By
Tim Smith (Guest Blogger)
I’m
pleased to announce the release of my newest romantic thriller, Catch
and Release (Nick Seven: Book 5). All of the standard elements are
here—exotic location with sun, sand and surf, action, witty
interplay between the characters, a villain and plot straight out of
Ian Fleming, and plenty of steamy sexual encounters.
Former
CIA spies Nick Seven and Felicia Hagens decided to take a break from
the Florida Keys to enjoy the white sands and cool waters of Virginia
Beach. Their relaxation comes to an abrupt halt when Felicia
recognizes the notorious Russian criminal named Festov. But Felicia
killed Festov six years earlier in Amsterdam—or so she thought.
This unexpected appearance reveals a terrifying conspiracy with
global implications. Is it really Festov or someone made up to look
like him? Can Felicia and Nick stop Festov and his partners before
they hatch their deadly plan?”
I
did something different with this one, which I hope readers will
like. In the previous adventures, the catalyst was something from
Nick’s shady past. Felicia has always been a part of it, helping
him deal with whatever the trouble was, and each installment showed
their relationship getting stronger. I decided that it was time for
Felicia to have her own adventure. That’s right—this is her
caper, and Nick provides back-up. It turns out that Felicia has a
skeleton of her own rattling in her closet, one she’s never
bothered to discuss before.
For
those who haven’t followed the series, a little history. Felicia
worked with Nick when they were both with the CIA. She’s originally
from Barbados, a former Marine, and as kick-ass as any action hero.
That was by design when I created the character. Nick needed a
romantic interest, one to share his civilian adventures with, but I
didn’t want someone who couldn’t match him in the tough
department. Each story has given her some action to get involved in,
but I felt that the time was right for her to take the lead. This
being a romantic thriller, I needed to keep their relationship alive
and well.
Here’s an excerpt:
Felicia
sat on the beach with Nick, her knees pulled near her torso and her
arms resting on them while she stared at the night sky over the
ocean. A few birds did a call-and-response with each other in the
distance, countering the sounds of others occupying the beach. Sure
is peaceful out here. She glanced over at Nick, who had
stretched out on the blanket and crossed his feet at the ankles.
“What
made you think of doin’ this?” she asked.
“You
did, when you told me how much fun you used to have on the beach back
home.”
She
leaned over and kissed him. “You’re sweet.”
He
sat up, retrieved two Piña Colada wine coolers from the ice bucket
then handed one to her. She took a swallow and resumed looking at the
horizon. The evening breeze had cooled the sultry temps of daytime,
making it tolerable. She pointed at a small flashing light high in
the sky.
“What
do you think?” she asked. “Star or satellite?”
“The
romantic in me wants to say star.” He placed his hand on her cheek
to turn her face toward his. “Our very own star, just looking over
us.”
Felicia
pushed him onto his back and kissed him. She peered into his eyes and
ran her fingers along his brow and cheek. “You aren’t really such
a hard-ass as you like people to think. Did you know that?”
Nick
played with a strand of her hair. “Don’t let it get around.”
“Afraid
someone might find out what a pushover you really are?”
“Yeah,
that’s me. Carbon steel on the outside, cotton candy inside.”
Felicia
glanced at three young women who had staked their claim a dozen yards
away, trying to be articulate between sips of wine and puffs on the
joint they passed around. The rancid-sweet smell of Colombian gold
drifted through the air. The longer the women toked, the more heated
their discussion became. From what Felicia could hear, it was a
spirited debate on the pros and cons of anal sex. The pros argued
that it was great as long as you used enough lube, while the one con
held firm that afterwards she couldn’t sit comfortably for a week.
This was followed by more toking and uncontrolled giggling.
“Interesting
debate,” Nick commented.
“The
things people argue about when they’re stoned.”
Nick
sat up, opened a can of Sterno then lit it. He set it on the sand in
front of them then handed Felicia a stick impaling two marshmallows.
He held his over the flame and slowly rotated it.
Felicia
giggled. “I can’t believe we’re doin’ this.”
“Didn’t
you ever go camping?”
“Only
when I was on active duty. Surprised you didn’t bring C-rations to
eat.”
“Be
careful what you wish for. Next time, I might.”
He
took one toasted marshmallow from the stick and fed it to her.
“Mmm,
good.”
Nick
ate the marshmallow she fed him then took a drink. “What’s a
Barbados beach party like?”
Felicia
took a drink before answering. “Everybody brought somethin’
homemade and we’d have a big bonfire with a pot of crabs cookin’.”
She grinned at the memory. “My uncle would get juiced and pour in a
bottle of homemade rum for flavoring.”
“Did
it help?”
“Not
really, but the crabs enjoyed it.”
Nick
laughed. “Guess that took the sting out of being boiled alive. What
else happened?”
“After
ev’ryone got their fill of crabs and fried plantains, and they
passed around the jugs of wine, somebody would play music and people
danced.” She leaned in close and lowered her voice. “Don’t tell
anyone, but some of us would sneak off to go skinny dippin’.”
“So
that’s where you learned not to wear clothes at the beach.”
She
squeezed his knee. “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”
“What
makes you think I haven’t?”
Her
eyebrows arched. “When?”
He
took a drink. “Jamaica, when I was on an assignment. I had to visit
a clothing optional beach.”
“I
can’t wait to hear this one. Why would you hit a nude beach while
you were workin’ a case?”
“Because
the person I was following went there.” He looked into her eyes. “I
had to blend in, you know.”
Felicia
laughed. “Did you take your gun with you?”
“No
place to hide it.”
She
had a thought and gave him an amused look. “Was the subject of your
assignment a man or a woman?”
Nick
looked at her for a moment. “A woman. She was the girlfriend of a
smuggler we were after and I was assigned to follow her until she
made contact. Didn’t know where it would take me.”
She
raked her fingers along his cheek. “Did your tail job divulge
anythin’ vital?”
“I
found out that she was a natural redhead with a sunburst tat on her
ass.”
“How
did that help your investigation?”
“It
didn’t, but I found it very interesting.”
“Really
took your job seriously, didn’t you?”
“That’s
why I got the big bucks.”
He
set his bottle aside then pulled Felicia onto her back next to him.
They gazed at the clear, starlit sky, blotting out everything else
around them.
“Star
light, star bright, first star I see tonight,” Felicia softly
recited. “I wish I may, I wish I might…”
Her
voice trailed off as prior thoughts flooded her head, the good
memories fighting the unpleasant ones that had made a return visit
after lying dormant.
“Why
didn’t you finish?” Nick asked.
She
peered into his eyes. “Don’t need to.”
*
* * *
If
you’re in the mood for a breezy fast-paced adventure that will
satisfy without making you think too hard, check out “Catch and
Release.” I think you’ll enjoy the trip.
Buy
Links
Amazon
Extasy
Books
Barnes
and Noble
About
Tim
Tim
Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author whose books range from
romantic mystery/thrillers to contemporary erotic romance. His
website is www.timsmithauthor.com.
1 comment:
Lisabet, thanks for having me as your guest today. Your blog is the best!
Tim Smith
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