Wings of Gold Series by Tracy Tappan

Ensign Eric O’Dwyer is on the verge of graduating from naval flight training, with only one flight left to complete at training squadron HT-8 “Eighballers,” before he earns himself his wings of gold. The day of his final solo, Eric’s copilot, Ensign Kyle Hammond—a new student on his first hop in a helicopter—is to act as no more than a warm body… Until everything goes horribly wrong... moreEnsign Eric O’Dwyer is on the verge of graduating from naval flight training, with only one flight left to complete at training squadron HT-8 “Eighballers,” before he earns himself his wings of gold. The day of his final solo, Eric’s copilot, Ensign Kyle Hammond—a new student on his first hop in a helicopter—is to act as no more than a warm body… Until everything goes horribly wrong. Fresh from the cockpit of his near-death solo flight, Eric makes it to graduation, only to find that he is a lone man in a sea of his buddies’ celebrating relatives. He finds solace in the arms of a most unlikely woman the night before shipping out to San Diego…and learns more about himself than he ever planned. Content warning: contains profanity and adult situations. **EIGHTBALL TWO-THREE is an introductory novella to the Wings of Gold series. Young, swaggering, and full of their ability to change the world, Eric O’Dwyer and Kyle Hammond are mere shadows of the men and aviators they’ll become in the first two full-length Wings of Gold novels. In the first full-length book of the series, BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY, Eric O’Dwyer is now a senior lieutenant in command of his own helicopter detachment. Deployed off the coast on a counterdrug operation, Eric will face the most challenging mission of his life with DEA Agent Nicole Gamboa. less

NEW SERIES RELEASE SPECIAL! This book will return to $3.99 on October 2nd, 2015! Eric “LZ” O’Dwyer, a senior lieutenant stationed out of San Diego, is in command of his own helicopter detachment out of the HSM-75 Wolf Pack. Deployed off the coast of South America on a counterdrug operation, Eric jumps at the chance to take down a ruthless drug lord. But to do it, he’ll have to join forces with badass DEA Agent Nicole Gamboa... moreNEW SERIES RELEASE SPECIAL! This book will return to $3.99 on October 2nd, 2015! Eric “LZ” O’Dwyer, a senior lieutenant stationed out of San Diego, is in command of his own helicopter detachment out of the HSM-75 Wolf Pack. Deployed off the coast of South America on a counterdrug operation, Eric jumps at the chance to take down a ruthless drug lord. But to do it, he’ll have to join forces with badass DEA Agent Nicole Gamboa. Infiltrating the drug lord’s mansion is crucial to the mission, and to pull it off, Eric and Nicole have to play out an intimate scene together that leaves them both reeling. In the aftermath, Eric wants to foster something real with Nicole, but there is a secret part of Nicole’s life that makes a relationship impossible. The mission erupts again, and Nicole and Eric end up relying on each other in ways they’d never predicted. The stakes are raised to their highest when the drug lord gains the upper hand, and living or dying hinges on a final showdown between Nicole and her past…and whether Eric can get to her in time! Content warning: contains profanity and adult situations. less

Note from the author: Some years ago, a good friend of mine (who was in the same naval helicopter squadron as my husband) suffered through a horrific helicopter crash. This book depicts some of the real events of that accident. Please be forewarned that, although the story is ultimately one of triumph, it is heart-wrenching in spots... moreNote from the author: Some years ago, a good friend of mine (who was in the same naval helicopter squadron as my husband) suffered through a horrific helicopter crash. This book depicts some of the real events of that accident. Please be forewarned that, although the story is ultimately one of triumph, it is heart-wrenching in spots. Compelled to join an operation by an admiral with a personal agenda, Lieutenant Kyle “Mikey” Hammond finds himself thrust into the harsh desert terrain of northern Pakistan. Four American engineers have been kidnapped, and Kyle is tasked to work with Samantha, a civilian authority on Pakistan, whose expertise in terrorist negotiations is the hostages’ only hope. However, this is just one part of Kyle’s assignment. He’s also operating off a set of top-secret orders that could ruin his military career. From the outset, Samantha’s negotiations with the terrorists walk the sharp edge between life and death. But she is an expert at such shrewd tactics…tactics that soon begin to mirror her personal dealings with the enigmatic Navy lieutenant. Determined to unearth the true Kyle, Samantha engages in a cat-and-mouse game with him that ends up peeling away some of her own carefully concealed layers. Once both their masks are lowered, love blossoms between them. But when the daring hostage rescue finally gets underway, a horrifying accident nearly shatters everything they’ve worked to attain. Their survival will hinge on the strength of their love…and if the man she’s certain can save the day will become the hero he’s convinced he’s not. Content warning: contains profanity and adult situations. less