UDPATE: The winner is…Colleen!

* * * * *

Note from Denysé: I’ll pick a random comment and send the winner a copy of the set, too. Winner will be picked tomorrow by noon!

* * * * *

This particular set of stories came about as the World Romance Writers chatted about themes for future sets after the best-selling debut set, Letterbox Love Stories. We wanted to do something a little more exotic and add a touch of suspense, so the idea of tales set in Africa was born. I’ve long been a lover of the movie Casablanca, and wanted to try something in a similar vein to the movie. So, with a tip of the hat to that classic movie, I hope you enjoy a peek at this one–the first in a series of stories with this set of characters because I know their adventure is just beginning…

 Escape to Africa: A Dangerous Liaison

World Romance Writers
Kobo Books  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon

In late 1942, Casablanca, an undercover French operative is given information vital to the alliance, and it’s now up to her to get the microfilm to someone who can insure it’s turned over to the Allies. Isabeau Renault has kept her cover in place for many months in Casablanca, and probably saved countless lives because of her activities. But, with the resistance being choked by the Nazi stranglehold, will she be able to get the most important intelligence she’s ever held safely out of Casablanca, or will she die trying? It all hinges now on the owner of a popular café, an American named Cade Maddox, a man few know anything about, but who appears to have a friendly relationship with the Prefect of Police, and several German officers.

Excerpt:

“Cassi, I need to talk to you.”

Cade Maddox’s voice dug into her brain.

“I will join you at the bar, Monsieur,” she repeated. “In five minutes!”

The rapid, muted voices that followed her assured her the maid, Diata, was living up to her fierce name, the lion. She sat at her dressing table and took quick inventory of her hair and makeup. Dark, curling tendrils escaped the elaborate style and she twisted them back into place and tucked pins into the coils. She picked up a brush and dusted darkly tinted powder across her cheeks, peering closely at her reflection. She barely recognized herself these days, but it kept her alive and unnoticed among the citizens of Casablanca.

Gathering her wits, she took a deep breath and stood. Eluding Maddox was more draining than it should be, but something about the man got under her skin and made her jittery. The man was impressive, six feet plus in height, dark eyes, tanned skin, he looked at home in Casablanca, though she knew he was American by birth. Braced for the on-going deception, she stepped into the narrow hallway and walked to the main area of the café, her casual manner wholly feigned. Inside she was shaking in her sandals as she prepared to dodge Cade Maddox and his too shrewd eyes.

“What brings you here, Monsieur? You’re usually holding court at the Stardust this time of the evening.” She sat at the small corner table he’d chosen, the strategic position not escaping her notice. From here the entire main room could be watched, while the wall at his back assured no one could approach him unnoticed.

Maddox smiled. He looked like a wolf who’d just scented prey.

“I was planning to lure your dancer away to work for me,” he said. “Jolene keeps running them off just when the Germans get used to them.”

“How unfortunate for you.” She shook her head when the bartender began to approach the table with a drink for her. He shrugged and headed back for customers who did want to drink.

“Why don’t you drop in this evening,” Cade suggested. “I’m expecting company that might interest you.”

“And why do you think your company would interest me?”

She hadn’t made eye contact with him since sitting down, and he clearly hadn’t missed the ruse. He’d told her on more than one occasion that she intrigued him, and because of it, he was determined to discover what she was hiding. For his sake, she prayed he never did!

For a moment silence hung between them. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he nodded. “Drop by this evening, you might enjoy yourself.”

“I’m busy this evening,” she told him, “if things get boring here I’ll consider your offer.” The scrape of the chair moving indicated he’d left his seat. A slight displacement of air seconds later and he was gone, footsteps so careful they were soundless. Maddox was an enigma she had no time to figure out, he could be dangerous to her. Before she could think too much about it the bartender shouted her name and it was time to get back to business.

As the evening wore on, Isabeau wondered if Cade could be trusted. The question plagued her as she went about her business, serving drinks, flashing a false smile, and presenting yourself as the perfect hostess. This was a job she could do in her sleep, she’d been in Casablanca for several months, even the false face she wore had become much too familiar. And much too comfortable. Her intuition had often saved her so she rarely disregarded it, and against all good sense she knew Cade Maddox was someone she was going to need if she expected to escape with her life.

*~*~*

Denysé Bridger
Romance for the discerning reader…
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Readers Group

Today is my birthday. Yup, today I am 81 years young. And you now what keeps me young? Writing my books and “talking” to you, my readers. Now, I’m not giving away 81 books today (pause to giggle) but I will give away three titles which I’ll post at the end.

I’m really celebrating today, because June 27 was release day for Where Danger Hides. I love all my books but this one is extra special. I wrote it while still living in Texas (as I did with so many of my books). The hero is part Comanche. I lived near Fredericksburg, the center so long ago of Comanche settlement in that area. My husband and I drove to Fredericksburg to do some research at the museum there and (gasp!) you’ll never believe it but a man walked in to give something to the museum who look EXACTLY like my hero, Noah Cantrell. My husband had to promise I wasn’t crazy when I asked if we could take him for coffee. The soul of Noah was born out of that conversation.

I had lived in Tampa before moving to Texas, so I tried to give a flavor of the city by having my heroine live there. But when she goes to Texas, she is seduced by the nature and raw beauty of the state, just as I was.

Where Danger Hides is a revised and revitalized edition of the earlier release, and I am so much happier with this one. Not only that, my publisher, Totally Bound, liked it so much they asked me to develop a series from it, so this is Book One in Corporate Heat. Books 2-4 are currently in development.

Here is a taste of the book below. I hope you’ll all help me celebrate my birthday by taking home a copy. And if you leave a comment, you might win a choice of an ebook from my backlist.

Where Danger Hides

Corporate Heat Book One

Taylor Scott thought she had it all—a good life and a great job. No relationship? No problem. But her world is turned upside down when the father she never knew she had first refuses to acknowledge her, then makes her the sole heir to the major conglomerate he owned. It’s the last thing she wants, but circumstances leave her no choice. She steps into a world of corporate greed and treachery where no one is what they seem.

And the only person to guide her through the treacherous waters? The man with whom she had the hottest one-night stand ever, Noah Cantrell. Noah isn’t what he seemed at first, either, but now he’s the only one Taylor can trust.

As danger stalks her at every turn, she must rely on him for everything. The man who makes her scream with pleasure is the only one who can tell her where the danger hides.

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/where-danger-hides-4
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Danger-Hides-Corporate-Heat-ebook/dp/B0716YXRD5/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1495833969&sr=1-1&keywords=Where+Danger+Hides
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hide-and-seek-desiree-holt/1125531148?ean=9781516103676#productInfoTabsTotally Bound: https://www.totallybound.com/index.php?route=search%2Fget%2Fresults&q=Where+Danger+Hides

Excerpt

Leaning back in her chair she closed her eyes and as always these days, unbidden, the image of The Man danced across her brain. She rubbed her eyes, trying to erase the images that were always there no matter how she wished them away. That night had been at once the most erotic and embarrassing night of her life. At least she’d broken out of her shell with a stranger, someone she didn’t have to see again. You want to see him again, though. Quit kidding yourself. You want all those things he did to you, made you do. Maybe even more. That’s why you can’t stop thinking about them. About him.

A commotion in the reception area broke her train of thought and drew her attention. She heard the voice of Sheila, the receptionist, raised in protest over something and the angrier male voice overriding her.

“You can’t go in there,” Sheila was saying as the door to Taylor’s office flew open.

“I’m in. Miss Scott can throw me out if she wants to.”

There he was, standing in front of her.

Him, The Man.

She blinked hard, thinking for a moment she’d conjured up his image. But when she opened her eyes again he was still there. Alive. In her office. In full alpha mode. The man she’d never expected to see again. The man who’d taken her far beyond the boundaries set by her inhibitions and beckoned to her in her dreams each night.

He was even more impressive than she remembered, his presence filling her office and surrounding her. His custom suit and silk dress shirt—were they his uniform?—were window dressing for the barely leashed panther beneath the fabric of civilized clothing. Expensive hand tooled leather boots on his feet. His hair tied back with a leather thong as before. His face still an unreadable mask. The sense of controlled power still there. A man larger than life. The panther was caged today but just barely. This might be her office but he was definitely the person in charge.

Even as embarrassment and anger warred within her, her nipples hardened, her breasts tingled and her panties dampened with moisture. She felt every bit of blood drain from her face and drop to her feet. Waves of hot and cold rolled through her and she was sure all the air had been sucked from her lungs. Gripping the arms of her desk chair for support she licked her lips, trying to moisten them.

Quick, lithe movements brought him to the front of her desk where he stood facing her, his face set, dark eyes probing hers. Eyes that for a brief second held a knowing look.

“Miss Scott?” Sheila’s worried voice cut through her fog. “Shall I call one of the partners?”

Taylor managed to find a functioning part of her brain. “No, thanks, Sheila. It’s all right.”

“Would you like me to send someone in to carry your boxes for you? Walk you down to the garage?” Sheila wasn’t quite ready to let go.

Taylor forced a smile. “No, I can manage. Thanks for your concern. And for all your good wishes today.”

Sheila gave her a last worried look before she closed the door.

His eyes burned into Taylor’s, mesmerizing her as they’d done that night in San Antonio.

What is he doing here?

As if he’d heard her, he reached into his inside jacket pocket, extracted a card from a small leather case and dropped it on top of the folder. She picked it up with fingers that trembled and stared at it.

Noah Cantrell, Vice President of Security, Arroyo Corporation

Her father’s company.

Oh, hell!

*~*~*

Check me out at:
www.desireeholt.comwww.facebook.com/authordesireeholt
@desireeholt

UPDATE: The winner of the $5 Amazon gift card is…Krysten H!

* * * * *

I love and hate when a new story comes out. I pour a lot of effort into my writing, but I always wonder with the next book, do I still have “it”? Well, I’m breathing a sigh of relief. Since it’s release on Thursday, I’ve been getting emails from readers telling me how much they enjoyed the story and answering the question I asked on the last page of the book. (Yes, I did that. And no, I won’t tell you what it was. 🙂 )

Readers have said this about Big Sky SEAL…

“This is the start of, what I hope, will be a new series of Montana bounty hunters. This book has a cast of great characters including the secondary ones. Can anyone say REAPER, oh my gawd!!…Delilah Devlin doesn’t disappoint in any of her books and I have to say this is now my favorite.” ~ A. Dodds

“Bounty hunting, searching for a known terrorist. Action and romance, great balance!” ~ M. Frabutt

“Terrific! Jamie and Sky’s story is one you don’t want to miss.” ~ D. Watson

“Big Sky SEAL has a lot of hot former military characters, including a strong woman, and a former bomb-sniffing dog (I’m a sucker for dogs in stories) – what more could you ask for? Oh yeah, the sex is hot, too. <smile>” ~ Buttons

So, there you have it. They love my Montana bounty hunters, my sexy ex-SEAL, the kick-ass action, and the ex-bomb dog with PTSD. 🙂

Get your copy here!

I can’t wait to hear what you think of my latest Uncharted SEALs story—and for your answer to the question I posed on the last page of the story. And if you have time and the inclination, know that I’ll be very, very grateful if you’d post a review.

Contest

Tell me what you’d like to see me work on next from among these possible themes…

Montana Bounty Hunters

Paranormal Spec Ops Team

Alien League Abductions

…or more of…

Uncharted SEALs

Lone Star Lovers cowboy menages

Night Fall vamps and weres

I’ll give away a small Amazon gift card to one commenter!

San Antonio River featuring the Tower Life Building at night, San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Some of you might know that I write under two pen names—Elle James and Myla Jackson. Different authors write under different pen names for various reasons. Readers know Myla Jackson for her sexy cowboys in Texas at the Ugly Stick Saloon.

A couple years ago, I wrote WYATT’S WAR and published it under my Myla Jackson pen name. WRONG! What was I thinking? It was clearly an Elle James romantic suspense. I probably sold a handful of copies. Naturally, my Myla Jackson fans didn’t get it. It wasn’t my Myla style. I know that now, and I also knew my Elle James readers would “get” it if I put it out under my pen name Elle James. And now that I have my rights I’m able to repackage it under my Elle James pen name where it really belongs. So, though it is a re-release, it will be new to most of you my readers. Please check it out. I set this book in one of favorite cities, San Antonio with the beauty of the River Walk area and the usual mayhem of a killer loose. Please give WYATT’S WAR a chance. If you like my books, you’ll like this one!

Amazon | Kobo | Nook | GooglePlay | IBooks | Print

 Army Special Forces soldier tasked with augmenting security at a high-profile international trade convention teams with the sassy convention planner to protect the delegates from terrorist threats

She doesn’t want a glorified babysitter…until all hell breaks loose

Following a particularly tough deployment, Master Sergeant Wyatt Magnus is given a boondoggle assignment providing anti-terrorist security for an International Trade Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Convinced he’s in for a whole lot of boring hours, he’s surprised when he goes toe-to-toe with the feisty and sexy as hell convention director.

Fiona Allen has a difficult enough task corralling foreign dignitaries and pulling off a seamless itinerary. She doesn’t have time to handhold the far too arrogant and impossibly desirable Special Forces soldier assigned to her event by the Department of Homeland Security.

A hotel room double-booking lands them together in the same room. Her red-hot anger quickly turns to blazing desire. Giving in to one night of passion, she realizes will never be enough. But trouble is brewing in the form of a man on a mission of revenge, armed with hatred and enough explosives to obliterate the convention center and everyone inside.

Join my newsletter to hear about my latest releases!
Elle James’s Newsletter

NEVER ENOUGH, 3B1, is a Delos series novella and sequel to Forged in Fire, Book 3. Being Indie, it’s fun to write the “big book” and then follow it with a “Well? What happened to Matt and Dara next?” and answer my readers burning question. I don’t know a reader that doesn’t appreciate a follow-up novella or sequel. When I’ve formed a bond with the main characters and have sympathy for them, I want to know what happened after reading the book.

Sergeant Matt Culver, Delta Force, has fallen in love with Dr. Dara McKinley, a pediatrician who was visiting Kabul, Afghanistan to do charity work for children. They fall in love, but this country is dangerous to anyone who is an American. After a harrowing escape at a village in mid-Winter, Matt must keep Dara alive.

I admired Dara McKinley because she was thrown into a violent, life-and-death environment and had no clue as to how to survive it. Except that the man she was falling in love with, Sergeant Matt Culver, would become her guide, teacher and protector.

Sometimes courage comes in moments of shock, trauma and extreme conditions. Dara is a pediatrician, finishing up her residency, and getting ready to put a clinic for the poor near Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. But all her dreams explode when her vehicle is attacked, leaving her in the harsh winter of Afghanistan, chased by Taliban.

Matt Culver is a survivor and is saddled with a woman who has never been under such duress. He’s fallen in love with her. The challenges are enormous, not only brutal winter conditions in the mountains, trying to keep her safe and knowing odds of living through this, are next to nothing. Somehow, they survive.

Afterward, I wrote a book to take them in the next step of their relationship.  Matt has surprised Dara with a Hawaiian vacation.  He wants to get her into a safe place that she’s always wanted to visit, where they can have serious time for one another instead of running for their lives.  Somehow, even Paradise can have a dark side and Matt’s wish for a quiet vacation doesn’t happen.

Buy Links: Amazon Buy Link | B & N Buy Link | iTunes | Kobo |  Website

UPDATE: The winners are…Snarky Mom Michelle and Colleen C.!

* * * * *

Romance, Adventure, Danger!

These three words are on the banner of my author homepage and are a good description of my writing. I’m a romantic suspense author who loves adventures, both in my fiction and in my travel life.

My first adventure was an airplane ride when I was two months old. It was some plane ride—a bumpy, scary one (so my mother told me) from Lima, Peru, on the coast, over the Andes Mountains, to a then small dirt landing strip in a place called Tingo Maria. Tingo, as the natives refer to the town, is on the Amazon side of the mountains and is the home of the Bella Durmiente, Spanish for Sleeping Beauty. The Bella Durmiente is a mountain range of around 2200 feet in this jungle area. Looking at it from the town, it forms the silhouette of a reclining woman—a “sleeping beauty.”

Maybe the fact that I lived close to the Bella Durmiente for five years influenced the romance side of my writing. After all, Sleeping Beauty is a romantic tale, even if the heroine didn’t participate in saving herself. Tingo certainly influenced the adventure in my writing. The area around there, with it’s sometimes dangerous jungle habitat and its history of terrorist activity, provided part of the setting for my latest release, TO THE LIMIT, book three of the Shadow Heroes series. I also added some details about driving over the Andes—the altitude, soroche (altitude sickness), and the desolate terrain.

In this mixed setting, I placed Mary Beth Williams, in effect a “fish out of water,” and Nicholas Romero, an ex-soldier turned diplomat. Theirs is a romantic suspense adventure that challenges not only their lives but also their hearts.

GIVEAWAY!!

I’m giving away one copy of the very sexy Dancing in the Dark (Kindle, Nook or iBooks), book one of the Shadow Heroes series, to two people who answer this question:

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

To the Limit

“To the Limit puts the romance in romantic adventure. Dramatic, emotional, and steamy as the South American jungle. Loved it!” –RWA Honor Roll author Ann Voss Peterson

A desperate woman…
Since scandal rocked her life, Mary Beth Williams has only trusted one person: her brother. Now he’s been kidnapped by narcoterrorists in a remote part of San Mateo. With only ten days to ransom him, she seeks out ex-soldier turned diplomat/negotiator, Nicholas Romero, the only man who can help.

An old score…
The last thing Nick needs is a distraction from settling a score with the powerful general responsible for killing his cousin. But when he learns that Mary Beth might provide him a way to achieve his goal, he agrees to help. It isn’t until they’re deep in the San Matean jungle, pursued by the general’s forces, that Nick realizes what a mistake he’s made. Because the beautiful American tempts him with passion and a future he cannot claim.

A secret buried in the past
Fighting distrust and desire, Nick and Mary Beth work to uncover a dangerous truth. But Nick didn’t count on exposing his own secret…one that could cost both their hearts and their lives.

Limited time only: To the Limit is available at the reduced price of $0.99.

Buy links:
Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HMYHNW
Kobo : https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/to-the-limit-10
iBooks : https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/to-the-limit/id1234795507?mt=11
Nook : https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-the-limit-virginia-kelly/1100335688?type=eBook

About the Author

Virginia Kelly is an award nominated author who loves to travel. She lives in Florida with her family.

Website : https://virginiakelly.net
Facebook : https://facebook.com/virginiakellyauthor
Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3151712.Virginia_Kelly
Twitter : https://twitter.com/virginiagkelly
Pinterest : https://pinterest.com/virginiagkelly

Some books take more time to write than others. I’m celebrating the release that took me years to write. We’re talking numerous rounds of edits where I thought I’d never get through the comments. I told myself to just forget it, I have other books to write. But I kept going back to it to write and rewrite the book that I couldn’t let go. Now, many versions and countless rounds of editing later, I am thrilled to announce my new release, When Darkness Whispers.

When Darkness Whispers

Some memories are better left forgotten…

Haunted by an unclear past, biologically enhanced Marine, Eva Montreaux, can’t be distracted from her mission. With American servicemen being brutally murdered on the island of Okinawa, it’s more than priority. It’s critical. But when her investigation brings her face to face with Marcos Delacruz, it triggers memories. Ones she lost. Memories that somehow include him.

Marcos Delacruz has tried to forget the woman who left him with nothing but empty promises. Even now, three years later, Eva doesn’t seem to express any guilt over breaking his heart. In truth, she seems to barely recognize him. This deployment has been challenging enough with too many restless spirits haunting the island. But when his own investigation forces him to cross paths with her once more, Marcos discovers there may be a deeper truth.

With the number of murders climbing rapidly and the rising need to track the murderer across the tropical island, Eva struggles to reclaim what she lost. But the island holds darker elements–a serial killer. One that doesn’t appear to be human.

Thrust into a world she can’t escape, Eva must discover a way to stop a murderer from destroying anyone else’s future, but how can she succeed if she can’t even remember what role Marcos played in her past?

When Darkness Whispers is a paranormal military romance you won’t want to put down! Go undercover with a supernatural team into a world of vampires, gargoyles, shifters, demons, and ghosts. If you like haunting mystery, spine-tingling suspense, and Japanese mythology, you’ll love When Darkness Whispers!

 Read now! 
https://books2read.com/whispers 

Lisa Carlisle
USA Today Bestselling Author of Fiery and Forbidden Romance
Sign up for new releases and specials at
lisacarlislebooks.com

Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – Goodreads – Amazon – BookBub