UPDATE: The winners are Melissa Packett and Pat Freely!
See comments for instructions!
* * * * *
All you SEAL lovers—get ready to get your freak on! And yes,
I’m hearing Missy Elliott’s song in my head! 🙂
Military Super-bundle of eleven novellas and novels by New York Times, USA Today and award-winning bestselling authors: Lynn Raye Harris, Cora Seton, Zoe York, Kimberley Troutte, Jennifer Lowery, Elle James, Delilah Devlin, Kat Cantrell, Anne Marsh, Kate Pearce and Amity Lassiter.
HOT SEAL RESCUE (HOT SEAL Team) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author LYNN RAYE HARRIS. Navy SEAL Cody “Cowboy” McCormick gets a whole lot more than he bargained for when a gorgeous woman with a gun abducts him in broad daylight.
A SEAL’s OATH (SEALs of Chance Creek) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author CORA SETON. Wanted: one wife, one baby. Love not required. Navy SEAL Boone Rudman has six months to find a wife and get her pregnant or he’ll lose his chance to win 1500 acres of prime Montana ranch land. So when he discovers Riley Eaton living on his new ranch, all grown up from the tomboy she used to be, he decides she’ll do for his bride–whether or not she’s got other plans.
FALL DIRTY (SEALs Undone) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author ZOE YORK. Navy SEAL Hunter Dex is a man on a mission–to discover all of his beautiful new girlfriend’s deepest desires.
BRING THE HEAT (SEAL EXtreme Team series) by RITA-nominated NYT and USAT Bestselling Author KIMBERLEY TROUTTE. When hostiles ambush an Army convoy with top-secret weapons and hold his wife hostage, Navy SEAL Tavon Sting faces an impossible choice–protect the White House and his team or save the woman he loves more than life.
A SEAL’s PROMISE (Book #4, SEAL Team Alpha) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author JENNIFER LOWERY. Brogan Steele is a hard-as-nails Navy SEAL. Inheriting half of a spa doesn’t fit any part of his life. His attempt to be a silent partner bombs when he falls for his beautiful partner.
SEAL’S DECEPTION (Take No Prisoners Book #8) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES. A Navy SEAL poses as bodyguard to a sexy CIA operative undercover as the arranged bride of a Saudi prince in search of the biological weapons sale traced to the Prince’s palace.
BABY, IT’S YOU (Uncharted SEALs, Book #5) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author DELILAH DEVLIN. Carter Vance, Jr. stands at the fork in the road. Wounded in action, the Navy SEAL has a decision to make: whether to find work with a spec ops unit, or return to his family ranch in Texas and repair his fractured relationship with his dying father and the woman he wronged. Complicating the decision is his reignited attraction to Melanie Schaeffer and his confusion over his feelings for his dead brother’s little girl, whom Melanie has raised since his brother’s and her sister’s deaths by a terrorist’s bomb.
COMMANDING HER SEAL (ASSIGNMENT: Caribbean Nights) by award-winning author KAT CANTRELL. Lieutenant Commander Charlie St. Croix needs some downtime to decide if he should reenlist. What better way to recharge than with Audra Reed, a hot redhead who’s a self-confessed adrenaline junkie?
The TROUBLE WITH SEALS (ASSIGNMENT: Caribbean Nights) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author ANNE MARSH. A quick, straightforward business transaction rapidly becomes something else when a Navy SEAL butts heads with a beautiful woman over a piece of paradise.
ONCE A SEAL (The Morgan Ranch series) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author KATE PEARCE. After an eventful career as a Navy SEAL, Jay Williams returns home to Morgantown, California to take over the running of his family’s bar. After being rescued from a hostage situation and barely emerging alive Erin Cooper definitely has trust issues… There’s only one person who will tell her the truth. Her mystery SEAL might not know it, but he’s her last chance…
A COWBOY SEAL’s BRIDE by Bestselling Author AMITY LASSITER. Navy SEAL Lane Sutton wants to retire to the ranch his grandfather left him and battle his demons in peace. Too bad the only way to legally claim the ranch is to marry a woman from his past. A woman who once rejected his proposal and will surely be hell bent on doing so again. But this time, there’s no way Lane’s letting her–or his ranch–go without a fight.
Contest
If you’d like to catch up on the rest of my Uncharted SEALs, you can check out the titles by clicking on the covers here. Two lucky commenters will get a chance to start their reading adventure, because I’ll give them their choice of one of these stories!
I’m in editing mode today. Working on someone else’s wonderful pages. When I finish, I’ll go back to wrapping up my next Uncharted SEAL story, Baby, It’s You. Love SEALs who are cowboys? Yeah, that’s what’s next. In the meantime, the excerpt below is a reminder of what came before… Enjoy!
Comment for a chance to win one of these stories!
Her Next Breath
Ex-SEAL Jackson Keller’s first mission with the Charter Group’s spec ops unit is a bust. Instead of capturing a drug lord in his Mexican compound, he finds a beautiful, naked woman. But she may have information they need to nail the narco-terrorist, so he takes her, sealing his fate. She’s his to watch, his to “manage” until the op’s done.
Suri McAnally’s made some mistakes—mainly trusting her college roomie who just so happens to be the son of one of Mexico’s most dangerous drug lords. If Jackson can save her, she’ll do whatever he says, mirror his moves, and try to keep her insta-lust under control. Her next breath depends on it.
When Suri awoke, it was to discover she was resting inside the curve of Jackson’s arm, her thigh draped over his, her head on his chest. She didn’t know who’d moved the blanket. Maybe they’d both naturally gravitated together. She hated to think she might have been the one to cross the line demarking their personal space.
Partly because she didn’t want to wake him, and partly because it was a new experience lying inside a man’s embrace, she held her breath and remained perfectly still. She breathed in his scent, which was a sagey musk combined with the remaining odor of the paint he’d worn on his face. His skin was smooth, warm, tanned and cloaked a hard, very muscular frame. Her fingertips tingled, and she very nearly gave into the temptation to run one tip over his hard abs. Instead, she curled her hand into a fist.
Last night when she’d seen him fully for the first time—without the paint, his body nearly nude—she’d felt her knees wobble. He was devastatingly handsome, not in a pretty-boy way. He was too manly, too large, all hard angles and lovely bulges, with short, nearly dark-brown hair and those cloudy gray eyes. Even the stubble on his chin made her thighs clench.
Suri hoped she didn’t sleep beside him for many more nights or she’d grow accustomed to his physique. Any man she met after this little adventure would pale in comparison.
Her glance traveled downward to the sheet barely covering his hips. Maybe it was the fold of the sheets, but the fabric was tented.
“Playing possum?”
She raised her head and met his gaze, blushing because she’d been caught staring at his sex.
“Didn’t want to disturb you.”
“You’re breathing, aren’t you?” he muttered in a graveled tone.
She frowned, not understanding, and then pushed away from his body although she instantly regretted the loss of his warmth. When she’d first awoken, she’d felt sheltered, safe—and not just from Diego and his henchmen. She’d felt…cherished.
Ridiculous, she knew. And slightly pathetic. Was she really so needy for human connection that she was romanticizing over Jackson?
But in the morning light, his face wasn’t quite so hard-bitten. Scruffy, dark bristles covered his chin and jaw; his gaze rested on her rather than spearing her.
His glance cut away, and he looked at his watch. “Chow’s nearly over. We should dress.”
“I’m starved.”
The corners of his mouth twitched.
His first smile?
And then his features grew remote again, his mouth firmed. “Get dressed. I need to check in with Teague.”
Aware his gaze followed her still, she rose and stretched her arms high, and then headed to her pillow case.
“You do that on purpose, don’t you?”
She aimed a grin over her shoulder. “Why, whatever do you mean?”
His gaze narrowed, but a one-sided smile curved.
Feeling as though she’d accomplished something noteworthy, she entered the bathroom, closing the door against the temptation that was Jackson Keller.
I closed the Which Stepbrother Story Next? poll. Here are the results. With His Pack was at the top for so long, I had my cover artiste (also known as sister/Elle James) get to work designing it. Who knew With His Seal Team would come in at the end for the steal?
Which Stepbrothers Stepping Out title interests you most?
With His SEAL Team (20%, 25 Votes)
With His Pack (paranormal) (19%, 23 Votes)
With His Wranglers (12%, 15 Votes)
With His Pride (paranormal) (11%, 14 Votes)
With His Warriors (historical) (10%, 13 Votes)
With His Biker Club (8%, 10 Votes)
With His Roommate (6%, 8 Votes)
With His Starship Crew (sci-fi) (6%, 8 Votes)
With His Mistress (6%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
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I’ll keep the order in mind as I go forth, but it really does hinge on whether my muses agree with the ranking. 🙂
In the meantime, I have work to do! I’m wrapping up my story for the next SEALs of Summer collection, working on edits for another author, and I need to step it up with promo for the Rogues authors (anybody up for a Facebook party?). Real life has been intruding on my workdays big time. It’s summer, the pool calls, medical issues with the kids require my involvement. And very soon (NEXT MONDAY), I’ll be starting up my next Rose’s Plotting Bootcamp. BTW, here’s a sneak peek at the cover for that next SEAL book…
So, that’s what’s pulling at my time for the foreseeable future. What’s pulling at yours?
You tried to move the pieces on the picture, right? LOL
Today’s scheduled guest is a no-show, so you’re stuck with little ole me again. I found a very cool website recently when I was brainstorming fun things to do here. Do you like jigsaw puzzles? This one’s not terribly hard! Just click on the cover-button below to give it a whirl, then hit the back button to come back and enjoy a scene from the book!
When the moon was high above them, Sam and Ash said their farewells and he held open the Warricks’ gate, letting Ash pass. The scent of oranges followed her, and he drew a deep breath.
“I like your friends,” Ash said.
At her quiet words, Sam reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. But he didn’t let her go. And since she didn’t tug it away, he released a sigh. He liked the way this physical connection felt. Walking close together. Their fingers intertwined. When she leaned her head against his shoulder, he knew she let down her guard, and his chest swelled. Since he’d never brought a woman around his SEAL friends before, the moment felt bigger. Their approval of this woman only cemented the thought that she was The One. “They liked you,” he said softly.
“They had some pretty interesting stories about how they met their fellas. Suri said their connection was ‘insta-love’.”
“Danger has a way of bonding people in an instant.”
“Like you and your SEAL buddies.”
“Yeah.” The warm sand shifted beneath his feet as they approached the cottage.
She angled her head toward him. “Makes me almost wish for a firefight.” And then she laughed. “Sorry. I know how that sounds…like I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.”
“I bet you have pretty good idea, Ash. I get what you’re saying. But you’re wrong. Maybe we don’t have drug runners on our tails, but you and I have something else pretty traumatic that’s drawing us together.” He tensed, waiting for her response.
“We have Marc,” she whispered. “You never said how he saved your life. But I’ll tell you the way he saved mine.”
Sam already knew the story, but he kept silent as she described responding to the robbery, the man hidden behind the door. From the tension in her voice, he knew the experience would forever haunt her.
“I think, all the time, that I shouldn’t have ducked. That I should have taken the shot. Maybe the bullet would have embedded in my vest. Maybe I would have pulled through.” She drew a deep, shuddering breath.
His gut twisted. She was guilt-ridden over her actions, reliving the moment over and over her mind, second-guessing her decision. Something he could relate to. But he knew how futile that was, and that she had nothing to feel guilty about. One of them would have died. The one left behind would forever be marked. He halted, turned, and drew her into his arms, cupping the back of her head to coax her to lean against his chest.
She was quiet, but her hot tears soaked the shoulder of his shirt. Slowly, her arms encircled him, and she leaned closer.
Skimming her skin through her thin dress with his hands, he gave her comfort while he learned the strength of her back, the sweet indent of her narrow waist. With her small, soft breasts pressed against his chest, he was content to stand on that spot, would have done so for hours just for the gift of holding her.
But she stirred and leaned back; her face tilted away. Moments later, her gaze met his, and he didn’t stop to think. He bent forward and sealed his mouth over hers.
What he’d intended was a chaste kiss, but her lips parted beneath his, opening herself to his touch. He groaned. The kiss deepened as each stroked the other’s tongue and their lips suctioned together. His cock slowly filled, and her belly rubbed against it.
Pulse racing, Sam broke the kiss. “Aislin?” He couldn’t put his question into words. Whatever she wanted of him, she’d have to take.
She swallowed. “Sam…” Her gaze dropped to his chest while her hands stroked his back. “I’d like…to be…with you.”
Sweet, sweet Ash. He closed his eyes and hugged her close again. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”
“This isn’t about need,” she whispered. “I want…you.”
He cupped her cheek with one hand and slipped his thumb under her chin to lift her face. Her tears were gone now. Her glossy gaze was steady.
Taking a moment, he searched her expression, looking for any signs of hesitancy. He gave her a nod, and then stepped away, holding out his hand.
Smiling, she reached for it, and they held tight as they walked the rest of the way to her bungalow in silence.
The weather’s been oddly warm the past couple of weeks, which means I can bear putting my hands on the pool’s metal-poled skimmers and into the water to clean the traps. Already my thoughts are turning toward summer. Maybe we’ll have an early Spring? *fingers crossed*
In the meantime, would you like to dream about a vacation in the Caribbean? Well, I have just the series for you. Just three stories, all about women who get more adventure than they counted on during their “adventure vacations”—and all featuring those awesome, ex-military men. Want a Marine? Sexy SEALs?
Comment for a chance to win one of these stories!
Interested only in experiencing an adrenaline-packed adventure first-hand to give her credo when she books her clients’ adventure vacations, Lace McElhannon finds more excitement than she can handle when she meets and falls into bed with ex-SEAL Dex Haygood.
Fresh from protecting transport ships from Somali pirates, Dex figures his latest job will be a cakewalk, until he finds himself in deep water, swimming with sharks and trying to protect Lace when the yacht they’re sailing on is taken.
“Sweetheart, the sharks are down there.” Ice blue eyes wrinkled at the corners as the man bending over the side of the olive-green skiff pointed a finger into the clear blue depths beneath her.
Did he think she’d missed seeing the swarm, or flock, or whatever the hell you called a group of freaking sharks? They were busy ripping into the grisly bundle of fish parts and guts the dive crew had dropped to the sea floor in a wire basket—which was why she’d hurried over here.
“Exactly! Like any sane person would purposely swim with sharks?” She let her voice frag, then crimped her lips to keep from saying anything else that made her sound like she was twelve. Lace McElhannon was glad she hadn’t given him a snarky wag of her head while she’d said it. But seriously, who would blame her for being snotty? Great White sharks were swimming thirty feet beneath her toes and he wasn’t doing anything about it!
When her yacht-mates had blithely donned their snorkels and goggles then fell backward into the water without a care, she’d only hesitated for a moment. How scary could it be? And the dive team had seemed professional, assuring them the spotters’ job was to watch for any trouble, and they would swoop in to the rescue or drop fresh bait to distract the sharks.
Not until she’d glanced down and seen a dozen huge, sleek bodies—with rows and rows of jagged teeth—circling had she’d freaked out, leaving her ship-mates bobbing on the surface like live bait while she’d struck out toward the skiff.
Fighting for breath, Lace dog-paddled, then swam faster against a rising wave that sent her closer to the skiff’s hull. Salty water splashed into her mouth and she gulped without thinking, coughing and spitting, knowing she looked like an idiot, but her poor swimming skills didn’t have a thing to do with her breathless state. Fear froze her body, making expanding her lungs impossible.
Yes, she’d paid to swim with sharks. Or at least she’d paid for the plane ticket to get here to the Bahamas. But maybe she shouldn’t have watched Susan’s Shark Week DVDs beforehand. Her friend, and partner at the travel agency, had tried to dissuade her from choosing this particular adventure vacation, knowing she’d only ever swum in a heated pool. But who could pass up a week in the Bahamas? She’d had visions of watching the excitement through the window of a glass-bottom boat. But now was not the time to wonder why she hadn’t paid closer attention to Jake Halloran’s description of his “little ocean jaunt.”
“You have to help me up,” she said, sliding up her goggles to let the smirking hunk see her terror-stricken eyes. “I have a cramp.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. “We’re not here to rescue clients from their own bad decisions.”
“Make an exception.” She pushed the mouthpiece of her snorkel to the side so he could see the determination thinning her lips.
“Better pull her up, Dex,” another voice above her drawled. “The way she’s splashing, those whites’ll think she’s a fish in distress.”
Dex. So that was his name. But she didn’t have time to savor the mystery that had taunted her since she’d boarded the Clementine three days ago for one of Halloran’s daily jaunts. Despite the amenities aboard the 160-foot motorized luxury yacht behind her, she’d been much more interested in this man than the rock-climbing wall near the upper deck. On their first day aboard the yacht, he’d been introduced as the commander of the guard team providing security for the high-end adventure vacation. Unfortunately, he spent most of his time on the much smaller and faster escort boat which accompanied them while they sailed. She’d really hoped for a chance to get to know him. Everything about him had attracted her—his size, his muscled frame, his icy-cool gaze that landed like a hot laser, making her melt.
I picked the image. My sister played with it to fit all the text bits in there. When it’s up on Amazon, it will have a little white Kindle World button in the bottom left. This book will be #5 in my Uncharted SEALs series. Do you like it? Does he look ready for anything? Sis tried to cover up his hands in her first versions of the cover. Can you imagine that?!
I’m keeping that image front and center as I write the story. Yeah, I’m in chapter one at the moment. Baby, It’s You has to be up in Kindle Worlds by the 20th for our January 26th release date. I’m cutting it a little close. Since I have to write fast, I decided to stay closer to my comfort zone with this one. Most of the story will take place on a Texas ranch as my SEAL woos the woman he “done wrong.” 🙂
I think his name is Carter Vance. I’ve been calling him that for the first few pages. I’m not sure where the name came from, but when the heroine thought about him, that was the name she plucked for me to use. Does he look like a Carter?
So, my question today, should you decide to play, is whether a book cover matters to you. And what do you think of this one?If I placed a plain brown wrapper on my story, would you buy it? Or do you get sucked in by a sexy man or woman staring back at you? Answer for a chance to win a free copy of one of the prequel books to Baby, It’s You in the Uncharted SEALs series.
Remember that poll I ran for your favorite pick from among ideas y’all pitched to me for a story I’ll have in n upcoming cowboy collection? That title will also be the next story I have in the Cowboys on the Edge series. One of your top preferences was Cowboy Law. I liked that. But of course, then I played with variations, and this one struck me: Cain’s Law. So now I have a title, the hero’s name, and soon a cover. Do you like this for the image I want to use? He’s a little skinny (maybe my cover artist can stretch him a bit!), but I love the blue, love his pretty face, and all the shadow. So thanks so much for helping me “find” that title! Now, I have to think up a story to go with the title and the picture…
I need your help again.
I must write the next story in my Uncharted SEALs series. Here are the titles I have so far:
As usual, I have no idea what the next story will be about. But I need another provocative title. Each of these titles inspired my story. Let’s brainstorm. Throw out any idea you have. There’s no such thing as a dumb idea in brainstorming, because your suggestion might spawn an idea in someone else’s imagination. That’s how brainstorming works.
Submit your idea(s) for a chance to win a free download of either
Controlled Burn from my Cowboys on the Edge series,
or one of the first three books in the Uncharted SEALs series.
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I’m ready for this, aren’t you? ➡
Interested only in experiencing an adrenaline-packed adventure first-hand to give her credo when she books her clients’ adventure vacations, Lace McElhannon finds more excitement than she can handle when she meets and falls into bed with ex-SEAL Dex Haygood.
