It’s Saturday
Which means it’s the Ladies Championship at Wimbledon. I know you’re all wondering why I have a photo of Rafael Nadal up. Well, I’m partial to male eye candy..lol. And he’s playing in the Men’s Finals tomorrow morning. I’ll be rooting for the other guy whose pic I’ll put up tomorrow for y’all. Look at the arms on this man though. Wow!
So I’ve taken a slight break from Snake and Magpie’s story to do some writing on a different one I started a while ago. No big deal. I plan on getting back to them soon…probably today or tomorrow.
Hope everyone has a great day.
“In tennis the addict moves about a hard rectangle and seeks to ambush a fuzzy ball with a modified snow-shoe.”—Elliot Chaze
TGIF
I’ve posted this pic once before, but I have to say it’s probably one of my favorites of The Rock. He’s the inspiration for my character-Snake-in the post-apocalyptic story I’m working on. He’s big, muscular and can have lots of attitude. That’s Snake. Of course, Snake has no hair anywhere. đ And has fangs. (and venom like the reptile he’s named after and not a vampire) Think of a weird sort of X-Men’s story..lol
Oh, Lily raises a good question in the comments section for Angel’s story (part Seventeen)..Will we ever know Angel’s real name? I said I’ve been wondering that myself since I haven’t heard a peep from Angel or any other character about what his real name might be. So I’m posing a question:
Should we find out what Angel’s real name is or would finding out ruin the story? Do you have any suggestions for a good name for our Angel?
Hope everyone has a great Friday.
“The day is for honest men, the night for theives.”—Euripides
Angel’s Seduction- Part Sixteen
Angel’s Seduction copyright (c) 2006 T.A. Chase
Part Sixteen-
Uncle coughs, trying to bring our attention back to him. âThe other thing I wanted to talk to you about is the fact that Iâm going to make you my heir.â
Shock races through me. âBut why?â
Standing, Greyson keeps a hold of my hand, but turns to look at my uncle. âAre you sure thatâs a good idea?â
Uncle shrugs and looks away for a moment. âGood or not, itâs something I feel I must do.â
âTo make up for whatever it was you did wrong?â I tighten my grip on the dukeâs hand. I wonder if this is a dream.
âYes, it is in a way. One of those I wronged is beyond my touch forever. The other I have never been able to find so that I might rectify my mistake.â Uncleâs gaze meets mine and I see sadness and shame in his. âBut that isnât the only reason why I want to do this for you.â
âWilliamson has disowned Angel, hasnât he?â Greysonâs voice holds outrage and anger.
âNot yet, but if he chooses to stay here with you, my brother wonât have any problem trying to erase the young manâs existence.â Uncle folds his hands and nods at me.
âI donât exist now for him. It doesnât matter to me if Iâm his heir or not.â I shoot to my feet and start to pace. âIâve always assumed he would have Edward take my place.â
âEdward is your younger brother?â Greyson settles into the chair I vacate.
âYes. Heâs Fatherâs favorite child.â There is no envy in my heart for my brother. Being our fatherâs favorite is its own form of torture.
âYouâre probably right, lad. Your father has been making noises for a while now about making Edward his heir instead of you. I think he had a feeling you just might not be as broken as he thought you were.â Uncle stands and moves towards the desk in the corner of the room. He picks up a packet of papers. Waving me over, he hands them to me. âLook these over. Take your time and let me know how you feel later.â
I stare down at the brown string wrapped around the papers. Who knew life could change with the untying of such a small piece of twine? I nod because thereâs nothing else I can say at the moment.
âIf youâd like, I can have my solicitor look over the papers for you, Angel,â Greyson offers from his place across the room.
âThank you.â I smile slightly at my uncle. âI thought my father was your heir, Uncle.â
âHe would be if my title was entailed the normal way, but somehow the first Earl managed to keep control of who the title went to. I guess he didnât like any of his sons or something like that. I can make any male my heir. He doesnât even have to be related to me, if thatâs the way I want it.â Uncleâs hand grips my shoulder and he squeezes. âDonât worry. Youâll be a good Earl.â
I shrug, unsure of all of this. I watch my uncle say good-bye to the duke. Greyson escorts him out and I walk to the window. It overlooks a small garden with a fountain in the middle. I donât fight the urge and I find the doors leading out onto a veranda. Stepping outside, I wander down to the fountain. I stare into the cascading water and let my mind go blank.
Strong arms wrap around my waist and Iâm pulled against Greysonâs chest. I know itâs him by the familiar scent filling my nose. In an instant, I relax and allow his strength to support me.
âWhat are you thinking?â His voice bathes my ear in warmth.
âThis is all a dream. In a minute, Iâll wake up in my cold bedroom and Father will be yelling at me for something I didnât even know I did.â I want to add that good things like this donât happen to me.
âIs that why you havenât fallen apart yet? You still believe this is all a dream.â One of Greysonâs hands moves up to slide under my waistcoat and rest against my chest. I know he can feel the pounding of my heart. His other hand lies just above my groin and my shaft hardens.
The tone of my laugh is hysterical. âIâm holding on by my fingertips, your grace.â
âGreyson,â he murmurs as his lips brush my neck.
âWhat?â Iâm distracted by the light sweep of his fingers over the front of my pants.
âPlease call me Greyson. I donât want formality from you. I hope weâve moved beyond that.â His teeth scrape a spot beneath my ear bringing a gasp to my lips.
âGreyson.â His name is a whisper as I lean my head to the side and offer him more of my skin. âIt must be a dream. No one touches me anymore. No one cares enough to offer me protection.â
âI will protect you forever, Angel, if you will only trust me.â Urgency holds court in his words.
I want to explain that I do trust him. I trust him more than I have ever trusted anyone. I have deserted my father for him. I have opened myself up to disappointment and hurt because of this man holding me so carefully in his arms. He is a stranger yet I give him my very life to do whatever he will with it because in his eyes I see the man I can become.
Recovering…
Well…I managed to drag myself to work this morning. Ugh! I should have just taken today off. C and I went to a friend’s house for dinner than out to see some fireworks. They were pretty and sparkly..lol, but loud since we were right across the river from where they were setting them off.
I actually got some writing done the past two days. Not a bunch, but some anyway. Also, I found inspiration for Magpie and Snake..my two heroes in the story I’m working. I’ve been picturing Magpie as sort of like Johnny Knoxville. Lean and lanky. A little goofy looking, but funny. Yet he can be serious if need be.
On Friday, I’ll post a pic of the actor inspiring me to write Snake. He starred in Walking Tall with Johnny Knoxville. (Really big hint there..lol)
Well, I hope all my U.S. friends had a great 4th and everyoneelse a good day yesterday.
Have a great day today.
“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”–Cicero
Angel’s Seduction- Part Fifteen
First let me get the business stuff out of the way…lol. I’m SExing today along with Anna J. Evans about our Molten Silver books. I’ll be posting a couple different excerpts and asking why we like cowboys. So if you wish to, please come over and chat with me.
Okay..here’s what you really want. đ
Angel’s Seduction copyright (c)2006 T.A. Chase
Part Fifteen-
Johnson is waiting in the hall for me as I step out of the room. The valetâs gaze sweeps over me and I tug on my cuffs.
âDo I look all right?â Iâm not sure why I ask but I need assurance.
âYou look fine, my lord. His grace wants me to bring you to him and your uncle.â Johnson turns and leads me down the hallway.
I wipe my sweating palms on my thighs and follow. My stomach rolls. I donât know why my hands are shaking.
Fear has always been my constant companion. I fear my father. Iâve been afraid of my life. As we stop in front of door on the lower floor, I find my fear changed. I fear Greyson will take one look at me and realize Iâm not worth the effort.
If he turns from me, I have nowhere to go. My uncle would offer me a place in his house, but eventually my father would engulf me again. I bite my lip, trying to find the strength to open the door.
âHis grace is waiting.â Johnson tries to nudge me with his words.
A voice deep in my mind tells me I have nothing to lose. If Greyson turns from me, Iâd be no worse off than I already am. It is time to start learning how to be normal. Maybe Iâm the freak my father claims me to be. Only time will tell if I deserve to live among people, but if I didnât find my own courage, Iâd never know the truth.
I square my shoulders and nod at Johnson. âIâm ready.â
The valet stares at me for a moment. Heâs probably wondering why I took so long. I admit it takes every bit of strength I have to step into the room. Greyson has kissed and touched me. In many ways, he knows me better than anyone else. Yet Iâm not confident enough to believe heâll continue to care.
The duke and my uncle look up from where they sit in front of a fireplace. I focus on Greyson because it is his approval I long for. His blue eyes lighten and he stands, holding out a hand to me.
âAngel, Iâm glad youâve joined us.â
Like a child learning to walk, I latch onto his hand for support. âIâm sorry to make you wait,â I murmur, nodding a greeting to my uncle.
âIt hasnât been that long, son. Iâm happy to see you looking better.â Uncleâs voice is kind.
Greyson gestures to the chair he had been sitting in. I perch on the edge. I know I look as if Iâm poised to run but thereâs a thought that I might need to escape. The duke sits on the arm of the chair, putting his arm on the top behind me. I feel surrounded by him but thatâs fine with me. I need to know heâs near.
âI wanted to tell you this before you hear it from the gossipmongers,â Uncle says. âYour father has been spreading rumors about Greyson brainwashing you. Heâs saying youâre a young innocent child being seduced by an older experienced man. Heâs trying to gain sympathy by making it seem like the duke is forcing you into being his catamite.â
I frown. âWhat does that mean?â
âCatamite?â Greyson shifts.
âYes.â
Uncle shares a glance with the duke. Greyson stands and moves to knee in front of me. He takes my hands in his.
âIt is an insult. In Rome, it was used to describe a boy who is the lover of a much older man. Now people use it as a term of ignorance and spitefulness. Your father uses that word to make it look like Iâm hurting you or subverting you to do unnatural things. A passion like ours isnât acceptable to many people, Angel.â
âUnnatural things? Like kiss and touch?â My eyes are on Greyson. Iâve forgotten my uncle is in the room with us.
Greyson smiles. âKissing and touch are part of it. There are other more intimate things we could do and itâs those things that your father is talking about.â
I flush and my skin warms. My mind doesnât really understand what heâs talking about, but itâs as if thereâs an instinct in my sub-conscious that knows those intimate acts and longs to pursue them.
Something in me calls for me to love Greyson and if he wants those shameful things my father is worried about, then Iâll give them to the duke. I have a belief forming in my head. Freedom is just around the corner. Iâll place my essence in Greysonâs hands and let him show me how to discover my true self.
Hidden deep inside the shell I call my body is a soul yearning to find its place in the world. Greysonâs gentle hands will lead it out into the light.
It’s available now.
Click here to buy No Going Home and I’ll be back later on with another excerpt. đ Woo-Hoo!
1st Excerpt from No Going Home
okay..so it’s not the cover to my story. If you want to see it again, just scroll down a little farther. I just like this pic. đ
Here as promised is an excerpt from No Going Home. It’ll be available later on today from Liquid Silver.
No Going Home copyright (c) 2006 T.A. Chase
Excerpt:
Les found Randy sitting in the dining room, staring at a pair of boots. It had been twenty minutes since Randyâs father left. He had managed to compose his nerves enough to come and see if Randy was up. He knelt beside the cowboy, putting a hand on the manâs knee.
âRandy,â he asked in a low voice.
Unfocused blue eyes met his gaze and blinked.
âDo you need help getting your boots on, baby?â He clamped his mouth shut. Shit. It was one thing to call him that while he was half asleep. It was another thing entirely to talk sweet to Randy while he was awake.
Another blink and a slight smile. âYeah. I canât bend over real well at the moment.â
Les took Randyâs foot and placed in on his thigh. Sliding on a boot, he pulled the pant leg down over it. He did the same with the other than looked up to see Randy staring down at him. Without thought, he rose up on his knees and cupped Randyâs face.
The other man tensed, but didnât push him away. He tried not to listen to a voice saying it wasnât a good idea. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to those cut lips. Randy didnât join in at first. Les swiped his tongue over the seam of Randyâs mouth. A gasp allowed him access to the inside. His tongue made a foray in the wet warmth.
Randy tasted like maple syrup and earth. His male tang caused Lesâs cock to stand at attention. When his body demanded a harder and deeper kiss, he pulled back. Randy protested and the younger manâs shocked gaze met his. He could tell by the hesitant movement of the other manâs lips, Randy hadnât been kissed often.
âWhy did you stop?â Randy blushed when he realized what he asked.
Les chuckled and brushed a finger over Randyâs lips. âYour lips arenât up for anything more.â
Randy ducked his head. âWhyâd you kiss me?â
He lifted that stubborn chin up and whispered another kiss over Randyâs lips. âI kissed you because youâre the hottest man Iâve seen in a long time. Also, I wanted to kiss your bruises and make them better.â
âYouâve only kissed my lips.â A flirty gleam came and went in those stunning eyes.
âThatâs true, but I donât think youâre up to me kissing any other part of your body.â He stood and offered Randy a hand.
Pulling the cowboy off the chair, Les didnât step back. He let Randyâs body brush against his own. His hand cupped the back of Randyâs head and his other hand landed on the small waist. He drew Randy close to him, savoring the feeling of the lean muscled warmth of the male body pressed to him.
Randy didnât seem to know where to put his own hands. Those strong hands stroked over his shoulders, down his back and settled on his ass. Groaning, Les brought his mouth down on Randy again. This time the cowboy opened his mouth without Les asking him. Their tongues slid together with a gentle touch. Les didnât demand or get aggressive. He wanted to learn Randy and didnât want to scare the kid away.
Molten Silver Unleashed.
You’re probably wondering what this cover has to do with me. đ Aside from it being another awesome Liquid Silver cover, it’s the second book being released today along with No Going Home. Both are Molten Silver. So we’re starting the line with a bang.
I thought I’d give you the blurb and an excerpt from Death by Seduction by Anna J. Evans, my fellow Molten author. Stop by later on and I’ll give you an excerpt or two from No Going Home.
Blurb for Death by Seduction:
In the twenty-second century, the Supernatural Task Forceâs headquarters is a place where few go to work and many go to die. Morgana De La Nuit, an immortal death faerie, has been brought into custody and given a choice between permanent deactivation and becoming a sexual assassin. Worse, her partner Cale, who turned her in to the STF, is to be her first test subject.Morgana is torn.
Can she risk everything to save the man who betrayed her or will she succumb to the wicked temptation of death by seduction?
Here’s the excerpt: (Enjoy)
âMorgan,â he said, turning to face her, every muscle in his body preparing for battle. His eyes quickly found hers, searching for a clue as to how sheâd been treated and why she was here. Whether she was still sane or not, her being allowed into his cell couldnât be a good thing.
At first glance she seemed to be holding together, though her eyes were as unreadable as they always were when confronting an enemy. Her grey irises were two deadly whirlpools spiraling around her pupils, her porcelain skin unbroken by the smallest line of human expression. The simple black robe that reached to her feet made her look even more pale and inhuman, like some ancient doll come to life. Morgan had been worshipped as a death goddess hundreds of years before he was born, but it was easy to forget that when her face was lit with emotion, using twenty-first century slang and giving him as much shit as any other member of the S.T.F.
But when it came down to business, she became as cold and still as a field covered with winterâs frost. Looking into her eyes now, he wondered if this hadnât been even more of a set up than heâd thought. The S.T.F. had always operated above the law, and even a human citizen of the Western Alliance Territory wasnât safe. He could be disposed of without due process, simply made to disappear in a way that would make one doubt if he had ever existed.
âYou look nervous Cale,â she said, stepping closer, an action that forced her to tilt her head up to catch his eye. He was nearly two feet taller, but had never felt his physical size intimidated her. When you could kill people simply by dropping an invisible magic shield, he supposed it was silly to be cowed by something as trivial as mere bulk.
âIâm not nervous, just curious,â he said, still tensed for battle. If she were here to kill him, he wasnât going to make it easy for her. Not only did he like being alive, but his death would haunt her more if he didnât put up a fight. He didnât want to haunt her, and hell, he was in the mood for a good fight, even if it was with his best friend.
âCuriosity killed the cat,â she whispered, an evil smile stretching across her deeply pink lips, a color he knew was natural and not the effect of any cosmetic enhancement.
âGood thing Iâm not a cat,â Cale whispered back.
âTake my hand, Cale,â she said, holding out her tiny hand. He knew the slightest touch could cause his insides to become outsides, a completely undesirable condition any way you looked at it. Heâd be spattered against the far wall before he had time to realize that he was dead and heâd always preferred to go out with a little more dignity.
âMake me a promise, first.â
âTraitors donât deserve promises, but I wonât kill you today. I canât make any promises about tomorrow,â she said calmly, as if she were discussing the temperature in the room or whether or not they should stop for coffee before the end of their shift.
âI guess thatâs all I could ask for,â he said, placing his larger hand in hers, a shockwave of sexual awareness coursing through him as her fingers curled around three of his own in an intimate little caress. How could he still be lusting over her at a time like this? He supposed old habits died hard, even when your subconscious knew you were probably enjoying your last few hours among the living and the woman you were lusting after just might kill you.
Woo-Hoo!
I know you’ve all seen this cover before, but I had to post it again. Because…my cowboys are being released on Monday, July 3rd. I can’t wait. It’s been a long (or what feels like a long time..lol) time coming. From what I’ve found, Liquid Silver doesn’t have them up to buy until later on in the day. Trust me. As soon as the link goes active, I’ll be posting it…lolHere’s the new blurb to whet your appetite:
Six years ago, a hoof to the head ended Leslie Hardin’s show-jumping career and his relationship with the man he loved. Broken, hurt, and rejected, Les has focused his energies on rebuilding his life.
Lesâs accident has shown him that the most valuable treasures are usually found under an imperfect surface, and his reputation for taking in strays starts to grow. But itâs one of these strays in particular, injured rodeo cowboy Randy Hersch, who captures more than just his compassion.
Between his disapproving father and his chosen career path, Randy has always felt the need to deny his passion. But when Les takes him under his wing, Randy begins to realize that he is truly strong enough to admit his true selfâto himself and the rest of the world. But in the arms of a broken man, can he find acceptanceâŚand love?
Randy and Les are two great guys whose story I can’t wait for people to read.
Hope everyone has an awesome day and trust me you’ll be hearing more on Monday..lol
Murder at Willow Slough-Josh Thomas
Read this book this week. Yep…it took me all week to read it. Not because it wasn’t good, just couldn’t find time to read it all in one sitting (which is what I’d like to have done)
Here’s a small blurb about it:
Jamie Foster has a lot going for himâheâs young, blond and handsome, with an exciting career as a journalist. Then his life falls apart. Kent Kessler is a winner, too, a good-looking athlete and the youngest sergeant in state police history. Assigned to investigate a Gay murder, he comes up clueless. He teams with Jamie to track down the killer, and soon confronts a mind-boggling conspiracy.
I enjoyed the entire story, but there’s a segment in the later part of the story that I really liked. The part is about trees and while it does seem a little odd in the overall scheme of the story, it was just a touching look at trees. lol. Also, the cover for the book fits into the theme for the week, don’t you think?
I got some more written on Magpie & Snake. They’re going to be an interesting couple, that’s for sure. đ And more got written on Angel’s story as well. So I haven’t stopped working on them.
I hope everyone has a great weekend.
“Hope is a waking dream.”–Aristotle
