Welcome to Tuesday Tales, powered by a small group of authors, where word prompts inspire passages in the books we’re writing. The word of the day is kiss. In a change of pace, this week’s excerpt is from Incarnations, in which deities discover what it’s like to live as human. When you finish, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
A wave flattened out to kiss the shore. Knee deep, Ione dug her toes into the sand to keep her balance. She focused on the far horizon where aqua met celestial blue, while the earth shifted beneath her feet. There was no sign of wind sheers or killer waves anywhere, much less this near to shore. She’d give a pretty penny for her nerves to settle down. She had been on edge since her over-the-top reaction to Viviennes’s painting of a rogue wave threatening a dole of doves. Something hidden and sinister about that picture got to her. The beach had always been her refuge, but now the water seemed heavy and threatening. She wasn’t relaxing. The ions weren’t zinging her zen. She may as well trudge back home.
Before she could act on her decision, a cocky wave knocked her on her backside. In the past she would be laughing in delight at this. Now her heart thumped in her chest. Scrambling up, she staggered her way onto dry land, muttering through clenched teeth. The air chilled her, and goosebumps popped up on her skin.
Feet appeared before her in the sand. A deep wry voice invaded her space. “Looks like you’ll have to change clothes before heading back to work.”
Her head jerked up. Vivienne and Seth strolled towards her. The older woman’s gnarled hand was clamped around Seth’s bronzed forearm. They were both dressed head to toe in white and looked to have stepped from West Egg after visiting Gatsby. There was naught of the East about them.
Ione’s cheeks burned at being caught sopping wet and cursing to herself. She mopped water from one eye. “You two know each other?”
Seth shot the older woman a quick glance. “We met the day you locked yourself out of your apartment.”
“Oh.” She picked up a towel from her beach stash and used it to wipe her wet capris. “So what are you doing down here?”
“This nice young man offered to escort me out for a little sea air. It’s good for the soul.” Vivienne patted Seth’s arm, seemingly quite charmed by him.
Ione shot him a skeptical glance. She wanted to roll her eyes but refrained. “How thoughtful.”
The quirk of his lips told her he knew exactly how she wished to express herself. “Are you heading back to work, dear Ione?”
She shook her head. “Mental health day.”
“Perfect.” He extended his other arm. “You can join Vivienne and me for tea.”
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the selection inspired by the word kiss. If you haven’t done so already, check out the other excerpts at Tuesday Tales.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories
All rights reserved, copyright @ 2026 Flossie Benton Rogers
