My latest from Hydra Publications, SIDESHOW IN THE CENTER RING, takes place mostly on another planet, but the heart of it is relationships: friendship, one-up-manship, ownership….
In this excerpt, one up-by-my-own-bootstraps celebrity is talking to another about the current social season with the exclusive group they both want to lead. Connie speaks first.
I just realized this bit has almost no dialog tags. Hrmm….
SIDESHOW IN THE CENTER RING – excerpt
Connie v. Darryl
by Marian Allen
“This is going to be a very long Season.”
“Long for some,” said Darryl.
That was nightmare talk. I thought it was long past time somebody woke up.
“Tell me: What are you going to do when the Season is over? When we’re off Marner, and you’re nobody’s Master; when you’re back to being just plain Mem Moran?”
“Worried about me, sweetheart?”
“Just wondering what you could possibly do for an encore.”
Darryl laughed. “Now that may be difficult. But I’m sure, together, we could think of something.”
“What about a suicide pact? You first.”
“Ah, Connie, Connie.”
“If you tell me I’m worthy of you, I’ll slay you. I have had it with your smarmy compliments. Do you think I don’t see through you? Do you think I’m going to fall for your crummy, cheap, soft-soapery? I have an over-active power drive, myself; do you think I don’t recognize it in somebody else?”
“But that’s why we–“
“Baloney. You don’t want to share power, with me or anybody else. You want to put me in your trophy case. One more freak in Darryl Moran’s freak collection.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. You misjudge me, Connie.”
“Prove it.”
“How?”
“Do something human.”
~ * ~
Just so you know: This is not one of those, “She thinks she hates him but she comes to love him in the end” things. She hates him. So will you.
The first chapter of SIDESHOW IN THE CENTER RING is on this clicky place.
At the moment, SIDESHOW IN THE CENTER RING is only available for Kindle, but a print version is on the way.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character offers another some kind of partnership.
MA
