Aloha to Carol J. Post and REUNITED BY DANGER (Cedar Key Book 5)

When a former classmate is murdered at Detective Caleb Lyons's ten-year high school reunion, he knows the victim's old group of friends are keeping secrets. That includes Cedar Key, Florida, police officer Amber Kingston. Back in school, Amber was headed for trouble, but now she's as dedicated to the law as he is. As he works overtime to get the pretty cop to open up to him, Amber and her friends receive messages threatening payback for past deeds. And her friends keep dying...one by one. But protecting Amber and unmasking a murderer isn't just the widowed detective's shot at redemption--it's his unexpected second chance at love.

Lighthouse at Cedar Key

Photo courtesy of the Florida Archives (link)

Author Carol Post transports readers to the historic town turned tourist destination of Cedar Key on Florida's Gulf Coast. I found this tidbit on Wikipedia (link), 

Early in his career as a naturalist, John Muir walked 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from Louisville, Kentucky, to Cedar Key in just two months in 1867. Muir contracted malaria while working in a sawmill in Cedar Key, and recovered in the house of the mill's superintendent. Muir recovered enough to sail from Cedar Key to Cuba in January 1868. He recorded his impressions of Cedar Key in his memoir, A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf, which was published in 1916, after his death.

I have not visited Cedar Key ... yet ... but look forward to visiting it through REUNITED BY DANGER.  Given Carol Post lives in Central Florida, she knows a thing or two romance and suspense in the Sunshine State!   I am giving away a swag pack from RWA17 - recently held in Orlando - to four randomly selected commenters from my posts published in the month of September. To enter the giveaway,

1. What do you know about Florida - have you visited its sunny beaches, historic sites, or sleepy towns?

I attended the University of Tampa, housed in the former Plant Hotel.  Built by railroad magnate Henry Plant in 1891, it offers a resort destination for those who traveled by rail to Tampa. Even Colonel Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders laid their heads to rest in the hotel.  Check out my pictures of UT/Plant Hotel at this link.

2. Comments are open through Saturday, September 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Carol and her books at caroljpost.com.

More books in the Cedar Key series ... 

Aloha to Tracey Devlyn and ROAMING WILD - With giveaway!

She’s loved him forever…

The last thing traveling nurse Evie Steele expects to find aboard the RV housing her mobile health clinic is her brother’s best friend. As always, Deke’s close proximity stirs her forbidden desires and long-suppressed dreams. But his sudden reappearance in her life and curious interest in her patients makes Evie wonder what he’s hiding.

…but now his secrets could destroy them both.

Special agent Deke Conrad is in big trouble. Not only does he have a thing for his friend’s little sister, but what should be a routine mission is turning into a tour of temptation and survival. He fooled himself into thinking he could keep the beautiful and dynamic Evie in the dark while he used the cover of her Med Mobile to track down a merciless wildlife trafficker. But he didn't anticipate the lure of her scent or the warmth of her smile…or the string of dead bodies littering their path.

When Evie winds up in his enemy’s crosshairs, Deke must unleash every weapon in his arsenal to save her, including his heart. But will he be too late?

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USA Today bestselling author Tracey Devlyn wanted to be the next Dian Fossey and explore the wilds of Africa, but that was before she met chemistry and calculus and realized a business major, rather than a science degree, might be more up her alley.

Tracey writes contemporary and historical romantic suspense, historical mysteries, and mainstream thrillers. An Illinois native, Tracey spends her evenings harassing her once-in-a-lifetime husband and her weekends torturing her characters.

For more information on Tracey, including her Internet haunts, contest updates, and details on her upcoming novels, please visit her website at TraceyDevlyn.com. Want information about Tracey's new releases to be delivered to your email inbox? Consider signing up for her newsletter traceydevlyn.com/contact. 

Tracey can also be found at 

Instagram.com/TraceyDevlyn

Twitter.com/TraceyDevlyn

Facebook.com/AuthorTraceyDevlyn

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Aloha to J.J. Montgomery and GUN FOR HIRE - Romantic Suspense on Maui!

I am excited to host J.J. Montgomery today with her debut novel, GUN FOR HIRE, set in my beloved Hawaii:

The job should have been easy—patrol a swank beach that serves as a backyard for Maui’s rich, kick out the riffraff, and get a tan in the process. But rent-a-cop Samantha Winters didn’t anticipate a deliciously grumpy cop, Sergeant Grady Roark, who comes down to the beach to bust her chops and instead leaves her breathless…and wondering why the one man who could help her seems determined to thwart her at every turn.

Grady is keeping secrets from Sam that have him walking the line between attraction and duty. But when Sam becomes the target of a shadowy organization, Grady will have to choose between the law and the temptation of a woman who has him breaking every rule he’s ever known.

The job should have been easy, but when the bullets start flying, Sam learns nothing is as easy as it seems when you’re a Gun for Hire.

Amazon | The Wild Rose Press 

I invited J.J. for a cozy chat ... from her bio (link),

I now live in Bogota, Colombia with Romeo, Little Man, Princess Pretty and a rescue mutt better known by her informal name, No-No-Bad-Dog.

So how do you keep a full time job, mother two children and a dog, move to a new country every couple of years and publish a novel? I’m hoping to figure it out! Check out the blog for updates on whether or not I’m still sane, or you can reach me on Twitter, Facebook, or my favorite, Instagram.

Kim:  Bogota - what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?

J. J.: Oh, I love Bogota so much. It’s going to be hard to narrow it down! Sight: Parque El Virrey on a sunny Sunday when there are just hundreds of people, dogs, and children wandering around enjoying life. It is so vibrant and truly, what they say about Colombia is true – Colombianos are the most beautiful people on earth, inside and out.

Sound: The sound of Bogota during Semana Santa – when everyone leaves town! It’s a really congested city, and then all the sudden there is this magical week where it’s just so peaceful. Still the same gorgeous place but with half the decibels.

Smell: Carimañolas frying. They’re these stuffed fritter things they make on the coast from a yucca dough. Yucca is a root vegetable and it turns into this lighter-than-clouds dough – it’s like eating a meat filled donut. I cannot express to you how delicious these things are.

Kim:  Frequent moves - what do you collect from each country where you live or visit?

J.J.: My husband and I wanted to collect paintings from every place we went, but that hobby got real expensive real fast. It resulted in one spectacular painting from Italy that convinced us we’d need much better paying jobs if we were going to keep that up! I’ve scaled back and now earrings are my thing. My favorites are this dangly green pair I got from Puebla, Mexico. And I recently had the joy of buying my daughter her first big girl earrings from the gold souk in Dubai. That place was incredible!

Kim: Maui - what inspired you to set GUN FOR FIRE on the Valley Isle? 

J.J.: I grew up in Oregon and Maui is a direct flight from my home town. My family used to go there for vacation. My best memories of my young life and my family happened on Maui. I got engaged to my husband on a cliff overlooking Honolua Bay. My son’s first swim in the ocean happened on Kamaole I beach. I would say that choosing Maui as the setting for my book really came from a place of love and respect for that gorgeous island.

Mahalo, J.J. for sharing GUN FOR HIRE with us!  J.J. is hosting a giveaway at this link:

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and offers an excerpt below.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

“The sunlight was intense after a half hour in that gloomy space, but I squinted hard and kept moving toward a narrow set of steps down to the parking lot. Grady walked a few paces behind me, and if he heard the crinkle of paper as I moved, he elected not to say anything. 

Grady hit the remote to his truck and grabbed for the passenger side door, his hand light on my elbow as he helped me up. Paper crackled as my butt hit the seat and Grady’s eyes narrowed. Without a word, he slammed my door and went around to the driver’s side, climbing up into the cab and stabbing the keys into the ignition.

“So, I—” I hesitated as I shifted in my seat and my movement was accompanied by the distinct sound of cardboard bending.

“No,” Grady muttered, and clicked on the radio. “No talking.”

“But—”

“Shh.” Grady put a finger to his lips, his eyes still on the road. “Any minute you’re going to tell me about the felony crime you just committed. And then I’m going to have to deal with the fact that I was an accessory to a felony crime."

“Umm, yeah.” I reached around to the back of my pants and eased the file folder up from my waistband, working it out slowly so as to not lose anything as Grady headed up the hillside toward his house. As I brought it around to look at it, the red block letters damning me to years of incarceration should I get caught, a muscle ticked in Grady’s jaw.

“You stole classified documents.” He shook his head from side to side.

I looked up at Grady and then down at the mangled file with the red Top Secret heading. I took a corner of the front sheet and ripped across the width of the page, separating the words “Top Secret” from the rest of the paper.

“They’re declassified now.” I crumpled up the classification and shoved it in my pocket.

Grady sighed.

I shrugged and opened the file.” 

Aloha to Julie Ann Walker and DEVIL AND THE DEEP (Deep Six Book 2)

Reminder: I have a special giveaway to celebrate June at this link.

The former SEALs of The Deep Six return in a sizzling series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker.
A COVERT MISSION

Maddy Powers’s life revolves around cocktail parties, political fundraisers, and charity events — but she can’t forget the daring former SEAL who appropriated her father’s yacht a few months ago … or the scorching kiss they shared before he disappeared into the deep blue sea.

SPARKS A FLAMING DESIRE

Bran Pallidino carries a dark secret behind his lady-killer eyes — one that keeps him from pursuing a serious relationship with Maddy. But when she’s taken hostage during a trip to the Dry Tortugas, the men of Deep Six Salvage drop their treasure hunt for a sunken galleon and embark on a dangerous mission to save Maddy.

WITH EARTH-SHATTERING REPERCUSSIONS

As they fight her merciless kidnappers, they discover this isn’t a simple hostage situation, but something far more sinister. Passion boils between Bran and Maddy, but what good is putting their hearts on the line if they don’t survive the dawn?

Amazon

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BAM

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Black Knights Inc. romantic suspense series. You can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission. She lives in Chicago, IL.

Learn more about Julie and her books at julieannwalker.com.

Vintage "yacht" from Pearl Harbor

Sourcebooks is hosting a giveaway at this link ... and offers an excerpt from DEVIL AND THE DEEP:

7:10 p.m.…

I can’t believe this is happenin’ again! Maddy silently screamed.

She’d already been held hostage once. Surely that was enough for any one lifetime. And later—that is if she lived through this and had a later—she planned to have a very stern conversation with Fate or Destiny or the Big Man Upstairs, whichever one of them was responsible for this horseshit. But for right now, she had to concentrate everything she had on staying strong for the girls. Staying calm so they would cue off her and stay strong too.

Oh, and she also needed to keep from revisiting the corned beef sandwich she’d had for lunch all over the beach…

When Louisa glanced at her, Maddy rolled in her lips and nodded, hoping to convey confidence. Concerned confidence, but confidence nonetheless. She must have come close to hitting the mark because Louisa dipped her chin, squared her shoulders, and tightened her hold around Sally Mae, who was quietly sniffling and trying her best not to flat-out cry.

“Stop blubbering!” one of the four men who’d stormed the island thundered at Sally Mae. For a couple of seconds after the fishing vessel dropped anchor, Maddy and Ranger Rick had simply stood there like a couple of lollygaggers wondering who the new arrivals could be. Well…Rick had stood there wondering. Something had told Maddy it wasn’t Bran. And since it wasn’t Bran, any curiosity she’d had about the newcomers was overshadowed by the large crack of disappointment that opened up in her heart.

That large crack of disappointment had quickly been replaced by a huge fissure of terror when, through the gathering darkness, she’d watched four hooded figures board a dinghy and zoom toward her, white water rooster-tailing from their outboard engine and the sound of gunfire echoing across the beach as they aimed their weapons in the air.

“Get to the ranger’s station!” Rick had yelled.

Despite a heart frozen with fear, Maddy had sprung into action, racing after him to the spot on the beach where the girls had been in the process of setting up their gear. She’d herded them in front of her on the mad dash to the tiny cottage at the end of the beach. They’d just piled through the front door—Rick making a beeline for the satellite phone in the corner—when the scary-looking masked gunmen wielding even scarier-looking machine guns burst in and ordered them all to halt.

“Run!” Maddy had screamed to the teens, throwing herself in the line of fire as the girls raced for the back door. But Louisa was the only one who made it out of the cottage. After a ten-minute chase around the tiny island, she’d been marched back to join the group already under guard. A few minutes after that, the gunmen had paraded them all back to the beach. Now the girls were huddled together, kept in a tight mass by two of the balaclava-wearing assailants.

They’re just kids! Maddy wanted to scream, rage boiling in her chest like a teakettle getting ready to blow. Stop pointin’ those things at them! But she wisely kept her mouth shut because a third gunman was keeping her dead center in his sights. As for the fourth masked man? Well, he was busy aiming the business end of his weapon at Rick.

“On your knees!” Masked Man Four yelled at Rick. “Get on your fucking knees!” He punctuated his order by jabbing Rick in the kidney with the barrel of his weapon, causing Rick to cry out.

“Lord almighty! Take it easy!” Maddy yelled, unable to stop herself. “He’ll do what you say! Just give him a chance!”

She nodded at Rick as he sank down, hands still raised above his head. Each of her breaths came hard and fast. Her knees felt as liquid as the tepid wave that crawled up the beach to swirl around her ankles for a couple of seconds, leaving a crab to scuttle after it when it retreated back across the sand.

“All of you, put your hands behind your backs!” Masked Man Four bellowed. Then he sucked his teeth like he had something stuck in them. It was a tic. A disgusting habit that left a sour taste on Maddy’s tongue.

Or maybe that’s just fear, she decided, complying with his command.

When she felt her captor tighten a zip tie around her wrists—his hands were warm, sweaty, but his touch chilled her to the bone—she was brought back around to her original thought…

I can’t believe this is happenin’ again!

“I said shut up!” the guy—correction: the asshole—who’d yelled at Sally Mae bellowed at the teen again, causing Sally Mae’s mouth to gape open like a ugly wound even when no other sound emerged.

“Don’t you holler at her!” Maddy shouted. Then she winced when Masked Man Four left Rick to take a menacing step in her direction.

Full darkness had long since fallen. The only light on the island glowed from the crescent moon, the few spotlights on the seawall surrounding the moat, which in turn surrounded the fort, and the small lighthouse atop the garrison that warned away passing vessels. But all combined, it was enough illumination to show the threat in the man’s eyes as he leaned close.

“In case you missed it, honey.” His words were slightly muffled because the balaclava he wore was ninja style. The kind that covered everything but his eyes. Even so, she heard him clearly enough and thought, Oh, no he did not just honey me! “You’re not calling the shots here. We are. So keep that pretty mouth of yours shut, or I might be tempted to put it to better use.” He sucked his teeth again, and Maddy was reminded of the sound a rattlesnake made when it readied itself to strike.

“Don’t you h-hurt her!” Rick gritted.

Masked Man Four—apparently he was the leader since he was doing most of the talking—looked over at Rick, his eyes cold and dark and devoid of any human emotion. Rick swallowed and tried his best to hold the masked man’s gaze. In the end, he couldn’t manage it. He dropped his eyes to the sand in front of him, his dark hair shadowing his face.

“That’s what I thought.” Masked Man Four nodded, his voice cold enough to freeze an open flame. Then he turned his attention to his cohorts. “I think we’re finally ready.” Suck, suck. Maddy was fairly certain she was going to hear that sound in her nightmares.

“Time to head out to the boat?” The other man who was guarding the girls spoke for the first time, his Southern accent thick and telling of a youth spent south of the Mason-Dixon Line. If Maddy had to make a guess, she’d say Georgia or Alabama.

Of course where he grew up wasn’t important because… The boat? Oh, sweet Jesus! She knew the worst possible thing she could do was allow the masked men to take them to a secondary location. That was pretty much How To Survive Attempted Abduction 101.

“Please,” she beseeched Masked Man Four. Like the Temptations sang, she wasn’t too proud to beg. “If it’s money you want—”

“I warned you what I’d do if you didn’t keep your pretty mouth shut, didn’t I?” Suck, suck. The barrel of Masked Man Four’s machine gun was suddenly an inch from Maddy’s nose. Her eyes crossed when she attempted to stare down its black throat.

It was hard to determine if the whooshing sounds she heard were the waves shushing against the beach or her own blood pounding in her ears. She stopped trying to figure it out when the strangest thing happened. Movement in the surf caught her attention. And if her hands hadn’t been tied behind her back, she would’ve used them to rub her eyes.

Suddenly he was there.

Like the great god Poseidon himself rising from the sea, water sheeting off his dark head and broad shoulders. Her friend. Her hero. The man who had stormed into her life like a hurricane.

Bran…

Deep Six Book 1

Aloha to Cynthia Eden and TORN (L.O.S.T. Book 4) - Spotlight and Giveaway

Reminder: I have a special giveaway to celebrate June at this link.

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent’s investigation entices a killer into making her his prey.

PARTNERS…FRIENDS…
Forensic anthropologist Victoria Palmer has always been better with the dead than the living. Shutting down her emotions, she lets few people in. But then Victoria’s latest investigation takes her and agent Wade Monroe to Savannah, Georgia. Handsome, dangerous, and more than ready to play dirty on any case, Wade weakens Victoria’s aloofness with just one glance.

…TO LOVERS
Wade knows their recent cases have pushed Victoria beyond her limits. But her skills are crucial to finding a college student who went missing five years ago. Victoria is able to determine she was murdered, and that the killer is still on the loose.

And when the vicious murderer targets Victoria, Wade must do everything in his power to protect Victoria… because he refuses to let a woman he loves be torn from him...again.

Amazon

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HarperCollins 

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader bestseller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas. Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

Learn more about Cynthia and her books at cynthiaeden.com.

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Aloha to Laura Griffin and DEEP DARK

Reminder: I have a special giveaway for Military Appreciation Month at this link.

A gripping new romantic thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Laura Griffin ...

The moment detective Reed Novak steps onto the crime scene, he knows the case is going to rock his world. A beautiful young woman murdered at home. No sign of forced entry. No motive. She’s obviously not the killer’s first victim, and Reed’s instincts tell him she won’t be his last. Reed’s first clue comes via a mysterious text that links to a dating profile, but even more intriguing than the clue is the person who sent it.

As a white-hat hacker in the Delphi Center’s cyber investigation unit, Laney Knox sneaks into some of the deepest, darkest corners of the Internet looking for predators. Laney would prefer to stay away from Austin PD’s most recent murder case, but she can’t ignore the chilling similarities between that crime and her own brutal attack years ago. Laney offers to help the sexy lead detective, but he wants more from her than just a promising tip—Reed wants her trust. Laney resists, but as their relationship deepens she’s tempted to reveal the closely guarded secrets that could make her a key witness…or the killer’s next victim.

Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author LAURA GRIFFIN started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense. She is a two-time RITA Award winner as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award. Laura currently lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Laura offers an excerpt from DEEP DARK ... 

Reed watched her, and she had that frustrated look in her eyes again. Every time she started to open up to him, he did something to tick her off. She shook her head and glanced away.

“Laney?”

“What?”

“I’m a detective. It’s my job to ask questions. To push.”

She looked at him again and her expression softened. “No, you’re right.” She glanced down at her beer bottle and picked at the label. “I’m glad she has you.”

“Who has me?”

“April. You seem--” She paused, like she was searching for the right word. “--committed.”

He didn’t answer. It wasn’t really a question, but the way she looked at him gave him the feeling she wanted a response.

She drained her beer and plunked down the bottle. “I should get home.” She stood up.

Reed stood, too. He left a tip on the table and followed her through the throng of people. The bar was packed, and the music had gotten louder since they’d first walked in.

They stepped into the warm, muggy air. It was dusk now, and a neon Lone Star Light sign cast a blue-and-red glow over the sidewalk. As they walked in silence, he thought of what she’d said about her job being meaningful. It was refreshing. Maybe he’d been a cop too long, but he didn’t know anyone who talked about things being meaningful anymore. If they thought about work in those terms, they kept it to themselves.

Maybe he was jaded.

No, he definitely was jaded. But it had more to do with his failed marriage than anything he’d seen on the job.

Reed spotted her little white car and felt a twinge of regret. He’d enjoyed talking to her, enjoyed being near her. And he couldn’t remember the last time that had happened with a woman. Having a beer with Laney had been the highlight of his crap week. Hell, the highlight of his month.

She looked around. “Where are you parked?”

“Around back.”

She gazed up at him. He couldn’t read her expression.

“Thanks for the drink,” she said.

“You bought it.”

He couldn’t read her tone either. The thrum of music seeped through the thin walls of the bar as they stood there in the light of the beer sign.

She stepped closer, and a jolt of heat went through him. She looked up at him with those bottomless brown eyes, and he knew he was in trouble. It was a bad idea to involve this girl in his investigation. Whatever useful info she might have was outweighed by the fact that she was young, and edgy, and he wanted her. And she must have seen something in his face because her eyes sparked.

She went up on tiptoes and kissed him.

Copyright 2016 Laura Griffin

Goddess of Liberty on the Texas State Capitol  in Austen
Public Domain (link)

Aloha to Toni Anderson and COLD HEARTED (Cold Justice Book 6)

It is my privilege to welcome the multitalented Toni Anderson to SOS Aloha! From her bio,

A graduate of Marine Biology from the University of Liverpool, and the University of St. Andrews, Toni was a Post-doctoral Research Scientist for several years, and travelled the world with her work. After living in six different countries, she finally settled in the Canadian prairies with her Irish husband and two children. Now she spends her time talking to the voices in her head and making things up. Toni has no explanation for her oft-times dark imagination, and only hopes the romance makes up for it. She’s addicted to reading, dogs, tea (never travels without it), and chocolate. She loves to hear from readers.

Learn more about Toni and her books at
toniandersonauthor.com.

Kim: Six different countries! What have you learned about people after your nomadic moves?

Toni: It’s fun moving around actually. I love people even though I’m a bit of a hermit. For all there are huge generalities about people from different countries, I found people everywhere world appreciate the same things: a smile or a laugh, good food, and a glass of something cold at the end of a long workday. And although there are ‘bad’ people everywhere, most people are generous and kind. A little kindness goes a long way.

Kim:  You recently visited my beloved Hawaii. What was your favorite "tourist" activity?

Toni: I was only there for a week and most days I was tucked up inside the conference center so I didn’t do as much ‘touring’ as I would have liked. What a beautiful part of the world! I loved the whole place. The sandy beaches, the warm sun, the fresh breeze, the clear ocean. I really enjoyed the hike up Diamond Head and loved seeing the hula dancers, but the most special thing I did was go to Pearl Harbor. It’s a fascinating place that brought that part of the war alive for me. I was honored I got to see it.

Kim:  How did your training as a Marine Biologist prepare you to write romantic suspense?

Toni: My training as a Marine Biologist helped in many different ways. Getting a Ph.D. taught me how to approach problem solving and roadblocks, how to persevere (there’s that word again). It also meant I had a lot of experience and background material to use for fictional characters. I get a little freaked out by how scientists are often portrayed in fiction. My characters are much closer to reality, except real scientists party more.

Kim: Tell us about the Cold Justice series, which was recently released as a box set. What inspired it?

Toni: I love Romantic Suspense; it is my favorite genre to read. I’ve always been intrigued by people who bend the rules and by situations where there is no right answer. My Cold Justice Series is loosely set around the FBI’s BAU-4 (ala Criminal Minds), but my heroes and heroines often bend the rules to achieve a ‘just’ending. My first hero is an assassin and he gets a lot of love from readers. The sixth book comes out May 31st, 2016 and is called COLD HEARTED. The hero of that one is FBI Agent Darsh Singh and the herione is a detective called Erin Donovan. The two share a bit of a history and then have to track down a viscious murderer on a college campus.

I am giving away a copy of DARK WATERS from Toni's Barclay Sound series to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about tea - Toni never travels without it. Do you like it hot or cold?  Milk, lemon, or sugar?  

2. Comments are open through Saturday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Cindy Gerard and TAKING FIRE (One Eyed Jacks, Book 4)

The most explosively sexy One-Eyed Jacks adventure yet from the RITA Award-winning, New York Times bestselling romance author whose name is “synonymous with high stakes and high action” (RT Book Reviews)!

Betrayal. Retribution. Redemption?

Six years ago, tough-as-nails military contractor Bobby Taggart met the woman of his dreams in war-torn Kabul—a sexy, whip-smart war correspondent who approached him at a local bar, took him to bed, made him fall in love…and then mysteriously disappeared. In her wake, the terrorist leader he’d been mining for valuable intel was assassinated—then Bobby discovered his phone had been bugged. And he’s pretty damn sure he’s been played for a fool.

Now, a covert security mission for the U.S. Embassy in Oman unexpectedly reunites him with Talia Levine, the woman who betrayed him and broke his heart. And there’s one more secret she hasn’t told him—one that will change his world. But as the heat of anger mixes with a still-simmering passion, dangerous forces close in, their sights set on Talia. Trust is the only way they will survive—but with their lives in the balance, can Bobby risk trusting her again?

The only thing Cindy had in mind when she started writing her first book was finishing it. The issue of actually selling it came much later. Only after she made that life-altering first sale did she realize that one book would never be enough. Now, over 20 books and numerous awards later, Cindy laughingly admits that she can barely remember life before...well, was there life before writing?

Actually, yes there was, and still is. A professional career woman, Cindy is a trainer for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a position she states is both challenging and rewarding. "Human Services is a front-line, real-life event. Everything about the job is immediate, from serving families in crisis, to assisting staff with difficult situations, to meeting tension-fraught deadlines."

Cindy's career has taught her much about the human condition, its frailties, its strengths, and its spirit. The evocative emotions that pour from the pages of her books are a reflection of some of her work experiences. Her writing celebrates life's richness and trials, offering a wide range of emotions — hope and elation, anger and indecision, laughter and, of course, love. And, according to her readers, her powerful love scenes run the gamut from steamy to tender to lusty to just plain fun.

Learn more about Cindy and her books at cindygerard.com.

Pella, Iowa

I am giving away a print coy of TAKING FIRE to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Cindy's home state of Iowa, the Hawkeye State.  My inlaws stopped by Pella, Iowa, founded by Dutch immigrants (we previously lived in the Netherlands). Check out Pella on my travel blog at this link.

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

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

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

More books in the series ...

Aloha to M.L. Buchman and TARGET ENGAGED, Book 1 in the Delta Force series

This December starts off with a bang as M.L. Buchman releases TARGET ENGAGED, the first in his brand new (and action-packed) Delta Force series! To celebrate his new release, Sourcebooks Casablanca is sharing the first six chapters of Target Engaged for FREE! Click here to download the first six chapters and check out a special note from M.L. Buchman below.

A Note from M.L. Buchman

Dear Reader,

Welcome to my newest series: the first women of Delta Force. I can’t begin to tell you how much fun this was to write.

Most of us know little more about Delta Force than the Chuck Norris movies (which leave a lot to be desired) or perhaps we only know the name. In researching my Night Stalkers series, I kept running into these guys. They are the elite of Special Operations Forces. They are at a level of SEAL Team 6, and most would argue they were even beyond that. They are the ghost and shadow warriors who helped take down drug lord Pablo Escobar, capture Noriega, were undoubtedly behind the locating of Saddam Hussein, and are the main reason that Al-Qaeda abruptly stopped being a topic in the Iraq War when over three thousand of their leaders were swept off the board.

Yet the Pentagon states that they don’t exist. Fascinating.

And while they often work with undercover female operatives, no woman has yet managed to kick in the front door on one of the most arduous selection programs in the military.

I decided to change that.

Carla Anderson stepped forward to take the challenge. She is a not a woman out to prove she can match any man, she’s out to prove that she can beat them at their own game. And that was the first thing that I loved about writing this series.

In the Night Stalkers, the women were strong, excellent, and determined.

To be a Delta Force woman, Carla had to add enough attitude and drive to plow through all obstacles which just made her so much fun. Nothing was off the table when it came to her attitude or her actions.

And that was the second thing I came to love about this series launcher, Target Engaged. Being Delta Force, they really do operate outside so many bounds. They are sent to do the tasks that no one else can. To that I added the additional challenge that Robert Ludlum gave to Jason Bourne (though I’m quoting the movie): “I don't send you to kill. I send you to be invisible. I send you because you don't exist.” I’m pretty convinced that this is part of Delta’s mission.

It is occasionally said by retired Delta Force operators (as the on-duty ones never speak): “If we’d been sent in to take down bin Laden, you still wouldn’t know how it was done.” To bring that to life gave me a permission as a writer to run my characters into hard and strange places and be just a little gonzo doing it.

But writing is a give and take, and I can’t begin to tell you how much the characters I created shaped my telling of this story. I like to think that they had as much fun as I did bringing this story to life.

I hope that you enjoy the reading even half as much as I enjoyed the writing!

M.L. Buchman (the Oregon Coast, November 2015)

Get to know the Carla, and the entire Delta Force team by reading the first SIX chapters of TARGET ENGAGED for free! Just click here to download them!

M. L. Buchman has over 40 novels in print. His military romantic suspense books have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the Year,” nominated for the Reviewer’s Choice Award for “Top 10 Romantic Suspense of 2014” by RT Book Reviews, and twice Booklist “Top 10 of the Year” placing two of his titles on their “The 101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years.” In addition to romance, he also writes thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction.

In among his career as a corporate project manager he has: rebuilt and single-handed a fifty-foot sailboat, both flown and jumped out of airplanes, designed and built two houses, and bicycled solo around the world.

He is now making his living as a full-time writer on the Oregon Coast with his beloved wife. He is constantly amazed at what you can do with a degree in Geophysics. You may keep up with his writing by subscribing to his newsletter at mlbuchman.com.

TARGET ENGAGED, Book 1 in M.L. Buchman’s thrilling new Delta Force series

Delta Force: The most dangerous elite counter-terrorism force on the planet

• The deadliest shooters •

• The most out-of-the-box thinkers in any military •

• Will die to get the mission done •

Sergeant Kyle Reeves: The premier soldier of the new recruits

Sergeant Carla Anderson: The first woman of Delta Force

If the training doesn’t kill them, their passion may—but Kyle Reeves and Carla Anderson blast right in. Show no fear. Have no fear. Then they get the call. The most powerful drug-smuggling ring in Venezuela needs a takedown, and Delta’s newest team leaps into the deep jungle to deliver. Giving their all? Not a problem. Giving their hearts? That takes a new level of courage.

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Check out ML's giveaway at this link.

Gran Sabana, Venezuela (link)
Photo by Paolo Costa Baldi. License: GFDL/CC-BY-SA 3.0

Aloha to Cynthia Eden and SHATTERED

Cynthia Eden always greets me at conventions with a big smile. She joins us for a cozy chat to celebrate the release of SHATTERED, Book Three in her LOST series ...

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a three-time finalist for the prestigious RITA® award . Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over fifty novels and novellas.

Cynthia is a “hybrid” author. She has published extensively with New York (her New York publishers include Avon, Kensington, Grand Central, and Harlequin), and she has also enjoyed success in her indie writing career.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

Learn more about Cynthia at cynthiaeden.com.

Kim:  Alabama! What is your favorite sight, smell, and sound of the Heart of Dixie?

Cynthia:  I love our beautiful beaches! I am just a short, thirty-minute ride from the Gulf of Mexico, and I love visiting those sandy shores. So my favorite sight would be the beach, my favorite smell would be the salty air, and my fave sound is the crashing of the waves on the shore.

Kim:  From your random facts, what's your favorite quote from the Princess Bride? Have you based any of your heroines on Lois Lane? Have any plots included spelunking?

Cynthia:  Of course, my favorite Princess Bride quote *has* to be “As you wish…” I just wish I could get my husband to tell me that in answer to everything!

The heroine of MIDNIGHT’S MASTER was a reporter who shared many Lois Lane characteristics. ;) I love a spunky reporter!!!

And I have included spelunking in a book—I couldn’t resist! In SCREAM FOR ME (romantic suspense), my villain took his victims deep into a cave. So the hero and heroine had to track him by going through a series of deep tunnels under the ground. That story gave me the chance to remind all would-be cave explorers of the caving motto… “Always carry three lights!” Because no one wants to ever be trapped in total cave darkness. (In that instance, you wouldn’t even be able to see your own hand if it was placed right before your eyes.) Sorry—I just went off on a caving tangent!

Kim:  Tell us about SHATTERED - what inspired it?

Cynthia:  I’ve written about a few serial killers in my romantic suspense novels, and when I wrote those characters, I found myself thinking…even serial killers have family. And that made me wonder…what would it be like to have a family member who was a serial killer? In SHATTERED, my heroine, Sarah Jacobs, is a profiler—she can get into the mind of a killer like no other person can. Sarah was trained to be this way—trained by her father, an infamous serial killer known as Murphy the Monster. 

Mahalo, Cynthia, for giving a glimpse of your romantic life!  I am giving away a print copy of SHATTERED to one randomly selected commenter.  

Criminal psychologist Dr. Sarah Jacobs is all too familiar with the kind of bad boys who belong behind bars. But the dark, dangerous man she meets in the New Orleans underworld is a new kind of ruthless, and all too irresistible.

Jax Fontaine doesn't claim to be a good guy, but he's loyal to his own code and brutally honest about what he wants. He and Sarah may be worlds apart, but when they're skin to skin, nothing matters but the heat between them.

And when a deranged killer targets Sarah, Jax will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about Alabama - what do you know about it?  

I know the battleship USS Alabama is anchored in Mobile Bay as a memorial park at this link.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Other books in the LOST series ...

Aloha to Adrienne Giordano and THE REBEL

 

Bad to the bone…in all the right ways

A brilliant civil lawyer, David Hennings has always been the outsider—at odds with his wealthy family, shunning relationships, defying convention as a sexy leather-jacketed biker. Which is why sculptor Amanda LeBlanc agrees to his request to reconstruct a skull from a cold case murder. The instant heat between them is scorching.

But once Amanda takes the job and gets too close to the rebellious attorney, her carefully balanced life is upended by a series of methodical attacks. Someone doesn't want her to finish the job. Now David will risk everything not to lose the woman he unknowingly put in jeopardy.

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USA Today bestselling author Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and mystery. She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane's Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction.

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Adrienne offers an excerpt from THE REBEL ...

Inside the stairwell of the hundred-year-old building on the city’s West Side, David climbed the last few steps leading to the landing of Amanda’s second-floor studio. He loved these old structures with the Portland stone and brick. The iconic columns on the facade urged the history major in him to research the place. Check the city records, see what information he could find on who’d built it, who’d lived here or which companies had run their wares through its doors.

Structures like this had a charm all their own that couldn’t be duplicated with modern wizardry. Old buildings, this building, had a life, a past to be researched and appreciated.

Or maybe he just wanted to believe that.

He rapped on the door. No hollow wood there. By the scarred look and feel of its heavy weight under his knuckles, it might be the original door. How amazing would that be?

The door swung open and a woman with lush curves a guy his size could wrap himself around greeted him. She wore jeans and a graphic T-shirt announcing he should make love, not war—gladly, sweetheart—and her honey-blond hair fell around her shoulders, curling at the ends. The whole look brought thoughts of lazy Sunday mornings, hot coffee and a few extracurricular activities, in a bed and out, David could think of.

To say the least, she affected him.

And she hadn’t even opened her mouth. Please don’t be an airhead.

“David?”

Yep. That was the voice from earlier. Soft and sweet and stirring up all kinds of images right along with Sunday mornings and coffee. With any luck, more than the coffee would be hot.

Hokay. Mission Pam Hennings getting derailed by wicked thoughts. Time to get serious.

“Hi. Amanda?”

“Yes.” She held her hand out. “Amanda LeBlanc.”

David grasped her hand and glanced down at her long, elegant fingers folding over his. Her silky skin absorbed his much larger hand, and he might like to stay this way awhile. Nice hands. Soft hands. He’d imagined a sculptor’s hands to be work-hardened and rough. Not that she swung an ax all day, but he’d expected…different.

“Um.” She pointed at their still joined hands. “I kinda need that hand back.”

Epic fail, Dave. He grinned and regrettably slid his hand away. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but where have you been all my life?”

As recoveries went, it wouldn’t be listed among the top hundred in brilliance, but a man had to work with what he had. Still, her lips, those extraordinary, shapely lips, twisted until she finally gave up and awarded him with a smile.

“Good one,” she said. “Come inside and we’ll talk about your project.”