July
Birthstone: Ruby (Promoter of friendship and
love)
July Flower: Larkspur (Levity and
hilarity) -- FICKLENESS
Theme: Beach
scenes/scenarios; music, movies, plays, books with beach settings
Beach scenes and swimming come to mind in summer time,
especially in July. The birthstone and flower for July are ruby and larkspur.
In addition to levity and hilarity, the stately looking
larkspur also represents fickleness. Did you know it is poisonous?
In addition to friendship and love, ruby also represents
power and wealth. These dynamics can often get complicated.
I started writing a short suspenseful murder mystery including
these themes. At the beginning I knew who would be killed off and who the bad
guy was, but as the story unfolded it morphed and several equally fascinating endings
occurred to me.
So, I thought I’d invite you to have some fun here. The
story is dangling at a crossroads. Anyone could be the murderer and anyone
could be murdered. There are equally strong potential motives on all sides,
although some have not yet been revealed.
I’m also contemplating the idea of writing more than one “last
chapter” with different outcomes. I’ve never done that before, and would love to
know your opinion. Would you enjoy a story with two different endings/victims
at the end?
~~~
SEASIDE SEDUCTION (an excerpt)
A brunette bombshell in an expensive bright red bikini reclined
on a chaise lounge at water’s edge. The thin solid gold chain hugging her waist
glinted in the sunlight. Warm turquoise water lapped gently at her heels and
over her pedicured, red-tipped toenails. The scent of coconut wafted on the tropical
breeze, as palm fronds swayed overhead, offering occasional shade.
She let out a slow, sensual sigh. It was so liberating to
be free of her unhappy life for a fleeting weekend of secret pleasures. The
impulsive getaway to this idyllic tropical resort had turned into an unexpected
sensory feast.
Giorgio was everything her bruised ego needed. For two
months he had been her personal trainer, coming to her mansion three times a
week to guide her workouts and help sculpt her body.
Rolling over onto her warm belly, Ruby’s eyes scanned the
hotel swimming pool area where the beach bar was located. His back was to her
as he ordered a chilled bottle of pink champagne for them from the vivacious
bartender Colleen.
Her lover’s physique was outrageously perfect. He stood a
head above all the others. Sun-streaked raven hair caressed his broad shoulders
and his long well-proportioned legs were planted firmly apart. All he wore on
his bronze body was a black racing brief that left nothing to the imagination,
and the invisible trail of kisses, licks and bites she had placed on him that
morning.
The sun hit her jewel emblazoned wedding band at a
certain angle, and the rubies and diamonds flashed like fire. Ruby cursed
beneath her breath. She didn’t want to be reminded of her farce of a marriage.
Nor did she want to return to it.
Her seven year union with Syd had been dominated by money,
power and sex, and was built on a bed of indiscretion. Syd had made it his
business to bed every woman in their social circle, which was vast considering
they moved in high circles, both politically and with the international jet set.
She had turned a blind eye to one affair after another, and had never once
cheated on him.
Until last month.
Syd always made sure she knew about his paramours. The
day she found out he had screwed her sister-in-law was the day her inner fire
awakened with a vengeance.
When Giorgio arrived for their workout, he’d found her in
a sexy black and scarlet negligee with passion in her golden topaz eyes.
Instead of their usual workout in her private gym followed by laps in the
Olympic length pool, she had taken him upstairs to her bedroom suite.
He had become her willing captive, taking her in his arms
and peeling the sheer material away from her skin. Their yearnings and pent up
desires of the past month exploded and rippled out through exquisite love
making. He was so strong and powerful physically, but his hands were gentle and
his nature was unassuming. Instinctively he seemed to know where to touch her
and how to play her body like a flute.
One by one he had uncovered all her deep dark doubts
about her body. Why did her husband need to bed every other woman in their
world? What was wrong with her? Soon Giorgio taught her the problem was not her
– it was Syd.
As the full moon rose over silver tree tops, they had
slipped downstairs to skinny dip beneath the stars. Violet and pink larkspur flowers
were visible in the moonlight, and the scent of night blooming jasmine
intoxicated Giorgio and Ruby as they made love in the pool. She had never been
happier.
Any time she had considered walking out of her marriage
she had given up the thought. It wasn’t a lack of courage so much as a
deep-seated dread in the pit of her stomach. Syd had told her many times that
if she ever tried to leave him, it would be in a box. He would consider her
abandonment like the loss of a personal asset he had invested in for years.
Nobody else was going to benefit from his investment. He owned her, in his sick
and twisted mind. A piece of paper made her his legal courtesan, but in truth
she was his slave and that piece of paper gave her no rights.
Giorgio slid onto the chaise lounge beside her, pulling
her out of her depressing thoughts as his cool hand caressed her sun-glowing
skin.
“Champagne is coming,” he whispered playfully into her
ear. He nibbled her ear lobe, his warm tongue sending shudders of pleasure
rippling up and down her body.
She rolled sideways to face him, rubies blazing on her ring finger in the bright sunlight. She rested her head on her
hand.
“Let’s not go home.” Her eyes watched his features
carefully to gauge his reaction.
“Cara mia, what a beautiful fantasy, but you know as well
as I do that it’s not possible. Syd would kill us both.” Giorgio reached for
his dark shades and placed them on the bridge of his straight nose, concealing
his eyes.
“Maybe not,” Ruby replied hesitantly. “Did you know Syd
is right here in the hotel, in a penthouse suite? He’s watching us this very
moment.” Giorgio’s head started to turn to look upwards, but Ruby stopped him. “Don’t!
He mustn’t realize we know he’s here. Listen…I have a plan.”
An
excerpt from Seashore
Seduction © 2015 Gemma Juliana. All
Rights Reserved.
~~~
I hope you’ll join in the fun, or perhaps you can share the name of your favorite
summer read. Or what you consider the perfect summer vacation.
Thanks for reading my blog post. I
wish you a very happy summer with a multitude of fabulous stories to read while
you lounge beside the pool or ocean, or in the cool sanctuary of your own home.
GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who
lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son
and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers.
Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity. You can buy Gemma’s books
on Amazon.
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