Kristy McCaffrey's Blog: Author Kristy McCaffrey - Posts Tagged "romantic-suspense-books"
Jumping Genes and an Excerpt from COLD HORIZON
By Kristy McCaffrey
Jumping genes, or transposons, are small pieces of DNA that have the unusual ability to copy and insert themselves in random places within a genome. These genes—long known as junk DNA—were thought to be nothing more than genomic parasites, but research is beginning to show their importance in evolution.
Most cells in our body contain DNA, a molecule composed of a double helix that carries the genetic instructions required for life. (Mature red blood cells are the only ones that lack DNA, having gotten rid of it to pack themselves full of more hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein). For cells to access the information contained in DNA, they must transcribe it onto a related molecule called RNA. Despite that the same DNA is in almost every cell, not every cell is expressed in the same way, otherwise we would be one giant blob of undifferentiated matter.
Jumping genes were first discovered by geneticist Barbara McClintock in the 1940s. At the time, most scientists dismissed them, but McClintock suggested they might play a regulatory role by determining which genes are turned on and when.
Barbara McClintock
Transposons have been found to jump across plants, animals and fungi as well. The process is known as horizontal transfer, as opposed to the normal parent-offspring transfer, and has had an enormous impact on mammalian evolution. For example, 25% of the genome of cows and sheep is derived from jumping genes.
One such jumping gene is called LINE1, abundant in almost all genomes of mammals. It’s repeated half a million times in the human genome, making up nearly a fifth of the DNA in every cell. Studies of mouse embryos have shown that LINE1 is especially active during early development of the organism, suggesting that the segment might play a key role in coordinating the formation of cells. Researchers believe that LINE1 RNA particles act as a molecular “glue,” switching off the two-cell stage of early development and jump-starting it to the next phase.
There are many different types of jumping genes, including some that drive the evolution of genomes, thereby creating more genetic diversity in a species.
In my book COLD HORIZON, Lindsey Coulson is a chemist who studies jumping genes.
Two years ago, Lindsey Coulson lost her sister on K2, the second highest mountain on earth. Searching for answers, she sets out to climb the Savage Mountain. Mountaineer and freelance writer Ty Galloway has assembled a small team to conquer K2 and welcomes the esteemed climber. But K2 is a force unto itself, as is Lindsey. Both will test his limits. Both will test his heart.
“Blending romance, suspense, adventure, and action, it really was a great thrill ride of a book and one that I gladly recommend.” ~ Jamie, The Romance Studio
Excerpt from Cold Horizon
Lindsey scooped more snow into the pan and set it atop the stove. Ty was all business with her, giving no indication that they were more than friends. A few times she had to stop herself from touching him, or leaning into him, or standing too close. Not that there was any big reason to keep it a secret. Still, she was tempted to kiss Galloway in full view of Fiske if only to get the jerk off her case.
“Ty, you still planning to go to the South Pole?” Beck asked.
“Maybe. It depends on my schedule.” He drank from his water bottle, flinching from the hot liquid.
“You wanna go?”
“I’m interested. Let me know when/if you settle on a date. Maybe you should come too, Lindsey.”
“Why’s that?” she asked.
“It’s the last great frontier. A real feather in any explorer’s cap.”
“I thought space was the last frontier,” Packer said from his spot just outside their circle.
Beck ripped open the wrapper on a candy bar. “We’re nearly in space on this mountain.”
Packer laughed. “That’s for damned sure.”
Fiske took a bite of a power bar. “Mountains are more difficult,” he said around the food in his mouth. “The South Pole is just dragging a sled for miles.”
“It’s all about the mind, Fiske.” Beck broke off a piece of chocolate and popped it in his mouth.
“Seeing if you have the mental capacity to do it.”
Was it Lindsey’s imagination, or did Beck’s voice hold a hint of sarcasm?
If Fiske noticed, he gave no indication, and said, “I think it a waste of time. Climbing has better goals. Will you climb while you are there?”
Ty shook his head. “No. It would be a trek across ice.”
Beck’s attention shifted to her. “So, what do you think?”
If for no other reason than to irritate Fiske, she answered, “I’ve always wanted to visit Antarctica.”
Ty gave her a sidelong glance, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Then you should come.”
She smiled and looked away before she did a happy jig over the open invitation.
Packer moved to stand beside her and said, “But please, by all that’s holy, don’t go near any strange creatures and try to study their DNA. We all know what happened in ‘The Thing.’”
“Because that was a completely true story,” Ditch said in a dry tone.
“Did you know that the dot on an ‘i’ is called a tittle?” Packer chuckled.
“Do you get whiplash?”
“From what?”
“Your ADD,” Ditch said.
Lindsey looked over her shoulder at Packer. “That movie wasn’t really that farfetched. The alien functioned like a virus, infecting its host and taking over. Viruses like to jump around, and we humans are ripe for the picking because we like to take a lot of risks. We eat things we probably shouldn’t, and we poke around in places where maybe we should stay away.”
Packer’s eyes widened. “Like here?”
Lindsey smiled. “We do like to push those boundaries. It’s evolution, baby.”
Copyright © 2019 K. McCaffrey LLC
COLD HORIZON is available in ebook and print.
Kindle
Nook
Apple
Kobo
Google Play
Print
Jumping genes, or transposons, are small pieces of DNA that have the unusual ability to copy and insert themselves in random places within a genome. These genes—long known as junk DNA—were thought to be nothing more than genomic parasites, but research is beginning to show their importance in evolution.
Most cells in our body contain DNA, a molecule composed of a double helix that carries the genetic instructions required for life. (Mature red blood cells are the only ones that lack DNA, having gotten rid of it to pack themselves full of more hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein). For cells to access the information contained in DNA, they must transcribe it onto a related molecule called RNA. Despite that the same DNA is in almost every cell, not every cell is expressed in the same way, otherwise we would be one giant blob of undifferentiated matter.
Jumping genes were first discovered by geneticist Barbara McClintock in the 1940s. At the time, most scientists dismissed them, but McClintock suggested they might play a regulatory role by determining which genes are turned on and when.
Barbara McClintock
Transposons have been found to jump across plants, animals and fungi as well. The process is known as horizontal transfer, as opposed to the normal parent-offspring transfer, and has had an enormous impact on mammalian evolution. For example, 25% of the genome of cows and sheep is derived from jumping genes.
One such jumping gene is called LINE1, abundant in almost all genomes of mammals. It’s repeated half a million times in the human genome, making up nearly a fifth of the DNA in every cell. Studies of mouse embryos have shown that LINE1 is especially active during early development of the organism, suggesting that the segment might play a key role in coordinating the formation of cells. Researchers believe that LINE1 RNA particles act as a molecular “glue,” switching off the two-cell stage of early development and jump-starting it to the next phase.
There are many different types of jumping genes, including some that drive the evolution of genomes, thereby creating more genetic diversity in a species.
In my book COLD HORIZON, Lindsey Coulson is a chemist who studies jumping genes.
Two years ago, Lindsey Coulson lost her sister on K2, the second highest mountain on earth. Searching for answers, she sets out to climb the Savage Mountain. Mountaineer and freelance writer Ty Galloway has assembled a small team to conquer K2 and welcomes the esteemed climber. But K2 is a force unto itself, as is Lindsey. Both will test his limits. Both will test his heart.
“Blending romance, suspense, adventure, and action, it really was a great thrill ride of a book and one that I gladly recommend.” ~ Jamie, The Romance Studio
Excerpt from Cold Horizon
Lindsey scooped more snow into the pan and set it atop the stove. Ty was all business with her, giving no indication that they were more than friends. A few times she had to stop herself from touching him, or leaning into him, or standing too close. Not that there was any big reason to keep it a secret. Still, she was tempted to kiss Galloway in full view of Fiske if only to get the jerk off her case.
“Ty, you still planning to go to the South Pole?” Beck asked.
“Maybe. It depends on my schedule.” He drank from his water bottle, flinching from the hot liquid.
“You wanna go?”
“I’m interested. Let me know when/if you settle on a date. Maybe you should come too, Lindsey.”
“Why’s that?” she asked.
“It’s the last great frontier. A real feather in any explorer’s cap.”
“I thought space was the last frontier,” Packer said from his spot just outside their circle.
Beck ripped open the wrapper on a candy bar. “We’re nearly in space on this mountain.”
Packer laughed. “That’s for damned sure.”
Fiske took a bite of a power bar. “Mountains are more difficult,” he said around the food in his mouth. “The South Pole is just dragging a sled for miles.”
“It’s all about the mind, Fiske.” Beck broke off a piece of chocolate and popped it in his mouth.
“Seeing if you have the mental capacity to do it.”
Was it Lindsey’s imagination, or did Beck’s voice hold a hint of sarcasm?
If Fiske noticed, he gave no indication, and said, “I think it a waste of time. Climbing has better goals. Will you climb while you are there?”
Ty shook his head. “No. It would be a trek across ice.”
Beck’s attention shifted to her. “So, what do you think?”
If for no other reason than to irritate Fiske, she answered, “I’ve always wanted to visit Antarctica.”
Ty gave her a sidelong glance, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Then you should come.”
She smiled and looked away before she did a happy jig over the open invitation.
Packer moved to stand beside her and said, “But please, by all that’s holy, don’t go near any strange creatures and try to study their DNA. We all know what happened in ‘The Thing.’”
“Because that was a completely true story,” Ditch said in a dry tone.
“Did you know that the dot on an ‘i’ is called a tittle?” Packer chuckled.
“Do you get whiplash?”
“From what?”
“Your ADD,” Ditch said.
Lindsey looked over her shoulder at Packer. “That movie wasn’t really that farfetched. The alien functioned like a virus, infecting its host and taking over. Viruses like to jump around, and we humans are ripe for the picking because we like to take a lot of risks. We eat things we probably shouldn’t, and we poke around in places where maybe we should stay away.”
Packer’s eyes widened. “Like here?”
Lindsey smiled. “We do like to push those boundaries. It’s evolution, baby.”
Copyright © 2019 K. McCaffrey LLC
COLD HORIZON is available in ebook and print.
Kindle
Nook
Apple
Kobo
Google Play
An Interview With Kristy
Tell us about yourself.
I’m an Arizona native, and live with my husband in the desert north of Phoenix with our two dogs and youngest child. My three older kids are grown and gone. My education is in engineering, but I’ve been a passionate writer since I was seven years old.
Where do you get your ideas from?
Book ideas come from everywhere: the news, magazines, the internet, TV, films, and my own curiosity.
Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?
Sometimes I use real people as inspiration, but ultimately I develop the character that I need for my story. Character and plot go hand-in-hand for me.
How do you pick your characters’ names?
I often use a baby book to get started, but sometimes I’ll change a name well into writing the story if the current one doesn’t seem to fit. I also love to watch the end credits of movies. Lots of great names to choose from.
What's your writing process?
I mostly write in the afternoons. I tend to plot a little, then write, then get stuck so I’ll plot a little more again. Rinse and repeat.
Is there a drink or food that keeps you company while you write?
I drink water and tea. If I'm particularly stressed over my writing, I tend to turn to candy. Sweetarts, red licorice, and gummies are my favorite. I also chew a lot of gum.
Who are your top 5 favorite authors?
Jane Austen, Katherine Neville, Anne McCaffrey (no relation), Marion Zimmer Bradley, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?
Katherine Neville, author of THE EIGHT, an ambitious and complicated novel that I love so much. I’d simply want to talk craft with her.
Were you a big reader as a child?
Yes. Nancy Drew books and Charlotte’s Web were favorites.
When did you start to write?
I’ve been writing compulsively and for fun since I was a child, but I didn’t write my first novel until I was 32 years old and had four children under the age of five underfoot.
If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?
If you mean one of my own books, I wouldn’t. I’m pretty happy with how each of them ended. As for other books, I’m going to extend the criteria a bit to include the season finale of ‘Game of Thrones.’ I hope I’m not spoiling it for anyone since plot points have been plastered all over the internet, but I would change Dany’s character arc. She wouldn’t die, and she’d be on the throne.
Is there a book you wish you had written?
Yes, THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville.
If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?
The Art of Sleeping-In
If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?
This was harder than I thought it would be. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to choose film characters. I’m a sucker for a strong female lead in a movie. Here’s a few of my favorites: Bess Armstrong from Jaws 3-D; Kate Bosworth from Blue Crush; Sandra Bullock from Practical Magic; Reese Witherspoon from Legally Blonde; Brie Larson from Captain Marvel. Where would we go? A girl’s weekend at a nice resort—hit the spa, eat out, and have a great time chatting about life.
Do you take a notebook with you to write down ideas?
No, but I do take notes on my phone.
Have you considered writing in a different genre in the future?
No. I currently write in two genres (romantic suspense adventure and historical western romance) and it keeps me very busy.
Which genre do you not like at all?
I'm pretty open to reading anything that catches my eye, so I try not to limit myself.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on Book 3 in my Pathway Series, ANCIENT WINDS. This will feature Brynn Galloway and Dr. Tristan Magee as they search for an ancient artifact. It will be a mix of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘The X-Files.’
Any release news?
I'm about to release my first western romance, THE WREN, in German. I'm very excited to expand into a new market.
What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?
My husband takes me to lunch.
How can readers keep in touch with you?
Website: https://kmccaffrey.com/
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Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/McCaffreyKristy
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My Writing Schedule For 2020
By Kristy McCaffrey
I always begin the new year with much optimism and ambition in regard to my writing/publication schedule. I sincerely hope I can stay on track, because I’ve been known to get lost in research piles along the way, or sometimes sidetracked by a shiny new publishing venture (group projects – always a welcome challenge and great fun).
But here’s where my head is at the start of 2020.
I’m currently in revision mode of ANCIENT WINDS, Book 3 in my Pathway series. I wrote a first (very rough) draft in November, and then spent December reading, reading and more reading to figure out my characters in more depth. I’m happy to report that I’m starting to uncover what makes archaeologist Brynn Galloway and physicist Dr. Tristan Magee tick. This is my “Indiana Jones” meets “The X-Files” story, so expect adventure alongside some weirdness (ancient aliens anyone?). Stay tuned! I’m hoping to have it out by March or April.
Once I finish Brynn and Tristan’s story, I’m planning to write COBALT SEA (Book 4), which will star Chloe Mann (Grace’s sister – Grace was in DEEP BLUE) and Nick (he doesn’t have a last name yet). Chloe, like Grace, is a computer programming wunderkind and she’s working on deciphering the language of Sperm whales. She’ll travel to Dominica (a Caribbean island that has a year-round population of Sperm whales) where she’ll meet Nick, who runs the program that studies them. I can’t wait to write this one! Anyone who knows me can attest to my deep love for the whales of this world. I’m really hoping I can have this one completed by August or September.
I’ve been focused on the Pathway series for the past few years because I wanted to give it a chance to find a readership before I went back to my westerns. (Thank you so much to my western readers for being patient.) Since COBALT SEA will give me four novels in the Pathway series, I’m planning to pen the first book (a full-length novel) in a new historical western romance series in the fall. Tentatively titled COPPER CANYON, it will be set in southern Arizona in the late 1870s (my favorite old west time period) and will feature three brothers (not blood-related but adopted together) and the women who tame them. The stories will be filled with colorful characters, gritty settings, and steamy romance. I’m not sure if these will cross over with my Wings series – still trying to figure that one out.
Despite my ambitious schedule of producing three novels this year, I’m also hoping to carve out time here and there to add to the Pathway short stories. I’ve got several about Grace and Alec from DEEP BLUE in mind, and another climbing adventure for Lindsey and Ty from COLD HORIZON. Fitting them into the timeline is proving to be a bit tricky, so I may hold back on publishing them until I get the new novels completed.
I would also like to add to my Wings of the West series, as many of you have requested more stories (although the series itself really came to an end for me with THE BLUEBIRD). However, I’m exploring the possibility of side stories. I’ve had a long novella called THE SONGBIRD on the backburner for a while, and hopefully I’ll have a chance this year to spend some time on it. Stay tuned.
I really want to thank the readers for embracing my work – for reading and sharing and posting reviews. Please know that your support is so appreciated and helps tremendously in keeping my small business (with one employee – me!) going.
I wish you all a fantastic 2020!!
“I simply do not distinguish between work and play.” ~ poet Mary Oliver
I always begin the new year with much optimism and ambition in regard to my writing/publication schedule. I sincerely hope I can stay on track, because I’ve been known to get lost in research piles along the way, or sometimes sidetracked by a shiny new publishing venture (group projects – always a welcome challenge and great fun).
But here’s where my head is at the start of 2020.
I’m currently in revision mode of ANCIENT WINDS, Book 3 in my Pathway series. I wrote a first (very rough) draft in November, and then spent December reading, reading and more reading to figure out my characters in more depth. I’m happy to report that I’m starting to uncover what makes archaeologist Brynn Galloway and physicist Dr. Tristan Magee tick. This is my “Indiana Jones” meets “The X-Files” story, so expect adventure alongside some weirdness (ancient aliens anyone?). Stay tuned! I’m hoping to have it out by March or April.
Once I finish Brynn and Tristan’s story, I’m planning to write COBALT SEA (Book 4), which will star Chloe Mann (Grace’s sister – Grace was in DEEP BLUE) and Nick (he doesn’t have a last name yet). Chloe, like Grace, is a computer programming wunderkind and she’s working on deciphering the language of Sperm whales. She’ll travel to Dominica (a Caribbean island that has a year-round population of Sperm whales) where she’ll meet Nick, who runs the program that studies them. I can’t wait to write this one! Anyone who knows me can attest to my deep love for the whales of this world. I’m really hoping I can have this one completed by August or September.
I’ve been focused on the Pathway series for the past few years because I wanted to give it a chance to find a readership before I went back to my westerns. (Thank you so much to my western readers for being patient.) Since COBALT SEA will give me four novels in the Pathway series, I’m planning to pen the first book (a full-length novel) in a new historical western romance series in the fall. Tentatively titled COPPER CANYON, it will be set in southern Arizona in the late 1870s (my favorite old west time period) and will feature three brothers (not blood-related but adopted together) and the women who tame them. The stories will be filled with colorful characters, gritty settings, and steamy romance. I’m not sure if these will cross over with my Wings series – still trying to figure that one out.
Despite my ambitious schedule of producing three novels this year, I’m also hoping to carve out time here and there to add to the Pathway short stories. I’ve got several about Grace and Alec from DEEP BLUE in mind, and another climbing adventure for Lindsey and Ty from COLD HORIZON. Fitting them into the timeline is proving to be a bit tricky, so I may hold back on publishing them until I get the new novels completed.
I would also like to add to my Wings of the West series, as many of you have requested more stories (although the series itself really came to an end for me with THE BLUEBIRD). However, I’m exploring the possibility of side stories. I’ve had a long novella called THE SONGBIRD on the backburner for a while, and hopefully I’ll have a chance this year to spend some time on it. Stay tuned.
I really want to thank the readers for embracing my work – for reading and sharing and posting reviews. Please know that your support is so appreciated and helps tremendously in keeping my small business (with one employee – me!) going.
I wish you all a fantastic 2020!!
“I simply do not distinguish between work and play.” ~ poet Mary Oliver
What’s New On The Writing Front
By Kristy McCaffrey
It’s a strange and heartbreaking time we’re going through, filled with anguish, boredom, sadness, irritation and fear. During this unprecedented worldwide quarantine, my family and I have been taking it one day at a time. Admittedly, some of those days have been better than others. It’s been a challenge for me to write, because I’m a worrier, and times like these have raised the anxiety level for many of us.
I had hoped to have my next novel, ANCIENT WINDS, completed by now, but I’m still mired in plot shenanigans that I’ve been meticulously unraveling. I need more time with Brynn Galloway and Dr. Tristan Magee and their adventure in the Amazon jungle, so I hope you’ll bear with me. Hopefully by June I’ll have an idea on a release date. I had planned to immediately dive into Book 4 in the Pathway series (COBALT SEA), but I’ve decided to set that aside for now and instead, once ANCIENT WINDS is done, I’ll begin working on COPPER CANYON, a new historical western romance.
In the meantime, I do have a fun treat coming – a new DEEP BLUE short. It’s currently with my editor but should be ready in a few weeks. Here’s the blurb:
DEEP BLUE COCOS ISLAND – A Pathway Short Adventure
Dr. Grace Mann is invited to participate in a documentary alongside several distinguished female marine scientists, and Alec Galloway, Double D, and Stephie come along to film them in the waters off Cocos Island near Costa Rica. Grace is still dealing with recent criticism of the film Alec made of her last year diving with great white sharks, and in the company of such accomplished women, she struggles to keep her insecurities at bay. When differing viewpoints lead to friction, Grace must learn to stand up for herself, but a bright spot emerges when Alec makes a surprise decision about their relationship.
So far, the DEEP BLUE shorts have only been available digitally, but I’ll be grouping all of them together (AUSTRALIA, REUNION ISLAND and COCOS ISLAND) for a paperback edition for those of you that prefer print.
As always, to receive the most up-to-date info on my projects, subscribe to my newsletter. (I’ll be sharing the cover for ANCIENT WINDS soon. I love it! I hope you will too, and subscribers will see it first.) You can also catch my latest news at my Facebook and Twitter pages.
I’m still working on a Wings of the West novella, THE SONGBIRD. I’ve got a bit written, but right now I’m only writing on it when I have a spare moment here and there. I’m hoping this summer to set aside some time to give it the focus it deserves. My creative well is a funny thing – it doesn’t always cooperate when I switch gears too much.
I’m also exploring a new COLD HORIZON short adventure starring Ty and Lindsey. If you recall, they spoke about a mountain called Hkakabo Razi in the short story COLD HORIZON TELLURIDE, and it keeps nudging me. I think I’ll have to write this one soon, but preliminary research has shown me that this journey will be a bit complicated, so I’m not gonna dive in just yet.
I hope you and your families are well, and if that isn’t the case then I send you my heartfelt prayers.
Brighten the day with music (and maybe a nice hot cup of orange-cinnamon tea)!! What I’m listening to: Thriller, YMCA, One Night in Bangkok, Marrakesh Express, Sweet Emotion, Sultans of Swing, Take Me Home Country Roads.
I wanted to share a favorite recipe that I frequently make because it’s so easy.
Spaghetti with Lemon and Basil
½ lb. uncooked spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. lemon zest, plus ½ cup fresh juice (from 3 lemons), divided
5 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 3 1/3 cups)
¼ tsp. finely ground sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh basil (if I can’t find basil, I substitute fresh spinach)
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes. Drain spaghetti, reserving ¼ cooking water. Return drained spaghetti to pot; cover and set aside.
Whisk together oil, lemon juice and reserved ¼ cup cooking water in a medium bowl; add cheese, and stir until mixture is thick and creamy. Stir in salt and pepper.
Add lemon sauce to spaghetti in pot; toss until pasta is evenly coated with sauce. Stir in basil and lemon zest; serve immediately.
Serves 6. Total prep time: 15 minutes.
So delicious and the citrus is great for the immune system.
Be Well. Be Safe.
Connect with Kristy
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog ~ Pathways
Newsletter
It’s a strange and heartbreaking time we’re going through, filled with anguish, boredom, sadness, irritation and fear. During this unprecedented worldwide quarantine, my family and I have been taking it one day at a time. Admittedly, some of those days have been better than others. It’s been a challenge for me to write, because I’m a worrier, and times like these have raised the anxiety level for many of us.
I had hoped to have my next novel, ANCIENT WINDS, completed by now, but I’m still mired in plot shenanigans that I’ve been meticulously unraveling. I need more time with Brynn Galloway and Dr. Tristan Magee and their adventure in the Amazon jungle, so I hope you’ll bear with me. Hopefully by June I’ll have an idea on a release date. I had planned to immediately dive into Book 4 in the Pathway series (COBALT SEA), but I’ve decided to set that aside for now and instead, once ANCIENT WINDS is done, I’ll begin working on COPPER CANYON, a new historical western romance.
In the meantime, I do have a fun treat coming – a new DEEP BLUE short. It’s currently with my editor but should be ready in a few weeks. Here’s the blurb:
DEEP BLUE COCOS ISLAND – A Pathway Short Adventure
Dr. Grace Mann is invited to participate in a documentary alongside several distinguished female marine scientists, and Alec Galloway, Double D, and Stephie come along to film them in the waters off Cocos Island near Costa Rica. Grace is still dealing with recent criticism of the film Alec made of her last year diving with great white sharks, and in the company of such accomplished women, she struggles to keep her insecurities at bay. When differing viewpoints lead to friction, Grace must learn to stand up for herself, but a bright spot emerges when Alec makes a surprise decision about their relationship.
So far, the DEEP BLUE shorts have only been available digitally, but I’ll be grouping all of them together (AUSTRALIA, REUNION ISLAND and COCOS ISLAND) for a paperback edition for those of you that prefer print.
As always, to receive the most up-to-date info on my projects, subscribe to my newsletter. (I’ll be sharing the cover for ANCIENT WINDS soon. I love it! I hope you will too, and subscribers will see it first.) You can also catch my latest news at my Facebook and Twitter pages.
I’m still working on a Wings of the West novella, THE SONGBIRD. I’ve got a bit written, but right now I’m only writing on it when I have a spare moment here and there. I’m hoping this summer to set aside some time to give it the focus it deserves. My creative well is a funny thing – it doesn’t always cooperate when I switch gears too much.
I’m also exploring a new COLD HORIZON short adventure starring Ty and Lindsey. If you recall, they spoke about a mountain called Hkakabo Razi in the short story COLD HORIZON TELLURIDE, and it keeps nudging me. I think I’ll have to write this one soon, but preliminary research has shown me that this journey will be a bit complicated, so I’m not gonna dive in just yet.
I hope you and your families are well, and if that isn’t the case then I send you my heartfelt prayers.
Brighten the day with music (and maybe a nice hot cup of orange-cinnamon tea)!! What I’m listening to: Thriller, YMCA, One Night in Bangkok, Marrakesh Express, Sweet Emotion, Sultans of Swing, Take Me Home Country Roads.
I wanted to share a favorite recipe that I frequently make because it’s so easy.
Spaghetti with Lemon and Basil
½ lb. uncooked spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. lemon zest, plus ½ cup fresh juice (from 3 lemons), divided
5 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 3 1/3 cups)
¼ tsp. finely ground sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh basil (if I can’t find basil, I substitute fresh spinach)
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes. Drain spaghetti, reserving ¼ cooking water. Return drained spaghetti to pot; cover and set aside.
Whisk together oil, lemon juice and reserved ¼ cup cooking water in a medium bowl; add cheese, and stir until mixture is thick and creamy. Stir in salt and pepper.
Add lemon sauce to spaghetti in pot; toss until pasta is evenly coated with sauce. Stir in basil and lemon zest; serve immediately.
Serves 6. Total prep time: 15 minutes.
So delicious and the citrus is great for the immune system.
Be Well. Be Safe.
Connect with Kristy
Website
Blog ~ Pathways
Newsletter
A New DEEP BLUE Short Adventure
By Kristy McCaffrey
Travel to Cocos Island with Alec and Grace in a new DEEP BLUE short adventure.
Grace is invited to participate in a documentary alongside several distinguished female marine scientists, and Alec, Double D, and Stephie come along to film them in the waters off Cocos Island near Costa Rica. Grace is still dealing with recent criticism of the film Alec made of her last year diving with great white sharks, and in the company of such accomplished women, she struggles to keep her insecurities at bay. When differing viewpoints lead to friction, Grace must learn to stand up for herself, but a bright spot emerges when Alec makes a surprise decision about their relationship.
All three Deep Blue shorts are now available in one collection. Grab a digital copy for only 99 cents. (Hurry - the price will increase on May 18th.)
Kindle
Nook
Kobo
Apple Books
Google Play
Smashwords
Print
Please note: the individual shorts are no longer available. By putting them together, I was able to create a paperback version for those of you who don't use e-readers.
I hope you enjoy these mini-adventures. I do love spending time with Grace and Alec, and have a few more tales brewing in my imagination.
Stay safe. Be well.
Kristy
xoxo
Travel to Cocos Island with Alec and Grace in a new DEEP BLUE short adventure.
Grace is invited to participate in a documentary alongside several distinguished female marine scientists, and Alec, Double D, and Stephie come along to film them in the waters off Cocos Island near Costa Rica. Grace is still dealing with recent criticism of the film Alec made of her last year diving with great white sharks, and in the company of such accomplished women, she struggles to keep her insecurities at bay. When differing viewpoints lead to friction, Grace must learn to stand up for herself, but a bright spot emerges when Alec makes a surprise decision about their relationship.
All three Deep Blue shorts are now available in one collection. Grab a digital copy for only 99 cents. (Hurry - the price will increase on May 18th.)
Kindle
Nook
Kobo
Apple Books
Google Play
Smashwords
Please note: the individual shorts are no longer available. By putting them together, I was able to create a paperback version for those of you who don't use e-readers.
I hope you enjoy these mini-adventures. I do love spending time with Grace and Alec, and have a few more tales brewing in my imagination.
Stay safe. Be well.
Kristy
xoxo
Writing Deep Blue
By Kristy McCaffrey
All this week I’ve been sharing background info on the creation of my romantic suspense novel DEEP BLUE on Facebook, so I thought I’d group it all into a blog post in case any of you missed it and might be interested in my thought process while writing it.
I began my writing career with historical western romances, but I’d always been fascinated by sharks so had long entertained story ideas around them. About 3 years ago, I decided to finally write the book I had been thinking of. Initially, I saw it as more of a thriller (going back to an outline I’d written over 15 years prior), but in light of the devastation to the shark population due to overfishing and shark finning, I knew I wanted to write a story that showed more love to the shark than was usually the case in shark books and movies. I’m a great fan of the movie JAWS, but I wanted to explore the subject deeper than simply the abject fear that people experience when it comes to these often misunderstood fish.
Enter Dr. Grace Mann, my main character. It took a few drafts to smooth her out because at first she was smart but aloof and all business. A bit too cold, unfortunately. When I backtracked and built up her childhood, that’s when I found her overwhelming love for sharks, and the story began to click. (She accompanied her shark researcher father to the Farallon Islands as a child, bringing out her wild nature, an aspect I find really important when excavating a character.) She’s also a computer geek and that played into her rather obsessive nature regarding her work and the underwater sonar array she’s trying to develop.
Part of the backstory for my underwater filmmaker hero Alec Galloway is related to surfing. I read up on big wave surfing (THE WAVE by Susan Casey is an amazing book about giant waves, rogue waves, ship-crushing waves, and she includes chapters about the men who try to surf them – Jaws in Maui, Mavericks in Northern California, and Teahupoo in Tahiti)
I was so intrigued by this that I decided the Galloway family, led by Alec’s dad, Big Jim Galloway, would not only be a surfing family, but Big Wave surfers to boot. This includes Alec’s younger siblings, Tyler (who stars in Book 2, COLD HORIZON) and Brynn (star of upcoming Book 3, ANCIENT WINDS).
While they no longer do this in the present time of their stories, it was a piece of their backstory that showcased the drive and nerve that each of them possessed. It also informs Alec’s character in that he’s a fairly cautious guy because of some of the crazy stuff he’s seen and done. This created some clashes with Grace in DEEP BLUE, since he believes her actions are reckless at times. Grace, of course, doesn’t see it that way.
Photo by Juan Oliphant
How do you feel about this picture? This is Ocean Ramsey, a biologist and shark conservation advocate who spends nearly every day in the water with sharks. She is also the target of much criticism due to her interactions with sharks, especially great whites. I state at the end of DEEP BLUE that my character Dr. Grace Mann was inspired by Ms. Ramsey, and this is true. Ramsey’s interactions and knowledge of marine life, and especially sharks, shows us what’s possible when it comes to human/fish interactions. I find her work fascinating, and it informed Grace in the sense that I knew these types of encounters were possible. I write fiction, and I certainly take poetic license at times, but I do try to couch my storylines in a thread of truth. There’s no easy answers as to whether interacting with wildlife – and in the case of great white sharks, very dangerous wildlife – should or shouldn’t happen. I did explore this further with Grace and another marine scientist in DEEP BLUE: COCOS ISLAND, a follow-up short story. It’s an interesting discussion that I will continue to follow, both in the real world and in my work.
One reason I enjoy writing romances is the fun in creating a scenario for two people to fall in love and following along on that journey. DEEP BLUE, and the second book COLD HORIZON, aren’t strictly romances—these books are more action oriented and I made an effort to make them more readable to a broader audience by not following the standard romance plot, which is generally filled with more internal character musings and structure. Still, at the center of these stories are two people finding their way to each other.
The key to a good romance is finding the inherent obstacle between the couple. For Alec and Grace, it boiled down to a clash between Grace’s love and confidence in the water with sharks and Alec’s caution around such dangerous creatures. I built up these viewpoints by giving each of them specific experiences from their past. For Grace, it was growing up at the feet of her shark researcher dad and absorbing his obsession and respect for great white sharks; for Alec, it was having a healthy respect for the ocean, whether it be via big wave surfing or the loss of a close friend to a great white attack that has continued to haunt him.
From there, it became great fun to write their scenes and let the sparks fly.
During early drafts of DEEP BLUE, I was swamped with shark info that I’d been collecting. I usually take different passes on a manuscript – one to lay out the general outline and pacing, one to add layers to the characters, one to beef up the romantic tension between the hero and heroine, one to add descriptive details. It didn’t really occur to me that I should have a shark main character (as I said, brain overload) but near the end of one of the drafts Bonnie showed up, and it stopped me cold in my writing tracks. She was a very large and very mature female great white shark. An alpha. A true alpha of any creature on earth. I immediately began moving around scenes and rewriting the beginning of the book because Bonnie needed to be present throughout the story. There’s also a secondary shark named Felix, a randy youngin’ who causes all sorts of trouble. If you’ve ever met a teenage boy, then you know what I’m talking about.
While the gist of the story of DEEP BLUE is Grace freediving with great sharks in an effort to observe their behavior without the impediment and noise of scuba equipment, a side story is the testing of a prototype shark sonar array she designed in an effort to detect sharks in a specified grid area. Her goal is to have such an apparatus installed at ‘sharky’ beaches around the world as an early warning system to swimmers and surfers. So, is this a real thing?
I studied shark deterrents already in use and their effectiveness varied. It included such things as repellants (sonar, chemical), underwater nets (as you can imagine, these devastate more than sharks by trapping and killing everything else), and aerial spotters. The sonar array that Grace builds using artificial intelligence was a work of wishful fiction on my part. The idea is that there are multiple layers of code identifying creatures as they enter the grid area. This type of neural network is a “deep learning” program that becomes better over time as it acquires more and more data points. My son Sam, a data engineer, was a huge help as I developed this for the story, explaining to me how this would work. One exciting development was that after the book was published, I came across scientists working on a similar apparatus. So maybe one day you’ll go to the beach and pull up an app on your phone that tells you immediately what’s in the ocean you’re about to step into.
How did I research Guadalupe Island?
DEEP BLUE opens in Monterey, California, but the bulk of the story takes place on a boat off the coast of Guadalupe Island, located on the Pacific Ocean side of Baja California. It’s a fairly uninhabited island, with a handful of fisherman and scientists in residence, and from August until about January, it’s a hotspot of great white shark activity. The males arrive first, and then in October the very large females make an appearance. It’s unknown why the sharks congregate here, but it’s thought that they mate and feed, since there’s a large seal population. (And for the record, no one has ever seen or filmed white sharks mating or giving birth.) There are several companies that ferry customers on live-aboard boats to cage-dive with the sharks, with departures from San Diego, and if you’ve ever watched Shark Week on Discovery Channel, many of the shows have been filmed here.
Still, I found it a challenge to find information about the area so that I could realistically write about it (and since I was unable to go myself). Internet searches turned up general info, but I’m always in search of smaller, more interesting tidbits, the kind of stuff that isn’t on a Wikipedia page. It took me a while, but I finally located several blogs written by people who had visited the area, offering raw first impressions that made the writer in me squeal with delight.
I’ve envisioned the Pathway series as loosely connected standalones, which has been both a pro and a con when it comes to marketing. Because the series isn’t deep, meaning I only have two books currently available, advertising them has been a challenge. Eventually when I have the planned 6-8 books published, it will be easier to do more extensive marketing.
The main reason I wrote DEEP BLUE: AUSTRALIA was to offer a free but exclusive read to my newsletter subscribers, giving them another chance to hang out with Grace and Alec. An author’s newsletter list is a beloved holy grail because it offers us the chance to reach our readers directly (Amazon and Facebook greatly throttle that ability). But … if readers are signed up for too many newsletters, they can be rightly overwhelmed by the email volume in their inbox. It was my hope to sweeten the pot by offering something they couldn’t get anywhere else in exchange for their valuable time.
Last year, I managed to get a coveted BookBub Feature Deal for Deep Blue, but I had to make the book free. The key to making this type of advertising work is to have follow-up books in which to recoup your losses. BookBub deals aren’t cheap and generally run in the hundreds of dollars. I had COLD HORIZON out, but with its mountain climbing theme it was a very different book than DEEP BLUE, so in an effort to compensate for a low read-through rate, I decided to publish AUSTRALIA and charge $2.99 for digital downloads. This is an aggressive price for this type of short, and while other authors do use this price point successfully, I didn’t have the name recognition to pull it off. The result was reader backlash. Being an indie author means I’m able to pivot and switch gears quickly, so I did. I wrote two more short adventures – REUNION ISLAND and COCOS ISLAND – so that I could package all three together for $2.99, giving readers a little more bang for their buck. While I must always consider the economics of creating and pricing my projects, I strive to balance that with reader expectations.
Some people have asked for another novel starring Grace and Alec, but since that can take me upwards of a year to write, these shorts were a way to continue their story while I work on other books in the Pathway universe. I sure hope you enjoy them!
Did you know there’s a bonus scene of Alec’s first impression of Grace over at Book+Main Bites? You can read it here.
To learn more about DEEP BLUE, visit my website.
All this week I’ve been sharing background info on the creation of my romantic suspense novel DEEP BLUE on Facebook, so I thought I’d group it all into a blog post in case any of you missed it and might be interested in my thought process while writing it.
I began my writing career with historical western romances, but I’d always been fascinated by sharks so had long entertained story ideas around them. About 3 years ago, I decided to finally write the book I had been thinking of. Initially, I saw it as more of a thriller (going back to an outline I’d written over 15 years prior), but in light of the devastation to the shark population due to overfishing and shark finning, I knew I wanted to write a story that showed more love to the shark than was usually the case in shark books and movies. I’m a great fan of the movie JAWS, but I wanted to explore the subject deeper than simply the abject fear that people experience when it comes to these often misunderstood fish.
Enter Dr. Grace Mann, my main character. It took a few drafts to smooth her out because at first she was smart but aloof and all business. A bit too cold, unfortunately. When I backtracked and built up her childhood, that’s when I found her overwhelming love for sharks, and the story began to click. (She accompanied her shark researcher father to the Farallon Islands as a child, bringing out her wild nature, an aspect I find really important when excavating a character.) She’s also a computer geek and that played into her rather obsessive nature regarding her work and the underwater sonar array she’s trying to develop.
Part of the backstory for my underwater filmmaker hero Alec Galloway is related to surfing. I read up on big wave surfing (THE WAVE by Susan Casey is an amazing book about giant waves, rogue waves, ship-crushing waves, and she includes chapters about the men who try to surf them – Jaws in Maui, Mavericks in Northern California, and Teahupoo in Tahiti)
I was so intrigued by this that I decided the Galloway family, led by Alec’s dad, Big Jim Galloway, would not only be a surfing family, but Big Wave surfers to boot. This includes Alec’s younger siblings, Tyler (who stars in Book 2, COLD HORIZON) and Brynn (star of upcoming Book 3, ANCIENT WINDS).
While they no longer do this in the present time of their stories, it was a piece of their backstory that showcased the drive and nerve that each of them possessed. It also informs Alec’s character in that he’s a fairly cautious guy because of some of the crazy stuff he’s seen and done. This created some clashes with Grace in DEEP BLUE, since he believes her actions are reckless at times. Grace, of course, doesn’t see it that way.
Photo by Juan Oliphant
How do you feel about this picture? This is Ocean Ramsey, a biologist and shark conservation advocate who spends nearly every day in the water with sharks. She is also the target of much criticism due to her interactions with sharks, especially great whites. I state at the end of DEEP BLUE that my character Dr. Grace Mann was inspired by Ms. Ramsey, and this is true. Ramsey’s interactions and knowledge of marine life, and especially sharks, shows us what’s possible when it comes to human/fish interactions. I find her work fascinating, and it informed Grace in the sense that I knew these types of encounters were possible. I write fiction, and I certainly take poetic license at times, but I do try to couch my storylines in a thread of truth. There’s no easy answers as to whether interacting with wildlife – and in the case of great white sharks, very dangerous wildlife – should or shouldn’t happen. I did explore this further with Grace and another marine scientist in DEEP BLUE: COCOS ISLAND, a follow-up short story. It’s an interesting discussion that I will continue to follow, both in the real world and in my work.
One reason I enjoy writing romances is the fun in creating a scenario for two people to fall in love and following along on that journey. DEEP BLUE, and the second book COLD HORIZON, aren’t strictly romances—these books are more action oriented and I made an effort to make them more readable to a broader audience by not following the standard romance plot, which is generally filled with more internal character musings and structure. Still, at the center of these stories are two people finding their way to each other.
The key to a good romance is finding the inherent obstacle between the couple. For Alec and Grace, it boiled down to a clash between Grace’s love and confidence in the water with sharks and Alec’s caution around such dangerous creatures. I built up these viewpoints by giving each of them specific experiences from their past. For Grace, it was growing up at the feet of her shark researcher dad and absorbing his obsession and respect for great white sharks; for Alec, it was having a healthy respect for the ocean, whether it be via big wave surfing or the loss of a close friend to a great white attack that has continued to haunt him.
From there, it became great fun to write their scenes and let the sparks fly.
During early drafts of DEEP BLUE, I was swamped with shark info that I’d been collecting. I usually take different passes on a manuscript – one to lay out the general outline and pacing, one to add layers to the characters, one to beef up the romantic tension between the hero and heroine, one to add descriptive details. It didn’t really occur to me that I should have a shark main character (as I said, brain overload) but near the end of one of the drafts Bonnie showed up, and it stopped me cold in my writing tracks. She was a very large and very mature female great white shark. An alpha. A true alpha of any creature on earth. I immediately began moving around scenes and rewriting the beginning of the book because Bonnie needed to be present throughout the story. There’s also a secondary shark named Felix, a randy youngin’ who causes all sorts of trouble. If you’ve ever met a teenage boy, then you know what I’m talking about.
While the gist of the story of DEEP BLUE is Grace freediving with great sharks in an effort to observe their behavior without the impediment and noise of scuba equipment, a side story is the testing of a prototype shark sonar array she designed in an effort to detect sharks in a specified grid area. Her goal is to have such an apparatus installed at ‘sharky’ beaches around the world as an early warning system to swimmers and surfers. So, is this a real thing?
I studied shark deterrents already in use and their effectiveness varied. It included such things as repellants (sonar, chemical), underwater nets (as you can imagine, these devastate more than sharks by trapping and killing everything else), and aerial spotters. The sonar array that Grace builds using artificial intelligence was a work of wishful fiction on my part. The idea is that there are multiple layers of code identifying creatures as they enter the grid area. This type of neural network is a “deep learning” program that becomes better over time as it acquires more and more data points. My son Sam, a data engineer, was a huge help as I developed this for the story, explaining to me how this would work. One exciting development was that after the book was published, I came across scientists working on a similar apparatus. So maybe one day you’ll go to the beach and pull up an app on your phone that tells you immediately what’s in the ocean you’re about to step into.
How did I research Guadalupe Island?
DEEP BLUE opens in Monterey, California, but the bulk of the story takes place on a boat off the coast of Guadalupe Island, located on the Pacific Ocean side of Baja California. It’s a fairly uninhabited island, with a handful of fisherman and scientists in residence, and from August until about January, it’s a hotspot of great white shark activity. The males arrive first, and then in October the very large females make an appearance. It’s unknown why the sharks congregate here, but it’s thought that they mate and feed, since there’s a large seal population. (And for the record, no one has ever seen or filmed white sharks mating or giving birth.) There are several companies that ferry customers on live-aboard boats to cage-dive with the sharks, with departures from San Diego, and if you’ve ever watched Shark Week on Discovery Channel, many of the shows have been filmed here.
Still, I found it a challenge to find information about the area so that I could realistically write about it (and since I was unable to go myself). Internet searches turned up general info, but I’m always in search of smaller, more interesting tidbits, the kind of stuff that isn’t on a Wikipedia page. It took me a while, but I finally located several blogs written by people who had visited the area, offering raw first impressions that made the writer in me squeal with delight.
I’ve envisioned the Pathway series as loosely connected standalones, which has been both a pro and a con when it comes to marketing. Because the series isn’t deep, meaning I only have two books currently available, advertising them has been a challenge. Eventually when I have the planned 6-8 books published, it will be easier to do more extensive marketing.
The main reason I wrote DEEP BLUE: AUSTRALIA was to offer a free but exclusive read to my newsletter subscribers, giving them another chance to hang out with Grace and Alec. An author’s newsletter list is a beloved holy grail because it offers us the chance to reach our readers directly (Amazon and Facebook greatly throttle that ability). But … if readers are signed up for too many newsletters, they can be rightly overwhelmed by the email volume in their inbox. It was my hope to sweeten the pot by offering something they couldn’t get anywhere else in exchange for their valuable time.
Last year, I managed to get a coveted BookBub Feature Deal for Deep Blue, but I had to make the book free. The key to making this type of advertising work is to have follow-up books in which to recoup your losses. BookBub deals aren’t cheap and generally run in the hundreds of dollars. I had COLD HORIZON out, but with its mountain climbing theme it was a very different book than DEEP BLUE, so in an effort to compensate for a low read-through rate, I decided to publish AUSTRALIA and charge $2.99 for digital downloads. This is an aggressive price for this type of short, and while other authors do use this price point successfully, I didn’t have the name recognition to pull it off. The result was reader backlash. Being an indie author means I’m able to pivot and switch gears quickly, so I did. I wrote two more short adventures – REUNION ISLAND and COCOS ISLAND – so that I could package all three together for $2.99, giving readers a little more bang for their buck. While I must always consider the economics of creating and pricing my projects, I strive to balance that with reader expectations.
Some people have asked for another novel starring Grace and Alec, but since that can take me upwards of a year to write, these shorts were a way to continue their story while I work on other books in the Pathway universe. I sure hope you enjoy them!
Did you know there’s a bonus scene of Alec’s first impression of Grace over at Book+Main Bites? You can read it here.
To learn more about DEEP BLUE, visit my website.
Release Day - Ancient Winds is out!!
By Kristy McCaffrey
I'm so excited to share that Ancient Winds (The Pathway Series Book 3) is now available in ebook and print.
Can Brynn resist the charm of Dr. Magee in this high-stakes archaeology adventure?
In the jungle, there are no barriers …
Brynn Galloway doesn’t know it, but her academic career in archaeology is about to become a laughingstock. When a rare Sumerian artifact surfaces, her presence is requested in Bolivia, but nothing is as it seems. Soon, she’s entangled in a desperate hunt not only for a valuable antiquity but also for answers to humanity that might stretch across time. And by her side is a sexy mercenary physicist with a maddening belief in space aliens.
Dr. Tristan Magee is in a bad mood. When his latest acquisition—an unusual and as yet untranslated Sumerian cuneiform tablet—is stolen right out from under him and spirited away to the Bolivian jungle, he’ll do whatever it takes to get it back. Unfortunately, that includes partnering with a female archaeologist who proves to be the kind of distraction that brought down civilizations.
A combination of Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone, with a dash of The X-Files … get swept away in this romantic suspense adventure.
Available wide for one week only. Grab your copy here. On February 22, Ancient Winds will enter the Kindle Unlimited program and will be available exclusively at Amazon.
Would you like a bookmark from any or all of the books? Fill out this google doc and I'll drop them in the mail to you.
Excerpt
Brynn couldn’t sleep and found Tristan sitting by a small fire near the main building. With elbows on knees, he was hunched forward, his gaze intent on the flames as shadows ebbed and flowed across the angles of his face. He sported a few days’ growth of whiskers and his dark hair was curling along the collar of his shirt. The wilderness was slowly consuming them, making them wild in the process, or maybe it was simply the jungle stripping away societal barriers and laying them bare. Brynn suspected, however, that Magee had never paid much attention to such niceties.
“Communing with aliens?” she asked, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb the others who might be nearby. Tristan had been right—privacy was in short supply.
The glint in Tristan’s gaze conveyed annoyed amusement. And maybe something else. The tug in her belly was immediate, and she all but lifted her nose to catch his scent. For a moment she let herself revel in everything male that was Magee: muscle, strength, and possibly the biggest aphrodisiac for her—irreverence.
He motioned for her to sit as he said, “Well, if you consider talking to Dimar interacting with something not of this world, then the answer is yes.”
She took a seat, leaving the one between them empty. Wouldn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
“Sometimes I have trouble sleeping in the jungle,” he said.
“Is that a sleeping aid?” she asked as he took a sip from his canteen.
He replaced the lid. “Nah. Just water. Can you play backgammon, Galloway?”
“Yes. I used to play with my grandfather.”
“I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared, and then returned with a mini version of the game. He unfolded the board and proceeded to set it up on the empty chair between them.
“Why backgammon?” she asked, helping him organize the pieces in the glow of the firelight.
“It was my dad’s favorite. Did you know it’s one of the oldest known board games?”
“I do. They’ve found evidence of it in Mesopotamia. Maybe it was a gift from their alien benefactors.”
“The dice were made from human bones, so no alien intervention likely.”
“You do know your artifacts.”
“I try.” He handed her a die, his hand brushing hers. “Need a refresher on the rules?”
“Nope, I’m good,” she replied, pretending his touch hadn’t left a burn mark.
Copyright © 2021 K. McCaffrey LLC
I'm so excited to share that Ancient Winds (The Pathway Series Book 3) is now available in ebook and print.
Can Brynn resist the charm of Dr. Magee in this high-stakes archaeology adventure?
In the jungle, there are no barriers …
Brynn Galloway doesn’t know it, but her academic career in archaeology is about to become a laughingstock. When a rare Sumerian artifact surfaces, her presence is requested in Bolivia, but nothing is as it seems. Soon, she’s entangled in a desperate hunt not only for a valuable antiquity but also for answers to humanity that might stretch across time. And by her side is a sexy mercenary physicist with a maddening belief in space aliens.
Dr. Tristan Magee is in a bad mood. When his latest acquisition—an unusual and as yet untranslated Sumerian cuneiform tablet—is stolen right out from under him and spirited away to the Bolivian jungle, he’ll do whatever it takes to get it back. Unfortunately, that includes partnering with a female archaeologist who proves to be the kind of distraction that brought down civilizations.
A combination of Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone, with a dash of The X-Files … get swept away in this romantic suspense adventure.
Available wide for one week only. Grab your copy here. On February 22, Ancient Winds will enter the Kindle Unlimited program and will be available exclusively at Amazon.
Would you like a bookmark from any or all of the books? Fill out this google doc and I'll drop them in the mail to you.
Excerpt
Brynn couldn’t sleep and found Tristan sitting by a small fire near the main building. With elbows on knees, he was hunched forward, his gaze intent on the flames as shadows ebbed and flowed across the angles of his face. He sported a few days’ growth of whiskers and his dark hair was curling along the collar of his shirt. The wilderness was slowly consuming them, making them wild in the process, or maybe it was simply the jungle stripping away societal barriers and laying them bare. Brynn suspected, however, that Magee had never paid much attention to such niceties.
“Communing with aliens?” she asked, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb the others who might be nearby. Tristan had been right—privacy was in short supply.
The glint in Tristan’s gaze conveyed annoyed amusement. And maybe something else. The tug in her belly was immediate, and she all but lifted her nose to catch his scent. For a moment she let herself revel in everything male that was Magee: muscle, strength, and possibly the biggest aphrodisiac for her—irreverence.
He motioned for her to sit as he said, “Well, if you consider talking to Dimar interacting with something not of this world, then the answer is yes.”
She took a seat, leaving the one between them empty. Wouldn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
“Sometimes I have trouble sleeping in the jungle,” he said.
“Is that a sleeping aid?” she asked as he took a sip from his canteen.
He replaced the lid. “Nah. Just water. Can you play backgammon, Galloway?”
“Yes. I used to play with my grandfather.”
“I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared, and then returned with a mini version of the game. He unfolded the board and proceeded to set it up on the empty chair between them.
“Why backgammon?” she asked, helping him organize the pieces in the glow of the firelight.
“It was my dad’s favorite. Did you know it’s one of the oldest known board games?”
“I do. They’ve found evidence of it in Mesopotamia. Maybe it was a gift from their alien benefactors.”
“The dice were made from human bones, so no alien intervention likely.”
“You do know your artifacts.”
“I try.” He handed her a die, his hand brushing hers. “Need a refresher on the rules?”
“Nope, I’m good,” she replied, pretending his touch hadn’t left a burn mark.
Copyright © 2021 K. McCaffrey LLC
Author Kristy McCaffrey
Kristy McCaffrey writes western historical and contemporary romances. She and her husband live in Arizona with their two dogs. Visit her online at kristymccaffrey.com.
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