I don't know what I was thinking when I set my action packed military romance - Hostile Mission, on the most hostile planet on Earth - Antarctica! It was a bold choice, considering I live in sunny Brisbane where the coldest day of the year only gets down to around 5 degrees Celsius (that's 41 degrees Fahrenheit for my American friends).
But you know me, crazy should be my middle name. The amount of research I had to do for this book was absolutely massive. Luckily, I've been to a few freezing cold places before - like Big White in Canada, Chamonix in France, and even New Zealand. But the absolute coldest spot I've ever experienced was the Ice Hotel in Sweden.
Staying at the Ice Hotel was always on my bucket list for a long time, and I never thought I'd actually get to tick it off. But my hubby and I decided to make the mammoth effort and fork over a small fortune to make it happen. But it was so worth it!
Every single winter, the pristine waters of the Torne River in Sweden freeze into solid ice. And back in 1989, the very first Icehotel was hand-sculpted out of massive ice blocks carved out of this river.
And get this - every single winter since then, ice sculptors from all around the world have come together to build a brand new version of the Icehotel. And when spring rolls back around, the whole thing just melts back into nature. It's one the most spectacular things I've ever seen.
The rooms inside the Icehotel are each uniquely designed, and the ice art is just breathtaking. Check out some of these photos - it'll blow your mind!
To sleep in these beds made from ice, we were given the best sleeping bags, which I zipped right up over my head to keep me warm all night long. In the morning, the humidity inside my little cocoon made my zipper freeze, and I had to be helped out. Talk about a rude awakening!
We had a tour with the dog sleds which was so much fun. These dogs can run all day long, and still want to keep going. It was honestly mind-blowing to see just how much power and endurance these amazing animals possess.
We also did a snow mobile safari where we raced along the frozen tundra at night, searching for the Northern Lights. Driving that machine tested my strength, and my heart rate was thundering as we navigated the rugged terrain in the pitch black.
Driving a snowmobile across the vast, icy expanse under the cover of darkness was an experience like no other. The power of that machine thrumming beneath me, the biting wind whipping past my face - it was both exhilarating and downright terrifying.
She’s trying to save the world. He’s pissed off with it.
When their worlds collide, their only hope is each other.
In the brutal landscape of Antarctica, reclusive scientist, Billie Everson, lives every day in a danger zone. But when she finds something that’s been missing since World War II, enemies circle like vultures, pitching her and everyone else in the remote research station into the crosshairs of the world’s most merciless killers.
Ex-army hero, Levi (Codename: Wasp) has flown choppers in the most hellish places, but when he and his team are sent to find out why Station Eleven has gone dark, heading into the most hostile place on earth makes the nightmares he’s been through seem like child’s play. Levi hasn’t believed in a cause since a failed mission cost him everything, but saving the brilliant scientist from the icy clutches of ruthless murderers has finally given him something to fight for.
With the darkness of winter only days away, will Levi save Billie? Or will hell freeze over them forever?
This is book two in the Alpha Tactical Ops series, is an action-packed, opposites attract, steamy romance, featuring an alpha hero who is shackled by his childhood demons and a brilliant heroine who has vowed never to trust men again. Packed with forbidden steamy moments, this protector romance will have you reading all night long.