Romantic Suspense "Light"

By: Tori Scott

Giveaway alert!

Today is my birthday. Yay! I love birthdays. It's also the birth of a new book, Blue Moon Over Texas, the second in the Lone Star Cowboys series, released just two weeks ago.

When I first started writing, I wrote straight romance. I thought that was what you were supposed to do. That first book, Lean on Me, finaled in the RWA Golden Heart contest. And while I liked it, I knew that in the next book I wanted something more. So I wrote a romantic comedy, Double Exposure. I sold that one to Red Sage, but while I loved it, I wanted to write something "more."

It wasn't until I stopped to analyze my reading habits that I finally figured out what that "something more" was. I read mostly romantic suspense and thrillers. Authors like Allison Brennan, TR Ragan, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Jackson. That's also what I watched on television. NCIS, CSI:NY, 24, and now my favorite, Flashpoint. While they're predominately crime shows, there's almost always a side romance going on somewhere.

Then I noticed that most of my started-but-never-finished manuscripts had an element of suspense in them. In some, it was a subplot to the romance, others were mostly suspense with a little romance, but in almost all of them it was a combination of both. So I set out to read, read, read. To study. To learn.

It scared me half to death to take the leap and write my first romantic suspense Lone Star Justice. But I loved it. I was hooked. I still had those unfinished manuscripts to finally finish and though some are predominately romance, they all have at least some suspense to them. The newest, Blue Moon Over Texas, started out as a western romance. But I couldn't write a straight romance. I tried, believe me. Though it's primarily a romance, I ended up with the heroine in jeopardy and the hero off to try and save her. It's what I call Romantic Suspense Light.

Here's a short excerpt...

From there Carol moved on to the dairy section, where she loaded up on milk, orange juice, butter, and sour cream. She'd just moved into the bakery when she felt someone move up behind her. Way too close behind her. She started to turn around, but a deep voice whispered in her ear.

"You can't stay glued to Reilly forever, you know. One day, when you least expect it, I'll be waiting, and you and I will finish what we started."

"We never started anything, you jerk."

Dalton's hand closed around her hair and tugged her head backwards. "You didn't dance like it was nothin'," he said. "Or were you just tryin' to make Reilly jealous? I don't take too kindly to bein' used."

"It was just a dance," she hissed. "Now let go of me and get out of here before Jake sees you. I don't want a fight in the middle of the store." She wanted so badly to tell him she knew he was behind the thefts, but Tommy had told her not to say anything about it if she saw Dalton again. If the man didn't know already that he was a suspect, then that gave them a little more advantage.

"What's he going to do to me with that bum leg of his? He can barely stand up."

"He gets that cast off on…" she almost said Monday, but caught herself just in time. "Tuesday morning, and then you'll see just how much damage he can do."

Dalton chuckled and gave her hair another sharp tug. "You'll lose on that bet, and soon."

They heard the whir of the motor coming down the aisle and Dalton released her and took off in the opposite direction. By the time Jake joined her, Dalton was long gone. But at least she'd had the chance to let him know they'd be gone on Tuesday. If he heard it from anyone else, that would be confirmation of what he already knew and he'd assume it was the truth. Still, she was shaking from both anger and a bit of fear when she turned to Jake.

He knew as soon as he saw her face that something had happened. She filled him in as calmly as she could, but he was on the phone to the sheriff before she'd finished. 

"It's too late, Jake. He's gone."

"It won't hurt for Tommy to see if he can intercept him on the road."

She shook her head. "He's had too much head start. I'm beginning to think he's following us. How else would he know we were here? We don't normally shop on Sunday morning."

"I don't know. That's bothering me, too. Let's finish up here and get back to the ranch. I don't want to be gone too much longer now that he knows we aren't there."

Carol hadn't been afraid up to this point, but she was now. But fear would make her more cautious, and watchful. Hopefully that would work in her favor. She didn't want that man touching her, ever again.

If you'd like to read more, you can find Blue Moon Over Texas on Amazon, B & N, and Smashwords. And I'll give away a copy of both Blue Moon Over Texas and Blame it on Texas (the first book in the series), drawn from those who comment on this post and/or answer the question "What is your favorite occupation for a romantic suspense hero or heroine?"

Giveaway ends 9pm EST June 3rd. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@justromanticsuspense.com with a subject title of JRS GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway.

Who Is Adrienne's Favorite?

By: Adrienne Giordano

**FREE giveaway for everyone!**

At a recent book signing, a reader looking over the various hot men on my covers (J) asked which of "my guys" was my favorite.

That's like asking a parent who their favorite child is. I dutifully replied that I loved them all. To this, she offered me a whopping eye roll. After sharing a laugh over my inability to pick my favorite hero, I explained my position.

Vic Andrews, the hero in Man Law, is my irreverent guy. I often joke that I'd like to be Vic when I grow up. He goes after what he wants and generally leaves no prisoners. Plus, I think he's funny. But, considering I created him, that might just be me. Michael (Risking Trust hero) is the protective sort. When it comes to his loved ones, he lets nothing get in the way of keeping them safe. Then there's Peter (A Just Deception). Peter, also known as "Monk", might be the most tormented of the bunch. He's my over-the-top alpha male who thinks he needs to take on everyone's problems. Then he has to fix them. He can't seem to help himself.

Which leads me to the hero in my latest release.  Gavin Sheppard is a former FBI hostage negotiator who would spend weeks talking a hostage taker down if it meant avoiding violence. Gavin isn't opposed to "going tactical", he just wants to make sure the good guys have explored all their options.

Gavin, a mere five-foot-ten (as opposed to Vic Andrews at six-foot-five), is at ease walking into a room filled with some of the biggest, baddest spec ops guys in the world. He understands his value. Even if the Taylor Security guys can outshoot him, he has the patience to outthink them.

And he knows it.

I believe that's Gavin's strength. His magic bullet. It's that special thing that makes me love him just as much as the other characters in this series.

Readers, do you have a favorite character from a book? What is it about that character that you love?

**As a special treat for the Just Romantic Suspense readers, everyone gets a FREE digital copy of Risking Trust, book one in the Private Protectors Series. Simply go to the Carina Press website, add Risking Trust to your cart and enter the coupon code RSAGFREE at checkout. The free download will be available between 12:00 am – 11:59 pm EST on June 1^st only. If you have any problems (or miss the deadline), feel free to email me and I'll get a copy of the book to you.**

Excerpt from Negotiating Point:

Gavin dialed the number Janet had provided for Joe Smith and waited to see how this opening volley would go. More than likely, Joe would nearly soil himself when he realized who was on the other end of the line. After said soiling, Joe would hang up.

“Hello?” came a man’s voice.

“Joe?” Gavin asked, sounding like the guy’s best friend.

“Yeah. Who’s this?”

“This is Gavin Sheppard. I work for Taylor Security—”

Click. Gavin sighed—let’s play ball—and redialed. He turned to Janet. “He hung up.”

“Of course he did.”

The phone rang again, but went to voice mail. “He cannot believe I’m going away. Can he?”

Gavin settled into the folding chair behind him and hit Redial. Dipshit Joe Smith didn’t know Gavin had the tenacity to sit here all day dialing this number. He wouldn’t do that though. Soon, he’d deliver a throw phone, a dedicated line allowing the kidnappers to speak only with him.

He’d spend a week talking a hostage taker down if it avoided tactical assault. Vic was the tactical guy, always ready to take up arms. In the six months of Gavin’s employ at Taylor Security, he and Vic hadn’t yet figured out how to merge their expertise and play nice. Gavin didn’t necessarily have a problem with going tactical, but it meant all other attempts to resolve the situation had failed.

Gavin didn’t like to fail.

Going tactical also carried the highest risk of someone getting hurt. Or killed. In this case, that someone could be Roxann Taylor.

He redialed. Nothing.

Gavin stood, slipped a radio head-set on, walked across the width of the barn to the rectangular table where he found the case containing the throw phone. He grabbed it and the bullhorn sitting next to it. “I’ll be back. Hopefully.”

And when had he become so warped that he could be sarcastic about this? Probably after the hostage situation in Arkansas ten months ago. That fiasco wasn’t his screw-up but he was one of four FBI negotiators assigned to it.

The twelve dead people, all members of a cult murdered by their leader, were his motivating factor for leaving the Bureau after twelve years. At thirty-eight years old, he’d been aging fast in a job that was bleeding the life out of him.

Enter Mike Taylor and his ridiculously appealing offer.

“Be careful,” Janet called after him.

“I’ll use the guys to cover me. They’ll do that stacking thing they love with the shields and I’ll throw the phone through a window.”

Janet jumped from her chair. “Hang on. You need a vest and helmet.”

She grabbed a vest from the box on the floor and held it up for him. He propped the bullhorn under the arm where he held the throw phone and slid his free arm into the tac vest.

“Now the other arm,” she said.

“Yes, Mommy.”

She laughed. “Come to Mama, sweetheart.” 

Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and women's fiction.  She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane's Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction. For more information on Adrienne's books please visit www.AdrienneGiordano.com. Adrienne can also be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AdrienneGiordanoAuthor and Twitter at http://twitter.com/AdriennGiordano.

Adrienne's books are available at:

Carina Press

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

   

True Crime: Rewriting the Ending So the Bad Guy Gets What He Deserves

By: Joya Fields

Congratulations to Tammy J., the winner of Joya's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated.

Thank you very much for hosting me here at Just Romantic Suspense today. I’m thrilled to chat about one of my favorite subjects: justice. It’s a little scary to watch the news some days, isn’t it? When a story bothers me so much that I keep thinking about it afterwards, that’s when it usually gets written into a story. Here are some examples of recent news stories that affected me so strongly, that I had to write about them and orchestrate a different ending for the story:

1. A doctor took advantage of the trust he patients bestowed on him. That doctor is a real-life bad guy and became the villain in my debut novel, BENEATH THE SURFACE.

2. A young girl survives a brutal attack when everyone else in the house is killed by an intruder. She survives by pretending to be dead, and then crawls out of the house, bleeding and severely injured, to call for help. As an adult, she is the strong heroine in my current Work In Progress.

3. Everyone assumes a woman hung herself, but in reality, her suicide was staged in an effort to obtain her life insurance. In my story, she comes back as a ghost and helps reveal the truth about her death.

4. A wealthy family hides a huge secret: they keep a young girl enslaved in their home to clean, cook, and watch the children. The couple took the girl’s passport, made her believe that she will be arrested if she leaves their house or tries to get help. This news story is the premise for a book I’ve just submitted to a publisher.

What do all of these stories have in common, beside injustice? They all have a villain who has taken advantage of innocent people. By the time I sit down to write about them, I’m so mad at them for what they’ve done, I’m ready to kill them off in the first chapter. Instead, I write the story as part of a romance. Isn’t that a strange combination, really? Falling in love to the background of crime and murder? It is. Yet, sometimes it takes the worst situations to bring out the best in people, and that’s what romantic suspense is all about.

 About Joya:

     Joya Fields has had over 100 stories and articles published in local and national magazines and her debut novel, BENEATH THE SURFACE, a romantic suspense, released in January, 2012. LOVE DELIVERED, a contemporary romance, is also now available.

     Over the years, Joya has taught arts and crafts, worked in public relations, owned a daycare center, helped her children raise prize-winning 4-H livestock, competed in three marathons, and even spent a year as a Baltimore Colts cheerleader. Joya loves spending time with her high school sweetheart/husband of over twenty years, two very supportive children, and a pug who follows her everywhere. www.joyafields.com

Joya will be giving away a digital copy of BENEATH THE SURFACE to one lucky commenter!


Giveaway ends 10pm EST May 31st. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@justromanticsuspense.com with a subject title of JRS GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway.

BENEATH THE SURFACE

She’s fighting to stay independent—he’s determined to protect her no matter what…

Brooke Richards survived the earthquake that took her parents and most of her leg, but she needs time to regroup. A trip to Florida for a state-of-the-art prosthesis and to visit her best friend Linda seems ideal. But the trip turns traumatic when Brooke witnesses Linda’s boat disintegrating in a fiery explosion.

Police officer Garrett Ciavello believes the blast was intentionally set to hide something Linda found on a dive. When Brooke offers her expertise in underwater archeology, Garrett accepts her help with the investigation. But since his fiancée’s death years ago, Garrett has become overprotective, and as they are drawn to each other, Garrett realizes he will risk anything to keep Brooke safe.

Brooke is fiercely independent. Garrett is fiercely protective. Will they heal each other’s wound and find a killer…before it’s too late?

-Excerpt-

            For the first time since the accident, Brooke forgot about her leg. Forgot about all she’d lost and focused on the way Garrett made her feel.

            She knew she needed to stop him. She should find a way to resist the temptation to be with him. But for a few minutes, she could enjoy the taste of him, the feel of him, couldn’t she?

            He dropped his hands to her waist and softened the kiss before trailing a line of kisses down her neck. A weak cry slipped from her mouth. “Garrett,” she whispered.

            She should stop this now before it got any more intense.

            He lifted her chin and forced her to meet his brown eyes, smoky with desire. Heat spiraled to her middle and she caught a whiff of his sawdust scent.

            “I…I can walk you back to your own room before I head to mine.” His voice broke as he whispered.

            She swallowed hard. She couldn’t do this right now with him. Too many obstacles stood in their way. But as she looked in his somber eyes, she realized none of those complications were bigger than her need for Garrett.

            “Let’s go to your room,” she said, her voice shaking. She moved her hands inside his shirt and ran them over his tight abs and chest. Heat soared through her body at the feel of him. “Together…”

Connect with Joya

Twitter: @joyafields

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page 

Purchase Links for Beneath the Surface

Amazon     Barnes and Noble    The Wild Rose Press

My Perfect Day

By: Kat Martin

Congratulations to Elizabeth, the winner of Kat's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated.

People often ask me what my writing day is like.  Since I’m a workaholic, most of those days are long and mentally exhausting.  I thought it might be fun to tell you what my perfect day would be. 

Aside from a day in Paris or Rome, or some other exotic location, I had a perfect day last week.  I did a little book promotion for the latest in my AGAINST series, AGAINST THE SUN, which is out May 28th, then went back to work writing the book that comes out in January of next year (AGAINST THE ODDS).  I worked straight through until five o’clock in the afternoon, writing and enjoying the view of the snow-capped mountains outside my window. 

It was one of those days where everything just seemed to fall together.  Great writing days don’t happen that often so authors value them highly.  I felt tired when I wrote the last scene of the afternoon, but happy with what I’d produced. 

Because it was the first truly glorious day in Montana after a long cold winter, my husband and I decided to go on a camera safari.  We loaded some snacks into the pickup and headed up into the hills. 

In one afternoon we saw three herds of elk, hundreds of deer, three groups of sand hill cranes, osprey, Canadian geese, ducks and woodpeckers--it was an animal lover’s dream.  Add to that, scenic mountain vistas that stretched as far as the eye could see.

As it started to get dark around nine p.m. (we’re already getting long days this far north), we headed for the only food available for miles--Trixie’s Antler Saloon.  Yup, that’s right.  Trixie’s will throw a steak on the grill and draw you an ice cold beer.  It’s rustic, I can tell you.  But it’s always fun to drop by after a day in the mountains. 

Afterward we headed home in the dark, tired, but smiling.  It was the end of a perfect day.

The next day I went back to work promoting AGAINST THE SUN, big Jake Cantrell and Sage Dumont’s story, which deals with a visit to Texas by a Saudi Arabian sheik and his family,  The sheik is there to negotiate a three hundred million dollar oil-well equipment deal. 

Jake is hired to act as Sage’s bodyguard and teach her the protocols she will need to know in order to complete the transaction.  Customs like not showing the bottom of her foot, which is considered an insult, or making the okay sign, which is giving someone the evil eye.

Because of the research involved in getting the customs, clothing, and attitudes of the Saudi visitors correct, AGAINST THE SUN was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever tackled.  I’m proud of the way it turned out.  I hope you’ll look for  AGAINST THE SUN  and that you enjoy it. 

Love to hear what your perfect day would be.   

                             Very best wishes, Kat   

I hope you’ll try AGAINST THE SUN and that you enjoy it. 

Kat is graciously awarding a copy of AGAINST THE SUN to one lucky commenter. Print copies are eligible for US and CANADA postal addresses only. 

Giveaway ends 9pm EST May 30th. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@justromanticsuspense.com with a subject title of JRS GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway.

LOVE IS MURDER

We break from our normal blogging schedule to herald tomorrow's release of LOVE IS MURDER. Naturally, JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE has a keen interest in this book. Many of our lovely and talented authors are contributors to the anthology. And perhaps we are just a little biased because it contains thirty stories of....romantic suspense!! 


A few of these awesome authors stopped by this busy holiday weekend to share some comments about their participation in this great anthology. If you have a moment, let them know how eager you are to read this! 

ALLISON BRENNAN
"Sandra Brown put together a fabulous collection, and I'm so honored to be included. I was lucky enough to read every story, and they are all great examples of the thriving romantic thriller genre. Some are sexy, some are sweet, all are suspenseful. I wrote a Lucy Kincaid short story, about Lucy and Sean on vacation before she starts at the FBI Academy. And of course, something bad happens!"

LAURA GRIFFIN
"I cannot wait to read this book! All of my favorite romantic suspense authors in one place. If feel honored to be a part of LOVE IS MURDER."

PATRICIA ROSEMOOR
"I loved the challenge of taking characters from HOT CASE (Silhouette Bombshell) and HOT TRICK (Carina Press) to create HOT NOTE, a romantic suspense mini-novel in 5,000 words." 

ROXANNE ST. CLAIRE
"Bodyguards often refer to a "diamond drop" as one of their most exotic security jobs.  So, I wrote about a Bullet Catcher transporting millions of dollars worth of diamonds, trapped on a high-speed Euro train with a sexy woman who may or may not be a thief.  "Diamond Drop" is a 5,000 word short story packed full of suspense, sensuality, and a surprise ending."

DEBRA WEBB
"Jackie Mercer is one of my favorite characters. The debut novel in the Jackie Mercer series, DIRTY, is available now! My short story in the Love is Murder anthology,"DIRTY LOW DOWN," gave me the opportunity to bring Jackie and Dawson together again in fast-paced, action-packed story that I hope readers will enjoy!"

LOVE IS MURDER 

Prepare for heart-racing suspense in this original collection by thirty of the hottest bestselling authors and new voices writing romantic suspense today.

Go on vacation with Allison Brennan's Lucy Kincaid, where she saves a man from drowning, only to discover he is in far greater danger on land. Meet Roxanne St. Claire's "bullet catcher"—bodyguard Donovan Rush—who may have met his match in the sexually charged "Diamond Drop." Debut author William Simon shows us what happens when the granddaughter of the president of the United States is kidnapped. And Lee Child's pitch-perfect "I Heard a Romantic Story" puts a whole new spin on Love Is Murder.


Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, women (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, killers—these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night.

Available on:

JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE will be featuring Debra Webb's tale from LOVE IS MURDER, DIRTY LOW DOWN, a Jackie Mercer story on June 26th.

I Love Research

By: Autumn Jordon

Congratulations to Judi L., the winner of Autumn's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated!

I love reading romantic suspense and if you’re reading this, it’s a given you do too.  Awesome! We’re kindred spirits.

Want to know why I love writing romantic suspense?  Yes, because I love to read the genre, silly, but seriously, I love writing romantic suspense because of the research.  When an idea comes to me, I can’t wait to start to digging into a topic and finding the most intriguing facts. Sometimes data or comments by industry professionals lead me to other fascinating subjects.  At times, the story idea I started out to write about is left by the wayside because my research has uncovered a more interesting subject. (Imagine a wicked laugh and me wringing my hands together here —BAWAWA)

In my new release, HIS WITNESS TO EVIL, (available at Amazon & B&N btw) the idea came from an occurrence at my work.  I worked as a corp. secretary, who wore many hats, for a mid-size trucking company.  No. The company name remains undisclosed for obvious reasons.  I knew tractor-trailers were heisted. I had to deal with the law enforcement officers in a few states and insurance companies.  I also knew the U.S. treasury transported U.S. currency by tractor-trailers, well because…  Not saying more. I started to think what if units carrying currency were targeted. Hmmm  I my muse took over.

Now, since I worked within the transportation industry, the research for that facet of the book was at my fingertips.  But when I thought about who would be targeting the tractor-trailers and how they would know which of the many vehicles to heist, I started researching the U.S. Treasury, organized crime and law enforcement jurisdictions.  From my research came an idea, but of course I had to check the scenario out to see if it was plausible.  Enter the FBI.  I interviewed a director of the agency and learned not only was my idea plausible but had indeed, in part, occurred. BINGO!

You really want to know what the FBI confirmed, don’t you?  Well you’ll have read His Witness To Evil.   It’s available on Amazon.

Mr. FBI man really was nice and was kind enough to share some of his personal and family life with me.  I think talking to him, helped me develop a great heroin John Dolton.  In fact, a reviewer for RT stated:  John Dolton is the best character; his background and the sorrow he lives with make a good subplot. Readers will wish they were the ones offering him a shoulder to cry on. 

You can see why I love research.  One note before I share an excerpt of  HIS WITNESS TO EVIL. The wide-world web has made it so easy to find answers to almost anything. I’ll caution you however, to double check your research findings with several different sources, because, as you know, you can’t believe everything you read on the net.

Now,  HIS WITNESS TO EVIL by Autumn Jordon

Suddenly, a hand slapped across her mouth and a strong arm circled her waist, lifting her off her feet. Her nostrils flared against the ridge of skin as she fought to suck in air and the scent of the man dragging her away.

A car whizzed by but didn’t stop. The street ahead was deserted except for two elderly women waiting for a bus and a couple standing on the corner. They had their backs to her. 


They didn’t see her.

She searched wildly for anyone who would come to her rescue. There was no one.

The street disappeared and red brick imprisoned her and her attacker on both sides as the man carried her deeper into the deserted alley. Foul smelling dumpsters, broken crates and cardboard boxes limp from the downpour on Saturday night filled the alley.

While her toes fought to touch the ground, her fingernails dug into tan skin. She struggled helplessly to free herself.

“Owww. Will you stop clawing me?” The deep tone heated her ear.

“John,” she mumbled against his hand. She twisted and strained to look back. Relief washed through her.

“Quiet.” He deposited her into a deep doorway.

Her purse slipped from her shoulder and dropped to the ground as she spun on her heel. Without thought, she flung her arms around his neck. His hard chest crushed her breasts. “I was so scared. I didn’t want to leave you and Zohara. I’m so glad you’re alive.”

“Me too,” he whispered into her ear.

She pulled back. His smile was faint, but it was there. Her hands trailed down his arms and found the bandage. “Your arm.”

“It’s nothing. A cut.”

“I shouldn’t have left you and—”

“You did the right thing, Steph. Where are the kids?”

“They’re safe.”

He looked at her warily, probably wondering where she could hide them and feel safe about doing so.

She squared her shoulders. “No one saw us. I wasn’t going to bring them until I knew it was safe. Whoever is looking for us could spot us faster if we were together, so I left them at the library with Susan. No one will look for them there. And if something happens to me…” Stephanie swallowed hard, fear rippling through her. “Well, Susan knows my mother. She’d call her.”

At the sound of a door opening, John glanced around the doorway’s edge. He pushed her into the corner, shielding her with his body.

With her nose pressed against his chest, she drew in a mixture of his musk scent and blood.

The sound of someone throwing trash into the dumpster mingled with the throb of her heart. Protected by John, she closed her eyes and waited.

“Damn,” he said.

Stephanie’s head snapped up. “What do you mean, damn?”

“Shh.” John’s hands found her hips and pulled her even closer—hip to hip. The butt of his gun poked her ribs. No protective vests shielded her from the feel of him.

His burning gaze told her of his plan only a moment before his lips, full and hot, crushed hers.

His hands trailed down her backside, lifting her against his hard body. She ran her hands up his strong arms. The world reeled away, leaving her and John alone, enjoying the warm comfort of each other as their bodies molded together.

“Hey! Hey, buddy. What are you doing there?” A man called from a short distance.

John pulled back. Instantly the air between them cooled and Stephanie shivered, wanting more of him.

“Calm down, Mac. The lady and I are on a coffee break. Right, babe?”

Dazed, her gaze locked with his. She knew what he wanted from her.

“Miss?” The stocky man wearing a bloody butcher’s apron glanced at her purse before his hard glare landed on John. The man’s burly arms hosted clamped fists and his stance changed. He was ready to pounce on John at her word.

“Leave us alone. We’ve only got ten minutes.” Stephanie slowly laced her arms around John’s neck and flashed a wicked smile at the man. She went up on her toes and buried her face in John’s neck and nibbled away, enjoying the salty taste of him.

Autumn will be offering an e-copy of IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL to one lucky commenter!

Giveaway ends 10pm EST May 27th. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@justromanticsuspense.com with a subject title of JRS GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway.

Deleted Scene From SHE BELONGS TO ME

By: Carmen DeSousa

She Belongs to Me is a romantic-suspense through and through. The first scene literally starts with a bang, and from there, I take you through the lives of two people destined to be together, but life has a way of confusing the real issues and leading us down a scary path.

I’m not giving away any secrets, because you know from the synopsis that my female protagonist ends up in the hospital in a coma; the question is why—or who?

I’m just going to take you behind the scenes to a neglected scene. I say neglected, because I wanted to show this, but knew I didn’t have the room, so I purposely left it out.

From the first chapter: Jordan is in the hospital waiting room, waiting on word of whether his wife is dead or alive.

Jordan’s gaze wandered to the locked emergency room doors for the hundredth time in in the last hour. As much as he wanted to call his family for support, he needed to wait. He needed information; he couldn’t just tell them she’d been shot and may not live. But mostly, he knew that homicide would be here any minute.

When his eyes weren’t on the ER doors, they were on the sliders leading to the parking lot. The detectives would be here soon, and not only them, but Internal Affairs too. It didn’t matter that he was an officer—his head dropped as he felt the tears well up again. Why would she do it? He just couldn’t believe that Jaynee would have shot herself, but the evidence was clear. It was her gun, and based on where the gun was laying, it was clear she’d been holding it.

He shook his head. He’d given her the gun for protection. He never thought—

“Hey, Jordan,” a soft voice broke him from his lamenting. Jordan looked up to see Len Powe. Powe nodded his head toward the cafeteria. “Let’s go somewhere private.”

Jordan followed Len down the hall toward the cafeteria, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, man.” Detective Nelson Williams stepped alongside of him. “I’m so sorry about Jaynee. Have you heard anything?”

Jordan shook his head as he struggled to retain the tears. These were his coworkers. He couldn’t cry in front of them. Len opened the door to a side room off the cafeteria officers used when they had to question a suspect. The room was for hospital meetings, but Jordan had used it more than once to interrogate or inform a relative of their loved one’s status. Now he was the one they’d interrogate. He sat down with his back to the corner, so he could see through the glassed-in wall if a member of the hospital staff had news.

Powe took the seat across from him. Williams pulled out the chair at the far end, out of direct eye contact. Powe was leading this one, then. “You know I have to read you your rights, Jordan.” Jordan nodded and let his friend read off the Miranda rights he’d cited so many times in the past. “So, why don’t you start at the beginning?” 

Jordan pulled in a deep breath and spilled out the entire story of how he’d woken up to the sound of a gunshot. Both detectives listened without interruption as he described the scene.

Len leaned back in his seat when Jordan finished his spiel. “We have a forensics team at your house now, so we’ll be looking for any foreign particles. We’re on your side; you know that, right?”

Jordan nodded his head, but then darted his eyes between Nelson and Powe. “Wait a minute. You don’t think—”

Powe shook his head “No, Jordan, of course not. We know how much you loved Jaynee, but there will be an investigation. There has to be; you know that.”

If you would like to read more, you can download She Belongs to Me at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Instead of giving one reader a free book, I talked the publisher into discounting She Belongs to Me to .99 cents for everyone, to celebrate the release of my new romantic-suspense, Land of the Noonday Sun, which publishes this week.

Books from Carmen DeSousa:

After secrets and a mysterious background leave a wife’s life hanging by a thread, a husband must look for answers in the only place he knows—the past. She Belongs to Me

When two strangers have nothing left but their dreams, they must forge a relationship in Nantahala, North Carolina, a small town known as Land of the Noonday Sun. Land of the Noonday Sun

Military Heroes In–and Out–of Uniform

By: Catherine Mann

Congratulations to Jenn, the winner of Catherine's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated!

The most common questions I’m asked is: “Where do you get ideas for your military romantic suspense stories?  How do you research the military details?”

Easy peasy.  As some of you do already know, my husband served in the Air Force for twenty-two years.  One conversation of “How was your day, honey?” could net enough ideas to write ten books.  And bless him, he’s awesome about proofreading my manuscripts to make sure I get the details right.

But beyond that, the way he walks, the way he talks, the very fiber of who he is serves as a constant inspiration for military heroes and heroines.  A military story is about more than draping a uniform on a character.  The uniform isn’t what they wear.  It’s who they are.  Understanding that, finding the reason for why that particular hero/heroine puts on the uniform is what drives a military story.

In UNDER FIRE, the hero Liam is at his most vulnerable: Facing retirement.  With three (yes, three!) divorces under his belt, he believes his life is over… until he finds Rachel Flores hiding in the back of his Jeep, claiming someone in the military is trying to kill her.

Along the way to exposing a high ranking traitor, Liam is called to protect the integrity of the uniform.  And also decide if he’s ready to risk forever with Rachel as his fourth – and final – wife.

So, to end on a personal note, I would like to share a little something I wrote, printed out and have framed on my wall:

Top 10 Reasons Why Being a Military Wife ROCKS!

By: Catherine Mann

10) He looks hot in his uniform.

9) Those obnoxious friends of his will all be there for you in less than a heartbeat if you need furniture moved, lawn mowed, broken mini-van fixed , or red tape severed.

8) While he’s gone, you can hog all the covers, read more romance novels, and eat whatever you want while wearing flannel pajamas.

7) You will form bonds with your military friends that last a lifetime.

6) You get to see the world.

5) There are many, many different uniforms for him to wear … and look hot in.

4) Moving around all the time helps keep your closets clean.

3) No matter where you are on a trip, active duty or retired, you always know someone nearby you’ve met at another base who would love to have you stop in for dinner.

2) The uniform. :-)

And the number 1 reason being a military wife rocks …

1) Welcome home reunions!

ABOUT UNDER FIRE:

UNDERFIRE

A decorated hero, pararescueman Liam McCabe lives to serve. Six months ago, he and Rachel Flores met in the horrific aftermath of an earthquake in the Bahamas.  They were tempted by an explosive attraction, yet parted ways.  Still, Liam has thought about Rachel every day—and night—since.

Now, after ignoring all his phone calls for six months, Rachel has turned up on base with a wild story about a high-ranking military traitor.  She claims no one but Liam can help her—and she won’t trust anyone else.

With nothing but her word and the testimony of a discharged military cop to go on, Liam would be insane to risk his career—even his life—to help this woman who left him in the dust.

“Elite Force series"

Book 1: COVER ME

Book 2: HOT ZONE

Book 3: UNDER FIRE

Author Bio:

USA Today bestseller Catherine Mann writes military romantic suspense for Sourcebooks and Berkley, as well as steamy romances for Harlequin Desire.  A RITA Award winner, she resides in Florida with her flyboy husband, their children, and their ever growing menagerie of pets.  FMI:

Website: http://catherinemann.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CatherineMannAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CatherineMann1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/catherinemann/

CONTEST: One lucky commenter will win a copy of UNDER FIRE! (US and Canadian addresses only please, no PO Boxes.)


Giveaway ends 10pm EST May 24th. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen @ justromanticsuspense.com with a subject title of JRS GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway.