Preparation H, Hello Hostage Hotel

From Prisoner to Hostage, and in both I would say the word you’re looking for is obsession or Stockholm, either way, Hostage will hold you and refuse to let go for a while, and by then you won’t want freedom. “Preparation H, Hello Hostage Hotel”

Preparation H, Hello Hostage Hotel

“You don’t really know somebody if you don’t know their name, right”
Skye Warren, Hostage

I can’t tell you exactly when I began reading Skye Warren… Annika Martin too but I’ve got plenty I’ve seen from Skye Warren’s solo novels, and she has become a name synonymous with kickass reads. Hostage is yet another in a long list of winners, and I should probably start looking up Annika Martin’s novels as well because when you put these two women together.

Speaking of which it looks like Abby is going to get some company; a swing and a missed opportunity by this dynamic duo but I’ll give it five stars anyway, but I think Abby and Brooke might have been something to see. Also, are you telling me you haven’t read “Prisoner” (Criminals & Captives #1), if you have welcome aboard, and if you haven’t… you don’t necessarily have to, but I highly recommend it just because it’s as impressive as Hostage. In any case, you’ll probably see what’s coming regardless, but I’m already wondering will there be a book three; I read this with my erotica reading group, but I would have bought it regardless.

So long story short, Hostage begins near the start of Prisoner and then carries on from where that book ended, and no I don’t want to say conclusion there are several paths left I feel. While Prisoner was a story of the youngest of the crew, Grayson, and his love Abby, Hostage is about the oldest of the squad Stone Keaton and his passion Brooke Carson; stop me if you heard this one, rough criminal, and the golden virgin princess. I mean that family going broke, in high school for most of the story, with a famous name and of course Stone is just flushed with cash, criminal and all.

Common themes but I can say that about the entire genre as well, and these two writers know how to work it into something brand new, once, twice, I want to see more of the crew. I was a bit surprised at the ending myself which is strange, but you can always tell where these stories are going and still you stick along for the ride; you can’t help it.

“It’s like catching fucking sunlight in a jar. I don’t want to let her go.”
Skye Warren, Annika Martin, Hostage

Maybe that’s one of the things I like best, as I once heard in a commercial “between love and madness lies Obsession” and that’s what it was like for both Stone and Brooke; enough that Brooke’s age is a teasing point until she turned eighteen. There was the idea of how much grief Stone gave Grayson when he found love and now that Stone has; well that escalated quickly between him and his crew, the men he calls brothers, but let’s focus on the lovers.

Sadly, there’s nothing new to either of them but names and the circumstances of the situation, Stone Keaton, another victim of the rich who fought his way free and is now looking for revenge not just on one but an entire lot of tormentors. You also have to give him the noble goal of wanting to rescue kids and eventually Brooke, though he took his time with her, nothing but slow seductive time since this is a bit of two books in one and her age. Let me just say for the record it always ends up like this, take away the money and the noble pursuit, and being a guy that has read so many stories from this genre, pull any of this in the real world fellas and no happy endings for you.

Brooke Carson, of course, is in her gilded cage, whether it be from a mother’s expectations, imagine Rose in Titanic just younger and prettier or the criminal that just so happens to have millions of dollars that gets her knocky in the knees and elsewhere. Honestly, you can’t say that her life changed much and that might seem a bit short-sighted but one cage to another, from being a tool of her parents to belonging to Stone, and the world is still the world with just a few less horrible people. The only thing Brooke had to do was choose, and that was a bit of newness since most of the stories I’ve read from Skye Warren the heroine merely is taken but again age, instead of sex he almost murders her the first time.

There was less death, seeing how Prisoners ended; maybe it’s a sign of the times. I won’t give that away, though if you want a taste; Samurai Champloo (Artistic Anarchy) “Tsutchie – Sincerely.” At least that’s how I felt if they made this book into a movie I think. As for the other characters, wealthy parents, mother worried about her reputation, standard rich people, and of course Stone’s crew, bad boys galore and how many times can I say this, money.

“There should be some smooth and nice things left in this world.”
Annika Martin, Hostage

I’m not trying to make it sound dull seeing as how I’m giving it five stars, and that’s almost all nearly storytelling, and you can leave it at that because, spoiler alert. Did the book have flaws, other than things I wish happened; this is novel writing at its best, and there was plenty to like besides the things continually resting in my depraved imagination?

For example, this is the first book I might have seen honestly use the term “fake news,” and that’s just the tip of the iceberg as it plays to today’s lexicon. Anybody who reads this might think the author has something against the rich unless they are undoubtedly hard-working or playing a bit of Robin Hood. I’m not saying that Stone and his crew didn’t deserve every last dime they had after everything that they all endured together. There’s even a bit of Brooke’s weight involved, not being allowed to eat then Stone letting her scarf down a burger and cutting her overly tight fancy dress, or the fact that she didn’t want the discovery of her naked form after.

Brooke’s first time, that scene held a bit of everything, the difference between making love and anyway, though the phone sex was a bit dirtier and raunchier, and the authors made her a uniformed schoolgirl to boot, my weakness. Again I wish something could have taken place between Abby and Brooke; you have close quarters, mostly men and two beautiful women, there are days I tell you that these stories are better than porn visual porn. The ending, I was picturing something else, to be honest not that this ending wasn’t great itself, but sometimes you’re expecting fire and brimstone, but a slow trudge to Hell also works I guess.

Nate’s life is one thing, but it would be amazing to keep following Brooke and Stone and don’t I sound like Detective Emilio Rivera now, talk about an obsession with this story and these two authors. So I hope you are ready if you pick up this title because you’ll be on your backside for a while, hours on end, Preparation H, Hello Hostage Hotel.

Lesson 031 ~30 Days Without Incident~

One month and really what has changed, hell this is a month I never expected to see and that started so many years ago and yet somehow I have survived and you have been here for the ride. “30 Days Without Incident” …

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Lesson 031 ~30 Days Without Incident~

Hey Lady Lu,
Thirty-one days but the last three nights have been, exhausting, to say the least, and to say the most would be endless screaming but I try to be more articulate than that. Okay, at least to you because I’m still working on the people thing, more to the point I’m still working on that myself thing but really what has this month been like, you don’t want to know but we’re here…

If we start with “the incident” that sent me running back to you, I haven’t heard a thing from “Ms. Seasons” but I’m keeping my ear to the ground, along with my eyes but we’ll get to that. I wish I could figure out am I ignoring her out of disgust, anger, or indifference, the fact that I’m keeping up with her you would think speaks volumes but bless the sound of silence. My resolve seems to be as strong as ever though, but I’m getting to that, I guess it means something too that I don’t have more to say about her at all.

As long as we’re going through a list of the people I’m not speaking with, how about everyone at work, I still hold faith in my conspiracy theory but if anything the typical overnights. Yesterday and today were probably the best I felt minus the exhaustion, hasn’t everyone wondered at some point what it would be like to be all alone in a store? The only thing that would have been better is if my stupid iPhone was acting right but several ideas for playlists if I buckle down honestly.

How is it when you don’t have something you want it, even more, only human right but suddenly I was in the mood to listen to my Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 playlist and Kenny Rogers meets Wyclef. Trust me you don’t want to be left alone with the thoughts in your own head, especially if you’re me right?

I’ve still been avoiding my neighbor when it comes to their dog; I’m not a Flash type of superhero, and while I talk about writings, wit, and wisdom, I’d rather just punch someone in the face. Makes me sound abusive especially when it comes to Braxton, but, A/C, a full food and water bowl, and plenty of comfy spots seems better than a bed of rocks and outside for hours.

Lady Lu I really do want to be the hero in this situation but I have been going back and forth on being the neighbor that wants to help and the neighbor who adopts. Maybe you can blame Braxton for that but if you think I have trouble talking to people… other than Braxton it seems my anxiety transcends species. If anything it points out how much I love animals because I wouldn’t know what to do with a baby either, I don’t even know my nephew, there’s no rush.

Braxton and I *sigh*, a part of me wants to say the circle of life is complete, I hate my father and now Braxton hates me, I wonder if my father is as clueless as I am as to why the anger and animosity between us always. Really Luna the only words that have left my mouth besides “I love you” which I always have and always will have been “No”, “Shut Up” and “that’s why you’re in trouble”, it’s been so many days already. This doesn’t count as an incident but more as a new development and if anything, I’m more concerned with the people I’ll have to talk to, just to know why.

Procrastination, fear, anxiety, pick a word, any word and I’ll just roll with it, that was my first idea to chat about today, the way people are always putting words in my mouth. Now here we are and I just wish I had some idea as to what to say or do; isn’t it strange from the moment you learn to talk you’re taught to shut up and listen only.

One day soon I’m going to have to remember all the reasons that I want to be a writer, just put them all down as a lesson. That’s another thing I was doing at work, thinking of ways to expand, I’m always expanding my reach but Moses was a king of the desert too, I mean post Egypt of course.

“What is an ocean but a multitude of drops?” – Adam Ewing, Cloud Atlas (2012)

There are too many prophets here Luna, as the song goes but each drop is unique, each serves a purpose or maybe that’s my OCD talking and personally, I don’t want to know my place or stay in it. Just informing you of upcoming, incidents, accidents, and mistakes, but for right now, other than being really late with this, I’m actually in a somewhat decent place. Nobody wants to hear that though except for maybe “Indiana Gone” if anything I’ll worry about what I’ll say tomorrow, I’ll be sad tomorrow.

Just because I’ve survived this month doesn’t mean I enjoyed it and isn’t that yet another problem with life, that it’s all some big accident; makes me think about holy folks, you know. To go with another song, every day is exactly the same and if anything, that means I will survive, okay damn my iPhone and the always running playlist within my mind. Maybe you’re hoping that I will see a miracle instead of the other shoe dropping. Only that’s truth, the other shoe has to drop, whether you’re lying on your back, taking the next step, or learning.

“There’s a saying – the pessimist looks down and hits his head. The optimist looks up and loses his footing. The realist looks forward and adjusts his path accordingly.” – King Ezekiel, The Walking Dead 7×02

When it doesn’t that’s an incident, an accident, tripping, you fall and since I don’t think I’ll be flying anytime soon… the thing is I haven’t tripped or fallen, since landing flat on my face with Ms. Seasons. What I have learned today is that I want to adjust my path, which means taking my eyes off the ground, here’s to us Lady Lu and to 30 Days Without Incident.

Lesson 028 ~A Dog Day Afternoon~

Don’t be a hero, why, because heroes die but if you’re not the hero, people don’t get rescued, I can live with that, you’re a villain, I’ve been worse, a dog dies, okay now I have to get up. A Dog Day Afternoon

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Lesson 028 ~A Dog Day Afternoon~

Hey Lady Lu,
I love Braxton, a statement of fact, I love that little dog, as far as I’m concerned he’s my son and I would do anything for him, does that make me a decent human being, a hero, anything at all, I don’t know and I don’t care, he’s mine and I love him. Now I could go all in about love but this is going to be a long day and an even longer night and how long does that dog have?

No, I’m not talking about Braxton, not talking to Braxton at the moment though what concerns me the most at this particular moment is the neighbor’s dog. I wonder when does the moment come when you have to take the law into your own hands, when do people come to the moment of busting the window out of a car to save a dog’s life? Am I there yet my lady, I mean the things that I have done on Braxton’s behalf honestly but what of this dog’s dire straits?

You know I don’t understand people at all but if people are truly made in God’s image and “God is Cruel” as Stephen King put it, what does that say about people? Aren’t I the one to blame as well, if I were any sort of man, I’d go over there now and rescue that poor dog, I would talk to the neighbor, I would be doing something anything other than talking to you. I like talking to you Luna I apologize but as I said this is going to be one long day and one boring night, but this shouldn’t be about me really.

I got one dog that again is making me feel like a failure as a parent, maybe now I’m starting to understand why my “father” is the way he is, yeah I can be all sorts of dangerous and I hate his guts. On the other hand, I wonder if Superman ever had kids (I’m not a comic guy or most heroes) which do you think is easier Lady Lu, to be a father or to be the hero hmm?

How many times have I said I’m looking for a new role model but what would Jesus do is not the one, what would a father do and what would a hero do, I pretend to be one and courage stops me from being the other. Does it not take courage to be a father, a pet parent, always concerned what other people will think of me, while a hero would simply do what is necessary regardless of anything else.

“Because he’s the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we’ll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight.” Lt. James Gordon, The Dark Knight (2008)

I was always more of a Batman over a Superman and why, because Bruce Wayne was only a man, albeit a wealthy one but a man nonetheless, I wouldn’t dare say I could be Batman though. No, I can’t kick the neighbor’s ass, can’t swoop in and save the poor doggie but what’s stopping me from offering money for his life and in the end whatever would I do with that life? Most people don’t see the dog at all and if they did what would they do, no I don’t want to be them I want to do a good thing, the right thing.

“Fear is the enemy of will. Will is what makes you take action; fear is what stops you, and makes you weak…” Green Lantern (2011)

Truer words huh Lady Lu, Batman had a choice but being a father to Braxton, the moment those four little legs hit the floor my course was set and I swore to look after him, even when he belonged to my sister when he wasn’t mine. To a father it doesn’t matter, a father does what has to be done as it has always been with me and Braxton, anxiety is damned, people be damned, there is no fear because he’s mine, I’m daddy and he needs me and that’s that. If I did it before can’t I do it again, hell when I wanted a dog so many years ago my father wouldn’t dream of it but my sister got an accessory for her purse, and then she had a real baby and Braxton came along with me, simple.

If anything I can’t sit back and do nothing, but as I say that here we are and he’s out there possibly suffering because I fail to act. Everyone I have told “Indiana” and “Gospel Girl” both say I should do something and I have always believed a man must see about his family but what about this poor dog.

A few months ago he was only the dog next door, Braxton’s nemesis and I was wondering what would happen if they actually did meet and now he’s a dog I just can’t watch suffer. I’m better than that, I want to scream at “Ms. Seasons” yeah I’m skeevy and inappropriate but I am a decent human being, I am.

“I feel like all I’ve done my whole life is be pretty. I mean, all I’ve done is be born! I’m a failed actress, a failed artist… I’m not much good as a mother. Come to think of it, I’m not even that pretty anymore. I have failed at everything, Yuri… but I won’t fail as a human being.” Ava Fontaine, Lord of War (2005)

I’ll ask you Luna and I suppose you’ll agree with everyone else, you see a dog, no collar and no tag, his back is dirty, he sleeps on a pile of rocks and hides from the rain and the heat of the sun. Your neighbors report that he’s been seen walking along, nearly hit by cars, the neighbors report him missing while his owner never does, you don’t see him eat or drink, you call out to him to make sure he’s alive. You return him twice, you block his gate so he won’t be in danger but you might have locked him into a prison, whatever are you supposed to do, what comes next?

They say, “Evil prevails when good men fail to act.” What they ought to say is, “Evil prevails.” Yuri Orlov

Because it does Luna, it absolutely positively does and if you don’t believe me ask the last couple of girls I made a pass at, then again while being evil or skeevy I did fail which in retrospect is a good thing. Only I can’t fail with this, would what I do be considered evil, “rescuing” the dog, I’m sure the neighbor and Braxton would probably. I don’t know what I’m going to do but the other neighbors are reaching out and they say this is wrong too, the way this dog is living and here I am, no hero, father, biology dictates a bit of man hood, just a bit if not longer, inappropriate?

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” The Dark Knight (2008)

Today I don’t want to be, today I don’t want to be or do a lot of things but I will and for a thousand different reasons. Why not today I do something that truly matters, something that will make me more of a hero, more of a father, more of a man my friend on A Dog Day Afternoon.