asked to work on the ship for his room and board, but he had learned quickly. The first thing he became well aware of was that Captain L. Starr wasn’t an honorable English captain sailing for the King. Starr was a ruthless man who only lived for himself and his own desires—he taught Jasper everything he knew. Starr had mentored Jasper as if he had been his own son. He had given Jasper almost as much power aboard the ship as a captain, except that Starr had been selfish and would have never shared the glory with anyone. Ultimately, it had taken a mutiny that Jasper had instigated to overthrow Starr when Jasper had deemed his mentor too old to lead a crew of cutthroats with the proper authority. The day Jasper had led the coup a gentle breeze blew the sails and the sea stirred only where the Black Fear sliced through it. From pure adrenalin and ecstasy Jasper’s racing heart had thwacked against his chest, but his grip had remained steady on the knife’s hilt. He had stealthily approached Captain Starr with bare feet as the older man had been observing a pod of dolphins on the starboard side. Starr’s eyes had widened into saucers when Jasper swiftly swiped the blade across his captain’s throat. “Don’t take this personally,” Jasper had said calmly while holding the blood-stained weapon glinting in the sun. Starr weakly choked, “You- bas-”, but he crumpled to the deck before he could finish. The coppery smell of crimson bubbled out of his mouth as the shocked expression of glassy eyes stayed frozen across his face. Jasper had bent down and whispered, “You taught me everything I needed to know to take this ship from you, but you forgot your most important lesson, NEVER trust ANYONE.” Jasper had then hoisted Starr into his arms. His muscular biceps had flexed as he threw the heavy corpse over the side of the ship. Starr’s body had splashed and bobbed into the billowing waves—left behind to get devoured by the ocean and its creatures. *********************************************************************** This is copyrighted material. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information browsing, storage, or retrieval system, without permission in writing to Carla Reighard. *********************************************************************** Sign up for CarlasBooks newsletter today to read more of this chapter. Newsletter subscribers will receive larger portions of my books to read each month as part of CarlasBooks' exclusive membership perks. www.subscribepage.com/CarlasBooksSignUp
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December 2023
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