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Author Spotlight: Balogun Ojetade

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Balogun Ojetade writes very detailed hand-to-hand combat scenes with specific blows and related body damage and carries the injury forward through the fights. He provides realistic fighting, practically unheard of in the urban fantasy/sci-fi genre, but not unexpected from the author of Afrikan Martial Arts: Discovering the Warrior Within.

While he is still developing as a writer, his fist-to-cuffs scenes are amazingly detailed. He is writing a lot at this time, so hopefully his style will continue to improve and his narrative will support his action scenes … because these action scenes are worth reading.

Flash: Leroy

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Rating: Mature

“So is the wedding reception finally over?” Leroy asked from the hotel chair when Polly entered. 

Polly ran her eyes over the interloper. His tuxedo shirt was unbuttoned to reveal a smooth muscular chest. The man thought he was God’s gift to women, and Lord help her, so did she. “How did you get in?”

He nodded to the open second door in the room, the one that allowed adjoining hotel rooms to visit without going into the hallway. Of course, Karen and Giles would put them together. They didn’t know she had sworn to a strict “No Leroy” diet two months ago.

The man just moved in and took over her life whenever he was around. He demanded every last inch of space and every thought. Like right now, his tuxedo jacket was thrown on the hotel table and his cufflinks were in her earring jar. She could see his suits and luggage on his bed in the other room, but he had to enter her room and marked her space as his as well.

She may have been able to handle his dominating presence, except he also left just as abruptly. Whenever she thought the storm which blew him in was settling down, a vacuum would appear. His absences were never explained, nor his returns. And she could no longer live like that. Five years was enough.

Trying to put iron into her voice, Polly commanded, “Well, you can just go back the way you came in, Leroy.”

The lamp kept half his face in shadow, but the half she could see lit with smoldering determination in reaction to her juvenile attempt to take control. He lowered his left leg from where it was propped on the chair and slowly stood. He was a short man, only five eight, but his charisma poured to fill the corners of the room. Polly barely controlled the step back; she was not going to give ground to this man, never again.

His gaze raked over her body. The bridesmaid gown was a horrendous vibrant pink lace over royal purple satin which seared the eye. If one ignored the hue, the cut flattered her. The strapless gown used an inset corset to push up her bosom and hug her hips. The flowing satin and lace sheathe brushed the floor, hiding the five inch spikes the wedding party had used to bring her five foot frame level with the rest of the bridesmaids. Karen’s sister, Gloria, had worn flats and everything looked great for the photos. Staying in the shoes through the reception was a new type of torture. But it was that or look like a child playing dressup in her mother’s gown.

Her red hair was in a simple twist complemented by Karen’s bridesmaid gift of waterfall crystal earrings. No necklace or bracelets adorned the extensive bared flesh. A fact Leroy took advantage of by tracing one finger up her arm, making a slow circle and continuing it across the upper curve of her elevated breast. She had been having difficulty breathing all day because of the corset, now Polly stopped mid-inhale.

“Why would I want to do that after all the trouble I went to to get an invitation to the wedding?”

Polly could feel her mouth drying as he continued to draw his fingers across her chest. “Because… because…”Each pass his fingers went higher, dancing over her neck, and lower, almost dipping below the pink lace. “… this is not…” His lips claimed hers before she could complete her sentence.

Heaven returned in a tornado of emotions. Polly lips opened in invitation; she couldn’t stop herself. Leroy’s tongue slipped into the unguarded passage. One of his hands came up to grip the back of her head, the other slipped over her breast. His mouth demanded surrender and she turned over the white flag, running her hands up his naked chest to circle his neck.

Using the kiss to control her, Leroy slowly turned her around and backed her against the hotel bed. She toppled willingly onto the soft surface. His cocky smile started as he tossed his shirt on top of the tuxedo jacket and cummerbund.

She panted trying to regain control, but felt more and more slip away. Each squeeze of the corset driving her cravings higher. The inside fabric roughened her nipples. The constriction activating the subliminal fight or flight programming. This man was bad for her. So dangerous. She didn’t know where he had been or what he did for a living.

As he lowered his trousers, he revealed the one thing she did know beyond a shadow of a doubt. Leroy wanted her, and only her. He kept returning to her for the same reason she kept taking him back – they were addicted to each other. His cock stood strong within a nest of black. He kicked the pants under the bed.

He continued to rule her as he unhooked her garters to remove her lace underthings. Laying his broad hand over her trimmed red curls, Leroy asked, “Anyone else?”

“No Leroy, never.” However much she wished or wanted to walk away, any other man paled in comparison. He filled her thoughts when he was in her life and when he wasn’t.

Polly tried to regulate her breathing. Then he sunk into her. She had been wet and ready as soon as she had seen him in the room. He always did that to her. He pumped into her quickly, rushing them over the edge. Later tonight he would go slow, but initially he always claimed her body within moments of them meeting.

Tomorrow or the tomorrow after that or another tomorrow, when he left again, she will rue her lack of willpower. Today, she would ride the storm.

(words 964 – originally appearing at Breathless Press 5/22/2013 for the 9/9/12 Sunday Fun; republished new blog format 10/14/2013)

Editing Rant: Dead Words

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Kill, kill the passive.

Especially the “dead” words. Words which when removed make no change in the meaning of the sentence. All they do is slow things down. The worst offender is “that”. 

“That” is a pronoun and sometimes has a purpose for being. But most times, no, nope, nada, zilch, deader than a doornail buried in a graveyard.

EDITING EXERCISE: For your present work-in-progress (WIP), search on the word “that” and highlight all instances. Read each sentence where the word appears with and without “that” included. Do you need it for meaning? For dialogue, natural speaking flow may require it, but elsewhere, unless actively used – kill, kill the passive and the dead words.

Previous Editing Rants and other posts on passivity include:

  1. May 5, 2016 – Other Cool Blogs: Magical Words April 29, 2016
  2. November 2017 – NOT TO BE

Flash: Ending Forever

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Julian sat in his driveway reluctant to leave the car. Lights blazed welcome from the windows, pushing back the night. Maybe he should just go to an impersonal hotel.

Unable to decide which was more cowardly, habit kicked him off the fence and into the house.

“Julian, give me kisses.” His lover, Joseph, demanded while stirring a pot. The kitchen smells sent Julian’s abused empty stomach growling. Salad, steak, a cream sauce for peas, every surface seemed to be covered with food. The quick peck Julian offered wasn’t enough to meet Joe’s requirements. The refrigerator rocked when Joe pressed his swimmer-defined rock-hard body against Julian’s smaller build. Deep kisses woke parts of Julian he rather remain dead.

Needing comfort against the anguish Julian lost himself in the kisses. His cock tightened and pressed against Joseph’s. He pulled the taller man against him, forgetting for a moment.

“Much better.” Barefoot silent on the tile, Joseph returned to the stove. “Missed you.”

“I always miss you.” Julian responded. Freed from his lover’s embrace he opened the refrigerator to keep from staring at the blond. Sculptured from years of swimming and sports, Joseph was the most beautiful man Julian had ever known. The five years they had lived together were the happiest in his life. But that time had ended, Julian needed to end it. And he couldn’t.

“Don’t go ruining your dinner.” Joe barked.

The fridge was empty except for some expired milk. “Not really a problem.” Julian muttered under his breath before closing the door on the escaping cold. “I’ll go change.”

***

Joe controlled the dinner conversation while Julian pushed food around his plate amazed at the heft and scent, the realness when nothing in his life felt real anymore. Having participated in the discussion about the community pool opening for the summer over a hundred times in the past three months, he was able to answer Joseph without thinking. Until he broke.

“I can’t do this.” Julian staggered from his chair and ran toward the bedroom.

Their shared bedroom. Still disheveled from last night

Joe caught his arm as he entered. “What’s wrong? You’ve been quiet all night.”

“So glad you noticed.” Tears pouring from agony-filled eyes prevented Julian from focusing on Joe’s all-American face.

“Hon, what is wrong?”

“You’re dead. Dead!” Julian accused his lover. “Died saving some girl the day the pool opened. Why do you keep coming back?”

 (words 402; first published 10/30/2013; republished new blog format 10/7/2018)