The Spy’s Love Song by Kim Fielding Guest Post & Excerpt!

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Hi peeps! We have Kim Fielding stopping by today with her upcoming release The Spy’s Love Song, we have a brilliant guest post from Kim and a great excerpt, so guys, check out the post and enjoy! ❤ ~Pixie~

The Spy’s Love Song

(Dreamspun Desire 67 / Stars from Peril 01)
by

Kim Fielding

For a singer and a spy, love might be mission impossible.

Jaxon Powers has what most only dream of. Fame. Fortune. Gold records and Grammy awards. Lavish hotel suites and an endless parade of eager bedmates. He’s adored all over the world—even in the remote, repressive country of Vasnytsia, where the tyrannical dictator is a big fan. The State Department hopes a performance might improve US relations with a dangerous enemy. But it means Jaxon’s going in alone… with one exception.

Secret agent Reid Stanfill has a covert agenda with global ramifications. Duty means everything to him, even when it involves protecting a jaded rock star. Jaxon and Reid’s mutual attraction is dangerous under Vasnytsia’s harsh laws—and matters get even worse when they’re trapped inside the borders. Romance will have to wait… assuming they make it out alive.

.•.•.**❣️ Dreamspinner Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK ❣️**.•.• 
.•.•.**❣️ paperback: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK ❣️**.•.•

Kim Fielding!

Hi! Kim Fielding here, and I have a new book out. Yay! The Spy’s Love Song is the tale of a jaded rock star and a State Department operative who end up in deep trouble in a country with a repressive totalitarian government. And there’s romance.

The country in question—Vasnytsia—is fictional, as is its capital city, Starograd. But the imagined history and geography of Starograd were influenced by several places I’ve visited in Central and Eastern Europe. The real city that perhaps most closely resembles Starograd (although not politically) is Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And since I’ve been fortunate to very recently visit Sarejevo again, I thought I’d share a little about this beautiful and fascinating place.

Kim Fielding - The Spy's Love Song 4282If your geography is a little iffy, click here to see where Sarajevo is. It’s a small city nestled in a bowl-shaped valley, with a history far too complex to get into here. Winston Churchill reportedly said, “The Balkans produce more history than they can consume.” Sarajevo is a shining example of the truth of that statement. For our purposes today, suffice it to say that the city was part of the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years, followed by the Austro-Hungarians; that it was communist for several decades (but not part of the USSR); and that during the war in the 1990s, the city was under siege for nearly four years. This was the longest modern siege of a capital. Over 11,000 people died, many of them children. But there’s far more to the city than tragedy. It’s also beautiful, with a long history of religious diversity—and some delicious food and wonderful residents.

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I stayed at a hotel in the city center, about two blocks from the old main square. It was also within a few blocks of a 16th century mosque, a 16th century Orthodox church, a 19th century Catholic cathedral, a 16th century Sephardic synagogue, and an early 20th century Ashkenazi synagogue. Nearby were some of the oldest public WCs in Europe—damaged in the war, rebuilt, and still in use today. 

More than twenty years after the war ended, its impact is still easily visible in Sarajevo. Most buildings still show at least Kim Fielding - The Spy's Love Song 4287some damage. “Sarajevo roses”—mortar impact craters in the pavement, now filled with red resin, marking spots where at least three people died—are still visible. And the residents who survived the war have truly horrific memories. But Sarajevans are also warm and hospitable, with a fairly dark sense of humor that appeals to me. They certainly don’t wallow in their misery. The coppersmiths, whose families have been plying their trade there for half a millennium, collected spent brass artillery cases, made them into pens, and decorated them. You can buy one as an inexpensive souvenir. Kim Fielding - The Spy's Love Song 4311Or you can visit the bobsled track from the 1984 Olympics, which was later used as an artillery position by the besieging forces. Today it’s been partially restored, and although local officials keep painting it over, residents keep applying bright and sometimes joyful graffiti. 

If you get the chance, I strongly recommend visiting Sarajevo. And when you’re reading The Spy’s Love Song, you can know that I’ve stolen bits and bobs of Starograd from Sarajevo.

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Excerpt!

THE LIBRARY was circular, and Jaxon was pacing its edge when he heard Buzz’s familiar voice. A moment later Buzz entered the room accompanied by a woman and two men in sober suits. Buzz wore a suit too, but his was crimson, with a canary silk shirt and matching yellow shoes. He performed quick introductions. The woman, thin and fiftyish, was Diana Chiu, and her body language suggested she was in charge. Clark Durant was a mousy-looking man, the type who seemed as if he’d been born with a calculator in his hand. And Reid Stanfill took Jaxon’s breath away. He was tall, rock solid, and square-jawed, with buzz-cut dark hair and amber eyes that laser-focused on Jaxon. Chiu and Durant smiled as they shook Jaxon’s hand, but Stanfill did not. And he didn’t try to prove his manliness by squeezing Jaxon’s hand to a pulp, maybe because he knew Jaxon needed that hand to play guitar.

Diggs wheeled in a cart bearing a sterling silver coffeepot and creamer, bone china cups and saucers, and a dizzying array of sweeteners. “Just text if you need anything, sir,” he said to Jaxon before gracefully retreating.

Stanfill snorted quietly—and didn’t look remotely ashamed when Jaxon shot him a glare.

Buzz led a round of small talk as he poured. Jaxon wasn’t at all surprised that Stanfill took his coffee black and without sugar. When the rest of them took their seats, Stanfill stood near the library doors like a sentinel, his huge paw dwarfing the china cup. Jaxon sat behind the large desk, which made him feel like a captain of industry instead of some guy who sang and played guitar.

“So,” he said loudly, interrupting a discussion of the weather, “what’s the gig?” If there was a gig. None of these people looked like promoters. To his surprise, Stanfill almost cracked a smile. He apparently approved of a direct approach. Bully for him.

It was Chiu who answered. “Mr. Powers, we’re—”

“Jaxon.”

She nodded. “Jaxon, then. I work for the State Department. I have the opportunity to invite you—”

Jaxon set his cup down hard enough to splash coffee onto the desk. “Nope. No way am I going to let anyone trot me out to perform for the president like a trained monkey.” He crossed his arms for good measure.

“That’s not what we’re asking. The State Department has responsibility over foreign affairs.” She might have been trying to avoid condescension, but she didn’t quite manage it.

“Oh,” said Jaxon. Maybe he should have known that, but he’d spent most of his high school government class either stoned or composing songs in his head. Actually, that was how he’d spent pretty much all of his high school classes. “Sorry. Go ahead.”

She leaned forward in her seat. “Do you know much about Vasnytsia?”

“Um, it’s a country, right? Somewhere in the middle of all the -stan countries maybe?”

“A little west of there, but you’re close. It’s in Eastern Europe.”

“Okay.” Jaxon had performed many European concerts, but not there. At least he didn’t think so. On some of the tours, the countries had blended together, especially back when he spent a good chunk of his offstage time partying.

She turned to her smaller colleague. “Clark, could you give him a briefing?”

Clark must have been one of those grade-school kids who loved getting called on. Now he lifted his shoulders and straightened his tie. “During the time of the Soviet Union, Vasnytsia operated as an independent country. It wasn’t part of the USSR, but it was communist. It had a population of less than four million and, completely landlocked, its economy relied primarily on agriculture and some industry. It was run by a dictator who did an excellent job of playing off both the West and Moscow. He got arms and goods from both sides. Then the Iron Curtain fell, and—”

“Is there going to be a test?” Jaxon interrupted. “Should I be taking notes? Ooh! Can I earn extra credit?” Then he felt bad for his outburst because Durant looked so disappointed. Chiu remained expressionless—she was probably a great poker player—and Buzz rolled his eyes. Stanfill, though, lowered his brows and allowed his lip to curl slightly.

“May I continue?” Durant asked after a short pause.

“Yeah. Sorry. Go ahead.”

More tie straightening. “After the Iron Curtain fell, Vasnytsia’s ruler was worried that a similar democratic revolution would reach his country. He built up the military police and sealed off the borders, all while strictly controlling citizens’ access to the media. And he cracked down on dissent. We… can’t divulge the details”—he glanced at Chiu as if for permission—“but I can tell you that anyone who spoke out against the regime was dealt with harshly.”

Jaxon pushed his cup away. “That sounds lovely.”

“The dictator died a few years ago and was succeeded by his son, a man named Bogdan Talmirov. He styles himself a prime minister and claims to hold elections, but last time he won 98 percent of the vote.”

“Sounds like a popular guy.”

“Unlikely,” Durant said. “He continues to forbid access to the internet and to anything but state-run or state-approved media. He almost never allows citizens to leave, and very few foreigners are allowed in. The ones he does let in are shadowed constantly by government-supplied guides. He’s still punitive against any opposition. And he’s probably still stockpiling weapons, only now it’s Russia he’s playing off against the West.”

Durant stopped speaking, as if he were waiting for Jaxon’s questions. Jaxon looked at Stanfill and was gratified to discover the big man looked as impatient as Jaxon felt. God, the man was hot. He probably spent a lot of time in the gym. And despite his broad shoulders and slim waist, his suit fit perfectly. Custom tailored. Not designer threads like Jaxon wore, and certainly not flashy like Buzz’s outfits, but good quality. Too bad he was wearing a suit jacket, because those trousers probably caressed a solid ass like—

“Jaxon?” That was Chiu, her tone crisp.

“Look, I appreciate the lesson in history or geography or whatever, but what does any of this have to do with me?”

She smiled. “It turns out that Prime Minister Talmirov is a fan of yours.”

“I thought outside stuff wasn’t allowed in his country.”

“Not for ordinary people. Talmirov can access whatever he likes.”

“Of course he can. Fine. I’ll send him an autograph.” Although Jaxon was being flippant, he was somewhat disturbed to learn a tyrant loved his music. Not that Jaxon had any control over that. Hell, he had millions of fans; some of them were undoubtedly scumbags. Jaxon’s songs didn’t encourage scumbaggery, though. They were almost all about the usual things—love and sex. Mostly sex.

Chiu set her empty cup and saucer on the little table nearby. “Talmirov has requested you to perform two special concerts in the capital, Starograd. It’s a unique opportunity—the first time he’s invited anyone from outside the country.”

“Right.” Jaxon tipped his head back to stare at the library’s domed ceiling, which featured a mural of constellations. That was a pretty cool idea. Next time he bought a place, he’d have a ceiling mural put in the bedroom. Maybe with little twinkly lights for the stars. After a moment, he turned back to Chiu. “You’re gonna have to send my regrets. I’m not touring right now.”

“The compensation will be substantial.”

“Do I look like I need more money? Go talk to your pals at the IRS. They’ll tell you my income is comfy as is.”

For the first time, her composure slipped. Only for a moment, though. “Then do it for your country. You have the opportunity to make a real contribution.”

“By singing a couple of songs?”

Apparently it was time for Durant—Mr. Exposition himself—to chime in. “Our relationship with Vasnytsia is strained at best. And that’s problematic, because while the country is small, it enjoys a strategic location. If they turn away from us entirely, they’ll give Russia a better chance to, well, disrupt things. As in Crimea. But if we can strengthen our ties with Vasnytsia, our position vis-à-vis Russia will be improved.”

The guy used vis-à-vis in a sentence. Wow.

Jaxon tried to formulate a way to refuse without sounding like an asswipe. But then Stanfill took a step nearer and spoke for the first time since they’d been introduced. “Four million people live in Vasnytsia. If this goes well, you’ll be helping to improve their lives.”

“And making the world safer for Truth, Justice, and the American Way?”

Stanfill didn’t crack a smile. “Something like that.”

“Just by singing a few tunes? C’mon. Even I’m not bigheaded enough to think my music’s that special.”

“It’s not the music itself. It’s you acting as our country’s representative. If we reach out to Talmirov like this—if you reach out—he may come to see us all in a better light. He might turn to us more than he does to Moscow.”

“That sounds pretty lame.”

Stanfill shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s a small step. Sometimes big changes have to start small.”

Jaxon’s chair scraped on the tile as he pushed back. He turned away from his visitors and faced a library shelf, running his fingers over the spines of the books. The volumes varied in topic and looked as if they were well read. He wondered who chose them. Diggs maybe? Or did a hotel functionary just scoop them up at random from used-book stores and library sales?

Nobody interrupted him. Maybe he should have felt powerful, making all these people wait. But all he felt was exhausted. He suddenly yearned for a tiny cabin with a big bed and no cell service. He’d sit on the balcony and play acoustic music for the birds and the deer.

“I’ll do it,” he said quietly.

When he turned around and saw the relief on Stanfill’s face, he was at least a little glad for his decision.

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About Kim!

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Contact Kim:

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