Happy Hunk Day

Okay, so I was over at my favorite place to snag pictures of gorgeous men, Beautiful. (If you do stop by there, remember it's not Work friendly...just saying...lol) Anyway, they had several photos of these two together and I fell in love with them. They might look young, but, boy, are they pretty. So you'll probably see them in a few pictures I post. There are two with them in suits that scream story. I'll definitely be using them as inspiration. :)

Let's see....Thank you to everyone who bought With This Ring so far. It's at #4 on Samhain's bestseller list, which thrills me to no end. Considering I'm sharing my release day with Jess Dee, Annamarie McKenna, Mary Hughs, and Charlene Teglia. All of us made it on the bestseller lists. Go us! :)

I'm giving myself a slight vacation. Instead of working on stories that I know I need to write (though none of them are contracted), I'm working on a story close to my heart and one that has been rattling around my head for quite a while now. I've always had other books that needed to be written (sequels mostly) that I've never had time to get to it. Well, I set this week between Christmas and New Year's to see how far I can get on it. Once the new year begins, I'll get back to writing the stories/sequels I need to get done. I can give you the title: Deviants Wore Pink

I hope you all have a great Wednesday. :)

Bastet

Bastet copyright c. 2009 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-One-

Kellan only worked half a day, so after he punched out, he headed back to the library. He wanted to see if there was any more mention about the Warriors in any of the other books. The Egyptian books were part of a small private collection donated to the library from a Harvard graduate back in the early 1920s. No one knew who donated the items or even why he chose to give them to the university.

The day was cool, but sunny, and Kellan enjoyed the chance to stroll down the street, window shopping. As his eyes wandered over the displays, he thought about Baz. At least now, his decision wouldn’t be lead by his cock. Every time he was around Baz, all it seemed he could think about was getting the man in bed.

Should he be happy that Baz didn’t lie to him about why they met? Baz wanted the information Kellan had, in addition to Kellan himself and that couldn’t be all bad, could it? Maybe he needed to stop by and talk to Marissa about the whole thing. Relationships weren’t Kellan’s area of expertise since he hadn’t had a serious one for over two years. It wasn’t like he was a complete novice to the whole ‘getting to know’ a person, but his shyness didn’t help his chances.

He pulled out his phone and punched in Marissa’s number. Leaning against the corner of a building, he watched people walk past while he waited for her to answer.

“Kellan. What’s up?”

A grin split his face at Marissa’s bubbly greeting.

“Not much. Just got off work. Are you available for lunch?”

“Ooh, are you going to dish about that god of a man you’ve been seeing?”

He laughed. “I need to talk to someone about him, but it’s probably not going to be as detailed as you want.”

“Where’s the fun in that? I wanted to hear about every kiss and other things.”

He heard the pout in her voice.

“You know I don’t kiss and tell, but I might convince to spill a moment or two, but it better be a good bribe.” He pushed away from the building, slipping into the crowd and made his way toward the university.

“Hmmm….a good bribe? Let me think.”

Kellan could imagine Marissa tapping one long blood red fingernail against her chin.

“I’ve got it. Lunch at O’Reilly’s on me.”

“I think you know me too well. I’ll meet you there in ten minutes.”

“Okay.” Marissa hung up.

He hit the end button and tucked the phone back in his pocket, already imagining the delicious taste of O’Reilly’s corned beef sandwich. His phone rang while he strolled down the sidewalk.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Kellan.”

Kellan’s heart skipped a beat at the deep whiskey smooth tone of Baz’s voice. Would he ever get used to hearing the man say his name?

“Hey Baz. How are your meetings going?”

“Rather exciting actually, which is a good thing. I’m sure that what they have is a Canopic burial jar from around 650 BC. I’m not sure who it was for, but I’m sure it’s authentic.” Baz sounded pleased with himself. “How’s work going for you?”

“Oh, I only had to go in for a half day. I’m meeting Marissa for lunch before heading to the library to do some more research.”

Baz coughed and muttered something under his breath.

“Are you okay?”

After looking both ways, Kellan crossed the street and continued in the direction of O’Reilly’s.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just wishing I didn’t have to work all day. I would pick you up and take you back to my hotel room. We could find some way to waste the afternoon away.”

While Kellan’s cock thought that was a great idea, his mind spoke up and warned him that he had some thinking to do about Baz. Of course, that didn’t include never seeing the guy again, but it might end up being not talking to him about Kellan’s research.

“While that sounds like a wonderful idea, I have to work on my dissertation and you need to do what you were brought here for.” He stumbled as someone ran into him from behind. “Ompf.”

“Are you all right?”

“I’m cool, man. Someone just ran into me. The sidewalk’s a little crowded today is all.”

He eased off to the side, standing in the opening of an alleyway where he could see Marissa approach the pub.

“If you’re sure.” Baz paused for a second before continuing, “Would you be available for dinner tonight?”

“Sure,” Kellan accepted without giving his head a chance to protest. “But why don’t you come over to my apartment and I’ll cook us something.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a home cooked meal. I’d be happy to accept. What time would you like me there?”

Running through what he wanted to accomplish at the library, he said, “Be there around seven. That should give me enough time to do a little digging and still get back in time to get dinner started.”

“Seven, it is.” A voice muttered in the background and Baz answered it.

“We should get off the phone. I don’t want to interrupt your meeting and I see my friend heading my way.” He stepped out and waved, getting Marissa’s attention.

“You never could be an interruption, Kellan.”

Baz’s words stroked over him and his prick stiffened. He moaned silently, wishing he could adjust himself, but Marissa’s eagle eye would pick that up right away and he’d never hear the end of it.

“Are you hard?”

“God, don’t lower your voice anymore or I just might cream my jeans right here.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his body. “I can’t sit through lunch with a boner, man. Marissa would tease me mercilessly.”

“I think I’d like to meet your friend.” Baz chuckled. “I’ll let you go and I’ll see you tonight at seven. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

He whispered, “Good-bye,” and hung up before Marissa got to him.

“Flushed cheeks. Trembling hands.” She checked out his crotch. “Erection. It must have been Stud man on the phone.”

“Tell me again why I consider you my best friend?” He covered his face with his hands and groaned.

While you wait...

for the next installment of Bastet, you can check out my last release for 2009.

With This Ring is available at Samhain right now. :)

Blurb:

The end of the year is the start of a whole new beginning…

A Tabloid Star story.

Josh Bauer and Ryan Kellar sweated through a turbulent start to their relationship. Now that they’ve embarked on a life together, filled with family friends—and each other—Ryan’s suffering sweaty palms again. For an entirely different reason.

It’s not the heat they generate every time they’re alone together. It’s not even the crush of people at Josh’s jam-packed birthday party. It’s the birthday present Ryan’s carrying in his jeans pocket. The one that could make him the happiest man in the world, come New Year’s Eve.

If Josh says “yes”…

Product Warnings

Hot guy on guy sex. A happily married couple and a rocking New Year’s Eve party guaranteed to keep you up all night.

Hope you enjoy it. :)

New Cover and Book

This is my newest upcoming release, Duncan's World, from Amber Allure. It's scheduled for April 4th. :) Woot!

Here's the unedited blurb:

Kyle MacDonald keeps his head down and tries to avoid making his father angry while traveling on the professional bull riding circuit. He’s learned the hard way how his father deals with being upset. The only rebellion Kyle’s allowed himself is helping out with the bulls after the event. It’s on one such night that Kyle meets Duncan Hornsby.

Duncan’s the reigning world Champion, and has everything he could want. Yet his eye has been caught by a shy young man whose father is Duncan’s biggest rival. Kyle MacDonald makes Duncan feel protective and passionate. Even though he’s fourteen years older than Kyle, Duncan’s ready to risk rejection to see if Kyle’s lips taste as sweet as they look.

Could a relationship grow between them amidst the macho atmosphere of bull riding and the danger presented by Kyle’s father? Or will Kyle and Duncan prove that age doesn’t count in matters of the heart?

What do you think? I love this cover...lol.

I hope you all had a marvelous Christmas or holiday.

Bastet

Bastet copyright c. 2009 T.A. Chase

Part Twenty-

The Warriors’ personal library rivaled that of the Vatican, especially for housing rare and controversial books.

“You want to make your boyfriend our librarian?” Horus snorted. “Don’t you think he’d want to be more than a glorified archivist?”

Baz continued following the bus, trying not to give in to the urge to punch Horus. He wouldn’t stoop to his brother’s level. “I think if we give him the choice, he’d jump at the chance to spend hours reading books and scrolls that haven’t seen the light of day since the first Pharaohs were young.”

“He is a curious young thing, much like a cat. Maybe that’s why you get along so well.” Horus glanced over at Baz with a smirk.

“Just once, do you think you could keep your mouth shut?” Baz mumbled. “I need to call a meeting.”

Horus stiffened and Baz could feel his other brothers listening in his head.

“A meeting? Shit, not about Kellan. Dude, he’s a nice piece of ass, but he’s not worth shaking up our whole existence for.” Horus almost pleaded with him.

We don’t even know if he’ll continue on his path or if you can convince him to look elsewhere. Anubis spoke up.

Rushing in to any sort of decision could up all of us at risk, Bastet. Amum chimed in.

Thoth couldn’t resist adding his two cents either. Horus is right. Kellan is a nice piece of ass, but you have to think with your head, not your dick. It’s not just your life you’re risking by bringing him into the fold. We must stay a secret and apart from the mortal world.

Of course, Sekhmet and Isis stayed out of the argument and it was their opinions Baz wanted most of all. Stopping at a red light, Baz rubbed his temples and sighed. Maybe they were right. Maybe he was just enamored by Kellan and the heat of their love making. Could he be letting his cock think for him for the first time since he became a Warrior?

He pulled the car to the curb and watched Kellan climb off the bus. Thoth and Sterling’s man were right behind him. He smiled grimly at the way Thoth bumped into the other man, sending him stumbling. Thoth said something to the man, probably warning him that Kellan had other people looking out for him.

Thoth joined them in the car after watching Kellan get settled in at work. “The guy following him is definitely one of Sterling’s guys. I think I’ve seen him before in Los Angeles when that whole museum exhibit thing blew up.”

“Shit,” Baz and Horus said together.

“Sterling must think Kellan’s got something good. He’s sending in the big guns,” Horus muttered.
Baz nodded. “I’ll have to get the name of the book, so that one of you can go and take it from the library. We can’t risk other people finding it.”

“How are you going to do that?” Thoth asked from the backseat.

“I’m meeting Kellan tonight for dinner. I’ll ask him about the book then. As soon as I find out the name, Horus, you go and get it.” He looked at Thoth in the rearview mirror. “Would you be able to keep an eye on Kellan for me? Check on him once in a while until he leaves work.”

Thoth nodded. “I can do that. Sterling’s man didn’t follow your boy into the building, though I don’t doubt that he knows where he works. Kellan’s cubicle is right by a window. No one will notice a hawk flying past.”

“Thanks.”

“That’s what we’re here for, to keep each other safe along with the world.” Thoth squeezed his shoulder before slipping out of the car.

“What are you going to do?” Horus had gotten out and he leaned in through the open passenger window.

“I do actually have a meeting I need to get to. A museum needs my help authenticating an Egyptian vase. Unfortunately, if it is original and not a copy, they’ll probably have to return it to the Egyptian government.” Baz shook his head. “It’s amazing how many things were stolen from our country and taken elsewhere.”

“The worse thing is all those precious irreplaceable objects that are in private collections and that will never see the light of day again.”

Baz thought of the magnificent golden Scarab beetle that had graced the sarcophagus of a minor Egyptian royal. It disappeared sometime in the eighteen hundreds. There were hints of it resurfacing during the nineteen-twenties, but it disappeared again before he and his brothers could find it. There were as many legends about that beetle as there were about the Warriors.

“Some day, maybe all of her treasures can be returned to her…and the other ancient civilizations that were looted over the centuries.” Horus tapped the car door. “I’ll let you get to your meeting. I think I’ll go to the library and look around myself. Maybe I can find what we’re looking for without you needing to grill your lover.”

Baz waved and pulled out into traffic, heading downtown to the museum and his meeting. He mulled over the thought of demanding a meeting of his brothers. No matter what any of them said, they did need someone to catalogue their archives and collection. For they also bought or stole as many artifacts as they could, returning them to Egyptian soil. Some they weren’t able to return to the government, and those stayed in their own personal storage house. The ones they could give back, they did so anonymously. No point in having a spot light shone on their secret society.

* * * * *

“This young man you sent me after seems to have somebody watching out for him.”

Sterling snarled. “How is that possible? He’s a college student. No one should be paying any attention to him.”

“I’ve spotted two men around him all ready. One in an expensive Italian suit, reeking of money and power. The other wasn’t as nicely dressed, but he still smelled the same.”

“Smelled the same?”

“Yeah. They smell like Christmas.”

He rose to his feet and strolled over to the window. Could the Warriors have found the Largant boy? If so, and they were keeping such a close watch on him, it meant he’d discovered something important.

“You must bring him to me.”

“Yes, sir.”

A dial tone crashed into his ear and he chuckled as he hung up. God, he loved a man who obeyed orders without asking questions.

Happy Christmas Eve Eve..

Yep..two more sleeps before Christmas. I still have to wrap the presents I picked up. Guess that's what I'll be doing tonight. :)

I finished another story..or so I thought. Now that I've had the night to think about it, I'll be adding another chapter or two to it. One of the other stories I was working on, I ended up changing a little, simply because it wasn't flowing the way it was. Changed things up and it's really speeding along. Yay!

I was discussing stuff with some people yesterday and I realized that with all my releases this year, I've had 13 books out. Wow...I never thought I'd have that many in one year. It was a great year for me. Of course, then I got counting and I realized that I already have eight books scheduled for release in 2010. Woot! All I need are five more and I'll hit my total for this year. Should I try to have at least one more book out next year than I did this year? That would be awesome, though you all might get tired of my books coming out every month. :D

I hope you all have a great Wednesday.

Bastet

Bastet copyright c. 2009 T.A. Chase

Part Nineteen-

Baz sat outside Kellan’s apartment after dropping him off. It was early morning and Kellan had to get ready to go to work. Baz had lied and told Kellan he had several meetings during the day, but they arranged to meet up at Kellan’s place that evening.

“Are you crazy?”

He jumped as Horus pounded on the window and yelled.

“Get in here.” He unlocked the doors and waved for his brother to join him in the car.

Horus slid in and glared at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Baz slid down in his seat, putting his sunglasses on before gripping the steering wheel tight. “I’m keeping an eye on Kellan. He won’t notice me following him and this way, I can check to see if anyone is tailing him.”

Horus punched him in the arm. “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.”

Rubbing his arm, he snarled at Horus who didn’t seem scared by it. “I had to tell him something. He’s not stupid, Horus. By letting him think I work for the Warriors, he’s more likely to allow me to stay close to him.”

“Kellan now knows more about us than anyone since the priest who created us died. That’s not keeping him safe.”

“I didn’t tell him anything important. He doesn’t know where the temple is or that the original Warriors are still alive. Kellan doesn’t believe in the shape shifting. He sees us as a mere myth to help a dying civilization to believe that they won’t be forgotten.” Baz watched Kellan race down the outside stairs from his apartment, set a bowl down, and head out to the bus stop. “Kellan is part of academia. They aren’t given to flights of fancy or accepting anyone’s story on faith alone.”

They fell silent as Kellan climbed on the bus along with three other people, one of whom Bastet thought he recognized.

“Shit. The guy from the campus yesterday just got on the bus with Kellan.” He slammed his hand on the wheel. “I can’t get on there with him. I told him I’d be in meetings all day.”

I’ll do it. Thoth joined in. I can get to the next stop before the bus does. I’ll get on and keep an eye on your man, Bastet.

Thank you, Thoth. We’ll be following the bus, so inform us if there are any problems. He started the vehicle and pulled into traffic a few cars behind the bus.

I will. Also, I searched the human’s apartment. There were bugs, but I left them in place. We don’t want to give them any more reasons to think we’re on to them. As long as you keep Kellan at your hotel, Bastet, we should be able to keep Sterling’s knowledge at a minimum.

Baz sent Thoth a mental nod, though he wasn’t complete sure it would work. Kellan wasn’t going to stop doing research on the Warriors, simply because Baz told him it was dangerous. Either Baz would have to steer Kellan in a less volatile direction or he would have to wipe Kellan’s memory clean and leave.

For the first time, Baz didn’t like the second choice. Leaving had been the easiest thing for him to do for some many centuries. His heart had taken a beating from falling in love and then losing his lover to old age while he never changed and had no change of dying. Eventually he learned how to live in the moment and not give his heart to anyone.

It’s hard to keep caring.

He bit his lip to keep from gasping out loud. Isis rarely spoke to any of them except Sekhmet anymore. The oldest of the Warriors, Isis chose to remove himself from the every day interaction with the mortals. No one, except for Sekhmet, knew where Isis hid.

Yes, sir. It is very hard when they continue to die and I continue to live.

It won’t always be like this, Bastet. You must have faith that our mission will no longer be needed soon.

Horus stared out the window at the bus, causing Baz to think Isis must only be talking to him. Another strange event, but not surprising since Isis was the only one of them who could talk individually to the Warriors. The others shared their thoughts without being able to block the others.

What happens to us if your prophecy comes true? Do we get to live a normal life or do we turn to dust like the mummies they’ve found in the Valley of the Kings?

A mental shrug reached him. I don’t know, Bastet, but in my heart, I hope our deities will allow us a full life where we’ll die at the end of it, instead of this non-ending limbo we are in.

Tears welled in his eyes at the sadness in Isis’s voice. He knew that their oldest brother was subject to fits of depression so deep, Isis would disappear from their lives for years on end. Only Sekhmet had the nerve to approach Isis when he was in one of those moods. Sekhmet’s lion form was the only one strong enough to take on Isis’s wolf.

“Thoth’s on the bus,” Horus informed Baz.

“Thanks.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What if we were to bring Kellan all the way in?”
Isis’s presence in Baz’s mind faded and he realized he wouldn’t be getting any advice from Isis about what to do with Kellan. Isis was the deciding vote when they chose to do anything and if the vote was split. He never made his opinion known until they needed him.

“All the way in? What are you talking about? Giving him access to our archives? Allowing the first mortal since the priest to know about us?” Horus looked horrified at the thought.

“Yes. Our own archives are a mess. We bring things we find and dump them with no rhyme or reason to it.” He snapped his fingers. “Which reminds me, I have to grab that book Kellan found the mention of us in.”

“You could just rip out that page.”

He rolled his eyes at Horus’s suggestion. “And get my ass chewed out by Sekhmet and Isis about destroying books? You know that’s why we’ve never burned any of the scrolls like Anubis wanted. Isis and Sekhmet still remember how much knowledge was lost when the Great Library at Alexandria was burned. They won’t risk losing any more, even if it is to keep the Warriors secret.”

They both fell silent as they remembered the terrible day when the library was destroyed. They had managed to save as many scrolls and tablets as they could, but so much of ancient history was lost and some of Baz’s brothers hadn’t recovered from the tragedy.

While you're waiting...

for me to post the next installment of Bastet...which I'm working on. :) You can stop by Manic Readers and check out my interview with Val. It was a lot of fun.

The next installment will be up soon. I promise. :)

Four more sleeps....

before Christmas. I thought I'd give you some nice material for your dreams. :)

Well, I got most of my shopping done over the weekend. Have to go out tonight and finish up, but it won't be bad.

Did some writing. Not a lot, so I'll have work on my story this week which might be possible since we're not that busy at work at the moment. Maybe I can sneak in some writing at the evil day job.

I hope you all have a great Monday.