Showing posts with label Lindsay McKenna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lindsay McKenna. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Aloha to Lindsay McKenna and SECRET DREAM (Delos Novella)


Reminder - I have a special giveaway for July at this link.

Ex-Navy SEAL Cav Jordan faces danger daily in his job as a security expert. He even faced down a gang of South American drug dealers to protect his fiancĂ©e, Lia Cassidy. So why is he terrified of meeting her parents? Having lived through his own horrible childhood Cav can’t understand the situation is he is walking into. Lia just wants him to meet her parents. Why does this feel like the fight of his life?

Novella: The continued story of Cav and Lia from NOWHERE TO HIDE, Book 1 of the Delos Series. 

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo 

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Lindsay McKenna lives her life as a risk taker, and it shines through the books she loves to write: romance, adventure and suspense. She started writing at age thirteen and continues to hone her writing skills to this day. She sold her first romance novel in 1981. The rest is history.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lindsay offers an excerpt from SECRET DREAM ... 

“Steve Cassidy. Welcome, Mr. Jordan., We owe you a lot.” He gripped Cav’s hand, and choked out, “You saved Lia’s life. Thank you…”

For a moment, Cav was stunned by the sudden kindness emanating from the farmer’s expression who was thin, wiry, sunburned and physically sinewy from the daily work he did. Gripping the farmer’s calloused roughened hand, he said, “Nice to meet you, sir. And I was just doing my job. Call me Cav?”

“Call me Steve.” He clapped him heartily on the back, still clasping his other hand. “And you’re a hero to us, son. Nothing less.” Steve released him, keeping his hand on Cav’s broad shoulder, watching Lia clinging to he mother, both of them in a tight, loving embrace with one another.

Embarrassed by such a show of emotions, Cav murmured, “Thank you, sir.”

Steve gave him an assessing look. “Just Steve will do.”

“Yes, sir….I mean, okay,” Cav stumbled. It was very different meeting people who were strangers, but this was Lia’s parents and he didn’t want to fuck this up for her. Awkwardly, he stood there, watching tears roll down Susan’s face. He wasn’t sure that Lia wasn’t crying too, such was the tight bond they shared. Obliquely, his mind leaped backward. Cav remembered the times his mother had cried. But they were tears of pain. Tears mingled with blood from her nose, a split lip or both after his father got done beating her up. How many times had Cav cried alone in his room wishing she would run away with him from his monster father?

Steve clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s us guys go find your luggage, huh?” and he smiled a little.

Good idea! “Yes, sir—“

Steve laughed and patted him warmly on the back. “You’re staying a week with us, Cav. I’ll work that military side you out of you by then. Come on, let’s hunt up that luggage for our you and our Lia, eh?”

There was a male gruffness mingled with warmth to Steve that made Cav want to open up to the man. He had a deeply weathered face, his blue eyes the same color as Lia’s. The woman he loved had her mother’s same color of hair, her father’s sparkling, mischievous looking eyes and her smile. There was benevolence to Steve Cassidy and Cav automatically found himself wanting to be close to this man who exuded a male gentleness he rarely found in any man. “Thanks for coming to pick us up,” Cav said, noting that the baggage from their flight would be spit out by Carousel Two.

“We’ve been looking forward to seeing you two,” Steve said, standing with his hands on his hips, watching the luggage starting to be dropped off the conveyor belt. “Did you have a good flight?”

“Yes. It was quiet. That’s all I ask.”

“We don’t travel much,” he said. “With a farm, you can’t walk away from it, so I’m glad you came for a visit.”

Cav felt Steve’s genuine sincerity. He hooked a look over his shoulder, seeing Lia and her mother talking animatedly with one another as they walked toward them. Susan had given Lia her smile and her beauty, no question. He liked that the mother had hooked her arm around Lia’s waist and they walked closely, their affection for everyone to see. He knew Lia’s affection himself and already, he could see how happy she was at being home with her parents once more. They breathed even more life into her, if that was possible. Compared to the ghost of a person she was in Costa Rica months earlier, Cav was stunned at Lia’s natural radiance. She was sunshine to his darkened soul who craved her.

“Uh oh,” Steve murmured, grinning as he turned. “I’m about to get attacked.”

For a moment, the word put Cav on instant guard. But as he turned, he saw Steve opening his arms as Lia flew into them, her arms wide open, joy radiant on her face as she clung to her father. A lump formed in his throat as he watched Lia being swallowed up by the big man who kissed her hair, kissed that cheek that had that deep scar on it, his eyes only for his beaming daughter in his arms. His gaze flicked to Susan, who stood a few feet away, teary eyed, smiling, her lower lip trembling as she watched Lia with her doting father. It hurt to swallow and Cav turned away, remembering too much of the twisted and distorted family he’d somehow managed to survive. He’d never known a moment of affection from his father. Only his fist. His hatred. His anger always aimed at him.

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More books in the Delos series ...

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Weekly Winners


We have winners at SOS Aloha!

Celebrate Romance Every Day - Iconic Cover Models
- Janice wins a digital copy of SAVED BY A SEAL


Krista Davis' MURDER SHE BARKED
- Lexi wins a book choice from my convention stash.

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Cindy Gerard's TAKING FIRE
- Artemis wins a print copy.

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From my travel blog, Marjorie wins a book choice from my convention stash.


Winners, please send your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Celebrate Romance Every Day - Iconic Cover Models


From Chris Keniston's February newsletter ...

Y'all remember Fabio, don't you? He held the world's record for most romance novel covers, with his iconic face on the front of 460 romance books. That record was recently broken by a popular cover model from Saratoga, Calif., named Jason Baca. Jason's accomplishment was reported in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Jason is now THE top romance cover model!

Why should I care, you ask? Guess whose cover is number 461? That's right. Saved by a Seal is the cover that broke Fabio's record!

What do ya think of that? I sure hope this sells more books because 100% of author proceeds are being donated to benefit disabled veterans by providing them with service dogs through America's VetDogs.



Mahalo,

Chris 



From America's Vet Dogs,

In 2003, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind (VetDogs parent organization) recognized the need for an assistance dog program for veterans that would incorporate guide dogs, service dogs, and innovative training techniques. America’s VetDogs was created and incorporated to give veterans easy access to the best services possible to improve their lives.

In 2015, VetDogs expanded its programs to include first responders, including fire, police and emergency medical personnel.

All of our services are provided at no cost to veterans and first responders. Our funding comes from the generous contributions of individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses, and service and fraternal clubs.

Check out the website, vetdogs.org, to learn how you can support this effort to help our veterans.

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I am giving away a digital copy of SAVED BY A SEAL to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about dogs - do you have a favorite breed? My family is owned by four Hawaiian cats ... but we often host Pius, a pug, when my friend travels for her job as a Navy surgeon.  All creatures get along!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 27, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 28.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City



Monday, February 15, 2016

Aloha to SAVED BY A SEAL from Lindsay McKenna, Chris Keniston, and Susan Stoker

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No matter how you celebrated Valentine's Day, nothing demonstrates love like supporting a veteran ...

... enter three New York Times / USA TODAY Bestselling authors have joined forces to give back to the military veterans who have given so much to their country. Lindsay McKenna, Chris Keniston and Susan Stoker bring you SAVED BY A SEAL, a first in series box set. Join these authors and their SEAL heroes from the very beginning of their bestselling romance series.

100% of all author proceeds from this first in series boxed set will be donated to AMERICA'S VETDOGS.

NOWHERE TO HIDE by Lindsay McKenna

Lia Cassidy left the Army scarred physically and emotionally after a vicious attack by two fellow soldiers. She turns to helping others, working at a Delos Home School Charity in Costa Rica that aids abused women and children. But when the deadly drug lord, La Arana, attacks the school, Lia finds herself on the run for her life. The only person she can trust is the ex-SEAL sent to protect her.

Cav Jordan is strong, honorable and gorgeous…and intrigued by Lia. He knows she has suffered pain in her past, and he is determined to break through her barriers and earn her trust. But as Cav slowly chips away at the walls Lia has built, ghosts from her past threaten to destroy their fragile relationship.


ALOHA TEXAS by Chris Keniston 

Former navy diver Nicholas Harper likes his new world as captain of a dive boat in Hawaii.

Powerhouse attorney Kara Lynn O'Conner's world revolves around her small Texas town where life is easy and safe.

Six year old Bradley Cooper is about to change everything.


PROTECTING CAROLINE by Susan Stoker 


Matthew “Wolf” Steel hated flying commercial. Luckily his job as a Navy SEAL meant he didn’t have to do it very often. He’d been unlucky enough to be assigned a middle seat on the cramped jet, but fortunately for him, the woman next to him was willing to switch seats with him. Hoping for a relaxing flight, Wolf was pleasantly surprised at the good conversation and sense of humor the woman had as they flew 36,000 feet over the countryside.

When Caroline boarded the plane to Virginia to move across the country for her new job she never expected to be seated next to the hottest guy she’d ever seen. She also never expected he’d be so easy to talk to. She knew he’d never be interested in talking to her if he hadn’t been trapped in the seat next to her, but it was a nice way to spend a long plane ride.

Neither Wolf nor Caroline were prepared for a terrorist hijacking of their plane, but if Caroline thought that would be the last time she’d see, or need, Wolf, she’d be sorely mistaken. 


Buy SAVED BY A SEAL from Amazon at this link.

vetdogs.com

America’s VetDogs® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that serves the needs of disabled veterans from all eras who have honorably served our country. VetDogs provides guide dogs for individuals who are blind or have low vision; hearing dogs for those who have lost their hearing later in life; service dogs for those with other physical disabilities; facility dogs as part of the rehabilitation.

Check out vetdogs.com to find out how you can help.

vetdogs.com

I am giving away a digital copy of SAVED BY A SEAL to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Have you seen any seals in a zoo, aquarium, or in the sea? I've see the Hawaiian monk seals on Oahu, including one who took a snooze on President's Beach on Marine Corps Base Hawaii.  When the endangered seals come ashore, security forces (or animal protection) place signs to remind the public to refrain from disturbing them.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 20, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 21.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City



Friday, January 29, 2016

Survey says ... Multicultural Romance

Hawaii taught me diversity ...

I discovered Buzzr TV during Winter Storm Jonas. The cable station replays game shows from the 80s - Match Game, Super Password, Card Sharks, and Family Feud with Richard Dawson. During Family Feud's Fast Money, Dawson asked, "Name an occupation that makes people feel good."  

My answer, of course, was romance writer.  Romance creates hope. Romance sparks love. Romance delivers the Happily Ever After.  I intended to write more about this topic ... but a family feud has erupted in Romanceland.  A feud that needs to be addressed. 


Freelance writer Bobbi Dumas posted an article on Kirkus Reviews, New Year, New Reading Resolution, at this link.   Bobbi introduced her month long promotion of Celebrating Diversity in Romance at this link.

Scroll to the second comment to read the questions posted by historical author Courtney Milan. 

Bobbi responded to Courtney in a second post at this link.

Courtney posted a summary of the issues on her own blog, Speaking up against systemic racism in the publishing industry, at this link.  She wrote,
If you care about romance and the future of the romance genre, why aren’t you angry with me?

Wendy the Super Librarian adds her thoughts, The One Where Wendy Talks About Diversity, at this link.

I understand Courtney's anger.  I've seen injustice in the military, as an officer and a spouse.  I have witnessed officers and their spouses, who had the means and opportunity to address injustice, simply ignore it.  I have reported unethical behavior to commanders, only to find myself the target of retribution.  I know my actions made a difference, but it was painful to be isolated by my own community.  This happened during my family's last year in Hawaii when my husband was away in Korea.  Two other military spouses kept me sane - NL Gassert, author of Gay Fiction, and D. Renee Bagby, author of Interracial Fantasy/Paranormal Romance. 

Nadja and the Laie Sea Arch

Nadja, Renee, and I met on a weekly basis to tour the island. We would chat about books, TV, and movies. I would share my adventures at conventions. I think they would have enjoyed the 2014 RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans, especially the Welcome Party (link). RT sponsored the delicious crepe breakfast along with a salute to romance trailblazers, including:

- Lindsay McKenna as the pioneer of Military Romances (she is a Vietnam era Navy veteran)

- Heather Graham for her efforts to revitalize New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

- Brenda Jackson, Sandra Kitt, and Beverly Jenkins for pioneering multicultural romance.

Sadly, the audience talked through Lindsay's comments. Then, most of the audience walked out after they finished their crepes just as Kathryn Falk took to the stage to introduce the multicultural pioneers.  They missed hearing how these women overcame challenges to bring their stories to life in romance novels.  I was embarrassed that many attendees did not take the time to hear these legends. From this experience, I understand why multicultural writers feel dismissed by the romance industry.

(I will ask RT if they recorded the Welcome Party.  If the staff did, I will encourage RT to post it on YouTube ... it is worth watching!)



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Barse's Romance in the Library of Congress
Public Domain (link)

In February 2015, I attended a special symposium, What Is Love? Romance in the Digital Age, at the Library of Congress (link, link, link, and link).  The first panel, Romance Canon, featured multicultural pioneer Beverly Jenkins.  As I wrote on my blog,

I borrowed a pen from the lovely lady next to me - a fan of Beverly Jenkins - so I could take notes. I uncapped the pen just in time to hear Beverly discuss that African American romance has been absent from romance canon. She added that it took Terry McMillan's WAITING TO EXHALE to hit the best seller for the publishing industry to realize black women actually read books (Beverly was very funny in her delivery).

I skipped the second panel to watch the documentary Love Between the Covers (link).  The film spotlighted the everyday lives of several authors, including Beverly Jenkins.  She spoke to the camera (paraphrase), "If readers can accept vampires fall in love, why can't they accept African Americans in a relationship?"  Beverly's comments still resonate with me.

One year later, Beverly's question has been answered with her latest release, FORBIDDEN.  It landed on Sarah MacLean's recommend reads for February in the Washington Post (link),


Jenkins does not shy away from the challenges that Eddy and Rhine and all black Americans face in the 1870s, and the truth of their journey makes this romance even more powerful when Rhine must reveal the truth to be worthy of Eddy’s love. This is historical romance at its very best.

Military friends at RT in Dallas
Tamara Argyle, Sharon Hamilton, Jackson Young,
 Siera London, and Kathy Crouch.

Back to Family Feud.  Dawson asked, "Name an occupation that makes people feel good."  The number one answer, "Nurse."  I immediately thought of Siera London.

I met Siera, a retired Navy nurse, during the 2014 RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans.  She introduced herself to me as a fellow RomVet at the SOS America promo table. The following year, we bumped into each other at the Library of Congress.  She also attended RT in Dallas, where I invited her to be a guest on my blog (link).  

Thank you, Siera, for your service!

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In celebration of nurses and authors, who make people feel good, I am giving away Siera's latest release, A DOCTOR FOR CHRISTMAS: A Bachelors of Shell Cove Romance Novella, to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Siera currently lives in the Florida Keys - what do you know about the keys?  I grew up in Miami, so the Keys were a weekend escape where we enjoyed Key Lime Pie!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 7.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

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More books from Siera London



Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Wednesday's Warriors - Aloha to Lindsay McKenna and BROKEN DREAMS (Delos Series Book 4)


Captain Alexa Culver takes one look at shy, quiet Marine sniper Gage Hunter and feels an instant connection. But Gage has demons in his past that keep him from giving it to their mutual attraction. Alexa believes Gage is worth fighting for, and begins to slowly chip away at his defenses.

Gage Hunter has lost everyone he has ever loved. Lonely and broken, the last thing he expects is to meet someone like Alexa Culver. The redheaded beauty is confident and outgoing and makes Gage feel emotions he thought long buried. But before he risks revealing his heart to her she is kidnapped by the Taliban while on a humanitarian mission. Can Gage reach her before he loses his chance for love forever?


Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo



Lindsay McKenna lives her life as a risk taker, and it shines through the books she loves to write: romance, adventure and suspense. She started writing at age thirteen and continues to hone her writing skills to this day. She sold her first romance novel in 1981. The rest is history.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lindsay offers an excerpt from BROKEN DREAMS ...

Captain Alexa Culver saw three soldiers ease from the bar, their eyes on her. She was going to say something when Marine Corps Sergeant Gage Hunter put himself right in front of her, standing there like the bristling, quiet alpha he was.

She stood near his right side and behind him. This wasn’t the first time she’d been hit on in a canteen at Bagram Army Base. As an officer, she had the rank, and Alexa was more than prepared to use it, but Gage, as if reading her mind, lifted his hand, opening it toward her.

“Let me handle this?” he asked, giving her a sideward glance.

There was something deadly about his demeanor. Alexa gave a brisk nod and watched him turn away, facing the three enlisted soldiers, who were so drunk they bumped into one another as they approached.

The canteen suddenly quieted, and Alexa felt anger stirring in her. She hated this kind of shit. Always had. And in the past, she’d handled it just fine on her own. But there was something reassuring about Gage as he stood there loosely, his large hands hanging relaxed at his sides, his piercing gaze on the three soldiers.

There would be no fight here today if Alexa had anything to say about it.

“That’s close enough,” Gage said in a quiet but firm voice.

The three soldiers halted. The red-haired one snorted.

“Get the fuck out of the way, dude. We want to talk to the lady.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Gage said, his voice low, almost friendly. “Why don’t you three go back to the bar and finish off your beers? The lady and I are leaving.”

Alexa silently cheered Gage on for his diplomacy. She liked that he didn’t get threatening, all huff and puff. The confusion in two of the three soldiers’ expressions told her Gage had made contact. The red-haired one, however, wasn’t having it. He was drunk enough, stupid enough, to push harder. And Gage stood about five inches taller than the soldier. Alexa knew that when someone was drunk, details like that failed to register.

“You can leave, dude,” the red-haired soldier said with a broad wave of his hand. “But she stays. She’s ours,” he sneered, glaring up at Gage.

One corner of Gage’s mouth twitched. “What do you say we take this outside and settle it, then, because the lady is with me.”

The gauntlet had been thrown down so quietly that Alexa barely heard the veiled threat in Gage’s tone. She looked at the rest of the men in the canteen. They were all leaning forward, straining to hear him speak. Someone behind the bar shut off the music.

Silence.

Dead silence.

Alexa gulped, her gaze shooting from Gage’s harsh profile to the soldier, who was barely able to stand, six feet away from him. Before she could step in and say anything, Gage turned, cupped her right elbow, and guided her around where the soldiers stood. His gaze never left the red-haired one until they were past him.

The rest of the men in the canteen stepped aside, allowing them passage to the door. Gage pushed it open, guiding Alexa outside, his hand still firm on her elbow.

Sunlight, bright and blinding, hit Alexa. Gage continued down the wet sidewalk, which had earlier been shoveled clear of snow on both sides. Now, in midafternoon, it was melting on the desert base. The wind was breezy, and Alexa was glad to be near Gage. He was like a mountain preventing the cold air from reaching her.

“I like your style,” she told him, looking up at him as she pulled on her aviator sunglasses.

“He was too damned drunk to know up from down,” Gage said, shaking his head in disgust.

“I saw him latch on to the hog’s tooth you’re wearing.”

“I was hoping he would.”

Once they reached the broad sidewalk that curved along the wet asphalt two-lane street, Gage released her elbow. He didn’t want to, but knew he should. Even though he wore civilian clothes, Alexa was in uniform, and her captain’s bars were clearly visible on the shoulders of her flight suit. He checked his stride for her sake, keeping her on the inside of the street. He kept watching Humvees move slowly up and down it.

“I could have handled that confrontation, Gage.”

“I know you could.” He shot a glance down at her. “And I can just hear you asking why I didn’t let you do it.”

Her lips curved. “You’re good, I’ll give you that.”

A slow grin appeared. “Hey, I promised your brother Matt that I’d take care of you after he left. My word is my bond.”

A good, clean feeling flowed through Alexa. He’d put on a pair of wraparound sunglasses, his baseball cap low on his brow. Gage Hunter was a badass in disguise, and she suddenly grinned.

“Just another thing to like about you.” She saw him cock his head in her direction, knowing his gaze was locked on her even if she couldn’t see it. “You’re a badass,” Alexa said, watching his lips twitch. This man did not give a thing away. Why? What made him close up like that?

“The enemy thinks so.”

“So did those three idiots in the canteen.”

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More books in the series ...

Friday, December 11, 2015

Flash Holiday Giveaway - Harper Collins Christmas Duo

Ali'iolani Hale (Justice House) Christmas Tree

One last flash holiday from Harper Collins (Harlequin Books and Avon Romance):

COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS from three military veterans - Lindsay McKenna (Navy), Delores Fossen (Air Force), and Geri Krotow (Navy):

Three stories salute the romance of holiday homecomings 

Christmas Angel by Lindsay McKenna

When Navy SEAL Kyle Anderson gets a call saying Anna Campbell needs him, he doesn't think twice. On the Montana ranch where they grew up, holiday magic permeates every acre, kindling long-awaited love. But will duty trump desire?

Unexpected Gift by Delores Fossen

Tailed by a camera crew, Air Force Captain Gabe Brenner returns to Texas to deliver a Christmas message to his best friend's sister Kelly Coburn. But she's had her own delivery: beautiful baby Noel…Gabe's daughter.

Navy Joy by Geri Krotow

Chief Petty Officer Ian Cairne arrives stateside for Christmas with a four-legged friend: his late buddy's military service dog. Fortunately, the beautiful town vet Wendi Cooper is willing to take this odd couple into her home—and her heart.


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Lori Wilde's CHRISTMAS AT TWILIGHT (Twilight, Texas, Book 6):

It's Christmas in Twilight, Texas. The Cookie Club is baking, the town is decorated, and Delta Force Operator "Hutch" Hutchinson has finally, reluctantly, returned home . . .

. . . only to get pepper sprayed by the delicious- looking stranger who's taken over his house. She says her name is Jane, and she immediately sets down ground rules. Top priority: no touching. For Hutch that isn't easy—he was wounded in action, but one part is still working very well.

Then Hutch learns the truth. Jane harbors a frightening secret—she's really Meredith Sommers, on the run from a dangerous ex-husband and desperately in need of the safety Hutch can provide. In that moment, he vows he'd do anything in his power to protect her. And as Christmas approaches, they discover that their love can conquer the past and overcome any obstacle—but what price will they pay?

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To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment your favorite holiday decoration - Christmas tree?  Blinking lights?  Stockings hung by the chimney with care?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, December 12, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, December 13.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

'Iolani Palace paper lanterns

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Wednesday's Warriors - Aloha to Lindsay McKenna and FORGED IN FIRE


Pediatrician Dara McKinley loves her job. So how could she say no when her sister asks her to come to Kabul for a few weeks to offer medical assistance at a local orphanage? Terrified of the dangers surrounding her, Dara finds unexpected solace in the protective arms of Sergeant Matt Culver. Transfixed by the warrior with the exotic gold eyes, can Dara overcome her fears?

Matt, a Delta Force operator, has always listened to his instincts, and they have yet to steer him wrong. So when he sees the alluring blond belly dancer at Bagram’s annual holiday show, he knows without a doubt that she’s “the one.” Now he just has to convince her to take a chance on him…and love. If they survive…


Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

259670832613975426868931

Lindsay McKenna lives her life as a risk taker, and it shines through the books she loves to write: romance, adventure and suspense. She started writing at age thirteen and continues to hone her writing skills to this day. She sold her first romance novel in 1981. The rest is history.

Lindsay loves to hear from her readers and loves to know what they’d like to see her write next. Stay up with the latest on the Delos Series here. Please visit her Web site at lindsaymckenna.com. And be sure to sign up for her free quarterly newsletter. It contains exclusive content found nowhere else on the Net. Plus, giveaways and other surprises, to her loyal and faithful subscribers!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Wednesday's Warriors - Aloha to Lindsay McKenna and TANGLED PURSUIT


It is my pleasure to spotlight TANGLED PURSUIT from Navy veteran turned romance author Lindsay McKenna .... just in time for the Marine Corps' birthday and Veterans Day:

Navy SEAL Chief Wyatt Lockwood is fascinated by Marine sniper Captain Talia Culver. But she wants nothing to do with him after learning of his reputation as a heartbreaker. The cocky Texan refuses to take the hint and keeps placing himself in Tal’s path. When she agrees to help him tend to needy families in an Afghan village, she learns there’s more to this SEAL than meets the eye. But is she strong enough to risk having her heart broken again?

Wyatt can’t stay away from the beautiful, surly Marine. Tal is fascinating—and frustrating—and he is determined to crack through her tough exterior and get to know the soft woman he knows lurks beneath the surface. When he joins Tal on a sniper mission in the Afghan mountains, their bond continues to grow. But the mission takes a dangerous turn. Has he lost his chance with Tal forever?

TANGLED PURSUIT is Book 2 in the Delos series.

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo


Lindsay McKenna lives her life as a risk taker, and it shines through the books she loves to write: romance, adventure and suspense. She started writing at age thirteen and continues to hone her writing skills to this day. She sold her first romance novel in 1981. The rest is history.

Because she went into the military, this experience became the backbone of her writing—she is credited with writing the first military romance novel (Captive of Fate, 1983, Silhouette Special Edition) and has created a thriving sub-genre within the romance field! As a New York Times Best Selling author, she has sold 23 million books and in 32 foreign languages in her career thus far. Her many experiences in the U.S. Navy are backdrop for her understanding of the military in general, and also her very successful Morgan’s Mercenaries, which is an ongoing series in Silhouette to this day! Forty-five books strong!

Lindsay has gone Indie in 2015 and has created a new family saga on par with Morgan’s Mercenaries It is known as the DELOS SERIES. There will be paperback and eBooks created under Blue Turtle Publishing, her company for her fans. Readers who love Morgan and his family are bound to fall in love with the Culver family. Delos is romantic suspense, which Lindsay is well known for. It took her five years to create and bring DELOS to her readers. It was worth the wait, but we’ll let you decide that.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Lindsay offers an exclusive excerpt from TANGLED PURSUIT:

Chief Wyatt Lockwood kept his gaze averted but was still able to find Captain Talia Culver, U.S. Marine Corps, who stood restively in the Bagram chow line. She was with her brother, Matt, and her sister, Alexa. He knew Matt well because they’d worked together on a number of black ops missions over the years. Alexa was an unknown simply because she was an Air Force combat pilot and he was a ground-pounder.

As he hungrily scooped up his second helping of six eggs, along with a tray piled high with bacon and toast, he smiled to himself. His “animals,” the other SEALs in his platoon, had their heads down, concentrating on wolfing down as much protein their empty stomachs could hold.

But he had other fish to fry. Namely, Tal. Damn, she was an Amazon-warrior knockout. Of course, he’d never tell her that. She’d get royally pissed off, turn on her heel, and leave him in a huff without another word. She was like that, quick to give him an icy glare. She didn’t have the time of day for him, which her body language had told him again and again—for three years, in fact.

He watched Tal and her sister, noting that Tal was taller than most women, although Alexa was only two inches shorter than her. Tal had a lean body that he found himself fantasizing about on far too many nights. Despite her height, she couldn’t have hidden her femininity if she tried.

Granted, out here in the badlands, women didn’t wear makeup or perfume—especially a sniper like Tal. The scent would carry on the wind, straight to the Taliban. They’d follow it and discover her hiding place. He couldn’t even think about what might happen after that.

Turning to his breakfast, he shoveled more eggs into his mouth, delighting in the line of sight he had on the woman he wanted in his bed—one way or another.

Wyatt had always danced away from serious, long-term relationships. Hell, he’d seen too many SEAL marriages fail horribly. A 90 percent divorce rate didn’t offer him the odds he’d need to even consider the idea, which was why he kept his hookups light and short-term.

He often told himself that he was doing women a favor by walking away in the morning. To lead a woman on by making her think there was hope for a serious relationship would be a dark falsehood. SEALs who were in love, he thought, had to lie to themselves about their odds of keeping a marriage together, given their brutal rotation cycle and the fact that they were often away from home for six months or more at a time. He wouldn’t put himself or a woman he wanted to love through that kind of minefield. Wyatt was always upfront with a woman who interested him—that it was for a night of sex, and that was it. If she agreed, they both walked away satisfied and happy the next morning.

Didn’t the woman ever get horny? Hungry for sex? God knew he did! But then, she was a woman, and her hormones were different from a man’s, although he did know plenty of women who liked having sex. Too bad Tal wasn’t more like them.

Wyatt had once heard Matt hint that there were two main reasons Tal wasn’t interested in him. First, he was enlisted and she was an officer. The UCMJ rules were very clear that it was taboo for men and women in those categories to get together. Of course, Wyatt never worried about that. SEALs had a hell of a reputation for breaking rules in the military and living to tell about it.

In fact, he knew plenty of officers and enlisted here on this base who would eagerly fraternize with one another. The key, of course, was keeping it hidden from a superior officer or individuals who might want to make trouble for the couple. If an officer was caught fraternizing with an enlisted, his or her career could go to hell pretty damn fast.

Maybe he could convince Tal Culver that he’d personally guarantee that no one on this base would ever find them out. He’d say whatever he had to in order to get her into bed. Then again, he’d have to get her to talk to him first, so the chances were slim to none that he’d have to bother with guarantees!

The other reason Matt had given him was cause for serious concern. He’d told Wyatt that Tal had lost the man she loved, a Marine sniper, six years ago. The couple had been deeply in love, Matt confided.

Wyatt had wanted to continue their conversation and was frustrated that he’d have to wait to learn more—if Matt was in the mood then to continue his confidences. Maybe she was still grieving. Wyatt had never been in love, so he didn’t understand someone having to work through years of grief.

The strangest thing was, he had a feeling—call it intuition—that deep down, Tal actually respected him. That was the thing about being a SEAL, working for years under life-and-death conditions. A SEAL’s intuition was so developed, it often flew off the charts. He’d seen intuition save a man’s life, and Wyatt’s psychic ability was damn near in the paranormal range. His platoon knew about his gift and always deferred to him on a DA when he told them to stop, that there was a Taliban ambush ahead of them. And he was never wrong.

He watched Tal lead the way from the chow line to the opposite end of the hall from where he and his team sat, and smiled. Yeah, she knew exactly where he was sitting and was going to avoid him big-time. Pushing the emptied tray away from him, he picked up his mug of coffee and finished it off. God, how he’d missed good, strong espresso. Six months without a sip of it had been starting to stress him out.

Tal move between the tables. His body responded as he silently observed her. She had one of the nicest-shaped asses he’d ever seen on a woman. He could tell by the way she walked, the way her loose-fitting Marine outfit flowed over her hips, that she would be exciting to explore. His hands itched. Damn. He had it bad for his ice queen.

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Other books in the Delos series ...

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Aloha to Lindsay McKenna and NOWHERE TO HIDE


This week we celebrate the US Navy's 240th birthday!  I am honored to host Navy Veteran Lindsay McKenna as she celebrates the release of NOWHERE TO HIDE, Book 1 from the Delos series: 

Lia Cassidy left the Army scarred physically and emotionally after a vicious attack by two fellow soldiers. She turns to helping others, working at a Delos Home School Charity in Costa Rica that provides schooling for children. But when the deadly drug lord, La Arana, attacks the school, Lia finds herself on the run for her life. The only person she can trust is the ex-SEAL sent to protect her.

Cav Jordan is strong, honorable and gorgeous…and intrigued by Lia. He knows she has suffered pain in her past, and he is determined to break through her barriers and earn her trust. But as Cav slowly chips away at the walls Lia has built, ghosts from her past threaten to destroy their fragile relationship.


Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo 


Lindsay McKenna lives her life as a risk taker, and it shines through the books she loves to write: romance, adventure and suspense. She started writing at age thirteen and continues to hone her writing skills to this day. She sold her first romance novel in 1981. The rest is history.

Because she went into the military, this experience became the backbone of her writing—she is credited with writing the first military romance novel (Captive of Fate, 1983, Silhouette Special Edition) and has created a thriving sub-genre within the romance field! As a New York Times Best Selling author, she has sold 23 million books and in 32 foreign languages in her career thus far. Her many experiences in the U.S. Navy are backdrop for her understanding of the military in general, and also her very successful Morgan’s Mercenaries, which is an ongoing series in Silhouette to this day! Forty-five books strong!

Lindsay has gone Indie in 2015 and has created a new family saga on par with Morgan’s Mercenaries It is known as the DELOS SERIES. There will be paperback and eBooks created under Blue Turtle Publishing, her company for her fans. Readers who love Morgan and his family are bound to fall in love with the Culver family. Delos is romantic suspense, which Lindsay is well known for. It took her five years to create and bring DELOS to her readers. It was worth the wait, but we’ll let you decide that.

Lindsay loves to hear from her readers and loves to know what they’d like to see her write next.

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Monday, May 18, 2015

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Lindsay McKenna

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Lindsay McKenna hosted the Shadow Warriors table at the SOS America Military Tribute during the RT Booklovers Convention in Dallas (pictures to come).  She is a Navy Veteran who proudly served during the Vietnam War.  From her bio,

Naturally, Lindsay's military experience is the backbone of her writing--in addition to being credited with writing the first military romance novel (Captive of Fate, 1983), she has created a thriving sub-genre within the romance field. It is, therefore, no surprise that her many experiences in the U.S. Navy are a backdrop for her upcoming Operation: Shadow Warriors series.


Lindsay McKenna

RUNNING FIRE is Book 8 in her Shadow Warriors series,

He was a haven in the midst of Hell…

Temporarily assigned to the Shadow Squadron in a troubled region of Afghanistan, Chief Warrant Officer and pilot Leah Mackenzie is no stranger to conflict—even if most of her physical and emotional scars are courtesy of her vicious ex. Still, she's got a bad feeling about picking up a team of stranded SEALs. A feeling that's all too justified once enemy fire hits their helicopter and all hell breaks loose…

SEAL Kell Ballard's goal was to get the injured pilot out of harm's way and find shelter deep in the labyrinth of caves. It's a place of dark intimacy, where Leah finds unexpected safety in a man's arms. Where prohibited attraction burns brightly. And where they'll hide until the time comes to face the enemy outside…and the enemy within their ranks. 


Nowhere to HideTangled Pursuit

Lindsay has an exciting new series coming this fall ... and we will talk about it here at SOS Aloha!  

May is National Military Appreciation Month. For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about the Navy - what do you know about it?   I just read the Navy is hosting a special march in June 11 at the Naval Academy to commemorate the 73th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, a decisive battle in WWII.  


(I posted another question in error - all comments are good!)

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City


Learn more about Lindsay and her books at lindsaymckenna.com.

Forged in FireBroken Dreams