Category Archives: Romance Weekly

Flash Fiction: A Photographer and Insurance Agent Meet

RWW bannerThis week on Romance Weekly – Fiona Riplee asks for a flash fiction of five hundred words or less  for a cute meet between a professional photographer and an insurance agent.  Check out Fiona’s post who is ahead of me on the hop. I already had an idea for a steamy to erotic story about a photographer on the Outer Banks of NC, so this post helped me write the heroine and hero’s first meeting:

bigstock-Surfer-In-Studio-3798270During the final heat, McKenzie held the shutter button, snapping shots of both surfers ripping through the waves using amazing cutbacks. She’d need to up load the pics to her editor before dinner time to make the deadline for the current issue Surf Zone.

After removing the elephant gun lens, she clicked on the standard lens for some casual pics of the competitors gathered around the judges’ area. All young and hot. She sighed in memory of the wild times you used to have at the competition after parties.

Now pushing thirty-five, she’d just a beer, offer congrats to the winners and upload the shots that paid the bills rather than be labeled a cougar. A least she hadn’t resorted to getting a cat…yet.

Before she turned for the crowd, another surfer caught the biggest wave of the day. Mesmerized she admired his grace and confidence. Not a hotshot, but definitely a worth some digital space on her card. She rushed to the shoreline and zoomed in with the fifty-five to two hundred fifty millimeter lens.

After he finished a set, she waited as he waded from the shallows.

“Nice rides.” She grinned.

He swiped a hand to his short hair that had started to gray at the temples. Dark lashes outlined his ice blue eyes. “Nothing like those guys.” He smiled, nodding to the group wearing numbered surf shirts.”

“I’m McKenzie Pratt.” She extended her hand.

“I remember.” He grinned, accepting the handshake.

Shit. She’d partied hard, but she’d always remembered names and faces. And she’d definitely remember his hot body. “Refresh my memory.”

“Kyle Tate. I used to compete, but I was also the insurance agent when you had your camera equipment stolen about a dozen years ago.” He unhooked the board leash from his ankle.

“Back when agents actually saw the customers about claims.” Talk about having matured. Lord, he found the weight room and learned to groom his sexy stubble .So what was he doing now, besides making her drool?

“Yeah, it was more interesting then.” He winked. “I switched to handling annuities and also run wild horse sightseeing tours in Corolla.”

“Yeah? I’d like to get some pictures while I’m in town.” And spend some time sightseeing him.

“You staying on Hatteras tonight?” He checked his watch.

She placed the lens cap on her camera. “I gotta upload today’s pictures to my editor and then I’m headed back to my sister’s in Nags Head.”

“How about dinner at The Dunes?”

She knew the place. How could she say no? “Sure, then I can book a tour to catch a tour to see the ponies tomorrow.”

“Let me get my phone.” He motion for her to follow him. “I’ll make is a personal tour if you like.”

She liked the innuendo and knowing glint in his gaze. “Personal is always better.”

Next on the hop is Jenna Da Sie. Let’s find out how her photographer and insurance agent meet.

Day Job: The Daily Grind

RWW bannerDay Job is today’s Romance Weekly topic is by Jeanne McDonald – Outside of writing, what is your day job?  Give interesting facts about the job. What inspired you to take on this job and would you ever consider giving it to one of your characters?

spreadsheetMy daily day job grind boils down to being a bookkeeper, purchasing clerk and secretary at clerk pay.  I process close to $200,000 in orders which equates to about 300 requisitions a year. In addition, I track those funds, along with being a secretary to three supervisors. Recently, I inherited repairs and now coordinate with vendors to retrieve said items,  then initiate purchase requisitions to cover and  receipt for payment.

These duties have led me learn more advance aspects of Excel, Word, Adobe Pro and even Photoshop, which in turn has helped me as an author.  I run my own website through WordPress, created the headers for it and my other social media sites.

My current day job is much more rewarding than my previous accounts receivable and collections position. ackAAACK!!! Still, I don’t find writing about a secretary  interesting.  After working in an office all day, the last thing I want to do is spend nights describing a character living a cube existence. I enjoy writing about characters with interesting professions outside of the corporate world.

U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Brian Zamiska, with Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, provides security with an Air Force military working dog during a patrol with members of the Afghan Border Police in the Tera Zeyi district, Afghanistan, Jan. 6, 2013. (DoD photo by Spc. Alex Kirk Amen, U.S. Army/Released)
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Brian Zamiska, with Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, provides security with an Air Force military working dog during a patrol with members of the Afghan Border Police in the Tera Zeyi district, Afghanistan, Jan. 6, 2013. (DoD photo by Spc. Alex Kirk Amen, U.S. Army/Released)

After the day job, I’m a homemaker.  Luckily,  hubs like to grill and he’s off in the summer so I don’t have to cook every night. My son, who is twenty now, even takes a turn cooking his Tex-Mex specialties.

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse
Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

Crafty is more my forte. I carved our family’s coat of arms in wood when I was in high school. A few years ago, I built an entertainment center for our den and my son’s room. Granted, they don’t have fancy routed edges, but I designed, cut and assembled them and they hold big screen TVs and video systems. My favorite hobby besides writing is photography.  Most of the pictures on my site are mine. Wish I had more time to roam and take more…

Hope you’ve already visited Tessa Gray. After me is Meggan Connors. Hop on over to and see how her days are filled beyond being an author.