DAY SEVEN – MAKING CHASE
Aug
28
2011

***THIS QUALIFIES AS ONE OF THE ELIGIBLE ENTRIES TO WIN GRAND PRIZE #1***

In Making Chase, the series opens up and readers get to know the Murphy family. Tate has pretty much raised her siblings, protecting them from their hardscrabble life as best she could. Here’s the opening scene with Tate and her sisters in the small, family run hair salon as they take their morning peek at the glory of Matt Chase

CHASE BROTHERS: MAKING CHASE by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2007, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Samhain Publishing

Tate Murphy sat in the comfy chair at her station, sipping coffee and looking out the window. It was a Saturday in the very beginning of February. Winter had been cold but spring was beginning to imagine itself. The trees carried buds, heavy with leaves and the air wasn’t quite as chilly as it’d been even a week before.

All in all, a lovely day. Soon to be even lovelier. One leg crossed over the other, foot slowly kicking back and forth, she waited for her morning visual donut. Matt Chase.

Ah, there he was. Hot damn, her body lit up when he pulled his truck into the lot adjacent to the salon. Hopping out, he hefted a duffel bag over one shoulder and loped across the street.

“Good Lord the man looks good enough to eat,” Tate murmured as she took a drink of her coffee. Faded jeans showed off long legs and a nice, trim booty. A hoodie sweatshirt fended off the cold but didn’t stop her from seeing the work-hard body beneath. He was in dire need of a haircut and she had no trouble admitting she’d love to get her fingers in it. A bit shaggy, it curled up just around his ears and touched the back of his collar. A color like burnt sugar.

Although he had on cool-looking sunglasses, she knew the eyes beneath were a light green, fringed with chocolate lashes. Mmm. Mmmm. Mmmm.

“Ah, I see his hotness has arrived.” Anne, co-owner and her next youngest sister, stood next to her, leaning into the chair.

“Kinda makes me want to set a fire,” Tate said, one corner of her mouth lifting.

“Um, I smell something burning already. Your panties perhaps?”

Blushing furiously, she spun, laughing at Anne’s outrageous comment. “I’m gonna light a candle for you. Three.”

Anne joined her in laughter. “You just about raised me, I expect I need all the help I can get.”

“Hey, divas, did I miss him?” Beth, the last owner and next youngest sister after Anne approached to refill everyone’s coffee cup.

“Yeah, he just went inside. But there’s always lunchtime.” Sated for the morning, Tate stood and began to get all her tools in order, making sure her station was stocked and ready for the day.

Four years before, Tate and Anne had decided to buy the rundown old house at the far end of Main Street and renovate it into a hair salon. They’d scrimped, saved, worked multiple jobs and got the down-payment together and then had spent months doing the renovation work themselves. Luckily, they had a large, and free, workforce. With eight Murphy kids and two spouses to help, they’d been able to paint, knock out walls, drywall, replace the plumbing, landscape, and apply for all the proper permits and licenses. Hell, they’d even put up a new roof. A few months after Anne graduated from beauty school, Tate left her old salon in Riverton and they opened the doors to Murphy’s Cuts and Curls.

Two years after that, Beth came in as part owner and ran the business end of things. The salon was a family affair. Beth had been helping out with the books when she’d offered to buy in at a smaller share. The place would wither and die without her to, well, do everything that needed doing. Not only did she handle the books and deal with ordering supplies but if someone needed a shampoo she could do that too.

Truthfully, Tate had wanted a fancier name but their youngest sister, Jill, who was getting her degree in marketing, told them that if they kept the name folksy but not too cutesy, it’d make people more comfortable.

Jill must have had something, because from the moment they’d opened, they’d done a brisk business. Women stopped leaving town to get their hair done. Tate and Anne offered everything from the giant hairspray helmet the women like Polly Chase preferred to the stylish razor cuts her daughter-in-law Liv currently sported. It made Petal seem a friendlier place to Tate, who always had felt an outsider there.

Tate made a decent living. Enough that she’d been able to help Tim and her other siblings pay tuition at the University of Georgia for their two youngest siblings. Before that, she worked to pay for her younger brother Nathan’s college and master’s in teaching. They’d all worked together to help out when the others had needed it and that’s what counted.

“Anne, your first client of the day is a color, I’ll send her over to Tate for the cut,” Beth announced as she made another pot of coffee.

Tate looked at the place she and her sisters had built from the ground up and pride swelled her heart.


I’ve got two different prizes to give away: 1) A copy, digital or print, Winner’s choice, of MAKING CHASE to one lucky winner chosen from the responses to this post. The winner will be announced tomorrow. The winner is responsible for checking back to see who has won and to claim their prize within 2 weeks or I’ll redraw. Good luck!

2) And then from all the comments to all the guest blogs and posts I’m doing for Once and Again, I’ll choose THREE winners of a complete set of the CHASE BROTHERS books in digital or paper – winner’s choice. International entries are absolutely welcomed. These winners will be announced 8/29.

89 comments to “DAY SEVEN – MAKING CHASE”

  1. Danny
    August 28th, 2011 at 3:35 am · Link

    The Chase series seriously rocks!



  2. Tiffany
    August 28th, 2011 at 4:35 am · Link

    This is my favorite Chase book, actually. Tate is awesome!



  3. Pat L.
    August 28th, 2011 at 4:48 am · Link

    Would love the print copy.

    Winds picking up here, right now still have power! LOL.

    Hope everyone in path of hurricane is safe.



  4. Regina Ross
    August 28th, 2011 at 4:48 am · Link

    Tate and Matt are my fav couple 🙂



  5. Maja F
    August 28th, 2011 at 5:21 am · Link

    I would really really love to win this. Chases rule!



  6. Diane Sadler
    August 28th, 2011 at 6:13 am · Link

    I really want to read this series!



  7. Jean
    August 28th, 2011 at 6:26 am · Link

    Ms. Dane I love your work! I have not read these yet but they have just gone to the top of my to be purchased pile (under Never Enough)!



  8. Heather S
    August 28th, 2011 at 6:36 am · Link

    I’ve begun to read this series and love it! Can’t wait to read more including this one!



  9. Sarah
    August 28th, 2011 at 6:56 am · Link

    Love the Chase books!



  10. Michelle AB
    August 28th, 2011 at 7:01 am · Link

    I have not got to this book yet. I can hardly wait to read all the Chase sibling books. I love a series that has brothers and sisters finding their true love. These stories give me such warm, comfortable feelings. I feel like I grew up with these characters. Thank you Lauren for writing such wonderful, rich stories of families.



  11. Meg
    August 28th, 2011 at 7:10 am · Link

    Fantastic series! Can’t wait to read this story and get updates on all the chases as well! 🙂



  12. Lindsey E
    August 28th, 2011 at 7:28 am · Link

    Think it is time to dig out the ebooks and read this series. I have heard great things about this series and with a new book set in the same town I need to get up to speed.



  13. Lisa B
    August 28th, 2011 at 8:08 am · Link

    ooohh this sounds great! Thanks for sharing!

    Lisa B



  14. Wendy Mitchell
    August 28th, 2011 at 8:09 am · Link

    I’m feeling lucky! (knock on wood) I would love to win this book. Thank you for the contests.



  15. Danielle West
    August 28th, 2011 at 8:13 am · Link

    This was my favorite of the Chase brothers! I loved all four, but this one was the most special to me. Can’t wait to see more Tate and Matt!



  16. Madeline Ceschini
    August 28th, 2011 at 8:20 am · Link

    Wow, these books sound amazing. Even if I don’t win, I think I will start this series!

    Thank you for this opportunity



  17. Ameliad
    August 28th, 2011 at 8:21 am · Link

    I love your books, but I haven’t read any of the Chase Brothers and I’ve heard good comments about them!!



  18. Joder
    August 28th, 2011 at 8:38 am · Link

    Great excerpt with steamy tension! I’d love to get my hands on these Chase Brothers and am excited about the giveaway.



  19. Mina Gerhart
    August 28th, 2011 at 8:52 am · Link

    Yipee, an excerpt from one of my favorite Chase Brothers books!
    Tate is soooo hot and I love the ladies at the salon watching for Tate every day 🙂

    Mindy 🙂
    Birdsooong@aol.com



  20. Melanie C.
    August 28th, 2011 at 9:02 am · Link

    LOVE LOVE LOVE the Chase Brothers series, i read them all in less than 5 days! The Chase family is what started my love of al things Dane. I am definitely looking forward to the two new releases and would like to encourage Ms. Dane to continue the DeLaVega cats series…….. please 😉



  21. Viki S.
    August 28th, 2011 at 9:11 am · Link

    I’ve only read your Brown siblings but the Chase brothers sounds SO good too. I’m really enjoying your style :).



  22. ms bookjunkie
    August 28th, 2011 at 9:50 am · Link

    I love Tate so much! <3



  23. Jordan H
    August 28th, 2011 at 9:54 am · Link

    I absolutely LOVE the Chase series and I admit that Making Chase is my favorite 😉



  24. Jessie
    August 28th, 2011 at 9:56 am · Link

    I love this series. Tate is one of my favorite heroines



  25. Mariann M
    August 28th, 2011 at 9:57 am · Link

    Matt and Tate are my favorites!!!!! 😉



  26. Patti F
    August 28th, 2011 at 10:14 am · Link

    Love, love, love Matt and Tate!!!!! They are my favorites!!!!



  27. Corinne
    August 28th, 2011 at 10:28 am · Link

    I loved Maggie/Kyle’s story & Liv/Marc’s story….this is a really great series… This has been an outstanding contest Lauren!! 🙂



  28. Chris @ absolutely adequate
    August 28th, 2011 at 10:31 am · Link

    I haven’t read this one yet! I love this series.



  29. MinnChica
    August 28th, 2011 at 10:37 am · Link

    I’ve only read the first Chase book. But I loved it! 😉



  30. KENYA
    August 28th, 2011 at 10:38 am · Link

    I love love loved the Chase & Brown series and I am overflowing with anticipation to read Once Again & Never Enough. 😆



  31. Jennifer K
    August 28th, 2011 at 10:43 am · Link

    I would love to read this series. Thanks for the contest!



  32. Monikarw
    August 28th, 2011 at 10:52 am · Link

    Yay! The Chase series is my favorite!:)
    thank you for making this internationally!;)
    it’s my birthday today so let’s see if I get lucky! LOL!;P



  33. Dana
    August 28th, 2011 at 11:02 am · Link

    Haven’t read this one yet so I would love to win a copy!



  34. Sherry S.
    August 28th, 2011 at 11:02 am · Link

    I’ve read one of the books in this series and loved it and I really look forward to reading the rest of the series. Thanks for the chance to win them.



  35. maria pena
    August 28th, 2011 at 11:17 am · Link

    Would love to win a copy!!



  36. Angie M
    August 28th, 2011 at 11:18 am · Link

    Love this series! Making Chase is my favorite because Tate is so awesome and Matt is the perfect man for her! Would love a signed print copy. Looking forward to catching up with the Murphys and the Chases on Tuesday! :mrgreen:



  37. Brandy Swain
    August 28th, 2011 at 11:35 am · Link

    would love to win this book sounds really good!



  38. Cheryl McInnis
    August 28th, 2011 at 11:57 am · Link

    I haven’t read Making Chase yet and I’d love to win a copy 🙂



  39. lisagk
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:00 pm · Link

    I love the words “visual donut”. Perfect. Please enter me to win. Exciting contests. Thank you. lisagk(at)yahoo(Dot)com



  40. jeanette8042
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:05 pm · Link

    Love the Chase series and excerpt!



  41. Chelsea B.
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:21 pm · Link

    Ohhhh this series sounds great! Thanks for sharing the excerpt!



  42. Christina
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:21 pm · Link

    I love to read Lauren Dane books thanks for the contest!



  43. Chelsea Rafferty
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:30 pm · Link

    I’ve only read one but would love to check out the other stories.. especially after that little teaser excerpt 🙂 i like the whole family thing 🙂 pretty amazing!



  44. Lindsay
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:31 pm · Link

    I have not been able to find a copy of this book, so the chance to win it is fantastic. All of your books that I’ve read, I’ve loved and I look forward to reading more in the future.



  45. CrystalGB
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:33 pm · Link

    Loved the excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway.



  46. ClaudiaGC
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:34 pm · Link

    Thanks for this nice tidbit! 🙂



  47. elaing8
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:39 pm · Link

    I would love to win this.Thanks for sharing an excerpt.



  48. april s
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:46 pm · Link

    I love the Chase Series and I am sooo glad you are going back to Petal, GA and writing about the Murphys now…love love Luv the giveaways and I really love your books! Thank you for writing such vivid, lovely, soulful books 🙂



  49. Jane
    August 28th, 2011 at 12:53 pm · Link

    Thanks for the contest.



  50. Lorrie
    August 28th, 2011 at 1:01 pm · Link

    This is my favorite Chase book, Tate has to be strong in her life and takes a lot o knocks but she still stands tall. In the end she finds she is worthy of having it all and she gets it!! I have read this book no less then 10 times!!! love it