I’ve watched her shoot dozens of times. I still don’t know how she does it.” Bill blinked at that. He was amazed by the shot. But the man sitting beside him was the senior Delta Force operator on the planet, and even he couldn’t unravel the technique. “It’s pure instinct. That’s the only possible explanation.” Michael looked over at him. “Is that what you do?” Now it was Bill’s turn to feel uncertain. He had trained thousands of hours to turn learned skills into instinct. “No, because I don’t have a gift. I have to train like any other fool.” Billy the SEAL is of course, as any alpha would, understating his role as the hero of LIGHT UP THE NIGHT (the latest installment in my Night Stalkers series that follow the exceptional first women of the U.S. Army’s SOAR helicopter regiment and the men they deserve). Just as the senior Delta Force operator is daunted by this shot, Bill is daunted by the woman who saved his life, Trisha O’Malley. The fact that he is a SEAL serving undercover in Somalia, the fact that a Delta operator has chosen him as his right hand of a dangerous and complex…

Fresh Pick for Saturday, May 24th, 2014 is PURE HEAT by M.L. Buchman #Free4All Memorial Day Weekend reads Firehawks Sourcebooks May 2014 On Sale: May 6, 2014 352 pages ISBN: 1402286880 EAN: 9781402286889 Kindle: B00HUTVFYO Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List Romance Suspense Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Pure Heat by M.L. Buchman Fighting fire with fire When it comes to Charlene, Steve’s defenses are about to go up in flames The daredevil smokejumpers of Mount Hood Aviation do more than fight wildfires. Led by retired SOAR pilots, they fly elite operatives into places that even the CIA can’t penetrate-and Charlene Thomas and Steve Mercer are the best in the business. While battling the summer’s toughest fire, the pair uncover a terrorist camp in the remote forest of Oregon. Using specially equipped helicopters and a stealth-modified drone, they take on the camp. The mission-and the flames-are combatible. For Steve, it’s the heat from Charlene that might just scorch him to the core. They might fight fires, but the flame of love will win. Previous Picks

I have to confess that starting a new series—even a spin-off one—is a harrowing event, at least for this author. The exploits of the Night Stalkers had become a comfort zone. I know these characters, I know their world as well as any outsider is likely to. New adventures and new romances arose, and will continue to do so as that series continues, but its more like slipping on a really broken-in pair of hiking boots and off we go on an adventure. Suddenly I’m dressed in Nomex fireproof gear. It’s hot, sweaty, and no matter what I do, the itch of heat and ash get down into my cotton long johns that must be worn for protection even on the hottest days when fighting wildfire. In trading military attack helicopters for wildfire attack helicopters, I had to learn new technologies, new tactics, new definitions of what was safe. But perhaps the biggest thing I had to learn was what distinguished Wildland Heli-aviation Firefighters not only from my military Night Stalkers, but also from their city-based firefighting brethren. It wasn’t the danger. Despite the disastrous lose at Yarnell of the 19-man hotshot team, wildland firefighters are obsessed with safety. No,…