Please welcome my birthday guest - Tidal Ashburn!
Thank
You for this opportunity and allowing me to wish Nicole Dennis a Happy
Birthday.
This is
a Milestone Birthday Post of Jenna Riley. She is one of the main characters from Tarot
Tales Presents TAROT TALES AND DIAMOND DUST BLUES.
Jenna is
a middle-aged transgender character who is also the aunt of Libby Perkins.
Jenna is
as cagey about her a real age as she is about the point in her journey of
transition. “It is my story to tell and I get to choose who, and how much of it,
I decide to tell.”
As she got the key from under the
welcome mat to let herself in the back door, Ruby wondered if anyone else in
Southern California, or the civilized modern world for that matter, still left
a key under the mat any more. She put the basket of scones, the flowers, and
gift bag on the table in the breakfast nook and set about preparing a fresh pot
of herbal tea.
Ruby heard noises above her head just
as the tea ball had steeped long enough to make the perfect pot: the
shoosh-shoosh of slippers on hardwood and the creak of door hinges in need of
some WD-40. Aunt Jenna was awake.
Aunt Jenna and Uncle David had raised
Ruby. Aunt Jenna’s origin might have been scandalous had they been living in
the Bible Belt, but Ruby never gave it much thought. Aunt Jenna started out as
Uncle Jason, but Ruby only remembered her as Aunt Jenna. In her mind, it had
never been a big deal. This was Southern
California and the inhabitants of their world were gifted artistic flower-children.
The stairs creaked as Aunt Jenna began
her descent down the stairs. Ruby tried not to snigger as the blue-silk-robed
figure reached the kitchen, high-heeled slippers with midnight blue marabou
feather poofs tapped as the figure asked, “What the hell are you doing
here?"
“Happy Birthday! I made your favorite
orange raisin scones and your favorite tea!” Ruby directed Aunt Jenna to her
chair, and then pushed the cup of tea and the gift bag towards her. Ruby
watched Aunt Jenna’s surprised face as she stared at all her favorite things
arrayed before her. Ruby saw a few tears pool in her aunt’s blue eyes, but
Jenna quickly wiped them away.
“You really are my favorite niece!”
Aunt Jenna grinned at her and arched her eyebrows over the rhinestone encrusted
purple cat’s eye glasses as she put a dab of butter on the still warm scone and
closed her eyes with delight as she bit into the pastry. “Darling, this is
absolutely divine! You are such a dear!” Ruby could always tell what movies
Aunt Jenna had been watching the previous evening. Apparently, last night’s
offering had been “Tales of the City” and Aunt Jenna had morphed into Anna
Madrigal Ala Olympia Dukakis today. Ruby laughed. At least it hadn’t been “Who's Afraid of
Virginia Wolfe” and that god-awful Elizabeth Taylor fright wig.
Aunt Jenna smelled the roses, read the
card, and gingerly rifled through the gift bag.
A delighted smile graced her face as she took careful inventory of the
contents: homemade truffles, her favorite perfume, a customized Mojo bag, and
the latest Lisa Olsen novel. She looked at the bag and around the table, then
reached for a tissue and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.
”You must be psychic. How did you know
just what I wanted?" Jenna said.
“It had absolutely nothing to do with
you dropping hints at every opportunity.” Ruby laughed.
"Ruby, you have no idea how much
I love having you here, living in the guest house. I mean, it's not like having
my own personal stable of cabana boys, but hey, you are my second choice!”
Jenna picked up the bag and looked inside again, as if inspecting it to see if
she had missed anything, but Ruby saw her peek out the window into the back
patio towards the bushes.
“What are you looking for?” Ruby
asked.
“Oh nothing,” Jenna said, craning her
neck about.
“What?” Ruby said.
“Well ---I just thought, nothing says
Happy Birthday like a roll of quarters and a birthday stripper.” Jenna grinned.
Ruby rolled her eyes. “You know what?
I think that there's something wrong with one of us and…”
“I think it's you!” Jenna said. They laughed.
They leisurely drank their tea and
each had a second scone. Ruby knew she was lucky that they could sit for the
longest time without speaking, comfortable in each other’s silence.
“Did you pull your tarot card yet
today?” Aunt Jenna asked.
“Nope. It's your birthday. You have to
pick it. Plus, I’m in a Sola Busca mood today.” Ruby laughed as she handed Aunt
Jenna the large wooden box which was sitting next to the antique crystal ball
covered in black silk on the table.
“What shall we ask?” Jenna asked.
“Well, I’m expecting to hear from
Bernice today. I hope that it’s good
news about that audition! Can you imagine if I get that part of Nurse Robin on
Lust in the Hamptons! I am so Virginia Taylor's long lost illegitimate love
child on a vendetta of retribution!”
“Now you know as well as I do you
can't make a monkey lay eggs. If it's meant to be, it will be.” Aunt Jenna
opened up the box, gently pulled out the Sola Busca tarot deck, and unwrapped
the cards. She shuffled them with careful attention. This card would serve as her road map for the
day.
Aunt Jenna turned over the seven of
Pentacles. She looked at the card and looked at Ruby. Her smile spoke volumes,
but she said it anyway. “See darling, you’re doing the work. You just have to
be patient Timing is everything. You can’t force these things.”
The reading also gave Aunt Jenna
clarity on some issues, as she explained to Ruby. She’d been considering the
fate of her bakery. Jeremy Haynes had managed it for her for years and had
asked to first option if she ever sold. “It’s time to start a new chapter of my
life too,” she told Ruby. “And stop hiding behind my apron.”
Ruby got up to clear the table and
noticed a shiny silver crescent wrench sitting on the counter. “What’s broken?
I can call someone for you.”
“Oh.” Aunt Jenna put her hand to her
cheek and glanced at the tool, a half smile on her face. “About that.” She
giggled. “Funny you should mention that,
dear.” She hesitated, slid down in her chair, and her eyes flitted about the
kitchen. Just as Ruby realized she was
looking for a way to change the subject, Aunt Jenna swiped her arm across the
table in a blur of blue silk and her fork fell to the floor with a clatter.
“Look! It's a sign… we are going to be
having company!” Jenna said, as excited as if she had just opened an invitation
to an unexpected party.
Ruby stared at her, both hands on her
hips, tapping her foot. She knew she
probably looked about as intimidating as an angry Chihuahua, but she didn’t
care. She could always tell when her Aunt Jenna was up to something or
stretching the truth, and she had a sneaky suspicion she knew the reason behind
the crescent wrench.
Aunt Jenna jerked her chin up.
“Sable's son Scott is coming tonight after work to fix that leak in the sink.
Please be a dear and put that back in the toolbox out of sight,” Jenna
continued, raising her chin a notch higher still, clearly intending not to
acknowledge the annoyed look on Ruby’s face.
Jenna continued. “We’re having fresh
garden salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing and my world famous stuffed
manicotti, red wine, and cannoli for dessert! He’ll be here at 6 p.m.
sharp. Don't be late”.
“Hold it! Wait a second! Are you
telling me you deliberately loosened the drain pipe to lure some poor,
unsuspecting man over here to ambush him into a blind date with your
spinster-niece?” Ruby didn’t know if she were more horrified or irritated by
the sneakiness of it. “I can find my own
man, if and when I decide that I want one! You’re meddling again, and you pinky
swore! Didn't you get that email? Aunt Jenna pinky promises are sacred and
irrevocable in the state of California!” Ruby said, exasperation making her
voice rise until she almost squeaked.
“Oh, well, sure it sounds bad when you
say it that way. In my defense, I was minding my own business and trying to
lend a hand. Sable said Scott’s struggling, so I’m really only doing this for
him. I rather consider it an act of
Pagan charity. Scott’s new in the
business and needs a little help building his confidence. I’m only trying to
help this poor dear boy; I have no motive beyond kindness, ulterior or
otherwise!" Aunt Jenna pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows in an
expression of studied innocence. “Besides, you do have to eat. The fact that
you will be here for dinner is simply an unforeseen bonus! Consider this. He’s
straight, single, educated, doesn’t live in his mother's basement, and its
common knowledge that he has never been seen publicly playing air guitar! Even
the unenlightened would see this as a sign!" Jenna said, raised her
shoulders, and clasped her hands together in front of her in a gesture of pure
pleasure.
“Oh it's a sign all right! A sign
you’ve lost your damn mind!” Ruby felt
her face flush and groaned. She didn’t
blush prettily. Instead, she turned a
rather unhealthy shade of hypertensive red. Irritation at her aunt flared
hotter because it was Aunt Jenna’s fault she would look like an apoplectic beet
for the next hour. “You, you, you are such a Pisces!” she said.
Aunt Jenna nodded. “True.” She pursed her lips again and cocked
her head slightly, narrowing her eyes as if something had just occurred to
her. “You know, dear, if you’re not interested
in meeting men, I totally understand and I’m here to support you. Remember my
friend Mable I told you about from Bingo? Well her daughter, Margaret-Louise,
works down at the Hardware Store and...”
Ruby quickly broke in. “I am not a
lesbian! I’m taking a break from dating and focusing on my career.”
“You know darling, there's nothing
wrong with...”
“Okay, Okay I give up, I’ll be here,
okay? But never again! I mean it!” Ruby
sucked in a breath, prepared to blast her aunt again and drive the point home
when her cell phone rang. Her purse played a muffled version of the disco
anthem that threatened to shower men on the front lawn.
Aunt Jenna snorted, daintily. “Like you’d know what to do with them.
Hallelujah, indeed.”
Tarot Tales Presents DIAMOND DUST BLUES will be available June 14, 2016. Tarot
Tales Presents DIAMOND DUST BLUES has been re-edited. Mainly, and not to give
away any spoilers, because with all the news of the laws changing in North
Carolina I found that for me to leave the book, and the rest of the series, set
there I would have to address those issues. As my intent for writing books is
not only to entertain but also to bring people together, I could not leave my
book series in North Carolina without my books becoming political. Therefore, I
relocated my series to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I want everyone who reads my books
to feel safe, included, and welcome. Santa Fe, New Mexico is well known for
their welcoming attitude to artists, new age people, the LGTBQ community, and
writers; as well as offering a beautiful loving people with a rich heritage,
cuisine, and culture. It gives the series even more room to grow.
Book blurb: A struggling actress and her
transgender aunt were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now they are on the
run from diamond smugglers in the Witness Protection Program. They have gone
totally off grid just to stay alive. The Two U.S. Marshals are packin' heat and
the women are packin' Tarot cards in a cross country race to stay alive. Alone,
and left to their own devices... well just anything may happen. Welcome to book
one in the Tarot Tales Trilogy
Tarot Tales Presents DIAMOND DUST BLUES
Book Link
Mini
Bio: I make my home in central Wisconsin with my husband of two
years, who has been my partner of 15 years, and two dogs. My husband is my
biggest supporter.
I have many interests. I love the Tarot, and practice Pagan
spirituality. I adore writers. Writers have always been my favorite species of
people… they have this fascinating ability to see the world through the eyes of
all their characters and have found a refuge which offers a place where all the
voices in their head can come out and play. I like to write in several genres,
m/m romance, cozy mysteries, and supernatural horror. I love imperfect people
with rough edges and who dare to color outside of the lines.
My focus in life is on building bridges of love
and understanding to each other, rather than building walls.
When I finished writing “Tarot Tales Presents
DIAMOND DUST BLUES,” I quickly realized this lively ensemble of beautiful
characters had more stories they demanded to tell… and I realized that it was
meant to be a series. The other books in that series will have other
supernatural characters and themes, and contain a good representation of people
from within the LGBTQ community who are lead characters and not just the
stereotypical side-kick characters there for a quick laugh.
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