Excerpt: DO OR DIE by Marly Mathews

Okay, great weekend for everyone. Our guest this weekend is Marly Mathews, who writes for The Wild Rose Press and New Concepts Publishing.
First up is an excerpt from DO OR DIE, Marly's latest. You can purchase a copy of DO OR DIE by clicking here and note that it's available in ebook or print versions.

Then, over the weekend there will be a Q&A posted with Marly.

There is also a book giveaway of the print version of DO OR DIE (which I got from Amazon) and you can have up to two chances to win a copy. Post either in this blog post or during the Q&A blog post. You get a maximum of two entries. I'll announce the winner on Monday night! (you can ask more than one question but only get maximum of two entries)


DO OR DIE available now from The Wild Rose Press

Excerpt:

Voices floated around her. Telepathic voices.
Wincing, Shylah creaked one eye open and then the other.
Her eyes roamed around the small room she was in. A pilot from the Earth Space Force was stretched out on the bed beside her. She was in a healing ward. She was alive. Someone had a firm grasp on her hand. A shiver ran through her as the man’s touch tingled straight through her skin. He had the lightest touch imaginable.
“Hello,” he murmured.
Her eyes locked onto his. Dark, brooding. But filled with tenderness. She licked her lips. The emotion in his eyes rocked her to her core.
“Water,” she mumbled.
He didn’t seem willing to let go of her hand to reach for the cup by the bedside. She rolled her head to the side, and locked her eyes on the cup.
“Shylah!” Tessa’s shocked voice broke her concentration.
Through a great amount of grit, she’d just managed to levitate the cup into the air. It fell, and sloshed water all over the table. “Oh, crap,” Shylah muttered.
Tessa ran toward her, and leaned down to hug her.
“You gave us all quite the fright. You were badly burned. But Carly managed to heal you. She’s resting right now, so she can attend to the other injured.”
“She should have treated them first.”
“Well, the other healers tended the ones that were critical. You needed Carly, your wounds were...well, they were extensive, to say the least.”
Tessa flushed as she touched Shylah’s mind.
“You must thank Carly for me,” Shylah rasped.
“Thank her yourself; she’ll be by to see you in a few minutes.” Tessa’s gaze fell and lingered on Grayson.
Shylah squeezed Tessa’s hand, willing her to keep quiet. Tessa had felt her emotions. She would already know Shylah desired Grayson.
And who in their right mind wouldn’t? He’d saved her life.
Tessa snapped her hands. The water glass righted itself, and the water jug tilted on its side and poured more water into the glass. “Take a sip of this.” Tessa moved the glass so
Shylah would be able to pick it up with her free hand.
“Thanks,” Shylah mumbled.
“Shylah, I’ll leave you alone, so you and Grayson can talk. He has something of great consequence to tell you.”
Shylah’s heart fell. With her luck, the man was probably married. Closing her eyes, she turned her head, opened her eyes, and riveted them on Grayson.
Tessa left the room. Awkward silence hung between them. Her eyes dropped to his hand clutching hers. Her hand looked good clasped beneath his larger one.
“I don’t know how to say this...” His voice trailed off.
“Oh, let me guess, you’re—” She was just about to say married, when he interrupted her.
“I’m dead. Dead.” He stressed the last word.
Her mouth gaped open. Okay, so she wasn’t really expecting that bombshell.
Dead.
Huh. Well, at least he wasn’t married.