Liz Strange's Blog, page 2

Arinn Dembo talks about her Damsel in Distress

Damsel in Distress: Tamiko Hoshinara and the Pit

As a game developer and a story teller, I have to walk every day through the minefield of tropes and clichés that make up the medium and the genres in which I work. I write horror, science fiction and fantasy, and my most popular universe is a space opera setting. If tropes really were mines, I’d be riding a pogo stick through No-Man’s Land in the middle of World War I.

 

My general strategy as a writer is to deal with all Tropes fearlessly. The past is a playground. My team loves genre fiction and games, but we can only offer respect, never reverence. Sometimes tropes are made to be subverted, or inverted, or outright kicked in the nads. I’ve twisted a great many of them over the years.

Cold emotionless reptile race? Nope! Passionate and expressive reptile race who love chocolate, poetry and jokes. Insect race with spooky hive mind? Nope! Dedicated and thoughtful individuals who value nothing above family ties.

 

Needless to say I’ve had a lot of fun with the background fiction and the meta-story of the universe as a whole. But due to the restrictions of game mechanics, there were some tropes I never really had the chance to work with. Take, for example, the Damsel in Distress.

 

Last year, my team and I started working on our first truly nostalgic game. Sword of the Stars: The Pit is an old school adventure. The art style is an homage to the classic 8-bit adventures that we all played as kids. The mechanics of the game are a spin-off from games like Rogue and hearken back to ancient computer dungeon-hacks of yesteryear.

 

As a player, you identify with a colorful little sprite who dives into a dungeon and spends the game battling monsters, collecting loot, crafting new items, and dying, dying, dying, in a variety of horrible and hilarious ways. Your objective in games like this is to work your way toward the bottom of the Pit toward the always-distant, nearly-impossible-to-reach goal…in this case, you’re searching for a nigh-mystical Cure for a terrible plague which rages on the planet’s surface (a plague which was unleashed by the evil bio-scientists in this very same Pit).

 

The direct story content of this game is very light. There are three playable characters, two male and one female, and each of them had to have a compelling reason to dive into this nightmare and continue to fight to reach the bottom of this horrible labyrinth. They would be fighting for the Cure, of course—the chance to heal humankind and save the world. But when you reached the end of the game, achieved victory and discovered the Cure, what form should it take?

 

This was an issue that was debated by the team for quite a while. There were all sorts of possibilities. We all agreed that the Cure would be in a medical stasis pod, frozen in a timeless state. But it seemed a little lame to open the pod and just have a test tube or a beaker pop out—even if it might glow a bit.

I was the one who insisted that we should go old school all the way. We should invoke one of the classic tropes of our industry, a symbol which was present in so many of the games that we were paying homage to, in The Pit: the Cure should be a Damsel in Distress.

And so I created Tamiko Hoshinara.

 

 

In many respects, Tamiko is a classic DiD. She has a personal relationship to two out of the three playable characters in the game: the Marine (Travis Hudson) was her fiancée, and the Scout (Toshiko Hoshinara) is her twin sister. The third playable character, the Engineer, has no personal relationship with her at all prior to entering the facility, but he is actually the one who is most likely to get to know Tamiko well in the course of the game. He has the best technical skills, and is most likely to be able to hack into all of the alien computer terminals he encounters, and find the messages Tamiko left behind.

 

If anyone human can hack these consoles, I hope they find this message. My name is Tamiko Hoshinara. I was seized from the Planet Albuda IV by some sort of strange robot that emitted a sickening gas.

 

True to her role as a Damsel, Tamiko is most definitely trapped. She was captured on the surface, dragged down into this underground research facility, and she’s been used like all of the other living things you see as a test subject for awful experiments. The reason that she remains alive is that she’s been made immune to the Plague…and as most bio-scientists know, a living body makes a great storage receptacle for antigens and immunity to a disease.

 

That being said, the fact that Tamiko has been victimized does not mean that she follows the standard victim script and waits patiently for rescue. The messages she has left in the data banks of the facility are the result of her attempted escape. And she has some good advice for you, if you’re willing to take it. Instead of crying “Save me, hero!” she says:

 

If you find this message, please GET OUT of this facility while you can! I have no idea where I am now, but I can feel the weight of stone above me. It has to be at least a kilometer from the surface.

 

Like Tamiko, however, the player cannot back out of the Pit—the hatches to floors above seal above you over time. The only way is forward, and the only escape is victory. The situation is bleak, and often appears hopeless (don’t forget the dying, dying dying). But the messages Tamiko leaves behind also reflect her courage and her determination to figure out what’s going on, whatever the risk.

 

I've been trying to look inside the stasis chambers, to see the things that are sleeping inside. Some of the capture dates seem to go back hundreds, even thousands of years.

 

Tamiko is not a completely helpless or useless human being. You can tell she definitely spent at least a few days playing “Die Hard” in this hell-hole.

 

I managed to destroy one of the bigger robots and pulled out its Cybernetic Brain. It's an amazingly powerful processor. I wish I had an Engineer with me...I'm sure we could rig it to do something useful.

 

Eventually, of course, things went wrong. But Tamiko didn’t go down without a fight:

 

You can only meddle with the door locks twice before you trigger an alarm. I found this out the hard way. Bleeding now, and I'm out of ammunition for this weapon. I don't think I can hold out much longer.

 

Damsel in distress or not, Tamiko eventually realizes that she’s become immune to the Plague and she is a good enough scientist to understand the implications.

 

They want to keep me here, locked up in a stasis chamber forever. I can't let them do that. If I can break out of this Pit, I could save thousands of lives on Albuda IV alone. Maybe billions, if the Plague somehow spread beyond the system.

 

Winning the game, regardless of which character you choose, is about saving the Damsel. But even Tamiko would agree that her life as an individual is irrelevant, in the greater scheme of things. The player has to save Tamiko, not just because “Hey, she’s cute”, but because she is a wellspring of life for every human being who has been exposed to this disease. And whether you free her as her twin sister, her future husband, or as a friendly stranger, Tamiko is the alternative to death—not just for the player but for all humankind.

 

She’s not just a Damsel in Distress, in other words. She’s a symbol of universal salvation.

 

Stick that trope in your pipe and smoke it.

 

~*~*~*~*~*

Links:

Arinn Dembo: http://arinndembo.com

Dedicated Game Website: http://sots-thepit.com/

Buy the Game at Gamer’s Gate: http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-SOTSPIT/sword-of-the-stars-the-pit

TV TROPES Page for the Sword of the Stars universe: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars?from=Main.SwordOfTheStars

The Game on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/233700/

My first Young Adult Fantasy novel

Inspired by the mythology of Wales.....

Fair Folk In Knob's End (The Daughter's of Annwn), my very first YA fantasy novel has recently been released by Featherweight Press. Find out more about the book and its whimsical characters HERE.

Intriguing Character Occupations - Laurie London

Intriguing Character Occupations

By Laurie London

As a romance reader, I’ve found that my favorite stories are those where I can relate to the characters, particularly the heroine. If I can put myself in her shoes as I turn the pages, it’s easier to pretend that her experiences are mine. Even if our lives are totally different, our hopes and dreams make us similar. And if she has an interesting job or career—one I’ve had, wish I had, or that I just find fascinating— I’m in reader heaven.

 

Sookie Stackhouse of the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris is a waitress. I’ve been a cocktail waitress and can relate to her crazy hours, the unwelcome come-ons, and customers who’ve had too much to drink.

 

Teal Williams from Undertow by Cherry Adair is a master boat mechanic. Not that I’ve ever wanted to work on engines, but I found it fascinating how she became well-respected in a field dominated by men. She reminded me of the sweet, yet socially awkward Kaylee in Firefly.

 

Sara McMillan in If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones is a schoolteacher working in an art gallery for the summer. She’s an everywoman character who ends up living the ultimate fantasy.

 

In my Sweetblood vampire series, I wanted to write about heroines with careers and personalities that would intrigue me as a reader.

 

Mackenzie in Bonded By Blood is a movie location scout and an art teacher. She gets to travel around the Pacific Northwest looking for the perfect spot to shoot various film projects for clients, and she teaches painting classes at an art studio.

 

Lily from Embraced By Blood is a vampire known for her tracking abilities. She’s well-respected among her peers, even though her parents believe she should stay home and have more babies.

 

Arianna from Tempted By Blood works for a gaming company by day and blogs about the paranormal at night. I interviewed a good friend who is one of the animators of a very popular game. Through his input, I developed the scenario where Arianna and Jackson steal company secrets from her employer…including the part about the developer who was teased for wearing My Little Pony underwear.

 

Roxy from Seduced By Blood is the head of a training academy for vampire warriors. She’s a librarian of sorts—someone who collects and disseminates information, and she’s unaccustomed to hand-to-hand combat. So when she’s thrown into a situation where she needs to kick some butt, no one expects her to succeed.

 

And in the two short stories in the series, Brianna from Hidden By Blood wants to become a doctor, and Charlotte from Enchanted By Blood (A Vampire for Christmas anthology) is a party planner.

 

How about you? What are some of your favorite character occupations?

 *******

Learn more abut Laurie:

Website

Khepera Rising by Nerine Dorman

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Born Bad…

My bad-boy black magician Jamie elicits strong reactions in readers. Now that’s an understatement if ever there was. And he has a funny way about him, because he sinks his claws into you, and you kinda love him dearly though you often want to slap him upside the head for acting like an idjit. I reckon folks love him because they get to vicariously appreciate his badness without having to suffer any of the repercussions. Kinda like being able to go out and party without suffering the hangover, right? Actions result in consequences for Jamie? Oh yeah, and then some. Don’t believe me? Here’s a few readers’ opinions…

“This isn’t a Hollywood story where wizards duel on highways by flinging fireballs and invoking ghosts. The magic is more subtle, and that makes it easier to imagine that the story is taking place in your own backyard.” – Zane Marc Gentis, The Chemical Dream blog

“This is not my usual genre, urban fantasy/horror, but I was caught up in this gritty, brutal, graphic story from the very beginning pages. Strong, evocative writing. Compelling, dark tale. Highly recommended if you’re into the dark side.” – Patricia Burroughs, Goodreads

“First novel? Come off it, Dorman is no apprentice. She’s pulled something out of the hat with this one, but then she’s a practicing magician and no, it’s not a white bunny she’s holding in her hand. Then again, if being scared wasn’t irresistible, you wouldn’t be reaching out to take it.” – Greg Hamerton, author

So, yeah, I recently rebooted my bad boy, and Khepera Rising is now once again available in ebook (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...) and dead tree (http://www.amazon.com/Khepera-Rising-...) formats.

Stalk me on Twitter at nerinedorman if you dare, or follow my blog at http://nerinedorman.blogspot.com

2012 In Review

Well, 2012 has been an interesting year. here are some of the highlights:

 

A Second Chance at Forever finally came out in print! A long road, but well worth the wait. Expect the third and final novel in the Dark Kiss series to be released in 2013.

 

The second David Lloyd Investigations novel, A Fresh Set of Eyes, was released in June, and like the first book has received much praise from readers and reviewers alike!

 

I sold my first YA fantasy novel!! Expect Fair Folk in Knob's End (The Daughters of Annwn #1) to be released in eary 2013.

 

At present two short stories are under consideration for two different anthologies. Fingers crossed they get picked!

 

The Shadow made the semi finals at the 2012 Shriekfest Film & Screenplay competition. Expect more work from me in the screenwriting field in 2013. I already have plans to enter a new project in the Female Eye Film Festival and Outfest 2013.

 

I have also started my first science fiction novel, and after some encouragement from a reputable source I have firm plans to finish it. Hopefully Erased will see the light of day. If not not it was an excellent experience to try my hand at a new genre.

 

I was an attending author at Bloody Words 2012 and Can Con, both wonderful experiences where I got to meet many talented authors and other industry professionals. I also became a memeber of SF Canada.

 

New stories continue to swirl about in my brian, and I hope to be even more productive in 2013. As always I love to hear from readers, so please feel free to email or leave me a message on this site.

 

Happy Reading!

 

Liz

A visit from LJ Sellers

The Jackson Series’ Great Comeback

L.J. Sellers

Dying for Justice, the fifth book in the Detective Jackson series, is now the top-rated crime fiction on Amazon—but I almost abandoned this novel before I wrote it.

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In early 2010, when I plotted the story, I had to decided to give up the series because it was floundering under a small publisher. I thought if I could launch a new series with a new character and new publisher, I might be able to save my career. So I mapped out a plot in which Detective Evans, one of Jackson’s sidekicks, was the lead character with Jackson as a strong secondary character—hoping my readers would come along with the new series.

Then everything changed. My husband and I were laid off our jobs (again!), e-books started to take off, and I re-envisioned my novelist career. I set this story aside to rewrite two standalone thrillers and publish them on Kindle, then to regain the rights to my other Jackson novels and self-publish them as well. That took six months.

In October, my series became a bestseller on Kindle and readers were asking for more Jackson novels. At that point, I was ready to start writing again. After reading through my outline for the Evans-based story, I decided I really liked the plot and would go ahead and write it, giving the two detectives equal POV roles.

Dying for Justice went on to become my readers’ favorite and my highest-rated story. It also launched the Evans character who later took a starring role in The Gauntlet Assassin. So here’s an excerpt to the Jackson story that almost didn’t make it to publication, but I’m so glad it did.

http//ljsellers.com

 

https//www.facebook.com/ljsellers

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

Sunday, September 5, 8:05 a.m.

Gina opened her eyes, taking in the white blanket and blue-scrub nurse. Her first thought was: This is a hospital. Her second thought was: Someone tried to kill me. She wanted to speak but her throat was dry. “Water, please,” she managed to say, sounding weak and scratchy.

The nurse jumped, eyes popping open in surprise. She fumbled in her pocket for a cell phone and ran from the room. Gina wanted to call after her but she had no strength. She’d been half-awake off and on for what seemed like weeks, but this was the first time someone was in the room when she had the clarity and strength to speak. How long had she been in the hospital?

The nurse returned after a few minutes with more medical people—a woman in a white doctor’s coat and a man in a suit. The nurse offered Gina some water, and the woman in white said, “I’m Dr. Ellison. Do you know where you are?”

“A hospital?”

“Not exactly.” The doctor smiled gently.

A wave of apprehension rolled over Gina.

“This is a long-term care facility.”

Dread seeped into her fragile bones. “How long have I been here?”

The doctor hesitated. “Two years.”

Two years? Gina closed her eyes. No. This was just another strange dream. She’d had a lot of unpleasant dreams lately.

 “Gina, stay with us.”

The voice sounded real. The blanket between her fingers felt soft, textured, and real. The feeding tube in her belly ached with real pain. Gina opened her eyes again. “Two years?” She remembered being forty-four. That would make her forty-six now.

“I know this is difficult to process, but the important thing is that you survived. And now you’re awake.” The doctor kept smiling.

 

A terrifying memory flooded Gina’s senses, making her heart pound. The masked man had been in her dreams sometimes, but this was different. Gina practiced the words in her head first, then struggled to say, “He tried to kill me.”

The group at her beside registered a collective look of surprise, followed by disbelief. Again, the doctor was the first to speak. “Your file says you took an overdose of Valium and Demerol. Do you remember that?”

“No.” Gina shook her head. Her brain felt fuzzy, as if she were about to drift off, but she desperately wanted to say something. “I was attacked.”

The medical people looked at each other, puzzled. The man in the suit said, “There’s no record of that in your file.”

The nurse gently touched Gina’s arm. “Would you like me to call the police?”

Gina would have laughed but she didn’t have the energy. Two years had passed and the bastard would likely get away with it. Was anything left of her life out there? Despair washed over her and she fought back tears. “Yes. Call the cops.”

“I’ll do it now.” The nurse left the room.

The man in the suit followed, saying, “Let’s keep this low-key.”

Gina fought to stay awake. She’d been asleep for so long. Yet a wave of fog rolled over her and she drifted. Before she went under again, a small piece of her life before this room bubbled to the surface. She’d been compiling evidence against her soon-to-be-ex-husband. What had happened to her notebook?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

L.J. Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/thriller series as well as provocative standalone thrillers. Her novels have been highly praised by Mystery Scene, Crimespree, and RT Reviews, and the Jackson books are Kindle bestsellers as well as top-ranked novels. L.J. is also an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal in trade magazines. When not plotting crime stories, she enjoys performing standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences.

BLOG HOP- What Writing GLBTQ Literature Means to Me

'What Writing GLBTQ Literature Means to Me'

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BLOG HOP IS HAPPENING NOW!!

Where do I begin? It seems so strange to me that in this day and age stories about same sex romance, relationships or just plain sex still garners such strong reactions. I firmly belong that we are all equal, and that love and lust and  part of the experience of every human life, straight, gay or otherwise.

I am proud to be an author of GLBT stories, as an extension of my ongoing support of acceptence and freedom for all.

Plus I'm a big m/m fangirl! ;)

So please leave me a message and be entered to win a copy of my new mystery, A Fresh Set of Eyes. I will make a random selection from all those that post.

Check out reviews of all your favourites and discover some new authors at:

Rainbow Book Reviews

Happy reading!!

Liz

 

 

 

2012 so far....

Hello-

It's been a while since I've done a general update and soooo many things have happend I figured I should take the time.

First off-- The Dark Kiss Trilogy has been picked up by a new publisher and the whole series will be released in print!! Hooray! My Love Eternal is already available, and A Second Chance at Forever has finished its editing process, should be out in the next few weeks. Watch for Book 3 in the Fall.

A Fresh Set of Eyes, the follow up to last year's popular Missing Daughter, Shattered Family is now out! Thanks for all the positive feedback and inquiries into more books for this series-- it does an author's heart good.

I have sold my first YA novel, a fantasy-adventure based on the oh-so-cool mythology of Wales. Watch for Fair Folk in Knob's End this fall.

I attended this year's Bloody Words con and spoke on the panel for Crossing Genres.

Screenplays--After last eyar's successful foray into screenwriting I have again entered Shriekfest with my newest project, The Shadow. I have also entered Screamfest and I hope to make the finals at one (or both) of these wonderful festivals.

Other wonderful, exciting things in the works, but announcements will have to wait a bit longer.

Keep checking in and thank-you for your continued interest and support.

Happy reading!!

A few words from Aline de Chevigny

My name is Aline de Chevigny, I write romance with a twist. In my repertoire are Thrillers, Historicals, Paranormals, and Contemporary stories. You can find my books here: http://www.alinedechevigny.com/

 

People always ask me where I find the time to write, with my full time job, family and friends. Well it’s actually quite easy, it’s an obsession, you just can’t help yourself from writing. I have these stories in my head and have to get them out.

 

My latest story to reach print is Deadly: A SKIU Serial…

 

He calls himself Pan.

 

In order to catch a serial rapist, Detectives Hank Adams and Felicia Scott agree to go undercover – as a happily married couple. Both have their misgivings about their ability to pull off the illusion. Felicia is certain Hank is in love with his partner Ry’s fiancée and Hank’s pretty sure Felicia’s got the hot’s for Ry.

 

With the threat of Pan escalating past rape, can these two admit to their growing attraction before a murderer ends their chance for love?

 

You can buy Deadly in ebook here: http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=35&products_id=355

 

Or in Print here: http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Serial-Killers-Investigation-Series/dp/1454399015/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336608597&sr=1-2

 

My latest ebook release is The Dragon’s Assassin…

 

Athalda is known by all as Nerezza the Assassin, none but a chosen trusted few know her real name. Yet that doesn’t keep her from danger when she refuses to carry out a contract. The fact that the Dragon is the most handsome man she’s ever laid eyes on has nothing to do with her decision.

 

Remi Dragonsblood knew the moment he found the blond haired beauty in his bed, a dagger poised over his heart that she was the one for him. Now he needed to convince her that she was his destined queen, and pray she doesn’t try to kill him again.

 

  

Love Triangles - A few words from author Trina M. Lee

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Love triangles. They seem to be a recurring theme in fiction these days, in both YA and adult fiction. I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds the current trend a bit tiresome. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not one to point fingers. I too have a love triangle.

 

One girl, two guys. That's the most common form of triangle we see. If there is no other reason for the triangle other than to have the heroine feel "special" (ahem, I'm talking about you Bella) then I find it to be pointless and tired. Give me a good reason though and suddenly we have romantic drama that drives the story rather than forcing it along.

 

Why do women readers enjoy these love triangles? Team Edward vs Team Jacob. Team Peeta vs Team Gale. Team Bill vs Team Eric. I could go on really but I won't. I think some readers like the competitiveness between the men. It's flattering to have two men fight over you. But at some point it goes from two love interests to a flat out ego boost. Do we really need to have both men fawn over the heroine and tell her how awesome she is? Especially when said heroine has done nothing to portray these imagined special characteristics.

 

In my urban fantasy Alexa O'Brien Huntress series, there are two men interested in Alexa. However, I tried to give them a reason, a purpose. Alexa is a werewolf who was born with power. Power that comes from her bond to a vampire, a bond that was formed before she was ever born. He is her twin flame. For more info on twin flames you can check out : THIS

Alexa forms a deep attachment to fellow werewolf, Shaz. They are close friends and it only seems fitting they would be together. Had the vampire, Arys, died a human death like he should have, Alexa never would have known him. But he didn't.

 

Alexa and Arys have a purpose together, one they seek to find. Alexa is caught between the man she has called a friend and companion for years, and the one she was never meant to find. Linked to both vampire and wolf, Alexa is both and somehow neither.

 

I didn't plan to write a love triangle. Honestly. As the story evolved so did my own love for both men. For me, it isn't one vs the other. I genuinely just want them both. There, that's my reason for writing a love triangle. It isn't about Alexa's ego or who is better for her. It is simply because I want to have my cake and eat it too. And that is the beauty of fiction. Of course, a perfect happily ever after isn't quite my style. I like to make my characters work for their happy ending and nothing good comes easy. Will Alexa have both men? I don't know. The series is far from over. But in the meantime, I'm enjoying it while I can.

 

Huntress book 1 – 4 is currently available in both print and ebook. Chapter one from each book is posted on my site www.TrinaMLee.com. There is also a free prequel short story which you can find in any ebook format at: Here.

 

Excerpt from the upcoming Huntress book 5, DEATH WISH:

 

The vampire looked between Shaz and I, contemplating. "As long as you're here, pup, there's something else you should know."

 

"What?" Shaz was immediately suspicious.

 

I shook my head and shot Arys a warning glare that he ignored. Keeping his gaze on Shaz, he told him all about the journal and the twin flame revelation. Hearing the twin flame information repeated didn't make it any easier to swallow. It was heavy and harder because I was coming to accept it as true.

 

My white wolf looked devastated. He sat heavily on the end of the couch, staring at the floor. "So it's not just circumstance. You're really part of him."

 

I knew what he was thinking. He was wrong. I exchanged a look with Arys. He must have seen the helplessness in my eyes.

 

"Don't miss the point, pup," he said. "Alexa and I are halves of a whole but we were never meant to exist together. Not without a reason. And the odds of us finding out what that reason is before our bond destroys us are slim."

 

When Shaz looked up at me, there was a heartbreaking weariness in his eyes. "I think I knew. Somewhere deep down inside, I knew it would be him."

 

"It isn't like that." I went to him, grasping his hand desperately. "I always said you balance out what he does to me. It's true. I need you."

 

I truly did. Shaz had always been my source of comfort, my wolf, the one who made me feel like I belonged somewhere. I had always felt that he was just as much a part of me as Arys was.

 

"I am a danger to her, Shaz. It's you that grounds her." Arys's expression betrayed nothing though his tone held a somber note. "We're bonded outside the natural scheme of things. If I'd remained mortal, I never would have known her. But you still would have."

 

Shaz let out the breath he'd been holding and ran a hand through his platinum hair. It was one of his tells. He always did it when anxious or frustrated. "This is a lot to process. It's just so…huge." He turned intense wolf eyes on Arys. "Why would you wait so long to tell her?"

 

There was silence as the two of them stared into one another. Shaz always was better than I was at rolling with the punches. Now that he'd accepted what we had told him, he wanted to know more. He stared expectantly at Arys who wore a mask of guilt.

 

"I wasn't sure I'd ever tell her," Arys admitted. "But some people know about us. And it's changing her. Keeping it to myself wasn't going to stop that. I only wished it would."

 

I wasn't surprised to hear that. "You've got to stop that shit, Arys. You can't hide anything from me. It's always going to come out."

 

"I know that. But try to see it from where I'm standing. I never knew if I'd find you and now that I have, I don't want to lose you." To his credit, he had the decency to look chagrined.

 

His tendency to hide information and criticize my decisions was at the heart of most of our arguments. Seeing the raw emotion in his blue eyes made it hard to be angry.

 

"I understand. As hard as this is for me, I got the better deal. I can't imagine what it's been like for you."

 

Arys gazed at me with those entrancing eyes. There was a seductive pull to his energy. It was manipulative, getting under my skin like a metaphysical itch.

 

A frown graced Shaz's youthful face. "It's always about you, Arys. You already had her and that wasn't good enough so you blood bonded her. You made her what you are. And now it's devouring her. You're a real piece of work, pal."

 

Arys tilted his head to the side and regarded Shaz with bitter amusement. "Watch your mouth, wolf. You were right there encouraging her to accept the blood bond. It was to keep her safe."

 

"Safe from everyone but you." Shaz was fearless, rising to challenge the vampire with his cold stare.

 

"Wrong!" Arys hissed. In a flash he was up off the recliner, in Shaz's face. "Everything I am was already inside of her. You saw signs of that before I ever bonded her. What we share isn't about blood. It's beyond life and death. It's my darkness that tempts her but you are the one that keeps her wolf alive. You keep her human. But you're too busy whoring at The Wicked Kiss to see that."

 

Shaz growled and bared fangs. I shoved my way between them, forcing them apart.

 

"Cut it out! Finger pointing doesn't do a damn bit of good. I'd like you both to keep in mind that I am not an object. I don't belong to anybody. I am my own entity, a person joined to you both in different ways but owned by neither. Got it?"

 

Grudgingly, they each nodded. Arys didn't believe it. I could see it in his eyes. He believed I was his to claim and maybe if I'd been in his place, knowing what he knew for so many years, I'd have felt the same way. Still, I wasn't above handing out an ass kicking to either of them.

 

Swiping his dropped keys off the table, Shaz headed for the door with an angry stride.

 

"Shaz, wait." I hurried after him and grabbed his arm, trying to make him look at me.

 

He shook me off and flung open the front door. "I can't do this right now."

 

"Please? Don't leave. Not like this," I pleaded. Fear gripped my heart as the wall between us grew.

 

"Sorry, Lex. I just need some time alone."

 

I turned away when he disappeared through the doorway. I felt ill every time he left my side. I couldn't shake the fear that one day it would be the last time. I didn't want to have that vision etched in my memory forever.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT TRINA AT HER WEBSITE: TRINA M. LEE