 Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week we have a picture prompt. We’re back with Rhett and Morgan in “Thistle Tattoo”. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  Jessica smirked at him as she cocked her head to the side. “What brings you to Sally’s?”
Rhett glanced from her to Morgan and back, clearly flustered. Morgan swallowed hard to shove down the jealousy rising in her heart. “Just grabbing lunch,” he answered. That was when Jessica’s glare finally met Morgan’s. As much as she tried not to, Morgan shrank back a bit, just like in high school. Jess was the stereotypical cheerleader, prom queen and all around most popular girl in the class. When she got the chance, she would torment Morgan and all the other shy girls, some to the point of tears. “Oh, look. Morgan. I see you’re back in town. Whatever did you do to yourself, sweetheart?” Jessica took her in from head to toe. There was something there, something that seemed to incense Ms. Popularity. Was it the tattoos and the hair? Or was it that Morgan was standing beside Jessica’s ex, clearly about to have lunch with him? It didn’t matter. Morgan didn’t have time for this childish bullshit. “A personal choice. I have a shop to run. If you’ll excuse me, Jess.” Morgan stepped around the blonde and stormed past the planters of purple and pink blossoms. Their fragrance hung heavy in the air but it didn’t even register to Morgan. All she could feel was rage coursing through her. “Hey.” She stopped suddenly when she heard Rhett’s voice behind her. She took a deep breath, focusing on the pressure that filled her lungs deep down to her diaphragm. She wanted to turn on him, remind him of how the little bitch betrayed his love. But then again, just yesterday Morgan found him moments before he killed himself. He didn’t need the reminder of what Jess did to him. He definitely remembered.
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 Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week’s word prompt is “salt”. We’re back with Rhett and Morgan in “Thistle Tattoo”. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  She beamed at him for a moment before she turned back to Aunt Sally. The older woman pressed her lips into a tight, thin line.
“Coming right up.” Sally spoke each word like it was venom. Her voice pitched into a shrill. “Addie.” The fabric around her rustled like leaves in a windstorm as she hurried to the kitchen. Morgan searched the basket of condiments, plucking up a couple packets of salt. She tucked them into the pocket of her jeans. “She never adds them in.” There was no answer from Rhett. She glanced back at him. Whatever joy he felt dissipated. Morgan squeezed his hand. “What is it?” He sighed. “I know they all mean well. But they weren’t there when I was hurting. I needed them and they couldn’t bother. It was just words.” Morgan cocked her head. “Everyone?” A hint of his smile returned. “Everyone but you.” She patted their joined hands. “Glad we cleared that up.” Morgan heard what she thought was a landline phone being hung up. The plastic on plastic was indistinguishable. There was the clearing of a throat before the telltale shuffle of fabric grew louder. Sally plopped a paper bag on the counter. “That will be ten dollars.” Morgan pulled free from Rhett’s grip to reach into her back pocket. She peeled free a few bills and laid them on the cold glass next to the bag. “Thank you.” “Wait.” Sally put a hand up. “You don’t have the sweet tea yet.” She scuttled to a counter near the window where a glass jug filled with caramel brown liquid sat. Taking one styrofoam glass at a time, she filled it then slipped a lid on. Morgan felt uneasy as she watched Sally set the glasses down, a wicked glimmer in her eye. “Rhett.” Morgan’s eyes widened at the voice. How in the ever living hell did she know they were there? She looked up at Sally as her lids narrowed. Of course. The bitch called her. Morgan grabbed the bag with a snarl and spun on her toe towards the door. Jessica Barnes was still beautiful with her long blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. At one time she promised to be Rhett’s wife. Rhett’s voice was shaky as he answered. Morgan studied him. His skin was now flushed. He was like a deer in headlights. “Hey, Jess.”  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week’s word prompt is “picnic”. We’re back with Rhett and Morgan in “Thistle Tattoo”. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  The cool blast of air conditioning hit Morgan like a freight train. It really wasn’t warm enough outside to warrant it. She glanced around the store to notice nothing had changed. It was your stereotypical small town cafe, nothing like what she was used to in the city. This was the type of place that attracted tourists that were antique shopping or hitting the local farmers market. She wouldn’t hear a local musician or poet perform there.
She kind of missed that sort of thing. The rustle of fabric shook Morgan from her thoughts. Aunt Sally, as the townsfolk called her, shuffled out from the back room. Her long skirt was covered with an apron that wrapped around her neck and waist. She wore a ruffled blouse to compliment it. Her graying auburn hair was tied up in a floofy bun. She dressed to match her shop which paid off for her. The moment for tourists to step back in time to the good old days earned her generous tips. Sally beamed as she turned to Rhett. “Rhett, it’s so good to see you. I heard you were back in town and wondered why you hadn’t stopped in for your usual scoop of strawberry ice cream.” Rhett shoulders slumped a little. He looked like a little kid as he answered. “Just slipped my mind, Miss Sally. I’ve had a lot on my plate lately.” “I heard you were hurt overseas. I am so glad you are okay now. I appreciate all that you have done for your country.” Morgan could feel Rhett bristle beside her. He must have forgotten that he still had her hand in his. His fingers clenched almost painfully around hers as if he were trying to form a fist. He wasn’t okay, not by a long shot. It broke Morgan’s heart that no one could see that. “Thank you, ma’am,” he replied, his words short and curt. That was when Sally turned her attention to Morgan. She almost fell over backwards when she took in the lavender hair and tattoos. Her hand flew to her bosom. If she had pearls, she’d be clutching them. “My, oh my. Who do we have here? Is this little Morgan Deveroux? You have...changed, haven’t you?” Sally remarked. “Hello, Miss Sally. Can we get two chicken sandwiches, a container of potato salad, and a couple of glasses of sweet tea? Please make that to go.” Morgan glanced up to Rhett. “Thought maybe we could have a quick picnic.” His solemn expression broke into a grin. “Sounds like a plan.”  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week I am starting a new story called "Thistle Tattoo". The first portion of this was included in the Take Two: A Second Chance Anthology" that was released last summer. When the whole novel is completed, you'll be able to read it in its entirety. To catch you up, Rhett is a veteran suffering from PTSD. Morgan, his best friend from high school, appears at the doorstep of his motel room back in the town they grew up in moments before he attempts to take his own life. She takes him back to her tattoo parlor/apartment to watch over him and encourage him to get a new start. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  They strolled down the street still holding hands as they made their way to Aunt Sally’s cafe. The “coffee shop” sign hung far enough off the porch for those passing by to see. Small metal tables with a couple of matching chairs waited on the hunter green wooden porch for patrons who wanted to enjoy the weather. Flower pots full of blooms dangled above the white railing. The color of the blossoms were a sharp contrast to the predominant green and white that surrounded them.
Morgan and Rhett hopped up the porch steps and strode to the white painted door. The glass was draped with curtains. A cheery “We’re Open” sign greeted them. Morgan froze in her tracks. She hadn’t stepped in this place since she left. While her appearance wouldn’t have caught a second glance in New York City, there would be plenty of people inside who would be quick to judge her purple hair and the ink that ran across her skin. For the first time in years, she was ashamed of what she had done. For the first time in a long time, she cared about what others thought of her. She pulled her hand free from Rhett’s. He frowned at her. “What’s up?” She gave him a half shrug as she struggled with what to say. “It might be best if we keep our distance in here.” “Excuse me? I thought you had my back.” “I do. I always will. But to these people, you are a war hero. Me? I’m a tattooed degenerate. Do you really want to be associated with me?” He stared at her for a moment then gave her a small grin. “Ask if I give two shits what they think.” He slipped his fingers between hers, twisted the door knob and led her inside. 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 is our last week with Ezekiel Hallow in Featherweight (Hallow Brothers 6). Next week we’ll hopefully be with Apollo in the next Gods of DC book. This week’s word prompt is “fish”. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  “What are you doing?” Dakota demanded.
“Getting a burger. Then we’ll be on the road, I promise.” She popped open the door and scooted our. “I’ll meet you inside.” He chuckled as he watched her scuttle inside. They were mates. They were bound to each other for eternity. She was going to have to get used to talking to him about intimate things, like when she needed to use the bathroom. He hopped from his seat then fished for his cell phone out of his back pocket. There were three texts from Eve waiting for him on the screen from a half hour ago. He woke his phone up then tapped on the messages to read them. Here are the pics you asked for. Be careful, Zeke. Love, Eve After the words were two images. He didn’t even have to look closer to see what they were doing. Either Black’s men had suddenly grown balls the size of watermelons or they were backed into a corner. Those were the only reasons Ezekiel could think of that vampires would feed on humans out in public in the middle of a city street. He squinted at one of the figures as his heart sunk into his gut. He tapped a quick message back to her. Can you zoom in on the figure in the red dress shirt in the second photo? Pretty please? He held his breath as he waited for a reply. Eve didn’t disappoint. Micah must have been in charge of the triplets at the moment. A minute later another photo popped on his cell. He let go of the air trapped in his lungs as he cursed. “Fuck.” He typed a quick “thanks” to his sister-in-law then hurried into the restaurant with the image on the screen. Dakota was already in line, looking much more comfortable than she had before. She grinned at him. “What took so long?” He held the phone out to her. “Feel free to say ‘I told you so’. Because I was an asshole for not listening to you.” He caught the woman in front of them flashing him a dirty look. It must have been for the foul word he used. She was lucky. He had a whole lot more profanity bubbling inside him wanting to escape after seeing that picture. Dakota’s smile disappeared as she took his phone. “Not over this. So Black isn’t dead?” “Nope. He’s alive and kicking and just led a bloodbath into Saint Louis.”  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! We are back with Ezekiel Hallow in Featherweight (Hallow Brothers 6). This week’s word prompt is “dance”. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  He followed her down the dark hallway only illuminated by a computer screen on the counter. Beneath it, nearly hidden in the shadows, was the safe.
“Could you flip on the light, please?” Dakota instructed as she crouched down in front of it. “Do you think it’s a good idea? Doesn’t that just alert someone that we’re here? What if there’s a camera?” Ezekiel protested. “Okay, worry wart. We aren’t cracking this without a source of light.” “Fine.” Ezekiel slipped his cell from his back pocket and flipped the flashlight app on. The beam danced around the wall before it settled on the dial of the safe. Dakota dropped the duffle bag on the floor then unzipped it. Pulling free the stethoscope, she slipped it into her ears then gripped the chestpiece in her hand. He watched as she pressed it beside the dial and slowly twisted it. She looked adorable as her brow furrowed in concentration. It made him want to kiss her hard and deep right there in the jewelry store. He glanced around the dark room. Maybe this was a bad time. “Hey,” she protested. He refocused his phone. “Sorry.” She scowled at him but kept working. It felt like they stood there for eternity. Time passed so slowly. However, it only took her a few minutes to pop the door open. Inside, amongst the bound piles of cash and files of documents, was another burlap bag. Dakota snatched it out, slammed the metal door, and spun the lock. “Umm, think we should have checked it before you shut the safe? Pity if you have to do it again,” Ezekiel chided. She glared at him as she reached into the bag and pulled whatever was inside out. In her hand was an object similar to what they found in Memphis. Instead of an emerald wrapped in gold, it was a deep red ruby. “Holy shit,” Ezekiel muttered under his breath. Dakota dropped the ruby and burlap bag into the duffle then straightened herself until she was standing. “Let’s go. We’ll compare it to your sister-in-law’s photos when we get back to the truck.” He tapped the screen of his cell to extinguish the light. He hurried down the hall to the back door. As he ran, he listened for her footsteps behind him. Neither of them stopped until they were back outside of the building and around the corner away from the alley, “Look normal,” she murmured to him. “Considering what I am, that’s asking a lot,” he replied.  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! We are back with Ezekiel Hallow in Featherweight (Hallow Brothers 6). This week’s word prompt is “square”. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  “The prodigal son,” Littlefoot greeted.
“Did my dad know that you betrayed our secret?” Ezekiel demanded. “Excuse me, Zeke? I never betrayed your father. He was my best friend.” “Well, I’m in Tennessee with your old Navy buddy, Eldon. He knows you. And he knows that your friend, Zane, was a werewolf.” There was silence. Finally Littlefoot spoke. “I talked to Zane before I told Eldon about him. Eldon told me of the network he had become a part of. It consisted of mortals across the nation that shared reports of unusual activity to protect them from creatures that wanted to feed on them. I shared what I knew because the last thing your parents needed were vigilante hunters to find them.” Ezekiel shook his head. “He said you told him about the amulet. You made us believe that you didn’t know that the Book and amulet were related.” “I told him that Zane and Evelyn had a bauble full of power. It’s evident. You held it. It vibrates power and did before the Heka was part of our family. I didn’t know there was a correlation between the two until you boys figured it out.” Ezekiel scuffed at the dirt with the tip of his boot until it formed an almost perfect square. “Why am I learning about all this now? Why don’t any of my brothers know this?” “Because, Ezekiel, I made a promise to your father to protect you boys and your mother. I made little contact with Eldon after that. The best way to keep you all safe in my eyes was to keep you sequestered from the rest of the world. No one needed to know about you and the only ones who did know were sworn to protect you.” Ezekiel swallowed back the lump in his throat. “Yeah, okay.” “How are you? Your mother misses you terribly.” “I miss her too. I’ll be home soon.” “Before the full moon?” “Hopefully.” “What’s this I hear about you having a mate?” Ezekiel laughed. “Dakota. You’ll love her.” “I can’t wait to meet her.” Ezekiel started as he felt something touch him. He turned to find Dakota gazing up at him. She wrapped her arms around his waist. “She’ll be coming back with me. How are things at home?” He heard Littlefoot’s sigh. “We need you home soon. The vampires found a new way to reach your family. They’re sending their human minions in at all times of the day to infiltrate the camp. We’ve started making space for them at the reservation but with the change and the full moon, I don’t know how long it will work.” Ezekiel rubbed his forehead. “Shit.”  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! We are back with Ezekiel Hallow in Featherweight (Hallow Brothers 6). This week is a picture prompt. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  The lush green hills of farmland rolled past as the truck raced down the highway. Ezekiel grinned to himself as he felt his hand taken captive and small, but strong fingers encompass his.
This was the perfect life he dared not dream of. The woman he loved sat beside him as they drove. All they needed to do was find the book and he could take her home to start a family. Okay, yeah. They were on the brink of the apocalypse. And yeah, there were hoards of mythical creatures gunning for them. Still, what better time to have a baby? “Turn right here,” Ezekiel was pulled from his thoughts. He twisted the steering wheel to turn it down a gravel lane. “Why here?” “Mabel and Eldon are waiting for us. I sent them pictures of the emerald but they have no idea what it is either. Eldon wants a closer look at it.” “Eldon?” Ezekiel questioned as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “The guy from the fire? Mabel was your waitress.” “Oh. The nice folks who brought us gasoline and matches so we could torch a house.” She smirked at him. “One in the same.” Weathered wooden fencing ran on either side of the road as they bumped along. An old farmhouse complete with chipping paint and a weather vane mounted to the top waited for them at the end. Ezekiel came to a stop between the home and a barn beaten hard by time and the Tennessee weather. In the distance he could see the two little girls who sat on his lap, the ones they had extracted out of that nightmare and turned over to Mabel and Eldon. He sighed as he smiled. It looked like they were adapting well to their new life.  Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales! We are back with Ezekiel Hallow in Featherweight (Hallow Brothers 6). This week’s word prompt is “pink”. **Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.** Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Tuesday Tales! Click here to take a look!  “What’s this I hear about you taking out a vampire kingpin?” Josiah demanded, his voice loud and crisp through the speaker.
“We think we did,” Dakota corrected. “Wait, who…” “Dakota, Josiah. Josiah, Dakota. I do more formal introductions when we get home,” Ezekiel responded. Dakota smirked at him. “Get home?” Ezekiel ran the tip of his tongue along his bottom lip. “Do you want to go back to your lonely life on the run? Or do you want to wake up next to me every morning?” Dakota’s heart fluttered in her breast at the sight. “You drive a hard bargain.” “Hey, can we get back to the vampire kingpin?” Josiah interrupted. “Save that crap for when I’m not listening on speakerphone.” “We followed Black to Memphis and found out he killed a jewelry shop owner and took over his store. His men went on a killing spree the night before we got there. We sort of broke into the store to see if the Book was there,” Ezekiel explained. “You broke in…” There was a long pause and a loud exhale. Josiah continued. “Did you find the Book?” “No, but we did find some weird emerald wrapped in gold. We took that. Dee is trying to research what it is.” “So what does this have to do with killing Black?” Dakota watched Ezekiel’s gaze dart to the ceiling. He wrung his fingers together in his lap as his cheeks tinged pink. What little she knew about her mate told her that he was about to get into trouble with his big brother. “I might have broke into the tanning salon next door to the jewelry store, stole the bulbs from the beds, and swapped them for the ones in the ballasts store,” Ezekiel confessed. “You what?” Josiah screeched. “Ezekiel Vespasian Hallow, what the fuck?” “Ezekiel Vespasian?” Dakota pried with a smirk. He shrugged. “Mom named us from the Bible, Dad was into Roman Emperors.” He turned his attention back to the phone. “The bloodsuckers turned the lights on when they got there. They only flashed before it blew the bulbs, but it was enough to nuke all of them including possibly Black. The jury is still out on him.” |
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