Maelstrom Re-Post: Happy Thanksgiving!
No new post today, but those of you who are new to the site may enjoy reading last year's Thanksgiving story.Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Maelstrom Extra: A Relaxing Cup of Tea
“You shouldn’t worry.”Ricky watched Maura make sweeping gestures over a china cup. It crossed his mind to ask what she was doing, but he suspected he didn’t want to know. “That’s what Kalila always says.”“It’s true.” She peered into the cup and beamed in satisfaction.“Did they at least tell you where they were going?”“No.” She placidly set the cup in front of him. “I helped them remove their makeup like I do after every show, and then they left.” She gave a little shrug. “Drink your tea. It’ll help you relax.”Ricky peered into the cup of murky liquid. “Are you sure this is tea?”

Maelstrom Extra: Bar Karma
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Beth is a minor character in Maelstrom. She is Ricky's ex-girlfriend from college and is the first club owner to book Maelstrom after Ricky becomes their manager. She's a tough cookie by the time we see her in the novel, but here she's just starting out. This is also a Three Word Wednesday story.Beth stood behind the bar, gazing in exasperation at the water gushing from the broken faucet. One hour until opening. Was there something wrong with her karma? She had been running this small, dingy club for barely a month and it seemed like it was one thing after another.“Can you fix

Maelstrom Extra: Incidental Expenses
“You embarrassed me, Ricky.”“I’m sure you’ll get over it.”“It wasn’t vanity; I needed that jacket.”“All twelve of them? And what about the bracelets, and the boots, and—“I needed them, too.”He waved the bill at her. “You’re a djinn. Why don’t you conjure these things, instead of putting it all on plastic?”“You said you wanted us to do things like humans, did you not?”“Yes, but this is difficult to explain to the accountant, as you just saw. Can you at least tell me why you ‘needed’ three new guitars in one month?”“They’re fun to collect.”

Maelstrom Extra: All About the Girls
Vic sat in the dressing room sipping from a blood bag while Bo lounged on the sofa with a girlie magazine. Nevin cradled a cup of tea and listened while Kalila picked out a new tune on her acoustic guitar. In the corner, Lazaro tapped out a rhythm on a small table. Calvin poked his head into the room. “Girl out here to see you, Vic.”Before Vic could answer, Bo set the magazine aside and swung his feet to the floor. “You mean for me.” He stood up and stretched.“No, for Vic. She seems kind of obsessed.”Bo stared. Girls usually only had heartache for him.On the other side of the room, Vic sucked the last drops from