I have a new release coming on July 12^th, and I thought you’d like to know some of the personal motivation that went into creating the story.

1. The title is a tribute to one of my longtime industry partners and friends, Kate Richards. She is the owner of Decadent Publishing, and I’ve worked with her for more than eleven years, both as a publisher and an editor.

2. Kate, the heroine of Protecting Kate, first appeared in Protecting Susan. In that book, Susan came to Kate’s farm for battered women to learn self-defense skills.

3. My favorite hero from Susan Stoker’s Special Forces series, SEAL of Protection, is Tex Keegan, He appears in all of my stories as a secondary character, including this one.

Read an excerpt from the book, and then learn how you can order a signed print copy!

Protecting Kate

For Kate Bartlett running Haven Farm was the realization of a dream. Helping battered and abused women build a new life was very satisfying. Of course, it left her with no personal life of her own but she put that on the back burner.

Dan Wolff left the SEALs with a nightmare that wouldn’t go away. It kept him from having a personal life and sent him to the small town of Dixville, Florida, where he served now as sheriff of the county. His biggest challenges were the rednecks who thought it was fun to get drunk and beat up their women, a situation that brought him into continuous contact with Kate.

But it all changes when a group of convicts escapes from the nearby prison and takes refuge in Dixville. Can Dan protect the women who make perfect shields? And will he and Kate finally give in to the attraction that sizzles between them?

Excerpt from Protecting Kate…

Clad in his battle fatigues, his face darkened with camouflage paint and his M4A1 rifle in his hands, Dan Wolff crouched in the thicket of trees, staring at the cluster of small adobe houses with straw roofing. At three in the morning, it was very quiet in this village, even though it was a hotbed of activity for the local gang in this small city. Was it too quiet? Should people be moving somewhere, or was everyone asleep? Were there only three gang members guarding the inside, or were there really more? As team leader, he hadn’t been happy with the scarcity of information they’d been given, and neither was their commanding officer, but they were running out of time to stage their rescue. Ten women had been taken captive by gang members who announced they were going to stage an execution to make an example of them. Send a message not to mess in gang territory.

The women had come down here on a trip from the States to study the country and have a vacation. Although why the fuck anyone would want to take a pleasure trip to a place overrun with gangs was beyond him. Oh sure, the resorts were beautiful, and the areas immediately surrounding them were gorgeous. But there was always a sliver of fear in the area that one or more of the gangs would decide to have a little fun. It had happened before, and he’d bet his left testicle it would happen again. Of course, he fervently hoped it wouldn’t come to that since he was intensely fond of both of them.

But the women had been appalled at some of the conditions they’d seen on their trips to the smaller villages—another idiotic move—and talked about bringing organizations to the country to help correct it.

What he wasn’t fond of was the sketchy information they’d been given. Their commanding officer had busted his butt to get as much as possible, but the gang holding the women made sure what was known was sketchy and frequently changing. So, they went with a rundown full of holes. Unsure number of gang members involved protecting the women, but not more than four. Which room in the house they were sequestered in, but probably one of the bedrooms. And more like that. But he was the team leader, so it was up to him to make apple juice out of apples, even as he cursed the newly minted CO every minute.

After he used his night- vision goggles to study everything around them, doing his best to make sure gang members wouldn’t come flooding out of the trees, he waved his team forward. As described, there was only one man guarding the front door and two lounging against a junker across the street. Dan figured they were pretty damn overconfident.

He gave the signals they’d prepared, two of the SEALs crept up on the gang members against the car, and two more of them breached the door, with four others as backup. But when Dan had his men kick the door down and roll in with their guns at the ready, all hell broke loose. Unlike the few gang members they had expected, there were several in the house, standing behind the women who were bound and gagged…and terrified, not to mention other terrorists in a second room. They’d laid a trap so successfully that even checking out the scene ahead of time had revealed nothing.

Fucking shit!

“Back off, back off,” he shouted to his men, but, by then, it was insanity.

Bullets were flying, people were shouting, and bodies were falling. It was a totally fucked-up mess.

When it was over, three gang members were dead, four of Dan’s men were wounded, and all the women were either wounded or dead. He called for emergency pickup, and those of his men still functioning were able to hold the rest of the gang off until two choppers arrived, cleared the area, and landed to pick everyone up.

He had no idea how he was going to live with the memories of all the people who had been killed on a mission he led. In the debrief, his commanding officer had tried to assure him it hadn’t been his fault. That their information had been bad. A trap, in fact. That he, the CO, took full responsibility for it.

But Dan couldn’t deal with it. Despite efforts to change his mind, he resigned from the SEALs, determined to bury himself as an ordinary civilian, with no mention of the military at all. Someplace where, hopefully, he could redeem himself enough that the nightmares would stop.

He had no idea where that place would be, but he knew just the person to ask.

Available for preorder on Amazon:  https://geni.us/ProtectingKate_AznALL
Want a signed print copy? Click here for details:  https://bit.ly/ProtectingKatePRINTorder

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

©Diana Cosby 2022

The shore is an amazing place.  Wildlife is abundant and you never know what you’ll see as you walk through the marsh, or along the beach.

In addition to shorebirds running along the ocean-smoothed stones, early in the summer, birds are still migrating through, with some choosing to stay instead of continuing to fly north.

Early in the summer is also a time to see the newborn birds and wildlife.  In a few months, they’ll be off on their own.

One of my favorite birds at the shore is the tern.  They’re amazing to watch as they soar with the wind currents, hover above, then dive into the water.

An interesting bird to watch at the shore is the Laughing Gull.  It’s appropriately named as when you hear the gull call out, it sounds as if it’s laughing.

You never know where you’ll see wildlife.  At times they’re walking along open fields or along the shore, other times they’re hidden in the trees and brush.  Take care, and I hope you have a wonderful summer!

Contest

***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest blog post about, ‘Nature at the Shore!’ on Delilah’s blog between 10 July 2022 – 17 July 2022 and will win a tote.

About Diana Cosby

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.

God bless,

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

Social Media
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Happy 4^th of July beautiful readers!

Yes, I’m an Aussie but I’ve always been one to embrace other National holidays, like Independence Day and Bastille Day. I love the idea of people celebrating and acknowledging the history of their country.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love an excuse to eat, drink and be merry while surrounded by family and friends. And I’m a sucker for a glorious fireworks display.

I’d love to hear how you’ll be celebrating tomorrow…

While we’re on the topic of celebrating, I’ve had two celebrations of my own recently.

At the end of May, I celebrated fourteen years as a cancer survivor! Woo Hoo!

I had just turned thirty-one when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and at the same time discovered I have BRCA2, a genetic predisposition to Breast and Ovarian cancer. After chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery, I’ve learnt to embrace the positives in life and fourteen years later, I’m still grateful for life’s opportunities.

(I got this tattoo in Vegas in 2013, and I wasn’t drunk!)

Which brings me to my other celebration…

The Athlete

The Athlete – Book 2 in the 5 Shades of Brothers Browne series is available on e-book through Amazon and KU from today. Another Woo Hoo moment!

High school sweethearts √           Second Chance at love √

Sweet and Spicy √                     Browne brothers’ banter √

‘Dane was easy. All he wanted, was to play footy.’

Recently, ‘The Great Dane’ Browne has been questioning whether he can return to the elite level of Australian Rules Football and more importantly, whether he wants to.

Katelyn Jennings has never really made peace with the breakup with her high school sweetheart and for good reason. Working as a nurse in the rural town of Kingston Creek, a chance encounter will put her heart and her life through the ultimate test.

They’re about to discover whether you can move on from your first love. And for Dane, it’s about discovering who he really is AWAY from the game.

**While this book forms part of a series, there is enough backstory about the brothers and the first book so this novel can be read on its own. Perfect for those who love the second chance at love trope**

Excerpt from The Athlete by Deb Robinson:

‘Touch me.’ His deep, whispered invitation read her thoughts. ‘Touch any part of me you wish.’ And when his lips pressed hers, she felt them curve. She loved when their lips smiled against each other’s.

Her confidence circled, imploring her fingers to return to his shoulders. Courtesy of her degree in nursing, she knew them as deltoids. She touched the curve of his neck, discovering warm and smooth skin. Those itchy, eager fingers, caressed tender veins before continuing their exploration. Musculus pectoralis, firm and bulging. The minor, triangular muscle lay beneath its major counterpart, both important. As was the…

‘Are you reciting parts of my anatomy?’ The disbelief in his voice had her eyes widening. Her mouth slid open. ‘I heard you say, serratus anterior. If I didn’t interrupt, you’d be reminding yourself of how the subclavius muscle along with the pecs, form the axilla.’

‘I…’ Faltering, she found she was as surprised as he, but for a different reason.

‘Yeah, I know all about the inner workings of the anatomy,’ he confirmed, with a smirk. ‘I took some classes after we broke up.’

She’d forgotten his youthful eagerness to learn all the fundamentals in order to get the best out of his performance on the field. In turn, it was enhancing this off-field performance. As a nurse, she was impressed. As a woman, she was quickly becoming hot and bothered.

Her gaze had not left his, so when his fingers joined hers, she flinched. Those tender fingers urged hers to trail the glorious crests and valleys, low on his torso.

‘Rectus abdominis,’ he muttered against her earlobe. The flirty, sensual tone sent her inner pleasure erupting into a fireworks display.

Her fingers caressed that final, stomach clenching hill before her hands swerved, one left, one right. They tightened their hold, just a little, feeling the strong bone beneath the layers of epidermis. Silence, heat and lust swirled.

‘The hipbones connected to the…’ His attempt at singing had her smiling. It had her own confidence peaking as her fingers dipped brazenly lower.

‘To your jocks,’ she retorted with a sultry whisper, her fingers trailing the hem of dark fabric, ending at the hard wall of muscle just above his pubic bone. His tremble had her grinning before moving her mouth to his ear. ‘That’ll teach you not to tease me, Dane Browne.’

His light laugh was adorable right up until she saw the thick and scolding layer of lust. ‘I think we’ve had enough exploration for one day.’ And beneath that layer was his steely, match day expression. ‘When the day comes, that I get to explore you, you better be ready. Because I intend on leaving no part of your anatomy untouched.’

___________________

Book 1 – The Cop is also available on e-book through Amazon and with KU

Follow Deb Robinson on her official Facebook page
Follow on Twitter @DRobinsonbooks
Follow on Instagram @debrobinsonbooks

This year has been eventful to say the least. Almost every day there seems to be things that happen that can make your heart hurt. As an author I tend to express myself through words. When the invasion of Ukraine started I was stunned and felt helpless to do something positive to make a difference.

The first thing I did was to donate money to World Central Kitchen which waded into the devastation and started to feed people. It felt good to help, but I didn’t want to leave it at donations to make sure that people had access to warm, comforting food in the middle of the crisis.

Later, I was asked if I wanted to be a part of a group anthology to raise funds for Unicef and their world in Ukraine.

When I was a kid I carried the little orange UNICEF box around at Halloween, loving the sound that coins made against each other and cardboard sides. Helping to contribute to them gave me the same giddy, happy feeling inside.

As my contribution to the anthology, I was inspired by stories of dancers in and from Ukraine.

I was a dancer for most of my life. Ballet, tap, jazz, hula, flamenco… I loved that form of expression as well and if you ever peek into my closet you’ll see my favorite pointe shoes and some of the costume pieces that I’ve worn through the years. So, my heroine in this story is a dancer.

A ballet dancer whose mother is from Ukraine, but she was raised in Center City. Her childhood friend, Jay, became her best friend and while she left the US to become part of a national Ukrainian Ballet Company, she’d never lost touch with Jay.

Until the invasion.

Jay, who is called Raffe, by his First Responder family, takes a leave of absence to find Mila and make sure she’s okay. His plan to talk her into coming back to the US is the center of this romance novella.

I’m going to write their whole story later, but for now, you can read “Far & Away” in Happily Ever Afters for Hope.

I hope that you’ll take the opportunity to share the love!

Happily Ever Afters For Hope is an anthology with over a dozen stories from some of your favorite authors. Each story features a couple (many fan favorites!) living out their hard-earned happily ever afters. 100% of the royalties from this collection will be donated to UNICEF to support their efforts in Ukraine. This anthology will only be available for a limited time, so make sure you one-click your copy before it’s too late!

Authors include: Tara Wyatt, Roxie Noir, Zoe York, Nicole Burnham, Lainey Davis, Kimberly Kincaid, Alexa Rivers, Arell Rivers, S.E. Rose, Lori Ryan, Kelly Siskind, Tru Taylor, Reina Torres, Marie Tuhart, and Sara Whitney

Don’t miss out on this feel-good collection in support of a good cause!

** Did I forget any information you’ll need? **

(There’s a bookbub page for this book which links to the various sellers – https://www.bookbub.com/books/happily-ever-afters-for-hope-a-charity-collection-for-unicef-by-zoe-york-and-roxie-noir )

Think back and let me know something special that you shared with your childhood friend(s)?

Writing the Guardian Security series has been and continues to be one of my most rewarding projects. Moving Target, Book 1, has been through several revisions. It was the very first book I wrote but not the first one I published. It changed personality several times before it hit the marketplace.

When I was writing it, everyone in the group of authors I belonged to helped me and gave me advice. One of the things they told me was, “Write about things you know and use familiar areas as settings.”

Moving Target is set in a small Texas town just like the one we lived in at the time and the hero’s house is the house we had built.

I struggled to get that first book finished, mostly because the plot I had just wasn’t working. Then I read Cry No More by Linda Howard. I wrote Moving Target (at that time titled Run for Your Life) in an effort to create a hero like Linda Howard’s Diaz. It was successful and inspired me to create the series.

Silencing Memories, Book 2, was based in part of a plot from an episode of CSI. And the Vanetta ranch is based on one just outside San Antonio, Texas, close to where we lived. Killing Lies, Book 3, came from an idea I got from a friend of mine talking about a friend of hers!

Running Scared, Book 4, came from some articles I read about the illegal use of digital games in the espionage business. And Finding Redemption, Book 5, was born when I read an article about Mexico’s Quintana Roo Jungle. But mostly, I wanted to base a hero on the man who was my son’s closest friend and who died way too soon of a heart attack.

The latest release in the series, Missing Pieces, features Dino Brancuzzi, the best friend of the star of Finding Redemption, who is based on a friend of my son. Many of Ethan Caine’s characteristics showed up in Dino, and I wanted to tell his story. Also, I have a huge fascination with civilian Black Ops stories.

This entire series holds a very special place in my heart, and I hope you will take the journey through all of the books to meet some very interesting characters and go on some exciting adventures.

Here’s a taste of the first five books in the series and then keep reading for Chapter One from Missing Pieces.

Moving Target

They’re trying to kill her, and she doesn’t know why…

Kathryn Holt knows only that she has to get far away as fast as she can. In a frantic, cross-country odyssey, she transforms from pliable Kathryn to feisty, determined Kate Miller, staying one step ahead of the killers on her trail. Then Fate delivers her into the hands of a dark knight with a tortured past. The safety he offers is as tempting as he is.

After having his perfect life ripped apart, recluse Quinn sees protecting Kate as his chance for redemption. He never plans on wanting the guarded beauty, never mind falling for her. Denying the explosive chemistry between them is useless, and as danger closes in, he must fight to expose the killer or risk history repeating itself.

Silencing Memories

Just when architect Alexis Craig thinks she’s gotten her life back on track, the terrible nightmares return, and out of nowhere, a stalker sends note to her office. Photos follow, then emails, and she can’t dismiss the threat any longer. Hiring security seems the logical answer, but there’s nothing logical about her body’s reaction to the sinfully sexy expert bent on keeping her safe.

Guardian Security partner Nick Vanetta believes there’s more behind the situation than a simple fixation, and he wonders if the answer is buried somewhere in her past. As they dig deeper into her family history, the sizzling attraction between them burns hotter and the job becomes much more than playing bodyguard to this headstrong woman. To protect the woman he loves, he must find the stalker…before it’s too late.

Killing Lies

After her husband was killed and she lost her unborn child, Sarah Madison believed she’d never find love and happiness again. Instead, she has channeled all her energy into her job as assistant to the sexy CEO of Guardian Security. When he proposes a marriage of convenience, the chance to become a mother is tempting, and so is her new prospective husband. His only flaw—the distance he keeps between himself and his sweet little daughter.

Reno Sullivan’s life is a mess. His first marriage was based on a lie, and the fiery death of his wife left him to raise a baby—a constant reminder of his wife’s deceit. He desperately needs someone to mother the child and take charge of his personal life, and his no-nonsense assistant is perfect for the job. Unfortunately, the alluring woman in the bedroom next to his chips away at his determination to maintain the hands-off clause in their agreement and the ice around his heart.

A near-tragedy and Reno’s fear of love could kill Sarah’s hopes of turning their fake marriage into happily ever after…

Running Scared

When computer program designer Zoraya “Zoe” Lombardo wakes up next to her business partner’s dead body with a gun in her hand and no memory of what happened, the first thing she does is run. The second thing she does is call the one person she trusts to help her—the man she abandoned two years ago. He’s not as bossy as she remembers, but he’s sexier than ever. She made a mistake not listening to his warnings, and she’s more than willing to kiss and make up…if she can just stay alive long enough.

Zak Delaney, partner in Guardian Security, never expected to hear from his ex-fiancee again. After Zoe left, it took him a long time to put himself back together. Now he must cast aside his hurt and anger in order to protect her. He’ll have to rely on his resources at Guardian Security to clear her name and every ounce of his self-control not to fall for her charms again. But as danger closes in, Zak will have to learn to trust Zoe as much as she trusts him or face losing her again…and this time for good.

Finding Redemption

Lisa Mallory’s marriage from hell ended with her husband’s unsolved murder. Four years later, her eight-year-old son, Jamie, is kidnapped. When every other avenue of finding him fails, she turns to her brother’s best friend. He’s not the man she’d have chosen, but to get her son back, she’ll suffer anything…even the desire he stirs that she’d thought long dead.

Ethan Caine, former Marine/special ops agent, is dealing with his own private hell. All he wants is to be left alone with a bottle of whiskey to drown the guilt of surviving a mission gone wrong. When he finally agrees to go after Jamie, he certainly doesn’t want the boy’s mother slowing him down. Besides, she makes him ache to have her naked and beneath him. Worse, she stirs dreams of the future…something he doesn’t deserve.

Passion explodes between Ethan and Lisa in the exotic Quintana Roo jungle, even as the past and present threaten to steal it all.

Missing Pieces

Ten years ago, Jen LaCroix left Dino Brancuzzi carrying a big secret. Now, her life is in danger and he’s the only man she can trust.

When a valuable shipment disappears from the museum where she works, the finger points to her and the number of dangerous people after her continues to increase. Leaving that secret, Dino’s nine-year-old daughter, Deanne, with Ethan Caine, Jen finds a place to hide in the Caribbean.

Dino is stunned to discover he has a daughter and immediately launches a search to find Jen and protect her. He might have made the biggest mistake by not realizing in time that he loved her all those years ago, but can he forgive her for keeping the child a secret?

Read Chapter One from Missing Pieces

A suburb of Detroit, Michigan

Jennifer LaCroix took a breath in an attempt to still her galloping pulse and get herself under control. What an unbelievable mess this was. And just how had it all ended up in her lap, anyway? It had to be Sutherland, that jerk, pointing his finger in her direction. She’d never liked him or trusted him, not in all the years she’d worked at the museum, and now she had even more reason not to.

Chaos reigned all around her. A shipment of antiquities, the largest yet, was scheduled to arrive at the museum for a special show. They’d be on display for three months, thanks to the owner who’d loaned them, and the entire shipment had somehow disappeared. Craig Sutherland, the museum director, swore he’d never signed for them, but the shipping company driver insisted he had. Meanwhile, they were missing.

In the ten years Jen had worked here, she’d never seen such pandemonium. But of course, a disaster like this had never happened before, either. When the discovery was made three days ago that the latest shipment of artifacts had gone missing, everyone went crazy. Of course, they did. Those artifacts were rare and uber costly. Some even said priceless. Crazy was a mild term for how it had been since then. FBI agents were all over the place, and the museum board was everywhere, scrutinizing everyone and everything. Giving everyone the third degree.

The board was also doing its best to clamp a lid on things, because if the owners of the artifacts heard, there’d be ten kinds of hell to pay. The blowback might even cause the museum to close. The story was all over the media, the board was in an uproar, the staff was in a panic.

Sutherland was sweating bullets, despite his efforts to maintain control. Major donors were involved in the museum, many of them thanks to his efforts. If they all pulled their support, the place would definitely close. No wonder Roger Welborn, the chairman of the board of directors of the museum, was raising holy hell and rightfully so. He was angrier than she’d ever seen him. It was almost as if they’d been stolen from him personally. Thank the lord, at least, he wasn’t here today, throwing his weight around, telling her how the museum was his responsibility and if she knew anything at all, she’d better tell him or get herself a good lawyer.

Sutherland, who was also her immediate boss, still denied any involvement, of course. Said he hadn’t even been at the museum the day the shipment arrived. That it was scheduled for a different day. The driver was now nowhere to be found, and the signature on the receiving form was totally illegible.

And now, here she was, headed yet again for the room the federal agents were using. Why? She’d already told them everything she knew at least five times. Answered their questions a million times. But the damn suits had summoned her for questioning yet again. Summoned! Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen1!
*~*~*

As a writer, I’m fascinated by women who use their agency to tell their own stories or stories others need to hear. This is particularly true of formerly enslaved women like Ida B. Wells Barnett, Harriet Jacobs, and Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley. I’d like to share today about Elizabeth.

In 1818, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley was born into slavery in Virginia. The family that owned her allowed her to learn to read and write. She also learned sewing, the skill that eventually set her up in her own business. While still enslaved, her owners moved her to Missouri in 1846 where she used her sewing talent to raise money for her owners. It was here that she first caught Mary Todd Lincoln’s attention.

Elizabeth’s owners agreed to set her and her son free if she could raise $1,200. By 1855 with the help of vigilance committees, she was able to raise the money.  She used her skills as a seamstress to pay back these loans. In 1860, she moved to Washington D.C. and built a dressmaking business thanks to referrals from Varina Davis, the wife of Jefferson Davis. One of Elizabeth’s patrons ordered a dress from her for the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln. This patron recommended her as a dressmaker to Mary Todd Lincoln. The rest as they say is history.

She was an integral part of the Lincoln household and recounts her life with them as part of her memoir, Behind the Scenes: Or Thirty Years A Slave and Four in the White House. However, the work was not as well-received as the narratives of other former slaves. Her recounting was seen as a breach of trust between her and Mary Lincoln. The book had poor sales, and she lost customers because of the controversy it created. The White House Historical Association has a fuller account of her life as a slave and her time in the White House on their website:

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/from-slavery-to-the-white-house-the-extraordinary-life-of-elizabeth-keckly

She did not let the book’s reception get her down. She defended what she did and continued to help others by teaching other Black women how to sew and founding two organizations to aid other Blacks:  the Contraband Relief Association, a relief organization for Blacks freed by Northern troops and had come to Washington D.C. as “contraband of war,” and the National Home for Destitute Colored Women and Children. In 1892 she moved to Ohio to accept the position as head of the Department of Sewing and Domestic Science Arts at Wilberforce University. It is believed she suffered a stroke and returned from there to Washington D.C. where she died in the hospital she helped found. She was eighty-nine years old.

I love learning about women like Elizabeth Keckley, women who used their abilities to make life better for themselves and others. Her life is a witness to perseverance and encourages me to press on at a time when parts of our society seem hell-bent on stripping women of their rights. Share a story of your own about persistence in the comments for a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card.

One Breath Away

Sentenced to hand for a crime she didn’t commit, former slave Mary Hamilton was exonerated at literally the last gasp. She returns to Safe Haven, broken and resigned to live alone. Never having been courted, cuddled or spooned, Mary now fears any kind of physical intimacy when arousal forces her to relive the asphyxiation of her hanging. But then the handsome stranger who saved her shows up, stealing her breath from across the room and promising so much more.

Wealthy freeborn-Black Eban Thurman followed Mary to Safe Haven, believing a relationship with Mary was foretold by the stars. He must marry her to reclaim his family farm. But first he must help her heal, and to do that means revealing his own predilection for edgier sex.

Then just as Eban begins to win Mary’s trust, an enemy from the past threatens to keep them one breath away from love…

An excerpt from One Breath Away…

Home at last, she’d see if meeting Eban meant this night would be good.

Since her ordeal, her sex rivaled the Chihuahuan Desert in dryness. Yet Eban’s gaze had summoned the fragrant flow that even now moistened her core. Could it be her body had finally healed? She swayed, dizzy with expectation.

The squeak of the indoor pump provided no distraction from the lingering tingle where Eban’s fingers had rested against her spine, where his lips had kissed her hand. She focused on her task to temper her excitement.

Fill the bucket. Lift the bucket. Carry the bucket. Empty the bucket. Fill the bucket. Lift the bucket. Carry the bucket. Empty the bucket.

The pans she filled slowly simmered then steamed on her small, pot-bellied stove.

Her heart seized as she fingered the simple gingham curtains covering Harvest Home’s windows. Harvest Home’s humble kitchen contrasted sharply with the trappings that had graced Mary’s Manor, her Weston restaurant expansion.

She’d looked up the word manor and decided her place would imitate that kind of luxury as much as possible. Brocaded drapes and white, linen tablecloths had dressed up the Manor’s supper room. Slipcovers made from the same linen covered the cushioned chairs. White, bone china and delicate silverware completed the picture of elegant dining she hoped to draw.

A Franklin stove, indoor pump, double sink, polished counter tops and spacious storage cupboards made the Manor’s kitchen a dream made true. Nothing lacked for the grand opening. Picturing couples enjoying themselves in her simple but elegant setting had become her favorite pastime.

Then Judah Little and his lies thwarted her plans. Thwarted. A good word. A true word.

“But not for long,” she whispered. “That dream will come true just as this dream might come true tonight.”

Buylink: https://amzn.to/2u5XQYY

My favorite romance trope of all time is Beauty and The Beast.

One love interest is scarred and surly and believes they are unlovable. The other love interest is beautiful and optimistic and is bursting with love.

They are complete opposites, yet they work. They’re magical together.

I can read this trope again and again, whether it is the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale version or a steamy paranormal romance with a beast shifter in the beast role.

And I write this trope again and again. Each couple (or more) is different because each character is different. They have different histories, different traumas, different ways of withdrawing or hiding themselves from their unique worlds.

Often the beasts in my stories are the heroes. I tend to put myself in the place of the heroine when I read or write and my fantasy is being with the beast.

In Provoking Odium, my latest Cyborg Romance, however, the human heroine claims that role.

Briella is nicknamed Beast for several reasons. She appears fearless, taking on missions deemed too dangerous by others. She is a skilled pilot, a “beast” in the air. No one can fly a freighter through space like she can. She is also scarred, both physically and emotionally. Having been rejected in the past, she now pushes other beings away. She doesn’t allow anyone to get close to her…in any way.

Odium, in contrast, is physically perfect. He’s a cyborg, and they don’t manufacture unsightly cyborgs. (grins) He isn’t, what I would view as, optimistic or sunny in temperament. But he does have quite a few friends and most beings like him.

He wants to claim Briella as his female more than he has ever wanted anything or anyone else. She is his genetic match, and she is also his soul mate.

She’d realize that IF she stopped avoiding him. Odium is persistent and he is determined to care for Briella and protect her. He’s willing to give up his lifespan to do that.

What is your favorite Beauty And The Beast romance?

Provoking Odium

A Beautiful Cyborg

While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.

A Human Female Others Call Beast

Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.

***

Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.

Buy Today:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/provoking-odium/id1605490349
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/provoking-odium-cynthia-sax/1140894003
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/provoking-odium
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1127119

About Cynthia Sax

USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes steamy Cyborg, Alien and Contemporary Romances. Her stories have been featured on TV, in Star Magazine, and numerous top ten lists.

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