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?
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DiR2jS
B&N - http://bit.ly/1BvGf4W
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1F3djqo
I’m often asked where I came up with the
idea for this story. I’ve always been told to write what you know and as an Air
Force veteran and military spouse, I know the military. I also love and respect
strong woman, especially women in the military and in jobs that are primarily
male dominated.
I had so much fun writing Call Sign
Karma. I love Tink’s strength and vulnerability. I think she is very real.
She’s a total badass chick who is willing to take chances and stand up for what
she believes in. She’s also just a girl, who has unexpectedly fallen in love
while dealing with the heartache of losing her brother.
Another fun fact is that I’m married to
a fighter pilot! It was awesome to able to consult with him to make sure the
flying parts of the story were authentic. A lot of the flying scenarios in the
book are loosely based off of real experiences.
This is a sneak peek into one of the
scenes where Tink prepares to go up against Locke.
"Ready to take on the
man today?" Mojo smacked me in the arm.
"Screw off Mojo," I
responded reflexively before his question registered. My eyes
widened and I tugged on his
arm. "Wait, what are you talking about?"
A wide grin spread across his
face. "Yep. Clash fell out of the scenario, so Duke
got pulled in," he
explained.
I threw my head back and
moaned trying to muffle the sound of my heart
pounding from my chest. Locke
and I had avoided each other for weeks, but if we were
flying against each other
today, the avoidance would have to end.
Mojo chuckled. "Sorry
girl, but you’re going down. No one can beat the man."
"Stop calling him
that," I said and smacked him in the chest.
It annoyed me how Locke was
the instructor who had set the bar. The pilot that
everyone student achieved to
be. Why did he have to be so damn perfect at everything?
And why did I have to get
thrown into a flight against him today. Without notice.
I frowned.
"Watch it girl, or your
call sign is going to end up being Grumpy." He lifted his
fists then ducked and weaved
like he was avoiding my next punch.
I cursed under my breath.
Following the Aggressor flight, there was a naming
ceremony. Those of us who
didn’t have call signs were going to be named. It was a big
day, and night, that I was
suddenly dreading.
I sat in the back for the
brief, trying to replay today’s aggressor scenario in my
mind. I was flying in a
four-ship with T-Rex, Woodstock, and Stitch. Shatter and Locke
were the enemy bandits.
Woodstock was the lead. He
reviewed our setup. "Our mission today is Offensive
Counter Air. The name of the
game is aggressively flying, finding MIGs, and killing
them."
Locke sat off to the side
with his arms crossed.
A flash flood of anxiety
crashed through me. It was bad enough battling him on
the ground, but now I’d have
to do it in the air too. I pressed my hands firmly against my
knees as my legs began to
shake.
"We’ll start the
engagements with a beyond visual range split then press in as
required for a visual fight
in order to achieve a kill." Woodstock zoned in on Stitch and I.
"This is an extremely
demanding environment so you need to be on your game."
We nodded.
"Remember, a lot of
aircraft will be in a small amount of airspace. This is a
physically exhausting
profile, so everyone watch your environmentals. Duke will brief
the Aggressor admin so we’re
all on the same sheet of music for altitude blocks, kill calls,
and kill removal
procedures."
Locke tossed his pencil on
the table and stood. I jumped. He hesitated for a split
second, his top teeth denting
into his lower lip. He swallowed hard then reviewed how
the aggressors would be
integrated, careful not to divulge any of their aggressor tactics.
They’d be flying the same
jets, but red pods hung beneath their jet to mark them as enemy MIGs. Shatter
was Red One and Locke was Red Two.
His eyes were narrow, his attitude
focused, and his voice was curt. There was
something frightening about
him.
He asked if there were any
questions. He looked directly at everyone in the room,
skipping over me.
Woodstock clapped his hands.
"Let’s do this."
We geared up and headed to the
jets. The van shook with excitement and
adrenaline, but Locke stayed
quiet and so did I. It was the closest we had been for some
time. He stared out the
window.
The van stopped in front of
my jet, so I climbed out over the seats. It was a tight
fit, and I had to pass within
inches of Locke’s face to get out. I stared at the faded scar
below his eye and resisted
the urge to reach out and touch it. The scent of his aftershave
filled the van. I inhaled and
lingered for a moment.
An airman saluted me and I returned
the custom, handing him my gear. I went
through the standard flight
procedures and soon I was strapped in. Ready to go.
"Kick their asses,
ma’am," my crew chief shouted. I gave thumbs up as the
canopy encased me.
Locke got into his jet a few hundred
yards away. I couldn’t help but notice the
way his muscles flexed as he
climbed into the jet. He was great at his job and fiercely in
control. Watching him prepare
for the flight made me want him. I missed the way he used
to watch me, and how his stare
made me feel guarded. Now he just looked past me. I
shook out my hands and
stretched my neck side to side. Wrong mindset. I was a freaking
fighter pilot tasked to kick
his ass, not check it out.
The crew chief motioned me to
move. My headset came to life. Air Traffic
Control directed me to the
runway. I was number four and I filed in behind the others.
Shatter and Locke approached
from behind in their Aggressors.
He was the enemy. It was my
job to defeat him.
I’ll
leave it there since I don’t want to spoil the outcome. Hint…what happens next
leads to the story of how Tink gets her call sign and a part of the story you
won’t want to miss! Tell me…who is your favorite strong female character in a
book/movie/television show??
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment