Wednesday, June 6

Guest Author & Giveaway: Sidney Bristol


Hello! And thanks so much to Melissa for allowing me to guest blog today. These last two weeks have been crazy busy. My new book, Personal Adventures, released on the 18th from Ellora’s Cave, my mom’s doing yet another twenty four hour cycling race, my dad’s off in New Mexico riding his horses and roping cattle for fun and there’s yet more books to be written and edited. It’s a good kind of busy and crazy, I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I know a lot of my activities in comparison to my parents seem rather tame. I write. They rope two hundred pound cows or stay on a bicycle for hundreds of miles. I still like to think I have a healthy sense of adventure thanks to the gypsy lifestyle I grew up with traveling around to rodeos. Yes, I’m a rodeo brat. Among other things.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m going to end up being That Relative at holidays who always tells That One Story. You know that story, about the time they and that other person did that really awesome stuff and things happened and it was so funny or crazy or neat, except you’ve heard it so often that it’s not anymore.
This got me thinking, what stories am I going to tell when I’m the cranky old cat lady with the flame-painted-walker? So, I submit to you my top five runners for, That One Story…
1. This one time, when I was living in Thailand, I didn’t think it was a good idea to warn the other Americans about the toilets. You see, in Thailand they use what’s called a squatty potty. Think of a porcelain toilet bowl set into the ground with rubber grips on the side, if it’s a fancy one. So it’s time to stop at a road side outhouse and the guide that’s driving us to the city we’ll be living in looks at me and says very seriously, “They need to use the bathroom.” I had to remember that I was an old hand to squatty potties, having been introduced to them in Russia. I had to take about eight very girly Americans into a cinderblock and plywood structure and demonstrate to them how to use a squatty potty. There are pictures, and here is proof. During this time, I also learned how to wash, clean and fry up crickets. They are a common snack food and taste like a cross between popcorn and fried green beans. It’s not the taste that gets you, it’s the legs stuck between your teeth.
2. When I was twenty, I got the opportunity to be a roadie for two of my favorite bands for a week. During those seven days, I broke my arm, refused to go to a hospital, had an earring mostly torn out of my ear, slept in my car, drank nothing but Rockstar and passed out in my best friend’s ultimate band guy crush’s arms. I had no clue who he was. I have nerve damage from not getting my arm looked at. But it was worth it.
3. This one time when I was on a ski trip, a really hot snowboarder and I took the pony tow up to the top of the mountain where the double black diamond runs were. At the time I was on snowblades, which are mini skis, think the roller blades of the snow sports world. A double black diamond ski run is incredibly hard, usually very steep and treacherous. But I was going to do it because there was the Hot Snowboarder. We select the run from the map we want to do, and head in that direction. The snow was beautiful, pristine, perfectly fresh. No one had skied on it that day. With a “Yahoooo!” we took off down this run. I took it at an almost straight shot down because I was trying to impress Snowboarder. At one point I even did a somersault, rolled to my feet and kept going. I was feeling pretty bad ass. We got to the bottom of that run where it joined kind of an easy trail that would allow us to return to the lift, and suddenly a swarm of ski patrol is all over us. Apparently the run had been marked off because they were setting off avalanche bombs to knock snow off the ridge. It took some serious groveling to keep our lift tickets.
4. I grew up doing rodeo, primarily trick riding, but I also got to do a few stints as a rodeo clown. This one time I’m out in the arena in full rodeo clown get up, and I can’t get back to the barrel fast enough before a steer that had just been bucked charged me. I wound up being shoved against the fence and tossed around like a rag doll by this eight hundred pound steer. I escaped mostly unharmed, save some interesting bruises. I finished the performance and my mother never let me be a rodeo clown again.
5. This story has a lot in common with #2 up there. For about two years I played and was part of the local roller derby league. I worked my butt off to get on a team, and put in a lot of time skating outside of practices. A speed skater friend of mine and I went to a public skate and thanks to a tweenager skating the wrong direction, I had to make the choice to either hit the kid going really fast and hurt her badly, or go face first into the wall. I went into the wall and fractured my knuckles. The doctors didn’t want to cast it and wanted me to not practice. I’d worked too long to not play, so I duct taped my hand to a piece of plastic under my wrist guards and went to practices anyways. That’s dedication. It was also a really stupid choice.
I’m going to give away a copy of my book, Personal Adventures, and a $5 gift card to the winner’s choice of either Barnes & Noble or Amazon. To enter, answer the following question AND leave a way to contact you, either email or twitter handle. The contest will end in 48 hours, and the winner will be chosen at random.
Do you have a relative that tells a story so many times you can recite it? Want to give us your rendition?
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It can never be said that Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life.  She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and belly dancing.
You can keep up with her by checking out her Website, where you can see her latest releases, blog and sign up for the newsletter. She’s active on both Twitter and Facebook.
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Personal Adventures
Carey's had the hots for his best friend and outdoor adventures coworker Elise for two years, but the timing has never been right. Now they’re both single and Carey wants to entice her into an adventure that’s about just the two of them. In the bedroom, in the hot tub, under the beautiful Colorado sky…
Elise doesn’t buy into the idea of love, but lust she understands. Carey’s friendship is important, but a relationship doesn’t fit into Elise’s five-year plan. She isn’t looking to repeat her parents’ mistakes.
With secrets coming out from under every rock and desire unchecked, this adventure might make more than the water on their rafting trips rush.
---
Excerpt
Elise gulped down a deep breath to steady her nerves and pushed away from the shed. Her stomach fluttered and her palms were moist. The cool evening air caressed her legs and whispered up her skirt, kissing bare flesh. Her nipples were tight, hard peaks. She had tried to find her one real bra with actual lace, but it had been a lost cause. If it wasn’t for her lack of breasts she could have borrowed one of her roommates’ bras like she’d “borrowed” the dress she wore. Her breasts weren’t much more than walnuts, but it was the idea of getting ready that had mattered at the time. She didn’t typically need to wear a bra and she never wore a dress, but she’d do both for Carey.
Ahead, light spilled from every window in the cabin. The tall pines stood sentinel around it. It was a beautiful home he’d had built not long after taking the job at Adventures. She’d been jealous of it in the beginning, but she spent a lot of time there, so she got to enjoy it almost as much as he did.
The house was a variation of the single-room cabins settlers used to build, very no-nonsense. A dividing wall separated his bedroom from the rest of the house, and the bathroom had an entrance into both spaces. The front and back porches made up three fourths of the square footage of the actual house, and more often than not was where they hung out. Again, he’d used local people to build it. In true bachelor style, it was furnished with comfort in mind, but that was how she liked things as well, so she had no complaint about the cabin or Carey. Except that she wanted what he had.
As she stepped around the truck, her stomach threatened to mutiny. Who was she kidding? She didn’t have any business being here.
Movement in the far right window rooted her to the spot. Had he seen her? If he hadn’t, maybe she could back out of the drive and leave. Peering at the window, she waited for any sign that she might have been seen.
Carey stepped into view, perfectly framed by the window, buck-ass naked. And what a nice ass it was. The round globes were as tan as his chest. Elise imagined him sunbathing naked on the rocks behind his house. Her mouth dried. Wide shoulders tapered to a stomach she knew was firm and flat. He was muscular from hours of hard work, not hanging out at a gym. The tattoo circling his right arm stood out as the only bit of color. She’d gone with him to get the tattoo and let him squeeze her hand. It was a simple black silhouette of the mountains, but it symbolized his love for the great outdoors.
He turned, giving her a profile shot. His head tipped forward and his hand grasped his cock. He didn’t jerk himself hard, but it was a strong touch, sliding up his stiff flesh.
Oh god. Elise’s heart knocked against her chest and her breath hitched. She wanted to do that. She wanted to feel his skin against her palm, caress him in a way that would make him groan.
Her knees wavered at the hedonistic thoughts. Swaying, she caught herself with a hand against the hood of his truck.
The headlights flashed and the horn began honking. Elise yelped and jumped back, her heart racing as the continuous sounds of the alarm echoed through the night. She looked from the truck to the window—
Carey was gone.
“Shit!”

26 comments:

Kathy L. said...

From the excerpt, I really like the book. I will get my copy.

Shelley B said...

My Dad is eighty and retells stories of his youth over and over. We love him, and we're glad he's still here, so we don't mind. I love stories that have friends becoming lovers. That's one of my favorite themes. Thanks for the chance!

RachaelM said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RachaelM said...

My grandpa was in the Korean War and he used to tell us stories about how he took it upon his self to make sure everyone ate a good breakfast when he could. He told us of feeding 25 to 30 men scrambled eggs when he only had about 10 to 15 eggs a day from a local farmer. He devised many ways to stretch those eggs to feed all those men. He could make the prettiest, fluffiest eggs I have ever seen. He said the secret was milk.

Thanks for the giveaway.

rachaelmccully@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

My dad was always telling a story about when he was in the army,its one of the things i miss most about him.

reginamayross@gmail.com

Lynn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AsianCocoa said...

Haha. I've lived overseas & had to endure the squatty potties too.

I don't have a relative that does it but I do have a client that that tells me the same war story every rime I see him. He's an old man & I respect my elders so I sit through it every single time.

@AsianCocoa

Lynn said...

Holy cow! You've been involved in more insanity already than most people see in a lifetime!!!

I have a friend in the Marines who has a great story about being at a bar one night with a few other Marines and "somehow" a fight broke out. So that arrests wouldn't be made and get them kicked out of a specialized training program they were in, the bartender and kitchen staff ended up hiding them in a cooler because there were police officers all over the place. And because these guys were "somehow" involved in it they had some scratches and cuts so there would be no way they could get past the cops and say they weren't involved.

I'm looking forward to reading your book, and thanks for the chance to win!!

5fishon@att.net

Unknown said...

This sounds like an awesome book. I would love to read it. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Sidney Bristol said...

Thanks for the warm welcome guys! And wow, such a variety of stories. I love listening to people talk, and the ebb and flow of conversation!

kog said...

Great excerpt! I definitely want to read that one.

You have lead a fascinating life. So many adventures. I shuddered at the cricket story!

My husband's family has a handful of stories that come out at every family dinner. A lot of the start my BIL, the baby (at 35!) of the family. My favourite is the time he was sleepwalking, about age six, walked downstairs, opened the front door and peed all over the screen door! I guess he thought he was in the bathroom... After the requisite story-telling, come the quoting of Monty Python. We always laugh so much when we get together - I'm lucky to have married into such a great family.

kog said...

Oh dear. My proofreading ability sucks today.

I meant to say, "A lot of them star my BIL, the baby (at 35!) of the family"

Anonymous said...

I would love to read this story. I had a grandfather who was in the Korean War and everytime we saw hom, he replay the time he was there over, over & Over some more. It was a long stor but it ALWAYS stayed the same with hand gestures and all!

mpashon at hotmail dot com

Sidney Bristol said...

@KOG Omg!! I've heard of people sleep-peeing before, and it NEVER gets old! I think I'm secretly 12 years old, because all bodily functions are still super funny to me.

@Anon Oh man, I know a few people who tell the same stories, the same way, with the same hand gestures! We had a living-wake for one of them, which just meant they were still alive and kicking and wanted a reason to throw a party, and several of us got up and told their story. One person would tell a little, then the next and so on. It was so stinking funny and he was the one laughing the most out of anyone!!!

Unknown said...

My grandmother was famous for retelling her stories over and over again. One of her favorites though was telling me where and how my father was conceived. TMI!

Jlhmass@yahoo.com

Sidney Bristol said...

Wow! Yeah, that's a little TMI LOL, but probably funny regardless.

Rana Adams said...

SQUEE!! It looks like I have found another new author to read!! Nice to meet you and follow along.

Sidney Bristol said...

LoL, nice to meet you too Rana!

Colleen C. said...

I love it! My mom is one that can tell a story time after time thinking you never heard it before... My sister and I will look at each other and roll our eyes... Thanks for sharing! :)

greenshamrock AT cox DOT net

MichelleW said...

Hello Sidney! I loved your excerpt and can't wait to read your book.

As for a family member retelling stories, I don't have one of those. How sad is that. The closest thing I have (had) was my husband's grandfather. He'd tell a story, and with each subsequent retelling, details would change making the story seem grander or more outrageous with each new version. Of course we never pointed it out, but it was highly amusing all the same. Sadly he's no longer with us, so there's no telling how much more crazy his story could have become, lol.

Thank you for the chance to win your book. - mwilsonart(at)gmail(dot)com

Fedora said...

LOL!! I do think my mom tends to retell things a time or two, but I figure I won't mention it since it'd be like the pot calling the kettle black... wonder where I got that from? ;) Congrats on this, Sidney! Can't wait to read it all!

June M. said...

My dad is really bad for telling the same stories over & over. Most of them are from before I was ever born. Most were the stupid things he & his siblings did when he was growing up & a teen, such as the time my uncle hit him with a guitar and knocked him unconsious. He thought he had killed him but just told my grandfather he was asleep. I guess I will probably get that way too.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

bn100 said...

I don't have a relative that does this. Fun stories. Thanks for sharing. Very nice excerpt.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Julianne said...

My uncle was in the Navy and was stationed on Okinawa for a while. He told a lot of stories of his time there and in the service. But never the same story twice. I always thought he had great adventures and really enjoyed listening to them.
He passed away in 2008 and I miss him very much.
luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

Sidney Bristol said...

So many great stories!

I love the funny ones that get bigger with time, but sometimes it's the simple ones that touch you the most, especially after a loved one is gone. Thanks for dropping by guys!!

Unknown said...

Oh my! Yes I do! My husband is the one bad about this one. I think I have heard the story about his dad making him clean up the bathroom after a night of drinking. He had to repaint the walls, and strip the wax off the tile and reseal it.
Mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

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