Victor Standish's new favorite read : VAMPIRE IN THE OUTFIELD

I sat with my nose happily in my Kindle. My ghoul friend, Alice, flowed silently beside me.

My trap was set. I kept busily turning the pages with the button, apparently not noticing her fidget. I smiled wickedly.

"How do you wiggle without moving?," I couldn't keep from laughing.

"How do you keep on reading with me in this short skirt and low Gothic Lolita top?"

I grinned slyly, "Peripheral vision is a beautiful thing."

Alice snatched Walter's gift from my hands. "Oh, you!"

She smacked me on top of the head with my Kindle. "Ouch! But hey, the eyeful I got was worth it."

Father Renfield was suddenly by Alice's side. He took VAMPIRE IN THE OUTFIELD from Alice.

"Walter gave that to me."

I smiled wide, "I figured you knew all about vampires, Padre."

His sharp canines showing, Father Renfield glowered at me. "Maybe Walter thought I could do with a few laughs?"

Captain Sam smiled at the smoldering Alice, tugging up her Gothic Lolita top. "I think Victor just gave a few to us."

"To you, men, perhaps," murmured Ada Byron.

She curled an arm around my ghoul friend, making me figet as I remembered her, ah, thoughts on what gender was sexy. "Come, Alice. Let us girls put our heads together."

Alice showed her much too sharp teeth at me. "Yes, payback is a terrible thing to waste."

I groaned. I was always too smart for my own good!

Oh, if you guys want to read VAMPIRE IN THE OUTFIELD yourselves, go to :

http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-in-the-Outfield-ebook/dp/B0057P3CMG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1309058032&sr=1-1

Oh, Olivia, Alice, Captain Sam, the Padre, and the rest of us at Meilori's wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. And Wendy Tyler Ryan, you enjoy that jazz concert and get better, you hear?!p>
***

HIBBS : MISS OLIVIA, I'LL BE THERE, BUT FIRST I HAVE TO SEE HARRY POTTER

Hibbs, the cub with no clue -- and no breath, here!

Huff. Pant. Gasp. All this running is wearing me out!

Miss Olivia, I'll be there. Don't you worry! http://thatrebelwithablog.blogspot.com/

But first, I want to read Mr. Roland's entry into Mr. Michael's HARRY POTTER BEST MATE blogfest : http://writing-art-and-design.blogspot.com/2011/03/harry-potter-blogfest-who-would-be-your.html

{From the journal of Captain Samuel McCord} :

I walked through the mirror into Dumbledore's office. The scent to the air was of cherry blossoms. I smiled bitterly. It was the perfume of my wife, Meilori. He was trying to make me feel welcome and only managing to make me feel more alone.

Poor Albus. He was so wise in so many things ...

just not in matters of the heart.

Which explained his being fooled by Gellert Grindelwald.

I made my way through the maze of spindly tables upon which sat delicate looking silver instruments that whirred and emitted small puffs of smoke, as well as an incredible collection of books, which made up Dumbledore's private library, and his ill-advised Pensieve.

Fawkes the phoenix chirped my way. I winked back. The Sorting Hat chuckled. I grinned back.

Albus smiled as if it hurt him. "Come sit down, Samuel."

He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, and a purple cloak.

His nose was very long and crooked. Being broken will do that to a nose. The first break came from Gellert's fist. The second came from mine in the fight that broke out when I told him the truth about Gellert.

He forgave me. Friends do that. Even to friends who speak painful truths.

As I sat down at his round desk, I pointed to his withered right hand. "Voldemort?"

He shook his head. "I myself have opened the door to the next great adventure I'm afraid."

I started to reach for his gnarled right hand. "Maybe I can ...."

A voice with all the warmth of a slap said to my left, "Do what the world's mightiest wizard could not do? Hardly!"

I turned. Serverus Snape. He gloomed a room just by entering it.

I smiled crooked. "Still wearing the cast-off's from THE ADAMS FAMILY movie I see. Angelica Huston looked better in that dress."

His right eyebrow arched so high that I was surprised it didn't cut his forehead. "How droll. Low humor from a muggle. How unsurprising."

I wagged a gloved forefinger at him. "You know you like me."

Snape looked as if he smelled his own upper lip. "Me? A friend to a muggle?"

Albus' blue eyes twinkled. "You will note that he did not deny it."

He pointed to the empty seat at the other side of the table. "Come, Serverus. Samuel promised to teach us that colorfully named game. Ah, what was it now?"

The blood of the Angel of Death burned cold in my veins as it murmured I would never see either one of them alive again. I managed a smile.

"Texas Hold 'Em."

Snape sniffed the air touched with the kiss of cherry blossoms and looked at me with haunted eyes.

"You still love her though she deserted you? After all this time?"

I nodded, and though we both saw different faces, we both said the same word,

"Always."

Albus' eyes grew wet as he looked at the two of us. "I, as well."

And so three friends drawn together by broken hearts and lost love dealt meaningless cards to one another into the dregs of the hollow night.

***

THE TURQUOISE WOMAN BEAT ME TO IT

I woke up this morning feeling like I was a horse that had been rode hard and left wet!

The coughing wouldn't let me be, echoes of that pneumonia that had tried to take me way back in that ice-bound Detroit basement apartment.

So I fed Gypsy, my cat, wearing her surgical mask to keep my germs to myself. I sat down at my laptop to see what mischief I could find on the web.

Then, I found Jules had written a lovely post about THE BEAR WITH TWO SHADOWS :
http://fragilemouse.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-got-bear-to-pick-with-you.html#more

Summer Ross was the next one I visited to find this :
http://summersvoice.blogspot.com/

I next checked up on my friend, Olivia Herrell :
http://thatrebelwithablog.blogspot.com/2011/02/bear-with-two-shadows.html

Jessica Bell next made my morning so much brighter despite the coughing :
http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/2011/02/there-are-certain-ways-of-marketing.html

Nicole Ducleroir was the next friend who became a crusader for me :
http://nicoleducleroir.blogspot.com/

All this after, Elliot Grace had my back like a Texas Ranger of old with his post :
http://elliot-grace.blogspot.com/2011/02/rolands-two-shadows.html

And after WordsCrafter gave me a shout-out a few days ago :
http://therainydaywanderer.blogspot.com/

For once, I was at a loss for words. Gypsy fell over in a dead faint : me being speechless doesn't happen all that often. LOL.

I, alone, am left of my childhood LEAGUE OF FIVE. No family survives. Those close to me from childhood and loves have all been taken before their time.

Like a lone turret of a sand castle, looking at the ruins of sand left by the sweeping tides, I sometimes feel quite alone.

My friends, Elliot, Jules, Summer, Olivia, Nicole, WordsCrafter, and Michael (who, even now labors to remove the flaws from my book's format and is the genius behind the design of my book) -- you have reminded me that he who has friends is never alone and is far richer than Midas ever thought of being.

Thank you. Estanatlehi blows you a kiss. Hibbs chuffs a smile your way, too.

- a very moved Roland