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Happy Hunk Day
Happy Wednesday, everyone. Only two more days to the weekend. Yay!
Didn’t get any writing done last night. I was reading. (Not something I do a lot of these days) I finally got Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsey yesterday, so I spent my evening devouring it. lol. Very interesting story, I must say and just different enough from the tv show that I don’t feeling once I read the book, I don’t need to see the show. đ
Though I did get an idea for another historical yesterday. This one is a western. Wrote it down, but don’t know if anything will come of the story line. Have to wait and see. Not that I’ll be working on it anytime soon.
Have a great day, everyone.
Firebird-Part Eleven
Firebird copyright (c)2006 T.A. ChasePart Eleven-
Rue couldnât believe it. Heâd never been found out before. He smiled to himself. Of course, heâd never gone up against a stone-cold killer like Vlatko. Glancing around the clearing, he wondered if Vlatko was telling the truth. His eyes settled on the dark man and the flaming bird her held.
âThat has to hurt, man.â It wasnât what he wanted to say but his tongue-brain connection had been interrupted by shock.
Those dark eyes watched him, ignoring the striking beak of the bird. âNot really with all the bonus the body armor gives me, the drawback is loss of nerve-endings I donât feel pain.â
âDonât feel pain? Thatâs seriously fucked up.â Rue shook his head.
âMakes sense, doesnât it? If you want to make a ruthless killer, youâve got to make him pain free. Deaden his nerve endings certain places. Bingo. Got a killer.â Vlatko lifted his arm, forcing the firebird to step off onto a branch.
Rue tensed. Here was when Vlatko grabbed him and killed him. The thief hoped Sysu enjoyed all of Rueâs money. He figured his friend wouldnât waste time emptying out the back accounts when Rue didnât return.
Vlatko moved back in the direction of the hut.
âWait. Arenât you going to kill me?â Rue snapped his mouth shut. Damn. No need to give the man suggestions.
Vlatko grinned over a broad shoulder at him. âRue, I knew before you woke up this morning why you were really here. I could have killed you without any trouble then. I prefer not to kill anymore.â
Rue was dumb founded. He hadnât thought about that. Vlatko could have easily broken his neck with those big hands. âWhy?â
The man shrugged. âBoredom, I think. Youâve been the most fun Iâve had since I landed on this planet. Listen, I donât plan on killing you, so relax. Iâll give you a couple weeks to try and find the information. Afterwards, if you havenât found them, Iâll let you contact whenever you want.â
âEven if itâs the I.U.M.?â
âThe I.U.M. will be sending a unit in to find you. Stealing the Presidentâs Heart is a big deal.â Vlatko held the ruby up.
âItâs not the Presidentâs Heart. The agent I met who gave me the details for this job said that jewel Iâd be stealing was a plant. Itâs all part of the cover story.â A sick feeling rolled over him when Vlatko shook his head.
âNever trust the I.U.M. Theyâll screw you over as soon as they can. Thereâs a reason why they wanted the Heart stolen. A combination of reasons. Gives them a chance to catch you. Matchov is an independent planet. Without the Heart, theyâll get into trouble and the I.U.M. can move in to save them. Last, it gives you a reason to end up on my planet. Maybe the universally famous Rue can find the files when no one else can.â Vlatko strolled over to him and cupped his face.
He swallowed. It wasnât a good idea, but hell, heâd never been good. Rising up on his toes, he pressed his lips against Vlatkoâs.
JERR review for Here Be Dragons
Michelle at JERR gave Here Be Dragons 5 stars and here’s a little of what she has to say:“Here Be Dragons is a title that immediately drew my attention. Would this be a fantasy set in a mythical world? As it turn out, the answer is no, as Mr. Chase held me spellbound by combining myth and legend in a contemporary setting….This was a book that surpassed all my expectations. All I can say is âMore please!â
I’ve been overwhelmed by the response I’ve gotten to my geeky scientist and his handsome boss. đ it makes me smile to know that everyone loves them as much as I do. Or at least I haven’t heard anything bad about the book yet.
Busy at work all day today, but I hope you all have a great day. Would anyone like to give this guy a hug, so he doesn’t have to hug himself? lol
*Update* I got the link to Elisa’s post at her blog, Isn’t It Romantic?. She’s posted an excerpt from Angel’s Evolution plus a little introduction from me about the story. It’s in English and in Italian. Now I have to go and get the comments translated into English, so I know what wonderful things they’re saying about my books. đ She’s done a great job promoting m/m romances to her Italian friends.
The Nymphs have Spoken
Water Nymph at Literary Nymphs gave Here Be Dragons 4.5 nymphs. đ (Which is kind of fitting, don’t you think since I have mythological creatures in this story?) Here’s a little bite of what she had to say:“Here Be Dragons is truly a first-rate read that contains all of the elements that make a sizzling romance, as well as adding a large dose of fantasy that keeps the reader wondering what might be appearing next.”
Click here to read the rest of the review. Also, I’m waiting for the new issue of the JERR newsletter. HBD got reviewed in that as well. Yikes! (Celia, you didn’t happen to review it for JERR as well? lol *just kidding*)
Well, I’m planning on doing some writing today. Not sure how far I’ll get on that, but at least a goal has been set. Though I have finished the first set of edits for Angel’s Evolution. Oh and the lovely Elisa has translated an excerpt of AE into Italian for all her friends and fellow romance readers. As soon as she sends me the link to her blog where it’ll be posted, I’ll put it up. See, romance truly is an international emotion and there is an interest in m/m romances as well. đ
Have a great day, everyone.
Working Saturday
Have to go into work today. woo-hoo! I’m so excited…lol. Actually it won’t be bad. I might even be able to sneak in a few minutes of writing. But while I’m toiling away at my job, I hope you all enjoy this gentleman who gets to sleep in on Saturday. đ
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Firebird-Part Ten
Firebird copyright (c) 2006 T.A. Chase
Part Ten-
Vlatko didnât know if the shocked look on Rueâs face was because heâd been found out or that Vlatko had figured it out so soon.
âI donât know what youâre talking about. Iâm not here to steal anything from you.â Rue struggled in his arms.
âExcuse me if I donât believe that.â He gestured to where a bag sat just at the edge of the clearing. âI left the hut while you were sleeping and looked around. Found your bag in the bushes there. Clothes, credits and a pretty little red stone. The Presidentâs Heart is beautiful. If you were tied up here by a disgruntled transport captain, he wouldnât have left you anything. But all your stuff is right there.â
He pushed Rue towards the bag. The thief stumbled across the hard ground and Valtko fought the urge to help him. Shaking his head, he moved towards the tree where the firebird still perched. The closer he got, the more agitated the bird became until sparks rained down like a little meteor shower. He felt the embers sting his skin, but didnât move away.
âI figured they would send someone. The information I have could topple a few governments if the universe found out the truth. Itâs dangerous for me to still be alive.â He turned to see Rue pulling on some pants and a dark green chest-hugging shirt. He continued in a thoughtful tone. âIf I had friends, Iâd be led to believe that I.U.M. talked to them about the best way to get me to lower my guard.â
Rue started to say something, but Vlatko held up his hand. âDonât get me wrong. I never wanted friends. Life is far easier without worrying about other people. Friends can be used against you. But so can your own nature.â
Vlatko lifted his hand higher, bringing it within reach of the shrieking bird. She struck out with her beak, but he didnât move. He kept his eyes on Rue, ignoring the danger above him. One foot gripped his wrist and he grimaced at the smell of burning flesh.
âWait. Donât let that thing touch you. Youâll get fried.â Rue stood up, holding out his hand as if wanting to stop Vlatko.
âThere are benefits to being a trained killer, Rue. One is liquid body armor that they inject under your skin. It makes you impervious to fire, guns and anything short of a nuclear explosion.â The second claw closed around his wrist and he brought the bird down. âThe only discomfort I have is from the smell. The top layer of my flesh will grow back.â
Rueâs eyes were glancing wildly around the clearing. He watched the lean muscles tense and he knew Rue was planning on running. He hid a smile. The I.U.M. hadnât briefed the thief very well if the guy thought he could survive on the planet long enough for someone to rescue him.
âDonât run, Rue. I was telling the truth. Thereâs only the primitive people of the planet and they give me a wide berth.â He worked the transmitter out of his pocket with his free hand. âAnd I took the liberty to steal your transmitter. The I.U.M. wonât send anyone in to save you either. You should have done more research before you accepted this job, Rue.â
Movie- The Lakehouse
I was going to show the poster for The Lakehouse. It’s a chick flick and I’m not big on those. C watches a ton more of them then I do. đ But this one is pretty good. Now, I know some of you are saying Keanu Reeves can’t really act. He’s certainly not going to win any awards, but I think he’s cute in a goofy sort of way.I got the next scene for Firebird written last night. Must say I’m a little surprised at the way it’s turning out. The characters aren’t doing what I thought they’d be doing and the plot itself is taking odd little turns. It’ll be interesting to see where we all end up with this story.
Sorry about no pic. đ
Hope you all have a great day.
Firebird-Part Nine
Firebird copyright (c) 2006 T.A. Chase
Part Nine-
Rue felt his mouth drop open. Shit. Vlatko was an assassin. This changed everything. âSo did you find the fugitive and kill him?â He wasnât sure about what he was expecting to hear, but it certainly wasnât what Vlatko said.
âYes.â Vlatko gathered the empty plates and set them in the sink.
âIf you did what they asked you to do, why are you a deserter?â Rue frowned.
Vlatko moved to stand in the doorway, staring out into the forest. âI learned too much. I saw too much.â The big man looked down at his hand. âWhen your hands are stained red by all the blood spilt, you began to question everything.â
âAnd the I.U.M. doesnât like questions.â Rue climbed to his feet and went to join Vlatko at the door.
Vlatko shook his head. âIt wasnât the I.U.M. I was questioning. I knew they were wrong before I even volunteered to be their trained killer.â
Fuck. Rueâs head was starting to hurt. âIf you werenât doubting them, what the hell were you doubting?â
Vlatko sighed. âIt doesnât make sense, I know, but I doubted everything. Why do we fight so hard to live?â
Rue followed Vlatko as the man wandered back towards the clearing where Rue had been tied the day before. âWe fight because the only other option is lying down and dying.â Rue reached out and took Vlatkoâs hand.
Vlatko glanced over at him, but didnât pull his hand away. âWhy? Why are we living? Are we supposed to learn something?â
Rue started laughing. âThe I.U.M. must have freaked out when their trained assassin turned into a philosopher.â
Vlatko smiled. âI.U.M. freaked because I told them I had files and information, not only on the most recent mission, but on all the people sent me to kill.â
They walked into the clearing and stopped in front of the firebirdâs tree. The creature screeched at them as sparks rained down from her feathers. The birdâs plumage was brilliant red and orange as if the creature were on fire. Another ear-piercing screech ricocheted through the clearing.
âHush, you old biddy,â Vlatko called out to her.
Rue found himself jerked up against Vlatkoâs body. He stared up into Vlatkoâs black eyes. âYouâre covering your ass by blackmailing them into letting you go.â He reached up and rubbed a thumb over Vlatkoâs bottom lip.
âYeah and I never thought theyâd send such a sexy thief to steal them from me.âRue felt his heart stop.
New Show- Dexter
Have any of you watched the new ShowTime show, Dexter? It’s pretty creepy, but awesome. It’s about a serial killer who works for the Miami Police Department as a blood spatter expert. He has his own twisted code where he only kills other serial killers or bad guys. He doesn’t hurt women or children (or innocent people either). At times I wish I had thought up the idea for it. It’s interesting to see how he reacts in a normal setting to people since he’s a sociopath, he has no real emotions. đ The show is based on this book by Jeff Lindsay. I’m planning on going out and picking it up soon.
Got some writing done over the weekend. Next installment of Firebird and started working on Dining With Alexander which is my story that will going along with Paige’s Hot in the Kitchen for our Recipes for Seduction book. đ
Hope everyone has a great day.
New Review!
I got a wonderful new review from Frost at Two Lips Review. đ Frost gave Here Be Dragons 5 kisses and had this to say about it:“I often felt as if I was reading a chapter from my own life, or from that of people I knew, and I consider that the hallmark of a really excellent novel. I canât recommend this story highly enough. Iâll be watching for further entries from T. A. Chase!”
Click here to read the entire review. I’m so glad that Frost loved the story and found the reactions of Kael after being abused realistic. When I first wrote HBD, that’s something I worried about since I hadn’t read too many stories where domestic violence between gay couples was even hinted at. I wondered how readers would react to it, but so far the response has been great.
Today’s a sunny day here, so I’m going to go golfing. Trying to get in some final rounds before it gets too cold to play. đ I hope you all have a wonderful day.
