by Michael Todd
Brock stopped and pulled Katie close to him, hugging her tightly. They stood right there on the beach, taking a moment to just be together. Out across the water, the sun was setting, casting oranges, greens, and yellows across the sky. It was a beautiful night, and the perfect way to end their time in Brazil together.
The music pumped wildly, and the lights flashed. Pandora stood on the dance floor of one of the most popular Brazilian night clubs, swaying to the music. She tilted her head back and moved her hips, running her hands up her body and over her breasts. Sweat poured from her forehead, but she loved every minute of it. Not to mention the hot, shirtless Brazilian men dancing with her. Katie hadn’t wanted to come, but Pandora was more than capable of getting into trouble on her own, as long as trouble had eight inches and a chest of steel.
When the song ended, she started walking off the stage, the guys calling after her. She blew them kisses as she walked over to her table. She grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it down, gasping for air when she was done. Swaying her head to the beat, she glanced around, finding almost every hot woman talking to some hot guy except for her. Suddenly her lips twisted up and she snapped her fingers.
She sauntered toward the bathroom and walked inside, heading to the last stall. She stood there, mustering her energy, and pulled open a portal. She smirked as she stepped through into her “Happy Place.” The city was huge and sparkling, even the colors putting out no emissions and flying high above her head. Everyone walking by was butt-ass naked, and even better, they were all fucking gorgeous. “I don’t know why I don’t spend more time here,” she observed to herself. “I bet their clubs are a hell of a lot more interesting. Jiggly parts bouncing all around.”
She tapped her fingers on her lips, watching as each of the men passed her. Finally, she found exactly the one she wanted. He was tall, with dark hair and crystal-blue eyes. His chin was chiseled, and his chest and arms were big and strong. His junk was nothing to scoff at either. He looked like he should have been on her soaps.
Reaching out, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to her. He smiled, wrapping his hand around her waist and looking down at her body. “Too many clothes. Be free.”
Pandora giggled, running her finger down his arm. “I am all about free, sexy. But I also kind of would like a bit of privacy so free can run its entire course. What do you say we grab some donuts, free me from my restraints, and head back to your place?”
He smiled, chuckling, then his face went straight. “Wait, what’s a donut?”
Pandora tilted her head to the side, half-expecting him to laugh and tell her he was kidding. After a few minutes, she began to glower. “You gotta be fucking kidding me.” She pulled away, shaking her head and putting her hand up. “No. Don’t even try to redeem yourself now. It is too late.”
She whipped her arms apart angrily, opening a portal. Stopping at the entrance, she turned around, running her finger down his cheek and grabbing his chin. “I really thought you could be the one.”
Pandora wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and leapt through the portal.
“Here you go, and here’s your milk,” the Krispy Kreme girl said as she handed Pandora a dozen donuts.
She walked across the store and sat down, opening the box of donuts and staring at them. “I want you to know that I just gave up a lot for you guys. Don’t disappoint me.”
Pandora picked up a donut and bit into it, closing her eyes. “Oh, yeah. Totally worth it.”
PROTECTED BY THE DAMNED ON AUDIO
Have you heard the audiobooks for this series? Book one, Torn Asunder is available now.
Order Now at Audible or Amazon
AUTHOR NOTES - MICHAEL ANDERLE
MARCH 13, 2019
THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well.
(I think I’ve been good with always opening with “thank you.” If not, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)
RANDOM (sometimes) THOUGHTS?
I’m presently in London for the London Book Fair (LBF) and I have had a very interesting conversation with a person who is high level at a publishing company.
For this conversation, I’m going to call him “Bob.” (Named after a character in Black Adder, nod to Rowen Atkinson.)
For the longest time, I’ve been told by people I know that the traditional publishers are very savvy. However, not one person has explained to me what the strategies are which help confirm the assertion.
Bob has provided an interesting explanation that I’m going to need to unpack to understand their strategy, and whether it will affect a small indie publishing company such as mine.
In essence, Bob believes that the Trad Publishers know that no medium or small publishers can ever hope to keep the huge “name” authors. We are talking six-figure and seven (perhaps 8?) figure advances to acquire an author and writing them large checks each year or two to keep them writing.
This is most likely true.
Not the five-figure and six-figure (low) numbers—those a solid indie publisher could swing if they had a mind to, but the big ones? Absolutely.
However, why would we? For the most part, most of the indie publishers that are making six and seven figures annually know how to create IP (intellectual property) which sells. So, needing to keep a writer (usually themselves) with the company is not too hard a decision.
Should the author decide they want to go hybrid, they will do it. If they are enticed to the dark side (because of the milk and cookies) that is a business decision, and good on them for finding the right solution for their writing career.
Should the traditional publishers have a mid-list author making the jump to the majors (using baseball-team dynamics) it would seem very likely that they will stay with the system that brought them success. The question is whether some of the better authors will be willing to go into the system in the first place?
Putting aside the question of income, there is a large issue with the gatekeepers system that is in place. I’ve learned some of the history of how it came about, and it made sense when it happened (either economic or practical), but now the power has moved toward the readers.
It was readers who powered my success just three short years ago, and I think it will be fans that will help upset the existing infrastructure going into the future.
When it happens (if it happens), I think it might be a quick turnover.
In my opinion, there is no better time than the present to be a reader or an author.
Whether we want to tell stories about a demon who is on her way to redemption, or an angel who is being tempted into sin, it will be the fans (or lack thereof) who decide which stories are worth keeping around.
May we all enjoy the years ahead of us as this new publishing future unfolds!
If I wasn’t involved, I’d probably find some popcorn, pop it, kick back in a chair with my feet up and watch the fun.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
One of the interesting (at least to me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as a diary entry.
London, England
I’m sitting in one of the Hilton hotels here in London (about ½ a mile away from the Olympia convention center) eating a steak in the bar area. It’s cold, it’s wet.
Basically, it’s normal here in London (from what I hear).
For the record, the steak was tasty, but the thrice-fried chips were delicious.
I don’t have much to say, since I already typed way too much above, except to say London, you are one interesting city.
A couple of years ago, I happened to be in Spain when the Catalonians were making decisions to leave. Later, the instigators were run out of the country. Tonight, the British Government voted against the package to leave the UK. How do I find myself in the countries where political stakes are big, but it tends to go towards anarchy at some level?
I think I might be bad luck for ma
jor events.
Probably not, for those who might think about banning me from other countries.
FAN PRICING
$0.99 Saturdays (new LMBPN stuff) and $0.99 Wednesday (both LMBPN books and friends of LMBPN books.) Get great stuff from us and others at tantalizing prices.
Go ahead. I bet you can’t read just one.
Sign up here: http://lmbpn.com/email/.
HOW TO MARKET FOR BOOKS YOU LOVE
Review them so others have your thoughts, and tell friends and the dogs of your enemies (because who wants to talk to enemies?)… Enough said ;-)
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
CONNECT WITH MICHAEL TODD
Want more?
Find us On Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Protected-by-the-Damned-193345908061855/
BOOKS BY MICHAEL TODD
PROTECTED BY THE DAMNED
Torn Asunder (1)
Killing Is My Business (2)
And Business Is Good (3)
Sit Down, Shut Up, And Pull The Trigger (4)
Welcome To The Jungle (5)
Metal Up Your Ass (6)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (7)
For Whom The Bell Tolls (8)
WAR OF THE DAMNED
Resurrection Of The Damned (1)
No Quarter (2)
Dark Is The Night (3)
Dim Glows The Horizon (4)
Waking The Leviathan (5)
Subversive Giants (6)
Juntto (7)
Redemption (8)
WAR OF THE ANGELS
A Sacred Pact (1)
Katie’s War (2)
Baylahn (3)
Personal Demons (4)
There Will Be Blood (5)
Can’t Touch This (6)
DAMIAN’S CHRONICLES
Crucifix (1)
Renegade (2)
Apostle (3)
BOOKS WRITTEN AS MICHAEL ANDERLE
For a complete list of books by Michael Anderle, please visit:
www.lmbpn.com/ma-books/
All LMBPN Audiobooks are Available at Audible.com and iTunes
To see all LMBPN audiobooks, including those written by Michael Anderle please visit:
www.lmbpn.com/audible
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Can’t Touch This Team
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Protected By The Damned On Audio
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
Connect with Michael Todd
Books by Michael Todd
Books written as Michael Anderle