Hot New #BoxSet #Marines #Metal #Missions Meet Sachi "Copper" James

COMING FEBRUARY 10th: Elite Metal is coming out in February—a novel approach to collections, where all the stories intertwine! Our heroes are ex-military secretive operatives, who all belong to a kickass motorcycle club. Sound yummy? I know! 

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Elite Metal – Book One in the Elite Warriors Series

All Romance | Amazon

For decades the US Marines funded a top-secret unit known as Elite Recon. A deadly group of men and women sent to infiltrate dozens of countries completely undetected. Mission objectives so extreme casualties were not only probable, but expected.

The current batch of operatives had returned from hundreds of assignments unscathed…until one mission went horribly wrong. Several men lost their lives and the group disbanded. The remaining leathernecks were scattered in the wind with new identities. They were told to blend in. Be normal. Or face being forever silenced just like their fallen brothers.

Now, two years later, each living member of the group is kidnapped and given a chance to make things right. But this time they’re no longer under the thumb of Uncle Sam. A mysterious private backer who knows about their past has brought them back together. No longer are they forced to turn a blind eye to the lost and forsaken.

A new life. A new future…Elite Metal.

Scorching romance from Anna Alexander and Jennifer Kacey, Heather Long, Sabrina York Rebecca Royce, Saranna DeWylde and Roxie Rivera

Pure Copper

By Heather Long

Former Marine special forces, Sachi “Copper” James is a chameleon. She thrives on being someone else. Her mission? Identify the rat who sold her team bad intel.

Gabriel Danvers, ex-CIA analyst, is a master of disseminating the details. He wants to enjoy a normal life, retired from the game. His mission? Teach classes.

When Gabriel becomes the target of Copper’s investigation, he re-enters a world of danger and deception--all to claim the passion of the one woman who’s haunted him for years.

READ AN EXCERPT

Bran Johnson is here to tease you!

Yay, for all you Santini lovers out there, the first of the Semper Fi Marines books has released in digital!! And there is a FANTASTIC TOUR going on all week. Check it out!

TEASE ME

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER
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A man who thinks he has what he wants. 

Bran Johnson always knew he wanted to be a Marine. What makes it even better is longtime gal pal TK is now stationed at the same base. Unfortunately, Bran is having a hard time dealing with his feelings when he realizes that TK is considered a hot commodity on base. Worse, he finds himself taking a backseat to her admirers. 

A woman who always wished for more. 

Tess Keller has loved Bran since they were in high school. The former football captain always treated her like a friend so she tried to move on. Unfortunately, he’s in her business constantly now. One passionate argument leads to more than either of them expected. Tess knows it isn’t going to last because Bran is never going to settle down. So, to save face, she suggests they stay friends, only with the side benefit of being sometime lovers. 

A Marine determined to win at all costs.

Bran agrees to the friends with benefits idea just to keep himself close to Tess. She might think he’s not around for the long haul, but this is one Johnson brother who knows exactly what he wants…and just how to get it. And what he wants is Tess in his bed and in his life forever. Nothing will stop him, not even Tess herself. 

Embattled Minds is LIVE!

I've had the Lost and Found series in my mind for several years now, but I've only recently started to write and release the books. I felt I was at a point in my career when I could do the stories justice. My heroes are not traditional, in that, they are all disabled. And they stay so through the end on the story.
In the prequel of the series, The Embattled Road (free at all outlets), you meet the three main heroes, catastrophically injured during the war and struggling to find a place in the world with their new reality. Book 1 of the series is Embattled Hearts. The hero in that book is wheelchair bound and angry at the world, but still struggles to find love.
I just released Embattled Minds, Book 2 of the series. This novella deals heavily with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury. Here's the blurb:

Zeke Foster has little to no experience with women over the past couple of years, after being injured in Afghanistan. Brutally scarred, he has no expectation that he’ll ever find a woman capable of accepting him the way he is. But he can’t help but be enamored of Ember, the waitress of a local watering hole.
Ember Norton’s life has turned into one devastating catastrophe after another. When the scarred soldier with the kind eyes brings some security to her life, she’s afraid to trust her luck. She’s been self-sufficient for a long time. But his wounded soul calls to her and she finds herself falling for him. 
In spite of the secrets he continues to keep.



Amazon~ Barnes and Noble~ Smashwords~ ARe



I enjoy writing all of my characters, but this one really tugged at my heart, because I know how our returning veterans suffer with these issues. And because of that, a portion of the proceeds from this book will go to a scholarship for a medical professional to learn to treat PTSD. 
Be kind to a veteran and happy reading!
J.M. 

J.M. at Facebook~ Twitter

Music, Military and Me

When it comes to writing, one question I am always asked is what music do I listen to while I write? For the most part, I don't typically listen to music with words because lyrics will inspire me and give me other story ideas and talk about your shiney object overload. But in the case of What Part of Marine Don't You Understand? I actually broke this rule. I listened to song after song about the military--sometimes about the Marines, but in every single one of them, there was an element that took my breath away. This was vital considering Naomi Sparks, my heroine, is not only the sister and daughter of a Marine(s), but also because she is a songwriter.

So in no particular order, I share with you the playlist for What Part of Marine Don't You Understand?

Tim McGraw - If You're Reading This...




Sarah McLachlan - In the Arms of An Angel



Lonestar - I'm Already There (Messages from Home)




Toby Keith - Red, White and Blue



Lee Greenwood - God Bless the U.S.A.



Toby Keith - American Soldiers



Big & Rich - 8th of November



I can honestly say these songs humble me for the service our men and women and their families give this country and I hope I do it even a little bit of justice with my books.

What Part of Marine Don't You Understand? releases on May 24

COVER REVEAL: A Marine Affair

A year’s separation changes both of them. The last person Eli expects to see when he steps off the plane is Rick, but the physician wants another chance with the only man he’s ever loved and he has a plan. Will bitterness, recriminations, and loss keep them apart or can these two officers rediscover the faith and loyalty that bound them for so long?

A Marine Affair, book 13 of the Always a Marine series and the second M/M releases June 7, 2013

Commander Rick McConnell and Colonel Elijah Masters have been secret lovers for years. They nurtured their very private relationship with planned vacations and leaves, always meeting somewhere different—always escaping off the grid. It worked for them—career officers with a desire to serve their country and a passion for each other.

The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell provides them with the tremendous opportunity to come out to their friends and loved ones—Rick wants to seize the day, but Eli isn’t so certain. His hesitation leads to a fight, an ultimatum, and a breakup. Rather than confront their issues, Eli takes a foreign assignment.

A year’s separation changes both of them. The last person Eli expects to see when he steps off the plane is Rick, but the physician wants another chance with the only man he’s ever loved and he has a plan.  Will bitterness, recriminations, and loss keep them apart or can these two officers rediscover the faith and loyalty that bound them for so long?

And for a little more bang for your buck--here's an unedited excerpt!

With it or on it.

Okay, so here I am two days from my blog post and for once in my life I don’t know what to say, so I’m just going to speak from the heart and see where it takes me. (By the way, after I wrote this, I had to amend, because of a big surprise I received.)

I’ve just spent the last two weeks seeing my boys off to deployment. My youngest is a combat medic in the Army. He flew out to South Korea two weeks ago. The other is a Marine, who has returned to Afghanistan for his second deployment. Both of their wives are pregnant. My youngest son’s wife is due any day with his first child.

There are few times in my life I have seen my son tear up. This is one of them. His duty assignment to Korea has become a “deployment”, which means it's unlikely he will be home for his daughter’s birth. In fact, they told him he may not see her for her first year, maybe even longer. This is one of the challenges our soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen face daily, the separation from those they love.

Please let me share this picture of my daughter-in-law when the bus carrying my son pulled up in front of us after months of deployment in Afghanistan. She hates it. I love it. It tells a story of love. It says more than I ever could about how you feel when your hero returns. Sometimes the picture speaks for you, and I think I will let it.

 

When our young men and women serve in the military, they don’t just risk life and limb, they give up precious time that they can’t get back. My oldest son was here for his first daughter’s birth, but he missed the first time she rolled over, her first steps and first words. Now, he faces the same situation as my youngest. His wife is also pregnant, with her second child. He too will miss the birth of this child.

I understand what they are going through  all too well, know what it is to be that soldier and know what it is to be the family member left behind while their warrior goes off to war. Yes, I was once that soldier, and I was also the pregnant wife, waiting for my hero to set foot on US soil again.

For those that have been there, you will understand when I say this. While your loved one is deployed, especially if it is into a hot situation, where there is combat daily, it’s almost as though you forget how to breathe. You hold your breath. When you receive word their plane has touched down in the United States, for the first time since they left—you exhale.

So, last night I went out to dinner with my husband and daughter-in-law. I'm sitting there, looking over the menu when someone comes up behind me in my seat and hugs me. I turn to look, and my youngest son is standing there in an Army tee-shirt and his shorts. I was speechless. My husband was talking with my daughter-in-law's father and wasn't aware he was standing there, until I elbowed him. This was an amazing moment, and I can't say how happy I am that he can be home for her birth. I imagine my face looked very much like Cate's does above. There are tears in my eyes as I write this. Yes, his duty will eventually call him back to Korea, but for now, he is here and I can not thank those who made it possible, enough. They are heroes too, and perhaps it's because they've been there too.

“With it or on it.” This phrase is attributed to Spartan mothers when they presented their sons a shield the first time they went off to battle. It is a phrase of great courage, not only for the one receiving the shield, but the one who presents it. It says we know this fight is worth the sacrifice. It says come home, but not as a coward, serve honorably. Come home the sons we raised you to be. Men of honor. Men with a deep sense of sacrifice. Men who are willing will give all to make this country safe for their families, friends and posterity. Come home heroes—on your shield or with it.
And so to my sons I say.

“With it or on it.”

God bless. We’ll be right here when you get back, but while you're here, we'll embrace you with all we have.

Mom, and US Army Veteran.

www.authordljackson.com

Guest Author Katie Reus & Giveaway

Thanks so much to Melissa and the ladies here for inviting me to hang out today! I absolutely LOVE the title and concept of this blog.

I’m a huge fan of military romance and while none of my books take place when the hero or heroine is actually serving, the majority of my guys have military backgrounds. Okay, I’m wracking my brain trying to think if there’s even one hero of mine who never served in any branch and I can’t think of one. Because even my paranormal guys have military backgrounds. It might be 100 years ago, but all of them wore a uniform at one time or another. So, not just the majority, but all of them! Even a few of my ladies have military backgrounds.

I get asked a lot of the same questions (hence my new faq page on my website!) and one of them is ‘Why do you write so many former military heroes?’ The answer is pretty simple.

I met and married my husband while he was in the Marines and I’ve seen firsthand how heroic men and women in uniform truly are. Not only that but I’ve seen the sacrifices their spouses and children make and I have the utmost respect for them. A military life, whether you’re the one wearing the uniform or attached to someone who is, can be difficult. Totally worth it, but still, it’s hard.

When I first started writing, it wasn’t even a conscious decision to write heroes with a military background. I wrote about the men and women I had respect for and it just developed that way and stuck. And I’ve got to say, there is something incredibly honorable and yes, sexy about a man in uniform.

In my most recent release, Breaking Her Rules, both the heroine and hero have Marine backgrounds. They both have such strong, disciplined personalities so writing about them was a lot of fun. As a thank you to the ladies here for hosting me I’d love to give away a copy of Breaking Her Rules to one random commenter. I’ll leave it open until tomorrow, 4/13/2013 at noon Central and announce the winner in the comments section so please check back.

If you don’t win a copy, Breaking Her Rules is available now for 99 CENTS for a limited time from: Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo Books and All Romance eBooks

Thanks again for having me!

A little about Katie: Katie has been reading romance since a young age—ever since she discovered her mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with her into adulthood. She writes dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about her please visit her website, blog, facebook or find her on twitter @katiereus.

Three Reasons I Love The Marines

Since we're kicking off the For the Love of Military Romance blog, I wanted to get a few thoughts out on paper right away. One of the questions I get asked most often about military romance is why do I write Marines? Why Marines? Or my favorite, why did you pick the Marines?

The easy answer is...

They picked me.

Yes, that's the easy, simple answer. When it came to sitting down and writing Once Her Man, Always Her Man, I didn't wonder what branch Luke was in...he just told me he was in the Marines. From there, you could say the rest was history. But if I were to look deeper I would say a part of that inspiration came from the photograph of my uncle in his dress blues years before I was born...or better, the image of every single Marine I've ever seen on the news, on television shows and in films.




Honor, Commitment, Courage. These are the core values of the USMC. And the three reasons I love to write them as my heroes and heroines.

From the USMC Principles and Values

HONOR

A code of personal integrity, honor guides those who do the right thing when no one is looking. It is not only a duty, but also a distinction, as those who possess honor are held in honor. It's found in one's beliefs, but exhibited through one's actions. Marines are held to the highest of standards, ethically and morally. Marines are expected to act responsibly in a manner befitting the title they've earned.

COURAGE

When other principles are tested, it's courage that prevents them from crumbling. It isn't ignoring fear, but being stronger than fear. Courage is the guardian of all other values. It is there when times are toughest, when difficult decisions have to be made.  It takes the form of mental, physical and ethical strength, and is found in the backbone of every Marine.

COMMITMENT

Commitment is the spirit of determination found in every Marine. It is what compels Marines to serve our nation and the Corps, and to continue on when others quit. Commitment doesn't take breaks and it cannot be faked. It measures and proves one's desire, dedication and faithfulness. Becoming a United States Marine represents the highest level of commitment.

So while the easy answer may be simple, my love for Marines is a great deal more complicated and layered. These are real people who become Marines, they go through intense training to prove their worth as a Marine and once a Marine...always a Marine.

Please join me this weekend for the Always a Marine anniversary party, celebrating one year since Once Her Man, Always Her Man debuted. The blog party starts here on Saturday and heads over to my blog on Sunday!