Smokin' Hot—Book Girlfriend Celebrity Lookalike: An Idyllic Affair

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 An Idyllic Affair, available now from Ellipses Press, Ltd.

So… without further ado…

Please meet the truly gorgeous inspiration for Linnea Jensen.

Katee Sackhoff

Katee's work embodies the traits I've given Linnea. Her characters tend to be snarky and no-nonsense. She first came to my attention as the character of Starbuck when I got sucked into Battlestar Galactica. Like her costar, Jamie Bamber, the woman has chemistry with everyone and everything. Not hard to cast her as the inspiration for Linnea.

Book Tagline: Escape to Insula Ara, an island sanctuary that provides refuge… but it comes with a price.

Linnea moved slowly, her steps dragging when time seemed to slow down. "Care to tell me where the hell we're going? It doesn't even look like it's in this galaxy."

Geoff raised a single eyebrow. "It's not. That's the beauty of it."

She felt like the deck dropped out from under her. "Captain. Geoff… where, exactly, are you taking us?"

He directed his gaze back to the holograph. "Old Earth."

If she'd started floating in suspended animation, she wouldn't have been surprised.

She couldn't have heard him right.

Old Earth?

Well, hell. Did he really think they could find sanctuary on some crazy island that might or might not exist? The one he loved to tell stories about?

Everything stopped for a second then snapped back to real time.

Linnea didn't know if the queasy feeling in her stomach came from the jump or finding out they'd left the galaxy.

Both, she decided.

"Captain, are you sure this is a good idea?" Linnea slid her gaze toward the man, making sure to keep one eye on the monitor in front of her.

Geoff raised an eyebrow in question. "You doubt me, XO?" He picked up his excited pacing, striding back and forth across the command deck of the Charming Lady.

Linnea snorted. They wouldn't be sanctioned smugglers if any of the crew doubted him. "It's not about that. Facts are facts. I never doubt them."

And Geoff knew it. He'd chosen her as his executive officer and second-in-command for that very reason.

"I do, however, question myth and legend… and that's all you've got." She sometimes envied the fact he only needed those.

~*~

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Legend tells of a mysterious island called Sanctuary, inhabited by people who have been to hell and back—and lived to tell the tale.

It goes on to say, that if someone needs help, if they are truly without hope, island will come to them in their darkest hour and help them find the way.

But the assistance comes with a price. Their heart and soul may be lost to the island in the process.

Book Blurb: Privateers by trade, Geoff MacLeod and Linnea Jensen find sanctuary on Insula Ara, a mysterious island full of wonder and a tinge of darkness. When Geoff and Linnea embark on a quest to retrieve a badly needed part for their ship, they find their deep attraction for each other hard to resist, and under the spell of the island, they have to tread carefully or succumb to the swirling undercurrents.

~*~

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!

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—An Idyllic Affair (Insula Ara ~ Sanctuary Island) #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

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.

This week I'm thrilled to announce an upcoming release that is co-written with my alter ego Skye Ritchey. I write under three pseudonyms, and when I started An Idyllic Affair, it began with a strong sci-fi element. But as the story progressed, the nature of the island pushed its way in and a mystical aspect took center stage. For branding purposes, I decided to release under ML Skye, my speculative romance moniker, and Skye Ritchey, my paranormal / fantasy pen name. I'm very excited as I believe the story will appeal to both audiences.

This week, I'm featuring a fun interaction between Geoff and Linnea.

Series Tagline: Escape to Insula Ara, an island sanctuary that provides refuge… but it comes with a price.

Book Tagline: On the run from their enemies, an island sanctuary gives Geoff and Linnea time for An Idyllic Affair.

~*~

Cursing the restricted area, Geoff angled his legs down through the passage and attempted to leave enough space for Linnea's to fit. She gingerly tried to put both feet in first. When that didn't work, she grabbed his shoulder and got her left leg situated but couldn't manage the right.

Geoff tried to give her more room. "Sorry, X. I've got nowhere to go here." He shifted his hips, creating maybe one more inch.

Linnea chuckled. "Just give me a sec. If I put my hand here…" She braced her fingers against the tank. "And then lay my head on your shoulder, I think I might… oh, yeah. That's feeling just about right."

Geoff couldn't believe the way she could contort her body. "God, X, that's perfect." But they'd need room to kick the panel out. "Okay, almost there. Lift your thigh a little. Yeah, put it right between mine." His grunt sounded more like a groan when she followed his direction and brought her leg up, wedging it up close to the apex of his groin. "Almost there, Linn. Angle your hips a little. Yeah… that's it."

Linnea fisted her hand in his shirt, twisting it hard. "Sorry, Captain. Need just a little more… there! Right there."

Marcus cleared his throat. "Uh, geez, you two. You're making Willoughby turn an unhealthy shade of crimson out here. Do you have any idea how you guys sound?"

Shane sputtered and coughed. "I am not turning red." He waited a beat. "But Ramsey's got a point. If I didn't know better, I'd think you guys were… well…" His voice trailed off.

A little frustrated and a whole lot of uncomfortable, Geoff shot back. "Trust me, if the XO and I were having sex, it would not sound like this." Exactly how it would, he didn't know, but his imagination could fill in the blanks later.

Linnea snorted and offered her two cents. "Mainly because the captain and I wouldn't be having carnal relations." She paused then added. "Now, or anytime in the foreseeable future."

Geoff frowned. Did she always have to be so emphatic about the potential of them never hooking up?

Coming Soon!

~*~

Book Blurb: Privateers by trade, Geoff MacLeod and Linnea Jensen find sanctuary on Insula Ara, a mysterious island full of wonder and a tinge of darkness. When Geoff and Linnea embark on a quest to retrieve a badly needed part for their ship, they find their deep attraction for each other hard to resist, and under the spell of the island, they have to tread carefully or succumb to the swirling undercurrents.

Series Blurb: Legend tells of a mysterious island called Sanctuary, inhabited by people who have been to hell and back—and lived to tell the tale.

It goes on to say, that if someone needs help, if they are truly without hope, island will come to them in their darkest hour and help them find the way.

But the assistance comes with a price. Their heart and soul may be lost to the island in the process.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

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

Smokin' Hot—An Idyllic Affair

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 an upcoming release, An Idyllic Affair, co-written with my alter ego, Skye Ritchey, for the Ellipses Press branded anthology Insula Ara ~ Sanctuary Island.

~*~

Approaching Geoff's location, she heard what sounded like running water. In a tree house? No way.

But yes, maybe it could be. She made a turn and stumbled into a sunlit space… to discover her captain taking a shower. A real, actual shower.

A very, very naked Geoff stood under the spray.

Holy hell.

Linn stared. She couldn't help herself. What a fine specimen of the male species. Finely honed muscles, a ridged abdomen, and his ass… Good God, he had a nice ass.

She drank the sight in, enjoyed watching the water sluice over his skin. Feeling hot and flushed, she almost hoped the water would be cold so she could chill down. It would not do for her to get over-heated and bent over the captain right now.

Her eyes finally traveled back up, tracking nicely defined legs, lingering on the ass and admiring the smooth planes of his back and broad shoulders. Geoff picked that moment to turn around and caught her staring. His eyes flared with something—interest, maybe—and it hung between them for a second… and then another… and one more before she looked away.

Linnea didn’t want to examine the charged tension too closely. For once, she told her inquisitive brain to shut up and it listened. She and Geoff shared a moment—nothing else.

~*~

I hope you enjoyed the tension.

~*~

Anthology Blurb: Legend tells of a mysterious island called Sanctuary, inhabited by people who have been to hell and back—and lived to tell the tale.

It goes on to say, that if someone needs help, if they are truly without hope, island will come to them in their darkest hour and help them find the way.

But the assistance comes with a price. Their heart and soul may be lost to the island in the process.

Book Blurb: Privateers by trade, Geoff MacLeod and Linnea Jensen find sanctuary on Insula Ara, a mysterious island full of wonder and a tinge of darkness. When Geoff and Linnea embark on a quest to retrieve a badly needed part for their ship, they find their deep attraction for each other hard to resist, and under the spell of the island, they have to tread carefully or succumb to the swirling undercurrents.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to stop by my website:

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

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—An Idyllic Affair (Insula Ara ~ Sanctuary Island) #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

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.

This week I'm thrilled to announce an upcoming release that is co-written with my alter ego Skye Ritchey. I write under three pseudonyms, and when I started An Idyllic Affair, it began with a strong sci-fi element. But as the story progressed, the nature of the island pushed its way in and a mystical aspect took center stage. For branding purposes, I decided to release under ML Skye, my speculative romance moniker, and Skye Ritchey, my paranormal / fantasy pen name. I'm very excited as I believe the story will appeal to both audiences.

This week, I'm featuring part of the opening scene from Linnea's point of view.

Series Tagline: Escape to Insula Ara, an island sanctuary that provides refuge… but it comes with a price.

Book Tagline: On the run from their enemies, an island sanctuary gives Geoff and Linnea time for An Idyllic Affair.

~*~

Linnea moved slowly, her steps dragging when time seemed to slow down. "Care to tell me where the hell we're going? It doesn't even look like it's in this galaxy."

Geoff raised a single eyebrow. "It's not. That's the beauty of it."

She felt like the deck dropped out from under her. "Captain. Geoff… where, exactly, are you taking us?"

He directed his gaze back to the holograph. "Old Earth."

If she'd started floating in suspended animation, she wouldn't have been surprised.

She couldn't have heard him right.

Old Earth?

Well, hell. Did he really think they could find sanctuary on some crazy island that might or might not exist? The one he loved to tell stories about?

Everything stopped for a second then snapped back to real time.

Linnea didn't know if the queasy feeling in her stomach came from the jump or finding out they'd left the galaxy.

Both, she decided.

"Captain, are you sure this is a good idea?" Linnea slid her gaze toward the man, making sure to keep one eye on the monitor in front of her.

Geoff raised an eyebrow in question. "You doubt me, XO?" He picked up his excited pacing, striding back and forth across the command deck of the Charming Lady.

Linnea snorted. They wouldn't be sanctioned smugglers if any of the crew doubted him. "It's not about that. Facts are facts. I never doubt them."

And Geoff knew it. He'd chosen her as his executive officer and second-in-command for that very reason.

"I do, however, question myth and legend… and that's all you've got." She sometimes envied the fact he only needed those.

Coming Soon!

~*~

Book Blurb: Privateers by trade, Geoff MacLeod and Linnea Jensen find sanctuary on Insula Ara, a mysterious island full of wonder and a tinge of darkness. When Geoff and Linnea embark on a quest to retrieve a badly needed part for their ship, they find their deep attraction for each other hard to resist, and under the spell of the island, they have to tread carefully or succumb to the swirling undercurrents.

Series Blurb: Legend tells of a mysterious island called Sanctuary, inhabited by people who have been to hell and back—and lived to tell the tale.

It goes on to say, that if someone needs help, if they are truly without hope, island will come to them in their darkest hour and help them find the way.

But the assistance comes with a price. Their heart and soul may be lost to the island in the process.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

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

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Banner Thursday—Insula Ara ~ Sanctuary Island

Today, I'm featuring the banner for an Ellipses Press branded anthology, Insula Ara ~ Sanctuary Island. My upcoming release An Idyllic Affair, written with my alter ego Skye Ritchey, is part of this line.

                                 

For this piece, I want to help build recognition so I'm using the Insula Ara logo and tagline for the series. My goal is to generate interest in the new release.

I hope I succeeded.

Take a look…

Tagline: Escape to Insula Ara, an island sanctuary that provides refuge… but it comes with a price.

Blurb: Legend tells of a mysterious island called Sanctuary, inhabited by people who have been to hell and back—and lived to tell the tale.

It goes on to say, that if someone needs help, if they are truly without hope, island will come to them in their darkest hour and help them find the way.

But the assistance comes with a price. Their heart and soul may be lost to the island in the process.

Thanks for reading!

Please visit my website

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—An Idyllic Affair (Insula Ara ~ Sanctuary Island) #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

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.

This week I'm thrilled to announce an upcoming release that is co-written with my alter ego Skye Ritchey. I write under three pseudonyms, and when I started An Idyllic Affair, it began with a strong sci-fi element. But as the story progressed, the nature of the island pushed its way in and a mystical aspect took center stage. For branding purposes, I decided to release under ML Skye, my speculative romance moniker, and Skye Ritchey, my paranormal / fantasy pen name. I'm very excited as I believe the story will appeal to both audiences.

So, without further delay, today's post features part of the opening scene from my hero Geoff's perspective.

Series Tagline: Escape to Insula Ara, an island sanctuary that provides refuge… but it comes with a price.

Book Tagline: On the run from their enemies, an island sanctuary gives Geoff and Linnea time for An Idyllic Affair.

~*~

"Hot damn, Captain… we pulled it off!"

Geoff MacLeod raised an eyebrow at his helmsman, Marcus Ramsey. "Let's get clear of the blockade before we start celebrating, Mr. Ramsey." He directed his attention to his executive officer, Linnea Jensen. "XO? Tell me we're close."

They gazed at the same the screenshot on the monitor, but where he relied on instinct for guidance, Linnea used cold, hard facts to their advantage. She'd know the instant their ship, the Charming Lady, would be beyond the obstruction and into semi-safe territory.

Linnea waited a beat then glanced up from her charts. "Another three hundred kilometers and we're clear. So far, no pursuit from the Axis Prime." Her face lit up with a grin, but fell flat when a bogie blipped into view on the monitor. "Shit. Check that. Three AP vessels, closing in fast." She spun around, punched a button, and brought the holographic view screen up in the middle of the bridge. "We're boxed in."

Geoff moved to stand beside her. "Son of a bitch."

It didn't matter he and his merry band of mercenaries had only recently—and secretly—become sanctioned privateers for the United Forces. Things had finally heated up in the long, cold war between the two opposing factions and if Geoff and his crew were caught, the Axis Prime would parade them through the galaxy as a sterling example of the United Forces' strategic failure. Even if the UF used plausible deniability regarding his covert activities, the blow could cripple the UF's rapidly expanding resistance movement.

And the AP's growing chokehold on the solar system needed to end.

So… they couldn't get caught.

Linnea spoke softly. "We gotta make a move here, Captain. Your orders?" Her fingers flew over the keyboard and the holo image zoomed out, showing him a bird's eye view of the galaxy.

Dammit, they had limited options. There were maybe two or three places they could lay low, but AP forces heavily guarded each of them. No doubt word had already gone out about the Charming Lady carrying a butt-load of weapons, ammo, and medical supplies recently liberated from an Axis Prime freighter.

Every AP ship in the galaxy would be gunning for them.

Geoff didn't like those odds.

Instead of playing them, he decided to create his own. 

Cover Image

Coming Soon!

~*~

Book Blurb: Privateers by trade, Geoff MacLeod and Linnea Jensen find sanctuary on Insula Ara, a mysterious island full of wonder and a tinge of darkness. When Geoff and Linnea embark on a quest to retrieve a badly needed part for their ship, they find their deep attraction for each other hard to resist, and under the spell of the island, they have to tread carefully or succumb to the swirling undercurrents.

Series Blurb: Legend tells of a mysterious island called Sanctuary, inhabited by people who have been to hell and back—and lived to tell the tale.

It goes on to say, that if someone needs help, if they are truly without hope, island will come to them in their darkest hour and help them find the way.

But the assistance comes with a price. Their heart and soul may be lost to the island in the process.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

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