Week's half over..

Hey everyone. It’s getting cold here again. Just when I thought spring was here to stay. Oh well…

Stop by SiN and check out my cover for Stealing Life. Anne did another awesome job. There’s a couple excerpts posted there as well.

I did some writing yesterday. I’m at 18k on Home to Stay, but I’ve changed the title…lol. Figures. I’m thinking it’s going to be called Home of his Own. It suits the story better than the original title.

I added another 1k to Magpie and Snake’s story. I was glancing through it on Monday. Inspiration hit and I had to do some work on it. With three stories going at once, it’ll be interesting to see which one I actually end up finishing first. Though more than likely, it’ll be Tony’s story.

Have a great day.

Blood Diamond

Watched Blood Diamond the other night. It's certainly makes you think. The diamond companies weren't happy with this movie because it makes them look bad, but not only that, it really makes you think about how lightly humans seem to take life.

Got a ton of writing done on Home to Stay. I'm at 16k so far and I'm not done with what I've handwritten, but I'm getting close. After that, it'll be all new stuff..lol.

I also started writing the opening scenes for the Christmas story I'd like to have out this year featuring Les, Randy and the guys from Tony's story. I got the opening scene for Dreaming of Dragons which will be Mordred and George's story, but didn't get a chance to write it down yet. That's next after the final editing of Understanding Forgiveness.

Oh and the cover for Stealing Life is awesome. When I get the final okay from the powers-that-be at LSB, I'll post it for you. It's gorgeous, hot and sexy. Anne did a wonderful job of protraying the boys. :)

Hope everyone has a marvelous Monday.

Lyrics

I was listening to Linkin Park’s Meteora last night and I finally really listened to the lyrics in this song.

"Breaking The Habit"

Memories consume

Like opening the wound

I'm picking me apart again

You all assume

I'm safe here in my room

Unless I try to start again

[Bridge:]

I don't want to be the one

The battles always choose

'Cause inside I realize

That I'm the one confused

[Chorus:]

I don't know what's worth fighting for

Or why I have to scream

I don't know why I instigate

And say what I don't mean

I don't know how I got this way

I know it's not alright

So I'm breaking the habit

I'm breaking the habit

Tonight

Clutching my cure

I tightly lock the door

I try to catch my breath again

I hurt much more

Than anytime before

I had no options left again

[Bridge:]

I dont want to be the one

The battles always choose

'Cause inside I realize

That I'm the one confused

[Chorus:]

I don't know what's worth fighting for

Or why I have to scream

I don't know why I instigate

And say what I don't mean

I don't know how I got this wayI'll never be alright

So, I'm breaking the habit

I'm breaking the habit

Tonight

[Bridge:]

I'll paint it on the walls

'Cause I'm the one at fault

I'll never fight again

And this is how it ends

[Chorus:]

I don't know what's worth fighting for

Or why I have to scream

But now I have some clarityto show you what I mean

I don't know how I got this way

I'll never be alright

So, I'm breaking the habit

I'm breaking the habit

I’m breaking the habit

Tonight

There’s just something about the line…’I don’t want to be the one the battles always chose…’ It touched me at a level inside…because I’m sure we’ve all felt that way like all the battles just seem to search us out and no matter how hard we try, we just can’t get away from the hard times.

Have you ever heard a song and have the lyrics hit you in such a way that it could be the theme song for your life?

Music is an important part of my life. The best stuff I write is written while listening to music. Maybe the actual music part helps the creative process.

Hope your Saturday is filled with all kinds of music.

Pimping Books

Hey everyone, it’s Friday which means my new feature, Pimping Books, is up. I plan on posting covers and links to books by friends or authors I love to read. It’ll always be a book I’ve read..not just one I think is neat. I’m not doing an actual review, but just giving suggestions.

Today’s book is Plain Jane by Paige Burns and Tiffany Aaron. It’s written in an interesting style… “He said, She said” Each character’s thoughts and voice is heard from. Paige wrote Jane’s pov and Tiff wrote Josh’s pov. Here’s where you can find the blurb and an excerpt. I hope if you do find the info. Intriguing and you decide to read it, let one of the ladies know. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.

Got more done on Home to Stay. I’m at 6k and have a ton more that needs to be typed in before I can figure out how much more I need to write. I created a nice little graphic for The Vanguard to be posted every Tuesday and Thursday, so readers know that’s what the post will be. (Not that any of you wouldn’t any way.)

I hope you all have a great Friday.

I took the leap with faith that I would find a net.
I learned, instead, that I could fly.

Story Ideas

Lisa C. asked me yesterday about where I come up with my story ideas. The very simple answer is life. I know. It’s the answer most authors will tell you. But it’s true. If you’re a writer and your mind is open enough, you can find a story in everything…even something as plain and simple as an empty diet Coke can lying in the street. There’s a person behind that can and a reason why he left it in the street instead of throwing it away or recycling it.

For No Going Home, I wanted to combine two of my favorite sports, show jumping and rodeo. I wondered how would a man (Les) react after being injured in a riding accident and no longer able to perform at what he loved most? Could another man (Randy) find the courage to step away from his less than perfect life to accept love and support from such a man? Along with a few other questions, I created their story.

Here Be Dragons started with a simple question. What if snakes returned to Ireland? That question morphed into a different one. What if they weren’t snakes? What if they were dragons? Throw in a geeky herpetologist, a sexy scientist/spy, a gorgeous elf and a legendary knight, you have all the components for an interesting urban fantasy.

So, I find inspiration from every thought and dream I might have. It might start with an object like in Stealing Life or a single scene like Angel’s Evolution. I have a series of stories I’m slowly working on that was inspired by a single lyric from a Bon Jovi song.

The Vanguard was inspired by the Sacred Band of Thebes. I loved the concept of lovers fighting together in a military unit. Who do you fight the hardest for? The one you love. I took the idea, threw in some magic and romance, creating Rathian and Stakel, plus all the men in Rathian’s command.

I hope you’ve found this post interesting. Have a great day.

Seduce my mind and you can have my body.
Find my soul and I’m yours forever.
-Anonymous

Useless Trivia

Here's some facts about the Slinky.

• Betty James, CEO of James Industries and widow of Slinky inventor Richard James, named the famous toy. She scanned the dictionary for ideas and knew she’d found the perfect name with "Slinky," which is Swedish and means stealthy, sleek, sinuous.

• Some very innovative uses have been found for the Slinky. It has been used in pecan-picking devices in Texas and Alabama; on lighting fixtures in Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas because of the unusual shadows it casts; and as table decorations, drapery holders, bird repellers, mail holders, therapeutic devices, wave motion coils, gutter protectors, and in numerous other ways. During the war in Vietnam, soldiers found that when draped over tree branches, the metal Slinky was an excellent makeshift radio antenna. Also, the Slinky sometimes is prescribed by physical therapists for coordination development.

• The amount of wire used since 1943 to make Slinkys could wrap around the Earth 126 times.

• Fifty years after its invention, the Slinky sells for only about twice the one dollar it originally cost.


What does this have to do with writing? Nothing at all. I was doing research for my day job and came across these interesting little facts. So I thought I'd share them with you. Nice of me, huh?


Just so you know I did finish Understanding Forgiveness yesterday. I've heard back from two of cps. Just waiting on the third...who is really busy...lol. So as soon as I get those comments back, I'll be writing up the synopsis and sending it to my contact person. Woo-hoo! One more story down and tons more to write. :)


Hope everyone has a great day. It's snowing here, so I'm not sure how great my day will be.

It's almost done

Here's a rather intriguing pic of Jonathan Rhys Meyers. I think he might as well have taken the pants off for all that they don't show..lol.

Understanding Forgiveness isn’t quite finished yet, but I’m determined for it to be done and in my cps’ hands by no later than this afternoon. It needs to be finished by the end of next week anyway. So this will hopefully give me time to fix any problems they have with it. (which might be a lot because I’m having issues with this story)

The good news is once it’s done and sent to my cps, I’ll be working on Tony’s story almost exclusively. The only other story I’ll work on at the same time is The Vanguard to ensure I have posts for all of you.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday. May the sun shine where you are.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Jonathan Rhys Meyers was born in Dublin Ireland. Gorgeous eyes and a very yummy body. He’s in the new ShowTime series, The Tudors.

Here are some other movies he’s been in:

The Lion in Winter
Alexander
Bend It Like Beckham
Match Point

How about a half clothed pic? This must be from The Tudors.

Gabriel Byrne

Gabriel Byrne is one of the best actors out there, imo. And today it just helps that he’s Irish. He was born in Dublin, Ireland.

Here are some of his movies:

The Usual Suspects
Point of No Return (one of my personal favorites)
Little Women
The Man in the Iron Mask

Check out some of his movies.

Colin Farrell

How about Colin Farrell? Now I admit I don't find him particularly attractive, but his bad boy attitude does seem to make women (and men) swoon. :)

Colin is from Castleknock Dublin Ireland. Maybe it's the accent that does it for people.
Some of his movies are:

Phone Booth
Miami Vice
A Home at the End of the World
Ask the Dust
Alexander

You all can decide which ones are good because I haven’t seen too many of his.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Throughout the day, I'll be posting pictures of some of the best actors Ireland has sent us. (in my opinion) If you have others, I'd love to hear from you. I'm trying to run the gambit from older more distinguished men to the younger actors.

First off is Liam Neeson. Liam was born in Ballymena Co. Antrim Northern Ireland. And he has that wonderful accent when he gets to use it.

He's been in some wonderful movies over the years.

Schindler’s List
Batman Begins
Love Actually
Rob Roy
Michael Collins
Kingdom of Heaven
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

He has a long career ahead of him as well. Can’t wait to see what else he has coming out next.

Friday Madness

Happy Friday, everyone. I hope you’re having a good day. (Of course, some of you will be stopping by before your day has even started or as your day is ending.)

Good news. My friend, Lisa Andel (she’s one of the authors in the Three anthology with me) has a new book out at Ellora’s Cave, Her Werewolf. (click on title for information) This is her cover. I told her I’d pimp it for her since it’s a great book…very steamy and sexy.

I’ve only got a few more words to write on Understanding Forgiveness, so I’m hoping to sneak in a few free minutes today at work to finish it up. Then my cps can tell me how terrible it is…lol. Got more done on Tony’s story as well, but still didn’t get a chance to actually type it in. Guess I’ll be doing that this weekend.

Hope you find an Irishman to kiss this weekend.

Wacky Wednesday

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and voiced an opinion about what story I should use for my next blog story. It worked out so well, I think I'll be letting y'all vote every time I need a new story for you to read. :)

Tomorrow will see the posting of the first scene of The Vanguard. I hope you enjoy it.

Cathy, you asked me about Tony's story. Funny you mention it. I did some more work on it last night. Not sure how much I've actually gotten done. Have to type most of it in and that's on the agenda for tomorrow. Tonight is reserved for finishing up Understanding Forgiveness. I did realize though that I have to re-write the entire beginning of Tony's story. And I'm getting the tunnel vision I need to work on it pretty much exclusively because I really want to write a Christmas story featuring Les, Randy and everyone you've met or are going to meet in Tony's story as well. The Christmas story doesn't really need to be done until August or September, but I'd like to get it finished early.

I did some work on UF last night. I thought I was close to the end, but now I’ve figured out I need at least one more chapter to finish it the right way. After that, it heads out to my critique partners and they get to tell me all the terrible things I’ve done wrong. :)

Hope you all have a wacky and wonderful Wednesday.

You Decide

lol..the picture doesn't really have anything to do with the post, but I thought y'all might like some eye candy to jump start your morning.

Okay, here's my problem. I have two stories I'd like to write and post as my blog story, but since I don't have time to do both of them, I need to decide which one to actually focus on. That's where you come in. :)

Since you're the ones who will be reading it and taking the time out of your days to stop by, I thought I'd let you decide which one I should post. That way, I don't have to pull my hair trying to pick between them. (it's like trying to pick between your children, I'm sure.)

So I'm putting up two blurbs. I'd like you to post and tell me which one I should work on. (Don't worry...both will get done, just one sooner than the other) Okay..here we go.

#1: The Vanguard-

Prince Rathian is the Supreme Commander of the Vanguard, the most elite unit in the Launioc army. His men fight not only for their country and Prince, but they fight for each other. Launioc’s king sends the army into war against Villious and their Queen. As his men die, Rathian’s heart breaks and he longs to find the one person to help him survive the war and the loss of his men.

Stakel is a Queen’s Consort and is abandoned by his fellow Consorts during a battle with the Vanguard. Taken prisoner, he finds himself learning about the enemy he’d been taught to hate. Stakel has been forced to do things he hated and fight for a ruler he owes no loyalty. In Rathian, Stakel finds not only a ruler, but a lover to whom he can give all of himself.

#2 Swearing Allegiance-

When his country, Nutria, is attacked by King Svenson of Sangdon, a neighboring kingdom, Oleg, Prince of the North easily defeats the insane ruler. Oleg and his army march to Sangdon's capital city to "take over" (there's a better word for this but can't think of it right now) the throne and demand allegiance from Sangdon's nobles and Svenson's son. He expected some defiance, but he wasn't expecting the stab of lust that greeted him his first night at court.

Prince Berrin’s relief at his father’s defeat is tempered by caution. He needs time to make up his mind about Oleg. When he asks for that time, the Prince of Nutria graciously gives it to him. Now he has a month to decide if the new king deserves his allegiance and that of Sangdon.

Disturbing rumors reach Oleg’s ears. Rumors that Berrin isn’t the son of the king after all. The Ancient Dark owns Berrin’s soul and will do what ever it must to protect him. Will Berrin and the magic inside him accept Oleg’s authority and his love? Or will the Nutrian Prince find himself fighting a war against a god?

********
Oh before I forget, stop over to LSB and check out Paige's new book, Plain Jane which she co-authored with Tiffany Aaron. :)

Get busy and vote, people. I do have some written on both stories, so as soon as the decision is made, I'll post the first scene on Thursday.

Monday Madness

Had a good weekend. Managed to recharge and I’m ready to focus on finishing Understanding Forgiveness. Keep your fingers crossed that I get it done this week.

Anne Cain sent me a preliminary sketch for the cover of Stealing Life and it’s hot. As much as I want to beg her to hurry up and get the color done for it, I won’t. Because you shouldn’t rush perfection and I know when she’s done, it’s going to be awesome.

Stop by SiN and check out the excerpt I’ve posted from my short story, Two for One. It’s my contribution to the Three anthology with Bonnie Dee and Lisa Andel. J

Hope you all have a fantastic Monday.

Marvelous Sunday

I searched the net, trying to find an image from 300. I wanted one that showed a lot of the actors who played the band of Spartans who went with Leonidas to the battle. All of those men should be congratulated on their dedication and work to make their bodies as fit as possible. I’ll tell you what, there were tons of ripped abs and well-muscled chests in this movie. This doesn't quite give you the right image. But still...it's a nice picture.

The movie itself was visual stunning. The colors and affects were a feast to the eyes. There were parts that ran slow, but overall, it’s the best movie I’ve seen in a long time. I like movies that tell about heroic men, fighting against impossible odds. For those who look for historical accuracy in their movies, they won’t find much of it here. That’s okay with me. Maybe if it was a different kind of movie, it would matter.

Haven’t gotten a lot of writing done this weekend. I’m hoping to get some done later on today. Who knows? I might have to focus all over again, starting tomorrow. J

Hope you have a great Sunday.

Good Saturday

I was a good boy yesterday and didn't go to see 300 like I wanted to. Only because C wants to see it as well and I thought he might be a little upset if I saw it without him. So we're going today with a group of friends. How can I resist going to see a movie where the stars look like this? Those are really Gerard Butler's abs, ladies and gentlemen. Can we say yummy? :)

I posted an excerpt for Stealing Life at LSB's forum, SiN. Stop by and check it out. Haven't gotten assigned an editor yet, but the editor-in-chief for LSB is working out the schedule to make sure one of the two I wanted is available to do it. :)

How exciting. My site counter tells me I've had over 20,000 visitors since I started this blog in February of last year. Cool. Please don't stop coming. I like to see all the countries that stop by and visit. You don't even have to post a comment.

Oh by the way, I'm running a contest for members of my newsletter (which I'm working on the very first issue to send out) Anyone who joins is entered and it runs to the end of the month. I'm giving away a free book of the winner's choice from either LSB or Loose-Id. (If you've already read all of mine, don't worry. You can pick one of the other books and I'll get it for you.) Also, I'll have a little hot something else to send to you. Just use the button in the sidebar for my google group and sign up. I promise it won't be a high volume group.

Hope everyone has a great Saturday. Relax and enjoy what just might be the beginnings of spring.

Friday's Here

Thank god it's Friday. The week is over and all the craziness is done for now. Our big event went off without a hitch and we finished the clean-up today, so we're all taking over at 1 today.

Which means I get to be a total geek and go see 300 (if it isn't sold out.) A kick-ass story with hot men and what looks to be an awesome treatment to the film...what more could I ask for, right?

Now that all the work is done, I'll actually be able to focus on my writing and finish up Understanding Forgiveness...like I wanted to do this week. Oh well. I promise that starting next Tuesday, there'll be a new blog story as well. That got put on the back burner. :)

Hope everyone has a great Friday.

Eye Candy

I thought I'd give everyone some yummy eye candy I got from Lisa because it looks like my 'real' job isn't giving me time to keep my word and post the first installment of my new blog story.

Oh well. You'll have something to look forward to, I guess. And I promise to post when I can each day. Even if it's at night. :)

Hope you had a great Tuesday and your Wednesday is wonderful as well.

Wild Hogs

Saw WILD HOGS yesterday. It was a funny movie and one that was funny all the way through..not just in bits and pieces. Now I'm not a huge Travolta or Allen fan, but they were good. William H. Macy was my favorite out of the bunch.

Oh, the anthology title got changed. It's now just Three because April, the cover artist, thought that would look better on the cover and who are we to argue? lol. I can't wait to see what she comes up with for us. As soon as I get it, I'll post it for everyone.

As you might notice, the links to my blog story, Firebird, have been deleted from the side bar. That doesn't mean the story is gone, it just means you have to search for it now. I promise I'll be starting a new story tomorrow. (hopefully..if I have time.) Forget about the little scene I posted the other day...lol. The new one will be a fantasy/sci-fi story. I've gotten a couple chapters already written on it..so we'll see what you think about it.

This week is going to be really busy for me at work, so I'm going to try hard to post every day. It might not be right in the morning. I hope you'll stop by through out the day if there isn't anything new up first thing.

Have a great Monday, everyone.

The End of the Weekend

I picked up this dvd set yesterday. The first season of Supernatural. Never watch it on tv, but it's actually pretty good so far. It helps that Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are hot. :)

Hey, I added a sign-up button on the side-bar for my newsletter. Just subscribe. The first one will be going out sometime this week. It's a work in progress. As I get better at it or if I can get C to design me one, it'll be awesome. But it's where you can get the news about my books and new contracts as well. Also, I'll be running contests periodically for my newsletter members. So join up. I promise there won't be a ton of mail from me. (I don't have the time to send out that much..lol)

STEALING LIFE and THREESOME are listed on LSB's coming soon thread in the forum. Click on the title and it'll take you to the thread for each book. I've posted the blurbs for my stories there all ready. I'll post an excerpt or two later on. :) You'll also get to read the blurbs for Lisa and Bonnie's stories that are a part of the anthology. If you don't want to sign up at SiN, come back here and post a comment about the stories. Let me know what you think.

Well, I'm going back to watching two hot men fight the bad spooky creatures. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. :)

It's official

Well, I signed the contracts and it's official. Both Two for One and Stealing Life have been contracted by LSB. :) There's no official release date, but Liquid Silver tries very hard to get them out around four months from when the contract is signed so that would be around June or July.


I'm happy about it. Anne Cain is working digilently on the cover for Stealing Life and I can't wait to see what she comes up with. April Martinez is doing the cover for the Threesome anthology that Two for One is a part of. Bonnie Dee and Lisa Andel are the other two authors with me. So I'll be getting two awesome covers as well.

As soon as I get a date for the books to come out, I'll let everyone know. :)

Hope your Saturday is going well.

The White Horse of the Hills

Not a very imaginative title, but at the moment that's what I'm working with. Didn't have time for picture either. I'll look for one to post tomorrow. :) But here's just the beginning of my new blog story. Hope everyone has a great Friday.

The White Horse of the Hills copyright (c) 2007 TA Chase

During a time long ago in a land far away, there lived a young man. Ryan's long glossy curls were as black as a raven's wing. They flowed around his face and cascaded down his back. His skin was the purest alabaster with no flaws. It was the envy of all the village maids. His eyes were the same fresh green as the grass covering the rolling hills around the village. Lips as red and plump as the raspberries growing in his mother's garden.

When Ryan walked through the village, the maids sighed and longed to catch his eye. At night in the dark, when the men of the village took themselves in hand, it was Ryan's face they fantasized about instead of their own wives. Though those thoughts were never talked about.

Ryan has heard from the moment of his birth how beautiful he was, but it never changed the sweetness of his nature. He always had a kind word and a soft smile for everyone, even the grumpy man who baked the bread every day. Everyone in the village loved Ryan, the tailor's son.

Sorry...

I meant to post the first installment of my next blog story, but time and work got in the way. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get it up for y'all tomorrow.

This is a wonderful picture of the Irish coast. I love it and since my new story is set in a fictionalized version of Ireland, (more along the lines of a Celtic fairy tale) I thought I'd give you some scenery to look at. :)

I'm sure some of you have heard that I'll be writing an anthology with Lisa Andel and Lila Dubois now. I really need to learn how to say no. lol While my blog story isn't the short story I'll be writing for the antho. Our choice of theme for the anthology brought about the idea for the blog story. ;) We're doing a Molten Fairy tale theme. Don't ask when it'll be out because both Lisa and I have a book or two each that we have to finish. And I've been pushing Lila to finish the second in her Zonah series. But probably some time this year is the best you'll get from me at the moment. lol

Have a great day.