Melrick

I know it’s all down to what you’re used to, but 33C degrees is pleasant summer’s day, not a heatwave. lol  This is an Australian take on the ‘heatwave’.

Something to keep in mind regarding story codes (also known as 'tags'). When you're uploading your story, you're required to include the appropriate codes (such as m/f, m/m, oral, etc), which get added to the end of the summary field. The potential problem is that the summary field accepts a maximum of 240 characters, so if you have a long summary for your story, you might run out of room to include all of your story codes. The answer is to simply manually type them into the header part of your story, after the title information and before the story begins. AFF has a limit of 600 words for author's notes per chapter, but story codes aren't included in that count, so add all that are appropriate.

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Yep, we don’t forget people that consistently disregard rules.

Yep, we don’t forget people that consistently disregard rules.

See, this is why I didn’t respond first, because I knew Bronx would be able to find a less offensive way to say “What in the actual fuck are you talking about?”

See, this is why I didn’t respond first, because I knew Bronx would be able to find a less offensive way to say “What in the actual fuck are you talking about?”

Wow, he should just stay away from... everything, really. Light bulb needs changing? Just let you do it in the future! Christ knows what he'd end up putting in.

See, this is why I didn’t respond first, because I knew Bronx would be able to find a less offensive way to say “What in the actual fuck are you talking about?”

See, this is why I didn’t respond first, because I knew Bronx would be able to find a less offensive way to say “What in the actual fuck are you talking about?”

Hmmm interesting idea.  I can see how the basic concept of the first story would, in some ways, continue over to the new story, enough at least for it to not be too jarring for someone who has read the first story.  Thanks for that idea!  I’m going to have to let that percolate for a bit and see what bubbles to the surface.

Well, the sequel would definitely have to include Don, now that he’s been teed up.
Here’s one idea: Don has a sister (older, younger, twin, whatever you prefer) who also sees—from her own window--Brad and Kim getting it on, and both she and Don have several more opportunities to do so. (There might be speculation that Brad and Kim are deliberately showing off for them.) Both siblings are initially repulsed but can’t stop watching the incestuous action. And, of course, both start getting in touch with their own forbidden desires as a result. 

For Step by Step
Thanks for your very kind comments!  I’m really glad you enjoyed it.  I was trying for a more realistic approach, since my incest stories – at least the ones I’ve come across – tend to have a more fantasy approach to them and really don’t come across as realistic, and I’m glad that came through.
My original intention regarding the neighbour was to simply leave a bit of a twist ending, because I like surprising readers with something they didn’t see coming.  I’ve thought about a sequel, but a sequel would inevitably be quite a different story indeed to the original one, since that story was all about Brad slowly working his way up to having sex with his mother.  By the time the sequel takes place, that’s already happened, so I couldn’t help but think the story would somewhat devolve into a fairly stereotypical incest story, which would spoil the story.  I’ve got one idea, but hey, if you’ve got other ideas then I’m happy to hear them!

I am very, very excited about the upcoming republication of Ghost’s Sight, the first book in the Witch’s Apprentice series. NineStar Press has been good enough to give me a new home, and I couldn’t be happier.
The book is now available for pre-order at the NineStar website, and I’ll add links for third party sites as soon as the book is released. There’s some new material, and a fabulous new cover, so take a peek!
 

I wasn’t sure I’d have something to write but I made it up as I went along and I guess it turned out okay.

I wasn’t sure I’d have something to write but I made it up as I went along and I guess it turned out okay.

Grim’s mind wandered to the nameless young lady back in Highburn, the one that apparently had a thing for him, or so Brenvan insisted. He rarely thought about her, but with the current topic of lovers and ‘betrothed’ he could hardly avoid it.
He didn’t like the feeling in the pit of his stomach. Did he miss her? How the hell do you miss someone you’d never met, someone whose very name was a mystery to you? He assumed it was the potential at normality that he really missed, because isn’t that what she really represented? A wife and kids in their own little house, doing normal things with their normal lives.
After visiting a tavern that shouldn’t exist and standing in a dangerous forest with a group of weirdos on their way to liberate a cock, or some fucking thing, ‘normal’ never felt so far away.
Was ‘normal’ your friend or your enemy? It could lead to great happiness, or great boredom. Would his life ever, truly, have been normal back in Highburn? And normal judged against what scale? Normal for a human or normal for a half-orc? Being a half-breed rarely meant inheriting the best of both worlds, at least according to those around you. It usually meant inheriting the prejudice from both worlds, instead.
For good or bad, his chance of normality was clearly behind him; he’d burnt too many bridges to ever go back. Now if they’d just stop fucking talking about love and romance!
“Are we going to stand here all fucking day circle jerking or are we going to move?” And without waiting for an answer, Grim strode off.

It’s easy to screw up writing about someone else’s character, to be honest, especially if you’re not fully familiar with them.  I think if you’re writing something a little out of the ordinary then it’s probably best to talk to them first and get their opinion.  

It’s easy to screw up writing about someone else’s character, to be honest, especially if you’re not fully familiar with them.  I think if you’re writing something a little out of the ordinary then it’s probably best to talk to them first and get their opinion.  

"If the view from back there pleases m'lady," Kassie teased, taking the lead with Foe. The entire tavern seemed to heave a collective sigh of relief as the adventurers took off into the forest. The sun had just dipped over the horizon, plunging the forest into a darkness which must have suited the dark elf in the party just fine. At least Kassie hoped it did because she couldn't think of another good reason to begin their journey at this hour, when the creatures were out and about. It was different from those lonely nights hiding in her hastily cobbled-together nests in the treetops, though. She felt braver in the presence of her powerful new companions.  
The darkness of nightfall twisted benign branches and leaves into the shapes of monsters to the point where she wondered if she would be able to discern an actual beast hiding in the foliage, or simply squat next to it obliviously the next time they stopped for a bathroom break. 
Kassie was not a little girl anymore - she wasn't afraid of the dark, she just had a healthy respect for the monsters that dwelled in it. In fact, as a thief, the cover of night had always been her friend. She simply preferred to be in a city during that magical time when half the townspeople were drunk and the other half asleep, their property ripe for the taking... 
Kassie scanned the canopy for signs of the moon peeking through, but had no luck finding it. She should have been grateful: a full moon might have put a rabid werewolf in their path. On the other hand, new moons tended to bring out packs of roaming barghests with an affinity for waylaying and devouring travelers... She went back and forth in her head on which fate she preferred and decided the moon was driving her mad, as it was rumored to do. Kassie buried her nose in the map instead, tracing their prospective path with her brown eyes. 
"We could travel alongside the river, which should take us right to the edge of the woods," she suggested. 
"Let's not." Foe chuckled and shook his head at that. 
"And why not?" Bronx sounded amused. "Worried we might run into your lover? I thought you left her fully satisfied." She jabbed lightly. 
"One does not kiss a river goddess and tell," he replied, enigmatic. Foe had the vigor to satiate a deity? Kassie tucked that little snippet of info carefully away... 
"The only other path cuts through the middle of the forest," she said. She could see it would take them far from the Tavern. It had taken her so long to find it, she wasn't about to lose it already! If nothing else, free food and drink was too valuable a resource to waste.  
"Better mark the Tavern..." she muttered to herself and dug a stub of charcoal out of her pocket to mark the spot. She blinked incredulously as the black cross vanished before her eyes. "What..." She tried again, to the same outcome. "Sorcery!" She immediately looked at Foe as if accusing him. The magic user smiled at her as if at a little girl. 
"Don't bother. The same thing happened to me as well," Grim commented from behind her. "Damn place must be cursed... Or warded or some such trickery." His lip curled; he clearly wasn't amused by the cloak and dagger mystique that surrounded the place. Kassie wasn't sure she trusted it either, but she had to credit it for drawing them all together. 
The half-orc's boots crunched heavily through the undergrowth as he walked. Kassie was intensely aware of his great presence and every twig he snapped beneath his feet. Bronx's steps, on the other hand, were far lighter as she easily kept pace with the larger man. She was imperceptible, even. If Kassie hadn't had a quick glance to check that the drow was still physically there, she might have believed that Bronx had disappeared altogether.
"What are you so worried about?" Foe scoffed slightly, recapturing Kassie's attention. "You don't need a map; you have us. Besides, don't you think it's a bit premature to be concerned with making it back? I'm not yet convinced you'll survive the trip there, let alone the actual catacombs." The words sparked anger in her chest.
"Hold on!" Kassie took a longer stride and swiveled around in front of Foe, bringing the entire party to a halt. "You think I'm so weak, but one does not become queen by recklessly endangering her life at every opportunity. I only take what I need." She pointed at him. "You're the one with the audacity to go barging into Saraina's domain. And for what? Coin that you have no need for? It is a miracle of the divines that you two thrill-seekers still have your lives." 
"Kassie." Bronx's voice came like the cut of a cold knife, startling her. Kassie felt the elf's gaze like a frigid grip guiding her into her place. She stepped back in line.
"Sorry," she said with insincere brevity. Foe looked straight ahead as he continued but there was a tightness to his jaw and a slightly annoyed crease in his brow. She could tell his patience with her was wearing thin. It was important not to wear it right out. Grim didn't seem to want to get involved, letting his gaze wander to the trees.
A silence settled over the party; a silence in which Kassie looked between Bronx and Foe furtively. She wasn't sure about the nature of the relationship between the two adventurers. There were some things which could be observed in passing, and some things that were faster resolved with a more direct approach.
"So, the two of you are betrothed?" she asked bluntly. Grim's eyes widened and he looked at their other two companions sideways. 

“Don’t coddle him,” Bronx said to Kassie. She looked Foe over, not entirely pleased with her partner at the moment.
“You cost me gold, orndarastrix.” The draconic word rolled off Bronx’s lips easily as she held out her hand for Foe’s winnings. “I really hate when you do that.” 
Fred gave Foe a sidelong look, wary, although it was Bronx he addressed. “Right, put the gnome on the spot. You want me to hand you Foe’s coin so he can kill me and save you the trouble of having to maim him in retaliation for queering your bet. Not that it matters, because you’ll just fucking have me resurrected so I can keep tending bar in this shithole.” He glared at everyone in his vicinity. “How about I keep the fucking gold this time, eh? You can all kill each other trying to be the one to kill me, and I’m not paying to have any of you brought back, either.”
Bronx started to laugh. “All right, give Foe his gold. I’ll get it back from him eventually. But you’re worth more than gold, Fred, because no one else can make me laugh about losing coin. Which reminds me...”
Bronx’s voice trailed off as she turned to Kassie.  “The next time you get the bright idea of instigating a fight among orcs, I’ll make sure you’re in the middle of the party. Unarmed. You’ll find you can’t talk your way out of anything where orcs are involved. Grim is an exception, I think. He’ll be an asset where we’re going, whereas you? You promise to be a healthy dose of chaos, and despite my origins, chaos is not what I look for in a dungeon delve. Still, you’re part of the party until you die, so why don’t we get moving? The sooner we get there, the sooner you can earn my gold back for me.” She stood, slinging an ordinary cloak around her shoulders. “Foe, you and our Queen of Thieves can lead. Grim, eyes on the little one.”

"Oh, I see," Kassie said nonchalantly. She had a feeling Grim was lying, although she wasn't sure how useful that information was. Information was never useless; it was just irrelevant at the time. Back - back into the archives of her mind for now. She placed a hand on his chest, stopping the halfling in his tracks.  
"You lost me quite a bit of money, you know," she mused, smiling as his lip tugged into a snarl. "Does that surprise you? It was a smart bet. Until Foe intervened." Her mouth twisted slightly at that. 
"You set me up," Grim accused her. She saw his expression turn distrustful. In him, she saw someone who was fundamentally good-natured, but every time he let his guard down, he was given reason to build it back up a little stronger each time. 
"I knew you would win." She lied fluidly. "And I was prepared to reward you..." Her fingers danced over his chest. Kassie quickly gauged his reaction. He didn't respond, but he didn't pull away either. More useful information. Her fingers danced away. "Anyway, you will have plenty of opportunity to pay me back on the mission!" Her eyes were already darting, searching for Foe.
Now Foe, he was more of an enigma. She may have been cheated of her chance to watch orcs beat each other to bloody pulp, but she could hardly complain at what she received in exchange. Even if it had all ended so quickly. Noticing the blood on his lip, she approached with a smile and offered the warrior a towel.
"That was quite a display." Foe did not seem amused.