Sunday Snippet: Surf's Up

August is shaping up to be the busiest month I've had in a long time. Between running around with my daughter and new projects landing in my inbox, I need about five more hours in each day.

Very limited television viewing this week. I ended up not starting the playlist listen while working. Too many interruptions.

I did watch a marathon of Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. Also caught some Peter Gunn episodes.

Other than that, the manuscript evaluations I've been working on took precedence. It's easier to review and assess when it's quiet and I don't have something else trying to pull my attention away from the material.

On a very happy note, I finished up a manuscript I've been writing for a long, long time. It's the follow up to Shyler: Finding Home, a Furlough 99 novella. The story ended up being more involved than I thought it would be and it turned out so much better than I'd hoped. Look for it soon!

That's pretty much it for television this week. I really want to get back to Krypton and finish up Riverdale and Arrow. Hopefully this week.

Tonight's post is from Surf's Up, a novella that started with a writing community scene prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Marla Siff and Farley Osbourne protect a wealthy businessman as part of his entourage. People assume tech geek Farley is the muscle, but Marla is the combat-trained protective detail. When a threat looms, they retreat to the private shores of their client's own island and Marla and Farley fight their attraction to keep their boss safe.

And a snippety peek…

The small twin-engine taxied to a halt and Farley did a quick sweep of the island via the security cameras. "All clear." He grabbed his gear and stuck close to his employer when he exited the plane.

Marla brought up the rear, keeping Lane between her and Farley. The pilot didn't disembark, immediately driving down to refuel and take off again. The trio walked the short distance to the waiting Land Rover, painted to Lane's specifications in bright red and crisp white, the colors of Pennylane Enterprises.

Climbing inside the vehicle, Farley did another scan with cameras and motioned for the driver to move out. Keeping his eyes glued to the tablet during the brief ride to Lane's manor house, Farley pulled up the feeds for the interior of the main dwelling, the pool house, and the duplex Farley shared with Marla when in residence.

Marla tsked. "Always with your nose buried in tech." She popped open a compartment and withdrew a bottle of water.

Farley didn't glance up. "Yeah, yeah. You do your thing and I'll do mine." He sent a quick look toward Lane. "House is clear. Want me to bump the air conditioning up a little? Inside temperature is seventy-five degrees." Lane usually liked his interior space at close to arctic levels.

Lane hand-waved the question. "Nah. Leave it." He opened an app on his phone and Farley bit back a laugh when the thermostat took a nosedive.

Marla shoulder-checked Farley. "You gonna ask me?" She batted her eyelashes.

Farley smirked. "Nope. The duplex is at a perfect seventy-two degrees." The exact climate he and Marla preferred.

She flashed a smile. "You take such good care of me." She made a show of swooning in her seat.

Lane made a gagging sound. "Geez, get a room, you two." He rolled his eyes.

Farley slid into fantasy mode for a few moments, picturing Marla sashaying into his bedroom with nary a stitch on. He shared accommodations with Marla on a regular basis and they had yet to cross any lines. But, somehow, on the island where they had separate entrances and exits to a shared house, the idea of getting a room became sexier. And, okay, his brain worked in weird ways but he'd always put it down to the fact the when they shared a hotel suite or an apartment, they bumped into each other all the time. In the duplex, his imagination ran wild, wondering what Marla got up to.

Lane intruded into Farley's fantasy. "I wanna learn how to surf."

Farley blinked. "Do what now?" Body surf? Boogie board? Surely Lane didn't mean on an actual longboard or regular surfboard.

Lane gave a snort. "You know… surf. Hang ten." He flung an arm out. "I own a damned island, not to mention a sporting goods company. Shouldn't I know how to do island things?" He shook his head as if Farley asked a stupid question.

And, okay, maybe a little on the mark, but, hell, Lane pulled the idea out of his ass.

Marla gave a growling sigh. "Who's coming and how long do we have to vet them?" She grabbed her bag and fished out her phone.

Lane smiled. "Jacobi Jannsen will be here in the morning. And he's famous among the surfing world so you don't need to vet him."

Farley barely got in a two-and-a-half count before Marla unsheathed her claws.

She leaned forward. "Excuse me? We vet everyone who comes to one of your private residences." True fact. "What if Jannsen has money problems and he's collecting a big payoff to drown you in the ocean." Her tone clearly stated she might consider doing the drowning.

Farley already had Jannsen's bank records open and started an in-depth background check.

Lane shook off her concern. "As your counterpart can no doubt tell you, Jacobi is flush with cash at the moment." He settled back on the seat and pinned Marla with his gaze. "I'm not a complete moron, Marla. Jannsen just signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Pennylane Sports." He reached for the door handle when the Land Rover pulled to a stop in front of the manor house. "He agreed to teach me when we finalized the contract yesterday."

Marla climbed out behind Lane but shot Farley a questioning glance. He confirmed Lane's details with a nod before getting out.

Her shoulders slumped. "Fine. But you're not going out alone with him. I don't care how many dotted lines he signed on." She brushed past Lane to check and unlock the front entry.

Lane gave her a wide grin. "I figured as much. That's why you two are going to learn with me."

Farley choked down a laugh and braced for the inevitable explosion.

So far, writing Farley and Marla and their interactions with Lane has been a complete joy. I love these characters!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Just One Moment

The start of the school year looms closer for my last kidlet. She'll be starting her junior year but she's already been involved in fall activities. Band camp for two weeks and three-day-a-week practices in the evenings. The golf season officially started and she had her best eighteen-hole round this past week with an eighty-eight on a par seventy-two course. In between all that, she worked a part-time summer job at our local pool, got hired and trained for a new part-time job at a local restaurant that opens in a few weeks, and got her first car. GAH! Okay, the husband and I are actually paying for the car, but she's involved in so much we decided she needed a vehicle. She'll be contributing toward the payment and her insurance with the part-time job and banking the rest of her paycheck in her shiny new checking account.

The struggle is real… my wee one is fast approaching adulthood.

So… the busy week of car loans and new editing projects kept me from my usual viewing schedule. I did a lot of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night marathons. I did catch a few other shows.

Wynonna Earp. Watching everyone grieve for Dolls broke me a little. It's Wynonna Earp so of course there was nothing standard for the process. And we got quite a bit of plot momentum and new secrets. This show… never a dull moment. Ever. And one of the best fight scenes ever in the history of fight scenes on Wynonna Earp. Just saying.

I'm behind on Killjoys, which makes me very sad. I'll hopefully catch up this week. Fingers crossed.

I caught another episode of Garage Sale Mysteries, which I'm rather fond of. I like the dynamic and mix of characters. And in the mystery category, I caught the first episode of Midsomer Murders season thirteen. Moving right along on the episodes I haven't seen yet.

Also caught some more The Dresden Files and remembered by I enjoyed this show so much when it originally aired.

Caught another episode of Canal Road and I gotta say I have a theory on who either killed Spence's wife or ordered it done. I'm totally going to freak out if I'm correct. Australia has some kick ass television… just saying.

I watched two Batman DVDs this week. Gotham by Gaslight ended up being a terrific experience, topped only by a rather grown-up for animated DC fare of Batman and Harley Quinn. Seriously, I'm down with the kid version, but I'm completely there for a more adult-oriented movie.

Caught another episode of Babylon 5, basically the opening of the first season after the initial pilot. I'm looking forward to rewatching the entire series. Also caught most of another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles.

And that's about it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Just One Moment, a sexy short bonus scene featuring Kiernan Darby and Lars Rademacher from the South of the Border series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A life-threatening situation and a couple in love. Just one moment to say everything that needs to be said for Kiernan and Lars.

And a snippety peek…

Kiernan Darby loved sex. Especially with Lars Rademacher. The man had turned her world upside down. He might as well rock it, too.

And he definitely had the skill set to shake her foundation on a fundamental level.

"Did they teach you how to wow a woman during covert forces training?"

"Learned that on my own." His mouth paused over hers. "You know this isn't typical, right? You broke all my rules." His chin raised and he met her gaze.

Kiernan could get so lost in the depths of his eyes. "I broke all mine, too." She didn't make connections.

Her parents taught her not to at an early age. Hence the reason I'm stuck between a rock and the proverbial hard place. With no one to have my back except Lars.

His lips brushed over hers. "Stay with me, Kier. Don't go back to the past." He moved between her legs, settling his forearms on either side of her shoulders.

She sent him a wide smile. "Definitely like the present way better." Her thighs splayed wide, ready to accommodate him.

Lars didn't disappoint, shifting forward the head of his shaft nudging between her labia. His head lowered and he caught her mouth in a steamy kiss right before he thrust deeply, seating in to the hilt. Kiernan groaned. The length and girth of his cock filling her to capacity. She'd never get tired of taking him over and over, again and again.

She'd never get tired of loving him.

The thought terrified and soothed in equal parts.

Terrified because she didn't really know how to live with a man like Lars. One who protected her and actually gave a damn about her life. He'd scared the hell out of her when he showed up started asking questions about her small operation outfitting pleasure boats with high-end upgrades. Didn't take long for him to turn her into his informant and take her under his wing.

He demanded total honesty and she delivered the whole ugly story of her childhood in record time. A complete first for her. No one in her life had the total beginning, middle, and end of the Kiernan Darby tale of woe.

Except Lars.

He soothed the raw hurt she'd carried around with a rock-solid understanding of where she came from and a refusal to judge how she ended up working for a criminal enterprise. The falling for each other thing took both by surprise, but Kiernan wouldn't shy away from how she felt about him. Even if the idea of sharing her life with someone scared the hell out of her.

Lars stopped moving within her. "Kier… present tense." He flexed his hips, driving deep inside her. "Unless I'm losing my touch and you're getting bored." His eyes narrowed and he quirked an eyebrow.

She lifted her chin to ghost kisses along his jawline. "Not bored. Just amazed you haven't given up on me yet." Everyone else usually did.

Lars shook his head. "Never will, Kier. You've gotta remember that." He pulled back and thrust forward again, creating a delicious friction against her clit.

She focused on the sensation, shoving everything else but him aside. "I love you, Lars." Forever and a day.

He increased his speed. "Love you, too. Always."

I can't wait to finish this up and post it for readers to enjoy!

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Smokin' Hot—Book Girlfriend Celebrity Lookalike: Down in Mexico

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

We already got to know our book boyfriend celebrity lookalike. For this week's entry, we get to cast our book girlfriend celebrity lookalike.

FUN!!!

As mentioned in my boyfriend casting post, I almost always have an actor or actress serve as inspiration when I'm writing. It's great to have visual imagery as a point of reference when creating characters.

I'd love to share my vision of loveliness for Down in Mexico, available now from Ellipses Press, Ltd.

So… without further ado…

Please meet the truly beautiful inspiration for Kiernan Darby.

Emily Bett Rickards

Emily totally steals scenes as Felicity Smoak in Arrow. I loved her the first moment she appeared on screen. :D She had almost the exact look I wanted when I wrote Kiernan, young but not immature, yet able to convey a worldly 'seen it all' vibe. Definitely not hard to cast Emily as Kiernan.

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 scoffed. "Lars, I'm not stupid." She sat up and turned toward him. "I lined up new suppliers… use my new name in case there's any crossover." She leveled her gaze on him. "Believe it or not, I learned a lot from you guys during my stint of doing undercover work."

He still looked skeptical, so she added more.

"Look. I may not be able to kill people ninety-seven different ways, but I can cover my tracks." She gave him a pointed look. "Took you five years to find me."

He winced. "Two, but point taken." She'd been careful. He got it now.

"Hey, want some dinner?" The emotional turmoil combined with the magnificent sex had her stomach growling.

Lars looked at her askance. "Are you cooking?" She didn't blame him. She'd had zero talent in the kitchen five years ago.

She chuckled. "Not tonight." She had Thai takeout in the fridge. "But… I'll have you know I have mad cooking skills now." She'd learned from her neighbor. The woman ran a restaurant and had the patience of a saint.

Lars grinned. "You'll have to show me." He swung his leg over the edge of the bed. "Will you cook for me, Kier?"

She leaned down for a quick kiss. "You betcha. Tomorrow. Dinner. I'll cook." Shrugging into a robe, she nodded toward the closet. "There's a pair of my dad's old dungarees in there."

Lars flashed a grin. His clothes were still outside.

"Thanks. I'll be out in a few."

Kiernan tied the sash around her waist and headed out.

~*~

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Sun, sand, and danger. International intrigue mixes with steamy romance to create hot situations—South of the Border.

Book 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.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to stop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

Sunday Snippet: Under the Influence (A South of the Border Book)

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is getting a great start to the new year. I kind of love this time. It's almost like a period of renewal. I jot down goals or revisit past ones to see my progress. Last year, I got more accomplished than I realized, which makes me excited for 2015.

On the television front, I finally sat down and watched Ascension and I’m sooooo glad I did! If Syfy gives a green light to make it a series, I'll be a happy camper. I also took some time and got started on The Librarians and I'm charmed by the show. It's a little campy and ridiculous, but I don't care. It's fun, lighthearted, and reminds me a lot of Warehouse 13, which I loved.

Looking forward to the return of my regular viewing treats and the start of the new seasons for Banshee and Bitten.

Tonight's post is from Under the Influence, one of the books in the South of the Border series.

Here's the tagline:

When her father dies, Lilith Jans inherits a piece of hotly sought after property in Mexico. She also unknowingly takes on an unpaid debt, which puts her life in danger. Hayden Knoxville makes her an offer she wants to refuse, but can't—sell to him and he'll deal with the men coming to collect payment.

And a snippety peek…

Lilith straightened her shoulders and moved to brush past Hayden. A patron entered the bar area, making her adjust her trajectory and her elbow bumped against his. A shudder tore through her. The contact, minimal and so brief, heated up her spine. Her step faltered and she had to brace a hand on the door jamb to keep moving forward.

Following Lilith to the kitchen, Kiernan shook her head and opened her mouth.

Lilith held up a hand. "Don’t. Just don't even say it."

Kiernan shrugged. "Okay, but you're gonna have to face what you feel sooner or later."

Lilith closed her eyes and exhaled a calming breath. "Later it is. Much, much later." She grabbed a bottle of vodka from an open case, twisted the cap off, and poured a shot's worth into a tumbler. "I don't even like the man. How can he make me so hot I want to strip his clothes off and jump him?" Picking up the glass, she drained the contents.

Kiernan quirked an eyebrow. "Maybe you're fighting too hard, Lilith. Why don't you just get down and dirty with Hayden? You know, have mind-blowing sex, work off the tension, and move on." She splashed a little more alcohol into the glass and handed it back to Lilith.

Why the hell not? She'd never get anything accomplished if she couldn't manage to spend five minutes with the man without wanting to either punch or make out with him.

Lilith set the cup on the counter and picked up the bottle before meeting Kiernan's gaze. "Dammit. You had to plant that idea in my head, didn't you?" She brought the vodka to her lips and took several healthy swigs.

Kiernan chuckled, but took the bottle from Lilith. "No more for you. Trust me, you'll want a clear head so you can remember every detail." She recapped the alcohol and stashed it under the counter.

A vivid image of Hayden, naked, hard, and ready, flashed through Lilith's mind.

She shot Kiernan a sideways glance. "I hate you, Kier. I truly do." Because she did want to have total recall of every sensual, sexy thing Hayden would do to her.

Kiernan's laughter rang out and she headed back toward the bar area. "Then my work here is done." She looked back over her shoulder. "Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She ducked back into the bar, leaving Lilith alone in the kitchen.

She finally smiled. "Well then, at least I've got plenty of options."

Gotta say, it's been great to touch base with Kiernan and Lars from Down in Mexico. I love working in little pieces with them.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Smokin' Hot—Down in Mexico

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy weekly posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

For this week's entry, we authors are tasked with sharing a scene with sexual tension.

My excerpt is from Down in Mexico, a sexy short story in my South of the Border series from Ellipses Press.

~*~

He should say something. About the future. She might not want it to include him.

Holding her gaze, he asked tentatively. "So what now? His thumb worked over her hand. "Will you stay down here or pull up and head home?"

Kier didn't hesitate. "I'm staying. This is home. The one I've been searching for all my life." She propped her feet in his lap and wiggled her toes. He obliged her, massaging the balls of her feet.

"You wouldn't happen to have an opening for an unemployed covert operative, would you?"

Kier's eyes widened. "You mean…" She let the question trail off.

"I resigned from the unit. Everything's done but the paperwork." He moved his hands to her ankles and massaged gently.

"Wow." She cocked her head sideways, shooting a playful glance his way. "I'm not sure you've got the right skill set to work with me."

He gave her an affronted look. "You're kidding, right?" His fingers started working on her calf muscles. "I'm handy to have around."

She quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm great at heavy lifting. I'm also methodical, organized, and very good at finding things." He brushed his fingers down her shins and started on her feet again.

Kier laughed. "You're hired." She nudged his ribs with her foot. "You had me at heavy lifting."

He smiled. "When do I start?"

Kier went quiet. "Seriously… you're sure you want to stay down here with me?"

Words he wanted to hear. Hell yes.

"I'm sure. I love you Kier, I always will." He pressed his thumbs, massaging deeply, and she groaned.

"God, I love you, too."

Grinning, he teased her. "Besides… who else could you get to do this for you?" He worked his thumbs along the arches of her feet and she laughed.

Grabbing hold, he squeezed her feet tightly. "Seriously though, it's time for me to put down some roots, too."

Kier held his gaze, hers full of understanding.

Then she completely changed the mood by shifting her feet lower, brushing them over his cock. "Wanna go get naked?" Her eyebrows waggled.

What else could he do? He nodded emphatically, shoved her feet off his lap and stood, holding out a hand.

~*~

I hope you enjoyed the tension.

Available on Amazon

More e-retailers coming soon!

~*~

Series Blurb: Sun, sand, and danger. International intrigue mixes with steamy romance to create hot situations—South of the Border.

Book 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.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday samples!

Sun, Sand, & Intrigue—Summer Lovin' Blog Hop

Sponsored by Romance Blog Hops

Enter for a chance to win an awesome prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter

Here’s the Grand Prize list: 

1 $75 Amazon Gift Card

1 $25 Starbucks Gift Card (Donated by Sue)

1 $25 Amazon (or B&N) Gift Card (Donated by Denisea)

~*~ 

Take a little trip south of the border!

Welcome to the Summer Lovin' Blog Hop, an excellent sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work.

Readers: Please enjoy the steamy snippets and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Bloggers: Please check out the excellent previews and spread the word.

~*~

There's something wonderful about the lazy days of summer. Sunny days and longer nights can inspire the urge to kick back, relax, and enjoy every moment. Why not unwind with a great book and sneak in a bit of bliss?

When writing as Skylin O'Thomas, I tend to focus on contemporary romance, sometimes filled with little relationship moments, but also some adventure. Weaving in tension with suspense or adding humor to a steamy situation is so much fun. Giving a couple their happily ever after can't be beat.

One of my first releases, Down in Mexico, features a couple who finally reconnect after five years apart. As the first couple in the series, South of the Border, Lars and Kiernan have a steamy reunion, but there's a lot going on under the surface. An element of danger sneaks its way into Kiernan's hard won new life.

Lars isn't completely honest and Kiernan is less than thrilled when she finds out. But she's a trooper and deals with her situation.

My Blog Giveaway

I had so much fun writing the book and I'm giving a digital copy away for this blog hop. Please leave a comment for your entry and tell me favorite way to laze away a summer day. (Hopefully it involves books!)

~*~

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.

~*~

Kier picked up her glass, sipped the wine, contemplating.

"I learned to shoot. Small arms for the most part, but I know how to sight and fire a rifle." Her hand twirled the glass and her gaze turned hard. "It may be overkill, but I keep a handgun in the house, my shop, the car. I have two on my boat along with a rifle." She raised her eyes to his. "I didn't plan to make it easy for them to kill me."

She wouldn't. Even without the small arsenal, she'd have put up a hell of a fight before going down. It was in her nature to battle back.

Lars reached across the table and laced his fingers with her free hand. "You were smart, Kier. You had no way of knowing what would happen after you left."

She shrugged a shoulder. "There have been several times over the last five years that I've felt like something was off. Not quite right." She squeezed his hand. "It'll take some getting used to… this being safe thing."

Shit. He had to come clean. Now.

He had a feeling it wouldn't be pretty.

"Uh, Kier, about that." He took a deep breath and just spit it out. "You may not be that far off base thinking something's not quite kosher."

Her brow knit with confusion. "But I thought you said—"

"I did. I lied."

Her mouth opened, then snapped shut. So many emotions crossed her face he couldn't keep up with them.

She got up and paced the kitchen. "What exactly did you lie about?"

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Sun, sand, and danger. International intrigue mixes with steamy romance to create hot situations—South of the Border.

Book 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.

Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico. Their reunion is sweet… until he reveals a pesky detail he conveniently forgot to mention.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Turn up the heat! Visit the other participating authors.

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.

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.

Today's post includes a tense moment between Lars and Kiernan when a moment of truth arrives.

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.

~*~

Kier picked up her glass, sipped the wine, contemplating.

"I learned to shoot. Small arms for the most part, but I know how to sight and fire a rifle." Her hand twirled the glass and her gaze turned hard. "It may be overkill, but I keep a handgun in the house, my shop, the car. I have two on my boat along with a rifle." She raised her eyes to his. "I didn't plan to make it easy for them to kill me."

She wouldn't. Even without the small arsenal, she'd have put up a hell of a fight before going down. It was in her nature to battle back.

Lars reached across the table and laced his fingers with her free hand. "You were smart, Kier. You had no way of knowing what would happen after you left."

She shrugged a shoulder. "There have been several times over the last five years that I've felt like something was off. Not quite right." She squeezed his hand. "It'll take some getting used to… this being safe thing."

Shit. He had to come clean. Now.

He had a feeling it wouldn't be pretty.

"Uh, Kier, about that." He took a deep breath and just spit it out. "You may not be that far off base thinking something's not quite kosher."

Her brow knit with confusion. "But I thought you said—"

"I did. I lied."

Her mouth opened, then snapped shut. So many emotions crossed her face he couldn't keep up with them.

She got up and paced the kitchen. "What exactly did you lie about?"

Available on Amazon 

~*~

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.

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.

Banner Thursday—Down in Mexico

Welcome to Banner Day!

Today, I'm featuring my banner for Down in Mexico, book one from South of the Border.

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

Blurb: Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead, living life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate members of a lethal crime syndicate. Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico and their reunion is sweet… until Lars reveals a pesky detail he forgot to mention.

Kier and Lars have a special place in my heart. Their story unfolded and flowed smoothly from beginning to end.

Books available

Available at Amazon

Books in progress

Along the Shore

Book Three (Title is being contrary)

Thanks for reading!

Please visit my website www.skyewrites.com

Banner Thursday—South of the Border

Welcome to my new blog feature—Banner Thursday!

The general idea behind the posts is to reveal some type of artwork pertaining to one of my books—a cover, a banner, or maybe a logo or web page header.

If I didn't create the work, due credit will be given along with what I love about the graphic design. I've been very lucky to have some spectacular art for covers. J

To get things started, I'm going to post banners, beginning with the various series I have underway. I maintain three blogs, so I'll be rotating from week to week. My other blog locations are: ML Skye and Skye Ritchey. The website: Skye Writes will also share the spotlight.

The first one I'd like to feature is South of the Border.

Tagline: South of the border: Mix a little danger with hot romance.

Blurb: Danger and romance meet south of the border, where the stakes are high and the couples are hot.

I love action and adventure so the South of the Border series is my way of living vicariously through my characters. At the moment, I have three books planned, but the sages are whispering about a fourth. So far I'm waiting to see what they come up with. J

Books available

Available at Amazon 

Books in progress

Along the Shore

In the Jungle (Title subject to change, the sages are being imps about it.)

That's it for this week's post. 

Sunday Snippet: Fits and Starts

WooHoo! The Walking Dead is back tonight! So excited to see what happens next.

In other TV news, Arrow and Bitten continue to eat my brain, so much so, I've decided to dust off my Universes Altered blog and start recapping the episodes. Hopefully if I do weekly brain dumps, I'll have more space in my head. :D

What else? Almost Human, Lost Girl, and Helix are still must see. And Banshee, gotta take a moment to mention Friday's episode. I loved it. Usually, there's so much going on it's hard to keep up—I love that, don't get me wrong—but I seriously enjoyed having a tight focus on Lucas and Carrie/Ana this week. I don't know, for such an almost quiet episode, some big shifts occurred. Important ones, I think. But I'm really excited to see the next episode when shit goes sideways and everything is back to normal. J

Tonight's post is from Fits and Starts, a novella where my main female character gets her life back on track by fits and starts. So far, it's been a rough ride, but I'm loving how Pru makes slow progress.

Here's the tagline:

After escaping from a madman's clutches, Pru Stark can't quite find her footing again. She pushes her man, Dane Callaway, away and refuses to see the little girl she saved. Dane can give her space, but he won't stay on the sidelines, not when Pru needs him the most, even if she can't quite admit it. 

And a snippety peek...

Pru burst through Dane's open door, waving her fitrep back and forth. "What the hell is this, Dane." She held the report in front of her. "Request for active status, denied." She pinned him with her gaze. "Why are keeping me from work?"

Dane closed the file on his desk and leaned back in his seat. "Did you read your psych eval, Pru? Doc says you're not ready, and I’m not gonna argue with her." He nodded toward the extra chair. "Have a seat and we'll talk about what needs to happen before you're cleared for work."

She threw the fitrep on the cluttered surface. "I don't want to 'talk'. I've done every damned thing you and your creeptastic team of medical professionals asked."

He shook his head. "Except the one thing you need to do."

Damn the man. She whirled around, pacing back and forth. No one would make her do something against her will again. Or convince her she had to do what they said because she needed some stupid form of closure. Maybe if Dane's group of gurus had their entire life rewritten through drugs and mind games, she'd credit them with having a clue. Until then… they could kiss her ass.

And so could Dane.

She stopped and spun to face him. "You know what, Dane? That fitrep is bullshit." She dropped down into the chair. "They don't have the right to keep me from working. And neither do you."

Dane leaned forward, placing his forearms on the desk. "I sign the paychecks, Pru. Pretty much gives me the right to do whatever I feel is necessary to keep my people safe." He held her gaze. "Sending you out in the field before you're ready isn't going to help anyone." He held up a hand. "And yes, what happened to you is playing a big role in why I'm not taking any more chances."

Pru rolled her eyes. "What happened to me? You have no idea what I went through, Dane. What they made me believe." He only knew what she wanted him to know.

Dane's mouth twisted in a sad smile. "You'd be surprised, Pru. It doesn't take a genius to put the pieces together." He sighed. "But you're right. I don't everything. And that's how you want it." He settled back again. "But you're missing a piece of your soul right now and that little kid has it. You either get it back, by seeing that she's okay and happy with her family, or you walk around with a sucking flesh wound for the rest of your natural life." He met her gaze. "It's your choice."

She hated him so much. She'd happily punch him in the face—except it would give him a reason to send her back to the therapist's office.

She hopped up and paced the confines of the room. "I can't. I just can't be around her right now."

Dane shook his head. "No, Pru, you won't. There's a difference. Nothing's stopping you, but you." He waited a beat. "She misses you. Her pretty angel."

Tears sprang and Pru fought hard to keep them from falling. "I'm not an angel and you know it." Her resolve hardened. "And she'll get over it. She'll forget me soon enough and move on with her happy life."

Dane countered. "A life you could be part of, if you'd stop being so damned scared. She's got room in her heart for you." He softened his tone. "You saved her life, Pru. She's not going to forget that, regardless of how young she is."

Pru snorted. "Jesus, do you hear yourself?" She scoffed. "Since when did you become an expert?"

Dane shrugged. "I'm not. You know I’m not. But I can read and do research."

Pru's eyes widened. "Why would you do that?"

Dane heaved a sigh. "Because I love you and you're a giant ball of pain. Anything I can do to ease how badly you're suffering, I'll try. Knowing how one little girl turned you inside out seemed like the best place to start."

Pru shook her head. "She's not the one who turned everything sideways. The group who had her did the damage." She sank back onto the chair. "And I am afraid. I'm afraid seeing her will take me right back to that fucking place and I'll lose it again." She blew out a harsh breath. "It's not her fault, but I don't want to ever blame that little girl… and we know I could. I won't take a chance and possibly hurt her." She met Dane's gaze. "Because then they win, and I'm not okay with that."

Dane nodded, a satisfied gleam in his eye. "And there we have it… progress."

This story is in the infant stages, but I'm really excited to see how all comes together. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin