No Boundaries

New Blog....

2012-01-23T08:45:00.002-05:00

Like I'd mentioned earlier last week, I'm moving this blog over to my new website. That way everything is all in one place. You can check out my blog and the upcoming books with blurbs (when I get them written...lol)

Don't worry. There will still be blog stories and eye candy. Just in a bright new shining place. :)

Here's the link: http://tachase.com/blog

Hope you stop by to look things over. :)

Frigid Friday

2012-01-20T08:40:00.005-05:00

wow...winter and the cold has hit with vengeance today. First time I'm really happy about working from home, because I don't have to go out in this cold, if I don't want to.

Okay, on Monday, I'll post a link on this blog to my new blog, which will be part of my new site. The whole site isn't completely finished. Links and excerpts still need to be add, but the blog part is up and running. Yay! The rest will slowly be up and running bit by bit.

I'm working slowly and surely on Gypsies and The Deepest Cut. Each one gets at least 1k done on it every day. Gypsies gets more than that since it's the one that absolutely has to be finished by the end of January. :) I'm in the homestretch. Each one only needs about 15k on it to hit the 50k mark. Both stories will be in ebook and print as well.

Oh, and The Subtlety of Understanding, which is both my Understanding books from Aspen Mountain Press, will be out in March. MLR Press was kind enough to take those two orphaned books, combine them into one bigger book, and re-release it. There's nothing new added, just re-edited, new cover, and both stories in one. I do plan on writing more stories in that series, to wrap up some loose ends.

Also, there are some changes being made behind the scenes...lol. Don't worry. Nothing bad, I promise. Just doing some re-arranging and sort spring cleaning. I can't really say anything more than that yet, but as soon as I can, I'll let you all know what I'm talking about. :D

I hope you all have a great Friday, a marvelous weekend, and please be safe and warm wherever you are.

They Walk Among Us

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-Nine-

Zach-

The screams coming from the building where Gideon had taken Raven were like nothing I’d ever heard before, and as much as I wanted to go and make sure he was okay, I did what he asked of me.

I walked up and down the aisle way, talking to the prisoners. I explained who I was, and what I was doing there. I told them they’d be getting out soon, but I didn’t have any keys to open the cell doors yet. As I passed by one of the cells, the woman in it waved at me to stop.

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” I said as I stepped a little closer to her door, but not too close. I didn’t want to frighten her.

She shrugged, the weary motion of a person who’d gotten used to the terrible things life handed her. “Not your fault. What happened to the Opalite they dragged out of here?”

There was real concern in her voice, and it surprised me. I hadn’t thought she would have any thought for anyone beside herself.

“Do you hear that screaming?”

She nodded. “It doesn’t sound like it normally does. There’s a lot of fear in those screams.”

“Yes, there is, but I can tell you they aren’t coming from the Opalite who talked to you.” I tapped the side of my head. “We’re connected, and I think I’d know if he was hurt.”

Scrabbling sounds came from another cell, and a young man appeared out of the shadows. There didn’t seem to be one square inch on him that wasn’t bruised or cut. I clenched my hands as a wave of anger swept over me.

::Why do you think I killed Gideon instead of keeping him alive?::

Raven’s thoughts plunged into my head.

::I understand. Where are you?::

::I’m taking care of some things at the main building. I’m sending Tyler over with the key. He swears he’ll be good. He’s scared shitless, so that’s always good. Plus he knows what happened to Gideon could easily happen to him.::

Something in the tone of Raven’s voice told me I probably didn’t want to know what had happened to Gideon.

The young man cleared his throat, and the sound coming from his throat as he tried to talk caused me to cringe.

“Is he okay?”

“Yes, he is. Don’t worry. We’re going to get you out of here.”

“I want to go home,” the young man managed to whisper.

“Why don’t you talk to me using your thoughts? It would be easier on your throat.” I crouched outside his cell.

The young man shook his head. “I can’t. I’m not old enough yet to do that. As we evolve, we lose the ability to talk aloud. The Opalite who was in here is far more evolved than I am.”

I filed the tidbit away in my mind as one more thing I needed to talk to Raven about.

“Are you Anson? This might sound like a stupid question, but where do you hurt? Are there any places that hurt worse than others?”

All of my medical training and compassionate emotions wanted me in the cell, examining the young man closer.

Anson nodded. “Yes. I’m very sore and there might be some broken bones, but the Opalite healed me a little. I’m not bleeding inside anymore.”

I should have known Raven would help Anson as best he could until I could look him over.

The door shoved open, and banged off the stone wall as Tyler stumbled in. The people in the cells cried or hissed as he practically ran to me. He held out a piece of paper, which I took from his trembling hand.

“Don’t let that monster hurt me, Zach. He tore Gideon’s heart out of his chest. Literally reached in and tore it out without struggling or anything. It was like he liquefied Gideon’s body to be able to do it.” Tyler clung to me.

I tried to shake him off. “Let go of me, Tyler. As long as you do what he says, and don’t hurt any one else, you’ll be fine. Raven is reasonable.”

“Reasonable? You call what he did to Gideon reasonable?” Tyler shouted.

“Tyler, you have seen what Gideon did to all these people, right? I’m sure there are many he actually killed. I’m pretty sure Gideon got off light, considering how much Raven could have tortured him for what he’s done.” I yanked my arm from Tyler’s grip and went to the control panel next to the main door. “You might want to either leave or stay close to me. I’m not sure how these guys will react, being free and being able to get a hold of you.”

::I’m sending someone for Tyler. I need to talk to him some more.::

As Raven’s thought arrived, so did two large men. I studied them, and something in their eyes told me they weren’t human. More Opalites, and I was starting to realize there were far more of the aliens on our planet than we’d ever thought.

“We’re here to take this one back to the Szef.”

I frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Leader.”

“Oh okay. Yes, please take him to the Szef. Don’t hurt him or we’ll both be angry.”

The bigger of the two Opalites met my gaze with a calm expression. “We know our orders, sir, and we are only to escort this one back to the main building where the Szef is.”

Tyler squeaked as they stood on each side of him. He looked at me with a pleading glance. I shook my head.

“They aren’t going to hurt you, so just go with them. Raven isn’t going to hurt you either, as long as you cooperate.”

“Zach, what’s going on here?”

Tyler’s heartfelt plea caused me to pause in the middle of punching the code to open the cell doors. I thought about everything that had happened up to that point, and I chuckled.

“What’s going on here is humans have completely under-estimated Opalites from the very beginning.”

Happy Hump Day...

2012-01-18T08:39:00.002-05:00

First of all, thank you for participating in the Cock & Bull Blog Tour. The winners were drawn last night and here they are:

Grand Prize: Maya, from her comment on Megan Slayer's blog
2nd: Diana A, from JP Barnaby's blog
3rd: Tiffany, from Kit Sands' blog

Marie will be contacting the winners and sending them their prizes. :)

Second of all, I've been doing a lot of writing lately, and I'm actually very happy where my stories are at the moment. I'm managing to work on two stories at the same time, and it's working for me. :) I'll definitely be finishing Gypsies by the end of the month, and The Deepest Cut will be closed to finished by then as well. Once Gypsies done, I'll be working on From Slavery to Freedom, which is the sequel to Out of Light into Darkness, and once The Deepest Cut is done, I'll be working on a short story to go in an anthology for Total e-Bound. I'm keeping that one a secret for now. Once it's done, and happening for sure, I'll let everyone know what it's all about. :)

Well, I have to get going. Have a very busy day. Hope you all are safe and warm wherever you are.

They Walk Among Us

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-Eight-

“Nothing to say for yourself, huh?” Gideon’s grin was filled of sadistic joy. “They all start out quiet, but the time I break them, they’re begging me to stop.”

Well, that wouldn’t be happening with me since I couldn’t talk anymore. None of the humans realized as Opalites got older, we lost our ability to talk. Our powers developed into telepathy, so we didn’t need to use our mouths for such primitive things as speech.

Gideon gestured for two of his goons to grab my arms and drag me from my cell. I let them touch me, through my skin crawled at the feel of their dirty hands on me. Once we were in the corridor, and walking down it, I hung my head, letting my hair cover my face. I wanted Gideon to think I was defeated, but really I was contacting every person in the cellblock.

Alerting the Opalites was easy, though breaking through the walls the humans had built around their minds was child’s play to an Opalite as powerful as I was. I knew the humans wouldn’t necessarily trust what I told them, so I pushed Zach’s image into their brain as a person they could trust.

When everything blew up in Gideon’s face, I wanted the humans to get out, and Zach would help them.

::Do you know how many prison buildings there are?:: I asked Zach while be forced to leave the one I was in.

::As far as I can tell, just the one you were in. Tyler’s been bragging to me about how many Opalites they’ve caught over the last couple of months.::

I grunted silently. ::Damn it. I’d hoped they would have managed to stay hidden longer, but they got careless. It would explain why I’ve lost touch with so many over the months.::

“Strip him, and put him in the room,” Gideon instructed the men who held me. “I need to get my instruments and I’ll be back for him.”

They tore my clothes off, and groped me while doing it. I fought the need to roll my eyes. Did they really think touching me inappropriately would break me quicker? While I didn’t like being touched by anyone but Zach, I allowed it to happen. I wasn’t interested in hurting the peons yet. My eyes were set on getting Gideon within my reach, because he was the one I needed first.

Zach’s anger surged through me, but I sent out a calm wave of energy.

::Don’t do anything. I need you to head to the prison building. There are humans and Opalites locked there. When I take Gideon down, they’ll need to trust someone, and I told them you would help them.::

::Take Gideon down? I thought you weren’t going to do anything more than take control of the rebels.::

::I changed my mind when I found out what he’d done to not only Anson and the other Opalites, but to the humans as well. Humans called us monsters, but I think you have more evil in your hearts than an Opalite could ever dream of having.::

::Not all of us.:: His soft admonishment hit me.

::I know.::

They threw me into the room, and my knees hit the cold stone floor before I could control the fall. I grimaced at the rough material tearing into my flesh, but spilling my blood would help bring my power to heel more easily.

“He is a pretty one. I bet Gideon fucks him to break him. Pretty ones like him are used to being treated nice. Gideon will teach him the only thing a hot mouth like his is good for,” one of the men taunted me as they stood by the door, waiting for Gideon to get back.

I glared at them while crawling to the far wall, sat cross-legged, and rested my hands on my thighs. I focused on the door between them, and meditated, slowly gathering my power into myself. When I had enough, I slowly let it leak out, and directed small tendrils of it out toward my jailors.

The little strings of power wrapped around their ankles, and anchored themselves into the concrete. When I attacked Gideon, they wouldn’t be able to move from where they stood.

::I don’t want you any where near here, Zach.:: I ordered my lover to stay away.

::Why not?::

::While you accepted my wings without hesitation, if you were to see what I truly looked like, you wouldn’t be so accepting of my differences.::

Zach’s thoughts were puzzled, and I remembered there weren’t any pictures of what my people had looked like when they landed. For some reason, all of those had either been destroyed or the government had taken them all. Yet it was our true appearance, which convinced the humans, we were there to attack, not to talk.

::All right, but at some point, you’re going to have to show me.::

I knew that, and just the thought of Zach turning away from me in fear and disgust hurt my heart. Yet I couldn’t keep my true self hidden any more. To complete my mission, I had to show what I really was.

The scrape of the door warned me my time was up. It was time to shot the opening salvo of the true rebellion, and Gideon would realize he’d subjugated Opalites at his peril.

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re not crying or pleading all ready. Makes it so much more fun for me.”

Gideon stepped into the room, and shut the door behind him. I ducked my head to hide the grin as I noticed he was dressed in black leather. Did he really think the whole evil ‘Dom’ thing would frighten me? Though I amended that thought. If I was young and powerless, I probably would be afraid of the man, but that moment all he did was make me want to laugh.

He stalked across the floor, reaching out for me as he got closer. I let him wrap his fist in my hair before I exploded off the floor. Horror filled Gideon’s face as I let my true form take over. I shoved my hand into Gideon’s chest, and tore his heart out, holding it up as his body crumbled to the floor.

::No mercy for any who harm my brethern.::

Hey

2012-01-16T08:14:00.004-05:00

Everyone, I'm being interviewed at two places today. The first one is the last stop on the Cock & Bull Blog Tour at Sara York's blog. Click here to check it out. You'll get an excerpt from The Longest Stride....and a chance to win a copy of it when it comes out. :)

The second interview is at Total e-Bound for their author spotlight. Click here to check this one out.

Today seems to be my day all over the place. :)

The other thing I'd like to announce is that at the end of this week, I'll be moving this blog over to my website. You'll still get all the hot eye candy and blog stories, but instead of coming to Blogger to get it, you'll be heading straight to my site. :) It's all new and shiny as well. I'll make sure to leave a link to my site, so you can find it if you forget. :D

I hope you all have a great Martin Luther King Day...and enjoy.

They Walk Among Us

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-Seven-

Her eyes widened, and I could tell she was surprised I admitted it to her.

“Why would you tell me that? For all you know, I could be a spy and I’ll run to Gideon with this information.”

I shrugged. ::Go ahead and tell him. He won’t believe you. The power hungry and arrogant never believe those they perceive as weaker than them can hurt them.::

She tilted her head and studied me. “Why can I hear you? I thought Opalites could talk. At least most of the ones the bastards drag in here can.”

::They are young. I’m looking for one in particular. His name is Anson.::

The woman frowned as she thought. After a minute, she shook her head. “I’m sure he’s probably here, but I don’t know anyone’s name. He wants us friendly, but not that friendly.”

I snorted silently. Gideon was racking up the check marks against him in my mind. Maybe I’d take him out when it came time to leave here. He wasn’t really worth much, and while a man high on drugs could be manipulated, he was also unpredictable. I didn’t want to risk the rest of my mission by things going wrong with Gideon.

::Thank you. Don’t worry. I won’t leave you here.::

She nodded and moved back to her bed. I strolled to the opposite side of my cell. I peered into the dimly lit space in front of me. At that moment I wished I could speak, but instead I reached out with my mind, hoping to touch someone in there.

The low moan of pain I heard when my thoughts did encounter someone caused me to ease the force of them. I stroked along the ragged edges of the person’s mind, and I bit my lip when I realized it was the very Opalite I searched for.

::Anson, I know it hurts, but I need you to talk to me. If you can’t speak aloud, talk to me with your thoughts. I can hear you, and I’m here to get you out of here.::

Another whimper, but also the scrape of something moving across the floor. I crouched and reached between the bars. A hand emerged from the shadows, broken, bruised, and torn. I swallowed the bile threatening to escape my stomach, and I tamped down on the rage surging through my body.

::Are you all right?:: Zach’s inquiry brought me back to focus on Anson and not my own anger.

::I will be once I rip Gideon’s throat out.::

::I take it you found Anson.::

::Yes. I must talk to him, but be prepared to leave at any moment. I won’t remain here any longer than we must.::

Zach’s assent chimed through our link, and I smiled at how willing he was to accept my leadership without question. Oh, I knew the time would come when he forced me to sit down and tell him everything, but at the moment, it wasn’t important. The most important thing was to free all of these people from Gideon’s rule.

::Anson, show me in your mind where you’re hurt.::

Our fingers touched, and the images flooded my brain so fast, it almost overwhelmed me. Yet instead of telling him to slow down, I managed to corral and organize them. As I identified each spot, my healing power flowed from me. A soft blue glow surrounded Anson and me. His pain eased as I mended broken ribs, and a fractured leg. His internal injuries I healed the best I could. I needed more hands on to do anymore than take care of the immediate danger.

I separated our minds for a second to take a breath and center myself. ::I can’t do any more for you at this time, Anson. I need to be able to put my hands completely on your body to do more.::

::You’ve done more than I ever thought would be possible. I heard you tell the woman you were here to free us all. How can you do that?::

::Don’t worry about that. Just be ready to go. You’ll be able to move pretty fast now. I have to check with the others.::

::He tore out my wings.::

The anguish in Anson’s emotions brought tears to my eyes. An Opalite, even one as young as Anson, needed his wings to function normally. A wingless Opalite was half a person, and it was hard for them to continue on.

::Don’t give up, Anson. Gideon will pay for every wrong and hurt he caused you. Trust me, the time is coming when you won’t have to worry about your wings. I’ll tell you a secret. They will grow back.::

Excitement shot through Anson at my pronouncement. His wings would grow back once we’d left Earth and headed back to our home planet. The entire purpose of the mission I was on was to ensure we all went home. Yet I thought about Zach, and knew the time would come when I had to make a choice.

I shook myself. I couldn’t let my attention wander like that. The time hadn’t come for a decision yet, and I needed to get the jewel first before anything else could be decided.

I threw my thoughts out into the energy, hoping others would latch on to it. A riot of noise arose, filling my head with thoughts and pleas. I allowed it to go on for a few seconds before I asked for silence. It was quickly given to me, and I began to explain my plans for getting everyone out of there.

I’d just finished when I heard the door to whatever building I was in open. I settled back against the stone wall of my cell, not wanting them to see me talking to the human or Anson. I had checked for cameras before I even approached either of them. Not that I wouldn’t have been able to cause the equipment to malfunction. I didn’t want to bring Gideon to me any sooner than necessary.

“Well, it looks like the drugs have worn off.” Gideon propped his shoulder against the bars of my cell. “Too bad because it might have made what’s going to happen easier.”

I merely looked at him and blinked. ::He’s going to wish he had been drugged when I’m done tearing his heart from his chest.::

Story continued tomorrow...

2012-01-12T08:18:00.004-05:00

Sorry everyone. I had too many other things to do yesterday, I didn't have time to get to the next installment for the blog story. But I plan on working on it first thing this morning. So you'll have a new installment tomorrow I promise. :)

And don't forget the Cock & Bull Blog Tour is still going strong. Hop over to Simone Anderson's blog today where she has Kit Sands visiting. Click here. Remember the more you comment, the more chances you have to win some great gcs. :)

Well, I better get working. Have a great day.

Busy Wednesday

2012-01-11T08:40:00.002-05:00

Well, yesterday was pretty much a complete wash writing wise. But I've been doing pretty good with the word count, so a slow day is okay once in a while. I have some non-writing things to take care of today...meaning interviews and my blog tour excerpt which will be out on the 16th.

Once that's taken care of, I'm going to try and get some writing done. We'll see what I can accomplish. :)

I hope you all have a great day. :)

They Walk Among Us

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-Six-

Of course, I wouldn’t let Zach kill Gideon or any of the rebels. If it came down to killing, I’d do it. Having blood on my hands meant nothing to me.

::Keep your cool. I’ll deal with Gideon when the time is right.::

To be honest, I wasn’t ready to take Gideon out of the picture. The rebels had a role to play in my mission, even if I didn’t want them to do anything yet. If Gideon was truly using drugs, I’d take advantage of his addiction. Again, I wasn’t above using any means necessary to achieve my goal.

::We’re leaving the compound now. You should be hearing us soon.::

::All right.::

I leaned my head back against the tree, and closed my eyes, not wanting them to know I wasn’t completely knocked out. I needed to hear what Tyler and Gideon had to say. Even when humans had the upper hand, if their opponent was awake, they kept secrets. By pretending to be out, they would talk freely around me.

The roar of a vehicle alerted me to their arrival, and I managed not to cough when the cloud of dust from the road enveloped me. Doors slammed, and their auras brushed against mine. I was barely able to keep from gagging at the darkness surrounding two of the men. Those auras had to belong to Gideon and Tyler.

“I thought you were running when we came back and you were gone from the safe house,” Tyler spoke. “Do you know what he is?”

Zach grunted. “I had my suspicions, but he’d convinced me to leave before you got back. When I realized he was using me to get away for the government, I thought you might want him. I don’t have any real idea what he is besides strange.”

“You haven’t noticed anything odd about him?” The harsh ruined voice had to be Gideon speaking.

I focused a little bit of my power, reading the nuances of his mind and soul. There wasn’t much I liked about what I found. Gideon wasn’t interested in freeing the country from the government, he wanted the power for himself, and he was willing to use the rebels to get it.

::Watch Gideon, Zach. He’ll sell you all out if he got the power and money he wanted.::

Zach grunted again, his way of telling me he understood.

“Once I realized he used me, I told him we were driving out of the city to get away from the agents. I got him this far, drugged and left him here, so I could go and get you.”

I mentally wrinkled my nose as Gideon crouched next to me. God, the man reeked of drugs, stale sweat, and fear. I couldn’t tell if the fear was his, or from someone else. He grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked my head back. I yelped groggily, letting them know I was sort of awake.

“Looks like he’s coming around.”

Gideon’s foul breath washed over my face, and it took all my control not to shove the man away from me.

“He’s a pretty one, but I’ve found all the Opalites I’ve run into have been remarkably good-looking.” He leaned in close to me, and whispered, “I think I’ll enjoy having you share my bed.”

::Over my dead body.:: Zach’s thought shot into my brain.

::Don’t do anything yet. Trust me. I won’t let it get that far.::

I wasn’t just saying it to ease Zach’s anger. I would never be sharing a bed with Gideon. The only man who would be my lover from now on would be Zach, if he stayed with me. Before Gideon could do anything to me, I’d take his mind and make it mine. It was one of the powers I had that made me the person in charge of the mission to get the jewel.

“Put him in the trunk. We need to get back to the compound. You’ll join us for drinks, Zach, and we’ll talk about what we’ll be doing with this Opalite.”

Someone picked me up, and dumped me in the trunk of the car. I winced at the bruises created as I landed on something hard, but I didn’t moved beyond that.

::Are you okay?:: Zach sounded concerned.

::Just a few bumps and bruises. I’ll be fine. Gideon isn’t interested in doing anything to me yet. I need to be put in the cells where they’re holding Anson and the others.::

I have no idea how long it took us to get back to the compound, but finally the vehicle stopped, and the trunk popped open. Again someone lifted me out, and I was carried inside. They sat me down on something hard and cold. My hands were untied, but it was the sound of a door shutting that caused me to open my eyes.

Glancing around, I noticed I was in a cell with walls of bars on three sides. The fourth wall had to be an outside wall because it was built of stone. I stood, shaking my arms like I was trying to get the circulation back into them. I wandered the cell, learning the dimensions and examining any weaknesses it might have.

“Are you an Opalite?”

I swung around to see a young woman sitting in the cell to my right. I studied her for a moment, and she blinked when I nodded.

“I thought so. The bastard never looks happy unless he’s bringing a new victim in.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry you got caught. This is a hell on earth for Opalites, and some humans for that matter.”

After edging closer to her side of the cell, I reached out to touch the bars. They weren’t electrified or anything like that, which seemed odd to me.

“Gideon wants us to develop relationships. Makes it easier to break us if we see our friends being tortured.” She touched the top of my hand with her fingers. “There’s something different about you. You don’t seem scared. In fact, you look rather smug about getting in here. Why are you here?”

::To free you all.::

Another Day..Another Chapter....

2012-01-09T08:41:00.002-05:00

I was going to say 'Another Day...Another Dollar', but that's not really true. It's more true I'll probably end up writing another chapter on one of my stories...lol. I've been on a roll lately with both Gypsies and Deepest Cut. Moving along quite nicely on both of them. I can definitely see both of them being finished by the end of the month, which is good for me.

Don't forget the Cock & Bull Blog Tour is still happening. Check out Amber Kell's blog where she's hosting J.P. Barnaby.

well, have a great day...I have to get back to writing. :D

Bring Him Gold cover....

2012-01-06T12:58:00.003-05:00

Normally I'd wait until Monday to share this beautiful cover, but I had to show everyone how awesome Trace is. It's perfect. :D Bring Him Gold is the sequel to Embrace My Reflection...and we get to see how Lucius and Ronnie are doing. :) I can't wait for everyone to read it. :D It'll be out on Feb. 12th.

Back to your regularly scheduled day...lmao.

Finally Friday....

2012-01-06T09:11:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone....the next stop on the Cock & Bull Blog Tour is Marie Sexton's blog where she has JP Bowie visiting. Here's the link. Click on it...and check out what JP's talking about. Don't forget to comment for the possibility to win prizes...lol.

Writing has been going really well this week. I'm ready to break 10k on Gypsies, which is important...lol. And I'm almost ready to break 20k on The Deepest Cut, my next Young Adult novel. Woot! Both stories need to be at least 50k before I can call them done, and I'm thinking TDC might be closer to 60k, not entirely sure on that yet.

Not sure if I mentioned it or not, but over the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's, I got the idea for a f/f Young Adult story titled Pursuing Hope. Now this isn't an angsty story or anything like that. Just a girl trying to find the perfect date for prom, and her perfect date would just happen to be another girl. I think I went for non-angsty because I've never written a f/f story before, so I thought I'd try something light and fun instead. It's with my editor right now, and I'm hoping to hear something good about it, but if they decide not to take it, I'll figure something else out for it. Will I ever write another f/f? Who knows? It'll all depend on the plot ideas I get. I'm not saying I won't do it again. :D

Okay...well, I have to get to writing. I hope you all have a fabulous Friday...and a wonderful weekend.

Cock & Bull Blog Tour happening now...

2012-01-05T08:36:00.003-05:00

Today, it's Freddy MacKay's turn to host Marie Sexton and here's the link to Freddy's blog. Click here. Remember every time you comment, you're entered in the big grand prize drawing at the end of the blog tour. :)

If you stopped by for the next installment of my blog story, just scroll down. It's here...lol

They Walk Among Us

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us. copyright c 2012 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-Five-

Raven-

I convinced Zach to tie me up. I made him do the restraints twice, since the first time he tied the knots, a child could have gotten out of them.

::If the ropes are this loose, they’ll never believe you. While I might doubt their intelligence, I’m pretty sure they aren’t dumb enough to think I’d have sat around waiting for you to return.::

“You would if you were unconscious,” Zach commented.

Thinking for a moment, I finally shook my head. ::I’m afraid your human drugs don’t work on me. My blood burns through them too quickly. They have no time to actually affect me before they are out of my system.::

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Zach muttered. “But you could at least act like you’re unconscious or groggy when I bring them back. I can tell them I injected you with a short-term drug, which rendered you incapable of defending yourself. That’s how I managed to tie you up, and dump your ass here while I went to get a bigger vehicle.”

::I can do that. Now rip my shirt and jeans. Rub some dirt on my clothes and hands. We need to make it look like I fought a little bit when I realized what you were doing.::

Zach did what I told him, but his unhappiness shined through. I rested my bound hands on his shoulder before he straightened from his crouch. He met my gaze, and I leaned forward, pressing our lips together. I put all my feelings for him into the kiss. Did I really love him? I didn’t know, but I cared far more deeply for him than for anyone else I’d ever known.

I was willing to risk the failure of our mission to keep Zach with me. At any time, he could report me to the government or even truly hand me over to the rebels. Just because I could easily free myself from either faction didn’t matter. What mattered was I trusted Zach with secrets no other human knew about Opalites and about the ones left behind.

He eased away from me, and touched his hand to my cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I don’t want you out here on your own. It’s really cold out here. I should leave my coat with you.”

::No. It doesn’t matter. You won’t be gone for long, and I’ll be fine until you get back.:: I shivered, even though I wasn’t as affected by the cold as he was.

“I still don’t understand why we can’t just walk in there, and rescue this kid without you having to be a prisoner.”

::Gideon would never let me close enough to save Anson. Tyler must have told him what he suspects about me. By coming in as a prisoner, I have a better chance of getting to Anson without anyone knowing better.::

“Anson? That’s the kid’s name?”

Nodding, I pointed down the road toward the rebels’ compound. ::You need to go, Zach. We can’t waste any more time.::

“Right.” Zach straddled the motorcycle and turned it on. He gave me one last look before he sped off into the night.

I laid my head on the rough bark of the tree trunk Zach had propped me against. Closing my eyes, I focused my power and, instantly, the link I had established with Zach flared. I couldn’t see or hear anything through the link, but I sensed where he was in relation to myself.

::Is this the best idea, Raven?::

Rissia’s question came through, but it was faint, telling me I wasn’t close to her.

::Possibly not, but it’s the best I can do. Anson must be saved. We can’t lose any more of our brethren, Rissia. They have as much right to see our home planet again as we do. None of us are more worthy than any other.::

::I know, but I fear you take on too much responsibility. There are others who could free Anson without you being involved.::

::They’re too far away. He won’t last much longer. Anson hasn’t come into his full powers, Rissia. He is still a child, and has no way of healing or protecting himself from what these humans are doing.::

Rissia’s surprise rippled through him.

::I didn’t know there were any so young left. I thought we’d all come into our powers.::

I gave a mental shrug. ::I’ll find out the reason for it after I save him.::

::You’re sure it’s not a trap, set to lure you in?::

::Of course, it’s a trap, Rissia, but what they don’t realize is I know it’s a trap, and I’ll counter it, no matter what. I can’t let these rebels gain any more power, and you have to figure out how to get free from the government. We must find the jewel, and go home.::

Rissia faded away with a little mental hug. I hated having my sister so far from me, but while getting captured by the government hadn’t really been part of her-or my-plan, it worked for us. If she could free herself without needing my help, I could turn to finding the jewel. But I would go to her side in a heartbeat if she needed me.

Zach’s link flared briefly with a deep red rage. Something had happened in the compound, and Zach was in danger. I had a decision to make. Free myself from my ropes and go look for him, or stay where I was at, waiting for the rebels to come and get me?

::Zach, are you okay?::

::Yes!::

I cringed as Zach shouted in my head.

::Stay where you are. We’re coming for you, but when you get ready to free Anson, give me a signal. I’ll kill Gideon with my bare hands.::

::Breathe, love. What has he done?:: Well, besides the obvious capture and torture of fellow Opalites.

Zach’s next thoughts were much calmer like he’d gotten a hold of his murderous rage and channeled it. ::He has more than just Anson here as prisoners. Also, I believe he’s doing drugs, and so are a lot of the rebels.::

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I hated drugs more than any other thing on the earth. They took the best in people, and destroyed them until there was nothing left but an empty shell of self-loathing and hate.

Hunky Wednesday

2012-01-04T08:45:00.005-05:00

I love this picture...and I actually have a story

started that would work with him. Definitely going to have to add it to my inspiration file...lol

Okay so don't forget the Cock and Bull Blog Tour is up and running. I started it off with Julia Knight. Yesterday Julia had LA Witt at her blog. Today, LA Witt has Freddy MacKay visiting. Here's the link for LA's blog.

Remember every time you comment at the different blogs, you get entered into a contest. At the end of the blog tour, three names will be drawn...and grand prize is a $150 Amazon GC. the other two prizes are Amazon gcs as well. Woot!

If you want the schedule of where everyone will be during the tour, click on the icon and it'll take you to the main list with links to each of the blogs involved. :)

Now, my writing is going well. Getting back into the swing of things with Gypsies. Yay! Once that's finished, I'll be working on the sequel to Out of Light into Darkness, featuring Andor's demon bodyguard. Of course, there will be other stories being crafted along the way as well. I can't seem to work on just one at a time. My muse (or mind) won't let me.

I hope you stop by the blog tour. It's a fun one. Have a great day.

They Walk Among Us

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-Four-

We left the safety of the warehouse, and I oriented myself to the beacon of pain coming from the young Opalite. Zach was heading in the right direction so far.

::How do you want to play this out?:: Zach’s question filled my mind.

::You’re going to tell Tyler and Gideon, you’ve decided to turn me over to them. I’ve become more than you can handle on your own. If they tell you to leave, you leave. Don’t argue with them, or give away the fact you might like me.::

::Might like you? If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t be helping you like this. I don’t like the idea of leaving you there by yourself.::

Sighing, I tightened my arms around his waist for a quick second before loosening my grip. ::Trust me, Zach. I can protect myself. There isn’t anything Gideon or Tyler can do to hurt me.::

::But they’re hurting the other Opalite they have. And you said they’re doing it to draw you out. Don’t you think they’d be prepared for you?::

I chuckled, and while there wasn’t any sound, I thought Zach got the picture of what I was doing. Annoyance drifted through our link, because he didn’t think I was taking the threat seriously.

::You are the leading authority on Opalites, Zach, and there were things about me you didn’t know. Those men have no idea what I’m capable of. They can hurt the young Opalite because he hasn’t come into his full power yet, but even if he had, he’d still not be as powerful as I am.::

If it was the truth, then I wasn’t bragging. Because of my ancestry, I was the strongest Opalite left on earth, and it was my job to keep the others safe until our mission came to an end. The way things were moving, the end was coming a little sooner than I planned.

Yet we were as ready as we were ever going to be, and we had humans to help us as well. I hoped Zach would continue to travel with me on my journey as far as I had to go.

::Are you like the de facto Opalite leader of the refugees?::

I shrugged. ::No. I don’t see myself as that. Maybe the others do because of my power, but I think we are all equals.::

A faint derisive snort in the back of my mind told me what Rissia thought of my statement. She had been very vocal about her thoughts on my position in the mission. All I wanted was to find the jewel, and get the hell off this godforsaken planet. I might have grown up on earth, but I held no emotional attachment to it.

I’ve always dreamed of a home I’d never seen. I was born while in route to earth, and all the images of my home planet came from my parents before they died. It was a place I longed to see before I died, and with our mission in motion, the possibility of being able to see it was getting closer every minute.

::Some instinct tells me you’re downplaying your position in the Opalite community. If you’re so sure you can save this youngster all by yourself, you shouldn’t need anyone else’s help.::

::No matter how powerful, no one is an island unto himself. I’ve learned that the hard way, and I’m willing to admit there are things I don’t know how to do like drive.::

Zach jerked his head like he wasn’t expecting to hear that. ::You can’t drive?::

::No. I never learned how to do it up in the mountains where I’m from. My foster family was extremely poor, and a car was a luxury they couldn’t afford. We walked wherever we needed to go.::

::Or flew?::

I shook my head, even though Zach couldn’t see me. ::No flying. Too easy to be spotted, and the government would swoop in like a giant carnivore to eat those people alive. I wouldn’t have risked it.::

::But you can fly?::

::Get me to the rebel’s headquarters, Zach, and you’ll see what I can do.::

I wasn’t interested in talking any more. We were getting closer to where the Opalite was being held, and I needed all my concentration not to get overwhelmed by his pain. Also, I had to fight down my own rage at the thought of humans treating my fellow Opalites like monsters or criminals when we’d done nothing wrong.

Zach pulled the cycle to a stop at a fork in the road an hour or so later. I hadn’t been paying attention to where we were, needing to focus on calming the other Opalite. Looking up, I saw we were in the backcountry, surrounded by a forest. Perfect place for a rebellion to hide out.

He shut off the bike, and removed his helmet. I climbed off, and took mine off as well. Zach turned to look at me.

“How do we arrive? I can’t have you riding on the back of my bike, because if I tied you up, you could still overpower me and escape.”

::Leave me here. Go and talk to Gideon and Tyler. Tell them you have me tied up outside the compound, but you need a vehicle to collect me. I’ll take care of the rest.::

“Are you completely sure about this, Raven? I don’t feel right about just leaving you to their tender mercies.” Zach cupped the side of my face.

I pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand. ::If it makes you feel better, you can hang around. Just not where they can see you, because they’d get suspicious of your motives then. That way if I need your help for a quick getaway, you’re around to help me.::

He still didn’t look convinced that my plan would work or was even the best way to handle it. Zach wanted to bust in there and demand the release of the Opalite, but that way wouldn’t work. In my life, I’d learned sabotage from within worked best to bring down an enemy.

Cock and Bull Blog Tour

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Please welcome Julia Knight to the blog, everyone. She’s kicking off the Cock and Bull Tour by visiting with us. Just so you know, Julia's story does have girlie bits in it, but we won't hold it against her. :D The rest of the books being promoted on the blog tour are m/m.

Her book, The Viking’s Sacrifice, is available today at Carina Press. Here’s the link, so go check it out. But to give you a taste of the book, I interviewed Einar, the hero of The Viking’s Sacrifice. It was a little difficult since he can’t talk, but we managed.

Here we go:

1) What is your position in the village?

Once I was Einar the young, the strong, Einar Sheen-Mane, third son of the jarl. Those days are long gone. Now I’m Wry-Foot, Coward, and my name is Toki, the fool.

2) What do you like best about being a Viking?

We’re men of Thor, sons of Odin. Men and women of honour and our word is like iron.

3) How long have you been silent?

Eight years.

4) Is it magically impossible to talk?

I—I can talk but if I do, I’m afraid it will fall out of me, the secret I’m cursed not to speak. The curse is strong magic, rune-cut and dipped in my blood so that if I speak of it, my family will die.

5) How do you communicate with others?

Not many care enough to know what I say, but I can make basic signs.

6) What is it that draws you to Wilda?

She sees Red-Thor in me—thinks that I’m brave. I’m not, am the coward they think me, but I would be brave for her, would make her the free woman she was meant to be.

7) Why did you save her the first time?

She was afraid, but trying to master it. I understood that.

8) What were the consequences?

I saved her – and she saved me. Without her, I would have died that day under my own brother’s blade. And without her I would never have gained the courage to face a murderer.

9) After everything that has happened since you saved Wilda, can you say it was worth it?

Everything is worth it for Wilda.

Thank you, Einar, for joining us and sharing some painful emotions with us.

And thank you, Julia, for stopping by as well. Here’s the blurb for The Viking’s Sacrifice.

Blurb:

Viking raiders destroyed Wilda’s home. She witnessed the murder of her mother and would have been killed herself if it weren’t for the Viking boy Einar, who saved her from his ruthless brother. The blood and murder left Wilda cold and shorn of feeling.

Eight years later, the heathens return for Wilda. As a captive in the Viking village, she finds protection and silent comfort in the man who once gallantly saved her.

Einar has been cursed to silence by his brother. With the dark net of his brother’s power cast over their village, silence is a small price to pay for his family’s safety. But Einar is immediately drawn to Wilda, and the need to protect her from his brother awakens his Viking courage. Can Einar break his brother’s curse in time to save the village and the woman he loves?

You can find out more about Julia Knight, her books and reviews, at http://juliaknight.co.uk or find her on twitter @Knight_Julia

Also, Julia would like to give one lucky commenter their choice of either The Viking’s Sacrifice or Ten Ruby Trick. You can check out the blurb for Ten Ruby Trick at Julia’s website.

Thank you all for stopping by, and remember tomorrow the tour will be at Julia’s blog where she’ll be hosting L.A. Witt.

Last Friday of the Year

2011-12-30T08:41:00.002-05:00

Wow....Sunday is the start of a whole new year. I have to say this year flew by. It was like I blinked on January 1st, 2011, and suddenly here we are, Dec. 30th of the same year. What happened to all that time in between? Where did it go?

I have to admit 2011 was an experiment to see if I could write full time without allowing myself to be distracted and find better things to do while I'm home. I think I did a pretty good job all things considered. I've proven I can do it, and financially it worked out as well. So I guess I get to stay home another year. :D

Good thing too, considering how many books I have on my calendar to write next year. Twelve are already contracted, and six of those are written. I have eleven more I'd like to finish next year as well. We'll see what happens. That might too ambitious, and I might end up moving a few of them to 2013, but who knows? I might surprise myself...lol

Oh, and starting on January 2nd, I'll be part of a blog tour called Cock and Bull Blog Tour. There's fifteen of us, and there will be prizes. If you follow the tour, every comment you make along the way enters you into the grand prize contest. Which are some serious Amazon gcs. Also, there will individual prizes given out along the way. So you have the opportunity to win twice.

I'm up first on the blog tour, and I'll be hosting Julia Knight...who also happens to be the only author in the tour who has girly bits in her story, but I promise her story is great. So I hope you look forward to that.

Also, I hope you all had a great 2011, and have a safe and fun New Year's Eve and Day. :) See you in the new year.

They Walk Among Us

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2011 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-Three-

Zach blinked at my sudden personality change. Usually, I tried to hide behind a placid facade, but when it was one of my own in danger, I’d face any danger to save them.

“You’ve been using me this whole time,” he muttered as he stood and got dressed.

I grabbed his arms, and jerked him close to me. ::I didn’t even know who you were when we met in the hospital. I’ve spent my entire life avoiding the son of the man who helped destroy my people. I’ve always thought you would be willing to continue your father’s legacy.::

“Now that you’ve met me and know I loathe what my father did, what do you think? Obviously I’m not too repulsive since you slept with me.”

Resisting the urge to shake Zach until his eyes pop out of his head, I yanked him tight against me and kissed him. I put all my frustration with him, and need for him into the kiss, hoping he understood by actions what I wasn’t able to get him to understand through my words.

It was only the sudden stab of pain that broke us apart. I groaned as it tore through my side. Zach studied me as I bent over, trying to breath.

“What’s wrong?” The doctor in him wanted to help me, but he wasn’t sure if he could.

::They’re torturing the Opalite.::

“You can feel his pain?”

Nodding, I slowly straightened up. ::I can feel the pain of all of them. I’m connected to all of the Opalites left on earth. We need to go, Zach. I promise you, when we are safe, or as safe as we can be at the moment, I’ll tell you everything.::

“Then you’ll kill me,” he quipped with a slight smile.

I wasn’t sure if he was joking or if he really did believe I’d kill him once I revealed all my secrets. He gathered his jacket and helmet while I waited impatiently by the door. I’d already grabbed my stuff. Before we left the apartment, I cradled his face in my hands and looked into his eyes.

::I won’t be the one to kill or harm you, Zach. It’s your own people you’ll have to worry about. They aren’t interested in you as a person. They want what you can give them, but in the end, they will sacrifice you for their own ends.::

“You won’t sacrifice me, if it comes down to it?”

I hoped it didn’t come to the choice between Zach and the rest of the Opalites. If it did, I would do what I’d been trained to do since I was a child. Yet as I watched Zach walk toward me, I vowed never to leave him behind. No matter what came to be in the coming days, weeks, and months, I would never give this man up.

In the few days we’d known each other, Zach had come to mean so much more than a human I could use to reach my end goal. He’d come to be a part of myself, and knowing it scared me far more than anything else I’d have to do to achieve my goals.

::No, I won’t sacrifice you. No human has to die for us to obtain our goal. I must free the young Opalite from the rebels’ hands. Then I must find my sister. Once I have Rissia, we must continue with our mission. I can’t abandon it, Zach. Too many of my people depend on me to make everything right.::

“You’re the only one who can make things right? There isn’t anyone else of your kind who can do it? Not even your sister?”

Something in Zach’s tone told me he believed me. Maybe it was our skin touching, forging a connection between us, but Zach wasn’t going to question me anymore at the moment.

::No. Not even Rissia can do what I can, and I wouldn’t ask her to do it either. It’s too dangerous, and she doesn’t have the training.:: I changed the subject. ::Can we go now?::

“Are you sure Gideon and Tyler have your friend?” Zach opened the apartment door and led the way down the stairs to where the motorcycle was parked.

::Yes. I saw a fleeting glimpse of them through the captive’s eyes. I’m not sure how they found him or even figured out what he was, but I do believe they took him to draw me out.::

Zach whirled to look at me. “You’re kidding? You think they’re doing this to get you, but you’re still going into the lion’s den to free that kid.”

After I slid on my jacket, I shrugged when I noticed Zach still stared at me. ::I can’t leave him there, Zach. You’re a doctor. If you saw someone injured, you wouldn’t hesitate to help him, and that’s what I have to do. Besides, your rebels think they know all about Opalites, but there are so many things they don’t know about us, and those things could get them killed.::

“By you?” Zach put his helmet on, and started the motorcycle after straddling it.

I climbed on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I rested my head on his back. ::By him, if they push him too far. But also by me, if I’m given no other option. Believe me, Zach, I don’t relish taking life, but to protect those I claim as my own I’ll go to any lengths.::

::I believe you.::

I could only hope Zach realized I now included him as one of my people. He wasn’t born an Opalite, and his father was the one who assassinated the Opalite leaders. I should want nothing to do with him, and should be willing to throw him to the wolves the first chance I got. Yet something told me he wasn’t like his father.

Zach had learned about my people, and he didn’t see us as alien invaders intent on taking earth away from humans. I was a hundred percent sure how he saw us, but as long as he continued to stay with me where I could protect him, I wouldn’t question his beliefs too closely.

The Longest Stride Cover

2011-12-28T08:48:00.003-05:00

This is the awesome cover to The Longest Stride, my first release of the new year. :) I think it's perfect for the book, which comes out January 22nd. It will also go into print some time in Feb.

I'm working on a short YA story titled Pursuing Hope. It's quite a departure for me because it's a lesbian story. I got the idea on Christmas Eve, and it hasn't let me go, so I've been working on it every day since. I'm hoping it'll turn out all right. Like I said, it's something different for me, but I had to write it. We'll see if Featherweight will want it when I'm done. If not, I might publish it on my own. Who knows?

The other books are coming along as well. I'm trying to refrain from starting any new books until I get some of the ones already on my schedule done. :) It's working pretty well, except for the YA story...lol. When I get PH done, I'll get back into the swing of Gypsies to get that done.

I hope you have an exciting Wednesday.

They Walk Among Us

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2011 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-Two-

I let him tuck me under the blankets, and I rolled on my side to watch him turn off the lights. He checked the locked door before he stripped and joined me. I moved into his arms, and rested my head on his shoulder.

“You know meeting you complicates things, Raven,” Zach admitted.

Snorting, I smiled, even though he couldn’t see me. ::It complicates things for me as well, Zach.::

Zach hummed in acknowledgement. “I have to admit, I think there’s more going on with you than you’re telling me.”

I didn’t stiffen or let on how close Zach had come.

“You’re playing several different games. I just hope none of them result in you or me getting hurt.”

Pushing up to brace myself on my elbow, I looked down at him. I could see him clearly in the darkness. He stared up at me, not knowing he showed me his worries and fears in his gaze. I brushed his hair off his forehead with a gentle touch.

::I promise I’ll do everything in my power not to let you get hurt. There are pieces in play you know nothing about, and it’s best if you don’t.::

“I’ve had this feeling for years, that what humans know about Opalites is only what you’ve let us find out. You’re like an onion, so many layers need to peeled back to find the core of who you really are.”

::I’ve been called a lot of things, but this is the first time anyone’s compared me to an onion.:: I joked, because I couldn’t really say anything else.

Zach didn’t laugh, and I sighed.

::Isn’t it enough that I’m trusting you with mine and Rissa’s life? You know what we are, and if you’re inclined, you could turn me into the government. Or you could take me to Gideon and the rebellion. Either way, I’m screwed. Yet I’ve followed you without question or doubt because I trust you to keep me safe.::

“But can I trust you to keep me safe when all your game pieces fall into place and your plans work?” Zach didn’t move away from me.

::Yes.::

It was a simple answer, but the truth. There were provisions in our ultimate end game for humans who helped us. I had the power to ensure Zach wouldn’t be hurt after everything came to a close.

“Who are you that you can promise me that?”

I didn’t want to continue the conversation because I couldn’t tell him who I was, or how I could promise him such a thing. I started to lean down to kiss him, but he turned his head away from me.

“Who were your parents, Raven?”

Flopping on my back, I sighed dramatically, even though I knew he had every right to ask me.

::They saw the writing on the wall, and knew humans weren’t going to take their arrival calmly. My parents convinced some other Opalite parents to allow trusted humans to take them and raise them as their own.:: I closed my eyes, trying not to feel the searing pain of separation again. After my parents left, I’d spent weeks in my room, crying and trying to fight every compulsion they’d placed on me to make me stay with the humans.

“Why did they come then?”

The mattress moved as Zach rolled over to face me.

::They weren’t given a choice. Either they come here or they remained on our home planet, and that wasn’t an option for them. I’m not entirely sure how they knew things would go bad here, but they made provisions for their children.::

“And those provisions have worked so far. Yet something tells me you’re not as upset about Rissia’s capture as you’d like me to think.” Zach sounded thoughtful.

::Never doubt that I am worried about my sister. I know what the government is capable of when it comes to Opalites, and anyone who is different from what they want. Humans don’t have a good track record when it comes to accepting differences.::

A blinding pain pierced my head, blocking out Zach’s reply. I clutched at my head, working through all the pain and terror rocketing around my brain. Once I established it wasn’t Rissia, I began to unravel the threads connecting me to all the Opalites in the world.

Zach reached over and turned on a light when he realized something was wrong.

“What the hell is going on, Raven?”

His hands hovered over me, but I knew he wouldn’t risk touching me. I glowed blood red, the Opalite color for distress. I couldn’t shake my head to tell him I would be fine eventually. He fell silent, and that was what I needed to focus.

Finally, I found the link creating the disturbance. I followed it wherever it lead, and what I found brought a frown of disgust to my face. The Opalite was far younger than me, and he’d been taken by a group of humans. The things they were doing to him almost brought tears to my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them fall until after I had the Opalite in my arms.

::Show me what you see.:: I ordered the boy, steadying him enough to allow him to do so.

What I saw brought a growl bubbling up from my chest. I’d never made a sound in my life, but my fury drew it from me.

::Hold on. I’m coming for you.::

The link was severed somehow, and I dropped back on the bed, panting.

“Did you just growl?” Zach laid his hand on my chest.

At his touch, I shot off the bed and across the room to where my clothes were. With my hands shaking, it took longer to get dressed, but finally I finished. I turned to look at my lover.

::I need you to take me to the rebellion’s headquarters.::

Zach’s eyebrows shot up, and he shook his head. “I’m not risking Gideon and Tyler getting their hands on you.”

::They got their hands on another Opalite. He’s young and in a great deal of pain. They’re torturing him, and I won’t let them kill him. I don’t care who the hell they are. He is one of my people, and I will do what I must to save him.::

The Second Horseman has been released.

2011-12-26T09:07:00.004-05:00

War, the second book in my The Four Horsemen series is available now from Total e-Bound. Click here to check it out. It's my last release for the year. :) I thought I'd give you the blurb and an excerpt.

Book two in The Four Horsemen Series

Fighting the battle in his own heart, War must find peace before he can find love.

War destroyed an entire tribe of innocent people when he was human, all because his best friend lied to him. His guilt brings him a destiny he never planned. As the Red Horseman, War spends the centuries creating battles and wars between countries to restore balance in the world. While he accepts the job to atone for his sins, he wishes he didn’t cause men to kill each other. War lives a solitary life, without hope of ever finding forgiveness.

From the mountains of Afghanistan to the plains of Kansas, and to the steppes of Mongolia, Russell Heinz searches for peace. He’s battling survivor’s guilt after having two members of his army unit die within feet of him. His own mind shuts down, and Russell spends time in a mental ward, dreaming of a man with blood-red hair and all-black eyes. Unsure if the man is real or just a figment of his wounded mind, Russell heads to Mongolia, looking for forgiveness of his own.

Separately, Russell and War fight their own personal demons. Together, they find peace in a love tested by the fires of battle.

Reader Advisory: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series

Enjoy! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas...and a marvelous Boxing Day for those who celebrate it. :)

They Walk Among Us

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2011 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-One-

Raven-

I settled into the middle of the living room, crossed my legs and started to clear my mind of everything with the potential to distract me. The constriction of my clothes bothered me, and I couldn’t focus, so I stood and stripped.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Looking over my shoulder toward the kitchen area, I saw Zach sitting at the table and staring at me. I smiled, leaned over to grab the blanket off the back of the couch before I sat again. I wrapped it around my shoulders, and tucked it under my butt. The floor was still cold, and the chill would make it difficult for me to concentrate. I didn’t like being cold.

“Did you have to get naked to do whatever you were doing?”

::I need to make sure there aren’t any distractions, and the way my clothes confined me was such a one. Now I’ll be fine. Go about whatever you were doing.::

He grunted, but I ignored him. Closing my eyes, I began to empty my mind and body of any thoughts or feelings, plus blocking Zach While I trusted Zach to help me, and not betray me, it was time for me to stop being a victim, and start being the person I was born to be.

If anyone, even Zach, discovered who I was before I was ready, everything we’d been planning through out the years. I couldn’t risk that, not even for a human I could see myself falling in love with. Ultimately, the will of many were more important than the wants of a few.

After my mind was clear, I sent out a signal through all the mental lines connected to my soul. I had never used them before, but I knew the process of contacting every Opalite left on earth. The only one I didn’t try was my sister. Rissia’s capture by the government insured that I wouldn’t be able to ‘talk’ to her until I had all my other plans in place. I didn’t know if the scientists working for the government had ways to monitor her brain waves.

::When do we meet?::

I didn’t react to the eagerness in the question. My fellow Opalites had been waiting for this moment.

::I don’t have a time yet, but I want you to be ready to move as soon as you see the signal. I must retrieve the jewel from the government. That is my priority. Once I have it in my possession, it will be time for us to gather.::

Excitement raced through the lines trickling into my soul. My hands trembled, and I wanted to run out of the apartment, declaring my presence to all the creatures on earth. I clenched my hands, resting them on my thighs. I gathered the energy and power pouring in from my fellow refugees. The time would come when I would need what they’d given me.

::But the time is near?::

::Yes, it is very near. We must be very careful.:: I emphasized the caution in my warning. ::We can’t move too soon, or our advantage will be taken away.::

They bowed to my will, and no matter how much they wanted to do something, they wouldn’t. The Opalites had waited this long for their moment, they could wait a few days more.

I eased out of my trance, letting the sounds of the apartment around me become louder. I heard Zach murmuring in the background. Keeping my eyes closed, I focused on what he was saying.

“Listen, Ronsted, I’m not asking you. I’m telling you to do this. I need that information asap.” Zach paused, and I felt his gaze land on me. “I can’t tell you why I need it. Trust me when I say it’s not anything you’re going to get in trouble for. I wouldn’t risk your job like that.”

Maybe if Zach knew my whole plan, he wouldn’t be telling Ronsted that. Was I using Zach? In most people’s eyes, yes, I was, but I needed him as much as he needed me. None of my plans could start until I had the jewel in my hand. Also, I needed Rissia freed as well.

At least, Zach could help me get my sister back, and once she was with me, I would offer Zach a choice. What decision he made would decide his future, though I would, within my power, ensure he didn’t come to harm.

“Are you kidding? When did that happen?”

Something in Zach’s tone told me the news Ronsted imparted wasn’t good.

“The entire facility was destroyed?” A pause as Ronsted talked. “It was their major research lab, and it’s leveled.”

I smiled, knowing Zach couldn’t see me. ::Good for you, Rissia. I should have known you’d take care of yourself. Are you free yet?::

Her reply was weak. ::Not yet, but they’ve had to move me to a smaller less secure facility. It will make it easier for you to come and get me. By the time you get to me, I should be able to pinpoint where the jewel is being kept.::

::You do know letting yourself be captured is rather an extreme way of finding it.::

Rissia somehow managed to convey rolling her eyes through our connection. ::I know that, Raven. I didn’t plan on being taken. I thought I could use him without his knowing what I was.::

::In other words, your arrogance and utter contempt for humans got you captured, and could have compromised our entire mission.::

My disapproval dripped through my line to her. In my mind’s eye, I could almost see her bowing her head at my rebuke.

::I’m sorry.::

::We can’t waste time to regret, so continue looking for the jewel, and I’ll be coming for you as soon as I can. Be safe, Rissia. We aren’t indestructible.::

Her promise came through in a warm wave. I sighed, and slumped forward, rubbing my face with my hands.

“Are you all right?” Zach knelt behind me, resting his rough hands on my back.

::Just tired.:: I could admit to that at least.

“Let’s grab some sleep. We can work on figuring stuff out once we’re recharged.”

He helped me to my feet and escorted me to the bed in the opposite corner of the loft. I absorbed his gentle care, acknowledging how far more complicated things had become since I met Zach.

Wild day

2011-12-22T08:43:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was taken up with doing edits, and finishing up my Christmas shopping. So I didn't have any time to work on They Walk Among Us. I was bushed when I got home last night, and all I did was veg in front of the TV for an hour before I went to bed...lol

Don't worry. The next installment will be up tomorrow for your enjoyment. :) I'm working on Gypsies as well. I hope everyone likes this new trilogy as much as I like the idea of it...lol. Gypsies is the first one in the series.

Well, I have a lot of writing to do, so I'm going to wish you all a Happy Thursday...and be safe.

Wednesday Hunks

2011-12-21T08:43:00.001-05:00

wow...only four more days to Christmas. Yikes! Have to finish up my shopping. I hate waiting until the last minute to get stuff.

Well, I'm editing a book today, and it needs to be done asap. So I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to the next installment for They Walk Among Us, but if I don't, I will get it done for you all on Friday. I promise.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone. :)

They Walk Among Us

2011-12-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright. c. 2011 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-

Raven and his sister needed to be safe, and it was up to me to keep them away from the others.

::This is quite impressive.::

Raven’s surprised comment brought a smile to my face. I joined him at the landing, and glanced around. It was a loft apartment, outfitted with every thing I’d need for an extended stay. There was a kitchen, bathroom, and the bed was pushed up against the wall on the opposite side of the space.

“Yeah. I found this place a couple of years ago, and decided I needed to have a hidey-hole. No one knows this place exists. Well, they know the building is here, but no one would ever figure out who owned it or what I’ve done with it.”

::So you’ve never trusted any of them. Not the government or the rebellion.::

I shook my head. “Can’t say I’ve ever trusted anyone really. I didn’t have a great childhood, though it’s not like anyone else did either. Once my father died, my mother just left me. Oh, she was physically around, but mentally, she’d checked out.”

Raven walked over to me, and rested his hand on my arm. ::I’m sorry. My childhood wasn’t bad. I had my sister, and my foster parents did the best they could to raise us in the ways of our people.::

“How did they know what to do? It wasn’t like any of the adult Opalites were around to instruct them.”

I touched Raven’s hand with my fingers before moving toward the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and started unpacking one of the bags. We’d gotten food at the store as well since I knew there wasn’t anything except non-perishables in the apartment.

Raven propped his hip against the counter and watched me. ::They transferred the knowledge mentally in the same way we communicate. It’s a bit much to deal with all at once, but my parents didn’t have a choice. They knew they were being hunted, so they did the best they could. My foster parents abandoned the city, and moved as far out into the country as they could to keep us safe.::

“You never resented them?” I left out two beers and two ready-made sandwiches.

::Why would I? They didn’t try to kill my people or me. They greeted us with open arms, and believed our true purpose for being here. My real parents read their intent, and knew it would be okay to leave us with them.:: Sadness trickled through their link. ::I miss them, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to come and free Rissia.::

“Do you ever think of your real parents?”

After standing, I carried the stuff to the table. Raven found plates for us, and we sat to eat. Raven paused before he took a bite. I wasn’t sure if it was to check out the food, or to think about the answer to the question I asked.

::Yes, I do miss them in a way. There’s a hole in my heart where they should be. I should be able to sense their presence no matter how far apart we are, but ever since they were killed, I only have a black hole there.::

I set my sandwich down, and stood, walking over to Raven. I shoved his chair around, so I could kneel at his feet. I rested my hands on his thighs as I stared up at him. His dark eyes met mine, and I heard an odd click in my head. I frowned, but didn’t let it distract me from what I was doing.

“The only way I’ll ever leave you is if I’m dead, or if you ask me to go. There’s something between us, Raven, and after all this crazy shit is over with, I want to investigate it a little more.” I squeezed his thighs under my hands. “Do you trust me enough to keep you safe, and to find your sister before anything else happens to her?”

He studied me with those mysterious eyes, and I swore I could feel him rummage through my brain and heart. Was it the same thing his parents did to ensure their precious children would be safe with the humans? Yet he wasn’t giving me his child, he was giving me his life and the life of his sister. Was I worthy of such trust? I hoped so.

::I trust you to do as you promise, Zach. As for the rest of what you said, we’ll see about that when my sister is no longer in danger.:: He cupped my face in his slender hands and smiled at me. ::Thank you for wanting to protect me, even though I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I need help navigating in this human world, so I don’t end up like my parents, trusting the wrong people to keep them safe.::

“Who were your parents? Who didn’t keep them safe?”

Raven shook his head. ::It doesn’t matter now. Let’s finish eating, and you can tell me what you’ve got planned.::

I could tell there was something he wasn’t telling me, but he was right. It didn’t matter at the moment. We needed to eat, and I wanted to contact my associates to get some information. Also, Raven needed to see if he could find his sister. If she was still in the city, it would make our job a little easier in discovering where she was, and how to get her free.

“All right. We’ll table the personal issues until a later date.” I pushed up to my feet, but paused long enough to kiss him.

He opened for me, supporting me with his hands while we kissed. Soon I was aching and hard. Not a good thing when I didn’t have time to do anything about it. I stepped away with a pained grunt. He laughed and shrugged.

::When you’re done talking to whoever you need to talk to, we’ll see about taking care of your other problem.::

I smacked him on the arm before heading back to my seat. He smirked, but didn’t stop me. We continued eating, not saying anything else. I wanted all my current plans taken care of, so I could drag Raven off to the bed and have him ride me until he came all over me. His face turned beet red, and I laughed.

“That’s what you get for reading my thoughts, honey.” I winked as I drank the last of my beer.

More good news

2011-12-19T08:29:00.003-05:00

As of December 17th, my two books with Aspen Mountain Press have reverted back to me because of breach of contract. The two books are Understanding Forgiveness and Understanding the Past. I took them down off my blog side bar awhile ago.

I'm happy to say they'll be re-released by MLR Press some time next year under a new title, The Subtlety of Understanding. We've combined both books into one bigger one. It'll get a new cover, and will be out in print as well as ebook form. I'll keep you updated on whether anything else gets added or changed, in case you're interested in picking up the re-release.

Writing went okay this past weekend. Didn't get as actually writing done as I wanted, but I did edit The Longest Stride, so that's good. I'm thinking Replacing Memories will be done this week as well. It might be a little longer than I planned, but that's not all bad. :D

Well, I hope you have a great Monday, and remember Christmas is only six days away. Yikes!

Closing in on the end

2011-12-16T08:44:00.003-05:00

of the year and Replacing Memories. I'm seeing the last chapter or so of the story, then it's on to the next one. I don't tend to take time off between books. It must be the need I have to write. I can go one night or so without doing it, but if I go longer than a day, I start to get cranky. Writing is something I need to do, much like reading, though it's taking the main spot and reading has been pushed back to second place for me.

So once I finish RM, I might take the rest of that day off, but I'll start a new story the next day. More than likely, it's all the characters I have stuffed into my head are clamoring for their stories to be told. I try to keep them in a straight (lol) line and organized, but sometimes some cut to the front, and there's nothing I can do about it.

It's back to writing for me. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and an awesome weekend.

They Walk Among Us

2011-12-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2011 T.A. Chase

Part Nineteen-

After stopping at the big box store to pick up sweatshirts for both of us, we continued on. Raven stiffened slightly as we entered the city, but from the opposite direction from where we left it. I’d learned over the years of working with the rebels and the government, the best place to hide was right under their noses.

They all would expect us to run as far away as we can, and while it’s what every instinct in my body told me do, I knew Raven wouldn’t leave without his sister. I didn’t blame him. If I had siblings who were in danger, I would’ve done anything in my power to keep them safe, which was why we were back in the city.

::I thought we were going to a safe house.::

I stopped at a light, and nodded. ::We are headed for a safe house. This one just happens to be in the city. We still need to find your sister, and we can’t do that if we’re miles away from here.::

::We don’t know if she’s still here. They could have moved her after they beat me up in the alley.::

::I know, but I have ways for finding out where she is. We have to get to somewhere safe, so I can leave you there while I get in touch with my contacts.::

Raven’s grip on my waist tightened until I grunted. The light turned green before I could tell him to let me go. He eased up a little, but I knew he wasn’t happy about the thought of me leaving him.

::I can’t risk taking you with me when I meet my contacts, Raven. If they figured out what you were, they’d kill me and kidnap you in a heart beat. Do you know how much a real Opalite is worth on the black market?::

::No. Why would I? We aren’t supposed to exist on earth anymore.:: Raven sounded a little mollified by what I’d told him.

Something he said struck me. I made a mental note to ask him about it, but I needed to pay attention to where we were going. We were in the warehouse district of New York City, where the docks had been. There wasn’t much left, especially after the battles fought in the city.

Of course, not all those battles were with the aliens. Some of them were between rival gangs taking advantage of the chaos the Opalites’ arrival had caused. A lot of the city had been destroyed by them, and in the following years, there hadn’t been the money or time to rebuild.

I drove the bike down a narrow alley and around the back of a large decrepit warehouse. Pressing a button on the instrument panel of the cycle as we wound our way toward the wall. Raven tensed like he was afraid I'd run us right into the brick.

A section of the brick slid upward and I drove into the darkness beyond. The wall closed us in, and the soft blue glow chased the shadows away before I could turn off the cycle. I set the kickstand down, and Raven climbed off.

After removing my helmet and setting it on the seat, I made my way to the control panel on the nearest wall. I dug out a set of keys, and opened the panel, flicking on several switches. Light drifted down from the ceiling. It wasn’t as bright as day in there, but I could see, and that was the important thing.

“You can stop glowing,” I told Raven.

He put his helmet next to mine, and turned in a three-sixty, studying the room we were in. It was pretty much empty with dirt and broken glass strewn across the floor. Cobwebs and bird’s nests decorated the windowsills, and if Raven were to search the rusty cabinets, I was sure he’d find rat and mice nests.

::Nice place you have here. Am I going to share my bed with the rodents?::

I snorted. “Follow me, princess.”

I squeaked when he pinched my ass as I walked by him. We grabbed all our supplies, and I led the way to where a rickety looking metal staircase rose along one wall leading up to a solid brick wall.

Halfway up the stairs, I realized Raven wasn’t behind me. I turned, and looked down to where he still stood at the bottom of the steps.

“Are you coming?”

He shook his head. ::I’m going to wait until you reach the top. I’m not sure these stairs are sturdy enough for both of us walking on it. Plus it doesn’t lead to anywhere.::

“Raven, I know what I’m doing. I didn’t pick this place on a whim, okay? You can trust me.”

The stubborn tilt to his chin told me he was going to stay where he was. I jogged up the last couple of steps before glancing back at him. He shrugged, and gestured toward the wall in front of me. I rolled my eyes, and pressed another hidden button.

A click, and a faint whirl alerted me to the movement, and I was ready when the wall slid to one side, revealing another staircase. This one was carved from wood and lead farther up into the attics of the warehouse. I bowed slightly and waved my hand in the direction of the new stairs.

Raven’s sigh preceded him up to me, and then on to the next flight of stairs. I chuckled before following him, making sure the lights were off and the wall was secured behind us. If anyone broke into the warehouse, all they would find was the motorcycle, and there wasn’t anything on it to lead back to me.

Maybe it was time for me to disappear. I’d been planning on dropping out of society for a while now. I hated how the government would come and bother me whenever they thought it was necessary, which was every week lately. Also, the rebellion was beginning to get as corrupted as the government, and I didn’t want to be around when that imploded.

Ceasing to exist would be easy for me. I’d spent a lot of money and a lot of free time setting things up to do so, but had never had the incentive before. Stopping halfway up, Raven turned to look at me and smiled, his softly glowing skin a beacon to me. There was my incentive to free myself of the people who thought to use me.

Happy Hunk Day

2011-12-14T08:43:00.003-05:00

So it's Wednesday all ready? Where did the beginning of the week go? I swear December is speeding by. Before I realize it, it's going to be 2012 and I'm going to be freaking out about that...lol.

Writing is going well. I'm trying to finish Replacing Memories this week. I've got about another 9k or so to get done. No big deal, but it is the last story on my 2011 list to finish. After that, I'm starting on 2012's list...lol. I've got a lot of books on that section to write. But just take it one story at a time, and hope I hit my deadlines. :)

I hope you all have a great Hump Day. :)

They Walk Among Us

2011-12-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2011 T.A. Chase

Part Eighteen-

::How are we going to get where we need to go?::

“Trust me.”

I led the way to a barn where the doors were locked with a padlock. I pulled the key out of my pocket, and opened them. I started to tug out a flashlight from one of the duffle bags, but a soft glow filled the area right around Raven and me. I glanced over at him, and he smiled. The light came from him, emanating from Raven’s skin like he was lit from within.

He gestured for me to go ahead of him. I knew exactly where I was going, and the barn hadn’t been used since the last time I was there. I went to where a tarp covered shape sat at the back of the building.

“You’re going to have to explain the whole glowing thing,” I spoke softly.

Raven snorted, but didn’t comment. I realized it was one more secret the Opalites hid from us. What else had could Raven do, and if the aliens could do things, why hadn’t they used their powers to protect themselves?

I shook my head. Too many questions raced through my head, and it wasn’t the time for me to ask them. Maybe someday when we weren’t hiding from the rebels and the government, I’d be able to ask Raven about his people. Maybe I could learn the truth, and not the half-truths or outright lies written in government books.

After pulling the tarp off, I stood for a moment, studying the motorcycle. There were two helmets hanging from the handlebars, and I set the bags down before grabbing one to hand to Raven.

“You’re going to have to wear this,” I told him.

He frowned at me. ::How do you know this will still work? How long ago did you leave this here?::

“I stuck the cycle in here about two years ago. I was back here a month ago and checked it over. There’s gas and it’ll start. I just need to check to make sure no one put tracking devices on it.”

I watched as Raven stepped close to the bike, and rested his hand on it. My hair stood up as an electric current seemed to rush through the barn. When it disappeared, Raven glanced at me.

::If there was a tracking unit on the motorcycle, it is fried now. We won’t have to worry about that.::

“How the hell did you do that?” Every atom in my brain collided and raced around my head. So many questions, and I was starting to over load. Raven reached out, took my face in his hands, and met my wild-eyed gaze.

As I stared into his dark eyes, my breathing calmed and my heartbeat eased. By the time he let go of me, I’d completely stopped flipping out. I’d gone back to being my rational analytical self.

“How did you know my mind was freaking out?”

Leaning forward, Raven brushed a kiss over my lips. ::There are a lot of things you don’t know about me or about Opalites in general. We don’t show all of our tricks at once, and most of the time, not at all. You’re trying to save my life at the moment, so I’m willing to share some things with you.::

“At the moment? Do you think there’ll be a time when I don’t try to save you?” I wasn’t sure if I should be insulted by his lack of faith in me.

::There will be a time when my life won’t need saving. It will be in those moments when I must decide to trust you with secrets that belong not just to me, but to all of my people. You see, while I might trust you with my life, I’m not sure yet if I can trust you with theirs.::

I thought about what he said as I got the cycle ready for us to ride. I packed all our supplies into the saddlebags on either side of the seat. Raven stayed out of the way, glowing steadily while he held his helmet. When I finished, I pushed the bike out of the barn, and settled astride it. I motioned for him to join me.

The glow died away, and he put the helmet on. I shoved my helmet on my head, and hooked the chin strip while he moved to sit behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist. It was going to be chilly for both of us, but I knew there was a town not far from here with a twenty-four hour store where we could get jackets.

“Are you ready?”

He squeezed me once, letting me know he was fine.

“It’s going to be cold for a little while, but we’ll fix it as soon as we can.”

::I’ll be fine, Zach. We need to leave. I have a feeling whoever Gideon is, he’ll be here soon, and I’m not sure I want to meet him just yet.::

“I don’t want you to meet him,” I muttered, knowing he probably couldn’t hear me. I raised my voice. “All right. Let’s go.”

He nodded, and rested his head between my shoulder blades. I started the bike, and listened to the rumble of the engine for a few minutes, making sure it was running all right. It sounded fine, so I put it in gear, and we rolled away.

I let the vibration of the bike, and Raven’s warmth against my back, relax me enough to enjoy our ride to the store. I trusted Raven when he told me the tracking devices were inoperable. I didn’t have any illusions about my friends having found my bike and messing with it.

I was even more of a rebel than they were. I didn’t want to play on either side. All I wanted was to be left alone, and to help those who needed it. I wanted to learn more about the aliens who changed my life, and the lives of all the humans on earth. Raven edged closer to me, and his groin pressed against my ass.

I could be honest with myself, and say I wanted to fuck Raven again. I wanted to feel his skin against mine, plus I wanted to run my fingers over his wings, and learn everything I could about him. Not just as an Opalite, but as a person. What made him laugh or cry. What made him into the man he was.

Cover-Famine

2011-12-12T08:23:00.004-05:00

Here is the awesome cover for Famine, which will be out on Feb. 21st of next year. I've adored the covers for all three of the books in this series so far. I love how the cover artist uses color to separate each cover, give it its own originality. :) I can't wait to see what she does for Death. I finished the last book on Friday, and turned it in.

Now I'm writing a short story called Replacing Memories. It's a sequel to my Christmas story, Joy of the Season. After RM is done, I'll be starting Gypsies, which is the first book in a new trilogy called The Beasor Chronicles. I'm looking forward to writing it. :)

Also, on Friday, I contracted a new YA story titled The Deepest Cut. It's not part of the Death series, though I do plan on writing two more books in that series soon. The Deepest Cut will very emotional involving a school shooting and self-mutilation. But it does have a Happy For Now ending, along with the feeling that the main character will be all right.

So I'll be very busy for next several months, which isn't all bad. lol I hope you have a great Monday, everyone.

Death-Blurb and Excerpt

2011-12-09T07:52:00.003-05:00

The day after I posted my blurb and excerpt from Famine, I got the cover art for it. You can see it on the sidebar here, but also I'll be sharing it on Monday, so you can see the big version. I love it. :)

Now I promised a sneak peek at Death, the last of The Four Horsemen books, and you'll get it. I'll be finishing it today, and subbing it to Total e-Bound. Then that part of the process will be done for me. I'll be moving on to a short story featuring Tavis and Hal from Joy of the Season. Once that's done, I'll be starting Gypsies, which will be coming out in July at Total e-Bound. :)

All right then. Now remember neither the blurb nor the excerpt have been edited. So any mistakes are purely mine, and hopefully they'll be fixed by the time it gets released...lol Which will be April 16th. :)

Blurb:

Death, the Pale Rider and the most feared member of the Four Horsemen, has been searching through the centuries for a soul to save him from his solitary life.

In the 1700s, Gatian Almasia was rich and a sought-after member of Parisian society. No one realised he’d lost his reason for living three years earlier. When his sister accuses another nobleman of raping her, Gatian does what any older brother would do. He challenges the man to a duel, and kills him. Later that night, the dead man’s family takes their revenge on Gatian.

Gatian’s death is just the beginning of the journey he must take as Death, the Pale Horseman of Apocalyptic fame. While he doesn’t regret taking the nobleman’s life, the guilt of not being there when his lover died builds a wall around his heart, and until he accepts forgiveness, he must always be Death.

Pierre Fortsecue is a spoiled rich young man whose heart is broken by the man he thinks he loves. Finding himself alone in Paris, Pierre sinks into a haze of heroin. He gets a tainted baggie of the drug, and almost dies from it. Death arrives to take his soul, and something about Pierre touches the Pale Horseman, who steals him away to help heal.

As Pierre heals and Death begins to feel again, they begin to wonder if love really is the only emotion needed to overcome desolation and destruction.

Excerpt:

His last thought was of Oliver, and he wished he would be seeing his dead lover soon, but Gatian knew he would be heading to Hell, not Heaven. Oliver had been innocent, and his only sin was caring for Gatian, not knowing what an utter bastard Gatian was.

* * * *

“Get up. We don’t have time for you to lie about.”

The voice tore through Gatian’s mind, and he jerked straight up, looking around for his opponents. Frowning, he realised he wasn’t in the alleyway anymore. The landscape surrounding him was barren, and looked like nothing Gatian had seen. He pushed to his feet, and turned slowly in a circle.

“Are you done?”

Finishing his circle, he glared at the slender silver-haired man standing there, his arms folded like he impatiently waited for Gatian to complete his circuit. Staring into the man’s blue eyes, Gatian barely swallowed his gasp as he noticed the colour filled the entire eye, with not pupil or iris.

“Who are you?” He often found attacking a person got him answers when they were more likely not to reply.

The man snorted. “You may call me Lam. You have been chosen, and I have to show you what your new job is.”

“Chosen? Where am I? I have never seen a place like this.” He motioned in a vague circle. “How did I get here?”

“You died in a back alley in Paris. Instead of being sent to wherever your judgement called for you to go, you were sent to me. I’m pretty sure you won’t like what you’re about to do, but it’s none of my business. I’m only here to teach you before you are sent out on your own.”

Lam whistled, and Gatian jumped when a pale grey stallion appeared out of thin air. The stallion snorted at him like it was saying hello. Gatian reached out to touch the horse’s nose. Jerking away from him, the horse shook its head. Obviously it wasn’t interested in him petting it.

“This is your horse.” Lam nodded in the grey’s direction. “Now that you’re Death, the Pale Rider, you need a mount.”

“Death? Pale Rider?” Gatian repeated, confusion pounding in his head.

Gatian remembered what else happened before he woke up in the strange place. He stretched, searching for pain or broken bones. Yet nothing hurt, and there were no wounds or blood anywhere.

“Is there a reason why I have no wounds or torn clothes?” Gatian grasped Lam’s arms and shook the man. “Who are you, and why am I not dead?”

Lam didn’t respond, and didn’t try to break Gatian’s hold. He simply studied Gatian with a sardonic twist to his lips. Gatian found he hated Lam, if only for his calm reaction to Gatian’s yelling.

When his anger settled back into coldness, he let Lam go and stepped back. He’d never gotten anything by losing his temper. He tampered all his questions and doubts down deep, and rested his hands on his hips.

“Where are we going? And tell me again what a Pale Rider is?”

“Nice try, my friend. I never told you once what a Pale Rider is, except that you’re the new one. You are dead, in the most fundamental way possible. You can never go back to your old life, and while all those you know will die, you will continue to live forever.” Lam paused, and tilted his head. “Or until you forgive yourself of all that guilt you’ve been carrying around.”

“Guilt? What guilt?”

Lam grinned, and slapped Gatian on the shoulder. “You can deny it all you want, but I can see it in the set of your shoulders, and the chill in your eyes. You did something you regret, and it’s been eating at you since it happened. Well, whatever it was, it’s brought you to this. As the leader of the Four Horsemen, you will be in charge of keeping the world in balance.”

Gatian shrugged. “I have no idea what you are talking about. Who are the Four Horsemen?”

“Climb on your horse, and come with me. I have a lot to teach you, and a short window of time to do it in.” Lam motioned to the grey stallion.

Should he go? Was this some sort of trick Gatian’s brain played on him? Could he be alive, but caught in his head somehow? Gatian swung astride the stallion, and smiled at Lam.

“Lead the way, Lam. I am sure you will answer all my questions in due time.”

Lam narrowed his eyes at Gatian like he understood Gatian wasn’t satisfied. Gatian kept his expression bland, not willing to give anything away. With a nod of Lam’s head, they disappeared.

Hope you enjoyed it. Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.

They Walk Among Us

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2011 T.A. Chase

Part Seventeen-

I saw the way Tyler looked at Raven, and my former lover’s jealousy surprised me. Tyler dropped me like a hot potato when Gibson came into the picture, and once Harley appeared, all bets were off. Tyler had to look out for his little girl, and Gibson kept a close eye on Tyler. Not that I minded.

Tyler was gorgeous, and had been a good lover while we were together, but I’d always gotten the feeling he kept an eye open for something better than me. And while I wasn’t perfect, I certainly deserved someone who wasn’t waiting the next best thing.

“Yes, we’re lovers, Tyler. Not that it’s any of your business.” I squeezed Raven’s shoulders.

Raven glanced over at me with a small smile. He didn’t seem upset that I told Tyler about us.

“Is he the one we’re supposed to be protecting?” Tyler frowned. “Seems to me Gibson will be unhappy to know you’re sleeping with one of our clients.”

::Clients? I’m not your client, and if this Gibson has a problem with our being together, I’ll tell him how much I dislike his lover among other personal things he and Tyler don’t want to let people know about.::

I stared at Raven. “Did you read his mind?”

Raven shook his head. ::No, but I can and will if they try to make trouble for us. You’re the only one I know and trust in the city, Zach. I’m not going to allow them to separate us.::

I’d totally forgotten about Tyler for a moment while I absorbed what Raven said about reading minds. While I knew he could read mine, I hadn’t known he could read whoever he wanted. I thought the person had to be receptive to his ability.

“Your friend can read minds? Oh Gibson would love to get his hands on him.” Tyler reached out to grab Raven’s arm before I could block him.

One moment Raven was at my side, the next moment he was across the room and Tyler stumbled, off balanced.

“What the fuck? How did he do that?” Tyler glared at me.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Raven doesn’t tell me all his secrets.”

::Make him leave, Zach. I don’t like how he’s looking at me now. I will not be someone’s lab rat. Not the rebellion or the government.::

“I think you should go now, Tyler. I’ll check in with Gibson when I have some more information.”

I nudged Tyler from the living room, and out the door. Tyler didn’t protest, which was a danger sign for me. Tyler didn’t like anyone else making decisions for him, except for Gibson, but the head man didn’t take no for an answer.

We would have to leave the safe house, and find our way to my own private safe house I’d set up two years ago. I had a feeling the time would come when I couldn’t trust the rebellion along with the government. Maybe destiny had been getting me ready for Raven’s arrival in my life.

I stood in the doorway and watched Tyler drive away. As soon as I was positive he was gone, I turned to find Raven staring at me.

“We have to go,” I said as I stalked down the hallway to the kitchen.

::Why?::

Raven followed me, and watched as I pulled two duffle bags out of the pantry. I started filling them with non-perishable items, a flashlight, and some matches. Everything I could think of that would help us get to my place.

“Because Tyler will be back with Gibson, and some of the others. Since Tyler knows you’re more than just some guy I’m sleeping with, he’ll want to give you to Gibson. Gain brownie points with the boss.”

::You wouldn’t let them take me.:: Raven sounded so sure about my ability to keep him safe.

“You don’t understand. They’ll bring more men than I can handle. We’ll be overwhelmed, and Gibson will take you. Once that happens, I won’t know where you are to rescue you.”

Raven stepped closer to me and rested his hand on my arm. ::Yes, you would. Once an Opalite makes love with someone, they are connected at the soul level.::

I jerked away, and stared at him, unsure if I was horrified or excited. “You mean we’re mated?”

::No. It is simply a breeding mechanism, making it easier for us to find others we are compatible with. It works even for non-breeding couples.::

Was it disappointment flowing through my veins? Had I really wanted to be mated with an Opalite? An alien creature I obviously knew less about than I thought.

“That’s fine, but I don’t want to take a chance on Gibson grabbing you, or on the agents snatching you away either. We’re leaving.”

Raven said nothing else while I finished packing the bags. When I was done, I grabbed two more guns and ammo from the stash under floor boards. They were added to my bag. I looked Raven up and down, not liking the fact he didn’t have a jacket, but we’d fix that as soon as we reached a town. We weren’t going back to the city just yet.

“Okay, we’re ready to go.”

::Where are we going?::

I glanced around the room, and spoke to him with my mind. The house could’ve been bugged, and I should have thought of that to start with, but it was too late now.

::I have a personal safe house I set up two years ago. No one, and I mean no one else, knows about it. We’re going there to formulate a plan.::

Raven’s implicit trust in me shook me to my core as he followed me out of the house. We’d only met a few days ago, and he didn’t really know me, yet he went with me into the darkness. Was it because he could read my mind? Or maybe having sex with me eased something inside him, and he could trust a little bit more?

Famine-Blurb and excerpt

2011-12-07T08:16:00.003-05:00

I don't have a cover yet for Famine, so I thought I'd just post a random photo for you. :) Oh, I did an interview with K-lee Klein for her blog. She's a new author, who has a few free reads out, but her first 'official' book comes out on Dec. 27th as part of the MLR Press Holiday series. If you haven't already, why don't you all head over there and check it out? here's the Link.

Okay...so here's what you've been waiting for. Famine is the third book in The Four Horsemen series, and will be unleashed on Feb. 21st. I'm hoping you'll still be enjoying this series by then...lol. Oh, remember neither the blurb nor the excerpt have been edited yet, so if there are mistakes, they'll be corrected in the edited version.

Blurb:

Having been sacrificed by his village shaman, Famine knows what it’s like to do anything to survive. He wanders the world, sowing drought and starvation in his wake. Yet he hates being the Black Horseman more than anything in the world, except the man who ended his life all those centuries ago. Famine never stops doing his job, and never allows himself to fall in love.

Ekundayo wants a better life for himself, so he steals a diamond from the mine where he works. Nothing goes well for him after that, and he finds himself dying in the desert on his way to the border. When he’s rescued by Famine, Ekundayo isn’t sure if his luck has changed or not. The longer he stays in Famine’s company, the more Ekundayo discovers he just might be falling in love with Famine.

One bad choice of Ekundayo’s part, and a future together seems out of reach. Will Famine let his only possibility of love go or will he defy Death himself to keep Ekundayo?

Excerpt:

Famine shot a glance at Death. The hair and eyes were the same colour, but this Death was younger, and if possible, even more cynical than the one who originally showed Famine the ropes. This Death became a Horseman shortly after the French Revolution. Famine always wondered if he’d been instrumentally in starting the genocide, but he didn’t have the nerve to ask Death about it. He figured Death wouldn’t have answered him anyway.

He’d learned about the Horsemen and how there were always four of them-Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Each one had a purpose in keeping the balance between good and evil. Each Horseman would come in, and if the mortals didn’t heed the first warning, the death tolls grew until someone in power changed the situations if they could. There had been two Deaths and two Pestilences since Famine came to be a Horseman. Of course, the most recent Pestilence had gone back to being mortal, and War did so as well.

With two new Horsemen, Death seemed a little more rushed and not as interested in dealing with Famine’s issues. Not that Death cared all that much before. Out of all the Horsemen Famine had dealt with, this Death seemed the less guilt-stricken by what he’d done in his mortal life to get him the illustrious job as Death, the Pale Horseman.

“Will the others be coming here?”

Death shrugged one shoulder. “War will probably be showing up. I believe the warlords are getting restless, and it’s time for them to go on another rampage. I’m hoping this skirmish is the one to convince those in power to do something about the innocents here.”

The Pale Horseman didn’t sound convinced that it would happen, and neither was Famine. He’d been through too many centuries of wishing the mortals would pay attention to their warnings, but so far none of them had. Oh, wars would end, and diseases would be eradicated, but only for a little while before they started fighting amongst themselves again. As the balance between good and evil tips in favour of one or the other, the Horsemen rode out to even things again.

Famine glanced down at the dirt under his horse’s hooves. It was dusty and dry because no water had fallen in the area for more than six months. Before that, what rain did fall had been soaked up so quickly, nothing had a chance to grow. The ground was fallow like it’d been sown with salt. Famine had walked miles around the area, ensuring nothing would grow for decades to come.

“I have to go,” Death declared.

“All right. Oh, wait. How are Pestilence and War doing with their mortal lovers? Have you seen either of them?”

He wasn’t sure why he wanted to know. It wasn’t like he and the other two were best friends or anything. More colleagues than anything else. Maybe he wanted to know they were happy because he hoped for a good outcome for himself. Famine didn’t know if he did believe in his ability to fall in love. How could there possibly be someone out there who could fall in love with a man who sowed famine and drought wherever he walked?

Famine touched the medicine bag lying on his chest. When he’d first become Famine, he’d been given the bag full of salt, and told his power of drought and starvation manifested in it. He never took it off, fearing someone else would get a hold of it, and cause more problems. Yet Famine had been informed no one else could do what he did, which didn’t make him feel any better about his job.

Death pursed his lips, looking thoughtful for the first time since Famine met him. “They seem to be getting on rather well. I’m surprised at how well they are adapting back into the mortal world.”

“Do you talk to them or anything?”

“No. They remember their time as a Horseman, but we’re not allowed contact with them. They are to fully incorporate back into mortal life.” Death shook his head. “I’m not worried about them anymore. They will live and die like the mortals they fell in love with.”

Famine was glad to hear that. Living alone for centuries, and interacting with mortals very rarely made for a lonely existence. At least Pestilence and War were able to take time off once in a while. Next to Death, Famine was the busiest of the Horsemen. The African continent was in a state of constant turmoil, and he spent a majority of his time walking from one end to the other, spreading the drought and starvation to as many mortals as he could. He rarely travelled outside to the other countries in the world.

Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek. On Friday, you'll get a peek at Death, which I'm hoping will be done by then or very very close to being done. :) Have a great Wednesday.

They Walk Among Us

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Part Sixteen-

The sound of a door slamming against the wall woke us up later on that night, and I found myself on the floor, tucked behind the bed in a corner. Zach struggled into jeans before grabbing something out of the nightstand, and stalking out of the room.

I’m not at my best when I’ve just woken up. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was and what was going on. Suddenly, I scrambled for clothes and got dressed. I figured Zach would want me to remain hidden until he determined whether it was friend or foe who entered the house, but I couldn’t let him run the risk of getting hurt in my place.

With shaking hands, I pushed open the bedroom door, and slipped out into the darkened hallway. We must have slept several hours because there wasn’t any sunlight picking in around the blinds on the windows. I crept down the narrow corridor, listening intently for any sounds of a fight or anything like that.

I peered around the edge of the archway leading into the living room. I’d gotten a brief glimpse of it as we went past on the way to the bedroom. Zach stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his chest, and a handgun tucked into his pants at the small of his back. He glared at another man leaning casually against the back of a couch, his hands resting on his hips and a smirk marring his handsome face.

“What are you doing here, Tyler?”

The auburn haired man grinned. “I heard Zarovski tell the boss he brought you here. Thought I’d stop by, and see if you needed anything.”

Zach huffed in annoyance, and I laughed in silence. Something in the way they stood told me they had been very close at one point. They were both in each other’s personal space, but neither looked uncomfortable. Their former relationship didn’t bother me, simply because all my instincts told me Zach wasn’t the type of man who cheated on his lover, whether it was Tyler or me.

“I don’t have time for you. I know why you’re really here, and trust me, it’s not going to happen.” Zach shoved his hand through his unruly curls. “I don’t have time to deal with you, Tyler. Go back to Harley, and don’t let him know you came here.”

Tyler’s cheeks flushed, and I wondered who Harley was. Was he a new lover Tyler had left Zach for? I could have read Tyler’s mind, but it wasn’t polite to rummage around in other’s brains like they were bins of things at a local flea market.

“Why are you here, Zach? I thought you were secure in your position at the hospital. No one suspected anything, and the agents were harassing you because of who you were, not who you supported.” Tyler studied Zach closely.

“It’s best if you didn’t know. There’s a lot of danger involved, and I don’t want to risk anyone’s life if I don’t have to. Besides, Harley needs you. She’s too young to become an orphan for the second time in her life.”

Tyler winced, and Zach reached out to lay a hand on Tyler’s shoulder in sympathy. I felt love, caring, and friendship roiling around in Zach’s mind, but not the passionate love of two people in an intimate relationship, so I relaxed.

“Your friend can come out,” Tyler said.

Zach shot a look over his shoulder, and I stepped into the living room carefully. Just because Zach seemed relaxed and unworried didn’t mean I’d let my guard down totally. It was more than my life in danger here, and I would do anything I had to do to get Rissia free.

“My. My. Zach, I never thought you’d use a safe house for an elicit rendezvous.” Tyler clucked his tongue at Zach.

“Shut up. You don’t know what’s going on here.” Zach turned to look at me. “You were supposed to stay in the bedroom until I said it was okay to come out here.”

I shook my head. ::You’re helping me. I won’t hide while you might be in danger.::

“You could get hurt. I can’t risk that.”

Tyler moved his gaze between us like he knew there was a conversation going on he wasn’t privy to.

::I have ways to protect myself. Those agents surprised me in the alley. It won’t happen again, and I won’t let others fight my battles for me.::

Zach shook his head, and walked over to me, encircling my waist with his arm. I let him pull me close to him, but I kept my gaze on Tyler. His eyes widened slightly at Zach’s obvious acknowledgement of more than just friendship going on between us.

“You are just as important as anyone else in this,” Zach murmured in my ear. “But I will admit I’m very interested in keeping you safe for very personal reasons.”

I rolled my eyes, and took a step away from him. I didn’t break his hold on me though. I needed the reassurance of his touch when there was a stranger in the room.

“So who is this, Zach? I thought you would have introduced us by now.”

Zach clenched his jaw for a second, but I rested my hand on his arm.

::Don’t worry. He can’t hurt me.::

::How do you know that?::

I raised my eyebrows, and shot him an incredulous look. ::Unless he shot me, Tyler can’t hurt me. I’m surprised you didn’t find anything out about that during your research.::

“Seems there’s a lot I don’t know,” Zach said out loud as he turned to look at Tyler. “Tyler Simpson, this is Raven, a friend of mine.”

“You seem rather close to be just friends,” Tyler snarked as he nodded at me.

I smiled, not wanting to encourage his bitterness. Apparently, Zach had gotten over whatever had been between them, but Tyler still wanted Zach. Yet he didn’t know I wasn’t going to give Zach up, not now that I had finally found him.

War-Blurb and Excerpt

2011-12-05T08:54:00.005-05:00

Someone asked if I was going to post an excerpt from War any time soon. So I thought this was as good a day as any, right? :) On Wednesday, I'll post the blurb for Famine and maybe a little excerpt as well. On Friday, I'll post the blurb for Death, and if I have it finished by then, I'll give you a sneak peek at that one as well. I don't have covers for Famine and Death yet, but you all know the minute I get them, I'll be sharing them with you. :)

War will be released on Dec. 26th.

Here's the blurb for War:

Book two in The Four Horsemen Series  

Fighting the battle in his own heart, War must find peace before he can find love.

Separately, Russell and War fight their own personal demons. Together, they find peace in a love tested by the fires of battle.

Reader Advisory: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series.

Excerpt: (unedited)

Baqir shivered as he grew colder from blood loss. He gritted his teeth to keep from shouting out and bring his guards in to save him. If he waited long enough, nothing could be done for him.

Blackness dotted his vision and he let his eyes close. He drifted along until he slipped under and lost consciousness.

“Open your eyes.”

Baqir frowned and forced his eyes open. Blinking, he stared up into the face of a pale haired man. Something about the man’s eyes bothered him. He studied the stranger until he realised the man’s eyes were pure black, no white parts or pupils.

“Who are you? Where are we?”

After sitting up, Baqir glanced around, trying to place the barren landscape. It didn’t look anything like the desert he grew up in and ruled until his death.

“Wait a minute. Didn’t I die? Did someone save me?”

“Get up.”

Stiffening, Baqir glared at him. “Who are you to tell me what to do?”

“I’m Death and you are War.”

“War? What the hell are you talking about?”

“There are four of us and we keep the balance between good and evil. If the world becomes unbalanced, we must step in to even it out. I am Death. I’m the last defence against the end of the world. Pestilence is the first line with you and Famine coming along. We can only hope mortals listen before I arrive.”

The stranger grabbed Baqir’s arm and yanked him to his feet. Baqir stumbled, but managed to right himself before he landed on his face. He touched his hand to his chest and pulled it back. No sign of blood anywhere.

“Was it just a dream?”

Death shook his head. “No. A boy whose tribe you massacred really murdered you in your tent. I need you to come with me.”

The pale haired man gestured to where a red stallion stood, pawing the ground. “He is yours. Come with me and I will show you what you need to do.”

“I’m not going with you.” He dug his heels in and shook his head.

“You don’t have a choice. Not anymore. You made it when you allowed the kid to plunge his knife into your chest without fighting back.”

“I understood his need for revenge. I destroyed his tribe because a person I thought I knew betrayed me.” Baqir shrugged. “I probably would have done the same if it was my tribe massacred.”

“Hmmm.” Death didn’t look concerned either way about it.

Baqir growled as Death grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the stallion. He struggled, but the man’s grip tightened enough, he almost cut off Baqir’s circulation. His mount turned his head to look at him and Baqir gasped.

As if the blood red colour of the horse’s coat wasn’t clue enough, the blood red eyes told him the creature wasn’t a normal horse. Reaching out, Baqir rested his hand on the stallion’s shoulder. An electric shock raced through him and the horse snorted like he felt it as well.

“Get on. We have things to do and I don’t have much time to get you up to speed.”

Dazed, Baqir climbed aboard the horse and settled into the saddle. The moment his butt hit the leather, Death nudged his pale horse and they leapt into action. He gasped as he saw the cliff they raced towards without any hint of stopping.

“What the hell,” he shouted as the horses jumped off the edge.

A clap of thunder and a flash of lightning blinded him, and all went black around him.

Centuries had gone by and Baqir slowly forgot most of his life before he died. Oh he remembered what he’d done to deserve the hell he lived in now, but he didn’t remember faces or names. He went by the title War since he was the Red Horseman. So many wars and battles. So many mortals dead because of greed or revenge.

“When will this be over?”

War stood on a cliff higher up the mountain, overlooking a pass. Both sides of the ten-year long war shot at each other. Over the centuries he did this, he’d grown deaf to the sounds of battle, though the noise of the dying still bothered him at a soul deep level.

“Some form of this conflict will continue for decades more, but one side of this particular war will be leaving soon.”

He turned to meet the impassive gaze of Death, his fellow Horseman. Not the same one who’d shaken him from the darkness and told him his entire life would be different from that moment on.

“How do you know?”

Death shrugged, his face expressionless. He made a snake seem warm and cuddly. “They’ve paid dearly with blood and money for a never-ending war. They will return to their own country where their own people threaten to revolt.”

As he turned back to look at the fight below him, weariness waved over War. He’d been a Horseman for more centuries than he could remember. Battles and fighting was all he knew. At moments like these though, he wished he could give it all up for a lasting death.

“Go home. Ride your horses. Train the young ones. Forget about this for a while.”

Death gestured towards the mayhem going on below them. War nodded as a large red stallion paced up to him.

He mounted, but before he left, he asked, “Will this ever stop?”

“What?” For a moment, Death seemed puzzled by War’s question.

“War and the constant need to destroy each other and the world.”

The Pale Horseman looked at him with a strangely understanding glance. “Soon it won’t matter to you anymore.”

War frowned, but Death turned away, ending the conversation. It was time for him to return to the steppes of Mongolia, where his herd wandered and he could forget about battles for a while.

As he rode off, Death sighed. Melancholy and despair radiated from War, yet Death had seen what was in store for the Red Horseman and what he’d said had been true.

Soon War wouldn’t care about being a Horseman. Change was coming quickly.

Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek. Have a great Monday, everyone. :)

Last Month of the Year

2011-12-02T08:30:00.004-05:00

wow...I can't believe it's December all ready. Where did the entire year go? :) Oh well...the only bad thing about December is the snow. :( Told my hubby the other day, if we could afford it, I'd totally be a snow bird on him. Take off the day after the first snowfall, and not come back until April or May. Of course, he pointed out he would probably have to come and drag me back with spring showed up. He might have a point.

Got another 4k done on Death. I'm over 32k into the story, so that's halfway done, and I'm happy with how it's going. I think this will be a great way to end the series, though I'm planning on writing a related story about Lam, the messenger angel, who makes an appearance in each of the books. He has his own problems.

I did some writing on the short story featuring Tavis and Hal from Joy of the Season. I think you'll like the story. It's to see how they're doing a few months after Christmas. :) I'm writing it out long hand during the evenings after I hit my word count for Death. So I'm not entirely sure how many words I have for the story yet. Won't know until I type it in. I should do that this weekend.

Well, I hope you all have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend. yay!

They Walk Among Us-NSFW

2011-12-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Part Fifteen-

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. I could do this. Everyone had a first time, and I was pretty sure no one was perfect right off the bat. I leaned forward, and rubbed my cheek along his length, causing him to shudder again. I licked the crease where his hip and torso met. He sighed, and I discovered it was my favorite place on a man.

I sucked up a mark on his hipbone before moving to the place he really wanted my mouth. His prick bobbed in front of me, and I encircled its base to hold it steady while I slowly wrapped my lips around its head. I swept my tongue over the spongy glans, and dipped the tip into the slit.

“Oh my God,” Zach whispered, and grunted as I tightened my grip to pump his cock.

The noises he made turned me on, and my own cock leaked pre-cum on my stomach as I began to suck Zach further in. I didn’t know how far I could take him, but I wanted to try. I gagged when his head hit the back of my throat.

Zach stroked his hand over my head, easing back a bit. “Don’t try to take it all in at once, honey. It’ll take practice to do it, and I’m more than willing to help you with that.”

Chuckling, I managed not to choke myself again as Zach slid in. I braced my other hand on his thigh, and got serious with his blowjob. He held my head, but didn’t push me to do anything more than I was. The taste of his pre-cum coated my tongue, and saliva bathed his cock to the point it seeped from the corners of my wide-stretched mouth.

I peered up at him, and Zach let his head drop forward to rest his chin on his chest. Our eyes met as Zach’s pleasure built in his gaze, and on his face.

“I’m going to come soon, Raven. If you don’t want to swallow, pull off, and finish me with your hand.”

Shaking my head, I applied more suction, wanting everything he could give me. I understood he wouldn’t be able to fuck me right after he came. It was something else I could look forward to later on that night. I wanted to know what he tasted like so I could put the memory in my vault for when I was alone again.

There wasn’t any way Zach would want to keep me around, not when the government would be after me as soon as they figured out I was an Opalite as well. It was too dangerous, and too risky for his work with the rebellion to have me near. Yet my heart ached at the thought of leaving him.

I closed my eyes, cutting our connection, and reached around to trail my finger down his crease, rubbing the tip over his hole. Shouting, he flooded my throat with his hot cum. I pulled back slightly, allowing myself to swallow his load, except I couldn’t do it, and some trickled from my mouth down my chin.

When it seemed like I had sucked the last drop from him, he slumped over me, running his hands over my head and shoulders. I licked him clean before sitting back. He reached out, and swiped some of his cum off my face. I moaned softly as he cleaned off his finger.

After dropping to his knees, he cradled my face in his hands, and I shut my eyes as he licked my face clean. My cock ached and my balls drew tight to my body. One touch of his hand to my shaft and I would come like he had, and Zach seemed to sense that.

He ran his hand down my chest, over my stomach, and fisted my cock. It only took two jerks before I spilled all over his hands, my stomach, and my legs. I screamed soundlessly, feeling like every part of my body and soul shattered into a million pieces. The only thing keeping me anchored to the earth was Zach and his hand on me. When I managed to catch my breath, I realized we were lying on the bed entwined in each other’s arms. At some point, Zach had washed us up, and tucked us under the blankets.

He ran his hand over my back, pausing at the bumps where my shoulder blades stuck out. “What are these?”

I hesitated, not sure how I could explain without freaking him out. Yet he had to know the other reason why we had to get my sister back from the agents. The unique characteristics that made her and me different from the other Opalite children left on earth.

“Raven, you need to tell me, especially if it’s going to make getting Rissia back more difficult.”

Sighing, I sat up and turned my back to him. In the darkness, he would barely be able to see the odd markings running the length of my back on both sides. I closed my eyes and concentrated. The twinge of pain told me, along with Zach’s soft gasp, that my secret had revealed itself.

I shivered as he ran his fingers over the transparent wings suspended from my back. Thin skin and barely there feathers created them.

::What are you thinking?:: I couldn’t help asking because I worried he thought I was a monster.

“They’re beautiful,” Zach whispered. “Do they bother you?”

::No, they’re so light, I rarely remember they’re there unless I think about them. Of course, as you can tell, I can make them disappear or fold into my skin when I want to, which is most of the time. It’s hard to hide wings.::

“I’d love to see them in the light, but you should hide them and curl back up with me, so we can take a nap. It’s been a busy day so far.”

I did as Zach suggested. He settled me on top of him, holding me close and I never felt so safe in my life. We had things to discuss, and plans to make, but at the moment, I was happy in my world.

Ugh Snow

2011-11-30T09:08:00.003-05:00

Sorry I'm late posting this, but I just got in from shoveling out my driveway. Ugh! The first big snow of the season, which is pretty with the sun shining down on it, but I hate the fact it means there's just going to be more coming at some point.

Of course, my hubby told me I shouldn't get upset. I could hibernate inside the house all winter, calling him with my grocery order for him to pick up on the way home from work. I guess that is one awesome thing about working from home. I don't actually have to go out in the cold if I don't want to. Woot!

I've writing like a fiend the last couple of days. Adding a nice bit to Death, and I'm hoping the trend will continue. :) And when I'm done with Death for the day, I work on Trailing Air, Rover's story.

Also, I wanted to remind you of the Christmas/Holiday stories MLR Press is releasing. One (or maybe two on Fridays) a day until Dec. 31st. Click here to check them out. They're all different lengths...and prices, but they are by some of the best M/M authors writing today. I'm going to be picking up JP Bowie's story, Christmas Wishes, today. Yay!

I hope you have a great Wednesday. Be safe for all of you who got snow last night.

They Walk Among Us

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Part Fourteen-

We rocked against each other, and I started to feel emotions I’d never felt before. I’d never gotten this close to anyone, female or male. It would have been too easy to let my guard down, and they would have seen something they weren’t supposed to. I couldn’t risk being discovered. Too many people depended on me.

Zach groaned into my mouth, and I decided maybe taking a risk was possible right now.

::Can we do this? Here, and now? No one will walk in on us or anything?::

Zach chuckled, and eased away from me. I pouted, not wanting to lose touch with him, though I would’ve liked more skin and less clothes. He took my hand in his, leading me from the kitchen down the hallway to a room. As I stepped in, my gaze went directly to the bed up against one of the walls.

“No one’s going to come at the moment. They’re doing some recon for me, and trying to find out what the others know. They’ll call before they show up.” Zach grabbed the hem of the shirt I wore, lifting it up.

I held my arms up, and he stripped it off me. I smiled as he tossed it over his shoulder. I followed his lead, and removed his shirt from his broad shoulders. Soon, before I even had time to think about it, we were naked, and I looked upon a man’s bare body for the first time in my life.

Nerves swamped me, and Zach must have noticed my hands shaking. He encircled my waist, brought me close to him, and cupped my cheek.

“We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for, Raven. This is all about enjoying yourself.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, and confessed, “I’ve never done this before.”

“Any of it?”

I shook my head.

“No kissing? No making out? Not even with a girl?”

I shook my head again.

Zach blinked, seeming surprised by my lack of experience. “Was it because of you being an Opalite?”

I nodded, having lost my ability to talk or form words or something.

“You know, there aren’t many papers or books on what happens when Opalites have sex. Probably because the people who wrote them would never research something like that about the monsters who invaded us.” Zach frowned. “What happens?”

I dropped my gaze, and shrugged. ::I’m not entirely sure. I just know something different happens when we mate.::

“Mate?” Zach lifted my chin with his knuckle, and studied my face. “What do you mean by mate?”

::Have sex. I know there are several meanings to the word, but as far as I know, Opalites don’t have soul mates or anything like that. We’re not bound to one person for all of our lives, unless we chose to be. Of course, I don’t know for sure. There were no adults to teach us all of the Opalite history.::

“It’s not that I don’t want a serious relationship with you, Raven. I mean I’m not the type to play the field when I’m sleeping with someone. It’s just...well, we’ve just met, and there are so many other things we have to deal with before we can be sure we’ll even be able to have a long life together.”

I smiled, and placed my fingers on Zach’s lips, stopping the flow of words. ::Don’t panic. I’m not going to get upset and walk away. I know what you mean. There’s this attraction flaring between us, and I’d like to see where it goes, but I don’t think we need to be picking out china and sending out wedding invitations yet. Maybe after we get my sister back, we can see how long we can see us staying together.::

“We might discover the only place we like each other is in bed,” Zach said as he took a step closer to me, forcing me to step back.

::Right. Being compatible in bed doesn’t always lead to a long-term relationship.:: I mentally rolled my eyes. I sounded so confident, like I knew what I was doing when Zach would be my first lover.

He didn’t call me on it though, and I thought that was nice of him. He walked me backward until the back of my knees hit the bed. I sat, which brought his groin eye level. I bit back a moan as I eyed his cock, standing straight from its nest of dark curls. It was slightly longer than mine, but I thought mine was thicker. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to tell for sure until they were side by side.

My mouth watered at the thought of wrapping my lips around his flared head, and taking him as far in as I could. I wanted to know what he tasted like, and how his shaft felt on my tongue. I flexed my hands, unsure of what to do first.

Zach stroked his hand over my head, drawing my attention back up to him. His gentle smile eased me, and I smiled back at him.

“Take your time, and do whatever you want. I’m even willing to go first. I wouldn’t mind getting up close and personal with yours.” Zach winked.

My cheeks heated, but I shook my head. I wanted to go first, even without knowing how to do it.

::You’ll let me know if I’m doing it wrong.::

“Honey, I don’t think you’ll do it wrong. Trust me, as long as you’re touching and sucking me, I’ll be happy. Just be careful with your teeth. I’m not really into being bitten down there.”

Raven snorted. ::Don’t worry. I’ll bite you elsewhere, okay?::

I was surprised when Zach shuddered at the comment. Who knew biting was a kink some people liked? What would I like once I lost my virginity? Were there kinks hiding beneath the shy demeanor I present to the world? I guess I wouldn’t know until I stepped out of my comfort zone, and actually had sex with Zach.

Zach tugged on a lock of my hair. “You’re thinking too hard, sweetheart. This isn’t a test or a contest. As long as both of us enjoy it, it’s all good.”

Joy of the Season available

2011-11-28T09:08:00.004-05:00

Good morning, everyone. I hope you all survived the holiday weekend...lol. I wanted to let you all know my Christmas story is available now at MLR Press. It's part of their Holiday extravaganza. They're releasing one book a day..well, on Fridays, there will be two released. So 46 books in all.

Joy of the Season is a story I started a while ago, and when Kris asked me if I'd like to write something for them, I thought of this story. Run to MLR Press (click here), and check out all the wonderful stories released so far, plus mine. :)

Here's the blurb:

Hal Sims runs a non-profit hospice named after his older brother. For ten years, he's thrown himself into running the charity, and keeping his brother's memory alive. Hal doesn't have time for a relationship, especially with a rich golden boy like Tavis Komen.

Tavis Komen wants to change his life, and decides volunteering at Rupert's Legacy is the first step to a better him. Meeting Hal Sims hits Tavis in ways he never planned.

When one of the hospice residents takes a turn for the worse, Tavis and Hal come together to comfort each other, and Tavis shows Hal there is joy to be found in a season that Hal has lost all interest in.

Hope you enjoy it. :) Have a great Monday, everyone.

Happy Black Friday

2011-11-25T08:21:00.003-05:00

I hope you all survived Thanksgiving...and for those of you out shopping right now, I hope you manage to survive that as well. I might go out later today, and see what's happening. There weren't any deals I just had to get up way too early in the morning for...lol. :)

I plan on writing most of the weekend, and see where I'm at by Sunday night. Hopefully further along than I am right now. :( Not nearly as far into the story as I need to be. This cold is kicking my butt because it's making me very uninterested in anything except sleeping on the couch. Oh well. I can't wait to get rid of it.

Well have a great Friday, and a marvelous weekend, everyone. :)

They Walk Among Us

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Hope you have a happy and safe holiday.

Part Thirteen-

Raven-

I frowned, trying to figure something out in my mind. After pushing to my feet, I go back to the stove and finish dishing out dinner. I carried it back to the table, and gestured to see if Zach wanted something else to drink. He shook his head, and I sat. Before I took a bite, I tapped his hand to get him to look at me.

Sadness swirled in his eyes, and I could tell he truly cared for this Killian man who the government killed. I fumbled with the words to comfort him, but nothing came to me.

::I don’t understand. Why didn’t they kill you or at least take you with them? Didn’t they think Killian would have told you about his research?::

“I asked myself that over the next four years. Why wasn’t I taken? Shortly after Killian died, I started my own research, but on the surface, I kept it very safe. I only read the books the government certified as the truth about the Opalites. I didn’t try to dig any further.” Zach pushed the pasta around his plate. “A couple of months before I graduated, I ran into a person who claimed to be a friend of Killian’s. She gave me some files, and somehow I managed to hide them from the people who followed me.”

::You had people following you?::

Zach shrugged. “I’m not sure if they were really watching every move I made, or if they just checked in on me once in a while. See, I’m the only son of the country’s biggest hero. I think they were waiting for me to get done with school before they recruited me for their public relations department. They wanted to trot me out at functions to prove all was right in the world.”

::But you weren’t willing to do that.::

Even with just having really met Zach, I could tell he wouldn’t enjoy being anyone’s mouthpiece, especially for a government he didn’t believe in.

“No. I wasn’t, once I figured out the reason they didn’t do anything to me was because I was too important to them as a figurehead. They could point to me as an example of how the country had continued on and been successful after the invasion.” Zach snorted and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest.

I tried not to ogle him, but the way his biceps flexed as he folded his arms, and how board his chest was drew my gaze like a moth to a candle. Silly really, to be thinking such things while my sister was being held captive, and terrible things were probably being done to her.

::Do you have any idea why they didn’t just take me instead of beating me up?::

I tried to focus on more important things than how it would feel to be held in Zach’s arms. I watched as he scrubbed his hand over his head, and sighed.

“It’s hard to say. I’m leaning toward them not knowing you were her brother. How much alike do you two look?”

I thought about my bright vivacious sister, and grimaced. ::We really don’t look alike at all. She’s very blonde while I’m dark. If she didn’t look exactly like my mother, and act just like my father, I’d question whether we were even related.::

“That must be it then. They assumed you were just a nosy by-stander, and instead of sending you on your way, they chose to attack you.” Zach frowned. “It’s odd though, because normally the agents are much more discrete than that.”

::I’d been following them for a while, hoping they would take me back to where they’d held Rissia. I wasn’t paying attention, that’s how they got me in the alley.:: I stood and gathered the plates. ::They warned me away, said I didn’t want anything to do with them.::

“In a way, they’re right. You need to be very careful, Raven. If, at any time, they realize you’re an Opalite as well, they’ll come after you, and you’ll never see the light of day again.”

Zach joined me at the sink, and we washed the dishes in silence. I tried to ignore how marvelous Zach smelled, some odd combination of spice and disinfectant. I never thought I’d find those scents lust inducing, but apparently while being worn by Zach, my body thought they were like vanilla sugar cookies or something. He brushed past me to go to the cabinets, and his hand grazed my ass.

My cock stiffened, and I bit back a moan. I’d never been this attracted to anyone in my life. Of course, living out in the backwoods of the state didn’t give me much opportunity to explore my sexuality. Like not at all when most of the people were related to my foster parents, and it would be like incest to mess around with any of them.

A noise caused me to turn around, and I caught Zach staring at my butt with longing in his eyes. When he noticed he was staring at my groin, he looked up at me. I couldn’t stop, even if I had thought about how bad an idea all this was.

I stepped forward, meeting him in the middle of the kitchen, and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He embraced me, pulling me tight to him, and our lips met for the first time.

It was everything I thought a kiss would be. He tasted like the spaghetti sauce with a hint of garlic, and some unique flavor all his own. Zach claimed my mouth like he searched for world dominance, and I was his first conquest. He entwined one of his hands in my hair, holding my head still while he plundered me. He slid his other hand down to grab my ass, and squeeze.

I gasped, and he chuckled, but didn’t let go. In fact, he backed me against the refrigerator, and settled between my spread legs. I whined as our erections rubbed together. My body demanded more than just friction hidden by clothes. It wanted full on nakedness.

Happy Hunk Day

2011-11-23T08:57:00.003-05:00

Wow...tomorrow is Thanksgiving already...and the day after, we'll be a month away from Christmas. What happened to this month? For that matter, what happened to the entire year? It went by so quickly.

Death is moving along well...even with me having a bit of a cold. All I really want is to take naps on the couch, but I'm on a schedule and I don't want to miss my deadline. It's all right. I do a little writing, go lie down for an hour. Get up to do some more. Makes writing go a little slower, but it works for me at the moment. :)

I do believe I'll be doing an installment for They Walk Among Us tomorrow, even though it's Thanksgiving. :)

I hope you all have a great Wednesday.