Tia Louise's Blog: ONE TO BLOG

TROUBLE Prologue

TROUBLE
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2021

Spencer

Prologue

“I have ice. Ice makes the pain go away.” My mom crouches beside me, her entire body shaking as she presses a cloth to my shoulder.

Her face is so white. I want to say her name, but my throat constricts as searing pain burns through my upper body. My eyes squeeze shut, causing tears to stream down my face.

All around us is chaos.

The kitchen table is against the wall, and a chair is broken in two. Beside me on the floor, a splintered piece of wood lies in what looks like a growing puddle of red paint. Only, it’s not paint, and I’m afraid.

“Look what you made me do!” My father yells at us, pacing back and forth. He jerks my mother off of me by her hair. “You made me do this.”

Fear squeezes my lungs so hard, I can’t breathe, and lights flash in the room through the windows like a rainbow. People in white rush into our house, and a woman with orange-blonde hair and sky-blue eyes leans over me.

She puts her hand on my forehead and smiles gently while another person in white lifts me off the floor. She speaks softly, but I can’t understand her.

Is she an angel? Did I die?

It’s my last thought before the darkness closes my eyes…


“This is your room now.” The old man opens a door and gestures me into a space the size of a small house.

My eyes are wide as I step carefully on the highly polished wood floor. It’s made of small pieces of wood arranged in a diamond pattern, and a thin rug with a large, oval-shaped design covers the floor.

Driving up to this place, I gazed up at the soaring white columns topped with curling leaves and scrolls. Above them, so high I could barely see from the car, the roof had a railing, like you could walk around up there.

I’ve never seen a house like this outside of a movie or a storybook.

It’s a castle.

It’s also dark and empty.

“I hope you find it comfortable here.”

I look up at him, unsure what to say.

He’s tall with lots of gray hair that swooshes around his head like that scientist in the picture at my school. He’s wearing a scratchy brown jacket and dark pants, and he has a beard. His dark eyes are intense like a bird or a reptile, watching me.

“Are you a king?” My voice is small.

“I’m your new father. You may call me Drake.” His voice is low and measured, like he carefully chooses the exact word to say before he speaks.

“Where’s my mom?” Sadness pinches my chest when I remember the last time I saw her.

His eyes blink away, into the hall. “She can’t take care of you anymore. You’re going to live with me now.”

I’m not sure what he means. “Did she die?”

“Not as far as I know.” His tone is grave like he doesn’t want to dwell on this subject. “If you’re all settled, I’ll leave you to your thoughts.”

I follow him quickly into the massive hallway covered in paintings bigger than me. It’s as wide as a dining room, and long rugs cover the floors that go on for miles.

My footsteps echo off the polished wood as I scuffle after him. “Are we the only ones here?”

He pauses and turns, looking down at me slowly as if I’m an insect he’s considering gobbling up. I shrink back, wishing I hadn’t asked.

“Are you afraid of being alone, Spencer?”

My eyes are wide, and I want my mom. The expression on his face tells me that would be the wrong answer.

“No, sir.”

“Good. Only a weak man is bothered by being alone. Are you weak?”

I’m not sure if I’m weak or if I’m even a man yet, but I know how to survive.

“No, sir.”

His eyes flinch almost like he would smile if that were possible. “Never fall for the lie that you need other people. Only when you are completely independent are you truly strong.”

He starts to go, but I hold out my hand. “But… Why do you need me?”

The spark of approval evaporates like smoke. “I don’t.”

His gaze travels up and around the hall, pausing at a window twice as tall as he is. “When I am gone, I will leave my estate to you, then you will be like me.” Cold eyes return to mine. “Now get some rest. I’ll begin your education tomorrow.”

Dread filters through my stomach, but I don’t dare argue. My shoulder hurts, and I’m sleepy. I don’t know why I’m here, but I remember my mom saying it would be okay.

Returning quietly to my room, I notice a sweaty glass of ice water on my bedside table. Going to it, I lift a cube from the top and put it in my mouth, sliding to sit on the scratchy wool rug covering my floor.

My eyes close, and I focus on the cold as it slowly melts away.

Then I do it again.

* * *
⭐TROUBLE is coming July 19!
Learn More: https://authortialouise.com/trouble
(Also coming to audio July 19)

TWIST OF FATE Excerpt

TWIST OF FATE
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2021

Scout

“She’s really cute, Scout, but she can’t play with the boys.”

My brother stands beside me on the sidelines with his arms crossed, and we watch as my three-year-old runs around the field, holding up her little hands and trying to catch their easy passes.

“That’s what they told the quarterback princess.”

“Are you talking about that old Helen Hunt movie with the girl who wanted to be a quarterback?”

“Feeling threatened?”

“I’m not saying it because she’s a girl. I’m saying it because she’s three. The ball’s too big for her.”

Bobby tosses an overhand pass, and it bounces off her face, knocking her on her little butt.

“Uh oh.”

She’s immediately surrounded by our team of seven- to ten-year-olds with Jesse right up front helping her stand. J.R. and I jog to where she’s holding her hand over her nose.

My stomach drops. If her nose is bleeding or worse, Daisy’s going to kill me. “Hey, princess, you okay?” I’m on my knees beside the two cousins.

“It hit my nose, Daddy.” She puts an arm around my neck and rests her head on my shoulder.

It only took a day for her to start calling me that, and damn, it twisted me around her little finger even tighter.

“Let’s take a look.” I give her a squeeze and she steps back, holding up her head.

“It’s not bleeding!” Jesse announces to the other boys, and Melody blinks several times, watching him. My nephew turns to her again. “Hey, you didn’t even cry! Noses hurt.”

She smiles blinking even faster, and my heart clenches. I can tell my princess is struggling with all her might not to cry, even more now.

“Noses hurt,” she repeats, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, let’s play over here while the boys do their drills. Okay?” She nods, and I pick her up, carrying her off the field...

* * *
⭐Read TWIST OF FATE Now:
Amazon (all): https://geni.us/TOFAmz
Audio: https://geni.us/YC3cIn3

*Free in Kindle Unlimited!

TWIST OF FATE Prologue

TWIST OF FATE
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2021

Scout

People used to say I could sweet-talk the devil into going to church.

My mom, who was a librarian and English teacher and one of the smartest people I ever knew, said I was a misunderstood character.

She said people looked at me and saw a handsome young man—her words—with blond hair and blue eyes who slept with a football instead of a pillow and didn’t make very good grades and assumed I traded on that to get ahead.

That’s where they were wrong, she said. Mom said talking to people and listening to what they said made me just as smart as any valedictorian. She said my brother John, who we all call J.R. is more serious because he’s older.

I loved my mom, but I’m not sure she’s right either. I just learned pretty quickly growing up in Fireside, South Carolina, one of the smallest towns this side of Charleston, I’d get a lot further with being nice to people than being shitty.

For example, when I was in fourth grade, Ms. Myrna was going to flunk me because I couldn’t analyze Stargirl to her liking. I just didn’t understand it. The girl was weird, and I get it, Leo was a nerd with no friends, but what was I supposed to be learning from this story?

What was way clearer to me was Ms. Myrna’s husband had thrown out his back working construction at the new development down on the coast, at Oceanside Beach. He was laid up in the bed for weeks, and I could tell by the tightness around my teacher’s eyes, it was wearing on her.

So maybe I couldn’t write an A paper, but I sure could mow her grass and cut that old vine off her back fence and hold the door for her when she carried too many books from the teacher’s closet.
Ultimately, she said if I could at least recite the plot of the story, she’d give me credit for reading the book.

What did that teach me? Getting in there is better than keeping people at arm’s length like my brother. It’s not manipulation. It’s simple facts.

Facts I never shared with my mom.

She was also the kindest person I knew. Laying in that sickbed, she would trace her fingers along my forehead as I knelt at her bedside, and I never wanted her to leave us.

The night she died, the man from church said heaven must’ve needed another angel. He said she was too good for this earth—something even I knew. He said it was fate.

Losing my mom was a truckload of bullshit. I’ve never felt anger so intense, burning so hard in my chest it radiated up the back of my neck. It made me want to break things. It made me almost forget…

My life was like an etch a sketch Fate scooped up and shook hard. I hated that feeling. It sucked. I never wanted to feel it again.

J.R. and I were left with my dad to figure out what the hell to do with ourselves, so we did what we knew—football. Dad threw himself into work, only noticing us when we were in the backyard drilling, and when J.R. and I became superstars.

Then I was cast in a few school plays, and I discovered I could be somebody else. I learned all that anger and pain disappeared on the stage. People liked watching me, and when I made them laugh or gasp or cry, I felt like I’d done something huge.

I’ve only ever told one person that story, a girl in glasses I discovered at a junkyard, and she didn’t misunderstand. She wanted to know more.

* * *
⭐Read TWIST OF FATE Now:
Amazon (all): https://geni.us/TOFAmz
Audio: https://geni.us/YC3cIn3

*Free in Kindle Unlimited!

TMIT excerpt

THIS MUCH IS TRUE
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2020

J.R.

She exhales a sigh. “Remember when people used to go out to bars and dance?”

My eyes close briefly, and I’m in this space of memory with her. “I haven’t danced in a long time.”

We sway side to side, holding each other.

“You’re still good at it.” Her chin pulls back, and she blinks warm blue eyes up at me.

Our gaze tangles and heats, and she rises on her toes. Her fingers curl in my shirt. “I’d like to kiss you.”

Heat flares in my veins. I’ve wanted to kiss her for two days, but I’ve been fighting it. “Hope…”
Hope Eternal Hill is light and pure, and I can’t be the black storm that smashes all her dreams with my quest for revenge.

“It’s been too long.” She whispers, sliding her nose along my cheek. “For both of us.”

Her fingers trace behind my neck, into my hair, and I push her back against the door. Cupping her cheeks, I cover her full lips with mine and devour them.

She makes a little noise, and I kiss her deeper. Her mouth opens, and I slide my tongue against hers, tasting her sweetness.

She’s syrupy whiskey mixed with a hint of coffee.

Her arms are around my neck, and her soft breasts crush against my chest. Sliding my hands up her torso, I cup them through the fabric, squeezing them and circling my thumbs over the hardened tips. She moans, and my dick is an iron rod in my pants.

“God…” I lift my chin, and her lips move to my throat.

Her tongue slides along my skin, and I’m fighting. I want to fuck her. My whole body craves it, the satisfaction I know is waiting between her thighs. It would be so easy to lift her leg and plunge deep… again and again.

Her hand is on my waist, tugging at my shirt, and I catch it. “Wait.”

Her brows clench as she looks up at me. “What’s wrong?”

Our eyes meet, and I’m hanging on by a thread. “You don’t know me.”

“I know enough.” She leans up again, putting her hot mouth against my jaw. “I know you didn’t touch me last night when I was naked in your hotel room. I know you ran into danger to protect your brother. I know you’re fighting what’s happening right now…”

“You have no idea.”

Her lips are at my ear. “Haven’t you ever been reckless?”

* * *
⭐Read THIS MUCH IS TRUE Now:
Amazon (all): https://geni.us/TMITamz
Audio: https://geni.us/TMITaudio

*Free in Kindle Unlimited.

THIS MUCH IS TRUE excerpt

THIS MUCH IS TRUE
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2020

Hope

Large hands cup my cheeks, lifting my face and tilting it so he can devour my mouth. My lips part willingly, hungry for his kisses, his possessive touch.

His hands leave my cheeks and circle my back, unfastening my bra. As it falls away, a whisper of cool air hardens my nipples. His hands cover them, tweaking the tips, sending sparkling waves of energy between my thighs.

“John.” My head falls back with a moan.
He lifts me off my feet, carrying me to the bed. With a toss, I fall back, laughing at his Tarzan style. He shoves his jeans down, and I lick my lips.

“The way you look at me…” His voice is a rough groan. “It makes me want to do very bad things to you.”

Dragging my eyes up his Adonis body, I meet his smoldering eyes. “Please do very bad things to me...”

🔥🔥🔥

⭐Read THIS MUCH IS TRUE Now:
Amazon (all): https://geni.us/TMITamz
Audio: https://geni.us/TMITaudio

*Free in Kindle Unlimited.

TMIT Prologue

THIS MUCH IS TRUE
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2020

J.R.

With my back to the San Francisco traffic, I hold the railing of the iconic, vermillion bridge and watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Two hundred and forty-five feet below me, the frigid water of the bay swirls past, and behind me is the building where I spent the last eighteen months of my life, paying for a crime I didn’t commit.

My hair is long to my collar. My body is lean and ripped with muscle to intimidate anyone who thought he’d get the best of me.

I’ve lived with the funk of brown Lysol, body odor, and urine so long, I forgot fresh air could smell so sweet.

At five p.m., a guard came to my cell, rattled the bars like some old cheesy black and white movie, and told me to get my shit together.

Time to go.

I was halfway through a four-year prison sentence, and last night, they said it was over, early release.

Confused is an understatement for how I felt, but I wasn’t about to argue. I started making plans.

“You can thank the tree huggers for this miscarriage of justice.” The woman behind the desk scowled as she spoke, like the words tasted bad. “Wouldn’t want you getting sick. It might violate your civil rights.”

Rage smoldered in my chest, and I didn’t make eye contact with her. This whole eighteen months has been a violation of my civil rights, but why should she care?

Since the start of this nightmare, nobody cared. I said it once, twice, three thousand times. I. Didn’t. Do. It.

Nobody gave a shit.

Not even my court-appointed lawyer believed me. I was caught with illegal human growth hormone, and that’s all they saw. No one looked at the receipt for perfectly legal adaptogen supplements, which is what I thought I was picking up. I was a redneck from South Carolina with a trunk full of HGH. Case closed.

I entered San Quentin and kept my head down. I made allies with the biggest, meanest guys, and the quiet ones who stayed to themselves. I learned to be ready to fight always.

I started my prison sentence resolved the next time I saw my father, I wouldn’t let up until he was begging for mercy.

Now I’m a free man.

Sort of.

I’m out, and I’m headed back to look him in the eye. He sent me here, and I want to know why.

Staring out across the dark waters, I make a vow. I’m getting back everything I’ve lost. I don’t know how the man who put me here will make it happen, but we’ll sort that out when I get home.

Snatching my navy canvas bag off the ground, I start walking.

* * *
⭐Read THIS MUCH IS TRUE Now:
Amazon (all): https://geni.us/TMITamz
Audio: https://geni.us/TMITaudio

*Free in Kindle Unlimited.

RECKLESS KISS Excerpt

RECKLESS KISS
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2020

Deacon

“You’re all wet.” She holds the lapels of my jacket, pushing it off my shoulders. “Were you riding in the rain?”

Shrugging out of the soaked garment, I put it at the base of her window. “I didn’t want anyone to recognize my car.”

She goes to a large, stone bathroom, returning with a plush, white towel. “Here. Give me your shirt.”

Catching the hem, I whip it over my head, and when our eyes meet, she blinks quickly as if she’s stunned.

Her cheeks flush, and I’m acutely aware we’ve only been together once since my homecoming. The memory of our white-hot reunion in the tower has my cock rising to attention.

“It’s not the first time you’ve seen me without a shirt, beautiful.” I can’t help teasing her.

She shakes her head and goes to her bedroom door. “I’ll put this in the sink to dry. Give me your pants, too.”

The smooth click of the lock changes the temperature in the room. My body aches for hers. I’m ready to pull her to me and devour her.

“I haven’t been here five minutes, and you’ve already got me naked.” I hold out my hand as she returns. “Come here.”

She walks straight into my arms, and I hug her tightly against my chest. Rubbing her back, I take a long inhale of her jasmine scented hair. “Are you okay?”

“I’m much better now that you’re here.” She looks up at me, and I can almost make out her soft breasts beneath the thin material of her long-sleeved tee. She’s so damn sexy.

I scan her shapely legs in short white shorts, searching for any sign of bruising or injury. “Did that guy hurt you?”

“No.” A sad little smile touches her lips. “I’m so sorry, Deacon. For tonight, for not telling you—”

“Don’t.” Reaching up, I place my finger lightly against her lips, pulling her to me again. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I had to leave you that way. I didn’t want to ruin the party—”

“I understood.”

“But I had to come here tonight. I needed to see you, to know you’re okay.”

“I’m okay.” She lifts her chin, and I lean down to kiss her again.

Her lips part, and our tongues curl together. It’s electric and need shoots straight to my cock. My hands go under the hem of her shirt, finding the smooth, warm skin of her lower back, pressing her hips to mine.

She exhales a soft noise, and I break the kiss, looking around the room. “This is a nice place.”

“The bed’s big enough for both of us.” Her palms slide against mine, threading our fingers, and she takes a step backwards, drawing me towards the bed with her. “Everyone’s sleeping over. You might as well, too.”

“Sounds risky.”

“I’m not afraid.” She lifts her shirt over her head, and her soft breasts are bare, tipped with pale light. My mouth waters. “I want you to stay.”

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

* * *
💋Get RECKLESS KISS Now:
AMAZON: https://geni.us/RKamz
AUDIO: https://geni.us/RKaud
Amazon PB: https://smarturl.it/RKApb
Nook PB: https://smarturl.it/RKNpb
Signed PB: http://smarturl.it/SignedPBs

*Free in Kindle Unlimited.

PRINCE (hot) Excerpt

PRINCE
by Tia Louise
© TLM Productions, 2016

Zelda

“Let’s say you and me do some good old-fashioned f---ing, Zelda Benedict.”

I blink fast, away from his gaze. “I can’t,” I whisper, even though my insides are liquid, and my lips heavy with desire.

“Sure you can,” he whispers, leaning forward to cover my mouth with his.

Fingers thread into the sides of my hair, and his kiss is even more passionate than before. It’s hungry and demanding, and I’m losing the fight this time.

Cal doesn’t gently request, he invades, pillaging my senses. We lean back on the couch, and he’s above me, moving my mouth with his. I’m not stopping him. I’m desperate with desire. My hands are on his neck, and I’m kissing him back, hungrily keeping time with his movements.

He pulls away, and a little noise of disappointment comes from my throat. It makes him smile as he reaches down and lifts me off the couch.

“Don’t worry, sexy. I’m nowhere near finished with you tonight.”

“Cal…” My brain is fighting with me to get control, but he tosses me onto the bed, pulling his shirt off in one swift move.

My protests die when I see his bare body. He’s ripped and golden, beautiful, lean and muscular, and his light brown hair is tousled and tempting. My eyes trail down the lines of his stomach, getting tangled in the V at his hips, and all rational thought vanishes.

“Now you,” he says, climbing on his knees beside me on the bed.

He takes the hem of the shirt I’m wearing and lifts it over my head. My instinct is to cover my bare breasts, but he catches my arms.

“No way,” he grins, leaning us back on the bed. “Your tits are far too gorgeous for you to hide them.”

My face heats, and I start to laugh. “Stop it.”

He leans over me, then lowers gently until our bare bodies are stomach to stomach, skin against skin. We both exhale a groan.

“You feel so good,” he murmurs, moving his lips over my shoulders.

I can only whimper, “So do you.” I am so screwed right now...

* * *
⭐️BINGE the series Now FREE in Kindle Unlimited:
AMAZON: https://geni.us/DPseries
AUDIO: https://amzn.to/2Z4O2d5
Signed PB: http://smarturl.it/SignedPBs

*Free in Kindle Unlimited.

HERE WITH ME Excerpt 2

HERE WITH ME
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2020

Mindy

“Brown sugar!” I’m not the greatest singer, but I close my eyes and belt it out along with Mick on Spotify.

The air smells like pine and damp leaves and summer. My shoes are off, and I flip the ends of my chiffon dress with my fingers. I’m full of tequila and swinging my hair, doing my best Lana del Rey as I dance in the glow of the high beams of Sawyer’s truck parked in front of Darby Lake.

He’s leaning back against the hood watching me. His jacket, tie, and cummerbund are gone, and his white shirt is unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up. The lines of his stomach deepen with his laugh, and I can just make out the sprinkle of dark hair across his chest.

He’s pure sex, and I want to wrap my legs around him...

“You taste so good, baby girl.”

Have I mentioned how much I love that he calls me that? It’s kind of dirty, and Sawyer’s only five years older than I am. Still, I love it.

“I want to spend the night here, under the stars.” I lift my arms over my head, swaying my hips.

My movements cause my strapless dress to slide lower on my breasts, and I open my eyes slightly to see Sawyer’s hooded gaze on them. Lowering my arms, I walk slowly forward, to where he’s standing.

“You like what you see?” Placing my hands on either side of him, I lean in for a kiss.

“Abso-fuckin-lutely.” He captures my lips in his and consumes me.

Rough hands unzip my dress, and it falls to the ground. He cups my breasts, pinching my nipples with his fingers. It’s so hot, I hold his neck, wrapping my legs around his waist as he lifts me by the ass, turning me so I’m on the hood of his truck...

* * *
💋Get HERE WITH ME Now:
AMAZON: https://geni.us/HWMa
AUDIO: https://geni.us/HWMaud
Amazon PB: https://smarturl.it/HWMaPB
Nook PB: https://smarturl.it/HWMnpb
Signed PB: http://smarturl.it/SignedPBs

*Free in Kindle Unlimited.

HERE WITH ME Excerpt

HERE WITH ME
By Tia Louise
© TLM Productions LLC, 2020

Mindy

An hour later, I’m sitting at the small desk in my room thinking about everything. I’ve changed into shorts and a thin tank, and my hair is up in a messy bun.

For whatever reason, I always think better when I write things down. I’m holding a pen, tapping it on an open notebook when a tapping starts on my window, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

My eyes widen when I see Sawyer outside the glass. Running to my bedroom door, I lock it before crossing quickly and sliding open the window.

“This is a switch,” I whisper, helping him over the sill. “What are you doing here?”

His hair is messy over his eyes, and he seems agitated. He’s breathing fast, and I think I smell the faintest hint of whiskey on his breath, hot and syrupy.

“I thought you had to get up early.”

“I do.” He hesitates, sitting back on the edge of the sill. His eyes are down, and he looks at his palm. “Deacon seems like a good guy.”

“He likes helping people with their finances.”

Sawyer’s eyes flash at me. “He seems really familiar with you.”

An edge is in his tone, and my chest tightens. I can’t decide if I’m pissed or I’m happy. “We spent a lot of time together in college.”

“When I was gone.” His voice is low, like rolling thunder. “Is he in your business?”

“Not yet. I haven’t decided what I want to do.” Yes, I’m taunting him.

He stands quickly, angrily. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

I race to get between him and the window. “Why did you come here?”

His eyes are lowered, and his jaw tightens. “I don’t know.”

“You do know. Tell me.” My breath comes fast, my breasts rising and falling.

His eyes flicker down, hunger in them. They rise to mine, and I won’t let him stop us this time. My arms go around his neck, and I kiss him hard, pushing his lips apart so I can touch his tongue with mine.

It’s like a spark to kindling. Strong hands grip my waist, his fingers cutting into my skin, and I feel him fighting. I feel it when he breaks. His mouth moves, and a low groan rumbles from his chest. It sends heat racing to my core.

Our mouths break apart, and I gasp as his lips move roughly along my jawline to my ear. “I don’t like him touching you.”

His hands slide lower, and I gather his shirt in my hands, pulling it higher, uncovering his luscious, lined stomach, his chest covered in sparse hair.

He only hesitates a moment before letting me lift his shirt over his head. My eyes hold his, and I lift mine over my head, baring my breasts.

“Then you touch me...”

* * *
💋Get HERE WITH ME Now:
AMAZON: https://geni.us/HWMa
AUDIO: https://geni.us/HWMaud
Amazon PB: https://smarturl.it/HWMaPB
Nook PB: https://smarturl.it/HWMnpb
Signed PB: http://smarturl.it/SignedPBs

*Free in Kindle Unlimited.