Releases from Ellipses Press, Ltd.
Okay, as promised, a post about Ellipses and what we currently have available. Going to behind a cut to save flist space.
First up is our very first release for the press and the Furlough 99 brand, written by Angela Skaggs (angylinni).
Varina: Innocence Lost (A Furlough 99 Novella)
Blurb:
When the last hiding place is gone, where do you go from there?
Forced from her home and the only life she ever knew, Varina had to change everything to survive. When her past comes back to haunt her, she has to make a choice - fight or flight.
Furlough 99, the Station at the edge of the known Universe.
The last stop before the emptiness of unknown space, Furlough 99 is inhabited with a myriad of personalities, each one looking for something different, something they can only find at the end of the line. With a bar called the Den of Iniquity and a whole station devoted to pleasure and hedonism, there's nothing that can't be found here, or won't.
Excerpt:
What had been a pretty good day went from sugar to shit in a heartbeat, starting with a prickle at the back of her neck.
Lifting her head, Varina scanned the crowded bar quickly, assessing each person for danger before moving on to the next. The quick glance showed her no one out of the ordinary, just the usual smattering of disgruntled workers and tourists that thought visiting the bowels of Furlough 99 station, and the bar named the Den of Inequity made for an adventure.
Sighing, she brushed back the long hank of magenta hair behind her ear once more and bent to unload the last cask of Palstera Ale. The feeling of being watched intensified and she lifted her head once more, scanning the patrons a little more closely.
There, over in the corner. Cool blue eyes met her own green and she had to fight the impulse to duck and run as recognition settled in. Taking a deep breath, she let her gaze slide over his face and onto the next person, willing her heart to slow down. He hadn’t drawn a weapon, so maybe he hadn’t recognized her. Turning back to the cask at her feet, she bent down, hiding behind the bar, her mind racing. It’d be too far to get back to her quarters and the stash of credits she had there, she’d have to make do with the small bag from last night that she’d tucked into the secure drawer of her desk. It wouldn’t get her far, but it might get her to somewhere she could disappear again, hiding in plain sight like she’d been doing for the last six years.
Looking down once more, she realized her hands were shaking. Blowing out the breath she still held, she rose slowly, eyes scanning left and right and nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized he was standing right in front of her, one brow cocked, the other so riddled with scar tissue that it was a miracle he could still see out of the eye. Bloody hells! “Help you?”
“Maleeza?”
Varina shrugged her shoulders in what she hoped was a casual manner, her heart racing at the sound of the name she’d never thought to hear again. “Never heard of her, but then again, I don’t make it a point of sticking my nose into others business. Has a nasty way of biting you in the ass.”
The corner of his lips twitched slightly and he leaned closer, leaning one hammy fist on the counter. “Give it up, Maleeza, I know it’s you,” he said softly, the words carrying only as far as her ears.
Varina slapped her hands down onto the counter around his fist and leaned in enough so that their noses were nearly touching. “Look, asshole, I have no idea who this Maleeza might be, but if I did, I certainly wouldn’t be telling you anything. Like I said, trouble isn’t my thing.”
His breath skated across her lips. “If you do see her,” he said softly, eyes never leaving hers. “Tell her Bardot is on his way here and he’s got a whole posse of Enforcers with him.”
She stepped back, praying that her legs weren’t quaking as much as they felt like they were. “Whatever. If some woman comes in here and announces that she’s Maleeza, I’ll be sure to pass along your message. Bardot, Enforcers. Run along now, 'k? I’ve got paying customers to take care of.”
He stood there for a minute longer, eyes boring into hers enough to make sweat pool on the backs of her thighs. Finally, he spun around, leathers creaking as he stalked towards the door. Varina sagged against the bar for a second, her heart thumping nearly out of her chest. A mantra started pulsing in her head, over and over. Run!
Available on Amazon
$1.99
Next up: Midwinter Crises (Capital City Seasons), by yours truly using the ML Skye pen name. (Posted this one on LJ as a 12 Days of Ficmas offering.)
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 handbasket 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.
Excerpt:
Ben fought the clock, but he remained calm. He wouldn't be one of the top, maybe the best, negotiators on the planet if he caved under pressure. And he definitely wouldn't be the one they called in to diffuse the tense, possibly explosive, situation in the factory district of the city.
His home. Right in time for the holidays.
He'd been back five hours. Those who needed to know that information, knew it. He'd been too damn busy to do more than speak face to face with one person, the commissioner of the city and his father, Angus Murphy, who had personally met his flight and briefed him on the way to the power plant.
Murph had an earbud in his left ear and the link attached to his undershirt let him communicate. Thankfully, Margo O'Reilly, the more seasoned of his two new partners had no trouble working with him this way. The new kid, Graham McClain, would learn. Murph didn't consider the lack of face to face with his team ideal, but the pretty much constant availability with the link more than made up for it. Indirect, but effective, when he had to work quickly and move fast.
It also tended to be standard operating procedure when Murph had to hit the ground running. And damn, if he didn't figure the situation as a marathon. And the involvement of people he was personally connected with made it hit close to home. Closer than he liked. Always made focusing on the issues more difficult.
And dammit, he was tired of difficult.
So he pushed it away and did what he did best. Stared at the CCTV monitor and attempted to get inside the head of Burrell R. Forbes, a very disgruntled man whose primary objective seemed to be crippling the city by blowing a power grid.
Two days before Midwinter.
Nightmare didn't begin to define the potential fallout if Forbes succeeded. Millions of people poured into the metropolis during the holiday season. Shoppers, families, friends, and tourists on vacation, who usually stayed to watch the old year depart with a bang during the fireworks extravaganza launched from the Sky Pad high above the city. Every last one of revelers could be left stranded in a hostile environment if Murph couldn't resolve the situation.
Capital City didn't need a repeat of the Ferry Incident from 75 years ago.
Midsummer weekend, a waterfront full of people and a bomb explosion that cut the power to most of the city. The sweltering heat of summer only made the resulting riots and looting worse. It took forty-eight hours to contain the melee and nab the group responsible.
By the time it was all over, 257 people were dead and close to five thousand had been transported to med centers. That number didn't include the folks who went untreated or didn't bother with a trip for examination.
The scars left behind took decades to ease.
The bud in his ear pinged and Ben raised his hand to touch activate the comm. "Murph." He kept his eyes on the monitor in front of him, but grinned at the sound of the gruff tone coming through.
Angus Murphy's voice boomed over the link. "You set?" His dad rarely minced words.
"I'm good to go." Murph had all the monitoring equipment he wanted, probably more than necessary.
"Whadya have for me, son?" Angus cut right to it. A trait Ben found both admirable and annoying at the same time.
He pretty much had nothing of value and took a moment before answering. "Gonna have to get back to you on that. Give me an hour." He knew his father wouldn't like the answer and changed the subject before the man started arguing. "Dad. Is Jess-" He stopped himself.
Of course she would be. Jess was one of the best. His father wouldn't use less for this.
Angus didn't comment on the subject change, but quickly brought Ben up to speed. "Lieutenant Commander Muldoon is 2IC for this scenario."
Lieutenant Commander.
Way to go, Jess.
And if she was 2IC…
"So Renfer's on point?" Ben brought the focus of the conversation back on topic, leaving the personal aside for now.
Angus changed gears just as smoothly. "Team's solid. No one'll target anything unless authorized." The elder Murphy waited a beat. "By me."
Murph cracked a smile. "Noted." Angus wasn't, by nature, a patient man.
But his message had been clear. He'd give Murph some space on this.
But not much.
The nation was already taut with upheaval. Their newly elected leader's transition to power had been met with several pockets of resistance. Murph had just completed negotiations with one of the more violent and vocal factions when he'd received the call to come home.
He'd thought this might be an extension of that, but after watching Forbes for the last three hours, he no longer believed it to be the case. Didn't make the man any less dangerous. If the power grid went, the city would plunge into chaos. They weren't talking about intermittent blackouts from a blown panel or the rolling brownouts utilized when overuse taxed the system.
Nope. It would be complete black out. Everywhere. During the busiest time of the year. The false sense of security the grand holiday light displays created would be shot to hell.
Available at Amazon
$1.99
Our third release is also one of mine under my Skylin O'Thomas pseudonym. Down in Mexico, which I also posted on LJ for 12 Days of Ficmas a while ago.
Blurb:
Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead. It's a life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate the members of a lethal crime syndicate, Kiernan's former employers.
After discovering she's alive and well, Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico. Their reunion is sweet…until he reveals a pesky detail he conveniently forgot to mention.
Kiernan isn't completely safe. In fact, Lars is using her as bait to catch the last member of the espionage organization.
Excerpt:
Kiernan Darby had spent the last five long years on her own.
She'd built up a solid clientele at her diving school - tucked away from the truly touristy parts of Mexico - and she restored boats on the side. Sailboats - nothing with engines. She kept a low profile about the restoration…she couldn't afford to draw the wrong kind of attention to herself.
She'd disappeared without a trace for a reason and needed it to stay that way.
Flat on her back, refinishing the hull of a sadly neglected thirty-two footer, Kiernan looked through the decay to the beauty it could be again. She hummed along to some salsa music blaring from her Mp3 player and worked to remove a patch of dry rot. Maybe her sixth sense kicked in…or plain old self-preservation, but she looked sideways through the stripped-to-the-studs bottom portion of her shed to see a pair of bare feet-bare male feet-making their way along the outer drive and headed toward her.
An eerie feeling gripped her and she scooted out from under the boat, slowly and quietly, keeping those incredibly awesome legs within her sight. She stepped toward the open bay door, her gun a quick grab away, and ended up shocked speechless by what she saw.
Sort of saw. The sun glared from behind, but she had no trouble making out the bad Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned to show a glimpse of the buff male form underneath, nor did she miss the beat up denim cargo shorts, complete with frayed hems. The hair threw her. Long and shaggy, the trade winds created a mad-scientist type look that warred with the aviator shades hiding the rest of his face.
Even with all that, she knew who found her. Time hung, and the hand hovering close to the hidden gun quickly dropped to her side as his name hissed out on a breath. "Lars."
He took a step toward her, but stopped just short of touching her. "Hey." The grin that lit his face had one of her own answering back.
"Hey." Her eyes squinting, she watched him remove his shades and toss them over his shoulder.
"Everyone believes you're dead." His hand lifted, but stopped, like he couldn't be sure she wouldn't disappear if he touched her. "I thought you were dead."
"I am dead." And she had to stay that way.
He finally broke down and reached for her hand, holding it in his, his thumb making circular motions over her skin, sending tingles along her arm. The look in his eyes, those wicked, wonderful blue eyes, took her breath away. The naked expression and myriad of emotions in his almost undid her. As usual, when things got intense…they communicated without speaking.
Five years.
Yeah.
Why?
You know why.
It sucks.
Yeah.
I thought…
I know…you had to.
He would've spent all his time looking for her instead of the people who 'killed' her.
They both knew it.
A ghost of a smile hit his eyes.
But not anymore.
No?
No. It's safe. You're safe.
Kiernan almost buckled, her relief palpable. "So…it worked." She waited a beat. "Took you guys long enough."
Lars laughed. And it was wonderful to hear. She'd missed that almost more than anything else.
"It wasn't easy chasing down everyone in that little operation."
She could only imagine. And she didn't want to know how many they'd lost doing so. It would make her depressed.
She smiled instead…because she hadn't lost him. "God, it's good to see you." She tugged Lars forward and wrapped her arms around him.
He was solid. Real. Here.
They were free.
It finally hit her.
Free.
To be together.
And she wanted him. Needed him.
Now.
Right this moment.
Five long, damn years and it all rushed back, the way she felt about him. Kiernan shoved his shirt off his shoulders then yanked her tank top over her head. Started on his shorts while he peeled hers down. Their eyes met and he hauled her to him, mouth crushing hers in a bruising kiss. He lifted her, walked the ten steps across the patio to back her up against the shingle siding, never once breaking the kiss.
Available on Amazon
$1.99
Next up is one of Ang's and I have to say, it's so damned good. Of course I'm biased, but seriously, she put a lot of hard work into…Finding Grace.
Blurb:
Grace Parker has control issues. When she meets the man of her dreams, can she find the courage to explore the darker side of her nature and embrace the world that Aidan shows her?
Aidan McKinney keeps his private and work lives separate, until he meets Grace Parker at a PR event for his team. She's the woman he's been looking for all his life. His life is so tightly controlled he's not sure it even qualifies as a life anymore. Will Grace help him loosen up and find the inner peace he's been seeking?
Together these two damaged souls help each other navigate the choppy waters of adulthood, learning more about themselves along the way.
Excerpt:
I'll try to get an excerpt up in the next few days. But for now...a link to the amazon page...
Available at Amazon
$4.99
Last, but not least, is another Furlough 99 title and one of mine.
Shyler: Finding Home
Blurb:
Inspector Shyler Lumen suffers from one of the oldest ailments in law enforcement: Burnout. Life, work, everything. She's logging hours to catch the bad guys but wonders if it's worth it anymore.
But when a brilliantly mad chemist puts her friend's life in jeopardy, she finds herself at the end of the galaxy with a single personal goal: Find the maniac and make certain he can't slip the net before justice is served.
Marshton Grey runs his corporate operations from Queen City, Mars, but he's got business interests all over the galaxy. One of his best assets, a genius chemist, is also one his biggest problems, and Marsh's ability for damage control may not save the day.
Used to getting what he wants, he finds a challenge in Inspector Shyler Lumen. The woman isn't impressed with his pedigree and Marsh has to scramble to make her see reason-a refreshing change from his usual routine.
Furlough 99, the Station at the edge of the known Universe.
The last stop before the emptiness of unknown space, Furlough 99 is inhabited with a myriad of personalities, each one looking for something different, something they can only find at the end of the line. With a bar called the Den of Iniquity and a whole station devoted to pleasure and hedonism, there's nothing that can't be found here, or won't.
Excerpt:
"What's the death toll?"
"One hundred and fifty-seven as of ten a.m. this morning."
Marshton Grey nodded curtly, accepting the information and his chief of security quickly exited the plush office. The man had gone above and beyond by keeping Marsh informed of the situation. Now Marsh had to do damage control and nip the problem in the bud. He'd already laid the building blocks to make that happen.
Marsh stood up from behind his desk, gathered his travel documents and pressed the intercom to his admin.
"Lucy, I'm unavailable until further notice."
"Have a safe journey," her soothing voice answered. "I'll see you aren't disturbed, Mr. Grey."
Marsh trusted her to do exactly that. Super efficient, his admin would block, handle, or delegate whatever came up while he had to be off planet. He peeled off his suit and tie, and threw on a pair of comfortable dungarees. Didn't worry about an overnight bag, he had plenty of wardrobe options located where he'd be headed.
Furlough 99.
Ass end of the universe.
Available at Amazon
$2.99
And that's what's we have available so far. I just finished up a round of editing on a submission for our Through the Mirror Darkly brand. Ang is busy writing a dystopian tale and another story featuring a couple who get to work out their issues with a little help from outside influences.
I've got several manuscripts out for editing. The first installment of the Black Unicorn series I posted last year is on tap and the first two books of the Top Dog Pilot trilogy are in the capable hands of my editor, nazkey.
If you check our titles out, please drop by and let me know what you think. We're excited to hear from everyone.
Cheers!
Sky
First up is our very first release for the press and the Furlough 99 brand, written by Angela Skaggs (angylinni).
Varina: Innocence Lost (A Furlough 99 Novella)
Blurb:
When the last hiding place is gone, where do you go from there?
Forced from her home and the only life she ever knew, Varina had to change everything to survive. When her past comes back to haunt her, she has to make a choice - fight or flight.
Furlough 99, the Station at the edge of the known Universe.
The last stop before the emptiness of unknown space, Furlough 99 is inhabited with a myriad of personalities, each one looking for something different, something they can only find at the end of the line. With a bar called the Den of Iniquity and a whole station devoted to pleasure and hedonism, there's nothing that can't be found here, or won't.
Excerpt:
What had been a pretty good day went from sugar to shit in a heartbeat, starting with a prickle at the back of her neck.
Lifting her head, Varina scanned the crowded bar quickly, assessing each person for danger before moving on to the next. The quick glance showed her no one out of the ordinary, just the usual smattering of disgruntled workers and tourists that thought visiting the bowels of Furlough 99 station, and the bar named the Den of Inequity made for an adventure.
Sighing, she brushed back the long hank of magenta hair behind her ear once more and bent to unload the last cask of Palstera Ale. The feeling of being watched intensified and she lifted her head once more, scanning the patrons a little more closely.
There, over in the corner. Cool blue eyes met her own green and she had to fight the impulse to duck and run as recognition settled in. Taking a deep breath, she let her gaze slide over his face and onto the next person, willing her heart to slow down. He hadn’t drawn a weapon, so maybe he hadn’t recognized her. Turning back to the cask at her feet, she bent down, hiding behind the bar, her mind racing. It’d be too far to get back to her quarters and the stash of credits she had there, she’d have to make do with the small bag from last night that she’d tucked into the secure drawer of her desk. It wouldn’t get her far, but it might get her to somewhere she could disappear again, hiding in plain sight like she’d been doing for the last six years.
Looking down once more, she realized her hands were shaking. Blowing out the breath she still held, she rose slowly, eyes scanning left and right and nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized he was standing right in front of her, one brow cocked, the other so riddled with scar tissue that it was a miracle he could still see out of the eye. Bloody hells! “Help you?”
“Maleeza?”
Varina shrugged her shoulders in what she hoped was a casual manner, her heart racing at the sound of the name she’d never thought to hear again. “Never heard of her, but then again, I don’t make it a point of sticking my nose into others business. Has a nasty way of biting you in the ass.”
The corner of his lips twitched slightly and he leaned closer, leaning one hammy fist on the counter. “Give it up, Maleeza, I know it’s you,” he said softly, the words carrying only as far as her ears.
Varina slapped her hands down onto the counter around his fist and leaned in enough so that their noses were nearly touching. “Look, asshole, I have no idea who this Maleeza might be, but if I did, I certainly wouldn’t be telling you anything. Like I said, trouble isn’t my thing.”
His breath skated across her lips. “If you do see her,” he said softly, eyes never leaving hers. “Tell her Bardot is on his way here and he’s got a whole posse of Enforcers with him.”
She stepped back, praying that her legs weren’t quaking as much as they felt like they were. “Whatever. If some woman comes in here and announces that she’s Maleeza, I’ll be sure to pass along your message. Bardot, Enforcers. Run along now, 'k? I’ve got paying customers to take care of.”
He stood there for a minute longer, eyes boring into hers enough to make sweat pool on the backs of her thighs. Finally, he spun around, leathers creaking as he stalked towards the door. Varina sagged against the bar for a second, her heart thumping nearly out of her chest. A mantra started pulsing in her head, over and over. Run!
Available on Amazon
$1.99
Next up: Midwinter Crises (Capital City Seasons), by yours truly using the ML Skye pen name. (Posted this one on LJ as a 12 Days of Ficmas offering.)
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 handbasket 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.
Excerpt:
Ben fought the clock, but he remained calm. He wouldn't be one of the top, maybe the best, negotiators on the planet if he caved under pressure. And he definitely wouldn't be the one they called in to diffuse the tense, possibly explosive, situation in the factory district of the city.
His home. Right in time for the holidays.
He'd been back five hours. Those who needed to know that information, knew it. He'd been too damn busy to do more than speak face to face with one person, the commissioner of the city and his father, Angus Murphy, who had personally met his flight and briefed him on the way to the power plant.
Murph had an earbud in his left ear and the link attached to his undershirt let him communicate. Thankfully, Margo O'Reilly, the more seasoned of his two new partners had no trouble working with him this way. The new kid, Graham McClain, would learn. Murph didn't consider the lack of face to face with his team ideal, but the pretty much constant availability with the link more than made up for it. Indirect, but effective, when he had to work quickly and move fast.
It also tended to be standard operating procedure when Murph had to hit the ground running. And damn, if he didn't figure the situation as a marathon. And the involvement of people he was personally connected with made it hit close to home. Closer than he liked. Always made focusing on the issues more difficult.
And dammit, he was tired of difficult.
So he pushed it away and did what he did best. Stared at the CCTV monitor and attempted to get inside the head of Burrell R. Forbes, a very disgruntled man whose primary objective seemed to be crippling the city by blowing a power grid.
Two days before Midwinter.
Nightmare didn't begin to define the potential fallout if Forbes succeeded. Millions of people poured into the metropolis during the holiday season. Shoppers, families, friends, and tourists on vacation, who usually stayed to watch the old year depart with a bang during the fireworks extravaganza launched from the Sky Pad high above the city. Every last one of revelers could be left stranded in a hostile environment if Murph couldn't resolve the situation.
Capital City didn't need a repeat of the Ferry Incident from 75 years ago.
Midsummer weekend, a waterfront full of people and a bomb explosion that cut the power to most of the city. The sweltering heat of summer only made the resulting riots and looting worse. It took forty-eight hours to contain the melee and nab the group responsible.
By the time it was all over, 257 people were dead and close to five thousand had been transported to med centers. That number didn't include the folks who went untreated or didn't bother with a trip for examination.
The scars left behind took decades to ease.
The bud in his ear pinged and Ben raised his hand to touch activate the comm. "Murph." He kept his eyes on the monitor in front of him, but grinned at the sound of the gruff tone coming through.
Angus Murphy's voice boomed over the link. "You set?" His dad rarely minced words.
"I'm good to go." Murph had all the monitoring equipment he wanted, probably more than necessary.
"Whadya have for me, son?" Angus cut right to it. A trait Ben found both admirable and annoying at the same time.
He pretty much had nothing of value and took a moment before answering. "Gonna have to get back to you on that. Give me an hour." He knew his father wouldn't like the answer and changed the subject before the man started arguing. "Dad. Is Jess-" He stopped himself.
Of course she would be. Jess was one of the best. His father wouldn't use less for this.
Angus didn't comment on the subject change, but quickly brought Ben up to speed. "Lieutenant Commander Muldoon is 2IC for this scenario."
Lieutenant Commander.
Way to go, Jess.
And if she was 2IC…
"So Renfer's on point?" Ben brought the focus of the conversation back on topic, leaving the personal aside for now.
Angus changed gears just as smoothly. "Team's solid. No one'll target anything unless authorized." The elder Murphy waited a beat. "By me."
Murph cracked a smile. "Noted." Angus wasn't, by nature, a patient man.
But his message had been clear. He'd give Murph some space on this.
But not much.
The nation was already taut with upheaval. Their newly elected leader's transition to power had been met with several pockets of resistance. Murph had just completed negotiations with one of the more violent and vocal factions when he'd received the call to come home.
He'd thought this might be an extension of that, but after watching Forbes for the last three hours, he no longer believed it to be the case. Didn't make the man any less dangerous. If the power grid went, the city would plunge into chaos. They weren't talking about intermittent blackouts from a blown panel or the rolling brownouts utilized when overuse taxed the system.
Nope. It would be complete black out. Everywhere. During the busiest time of the year. The false sense of security the grand holiday light displays created would be shot to hell.
Available at Amazon
$1.99
Our third release is also one of mine under my Skylin O'Thomas pseudonym. Down in Mexico, which I also posted on LJ for 12 Days of Ficmas a while ago.
Blurb:
Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead. It's a life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate the members of a lethal crime syndicate, Kiernan's former employers.
After discovering she's alive and well, Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico. Their reunion is sweet…until he reveals a pesky detail he conveniently forgot to mention.
Kiernan isn't completely safe. In fact, Lars is using her as bait to catch the last member of the espionage organization.
Excerpt:
Kiernan Darby had spent the last five long years on her own.
She'd built up a solid clientele at her diving school - tucked away from the truly touristy parts of Mexico - and she restored boats on the side. Sailboats - nothing with engines. She kept a low profile about the restoration…she couldn't afford to draw the wrong kind of attention to herself.
She'd disappeared without a trace for a reason and needed it to stay that way.
Flat on her back, refinishing the hull of a sadly neglected thirty-two footer, Kiernan looked through the decay to the beauty it could be again. She hummed along to some salsa music blaring from her Mp3 player and worked to remove a patch of dry rot. Maybe her sixth sense kicked in…or plain old self-preservation, but she looked sideways through the stripped-to-the-studs bottom portion of her shed to see a pair of bare feet-bare male feet-making their way along the outer drive and headed toward her.
An eerie feeling gripped her and she scooted out from under the boat, slowly and quietly, keeping those incredibly awesome legs within her sight. She stepped toward the open bay door, her gun a quick grab away, and ended up shocked speechless by what she saw.
Sort of saw. The sun glared from behind, but she had no trouble making out the bad Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned to show a glimpse of the buff male form underneath, nor did she miss the beat up denim cargo shorts, complete with frayed hems. The hair threw her. Long and shaggy, the trade winds created a mad-scientist type look that warred with the aviator shades hiding the rest of his face.
Even with all that, she knew who found her. Time hung, and the hand hovering close to the hidden gun quickly dropped to her side as his name hissed out on a breath. "Lars."
He took a step toward her, but stopped just short of touching her. "Hey." The grin that lit his face had one of her own answering back.
"Hey." Her eyes squinting, she watched him remove his shades and toss them over his shoulder.
"Everyone believes you're dead." His hand lifted, but stopped, like he couldn't be sure she wouldn't disappear if he touched her. "I thought you were dead."
"I am dead." And she had to stay that way.
He finally broke down and reached for her hand, holding it in his, his thumb making circular motions over her skin, sending tingles along her arm. The look in his eyes, those wicked, wonderful blue eyes, took her breath away. The naked expression and myriad of emotions in his almost undid her. As usual, when things got intense…they communicated without speaking.
Five years.
Yeah.
Why?
You know why.
It sucks.
Yeah.
I thought…
I know…you had to.
He would've spent all his time looking for her instead of the people who 'killed' her.
They both knew it.
A ghost of a smile hit his eyes.
But not anymore.
No?
No. It's safe. You're safe.
Kiernan almost buckled, her relief palpable. "So…it worked." She waited a beat. "Took you guys long enough."
Lars laughed. And it was wonderful to hear. She'd missed that almost more than anything else.
"It wasn't easy chasing down everyone in that little operation."
She could only imagine. And she didn't want to know how many they'd lost doing so. It would make her depressed.
She smiled instead…because she hadn't lost him. "God, it's good to see you." She tugged Lars forward and wrapped her arms around him.
He was solid. Real. Here.
They were free.
It finally hit her.
Free.
To be together.
And she wanted him. Needed him.
Now.
Right this moment.
Five long, damn years and it all rushed back, the way she felt about him. Kiernan shoved his shirt off his shoulders then yanked her tank top over her head. Started on his shorts while he peeled hers down. Their eyes met and he hauled her to him, mouth crushing hers in a bruising kiss. He lifted her, walked the ten steps across the patio to back her up against the shingle siding, never once breaking the kiss.
Available on Amazon
$1.99
Next up is one of Ang's and I have to say, it's so damned good. Of course I'm biased, but seriously, she put a lot of hard work into…Finding Grace.
Blurb:
Grace Parker has control issues. When she meets the man of her dreams, can she find the courage to explore the darker side of her nature and embrace the world that Aidan shows her?
Aidan McKinney keeps his private and work lives separate, until he meets Grace Parker at a PR event for his team. She's the woman he's been looking for all his life. His life is so tightly controlled he's not sure it even qualifies as a life anymore. Will Grace help him loosen up and find the inner peace he's been seeking?
Together these two damaged souls help each other navigate the choppy waters of adulthood, learning more about themselves along the way.
Excerpt:
I'll try to get an excerpt up in the next few days. But for now...a link to the amazon page...
Available at Amazon
$4.99
Last, but not least, is another Furlough 99 title and one of mine.
Shyler: Finding Home
Blurb:
Inspector Shyler Lumen suffers from one of the oldest ailments in law enforcement: Burnout. Life, work, everything. She's logging hours to catch the bad guys but wonders if it's worth it anymore.
But when a brilliantly mad chemist puts her friend's life in jeopardy, she finds herself at the end of the galaxy with a single personal goal: Find the maniac and make certain he can't slip the net before justice is served.
Marshton Grey runs his corporate operations from Queen City, Mars, but he's got business interests all over the galaxy. One of his best assets, a genius chemist, is also one his biggest problems, and Marsh's ability for damage control may not save the day.
Used to getting what he wants, he finds a challenge in Inspector Shyler Lumen. The woman isn't impressed with his pedigree and Marsh has to scramble to make her see reason-a refreshing change from his usual routine.
Furlough 99, the Station at the edge of the known Universe.
The last stop before the emptiness of unknown space, Furlough 99 is inhabited with a myriad of personalities, each one looking for something different, something they can only find at the end of the line. With a bar called the Den of Iniquity and a whole station devoted to pleasure and hedonism, there's nothing that can't be found here, or won't.
Excerpt:
"What's the death toll?"
"One hundred and fifty-seven as of ten a.m. this morning."
Marshton Grey nodded curtly, accepting the information and his chief of security quickly exited the plush office. The man had gone above and beyond by keeping Marsh informed of the situation. Now Marsh had to do damage control and nip the problem in the bud. He'd already laid the building blocks to make that happen.
Marsh stood up from behind his desk, gathered his travel documents and pressed the intercom to his admin.
"Lucy, I'm unavailable until further notice."
"Have a safe journey," her soothing voice answered. "I'll see you aren't disturbed, Mr. Grey."
Marsh trusted her to do exactly that. Super efficient, his admin would block, handle, or delegate whatever came up while he had to be off planet. He peeled off his suit and tie, and threw on a pair of comfortable dungarees. Didn't worry about an overnight bag, he had plenty of wardrobe options located where he'd be headed.
Furlough 99.
Ass end of the universe.
Available at Amazon
$2.99
And that's what's we have available so far. I just finished up a round of editing on a submission for our Through the Mirror Darkly brand. Ang is busy writing a dystopian tale and another story featuring a couple who get to work out their issues with a little help from outside influences.
I've got several manuscripts out for editing. The first installment of the Black Unicorn series I posted last year is on tap and the first two books of the Top Dog Pilot trilogy are in the capable hands of my editor, nazkey.
If you check our titles out, please drop by and let me know what you think. We're excited to hear from everyone.
Cheers!
Sky