Saturday, January 25, 2014

SEALed With A Kiss Coming for Valentine's Day

We have a special treat for all you military romance fans. Coming the week of Valentine's Day, a new anthology, SEALED With A Kiss, all containing Navy SEAL heroes. Most of this is brand new material, novellas you've waited years to read from some of your favorite authors.

Since there are several participating authors who blog regularly here on FTLOMR, I'm going to allow them to post a few excerpts of their own. NYT and USA Today Bestselling authors Marliss Melton, Gennita Low, Stephanie Tyler, Teresa Reasor, Deiliah Devlin, Elle James, J.M. Madden and Sharon Hamilton have combined to bring you a variety of SEAL stories guaranteed to knock you to your knees (or reads you can take to bed to savor).

Here's an example of the talent of this anthology. MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM TO ENTER A CONTEST FOR FREE AUDIO BOOKS!

From Marliss Melton CODE OF SILENCE 



“How long did you know?” Vinny demanded, diving right in. A muscle jumped in his jaw as he awaited her answer. 

The reminder that the precious little life she’d been guarding was gone drove a shaft of pain straight through her heart. She lowered the cup to her lap and stared down at it, devastated. She had tried turning over a new leaf. She had wanted to put the baby first, and now it was too late. “Almost two months,” she admitted, too ashamed to even look at him.
Stunned silence followed her reply. “Two months,” he finally repeated, in a voice that resonated with betrayal.
“I was going to tell you,” she rushed to assure him, “but I was afraid you’d force me to quit my job and I wasn’t ready…” She cut herself off, dismayed by how petty she sounded.

“You weren’t ready.” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his hands gripping the edge of the chair he sat in, as he fought to rein in his incredulity. “Is that all you ever think of—yourself? What about the baby?” he demanded with controlled rage. “What about me? I haven’t slept or eaten or breathed in thirty-six hours because you didn’t tell me what you were up to. If I had known you were interviewing Rawlings, I would have recognized his name and realized what you were up against, and I would have protected you. None of this would have happened!”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Remorse twisted through her, wringing tears from her heart. “I was going to tell you.”
“Really?” he scoffed, his volume climbing. “After all the secrets you’ve kept from me, how do I know

you had any intention of telling me at all?”

She gasped at the hurtful words, wrenching her gaze up in a desperate bid to convince him. “I was,” she insisted. “On Christmas day, I was going to put the pregnancy strip in your… stocking.” Her voice broke at the realization that that would never happen now. The poor little life inside of her had never stood a chance. She’d endangered it by continuing with her risky plan, knowing all the while how villainous a man Rawlings truly was. “Is he—did he get arrested yet for what he did to me?” she asked in a desperate bid to shift some of the blame off her own narrow shoulders.

“Not yet.” Vinny sprang to his feet and stalked to the window, his agitation a clear sign that Rawlings’ continued freedom chafed at him. “The cops and the district attorney want to make sure he won’t find some kind of loophole to get around the charges.”

An aching silence fell between them. Vinny kept his back to her. She watched his shoulders rise and fall as he fought to bring his emotions under control.

“I swear, Vinny,” Ophelia said, in a last-ditch effort to elicit his understanding, “if I’d known what Rawlings would do to me, I would never have taken chances with our baby.”

He turned his head at her assertion. But the look in his eyes wasn’t even one that she recognized. He looked at her as if he’d never seen before—or like he was seeing for the first time who she really was. The look encased her heart in ice.
He had finally realized what she’d known all along—that she did not deserve him. That she wasn’t the woman he thought she was.




From Stephanie Tyler blurb for HOLDING TIGHT 

Christmas was coming, and so was Jamie's due date. The entire family was arriving, except for one key person. Her husband. Chris was away on a mission, and even though his brothers were also SEALs and probably knew where he was, they couldn't share that information. Instead, they teased, complained, and did everything they could to keep her from worrying too much.

Chris had completed his mission and now had two goals. Goal one: Get home to his wife. Easier said than done. Goal two: Deliver his and Jamie's baby. If he is only able to get there in time.


From Sharon Hamilton SEAL MY DESTINY

She fingered his tats. He had a Celtic band across his bicep. A Fear/Faith scripted tat over his heart. Frog prints from his wrist to his elbow. The number 5326 on his other bicep. She’d seen the large skull tat on his back with something written under it in Latin. That one she could go look up later. So she chose the 5326 and brushed her fingers over it.

            “Tell me about his one.”

            “It’s the prime directive.”

            His face was deadly serious. She was looking for some hint, some help so she could understand him. The number meant something.

            “Directive for what?” she finally asked. That made him grin, showing blindingly white teeth.

            He licked his lips.

            “All beautiful women must be made love to as often as possible. The directive to stay in bed all day. Not to eat. Not to sleep.”

So this was just a sample. Not even half the great novellas are represented here. We'll post more as February 14th comes closer. Judging from the responses we've been getting, Valentine's Day is going to be very lucky - for a lot of people!

To celebrate, I'm offering three free audio books to commenters on this blog. You have your choice of Audio Books from Accidental SEAL, Fallen SEAL Legacy or SEAL Under Covers. My early Valentine's Day present to you. I think you'll love how the artful narration by J.D. Hart brings these characters to life. 

All you have to do is tell me why you love reading romances with hot Navy SEALs as the hero.


Sharon Hamilton
Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.





Monday, January 20, 2014

Join in the Release Fun for HARD AS YOU CAN!

By Laura Kaye

Believe it or not, we are almost a month from the release of HARD AS YOU CAN, the second book in my bestselling Hard Ink series! And I've got some fun things for you to look forward to and consider joining!

HARD AS YOU CAN NEW RELEASE PARTY
Readers! Come one, come all, to my new release Facebook party! There will be tons of prizes and guest authors. This will be most of the day on February 25th. Go here to sign up.

HARD AS YOU CAN RELEASE DAY BLOG BLITZ PARTY
If you have a blog, consider hosting me for my release day blog blitz party and help me get the word out about the new book. Review copies are also available to be requested. Go here to sign up.

HARD AS YOU CAN BLOG TOUR #1
If you have a blog, consider hosting me for a week-long blog tour focused on getting reviews and excerpts out into the world. Review copies available. February 23-28. This tour will have an exclusive big giveaway. Go here to sign up.

And stay tuned for more ways to WIN and PARTICIPATE!

Releases February 25, 2014!

About Hard As You Can:
Five dishonored soldiers.
Former Special Forces.
One last mission.
These are the men of Hard Ink.

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed. 

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can--and never let go.
 

Pre-Order Hard As You Can at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”
~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets

About Hard As It Gets:
Five dishonored soldiers.
Former Special Forces.
One last mission.
These are the men of Hard Ink.

Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...

Read an Extended Excerpt of Hard As It Gets
Buy at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Make sure you're ready for Book 2! Book 1 is $1.99 for a limited time!

If you've read Hard As It Gets already, did you have a favorite part? Thanks for reading!

~Laura
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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

The FINAL Red, Hot, & Blue series release - THE COMMANDER by Cat Johnson

The last single man, Hank Miller aka the Commander, finally falls...
THE COMMANDER by Cat Johnson
 Just when they thought they were out of last chances, love comes around again.
Red, Hot, & Blue, Book 12

To his men on his SpecOps team, Hank Miller is simply the commander. They treat him like he’s more than a mere man, but Hank would be the first to admit he is full of the same fears, feelings and desires. He just doesn’t let them show.The military is his life, and that’s all he needs—until he travels to Pigeon Hollow for a wedding and meets the woman his men reverently call “Mama”.

Lois Gordon is nothing like Hank envisioned. Instead of the plump, older woman happily baking pies in her farmhouse kitchen, Lois is a smart, sexy powerhouse who runs Gordon Equine…and tempts him to break all his own rules.

The heat between them quickly flares into a weekend fling hotter than Lois’s oven. But with Hank’s dangerous career and two failed marriages between them, forever could be too much to ask for.

Warning: Contains one smoking-hot mama and a man tough enough to not need pot holders to handle her.

AMAZON        NOOK          iTUNES

EXCERPT (Rated G)
Matt stared toward the group near the house. “Can you believe she’s old enough to be Jimmy and Jack’s mother?”
“I know.” Trey shook his head. “She must have been a teenager when she had Jimmy.”
The rest of the group turned to look at the woman who was now in Jack’s arms.
“Wait a minute. That’s Mama?” Hank nearly choked. The tempting brunette in the flip-flops, blue jeans and well-filled T-shirt? The one he’d been staring at and drooling over for the past few minutes?
“Yup.” Matt nodded.
“No way.” Bull squinted into the distance. “I pictured her looking like Betty Crocker or Mrs. Butterworth. You know, short, plump, wearing an apron covered in flour and holding a pie in her hands.”
That was how Hank had visualized her too. He certainly hadn’t thought he’d be imagining rolling around sweaty with her like he’d been since he first laid eyes on the tempting woman.
“Are you sure that’s Mama?” Hank couldn’t wrap his mind around this revelation.
“Of course, we’re sure.” Trey laughed. “Matt and I were here during our leave last year.”
“Visiting Jack and Jimmy,” Matt added.
“Yes, I know.” Hank had more productive things to worry about than what shady things these two jokers had done. Things such as why was the one woman he’d been interested in since his divorce the mother of two of the men under his command? That made the situation as sticky as one of her famous pies.
Hank watched as Jimmy hustled an ill-looking Lia into the house. Jared and the blonde followed them inside with the suitcases from the trunk of the convertible, and Jack escorted Mama back toward the SUV...and Hank.
His heart rate sped the closer she got, and he smothered a curse at how his body reacted to her like he was a damn teenager. This was the last thing he needed, a schoolboy crush on an off-limits woman.
He searched for a reason to not be attracted to Mama, besides the fact that she was Mama. He knew Jack and Jimmy’s father had left when they were young. He didn’t seem to be in the picture at all. Maybe Mama had a boyfriend. A woman who looked that good wouldn’t stay alone long. Yeah, that would be good. If she were dating, the guy would be invited to the wedding, and then Hank wouldn’t be tempted to even think about her. He blew out a soft breath as Mama took another step toward him.
Perhaps if he kept thinking of her as Mama, he’d remember how off-limits she was. That was his plan and he was sticking to it. Though his resolve wavered as she stood in front of him.
“Commander, this is my mama, Lois Gordon,” Jack introduced them. “Mama, Commander Hank Miller.”
Up close she looked even more like her sons. Like them, she had hazel eyes and golden-brown hair, except hers fell to her shoulders in soft, sun-kissed waves.
Hank extended his hand. “Mrs. Gordon, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your boys have told me so much about you.”
Everything except how young and attractive she was. That bit of information would have been nice to have in advance.

REVIEW:
"a funny, highly emotional and totally hot read that will have the reader wanting to pick up the other eleven" Annetta, Fresh Fiction


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Not To Be Taken For Granted...

MH-53E Sea Dragon
Several things have happened in the military world recently that have been so disheartening.
The first was the news that al Qaeda was enjoying a resurgence in Anbar province in Iraq. Many American lives were lost years ago as we struggled to wrest control of the area from al Qaeda's grip. For the most part, we succeeded. But the Iraqi government has not been able to maintain control.
It seems like we've lost a lot of the gains we made over the past ten years.
Two other items that absolutely broke my heart are the consecutive helicopter crashes.
On Tuesday, a chopper crashed on the eastern side of the UK, killing 4 U.S. Air Force Servicemen. Then, in a completely unrelated incident, 2 Navy sailors died in a training incident off the coast of Virginia. 2 others were rescued, but 1 was lost at sea. The search for his body has now been called off.
Incidents like these do happen, though not normally all in the same week.  
It reminds us how fragile and fickle our lives can be. And I can't say this enough- SUPPORT OUR VETERANS AND ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY! Every day, even if they're not in a war zone, they go out and risk their lives for our protection, and we can't take that sacrifice for granted. We need to let them know how much they are appreciated. Thank you, Thank you all active duty and former military!

Friday, January 3, 2014

Short Films About Veterans and By Veterans

The following short films are by veterans and about veterans. As hosted by ABC for their Home for the Holidays, these films were released one by one in December. These videos really moved me and one, The Dance, immediately made me think of my Rebel in Have Yourself a Marine Christmas. If you didn't get to see these last month, I can't urge you enough to check all five of them out. Seriously. It's a great program for veterans and helping them pursue their careers while honoring other veterans.

A Homecoming

First Lieutenant Donna Bachler's film is the story of a young veteran who excitedly awaits the return of his best friend, the warrior and hero he served with.

 


The Dance

Staff Sergeant Ryan Curtis' film features a touching story about a young soldier who's determined to surprise the girl he loves with the dance they never had.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Writing Military Romance While On Vacation

I've just spent the last 30 days traveling between California, Italy and Brazil. I took a cruise ship from Savona, Italy, across the Atlantic, ending up in Rio and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Most of these days were at sea, but we got to spend several days before and after both in Italy and in Sao Paulo. Brazil has become my must-go-back-and-explore place. I'll probably wait until after the World Cup or the Olympics, or just stay away from those venues, but I will definitely be back.

I've been told I'm a method writer, and, like a method actor, I get a feel for the story by being in places where it takes place. My newest release, SEAL The Deal, was written about Sonoma County, California, where I live -- in the heart of the wine country. Although I've used scenes from restaurants and favorite places like Healdsburg and Sonoma, as well as Santa Rosa in my scenes in other books, this one was almost entirely based in Sonoma County. You can see some of the beautiful places in my book with this gorgeous book trailer, done by the talented J.D. Hart: SEAL The Deal Book Trailer.

Book 5, Cruisin' For A SEAL will be out in January 2014. It takes place in and around a cruise and cruise ship similar to my vacation. In my story, several members of SEAL Team 3 go on a cruise with their wives and girlfriends just before the Team is to deploy overseas. They are also to perform the task of spreading one of their members' ashes out to sea, on the Equator, as per his instructions. While on this cruise, the ship gets taken over by terrorists.

It was surreal imagining all the things that could happen on this ship while I was "having a good time" innocently inspecting places this story could take place. I also interviewed security staff and crew members, and interviewed a pilot and a ship captain (not on this cruise). The cruise itinerary helped with the story too, since we did cross the Equator, where a major scene in my book will take place, and we traveled to exotic places like Marrakesh, Casablanca, Tenerife and Cape Verde. Wandering through the stalls at the souk, watching the whirling dancers and snake charmers, all brought color and life to my story in ways impossible to imagine on my own.

So, with the new release of SEAL The Deal occurring during my trip, my new book goes to nearly half way around the world to distant and ancient lands. Home to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with my family, my mind is still wandering those new-found hauntingly beautiful places in Italy, Canary Islands and Brazil.

That we can have such an amazing life is due in large part to the brave men and women in uniform who have made this world safe, and made all these things possible. I've said it before and never get tired saying it, we owe our freedom and our "normal" lives to those that often sacrificed everything for us. And for that tremendous gift at Christmas time, I say thanks, and vow to live my life with all the fullness and intensity I can stand.

Thank you vets, from all countries. You are my real heroes.



Sharon Hamilton
Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.

Friday, December 20, 2013

How My Heroes Look in My Head

~by Laura Kaye

So I've been getting lots of questions lately about how my military heroes look in my head, so today I thought I'd share some sexy dreamcasting for each of my military romance titles out to date!

The Heroes Series:
 
Giulio Berruti is an Italian model and actor, and he is so very Marco Vieri to me, right down to the pale eyes and the bruise and the gloves (there's a boxing scene in Her Forbidden Hero). 

 
Actor Kellan Lutz is such a cutie in general, but here he has a serious, tortured hero feel that was just right for Brady Scott. Plus I can't decide whether Kellan's or Giulio's biceps is more distracting! LOL

The Hard Ink Series:
 
Actor Tyler Hoechlin's pale green eyes and dark brown hair formed the perfect representation of Nick Rixey in my mind's eye. This picture hung above my desk while I was writing. And, um, it's still there!

 
With the sexy, playful smirk and the blond-tipped hair and the muscles, fitness model/guru Jessie Pavelka makes the perfect Shane McCallan. There's also a picture of him in the shower which is quite...inspiring.

Buy Laura's Books on Amazon | B&N | Kobo

If you've read the books, how do they match up with the image in your head? :) Thanks for reading!

~Laura Kaye
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