Archive for For Every Dream that Shattered
Sharp Dressed Man is available…
I realize this isn’t what you would like to see today on my blog. đ Devon and I are one sex scene away from finishing At First Touch, because we worked on it all night until my wrist couldn’t take any more typing. So I wasn’t able to get Hearts done for you, but for those of you who haven’t heard my Mixed Tape story is out at MLR Press. Sharp Dressed Man is available and if you click here, you can check it out. It’s available as a single release or you can get six stories in Volume 1 of the Mixed Tape Collection.
It’s a short story about two guys who were best friends in high school, but neither of them would admit they loved the other. So at their 25th reunion, they run into each other and sparks fly. đ
I have to finish up Dream Part 5, and edits on my Tiffany Aaron book, Reno. But I will get you the next installment of Hearts on Tuesday, I promise. đ I hope you all have a great weekend. I’ll be at Motor City Pride in Detroit on Saturday, if any of you are in the area. Come see me. đ
Wednesday Work in Progress
Since At First Touch and Every Shattered Dream are the two I’m still working on this week, I thought I’d give you another small peek at At First Touch, our soccer(football) story. đ Also, I wanted to let you know that I might not be able to post the next installment of Hearts tomorrow. I’m going to be busy all day with real life stuff, not writing. Unfortunately….and I’m not sure I’m going to be up to writing when I get home tonight. But I will try and post something on Friday. I don’t want to leave you or the guys hanging…lol
so here’s another snippet from At First Touch.
At First Touch copyright c.2013 T.A. Chase and Devon Rhodes
Excerpt:
The stadium vibrated with the stomping and chanting of the fans as the teams came out on the field. Ewansiha felt the energy rise from the soles of his cleats up through his legs into his chest. It was almost like being at a rock concert, and feeling the bass drive the beat of his heart until he thought it would come out of his chest.
His cock stiffened, and he was happy his shorts were baggy enough, none of his fellow teammates would notice. Of course, he was pretty sure most of them sported hard-ons of their own. The excitement of the fans and the adrenaline of the players conspired to get them all hornier than monkeys.
Lukas jogged down the sideline next to him, and Ewansiha didnât his best not to stare at him. Waking up to find him in his bed that morning had freaked Ewansiha out a little. Oh, it wasnât the first time theyâd slept together or anything like that. What had freaked him out was how right it felt to have the blond in his arms, and sharing his bed.
âHeads up, King.â
He looked up in time to catch the ball Padraig had thrown at him. Guess I should be happy he warned me instead of just letting it hit me in the face. Allowing the ball to drop to the ground, he began kicking it from foot to foot as he ran along
âHey Schulz,â he called, and when Lukas glanced over at him, he kicked the ball to him. Lukas took it in stride, then proceeded to return it to him without pausing.
They ran some more warm up drills, including Paolo and Padraig along with the other guys who were going to be starting the game. Ewansiha would start, but he knew that later in the second half, when it got close to the referee calling time, the coach would pull him to put Lukas in. He was fine with that because his knee would be screaming by that time, and heâd be ready to call it quits for the day.
Their last practice had been run at full speed, and heâd needed Sergioâs magic hands and a tub full of ice to be able to walk out on his own two feet yesterday. His doctors all had promised him that the ache would fade over time, but Ewansiha was afraid that there would always be some lingering pain, waiting to take him out at the most inopportune times. He wanted to be able to play football for several more years, but he wasnât positive that was going to happen.
He and the other nine men who would be starting the first game of the new season lined up to take shots at Paolo in goal. The man clapped his yellow gloves together, jeering at them, arrogant as always about being able to keep the ball out of the net.
Ewansiha knew how to score on Paolo, having played on the same team with him for five years and studying the manâs every move. It was insurance in case his contract ever got bought out by a different team, and he had to play against the goaltender. He wanted to be able to do it.
He jogged slowly towards Paolo, keeping his gaze on the man, not the ball at his feet. Heâd always had a âsixth senseâ about where the ball was at all times, whether he had it or someone else did. Ewansiha watched Paolo, waiting for the right moment. There!
Paolo had shifted his weight to his left foot, putting all of it on his heel like he thought Ewansiha would kick the ball to the right, and Paolo would have to push off with that foot. It would put him off balance, not giving him enough time to react to Ewansihaâs kick.
Ewansiha drove his foot forward, propelling the ball as fast as he could towards Paolo. The goalie reacted too late, and the ball hit the back of the net. Paolo glared at him, but Ewansiha simply nodded to the man before taking off back to the teamâs bench. He didnât need to take any more shots to prove that he had Paoloâs number.
âYou always score on him, even during mock games,â Lukas said softly under his breath as they took sips of Gatorade while waiting for the coach to give them last minute advice.
He shrugged. âItâs not hard when you know what to look for.â
Lukas shot him a quick look. âWill you show me?â
âTonight at my place, weâll go over some game footage, and I point out what Iâm looking for before I hit the ball at Paolo.â
âThanks.â Lukas bumped their shoulders together, just like two normal teammates would before a game.
âNo problem, man. Youâre going to be taking my place at some point. Want to make sure youâre as good as you can be before that happens.â Ewansiha had never been against sharing his secrets with teammates he liked. He never understood men who didnât try to help the people they worked with. When one of them got better at his position, all of them got better as a team.
âAll right, men. You know the game strategy. Kroenig, I want you playing center back to start. Defending might be easier on your knee. Weâll get you back playing center forward by the third game.â
Nodding, Ewansiha wasnât going to complain. Part of his usefulness on the team was the fact that he could play both forward and defender positions, though he was stronger as a center back. Yet the coach knew best, and he still wasnât at a hundred percent, no matter what the doctors had told him.
âTime to go, gentlemen.â The referee told them as he ran past to the center of the pitch.
âOâLeary, youâre center forward this game. The rest know where your spots are.â The coach gestured for Padraig to go to the middle of the pitch to do the coin flip.
Their team lost the toss, but none of them were worried about it. Once their opponents chose which goal they wanted to attacked, everyone took their positions. Ewansiha settled in his spot, then shot Lukas a quick glance.
Lukas grinned at him before giving him a wink. Chuckling, Ewansiha shook his head slightly before slipping into his game mentality. The pitch wasnât the place for him to get distracted by his lover.
Sorry about that….
I didn’t get to bed until 4 this morning, so I’m running a bit behind on everything…lol. But here’s a little eye candy to help your monday start out right.
I finished up Dream 4 last night, and got that subbed to my editor. Now I’ll be starting Dream 5 today after I write the next installment for Hearts. Once Dream is complete, I’m planning on going back to finish up From Yesterday, which is the 3rd book in the Rupert’s Legacy series, though this one features two different characters as the main guys. đ It’s almost 2/3rds of the way done. I just need to do one last big push to get it ready to send to my editor at MLR Press. After that’s done, I think I’ll be finishing up Restoration Project for a submission call they have at MLR Press for Average Joes. While I don’t think any of my characters are average, Billy Joe is a blue-collar guy with grease under his fingernails and rent payments. Even though he falls in love with Axel, whose the prince of an automotive empire, he still stays pretty much the same guy he was before. đ
All right. I hope you all have an awesome day, because I have to get to work. lol
New Cover….
the last couple of Fridays I’ve been neglectful about posting stuff..lol. Sorry about that. I get busy with other things, and while I think about posting, I never actually get around to it. So I thought I’d sit and put something up while I’m thinking about it. đ
This is the cover for my story in the Unconventional in Atlanta anthology. It goes up for pre-order on July 5th…and will be general release in August. Again, they’ll release all the stories separately around November and December. Mine comes out in December on its own. I love this cover because it fits perfectly with the story. đ
Also, Stealing Life is up for VIP pre-release now. If you didn’t get it when it was available at the other publisher, well…now’s your time. It’s discounted as well. đ For those of you who already bought it before, you don’t need to pick this up unless you love the new cover…lol. Which I love both covers this story has gotten. đ The only difference in this version is I pared it down a little. so it’s a little shorter than the original version, but not by much. đ
I’m working on Every Shattered Dream and At First Touch today…hoping to get both of them wrapped up in the next couple of days, so I can get back to work on Restoration Project and a few other short stories I want to finish up.
Have a great day, everyone.
Wednesday Work in Progress….
Well actually my works in progress are the same. At First Touch and Every Shattered Dream (Yes…I did change the title for that story. Decided this shorter version was catchier…lol) So I’m not sure what to share with you. Maybe a snippet from a short story I’m hoping to finish up next month. đ
It’s titled Restoration Project...and features a mechanic and the race car driver he’d fallen in love when the driver was a teen. đ
Restoration Project copyright c. 2013 T.A. Chase
The garage was deserted as Billy Joe strolled in to start his work day. Glancing around, he noticed all of the guys gathered around the front of the building, nudging each other and grinning like school kids.
âAngelina Jolie better be standing at the front door, gentlemen. Thatâs the only excuse you can give me for why youâre all huddling like a group of girls instead of working,â he quipped as he pushed through the crowd.
âBetter than that, boss.â Jimmy turned and winked at him. âThough most of us donât know whether to bow down to the bastard or punch him out.â
âWhat bastard? What the hell are you babbling about, Jimmy?â
Billy Joeâs mouth dropped open as he made it to the front of the crowd and set his eyes on what the rest of the guys had been ogling. Shit, it was better than Angelina Jolie, not that Billy Joe ever got a hard-on for her, but his dick got stiff when he saw the car., though there was something familiar about this particular car.
âPlymouth Hemi âCuda,â he whispered, hands itching to touch the gleaming fender. He stuffed them in his pocket.
âYep.â Jimmyâs eyes sparkled with envy and lust. âCan you believe that the lucky bastard who owns this car smashed in the rear quarter panel? God, he shouldnât be driving a car if he canât keep from getting a scratch on this one.â
The rest of the guys nodded and Billy Joe snorted.
âWhereâs the owner?â
âIn with Dwayne.â Jimmy gestured over to the managerâs office.
Billy Joe headed that way. âMaybe you guys should start working before Dwayne comes out and kicks all your asses.â
They scrambled to their bays, none of them wanting to be standing around idle if Dwayne left the office. The manager of the garage liked busy employees. He didnât like them drooling over customersâ cars.
He knocked on Dwayneâs door, then waited for his boss to call come in before he entered.
âAh, Billy Joe. Glad youâre here. We got a new project just come in that I want you to take.â
âSure.â
The man sitting in front of Dwayneâs desk stood before turning. Billy Joeâs mouth dropped open for the second time in as many minutes.
âFuck me.â
Axel Robinson bit his lip and Billy Joe could tell the man was trying to not comment on what heâd just said.
âWhat are you doing here? Is that your âCuda?â
Axel nodded. âDelacourte took a bat to it after he got disqualified during our last race. The asshole drove me into the wall going into the second turn, and he gets pissed at me because he lost the race.â
Billy Joe managed to tear his gaze away from Axelâs face to see the sling holding Axelâs right arm and the scraps on the manâs face. âDelacourte always was a cowardly bastard and a poor excuse for a driver. I bet your father was shitting bricks when that happened.â
Grinning, Axel nodded. âChuck had Pop wrapped up tighter than a nunâs thighs. Pop wanted to beat the jerk to a pulp.â
âCanât blame him. Youâre a far better driver than he is, even with one arm tied behind your back.â Billy Joe winked at Axel before giving the man a quick hug. âWhat brings you to the garage?â
The younger man accepted Billy Joeâs hug without wincing and afterward, gestured in the direction of the âCuda with his chin. âI knew you worked here and there isnât anyone else I wanted touching my baby.â
Billy Joe looked over at Dwayne who nodded. âIâll take Jimmy off the BMW and put him on your job. You can take this one.â
âThanks, boss.â
âNo problem. We have enough good mechanics that I can humor a request.â Dwayne wiggled his eyebrows at Billy Joe from behind Axelâs back.
Billy Joe rolled his eyes and settled his hand at the small of Axelâs back to lead him out of the office.
âDo you want to go over the car with me? Or should I call you with an estimate?â
Axel checked his watch. âShit, I have to get back to headquarters. We have a meeting to discuss the next race. Why donât you call me? We can meet up for dinner tonight and talk about the cost.â
âGreat. Your number the same?â
âYeah. Didnât have a reason to change it.â Axel slapped Billy Joe on the shoulder. âItâs great to see you, man. You need to come over to our garage and see Pop. I know he misses you.â
âTell him I said hi and I just might make it out to the races some day soon.â
Axel tossed him the keys to the âCuda, then headed out of the garage. Billy Joe turned to see all the mechanics staring at him.
âNo way? Itâs just not fair that you get to work on this car.â Jimmy pouted, but Billy Joe saw the twinkle in the manâs eye.
âHey, why settle when you can have the best mechanic do the work?â Billy Joe made his way to the car. âI know this car better than anyone but Axel. I helped him drop the engine in it after we got the body restored.â
After climbing in the car, he ran his hands over the steering wheel and grinned. It was good to see Axel again. Of course, the man had been all of seventeen when Billy Joe quit working for his dad, but still Axelâs boyish good looks warned of how devastatingly handsome he would become as he matured. Now at twenty-five, Axel was sex walking and Billy Joe didnât know if going out to dinner with him was the wisest choice.
He turned the key and the roar of the engine brought back memories of the night they dropped the engine. Axelâs smile filled his whole face when they started it and it roared to life on the first try. The kidâs enthusiasm was contagious, but Billy Joe hadnât been prepared for what the kid did next. Axel threw his arms around Billy Joe and hugged him tight.
The shock of their bodies touching from chest to knee just about drove Billy Joe to the floor. When his cock got hard at the scent of Axelâs sweat and grease, he knew he needed to stay away from Axel until the kid was older. No point in getting into trouble with Big Phil, Axelâs dad and Billy Joeâs boss.
Of course, back then, he didnât know if Axel was into guys or not. There had been some signs of flirting while they worked on Axelâs baby, but Billy Joe always believed it was wishful thinking on his part.
By the time Axel turned eighteen, and Billy Joe could set about discovering which side of the fence Axel played on, Billy Joe had quit and left the racing scene behind him. Now he was getting another chance to reconnect with Axel. Heâd admit, only to himself, that he missed Axel more than working on the race cars.
Someone slapping the window drew his attention back to the present. Turning his head, he saw Dwayne standing outside the car.
âTake her to bay fourteen. You can work on it there. If you need another pair of hands, you can get Heath to help you.â
âThanks.â
He drove the car carefully into the garage before parking it in the bay Dwayne specified. After climbing out, he stood, glaring down at the dented rear panel and the scratches. Damn Delacourte. The bastard was childish and hateful, blaming others for things he brought on himself. If Billy Joe ever got close to the man again, heâd introduce his fist to Delacourteâs chin.
After grabbing his coveralls off the hook, he tugged them on. It was time to figure out how much it was going to cost Axel to fix the damage.
More Eye Candy….
I know you usually get a picture of Channing Tatum at least once or twice a week, but I thought I’d share this one. And really this is the best kind of candy because it won’t go right to your hips…lol.
Well, Parts 1-3 of For Every Dream that Shattered have been turned in with their cover art/blurb forms. I’ll be starting Part 4 today and hopefully by next Monday, I’ll be turning in the last two parts. I hope you all are looking forward to it because I like this story and it’s been fun to write.
Oh, I got a release date for Sharp Dressed Man. It’ll be coming out on June 7th from MLR Press as part of their Mixed Tape stories. As soon as I get a cover, I’ll share it with all of you.
Also, Destiny asked if I was going to write Chad’s story from Nowhere Diner, and the answer is yes. He’s on my list to get done. Not entirely sure when though. I keep hoping I can get back to him soon, but other stories seem to claim my attention. Chad’s very reluctant to talk to me, I guess. đ But I do plan on writing him a Happy Ending.
I hope you all have a great Thursday.
Wednesday Work In Progress…
I’m going to post something from the secret project I’ve been working on. I’ve been doing the story in parts. This is the beginning of Part One, and I’ll be finishing up Part Three today. Then I’ll have two more parts to do. This is one of the stories that I have a deadline for, which is today for the first three parts. I got a little over 8k done last night on Part Three, so I have another 2-4k to do today, then fill out the blurb and cover forms for them. As soon as I know when it’ll be out, I’ll let you know. Hopefully sooner rather than later because I really like this story.
If you can find it, go and listen to the song, “Riding with Private Malone” by David Ball. The first part of the story is loosely based on this song. đ I was inspired by it, but put my own twist on it…like I did with “Greyhound Bound for Nowhere” by Miranda Lambert for Nowhere Diner: Finding Love. I hope you find this snippet interesting enough to pick it up when it comes out. đ
It’s titled For Every Dream that Shattered.
For Every Dream that Shattered: Part One
Excerpt:
Holy Shit!
Logan stared at the car in front of him, then dropped his gaze to read the ad again.
â1967 Chevrolet. Good condition. Needs some repairs. Two thousand dollars or best offer.â
Heâd called the number, and the man who answered agreed to have Logan come over to look at the vehicle whenever he liked.
Since heâd separated from the army, Logan had time on his hands. The economy might have been looking up, but it still had been near impossible to find steady work. Heâd finally got a job working night security at a construction site earlier that week, but he needed his own car instead of borrowing his sisterâs mini-van all the time.
When Logan saw the ad in the newspaper, he considered it a good sign. Maybe things were starting to look up for him. He studied the Chevy for a moment, then turned to face the man selling it.
âYou have to know what you have here,â he said as he motioned to the car.
The elderly gentleman nodded. âI know exactly what it is and how much itâs worth.â
âThen why the hell are you selling it for two thousand dollars?â
After staring at him for a minute, the seller seemed to make a decision. âSon, would you like some coffee?â
Logan blinked at the sudden change of subject, but he nodded. âCertainly, sir.â
âPlease call me Bert. Youâre a military man, arenât you?â
âYes, sir.â
Bert gestured for Logan to follow him. After carefully covering the car again, Logan caught up with Bert as the man made his way tentatively over the uneven ground. He considered offering Bert his arm to hold since heâd feel terrible if the man fell.
Yet something in Bertâs carriage or tilt of his head told Logan that Bert would refuse any suggestion of help. He seemed proud, and Logan wouldnât take away his dignity, though he did stay close just in case.
âWhat branch did you serve in,â Bert asked as he weaved his way up the steps leading to the farmhouseâs back door.
âArmy. I served in the First Air Cavalry for twenty years. Just retired last yearâ
Logan got to the door before Bert did, then opened it. Bert eyed him for a moment like he knew what Logan was doing, but he must have decided not to argue about it.
Bert didnât pick up the conversation again until they were both seated at a wooden table with matching chairs. The amount of scratches and scarring that marred the top of the table spoke of its age.
âMy great-great-great-grandfather made this for his new bride as a wedding present.â Bert ran his fingers over the surface like he was reading the memories embedded in the wood.
âItâs a nice table. Very solid.â
One of Loganâs hobbies was woodworking, and he knew quality workmanship when he saw it. Bertâs grandfather had a good eye and steady hand.
âThank you.â Bert took a sip of the coffee heâd poured into mugs for them.
âBert, I have to ask again. If you know what kind of car that is and how much itâs worth, why are you selling it for mere chump change? Especially considering how much you could actually get for it.â Logan held his mug tight between his fingers. As much as he wanted the car, he couldnât justify paying so little for it.
âHereâs the thing, young man. That carâs been in my family for forty-six years, and only one person ever drove it.â Bert looked into his coffee and Logan wondered what Bert really saw in the dark liquid.
âHow many miles are on it?â
âAbout a hundred. Kenny got drafted about a week after he bought it. Only had enough time to go on one short road trip before he needed to report to Fort Sill for boot camp.â
Logan frowned. âKenny?â
âYes. He was my youngest brother, and if everything had gone to plan, he wouldâve outlived me. But war tends to take the young, and leave the old to mourn.â
