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Too Hot to be a Hacker ~ Excerpt from 'Mission: Impossible to Love'
“You? A cracker?” Izzy covered her mouth. Did she just say that aloud? Okay, she was having a bit of trouble adjusting to the idea that Charles’s cousin or whatever wanted her for a government job—not for a prison sentence. Or maybe this was a trap to convict her?
Sten’s eyes and voice turned icy. “Why couldn’t I be a hacker?”
She shrugged her shoulders since it was too hard to raise her eyebrows. “You’re going to try to convince the seller that you hacked into a classified military program for a criminal organization or one of our country’s enemies? No one would believe it.”
The tense silence in the room reverberated against the glass walls. If that was physically possible.
PO’d alpha Man shifted his weight, leaning forward, closing the distance between them at the table. “And why is that?”
“Really, you need to ask?”
Reeves kicked her under the table. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she liked irritating Sten Jenkins with his dismissive attitude and cool control when she had none. “Because you’re not a chill stoner type. Nor do you have the angry edge of a rebel.” Izzy chose not to mention that his cover model face, his intense virile confidence, and his erect military posture shouted narc, not criminal.
“And you are?” His voice, laced with amusement, had Izzy edging closer to her adversary. Always underestimated by males because of her size and her age, Sten Jenkins had just thrown down the gauntlet.
“Let’s just say in the world of hackers, as a woman, I’m still unique.” She didn’t mention that gender disparity in pay and job advancement made her ripe for defying mainstream. “You’re not. And geeks who spend their entire lives in front of computers don’t have bodies that look like yours.” Izzy now wished she didn’t have the pale skin and freckles that went with her red hair. Because her skin was burning hot—like the color of a stop sign. OMG! Why was she commenting on Sten Jenkins’s body, and in front of Richard Dean?
Reeves was nodding in agreement. “It’s true, Sten. You have the whole military mojo going.”
Mr. Dean cleared his throat. “Well, I’m glad we have that clarified. Sten is going undercover as your bodyguard, Izzy, It will be the perfect cover. Sten will be running the mission but will also act as your bodyguard and accompany you when you hopefully do the buy. You might not know it, but Sten has skills in international cybercrime besides his military skills.”
Izzy didn’t like the way Sten’s full lips lifted into a smirk.
Want to read more? Get your copy of Mission: Impossible to Love.
I Want More ~ Excerpt from 'Mission: Impossible to Surrender'
“Don’t change the subject, Finn Jenkins.” Sophie moved against him, losing that last inch, taking him to boiling point with his erection swelling to no return.
“It’s complicated.” His breath came in harsh bursts with Sophie’s curves pressed to him. “Us—we’re complicated.”
Sophie rubbed those outstanding breasts against him, and there was no way Finn could hide his raging hard-on pressing against her stomach, or the way his body was clenched and ready.
“Doesn’t feel complicated. Feels straightforward to me.”
And there was the sexy teasing, making him want to drag her to the floor and show her how straightforward he could be. His self-control was evaporating.
He stepped back and ran his hand through his hair. “Sophie, this isn’t the time. You got shot at today and need comfort.” Like after Hong Kong, he wanted to be the man who comforted and protected her, not the one who took advantage like all the assholes before him. “But hell, it never feels like it’s been the right time for us.”
Sophie stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m not going to pretend that today wasn’t difficult, but I realized in the moment of danger that I wasn’t afraid. And I don’t mean because you can shoot and outrun and all the bad-ass stuff you do but because I trust you. I’ll always trust you. As long as you’re near, my world is safe and complete.”
“Just trust, Sophie?” He dragged his thumb along her pale neck before he tucked a curl behind her ear. “Because I want more than trust.”
Want to read more? Get your copy of Mission: Impossible to Surrender
5 Reasons Readers Love Navy SEALs
Romance readers love Navy SEALs. Just search Amazon and you’ll see how many books feature military heroes, many of whom are SEALs.
What makes these dedicated men worthy of a leading role in romantic fiction? Here are my top five reasons.
Navy SEALs are selfless. These dedicated warriors pledge their service and loyalty to team members and their country. Every woman dreams of falling in love with a man who pledges his loyalty and dedication.
Navy SEALs are prime male specimens. SEAL candidates must pass a strict physical fitness exam that includes swimming, pushups (50 in two minutes), situps, pullups and running. They must then remain in top physical condition. The washboard abs and rock-hard muscles are a bonus that fuel readers’ vivid imaginations.
Navy SEALs are special. No, really. Candidates are among the top 1% of service members. There are about 2,500 active duty SEALs and less than 250 pass the training each year.
Navy SEALs never quit. Those who make it through BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demotion/SEAL) training, a grueling regimen which only about 20% complete, prove they have grit, perseverance, focus and commitment.
Navy SEALs are selective. It takes a special woman to penetrate the tough-guy shell most Navy SEALs wear. Who else but a strong, sexy, intelligent woman is worthy of a hero?
Just Pretend ~ Excerpt from 'Mission: Impossible to Resist'
Aiden paused in front of one of her favorite French cafés. “Now we’re close to the Market, we’re going to pretend we’re a couple off the cruise ship. Nothing overly embarrassing, but I’ll get up close and cozy. Are you okay with that? You understand the reason for the PDA, right?”
Jordan refused to be cast into the role of a helpless woman. Not that she wouldn’t follow Aiden’s directions, but she was capable of taking care of herself. Uncle Harry had taught her well. “Sure, as long as you don’t take the role of Iowa farm boy too far. And I guess I’ll be doing some PDA myself. You okay with that?”
He flashed his boyish grin, and for a moment her heart went on a ride of its own, with dips, turns, and curves.
“Okay, Buttercup, let’s go get some lunch. Make your old man happy.”
She giggled, and then immediately felt bad for enjoying their silly game when Sophie was frightened and all alone. She gave herself a mental shake. Compartmentalize. Focus on each move. If she thought about Sophie alone and afraid, she couldn’t function. And Sophie needed her to come to the rescue, like she always did and always would.
Want to read more? Get your copy of Mission: Impossible to Resist
What I learned about military drones researching 'Mission: Impossible to Love'
In my new release, Mission: Impossible to Love, coming July 25, Elizabeth “Izzy” Benson is a tech genius whose Artificial Intelligence drone technology has been stolen and is being sold on the dark web. When I was writing the book,I spent a lot of time researching technology, including drones, AI, the dark web and hackers.
There is so much interesting research, and obviously not all of it can be included in a book. Here are a few facts I learned about drones that didn’t make it into Mission: Impossible to Love...but are still fascinating.
- Drone technology is also called “unmanned aerial vehicle” (UAV) technology.
- Drones (unmanned crafts) are built of lightweight composite materials, which enables military drones to fly at high altitudes, and are controlled from a ground-based system. Many drones are equipped with state of the art technology such as GPS, infrared cameras, and lasers.
- Applications for drones are becoming widespread in both the public and military sector. They come in a variety of sizes. The largest military UAV is the Predator drone. Click here to watch a video of a Predator drone taking off.
- Use of drones in the public sector is expanding. While you can’t yet have a pizza delivered by drone, this technology is widely used by companies for film, photo and video, as well as surveying and mapping land areas and inspecting and monitoring physical structures.
Here’s an excerpt from Mission: Impossible to Love. Enjoy this scene with Sten and Izzy and then preorder your copy to keep reading on release day!
Sten never stopped staring at her. “Avantus is using machine-learning algorithms to interpret drone-surveillance imagery. The company has managed to stay out of the controversy of using Artificial Intelligence in military operations. You have DOD security clearance, Ms. Benson?”
Why was he asking about her security clearance? What had he discovered about her? Paranoid fantasies of being dragged out of Dean’s office in handcuffs flashed before her. Now she could never ask Reeves for help in clearing her name. She had only planned to share her algorithm with him if she couldn’t stop Charles from selling it to North Korea or Russia.
“I have top secret level security clearance from my work at both Google and Avantus.” She didn’t add, “which you are totally aware of,” since she had been vetted before joining Dean’s software company.
All male eyes were now on her, and she felt the heat moving up her neck and across her chest. Darn her pale skin—it acted like a lie detector, preventing her from any subterfuge.
“But why leave Avantus?” Dean persisted. No wonder the man was a success. He was as tenacious as a colony of busy ants.
She gulped down the burning acid from her stomach moving upward. The noose was tightening around her neck. They didn’t still hang traitors, did they?
“I discovered that my work interests lie elsewhere.” Away from her cheating, conniving, criminal boyfriend.
“But I thought your second Ph.D. thesis was on machine learning?” Dean asked.
Izzy could feel the scorch of Sten’s intense focus zeroing in on her. It was as if he were slowly undressing her, leaving her sitting naked with every secret exposed. She could feel herself unraveling, wanting to believe that she’d soon wake up and be relieved that this was a bad dream.
“I never finished that Ph.D.”
Dean laughed. “At twenty-five, you still have plenty of time to finish it. Now, my daughter Sophie would say your arrival in Seattle was serendipitous. And I must agree. We need your help.”
“My help?” Izzy’s voice quivered. “How could I possibly help you?”
Mission: Impossible to Love ~ Releasing 7.25.19
Sources:
How Do Drones Work And What Is Drone Technology
Drones Are Doing More In U.S. Than You May Know, As These 3 Companies Show
