 Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week we’re with Apollo, Khalil and Deirdre in the next Gods of DC book (still untitled). This week is a picture prompt. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.**  Khalil dug his hands in his pockets as he trudged through the tall grass towards the weathered farmhouse. He glanced over his shoulder at the forest he had just hiked through. Why Hassan picked places like this to meet after each of the djinn’s attacks was still beyond Khalil.
He turned back to the house and huffed. Speaking of the devil, his master was already standing at the door with a sour scowl on his face. The glare Hassan gave him didn’t urge Khalil to pick up his pace. If anything, it slowed him up a bit. “Another failure,” Hassan reprimanded as he crossed his arms over the cable knit sweater he wore. Didn’t the asshole realize it was summer? “I’m sorry. I opened the doorway to the next reality. Hell, I unlocked a path to feudal Japan around an airplane. What more did you want from me?” “For you obey the wish I asked for. I asked that you send the gods and goddesses of Olympus into another realm where they will be slaughtered. Alas, they’re still here. “Yeah, you abused that, you bastard.” “Excuse me?” Hassan didn’t need to use the magic he possessed to abuse Khalil. When the curse came out of the djinn’s mouth, he knew the fiery pain would consume him. He clenched his fingers into tight fists to fight it. Blood pooled around his fingernails as they bit into his palms. It was pure agony and only one thing would stop it. He gritted his teeth as he spoke the word. “Master.” “That’s better.” Cool relief filled him just as quickly as the pain began. The difference between the two sensations was staggering. Khalil stumbled back a few steps as he struggled to control his senses. “And how are things going with the god, Apollo?” Hassan interrogated.
4 Comments
 Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This were with Apollo in the next Gods of DC book. The word prompt this week is “year”. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  Apollo helped her to a barstool nestled beside a long, weathered bar. Behind it was shelf after shelf of multicolored bottles filled with liquor. Deirdre focused on the shades of glass until her vision stabilized. Maybe if she stared at them long enough, the gods and goddesses behind her would disappear.
A deep voice, not that of her lover, boomed behind her. “Now that we’re in a safe place, we need to talk about what just happened.” “Do you think that’s wise? There are those among us who don’t belong,” another voice countered. “Excuse me?” That voice was clearly Apollo. Deirdre dug her nails into the wood of the bar top. They were talking about her and it was pissing her off to no end. The first voice spoke again. “I’m with Apollo. I watched his friend fight with us. She was clearly on our side and we could use all the help we can get. And she isn’t the first magical being in our little family. She’ll fit in great with Juliet, Mac, and Freddy. We’ve been struggling with these tears in reality for nearly a year. We need allies, not enemies.” “Speak for yourself, Poseidon. I highly doubt we’ll get along well.” Deirdre didn’t have to ask who that was. She’d remember Prince Frederick’s voice until her last day of existence. “Bro, introduce us,” a feminine voice snapped. Apollo laid a hand on Deirdre’s shoulder and met her gaze. She nodded and stood. He tucked her beneath his arm then turned her to face the others. “Everyone, this is Deirdre. She is a Pooka. If you want to know what that is, ask Freddy or Google it. I can tell you that she’s not human.” He pointed to the large man in the board shorts and began. “This is my Uncle Poseidon. Next to him is Uncle Hades. That’s Athena, her husband Mac, Ares and his wife Juliet, my twin Artemis, my Aunt Demeter. And, well, you know Freddy.” “Hi,” Deidre replied weakly. “Hey,” Athena returned the greeting. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for your help.” “Don’t mention it. Happy to help.” “Just curious. How do you know Freddy?” Ares insisted. “For fuck’s sakes, bro. You have absolutely no tact.” Athena rolled her eyes.  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This were with Apollo in the next Gods of DC book. The word prompt this week is “holiday”. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  Deirdre looked away from him. “It’s a long story.”
“And we have a long way to walk to find a private place to ghost,” Apollo countered. “I thought he said to take a cab.” She pointed in the direction of the man in the suit storming through the crowd of people. “Dad is the only one going to take a cab. The rest of us are ghosting.” “So that’s…” “Zeus. My dad. Yeah.” Apollo took her hand and led her in the opposite direction. They strode along in silence past the ticket counters, gift shops, and posters advertising travel deals for the upcoming holiday. Apollo directed them both towards the parking structure, not saying a word until they were a dozen rows deep into parked cars. “So, Freddy,” Apollo reminded. “How is he even part of your group?” Deirdre demanded. Apollo let go a heavy sigh. “He was Ares high priest until he met and fell in love with my aunt Demeter. Now, to help us maintain these tears in reality which originated in the Underworld, he took his trials with Mac and is a demigod. Now, for the last time, how do you know him?” Deirdre huffed. Guilt gnawed at her heart. “I’m not a Banshee. I’m a Pooka. I’m a dangerous fairy with a taste for violence. Over a hundred years ago, I was under the control of a madman. He sent me to kill Prince Frederick, the newborn son of the brother of the Leprechaun king. I disguised myself as a banshee to hide my deed. The child’s mother discovered me and threw something at me. I should have killed her as well but I panicked. I swiped a claw across the child’s abdomen then fled.” She paused. “It looks like he survived.” “Yeah, he did. And now he’s pissed.” He tightened his grip on her hand. She watched as he glanced around their surroundings. “Hang on. We’re leaving.” “What do you mean we’re…” The scene around her blurred and disappeared. A moment later, she was standing on the worn wooden floor of a large bar. A handful of the gods and goddesses were already there, chatting among themselves. Apollo let her hand go but recaptured it as her knees buckled and began to collapse. She felt his strong arms wrap around her. This was all too much.  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This were with Apollo in the next Gods of DC book. The word prompt this week is “stuff”. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  “Well, that was fun,” the god in the board shorts quipped as he gripped his long hair in his massive hands. He wrung it out, leaving a tiny puddle on the floor.
“Who’s your friend, Apollo?” the dark haired man questioned, his voice thick with accusation. A woman with long, deep brown hair dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans smacked him in the arm. “That’s a little brazen, don’t you think, Freddy?” “No one gets what I’m saying, Dee,” Freddy muttered in protest. “Prince Frederick.” Deirdre thought she had murmured the name to herself. It was a name she wanted to forget. It was the most shameful moment of her existence. By the sudden stares from everyone in the circle, she had spoken them out loud. Freddy’s glare felt like daggers in her soul. Dee cleared her throat. “Brody’s friend doesn’t. There’s no need to confuse her.” Deirdre frowned. Hadn’t she just been fighting side by side with them outside? What she did was a far cry from what a human could do. “She knows,” Apollo warned. “You told her?” The shorter of the well dressed gents accused. “She’s not human,” Freddy revealed with a snarl. Deirdre’s heart sunk into her stomach. Shit. It was him. He was supposed to be dead. “Listen, we need to get out of here before someone recognizes us from what happened on the tarmac and all Hades breaks loose.” The military woman turned to the shorter, well dressed gent. “Thanks for the cover, Dad. But can you shut off the waterworks? I’d like to walk out of here without getting soaked again.” “I can’t do anything to arouse suspicion in us,” her father countered. “I think fighting warriors from feudal Japan was suspicious enough.” She thumbed toward another god in a pair of jeans and a nineties grunge band shirt. He was suspiciously dry. “We can go to his club and get to the bottom of this.” The gent scowled at her. Suddenly the pounding of the rain on the roof slowly dissipated. Military goddess gave one firm nod before she spun on her toe and strode towards the glass door. Apollo squeezed the hand holding Deirdre’s tighter as the entire group followed. “Are we taking cabs?” someone questioned. “I have no cash.” “Sure. Or ghost,” the goddess answered. “Don’t ghost,” the god who stopped the rain ordered. “Take cabs.” There was general grumbling from the deities. Deirdre looked up at Apollo. “What’s ghosting?” “You’ll see,” he answered. “By the way, how do you know Freddy?”  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week we’re with Apollo, Khalil and Deirdre in the next Gods of DC book (still untitled). This week is a picture prompt. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.**  The water from a dozen pairs of soaked shoes sloshed and squeaked across the terminal floor. There was still noise and chaos from the frightened mortals panicking from the sudden freak storm outside. After the battle Deirdre just went through, she wasn’t up for it.
She glanced up at the airline poster on the wall, a plane sailing between white puffy clouds inviting travelers to buy tickets at low, low prices. She could really use a vacation right now after that shitshow. She would definitely have to change before she joined Apollo in his sports car in the sky. All this rainwater would ruin his leather. She couldn’t shake what she saw during the fight when she stared up at the deep, dark eyes of that man dressed as a member of the ground crew. She drowned in them the night before as she lay between him and Apollo, their hard bodies pressed close to her as they caught their breath. She shook her head to dispel the thought. It couldn’t be Khalil, could it? Why would he be there? Did he hear what was going on and came to help? She huffed to herself. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. For the first time in her existence, she missed someone. When she saw him again, she would have to show him how much. Her attention was pulled away by the feel of a hand taking hers captive and urging her to stop moving. Her gaze rose to find the band of characters huddled in a corner of the concourse. A couple were dressed in designer suits. A few wore jeans and t-shirts. One woman was in a dress military uniform. One guy was in board shorts. A dark haired man with red tints glared daggers at her. Deirdre swallowed hard. She remembered him from somewhere. It couldn’t be... It’s the end of 2020, which seems to be the perfect time to review what is on my mind from over the last year and give you an idea of what you can look forward to.
I guess we can call it my State of the Author address. I don’t have to tell anyone what a shitshow 2020 has been. And like everyone else, the world around me has taken a toll on my mental health, specifically my writing. The muse is rattling her cage begging to tell a story but my heart hasn’t been in it and I’ve been too exhausted about the pandemic, the general state of the world - and in my neck of the woods, the derecho that pretty much destroyed my entire town. Writing is refuge for me so for it not to provide a comfort is uncomfortable. That meant instead of four books hitting the market, only two came out this year and one was a non-fiction historical. You have NO idea how many times I’ve watched The Office on rewind. Not that I’ve done nothing. At the beginning of the year, my greatest wish came true. Hartwood Publishing reverted the rights to nearly all my books to me, especially the Hallow Brothers Series. So the first few months were spent making new covers (did you know that I make my own covers?), reformatting, and republishing them to the world. I got them out in time to release Featherweight (Hallow Brothers 6). And I helped out with two anthologies, Take Two and #Mommastrong. #Mommastrong has a wedding from the Gods of DC (I wonder who?). Take Two has a short story that I hope to make into a full length novel soon. Also, a great deal of my writing is being devoted to the part time gig. I am contracted to write short SEO articles for an online company. I might have not written much about my werewolves, but I can tell you all about the benefits of cloud computing! So what does 2021 have in store for me and my myriad of characters? If we get to be together again, I have two signings, Writers on the River in July and Romance Rendezvous in August. And most likely that will be it. I hope to get my standard four books out during the year (stay tuned to the end of this message to find out which ones!). And, as alwsys, I love talking to you here and other places online. 2021 will be devoted more to my family. You see, my baby graduates from high school in May. Being the warrioress she is, she was signed to wrestle for the current #3 women’s team in the nation. During the pandemic, all my kids have lived at home. In August, they will all leave for seperate colleges. So I’m going to spend as much time as I can with them before they go then travel to see them when they go to school (college wrestling - woohoo!!) And when they do go, I’m going to get reacquainted with the guy I share a house with. 😉❤️ So...for what you really want to know...what is in store for all my peeps in my books? Glad you asked! HALLOW BROTHERS: Josh’s book is dying to be written but it will be a bit still. For one, I have a Gods of DC book to finish first. Two, there is a fair amount of research for me to do. I found at one time when I was looking up werewolves that there are some interesting legends in Japan about them. I want to make sure they are accurate before I dig in. Of course, his story in Japan will parallel his family’s in the States. When his is done, there are two left in the series. GODS OF DC: I’m working on Apollo’s now! If you want to know what it’s all about, you find it in serial version (most of it) on my blog: http://www.triciaandersen.com/latest-news. It will run in the same vein as Heavyweight because, if you know the myths about the god, he loved both men and women. FIGHTING THE ODDS: this series is getting tabled for the moment but I will finish it. It just hasn’t been as popular as the others. I’ll probably pick it up after I’m done with the Hallows. MONROE: Whaaaa???? Yes, there’s a new series! I’ve been working on a book one excerpt at a time about a super spy and the tech geek she’s in love with. The series has no name yet but I’m almost done with it. I would expect you’d see it early 2021z THISTLE TATTOO: This would be a stand alone that expands on the short I wrote for the Take Two anthology. So that’s about it. Stay safe. Sending you all the peace and love I can. Looking forward to spending 2021 with you!  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This were with Apollo in the next Gods of DC book. The word prompt this week is “stuff”. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  “Got it. I am working at the moment,” Apollo reminded.
“Not the first time you blew off work and still managed to get the sun across the sky.” “Yeah, yeah. Heathrow. Be there shortly.” “See you soon.” Apollo ended the call then shoved the cell in his pocket with a sigh. He tapped a button or two on the steering wheel then let go of it. The car stayed steady on its path without his direction. He looked at Deidre then smiled. It looked forced. “I have some family stuff to deal with. You can either keep riding here in the skies.” He fell silent for a moment then sucked in his breath. “Or you can come meet my family. We could probably use your help.” Deidre grinned back at him. It almost hurt her cheeks. “Your family. I definitely want to meet your family. Will your car be alright without you?” Apollo shrugged. “My uncle’s not wrong. I built it to run on its own. Besides, if I take too long, I can call Helios to take over for me. I’ll have to hear him bitch about it but between that and the end of the world, I’ll listen to the old man whine.” He offered his hand again to her. “Hold on. We’re about to disappear.” She laid her palm against his. She loved the feel of his fingers around hers. “What do you mean dis…” One moment she was nestled in the passenger seat of the sports car. The next, her feet landed on the hard asphalt service. She glanced around her at the massive buildings and airplanes standing still. The sounds of screaming turned her attention to one aircraft in particular. A pool of inky black swallowed its nose. There were creatures crawling from the murky substance onto the exterior of the plane. No, not creatures. Humans. Humans decked out in some rather wild clothing and some nasty looking weaponry. She blinked hard hoping the illusion would disappear. Nope. Still there. She turned to Apollo and pointed at the scene before them. “What the bloody hell is that?” “That is a tear in reality,” Apollo answered. “I’ll have to answer any other questions later.”  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This were with Apollo in the next Gods of DC book. The word prompt this week is “sick”. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  Her smile grew bigger. “Sounds like I’d get along with your sister.”
Apollo’s smile was brighter than the sun rising behind them. He reached across the car and took her hand in his. Deirdre’s heart skipped a beat. “Something tells me you would.” She fought back the smitten school girl look she was certain was on her face. She rubbed her fingers against the leather on the door. “Did I tell you that your ride is sick? It had to set you back a ton.” Apollo rubbed his thumb idly across her flesh. “It’s custom. When you’re a god, it’s pretty easy to snap your fingers and get what you want. Which I didn’t do per se. I mean the pulling the sun thing? Yeah, I had to use my power there. But the actual car I bought from a private owner. It sat unused in a garage for a decade. I cleaned it up then went through it with a fine tooth comb. I spent months making it run well enough to do the job. It’s not like I can call for a tow truck in the sky.” “Wow. Sexy and works on cars. Maybe I have more in common with you, too, than I thought.” She caught his wink at her before he spoke. “I sure as hell hope so.” The mood between them was shattered by the sound of a fifties beach song coming from Apollo’s pants. He muttered an apology as he pulled free from Deirdre’s grasp and plunged his hand into his pocket. He rummaged for a moment before he pulled free his cell and answered it. He glanced at her as tapped the screen to put it on speaker. “What’s up, Uncle?” he questioned the device in his hand. “There’s another tear in reality,” the deep voice from the speaker. Apollo mouthed the name “Poseidon” to Deirdre before he continued, “Where is it?” “Heathrow Airport. Right on the tarmac. It almost swallowed an entire plane. The pilot almost drove right into it but managed to just get the nose inside. It was enough to allow some scary looking ancient samurai to crawl out on it. Ares and Athena are there now with Juliet and Mac but they need reinforcements as soon as possible.”  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week we’re with Apollo, Khalil and Deirdre in the next Gods of DC book (still untitled). This week is a picture prompt. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.**  Deidre took in the black leather and hard molded plastic around her. In the mortal world below them, this car would have peaked over six figures to buy. Apollo must have scooped one off a showroom floor then tripped it out for these across the sky jaunts.
She glanced out the window at the fluffy, cotton ball clouds beneath them. The golden glow of the rising sun followed behind them like an obedient puppy. Thank Dagda that she wasn’t afraid of heights. She turned to the man beside her, his hands clutched to the steering wheel. Or god. Whatever. His eyes stared ahead of him with an unbreakable focus. He looked tense and very unhappy. Deidre sensed he didn’t want her there. She cleared her throat then spoke. “So last night was fun.” “Uh-huh,” was all Apollo said. Her heart fell a little. Yeah, last night was a one night stand. She was well aware that it was. But deep inside she wanted one more. She seemed to have clicked with Khalil. Unfortunately, it seemed the sun god was cold as ice. She took a deep breath and continued. “Is something up, luv? You don’t want me here, do you?’ He huffed as he pressed his lips into a tight, thin line. “No one rides in my chariot with me. These are solo missions. I’m waiting for my uncle Hades to pop out of nowhere and snuff me out for doing this.” Deirdre cocked her head as she fought back a grin. “You’re a people pleaser. Aren’t you, lad?” Apollo spun at her with a scowl. “I am not a people...I mean I just try to be cooperative…” He fell silent then chuckled. “If you met my twin, you’d get it. One of us has to be the good one. It isn’t her.”  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This were with Apollo in the next Gods of DC book. The word prompt this week is “shoe”. **Warning - There are adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  He didn’t look back as he crossed the short hallway outside his bedroom in a couple of strides then descended the open air staircase to the main floor of his home. He continued through the house until he reached the door of the garage. He fought back a small smile as he crouched down to tug one shoe on then the other. By the commotion coming from upstairs, Khalil and Deirdre were more than ready to witness for themselves if what he said was true.
He rose until he was standing straight and turned, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He sniggered to himself. His lovers were all but tumbling down the stairs together as they raced to catch up to him. Deirdre was dressed from her night out. Khalil barely had his pants up to his butt and they were definitely not fastened yet. As her foot hit the floor beneath the last step, Deidre pointed at the white vinyl door that Apollo stood before. “You do not have the ancient chariot of Apollo in there,” she accused. “So you’ve been in my garage?” Apollo challenged. “No.” “Then you don’t know what’s in there.” She spun at Khalil, who was beside her and out of breath. “Have you been in there?” “No,” he admitted. “Then how do you know he’s a god?” “He sensed me like he sensed you,” Apollo answered for the jinn. There was a silence filled pause in the room before Khalil spoke. “It didn’t exactly happen like that.” Deidre scowled at Khalil. “Then how do you know?” As much as that question was now piquing Apollo’s curiosity as well, he didn’t have time to debate it with the jinn. If he didn’t get his ass in gear, Artemis would tear down the front door then tear into him. It wasn’t the way he wanted his twin sister to meet these two. “I'vd got to go to work. Do you want to see what is behind door number one or not?” They answered in unison. “Yes.” “Fantastic.” Apollo reached for the doorknob and twisted it, shoving it open with his shoulder a second later. He didn’t have to turn on the light. The illumination from the vehicles inside took care of that. He stepped down the cement stairs that led to the garage floor to give them a better look. Just a few feet from him was his sports car, the one he drove everyday as he led the sun from one point to another. Behind it, covered in a fine layer of dust, was his chariot. Zeus ordered him to leave it behind on Olympus. Fuck that. He wasn’t about to part with his baby. He’d been behind the reins of the beauty for thousands of years. What the old man didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. |
Archives
November 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed