DALLAS TROUBLE

Man and dog go together. Devotion, loyalty, love. A dog has an uncanny ability to feel what we feel. So it is with two dogs from two books. This time, instead of introducing hero and heroines, or plots, you get to meet two amazing canines who will give you some special insights into the humans they came to know…and love.

HERE COMES TROUBLE

THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY, Robin Perini, December Intrigue

My human named me Trouble. Poor man. He’s the one in trouble. For some reason he decided to walk across the country. Something about wide-open spaces and no walls. I have to admit, my human—Daniel Adams is his name—is a good one. He found me on the side of road. I was walking along, minding my own business, when some idiot in a pickup swerved and hit me.

Daniel didn’t ignore me like so many others. He rigged up a contraption and dragged me miles and miles, even though he limped half the way. He found me a doctor and didn’t leave me. It had been a long time since no one left.

I needed him that day, but he needs me, too. His soul hurts. I see it in his eyes. Sometimes he shouts in his sleep. Sometimes he cries, but he doesn’t tell anyone. Only me. He talks to me. Tells me about being locked up, about being afraid. And I listen. Maybe that’s why we found each other. I was hurt on the outside, Daniel on the inside. But he’ll get better. He has me. And I won’t leave him. Ever. Because he didn’t leave me.

DALLAS THE PUPSICLE

THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE, Angi Morgan, January Intrigue

Across the room, Dallas circled as if she was about to curl up and sleep. “I should probably walk you before you settle down.” The pup squatted instead. Too late again. He was finished being a step behind. Time to act like who he was. A Marine.

I admit, that passage above isn't my best moment in the book, but Angi thought it was funny. In my defense, I'd been holding it a long, long time and had been very patient with Jake, my new human. My name's Dallas, after the city where I was born. I was happy to be adopted, being blind in one eye made it real hard until Bree came along. I liked living with Brenda Ellen, but something happened to her. Then I met Jake, he took me in, and just…needed me. A lot.

Like Trouble's story, my human found me when I was desperate. I was half-frozen and didn't know what to do. And like Trouble's human, Jake Craig needed me big time. He talks about war and three tours somewhere. I don't know exactly what that means, but it can't be good 'cause he gets all tense and withdrawn. His hands even shake. But I stick my head under it for a good scratch and he settles down. He's really good rubbing behind my ears. I don't think he knows how much loving it took to break through all his defenses. But I did.

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IN ROBIN PERINI'S THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY, TWO THINGS HAVE BEEN STOLEN FROM RAVEN: HER MEMORIES…AND HER BABY

CIA agent Daniel Adams, once a prisoner of war, is a loner out of necessity. But rescuing an amnesiac woman left buried alive bonds them in ways neither can resist. All "Raven" knows is that her baby is in danger. All Daniel can focus on is finding the missing child—and protecting Raven every step of the way.

Her memories are lost and his are scarred from the damages of war. But as they depend on each other for survival in the rugged west Texas mountains, the pieces of their broken pasts start to come together. Now all they have is the risky hope of a future together as they confront the threat that can destroy them both.

“Perini’s tale is a twisted trip into the lives of two scarred souls who are digging into the mind of a psychopath to survive…[It’s]…a suspenseful adventure that will keep readers guessing until the end.” ~Romantic Times, 4-1/2 Stars

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TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, SABRINA WATKINS DOESN'T EXIST. BUT TO THIS COP, SHE IS VERY MUCH ALIVE IN ANGI MORGAN'S THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE.

After escaping a killer, playing dead was the only way Sabrina Watkins could get out of Amarillo alive. Now she's living in Dallas, where no one knows her true identity. Until homicide cop Jake Craig shows up. 

A half-frozen pup he finds at a crime scene brings Jake to Sabrina's doorstep. Suddenly, the former Marine is playing hero to a desperate woman on the run. Sworn to clear her name, Jake's already falling for the stunning brunette with the amethyst eyes. Can he keep her safe and turn a rescue mission into a last chance at love?

"Former Marine Jake Craig is now a homicide detective who keeps people at a distance, but there's something about the pretty woman at the local coffee shop that captures his attention. Sabrina Watkins has built t a successful business walking dogs, but she's also on the run from men who want her to take the fall for their illegal activities-after she's dead. How can she get involved with a taciturn cop who could slap the cuffs any minute? Before he knows it, Jake is busy trying to keep Sabrina alive as he worries that he's falling hard for a felon. Morgan launches the volley from the first pages so readers aren't left wondering whodunit, but they'll have to pay attention to the escalating action to keep up with the characters, who are in trouble from the get-go."  ~~Romantic Times Magazine, 4 STARS

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ANGI MORGAN writes “Intrigues where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi's work has been a finalist in the Bookseller’s Best Award, Romantic Times Best First Series, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the Daphne du Maurier.

Website   Facebook   FB Fan Page   Twitter @AngiMorganAuthr  A Picture A Day   Goodreads   Pintrest  Book Trailers on YouTube

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ROBIN PERINI is a RITA Finalist, award-winning and national bestselling author, devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes adventure with a love story sure to melt their hearts. Her mission's motto: "When danger and romance collide, no heart is safe." After seven prestigious Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finals, Robin has since sold fourteen novels. 

Website   FB Fan Page   Twitter @RobinPerini

   Goodreads   Pintrest  Book Trailers on YouTube

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ENTER ANGI & ROBIN'S 'THANKS FANS contest': register at Rafflecopter through November 30th for a copy of THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY & THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE. Speaking of giveaways…WE EACH HAVE A BOOK TODAY for a Blog Commenter. LEAVE A BLOG COMMENT to be entered.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY CRAZY PET STORIES YOU'LL SHARE? 

Collaborating to Publish a Romantic Suspense Collection

Patricia Rosemoor, Rebecca York and Dana Marton have banded together with seven other successful romantic suspense authors to publish DANGEROUS ATTRACTION, a collection of their works--this includes Patricia's SEE ME IN YOUR DREAMS, Rebecca's CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE, and Dana's DEATHSCAPE. The nature of the partnership is somewhat unusual, inthat a few of the authors are indie only, some are indie and digitally published, while others are hybrid--both indie and traditionally print-published. The collaboration comes not in the writing, but in the business of supporting and promoting each others' work.
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Having written two Intrigues with a paranormal element, Patricia pulled together an idea for a paranormal series, The McKenna Legacy. In the first novel, SEE ME IN YOUR DREAMS, she explored a different aspect of the dream world. Keelin McKenna dreams through the eyes of a teenage girl who runs from her home because of an emotional crisis. Tyler Leighton, her father, doesn’t believe Keelin when she first comes to him. He thinks she’s a scam artist trying to con him out of money. Having refused to act in the past and thereby prevent a tragedy, Keelin won’t let it be. What will it take to win Tyler’s trust? And will they find the girl before some real harm comes to her?

Patricia says, “I got the idea for a family legacy when my uncle and cousin both created unrelated family trees for the McKennas – my maternal grandmother Rose having been a McKenna. I’d done two other paranormal stories for Intrigue and I wanted to do something that combined my family tree with beliefs of my Irish ancestors. So I created Moira, a bean feasa (believed to be a wise woman, healer, witch) and had her leave her legacy of love and danger to her grandchildren. I made Keelin most like her both in her psychic abilities and in her using her grandmother’s herbal garden to heal. Unlike many of my action-oriented heroines, Keelin is soft, both sweet and tart in nature, and definitely the ultimate romantic.”
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Was it attempted murder or a boating accident? Either way, Jordan Campbell, the hero of CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE, is in a coma. In this novella, part of Rebecca York's Decorah Security series, Frank Decorah asks nurse Hannah Andrews to use her psychic talent to connect with Jordan. She knows it’s a dangerous job. Once she’s on the case, whoever tried to kill Jordan will likely turn on her. But as she digs into the man’s background, she can’t refuse Frank’s assignment. Now she’s risking her life–and her heart.  But will this be Jordan and Hannah's last Christmas?

Rebecca says,  "Apparently I am fascinated with the idea of mind to mind communication because I have used this in several stories, including my Mind Benders series for Intrigue. In CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE, there's a further complication.  Hannah Andrews must communicate with Jordan Campbell, a man who's in a coma. I love the intimacy of forging a bond with another person's mind.  What closer connection could there be between two people?  Either they're going to love or hate each other.  Since I write romantic suspense, i come down on the side of love.”
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In Dana's DEATHSCAPE, a Broslin Creek novel, when artist Ashley Price saves a man buried alive on her land, she doesn't know he's a detective, or that he will accuse her of being in league with a serial killer. Detective Jack Sullivan spent his career hunting the man who'd murdered his sister. But when he does catch up with the man, Jack loses the battle and is nearly killed himself. Can he trust Ashley, or is he walking into another deadly trap?

Dana says: "I wrote this book because of Jack. He is such a wonderfully complex character. Almost lost, walking that ragged edge. He's been obsessed with his sister's killer for too long. In trying to think like the killer so he can catch the man, Jack had taken a lot of darkness inside him. He's gone too far, broken too many rules. He's become ruthless. I wasn't sure if he was in control of his vengeance or his vengeance was in control of him. I think he was almost too far gone for love to reach him. Certainly farther than any character I've ever written. So writing his story was really interesting for me, watching the light inside him struggle against the darkness, rooting for him that he'd be able to come back from the dark places where he'd pushed himself."
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DANGEROUS ATTRACTION is downloadable at Amazon, iTunes, Smashwords, BN.com and Kobo, available for the incredible price of 99 cents until the end of launch week on November 16. There's also an online launch party going on all week, with prizes, including an iPad mini.

Veteran's Day Reading

Happy Veterans Day!
A huge thank you to all of our service men and women and their families, especially those in my own family. Semper Fi, Dad.  I'm so proud of you and my little brother, the major.

I'll keep the discussion fun and simple today.  What's your favorite branch of the military?  Why?  A beloved family member?  A sexy uniform?  A favorite romance you've read featuring a military hero or heroine?

To help us celebrate, here are some book covers of military romances I've read and loved.  (And a few I've written myself <g>)  What are some of your favorite military romances?

MARINES

 NAVY

AIR FORCE

ARMY

 I'll give away a copy of my Nov. 19th release, YULETIDE PROTECTOR, to one lucky poster.  YULETIDE PROTECTOR's hero, Det. Spencer Montgomery wears a police officer's uniform, but my heroine has noticed his "military bearing".  <wink-wink>
So please share your favorite stories and books about the military as we honor those veterans who have served and continue serve.

Thank you!
Julie Miller

RETURN TO BACHELOR MOON by Carla Cassidy

A mysterious disappearance will force an FBI profiler to protect a beautiful blonde who could be the next person to go missing. 

There's an alarming vacancy at Bachelor Moon Bed-and-Breakfast. Now it's up to FBI profiler Gabriel Blankenship to investigate the sudden disappearance of the owner's entire family. But the steely agent finds it hard to do his job when distracted by the B and B's gorgeous blonde manager Marlena Meyers. 

Their instant attraction is powerful yet problematic—when it comes to love, Marlena wants forever and a white picket fence; Gabriel, damaged by his past, has never loved and never wants to. But once Marlena's life is threatened, Gabriel is forced to reconsider his case and his emotions.

Read an Excerpt
Available at eHarlequin and other book retailers

SCENE OF THE CRIME: RETURN TO BACHELOR MOON
by Carla Cassidy

ISBN: 9780373697274 (#1460)

SPY IN THE SADDLE by Dana Marton

Two agents must work together without letting a tense past—and a sizzling new attraction—disrupt their most important mission in Dana Marton's miniseries 
HQ: Texas

It's been ten years since soldier Shep Lewis laid eyes on delinquent-turned-FBI agent Lilly Tanner, and this time they have an even bigger problem than each other: terrorists. In the center of a smuggling operation, Shep and Lilly must partner up and protect each other. 

Not even their undercover identities can mask the mounting attraction between the pair as they struggle to survive in the merciless Texas borderlands. Can they put the past behind them and focus on the mission at hand? Or will their partnership reignite the flames of their untapped passions?

Read an Excerpt
Available at eHarlequin and other book retailers

SPY IN THE SADDLE
Miniseries: HQ: Texas
by Dana Marton

ISBN: 9780373697267 (#1459)

BOOKS into MOVIES

THIS MONTH WE ASKED INTRIGUE AUTHORS

if any holiday movie reminded them of a family event OR one of their books.

AIMEE THURLO

HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS, Harlequin Heartwarming, November 2013

This November, we have several projects to bring you. HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS is especially dear to us and we wanted to tell everyone a little bit about it. This book is a clean romance - no sex, no violence- and perfect for the holidays! It's set in a fictional New Mexico town. When Independence loses the one industry that kept them going, the crafters get together to breathe new life into a dying community.

HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS, a story about the will to succeed - even when the odds are against you, features a small town that must set aside its rivalries and come together if they're to survive. This story is about working class America, the unsung heroes who make a real difference, though you won't find them headlining the news.

PATRICIA ROSEMOOR

ANIMAL INSTINCTS, November 2013

I love-love my upcoming Animal Instincts (coming from Entangled Ignite on Nov 23), an urban fantasy romantic suspense and would love to see it made into a movie. With sequels, of course. :) 

The world building was such fun. The story is set in today's Chicago, but there's a hidden segment of the population, descendants of the Nephilim, shape shifters who are out to corrupt humanity. Luc Lazare has always been torn between his mother's human world and his father's dark one. 

Skye Cross, an animal advocate, is drawn into that world (and to Luc, of course), searching for answers as to why her cop brother was murdered.

ANGI MORGAN

THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE, January 2014

TEXAS FAMILY RECKONING is a mini-series releasing May & June 2014 (Navy SEAL Surrender & The Renegade Rancher) are about estranged brothers. What the perfect TV family movie! Set in North Texas my twins must save their family horse ranch and try to repair their family relationship. 

There are murders, kidnapping, SEAL moves, Paramedic rescues, high school sweetheart reunions and lots of twin switches. Remember, there's not just one gorgeous hero…it's double your pleasure, double your fun, and double the suspense.

I've included a picture from my research trip where my pup, Texas, meets a horse for the first time.

MALLORY KANE

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS, December, 2013

I may be slightly prejudiced, but I think my April Harlequin Intrigue, Star Witness, would be a great TV movie. It takes place in one night, during a devastating storm that spawns tornados as well as damaging straight-line winds, knocks out all power for hours and paralyzes law enforcement and rescue personnel with its fierceness.

Harte Delancey, an Assistant District Attorney for the city of New Orleans, is prepping Dani Canto, his star witness in a huge murder case, at a B&B where she's in protective custody, as the storm begins to rise.

But the storm is only one of the threats Harte and Dani will be running from on this night. The murderer has found Dani and suddenly, the darkness, the near-opaque curtains of rain and the wind seem safer than the ruthless killers following them.

I believe the high intensity setting, the chase and the hero and heroine's journeys through conflict, mistrust and danger to the love that grows through the long dark hours before dawn brings the end to the storm, would make a really good movie. But as I said above. I might be a bit biased. To find out more about Harte and Dani's story, visit my web page at mallorykane.com

ELIZABETH HEITER

HUNTED, Harlequin MIRA, January 2014

All of my early beta readers for HUNTED told me the same thing: “It reads like a movie!”  Definitely not a holiday movie, unless your idea of holiday fun is spending time deep in the woods with a serial killer!  

But as long as you watched the movie version during the day, with the lights on, HUNTED would make for a tense, action-packed hour and a half on the small screen.

 

Back when I started my very first draft, I made myself a big binder with character information, and I found pictures of people who look like I imagine my characters.  In my mind, my FBI profiler Evelyn Baine looks really similar to Thandie Newton.  And her colleague (who’d really like to be her love interest!) FBI Hostage Rescue Team agent Kyle “Mac” McKenzie looks like this particular picture of Hugh Jackman.  I think they make a fantastic start to my imaginary movie cast!!

CINDI MYERS

Rocky Mountain Revenge, March 2014

If my family had a Christmas movie, it would be called “The Christmas Pie” – a feel-good story complete with comic mis-understandings and a dessert that won’t die.

When I married, I was in awe of my mother-in-law, a smart, funny woman who I thought could do anything. I was still a teenager and more than anything, I wanted Loretta to like me. We married at Christmas and left on our honeymoon, but the next year, we celebrated with his family and I was introduced to their family tradition – the Osgood pie.

I grew up eating pecan pie at the holidays. Sometimes pumpkin or apple. I’d never heard of an Osgood pie, which turned out to be a syrupy concoction of raisins and walnuts. I disliked the pie immensely, but I choked it down and told Loretta how wonderful it was, because I loved her and I wanted to honor the family tradition.

The pie started showing up at all kinds of family celebrations and dinners. I was trapped! After making such a big deal about the pie the first time, I couldn’t confess my feelings now. This went on for a few years, until I wrote a short story which featured a young bride who wanted to impress her mother-in-law by loving her (awful) Christmas Pie. The story was sweet and funny, with a happy ending. It was published in an issue of True Love magazine.

Which my mother-in-law bought and read. Fortunately for me, Loretta has a good sense of humor. I confessed my true feelings for the pie – and for her – and we had a good laugh. Now, at holiday dinners, my mother-in-law still makes Osgood Pie, but I bring pecan, and everyone is happy.

And I’m happily anticipating the arrival of my very first Intrigue, Rocky Mountain Revenge. Here’s a sneak peak: 

Despite her new identity in the WitSec Program, Anne Gardener has been found by the one person who hurt her the most: FBI Agent Jake Westmoreland. And when she testified against her own flesh and blood, her whole existence was turned upside down. Jake couldn't expect any more from her--except that he did. He wanted the impossible...her help.

Jake doesn't have much time to restore Anne's faith in him. She is the only one who can help him locate her mob-boss father and put him away for good. He knows that his betrayal has hurt her deeply. Loving her was never part of the plan; yet losing her is a risk he won't take. He'll do anything to keep her safe--even if it means walking into the lion's den...

JULIE MILLER

YULETIDE PROTECTOR, December 2013

An RT Book Reviews Top Pick!

There are several holiday stories that come to mind--one was for Easter (when we celebrated my mom's 80th birthday) and one is our family's traditional "Christmas in July".  Others have involved Christmas and Thanksgiving.  All have to do with getting everyone in the same place at the same time--and the miracles that allowed those reunions to happen.  If this was a movie, in some ways it would be a heart-wrenching family drama--but in others, it's definitely a comedy of errors.  You see, my mom, brothers and their families, and my family all live in different states.  We have kids in college, some in junior/senior high school, one who's married--all super involved with activities like sports and music. 

My younger brother is a major in the Army National Guard (he's the "retired" Marine) who has his military commitments and has been deployed several times, in addition to his regular engineering job.  My older brother is a successful workaholic (okay, so he's learning to relax a bit in his middle age).  I'm a writer with deadlines.  Hubby teaches and has school commitments.  My mom is a social butterfly in her retirement, with a very active schedule.  So, as you can see, getting us together in one place at one time requires months of planning, patience and luck--and then there's always the curve ball of the weather to throw in there.  Blizzards have altered travel plans in April.  Flooding has forced us to change locations or modes of travel.

 

I could tell you about the time my brother scheduled his leave from Kosovo to coincide with a surprise birthday for my dad.  That was a surprising, joyous, tear-filled airport reunion.  Or the Thanksgiving my dad was in the hospital, and we all crowded into his tiny room to celebrate.  I could share when my nephew, on a baseball scholarship, was going to be the only family member missing from my mom's 80th birthday.  Guess who drove up just as we were all gathering at the restaurant?  Yep, rain had cancelled his game, and he zipped across 3 1/2 hours of Missouri countryside to join us.  Then there was the creative, scenic change of course required for my family to find a way across the flooded Missouri River to get to Kansas City.  Or the blizzard my folks brought with them one Christmas.  We were glad they could stay the extra couple of weeks.  And on and on.  I think we'd make a great Hallmark movie, steeped in emotions, adventure and laughter.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK TURNED INTO A MOVIE?

CATCH, RELEASE by Carol Ericson

Carol Ericson brings her Brothers in Arms: Fully Engaged miniseries to a gripping conclusion with a missing child and the undercover agent who never knew he had a son! 

Beau Slater once enjoyed an unforgettable night with a woman who matched him in brains, passion and black ops skills. Three years later he's gone rogue to help the sexy Prospero agent find top secret weaponry plans—and rescue her kidnapped toddler from a vengeful arms dealer. What Beau doesn't know is that Deb Sinclair's son is his. 

But for this mission, the freedom-loving bachelor will lay his life on the line for a child in danger and the woman he's never forgotten. Yet how can he trust the cunning spy who's already deceived him?

Read an Excerpt
Available at eHarlequin and other book retailers

CATCH, RELEASE
Miniseries: Brothers in Arms: Fully Engaged
by Carol Ericson

ISBN: 9780373697250 (#1458)