Showing posts with label guest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest. Show all posts

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Guest Post: Denise Agnew!

Thanks so much to the For the Love of Military Romance for having me on the blog today to talk about my upcoming military romantic suspense novella Sudden Heat which releases September 25. Sudden Heat is the first story in my Love Under Fire Trilogy.

The Love Under Fire trilogy was a gamble. How could military romantic suspense be a gamble? Especially when it’s erotic romance? What if a trio of brothers, all in different branches of the military, came back to their old hometown and landed right into a firestorm of danger? What if that danger put them in the position of protecting three women they’re very attracted to? Even those questions wouldn’t seem terribly controversial.

Okay, let me step back a second. As a writer I create stories that call to me. I don’t plan series or novels based on how popular that type of story is at the time. My creativity doesn’t work that way, and I get so much more creative pleasure from writing books that I love rather than planning books to trend. When I realized I wanted the stories to be set in a mall during a madman’s rampage, I knew it could make some people edgy. I put the stories on the backburner to finish some other books, knowing that I’d come back to them later. I did and got them ready to submit to Ellora’s Cave. Within almost the same month, the Sandy Hook shootings occurred. Obviously I was horrified by the shootings, and I wondered if the stories I’d just written would find a home. After all, who wanted to read about people trapped in a mall with a shooter? Then I reminded myself that these stories are about much more than that. I’d created stories where the heroes and heroines would work together to survive, and their love would develop through what they’d learn about each other and themselves living through such a trauma. Luckily for me, Ellora’s Cave loved the idea, too!

Take a tiny taste of Sudden Heat.

Sudden Heat from Ellora's Cave!
Denise A. Agnew

Book one in the Love Under Fire series but can be read independently.

Where do you yearn to be in the face of danger? In the arms of a man bound to serve, to protect and to love…
Librarian Melanie Falconer knows too well the horrors of war. Military men, as far as she’s concerned, are off the marriage menu. As maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, she makes a mall run and lands straight into the arms of seriously hot marine Matt Frasier, the best man. Matt has seen too much violence, and his heavy attraction to Melanie promises to soothe his soul and set his body on fire. Gunfire erupts, the game is on, and Melanie and Matt fight for their lives and the heat exploding between them.

* *
Juggling two large shopping bags, soon-to-be maid of honor Melanie Falconer stepped out of the lingerie shop and slammed into a hard body.
It was late Tuesday and the mall would close in less than an hour. She couldn’t afford one more delay in her busy life. Especially when the totally ripped body belonged to best man Matt Frasier. She registered Matt’s surprised face a half-second before momentum won and their bodies collided.
“Oof!” Her breath rushed out and her packages went flying in all directions.
Strong hands gripped her waist and prevented her from landing on her butt. She faced an intense stare that reminded her of sky fading into night. No, his eyes did more than look into her soul and bring forth her secrets. They caressed her, wrapped her in instant warmth that enveloped her body with breath-stealing attention. Every time the tall, muscular marine walked into a room and she was there, Melanie’s breath halted and her pulse skittered.
Ridiculously aware of him, she wanted to run from the crazy attraction that stole her self-control. And she needed all the self-control she could get.
This last week didn’t bode well for that.
Work at the library had ramped up with the introduction of a new computer system, her boss had come down with the flu and Thanksgiving week always gave Melanie that sinking feeling. When her best friends and bridesmaids Kathleen McSwain and Lena Williams had decided the wedding party should buy a group present for the groom Patrick and the bride Danielle, Melanie went into overdrive. What to get the couple who seemed to have everything? It was Melanie’s idea, initially, to have a large frame engraved as an additional present, and the others had been thrilled. Patrick and Danielle had established their own business in Constitution and they’d moved in together two years ago. With a well-appointed house, they didn’t need many things a couple would normally ask for on a gift registry. Melanie wanted to give her friend something special for her wedding. The biggest strategic problem had been figuring out how to get the entire wedding party to the engraver’s. The engraver had told her he wouldn’t have time to see them until about five fifteen today.
She’d agreed to the idea with relief. With everyone there at once there wasn’t much chance she’d have to spend any time alone with Matt Frasier.
Yeah. Right.
 “Hey Melanie.” Usually his eyes looked somewhat stoic but now they had softened by a degree. “Sorry. You all right?”
“I’m fine.”
They bent at the same time to grab her purchases. Heat filled her face as he gathered a red lacy demi cut push-up bra in his big hand. A thirty-four C-cup. His gaze lingered on the bra and she imagined his big hand caressing the bra while it was on her. Heat shot through her.
She snatched the bra from him and stuffed it back in the small bag. “Thanks.”
His assessing gaze said volumes. Straight-laced librarian Melanie Falconer wore screaming red underwear? Say it isn’t so.
“Are the other ladies in the shop too?” he asked as they stood.
“Heading that way.”
He gestured back toward the tuxedo shop. “Jake and Rick are still having last-minute measurements on the tuxedos. Rick was late getting here. He’s chronically late to everything. I decided to head over to the engraver’s.”
“We’re all late tonight. Kathleen and Lena got caught in traffic. We split up to get things done.”
As he handed her one of the bags, his fingers brushed against hers. A tiny shock went through her body and coiled in her stomach. A hot, undeniably sexual spark that refused to be extinguished.
His hands fascinated her—which was strange considering she’d never given a man’s hands much thought. They felt and looked so strong, so purposeful.
She almost winced, not because of pain but because Matt Frasier turned her on. His brand of masculinity seemed to have found her brand of femininity and called to all the primitive channels inside her. Oh yes. It wasn’t only his body that floated her boat. Since she’d met him at the party, he’d impressed her with what he’d said, his opinions and an inherent sense of the honorable.
And she wondered too much. She wondered how he’d make love, if the sensuality he seemed to have in spades would bring her to a mind-stealing orgasm. Orgasm. Yeah, well, she hadn’t experienced one of those in a while. Heat filled her face, her entire body. God, she needed to forget these raging hormones. Matt would leave town soon and that would be it. Fini. Done. And there was no way in hell she’d get involved with a marine who’d experienced what he’d no doubt experienced recently in Afghanistan. No way.

* *
Sudden Heat releases September 25! Stop by my website www.deniseagnew.com for all the details and be sure to join my Sudden Heat contest on my blog that day at www.deniseagnew.com/blog. There you’ll find all the details that day on how to enter. You could win an Amazon gift card.


Thanks again!

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Guest Author Laurie Roma


Love is a Battlefield...

What makes military men and women so damn sexy?

Well, hell...that's an easy answer. Military men and women are hot because of who they are and what they stand for.  And yeah, the abundance of muscles certainly helps.

Seriously though, the men and women in the military are like throwbacks to a time long past. They are warriors, defenders of the weak, putting their lives on the line for the greater good. They personify dedication, loyalty and stir up all kinds of naughty fantasies about quintessential alpha males taking charge.

With that said, how could I not write a romance series about the men and women of the military? What's more entertaining than romance, hot, steamy sex and a little violence thrown into the mix? Nope, nothing comes to mind.

Now, I must admit I took creative license and made up a fictitious agency to host my band of  alpha dogs. I mean who wouldn't want to be able to drop-kick some terrorist asshole into a volcano with no repercussions?

I know I certainly would.

Less mess, no cleanup.

When I started the IAD Agency series, I wanted to create a mix of men and women from all the branches of the military as well as other law enforcement groups within the intelligence community. IAD stands for the International Alliance of Defense, which is more like a transnational agency, making my characters the ultimate warriors of global warfare with very few rules to follow.

Yes, I know...only in fiction. *sigh* If only...

If you're expecting weak, weepy females then I'm not the author for you. I don't do weak. Or whiny. Or annoying. My male AND female characters kick ass. They are sexy and dangerous as hell, living by simple rules — kill the bad guys and protect the world. If you’re a fan of action packed Contemporary/Romantic Suspense with an erotic twist, then this series is for you.  Read as each agent takes on the most thrilling adventures of their lives...falling in love!

The IAD Agency Series
The IAD Agency series novels are all stand-alone stories, but it is highly recommended to read them in order to get the most enjoyment from the series!



Book Blurb: 
IAD agent Mikayla “Lynx” Lincoln is in desperate need of a vacation after taking a bullet during her last mission. On orders to relax and recover, she's sent to a cabin in the secluded woods of Colorado for some peace and quiet. But her plans for a restful recovery are shot to hell the moment she crosses paths with former movie star, Gage Stark.
Gage Stark is a man with a troubled past. After a brutal betrayal ended his promising acting career, he returned home to heal and start a new life. The moment Gage meets Mikayla their chemistry is too strong to deny. Passion explodes every time they're together and their volatile relationship is anything but quiet.
When a shocking discovery is made and secrets are revealed, trust is put to the test. Will Gage be strong enough to stand beside Mikayla and fight, or will his need to protect her shatter the fragile bond between them?
Buy Link:
www.bookstrand.com/deadly-target
Story Excerpt:
Mikayla kept walking toward the door, her hand reaching out for the handle when Gage’s large hand covered hers. He leaned in, his hot breath sending a shiver down her spine as he whispered into her ear.
 “A woman doesn’t open doors when she’s with me.”
Mikayla turned her head slowly so their lips were a breath apart from each other. “Good thing I’m not with you then, isn’t it?” She jerked the door open, welcoming the blast of cold air as it hit her face, cooling the lust burning in her belly.
Gage followed her outside into the parking lot, walking beside her silently as she made her way to the large SUV. She hit the button on the key fob to open the doors and turned to face him, noting that he kept his body turned away from her to minimize her view of his scarred face.
He really was sinfully good looking. Playing around with this man was not a good idea, even if her libido told her differently. Roz had given her the warning for a reason, and until she knew more she would not be getting any closer to this man. She saw the lust burning in his eyes, but there was something else there that made her wary. Still, curiosity had her asking, “Why exactly are you out here with me?”
“There has been some trouble in this area. Haven’t you heard about it?”
Her interest was sparked. She leaned against the side of the SUV and cocked her head to the side. “What trouble?”
“Some women have gone missing in the neighboring towns and in Denver. You shouldn’t be out alone at night. It’s dangerous and you’re injured. Should you even be out? You could slip on the ice or something.”
Mikayla smiled. “Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.” She opened the car door and turned back when he spoke.
“Why did you say that inside, about my sister?”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you kidding?”
“No,” he said through gritted teeth. She couldn’t tell it if was due to anger or the cold. Either way, the question was ridiculous. She sighed.
Were some men seriously that clueless?
“You were completely disrespectful to her. I figured someone should call you out on it.”
Gage took a step forward, crowding her with his large body. A white cloud swirled out as he released a harsh breath into the night air. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. I love my sister,” he growled in anger.
“You may love her, but you don’t respect her very much. You ordered her home after she took your dog to the vet while you and friends played pool in the bar? Maybe you don’t know what thank you means, but that would have been a better way to start that conversation. Now, I will say thank you for the touch of chivalry walking me out here and for the warning. It was appreciated.” She opened the door to the vehicle and got inside, careful not to jar her leg. She stuck the key in the car and started it.
His eyes had narrowed as he frowned at her. Even with that sinister look on his face and the scars on one side, it didn’t detract from his dark appeal. “We aren’t through with this conversation.”
“We are for now.” Mikayla was surprised she didn’t burst into flames at the sudden flare of heat in his bright emerald-green eyes.
“Come home with me.”
She blinked in surprise.
“I want you,” Gage said, his voice a low, heated whisper. “If you agree, this wouldn’t be a date. I don’t date. This would be me fucking you until you come so hard you pass out. That’s it.”
Oh hell no, seriously?
Idiot.
Did he really think she was just going to drop her panties because he said that? Not that she was wearing any. Mikayla sighed loudly and fought back the urge to slam her head into the steering wheel. Why did shit like this always happen to her? It was a good thing she had firsthand knowledge of the irrational way men’s minds worked sometimes since she worked with a bunch of them daily, or else she might have to hurt him. Badly. “You’d have better luck with the blonde inside. Goodnight, Mr. Stark.”
“So you do know who I am.”
“Yes, I do. Which is more than I can say for you.” She started to close the door, but his large hand holding it stopped her.
“You can’t tell me you aren’t attracted to me. I see that you are. What’s your name?”
Mikayla sent him a mischievous smile. “Perhaps you should have started this particular conversation with that question. Goodnight.”
She shifted the SUV into gear and released the break just enough so the SUV pulled forward, jerking the door out of his grasp. She slammed the door closed and pulled into the street, watching as Gage grew smaller in her rearview mirror.

~~~~~
Book Blurb:
Tara Toshi is a woman on the edge. Code name 'T-rex', Tara is one of the elite agents of the IAD Agency, modern day warriors tasked with taking down terrorists and keeping the world safe. She doesn’t believe that happily ever after exists for her, until her world collides with corporate tycoon Julian King…

Julian King is the owner of a multi-million dollar hotel empire and personally runs the Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He is a man who rules his kingdom with an iron grip and knows that the house always win. But when he meets agent Tara Toshi all bets are off. As a terrorist plot threatens his city, Julian realizes that he is also jeopardy of losing his heart.

Passion explodes every time Tara and Julian come together, but can she risk taking this one shot at finding happiness and give her heart to a man she barely knows?

BUY LINKS:
~~~~~


Book Blurb:

Jason MacBain is the perfect agent. Tall, dark, and deadly, he is a man who lives by simple rules—kill the bad guys and protect the world. Closed off from his emotions, Jason has never believed in love and doesn’t need anyone. But all that changes the night he meets Bella Moretti…
Isabella Moretti is a famous chef struggling to reclaim her life after she survives a vicious attack. Moving back to Chicago to recover and be closer to her family, Bella meets Jason and is frightened by the passion he stirs inside her. But now that Jason has found Bella, he is determined to claim her as his. And when her stalker reappears, Jason is under pressure to gain her trust, find a way to keep her safe, and do whatever it takes to end the threat to her for good.
Bella is forced to trust Jason with her safety, but does she dare trust him with her heart?
BUY LINKS:


Bio:

Laurie Roma lives in Chicago and is the author of the IAD Agency and Arcadian series. She has always loved immersing herself in a good book and now enjoys the pleasure of creating her own. She can usually be found tapping away on her keyboard, creating worlds for her characters while she listens to music. Of course her playlist depends on her mood…but then again, so does her writing.

An avid reader of the romance genre, nothing bothers her more than annoying characters. Seriously, who wants a happy ending for someone that pisses you off? She loves tough alpha-male heroes and strong heroines that have brains as well as beauty. Her novels are filled with both passionate romance and down and dirty lust-driven interludes, as she believes both are essential to a good love story. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached at laurieromabooks@gmail.com.

Stalk me at:




Wednesday, July 17, 2013

We are looking for a few good...posts

Hello, everyone! I am posting now to let you know that we are looking for people for the rest of the year. If you are an author who write military romance or handles an organization that is linked to military or military romance (Wounded Warriors, Fisher House, USO) and would like to write up a post, we have some openings. You can see the open dates on the sidebar.
The post must be military related. Authors-you need to have a book that has a military theme with heroes or heroines in the military or are former military and it must be romance.
If you are interested, please email me at Mel's Email!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Guest Author Tonya Burrows

Five Things A SEAL Never Leaves Home Without


As with professionals in any other field, a Navy SEAL like Gabe Bristow, the hero of my debut novel, can only be successful if he has the right tools. So let’s take a sneaky peek in his pack and see what he never leaves home without.

A camera. Durable and able to fit in a shoulder pocket, a simple point and shoot from Best Buy can capture hundreds of high res shots of enemies, helping with documentation and reconnaissance during a mission.

Tourniquets. These are cheap and able to attach right to body armor. Since everyone has two femoral arteries, Gabe always has a couple tourniquets on hand. In fact, SEALs are so well trained in the use of tourniquets that they often apply their own before a medic can do it for them. 

A multi-purpose tool. These things come in handy, used for everything from stripping wires, to pulling shrapnel out of flesh, to opening MREs out in the field.

A fixed-blade knife. SEALs work in silence. In some cases, even a firearm suppressor isn’t quiet enough to dispose of an enemy.  


And, finally, a SEAL never leaves home without his team. These men are trained to function as a unit, to trust the man standing next to him unconditionally. They form a tight brotherhood, which is part of the reason they’ve always interested me as a writer. That kind of forged-in-blood-and-sweat brotherhood isn’t found in any other profession on Earth.
But what happens when a SEAL no longer has his team? What happens when he’s forced into a new group of men that he has to trust as implicitly as his old team? Those are the ideas I wanted to explore when I wrote my recent release, SEAL OF HONOR. Can Gabe find that same bond with his new team of ragtag mercenaries?

 It’s a good thing Gabe Bristow lives and breathes the Navy SEAL credo, “the only easy day was yesterday,” because today, his life is unrecognizable. When his prestigious career comes to a crashing halt, he’s left with a bum leg and few prospects for employment that don’t include a desk.

That is, until he’s offered the chance to command a private hostage rescue team and free a wealthy American businessman from Colombian paramilitary rebels. It seems like a good deal—until he meets his new team: a drunk Cajun linguist, a boy-genius CIA threat analyst, an FBI negotiator with mob ties, a cowboy medic, and an EOD expert as volatile as the bombs he defuses. Oh, and who could forget the sexy, frustratingly impulsive Audrey Van Amee? She’s determined to help rescue her brother—or drive Gabe crazy. Whichever comes first.

As the death toll rises, Gabe’s team of delinquents must figure out how to work together long enough to save the day. Or, at least, not get themselves killed. Because Gabe’s finally found something worth living for, and God help him if he can’t bring her brother back alive.

Buy links:

Tonya Burrows

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Guest Author Donna Michaels


Hello everyone,

Thank you so much FTLOMR for allowing me to Guest Blog today.
My name is Donna Michaels. I’m an author of Romaginative Fiction. I write from sweet to very hot, short to epic and my work can be found in eBook and Print. My print books deploy the 3 H’s—Hot, Humorous and Heartwarming.

It seems the more books I write, the harder it is for me not to make one or more of the characters military. Hero, heroine, doesn’t matter. Okay, same goes for tattoos. I don’t have a tattoo but I do have a military hero. My husband is full time Army National Guard. In four years, he’ll be able to retire with twenty years in on the full time side. And it’s even more for his part time. We started dating when he was eighteen years old in boot camp. I knew him in high school, but it wasn’t until he was in boot camp that he wrote to me asking for my phone number. His name is Michael, and yep, you guessed it, that’s where the ‘Michaels’ comes from in my penname. I respect what he does and what the men and women of the military do and am proud to use his name in my writing. After all, most of my books contain a military character or two.

My first ever self published novel is also my first ever time travel. CAPTIVE HERO (Time-shift Heroes Series-Book One) is also a nominee in the 2012 RONE Awards for Indie excellence and received the Crown Jewel of Excellence by InD’tale Magazine.
Tagline:    Test flying an invisible plane—unreal. Time-shifting to WWII—unbelievable. Capturing a hero—unavoidable.

Blurb:
When Marine Corps test pilot, Captain Samantha Sheppard accidentally flies back in time and inadvertently saves the life of a WWII VMF Black Sheep pilot, she changes history and makes a crack decision to abduct him back to the present. With the timeline in jeopardy, she hides the handsome pilot at her secluded cabin in the Colorado wilderness.
But convincing her sexy, stubborn captive that he is now in another century proves harder than she anticipated—and soon it becomes difficult to tell who is captor and who is captive when the more he learns about the future, the more Sam discovers about the past, and the soul-deep connection between them.

As their flames of desire burn into overdrive, her flying Ace makes a historical discovery that threatens her family’s very existence. Sam’s fears are taken to new heights when she realizes the only way to fix the time-line is to sacrifice her captive hero...or is it?

Can love truly survive the test of time?          
 
My current release from The Wild Rose Press has received a 4 star rating from Romantic Times and is part of their Honky Tonk Hearts Series. COWBOY-SEXY is spicy novella and has a 4.5 rating out of 62 reviews at Amazon.

Blurb:
Finn Brennan was used to his brother playing practical jokes, but this time he’d gone too far--sending him a woman as a ranch hand, and not just a woman, but a Marine.

When Lt. Camilla Walker's CO asks her to help out at his family's dude ranch until he returns from deployment, she never expected to be thrust into a mistaken engagement to his sexy, cowboy twin--a former Navy SEAL who hates the Corps.

The Corps took Finn’s father, his girlfriend and threatened his naval career. He’s worked hard for another shot at getting back to active duty and won’t let his brother’s prank interfere. The last thing he needs is the temptation of a headstrong, unyielding, hot Marine getting in the way.


Coming Soon:
I’m currently writing the third book in my Harland County cowboy series HER UNIFORM COWBOY.  Kade Dalton is my military cowboy. He’s a Captain in the Texas Army National Guard, a horse rancher and a temporary sheriff. Busy guy. Releasing in October.

I am also revamping and re-releasing my romantic comedy suspense Meet Your Mate. It is now called SHE DOES KNOW JACK. Jack is a former Army Ranger in charge of set security when his brother starts receiving threats on a bachelor style reality TV show. The heroine is undercover as a contestant. Releasing in July.

You can find more of my military heroes or heroines at my website and also sign up for my newsletter to keep up with my military goings on, latest news and exclusive contests.

Just another quick thank you to the ladies of FTLOMR for hosting me here today. It is nice to have a blog to go to for my military romance fix. May you all have a great Memorial Day.
Thanks for reading,
~Donna