Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Day 3 Michael's 70K Bash - Michael Mandrake

Good morning! Day 3 features me, the host, yours truly!

Shar and I were talking, you know internally... *ahem* We discuss things all the time. Our topic? How we love to write about cops! Yep, love the law enforcers, strong men and women with huge cahonnies to do what they do. 

No way would I want to go out there and take a job where my life is in constant danger. I mean, life can be taken away or changed at anytime but what these people do is beyond the call. 

Evidence that we love cops in our books? Think about it. My series, Under the Gun has private investigators, Closely Guarded, the main characters are vigilante cops, and the next book, my guy is a New Orleans cop. 

Yep, I love the men and women in blue for my books. My first cop story is this one on the left. A Second Chance where my characters Daniel and Farris both attempt to get over the significant loss in their lives. Unreal that this story came out in August of 2011. I should've had a book birthday for it but instead, I'm doing a sequel for them. 

Look for it in 2013. In the meantime, enjoy a little from the first and and commenters are entered to win this book and another from my backlist! Make sure you leave your email!

Buylink


BLURB:

Hesitant to begin a relationship with someone new, two police officers who have lost their partners in the line of duty try to deal with their obvious attraction to one another. Will one of them accept the other’s proposition to start over or remain alone because of their places on the police force?

That following morning I went to work fully rested and refreshed. After talking with Jayson’s picture, I felt better about approaching Daniel. I’d never had an issue with chatting up a potential mate but since I was starting over, I was really nervous about it.

After roll call, I caught up with Daniel who was talking to Shaugnessey at his desk. I couldn’t help but stare at the nice backside. It was tight in all the right places, leaving little to the imagination.

“Hey, what’s up, guys.” I pulled my hand back quickly because I was about to touch him.

“Nothin, Farris. So, did you go out again last night? You seemed kind of sluggish, even though this time, Chief didn’t notice.” Shaugnessy joked while Daniel gave me a smile.

“No, I was a good little boy and stayed at home. I cleaned up a little, watched the game, then went directly to sleep.”

Just as Shaugnessey was about to say something more, Daniel cleared his throat.

 “Hey um, Jim?”

“Yep?” Shaugnessey turned his attention away from me to the Captain in training.

“You got work to do, don’cha? Why don’t you head over there and get started, huh?” Daniel glared at Jim, already displaying his authority.

“Yeah, um, sure.”

Once he stepped away, I wanted to laugh but Daniel caught my eye again. “Uh, thanks?” I fingered the top of my head like I always did when I was tense.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know for what but you’re welcome.”

“You saved me from Shaugnessey’s teasing.” I folded my arms, putting all my weight on my left foot.   

“No, I told the man to get to work but, if you wanna continue thinking that, you can. Why don’t we step outside…partner.”

I drew up my lips, smiling wryly after he completed his statement. I guessed we’d be working together today which would be just what I wanted. When we made it to the sidewalk, we strolled through the parking lot in silence until he turned to me.

“So you ready to work with a real cop?”

“Excuse me?”

Daniel took a pack of Marlboro’s out of his pocket, hitting his hand with them before removing one cigarette. He lit it then took a puff. “I heard you’ve been on the streets with Jim for a while since your partner got killed. Sorry about that man.”

I nodded. “Uh, thanks. Jim’s a good man. He’s just an asshole sometimes.”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t have what it takes like you do. I heard about you from across town, Beason. Some of your antics are legendary.”

Again, I grinned, crossing my arms. “Oh yeah? What’s the last one you heard?”

Daniel took another drag. “Eh, you know, the usual. The robbery you stopped a few months ago in the Loop and…uh, I’m sorry man, you want one?” He pulled the cancer sticks back out his jacket.

“Oh, no…I…um…I quit a while back.”

“Pity. I need to do that too but being a police officer is too damn stressful not to have any bad habits. You got any of those, Beason?”

I shrugged, grinning a little. “Well, besides goin’ out and stayin’ until the wee hours…no.”

“You don’t drink either?” Daniel continued to smoke. It looked sexy too. I wish I was the Marlboro he was putting in between his lips.

“Oh yeah, I do…only socially though.”

“Oh okay, good. Anyway, Chief says you need someone more experienced to go out into the field with you so…here I am.”

Fantastic.

“That’s great, Cap…”

“Call me Daniel, please. I ain’t in command yet.”

You could’ve fooled me.

I chuckled, shaking my head. “I believe you are since you showed Jim who’s in charge back there.”

“Well, he needed to be put in check. He’s just jealous because you got a life and he doesn’t.”

“Yeah, well…how much of a life can you have with a wife and three kids?” We made our way over to the Impala.

“Heh, none,” he retorted as we were walking.

This would’ve been the perfect opportunity to ask him about the ring but I didn’t want to come off so forward. I’d make the time to ask him after we’d come from the streets.

I tried not to mix business with pleasure on most days and since we were heading out into the Wild West-like streets of Chicago, now wouldn’t have been a good time for us to talk about something so distracting.



3 comments:

Debby said...

I love reading stories about cops. Thanks. My husband is retired from the state police and he does have some hair raising tales.
debby236 at gmail dot com

Christopher M. Hammel said...

Count me in... SOunds like a good read.

Christopher
christopherinwonderland@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Hope I' m not too late! I do like a good cop story, so will be looking out for them even if too late!
Suze
Littlesuze at hotmail.com