Manhattan Skyline

The Eight Sentences:

The Manhattan skyline glowed like bullion thanks to the sun’s rays just before dusk. Claudia Barry appreciated the spectacle from her table in the Vu Lounge of the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City. She held her martini glass up so she could observe the Freedom Tower through her drink. She liked the distorted view. It gave her ideas for a watercolor painting she planned to complete while in the northeast.

She turned to a fresh sheet of paper in her leather portfolio and wrote with her antique fountain pen.

She moved the pen with a deliberate pace. The painter’s hand moved the premium writing instrument with an assassin’s precision.

Claudia's view of the Freedom Tower from Jersey City.
Image credit: Etier Photography/Royal Flamingo Works, LLC

The Back Story:

     Readers first met Claudia Barry in The Tourist Killer. As that book ended, she had decided to take a year off from work. The sequel, A Year Without Killing, tells what she did during that twelve month sabbatical. She did not leave her weapons at home.

What now?

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I did a good deed today.

The Eight Sentences

His smile brought her a sense of calm and a reassurance of safety as it always had.

She leaned forward to push her chair back and stand to greet him.

He waved it off, “Keep your seat. You look so comfortable, Claudia, the epitome of self confidence and bliss. Your smile is radiant.”

“Am I smiling? It must be because I did a good deed today.”

Debert nodded understanding, and returned the smile.

The Back Story

When in Manhattan, visit this great pub. It's right across the
street from Penn Station. 

Mr. Debert (DAY'-bear) is Claudia's muse and confidant. They often meet at her favorite Irish pub when she's in NYC, the tir na nOg. This conversation occurs about a half hour after her altercation with the mugger (from last week's excerpt.)

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A Year Without Killing

The Eight Sentences 

An African-American woman who appeared to be in her late sixties stepped onto the sidewalk and walked towards Claudia. That woman’s about my age, Claudia thought.

Then it happened.

Penn Station - across the street from where this scene
 occurs. Image Source: hereandnow.wbur.org

A tall skinny male Goth stepped into the black woman’s path. He grabbed the strap on her purse and jerked it from her grasp. His next decision was one of the worst of his life. He ran right into the path of a semi-retired assassin with a sense of justice.

As he passed, Claudia Barry stepped into his path and delivered a forearm to make Anthony Munoz proud.

The Back Story 

       A Year Without Killing is a work in progress and will be the third in my series of novels known as the "Barry-Hixon Conspiracy."  This is the sequel to my first book, The Tourist Killer, which ends with professional assassin Claudia Barry beginning a twelve month leave. She had planned to retire, but was convinced by her assigner to take some time off before making the final decision.

       Today's excerpt shows how difficult it will be to take off from work. It's from Chapter One.

What now? 

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Join us here at Weekend Writing Warriors. The same 

link will take you to the work of dozens of talented writers.

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