Pieces of Eight
By Tricia Leedom
(Lost Souls’ Treasure, #1)
Published by: Firefly Hill Press
Publication date: July 13th, 2021
Genres: Adult, Adventure, Romance
From the author who whisked you away on a wild escapade in The Key West Escape Series comes a sexy, adventure-packed spin off. Follow Mitch Thompson and his team of misfits as they find danger, intrigue, and romance on the hunt for the legendary Lost Souls’ Treasure…
Former special ops aviator Griffin Dodge spent two years working on a marine salvage crew based out of Key West after his military career abruptly ended.
The only person he let himself get close to on the Salty Dog Crew was a woman called “Bug.” They couldn’t have been more different – the former all-star golden boy from the Midwest and the scrappy French circus performer turned salvage diver – but she became his best friend. Griff was happier than he’d been in a long time, but when his first love called to say she wanted him back, he caught the next flight out of town.
A year later, Bug still resents Griff for ghosting her and the crew after he left. She’s furious when he shows up out of the blue to do a favor for her boss. It doesn’t matter that Griff is single again or that he’s sorry, she hates that she’s stuck flying shotgun to Martinique beside the guy who abandoned their friendship and betrayed her trust.
The trip was supposed to take two days tops. Just enough time to meet with an artifact collector who claims to have the missing pages of a diary that could lead them to The Lost Souls’ Treasure. But when the deal goes south, and Griff and Bug are caught breaking and entering, they’re forced to escape up the side of a volcano where the lava isn’t the only thing about to bubble over. The tension between them erupts into an unexpected night of passion that leaves them both uncertain about what comes next.
While Griff starts to question if settling down in the suburbs still fits the man he’s become, Bug isn’t so sure she’s willing to open her guarded-heart to the only man who’s ever broke it.
When a rival treasure hunter hellbent on beating the Salty Dog Crew to the treasure takes Bug hostage, Griff realizes his future plans won’t matter, if he can’t bring his best friend home alive.
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Now an excerpt for your reading pleasure.
The husky sound of Bug’s laughter gave Griff goosebumps. He rounded on her, blocking her path. She stopped short and her eyes widened with mild surprise as she gazed up at him in the moonlight.
“I missed you, Bug. I’m beginning to realize I’ve been lying to myself for the past year. I went to Kansas City to be with Hannah because I’ve always thought settling down in the suburbs with her was my destiny. It was the life my mother wanted for me. But my mother’s death changed me. Joining the Army Special Forces changed me. The crash, and losing my career the way I did, that changed me most of all. When Mitch hired me onto the Salty Dog crew, I didn’t know who I was anymore. I was lost. You let me figure things out at my own pace. I learned to laugh again and embrace my inner wild child with you.”
“Your desperado soul,” she said with a small smile.
“Yes. I’m not a boy scout anymore. Far from it. And I think I’m finally starting to make peace with that.”
“Where does that leave you and Hannah?”
He shook his head and glanced away. “Still apart and free to see other people.” He met Bug’s gaze again. “I don’t know what tomorrow is gonna bring, but no matter what happens, I want my best friend back in my life.”
She raised her chin. “I didn’t go anywhere. You did.”
“Figures. I’m pouring my heart out here, and you’re being a smart ass. The least you could do is tell me you missed me too.”
“And what if I didn’t?”
He stepped into her personal space, forcing her to crane her neck back to look up at him. His mouth hovered inches above hers. “I wouldn’t believe you.”
Meet the Author: Tricia Leedom
TRICIA LEEDOM enjoys traveling to exotic destinations and having torrid love affairs with hot, dangerous men… even if it’s only in her own mind. When she’s not writing romantic adventure novels, she reads voraciously, tweets compulsively, and fangirls over a TV show based on her favorite book series.
Tricia earned her BA in Creative Writing from The University of Tampa and her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Her favorite authors include Diana Gabaldon, J.R. Ward, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Karen Robards, and Johanna Lindsey.
She lives in Southwest Florida with two very spoiled dogs. Follow Tricia on Twitter and Instagram @tricialeedom
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have you ever been or wanted to be a treasure hunter?
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That's a really effective premise and setting for a romance. There's something about looking for treasure, too, that just adds to it. Thanks for sharing, Mason.
ReplyDeleteYou had me at pieces of eight. And a guy who is ready to admit he made a mistake...
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour! :)
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