How many of you have been shut up with a kiss? I, for one, find this terribly romantic. Us women tend to rattle on when we’re nervous, and I like a take-charge kind of guy who grabs an opportunity to move forward. End our misery. Show us how much they adore us despite our tendency to leak words under pressure. Have I ever been shut up with a kiss? Yes. It was a first kiss and kind of sloppy. I was young, he was hot, and I didn’t mind the mess because I was too relieved that I didn’t have to find another subject to talk about. I guess my story isn’t the type we romance writers put in a book, but the concept makes my heart go pitter-patter. When I see it in the movies – *SWOON*!
As I write this, I’m thinking back, trying to remember if I ever put a kiss like that in one of my books. Of course I did, but I don’t think it was a first kiss, more like a feverish “shut up and admit we belong together” kind of moment. I love those, too. I wonder how many of you will read this and internally point out the ones you’ve read (or experienced) and remember.
And so we segue into my books that are either free or on sale. For those of you who don’t know me, hello my name is J.A. Dennam and I write contemporary romantic suspense. My Captive Series is a reader favorite. Book 1, Truth and Humility, received a 5-star rating from Coffee Time Romance. Book 2, Between Faith and Fear, is now on sale for .99 until January 31st. Book 3, Crystal Mac, is FREE when you sign up for my newsletter (link to my website below), and book 4, Hell’s Hilltop…okay, you’ll have to shell out the full $4.99, but when you’ve read the first 3 books, you WILL NOT want to miss the fiery conclusion to this steamy, action-packed series. If you like cozy mysteries, you won’t find one beneath these covers. My Captive Series characters are tough, sexy, and they most definitely take prisoners. 😉
Be sure and visit my website at https://www.jadennam.com to sign up for my newsletter and get your free book! It’s also the best way to keep tabs on my special offers, promos, and new releases like Flesh of Innocents, coming in March. Hope to hear from you soon!
Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories.
Q. Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?
I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me! However, I also love strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love.
Q. Why did you write “Infamy?”
The characters featured in this story—Sheikh Harun Ali and his wife, Marianne Benson–are both lawyers who focus on international law and their practice is devoted to compensating the victims of terrorism. So I was looking for a new hook, something on the horizon that could pose a serious threat to the world and in particular, the United States. I found it in an article on advances in “cloaking” technology or making planes disappear. For years, we have had stealth planes that do not appear on radar, but can be seen in the air if anyone is looking. I wanted to take that a step further: What if someone created a means to actually cloak a plane and hide it from everyone’s view? What if that technology fell into the hands of terrorists? And “Infamy” was born.
Q. How does your former profession as a lawyer impact your writing?
After 30 years, the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and that naturally guides my characters and plots. Little peculiarities that I have witnessed in lawyers and the law always work their way into my stories.
Q. Any plans to write outside the romance genre completely?
Actually, I ghostwrite non-fiction for other professionals—doctors, lawyers, financial gurus—so I dip my toes into a lot of different genres. However, I have been itching to write a book about a relative who founded a religious cult. I researched it for years and found a lot of information that had been buried. I have a pile of paper a foot high. Someday, I need to go through it carefully and start writing. I have the interest, just not the time.
Infamy
Infamy. An evil or wicked act. Terrorists bent on revenge have found a way to make planes disappear from the sky, without a trace. And when one winds up buried in a Wisconsin cornfield, it’s a race against time to rescue the passengers from certain death.
When international law attorney Sheikh Harun Ali is lured to the Amazon and warned of a frightening plot against the United States, he and his wife, Marianne Benson, enlist the assistance of their neighbors, covert agent Cade Matthews and his wife, Constitutional Law Professor Janet MacLachlan. Ultimately, these feisty lawyers are pushed to the wall, desperate to find a plane that has been buried in an unknown cornfield, the passengers still on board. The terrorists’ hatred for the Alis is absolute—the Alis once left their organization bankrupt and broken—but they hate America more. And their fiendish games are just beginning. They are seeking a much bigger prize, one that could destroy a nation and possibly the world. An act that will live in infamy.
Excerpt:
Cade grasped his water bottle with both hands. “Before his brother died, he said eight words.”
Harun nodded. “They are going to make American planes disappear.”
Dianna’s eyes grew wide.
Anders rubbed a hand over his face, then through his long dark hair. His deep green eyes stared up at the ceiling of the plane. “Fucking hell. Nine-eleven all over again.”
“That is our fear,” Harun said. “However, so many precautionary measures are in place in this country, simply hijacking planes and flying them into buildings is no longer easy. They must have a different plan.”
Cade emitted a heavy sigh. “And that is what we need to figure out. What exactly do those eight words mean? For example, he did not specify that the planes would disappear in America, which could mean that they will disappear abroad or over oceans.”
Anders sat up straight. “And disappear could mean many things. Crash. Hijack. Pull a Malaysia. How many ways can you make a plane disappear?”
Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen! In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty Lawyers series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, and The President’s Daughter.
When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.
Ms. Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!
Instead, I said yes when my dd asked whether I’d like to make a trip to Sam’s. Sam’s is an hour away. And an hour back. Inside Sam’s is a world of temptation in big, multi-box glory. We took forever shopping. So, when we wrapped it up, the kids slept in the back of the mini-van while the adults cranked up the Pandora to do some headbanging. And then it was, “Play this!” We went through our hard rock/metal faves—Limp Bizkit’s “Nookie” (I can’t believe how well that song has aged for me!), White Zombie’s “More Human Than Human”, Disturbed’s “Stupefy”—with all of us trying to follow David D’s haunting cantor’s wail (oh my eardrums!).
In the middle of a very satisfying jam, my dd suddenly, joltingly, changed the theme to our least favorite songs, beginning with “Peaches” by The Presidents of the United States of America (which, oddly, we knew all the words to!). But the one that rose to the top of the groans scale was “Brimful of Asha” by Cornershop. Don’t remember it? I bet you’ll wish you didn’t after you have a listen here. And I’ll bet you can’t play it just once. (Ahem, it’s a bit addicting.)
Share your favorite bad song for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! (“Bad” is all in the eye of the beholder—my daughter can’t understand why I detest Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph”!)
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I find it puts too much pressure on me and I end up abandoning them before too long. Instead, I resolve to take little steps to make my life better each day.
Almost two years ago, I started doing a half hour of exercise at least five times a week and I’m still doing it. I’ve lost some weight but still have some to go. It’s progress and I’m a lot more limber than I used to be.
This year, I want to cut back my sugar consumption. I have a huge sweet tooth. We’ll see how it goes. I know I won’t cut out sweets totally, but my goal is to cut back. It’s doable without feeling like deprivation. That’s the key for me.
I’m also trying to get more organized and even bought a new desk planner and am looking forward to using it.
What kinds of things are you doing to change your life this year?
As a New Year’s gift my publisher is offering Drakon’s Promise for FREE for a very limited time. It will be available at most but not all e-retailers. If you haven’t tried out the first book in the Blood of the Drakon series, now is the time. Don’t delay or you’ll miss it.
Blood of the Drakon, Book 1
Darius Varkas is a drakon. He’s neither human nor dragon.
He’s both.
He’s also the target of an ancient order who want to capture all drakons for their blood. When fresh, a drakon’s blood can cure any illness and prolong a human’s life, and the Knights will stop at nothing to get it.
When librarian Sarah Anderson stumbles across a rare book belonging to the Knights of the Dragon, she’s quickly thrust into a dangerous world of secrets and shifters and things she never would have believed possible. When the Knights realize Sarah has a secret of her own, she becomes just as much a target as Darius. Her scary dragon shifter just might be her best chance at survival.
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
I’m part of a fabulous boxed set called Crossroads with 20 other amazing authors. The theme is being at a crossroads or major decision point in one’s life. Serious stuff. In my story, Look Into My Eyes, we’re talking life and death. But turning points don’t necessarily put the bedroom into a deep freeze. In fact, crises can be quite spicy! What better way to make a big decision than with a hot, complex hero who makes you think the same time he makes you weak in the knees? Gina and Ryan have serious choices to make, but their passion pulls them through fear toward closure.
Laverne Thompson adds, being at a serious crossroads in life isn’t mutually exclusive of having a hot and sexy love/lust life. 😉 Just because someone is at a crossroads doesn’t mean they didn’t have love along the way, Angela Kay Austin points out. A crossroads only means a critical decision needs to be made. It’s about deciding if you want to continue on the path you’re on or not.
Join 21 bestselling and award-winning authors as they bring you action, adventure and drama in these 20 multi-genre stories that will keep you entertained even after you finish the books.
These stories run the gambit of the paranormal, other worlds, contemporary millionaires, military themed, alpha males, romantic suspense and even a touch of intrigue. There’s something for everyone and enough for all.
Get your copy today.
Authors
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Eve Vaughn
USA Today Bestselling Author Ailyah Burke
USA Today Bestselling Author Latriva Welch
Bestselling Author S.K. Lessly
USA Today Bestselling Author LaVerne Thompson
Bestselling Author Phoenix Daniels
Bestselling Author Kassanna
USA Today Bestselling Author Afton Locke
Bestselling Author Angela Kay Austin
Bestselling Author Reana Malori
Bestselling Author V Vee
Bestselling Author Dahlia Rose
Bestselling Author Ancelli
Bestselling Author Sage Young
Bestselling Authors Jayha Leigh & Jeanie Johnson
Bestselling Author Naleighna Kai
Bestselling Author Savannah J. Frierson
Bestselling Author Shara Azod
Bestselling Author Olivia Gaines
Bestselling Author Ursula Sinclair
LOOK INTO MY EYES
by Afton Locke
Single mother Gina Cole will do anything for her daughter. She even accepts a hospice assignment to improve her chances at getting a promotion. But caring for a terminally ill patient stirs up painful memories and guilt about her late husband.
Ryan Atlee, disillusioned by his failed business, has stopped caring whether or not he gets a new kidney. But when an irresistible hospice volunteer battles her deepest fear to open her heart to him, he wants to live.
The threat of death casts a shadow on their newfound love, but anything can happen at the crossroads—if they dare to step across.
She glanced at the living room. “After a big meal, you need to rest.”
“I told you, I want to be useful. It’s the least I can do.”
“Well, don’t wear yourself out. I don’t want to send you to your grave any earlier than necessary.”
The remark hit him like a sucker punch. Because, during the entire meal, he’d actually forgotten he was about to die.
She gripped his shoulder, regret flashing in her eyes. “Ryan, I’m sorry. My mouth runs away from me sometimes.”
“Well, maybe we should keep it occupied.” Before he could stop himself, he gripped her chin between thumb and forefinger and pressed his lips to hers.
After the quick contact, they stared at each other. Her lips remained parted, making his groin stir to life. The shock in her eyes, sharp and bright, grew hazy…with desire. He kissed her again, drinking deeply from her beautiful mouth. As if she were the only medicine on earth that could save his life.
God, she felt soft. Her mouth. Her body. Like a favorite pillow. A home. Her hands coasted over his shoulders, gliding to the back of his neck. Until he ached to feel her gentle fingertips all over his scalp.
Instead, she let go and backed up.
“What are we doing?” she whispered, brushing her fingers across her damp lips. “This is completely inappropriate.”
He shrugged as he tried to catch his breath. “We’re not breaking any rules, are we?”
“Well, a kiss like that is going to break something.”
The second day of 2019 has come and almost gone! I’m chugging along, working with my new journal. I’ve finished tweaking my plans. Now the real work has begun. Yay!
I thought you might like a little stress relief. I know I already need it. Play the puzzle, and then tell me whether you’d like to see more stories with this theme.
Have fun!
P.S. Thanks to everyone who heeded yesterday’s call to action! We’re getting there!
Tagged: game, jigsaw Posted in General|4 People Said|Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Shirley Long - ButtonsMom2003 - Terri - Pansy Petal -
Most times, I show up here and babble on about what I’m doing, what I’m writing, or some silly thing that’s going on in my life that I want to share. Today’s a little different. I have a request—a call to action.
The last book I’ll have on pre-order for an entire year is Animal, which releases January 22nd. How did I lose the ability to set up pre-orders on Amazon? Life interfered—my grandmother got sick and died and then my father broke his hip. I missed my pre-order dates for two books and Amazon withdrew the privilege. Why does that make me nervous? Well, pre-orders have been hugely important to my success. People see mention of the next story at the end of a book, follow the link, click Buy, and don’t think about it again until the story appears on their device. Or, they see me mention it, think it might be cool to read, and quickly arrange to purchase it before they forget.
Now, I will have to hope readers see my mentions on my website or my ads on Facebook on the day of release. I’m assuming this will result in a huge downturn in my sales. And face it, I write full-time, this is my only job, and the last thing I can weather is a huge pay cut. So, I’m looking for new ways to advertise new releases.
Some of you already follow authors on BookBub. You hear about new releases, hear about free reads or greatly reduced prices on books. I can use them to notify readers, but only if I hit a magic number of followers through BookBub. I need 250 new followers to make that happen.
So, if you have time, and you want to hear about great deals and want to help me out, follow me on BookBub. I’d be forever grateful!
Posted in General, Real Life|12 People Said|Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Amy Fendley - Gayle Lazur - Galina Sulaiman - Stacie Daniels - Chandra Crawford -
How many of you have been shut up with a kiss? I, for one, find this terribly romantic. Us women tend to rattle on when we’re nervous, and I like a take-charge kind of guy who grabs an opportunity to move forward. End our misery. Show us how much they adore us despite our tendency to leak words under pressure. Have I ever been shut up with a kiss? Yes. It was a first kiss and kind of sloppy. I was young, he was hot, and I didn’t mind the mess because I was too relieved that I didn’t have to find another subject to talk about. I guess my story isn’t the type we romance writers put in a book, but the concept makes my heart go pitter-patter. When I see it in the movies – *SWOON*!
