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    The Lizard's Tail
    The Lizard's Tail
    The Lizard's Tail
    Ebook74 pages1 hour

    The Lizard's Tail

    By Janet Miller

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A collection of short humorous contemporary romance stories including:

    The Lizard's Tail - A software engineer uses her gaming experience to defeat a real-life ogre.

    The Woman Who Couldn't Say No - A promise made in a past life haunts a woman who can't ever say no to a good cause.

    Cupid's Last Arrow - It should be a lonely Valentine's Day for this middle-aged divorcee but a secret admirer makes the day one to remember.

    The Great Hamster Hunt - Two people are brought together through the actions of their pets--but not in a way you might expect.

    Just A Little Christmas - When a woman desperate to create a little holiday magic for her children finds a discarded Christmas tree on her neighbor's curb, she ends up with more than she'd expected.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJanet Miller
    Release dateAug 19, 2012
    ISBN9780985999421
    The Lizard's Tail
    Author

    Janet Miller

    Janet Miller, often known as Cricket Starr, is the author of over twenty-seven titles at Ellora's Cave, Samhain, Red Sage, and New Concepts Publishing. These titles include the 2004 PRISM award winning Violet Among The Roses, 2011 PRISM award winning Bad Dog and the Babe, and 2006 EPPIE award winning All Night Inn. She has two Romantic Times Top Picks and nominees for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Beloved Enemy under her Janet Miller name, and Fangs For The Memories by Cricket Starr. Janet specializes in futuristic romance under her own name and futuristic, fantasy, and paranormal romance under the pen name Cricket Starr. Not all of her books are erotic, but she knows a good love scene when she reads or writes it.

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      Book preview

      The Lizard's Tail - Janet Miller

      A collection of humorous contemporary romance stories including:

      The Lizard's Tail - A software engineer uses her gaming experience to defeat a real-life ogre.

      The Woman Who Couldn't Say No - A promise made in a past life haunts a woman who can't ever say no to a good cause.

      Cupid's Last Arrow - It should be a lonely Valentine's Day for this middle-aged divorcee but a secret admirer makes the day one to remember.

      The Great Hamster Hunt - Two people are brought together through the actions of their pets--but not in a way you might expect.

      Just A Little Christmas - When a woman desperate to create a little holiday magic for her children finds a discarded Christmas tree on her neighbor's curb, she ends up with more than she'd expected.

      The Lizard’s Tail

      and Other Stories

      By Janet Miller

      www.cricketstarr.com

      Copyright 2012 Janet Miller

      Cover Art Jim Miller

      Smashwords Edition

      Electronic book Publication April 2012

      ISBN 9780985999421

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

      The Lizard's Tail, copyright Janet Miller 2001

      The Woman Who Couldn’t Say No, copyright Janet Miller 2002

      Cupid’s Last Arrow, copyright Janet Miller 2003

      The Great Hamster Hunt, copyright Janet Miller 2002

      Just a Little Christmas, copyright Janet Miller 2002

      Some of these stories have been previously published as follows:

      The Lizard’s Tail in Pleasure Of The Heart (2002) Originally published by Novelbooks, Inc

      The Woman Who Couldn’t Say No in Wyrd Wravings (2003) Originally published by Echelon Press

      All have been freshly edited for this edition

      More Romance by Janet Miller

      Contemporary Romance:

      Christmas With Sarah

      Gaian stories:

      Promises To Keep

      Beloved Enemy

      Beloved Traveler

      A Promise Made

      The Girl In The Box

      Other worlds:

      Imperfect Judgment

      Dedication

      To Jackie and Esther for helping me with the final edits, and to Jim for doing the cover, even though he swears he isn't really a graphic artist.

      Contents

      The Lizard's Tail

      The Woman Who Couldn't Say No

      Cupid's Last Arrow

      The Great Hamster Hunt

      Just A Little Christmas

      The Lizard's Tail

      The Lizard’s Tail is one of my oldest stories, which I wrote and entered in a short story contest where the prize was inclusion in a short story anthology. It came in third place, winning a favored spot in the anthology – and an actual royalty payment making it my first money-earning published work. I still have a photocopy of the check in my office. It was originally published in Pleasure of the Heart by Novelbook Inc.

      Kleo the Magnificent crept down the corridor toward the throne room, her armor shining in the dim light. She stopped next to the doorway and motioned to her partner behind her. Ralph, the half-elf, moved up and drew his sword. Kleo, of course, already had her scimitar in hand. The tall green lizard never went into danger without keeping her weapon at the ready.

      Once Ralph caught up, they moved to opposite sides of the opening. They peered around the pile of dead bodies near the doorway and spied their objective.

      Princess Isanol, bound hand and foot, sat on the throne. In front of her was their enemy, Aganol the Ogre. He held a club over the princess's head. Her beautiful face was frozen in terror, eyes wide, her voluptuous body clad only in a silk robe that left little to the imagination.

      Ralph and Kleo looked at each other and considered their options. If they charged, it was likely Aganol would kill the princess before they reached her. That would not please their employer, her father King Everral.

      On the other hand, they only had a few minutes to collect the princess and escape from the decrepit castle before someone from Aganol's army arrived with the news of their escape.

      Without looking at her partner, Kleo spoke softly, her speech marked by the sibilant S's common to her race.

      'Ssso, she said, there she isss. And it would appear that we are none too sssoon."

      Yes, I see her. I'm not sure a direct attack would be good. He could hit her by mistake while trying to get one of us. Perhaps a more subtle approach would be appropriate this time? Ralph sounded plaintive.

      Ssssubtle? I am Kleo, I am always sssubtle, she protested.

      She saw Ralph roll his eyes and almost pouted. Of course, she would use subtlety with the princess's life at risk. After all, she didn’t want to jeopardize the large reward they would receive on her safe return.

      Kleo motioned to Ralph to move along the wall of the room and get out his crossbow while she moved around to the other side. Aganol’s back was to the doorway. He didn't see them. She waited until Ralph was in position then charged the throne in complete abandon.

      Aha! The lizard jumped into the air in an acrobatic spin, first swinging her blade, then her tail in a dual attack. A specialty of hers, it was often very effective.

      Unfortunately, this time it wasn't. Both blows missed the ogre completely and Kleo landed off-balance on the floor at the creature’s feet.

      Aganol swung and hit her with his club, a mighty blow she was completely unable to avoid.

      He raised his club again, snarling fiercely.

      Fortunately for both Kleo and the Princess, Ralph did much better with his crossbow. Before the ogre could strike again he was skewered with two crossbow bolts, both where his armor didn't cover him.

      Aganol fell to the floor and breathed his last.

      * *

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