Prairie Muse by S.S. Hampton, Sr.

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The fireworks are about to begin as the sexual adventure of Rachel and Burt Markham continues. Small business owners and happily married couple of 20+ years, they live in the small town of Four Corners, Kansas. The year before, with the permission and encouragement of her husband, Rachel had the freedom to explore the depth of her sensuality through having her first Bull. After saying farewell to her Bull, Rachel and Burt settle back into the routine of small town life. Then, African-American frustrated artist and new fireworks territory sales manager Horus Grant arrives in Four Corners. He is searching for new sales territory for the Missouri-based company and wants to open a fireworks stand next to Rachel and Burt’s seed and feed store. Outwardly friendly and personable, he is plagued by hidden demons. Though based in near-by Wichita, Horus finds himself returning to Four Corners again and again, and not because of the fireworks stand. Rachel is also drawn to him and soon realizes she may hold the key to Horus’s slim chance of defeating his demons, of healing, and learning to live again.

Read an excerpt:

“Well, that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. Most of the kids around here work on family farms or ranches, and would enjoy earning a little extra money. They’re pretty handy with tools.”

Horus smiled. He lifted his head and squinted his eyes.

Burt followed his gaze. Rachel appeared on the shady tree-lined road accompanied by a trotting Maggie. She jogged across the road and parking area in front of the feed store, and up the steps to Burt.

“Hi,” she said and kissed Burt, then glanced at Horus. Maggie sniffed at his pant legs, looked at him, and slowly wagged her tail.

She wore a baseball cap, a red Yoga sports bra, gray sweatpants, and black running shoes. Her long dark brunette hair with blonde highlights was gathered in a pony tail that swung back and forth. Sweat beaded her face, arms, and torso. A pleasing mixture of sweat and patchouli perfume with a hint of rose petals drifted from her.

“My wife, Rachel.”

Horus, almost frowning, was staring at her. He finally said, “Mrs. Markham, a pleasure.”

“Rachel.” She smiled.

“Rachel,” he echoed.

Burt explained what Horus was looking for and her eyes brightened; she placed her stiletto nailed hands on her hips and studied the dusty corner. Her sweatpants were low on her hips, revealing a yin and yang tattoo on her lower back.

“Some kids from the school would jump at the chance to earn some money building the stand,” she said and looked over her shoulder at Burt. “Running the stand? I think the soccer team could do that. They can always use extra money.”

“Soccer team?” Horus asked.

Rachel grinned. “The Four Corners Rowdies. They’re pretty good too.” Horus grinned. “I used to be a soccer mom...”

About the Author:

Stan Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a divorced grandfather to 13 grandchildren, and a published author, photographer and photojournalist. He retired in 2013 from the Nevada Army National Guard with the rank of Sergeant First Class; he previously served in the active duty Army, and the Army Individual Ready Reserve (mobilized for the Persian Gulf War). He enlisted in the Nevada Army National Guard in October 2004, after which he was mobilized for Federal active duty for almost three years. Hampton is a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom, with deployment to northern Kuwait and several convoy security missions into Iraq.

He has had two solo photographic exhibitions and curated a multi-media exhibit. His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and in Horror Bound Magazine, The Harrow, and River Walk Journal, among others.

As of April 2014, after being in a 2-year Veterans Administration program for Homeless Veterans, Hampton is officially no longer a homeless Iraq War veteran.

In May 2014 he graduated from the College of Southern Nevada with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Photography – Commercial Photography Emphasis. He has been studying at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas with in a double major in Art and English. He recently returned from spending a cold, rainy Spring 2017 semester studying at a university in southwestern France in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains.

After 16 years of desert in the American Southwest, and Southwest Asia, he still misses the Rocky Mountains, yellow aspens in the fall, running rivers, and a warm fireplace during snowy winters.

Hampton can be found at:

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/ss+hampton+sr
Dark Opus Press: https://www.createspace.com/3685965
Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy Publishing: http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/dansemacabre/dansemacabre.html
Melange Books: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/sshampton/index.html
MuseItUp Publishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/mainstream/better-than-a-rabbit-s-foot-detail
Amazon.com Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/SS-Hampton-Sr/e/B00BJ9EVKQ
Amazon.com. UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/SS-Hampton-Sr/e/B00BJ9EVKQ
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6888342.S_S_Hampton_Sr_

Buy the book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

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