SNIPPET SATURDAY - Author's Choice

TAKING AIM

Covert Cowboys Book #2

by Elle James aka Myla Jackson

Amazon | Nook

BLURB

A kidnapping offers an FBI agent a second chance at redemption in Elle James's Covert Cowboys, Inc. miniseries.
After witnessing the murder of his partner, former FBI agent Zach Adams suffers the weight of his own guilt. An unexpected assignment hunting down the members of the Texas gang responsible—who have kidnapped a local woman—could offer long-awaited revenge.

Zach understands the danger of tracking the cartel, but it's his desire for the sister of the missing person that he fails to anticipate. Determined to find her twin, Jacie Kosart is as strong-willed as she is alluring. But when Zach's ruthless search for the kidnappers lands Jacie in the crosshairs of deadly enemies, Zach realizes he'll risk everything to keep her alive…even if it means confronting the demons of his own past.

EXCERPT

“Yeah, but not only are they putting themselves and the horses in danger, they’re putting the two of us at risk as well.” Jacie hesitated. “Come to think of it, maybe we should head back while there’s still enough light to climb the trail out of the canyon.”

Tracie sighed. “I was hoping you’d say that. I don’t want you to get hurt out here.”

“Me? I was more concerned about you. You haven’t been in saddle much since you joined the FBI.”

“You’re right, of course.” She smiled at Jacie. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Agreed. Let them be stupid. We don’t have to be.” Jacie turned her horse back the way they’d come and had taken the lead when the sharp report of gunfire echoed off the canyon walls.

“What the hell?” Jacie’s horse spun beneath her and it was all she could do to keep her balance.

Aramis reared. Tracie planted her feet hard in the stirrups and leaned forward, holding on until the gelding dropped to all four hooves.

More gunfire ensued followed by the pounding of hooves, the sound growing louder as it neared them.

Tracie yelled, “Go, Jacie. Get out of the canyon!”

Jacie didn’t hesitate, nor did her horse. She dug her heals into D’Artagnan’s flanks, sending him flying along the trail. She headed back the way they’d come, her horse skimming over the rocky ground, his head stretched forward, nostrils flared.

Before they’d gone a hundred yards, Rocky, the gelding Mr. Jones had been riding, raced past them, eyes wide, sweat lathered on both sides, sporting an empty saddle, no Mr. Jones. Rocky hit the trailhead leading out of the canyon, scrambling up the slope.

Jacie dared to glance over her shoulder.

Mr. Smith emerged from the fork in the canyon trail, yelling at Ginger, kicking her hard. Both leaned forward, racing for their lives.

Other Authors Participating in Snippet Saturday:
Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens
Leah Braemel
Jody Wallace
Caris Roane
Eliza Gayle
Lissa Matthews
Mandy M. Roth
McKenna Jeffries
Shiloh Walker
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
TJ Michaels
Myla Jackson
Felicity Heaton   
Mari Carr

SNIPPET SATURDAY - Boys of Summer

Nothin's hotter than summer in Texas unless it's the Annual Cowboy Auction!

 

BOOTS AND ROSES

by Myla Jackson

Samhain Publishing
Barnes & Noble Nook
Amazon Kindle
Kobo

BLURB

Welcome Back to the Ugly Stick Saloon

Bunny Leigh really shouldn’t care that her ex is days away from getting remarried. Yet the fact he’s getting hitched to the woman he cheated on her with stings more than she cares to admit.

It’s that sting that drives her to impulsively throw a bid in the annual Ugly Stick Saloon Cowboy Auction. To her surprise, she lands not only one of the best-looking men in the tri-county area, but two. The prospect of keeping up with two younger men has the shy florist quaking in her flower pots.

Little does she know, best friends Cory McBride and Jack Monahan made doubly sure their favorite florist won them both. But now they have their work cut out for them, convincing her they want more than one steamy night. They want a chance at forever.

Warning: A cop, a cowboy and a flower shop owner make the petals fly! And look what happens when the Ferris wheel stops at the top. Bring a fan, the heat’s rising at the Ugly Stick Saloon.


EXCERPT

“I don’t need a second chance. Once was bad enough. I don’t think I’m ready to float that boat again.” Although the two men on the stage could more than set her sails. Holy hell, they were built like brick houses, all muscle—hard, finely chiseled muscle.

“If not for love, then date for fun or a release from stress.” Audrey threw her hand in the air.
Why not satisfy your sexual fantasies? Anything to get you out of your shell, girlfriend.”

“One thousand dollars!” Charli shouted into the microphone. “Ladies, this is twice the spice for the money. Don’t stop now.” She nodded toward the throng. “One thousand one hundred from number forty-one.”

“A thousand dollars?” Bunny did the math in her head. “I’d have to sell a lot of roses to afford those two.”
“Raise your paddle. Remember, I’ll double whatever you can afford.”

Even as Bunny shook her head, her fingers tightened around the paddle’s wooden stick. “I can’t.”

“Yes. You can. It’s just a date,” Audrey insisted. “Think about what Cory can do with that whip. And Jack has handcuffs.”

Cory cracked the whip, and number thirty-seven raised her paddle, bumping the bid up another one hundred dollars.

Bunny’s heartbeat accelerated. She had over two grand in savings for a rainy day and maybe to pay off her ex when she got a little more saved. That money was not earmarked for a hot date with two sexy men.
It still galled her to no end that Ray got half of her business in the divorce, Texas being a community property state. Out of the “goodness of his heart” Ray had let her keep the flower shop, as long as she paid him for his half over time, as a loan. He never let her forget it either, always giving her his unwanted opinion on how to run the flower shop. Spending so much money on a date would have him questioning her ability to stay in business. He might even foreclose on his loan.

“Going once,” Charli said.

“What?” Bunny’s breath caught and she leaned so far forward on her stool she almost slid off.

“Going twice.” Charli paused. “They’re a steal at twelve hundred dollars. Come on ladies, won’t one of you bid thirteen hundred?”

Bunny’s hand shook, her grip clenching on the paddle. Before she could analyze her actions, she raised her paddle.

“Is that Bunny Leigh back there near the bar?” Charli shielded her eyes from the glare of the stage lights.
“Y’all gonna let Temptation’s best florist go home with the two most drool-worthy men in the county?”

Cory and Jack stared across the room, straight at Bunny, both smiling.

Her pulse accelerated until she thought for certain her heart would jump right out of her chest. Her gaze panned the room, praying someone else would raise a paddle quickly before she bought the cowboy and the cop.

Charli grinned, and before anyone else could get a paddle above shoulder-high, she pounded her gavel on the podium and shouted, “Sold!”


Other Authors Participating in Snippet Saturday:
Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens
Leah Braemel
Jody Wallace
Caris Roane
Eliza Gayle
Lissa Matthews
Mandy M. Roth
McKenna Jeffries
Shiloh Walker
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
TJ Michaels
Myla Jackson
Felicity Heaton   

Snippet Saturday - Belong to the City

Big City? How's New York City for big?

 

WITCH'S CURSE

by Myla Jackson

Kindle | Nook | Kobo

BLURB

As punishment for using magic unwisely, Catherine Wein, ex-witch and totally cursed, is doomed to spend each year in a different woman's life. It's New Year's Eve and at the stroke of midnight she'll make the switch to another host's life. Catherine's determined to grab for as much happiness as she can with her remaining hours in Kindra Merlot's body. Enter sexy cop, Sam Cade. 

Dumped by his girlfriend right after Christmas, Sam isn't in the mood to celebrate until he sees the willowy beauty, Kindra. Her sensuality and sexual aggressiveness revives his lagging spirits. Is she the one for him or is she another lying, cheating woman like his ex? Will he have more than tonight to find out?
EXCERPT
The song was ripe for couples to do some serious belly-rubbin’ and a dozen or more couples headed for the dance floor and to the music.

Damn. New Year’s Eve and alone.

“Hey, I got one for you.” BJ handed him a glass of champagne and pointed across the floor at a woman with long, golden blonde hair and a shimmering silver dress that hugged every curve of her body. He glanced around. “Where’s mine?”

Sam missed BJ’s question, his gaze captivated by the woman standing with a glass of champagne, a sad smile playing around her lips. Something about her pale blue eyes and the way she stared with longing at the couples dancing amid soft blinking lights called out to him. Despite his words to the contrary, Sam wanted to meet the woman. His feet shifted and he stepped out.

BJ’s hand smacked him in the arm. “Did I do right by you, buddy?”

Boy, did he. No use letting him in on the news. BJ would just get a big head, besides, Sam wasn’t sure he should move on his instincts to go meet the woman. “I guess she’s all right.”

“Now, where’s mine? I’m anxious to meet the future Mrs. Drake.”

Sam gave his friend an exasperated look. “Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself?”

“I never date a woman I’m not willing to marry.” BJ stared around the room. “So where is she?”

A woman with a shock of bright red curls joined the blonde. Sam squelched the chuckle rising in his chest. Perfect. “She’s next to the blonde. Say hello to the future Mrs. Drake.”

“Hey, I gave you a sex goddess and you give me Little Orphan Annie?”

“BJ Drake, I’ve never known you to pass on a challenge. Are you telling me you aren’t going to give my choice for you a chance?”

BJ scowled. “Some friend you are.” He grabbed another glass of champagne from a passing caterer. “Come on, let’s go meet our futures.”

Now that he was headed across the floor to meet the blonde, Sam wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. What would he say? He’d been out of the dating scene for the most part, having been in a steady relationship for the past year and a half. His gut clenched and butterflies invaded. Storming a crack house wasn’t nearly as nerve-racking as chatting up a strange woman who looked like a supermodel.

Since this was BJ’s idea, Sam couldn’t back out now. Not with BJ headed the same way. Tamping down his nerves, he attacked the task as if he were about to face a crime boss head-on.


Other Authors Participating in Snippet Saturday:
Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens
Leah Braemel
Jody Wallace
Caris Roane
Eliza Gayle
Lissa Matthews
Mandy M. Roth
McKenna Jeffries
Shiloh Walker
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
TJ Michaels
Myla Jackson

Snippet Saturday - Life in a Small Town

Ever noticed how life in a small town can be so....friendly? Never friendlier than in Temptation, Texas:

 

BOOTS AND LACE

By Myla Jackson

Samhain Publishing
Barnes & Noble Nook
Amazon Kindle

Blurb

Welcome back to the Ugly Stick Saloon!

She wants no strings…but he wants it all.

After her philandering husband left her, Lacey Lambert found sanctuary, and a better class of friends, at the Ugly Stick Saloon. Where she learned that the best revenge—against her ex, and the “friends” who kicked her out of the Temptation Garden Club—is to live life to the fullest. 

Now that her best friend is moving out of her apartment building, she’s feeling a little lonely. And more than ready for a little commitment-free sex with the hot new downstairs tenant.

Freshly divorced, Nick McBride isn’t looking for another failed relationship. But when the luscious brunette offers no-strings sex—with him and his brother—he can’t come up with a good reason to refuse.
After he gets over the shock that she likes it loud, long, and in front of an open window, he finds himself wanting more time with her. Maybe even on a permanent basis. But it’ll take every ounce of his cowboy charms to convince her to let him sweep her off her feet.

Excerpt

“I can give you a boost.” Nick locked his fingers, cupped his hands and bent.

Cory stuck his foot in Nick’s hands and reached for the alarm. He could barely grasp it enough to unhook it from the old building’s high ceiling. “Got it.”

“Now, pull the old battery out and leave the rest hanging until you can get another battery. And hurry it up, will ya? My fingers are slipping.”

“Just a minute. The damned battery is being stubborn.”

“I’m serious, I’m about to drop you.” Nick swayed, his fingers slipping apart.

“Just…one…more…”

A knock on the door startled both men.

Nick lost his grip, Cory fell and both men landed on the floor as the door opened to the beautiful waitress from the Ugly Stick Saloon, wearing that breast-huggin white tank top, the shorter-than-short pair of jean cutoffs and bearing a tray filled with cheesy, gooey pizza.

She smiled, bent and scooped up both their towels, which had dropped loose when they’d fallen. Balancing the pizza tray with one hand and the towels looped over the other, she raised her eyebrows. “Having a little fun without me?”

Nick felt the heat rise from his chest into his face when he realized what this must look like. Cory lay draped across him in a highly suggestive position. At least he covered Nick’s privates from the woman’s view.

Cory laughed out loud. “Lacey, I wondered when you would show up. Kendall said you’d probably stop by to say hello.”

“Did she?” Lacey’s eyes narrowed. “What else did she say?”

Cory’s grin broadened. “She said to watch out that you were on the prowl.”

“She’s a bigmouth, but since I’m here…” She waggled her eyebrows, her gaze panning over both men’s groins. “Of course, if you’re gay, maybe you can let me watch, or I’ll pretend to be a boy and we can all have a little fun.”

Nick choked and jumped to his feet, his hands forming a fig leaf over his crotch.

Cory chortled. “Ah, Lacey, nothing like cutting to the chase. We were just trying to kill the smoke detector and fell.”

Lacey pouted. “Well, darn.” Her gaze went to Nick, sliding down his chest to where his hands covered his privates.

“Do you mind?” Nick held out his hand for a towel, the heat her gaze generated pooling in his groin.

“A shame to cover something so fine.” She grinned and tossed him the towel. “So, are you interested?”

Other authors participating in Snippet Saturday:

Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens
Leah Braemel
Jody Wallace
Caris Roane
Eliza Gayle
Lissa Matthews
Mandy M. Roth
McKenna Jeffries
Shiloh Walker
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
TJ Michaels
Myla Jackson