In The Shadow of The Apennines Kimberly Sullivan Publication date: October 21st 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Historical, Women’s Fiction
An American divorcée. An Italian shepherdess.
Separated by a century, united by common dreams.
The sleepy little Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano seems about as far as Samantha can flee from her failed marriage and disastrous university career. Eager for a fresh start, Samantha begins to set down roots in her Italian mountain hideaway.
At first, the mountain retreat appears idyllic, but an outsider’s clumsy attempts at breaking into the closed mountain community are quickly thwarted when the residents discover Samantha’s snarky blog ridiculing the town and its inhabitants.
Increasingly isolated in her mountain cottage, Samantha discovers the letters and diaries of Elena, a past tenant and a survivor of the 1915 Pescina earthquake. Despite the century that separates the two women, Samantha feels increasingly drawn into Elena’s life, and discovers startling parallels with her own.
Where do I begin? Mamma blames it all on Father Ignazio. She says if only he had left me to the chores I was employed to carry out at San Berardo and the parish house, my cooking and cleaning would be much improved, and I would not be constantly scribbling on any piece of paper I could find and begging for books to read.
She worries I will never find a husband.
“What man wants a wife who only cares about book learning, when she should be tending the goats, washing the clothes, and baking the bread?” Mamma warns me every day.
Mamma says no peasant girl should study beyond the first years of elementary school. Writing the letters to sign your name and computations for simple transactions are more than enough for a female in our region. She calls it getting above oneself. To mamma, this is the worst sin.
Of course, we weren’t always peasants. We used to have some money, back before papà lost his property. It was never much, but our lives were so much easier back then. My brothers and I even had a tutor to teach us to read and write and to know our history and literature. Those hours were the highlight of my day. My tutor was very pleased with me.
It was hard on us when we lost everything. Only mamma said maybe it was for the best – at least for me. Now she could insist I concentrate on what was most important for girls.
I suppose I am lucky it was Father Ignazio who insisted I keep up with my learning. Mamma may often speak her mind, but she will never argue with our parish priest. She respects him too much, and she worries about punishment in the afterlife if she talks back to a priest. So mamma, who is quick to speak her mind on every occasion, bites her tongue until she draws blood whenever Father Ignazio praises my learning to her.
Papà is proud of my reading and writing. He is the one who bought me this diary and the pen and ink for my birthday. Yes, I can hardly believe it, but today I am sixteen.
Mamma is probably right that a girl who reads and writes would scare off the local boys. Boys in Pescina mostly work the land like their fathers or tend the sheep. But even if I am now sixteen and townspeople consider me a woman, I still feel like a little girl.
All my friends talk about getting married, about preparing their wedding chest and living with their husbands. They make eyes at the boys returning with the sheep, the same boys we scrambled over the mountaintops with just a few years ago.
My friend Concetta even has a sweetheart. She always goes to the fountain to gather the water at the same hour so that she can meet Domenico on his way back to town after a day working in the fields.
Sometimes I see them together walking on the path back to town, the ruins of the castle watchtower above them in the distance. They look so happy in one another’s company, laughing and talking, finding excuses for their hands to brush together.
When Concetta and I are together, sewing or baking bread, she always seems to have a far-away look in her eyes, and I sense that she does not hear what I say, that her thoughts are only for Domenico now. Mamma says one day I’lll feel that way about a boy, too, but I wonder if I ever will.
Author Bio:
Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.
Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.
She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and three novels: Three Coins, Dark Blue Waves and In The Shadow of The Apennines.
After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.
Christmas in Santa Rosa Melissa Chambers (Love Along Hwy 30A, #7) Publication date: October 18th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Will one incredible night be enough?
Felicity Haley has been trying to extract Scott Stover from her mind for a year now. Both coming off of rejection, they found comfort in one another. But they were on vacation, each headed back to their separate lives afterward. Felicity is no one’s second choice, and she couldn’t be sure he treasured their night together as much as she did, so she ghosted him.
Now, she finds herself in the same beach town with him once again. But she can’t surrender to her desires. She must protect her heart from inevitably crumbling after the post-Christmas vacation bliss dies down and they go back to their daily lives. Felicity must protect her heart no matter how much the Christmas spirit tells her to collect this gift.
Scott hasn’t been able to shake the memory of the amazing night he had with Felicity. When his entire family rents a house in Santa Rosa for the month of December and he finds out Felicity is there as well, it feels like a Christmas miracle. His life is in Nashville while hers is permanently in Santa Rosa now. But even so, he’s got a second chance to win her heart, and he won’t let her slip out of his arms again.
Christmas in Santa Rosa is book seven in the Love Along Highway 30A series, which features beautiful beach communities, a circle of unique and amazing friends, and romances that will have you cheering on the couples and fanning yourself from the heat. All books are standalone and can be enjoyed in or out of order.
“When’s the last time a guy caught you, tied you down?”
She wiggled her shoulders. “Now we’re getting to the fun talk.”
“In a relationship.”
“Oh,” she said, letting her shoulders sag. “That’s no fun.”
“You do relationships, don’t you?”
She shrugged.
He narrowed his gaze, turning his head to the side. “Seriously? You don’t do relationships?”
“I have done them. They’re just no fun.”
“Maybe you haven’t found the right guy to be in one with.”
“That’s for damn sure or I wouldn’t be sitting here single.”
“I have a feeling there have been many guys who’ve tried to tie you down and failed.”
“A few have succeeded. I’ve got the video to prove it.”
He shook his head, furrowing his brow. “I don’t know that I’ve learned when to take you seriously or not.”
“Good. Because it’ll be boring once you figure me out.”
He widened his smile. “I can’t imagine any day with you would be boring.”
She leaned in. “Then let’s make sure we keep it interesting.”
He met her in the middle. “Invite me home with you tonight and I’ll show you just how interesting I can make you feel.”
Heat rocketed through her core, waking up her senses in a way they hadn’t been awakened since the last time she was with him. She slid off the bench. “You’re getting warmer.” She gave him a wink, and then walked off toward the ladies’ room, sensing his stare on her backside and soaring higher than she had in a long time.
Author Bio:
Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She has served as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of the Love Along Hwy 30A series, the Before Forever series (YA), and Courting Carlyn (YA).
Book Title: Hidden Buddha: Lama Rinzen in the Hungry Ghost Realm by Jim Ringel Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 298 pages Genre: Mystery, Literary Publisher: Black Bee Publishing Release date: October 2022 Content Rating: PG+M due a section focusing on a woman’s miscarriage of her fetus.
Between classic scenes of deduction, complex layers of truth and reality, and skillful red herrings, Ringel freshens up the tropes of mysteries.– BookLife Reviews (Editor’s Pick)
Ringel’s prose creates a delightfully unnerving atmosphere… readers are likely to find themselves carried along by the mood and mystery alone.– Kirkus Reviews
… a most enjoyable and engaging mystery. I urge you to take this wild adventure with the seductive lama.– Roshi Gerry Shishin Wick, Spiritual Director, Great Mountain Zen Center, Berthoud, CO
Home,
Bratva is my home.
My sanctuary from the past.
The only place where a killing machine like me belongs.
Sometimes, my demons come rushing back,
And I feel out of control, full of rage,
Close to losing myself completely.
Until a broken, injured woman stumbles onto my path,
Awakening my protective instincts,
And sending my demons to sleep.
Keeping her prisoner is my only option.
If she leaves,
My darkness will resurface,
And there will be no escaping it this time.
Angelina
Escape,
That’s all I can do,
Only to end up in the hands of a crazed killer.
Now, I’m fighting to stay away from my enemies,
And trying to not fall for a man I shouldn’t want.
But what will happen when we both reveal our hidden truths?
*Hidden Truths is a full-length novel with several open-door steamy scenes, no cheating and a guaranteed HEA.
This is the third book in Perfectly Imperfect mafia series. Each book in this series features a different couple and can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, follow the recommended reading order.
He hates it when I call him that, so I make sure I always do. Serves him right since he decided to play my butler instead of spending his retirement at a sea cottage like he should have done when the military let us leave. He never told me exactly how he managed to get us released from our contracts.
“Albert! Where did you put our C-4 stash?”
“In the pantry!” he yells from somewhere in the kitchen. “The box below the crate with potatoes.”
I snort. And they say I’m the crazy one. I circle the stairs and open the pantry door. “Where?”
“Eleven o’clock. Watch your head!”
I turn to the left and smack my skull on the golf equipment bag hanging from the ceiling. “Jesus! I told you to keep your crap in the garage!”
“Not enough room,” Felix says from behind me. “Why do you need the C-4?”
“Roman needs me to blow up some shit tomorrow.”
“Another Italian warehouse?”
“A truck with their drugs this time.” I remove the crate with potatoes and reach for the box. “You can’t store explosives with food, damn it. I’m taking this to the basement.”
Author Bio:
Neva Altaj writes steamy contemporary mafia romance about damaged antiheroes and strong heroines who fall for them. She has a soft spot for crazy jealous, possessive alphas who are willing to burn the world to the ground for their woman.
Her stories are full of heat and unexpected turns, and a happily-ever-after is guaranteed every time.
Here With You Kelly Collins (Willow Bay, #2) Publication date: October 13th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
A swoon-worthy family drama filled with heartbreak, happiness, and a happily ever after…
Emmaline Brown had been in love once, but when Miles McClintock cracked open his family’s secrets, he ruined a lot of lives and crushed Emmaline’s dreams. With Miles no longer an acceptable suitor in her family’s eyes, she chose the life she was born and raised for—to run The Brown Resort. As part-owner and operator of Willow Bay’s largest luxury property, she’d been delivering happily ever after to the hundreds who flocked there each summer. She thought she was content to live her life alone, but that all changed when Miles McClintock came back to town.
Paramedic Miles McClintock left Willow Bay decades ago in disgrace. One honest decision lost him everything, including his family’s honor and the love of his life, Emmaline Brown. Luck had never been on his side until the day he was summoned home by his ill mother. One stop at the Five and Dime would change his life. An opportunity to run the resort next door puts him exactly where he wants to be—straight in the path of Emmaline Brown. She had once loved him when he was a wealthy rancher’s heir, but could she fall in love with the poor man he was pretending to be?
He feels abandoned. She feels betrayed. Can their love for one another douse the burning rage that keeps them apart?
She couldn’t think around him. “I must have gotten a brain injury from the dog attack.”
Miles laughed. “Ollie is like me. He’s a lover, not a fighter. Do you remember all those nights, Emmaline?”
She remembered them all right, and just the mention of Miles being a lover made her entire body vibrate with need. Damn memory cells. She marched to the mailbox, and when she opened it and found it empty, she stomped back toward him.
“Don’t get comfortable because you’re not staying.”
“You’re not the boss. I work for Brie and Carter. They said you’d be difficult.”
She gasped. “I’m not.” Standing in front of him, she pulled her shoulders back and hoped whatever height she gained would intimidate him enough to leave. Instead, he stayed there with a smug grin on his face. She needed a new tactic, and her southern sass came out. “Bless your little ole heart. You must have forgotten how things run around here.”
He leaned in close until his lips were near her ear. “I know how you think things run, but your life is about to change, sweetheart.”
“We’ll see about that.” Spinning around, she headed toward her house to get her keys and purse. She hadn’t intended to go anywhere, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She needed reinforcements, so she texted 911 to her besties, the Fireflies, and told them to meet her at the diner. When she returned to her car, she dialed Brie, hoping to talk some sense into her.
Brie answered. “He’s staying, Aunt Em, so don’t try to change that. Besides, you promised you would help.”
She did but under duress. When she offered to help, she wasn’t expecting Miles McClintock to arrive. “He’s not helping.”
“Have you given him a chance?”
Author Bio:
Like FREEBIES? Join the VIP readers at http://bit.ly/KellyCollinsFreeBook for members-only exclusives!
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International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.
Kelly has sold more than a quarter of a million books worldwide, and in 2021 she was awarded a Readers’ Favorite Award Gold Medal in the Contemporary Romance category for A Tablespoon of Temptation.
You can learn more about Kelly at www.authorkellycollins.com.
Give Me Forever Heidi McLaughlin (Beaumont: Next Generation, #5) Publication date: October 11th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
From the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl: The Motion Picture, Heidi McLaughlin delivers an emotional second chance romance about life, love, and what it means to truly be happy!
Elle James has it all: a loving fiancé in Ben, a promising career as a music manager, and a supportive family. She couldn’t be happier with her life. That is until the unthinkable happens and she must accept the consequences of her actions and figure out how to come clean to her family or continue living the lie.
Ben Miller had it all: a loving fiancée, a budding career, and the support of people who loved him like family. That was until he wanted more, and his fiancée was unable to meet him halfway. He makes a decision, one that affects everyone. When his life takes an unexpected turn and he’s diagnosed with a life changing illness, he finds himself fighting for more than just love.
With their happily ever after slipping through their fingers, will Elle and Ben be able to survive, or will life’s curveball be too much for them to handle?
I’m listening to Elle talk instead of focusing on my current project. She’s on the phone with her mom or sister by the tone of her voice. When it’s business, she’s matter of fact. It’s her way or the highway—something I’ve learned by working for her management company over the years. In her line of business, she needs to be direct. Other managers have tried to show she can’t hack it in the industry, only for her to prove them wrong. Sinful Distraction is well on their way to stardom, and she’s in the process of signing two new bands. To say I’m proud of her is an understatement. Elle’s doing exactly what she set out to do—changing the music management industry.
I look outside at the graying sky and wonder if there’s a storm coming or if December is going to be a dreary month in Malibu. I think it’s been a week since I’ve seen the sun, although the lack thereof hasn’t deterred any of the surfers. Every morning when I go for a run, they’re out there, welcoming the early morning waves and the quiet solitude before the traffic starts and tourists arrive. I close my laptop and make my way outside to get the mail. While most of our bills are online, all our packages come to the house. I’m elated to find a catalog full of wedding invitations and internally fist pump because this means we’re one step closer to finally nailing down a wedding date. We’ve already decided to get married in Napa at one of the vineyards or in Tiburon overlooking the bay, and just need to pick a date.
Elle comes out of the office and finds me in the living room flipping through the catalog. I’ve dogeared a couple designs I like and plan to show her. She sits down next to me, leans over, and kisses me on the cheek before righting herself. “What are you looking at?”
I close the magazine so she can see the front. “Came in the mail today. It’s a sign for us to set a date and finally get the ball rolling.”
Author Bio:
Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.
Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.
In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.
Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.
Book Title: Belinda (The Raymond Hatcher Stories/Book Three) by Mark Zvonkovic Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 276 pages Genre: Literary / Legal Thriller Publisher: Dos Perro Press Release date: June 2022 Content Rating: PG13+M because it involves mature themes, occasional mild profanities, non-explicit sex scenes and mild violence.
“You will keep turning pages not just for the pleasure of his writing, but because you simply have to know what happens next.” — Mark Pryor, author of Die Around Sundown and the Hugo Marston series
“Belindais a thrilling novel with gripping layers of legal and corporate intrigue, but it’s Zvonkovic’s character work and timely themes that propel the narrative to new heights. Part romance, part legal drama, Zvonkovic blends genres and defies expectations with each turn of the page, ultimately creating an emotional exploration of justice, purpose, and legacy.”— James Wade, Spur Award-winning author of River, Sing Out
“Fans of characters such as Tom Clancy’s John Clark, as well as other readers who are interested in the techno-thriller genre, should find Belinda to be a thoroughly captivating and satisfying read.” — David Loux, Author of Chateaux Laux
Set in the conference rooms of a white-shoe Houston law firm and the stunning coastline of Baja California, Belinda is the story of a woman’s bravery and resourcefulness at the end of her brilliant career. Her decision to fight her firm’s men in suits who demand her retirement is called into question when a man once her lover appears after a long unexplained absence.
Against a backdrop of romance and legal drama, the novel explores questions about love, the law, and the anxious precipice of life change. Is it ever too late to be swept away by romance? Can true justice ever be attained when the law’s practitioners are corrupt? And when your work is what defines you, what’s left after retirement?
During a week of surprises and abstruse events, Belinda sees the once presumed greatness of her life flicker as she forces the moment for her decision to a crisis.
Stripped Bare Aila Glass Publication date: September 23rd 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
A grumpy construction worker. An exotic dancer. And a night that leaves them wanting more.
Daphne
As a broke college student, I’m putting myself through school as an exotic dancer. Dozens of men come to watch me perform every night, and I’ve never been tempted by any of my clients…until him.
Mack with his smouldering gaze and sexy smirk. He knows exactly what to do with my body and how to ignite me with just a touch. Now this grumpy, possessive construction worker is telling me I’m his. But he’s so much older than me. Can we make it work despite the age gap?
Mack
I’m big, grumpy, and I don’t care much for the club scene. The only reason I’m here is to get my coworkers off my back. But the second I spot Daphne on stage, something feral is awakened within me.
She’s a younger woman but that won’t stop me from claiming her. I’m counting down the days until she’ll be tied to me forever. Soon, she’ll learn that possessive is my middle name and from now on, she’ll spend every night screaming it.
If you’re looking for an older man that quickly claims his younger woman, then you’ll love meeting Mack in Stripped Bare.
The lights on the outside of the White Onyx are white and pink. It doesn’t look like a strip club. It looks like a regular nightclub, which I guess has as much sex appeal as a strip club. I park in the back and head to the door.
I see Tyler, Jason, and Peter outside. Tyler waves his hand to get my attention. As I pass by, a group of women turn my way and I can feel their eyes eating me alive. They’re three young ladies, all with lust in their eyes. I can feel their stare as I walk away.
“You came,” Tyler says and hands the bouncer some money.
“You sound surprised,” I say as I hand the bouncer some money as well.
“Yeah, well…” Tyler says as we walk in. He turns to face me, “I thought you’d change your mind when you realized that you don’t want to come, but since you’re here…”
I shake my head, then look around the club when I walk in. It’s pink and blue but dark, with the smell of cheap alcohol and even cheaper perfume. Men and women are dancing on poles throughout the room as men and women watch them.
We head to the bar and order some drinks. I take a whiskey on the rocks, Jason orders the same, and Tyler and Peter order a beer.
“Well,” Tyler shouts over the booming music, “have fun!” He heads toward a table with a small dark-haired woman dancing on it and takes a seat. Then I see Jason and Peter go their separate ways. It’s then I realize that we may be close but not I’ll-stand-next-to-you-while-looking-at-a-stripper close.
I walk to the corner stage where a tall woman with dirty blonde or brown hair dances on the pole. There are a couple of men already there, but I sit down anyway.
The woman is mesmerizing. She dances to Sam Tinnesz’s Play With Fire and wears a small black bra that shows a lot of her breasts and an even smaller black panties with lace on the back. She swings her hips around and her hands play with her hair. Then she sinks down and crawls toward me. My cock grows fast in my pants.
It wants her. I want her.
She crawls around the table and when she faces the other way, her ass is on full display and I groan. She looks back at me and smiles, telling me she heard me. Turning around, she crawls back to me and is now a foot away from my face. She gracefully slides onto her back and stills, looking at me as she spreads her legs and moves them around like she’s riding an invisible bike.
It takes all my strength not to grab her from the stage, take her to a secluded corner and fuck the shit out of her. As she stands up and dances around the pole, I take a breath and think about what’s happening to me. No woman has ever induced such an intense need in me. The need to take. The need to fill this gorgeous blonde with my cum. To tie her to my bed and fuck her six ways to Sunday.
Holy fuck.
I take a big sip of my whiskey. When I put it down, she’s come back to me and the other men have left.
“You want a private dance, baby?” she asks.
Author Bio:
The Dirty Romantic
Aila Glass is a Canadian romance author and a hopeful romantic. She loves to write forbidden romances with some dirty talk and dirty alphas. When she’s not writing she is reading romance books or listening to music. Preferably classic rock or country.
Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures (Series)Dagger Quest, Book 1 by Edward Hochsmann
GENRE: Action/Adventure, Contemporary
BLURB
Dagger
Quest
An
aging Coast Guard patrol boat is all that stands between the world and nuclear
annihilation!
The
world is on the brink of war, with NATO mobilizing to counter a Russian threat
to Poland and Lithuania and leaders openly discussing war options. In the midst
of the crisis, a Russian bomber collides with a U.S. fighter off Florida
causing the accidental launch of a nuclear-tipped hypersonic missile.
A
Coast Guard cutter on a routine patrol finds a drug-laden sailboat smashed and
adrift north of the Florida Keys. The boat’s damage is from a near miss by the
Russian missile which has not harmlessly flown deep into the Gulf of Mexico as
initially thought, but crashed somewhere in the Keys.
The
Coast Guard crew is in a race against a vicious and powerful international
crime syndicate to find and recover the Russian nuke before its discovery can
trigger a nuclear war.
Exploring
the friendship and teamwork of a typical ship’s crew, in the face of unexpected
and hazardous challenges, Dagger Quest provides a fast-paced, taut story – excellent
fare for both sea adventure and military thriller fans.
EXCERPT
Ben’s
first encounter with the 252 Syndicate ends in a high-speed chase through Key
West, Florida:
Ben
slowed and veered right onto Flagler with a screaming of tires and modest
fishtailing as he straightened on the new path. Their pursuers also swung in
behind them from Roosevelt a few seconds later.
“Floor
it! We’ll be hanging a right on Tenth in
ten blocks, same tactic. Keep hitting that horn!”
Ben
stayed on the horn, dodging through traffic at speeds approaching fifty miles
per hour.
“Counting
down,” Simmons said, “Fourteenth, Thirteenth, twelfth, Eleventh, slow down and
prepare to hang a right, NOW!”
Ben
executed another tire-squealing turn and straightened out, heading north on
Tenth, gunning the engine and leaning on the horn.
“Stand
by to hit the brakes!” Simmons shouted. “Steady, steady, NOW, hit the brakes!”
Ben
stood on the brake pedal, tires shrieked, and the anti-lock braking chattered.
After skidding to a stop in the middle of the street next to a large lagoon,
Simmons shouted, “Get down!” He opened both doors on his side of the car, using
the rear door for cover.
Ben
dropped behind the seat as their pursuer began screeching to a stop. Suddenly,
there was a tremendous crash with the sound of tearing metal and followed by a
large splash. Simmons shut the doors and said in a normal tone, “OK, let’s
roll. Back to the base, nice and easy.”
Ben
shot up and saw several figures in combat gear with guns drawn running forward
from an SUV stopped in the middle of Tenth Street. The car chasing them was
coming to rest upside down in the lagoon. “WHAT—THE—HELL!” he shouted at
Simmons.
“Come
on, friend, we need to move it. It’s handled. We’re clear now, so stay
law-abiding all the way, please.”
Ben
stared at him for a few seconds, then pressed the accelerator. The engine raced
briefly, and then, with shaking hands, Ben shifted into Drive.
“See,
you’re a natural,” Simmons said with a smile. “You didn’t even realize you
shifted into Park.”
Mission:
Five days to destroy the enemy in the Caribbean before a catastrophic weapon is
unleashed—but all he can think about is the woman he left behind…
The
deadliest nerve gas ever made has fallen into the hands of a murderous
Caribbean drug cult. The criminal 252 Syndicate has the gas in a secret lab on
an oil rig servicing ship, but the ship has been taken for ransom by the
Salinas Cartel in a violent drug war. The U.S. can’t use airstrikes and calls
on Coast Guard Officer Ben Wyporek to lead his crew through a risky covert raid
on the Salinas cult’s fortified island base. He accepts the assignment, but
remembers a previous lethal encounter with the 252s and struggles to say
goodbye to the love of his life, Victoria Carpenter.
Ben
and his crew aboard the stealth-equipped Cutter Kauai must sneak into the
harbor and tow the ship away. But if Kauai is detected and defeated, death by
gas or at the hands of vicious adversaries will follow. Now, every decision Ben
makes will determine the fate of his entire crew—and the chances of reuniting
with Victoria.
This
second book of the series builds on the friendships and teamwork of Kauai’s
crew, this time in the face of several challenging missions and one potentially
lethal encounter. It is a worthy sequel to Dagger Quest that sea adventure and
military thriller fans will enjoy.
EXCERPT
Pan-Commonwealth
Airways Flight 403 with 126 passengers and crew has dual engine failure in a
thunderstorm and is headed for a forced landing in the Atlantic over a hundred
miles north of the Bahamas:
Taylor
grabbed the intercom handset and pressed the call button. Burgess answered
immediately, “Cabin, here.”
“We’re
going in, Chief. Get them ready for it. We’re going to try for the Hudson River
scenario, so keep the aft doors closed.”
“Understood,
Captain. I have two burly beauties from the RN on guard in the last row. You
worry about bringing us in safe. We’ll be alright back here.”
Taylor
smiled slightly. I might have known. God bless you, Richard! “Well done! I’ll
ring the bell five seconds before contact. Get them moving as we come to a
stop.”
“WILCO.
Godspeed, Captain. Out.”
The
scenario Taylor referred to involved the ditching of a similar Airbus in New
York’s Hudson River when bird ingestion knocked out both its engines shortly
after takeoff from La Guardia airport. The flight crew executed a masterpiece
of judgment and skill, saving everyone on board. Not so easy this time. They
landed in the sheltered water of a river—we’ll have waves and swells to deal
with.
“Peregrine
Four-Zero-Three, Miami Center, Nassau is losing radar contact. Observe you
heading two one five magnetic, over.” Surveillance radar was limited to line of
sight, and at this distance, the aircraft dropped below the radar’s horizon at
around thirteen thousand feet. The controller would use the aircraft’s last
heading, descent rate, and speed to estimate the impact point to be passed to
rescue forces.
“Center,
Four-Zero-Three, roger, estimate six miles to contact, over.”
Four-Zero-Three,
Center, copy. Best of luck, Captain. Out.”
“No
joy, Captain,” Patel said as he took his hand off the starter.
“Right,
leave it. Give me flaps four at one thousand.” Taylor had held off the flaps
until the last possible moment. They would reduce the aircraft’s touchdown
speed dramatically, but also added significant drag. “Ring the cabin bell once
you position the handle.”
A
New Captain’s First Patrol Turns into a Fight for Their Lives
Young
Coast Guard Lieutenant Haley Reardon has not even gotten her feet on the ground
on her new patrol boat command when she finds herself and her crew supporting a
dangerous covert mission. They must insert and retrieve a Defense Intelligence
Agency operations team trying to seize a transnational criminal syndicate boss
from a small Caribbean island controlled by a front company of the Chinese
government and protected by a superior military force.
A
honeymoon period would be lovely, but, as always, the world gets a vote.
Can
Haley avoid leaving the DIA team to their fate, when attempting to rescue them
could destroy her crew and boat and lead to war?
This
third installment of the series conveys the humor, friendships, and teamwork of
Kauai’s crew from the previous books, with a new series of exciting actions
from search and rescue to combat. The crew and their new skipper must come
together for the toughest mission they have ever faced.
EXCERPT
Phillip
Murray, his wife and two daughters have been retrieved from their stricken
sailboat in the middle of Hurricane Jacob and are now en route to Kauai aboard
the cutter’s small rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB):
The
big crewman placed his hand on a grab handle and shouted, “Hold this, stay
down, and keep your arms inside the boat!” Once Murray had a firm grip, the
crewman pulled a strap across his lap, fastened it to a ring fitting on the
deck, and cinched it. The small orange boat pitched up as it climbed another
high wave, and the strap across Murray’s lap bit into him as they seemed to
come near to vertical. Then the bow suddenly pitched down for yet another
sickening drop to a tremendous splash.
That’s
it! We’re done for! Murray thought as wind and water tugged at his body. But
the boat came up again, the deck cleared, and from what he could see with his
spray-fogged eyes, everyone was still there. He looked toward Gemma, sitting
beside him with her free arm stretched across Jamie’s and Lydia’s chests, and
placed his free hand over hers on the grab handle. They rode out two more
monstrous wave events before reaching the cutter, which provided little shelter
from the gale for the tossing boat.
Murray
had turned to look at the nearby cutter when a gunshot rang out, followed by
the thump of a line on the bow. Murray surmised the winds were too high for a
standard heaving line, so the coastguardsman used a rifle to pass a line to the
boat. The big boat crewman was hauling in a thin line that Murray knew was
attached to the hook they would connect to the boat to crane it aboard. This
was the time of maximum risk—with the cutter and boat writhing in the wind and
seas, attaching the hook would be a nightmare. He leaned over to cover Gemma’s
head with his body and closed his eyes.
And
then he prayed.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Edward
Hochsmann is the pen name of a retired U. S. Coast Guard search and rescue and
law enforcement professional. The veteran mariner, aviator, college professor,
and defense analyst has added “author” to his list of experiences. Ed likes
reading, police procedurals, contemporary music on the road, and classical
music in the office. After a career traveling from Australia in the west to
Italy and Germany in the east, Ed has settled into a quiet life in the Florida
Panhandle to focus on writing (and not shoveling snow!)
Ed has two
novels published right now (plus one launching in August 2022) in the Cutter
Kauai Sea Adventures series about a Coast Guard patrol boat assigned to
“special” missions. Dagger Quest takes place in the Florida Keys and
involves an aging Coast Guard patrol boat dragooned into a search for a lost
Russian nuclear weapon in a time of international crisis. The second, Caribbean
Counterstrike, features the same patrol boat and crew, now with equipment and
training upgrades, sent to recover a deadly nerve gas from a murderous
Caribbean drug cartel. Bravely and Faithfully has Kauai, under a new captain
supporting a covert raid on a Caribbean island held by the Chinese.
Ed’s second
series, C6S: Patrol Force deals with a combined defense establishment and
constabulary for a galactic economic empire called the Confederation of the Six
Systems (C6S). Ed has published two novellas and a novel-length collection late
last year.
I don’t remember much about the kid but I remember the way he looked at me once we were alone. The air shifted, like the oxygen suddenly disappeared. My breath was caught in my throat. I felt like I was on fire, and I knew it wasn’t the liquor anymore making me feel this way
I swallowed hard, trying my fucking hardest to stay calm. He stood from the bed, his gaze never leaving mine as he stalked toward me.
For fourteen, he was intimidating.
He leaned down, placing his hands on either side of my head. His gaze floated across every part of my face. Time was fucking frozen, but I was spiraling.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, my voice cracking.
“Kissing you.” Before I could interject, his lips crashed down on mine.
I was done for. Melting into the bean bag chair as a wave of emotions crashed through me like an angry sea. So many thoughts were going through my head.
I’ve never kissed a boy before.
Why did I like it so much?
Where is Gabe?
Why is he kissing me?
But the main one stirring in my head was what is he going to do next?
I never got that answer.
I never would.
Because while he was kissing me, Gabe was in our dads office, loading a shot gun, putting it to his head, and pulling the trigger.
The rest of that night and so many months after were one giant blur and My life crashed and burned. I never saw that Forster kid again.
And every night since, I’ve spent my time dousing my pain with the Lords amber embrace.
—
Urban Decay – Yolanda Olson
Perfect, pretty Emily Parker.
Pathetic, patronizing Julius and Josephine Parker.
They were the family that took me in when I was a young girl. They wanted to be the picture perfect family with two beautiful daughters to show off to their prestigious friends at their prestigious gatherings.
Most of what I can remember from childhood wasn’t so bad until Julius decided that I wasn’t good enough to be his daughter, but better suited to be in his bed instead.
Secret, painful trysts that happened whenever Josephine would leave for weekends away with her high society friends.
I never got over what he would do to me under the watchful eye of the moon, but that wasn’t what got me tossed out onto my ass.
Emily Parker caught us one night when I screamed a little too loud, and daddy dearest wasn’t quick enough to cover my mouth.
She followed the painful bellow to her father’s door, slowly pushed it open, and found him on top of me, his dick buried in my ass, fucking me like a drunken frat boy.
Little Emily Parker let out a scream, threw herself at us, and began to tear at my hair and punch me as violently as she could while her father pulled his dick out of me and tried to get her out of the room.
I thought she had come in to save me, but instead, she beat me while I was already down.
Julius bought Emily’s silence by getting her an exquisite diamond necklace and matching earrings.
It worked for a while, but the more he took advantage of me in he and his wife’s bed, the angrier she became.
I thought she was mad at him, but as it turned out, she was jealous.
She didn’t understand what it was about me that made him so ravenous and she hated me for it.
So, when Josephine Parker came home one weekend from a trip to Monaco with her friends, Emily Parker told her what had been happening.
Except, she told her that I would force her father to do things to me.
And Pathetic, Patronizing Josephine believed her.
Instead of sending me back to the home they adopted me from, she had friends come take me away and dump me in the middle of Skid Row.
And this is where I’ve watched them become even more prominent in their society of bullshit politicians, lawmakers, and kiddie diddlers. This is where I’ve waited, biding my time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike them down.
But the longer I lived on the street, and the longer I let the hatred fester, I knew that the best way to get to the Parker family would be through their darling daughter, Pretty, Perfect Emily.
