Welcome
to my first Charity Sunday for 2019. Today I’m focusing on the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society. A number of my readers and my
author friends are battling MS, a progressive neurological disease
whose cause is not yet fully understood and which currently can be
managed, but not cured.
The
National MS Society is working to change that. Their
vision is bold: a world without MS. The Society provides
authoritative information, resources and support for people affected
by MS, connecting them and helping them to lead more comfortable and
more productive lives. In addition, the MS Society funds
research - $40 million dollars worth, in 2018 alone - into
fundamental causes, treatments and potential cures.
As
usual on Charity Sunday, I will donate one dollar to my chosen
charity for each person who leaves a comment. To give you something
to comment on ;^), I have an excerpt from one of my books. I don’t
have any titles featuring people afflicted with MS, but Lydia, the
heroine in Dragon Boat Blues, is disabled and knows very well
what it’s like to live with diminished physical capacity.
So
please read my snippet below and tell me what you think. Then, if
anyone you know is living with MS, share the post and get others to
do the same. The more comments I receive, the more money will go
toward eliminating this disease forever.
Oh,
and if you want to do more – you might consider buying a copy of
Coming
Together Presents Robert Buckley. I edited this collection of
tales, part of the Coming Together altruistic erotica project. The
author’s daughter has MS, and all sales proceeds go to support the
National MS Society.
Blurb
Take
your chances as they
come
My
lost superhero Josh had jet black hair, movie star cheekbones, clever
hands, the devil’s mouth, and an instinct for driving me crazy.
Josh believed in his own myths. He was forty miles an hour over the
speed limit that day, more powerful than a locomotive, when we
smashed into the tractor trailer. He blew out like a candle. I
sputtered in a sort of half life, year after year, marked forever by
that brief dance with insanity.
I
booked the dragon boat cruise on Ha Long Bay to use up a few free
days at the end of my business trip, figuring my disability wouldn’t
be a problem on the luxurious junk. I wasn’t looking for
companionship, just a bit of peace. But when British honeymooners
Stan and Phil welcomed me into their circle of love, I discovered how
much healing I still needed.
Excerpt
I
didn’t have much difficulty getting into the dinghy—just handed
my cane to the guide, sat on the pier, and eased myself down to sit
with the rest of the tourists. Boarding the wooden junk anchored out
in deeper water was another story. A ladder of planks and rope led
from the open rowboat to the deck above. To climb, I would have to
put all my weight on my bad leg. I knew that wouldn’t work.
I
balanced precariously in the dinghy, surveying the situation. Maybe
this was a bad idea after all.
“Up
you come, love.” The speaker leaned over the rail of the junk,
offering a ham-sized paw. “Give us your hand.” He had a ruddy
complexion and a curly russet mop threaded with gray.
“Are
you sure? I’m not exactly light.” I’d never been petite, and
since the accident, I’d put on quite a few pounds.
“No
problem,” said his younger, sandy-haired companion. “We’re used
to tossing hay bales.” He shot me a friendly grin and extended his
arm in parallel with his friend’s. “Just hold on tight. That’s
the way.”
I
gripped their wrists. They did the same to me. As they began to haul
me upward, the dinghy captain clamped me around the waist and lifted
me off my feet. My good leg flailed, trying for a foothold on the
rungs of the ladder. It was all very awkward and embarrassing, but in
a few moments I was standing safe on the deck.
The
guide passed me my cane, then scrambled up the ladder like a monkey.
“You
alright?” The burly older man shot a wry look at the tangled rope
contraption the guide was pulling over the gunwale. “Not exactly
accessible, that.”
“Thanks
for your help.” My long shirt had bunched up below my breasts. I
smoothed it down over my leggings, feeling flustered and sweaty.
“Probably I should have thought about that before I booked the
cruise.”
“C’mon!
And miss this?” My other rescuer made a sweeping gesture,
indicating the lavishly appointed ship. “All this carved teak and
polished brass?” The crimson sails over our heads snapped in the
wind as the junk began to move. “Ha Long Bay’s supposed to be one
of the wonders of the world. We’ve been saving to take this trip
for three years.”
His
enthusiasm made me feel so old. “I’m in Hanoi on business. One of
my meetings got canceled, so I had a few free days. My hotel
suggested this would be a good way to spend them.”
“You’ve
got to take your chances as they come.” The stocky fellow smiled
down at me and took my elbow in a gentlemanly fashion. “Why don’t
we go up front, so we can see where we’re headed? I’m Stanley, by
the way. Stan, folks call me. And this is Phil.”
I
nodded, warmed by their friendliness despite my sour mood. “A
pleasure. Lydia Sutton. You’re from England, I gather?”
Phil
gave an energetic nod. “Dorset. Stan and me run a dairy farm now.
Before, though, I worked as an insurance clerk in London. Before we
met.”
He
flashed a look of pure adoration at his companion.
Oh.
I hadn’t pegged them as gay.
Stan
saw the light dawn in my face. “We’re on our honeymoon. We always
dreamed of traveling in Asia.” He paused, peering at me with a
puzzled expression. “You look so familiar. Lydia, you say? Any
chance we’ve met? Ever spend any time in London? Or done a Brighton
weekend?”
I
fought my sudden panic. No one was about to recognize me. I’d
changed too much. “I visited London once, but that was long ago,
when I was in college. These days most of my trips are here, or to
Shenzen.”
Please don't forget to leave a comment!
Barnes
and
Noble
–
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragon-boat-blues-lisabet-sarai/1128233847?ean=2940155178255
Kobo
-
https://www.kobo.com/en/ebook/dragon-boat-blues-asian-adventures-book-5
