Snippet Sunday - The Navy's Ghost - The Team is Gone

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked, and Happy Groundhog's Day! Do you think he saw his shadow? Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my latest release, The Navy's Ghost, a military romantic suspense, though I call it my Menage a'SEALs. No paranormal critters in this one, though there's plenty of kick-ass adventure and hot sex. Just to be clear, this is a M/F/M erotic romance. You can read last week's snippet HERE.

Chris Brickman has showed up at Magic's house drunk as a skunk and tattooed. Magic is trying to figure out why her back hurts and where she's been. Chris is the first one to speak.

“But you weren’t there, Magic.”

“What?” Todd stopped and glanced down at Chris’s bowed head.

“You weren’t there. Did you know they gave me the Purple Heart and promoted me to lieutenant all in one day?” Despite the great honors heaped on her, her voice filled with heartbroken despair. “No one was there who really mattered. No one who understood. My team is gone.”

“Aw, hell, Ghost, I’m sorry.” Todd sat down on the couch beside her and gathered her into his arms. Beta Squad hadn’t returned in time for the ceremony. He’d known she’d been awarded the Purple Heart, but her elevation in rank came as a surprise. She deserves it and more. She deserved to be surrounded by the men who knew her best. And we weren’t fuckin’ there. “You know me’n Retro are so damn proud of you, though, right? I’m pretty sure the whole squad is. I wish we could’ve been there.”

“I needed you, Magic, and you weren’t there. I needed you and Retro. I still need you.”

Her abject misery tore at his heart and he kicked himself for not paying closer attention. This is the woman you love? What the hell’s wrong with you?

Sounds like the boys better step up their game. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from The Navy's Ghost, here's the blurb:

A SEAL is strongest with her Team…

Ensign Christiana "Ghost" Brickman is the only female SEAL to survive BUD/S training, a real Navy Jane. But when an ambush ends her career as an active SEAL, she’s free to pursue other interests. Like her two best friends Lt. Jim "Retro" Waters and Chief Warrant Officer Todd "Magic" Hunter. She's wanted them for over a year, but never dared to approach them while in the squad.

Retro has fought his dark desires since high school, certain the need to share a woman unnatural. Magic had never considered sharing before Ghost mentions it, but it solves his dilemma of choosing between his best friend and his woman. But Retro balks at Ghost’s offer to share and retreats from both when she marries Magic.

Everyone feels Retro’s loss, but he ignores the ache of their broken connection in favor of living ‘normal.’ When Ghost and the other wives of Beta Squad are kidnapped, Retro must reevaluate how much both Ghost and Magic mean to him. And he must decide how far he's willing to go to save the woman he loves, before she becomes the Navy's ghost.

It's available now at Smashwords, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Kobo Books, and Barnes&Noble. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Snippet Sunday - The Navy's Ghost - Life Changes

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked, and Happy Groundhog's Day! Do you think he saw his shadow? Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my latest release, The Navy's Ghost, a military romantic suspense, though I call it my Menage a'SEALs. No paranormal critters in this one, though there's plenty of kick-ass adventure and hot sex. Just to be clear, this is a M/F/M erotic romance. You can read last week's snippet HERE.

Chris Brickman has been promoted to lieutenant junior grade after healing from her injury. She's mourning not only the loss of her functioning body, but also the camaraderie of her squad. In particular the connection to Magic and Retro.

Music from a famous grunge band rattled onto the sidewalk from the open doorway and Chris swayed to its thumping beat mirroring her heartbeat. SEALs weren’t allowed to have tattoos. Distinguishing marks of any kind endangered their lives.

But I’m not an active SEAL anymore, am I?

The urge to wear permanent art grabbed Chris by the throat and she staggered into the tattoo shop, her mind already decorating her skin.

“Hi, welcome to Think Ink Tattoos.” The young man behind the counter had more jewelry in various parts of his face than most jewelry boxes could hold, but his friendly smile beckoned her own. “What can I do you for?"

Chris snorted. “I want a tattoo.”

He nodded. “Did you have something in mind? We have some nice ones on the wall here.”

Chris scanned the cartoony looking stars, fairies, hearts and butterflies on the wall behind him, but she shook her head. “No, I want a Celtic knot. A triad of three rings. And I want it about this big.” She held up her hands softball-width apart.

Ghost is definitely making changes in her life and the image to the left is what she chose. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from The Navy's Ghost, here's the blurb:

A SEAL is strongest with her Team…

Ensign Christiana "Ghost" Brickman is the only female SEAL to survive BUD/S training, a real Navy Jane. But when an ambush ends her career as an active SEAL, she’s free to pursue other interests. Like her two best friends Lt. Jim "Retro" Waters and Chief Warrant Officer Todd "Magic" Hunter. She's wanted them for over a year, but never dared to approach them while in the squad.

Retro has fought his dark desires since high school, certain the need to share a woman unnatural. Magic had never considered sharing before Ghost mentions it, but it solves his dilemma of choosing between his best friend and his woman. But Retro balks at Ghost’s offer to share and retreats from both when she marries Magic.

Everyone feels Retro’s loss, but he ignores the ache of their broken connection in favor of living ‘normal.’ When Ghost and the other wives of Beta Squad are kidnapped, Retro must reevaluate how much both Ghost and Magic mean to him. And he must decide how far he's willing to go to save the woman he loves, before she becomes the Navy's ghost.

It's available now at Smashwords, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Kobo Books, and Barnes&Noble. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Saturday Souvenirs - To Ink or Not To Ink

Good morning. I'm starting a little late today, but I have a good excuse.

Instead of working on nitpicky edits (which need to be done but are a pain in the butt), I got distracted by designing a tattoo. For one of my characters. In my upcoming release, The Navy's Ghost. Yeah, sometimes I'll do anything to get away from edits. :D

So here's a little excerpt about the tattoo I was working on from The Navy's Ghost.

“I needed you, Magic, and you weren’t there. I needed you and Retro. I still need you.”

Her abject misery tore at his heart and he kicked himself for not paying closer attention. This is the woman you love? What the hell’s wrong with you?

“I’m here, darlin’. I’m sorry I missed it. Retro is, too, I’ll bet. How ’bout we make it up to you?” He reached around her to the end table where he’d dropped his phone and tapped the text feature to answer Jim’s earlier message. “How ’bout I make sure you’re back’s fine then we shoot the shit for a while? Sound good?”

He tapped out a text let Jim know he’d found Chris and right now she needed them. While most of the guys scattered to the four winds in search of hot pussy to take care of the adrenaline build-up after an op, Jim had tried to visit Ghost. And couldn’t find her.

God knows Retro could probably find pussy right here with Chris. Her offer still stood as far as Todd knew and he didn’t mind putting it to the test. The only problem lay in Chris’s inebriation. He’d never fucked a drunk girl and he wasn’t about to start the trend now. Todd hit send on the text and squeezed Chris. “You still awake over there, darlin’?”

“Yeah. I’m thirsty.”

“Let me make you some coffee and I’ll check your back.”

“I don’ want any coffee. Don’t you have something stronger?” She sat up a little, bracing her elbows on her knees.

“Not in this house.” That wasn’t strictly true, but her breath could light a gas fire and he wouldn’t encourage increasing her blood toxicity. “You still on pain meds for your leg?”

“Not if I can help it.” Chris shook her head. “They make me groggy and most of the time it doesn’t hurt that bad. God, my back hurts now.”

“Let me get the coffee started and I’ll take a look.” Magic filled the coffee maker with enough coffee grounds to make a thick sludge. He could almost hear his father’s voice say, Strong enough to put hair on your chest. His phone pinged with an incoming text and he snatched it on the way back to the couch.

On my way.

Todd nodded at Retro’s response. Good. He scanned the living room for his med kit, but he’d taken it back to the guest bathroom. Chris still sat with her elbows on her knees and didn’t look like she’d move any time soon. Magic retreated to the bathroom for the med kit and returned to the couch, setting the bag on the floor.

 “All right now. Let’s take a look at your back.”

Chris didn’t move as he slowly peeled the tape from her taut skin. The odd smell hit his nose again and he held back a grimace as he pulled back the bandage. Thick black lines etched a swath from hip to hip across her lower back in a Celtic trinity knot. The top pointed up her spine and the side tips dipped into the dimples above her buttocks. The central lines of the knot wrapped in an intricate heart pattern before straightening into the larger loops.

The artist had talent and the tattoo looked lovely against her skin. Magic tried not to imagine holding her hips while he fucked her from behind while staring at the crisp, black design. She’s drunk, remember? The coffee would help with her inebriation.

Damn, Retro better get here soon.

Sounds like Todd and Jim have their hands full and better make it up to Chris. But that was the tattoo I spent all day drawing. Here's what I came up with.

This is the first tattoo I've drawn from scratch and I'm considering putting on my own body after all the work I did trying to figure out where the friggin' loops went. Celtic knots are hard to draw and it made my brain hurt by the time I was done. But I think it will go great with the other tattoo I have.

I love permanent art, but it took me several years to find anything I wanted to leave on my body forever (because once it's there, it ain't comin' off). Mr. SM says tattoos are addictive, but for me it comes down to art that means something to me. See the heart at the end of the dragon's tail? It says paranormal romance all the way.

So do you like ink? Would you get a tattoo? And if you already have one, would you get another?

Thanks for stopping by. :)

#SnippetSunday - WIP - Recognition

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. Currently, the snippets are from a Work in Progress, the third story in the Cloudburst, Colorado series, and while they aren't consecutive, they are in order within the story. You can read last week's snippet HERE.

Today, I'm offering another snippet from the second chapter of The Cloudburst Coffee and Spa, a WIP in the Cloudburst Colorado series that deals with some of the darker kinks in love. Aiden has returned to Cloudburst to recover his heart in the form of Moira Callahan, but her brother might have something to say about it. This continues from last week and is unedited.

“Comin’ up.” Kieran moved away and Aiden breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t been recognized yet, but he’d changed a great deal in the last eighteen years. Hopefully, it’d keep him safe. At least for tonight.

Kieran set a glass and a chilled bottle on the bar in front of Aiden and gave him a neutral smile. Aiden didn’t meet his gaze, but focused on the beer.

“How long you in town for, Westmorland?”

Aw, hell, that hadn’t taken long.

“Dunno. Just got back in tonight to visit with family.” Aiden took a swig from the bottle. “You got a problem, Callahan?”

“That depends.” The younger man scanned the rest of the bar to be sure no one needed anything. When no one waved him down, he turned his attention back to Aiden.

“On?”

“On whether or not you’re here to break my sister’s heart again.”

So much for the subtle approach. If you'd like to see a photo of the inspiration for Aiden, click HERE. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, and Karla Doyle.

Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

#SnippetSunday - WIP - Family Stats

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. Currently, the snippets are from a Work in Progress, the third story in the Cloudburst, Colorado series, and while they aren't consecutive, they are in order within the story. You can read last week's snippet HERE.

Today, I'm offering another snippet from the second chapter of The Cloudburst Coffee and Spa, a WIP in the Cloudburst Colorado series that deals with some of the darker kinks in love. Aiden has returned to Cloudburst to recover his heart in the form of Moira Callahan. The biggest hurdle he has to get past is her family. The snippet is unedited.

Aiden zipped up his jacket as the cold Clouburst wind stole all the heat from his body. Damn, he’d forgotten how bitter it could be in the mountains of Colorado. His strides lengthened and he found himself standing beneath the overhang of the Cliffhanger Bar. Don’t go inside. You’re asking for trouble.

But he pushed the door open and sighed in relief as heat flooded over his chilled body. He shouldn’t be there, not with all the animosity he’d experienced with Moira’s family, but tonight he couldn’t stay away. He settled on a stool at the bar.

“What can I get you?”

Aiden glanced up to take in the bartender and recognition dawned as quickly as the man’s stats. Kieran Callahan, Moira’s younger brother. Blood type AB positive, BMI twenty-two point four, life expectancy ninety-one point six years, ninety-four percent chance he will marry outside his profession.

Aiden dragged his eyes away from Kieran and focused on the handwritten menu on the wall. “I’ll take a Powder Keg Stout.”

 

No wonder he doesn't meet people's gazes. Who wants all those stats all the time? If you'd like to see a photo of the inspiration for Aiden, click HERE. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, and Karla Doyle.

Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

#SnippetSunday - WIP - Family, Connection, Memories

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. Currently, the snippets are from a Work in Progress, the third story in the Cloudburst, Colorado series, and while they aren't consecutive, they are in order within the story. You can read last week's snippet HERE.

Today, I'm offering another snippet from the second chapter of The Cloudburst Coffee and Spa, a WIP in the Cloudburst Colorado series that deals with some of the darker kinks in love. Aiden has returned to Cloudburst to recover his heart in the form of Moira Callahan. At the time he left, she was too young to deal with some of his darker needs, but eighteen years allows for a lot of growing up. The snippet is unedited.

It couldn’t have been Moira. Aiden had heard she’d gone to school at UC Denver before moving on to Stanford to get her masters in business administration. With that kind of schooling, why the hell would she come back to this little town in the middle of the Rocky Mountains?

Probably for the same reasons you are, moron.

Family, connection, memories.

But he’d really come back for her. Moira had been the only one to calm his dark sexual needs, turning off the over-analytical part of his mind, and took away the desperation. Only pain had the same capability. When he’d left eighteen years ago to protect her from the darkness he carried, he’d turned to tattoos to keep the needs in check. Now he had one full sleeve, a gauntlet on the opposite arm, a large sweeping tribal across his shoulders, and “tramp stamp” across his hips. His shoulders still pleasantly ached from the touch-ups he’d endured just a week earlier.

Pain was good. It kept him anchored and focused on the being “normal”, and quieted the dark sexual addictions driving him. At least it worked for a while.

We all find our coping mechanisms, yes? ;) If you'd like to see a photo of the inspiration for Aiden, click HERE. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, and Karla Doyle.

Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 87

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. Is it fall yet? It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 87 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

Here's how it works:

• The prompt is a line from the previous week's winning tale.
• The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.

Rules to the Game:

• This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
• Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
• Post your story in the comments section of this post
• Include your word count (or be excluded from judging)
• Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
• The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time
• The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up.

How it benefits you:

• You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we're all about promotion - you know you are!)
• You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
• Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus

Our Judge for Week 87:

Tattoo fan, fitness expert, and male model, Bobby Creighton.

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

 

The Prompt:

“There’s blood everywhere.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!