Folks that know me well know that I love the road. Long haul, short haul, in between haul. I sometimes muse that I must have been a trucker in a former life.
A couple years ago, I found a cache of 1960s trucker magazines called Overdrive at a flea market. I bought them and promptly set out read them. I read the technical stuff, and they even included occasional fiction that varied in quality from quite bad to outstanding. All in all, I had a fun run reading through the magazines.
Around that time, there was a contest announced: Erotic stories set in the 1960s. So I set out with some ideas that came to me reading those magazines, and created a pair of characters, who I brought together in the cab of a Peterbilt truck after meeting on the tarmac of a truck stop outside Reno, Nevada.But the final story was over 800 words too long for the contest, and I couldn't figure out how to cut that number of words and keep the energy of the story, which leans heavily on the banter between the contrasting characters. I didn't feel comfortable submitting it to other places that came to mind.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I saw a call by the inimitable Kristina Wright for romance stories. Now, I think my take on romance probably strays from the norm, but one of the things I love about Kristina is that she is an adventurous editor, who will take chances on strays. (Like me!)
Long story short (okay, it's too late for that now) I submitted this 1960s story, titled "The Draft" to be considered for Best Erotic Romance 2012 and I was very pleased to find that Kristina indeed did include it!
Now, Best Erotic Romance 2012 is available for purchase.
And to whet your appetite, here is a taste from "The Draft". Hop in the cab. Let's drive:
A waitress in her mid thirties approached. She was kind of pretty in thick black cat glasses. She had an Olive Oyl body that she carried with strange grace. “Well, as I live and breathe. How ya been, Dave darlin’?”
His soft accent begat a warm drawl. “I been good Mary Jo. How ‘bout you?”
“Well, just dandy. Ain’t seen ya’ in ages.”
“I had a run o’work up and down California. Good to be on the east to west again. The folks is nicer.” He winked.
Mary Jo pushed her pencil through her bright blonde hair, piled high enough to stretch a five foot seven frame to a over six feet. “You want the usual, hon?”
“You know what I like!”
Mary Jo turned to Sarah. “And for your lady friend here?”
“Just acquaintances. A cup of coffee, two poached eggs and dry toast. Separate checks, please.”
Mary Jo popped her gum. “Sure thing, hon.” She walked away.
“That’s some plain eatin’, little lady.” Dave lifted his brow.
“I like it fine.” Sarah felt a little defensive. She eyed Mary Jo. “Old friend?”
“You meet a lot of people on the road. Some real fine people.” Dave’s eyes locked briefly on the waitress.
“Your friendship extends beyond Ham and Eggs.”
“Were that true, it would be none of your concern, little lady.”
“My name’s Sarah, not ‘little lady.’”
“Well, you ain’t big, Sarah.”
Sarah collapsed her fingers over a swelling smile. “I’m a little chubby.”
“You’re built like a woman.”
Sarah pursed her lips.
“You don’t like being a woman?”
“I like being a woman just fine.”
“Where you headed, little… Sarah?”
“Idaho.”
“Big place. Any spot in particular?”
“Nampa.”
“Nice town. I can take you as far as Winnemucca.” Dave pointed to a new, bright red Peterbilt semi with a sleeper outside the diner.
Sarah had planned to find a Travelodge and a garage in the morning. But she was near broke; that’s why she was going back. It wouldn’t be her first hitchhike. “You think my car’s bad?”
“It ain’t good.”
Sarah knew it was true. “If you don’t mind, I’ll take that ride.” She eyed the big omelet with home fries and toast with cherry jam that Mary Jo set down in front of Dave.
“I can pay.” She picked at her carefully chosen breakfast.
Between orderly, but ravenous bites from his plate, he said, “for what?”
“The ride.”
“No point. I’m already going that way.”
When they left, Dave held the passenger door of his truck open. Sarah paused until he walked away from it. She climbed up and closed the door.
And here's the Table of Contents. A list of authors that I'm honored to be included with:
Introduction: Simply the Best
What Happened in Vegas - Sylvia Day
First Night - Donna George Storey
Another Trick Up My Sleeve - Heidi Champa
Drive Me Crazy - Delilah Devlin
He Tends To Me - Justine Elyot
Guest Services - Angela Caperton
Memories for Sale - Andrea Dale
The Draft - Craig J. Sorensen
To Be in Clover - Shanna Germain
Honey Changes Everything - Emerald
Cheating Time - Kate Pearce
Our Own Private Champagne Room - Rachel Kramer Bussel
Till the Storm Breaks - Erobintica
The Curve of Her Belly - Kristina Wright
Dawn Chorus - Nikki Magennis
8 comments:
Nice! And thank you for your caution in the last post too.
Thanks, Jo.
And you're welcome!
Love the excerpt, Craig—I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it!
Thank you, Em!
Craig, since you're not on Facebook, you hadn't heard, but Saturday, when I was in NYC, I stopped in the 5th Ave. Barnes and Noble and guess what I found on the shelf? Yes! Three copies of Best Erotic Romance. Needless to say, I was giddy with excitement (blog post about it coming shortly). I bought a copy (yeah, I know my contributor's copy is probably in the mail this very moment) and read some of it on the train ride home last night.
I am sooooo glad you didn't try to cut it down - I love the banter between the characters. And that it's in this book!
Thrilled to be sharing the pages with you. :)
Hi Robin,
First, I think it's awesome that you found the book at B&N, and cooler still that you bought it! Think of it as an extra contributor's copy.
And thank you so much for the kind words about the story.
I'm so looking forward to reading your story!
Congrats Craig - and the exceprt hooked me straight away :-)
Thank you, Janine.
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