Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Midwinter Crises (Capital City Seasons 1) #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.

Since the holiday season is gearing up, I'm sharing a series of excerpts from Midwinter Crises, book one of Capital City Seasons. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Murph and Jess.

This week, we see Murph and Jess's first interaction.

Series Tagline: Capital City Seasons: 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.

~*~

Jess shrugged. "It's part of the job." She handed off her weapon and signed the transfer of arms form.

Then she focused her attention on Murph. "I'm actually impressed you pulled the save outta your ass." And he had pulled it from somewhere… the expected order to take the guy out never came. And it usually did if more than four hours went by.

Jess sat on the edge of the bumper. "How'd you do it? Most Altereds don't respond to reason and logic." Unless maybe it had a warped aspect to it.

Murph flashed a smile. "Honestly? It's a waiting game." She must've shown her confusion because he clarified. "We got here right before the guy hit his high, when he was at his most violent. The trick was to ride it out with him until he came down enough to see the error of his ways."

Doubly impressed now, she had to shake her head. "So you put yourself on the hot seat. Interesting." She let her gaze peruse him, traveling from his feet upward to his face. "You don't look like you have a death wish."

Ben chuckled in response. "I don't. Trust me." He pivoted around, stepped closer to her. "Unless it would convince you to have dinner with me?" Lowered so only she could hear, his voice sent sexy shivers down her spine.

Jess made sure she kept her jaw from dropping. Still clad in full riot gear and this too handsome for his own good guy wanted to have dinner with her?

A guy who didn't wilt under pressure, put himself in the line of fire and still maintained a clean, crisp and dare she think it—fresh—appearance in ninety degree heat had to have something wrong with him.

Maybe he went for chicks in black? Or women who carried powerful weapons on the job.

And maybe she should just respond to his offer already.

Shrugging, she accepted his invitation. "Dinner's good." She had a way to discover if Murph was as unflappable as he appeared. "But only if I get to pick the place." She stood up and flipped open one of the pockets on her vest.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Meet the men and women of Capital City. They work hard on the front lines and behind the scenes to keep the city safe and sometimes… they find love in the middle of a tense situation.

Book 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.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

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

Sunday Snippet: Last Best Chance

Okay. The end of a seven year ride with the final episode of Sons of Anarchy left me satisfied and kind of weepy. But honestly? The last shot of the series ended up being pretty much perfect, in my opinion. Still digesting everything, but all in all, things played out exactly how I expected, but in a way that made me wish I had Kurt Sutter's talent. Sons of Anarchy will rank right up there with Battlestar Galactica as one of my favorite shows of all time.

The Flash and Arrow also didn't let me down. On one hand, I wish I didn't have to wait until January for new episodes, but on the other, with the busy holiday season, a nice little rest won't kill me. I hope. LOL

Tonight's post is from Last Best Chance, a sexy short that wants to be a novella. I sometimes wonder if my sages enjoy messing with me. LOL

Here's the tagline:

Cadence Coll, a top pilot, dreads her new assignment to the Cressida because the scuttlebutt has the CAG known for his rigid adhesion to the status quo. Nik Garrick likes order and structure and his new flying ace has a mile long list of infractions. Cadence and Nik discover first impressions aren't always what they seem and a rush to make a judgment isn't the best idea.

And a sneaky peek…

Cadence trudged off the transport and hefted her rucksack over her shoulder. Already late, she quickly got her bearings, went up two decks, and started for the string of offices to find the CAG. She'd report in with him and hunt down the quartermaster. She turned at the first juncture and slammed into a hard body.

Stepping back, she apologized. "Er, sorry about that. New ship. Not paying attention." Her gaze swept over a prime specimen of manhood.

Tall, with dark hair, he wore a T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off and knit shorts that hugged a sculpted ass and sinewy thighs. Good God, she planned to spend butt-loads of time in the gym as soon as she got settled.

Her new obsession lifted a shoulder. "No harm done." He wiped a trail of sweat onto his shoulder. "Who're you looking for?"

She blinked, remembering her purpose. "The CAG." She leaned in a little. "Heard he's got a huge stick shoved up his ass. Shouldn't be hard to find."

A slow smile spread across the guy's face. "You might wanna hit the mess first then head down to the hangar deck. His office is down there."

She frowned. "On the hangar deck?" Not SOP for a guy who supposedly adhered to the book like glue.

The guy's mouth curved again. "Yeah, he likes to keep a close eye on his pilots." He shrugged. "Should be back to his office in about thirty minutes."

Cadence cocked her head to one side. "How do you know the schedule so well?" Maybe she'd bumped into a friend of her new superior's.

He chuckled. "Guy's got a stick up his ass, right? Means he sticks to a routine. Right now," the man checked his watch. "He'd be getting in his workout before morning shift."

Cadence narrowed her eyes, taking in his attire, but shook her head. "Hmm. Okay. I could use some food." She adjusted her pack and sighed. "Damned long flight out from Silica base." She turned to head back toward the common area, but stopped, glancing back over her shoulder. "Thanks."

The guy gave her a two-fingered salute. "No problem."

Gotta say, Cadence has some definite ideas of how she wants things to go in this story. LOL

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

ML Skye

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

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Midwinter Crises (Capital City Seasons 1) #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.

Since the holiday season is gearing up, I'm sharing a series of excerpts from Midwinter Crises, book one of Capital City Seasons. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Murph and Jess.

This week, we meet Jess.

Series Tagline: Capital City Seasons: 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.

~*~

Not far from the airport, in a cozy apartment, the phone rang.

Crashed out after a long training session, Jessa Muldoon fumbled around to answer it. Her voice sleepy, she managed to catch the call on the third ring. "Better be good."

Her CO, Chris Renfer's voice came through loud and clear. "Black Alpha."

Instantly alert, Jess sat up and swung her legs out of the bed. As a sniper for the Specialized Tactical Unit, when Jessa received a call, it didn't matter if she'd been out late and up all night working with fellow law enforcement types. When they said go, she went.

And when they used the top operational code, she went in a big hurry.

She bit back a yawn and made herself focus. "Yeah. I'm up. Give me the bullet points." She grabbed her pants and tugged them on. Glancing at the clock, she groaned and fished around for her shirt. She hated middle of the night wake up calls.

"Team's been called up. Guy wants to blow the power grid. Talker's been called in."

Jess stopped struggling into her t-shirt. A negotiator. Great. She had no doubt who it would be.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she gave herself a moment to be pissed.

Why did the crazy people have to come out during the holidays?

Probably so she'd have to face the one person on the planet she'd rather avoid?

Dammit.

"Muldoon." Renfer's clipped tone snapped her back on task.

"Yeah." Jess shook her head and stood up. "Yeah. Gimme fifteen. I'll be in." She clicked off the phone and grabbed her shoes.

Happiest time of the year her ass.

More like miserable and lonely. Jess already dreaded the holiday this year. The cheery music she heard everywhere reminded her of Ben and gave her nothing but a headache. And now… two days before Midwinter… she had even more reason to want a fistful of aspirin.

Because she knew the one person the city commissioner would use to work this out.

His son.

For better or worse, Ben Murphy would be on his way home.

Happy Freaking Midwinter to one and all.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Meet the men and women of Capital City. They work hard on the front lines and behind the scenes to keep the city safe and sometimes… they find love in the middle of a tense situation.

Book 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.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

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

Sunday Snippet: Kick in the Burn

Whew. Last week's Walking Dead broke my heart. And if anyone caught The Talking Dead afterward, oh… tears were shed during that, too. Trying really hard not to spoil anything for anybody who hasn't seen the episode yet. Gotta give Chris Hardwick so many props though. The guy does much to restore my calm. LOL

Let's see… The Flash / Arrow crossover turned out to be EXCELLENT!! So much fun! Sleepy Hollow's fall finale ended up being better than I expected. Not so thrilled with one of my faves not making it, but I like it when shows don't always go where I want them to.

Which brings me to Sons of Anarchy. Oh… wow. I have a pretty solid idea of how things will shake out in the last episode, but Kurt Sutter has ways of pulling off some serious surprises, so I kind of hope I’m wrong. All in all, I'm actually pretty thrilled with the ones who are no longer around.

Enough TV talk… tonight's post is from Kick in the Burn, a sexy short that sees a hot and heavy end to a really long day.

Here's the tagline:

Jaden Scratch and Ridge Quartermain spend a lot of time comparing notes about flying. Working late into the night filling out fitreps on their pilots, their conversation takes a very personal turn and kick in the burn takes on a whole new meaning.

And a sneaky peek…

Jaden couldn't look at another fitrep.

She tossed down her pen and picked up their previous conversation. "The first time I flew, I thought it was better than sex." She settled back, waiting for Ridge's reaction.

His head shot up. "You've got to be kidding me? Better than sex?" He set his pen aside and closed the file folder.

Jaden shrugged. "What did I know back then? I'd only done the deed twice before I got to fly a crossfighter." But she'd more than made up for lost time afterward.

Ridge didn't need to know that part.

Ridge kicked back in his chair. "Man, I can't remember the first time I flew in a crossfighter. My old man took me out in one before I could even walk. Broke atmo, too." Jaden's lips quirked. She'd heard the tale. Ridge's old man almost got busted back to ensign when he'd taken his toddler son out for a joyride.

Ridge crossed his arms over his chest. "But the first time I flew one was like nothing else I've ever experienced." He got a hazy look in his eyes. "The challenge, the thrill, the freedom…"

Jaden knew exactly what he meant. "And then you kick in the burn and it's like…" She paused, not sure how to describe the feeling.

Ridge finished. "Nothing else in the universe." He nodded.

Her head bobbed in agreement. "Yeah, exactly." She'd fly as long as her eyes held up and her fingers could grasp the joystick.

Ridge straightened. "Except not. Sex is still better than flying. Always will be."

She quirked a brow. "You sure about that?" She didn't disagree, but wanted to push his buttons.

He pondered her. "I guess it must depend on who you're with." Waited a beat. "You've obviously been with the wrong men." His lips twisted in a smirk.

She snorted. "Oh yeah?" She stood and angled around the desk, pushing him back a little before situating herself on his lap. "Prove it."

He arched a brow. "Is that a dare?" His hands grasped her hips, drawing her closer, bringing her into contact with the hard ridge under his fatigues.

She met his gaze. "It's whatever you want it to be."

Yeah, this one is fun. I love banter and these two seem to enjoy it also. :D

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

ML Skye

Smokin' Hot—Midwinter Crises Book Boyfriend Celebrity Lookalike

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.

For this week's entry, we were asked: Who is your book boyfriend's celebrity lookalike?

FUN!!!

And seriously? Apropos. I almost always have actors and actresses serve as my writing inspiration. It's great to have visual imagery as a point of reference when creating characters.

Since we're close to the holidays, I'd love to share my book boyfriend for Midwinter Crises, book one of the Capital City Seasons series.

Series Tagline: Capital City Seasons: 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.

So… without further ado…

Please meet the very handsome celebrity lookalike for my hero Ben Murphy.

Jamie Bamber

   

Some background… Jamie first caught my attention when he starred in Battlestar Galactica as Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama. After wiping the drool from my TV screen, I quickly looked up what else he'd acted in and kept myself entertained during the hellaciously long BSG hiatuses by watching everything I could get my hands on.

The biggest thing I walked away with? The man has chemistry with everyone. No kidding. Probably everything, too. I'm pretty sure he could make a fence post emote. Just saying. LOL

When I started writing Ben Murphy, I definitely had Jamie in the forefront of my brain. Actually, he serves as inspiration for quite a few of my characters. J

A little character detail. Ben Murphy is a smooth negotiator. He's the go to person in a crisis, very much in demand. His unflappable presence, his grace under pressure keeps him very busy, to the detriment of his personal relationship with Jessa Muldoon.

Murph's been gone a lot since his break up with Jess, but he's back in town—just in time for the holiday—to stop a madman who is holding the city hostage.

And, lucky him, he'll get to face Jess while he's there. LOL

A few more images for your entertainment (and maybe some inspiration…)

If you're interested, here are a few examples of where to find Jamie.

Series Credits

Hornblower Movies

Monday Mornings

Law and Order: UK

Guest Starring Credits

Dollhouse

CSI: Miami

NCIS

~*~

~*~

Series Blurb: Meet the men and women of Capital City. They work hard on the front lines and behind the scenes to keep the city safe and sometimes… they find love in the middle of a tense situation.

Capital City Seasons is a futuristic series set on a different planet. The inhabitants are descendants of Earth ancestry, but the books don't focus too much on how they got to their current location, but do mention historical points in their past.

Book 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.

~*~

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!

 Book Boyfriend Cafe

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Midwinter Crises (Capital City Seasons 1) #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.

Since the holiday season is gearing up, I'm sharing a series of excerpts from Midwinter Crises, book one of Capital City Seasons. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Murph and Jess.

This week, we meet Murph.

Series Tagline: Capital City Seasons: 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.

~*~

Capital City.

Where no one knew anyone's name… especially during the Midwinter holidays.

Everyone went about their self-prescribed traditions—too busy to care about anything more than spending money and finding the next 'perfect' item so it could be crossed off a way too long list.

But somehow, not even the sheer volume of credits exchanged from Discovery Day to Midwinter's Eve managed to quell the number of embittered and downtrodden who picked this time of year to go off the deep end or make a stand for their cause.

And someone had to deal with them… diffuse the situation, garner a peaceful outcome. If not, things could get very ugly.

The 'someone' people called? Ben Murphy. A top negotiator, his proven ability and track record made him the go-to person when wanting to avoid bloodshed.

Because why would anyone want that to go along with their holiday cheer?

A lone man held the city hostage, his metaphorical fist ready to destroy the main power grid. A person might wonder how he'd managed to position himself to do it. That would, no doubt, be addressed in the slew of after action reports turned in once the crisis had been averted. Heads would roll. Jobs would be lost. And none of those issues mattered now that the guy had taken control of the central power facility.

What did matter?

Resolution.

Hopefully quick, painless, and peaceful. No one wanted to watch the city grind to a screeching halt during the most profitable quarter of the year. Not that Murph cared much about that aspect, especially when the joy of the season usually got lost in the shuffle of the crowds.

In fact, the holiday cheer being piped through the sound system of his private transport grated on Murph's last nerve. He tuned it out and focused on the view from the window, looking out over the expanse of Capital City. As of now, everything remained bright, shiny and lit up… and Murph loved the sight.

He should… he'd grown up with it. He might not have seen much of it lately—his self-imposed exile from the city and Jessa Muldoon prevented it—but he would always appreciate the sight.

For better or worse, Ben Murphy had come home.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Meet the men and women of Capital City. They work hard on the front lines and behind the scenes to keep the city safe and sometimes… they find love in the middle of a tense situation.

Book 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.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

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