I Like My Ty & Zane With Cream & Sugar, Hold the Angst



I love angst in my books.  The drama keeps the books interesting, IMO.  I especially love the heart racing, eye popping thrill of it.  That all changed when I met Ty & Zane.  Special Agent B. Tyler Grady is a wise-cracking, fun-loving, fidgety, flirtatious guy.  Special Agent Zane Garrett is a low-key, number-crunching, "punny" guy.  Together, they are my favorite literary couple to date.  Spoilers and shameless speculation ahead…



Fish & Chips

Our first relationship angst came in Fish & Chips, #3 in the series.  It fractured my heart when Zane got drunk and dismissed Ty.  Ty’s reaction to Zane's poor behavior actually scared me.  I thought, OMG, he’s going to dump him right there on that cruise ship!  Thankfully, there was no dumping, only dunking.  Ty got his anger and hurt out of his system.  Zane pledged to never hurt Ty that way again.  I was relieved beyond belief and happier than a minion has any right to be.


I say "Nick" the way
Jerry says "Newman".
bleedcubbieblue.com
Divide & Conquer and the Dreaded Nick

I had heard of this Nick.  I had heard about “the kiss”.  I blew it off; so, so naive.  Okay, so some guy is going to kiss Ty.  Zane’s going to get pissed, but hey, this might actually be hot!  Um, no.  Not hot.  Not cool.  I’m still in therapy over this actually.  Without tearing open old wounds, I was raging about this Nick and how his actions hurt Zane.  Frankly, I wasn't thrilled with Ty because of his pondering on what life would be like with Nick.  Oh, and because Ty kissed him back.  As if the kiss wasn’t enough, Nick had to go for broke and tell Ty about his feelings.  That’s some apology Nick!  You’re sorry you kissed him, and oh, by the way, you tell Ty that you have loved him for the past twenty years.  Do you see why I wanted him dead?!


Armed & Dangerous
  
I was a bit worried because I knew Nick was in the book.  I was hoping that his role was going to be Zane’s punching bag.  Not quite, but Nick did help Ty & Zane out when they were in a jam.  He accepted that they are a couple and acted just fine about giving them the VIP cabin with one bed.  I’m feeling pretty good about things.  Oh, but wait!  Ty & Zane head to the cabin and start talking.  That’s when it goes downhill, and my blood pressure starts going up.
“I really want to hate him.”
“So hate him.  You have every right.  Being drunk is never an excuse to do stupid shit.  You’ll have to hate me too, though, ‘cause I was there and I kissed him back.”

OhMyGod Stop this conversation right now.  Are you really going to do this?! 
I won’t include the rest of the conversation, but needless to say, I was reeling and wanted a do-over.  Damn Zane for asking questions.  Damn Ty for telling the truth.  Ty said some amazing things, and I do love him for that.  However, it still hurt Zane to hear the ugly truth with the beautiful reality.  Ty has a way of doing that.  He is so expressive and honest, he can break your heart and build you back up in a blink.  They went to bed.  Zane couldn't sleep, so he went up to talk to Nick.  I was seriously on edge during this conversation at first.  However, Nick said all the right things, they came to an accord, and Zane and I felt a little better.  Nick won many fans over after that conversation.  Plus, it was hard not love him after his badass, famous line, 
“Oh son, you broke down the wrong door today.”

Stars & Stripes

This was the first book I’ve had to wait for, as I’ve just discovered Ty & Zane in May 2012.  Abigail Roux is a giver, so she provided us with a fun little snippet of a convo between Zane and Nick about Canada Day.
Nick.  Again?  Really?
I was pretty damn happy that the only appearance by Nick in Stars & Stripes was that one conversation between him and Zane.  Nick helped Zane out with a problem with Ty because the fact remains that Nick has shared more of Ty’s life.  You’ve got Ty questions, Nick’s got answers.  Ty & Zane were the happy couple all through Stars & Stripes.  I was able to cut back on my meds.  One might think, "Happy couple?  Wouldn’t that be boring?"  Well, no, not if you are Ty & Zane.  Abi Roux can make Ty breathing an enjoyable scene--which leads me back to the cream & sugar.  Oh.  Did I go there?
http://fuckyeahreactions.tumblr.com 

Touch & Geaux, Pre-Release Torture aka.
Hearts and Flowers are On Hold, My Friends

Now, it’s common knowledge that Abi likes to play with her prey troll her minions.  We are a devoted bunch.  I can totally see how fun that is, and I find myself laughing along too.
http://fuckyeahreactions.tumblr.com 
It wasn’t long after Stars & Stripes was released that Abi, self-proclaimed Evil Overlord, started torturing us with hints of some drama in the next book, Touch & Geaux, particularly regarding a chap named Liam Bell.  Since any mention of an attractive man in Ty & Zane’s life makes me start looking around for sharp objects, I was non-too-thrilled about Liam Bell. 

Let the trolling fun began!





http://fuckyeahreactions.tumblr.com

  • On the "Ask Abi" Tumblr page, one minion asked:  If I were Liam Bell, would I find Ty or Zane more attractive? The answer: Zane.   Ty is going to go all USMC Force Recon on this man.  I’ll bring the popcorn.
  • Anonymous on the Ask Abi tumblr page posed this question: "In A&D it was established that if Ty were an animal he would be a shark and Zane would be an elephant. What would Liam Bell be?"  Abi's answer was a picture depicting cockroaches having sex.  Nice guy, then?  That's what I thought. 
Wrapping up the Liam Bell discussion, I think he will probably piss me off simply by irritating my favorite MCs.  However, if his annoying presence leads to sexytime, then Liam Bell is okay in my book.  If his annoying presence leads to a "break", I will need to call in Preston.

Now, the "Who the Fuck is Liam Bell" panic aside, we may have true reason to worry.  Abi has dropped some major hints that there may be trouble in paradise for our lovebirds.
  • A song for the T&G playlist.  Oh, shit.  All I know is that I heard this song the night she posted this, and I was thinking, “What book/couple can I picture with this song?”  The answer was NOT TY & ZANE!!!  Ack.  This smells like angst.  Where are my meds?  *sobbing in corner*
  • "Doctor's Opinion of Ty in T&G"  Abi tagged it: "accurate".  Poor Ty!  I cannot imagine a world where Zane would actually walk out on Ty--even though Ty did that to him, not going there!--but wow, I REALLY can't picture it.  Come to think of it, how often has Zane gotten super pissed at Ty?  He's the calm one that keeps his emotions in check!  Color me intrigued.
  • There are no words.  Seriously, dude.  This passed funny doing 80, and came to a dead stop at cruel.  Show of hands, who cried?  If you welled up, that counts.
  • Abi felt really bad about making us freak out though, so she posted this.  See, she is laughing *with* us on her surfboard in our sea of tears.
  • This snippet just about sent me into a tailspin.  To say this worries me is a gross understatement.  This makes me want to connect the dots though, and I’m going to guess that after this little speech by Ty, Zane does walk out, and hence Ty’s “Get back here and love me” tantrum.  I originally thought that this secret would be something that was about Ty & Zane since they've been together.  After this little hint, I think that the secret has to do with Ava.  Did Ty kill Ava?  Did Ty help Ava kill someone?  Something is up with those song lyrics being tagged "Ava Gaudet".   

Here’s my dirty little secret.  It’s going to kill me if Ty & Zane fight.  Especially if one of them walks out on the other, even if it’s only for a few days/hours/10 minutes.  I have to admit though, the more Abi pre-release torturing I read, the more exciting the idea of the drama is.  What can I say?  I’m a masochist.  Because Abi loves her minions, she just gave us this delightful snippet on Tumblr.<-----THIS is typical Ty & Zane banter, and I love it!



I am going say that I think that Liam is someone from Ty's past, who irritates the hell out of Ty in general.  They start hanging out with him due to whatever case they are on.  Liam and his lips want Zane, so he stirs up trouble between Ty & Zane.  Zane's not used to getting hit on;  most of the time it's Ty fighting off the ladies AND the guys.  Zane doesn't see what Liam is doing, but Ty does, and it causes conflict between them.

Zane Gets a Do-Over

From the Ask Abi tumblr page:
Anonymous asked: Hey Abi - will Ty's recon buddies ever see how totally awesome Zane is?

If you mean will they see him kick ass, yes. If you mean will they ever see him as awesome as Ty sees him? No. Mostly because some of his awesome is contained in his sexual prowess.

Posted on September 23, 2012 with 8 notes

This makes me so happy!  I love Zane, and I want everyone else to see how awesome he is, not just Ty.  I was disappointed that the Recon guys didn't have a very high opinion of Zane in Divide & Conquer.  One of my favorite Zane scenes ever is when he saved Ty in Sticks & Stones.  It totally showed how bad-ass he is for a quiet guy.  Also, it made Earl adjust his opinion of this non-military FBI agent that couldn't possibly be good enough to have his son's back.

Abi gives us new information and/or talks about Ty & Zane with us on tumblr almost everyday.  By the time this is published, I'm sure there will be more excitement!  I can speak for all the minions in saying that we appreciate how accessible Abi Roux is.  We love every minute of it, and we adore her!


Minions, sound off below!  How do you think Liam will fit in to the next book?  Do you think that the drama will be caused by Liam or by someone else/something else entirely?  Who’s shipping Nick and Liam? *raises hand*  We know Ty & Zane won't break up OR cheat on each other, Abi has been clear on that, but will they go on a "break" for part of the book?  Finally, will one or both of our favorite boys end up physically injured?  Ty calls, "Not it!"
         

Comments

  1. This is an awesome post! You summed up things very well.

    The thing I'm most scared of at this point is a CLIFFHANGER! Nooooooo. But still...

    Let the torture continue!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Allison! Ugh, can't do the cliffhanger thing either. Not with Ty & Zane. I was warned about the one at the end of D&C. They said, "Oh, it's no big deal, but make sure you are ready to start the next book." Did I listen??? NO! I read the end of D&C at around midnight one night. Didn't go to bed that night for quite awhile.

      I don't know what it is with them, but it hurts so good!

      Delete
  2. Love this! All the angst in one place.

    Actually, I like your perspective on Liam and that you've brought so many bits of information together in one place. The next time minion panic starts to ensue, maybe you should step in and remind everyone why they should calm the f down. :)

    I also like your theory about Liam's story in Touch & Geaux. I have this sneaky (sneaking?) suspicion that he's going to end up playing a much smaller role in the book than we expect.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I love your idea of me calming everyone the f down *in theory*, but usually, I am:
      http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m52by4frwv1r3zat8.gif

      After I'm all screamed/cried out, I can be such the voice of reason. :-)

      Delete
    2. ^LOL^ I needed a gif/more than words can express. Didn't work. Oh well!

      Delete
  3. I loved this Amanda. I haven't read much about Liam, so I appreciate it all in one post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Anne! Glad you are getting caught up on the preliminary torture. LOL

      Delete
  4. Omg. This is so amazing!! I freaking love it. Love it!!

    I like your thoughts on Liam Bell!! It makes sense! Ty doesnt like Liam...yesss!! And like the others have said, this post has all the info!

    I think, in the end, Liam will get with Nick and they will have rough and hot sex all over the place!!! and Ty & Zane will be just fine.

    Cant wait until T&G comes out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Melissa! The thing I found when I put all of it together here, it didn't seem *so* bad. Well, Liam didn't, anyway. That one post about the secret is just not cool, but I'm all cried out over that one. ha ha

      I think you are right on all counts. Nicky needs a boyfriend. I wonder if we can get some Nick or Liam POV? A Nick or Liam book? A spin-off? YES!!!

      Delete
  5. Surprise, surprise...Ty and Zane are my favorite literary couple too. Heck, cross out literary...they're my favorite couple, period.

    Oh, that scene in Fish & Chips...I get a knot in my stomach just even thinking about it. Ty & Zane angst kills me. Ty & Zane angst is like 100 times worse than angst in anything else for me. I need those guys to be happy.

    "Ty has a way of doing that. He is so expressive and honest, he can break your heart and build you back up in a blink." Very aptly put! That really describes Ty well.
    And I agree that Ty and Nick both said all the right things in Armed & Dangerous. I still have Nick issues from D&C too, but he did go a long-way towards fixing them in A&D.

    "Ty & Zane were the happy couple all through Stars & Stripes. I was able to cut back on my meds. One might think, "Happy couple? Wouldn’t that be boring?" Well, no, not if you are Ty & Zane. Abi Roux can make Ty breathing an enjoyable scene--which leads me back to the cream & sugar. Oh. Did I go there?" --- LOL. Loved this! And completely agree, of course.

    Awesome recapping of the 'Who the fuck is Liam Bell' saga of the minions! And again, I'm totally in agreement. If he causes sexy time...yay! If he causes any disruption of Ty and Zane being Ty & Zane...someone shoot that asshole!

    OMG! YES! I am soooooooooooooooo excited to see Team Sidewinder finally see what a BAMF Zane is! It is about time.

    I actually swing between being team Lick (Nick/Liam) and team Prick (Nick/Preston). :D Much as I hated Nick after reading D&C, I'm really looking forward to whenever we get his book.

    And yes, definitely love Abi and love all my fellow minions. One of the best and most fun fandoms I've ever had the pleasure of being apart of.

    Oh, btw, you forgot one important speculation for Touch & Geaux!!! Does Zane finally swallow!? ;D I'm crossing my fingers for a 'yes'!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL Thanks, Lisa! I loved reading your comment! ITA that I love this fandom so much. We are all so passionate about our Ty & Zane. Not only that, author interactions truly make it for me. Abi really is the shit. She's got a fan for life in me, no matter what she's writing.

      Zane swallowing it definately on my C&R bucket list. I didn't include it since at the time, I didn't have anything from Abi to speculate off of. Since then, I know you saw that we got this little response from the Interrogation Room:

      http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftmblr.co%2FZ6Ha8uUGzfLA&h=CAQEDYIc6

      I'm still LMAO over it!

      Delete
  6. I. Effin. Loved. This. Post.
    I didn't know a thing about Liam, I must admit. And I also should have a few words with my inner spoiler whore because I don't know what she's been up to lately. BUT, now I feel like I love Liam already. Smells like something good baking in the "oven" to me. *rubs hands greedily*

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Olga! I'll keep your inner spoho up-to-date, don't worry! I keep saying that I'll back off a bit because you know I'm only a spoiler flirt, not a full-fledged ho, like yourself. LOL! However, I just can't say away from the Interrogation Room, AskAbi, and her Tumblr page. I regret nothing.

      Delete
    2. Then you are a spoho only when the partner is worth your attention :))

      Delete
  7. Amanda, what a fantastic post. Thank you for putting everything here. My theory is Liam and Nick. I am loving Liam too Olga. I think a bit of jealousy will not do Ty any harm at all and I can't wait for make up sex as I see some kind of bust up coming. Not in terms of their relationship being over, but some kind of argument where neither backs down. The pictures Abi has been torturing us with as well as making me evern more excited, if that is possible.

    Lisa yes it is time for Zane to swallow. It is known.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great post Amanda . Love it <3
    Thanks for putting everything together.
    I really really hope there will be no cheating. I want to believe there will be no cheating. But then I keep remembering Abi posting the song The One That got Away by April Smith and tagging : Liam Bell,Ty Grady, Zane Garrett. :(
    http://abiroux.tumblr.com/post/35062865112/i-will-always-be-here-youve-got-me-in-chains#notes
    What do you think?

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  9. This is great!!!!! Thank you! My thought is that Liam and Ty slept together. In the past. See the interview they did on the ReviewsbyJessewave site on October 5, 2011.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm doing a read of your site during the T&G Web Hunt. OMG, you had me rolling.

    And bet we both cried at that newest book, huh? I can't wait to find the review on this one...

    ReplyDelete

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