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.
For this year's Freedom Hop, I'm sharing short excerpts of all my current releases and a longer passage of my newest book, Dress for Dinner, the final installment of the Top Dog Pilots series.
Dress for Dinner
Max Cutter and Maggie Harper are top dog pilots, training up and coming aviators on the Pathos. Their system garners the attention of the admiralty and a new recruitment program is initiated—one with a family connection to Maggie. When she has to reveal a big secret, Cutter is less than thrilled. But they've been together long enough to smooth the choppy waters.
Until Maggie's uncle arrives with his much younger new bride, Celine Rockwell Harper. Maggie takes one look at the woman and sees a recipe for disaster. She confronts her new aunt and gives the sultry woman a warning—sooner or later, Celine will trip herself up. Celine is confident she can deal with any fallout her mild flirtations may cause.
When Maggie has to bow out of the full dress dinner with their commanding officer, her uncle and his wife, Cutter is left to handle the grasping and pawing Celine on his own—no easy feat. When the nightmare dinner party is over, Cutter welcomes Maggie's brand of cleansing his palette.
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Book Tagline: A formal dinner with an admiral challenges Cutter's ability to play nice.
Series Tagline: Two top pilots, Max Cutter and Maggie Harper, like to mix a little personal with their professional life.
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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.
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And the first two books in the series
Surviving the Trap
Available on Amazon ~ $1.49
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.
Excerpt:
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?"
Had to be a dream.
Her nose tickled his throat. He worried the mixture of sweat and traces of grease and fuel from the planes would wake her up, but Maggie only mumbled against his skin, "Cutter, please shut up." Dragging her lips up to his, she all but inhaled him before breaking the kiss to start undoing her buckles.
Max shook his head, confused and completely turned on. Maggie stood before him, looking like she wanted to eat him alive. Nope. Not a dream. And not one of his many dreams about having her naked.
Hell's bells! Totally real.
Bucking Convention
Available on Amazon ~ $2.99
Tagline: A tragic loss puts Cutter on the edge and it's up to Maggie to pull him back.
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.
Excerpt:
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."
AUTHOR GIVEAWAY
To celebrate our freedom to live, love, and read, I'm giving away Surviving the Trap, the first book in the Top Dog Pilots series.
To enter, please leave a comment and let me know how you like to spend the 4th of July. Non-US readers, let me know what would celebrate with fireworks.
Other books by ML Skye
Chloe mixes a potential marriage proposal, a close call, and her boyfriend's hot brother—a heady combination or dangerous concoction.
Shyler: Finding Home (A Furlough 99 Novella)
Available on Amazon ~ $2.99
Inspector Shyler Lumen always gets her man—even if she has to go through Marshton Grey to do it.
Midwinter Crises
Available on Amazon ~ $1.99
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.
Lover's Day
On Lover's Day, an exchange of favors puts Maxie and Nate back on the right track.
On the run from their enemies, an island sanctuary gives Geoff and Linnea time for An Idyllic Affair.
Please stop by my website
Celebrate with more fireworks! Visit the other participating authors.
