Feast Your Mind on Science Fiction Romance—The SFR Brigade Presents: Summer Cafe #sfrbp

Welcome to the Summer Cafe presented by the SFR Brigade.

Our theme this year is like a seven course meal, something for anyone whether you like the appetizers best or prefer to start with dessert. Whatever you're hungry for, the Brigade has a treat for you.

Readers: Get ready for some tasty morsels in the form of wonderful excerpts from talented authors. We've also got prizes, enough to fill a space port's food court.

Authors: Sprinkle some space dust on your best work and serve it up to the galaxy. This is the supernova hot portion of our dinner, so steamy stories are in the mix here.

~*~

A Little about ML Skye

My fascination with science fiction and life among the stars started at an early age, watching reruns of Star Trek with my dad when he got home from work. The romance came later, thanks to my mom and her wild, wacky reading group. The gaggle of women kept me supplied with romances throughout junior high and high school and I'll be forever thankful to each and every one of those ladies.

When the writing bug bit down hard and wouldn't let go, I found a natural drift toward romance mixed with science fiction. I enjoy reading about love under or out among the stars, why not write about it? After taking the plunge, I haven't looked back and I love to throw in some different themes, what life on a different planet or in the future might be like, or how humans formed a colony somewhere else, but still have many of the same traditions and responsibilities of their ancestors.

My current titles all have a tie-in with deep space, the home of millions of stars. Whether it's the last known station at the end of the universe, a first year celebration in a city on another planet, pilots flying together on a space cruiser, or a couple who are separated by an entire galaxy, the recipe for love and disaster are in equal portions.

For my newest release, Dress for Dinner, book three of the Top Dog Pilots series, Max Cutter and Maggie Harper are in a great place after getting through hell week in Surviving the Trap and dealing with a huge change brought on by tragedy in Bucking Convention. However… the recipe for keeping their relationship a happy one is tested by a big secret Maggie is forced to share followed by a whole buffet of sour grapes during a dinner party from hell.

Here's an excerpt:

Once everyone got seated for dinner, Cutter almost broke his promise to be nothing but well-mannered and affable. Not five minutes into the first course, after draining a glass of wine, Celine planted her stocking-clad foot in his lap. Even with Maggie's warning, the action took him by surprise. He swallowed the bisque too quickly and sputtered when it went down wrong. Reaching for his water glass, he used the motion to cover a fast but firm removal of the offending appendage.

Celine didn't take the hint. Oh no. The second course arrived and she upped the stakes.

Lifting her goblet, she nodded. "Major, another glass, please." She held his gaze.

Cutter leaned forward and poured, his eyes narrowing when she sent a wink in his direction.

Her foot found its way back to his lap, this time resting snugly against his cock with just enough pressure to show she meant business. If he tried the previous maneuver to get rid of her, it would cost him. Possibly a future generation.

She raised her glass and smirked.

Fine. He'd ignore the blatant seduction she obviously thought she'd accomplish. Gut instinct told him she wanted to get back at Maggie. Yeah, not gonna happen. He managed to carry on a decent conversation with Essex and the admiral, until Celine asked for her third refill of the table red.

Cutter frowned, but poured. "There you are, Mrs. Rockwell Harper." He settled back and picked up his fork.

Celine gave him a catlike smile. "Thank you, Major." Her toes moved nimbly over his crotch.

Max dropped his utensil and made a garbled choking sound. Essex shot him a warning glance and Cutter shifted a little under the scrutiny. He couldn't exactly blurt out the admiral's wife had a target lock on his dick and tried her hardest to make him go off. Glaring in Celine's direction, he moved his ass as far back in the seat as possible.

Available on Amazon ~ $1.99

~*~

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

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.

~*~

Contest Giveaway!

Now for the really fun part of the blog hop—lots of prizes!

The SFR Brigade is offering a galactic giveaway.

Details below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~

Author Giveaway!

I'll be offering three lucky participants the first two titles in the Top Dog Pilots Series.

Please leave a comment with your favorite recipe for a good book.

A tall glass of iced tea, a shady umbrella, and a hot story?

A fruity cocktail, sandy beach, and steamy romance?

Let me know what you love for your summer reading pleasure.

SURVIVING THE TRAP

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

Available on Amazon ~ $1.49

Take one week of extreme training, stir in two top guns, and mix up a healthy dose of unresolved sexual tension and discover two pilots pushed to their limits, looking for a way to get through the hellish experience and possibly into each other's arms.

BUCKING CONVENTION

A tragic loss puts Cutter on the edge and it's up to Maggie to pull him back.

Available on Amazon ~ $2.99

Max and Maggie survive Hell Week and start a relationship that works. Tragedy strikes Max's wingman and when Maggie shows up as the replacement, she discovers a very different Max. Not a good thing when he lives to fly… and can't.

Buy link

~*~

Please take a look at the other awesome entries on the blog tour and stuff yourself with great reads.

Thank you for reading!

Please visit my website for more information.

A Gift from the Stars—The SFR Brigade Showcase: Boyfriend's Brother #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.

~*~

Since my birthday falls on the first day of the showcase, I'm sharing a bit from my release, Boyfriend's Brother. I have a soft spot for this manuscript. J Jason and Chloe face some hard truths about themselves.

Book Tagline: Chloe mixes a potential marriage proposal, a close call, and her boyfriend's hot brother—a heady combination or dangerous concoction.

~*~

He cleared his throat. "So… married." He turned toward her, shifting his position so he lay mainly on his side. "It's a big step." He'd figure out a way to be happy for his little brother if he did propose to Chloe.

He'd be happy for her, too.

Chloe kept her gaze on Jason a moment longer, then nodded. "Tell me about it."

They'd talked once, briefly, about relationships. Chloe never thought anyone would want her 'forever'. Didn't think she'd ever be worthy.

She worried her lower lip between her teeth. "I'm scared."

She looked terrified.

Jason's eyes grew wide. "Of Marc?" She couldn't be scared of his brother—the guy worshipped her.

Chloe shook her head back and forth. "Of myself… of screwing it up…" She sighed deeply. "I don't know if I can do forever. Hell, I'm still attracted to other guys." She swung a sultry gaze toward him.

Jason didn't know what to say… so he said nothing.

Chloe moved forward until an inch separated her face from his. "I'm attracted to you." Her eyes were intent on his.

And there he had it… out in the open.

The air became charged.

~*~

Blurb: Chloe Timmons and Jason McIvey are each at a crossroads.

On what may be her last weekend as 'just a girlfriend', Chloe quells her restlessness by hitting the town and runs into her boyfriend's brother, Jason, a fellow pilot in the area for an air show. A barroom brawl brings them together.

Chloe thinks her boyfriend Marc may propose, and she's not sure she's ready for marriage. Jason McIvey has to decide if he's staying in the military or going civilian. When Chloe and Jason spend the night together, it doesn't make either decision easier.

Available on Amazon

Please visit my website

~*~

Thank you for reading!

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

A Gift from the Stars—The SFR Brigade Showcase: Lover's Day #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.

~*~

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I'm sharing my upcoming themed release, Lover's Day, coming February 13 from Fireborn Publishing.

Book Tagline: On Lover's Day, an exchange of favors puts Maxie and Nate back on the right track.

~*~

Nate Northampton couldn't believe his rotten luck. His four on a quad had been trumped by Maxie Yearn's full ride. He pulled the most incredible hand he'd had in years and his best friend, otherwise known as the new bane of his existence, topped it.

Seriously, how did she do it?

Maxie had a nasty habit of always ending his hot streaks. Until she'd entered the game, he'd been up over everyone. At least he'd achieved his main goal of letting off steam. And then some. The fact that Maxie now had every last bit of his bounty couldn't take his accomplishment away.

He watched her scoop up her winnings, accept a round of congratulations, and down a freshly poured shot. Nate decided to take his leave before she started crowing about coming out on top. With as much as they'd had to drink, the innuendo wouldn't stop if it got started. And sexy banter could take them places they didn't need to go.

They didn't have Martin—has it really been almost a year since we lost him—to keep them on the straight and narrow anymore.

He'd learned his lesson a long time ago. Never get started with Maxie if Martin didn't have his back. Too bad Nate hadn't remembered the other important bit—never, ever bet against Bombshell… no matter how great the cards in his hand.

The woman had more good fortune at wagers than anyone he'd ever met. Whatever looked out for her in the universe did a damn fine job. Nate almost wished she didn't have a butt load of skill to back up the rest.

He'd almost escaped to the hatch when Maxie cleared her throat to get his attention. "Hey Slapshot… you still have to pay up."

~*~

Blurb: Nate Northampton and Maxie Yearns are pilots on the Apus and have been dealing with the loss of their best friend, Martin Comico, who died in a crash due to a technical flaw. After Martin's death, the dynamic changes between Nate and Maxie. Nate pulls back, a little lost without Martin to act as a sounding board. Maxie notices the distance and feels like she's lost two friends instead of one.

Maxie becomes a woman on a mission. She wants things with Nate to go back to normal—and beyond—but without Martin to act as their buffer, she's not sure how to proceed. With Lover's Day fast approaching, and a lucky draw at the card table, Maxie has just the plan to test the waters with Nate.

Nate struggles with the new signals Maxie throws his way, but he goes with the flow, something Martin always recommended. Nate can't go wrong if he heeds his friend's advice and the reward may see his wildest dream become reality.

Arriving February 13 2015

Please visit my website 

~*~

Thank you for reading!

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

A Gift from the Stars—The SFR Brigade Showcase: Midwinter Crises #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.

~*~

Since the holiday season is upon us, I'm revisiting my themed release, Midwinter Crises. Holiday traditions play a big role in our house throughout the season and my post this month reflects how they play a part in Murph and Jess's story.

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

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.

~*~

Midwinter.

Ben had actually put the holiday out of his mind. He had a ticket to a sunny spot in another nation tucked away in his desk. He had zero intention of being in Capital City for the festivities.

Last year would be hard to top.

After a leisurely dinner with his father on Midwinter's Eve, he and Jess went home and opened presents. Nothing extravagant, but a few nice things. An antique wooden box for Jess's collection, a first edition book for him and a gorgeous carpet they'd picked out together for in front of the fireplace.

He cleared away the wrapping paper debris and Jess lowered the lights, lit the fire. He relaxed on the sofa, feet propped on an oversized ottoman while Jess excused herself 'for just a moment'.

She didn't take long to return.

"You still have one last gift to open." Her voice had gone all husky and soft.

He looked up and almost swallowed his tongue. God, she was beautiful. She walked to stand in front of the fire, wearing a gorgeous red and white confection that skimmed her thighs and hugged her curves. Jess rarely wore lingerie and he found it a treat to see her in it when she did. She'd capped off her holiday themed gift with a silky, gold bow loosely tied around her throat.

She beckoned him over, lifted his hand and placed it on the ribbon's tail. He gave it a gentle tug and the silky materiel unwound to cascade down to the floor. She stepped into his kiss and they melted against each other, her hands slowly peeling off his layers of clothing. She knelt on the new, plush area rug and tugged him down in front of her. Her lips traveled over his body and by the time they made love in front of the fire, she hadn't missed an inch.

~*~

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.

Seeing each other in a tense situation six months after breaking up is not.

Available at Amazon

Please visit my website

~*~

Thank you for reading!

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

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

Welcome to the Science Fiction Romance Brigade Showcase, a monthly 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.

~*~

I had to take a rather long hiatus from posting with the Brigade. Work commitments sadly took priority. But I'm thankfully back and eager to participate in the wonderful treat for readers.

This week's post is actually a reposting from Dress for Dinner, book three of the Top Dog Pilot series that I wanted to have ready in August from my personal imprint, Starry Sky Press. The pesky need for an outside job made it impossible for me to reach my goal. But… if all goes well, the manuscript will be released in the near future. YAY!

Today, I'm re-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.

~*~

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."

~*~

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 Soon!

Please visit my website

~*~

Thank you for reading!

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

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.

~*~

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.

~*~

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."

~*~

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

~*~

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

Romance on a Starry Night—The SFR Brigade Presents: Midsummer Blog Hop #sfrbp

Welcome to the Midsummer Blog Hop presented by the SFR Brigade.

Our theme this year is Starry Nights which brings to mind romance under—or out among—the stars. It might also include a love bigger than the cosmos.

Readers: Get ready for some wonderful excerpts from a spaceport's load of authors. We've also got prizes, enough to fill a space port.

Authors: Sprinkle some space dust on your best work and launch it into the galaxy.

~*~

A Little about ML Skye

My fascination with science fiction and life among the stars started at an early age, watching reruns of Star Trek with my dad when he got home from work. The romance came later, thanks to my mom and her wild, wacky reading group. The gaggle of women kept me supplied with romances throughout junior high and high school and I'll be forever thankful to each and every one of those ladies.

When the writing bug bit down hard and wouldn't let go, I found a natural drift toward romance with science fiction elements. I enjoy reading about love under or out among the stars, why not write about it? After taking the plunge, I haven't looked back and I love to throw in some different themes, what life on a different planet or in the future might be like, or how humans formed a colony somewhere else, but still have many of the same traditions and responsibilities of their ancestors.

My current titles all have a tie-in with deep space, the home of millions of stars. Whether it's the last known station at the end of the universe, a first year celebration in a city on another planet, pilots flying together on a space cruiser, or a couple who are separated by an entire galaxy, those shining orbs play a role in the story.

For my most recent release, Surviving the Trap, book one of the Top Dog Pilots series, Max Cutter and Maggie Harper are put through a grueling week of hell and it leads the duo down a road neither thought they'd travel. Their journey ended up being loads of fun to write.

Here's an excerpt:

Groggily, Max glanced at the clock wondering why Maggie didn't just look for herself. "Twenty-two minutes." Yawning, he sat up, blinking and trying to focus. "Why?" Something seemed off with her, but he couldn't pin it down, so damned tired his brain rebelled against anything taxing.

Maggie grabbed his arm, tugging him out of his seat. "Come on." She led him out of the ready room, not giving him time to ask questions. Questions she wouldn't answer anyway if she didn't want to. "Come with me." Not letting go, she made her way down the corridor and across a passageway.

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
(Other e-retailers coming soon)

~*~

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

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.

~*~

Contest Giveaway!

Now for the really fun part of the blog hop—lots of prizes! The SFR Brigade is offering a galactic giveaway.

Details below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1st

$100 Amazon or B&N gift card plus 41 ebooks - Tales from the SFR Brigade, Heart of Stone, Her Cyborg Awakes, Anja's Star, Silver Strife, Corwint Series 4 Book Gift Pack, Earth's Requiem, Alien Blood, Starwoman's Sanctuary, one book from Jessica E Subject's SFR backlist (ONE ebook title out of the following: Alien Adoration, Alien Admirer, Alien Lover, An Unexpected Return, Another Night Another Planet, Celestial Seduction, Crash Landing, Hey Santa, His Alien Virgin, Made For Her, Never Gonna Let You Go, Never Gonna Desert You, Never Gonna Say Goodbye, Satin Sheets in Space, Sudden Breakaway, or Unknown Futures), LodeStar Series Books 1-3 (Stark Pleasure, Creed of Pleasure and Captive of Pleasure), Reunion trilogy, Terms & Conditions Apply, Wreck of the Nebula Dream, Starheart, Kuralon Rescue, A Matter of Trust, Earth's Blood, Roman's Gold, Wolf Born, The Marann, Nightfall, Unrequited, Butterman Time Travel Inc., Legend Beyond the Stars, Hathor's Legacy: Outcast, Removed, Midwinter Crisis, Shlyer: Finding Home, Boyfriend's Brother, Surviving the Trap, Captive, Tower in the Woods, Catching Red. (41 books)

2nd

$50 Amazon or B&N gift card plus 28 ebooks - Tales from the SFR Brigade, Heart of Stone, Her Cyborg Awakes, Anja's Star, Silver Strife, Corwint Series 4 Book Gift Pack, Earth's Requiem, Alien Blood, Starwoman's Sanctuary, Tangled In Time, Terms & Conditions Apply, Escape from Zulaire, Lana's Comet, Heart's Bounty, Glad Hands, Nikolai, The Trial of Tompa Lee, The Tribulations of Tompa Lee, The Midas Rush, Prime Obsession, Daughters of Suralia, Morning Star, Hey Santa, Tower in the Woods, Catching Red. (28 books)

3rd

3 separate winners each receive $25 Amazon or B&N gift card plus 11 ebooks - Tales from the SFR Brigade, Heart of Stone, Her Cyborg Awakes, Anja's Star, Corwint Series 4 Book Gift Pack, Hey Santa, Tower in the Woods, Catching Red. (11 books each)

If the winner cannot accept gift cards or the digital files, another winner will be chosen. Thank you for understanding!

~*~

I'll be offering four lucky commenters their choice of my current titles.

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.

Available on Amazon

Inspector Shyler Lumen always gets her man—even if she has to go through Marshton Grey to do it.

Available on Amazon

Chloe Timmons mixes a potential marriage proposal, a close call, and her boyfriend's hot brother. She can walk away… but she may lose everything.

Available on Amazon

Or…

Surviving the Trap

Just leave a comment with your favorite starry night scenario to be entered.

~*~

Please take a look at the other awesome entries on the blog tour and spread a little stardust and love.

Thank you for reading!

Please visit my website for more information.

A Gift from the Stars—The SFR Brigade Presents: Bucking Convention #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.

~*~

This week's post is from Bucking Convention, book two of the Top Dog Pilot series coming in August from my personal imprint, Starry Sky Press. Today, I'm sharing a glimpse of how well Cutter knows Maggie.

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

Book Tagline: A tragic loss puts Cutter on the edge and it's up to Maggie to pull him back.

~*~

He knew her well.

Maggie stood quietly, feeling the room sway a bit. Stars above, she had kinks on top of kinks. As much as she wanted to stretch them out, she'd wait until the scalding blast of water could work on them first.

Biting back a groan, she turned to exit quarters. "I'd ask you to join me… but something tells me Top Hat is already hogging the hot water."

Max grinned. "Some other time then." He followed her to the hatch and pushed it open. "I'll look forward to it." When his voice dropped to low tones, it always sent delicious little shivers down her spine.

Maggie turned her head and bussed his lips. "Me too." She stepped over the threshold but stopped. "Any chance you can have something hot and stiff ready for me when I get back? And I'm not talking body parts… although that'll be nice, too."

Technically against regs to keep alcohol in their quarters, most of the pilots had a stash somewhere. There were times when hitting the rec room just didn't appeal. And the pilots policed themselves. If anyone developed a problem, it would be handled. Quickly and efficiently.

Max leaned down and pounded on the small section underneath his duty locker. The panel popped free. He reached inside the access area and pulled out a tray holding fixings for her requested drink. "Count on it." He leaned out the door and gave her a thorough kiss.

The man might be too damn good to her.

With more bounce in her step than before, Maggie made her way to the head.

~*~

Blurb: Max and Maggie survive Hell Week and start a relationship that works. Tragedy strikes Cutter's wingman and when Maggie shows up as the replacement, she discovers a very different Max. Not a good thing when he lives to fly… and can't.

Maggie wants to support Max and help get him back on an even keel, but living and working with him tests her patience and mettle. It's so much easier to handle two tons of space craft than a surly man.

Coming in August 2014

Please visit my website 

~*~

Thank you for reading!

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

A Gift from the Stars—The SFR Brigade Presents: Bucking Convention #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.

~*~

This week's post is from Bucking Convention, book two of the Top Dog Pilot series coming in August from my personal imprint, Starry Sky Press. Today, I'm sharing a glimpse of why Cutter needs Maggie.

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

Book Tagline: A tragic loss puts Cutter on the edge and it's up to Maggie to pull him back.

~*~

The dream came again.

No different than the last three nights.

Captain Max Cutter struggled to pull himself out of the nightmare. Didn't want to be trapped inside it, watching his wingman's ship collide with an asteroid, exploding on impact.

There hadn't been time for Ray 'Snark' Kiwolski to eject. The accident happened that fast. The huge space rock hit at exactly the right spot on Snark's ship. One moment they argued about who had more skills in the gym and the next—BOOM—game over.

The explosion sent Max's bird into a tailspin and he had to quickly deal with the recoil or suffer the same fate. Pure instinct got him out of it because Max couldn't tear his eyes away from the carnage of the other ship. He'd give just about anything to have been able to do so.

Because he couldn't seem to escape the vision.

He saw it again and again. Relived the loss over and over, waking up in a cold sweat, the shock and trauma all but strangling him as he fought to breathe.

It had been the worst thing he'd ever seen. The explosion had been bad enough, but the aftermath? So much worse. Snark might not have been able to eject on his own, but the impact took care of that. And Max had to confirm what they'd all known.

His wingman had lost his life.

~*~

Blurb: Max and Maggie survive Hell Week and start a relationship that works. Tragedy strikes Cutter's wingman and when Maggie shows up as the replacement, she discovers a very different Max. Not a good thing when he lives to fly… and can't.

Maggie wants to support Max and help get him back on an even keel, but living and working with him tests her patience and mettle. It's so much easier to handle two tons of space craft than a surly man.

Coming in August 2014

Please visit my website 

~*~

Thank you for reading!

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

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A Gift from the Stars—The SFR Brigade Presents: Bucking Convention #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 Bucking Convention, book two of the Top Dog Pilot series coming in August from my personal imprint, Starry Sky Press. Today, I'm sharing a glimpse of how Maggie ends up becoming Cutter's wingman.

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

Book Tagline: A tragic loss puts Cutter on the edge and it's up to Maggie to pull him back.

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Captain Maggie Harper blew out a deep breath, flipping the folder in her lap closed. She didn't want to read any more details about the explosion that took the life of a fellow pilot. One she happened to be en route to replace on the roster.

It sucked to step in for a lost comrade. Worse, when personally involved in the fallout.

And it didn't get any more personal for her.

She happened to be replacing Max Cutter's wingman.

Max.

Her heart tripped a little. It could have been Max's ship. The prayer of thanks she sent out might be rude, but so be it. Maggie wouldn't apologize for being happy or relieved Cutter didn't die in a freak accident.

They had a good thing going and she wanted to keep it that way.

Six months and no signs of slowing down.

Maggie smiled. Their interesting Hell Week interlude proved to be just the thing they needed to get through that particular bit of the insanity. But they'd stumbled a little after they survived and danced around the idea of letting the sex remain a one-time thing.

Okay, she danced around it. The fear of losing Max as a friend almost won out, regardless of the really great sex.

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Blurb: Max and Maggie survive Hell Week and start a relationship that works. Tragedy strikes Cutter's wingman and when Maggie shows up as the replacement, she discovers a very different Max. Not a good thing when he lives to fly… and can't.

Maggie wants to support Max and help get him back on an even keel, but living and working with him tests her patience and mettle. It's so much easier to handle two tons of space craft than a surly man.

 Coming in August 2014

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Thank you for reading!

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

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