~ About the Book ~
The last thing they expect is a jailbreak and when the prisoners disappear into the forest with one of their own, they’ll have to fight not only the fire, but for the freedom of their friends…during the Summer of the Burning Sky.
Book 1: Light My Fire
Former bad-boy Tucker Newman has learned his lesson—as the temporary team leader of the Jude County Smokejumpers, he’s all about following the rules to keep his team safe. Especially when he has to partner with a group of local low-security prisoners to knock down the raging fire. But the prisoners are not who they seem, and when they stage a break, kidnapping one of his teammates, he’ll have to break every rule he knows to get her back.
US Marshal Stevie Mills knows that to get the job done, she must work alone. She simply can’t risk another person getting hurt because of her. When she discovers that a wanted fugitive accused of rape and murder has not only been set free to fight the fire—but is now on the lam with a hostage– the last thing she needs is a zealous smokejumper getting in the way of her pursuit.
Whether they like it or not, Tucker and Stevie must join forces if they hope to save lives, and in the meantime, they just might discover a new definition for the word teamwork, in book 1 of the Summer of the Burning Sky.
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: #1 Summer of the Burning Sky
Release date: 19 June 2018
Pages: 152
Publisher: Independent
Amazon US // Amazon AU // Goodreads
~ Excerpt ~
“I know you’re up there, and I just want you to know that if you try anything, I’m a federal marshal.”
Huh?
And shoot, but the choking smoke, the swelling pain in his knee, and the fact that he’d nearly been burned alive simply dropped away as—seriously?—Stevie Mills came charging up the slope, her weapon out, and wearing a look that had Rio glancing at him and raising his hands in surrender.
Tucker wanted to get to his feet, to defend Rio, but instead he simply sat there, stunned. “Stevie?”
She had tied her hair back in a ponytail, wore a blue windbreaker, and ran up the hill as if she might be on fire.
“What are you doing here?” Tucker said, then glanced at Rio. “He’s not a threat.”
She regarded Rio with a stern eye, then lowered her gun. “You can put your hands down. I’m not going to shoot you.”
“I appreciate that,” Rio said.
Tucker winced as he worked his way to his feet. “I don’t understand—what’s going on?”
She tucked her gun away in her belt. “You have a murderer among your fire crew recruits. I’m here to bring him back.”
~ Review ~
Fans of the Montana Fire Series, rejoice! The Jude County Smokejumpers are back with a few familiar faces and some new ones as well! If you’ve read the Montana Fire series, you’ll know the kind of high-intensity action you’re in for. It’s amazing how much Susan May Warren can fit into 150 pages!
This book takes place in a very short amount of time—only a few days—but even so, I thought the connection that grew between Tucker and Stevie was believable and went beyond surface attraction. And, as always, I relished not only the way Susan May Warren recreated the wilderness of the area they were in (in this case, Alaska), but also incorporated details of actual fire fighting and management. It really was an immersive experience!
And the escaped prisoners have added a whole new dimension to this series—not to mention the phrase ‘escaped prisoners’ is a story all in itself! The only other thing to say is that you’ll definitely want to read these books in order. Based on the sneak peek at the end of this story, book two will be going back to fill in parts of the story that were missing from Tucker and Stevie’s point of view as well as taking the story further. And it’s going to be an exciting ride!
Coming soon:
The Heat is On (Summer of the Burning Sky Book 2)
Some Like it Hot (Summer of the Burning Sky Book 3)
~ About the Author ~
Growing up in Minneapolis and attending the U of MN, I learned to love city life, although I’m a woodsy girl at heart. Or maybe I’m an adventurer — having lived and traveled all over the world, including Siberia Russia as a missionary for eight years. Probably that’s why my characters can’t sit still, and seem to get into one scrape after another — they’re too much like me! I love God, my family, my country, my church, and feel privileged every day to be able to write stories.
Here’s my “Official” Bio.
With over 1 million books sold, critically acclaimed novelist Susan May Warren is the Christy, RITA and Carol award-winning author of over forty-five novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill, and Summerside Press. Known for her compelling plots and unforgettable characters, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic-suspense, thrillers, rom-com and Christmas novellas.
With books translated into eight languages, many of her novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. She’s a three time RITA finalist and an eight time Christy Finalist.
Of her books, Publisher’s Weekly has written, “Warren lays bare her characters’ human frailties, including fear, grief, and resentment, as openly as she details their virtues of love, devotion, and resiliency. She has crafted an engaging tale of romance, rivalry, and the power of forgiveness.”
And Library Journal adds, “Warren’s characters are well-developed and she knows how to create a first rate contemporary romance…”
Susan is also a nationally acclaimed writing coach, teaching at conferences around the nation and winner of the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year award. She loves to help people launch their writing careers and is the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com and www.LearnHowtoWriteaNovel.com, a writing website that helps authors get published and stay published. She’s also the author of the popular writing method, The Story Equation.
I love the writing style in the extract 🙂
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Yay! I always try to pick a good example for the extract. Glad you liked it 🙂
Sounds like an interesting story.