Tag: C.C. Bridges

Stealing Jennifer by C.C. Bridges Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Stealing Jennifer

Author: CC Bridges

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: September 28, 2020

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Female/Female/Male (Female/Female interaction)

Length: 21500

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA, established couple, criminals, law enforcement, PTSD, menage, found family, ffm

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Synopsis

Jennifer, Sean, and Maria are jewel thieves—and lovers. When a job gone wrong sees Jennifer in the hands of the FBI, Sean and Maria have to figure out how to break her out. It’s no easy feat, since Jennifer is both their hacker and master planner. But these two thieves will do anything to steal their heart back.

Excerpt

Stealing Jennifer, CC Bridges © 2020, All Rights Reserved

Now

Whatever happens, no regrets.

Jennifer had only seconds to act. The pounding of footsteps up the stairwell echoed against the walls. This old building had zero insulation. They probably thought they were being quiet, but Jen had good ears and fast hands. Years of experience had her moving before thinking.

One glance at her laptop showed the dual security camera feeds she’d hacked into. Sean hovered above the case of jewels and Maria waited patiently in the getaway car. Jennifer had a second to tab through the rest of the feeds to make sure no police had gotten close to either of them. She entered the kill code to erase the recordings while she still could.

At least they would be safe.

Jennifer touched her fingers to her lips and then the screen, brushing over both Sean and Maria’s faces, imagining the soft feel of the stubble on Sean’s cheeks and the flutter of Maria’s long black eyelashes. She regretted not being able to touch them one more time. Even this warning would have to be abbreviated in case she was overheard.

“I’m about to get busted.” Jennifer never thought she would be the one saying these words. “Get out, now. I’m burning the laptop.” She ripped the headset out of her right ear without waiting for a response. After five years together, she trusted them to listen, still a surprise to her even now to know that she could rely on anyone other than herself. Jennifer slammed the laptop closed and pressed her thumb against the failsafe fingerprint reader she’d installed on the bottom.

She ran out of time. The door behind her cracked under the weight of some asshole cop’s foot as she dropped the laptop onto the floor. At least she hadn’t rented this apartment—she’d never get the deposit back. No, she’d chosen an empty location with good sight lines to the jewelry store and picked the lock on the door.

If this had been a long con, they would have rented an apartment and tried to look like good neighbors. Jennifer had fond memories of jobs where they entrenched themselves, living for months or more in one place until that location felt like home. This job in particular should have been quick, in and out.

Yeah, that turned out well.

The cracked door gave way with a crash, and her once private sanctuary filled with large men in uniform. Jennifer forced down the panic as they surrounded her, black barrels of guns pointed at her. This had happened before, only she hadn’t been the target. “Put your hands in the air!”

Jennifer stood with deliberate caution, keeping her hands in view. Cops would take any excuse to get a shot off, and if she wanted to survive this night, Jen knew she had to play the game. However, the sarcastic little shit inside of her couldn’t resist saying, “Congratulations, you got me.”

Because really? Dozens of armed men for little ole her? Come on.

They didn’t seem impressed, at least no one responded other than to grab her by the shoulders and turn her around to cuff her wrists behind her back. The metal felt familiar on her skin from so much time practicing slipping out of handcuffs. Maybe that skill would come in handy tonight.

More important than slipping her cuffs would be figuring out the man in charge. If she kept her wits about her, Jennifer could think over the pounding of her heart, over the fear that this time she wouldn’t make it out. No, she had to focus. Think. None of these keystone cops were distinguishable from the others. They all wore the same damn blue uniforms with black body armor and helmets. Foot soldiers. She needed a mastermind.

That’s when he walked in. No nondescript body armor for him. He wore a suit, not an expensive one with a label, no, something utilitarian you’d pick up in the mall. Still, she noticed the bulge in the line of his jacket, a clear indication of a weapon. He carried himself like he expected to be obeyed, shoulders back and his jaw clenched. She met his eyes as he stared her down like he cataloged her for evidence, startled by the pale blue of those eyes and the contrast of that with his dark hair.

Funny. In another circumstance she’d consider him hot. Jennifer had always loved the combo of dark hair and light eyes, although his eyes were nowhere near as striking as Maria’s. She swallowed down thoughts of Maria or Sean. If she didn’t keep control of herself, if they guessed that she had partners out there, then the game was as good as lost. This stranger in a suit couldn’t know anything real about her.

When they forced her to walk past him she made sure to throw him a cocky grin.

He didn’t seem affected by it. She didn’t register to him any more than an object. Good to know. He nodded at one of the uniformed men. “Take her in.”

Asshole.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read Universal Link

Meet the Author

CC Bridges is a mild-mannered librarian by day, but by night she writes about worlds of adventure and romance. When she’s not busy solving puzzles in an escape room, she can be found diving into comics or binge-watching superhero movies. She writes surrounded by books, spare computing equipment, and a fluffy dog. In 2011, she won a Rainbow Award for best gay sci-fi/futuristic novel.

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Beyond Meridian by C.C. Bridges Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

C.C. Bridges - Beyond Meridian RB Banner

Hi peeps! We have C.C. Bridges popping in today with her new release Beyond Meridan, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~

Beyond Meridan

by

C.C. Bridges

Captain Rick Raine thinks he’s just picking up a passenger and some cargo when he takes on Karl as a member of his crew. He didn’t sign up for battling privateers, the United Planetary Alliance, and his own heart. But everyone has secrets in space, even a naive kid who knows more than he should.

Karl is on a mission, deep in the heart of enemy space. Sam saved him from a life of servitude and now it’s time to return the favor. For that he needs a ship and someone to fly it. Captain Raine seems like the perfect guy, a good pilot and an honest thief. But Karl doesn’t count on falling for the spacer, not when he has a mission to accomplish and the UPA’s secrets to keep.

Continue reading “Beyond Meridian by C.C. Bridges Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!” →

The Division by C.C. Bridges

17974633Title: The Division

Author: C.C. Bridges

Genre: Fantasy / Super Heroes

Length: Novel (71K)

Publisher: Musa Publishing (May 24th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Opening a portal to love.

Socket and Valor have been best friends—and part time superheroes—for years. When an invasion force threatens the Earth, they form a team of heroes to face the threat.

Closeted media darling Valor has no idea that Socket has been nursing a crush on him since their high school days. When a buffer, grittier version of Socket emerges from one of the alien portals, Valor discovers his own attraction, but his refusal to out himself gets in the way of his and Socket’s budding intimacy.

The alternate Socket has his own agenda, however. One that doesn’t include attachments or a team of do-gooders getting in his way.

Product Link: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=593

Review: This was a very nice story, I admit to being partial to this genre though and super heroes always have a special allure to me. This is the story of Earth and how it came near to being conquered by aliens if now for the existence of men and women with special abilities, powers if you will.

In this version of Earth, accidents happen. That’s how most characters became special, but others simply were born that way, manifesting their changes in adolescence as is common in comic books. Our main characters are Valor and Socket. They’ve been friends for years ever since a teen Valor prevented a teen Socket from taking the wrong path. They became fast friends and their friendship always verged on a bit more. For ten years, they were everything they had; Valor was Socket’s family since he was pretty much alone, and Socket became the only person who knew the real man behind Valor’s mask. No matter how many secrets and experiences they shared together through the years though, they both had one little secret each kept from the other.

Socket, out and proud since a teenager never shared with Valor that he has been deeply in love with his best friend. And Valor, always the golden boy, the public and media’s darling never admitted to Socket he is in fact bisexual. Imagine the guilt of Socket pinning after his straight best friend, and imagine the shame Valor feels for being attracted to men and yet not able to share this thing with the only person that knows everything about him.

It isn’t until Earth is endangered by robots and alien invasion through portals that things become delicate, the lines blur, and their friendship literally gets on the line.
Valor in front of the cameras and Socket behind in the shadows pulling the strings create a team of super heroes called The Division to fight for Earth.

The story is written fairly well. We have Valor who is blessed with enormous strength, near indestructibility, and the ability to fly. Socket who can talk with computers. He is the puppeteer, the guy that stays behind and coordinates everything, the mastermind behind all their technology. Doc Lightning, a doctor in real life and mistress of electric energy, her bolts are scary powerful. Dash with her supper-speed, Mace with his magnetic field mastery, and Tiana, the purple alien of the Ellorian people who’s got stranded on Earth and adopted by Socket. There are other characters who come in and out, but this is the core team, The Division.

Now, if I let the complete nerd take charge I’ll have to say that there ought to be more in this story on all counts. I’d have loved for reasoning, more elaborate that is, for these characters’ powers. I’d have loved for their background and cover stories to have been more solid. I’d have loved for their fights to have been more… logical, and I’d have loved for the villains to have actually had a bit more intellect, because really they sucked, and we all know the best part of a super-hero story are the villains.

As the plot will have it there are portals that open up connecting this Earth with another dimension, a parallel Earth, that has already been taken over by aliens, and their citizens are already slaved to the Overseers. The same people existing in this dimension exist in the other… almost. So our heroes are taken aback when along with the robots Peter charges in from a portal killing them as if it was no big deal.

Now Peter Barnes is the other self of Socket. They look alike if Socket actually had it in him to leave his command base and exercise. Peter is hot, with a killer body, and a fabulous mastery of swords. He ought to be though as he’s survived in his world by being good enough for the arena the Overseers indulge so much to. Peter comes with the story of having escaped his Master and landed on this dimension by chance, and is therefore given refugee by our team.

Did I say this story has some holes in there? Well, there are plenty and again if I really want to be the nerd that can’t let go of little details I’d say the entire villainy plot is wobbly at best. You just can’t have a proper, powerful super-team if you don’t have perfect bad guys, and these bad guys here were far, far from great, let alone perfect.

As for the romance of the story, Peter becomes the reason Valor realizes he’s in love with Socket, and while things seem perfect for a while there, those little secrets they have between them two and the hang-ups and the different mind-set quickly turn things sour. And we all know when a hero is distracted by unrequited love, love gone wrong etc. etc. they can hardly think straight and see what’s in front of their eyes. There is not much challenge left in the end for Peter to accomplish his goal.
As for the pair itself while having some seriously hot scenes, it failed to make me feel that spark, the real chemistry that would make me drown in the words and emerge only to gasp for air. It failed to give me the longing those two should have had.

Overall, as I said at the beginning, I’m partial to this genre. I’m also a bit demanding when it comes to it. This book could have been much, much better. Normally I’d have rated it lower too, but I let myself go and for the most part, I managed to enjoy it. If you indulge in the genre once in a while you’ll find it enjoyable as well and probably love it and want some more. If however you’re one of those nerdy types that eat comic books for breakfast I think you’ll find the above and many more to ruin the experience for you.