{"id":3691,"date":"2014-08-26T11:43:27","date_gmt":"2014-08-26T18:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/?p=3691"},"modified":"2014-08-26T11:43:27","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T18:43:27","slug":"unconditional-surrender-keiraandrews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/unconditional-surrender-keiraandrews\/","title":{"rendered":"Unconditional Surrender Sneak Peek: @KeiraAndrews Arctic Fire #military #gay"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can an army captain who can\u2019t forget Afghanistan make new memories with a ranger in the Arctic?<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Cover_with_names\"<\/a>Join me today for a wonderful excerpt from “Arctic Fire,” Keira Andrews’ novella in the Unconditional Surrender M\/M Military Bundle coming your way in October. 16 novellas by your favorite M\/M authors for just 99 cents.<\/h3>\n

Don’t forget you can pre-order it! Amazon <\/a> (also available in UK, CA, FR, DE, JP, AU, and just about everywhere), All Romance Ebooks<\/a>, B&N<\/a><\/h3>\n

Arctic Fire is HOT…. read on:<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Captain Jack Turner is at a crossroads. A routine mission to the Far North gets him away from his desk, but he\u2019d rather be anywhere else. The Arctic\u2019s in Canadian Ranger Kin Carsen’s blood, but with Jack, he’s on unfamiliar ground. When they’re stranded by a blizzard, unexpected desire begins to burn\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

EXCERPT<\/h3>\n

Jesus Christ it was cold.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"inspiration

Keira’s inspiration for Jack! Hottie Matt Czuchry.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n

With fingers stiff in his gloves, Jack flicked on his little flashlight under his sleeping bag. It was only zero-four-hundred, but it had been dark for so many hours it felt as though the night would never end. It must have clouded over, since there was no light from the moon making its way through the tent walls. He shuddered to think of what it was like in the winter when the sun barely rose at all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Carefully, he pointed the flashlight around the tent, aiming it high to avoid waking Kin, who slept peacefully a few feet away. The red of Kin\u2019s toque peeked out from his sleeping bag, and Jack could see his closed eyes and his nose. He was breathing deeply and evenly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The odds of turning on the stove without waking him were nil, so Jack stayed put, shivering in his sleeping bag. Kin didn\u2019t seem bothered by the cold at all, but Jack\u2019s teeth chattered. He wanted to wrap himself in one of the pelts beneath them, but the idea of moving out of his bag was not appealing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He should have turned off the flashlight since he was wasting the battery, but he found himself watching Kin sleep. He\u2019d shared tents with dozens of men over the years, but none had intrigued him like Kin Carsen did. Not even Grant. <\/em>He winced at the familiar sting of guilt twisting in his gut.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His scars flared to life, and he scrabbled at the back of his neck and shoulder, dropping the flashlight with a thud, the beam of light spinning around the tent. It was as if his flesh was burning again, and it prickled unbearably. He yanked off his gloves to scratch properly, squirming in the tight sleeping bag.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJack?\u201d Kin murmured.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d he gritted out. \u201cGo back to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kin\u2019s tone was sharp, all drowsiness vanished. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The light shone in his face, and Jack squeezed his eyes shut and burrowed into his bag. \u201cI said it\u2019s nothing. Leave me the hell alone.\u201d He dug his blunt nails into his skin even though he knew it would pass faster if he left the scars untouched. The doctors said the itching was all in his head, but it was hard to believe when he trembled with hot prickles. At least he didn\u2019t feel as cold.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m only trying to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThen don\u2019t<\/em>. I don\u2019t need your help.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, excuse the fuck out of me. Sir<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The flashlight snapped off, and when Jack opened his eyes the tent was black again. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.<\/em> He breathed heavily through his nose, forcing himself to stop scratching. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. It\u2019s not you, okay? It\u2019s a hundred percent me. I\u2019m a bag of shit lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was silence for a long moment. Then, \u201cIs that the official diagnosis?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jack barked out a laugh, some of the tension leeching from his body. He felt around for his gloves but couldn\u2019t find them, so he curled his hands against his chest in the sleeping bag. \u201cIt should be. Sorry for being a drama queen. You\u2019re more patient than I would be stuck with an FNG.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to enlighten me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFucking new guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"inspirationKin laughed softly, and Jack wished he could see the little dimples that creased his cheeks. He tried to think of something else he could say to make him laugh. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t blame you if your GAFF was pretty low right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll bite.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGive a fuck factor.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kin laughed again, and despite the cold Jack felt a bloom of warmth in his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have an army to English dictionary? My students would love these.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but someone should write one.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe that should be your next assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jack breathed easily again. There was something nice about talking in the dark in their sleeping bags. Reminded him of when he was a kid sleeping over at Jimmy Leclerc\u2019s house, talking until all hours of the night on the old shag carpet in the basement. And just like he had with Jimmy, Jack inched closer to Kin, shifting himself as quietly as possible.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know why he had that urge, since he was a grown man now and he didn\u2019t have the excuse of being afraid of the dark, or the rumbles and clangs from the Leclerc\u2019s furnace. Outside the tent there was only the steady whisper of wind. But he still felt drawn to Kin, and the low sound of his exhalations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s it like during the midnight sun? When there\u2019s daylight twenty four hours?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u2026lively. The restaurant at the hotel is open day and night since there\u2019s always someone awake. I try to keep normal hours, but it\u2019s hard. There\u2019s a lot more noise, and people out and about. We pretty much hibernate in the winter and make up for it in the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMust be strange. I guess you get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. It\u2019s just the way it is. Everyone has blackout curtains. But there\u2019s always a party going on somewhere. Once\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jack waited a few heartbeats. \u201cOnce what?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother snuck off and went fishing with his buddies in the middle of the night. They \u2018borrowed\u2019 a boat, and of course they got caught since there they were in the middle of the bay, clear as day. Even in the winter, there\u2019s always someone watching. Hard to keep secrets in Arctic Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHave you tried?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kin was silent for a moment. \u201cEveryone has something to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was all Jack could do not to ask. But he had his own secrets, and it was best to keep it all locked away, no matter how safe it felt cocooned in the dark with Kin. Anything Jack said tonight could haunt him in the dawn.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I like coming out here. There\u2019s only the land, and it keeps all its secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about the polar bears?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kin chuckled. \u201cThey\u2019re the worst gossips. Never tell a polar bear something you don\u2019t want the whole world to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll keep that in mind next time I\u2019m shooting the breeze with one.\u201d Jack flexed his fingers, rubbing his bare hands together. \u201cChrist it\u2019s cold. I dropped my gloves.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHere.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As material rustled, Jack expected the flashlight to come on. But his heart skipped a beat as Kin spoke.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGive me your hands.\u201d Kin\u2019s voice was closer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jack\u2019s mouth went dry, and he heard his heartbeat thumping in his ears the way he could when he wore earplugs on planes. He shimmied his arms out of the sleeping bag and fumbled for Kin. When their fingers brushed together, he had to bite back a gasp at the flare of desire in his belly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Smoothly, Kin took Jack\u2019s hands between his and rubbed. He\u2019d taken off his gloves, and he massaged Jack\u2019s fingers. God, it felt good. Kin\u2019s hands were slightly callused\u2014more so than Jack would expect from a teacher. Granted he was also a Ranger, but a Saturday soldier didn\u2019t usually get his hands that dirty.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you say anything? Frostbite can happen really easily out here. You have to be careful. Your fingers are way too cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jack opened his mouth to give some kind of excuse, but any words were lost in a strangled gurgle when his index finger was enveloped by wet heat. Kin sucked, and his tongue swirled around, rough and slick at the same time. Jack was glad he wasn\u2019t standing, since so much blood rushed to his cock that he likely would have gotten lightheaded.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 Keira Andrews<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About Keira Andrews<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy fiction, and\u2014although she loves delicious angst along the way\u2014Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, \u201cThe good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.\u201d You can find out more about Keira and her books at herwebsite<\/a>, and on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Captain Jack Turner is at a crossroads. A routine mission to the Far North gets him away from his desk, but he\u2019d rather be anywhere else. The Arctic\u2019s in Canadian Ranger Kin Carsen’s blood, but with Jack, he’s on unfamiliar ground. When they’re stranded by a blizzard, unexpected desire begins to burn\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":3696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[506,625,4,587],"tags":[821,820,6,436,813,812],"class_list":["post-3691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-post","category-coming-soon","category-excerpts","category-feature-article","tag-afghanistan","tag-canada","tag-excerpt","tag-keira-andrews","tag-military","tag-unconditional-surrender"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/cover_smaller.jpg?fit=250%2C375","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pzLgx-Xx","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/63"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3691"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3698,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3691\/revisions\/3698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}