Bonus Content

I’ve been keeping a list of scenes and chapters and novella ideas that I can expand on from the Shadow Phoenix series book just for fun, but I’m torn on what to write first. There are so many possibilities. Here are some ideas I’ve had for scenes that would be fun to write and share with you. Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see first.

Bonus Content Brainstorm:

• True & Amara: What happened during Zen and Kennedy’s wedding reception (bonus scene).

• Lucas: The equipment manager from the Wild Ride tour (Griffin’s book) get his chance at love (M/M novella).

• Lennon, Atticus & Oscar: Acid trip scene (bonus scene from Tempting Harrison—you haven’t met these characters yet, but trust me when I say this scene would be hilarious).

• Maddox, Ryan & Quinn: A reader requested a steamy scene between these three, so it’d be an expansion on the truth and dare scene in the book (bonus scene).

• Jericho & Moon: Dealing with new parenthood with their colicky, terror of a child (bonus scene).

• Lennon, Atticus & Violet: Again, characters you have yet to meet from Tempting Harrison, but I want these guys to find their HEA, and it’d be in a MMF/ménage novella (novella).

• Griffin & Magnolia: Wedding (bonus scene).

Welp, those are all the ideas on my list. How about you? Which one would you want to see written? Or do you have your own ideas of a bonus scene or novella you’d like to read from the Shadow Phoenix characters before we say goodbye to the series and move on to the Hollywood Guardians with Connor? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Playing Jericho Deleted Scene

When I write a book, a lot of the time I get inspiration from different places or songs or just random thoughts that pop into my mind. It’s usually not for a full scene, but I get snippets of dialogue or moments of interaction that I don’t want to miss out on, so I keep a file in my book folder called Bits and Pieces and I add to it throughout the entire process.

My actual folder for Playing Jericho and the aforementioned Bits and Pieces document.

I actually start a folder for each book and a Bits and Pieces document before I’ve even really plotted the book so I can add character details or anything that comes to mind, really.

Such was the case with the scene below. I wrote it, didn’t edit it at all, but realized that the scene I had in mind for it just wouldn’t fit. For one thing, the bit below was in Jericho’s POV and the chapter ended up being in Moon’s. There also just wasn’t a great place to fit it in when the whole thing was written.

So, now you get a little sneak peek in the form of a deleted scene. This scene takes place a music festival (think Coachella) where the guys were playing. Moon and Jericho spend some time together after the guys are done with their set, and this is the result.

Enjoy!

Jericho

She tugged me through the crowd. "You pick the band, I want to dance."

I thought for a minute before a smile tugged at my lips. "I know the perfect spot."

We pushed through what seemed like endless bodies until we stood in front of a stage. Her jaw fell open when she heard the song playing. "Is this Cruel Summer?" Her eyes lit up.

I nodded. "This band does all eighties covers. Ever since Wheezer covered Africa it's become a whole thing."

"I think it might have started when Limp Bizkit did Faith," she surprised the fuck out of me by saying. Moon knew her music.

"Yeah, but we don't talk about that. They butchered the shit out of that song."

"Then there was Tainted Love when Marilyn Manson did it," she pointed out, acting like I hadn't spoken and I wrapped my arms around her, reeling her into my body and burying my face in her hair as she rotated her hips against me. I was so fucking hard it hurt.

"You win. I can't think straight with all my blood in my dick," I growled into her ear. The music was so loud I wasn't sure she heard me until she dipped down and dragged herself back up my body inch by sexy inch.

Her sultry laugh carried over the music and the look she shot me told me she knew exactly what she was doing. “That’s right, I always win.”

And fuck if the challenge in her eye didn’t make me want her that much more.

Finding Zen: Deleted Scene

When writing a story, I sometimes have to choose what to include in the final draft. I try to be careful about my planning so I don’t end up writing a bunch of extra stuff that gets cut, but it does still happen from time to time. This is one such scene.

Zen’s background is a complicated one. He was raised basically on a hippy commune up in Washington state and his parents took off, so he had this guy who lived on the commune step in and take over raising him until he was 16. That was the point he moved to LA to pursue music. In the original draft of Finding Zen, the reason he went home was writer’s block, not a sex tape. And the first stop he makes is to visit Rick, his sort of uncle (but not really) to catch up.

This scene is unedited and not necessarily canon for the story.

Enjoy!

Zen

I needed to remind myself of all the good shit I had going for me and snap myself out of this funk fast. We were getting ready to record a new album and I hadn’t written shit. I couldn’t find the inspiration. 

I figured getting away might help with my writer’s block. Every couple of months, I hopped on the band’s private jet and flew up north to a suburb of Seattle to escape. People kept their heads down up there and didn’t bother me. Theoretically paparazzi could be lurking around, but mostly they left me alone. Sweet freedom meant walking down the street without a security detail or being mobbed. I lived for these times. 

I hadn’t picked this area by accident. I grew up here. Every time I visited my shoulders loosened and even the air smelled cleaner and more refreshing. The weight I carried all the time fell off my back and I relaxed. I lost track of time and the days always flew by way too fast.

My uncle Rick raised me when my parents left me behind to go fight their injustice-of-the-week crusades that were more important than their son. Being the only son of hardcore liberal activits wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Because of Rick, I went to school, learned to play guitar, how to climb a tree, and a million other small but important moments no child should miss out on. 

I wasn’t bitter about my parents. They gave me my name --which I fucking loved-- and abandoned me in probably the best place they could have because of Rick. Whenever I found myself slowly strolling down the sidewalks of my old neighborhood, I sent a silent thanks up to whoever was listening for bringing Rick into my life.

As a grown-ass adult, I made it a point to visit the man who raised me as much as I could. I shook myself out of my thoughts just as the jet’s wheels touched down with a jerk and we came to a stop. Descending the stairs, I moved into the cushy seat of the waiting SUV. We drifted through traffic, stopping in front of a familiar gray rambler.

My whole body relaxed and a slow smile spread across my face. I was home. Stepping out of the car, I made my way up the concrete walkway, jumping over the crack at the base of the step just like I always did. Stepping up onto the small cement porch, my hand wrapped around the brass doorknob, the cold metal turning easily in my hand. Rick never locked the door and I never bothered to knock. 

“Hey, old man! What smells so good?” My voice echoed throughout the house as I shut the door behind me.

“It’s about time! I was starting to think you’d bailed on me,” Rick teased, coming around the corner with bright eyes that crinkled at the corners and an easy smile. He rubbed his short, grey beard while looking me over from head to toe. 

“What, and miss out on your world famous quinoa? I would never,” I joked. I fucking hated quinoa and we both knew it, but I always choked down the mush when he made it. I never ate anything other than plant-based shit growing up. I wasn’t here for the cooking though. 

“Oh, you think you’re funny?” He laughed. “Joke all you want, but you miss my quinoa when you’re in L.A. Speaking of L.A., before we eat, let’s chat for a minute.”

It wasn’t a request and we both knew it. I braced myself. Rick’s new favorite pastime was meddling in my shit and I knew he meant well but my jaw clenched and I suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here. Bracing myself for what I knew was coming, I slowly breathed in and out a couple of times. 

Rick generally stayed out of my personal life choices no matter how fucked up, but lately he’d been putting more and more pressure on me to settle down. Getting a root canal sounded more appealing than the conversation I knew we were about to have. 

“I try not to read the tabloids but I can’t avoid the grocery store so I still see some of your… let’s call them antics.” He studied me, pressing his lips together in a slight frown. “I worry about you. All the women and the parties? That’s not the person I raised. You deserve better. You know better. You deserve to settle down and be happy.”

Crossing my arms across my chest, I sighed heavily. “I haven’t been here two fucking minutes. Can we just not? I’ve told you I’m not looking for anything serious right now. I like my life the way it is. Sorry if I’m a disappointment to you but please let it go.”

“Fine, fine. You’re not a disappointment, I just know you have the potential to be so much happier, Zen. I’ll let it go for now. You don’t know what you’re missing, though. C’mon, kid. Let’s go sit outside and catch up. Grab the plate of tofu,” Rick said, turning and grabbing a plate before meandering toward the patio.

I leaned against the kitchen counter, rubbing the back of my neck and taking a couple calming breaths. I knew he meant well but Rick didn’t understand why I didn’t want to settle down. How could he? He married his childhood best friend when he was nineteen. She died during childbirth a few years later and he lost everything that day. He always said he would never regret loving her because she brought color to his life, whatever the fuck that meant. All I got out of that story was a lesson in goddamn tragedy.

Following him out into the cool evening air, we sat and fell into easy and comfortable conversation. Spending time with Rick was simple. We caught up on everything and talked about nothing. I could count on one hand all the people in this world I trusted with the real me, who I could let my walls down with and Rick was one of them. My uncle wouldn’t spill my secrets to anyone and in eight years of being a celebrity, he’d never once let me down.

When my skin was covered with goosebumps, I made my way inside and to the front door. “I’m going to head out. Thanks for dinner,” I said. We didn’t need a long, drawn out goodbye. Like I said, spending time with Rick was easy. He fit me in whenever I found the time. 

“’Course. Take care of yourself, and think about what I said,” Rick said, his eyes locked on mine. I sighed before stepping outside the door and turning to make my way to the car. I jumped over that damn crack and climbed into the waiting car.