TJ Michaels

Now THIS is something I know a little bit about ;D Travel is something I do often for the day job. This year I’ve been to four or five different countries and all over the danged states, too. As a matter of fact, as I type this post, I’m 3000 miles away from home.

So let’s do something a bit different, eh? Let’s go intergalactic!

In this snippet from Death and Roses, our heroine and hero are headed for a very important meeting…on another planet…that’s a bitch to get to. And one of our peeps would rather make use of the little white bag in the seat pocket in front of him. What made me think of this? My most recent trip to the East coast where I just knew I was gonna blow chunks as a result of the turbulence – gah!

After the post, enjoy all the Snippet Saturday authors via the links at the bottom of the page.

Tanil literally jumped into his clothes while moving toward the door. Scharsi didn’t bother. It would take her almost two minutes to get all the way back to the bridge. She had no time for modesty. It was the one disadvantage to having a large med ship. It had been converted into a fighting machine, but that didn’t change the size of the damn thing.

“What’s going on? What’s happening?” Tanil ran right behind her.

“The ship’s computer can’t handle getting us on the ground. Have you ever been to Mimnet?”

“Once. I don’t remember much of it. I got so airsick from all the turbul…ah shit!”

“Exactly. The turbulence. Mimnet is bad enough, but the computer said we’re coming up on Quantinium Moon. Landing on Mimnet itself might be a rocky proposition, but Quantinium is ten times as tricky.”

“Well at least I get a nice view of your ass while you run to save the ship.”

“Perv.”

“Definitely.”

Scharsi settled into the captain’s chair. Tanil ran back to her bunk, grabbed some clothes, then held tightly to the controls as she hopped up and dressed at record speed. Seated again, Scharsi thanked the Gods for her unusual strength. Piloting this craft through to the moon was a fucking fighting match—her against the atmosphere.

Tanil took the co-chair and brought up the topography grid. “Good Gods. Is there really something in this place? Scanners are coming up empty.”

“Must be or Vonner wouldn’t have sent us here.”

“Trust him that much, do you?”

“Actually, I do,” Scharsi said. “Men like him have their own code of conduct. Once they bring you into the fold, people like Ulric Vonner will treat you like family. Once we became BHI good guys, we became part of his crew.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but you don’t send family into this kind of shit without warning.” Tanil grimaced as he held onto the arms of his chair for dear life.

“Yeah, but think about it this way, Tan, the people he’s sending us to hook up with are part of that family. He’s not going to out them just to make it easier for us to get to them. He has to protect them just as he would protect us. Period.”

“Makes sense. So now explain why it feels like my teeth are being rattled around in my head by this Gods-awful turbulence? If it keeps up, I’ll be painting the bridge floor with all kinds of new smelly colors.”

“The ice storms are bad enough, but the ground isn’t much better. Computer, magnify distance to thirty percent.”

“Yes, Commander.”

After a wicked drop in altitude, Scharsi pulled back on the controls to level them out. “See, look there. This place is one big mountain range covered with nothing but jagged peaks and a hell of a lot of snow and ice. One wrong move and we not only risk a nasty crash, but also being spotted by one of a bazillion sensors floating around in the black.”

“And we’re going there on purpose?”

“Looks like. Computer, disengage autopilot on my mark.”

“What? Disengage?” Yep, he was definitely going to blow chunks.

“There’s no choice but to pilot without the benefit of the computer’s quick calculations. Computer, five, four, three, two. Mark.”

“Autopilot disengaged, Commander.”

“Oh lord, we’re gonna die.”

“Oh stop,” Scharsi said playfully. “Thankfully this is an agile craft with good maneuverability.”

“Yeah, but she sure has a big ass,” Tanil grumbled.

“I thought you liked big asses.”

What could he say to that? It was beyond the truth, and Scharsi’s was a spankable piece of art that was permanently framed in his mind. He was a happy man. A nauseated one, but happy none the less.

Jody Wallace
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
Lacey Savage
Sasha White
Shelli Stevens

Now there are different types of dreams. Dreams that you have when you’re asleep, and dreams that you have when you’re awake such as what you’d like your life to be like when you grow up. Actually, I want to be a wealthy full-time writer when I grow up *snark* or perhaps an adopted daughter of J.K. Rowling.

In this excerpt from Death and Roses, our heroine, Scharsi, a genetically modified Generation8 Super Soldier…just wants to be loved. That’s her one and only dream…and it’s just come true.

After the excerpt don’t forget to visit the other Snippet Saturday authors!

The scent of their loving filled the air. It reminded Scharsi of sweet summer fields on Trescalane just as the red coffee and tropical fruits were harvested for the season’s production of strong javé and potent liqueur. And he was just so comfortable in his skin, comfortable with her. He gave her his trust, which is something she’d never received from another person in all her life, save one.

Tanil wrapped himself around her and buried his nose in her hair, as was his habit.

“You were a knockout before, but this new short and sassy hairdo of yours is off the charts in the sexy department.”

It would have been completely dry by now if not for the new drenching of sweat—all his fault of course. Not that she was complaining. Instead of a comment, Scharsi yawned big and so unladylike she almost snorted as she snuggled closer.

Her stomach rumbled and gurgled like an old derelict ship that had run out of fuel. She could still use that snack she’d been headed to before the haircut, shower and being waylaid—boy had she ever been laid—by Tanil. She’d been three kinds of depressed at what seemed
like eons ago, but now that her attitude had been properly adjusted and her muscles all langui-fied, a nap seemed more in order, whether her gut rolled around in protest of its lack of food or not.

So, any idea where we’re going?”

“Not a clue,” she replied on yet another yawn. “All I know is that Vonner said the place we’re going is some
super seekrit resistance hole up.”

“Seekrit?” Tanil laughed so hard her head bounced up and down on his shoulder. “Snark much, Scharsi?”

She smiled. Couldn’t help it. “Well, anyway,” she drawled, “Dex programmed the coordinates and in a few hours we’ll end up wherever it is we’re supposed to be.”

“Sounds easy enough. Aw hell, sorry, be right back.”

A few moments later, Tanil returned, flopping down next to her as if he’d known her forever, like they were truly a couple and not just sleeping together. The warm towel he’d run to the head to get was placed gently between her legs as he cleaned her up. No awkward movements, no weird silence. Just lovely comfort.

The towel sailed across the room toward the pile of towels she’d used on her hair and body. The man dropped a kiss on her shoulder, smiled and wrapped her up in his arms again.

When he let out a contented sigh, Scharsi lost it.

The alarm on Tanil’s face at her first sob would have had her cracking up if not for the soul-deep emotion that bubbled over inside her. If only he knew what he’d done. She hadn’t been so completely exposed, so torn down, yet emotionally built up, and all by his openness, his desire to see to her needs and the willingness to accept her, flaws and all.

Snippet Saturday authors
Jody Wallace
Emma Petersen
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Sasha White

There’s nothing quite like family to make or break your day. Enjoy a bit of humor between Max and Sasuke as they discuss the female members of their family – all of which happen to be a handful and a half! After the post enjoy the rest of our fabulous Snippet Saturday authors!

Max would have laughed harder if he had the energy. He and Sasuke made one hell of a pair. Max’s name was known not only on the northern island of Japan but also by their affiliates in the States and Australia, while Sasuke was his underboss responsible for one of the most powerful and feared organized crime clans.

And they were both laid up like old women.

With painful effort, Max turned his head toward his best friend and Second sitting—or rather lying—on the couch on the other side of the coffee table in the living room. A gurgle rumbled up from Max’s diaphragm and ended in a laugh so consuming, he was bent over double in near exhaustion when he was through.

“What?” Sasuke hissed with a scowl.

“Look at us. Me, Max Maruyama, leader of Clan Ooeto, practically in need of a nurse. And you, my Second, covered with bruises like you’ve taken the beating of your life.”

“I did take the beating of my life, damn it. Then your sister made it worse by practically removing my ability to ever bear children. And stop laughing, you fucking sadist.”

Max laughed harder until his chuckles became struggling wheezes. After several long minutes of just trying to breathe, he turned back to Sasuke and spoke.

“So, tell me about the man who managed to turn you such interesting shades of purple and blue. And, uh, yellow? Is that yellow, or green?”

“Oh shut it, already. Kikiyo!” Sasuke called as loud as he was able. A stocky man in a stylish gray suit eased the door open. “Bring me some more ice packs, man. And some tea for Max.”

With a simple “Hai” and a slight bow, the man disappeared and returned shortly with several ice packs to replace the ones Sasuke had already used.

All the while, Sasuke’s grumbles turned the air blue. “Fucking pasty-faced, white-haired vampire. Damned pretty boy Seeker. Muscle bound clod of a …”

“All right, already,” Max wheezed. “Stop whining and tell me what happened.”

“You’d think…ah, God that hurts. You’d think it was obvious, Max. I got a call from one of our men who spotted your sister on the dance floor at Valdarre. I went to her house and waited for her, scoping it out, keeping an eye on her. Or so I thought.”

“Valdarre? Shinju went to Valdarre?”

“Yeah, Shinju and that damned long-haired fellow I told you I’d seen before. By the way, I contacted your friend in Clan Li and described the man. He confirmed our suspicions. The guy with Shinju is indeed a Seeker. And not just any Seeker, but what they call an elite. I’m not up on all their hierarchy, but the Clan Li vamp certainly seemed concerned for me while at the same time saying the guy was vamp law enforcement. A good guy. Anyway, they showed up at her house. I wanted to shoot the idiot.”

“Since when do you refer to Shinju as an idiot?”

“Not Shinju, damn it, Kenoe.”

“Who…?”

“Am I telling the story or not?”

“I think getting your ass kicked has made you cranky.”

“Fuck you.” Sasuke made to scoot up a bit higher on the pillows piled behind his head. A deep frown and annoyed-sounding grunt said his efforts were rewarded with some obvious aches and pains. Max watched until Sasuke’s head settled back on the arm of the couch.

“Great,” Sasuke grumbled. “Now my temples are throbbing in time with everything else on my body.”

At Sasuke’s grimaces and hisses of pain, Max bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cracking up again.

“So anyway,” Sasuke continued, “Kenoe, it turns out, is the name of the Seeker on Shinju’s ass. Literally.”

“What the hell do you mean?” Max thundered. Well, it actually felt more like a dull poof than a thundering bellow given how tight his lungs felt these days.

“He kissed her like they were old lovers right there outside her door before they went inside. After about twenty minutes I started to kick her door in, then Kimora showed up.”

“Kimora? What the hell is she doing in Tokyo? She’s supposed to be in London. And isn’t Shinju supposed to visit her family in Atlanta next month?”

“That’s what I thought. In fact the last time I spoke with your mother, she said Shinju was to come visit her and your aunt right at the beginning of summer vacation, as soon as school was out. She was trying to get me to talk you into joining them.”

“Well, she’s been working on me slowly but surely ever since she moved to America. But at least she’s got Kimora’s mother to keep her company and out of trouble.”

Sasuke replaced the ice pack on his thigh, another on his lower stomach, secured one to his shoulder and yet another over his left eye. “Your mother? Stay out of trouble? The woman is a man-magnet, even at her age, and speaks her mind no matter what. Of course she’ll always be in the middle of one thing or another.”

Sasuke was so right. But it was typical for the women in his family. Ever since Max’s grandfather showed up in Tokyo with his grandma so many years ago, it seemed to be a family tradition for the Maruyama men to go abroad to study or work, and bring home a dark-skinned, saucy, beautifully smart female as a wife. Kimora’s father, and his own, had been no different. Kimmie’s parents lived in Atlanta and welcomed his own mother into their home after Max’s father died. Max didn’t have the darker skin tones of his mother, but he had her fire and attitude—the two main reasons he’d risen up through the ranks of the Ooeto clan, taken it over, and expanded their territories—all without bloodshed.

“That Kenoe bastard beat me up one side and down the other. My enhanced speed and strength made no difference. Even after I pulled a blade on him, it didn’t matter. The man just dodged each strike while landing every punch he threw at me. And the asshole grinned the whole time. Fucking fangs gave me the creeps.”

“And then?”

“And then Shinju came outside and broke it up. After kicking us both in the nuts, she told me to tell you that she didn’t need, and I quote, ‘a fucking babysitter’. I was lucky she didn’t have a katana on her or she’d have shaved my balls. Then she bit the loc-wearing vampire’s head off and told him that she didn’t date thugs who were intimate with her cousin. What she meant by that I have no idea. But then she turned around and left us on our knees. And that damned cousin of yours stood in the doorway laughing. Bitch.”

Snippet Saturday authors:
Jody Wallace
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
Sasha White
Shelli Stevens