Sunday Snippet: Explosive Situation

It's SDCC weekend! I love how much my Twitter and Facebook feeds explode with fun and exciting information about my favorite shows and movies. So many great pictures, quotes, and rapid-fire reports to sink into and devour—a new trailer for what to expect on the rest of Defiance, a teaser for Arrow season three, reports about The Avengers: Age of Utron, and tons of cosplay pictures, which I love to see.

And SDCC kind of launches the countdown for Dragon Con in September. I've never had the opportunity to attend, but I have so many online friends who go, I'm lucky enough to pretty much experience the whole thing vicariously through them.

Tonight's post is from, Explosive Situation, a short story where the main characters are co-workers who become more.

Here's the tagline:

Hadley and Tab are the go to people for explosive situations. They work in tandem and haven't lost anyone, or each other, yet. When Tab gets caught in the crossfire on their latest mission, Hadley digs deep to save him and finally faces her feelings.

And a sneaky peek…

Hadley crept along the darkened corridor, following behind Tab, listening to the sound of muted conversation and an occasional barrage of bullets. They inched closer and closer to the area where Magnus held his hostages. He shot off another round and Hadley flinched. Such a dangerous location for gunfire. Too many flammable chemicals and metal surfaces for ricochet.

Hadley got up close to the door and pressed her ear to the smooth surface. Another volley sounded, five rounds—the same number of hostages Magnus had—followed by the pop and hiss of a pipe bursting. She shot Tab a worried glance, but kept her ear to the hatch.

Tab slid closer and she held up a hand.

Magnus swore. "Well, god dammit. That sure is a lot of blood." His muffled voice rose.  "Guess I won't be coming out with a hostage after all."

Hadley signaled the news to Tab. He nodded and jerked his head toward the door. Hadley moved her hand to the release and pushed it inward. The heavy steel scraped along the metal decking and sparks flew. A sharp hiss and a burst of ignition and Hadley's reflexes kicked in. She yanked hard on the door, pulling it shut, and took off at a rapid pace.

She shouted. "Fire! Run!"

Tab fell into step and sprinted beside her. The deck rumbled underneath their feet.

Tab glanced over his shoulder. "Get down!"

The door burst and he shoved Hadley out of the way, taking the brunt of the explosive impact. Hadley slammed to a halt, doubled over against the bulkhead. Her eyes stung and watered, noxious fumes filling her lungs. She blinked through the flow of tears and couldn’t find Tab.

She shouted his name. "Tab!" Flaming debris rained down around her and she scrabbled to her feet.

Another explosion rocked the corridor and she dropped to her knees, crawling forward, searching frantically for her partner. Her throat burned, but she wouldn't leave him behind. Reaching out, she swept her hands back and forth, careful to avoid the visible hot spots. Smoke filled the corridor and she coughed, struggling to find Tab. Her fingers brushed over a tuft of hair and relief filled her. Scrambling forward, she shoved what remained of the hatch off Tab and felt for a pulse. Weak and thready, but there. She grabbed hold of his tactical vest and dragged him out from under the rubble. Hauling him forward, she made slow progress, tugging him along behind her. Another few meters and she'd have him to safety. The emergency response team could put the fire out and get Tab to sickbay.

Reaching the all clear zone, she collapsed, but pulled Tab close. He didn't regain consciousness and her heart kicked against her ribs. He couldn't die on her. Not now. They had too much to do together.

Together.

Her hands fisted in his vest. "Dammit, Tab. We've got a lot of shit to do. You'd better stick around for it." She breathed out a watery sigh and let the tears flow unchecked.

Hadley just got an inkling of how much Tab means to her. Thankfully, she'll have a little time to figure out what to do next.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Excelling Anger

July 20, 2014

Do any of my readers watch Defiance? I'm totally loving the new season. The tagline of Tick, Tick, Tick seems to fit the way the episodes have been going. I'm looking forward to when everything blows up and comes to a head.

Dominion and The Last Ship are also on my must view schedule. I kind of like finding new shows in the summer to sink my teeth into. I'm also rewatching the original La Femme Nikita series from the 90s. I love that show! Oh, and Peacekeeper Wars! So much good TV right now.

Tonight's post is from Excelling Anger, a novella where my main characters have a knack for getting mad first and figuring out what they need to do later.

Here's the tagline:

Fallon and Rook are pilots who excel at many things, but they've turned being angry with each into a fine art. When they have to confront their issues, they rediscover how working together can have excellent results.

And a sneaky peek…

Dreamboat propped her shoulders against the bulkhead. "Did you hear about Rook's little set down with the captain? Directly before he got booted from command deck?"

Fallon shrugged. "I heard they had words, but nothing else. Why?" She didn't really want to talk about Rook.

Marcie made a sound of disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Are you seriously going to tell me you have no idea what went down?" Her voice rose and her eyes flashed.

Fallon frowned. "I'm saying I don't know what happened. I'm not exactly keeping track of how many people Rook pisses off." She pushed away from the bulkhead and started down the corridor.

Marcie called out. "Except yourself, right? The guy can't breathe without pissing you off."

Fallon paused and glanced over her shoulder. "It's a mutual kind of thing, Marce. Either say what you have to say, or leave me alone."

Marcie marched over and got in Fallon's face. "You know, you two have to be the single most stubborn people in the universe. You're so damned good at everything… but excelling at anger?" She waved a hand back and forth. "You two take top prize. Being pissed off at each other all the time is wasted energy." She leaned in closer. "And you're both stupid. You excel at that, too."

Fallon quirked a brow. "Geez, thanks, Marce." She narrowed her eyes. "What's got you all bent about this? Rook and I eventually work our shit out."

Marcie growled. "He's been removed from command because he backed you up." She jabbed a finger in Fallon's shoulder. "Get your ass out there and do something."

Fallon's eyes widened. "He backed me up? He told me to cut the crap and quit bitching about Gamner's order." When had he changed his mind?

Marcie rolled her eyes. "And you stormed out, right? He listened to the comm log and came to the same conclusion you did."

Fallon huffed out a breath. "That we'd be heading into an ambush." She shook her head. "Why didn't he stop the mission?"

Marcie made a garbled choking sound. "What the hell do you think he was trying to do when Troyer kicked him out of command? Good God, Fallon. He's in the briefing room with Gamner right this moment trying to convince him to launch an entire squadron instead of a single SAR bird." Marcie threw her hands up. "And you're sulking around like a wounded animal. March yourself into the briefing room and back Rook up."

Fallon had already headed in the direction. "Thanks, Marce. I owe you one." She didn't catch Marcie's reply, double-timing it down to the next junction and taking a left.

Rook might not welcome her intrusion, but if nothing else, she could verify the lack of data in the transmission.

And she could do it respectfully… even if it killed her.

The bickering is almost as much fun to write as them working out the solution to their issues. J

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Everyone Has a Skill

July 13, 2014

Greetings!

Whew. I'm coming off a really long week but I did have time to watch Defiance and Dominion. And if all goes well, I'll be watching The Last Ship tonight.

Tonight's post is from a bonus short, Everyone Has a Skill, and features Lita and Ollie from All Jacked Up.

Here's the tagline:

A bonus scene where our heroes are trapped behind enemy lines and only one paid good attention during survival training. The other had more fun memorizing the armory's weapon selection.

And a sneaky peek…

Lita woke up to find Ollie digging in the dirt. "What the hell, Ollie? We're not getting into trench warfare here." She sat up, stretching out the kinks from slumber. "We're waiting on a safe way to hitch a ride out of this hellhole."

Ollie nodded. "Right… and who knows when that might be?" He scooped more dirt out onto the large pile.

Lita yawned. "So, what? You're digging our graves, then?"

Ollie snorted. "No, Lita. I'm digging for ginsa root. It's out of season, but if get down deep enough, I'll find some." He glanced up. "I know it."

Lita frowned. "Ginsa root? It's edible, I take it?"

Ollie shot her a withering look. "Did you sleep through survival training?" He dug out another shovelful.

Lita shook her head. "No, I just didn't pay attention to the eating twigs and bark part. Never thought I'd have to worry about it." She moved closer, trying to see the root Ollie wanted her to consume.

Ollie huffed out a breath. "Good thing I listened, isn't it?"

Lita smirked. "I'll bet you took notes, too."

Ollie rolled his eyes and didn't comment.

Lita laughed and rifled through her pack for something to dig with. "Hey, everyone's got a skill… and yours might just save our lives."

Looking forward to seeing how this one ends up concluding. J

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Every Last Drop

Hi!

I hope everyone who celebrates the 4^th had a safe and happy one filled with lots of fireworks!

Some great TV even with the holiday week. Defiance keeps getting better… and darker, which I love bunches. Dominion also keeps me coming back. I'm not quite sure I have everything down but I like to be kept guessing. Forgot to mention The Last Ship… loving it. I have a thing for shows with ships and combine it with a mutated virus, I'm totally there.

Tonight's post is from Every Last Drop, a bonus short story tying in with Unlawful Acts.

Here's the tagline:

A bonus scene where the last cup of coffee can make or break someone's day… depending on who gets to it first.

And a sneaky peek…

Jonah grabbed the last cup of coffee from the dispenser and the galley crew came in to clean up the huge vat. The process would take at least half an hour. Jonah's lips twitched when he heard crashing footfalls outside the mess hall.

Effy came dashing through the open door and skidded to a halt, a low growl coming from her. "Dammit!" Her gaze shifted to Jonah, narrowing. "You moron. You took the last cup, didn't you?"

Jonah's eyes widened. "Wasn't me. I've been here at least fifteen minutes." He took a long swallow of the bracing liquid.

Effy snorted. "Really? The steam wafting off that giant mug says otherwise." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Busted, Jonah shrugged. "Maybe you should get your ass out of your rack a little earlier." He moved forward, stopping beside her. "Briefing's in fifteen." He took another swallow, but didn't turn to leave.

Effy smirked. "Speaking of. Did you figure out who to put Piney with yet?" Her hand reached out and snagged the mug from Jonah.

He didn't object. Effy took a large gulp, closing her eyes in bliss when the caffeine-infused wake up jolt slid down her throat.

Jonah shook his head. "Not yet. But I'm sure you'll tell me who it should be." He took the mug from her hands and barely got a sip before she launched into a list of prospects. She laid her hand on his forearm. "But, yeah, don't stick him with me. The guy never shuts up." She took the opportunity to grab the cup from his hands when he shook his head.

He quirked a brow. "Meaning you can't get a word in edgewise and that pisses you off." Effy rolled her eyes and downed the contents of the cup. "No, but it sure makes for a long four hours in the back of a stakeout van." She set the cup on the table for the galley crew to retrieve.

She walked past Jonah, bumping her shoulder against his, the only thanks she'd provide. He chuckled and fell into step beside her.

After turning the corner to a quieter corridor, Effy leaned in, keeping her voice low. "You know, if you didn't keep me up half the night doing wicked, wonderful things in my rack, I might roll out of bed a little earlier." Her hand smacked him on the ass and she ducked into the head, no doubt to splash cold water on her face.

A single, shared cup of coffee wouldn't be enough to totally get her in top condition.

And he had kept her up until the wee hours of the morning.

Effy and Jonah are a fun couple to write and this bonus short is coming along very nicely. Should be available as a free download after the release of Unlawful Acts.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

ML Skye

A Gift from the Stars—The SFR Brigade Presents: Dress for Dinner #sfrbp

Welcome to the Science Fiction Romance Brigade Presents, a weekly sneak peek sampler hosted by the SFR Brigade.

Readers: enjoy brief glimpses of currently available, soon to be released books, or works in progress. Authors are sharing short excerpts for your enjoyment. Please have fun and spread the joy.

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This week's post is from Dress for Dinner, book three of the Top Dog Pilot series coming in August from my personal imprint, Starry Sky Press. Today, I'm sharing a glimpse of where Cutter and Maggie are in their relationship.

Series Tagline: Two top pilots, Max Cutter and Maggie Harper, like to mix a little personal with their professional life.

Book Tagline: A formal dinner with an admiral challenges Cutter's ability to play nice.

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Major Maggie Harper zipped up her rucksack and placed it next to Max Cutter's beside their front door. After a six week furlough, they were headed back to the Pathos and its commanding officer, Drake Essex.

Two years with the same CO, one she respected, had done wonders to temper her penchant for requesting transfers. Or maybe the two plus years with Cutter had settled her down. Either way, Maggie looked forward to getting back out in the black.

She checked the time. Still early yet. Cutter had the shower running… maybe she'd join him. Peeling off her shirt, she hit the steps at a run and ducked into the bathroom. Shimmied out of her shorts and panties and quietly popped the shower door open.

Cutter stood with this forehead against the wall, water sluicing over his skin. He still made Maggie hot. The planes and angles of his muscles, the way his skin glistened under the steaming spray. She eased up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, sliding her hands up to his chest. Cutter grabbed one and brought it to his lips, grazing her knuckles.

"Wondered if you'd join me."

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Blurb: Max and Maggie are training up and coming pilots and life is great. But when Maggie's uncle, a retired admiral, brings his new and much younger bride, to the ship for their honeymoon, Maggie takes one look at the woman and sees disaster. An emergency makes her miss the full dress dinner, leaving Max alone to deal with the hot simpering mess.

Coming in August 2014

Please visit my website

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Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

Celebrate Your Freedom to Live, Love, & Read—Freedom Hop

Let freedom ring!

Welcome to the Freedom Hop, a great sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

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How wonderful is it to have the independence to choose how we live our lives, who we love, and what we read?

I'm lucky enough to have always had the choice and I've used my liberty to do what I love… write about hot romances between men and women, edit for authors who write about all kinds of love—from best friends who become lovers to same sex couples and relationships that include multiple partners, and read all of the above with voracious abandon.

When writing as ML Skye, I tend to focus on science fiction or speculative romance, many times using a military theme or setting. There's something fascinating about rank and structure and trying to have a relationship in the midst of rules and regulations or while being under attack. Being able to imagine what a future might look like is something I enjoy on so many levels.

One of my first releases, Midwinter Crises, the first book in the Capital City Season series, combines the civilian world with an elite tactical unit when a top negotiator, Ben Murphy, has to save the day while facing his biggest failure, the end of his relationship with sharpshooter, Jessa Muldoon, during a tense standoff with an angry man who wants to blow the city's power grid. As the first book in the Capital City Seasons series, I wanted to create something of an adrenaline thrill ride where the characters race against a ticking clock and can't really help but reflect upon their own shortcomings to achieve a good outcome.

Murph and Jess don't have a lot of time for pondering, but the situation gives them the opportunity to condense their issues down to an encapsulated nutshell, giving each some much needed clarity.

The book was so much fun to write and I'm giving a digital copy away for this blog hop. Please leave a comment for your entry and tell me how you celebrate your freedom to live, love and read.

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Book Tagline: When a madman wants to blow up the city during the Midwinter holiday, it's just another day on the job for Ben and Jess.

Series Tagline: High stakes adrenaline and hot romance are an explosive combination.

~*~

Murph didn't bat an eye when they pulled into the parking lot, full of both road and sky bikes. His step never faltered when Jessa pulled open the door and breezed into one of the skankiest dives in the city—hell, probably on the entire planet. He did raise a brow when Jess crawled over the bar to plant a big, sloppy kiss on the barkeep's cheek.

She'd tell him later the big, burly man named Dinky was like a second dad.

Murph impressed her again when he seamlessly blended in, adapted to the ambience of the place and ordered a pint. He held the mug comfortably with one hand while she ordered the same.

It was a perfect opening move on his part.

If he'd requested anything more potent, like a bottle of something harder and a shot glass, she'd have written him off as a waste of time. Anyone who needed strong spirits to have a good time in a dive didn't bear thinking about.

The food wasn't great, but it was edible. And Ben held up his end, in both conversation and attitude, before, during, and after they ate their meal.

At her nod of agreement he signaled Dinky for another round and leaned back in his chair. "So, did I pass?"

Jess sputtered, the last dregs of her ale going down hard. Then she laughed. She truly liked the guy.

He completely busted her on the location. "Oh, yeah. I'd say you more than passed." She picked up her newly delivered brew and rose from her seat. "Are you as good at throwing darts as you are everything else?"

Murph grinned and stood. "Why don't we find out?" He snagged his mug off the table and led the way.

Available on Amazon

Leave a comment to be entered to win a digital copy!

Let me know what freedoms you enjoy and please include an email address.

(Drawing to occur on July 7, 2014)

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Blurb: Mixing the holidays with a guy who wants to blow up the city is just another day on the job for Ben Murphy and Jessa Muldoon.

Capital City teems with tourists, shoppers, and anyone else who can cram their way into the limits for the Midwinter celebration. The entire holiday will go to hell in a hand basket if Ben can't negotiate a peaceful resolution with the man holding the city hostage. If he fails, sharpshooter Jess will step in and take the guy out.

Not exactly the post-breakup reunion scenario Ben has in mind for seeing Jess… but he'll take it. He let work split them up once, now it has a chance to bring them together. Ben will take the opportunity and run with it.

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Please stop by my website 

Celebrate with more fireworks! Visit the other participating authors.

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Surviving the Trap #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.

To celebrate my most recent release, Surviving the Trap, book one of the Top Dog Pilots series, I'll be posting a series of pivotal scenes over the next couple of weeks. Please enjoy!

Today's post features an interesting interaction between Cutter and Maggie.

Book Tagline: A week of hell pushes Maggie into risking her friendship with Max by sleeping with him.

Series Tagline: Two top pilots, Max Cutter and Maggie Harper, like to mix a little personal with their professional life.

~*~

Max tried to play catch-up. By the second day of madness, he'd learned real, honest rest would not be an option and trained his body to go on half-alert when not in the cockpit, sort of like being on standby. He figured it the only way he could catch some sleep. Maggie had effectively interrupted his schedule of a catnap and bracing shower followed by hauling ass back to the hangar deck to run pre-flight checks. The routine played like a mantra in his head. Nap, shower, checks.

So, right. Running a little behind here. Max didn't know what Maggie wanted, but she seemed determined to drag him as far away from the ready room as possible. "Maggie, where are we going?" And how the hell did she even have the energy to walk right now. She almost crackled with vigor.

Maggie slowed down, but didn't let go of his arm. "Cutter, just shut up and come with me." Without another word, she rounded the next corner to duck through an open hatch, quickly pulling Max in behind her.

He stumbled a bit, barely clearing the raised threshold before she dogged the hatch. They were in an empty causeway. One used if a fire broke out on the ship. It was supposed to remain empty unless the fire signal had been activated. Clearly, the lack of sleep had Maggie unhinged.

Reaching to undo the hatch, he muttered. "You know we can't be here, Mags." Next thing he knew, Maggie had him backed up against the bulkhead, her lips sucking on his neck sending him into a state of shocked arousal. "What the hell?" He shook his head, wondering if he'd maybe fallen asleep somewhere back on the flight deck. "Mags?"

Available on Amazon

More e-retailers coming soon!

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Series Blurb: Two ace pilots at the top of their game, Max 'Ripper' Cutter and Maggie 'Magpie' Harper traverse space and navigate a relationship at the same time. Follow their adventures through Hell Week, an unexpected tragedy, and a nightmare dinner party with steamy results.

Book Blurb: One week of extreme training, two top guns, and a healthy dose of unresolved sexual tension equals two pilots pushed to their limits, looking for a way to get through the hellish experience and possibly into each other's arms.

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Please stop by my website

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