Reader's Choice: Pick My Next Series

Hey everyone!  As Taming Fire is coming to an end soon, and I have three different stories flitting about on my computer, I thought I would give you all the chance to decide what comes next.  Below I'm going to leave a short blurb and a preview of all three stories for you to choose from.  Leave me a comment in the comment's section below! You can only choose one. ;)

~xX Night

***

1. One Hundred Little Things

Pritch has led the perfect life up until now.  He's got a great job with an advertising agency.  He has a killer apartment and a sexy suit and tie wardrobe.   All of his life, things have been a little too perfect, too structured and planned and it's all his fault.  Pritch craves to know how the rest of the world lives.  He yearns to do all the little things he's never allowed himself to do because they weren't part of his life plan.  In short, he's boring and everyone knows it.  Everyone.

Leaving his job after a 'heart-to-heart' with his blunt secretary, Pritch finds his life plan crumbling and he's not so sure he was meant to be adventurous after all.  Jobless and falling apart, Pritch makes a list - one hundred things he wants to do before he dies of being too boring.

K.J. is a bike messenger, one of the city's finest.  Besides being a little blunt and uncaring of what others think, he can't help but be drawn to those in need of help.  The sexy, street smart courier gets a 'hot' pick-up at a swank ad agency and he finds himself wrapped around the universe's little finger when he ends up on Pritch's doorstep to deliver.

Through a series of discoveries, the two men embark on an adventure to see life for what it truly is...and maybe find each other in the process.

* Preview *

“Here.”  K.J. pulled a sandwich that he’d picked up at a stand on the corner out of the webbing of his shoulder bag.  He dropped it in the kid’s lap. “Eat something, then stop sitting on your ass and take a ticket from Mer.  You gotta learn your way around this jungle sometime or you’ll starve.  I can’t be feeding you twenty-four seven and you need a new bike.  That chain is ancient and those wheels are for sightseeing, you feel me?”

“You’re such a humanitarian, K.  Jesus, you’re pathetic.”  Tiny dropped her bag on the table in the corner.  “Mer just got a drop for you.  Give the kid his last meal and get your ass in gear.”

The kid bit his lip, scared to let anyone see how hungry he was.  He carefully unfolded the plastic wrap from his sandwich, staring at the food with hooded eyes.  K.J. ignored Tiny’s comment and crouched down beside him.  “Ain’t no one else gonna do you any favors.  It’s hard.  I know.  But you gotta let it roll off your back and toughen up.  Don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks.  If you do, you’re gonna be exactly who they think you are, and I know better.  You got it.  You just have to want it.  Ask Mer about the rider’s club.  You can get a little time in with some pros and once you get your legs about you…you’ll make more money.  I know you don’t want to sleep in that backroom forever.”

The rookie nodded once.  “Thanks,” he whispered, ducking his head.

“When everyone clears out, take the blue helmet at the bottom of my locker.  Yours is shit.  The last thing we need is for you to take a dive you don’t get back up from.”  K.J. patted the rookie’s knee then stood.  “Alright, ladies, we done gawking or ya gonna keep standing around and lose good money?”

The messengers made their comments before dispersing.  It was lunch time in the city, the busiest three hours of the day.  K.J. left the kid to eat and walked down the concrete hallway to Mer’s office.  Through the glass panes and bars of her windows, he could see Mer and her boyfriend taking calls and putting the ticket information through to the couriers, via radio.  He tapped on the glass and lifted his hands at her.

Mer waved him in, looking beat as hell.  Jackson, her boyfriend, grunted a hello as K.J. entered.  Jackson thought Mer had the hots for K.J. and that the two of them were having an affair behind his back.  The two men could never come to an understanding.  Even though K.J. had repeatedly assured Jackson he was gay.  Not that his sexuality deterred Jackson’s rampant imagination. 

Insecure prick, K.J. thought.

“Got a big one for you.”  Mer slid the ticket over her desk mid-call.  “No, sir, that wasn’t for you.  Uh huh.  By five?  Got it.  You, too.  Thanks.”  She hung up.  “Asshole.”

“You got a big one for me, huh?”  K.J. smirked.

Jackson shook his head, muttering under his breath.  Mer scowled at her boyfriend.  “Knock it off.”

“Didn’t say a word.”  Jackson flipped open the messenger log.  “Though, I’d like to.”

“Don’t have to, I can smell the cogs turning and burning in your head.”  Mer rolled her eyes.  “Anyway, K, as I was saying, I’ve got a hot run on fifth.”

“Dammit, Mer, that’s gonna be hell.”  K.J. put his hands on his spandex covered hips.  He caught her staring at his groin and put his hands in front, giving her a warning look.

She straightened.  “This is me caring.”

“You’re such a doll.  How hot?”

“An hour?”  She smiled sweetly.  “West 55^th to 5^th Ave, quick right, two blocks.  Easy.”

“Where’s the drop?”

“East 50^th and Park?”

“Ah, hell, Mer, you know Reggie took it hard there last week with that construction, swam right into a pothole the size of middle earth.”

She leaned back, putting a call on hold.  “Am I asking Reggie to take this?”

“No.”

“I’m asking you because you’re the best and our lovely client requested the best.  Even paid double for insurance purposes, which filters down to you getting double, am I right?”

“I guess.”

“Big tips on both ends, I suspect.”  She raised her brows.  “In or out?  Can’t have this going cold or it’s my ass.”

“It’s always about your ass.” K.J. swiped up the ticket.  “Cool your jets, Jackie boy.”  K.J. shot her boyfriend a look.  “I don’t want it.”

Jackson sneered. “Fucker.”

“The feeling is mutual.” 

K.J. walked out of the office, slamming the door closed.  Construction.  A lot of it.  Traffic, he could deal with, but a whole two blocks being repaved by street and by sidewalk was a messenger’s worst nightmare.  He could always go around, but it would cost precious time he didn’t have.  The money would be worth it.  He always needed money.  Who the hell didn’t?  Though, unlike most people, he needed it for his bike which was hurting in a bad way.  Bad bike, no cash, he thought.

He shoved his Bluetooth in his ear, turned on his radio for dispatch, and strapped his bag around his chest.  His bike came free of the hook and he hoisted it on his shoulder for the trek to the outside world.  “Later, kid.”

Not rookie.  Not newb. Just kid.

The other messengers heard the same and stared at K.J. like he’d lost his mind.  However, the kid beamed back at him, sparking something inside that no one had given him before.  K.J. didn’t stick around to see what the kid did with his newfound magic.  He set his tires on pavement, mounted his bike, and turned on his GPS.

He had a run to make, a really hot one.

 

 

2. Meteor Mavericks Series

Meteors keep falling from the sky, in the middle of the night, in little places all over the world. Doc Granger and his best friend Isaiah were first to see the meteor fall from the sky.  Just boys, and very curious, Doc and Isaiah touched the rock that life-changing night.  Unbeknownst to them, the meteor carried two brands of alien DNA, one good and one evil.  In a war for planet earth, the alien races had come to a shaky agreement. 

They would send their life essence out into the human race and let the mortals battle it out for them, with special abilities, of course.  Their first warriors were Doc and Isaiah, pit against each other until one could kill the other.  Isaiah's race would need to take back the meteor energy Isaiah had been tasked to guard until it became powerful enough to kill.  If Isaiah succeeded, he would end Doc.  If Doc collected the energy he needed, he would kill Isaiah first.

But something went wrong, an unforeseen glitch in the alien war.  A child became involved.  A child born of both alien and human DNA.  Doc became a father...to little Tuck.

Doc Granger had been everything to Tuck.  His father might have been a little eccentric and always hid his true abilities behind his healing skills, but Tuck had looked up to the man since the day he was born.  Twenty years after his father's death, Tuck lives with Doc's legacy, following in his footsteps as a doctor by day and a Maverick by night.

Charged with protecting his father's meteor - Tuck's means of survival - Tuck knows his father's murderer still roams the earth, waiting for the day he gains enough energy to kill Tuck too.  With the help of his butler, Landry, a runaway Maverick, Tuck begins the hunt for his father's opponent to end it once and for all.

When higher powers begin to take notice of him... all bets are off.

 

*Preview*

 

“One night, many moons ago, a meteor landed on earth.” Doc Granger pointed out the window at the night sky.  “It was a summer night just like any other.  It was real hot inside, so two boys had been camping out by the river to cool off.  They were the best of friends, a bit competitive with each other, but what boys aren’t at your age?  When they saw that light falling from the sky, they raced each other to see who could find it first.”

Seven year old Tuck sat up, wide eyed.  “Who found it first, daddy?”

Doc ruffled his son’s dark hair, smiling wide.  “I did, of course.”

Tuck gasped.  “Was it aliens, daddy?”

“Boy, you got some imagination.” Doc’s crystal blue eyes twinkled.  “Well, I don’t rightly know where the rock came from, the sky I suppose as that’s where meteors come from, but it was glowing something fierce when we got close enough to touch it.”

“Glowing?  Did you touch it?”  Tuck pulled the blanket up to his chin.

Doc curled into his son’s side, soothing his fear.  “Sure did, and as you can see, I’m just fine.”

“Good.”  Tuck put his small hand on his daddy’s big one, grabbing a finger.  “What about your friend?”

“He’s alive.”

“Is he okay?”

“Depends on your definition of okay…”

“What happened, daddy?”

Doc hugged his son, staring out at the night.  “I’ll always wonder where that rock came from and who sent it here.  I do know, after a lot of looking into it, that rock wasn’t the first of its kind, seems as though when one of them rocks falls from the sky, it carries energy inside of it, like magic.  When that energy releases…you following me?”

Tuck nodded eagerly, rewarded with a kiss to his hair.

“Like I was sayin’, when that energy releases it tries to find a home inside of whoever is closest to it, it being the meteor.  But just like with anything on this earth that energy splits up into two separate parts, one side good and one side bad.  Being on earth is too much for the magic to stay together, as opposed to outer space, I reckon.”

“Daddy, magic ain’t real.”  Tuck squirmed around until he could see his daddy’s eyes.  “Is it?”

“Tuck, if you had magic inside of you, what would you do with it?”

Frowning, Tucker sat up.  “Daddy, you’re scaring me.  I’m not magic.”

“Ain’t nothing to be scared of, boy.  It’s just a question.”  Doc pushed Tuck’s hair away from his fearful eyes.  “What would you do, son?”

Tucker hugged his pillow to his chest, casting his eyes to his lap.  “Like a special wish?”

“If that’s what you want to call it, sure.”

Looking at his daddy, Tucker sniffed.  “I’d bring mama back.”

Doc swallowed and shook his head.  “You can’t bring people back from the dead, sugar.”  He pulled Tucker to his chest.  “No matter how much magic or love we have.”

“Then what can I do, daddy?  I miss her so much.”  Tucker’s watery eyes met his daddy’s.

Doc brushed the tears away, hiding the shock behind his gaze.  Tucker’s blue eyes burned like twin beacons against the dark window.  It was time.

“Instead of bringing mama back, you use that magic to protect innocent people from those that hurt her.”

“You mean heal them like you do, daddy?”

Doc gripped his son’s shoulders carefully.  How did he tell a seven year old about his life so far?  How did he tell Tuck that the meteor was their means of survival?  How did he tell his son that if his meteor fell into his enemy’s hands, they would be finished…if not before?  If he couldn’t protect them until Tuck was strong enough to protect himself…

“Yeah, sugar, you heal them all.   If that’s what you want to do with your magic.”

“But magic ain’t real, daddy…”

With no other choice, as Tuck’s abilities were starting to show, Doc lifted his son out of the bed and went to the old vanity mirror.  He took a deep breath and turned around for Tuck to see. 

“Magic is real, sugar.  Very real…”

Tucker’s scream in his ear was a noise Doc would never forget, not even in death.

***

3. The Other Side of Royalty Series (Vampire Guardian Spin-off)

This one doesn't really have a blurb because I intend for it to be a series of multiple short stories, but I do have a preview of the first one.  Here you go!


Preview:

Trey hugged himself, fidgeting in front of the clinic front desk.  His threadbare coat was too short in the arms, leaving at least six inches of his skin exposed to the chill wafting in from the closing double doors.  He knew he looked like shit.  He knew he smelled too.  But he was desperate at this point.  He needed somewhere safe to sleep; somewhere away from the dealers after him.  And he was starving.  The nick he’d stolen from another dealer had fallen out of his pocket on the subway.  Right now, he was fucked.

“Can’t you just give me one?  Look, lady, I’m desperate here.”  He chewed on his lip, watching her glance up at him.

“Sir, I’ve told you twice now, you need to fill out a Second City Insurance form before I distribute a blood testing device.  It’s the Queen’s law, enforced by the Prince and his mate, Daniel.”

He gripped the desk.  His hunger surged.  “I’m trying here.  I don’t have a place of residence.  I don’t have any ID.  And I don’t have a place of work.  The shelters are all booked up, too.  Please,” he begged.  “I’m… I’m hungry.”

The receptionist frowned compassionately.  She glanced over her shoulder, making sure none of her co-workers were in ear shot before looking back to him.  “I’m not supposed to do this.  I could lose my job.”

“Please,” Trey repeated softly.

“If you didn’t remind me of my own son… God, you look so much like him.”  She rubbed her nose and sighed.  “There’s a shuttle leaving for a Soho shelter in ten minutes.”  She nodded at the lobby full of waiting vamps.  “They’ll give you something to take the edge off when they arrive.  Clean donors will be waiting at the facility when you get there.  I’ll push through some forms to make it happen, but if my boss catches on, I don’t know you.  You’ll be on your own to explain.”

Taken aback by her kindness and her willingness to ease his suffering, he put his dirty hand on hers.  “I won’t forget this.”

She snatched her hand back as the doors behind her opened.  “Go.  Have a good night… Alex.”

Trey caught on quickly.  He pulled his coat tighter around him and sat in the lobby with the other homeless vamps.  He was no longer a Trey.  He had been forced to become an Alex.

***

Jaska cut the engine of the fifteen passenger van and waited for Greg to pull up behind him.  He radioed inside for a heads up. “Missy, spot any trouble tonight?”

The clinic receptionist radioed back, “All good in here, mostly women and children. One widow, though.  She seems a bit… emotional. Are you boys out front?”

“I am.  I’m just waiting for Greg.”  Jaska spotted Greg’s car pulling up behind him.  “He’s here.  I’ll bring the bags inside.”

“I’ll notify staff.”

“Thanks, Missy.”  Jaska got out, meeting Greg at the trunk of his car.  “How was dinner, man?  Any luck?”

Greg woefully shook his head.  “He talked the entire time.  I didn’t get a single word in except for hello.  I think I’m just going to hang up my hat for now on the whole dating thing.  Not all of us are so lucky as to have a built in mate.”

“Sorry to hear that.”  Jaska rubbed Greg’s shoulder.  “Did you at least…”  Jaska grinned at Greg’s scowl.  “Never mind.”

Hefting the locked trunk from Greg’s car, Jaska went into the clinic with his arms full.  Greg followed him in, checking the streets for any stray security issues.  Seeing nothing out of sorts, he went inside.  The moment he stepped foot into the clinic, he scented the perfume of the city people.  A pungent, garbage-like odor assailed him, but he kept a straight face.  Some of these vamps had never had a chance.  From what he could make of the group, at least eighty percent of them were human turned, most of them not by choice.

“Listen up.”  Greg accepted a clipboard from Missy at the front desk.  “This is how it’s going to go.  You’ll be transported to the Soho shelter for a temporary stay with a seven day max on your room.  If you fail to file the proper paperwork once we arrive, you’ll lose the chance to be placed in our trade program, school for your children, and also a permanent residence.

“If any of you fail to uphold our rules, you will be banned from the shelter and put on a black list.  The rules are as follows.  No drugs.  No weapons.  No fighting, including raising a hand to the staff or each other.  No visitors of any kind.  You will not be allowed to leave the premises unless authorized by a staff member, with a staff member.  All feedings will be supervised by me or Jaska here.”  Greg pointed to Jaska.  “And last but not least, you will bring no outside materials, blood bags, terrorist paraphernalia as deemed unacceptable by our Queen, or technological devices.  All personal belongings will be searched and approved before we transport you to the shelter.  Are there any questions?”

Every vampire remained still.  No one raised a hand, but the nervous twitch of a young, vampire male’s eyes caught Greg’s attention.  As soon as the man lifted his jade stare to Greg, everything else seemed to fade away.

“Uh, Greg?”  Jaska kneeled next to the trunk he’d brought with him.

Greg cleared his throat, but not before he got a whiff of something the opposite of garbage.  And every sweet delicious note was wafting off the green eyed man in the corner.

“Yeah, man, let’s do this,” Greg grunted and went to the door. 

He caught his breath with his back turned to the small crowd.  He desperately searched the clipboard roster for a name to go with the face, only to realize he’d have to ask the fucking guy what his name was in person.  One thing Greg was sure of, even without a name, that mystery man was trouble… a whole lot of trouble.  He could smell it.

 

****

 

Okay, folks, it's your choice what comes next.  I have a sneaking suspicion what you guys are going to choose, but for now I'll keep that to myself.  I hope I'm right because I'm dying to write it.  *rubs hands*  Leave me a comment and let me know!!