Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Down in Mexico #MFRWHook

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Today, I'm starting something a little new. I'm going back to some of my earlier releases and sharing a few pivotal scenes—a new one each week for three to four weeks. Up first is Down in Mexico, book one of the South of the Border series, available from Ellipses Press, Ltd.

Book Tagline: Boy meets and falls for girl. Girl 'dies' in a fiery explosion. Five years later, they meet again.

Series Tagline: Mix a little danger with hot romance.

~*~

Lars lay on the bed for a moment and counted his blessings. Things went better than he'd hoped and he wanted it to stay that way. But they might not.

He rolled off the bed and rifled through the closet in search of the pants Kier mentioned.

Her sense of style had come a long way. Gone were the street rags she used to wear. Frayed cut-offs and threadbare t-shirts. In their place, she'd opted for rugged tropical weight clothing, a few simple dresses and about a dozen wetsuits.

He reached all the way in the back of the closet and found the pants. He grabbed the hangar and a swatch of black caught his eye. Throwing the dungarees over his shoulder his hand went back for the other item.

His battered and well-worn in leather jacket.

He wondered where it had disappeared to.

He'd thought one of the guys from his unit walked off with it while he'd been in the coma. Became too busy and focused on retribution afterward to worry about it.

He sat on the edge of the bed and tugged on the pants. She'd kept a part of him, a connection to their past. Knowing she had filled him with warmth.

It also added to the burden in his heart.

Click Link to Buy

~*~

Blurb: Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead. It's a life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate the members of a lethal crime syndicate, Kiernan's former employers.

After discovering she's alive and well, Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico. Their reunion is sweet… until he reveals a pesky detail he conveniently forgot to mention.

Kiernan isn't completely safe. In fact, Lars is using her as bait to catch the last member of the espionage organization.

~*~

~*~

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Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Laundry Night

May 25, 2014

So… Orphan Black keeps blowing my mind. Seriously, I would have NEVER dreamed I'd be interested in seeing Vic the Dick again, but playing opposite Allison is such an interesting little twist. Angie, or whatever her name is, kinda continues to irritate me, but I'm totally along for the ride to see what she's trying to pull off.

The whole deal with Helena creeps me out, but keeps me riveted to the screen, too. LOL Then there's Sarah… I have so much love for her. The cold war between Rachel and Sarah and how it's dragging Helena and Cosima into the middle of it keeps me glued to the screen.

And let's talk about Paul. Without revealing too much, I sooooo want to know more about him, but I love the loosely defined loyalties he has and the way he's pulled from all directions.

Enough about television… tonight's post is from Laundry Night, a short story where a practical joke goes slightly awry.

Here's the tagline:

Dixie Stores has a thing for her hot neighbor Neece Bovary, but he's heard all the rumors about her series of bad—and sometimes loud—breakups. Determined to win him over, Dixie breaks a cardinal rule and folds his laundry, mismatching the socks to get his attention, but gains the wrong kind when the innocent prank goes awry.

And a snippety peek…

Neece entered the laundry area and went to check his dryer. He found it empty and a quick glance to his right showed his clothes neatly folded and stacked on the sorting rack. He tilted his head sideways, wondering who would go to the trouble of removing his stuff when at least nine other dryers sat empty.

He picked up the basket he'd left and started stacking the clothes inside. "Maybe the new place has a laundry fairy no one told me about." He topped his jeans with several T-shirts, then followed those with two pairs of shorts.

When he reached into the side basket, he pulled up two pairs of mismatched socks, the ends tucked under to keep them together. "Son of a bitch." He grabbed the rest and sure enough, every single sock had an incorrect mate. "Who the flaming hell messes with other people's socks?" He started unraveling the huge pile. "Not only that, they rolled the ends down. I fucking hate that." He dumped the socks onto the sorting area and started making matches. "Stretches one sock out and makes it slide down my damn leg." Frustrated he threw the remaining footwear into his basket and started to exit the room. "Might be time for a stakeout to see who's lame enough to pull a stupid stunt like this."

A muffled chuckle followed by a garbled choking sound drew his attention.

He whirled around. "Who's there?" He dropped the basket on the counter and started back toward the vending area. "Come out now or I'll call the building manager."

Dixie bit off a little more than she could chew and it backfired. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Down in Mexico #MFRWHook

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Today, I'm starting something a little new. I'm going back to some of my earlier releases and sharing a few pivotal scenes—a new one each week for three to four weeks. Up first is Down in Mexico, book one of the South of the Border series, available from Ellipses Press, Ltd.

Book Tagline: Boy meets and falls for girl. Girl 'dies' in a fiery explosion. Five years later, they meet again.

Series Tagline: Mix a little danger with hot romance.

~*~

Kiernan Darby had spent the last five long years on her own.

She'd built up a solid clientele at her diving school—tucked away from the truly touristy parts of Mexico—and she restored boats on the side. Sailboats—nothing with engines. She kept a low profile about the restoration… she couldn't afford to draw the wrong kind of attention to herself.

She'd disappeared without a trace for a reason and needed it to stay that way.

Flat on her back, refinishing the hull of a sadly neglected thirty-two footer, Kiernan looked through the decay to the beauty it could be again. She hummed along to some salsa music blaring from her Mp3 player and worked to remove a patch of dry rot. Maybe her sixth sense kicked in… or plain old self-preservation, but she looked sideways through the stripped-to-the-studs bottom portion of her shed to see a pair of bare feet—bare male feet—making their way along the outer drive and headed toward her.

An eerie feeling gripped her and she scooted out from under the boat, slowly and quietly, keeping those incredibly awesome legs within her sight. She stepped toward the open bay door, her gun a quick grab away, and ended up shocked speechless by what she saw.

Sort of saw. The sun glared from behind, but she had no trouble making out the bad Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned to show a glimpse of the buff male form underneath, nor did she miss the beat up denim cargo shorts, complete with frayed hems. The hair threw her. Long and shaggy, the trade winds created a mad-scientist type look that warred with the aviator shades hiding the rest of his face.

Even with all that, she knew who found her. Time hung, and the hand hovering close to the hidden gun quickly dropped to her side as his name hissed out on a breath. "Lars."

He took a step toward her, but stopped just short of touching her. "Hey." The grin that lit his face had one of her own answering back.

"Hey." Her eyes squinting, she watched him remove his shades and toss them over his shoulder. 

"Everyone believes you're dead." His hand lifted, but stopped, like he couldn't be sure she wouldn't disappear if he touched her. "I thought you were dead."

"I am dead." And she had to stay that way.

~*~

Blurb: Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead. It's a life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate the members of a lethal crime syndicate, Kiernan's former employers.

After discovering she's alive and well, Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico. Their reunion is sweet… until he reveals a pesky detail he conveniently forgot to mention.

Kiernan isn't completely safe. In fact, Lars is using her as bait to catch the last member of the espionage organization.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website 

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Justice is Served

Hello,

Well, my show finales did not disappoint. S.H.I.E.L.D. did deliver an awesome ending to its first season. And, guys, Arrow pretty much blew me away. The fight scene between Deathstroke / Arrow superimposed on the Slade / Oliver island one counts as one of my very favorites of the entire series. I'm so excited to see where season three goes. As usual, Orphan Black gave me tons of stuff to speculate about and think on. My love for Paul grows every time he's on the screen, I kid you not. I WANT to know more about his background. I'm also completely turned around by Helena. That chick is off the charts insane, but she's also dead on with her observation skills. Seriously, I love her. LOL

Tonight's post is from Justice is Served, a novella with suspense and a little mayhem.

Here's the tagline:

Derby Stack is a cold-blooded killer, but not by choice. She's convicted for her crime, but makes a last ditch appeal to Nate Mobius's legal firm. He takes the case and together they uncover a trail leading back to her childhood therapist.

And a snippety peek…

Derby watched the medallion spinning back and forth, listening to the monotone voice of her therapist as he counted backwards from one hundred. Her eyelids drooped and she hated this part of the sessions. At twelve, she didn't understand the benefit of hypnosis, but Dr. Mune convinced her foster mom Derby would be forever changed by the treatment.

What a load of crap.

"Derby, you're relaxed now, and open to all suggestions. Do you understand?"

Derby automatically responded, "Yes, Dr. Mune."

"Good, good." He placed the shiny medal aside and moved in closer. "Do you remember what we covered in our last session?"

Derby nodded. "Yes, Dr. Mune."

"And what was that, Derby?"

Derby didn't hesitate with her answer. "Detailed instructions on how to kill someone."

Dr. Mune smiled. "Good, Derby, very good."

Yeah, I think Derby will definitely be forever changed… and not in a good way. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Imagination

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's and mother figures out there. J

So… S.H.I.E.L.D. should have a great season ender and hopefully a kick awesome season two! Really glad to see it got renewed. Arrow… man, my head is still spinning from last week's episode. I'm REALLY looking forward to the finale. I've heard some rumors about what to expect and I'm dying to see how things wind up. Orphan Black? The show makes my brain spin. Can't say I'm sad to see one particular dude gone, mainly because it plays directly in to what I'd love to see happen with Rachel. And the stuff with Helena makes my skin crawl, seriously.

Tonight's post is from, Imagination, a sexy short story where my heroine challenges the hero to use his to the fullest extent.

Here's the tagline:

Holland Dukes and Rand Allerdyce love to play games. When Holland decides Rand needs to stimulate his imagination, she uses a blindfold and makes him rely on his other senses. Rand gets payback, pulling the same scenario… in Holland's office.

And a snippety peek…

Holland flitted around the apartment, checking and double-checking to make sure everything would go off without a hitch.

Or much of one.

Blindfold. Check. The single most important piece of the evening. Rand should walk through the door in approximately five minutes and her timing had to be spot on.

A nervous thrill shot down her spine and she made a quick dash to the bedroom, verifying the placement of the champagne, glasses, and massage oil.

Four minutes.

Holland paused by the mirror hanging over the console table, smoothing her hair, then she chuckled. Her coif didn't matter. Rand would barely get a glimpse of her new cut before the fun started.

Three minutes.

Holland walked across the parquet floor, her heels clicking exactly the way she wanted. Her plan to lead Rand on something of a merry chase required sound for effectiveness. Two minutes.

Holland tilted her head, trying to visualize the best position for greeting Rand. He usually entered and turned to drop his keys on the bar before loosening his tie and shrugging out of his jacket. To the right of the door, she'd have the element of surprise. To the left, she'd be in his line of sight, which could work, but he might try to pour a drink before she could get her plan underway.

Right of the door, then.

One minute.

Anticipation filled her. Soon, Rand would walk through the door and get the game started.

Keys jangled and Holland sucked in a harsh breath before exhaling slowly, ready to pounce.

And pounce she does, much to Rand's enjoyment. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Banner Thursday—Starry Sky Press

Today, I'm featuring the logo for my self-publishing venture, Starry Sky Press, across each of my author blogs.

Tagline: Out of the world romance.

Mission Statement: To explore extraordinary emotions between characters.

Books coming soon

Busted in Bubbles (May 2014)

Surviving the Trap (June 2014)

Bucking Convention (July 2014)

Dress for Dinner (August/September 2014)

Creative Ink (June 2014)

Boyfriend's Brother (May 2014)

A Magical Affair (May 2014)

Thanks for reading!

Please visit my website

Sunday Snippet: The Hunt

May 4, 2014

Another nice week in TV. Arrow keeps going at a breakneck pace. I'm so excited to see how the season ends. S.H.I.E.L.D keeps me guessing a little and I like that. I'm not quite sure how I feel about Ward's situation, but I'd love to see if they can actually redeem the guy. And make me believe it. :D Orphan Black blew my mind. One… because I totally called Cal's role in Sarah's former life. I won't spoil anything here, but I had a gut feeling about him. Now I'm wondering if one of my hopes for Rachel comes to fruition. *crosses fingers* And how about the ending? Oh, man, I seriously hope that Daniel dude gets his comeuppance. Or dies. Either way would suit me. :D

Tonight's post is from the novella, The Hunt, where my couple works and plays together, but not without butting heads sometimes.

Here's the tagline:

Megan and Guy, corporate retreat directors, stage a scavenger hunt for their client's team building exercise. After a major disagreement, the couple spends most of their time making up—and trying not to get caught in compromising positions.

And a snippety peek…

Guy crossed his arms over his chest. "And I suppose it was totally necessary to flash your cleavage at the VP of Sales, right?"

Megan rolled her eyes. "I didn't flash my tits, Guy." She paused. "Not intentionally, anyway." She lifted a shoulder. "Not my fault I've got a nice rack. Blame my mother."

Guy growled. "Your mother is a sweet woman who wouldn't think to use her assets to seduce a team leader into not cancelling a retreat." He paced back and forth. "If Joe Homage doesn't want to be here, let him leave. The rest of the group will follow his lead." Guy stopped. "Do you really want to fight, tooth and nail, to keep this one on the line?"

Megan sighed. "Look, Guy, we need the cash flow this month if we want to take the winter off, right? Exchanging a few niceties can let me get to know what Joe's problem is so we can get this retreat back on track."

Guy conceded her point. "Fine. What's his problem?" He sank down on the chair behind the desk. "Aside from the roving eye?"

Megan snorted, but didn't take the bait. "He's been through twenty-five of these team building exercises in as many years." She sat on the chair facing Guy. "Basically, he's bored, tired, and knows the drill better than anyone."

Guy nodded. "But he's the VP, probably stuck and not going anywhere else, and he's the leader—"

Megan finished the statement. "So his participation is mandatory every time they shake things up and bring in new blood."

Guy's mouth thinned for several moments, then tilted upward in a smile. "Scavenger hunt." He rifled around and dragged a notebook out from under a stack of files.

Megan grinned. "Brilliant. Something out of the ordinary, where instead of finding office supplies, they have to work as a team to piece together a puzzle, maybe?"

Guy wrote out a list of interesting items and turned it toward Megan. She snagged his pen and added a few things to make the search even more motivating.

Guy's gaze dropped to read over her additions and he barked out a laugh. "Not sure that last one is even legal, Megan."

She shrugged and leaned forward, putting her ample cleavage on display. "Don't care. It'll be fun to see how they react." She grabbed Guy's tie with one hand and hauled him close. "Are we back on track?"

Guy slid a hand across the surface of the desk, working two buttons of her shirt loose, exposing the vivid floral print of her bra. "We are now." His mouth met hers and his fingers dipped under the lacy trim of the D-cup, stroking her skin.

Megan moaned and deepened the kiss, letting it catch flame and go hot.

Honestly? Megan's wicked sense of humor keeps this one fun to write. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin