Synopsis:
Love in the no-fly zone…
Distraught over the loss of her brother in a fighter jet accident, Tinklee Pinkerton decides to follow in his footsteps and prove the tragedy wasn’t his fault. But when she’s chosen as the first woman to fly the Air Force’s F-35, her plan for a life that revolves around work is thrown off course by a handsome, mysterious stranger…
Thanks to Locke’s seductive British accent, sweet nature, and one too many beers, Tink is soon inspired to throw caution to the wind and herself into his arms. She thinks maybe love can heal after all—until she discovers Locke is her superior officer. Tink has no problem risking her life in the air, but with everything on the line, is she brave enough to risk her heart on the ground?
Book links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QQuwcx
B&N – http://bit.ly/1BvGf4W
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1F3djqo
Kobo: http://bit.ly/14m1I5E
Call Sign Karma kicks off on the Fourth of July in the northern panhandle, which is a hot spot for summer time fun. Tink meets Locke on the beach after a few too many beers and what seems at first like a “summer” or “one-night” fling turns into something more. I believe that is what captivates us about summer time romances as well as that college to New Adult time period– it is a short and fleeting period of life in which we can just let go for a brief moment.
The following is a scene when Tink first meets Locke. She is battling her inner demons of losing her brother in the same jet that she has been chosen to fly. (Little does she know that he will turn out to be her superior officer.)
If only I could drown the pain. I grabbed the last bottle from the cooler and hopped the deck rail into the sand. The grains were warm, baked under the hot July sun all day and retaining the heat well past sunset. I wiggled my toes, cracked open the bottle and tossed the lid over my shoulder onto the deck.
I loved this beach almost as much as I hated it. My parents bought this house when my dad was stationed here and kept it as a vacation home when he retired from the military. My mom insisted I stay here during my training, but being here just trudged up memories of Colin and me watching the jets fly over the beach. We dreamed of the day that we’d be in the cockpit flying side-by-side. And now, like him, those dreams were buried.
My chest tightened and I stifled a short breath. I wasn’t ready for tomorrow. I was going to need something a hell of a lot stronger than the honey lagers that were going down like sweet tea. Taking a drink, I strolled toward the ocean’s edge and stepped into the water. The coolness washed over my ankles and the current tugged at my feet. Everything in my life seemed to be pulling me in a direction I didn’t want to go.
I wanted to be a fighter pilot from the first time I’d held onto the pant leg of my father’s flight suit and breathed in the pungent scent of jet fuel. But now, as I moved another step forward to achieving my dream, nothing about it felt right.
I was selected to be not only the first female, but also the youngest pilot to ever fly the Air Force’s prodigy, the F-35, Joint Strike Fighter. Not to mention doing it right out of pilot training. All that glory on top of the fact that my head was so screwed up over Colin scared the shit out of me.
Still, I plastered a smile on my face and told everyone that I was ‘fine.’ I had tits in a testosterone world and showing any sign of weakness was not an option. I. Was. Fine.
Only the best of the best would fly the Air Force’s awesome creation. It could fly from D.C. to L.A. without showing up on radar if it wanted. But what were the chances of my being selected to fly it? I wanted a Viper and avoided the F-35 because of our messed-up history. I made sure I graduated top in the class of Undergraduate Pilot Training to be able to choose any other jet. But as it always did, my plan came back and bit me in the ass. I gambled and lost. Vegas style.
It wasn’t fair.
“Why have you taken everything from me?” I screamed into the sky and kicked an incoming wave. “Leave me the hell alone.”
I stumbled as another wave rolled in. A light pressure appeared behind my eyes skewing my vision just a little. I realized that I may have drunk a little too much, but I was beyond caring.
The ocean spray soaked my clothes and hair. I steadied myself against the current. A chuckle escaped my lips. It sounded dark and slightly crazed. A rage, like I had never felt before swirled inside me like tornado looking for its target. I swallowed the last sip of lager and shook the bottle toward the star-filled sky.
“Here’s to you, Karma,” I shouted.
I closed my eyes and twirled in a circle. I spun until I was so dizzy that I could barely stand. I roared and launched the bottle with enough force that I nearly fell face first into the water. I steadied myself.
“Bloody hell, Karma’s a bitch!”
My eyes opened to see a tall, shadowed man with broad shoulders towering over me. His arm was raised as he rubbed his forehead. I gulped as I spotted my bottle a few inches from his foot.
I stepped backwards and my heel dug into something sharp. A shooting pain launched up my leg and knocked me off balance. I swore, flailing backwards and fell into the ocean, landing with a big splash. Shock was quickly replaced by mortification. Heat traveled from cheeks to my ears.
Something, cold, smooth, and scaly swept over my legs. I shrieked and prayed a creepy crawly wouldn’t bite off one of my limbs.
With about as much grace as a pig on ice, I scrambled to the shore. Adrenaline pumped through me, but it only made me feel more woozy. Just as I swallowed a gasp of air, a blunt object smacked into my head. Rays of light blurred my vision and I shouted as a blistering pain radiated from my head.
I balled my fists with the thumbs on the outside, like Colin had taught me. Did this guy just attack me? Did he have any clue who he was dealing with? Sure, I was tipsy and not steady on my feet, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight. I was a frigging fighter pilot.
I pushed wet strands of hair from my eyes and squared my shoulders preparing to counter attack, but he waved me away as he held his nose. Blood speckled his shirt and dripped from the bottom of his hand. I softened my fists slightly still prepared to defend if needed.
“Blast it girl. You’re dangerous,” he said in a British accent that made my insides awaken. I pressed my lips together and prayed that I didn’t just kick off another Revolutionary War.
Call Sign Karma is the perfect beach read to go along with your favorite summer cocktail! Oh and those few too many beers Tink had on the beach were Honey Lagers…which is her favorite drink…which is also mine… followed by a margarita! What’s your favorite summertime cocktail?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
JAMIE RAE is a New Adult and Young Adult author. She writes with one goal in mind–create stories with a positive message that will stay with the reader long after they’ve finished reading.
Jamie is an avid reader and loves discovering stories with a great hook, though she will not eat, sleep, or speak until she reaches the end. The Harry Potter years weren’t pretty!! Convinced that her Hogwarts letter was lost in the mail, she keeps a watchful eye for owls hoping her children will have better luck!
In her other life, Jamie Rae is an orthodontist, and literary agent. She keeps her heart overflowing with love as a mother of three and has perfected the art of nomadic living as a military spouse and Air Force veteran. Jamie has a passion for critters of all shapes and sizes and you can often find her sneaking them into her own home or volunteering for rescues.
LINKS:
Website: https://www.jamieraewrites.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/JamieRaeAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamieRaeWrites
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8295257.Jamie_Rae