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Son of a Itch, a J.J. McCall Novel
The FBI Espionage Series by S.D. Skye

IN THE GAME OF ESPIONAGE, SPY TAKES TRAITOR.
J.J. MCCALL TAKES OVER.

On the lam from the FBI, the ICE PHANTOM continues with plans to defect to Moscow but not before seeking revenge on J.J. McCall. Meanwhile, the FBI commences Task Force PHANTOM HUNTER, a team ordered by Director Russell Freeman to track down suspected Russian illegals within the U.S. Intelligence Community—and not a moment too soon. An agent of the Russian Intelligence Services is targeting the nerve center of U.S. national security, taking the lie-detecting FBI Agent and her cohorts’ next mole hunt to the highest echelons of the U.S. government.

J.J. and her co-case agent lead the motley crew of spy catchers while she struggles to deal with sobriety, conflicting feelings for Tony and Six, and an egotistical Secret Service agent whose jurisdictional stonewalling complicates her every effort to identify the culprit before he gets away—with murder.

Purchase Son of a Itch by S.D. Skye
http://www.amazon.com/Son-Itch-J-J-McCall-Novel/dp/0983920257

5-STAR BOOK REVIEW FROM AMAZON
Authentic Beltway thriller with touches of romance
By James Blakley - Kindle Verified Purchase

Former FBI Intelligence analyst-turned author SD Skye delivers a tremendously-detailed, but ultimately entertaining, sequel to her debut novel "The Seven Year Itch." "Son of an Itch" is an authentic political thriller with nice touches of restrained romance and drama to ease the tension.

The story picks up with the escape of treasonous FBI agent Lana Michaels from prison. Unlike her role in "The Seven Year Itch," Michaels loses her pretty girl sheen and adopts a more gritty demeanor. She feins meekness and vulnerability in order to worm her way into a position of strength and power--the power to exact revenge against the woman who helped destroy her career and kill her lover. That woman, of course, is the resilient FBI agent J.J. McCall. McCall's professsional life is on the rise (since her debut as a faltering field agent). Though her personal life takes a bit of a dive (as a bubbly new competitor vies for the affections of lover and case partner Tony Donato) McCall must concentrate on leading a crack team of intelligence agents (dubbed "Taskforce Phantom Hunter") on a barely-authorized search for suspected Russian illegals who are operating within (perhaps) the highest eschelons of The U.S. Government. All the while, remaining watchful for the lurking Lana Michaels.

SD Skye excels at presenting a large, but well-rounded, cast of characters that the reader invests great interest in rooting for or against. J.J. McCall is still, by far, the most memorable. She is more mature, confident, and shrewd in a leadership role. And her signature lie-detection "itch" is present, but pared to a few scenes (thus removing much of the comedy the device originally conveyed). McCall struggles with her off-duty romantic feelings for Tony Donato and whether she really ever wanted to be an FBI agent. But for much of the story, this is thankfully prioritized. McCall's former lover "Six" takes a backseat, allowing J.J. and Tony to share a few romantic scenes that are more genuine and appreciated as stress relief (rather than the romantic quarrel that dilluted the original novel's overall effectiveness). Skye maintains a sharper focus on the overall plot to catch a dangerous, escaped ex-agent and her shifting network of co-conspirators.

Author Skye's years of FBI work lend unmistakable credibility to the setting and overall plot and propel "Son of an Itch" to 5-star status. It is a first-rate thrill ride through the Beltway, from J.J. McCall's steamy condo to the often icy core of U.S. counterintelligence operations.

The Seven Year Itch - Book 1

When turncoats betray America’s human intelligence assets, there is no greater failure than the loss of life—and no one knows that better than FBI Special Agent J.J. McCall, a born lie detector who recruits foreign spies to catch American traitors. She and co-case agent Tony Donato have lost two of their most critical Russian sources in the past two years, and they may lose another in just a few short days if they don’t catch him. The ICE PHANTOM. Decades of investigations have yielded nothing and the Intelligence Community fears it's chasing ghosts—but J.J. and Tony suspect he might be burrowed deep inside FBI counterintelligence. And his body count is going up.

In a twist neither expects, the pair is drawn into an unsanctioned mole hunt. With Tony's help and her lie-detecting ability, J.J. has a week to catch ICE PHANTOM, save a key source’s life—and her own.

Welcome to the hunt.

Can YOU identify the MOLE?

Excerpt from The Seven Year Itch

“So, Mr. Cartwright—”

“Please, Jim.”

“So, Mr. Cartwright, you’re implying that if I performed my job poorly, I’d be eligible for promotion?” J.J. eyed him with a skeptical gaze.

He leaned back in his seat, heaved a long sigh, and shook his head. “Really? That’s how you’re going to carry this? You know that’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then I’m confused,” she said snidely. Her eyebrows scrunched in feigned bewilderment.

“Honest to God, my hands are tied. I just can’t help you right now,” he pleaded, almost as frustrated as she. He clearly wanted to assist but couldn’t. “You wouldn’t believe the stress I’m under. I’m on my last leg here, J.J. I could crash and burn any minute.”

She braced for the sensation but none came.

“You’re right, sir. I wouldn’t believe it.” She looked at her watch and then at Jim. “I really hate to cut this short, but I’m running late. Donato and I are supervising an op today. Are we finished here?”

Cartwright’s face burned red with frustration as he nodded. “But before you go, hear me out. We’ve known each other for years. Don’t think I don’t understand what you’re going through. Jack is...well...Jack. I’ll make good on my promise to help you if it’s the last thing I do, but I’m certain you’re onto something major, maybe the biggest case of your career. You’ve got to promise me you’ll hang in there a little longer.”

She pursed her lips. He wouldn’t allow her to quit and she didn’t understand why. She had a job to do, one he apparently needed her to finish. “You know me. I won’t leave until my job is done. But, frankly, you’ll never understand my predicament,” she said, standing to leave. “The core of your humanity will never endure this kind of challenge. We, as minority FBI agents spend every damn day defending rights that we are still fighting to fully enjoy right here at the F-B-One. Don’t you see? When all goes according to plan today, we will get the answers we need. And when this case is over, so is my career.”

He grunted as J.J. huffed and turned to leave.

“They won’t let you resign, J.J.,” he said.

His words stopped her cold. She turned back toward him. His face had turned pale. “Excuse me? Let me resign?”

“They need Viktor Plotnikov and he won’t work with anyone but you.”

“I beg your pardon, but I don’t need the Bureau’s permission to quit.”

“But you’ll need your reputation. The FBI’s reach is far and wide in the investigative community. You know what they’ll do. And let’s face facts, you don’t work well with rules. You’ve given them plenty of ammunition to leverage,” he said, his face now unnaturally colored as if he’d decided to hold his breath until she relented.

She whipped her head toward the door and willed her feet to follow.

“Ahhhhggggghhhh!” Mr. Cartwright yelled out.

Her head snapped back toward him. His entire body shook; his face turned a deep red and finally blue. He collapsed against the back of the chair then his body slid onto the floor.

“Mr. Cartwright?!”

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Meet Author S.D. Skye

S.D. Skye is a former FBI Russian Counterintelligence Program Intelligence Analyst and supported many cases during her 12-year tenure at the Bureau. She has personally witnessed the blowback the Intelligence Community suffered due to the most significant compromises in U.S. history, including the arrests of former CIA Case Officer Aldrich Ames and two of the Bureau's own—FBI Agents Earl Pitts and Robert Hanssen. She has spent 20 years supporting a range of counterintelligence, intelligence, and military missions within the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Skye is a member of the Maryland Writer’s Association, Romance Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. She’s addicted to writing and chocolate—not necessarily in that order—and currently lives in the Washington D.C. area with her son. She’s hard at work on the next installment of the series.

Visit S.D. Skye:
Twitter: @sdskye1
Blog: www.authorsdskye.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsdskye

S.D. Skye Books: http://www.amazon.com/S-D-Skye/e/B00AMAUFK8
Son of a Itch ( a J.J. McCall Novel) The FBI Espionage Series by S.D. Skye
The Seven Year Itch (a J.J. McCall Novel) The FBI Espionage Series by S.D. Skye

Son of a Itch - Book 2

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” --Helen Keller

Monday, November 16th – G.W. University Hospital

Exactly three moments defined the entire course of J.J.’s being —the day she got “the itch,” the generational curse that sparked random irritating tingles through her body anytime she heard a lie; the day her mother died; and this one, the day in which she grasped the fragility of life and how it could slip away in an instant.

The ambulance siren blared down Pennsylvania Avenue through the remnants of rush hour traffic as she stared down at his tearful eyes, his face shredded with pain, his body curled with anguish. Slowly, his lids opened to expose a bloodshot blank stare. She saw her mother’s eyes in his, and his last breath whispered in the distance, drawing ever near.

“I’m here. You’re going to be okay. We’re almost there,” she said as her voice shook.

George Washington University Hospital was just a few minutes away and had one of the best trauma centers in the D.C. area.

He placed his trembling hand on hers and struggled to speak. “There…something…you should…kn—”

“Shhhh. Save your strength,” J.J. shook her head to dissuade him from speaking. She stroked his fingers and tried to maintain a steady front. “You’re gonna be okay. You can tell me everything when you’re better.”

Her mind whirred as the ambulance zipped into the circular driveway beneath the overhang and masked emergency personnel in blue and green scrubs swarmed the doors. They pulled the gurney out and wheeling him inside, beyond her view. She’d never felt so alone in her life. She had calls to make, people to notify, but her mind was still foggy from the shock.

She searched her purse for the flask, the reminder of just how far she’d come and how much further she had to go.

J.J. walked into the waiting area and slipped onto one of the cold, cramped seats near the television, hoping to check the news for signs of a press leak. Instead, the hospital station replayed loops of doctors giving prevention tips on high blood pressure and heart disease.

Disappointed in the dearth of distractions, her eyes drifted from one ailing patient to another. She gazed at her feet until her vision blurred and left her wondering how she got to this place of confusion and despair. She was irresistibly drawn to this duty to her country, but with every day that passed she longed to understand her true purpose, the one that perhaps wasn’t tied to her mother’s legacy.

Even still, she was committed to see the task force through until every Russian spy was caught despite, once again, being neutered by the FBI.

Order Both Books: http://www.amazon.com/S-D-Skye/e/B00AMAUFK8
Son of a Itch ( a J.J. McCall Novel) The FBI Espionage Series by S.D. Skye
The Seven Year Itch (a J.J. McCall Novel) The FBI Espionage Series by S.D. Skye

Who is FBI Agent J.J. McCall?

I always draw on my life and career experiences when developing new characters for my novels. The main character from my upcoming FBI Thriller series, FBI Agent J.J. McCall, is no different. She's actually very loosely based on an FBI Agent I worked with during my 12 year tenure at the Bureau. Of all the agents I worked with, and I worked with quite a few, she always stood out in my mind for many reasons.

One reason she clings to my memory is that she was, at least at the time, the only African-American female agent assigned to catch Russian spies. The only one I'd ever seen. She was maybe 5'2 or 5'3--completely unimposing. She was like a doll who you wanted to sit next to a fluffed pillow and comb her hair--but ALWAYS wearing a really sharp pantsuit. And she looked like she was about 12 years old. Okay, not 12, but not much older. Certainly she looked as young as I was at the time and I was in my late 20s. I would see her walking in and out of the Russian operational units and wondered why she was there. She seemed completely out of place.Understand, Russian counterintelligence at the FBI has generally been dominated by white men and a few white women. African-Americans usually served in clerical support positions.That's just a statement of fact. So, to see this petite 12 year old African American female FBI agent wandering around the halls of the Hoover Building was in and of itself an anomaly. Imagine my shock and surprise when I found out that not only was she an agent, she was a SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT assigned to work ESPIONAGE cases.

What?

Had I been dropped into some alternate universe? From that point on, I wondered what must she have endured to get into that position. How many jerks (and the FBI had more than its share) did she have to endure? How many slots had she been passed up on before she got this one? How many snide remarks did people squawk behind her back? How many people told her (or at least thought) she'd have problems recruiting sources because of the color of her skin? How did she persevere to get into a position coveted by so many white male FBI agents?

Then one day I found out. As an analyst, I had been assigned to work on a joint intelligence community task force which was formed to find the source of some intelligence compromises. And the agent assigned to the case was the 12 year old. Only she wasn't. I remember, we stepped into the State Department lobby for the meeting and she tried to whisper her birth date--which was in the 1950s!

I caught myself saying out loud, "Are you f*cking kidding me!!"

Trust me, if I looked her age and had a birth date in the 1950s I would print it on a T-shirt and proudly prance around with it on every moment I could. As it turned out, not only was she a lot older than I thought but she was also one of the sharpest agents I'd ever met--man or woman, black, white, or otherwise. She walked into the meeting and commanded it. Not in a "step out of my way I'm FBI" kind of way, but in a "this issue is too important to dilly dally with, let's get to business" kind of way. And she had an innate ability to drill through the sea of BS floating about the room to get to the point.

Somewhere, in the far recesses of my mind, I told myself that I would write a story about women like her someday. Even though I'm not sure I could conceive that I would be a published author just a few years after leaving the Bureau or writing a series for publication, she sowed a seed in me.

The character's name--J.J. McCall (Jasmine Jones McCall)--actually came to me in a dream. I woke up and yelled it out one morning a few years ago not long after I finished my first novel. And it stuck with me, even as I kept putting the idea for this novel on the back burner. I didn't immediately plan to give the FBI Agent character this name but when I would think about it, I thought it just sounded perfect for the person I'd planned to write. She's kind of Salt meets Alex Cross.

As I spoke to before, the agent's innate ability to cut through the BS really impressed me, so I wanted to make that part of J.J.'s character. I didn't want to write anything paranormal or sci-fi, so I came up with the idea to give her a physiological response to BS or lies. However, I wanted some kind of reaction that would lend itself well to humor because humor is such a significant part of my brand. Eventually, I decided that the reaction would be an itch--and that just brought to mind so many potentially hilarious scenes. Can you imagine the problem of lies making you itch--in today's world?

The complexity of her "gift" also lends itself to some great story twists. For example, knowing someone has told you a lie gives you only a small window into the truth. A little white lie told to protect someone will give her the same physiological response as someone who is telling a bold-faced lie to be deceitful. J.J. will have to do a lot of analysis and investigation to determine which is which. So while her "gift" of lie detection gives her an insight that no one else will have--it also complicates her job and love life in more ways than not.

Ahhh...her love life. Also very complex. She has two suitors. One is her co-case agent (partner) Antonio Donato. He's a Italian and a gorgeous one at that. They share a mutual attraction but fight their feelings because of the family histories--both have parents who don't believe in mixing races. You would think in this day and age race would no longer be an issue but in some circles, it still very much is. Then there is Grayson "Six" Chance. He was named by my readers. Six is a sexy African-American CIA case officer/counterintelligence officer who broke J.J.'s heart but wants to give their relationship another try. And unfortunately J.J. hasn't quite let go of him to allow herself to fall for anyone else--including Tony.

So this series, while focusing on a different page-turning espionage-related case for each book, will follow the relationships between these characters. Right now, I have no idea who J.J. will end up with --if she ends up with anyone at all. What I do know is that it will be a fun, suspenseful ride until we get to the end..

Are you in?

Meet Author S.D. Skye

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