Would you like an excerpt?

[erastes]

It'll be a long time coming from now to publication, so I think that you'll have forgotten about this first section by the time it finally comes out!

From the WIP - draft title: Gentleman of Fortune (or "In a Shower of Rain") (probably will change 100 times by then...) (complete with notes and roughness)

His quarry was up ahead; cunning as sin, half his age, and gaining ground every second. Foster’s heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in every footfall. It ricocheted around every agonising breath but he kept running, running, aware that his knees—should he be lucky enough to have a tomorrow—would curse him for the pressure he was putting them under.

The bombing seemed to have stopped, the last plane over had dumped its load somewhere further east, and it wouldn’t be long before the all-clear sounded and wanted to be done with Boyce by then. Damn business was taking longer than it should.

Still he ran, the bricks of the houses and shops no more than a blur in the dark. Alleyways and flattened houses both zipped by him, and he cursed the lack of grid and order in the city. Damn it, it’s going to be too easy for him to lose me. He had to concentrate hard on the man in front, his light coloured hair the easiest thing to spot in the murk. He stared for all he was worth, as even his eyeballs pounded in time with his heart. Left, right? Which way are you going, Boyce? When are you going to try and double back? Time was running out. Some people would come out of the shelters, no matter what, they preferred to spend the nights in their own beds when they could. There was no guessing what Boyce might do to a bystander, if cornered. What Foster dreaded most was getting that fraction of a second further behind, and running round a corner to find his quarry vanished. And here’s me without name of dog. Last time I go anywhere without him. The man was wearing black, of course, which didn’t help, with every light in London, even, some might say[e1] , every light in Europe turned out.

I’m not going home without you, Boyce, not tonight. I’m not playing this game with you again. Tonight you are getting out of my hair forever, even if it means that you and the Thames kiss.

He stopped thinking and let the pounding of the street beneath his shoes take over. Thinking was too much like hard work.
Theye were running downhill now, easier for the lungs, but trickier to remain upright. You couldn’t accelerate on the streets towards the river; for some got steep, real quick. Boyce turned right, towards Aldgate. Somehow they missed any wardens. Perhaps Boyce spotted them and turned off, perhaps it was just luck. Who knew.

Then the miracle happened; Boyce took a leap up a kerb and misjudged, just as Foster had done earlier, which is what had made him lose the ground he had. Foster gave a graveyard grin and watched, as, almost in slow motion, Boyce foundered, seemed to right himself, then fell, rolling on the cobbles. Even as he fell he was looking ahead, judging where to run to next but it was too late. It was all Foster needed to close the gap that had built between them, and he leapt upon the falling man with all his weight, hoping to wind him sufficiently and stop him from getting up.

He landed awkwardly on Boyce, not getting the knee in the stomach or groin like he’d wanted to, but hitting him sideways on, and feeling the jar of Boyce’s hip against his chest. He scrambled forward, grasping at whatever he could get his hands on, tight, vice-like grip. Hold the man, not the clothes, came the mantra. He can shed his clothes, but he can’t lose an arm. Hold tight. Hold tight.

---

 [e1]When did he say this?



and also - author copies of Mere Mortals arrived!

Comments

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's good. That's very good. I love Blitz stories. Mum was in the East End all through the worst of it and I think it's a great setting for fiction. The darkness, the drifting clouds of brick dust, the tailoring!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

thank you my dear. I think it will be a nightmare to research, but I'm excited about the main character and the setting--so glad someone liked it!

[essayel.livejournal.com]

That's a superb cover on Mere Mortals. :D The landscape wasn't obvious before.

[markprobst.livejournal.com]

Fabulous!
But I see that funny little "&c" thing (is it s typo?) made it all the way to the final print. I had wondered if anyone was going to fix that. Or maybe it actually means something and I just don't get it!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

it is an historical typographic sign which means etc.

[markprobst.livejournal.com]

See how silly I am, or as you would say, how daft I am?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

not at all--i've spent most of my life reading old classics! you've done something more sensible with yours

[jl_merrow]

Oh, that's lovely - looks even better "in the flesh".

And what an intriguing excerpt - I'll look forward to that one! :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

they are nice thick books too, which is lovely. :D

thank you!

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Intriguing excerpt. I definitely want more of that one.

And shiny books too!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

thank you, dear!

[oceankitty1.livejournal.com]

Well, that was like being tossed right into the middle of a film theater, in the middle of the film. What happened before, what's happening next? You give me a serious itch!
I guess I get what I deserve,cosing up to writers: Tantalizing excerpts and no book to order. Yet.

And the book cover is just beautiful :) I must admit I'm a little irritated at the romanticized/arranged photo covers on most M/M books, but you seem to have avoided that. Mostly.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

heh - yes, this is the opening section of the book too, so it's totally throwing the reader into the action--I've not done that before, I think all of my books have a cinematic "panning in" start so far so this was a nice change!

Thank you--yes, I've been very lucky with my covers (mostly!!!) - the Carina one (yet to be revealed) is a little posed but still very gorgeous.