Gisele R. Walko's Blog

This is a little sample of Part 2 of Ethan and Michelle, but can be read as a standalone. I'm having fun writing, and may even be done before the end of the month. I wrote this scene, and thought it was cute,so I'm sharing, but only a little bit because I don't want to give too much away. Dialogue is my favorite, so it's chock-full of cute dialogue. :) After this I may write Jacob and Zadie's story instead of Interracial Love Stories from the Apocalypse. I don't know. Jacob and Zadie keep popping into my head.

Ethan and Michelle are in a waiting room:


After we fill out the forms and skim through a couple of magazines, I pull out my phone to read through news articles.
“I cannot believe you bring me to this country as mail order bride, and you already have wife! I’m no your concubine!” When Michelle gets too bored she starts fake fights with me in a room full of people, and I don’t know what the accent is but it’s terrible. I take notice of a few disgusted pairs of eyes falling on me.
“You had an orgy with both of my brothers, and withdrew half of the money from my bank account!” I yell. Michelle’s big doe eyes double in size and then she laughs wildly.
“Whoa, you went too far there, Ethan.” We sit for a few more minutes in silence.

My newest is only $.99 until May 9, or free to read on KU.
https://www.amazon.com/Ezra-Donnya-Ha...

Thanks to everyone who read the ARC, and the lovely Anino for her editing skills. She's doing pro bono work *wink*
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...

I'm also giving away three of my books free May 2nd and 3rd, or always free on KU.
Cravings and Triggers

https://www.amazon.com/Cravings-Trigg...

Ethan and Michelle

https://www.amazon.com/Ethan-Michelle...

Beignets and Fangs

https://www.amazon.com/Beignets-Fangs...

So in a week or so I will return to my old friends Ethan and Michelle and their unexpected pregnancy in their forties. Also I will be starting a book of post-apocalyptic (sort of) love stories. Corn kills most of the population of course! Fast food establishments mix it with the meat for filler. It's in our soft drinks. Salad dressings. We cook everything in vegetable oil. A virtually indestructable microbe invades the corn, and maybe.....85% of the population dies. I need names for my survivor friends who find love. Feel free to suggest your own if you'd like.

Heroine 1: Black woman. Nerdy and sweet. Curvy girl. Teaches microbiology at a high school and also twice a week at community college.

Hero 1: White guy. Former software engineer. Met the h once or twice at academic bowls, but they never really talked. He went to a different high school. Tall, thin, glasses, dimples. Adorably awkward.

Jerk: This fool made all the nerdy kids miserable in high school, and if life was fair he would have peaked there, and had a miserable life from graduation on, but instead he got drafted into the NFL from college, and survived the apocalypse only because he magically has antibodies that neutralize the microbe in the corn.

Heroine 2: Black and Mexican. lab supervisor in hospital, best friend to h1.

Hero 2: Police officer. Albino. Met h2 years ago, they were close friends, but they hadn't seen each other in a while.

Two separate linked stories. Names Please!!

I decided to give Wattpad another go, and put up Ezra & Donnya Have Tea in it's entirety until April 30th.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/1063651...

It's available for $.99 pre-order here:

https://www.amazon.com/Ezra-Donnya-Ha...

Will be $2.99 on May 9th.

I also think it's on inkitt...but I don't understand inkitt. ;(

I just have to brag on and recommend Anino because she is an AWESOME editor. She's a straight-forward tell it like it is person and she gave me so many tips and suggestions, that I can apply to my future works. She's timely and professional and it won't cost you an arm and a leg. Everyone should give her a try. I thought my book was good before, but it's going to be sooo much better once I finish making the changes. Great assett to the indie author looking to improve and produce the best product possible!

Thank you so much, Anino!!!!!!

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...

http://justusbooklovers.blogspot.com/

aninopeace@gmail.com

***Anino is looking to take on a few pro bono freelance jobs to gain more experience, so you can contact her, and get her expertise and assistance absolutely FREE!!! Some of you I will contact directly because she made Ezra & Donnya Have Tea sooo much better than it was, and I like to share good resources for us indies. :) ***

Donnya does not like Ezra, so he books himself a tea party at her tea house to get her attention. It is supposed to be a romantic gesture. Hope to be done at the beginning of April April, at which point I will harass most of you with ARCs.





I walk into Donnya’s looking like…well, hopefully a Ken doll, since she dates well-groomed men in nice clothes. I want to be her type. If that means button-ups instead of black t-shirts, I can live with that. She meets me at the entrance in a formal green dress and a tiara, flawless makeup, and her long, thick black hair pulled into a neat bun. She’s beautiful. For whatever reason, the princess look really suits her. It seems natural for her, not like playing dress-up.
“Hi,” I smile at her. She looks up at me slightly. At six-three, I only have her by a couple of inches, so she must have on heels. Two additional princesses come flank both her sides, confusion on their faces.
“What the cuss are you hecking doing, Ezra? What is all this? Where are the little girls?” She looks at all the grown men behind me, arms out in exasperation. That’s the cutest ass-chewing I’ve ever gotten.
“It’s my party. I’m the birthday boy. Can you please show us to the party room, your highness?” I bow to her. She moves her hands to her hips, and levels me with a stern look. “I promised my mother pictures. Don’t let your perceived prejudice against men who like tea parties, cause my mother a moment of heartache. I’d hate to leave a review stating that Donnya’s House of Tea is unaccommodating and unfriendly to certain customers, even when they book the best party package and spend a grand on tea and sandwiches.”
“Ezra, if you are trying to mess with my money…,” she starts to threaten me. “You better not be trying to mess with my money, Ezra.” Her voice drops an octave. I shrug indifferently.
“Right this way, sir. Gentleman, please follow me.” Torn between her desire to provide excellent customer service, and her confusion and anger towards me, she plasters on a smile and leads the way. We follow her in a hoard as instructed.
“Ezra, you get to sit in the hot pink princess chair at the head of the table.” She gestures toward it. “And gentleman. You can sit anywhere on either side of the table. I didn’t have any names to make place cards, so the choice is yours.” She waits for us to be seated.
“It’s really beautiful in here, Donnya. I like the floral cups and saucers. Can you lean in so I can take a selfie with you to send my mom?” I adjust myself in the hot pink throne, so I’m closer to her. To my absolute shock, she obliges. I hold my arm out and snap our picture.
“That little gold bell is for you, Ezra.” She points a French-manicured fingernail at it. “Whenever you’d like anything…raspberry tea or lemonade, a sandwich, more cake, you just ring the little bell and I will personally come serve you.” We’ll see about that. I don’t see me being able to summon her with a bell. That’s probably how it works for anyone who’s not me.
“Can I get a bell, darling, so you can come over here and service me when I ring it?” Some fool I don’t know and shouldn’t have invited, asks Donnya from my left. She smiles at the man, but gives him a don’t-fuck-with-me look.
“Only the birthday boy gets a bell,” she says to him, before walking over to grab a tray of sandwiches. The other two princesses follow suit. One I recognize as our waitress, Katie.
“Hey!” I whisper-yell at my rude guest. “You better cut that shit out.” He gives me a glassy-eyed, faux innocent look. I hadn’t noticed the bright-red skin or glassy eyes before. He’s wasted. I again regret inviting randoms from a bar. I shoot my mom the cute picture of me and Donnya. It’s going to be my screen saver for everything as soon as I get home. My mom Facetime requests me. I answer, while Donnya and the other princesses fill the cups with either lemonade or raspberry iced tea.
“Hey,” I answer her call. Her big blue eyes, California sun-tanned skin, and pink lipstick fill the screen.
“Who was that in the picture?” She asks.
“Donnya. She’s hosting my tea party, right now.”
“Oh, I see.” She smirks. “She kind of reminds me of someone.” Her brows draw together as she tries to make a connection.
“Jackie Freeman, the supermodel?” I help her out.
“Yes, they look almost exactly the same!”
“That’s her daughter.”
“No! Is she single?”
“I think so. Why don’t I call her over here so you can verify that for me?” It will be harder for Donnya to resist my mom than it is for her to resist me.

Thank you, Ms. Lisa Tetting for interviewing me. I had a good time. Read my interview on her fantastic blog: http://rebirthoflisa.wordpress.com

This is my weird ass cover, that my hubby and I like.

I wrote Cravings and Triggers because two of my best Goodreads friends read my first book, and told me within a couple of days of each other that Sani should have his own story. Velvetgypsy and Heather both have namesakes in the book as a thank you.

I hope to be completely done with the writing process very soon. If interested in an ARC in exchange for a review, you can drop me a note, or leave a message on my blog. Even if you don't express interest, some of you are going to get inboxed a copy, just so ya know. :-)

Here's another excerpt:
This is what I was worried about, messing with Zeph. We hang out with Z as a family. We kiss and drink beer. I take her on one official date, despite the fact that I’ve sworn off women. She shows up teary-eyed and unexpected on Friday, right after I get home from work, and my first impulse is to go find and kill whoever made her cry. Nobody makes my……Zephenia cry. Her feelings not only trigger my anger, her emotions completely take over mine. I was happy, and then my switch flipped as soon as I saw her upset. Not good.
“Baby?” I open the door to let her in. She sits on my couch. I scoot close to her and wrap my arms around her. “What happened?” I ask.
“It’s Adrian’s weekend with Z.” She sniffs. “I seriously thought about not letting him go because of what happened last time with the dress, and because he took the substitute teacher’s side over Z’s at that horrible meeting,” she grabs a tissue from the coffee table and gently blows her nose. I wipe her tears from her cheeks, and try to reign in my emotions. “But I told him to be a better father, so I don’t think I should stop him from trying. Things will probably work out, okay. Z can always reach me on my cell.” She pulls out her phone to see that there are no new calls or texts and then she sobs so hard that her shoulders shake. What I heard was ‘Adrian did it, Sani. Go kill Adrian and bring Z home to me.’ Okay. Can do. I nod my understanding and cross the room to put on my jacket. I just need the address.

I am having a blast writing about Sani and Zeph, but I don't know how they'll be received. They're both crazy. Zeph's even nuttier than I thought she was. Sani is a Navajo Skinwalker who works as an electrician and handyman. Zeph is a bartender and the single mother to a transgender son.
Here is a conversation they had about why they're bad for perfect for each other.

“I mean, it’s not that I don’t want a girlfriend, I just meant that me with a girlfriend is no good.” He pulls his hair, hard enough to hurt his scalp. “I told you I can get possessive, but I don’t think I mentioned to you that I hard core stalked my last girl, and I chopped all her hair off. I’m fucking nuts. I want to be good for you, but I’m not a saint, and I want more than anything for you and Z to have a happy stress-free life. I have some demons.” I smile and exhale. Is that all? A little stalking and a haircut.
“First of all, you already know that if you try that shit with me, I’m gonna fuck your shit up, right?” His lip turns up into half of a smile.
“I believe it.”
“Good. Second of all, I’m not a saint. You already know I slashed some tires.”
“I have too.”
“I’ve broken some windshields. I cut off the left sleeve of all Adrian’s shirts after he threw all of Z’s boy stuff away. I put hot sauce on Adrian’s dick when he was asleep, after I went through his phone and saw all the naked chicks sending him pictures.”
“Hold up, what did you do to Adrian?” I cup Sani’s disturbed face in my hands.
“Don’t get caught up in the details, babe. The point is that we’re much better people now. You’re not that Sani, and I’m not that Zeph, so maybe we can just get to know the newer, better versions of each other and leave the past in the past.” I search his eyes to see if I scared him off.
“Do you think we’re bad for each other?”
“Not at all.” I don’t hesitate.
“Okay.” He removes my hands from his face and holds them in his. “You’re smarter than me, so I believe you.”

HI! I am doing a free Kindle promotion for my vampire novella Beignets and Fangs on 12/1.



https://www.amazon.com/Beignets-Fangs...

If anyone wants to read Ethan and Michelle



You can contact me directly. I gave away fewer copies than I expected to.


Look for Cravings and Triggers, My Skinwalker and Vampire romance in January!