Spotlight & Giveaway: SEAL on a Mission by Paige Tyler

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Paige Tyler to HJ!

Hi Paige and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, SEAL on a Mission!

 
Hey everyone! User-friendly Paige Tyler here. Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to spend a few minutes with me…or at least with the stuff I write. Hope my words makes your day a little better and brings a smile or two to your face.
 

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

SEAL on a MISSION is the seventh book in the SEALs of Coronado Series. In this story, we finally get to see Petty Officer Wes Marshall finally get his chance with part-time college student/part-time internet hacktivist Kyla Wells. These two have been circling each other since book one of the series and now it’s finally going to happen. If it doesn’t blow up in their faces of course.
Wes and his SEAL Teammates are dealing with Nick Chapman, an international arms dealer the Team has gone up against in the past (Undercover SEAL). Chapman is trying to sell a shipment of high-tech suicide drones to the highest bidder and Wes and his Teammates are the only ones who can stop him. The only problem? Every time they get close, it’s like Chapman can read their minds because he’s always one step ahead of them. Does SEAL Team 5 have a traitor on the inside?

Kyla is dealing with issues of her own. The man who’s responsible for her father’s death just got released from jail on a crazy technicality and she’s not letting that fly. She’s going to make him pay, even if she has to kill him herself. But the situation gets complicated when she finds out that her dad was involved in some stuff that might have led to his death…and might put her in the flight path of the suicide drones Wes is trying to stop.

Wow! That sounds like an amazing book! Makes me want to go back and read it right now!
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

This scene is from the part of the book where Kyla has decided to sneak into the house of the man she holds responsible for her father’s death and do whatever she has to do to get her revenge. Unfortunately, Kyla is more computer geek than action heroine. She also happens to be criminally unathletic and horribly uncoordinated.

Crawling through the partially open window once again proved Kyla didn’t have a single athletic bone in her body. First, her shirt got caught on the sill, the collar getting wrapped around her neck and nearly choking her. Then the back of her jeans—and the gun in her pocket—caught on the window sash, leaving her hanging half in and half out of the house, feet kicking and flailing around.
Could this get any more horrible?

We tend to write our heroines as pretty badass, but this time, Kyla is simply a young woman looking for revenge and in over her head. That said, she definitely kicks some serious butt on a computer!

What inspired this book?

Wes and Kyla have been screaming for page time for a while now and most of the storyline developed over the course of a few weeks as the two of them talked to us about what they wanted to do now that they were getting their own story. Kyla insisted she get some closure on the situation with her father’s murder, while also having a chance to flex her action muscles a little (versus only tapping on a computer keyboard all the time). Wes wanted to get the SEAL Team to get another opportunity to take down Chapman, who got away in a previous book. But he also wanted to have time to seriously woo Kyla. He’s been forced into the friend zone with her for over a year and was desperate to get out of there.

The whole suicide drone thing came from an article in a magazine one of hubby’s coworkers showed him about a company talking up their low-cost, user-friendly, killer drones. We showed the article to Kyla and Wes and they jumped at the idea of incorporating drones into their story.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

Most times, especially early on in a series, we need to define the characters—who they are, how they behave around each other, what they want to do in life. But with Wes and Kyla, they spent the better part of a year telling us exactly who they were and what motivated them. Wes had been in Kyla’s friend zone because that’s what she needed for most of the past year. Kyla wanted them to be more but didn’t want to screw up the one thing that was going right in her life at a time when so much else was falling apart.

Wes is a SEAL, so we already know he’s all action hero. But Kyla surprised us. We didn’t even know she’d bought a gun! And when she decided to go after the man she blamed for her father’s death, we had no idea how that was going to end!

It goes to show that no matter how well you know your characters, they will still surprise you. They’re living, breathing people. Sometimes, they do what they want.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I’m a sucker for first dates and zoos. Putting Wes and Kyla’s first date in a zoo was the best of both worlds. Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of the scene where we get to see how much Kyla loves animals (like us!) and the amazing connection she has with Wes.

Kyla couldn’t stop grinning as she quickly led Wes by the hand through the entry plaza, then slipped to the left of the flamingos and headed straight for the monkey trail. As she heard the hoots and whoops of the creatures a few hundred feet ahead, it was all she could do to keep from running off like an eight-year-old kid.

She’d tried to play it cool on the drive over, but to be honest, Kyla had started getting excited the moment Wes had showed up at her campus dorm room—looking absolutely droolworthy in jeans, boots, and an untucked buttondown—and announced he was taking her to the San Diego Zoo. She hadn’t been there since she was in middle school, but she remembered having a ton of fun and knew it would be even better with Wes.

“We don’t have to rush, you know,” Wes said with a chuckle. “It’s not like the monkeys are going anywhere.”

Kyla laughed even as she picked up her pace. “I can’t help it. I love monkeys. They’re my favorite thing in the zoo.”

“Hey! I thought I was your favorite thing in the zoo?” he teased, his boots thumping rapidly against the pavement as he ran faster to match her steps. “Should I be worried?”

She gave him a smile. “No way. When it comes to favorite things, you’re in my top three…top five at most.”

“Top five, huh?” Wes’s mouth twitched. “I guess I can live with that. But if I find out you’ve put a warthog on the list ahead of me, I’m going to be hurt.”

What was the most difficult scene to write?

Hands down, the toughest scene to write was the opening scene in the courtroom where Kyla comes faces to face with the man responsible for her father’s murder. The issue will refresh those readers who read book one of the series (SEAL for Her Protection) while also bringing new readers up to date on what happened without confusing them. We wanted to do both in a limited number of pages so we could get the rest of the story going and not turn this into a courtroom drama. I think we captured the important details of the crime and Kyla’s mindset for revenge.

Wes turned his attention to the defendant’s table near the front of the room. Kyla followed his gaze. William Nesbitt, former city councilman and current scum-sucking piece of crap, sat calmly in his chair, as if he was simply waiting for the barista to bring him a cup of coffee.
Hatred wasn’t an emotion Kyla had ever been familiar with—until recently. But when it came to Nesbitt, hatred barely scratched the surface of what she felt. It wasn’t a stretch to say she wanted the man to suffer as much as her father had.

As much as her mother had.

As much as she had.

Sometimes, when she woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, her face wet with tears, she found herself wishing Nesbitt was dead. Sometimes, she even imagined killing him. Especially when she thought about his trial ending with anything other than a guilty verdict.
Kyla tried not to let herself think like that, but over the course of the past several months, as she’d watched Nesbitt and his high-priced lawyers working the judge, the jury, the prosecutor, and the media, she realized she didn’t have a lot of faith in the American justice system. Money talked. And Nesbitt had a lot of it.

“Maybe Nesbitt is planning to plead out like he should have done months ago,” Wes murmured, his warm breath once more tickling the skin of her neck and ear. “The guy has to know the trial is going to end with him going to prison. The cops found the murder weapon in his frigging hands. There’s no talking your way out of that.”

Kyla snorted. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Nesbitt is a career politician. He made himself rich by knowing all the right people and making deals under the table. I’m terrified this whole trial has been one big game to him.”

Wes took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The feel of his warm skin against hers made her pulse flutter. “Nesbitt’s going down, Kyla. And so is whoever he hired to murder your father.”

She hoped Wes was right. Because while Nesbitt might have had the gun in his possession, she wasn’t convinced he’d actually pulled the trigger.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I’d say this book is very much in the Paige Tyler brand, with its blend of romance, a little bit of steam, thrilling action, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. Those who love our other books in the SEALs of Coronado Series, as well as the Special Wolf Alpha Team Series, Special Threat Assessment Team Series, and X-OPS Series, will love SEAL on a Mission, too.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I hope people take away a love of two people finding the one they’re meant to be with, even if sometimes it takes a while to get there. Don’t be afraid to go after a deeper relationship with your best friend because it might turn out to be the most amazing experience of your life.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

We recently turned in Book 2 in the Special Threat Assessment Team Series to our editor and are currently writing Book 12 in the Special Wolf Alpha Team Series. In between, I’m writing three illustrated children’s books and then we’ll be on to Book 8 in the SEALs of Coronado Series.

As for upcoming releases, look for the complete first “season” of Paranormal Investigations Unlimited about a ghostly serial killer in October (just in time for Halloween!) and the next book in the Special Wolf Alpha Team Series (Wolf Untamed) also in October, and of course, those fun illustrated children’s books!

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: I’m giving away the first three books in the SEALs of Coronado Series (SEAL for Her Protection, Strong Silent SEAL, Texas SEAL) in Kindle format sent from Amazon. Winner must have an email address and be a resident of the U.S.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: In this crazy time we find ourselves in right now, we been catching up on some TV shows. The best part is finding brand new shows we would never have thought about watching, such as Marvel’s superhero/coming-of-age series Runaways and the clever comedy about everyone’s favorite big box store Superstore, as well as Legends of Tomorrow, and Stargirl. And while The Umbrella Academy isn’t new to us, Season Two of The Umbrella Academy recently debuted on Netflix and we loved! Not kiddind…Best. Show. Ever! Have you found any new shows lately? If so, what are they and why do you like them?

Thank you very much for having me. It’s been a blast! And I hope readers that read this blog will reach out and contact me. I always love answering questions and meeting new people!
 
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Excerpt from SEAL on a Mission:

Below is an excerpt from the exciting conclusion of SEAL on a MISSION (just a peek because we don’t want to give away too much) showing Chapman and his diabolical scheme to kill and injury as many people as possible with his suicide drones. It sets up the final epic scene where Wes and his SEAL Teammates ride to the rescue.

“As I was saying,” Chapman continued, as if there weren’t armed men ready to start shooting at each other, “these drones have an operational flight time of thirty minutes. At a minimum air speed of nearly a hundred kilometers per hour, that gives them a range of approximately fifty kilometers. Each unit carries a three kilogram warhead and uses a GPS guidance system. The user can input the coordinates of the target into the controller and all drones will impact on that location. If you’re looking for greater accuracy, such as trying to put the drone through a window or hitting a moving target, the operator can switch over to joystick control and guide the weapon in using the monitor and the camera mounted on the underside of the air vehicle. But even if you’re using the joystick, the vehicle must maintain its GPS link. Loss of GPS will result in the warhead being disarmed and the drone will crash. It’s a safety feature so you don’t get confused by what you see on the screen and accidentally fly the drone into something you don’t want to. That won’t be a problem for today’s demonstration. We’ll be aiming for a target that’s too big to miss.”

Crap. Chapman intended to kill people as part of his demonstration.

As Kaplan and the rest of the men moved closer to the railing surrounding the rooftop, Kyla stepped forward to see what they were looking at. The scene that met her gaze froze her blood solid. The San Diego Convention Center was clearly visible a few blocks away, along with thousands of people dressed up as their favorite comic book, TV, or movie character.

Oh, crap. They were going to attack Comic-Con. All those poor people standing outside taking pictures with their friends, laughing and having a good time, had no clue they were all about to die.

“You can’t do this,” she said, taking a step toward Chapman, fully intending to stop him no matter what she had to do.

Three red lights flashed on the console as the TV monitor blinked to life.

Chapman gave her a casual smile. “Actually, I already did. The three drones just launched from a fishing trawler positioned in international waters. They’re working against a stiff seaward breeze, but they should impact the target in fifteen minutes.”

Cursing, Kyla lunged forward, but Stavros grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She opened her mouth about to scream so loud they’d hear her all the way over at the convention center, but a heavy hand slapped over her mouth.

Then the shooting started.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

He’s used to the danger zone.
Navy SEAL Wes Marshall is used to nearly dying on a daily basis. But there are worse things than living life in the danger zone. Namely, the friend-zone hell where he currently resides. It was his own damn fault. Considering the woman of his dreams was going through her own personal hell of her father’s murder trial, Wes thought she needed a friend more than a boyfriend. However, as the trial languished on, so did Wes’s opportunity to ask her out. But now the trial is over and more questions are unanswered than before—questions that might get them both killed before they can go on their first date.

Not the friend zone.
Kyla Wells isn’t going to let the man who murdered her father go free. As an IT specialist capable of hacking into the CIA itself if need be, she’s hell-bent on finding out what the San Diego DA’s office couldn’t—or wouldn’t—why her father was murdered. Her best friend, drool-worthy Wes, isn’t going to approve of her investigating. Especially when the data she finds leads her into way more danger than a murder…dropping her into the middle of an international arms deal with the terrorists Wes’s SEAL Team has been trying to capture for months. She’s worked too hard on finding her father’s killer to die now. Besides, she’s going to tell Wes how she feels about him—right after they save the world.

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Meet the Author:

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines who fall in love with them.

She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan.
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