Samsons and Delilah, excerpt

“Did you get it!” Several of the council members demanded all at once. Her gaze traveled along the row of chairs facing her. Each face peppered with excitement. She’d made no waste of time to get to the council chamber. Maybe thirty minutes had passed since she’d ridded the planet of the creature.
“What, no how are you? Are you hurt?” Delilah dragged her battered body into the council chamber, trying to ignore the pain rippling through her flesh. With each step and she swore her bones rattled. She braced her body against the pain slamming through her body and attempted to ignore the trembling of her muscles and the dizziness that threatened to knock her on her ass.
“Are they safe?” Said the Counselor Excelsior.
“No, damn it. They are not safe.” Her gaze trailed across each face starring at her. “They traveled through before I could destroy them.”
“Then the decisions made.” The high councilor’s voice bellowed. “You will…” he stood, walked over to where she stood and glared down into her eyes. “You will find them by what ever means necessary and destroy them.”
“Don’t you mean bring them back?”
Shaking his head, “They are too dangerous. Destruction is the only--”
“So be it.” Turning, Delilah limped to the door.
“For the goddesses sake, get yourself checked out and healed first.”
***
Standing naked in front of the medical scanner was not her idea of foreplay. She turned her body so all surfaces were scanned before stepping into her designated cubby. Poked and prodded, scanned, wrapped and rubbed, she didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Time was of the essence. With each second they detained her from her task, the farther the crystal got and the colder its trail grew.
Everything had been programmed into the transport portal. Her cover was in place and language chips were imbedded into her cerebral cortex. The general location of the Cerulean Crystal was planet Earth, circa 2012. She only hoped the gate was right this time. The previous times she spaced walked through the portal and entered earth’s atmosphere the gate had been off by twenty-four hours. The first time, Kennedy was already dead and the second, she propelled through on September twelfth not eleventh and the Al-quadians had already succeeded in their threat and thousands of humans had been killed. Disgusted and beaten because she felt the failure was hers for not getting to the planet on time, she’d vowed to never return to earth, now knowing that was a threat she was unable to keep.
Readying herself, she stepped up to the gate and waited. Glancing over her shoulders at the centurions standing behind the protective glass, she closed her eyes, tightened her fist around the protective crystalline sapphire dangling around her neck and sucked in a breath and waited for the pain to be over. It hurt for a second before it stole her breath and not once has she landed on her feet.
The gravitational pull of the portal itched along her skin, reminiscent of a thousand kunzite bugs crawling along her arms. Shivering, she tired to relax her arms and knees. Stiffening up would not make her landing easier.
The air dissipated around her head, grew hot, burning her lungs. Before she could object she was propelled through. Damn, she hated her job.
***
“What the hell happened here?” Jordan Samsons stood over the corpse of what he thought was a body. It was hard to tell since it appeared to be turned inside out. Blood. Gore. Death. That was his job. He’d been a homicide cop for as long as he cared to remember, but never had he seen anything like this. Stepping to the side when the assistant medical examiner tossed his lunch, Jordan shook his head and turned away from the mass of flesh contaminating the alley.
He stepped over to his car, leaned his body against the side door and pulled his cell from his pocket when it started to ring. “Talk.” His voice came out hard and cold. Listening to the voice on the other end, he allowed the frown tugging at his lips to surface. “No.” He listened further, swallowing pass the disgust churning in his gut. Not from the death he’d just played witness to, but to the request of his supervisor to come in to the station house to meet his new partner.
“Can’t.” He added. “I’ve got a possible murder on my hands.” Possible my ass. No way could this happen to a body by accident. “Alright! Give me an hour to wrap up here.” He slammed the phone shut before the caller said anything more. Damn.
A partner.
Whose cheap idea was it to give him a partner? He hated partners. He hated having someone tag along with him. He hated having to answer questions, hated having to give explanations and worse yet, he hated having to baby sit. He’d been a loner for almost ten years and he planned on keeping it that way. Forget what his captain said about some police exchange program they were participating in with another country. The last thing he needed was some, stupid ass bloke who could barely speak English hanging on to his pants legs, trying to figure out why our security is better than theirs.
Fuck.

Happy New Year!

What a fantastic year we had, wouldn't you say? Even with the bittersweet I am so blessed to know have. It's hard to believe 2011 has come and gone in the blink of an eye. I thought I'd take a moment and reflect on the things we've done together this past year.
I had several books released and I certainly hope you have purchased them. If not, don't delay. I have it on good authority that they are really good. I believe you will enjoy them. Now lets see,
February 2011 Sleeping Beauty was released and by my alter ego, Alexis Ke released Midnight Indulgences and the Scorpion Queen. I spent a week in April at the annual Romance Slam Jam conferance in Baltimore, Maryland. I always love going to Slam. I have found over my writing career it is one of the best conferances I attend on a regular basis. From the meet and greets to the work shops to the banquets it is the best. Also this past year, my book Masquerade was a finalist for an Emma Award for book of the year and best romantic suspense.
I have tried to network and have as much fun as humanly possible with the many book clubs and my readers. I can't thank you enough for the multitude of support you have shown me over the years. I am so blessed to have you. I also attended the Authors After Dark con that took place in Philadelphia this past August. Wow, what fun we had. Also August was a sad time for readers and writers when we lost our sister Leslie Esdaile Banks to cancer. She is deeply missed. In August my alter ego also released The Shadow Box and Invisible Love which was a part of the anthology 'What White Boyz Desire.'
Oh, I almost forgot. In June my book Crown and Glory was released. It is in memory of my bestest best girl friend who died of breast cancer in 2008. She inspired this book whose heroine is a breast cancer survivor. I am donating all author proceeds from the sale of this book to the fight against breast cancer. I hope you will help the fight and purchase this book. In November, I also lost another dear treasure. My aunt, died of pancreatic cancer. There will always be a special place in my heart for her but I know she's up there in heaven chillin with my mom.
I have several projects in store for 2012.

Thanksgiving according to Denise

This year's Thanksgiving is looking to be both exciting and bittersweet. My previously planned 4 person dinner has turned into a wonderfully blessed 20 some odd people. I'm so excited to have family here. You see, our family's matriarc is ill, so family members are coming in from MI, NJ, TN, and GA to fellowship and visit with her. We have a lot to be thankful for and on many occasions we forget to say the words. So here you go, I thank God for my family and friends. I decided to share with you my menu for the day. Wow, I can't wait.
Appetizers:
Hot artichoke spinach dip and veggie tray with dip
Dinner:
Turkey and dressing with gravy
Ham
Pot Roast with carrots
Candied yams
Potatoe Salad
Stringbeans
Greens
Mac and cheese
Squash casserole
Home made cranberry sauce
Rolls and cornbread
Dessert:
Sweet potatoe pie
7-up pound cake
Apple pie
Now the interesting thing, I had surgery on my wrist two weeks ago and has limited use of it at present time. LOL. Again, thank God for family. Every family is bringing something. Yeah! Now take a minute and give thanks for we never know when we won't be able to. And if you like, stop on by. After all, you are family!

Rocking Turkey Dressing

Denise’s Rocking Turkey Dressing

INGREDIENTS

½ Bag Pepperidge Farm seasoned corn bread dressing
½ bag Pepperidge Farm seasoned bread dressing
1 tube Jimmy Dean Sage sausage
1 stick margarine
3-4 stalks of celery, washed and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1&1/2 apples, cored and chopped (red delicious or other)
1 c walnuts, chopped
1 cup water (approximate)
Salt
Pepper
Poultry seasoning
Garlic powder

1. Crumble and cook sausage until done, set aside. (Make sure you break the sausage up into tiny pieces)
2. Melt margarine over low heat in large sauce pan, add onions and celery and sauté until tender or as us cooks say, translucent. Add apples, walnuts and sausage. Turn off heat.
3. In separate bowl toss together the two dressing mixes. Add sausage/margarine mixture. Toss until combined. Add a couple shakes of pepper, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and salt. (Not too much. The bread is already seasoned and less is more)
4. Drizzle water 1/3 cup at a time and mix. You only need a little water to bind. If you add too much it will be too wet once it combines with the juice from the turkey. (and yes, we are stuffing the turkey, no self respecting cook wouldn't)
5. Spoon into turkey (don’t forget that strange hole at the butt) but don’t over stuff or pack too tightly. There will be enough left over for an extra pan. You are going to need it. It’s just that good.
Now enjoy the best dang dressing in the whole wide world.

How it all began:
I married my husband 13 years ago. The first Thanksgiving after we tied the knot, my husband keep telling me how good his mother's dressing was. She made corn bread dressing. I didn't know anything about corn bread dressing because my mother was famous for her bread dressing. I remember sitting at the kitchen counter breaking up the loafs of bread into the large bowl. I fought the urge to tell my hubby to stuff it because I wasn't his mother and actually called her for the recipe. Well, just like my mother she didn't use recipes. No self respecting cook from the old school did. At least that's what my mother told me. I tried to make her dressing the best I could, really I did. It was okay but 'not his momma's'. The next year we traveled to Chattanooga, TN for the holidays and I got a chance to taste that famous dressing. Oh my God! It was beyond good and I knew immediately, I would never be able to emulate it, so why even try. The next holiday, I decided to experiment and I combined what I thought was the best of two worlds, my mother's bread dressing with my mother in law's corn bread. I then tossed in my own flavor because neither of them used the sausage and apples and walnuts. Well, damn, I had a hit. People were scrapping the poor turkey's carcus for the last bit of dressing and fussing when it was all gone. So there you have it. Denise's Rocking Turkey Dressing! Enjoy!

Crown and Glory

My book, Crown and Glory is now available as an e-book from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. This book was inspired by my best girl friend, Pindi who died from breast cancer in 2008. She was 39. The story tells of a breast cancer survivor trying to get her life back after a double mastectomy. Also, all proceeds from this book go towards the fight against breast cancer. Will you help and buy a book? Tell your friends and tell your friends to tell their friends. Forward this email to eveyone you know. Women and men alike are stricken by breast cancer every day. 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. We need to stomp it out. Just think, one book, one step closer to finding the cure.

Blurb:

There are three things Charlice Darrett wants... life, hair and to be left alone. The last thing she needs is interference from a man she doesn't know, however, he's stirring emotions in her she thought were no longer within her reach. Tyree Crawford wants only one thing... Charlice. Will he be able to convince her there is more to life than hair? As emotions collide, and doubts escalate, who will win?

An amazing journey!

Dearest family and friends,



I'm doing it again. Please support me as I take an amazing journey in the fight to end breast cancer! The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure® is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. In 2008, my bestest best girlfriend died from breast cancer. She was diagnosed when she had her preliminary mammogram at age 37. This is such a horrible disease. It affects so many people. Women and men are diagnosed each year. If you have a mother, sister, aunt, niece, daughter, father, son, brother, nephew, cousin or grandparent then you understand the importance of stomping out this disease. Won't you help? Won't you take a step with me towards the fight against breast cancer? If its for no other reason than this, everyone deserves a lifetime. Don't delay, donate today! there are several ways you can help me reach my goal.



1.Go to my home page at the Susan G Komen 3 Day for the Cure website and donate there.

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2011/General?px=4730646&pg=personal&fr_id=1772

2.Mail in your donation using the Donation form available on my participate page

3.Join my ‘Mile High Club’, ask me how.

No matter how you donate or how much it will count towards the fight against breast cancer.

Thanks
Denise

Chaos

Oh wow! My mind is boggled at the time that passed since my last blog entry. I'm not sure what happend. No, that's not true. I am fully aware of what happened. Life happened and because my life has been so crazy over the past months, I've renamed it chaos. So, when you hear me talking about chaos, I'm talking about my life. Lets see, where should I start. Work, family, writing, family, work, writing. Okay, maybe not so much of the writing. I haven't gotten too much of the writing done. I really need to get back on the boat before my readers toss me into the deep end of the ocean. LOL. Naw, I don't think they'll do that. I have wonderful readers and author friends who are very supportive and totally understandable when chaos gets in the way. I did attend Author's After Dark in August in Philadelphia, PA. Totally awesome and I can't wait to go to New Orleans next year. Romance Slam Jam will be hosted by Little Rock, AK in 2011. Can't wait to go there as well. This year was in Baltimore, MD, my old stomping ground. Such memories. I love visiting places I haven't been to before. So Little Rock, here I come. I've been to New Orleans but it was back in the 80's. I know, such a long time. I can't wait. My hubby, Leon, even said he'd like to join me. Now that will be a treat. I've had some really great things happen lately as well as the stressful stuff. Alexis Ke's newest release, Invisible Love hit the e-book circuit this week and should be in print very quickly. Its in the 'What White Boyz Desire' anthology with Bridget Midway, Yvette Hines, Aliyah Burk and Kelley Nyrae. Also Alexis has another book release scheduled for November 1 with Red Sage. The Shadow Box. Both are IR erotic romances and totally hot. I'm hoping to stay on this trail and keep up the writing. Hopefully, I can keep chaos at bay and get it done.