I’ve been very lucky to be part of an ongoing series of stories featuring SEAL heroes with a group of fabulous authors called SEALS in Paradise! We started in 2018 and have released a related group of stories every year since. Last year’s very popular stories were all about weddings! This year’s theme is centered around holidays. The first two stories are out and many more are coming! Enjoy!

Heartbreaker by Cat Johnson 

When one Navy SEAL heartbreaker gets a dose of his own medicine on Valentine’s Day, he realizes love isn’t the enemy, but he has to convince the commitment-adverse woman he’s fallen for of the same thing.

√ One match-making sister√ One commitment-phobic woman
√ One hot SEAL heartbreaker
√ One fake relationship
√ Countless laughs

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cat Johnson comes a fun, steamy, standalone, fake relationship love story featuring meddling friends and relatives and two frenemies with reluctant hearts and a profound hatred of all things valentine-related.

Charmed by Parker Kincade

Luck has always been on his side. With her, his luck might just run out.

After the death of a fellow Navy SEAL, Liam “Lucky” Jamison’s foundation crumbles. He’s done. Facing civilian life after fifteen years in the Navy, he has no idea what he wants to do next, or where he wants to do it. A surprise visit from his childhood friend is a welcome distraction from the confusion about his future, but his intense attraction to her causes another type of confusion all together.

Haven Somers wants adventure before she settles into running the family pub in Killarney, Ireland. She couldn’t think of a greater adventure than to surprise her friend in California, whom she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Haven is charmed by Liam’s generous spirit, easy-going personality, and mischievous grin. The more time she spends with him, the more Haven starts to think being with Liam is the only adventure she’ll ever need.

The minute Liam touches Haven, he knows he’s in trouble. He sees forever in Haven’s eyes, but he’s been keeping secrets from her. Now, there’s no way for him to come clean without the risk of losing her.

But if he won’t trust her with the truth, why would she trust him with her heart?

More SEALS in Paradise Links

Hot SEAL, Heartbreaker by Cat Johnson
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089S5S3JL
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-heartbreaker/id1517407932
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-heartbreaker-cat-johnson/1137147753
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-heartbreaker

Hot SEAL, Charmed by Parker Kincade
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VWF7Q42
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-charmed/id1552125791
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-charmed-parker-kincade/1138748474
Kobo: 

Hot SEAL, April’s Fool by Becca Jameson
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SBPCT8S
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-aprils-fool/id1548771062
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-aprils-fool-becca-jameson/1138617937
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-april-s-fool

**Hot SEAL, In His Memory by Delilah Devlin**
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PVV1KGQ
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/au/book/hot-seal-in-his-memory/id1543653235
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-in-his-memory-delilah-devlin/1138430889
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-in-his-memory

Hot SEAL, A Forever Dad by MaryAnn Jordan
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SC2FR3H
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-a-forever-dad/id1547818382
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-a-forever-dad-maryann-jordan/1138579877
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-a-forever-dad

Hot SEAL, Independence Day by Elle James
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PSSV2GQ
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-independence-day/id1543730914
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-independence-day-elle-james/1138431894
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-independence-day

Hot SEAL, Sweet & Spicy by Cynthia D’Alba
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VWJY1PV
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-sweet-and-spicy/id1552473846
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162566328
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-sweet-and-spicy

Hot SEAL, Labor Day by Cynthia D’Alba
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VWXS6MQ
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-labor-day/id1552472938
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162566311
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-labor-day

Hot SEAL, Midnight Magic by Teresa Reasor
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TT4CQFR
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/ie/book/hot-seal-midnight-magic-seals-in-paradise/id1550611527
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-midnight-magic-teresa-j-reasor/1138684839
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-midnight-magic-seals-in-paradise

Hot SEAL, Sinful Harvest by Parker Kincade
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VWG2QL4
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-sinful-harvest/id1552135783
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-sinful-harvest-parker-kincade/1138748630
Kobo: 

Hot SEAL, Silent Knight by Kris Michaels
Pre-order now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Hot-SEAL-Silent-Knight-Crossover-ebook/dp/B08WKMJ7DZ
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-silent-knight/id1553620361
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-silent-knight-kris-michaels/1138824132
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-silent-knight

Open Contest and Giveaway!

1. FREE READ! Get your copy now! — This offer ends this weekend! Get your FREE book now!
2. Favorite Family Dinners? (Contest) — This contest ends soon! Win a FREE story of your choice!
3. Diana Cosby: Update — Romance Reader’s Build A Habitat For Humanity House (Contest) — This contest ends soon! Win a special mug!
4. Melanie Jayne: The Sad Song Playlist (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
5. Because we all need a dreamboat… (Puzzle Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
*~*~*

It’s Friday! Time to contemplate the weekend. I’m hoping to take it easier than I have the past couple of weeks. Well, easier tomorrow. I have to make the trek to the big city on Sunday to get my SECOND COVID SHOT! Tomorrow, I want to sleep, clean, read some sexy cowboy stories, and give my schedule a scrub before I start back to work on Monday!

So, today’s post is laid back. Solve the puzzle then tell me what you think it’s all about for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

I miss men. I miss the rich baritone of their voices, the sturdy brace of their chest and shoulders, the subtle salt of their skin. Men with their sardonic grins and cocked eyebrows, men with their wide smiles and bristled cheeks, their amused expressions. Their innocence in need they can’t quite acknowledge and yet it is there, written on their faces like the eager gleam in a boy’s eyes as he surveys a display of candy.

I miss the strength of men, their physical power to lift heavy slabs of firewood or slam a splitting maul into a length of oak. Men have an energy that warms me as they stride across the ground, as they wrestle an unruly tire onto the axle. Men can do things with their bodies that I cannot, and the difference thrills me.

I miss the force of their sexuality, their straightforward desire to sink into the wet depths of a woman’s body, their unbridled pleasure in fucking. I miss the heat of their soft skin, the roughness of their hands, the smoothness of muscle bunched at their shoulders and across their chests.

At 73, I don’t expect ever again to luxuriate in a man’s bed. I am bereft of the joy of lovemaking, grief-stricken that the wondrous beauty of his private anatomy will no longer be mine to admire or touch or lick. I miss the lovely sight of male buttocks, tight and round, flexing as he walks.

I miss those extended moments of mindless bliss that only a man can give me.

Men in general exert a calming influence on me, steady and solid, a familiar and reliable part of my life. Only lately have I noticed how many of those men are no longer here for me – two husbands, the plumber and electrician I counted on for years, the repairman. Even in cultivating working relationships with a new electrician, a new repairman, I miss the foundational presence of those who came before.

Much as I have sought independence and self-reliance through the years of my life, I have always recognized that men can do things I can’t. I treasure the skill and experience of men who know their trades, how to cut in a straight line with a paintbrush, how to change a light fixture, how to replace a broken pipe. I appreciate men seated in their heavy equipment, a backhoe leveling ground at my barn door, a bulldozer carving a new pond, a bucket truck where, lifted high above the ground, he cuts through massive trees limbs like butter and safely lowers them to the ground.

I miss the other half of my existence.

House of Rae

After sharing those personal thoughts with you, I will explain that this is why I read and write romance. For a time, immersed in a story, I am with a man. This is also why I conceived of a place and future time when women can go to a place and be with a man. That’s what the House of Rae series is all about.

Set in the mid-21st century when climate change has pushed world societies to unexpected extremes, the Houses of Rae stand as islands of refuge, peaceful centers of women’s pleasure. Now franchised around the world, the House becomes a staging ground for the fight between overweening patriarchy and women’s freedom, but also between progressive and reactionary forces amid food shortages, endless fire, and the joy and enlightenment gained through sexual adventuring. These four novels reveal the intimate stories of people willing to break the rules and put them back together in a style more suitable for a new age.

Come meet the men at the House of Rae.

Click on the covers to learn more about the stories!

UPDATE: The winner is…Ann Ivey!
*~*~*

Do you ever need a good cry?

Sometimes, I do.

Today, it is dark and rainy. The perfect setting for the broken-hearted protagonist staring out the window with tears running down their face. Yeah- I am that author. I love to write those scenes that make the tears flow, that make you feel. The ones that make you keep reading but you are hurting. Better known as “The Good Stuff.”

When I need to inflict that hurt upon my characters or I feel the emotions building up—I put on this playlist and I let my emotions flow.

The songs are in no particular order and I limited myself to one per artist.

1. “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Live Version from iTunes Festival 2011) by Adele.

To me, Adele is the Queen of Sad. However, there is something about this song being live and the vulnerability that I sense in her voice- instant tears.

2. “Colorblind” by the Cast of Glee

The words! “I only see gray.” I love the imagery in this song.

3. “I Can’t Tell You Why” by the Eagles

True story- I listened to this song on repeat when I was going through a break-up in college. It was my first adult break-up and Timothy B. Schmit’s voice is achingly sweet as he sings about the feelings of frustration and helplessness.

4. “i hate u, i love u” by gnash

Who hasn’t been stuck in this circle? This song speaks to the aggravation that you feel.

5. “Burning House” by Cam

I saw the artist perform this song on an awards show. It was stark and full of pain. Too little, too late.

6. “Hurt” by Johnny Cash

Is this a love song? A tale of drug abuse? Pain set to music? I would answer affirmative to all the above. The perfect pairing of Cash’s roughened voice to the angry, sorrowful lyrics

7. “Yesterday, When I Was Young” by Shirley Bassey

Such a powerful, smooth voice singing about loss and reflection. Dim the lights, sip your favorite beverage, and remember.

8. “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars

The first time I heard this song, I wrote an entire book in my head that became You Only. A list of the simple regrets that soon become a huge problem.

9. “Black” by Pearl Jam

Life and love are never simple. We can grow from pain and learn from our mistakes.

10. “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel

This is a great example of The Piano Man’s skill. The simple words paint a poignant picture of doomed love.

Grab your box of tissues, lock the door, and let go.

To win an e-book copy of one of my books (your choice) please comment below with your favorite sad song.

About the Author

Melanie Jayne has the best life. She spends her days chatting with feisty females, waking up to sexy men, eating chocolate, and wearing pajamas. Her books predominantly feature characters over the age of thirty-five, facing life head-on. They are woman-positive and advocate empowerment.

As M. Jayne she has been tasked with telling the tales of The Novus Pack. Where a human is dumped on a werewolf pack.

She lives a quiet life on a grain farm in central Indiana with her patient husband and their mastiff, Duncan Keith. She loves trashy TV and TMZ.

Learn more about Melanie Jayne:

https://www.facebook.com/ReadMelanieJayne
www.ReadMelanieJayne.com
readmelaniejayne on Instagram
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-jayne
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melanie-jayne 

This former SEAL thought BUD/S training was the challenge of a lifetime until he faced his biggest challenge, teaching a woman who’d never learned trust to trust in them…

Former Navy SEAL, Pierce Hardman, the new guy at Montana Bounty Hunters in Dead Horse, MT, finds that riding with his partner and trainer, Marti Mills, has some perks. Marti’s unlike any woman he’s ever met, and she intrigues him from the start. However, her tough demeanor hides secrets she’d rather keep hidden. Marti’s dedication to her trade leads her to take some interesting risks that only fuel his interest and desire.

Marti’s new partner proves to be her undoing. Until Hardman, she’d never been tempted to cross certain lines. All her old tricks to deflect a man’s interest backfire on her, and soon she finds herself thinking about a life outside of “the hunt” with him.

Just when she’s ready to surrender her solitary life, one last job might cost her everything, even her life.

Pre-Order HARDMAN here!

So, I wrapped up Hardman today! It’s why I’m posting this so late. I wanted to share another snippet from the book. I think you’ll really like this story. It’s very sexy. Much more so than Preacher. Sorry, if that’s not something you love, but Marti and Hardman wrote the story themselves. They were very “handsy.” Have a look at where Marti’s mind tends to go…

“Hardman…hard man,” Marti muttered. Then she thought maybe mumbling his name would make his handle less of an issue. “Har’man.” Now, she was reaching.

She considered calling him by his first name instead, but “Pierce” hit her straight between the thighs. She was double-fucked when she put both names together. Pierce Hardman. Had his mommy wanted him to be a porn star?

The double doors to the detention center entrance swung open, and Hardman strode outside, his gaze landing on his SUV. Wearing the dark, long-sleeved Montana Bounty Hunters T-shirt he’d pulled from his duffel earlier, he looked ripped and edgy. With his angular jaw and prominent cheekbones, he was a handsome man. His nose was slightly slanted, like it had been rearranged a little in a fight. It didn’t detract from his looks one bit. She liked that nose. Liked those gray-blue eyes, too, especially when they narrowed on her.

Yes, he’s very, very cute. And there’s tons of action in this story because Marti has to be a badass. And she’s…creative and fierce, and…can you tell I love her?

Anyway, Hardman will release next TUESDAY!

Inside Hardman, you’ll get a fun glimpse at my next hero, Chase. He’s… Well, I’m not going to give you any hints. He’s all about the job. In fact, he tried to scoop a bounty out from under Marti, because he beat her to guy she’d been trying her best to catch. As you can imagine, the interplay between Chase and Marti was…interesting. Not that kind of interesting—she’s a one-man woman. But Chase and she tend to bump heads. It’s fun. You’ll see. And if you want to go ahead and pre-order his story, follow the link! It will release in June!

Pre-Order CHASE here!

UPDATE: The winner is…Jolene!
*~*~*

My sincere thanks to Delilah for allowing me to return to her wonderful blog and share an update of Diana Cosby’s Romance Readers Build A Habitat For Humanity Home.

A bit of background.  Romance readers are AMAZING, and SO is Habitat For Humanity, a charity that I love supporting and volunteering for.  Several years ago I thought, why not pair the two and help a deserving family receive a home?  And, the Diana Cosby’s Romance Reader’s Build A Habitat For Humanity House fundraiser was born.

I contacted the Habitat For Humanity office in Grayson County, Texas, where I’ve had the honor of helping with several builds and spoke with Laurie Mealy, Executive Director.  She embraced the project and was thrilled at the thought of pairing romance readers, who love stories where heroes and heroines overcome challenges to make their dreams come true, with making the dream of homeownership for a deserving family a reality.

Goal:  Fund an entire home – $55,000. 

I kicked off the challenge by donating $200.  As I write this, we’ve raised $23,735, and we’re only $3,854 away from having raised ½ the funds needed to build a Habitat For Humanity Home!  Romance readers are amazing, and I have complete faith that as the stories they love, they will continue to join together to raise the amount necessary to give a deserving family a home.

How it works:

As readers send donations to Habitat for Humanity of Grayson County for the ‘Diana Cosby’s Readers Build A Habitat For Humanity House of Love,’ the total contributions are updated below the house graphic on the upper right side of their homepage.  Donations can be sent via PayPal by ‘clicking’ on the house, which takes you to the donation page, or by mailing a check or money order to:

Habitat for Humanity of Grayson County
901 N. Grand Avenue
P.O. Box 2725
Sherman, TX 75091

*Please note on your donation: ‘For Diana Cosby’s Romance Readers Build A Habitat For Humanity House.’

Again, my sincere thanks to Delilah for allowing me to return to her blog, and another huge thanks to everyone for helping make an incredible difference in a deserving family’s life.  For when they walk into a Habitat For Humanity house, it’s more thank mortar and wood, but a place where they can call home.

*Photos used with permission of Habitat For Humanity Grayson County, TX.

About the Author

A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated into five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series and The Oath Trilogy, she released the bestselling The Forbidden Series.

Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

Contest

***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my Habitat For Humanity post on Delilah’s blog between 15 March 2021 – 21 March 2021.  The winner will receive a Mug.

God bless,

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
The Forbidden Series

Today’s post is just a reminder that I do have a book coming soon! If you want to read an excerpt, head over here! It releases on March 23rd! So, if you haven’t already pre-ordered this book, here’s the link!

Get your copy of Hardman!