What I'm Currently Reading - Black Heart

 

Ian and Natasha's story is next. I can't tell you how excited I am about this one!

 

He’s untouchable. Unbreakable. She plans to destroy him.

Former CIA agent Ian Black has done terrible deeds. Sacrificed his honor and reputation for God and country. He’s a fighter and a survivor. His mission is to rid the world of scumbags who prey on innocent people.

No price is too high, and no one crosses him. Not for long, anyway.

But then Natasha Oliver walks in, threatening to expose the one thing Ian thought dead and buried: his heart.

Natasha’s innocence was ripped away years ago when she was thrown into prison for crimes her parents committed. Now, as the assassin Calypso, she intends to hunt down those responsible for what happened to her.

Including Ian Black. Getting involved with him is madness, but she made a vow - and she will do whatever it takes to keep it.

Until she discovers that the line between hate and love often stands on a razor’s edge...

 

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What I'm Currently Reading - Black List

 

This weekend I'm starting Black List by Lynn Raye Harris.

 

ace Kaiser is a man without a country, without connection. His only loyalty is to the group who saved him, and the man who leads them.
Until her...

The assignment should have been easy. Capture a deadly assassin and take her to HQ. But flawed intel leads to disaster, and Jace abducts a beautiful art appraiser instead. Intrigued by her courage, he's drawn to her in ways he can't explain. Dr. Madeline Cole stood up to him, fought for her identity, and never backed down. She's the kind of woman he could fall for if it wasn't so dangerous--for her.

Then Maddy is targeted for elimination because she's the sole person who can identify the mysterious female assassin--and the only thing standing between her and certain death is the sexy mercenary who swears he'll die before he lets anything happen to her. As the passion between them ignites, it seems clear that keeping Maddy safe has become the most important assignment of Jace's life.

Even then, protecting her might not be enough--because Jace has secrets that could destroy them both. And someone is determined to unmask them all...

 

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My First Published Novel - My Publishing Journey Part 5

Once I signed the publishing contract for my first novel, Hidden Threat, it was time to get to work. Matthew and Cali's story had been floating in my head for fifteen years in one form or another, and now it was time to go through it with a fine-tooth comb. I was a bit nervous. 

 

The story was sent to an editor and we began going through the story, chapter by chapter, line by line, to get it ready for publication. If you've never gone through the editing process before, it's daunting. If you're offered a publishing contract, you think your story is pretty good. Then, and editor gets their hands on it and begins picking it apart. It's a very humbling experience.

 

 After going back and forth for a couple of months with the editor making sure to close any plot holes and correct grammar and spelling mistakes, it was time for the book to be formatted and the cover to be designed. I was lucky in that my publisher allowed the authors to have a say in the cover design. A lot of publishers don't.

 

The story was a romantic suspense set in Chicago and I decided to go with a title that reflected that. 

 

Hidden Threat released on December 31, 2010. 

 

Five years after it's release, I got my rights back from the publisher and decided to republish it, but under a new name. I'd learned a lot since I'd released my first novel and while the book had a lot of suspense in it, the romance was the driving factor. I realized that the title Hidden Threat, didn't really fit the vibe of an office romance.

 

So...after doing a complete rewrite which added 15,000 words to the story, I re-released the book under the name Strictly Professional with a new cover and loads of new content. 

 

Strictly Professional hit stores January 2016.

 

Which cover to you like better?

 

 

Happy Book Birthday To Strictly Professional

 

 Ten years ago today I became a published author. My first book, which was then called Hidden Threat, released on December 30, 2010 through The Writer's Coffee Shop publishing house. It was an exciting day for me as I'd never in my wildest dreams thought I would become an author.

Five years later, the publishing house decided to close its doors and I had to decide whether to find another publisher or take the leap into self publishing. In the end, I decided to self publish.

But in the publishing world, five years is a long time. I'd learned a lot about writing and publishing in the five years since Hidden Threat was first released and I decided I wanted to do a bit of revamping before releasing it again to the world.

Instead of just slapping a new cover on the book and republishing it, I decided to do a complete rewrite of the story. There was a lot of head hopping in the original book, something very common for first time authors, and I wanted to fix that to fit more in line with my other, more recently written stories. 

In the end, I added an additional 15,000 words to the original story and changed the title of the book to Strictly Professional to better showcase this sexy office romance. 

Cali and Matthew's story will always be close to my heart because their romance was my first published novel. It set me on this path of writing and publishing...a path I never imagined going down, but that I absolutely love. 

To find out more about Cali and Matthew's story, or to pick up a copy, click HERE.

 

#Review Cross Falls Box Set by Mallory Crowe #Romance

Title: Cross Falls Box Set

Author: Mallory Crowe
Rating: 5 stars

I love Mallory Crowe's books and this box set was a perfect example of why.

This is a three book serial series, so I recommend getting the box set instead of purchasing them one at a time. Once you get started, you're not going to want to stop. I know I didn't. Every chance I got, I was reading. I ended up finishing the entire series in two days.

The story was full of twists and turns. It revolves around a love triangle of sorts and a mystery involving Gabrie's past. Normally I don't care for love triangles, but this one didn't make me want to bang my head against a wall and scream at the heroine to pick one already. The mystery was well fleshed out and I have to admit I didn't figure out who the 'bad guy' was until right before the characters did. I had my suspicions, but there was always a little doubt in the back of my mind.

Mallory Crowe is one of my go to authors and she didn't disappoint with this series. I can't wait to dive into more from her.

I would recommend this series to those looking for a sexy romantic suspense novel that will keep you one your toes.

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Author Bio

Mallory Crowe has lived in Michigan her whole life and has been in love with romance ever since she'd skip to the end of every novel, just to make sure the hero and heroine survived and ended up together. She lives with her husband and three dogs. When she's not writing, she's spending too much time in front of the TV, hiking, or working with various animal rescues.

#Review of Dangerously Hot by Lynn Raye Harris

Title: Dangerously Hot

Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Rating: 4.5 stars

This is yet another reason why I love to read Lynn Raye Harris' books. I know when I pick one up that I will be treated to a great story that will have me not wanting to say goodbye to the couple.

Dangerously Hot brought together Lucky, the widow of a former HOT teammate, and his best friend, Kev. Reading this one was kind of interesting, mainly because I'm currently writing a story with a similar bases. Even though the stories go in completely different directions, there were some similarities, including the guilt Kev feels about his feelings toward Lucky.

As with all of Lynn Raye Harris' characters, I loved Kev and Lucky together. They brought out the best in each other and it was so clear from the beginning that there was more than friendship there, even though neither wanted to admit it at first.

One of the ways I can tell I loved a book is that when I finish it I immediately want to go back and re-read my favorite scenes. That was definitely the case with this one.

If you're looking for a sexy romantic suspense novel with hot military men, I would highly recommend this one.

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Author Bio

Lynn Raye Harris is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the HOSTILE OPERATIONS TEAM SERIES of military romances as well as 20 books for Harlequin Presents. A former finalist for the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award and the National Readers Choice Award, Lynn lives in Alabama with her handsome former military husband and two crazy cats. Lynn's books have been called "exceptional and emotional," "intense," and "sizzling." Lynn's books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

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Designing Samantha's Love by PJ Fiala - Pre-order Your Copy

Release Date: February 14, 2017

They both have so much to overcome to realize their second chance.

Nothing terrifies Samantha Powell more than starting over, but after devoting three decades to a troubled man and an unhappy marriage, Sam finds the courage to seek her own happiness. She imagines a nice quiet life filled with friends, family, and a career that leaves no room for relationship drama. Unfortunately, no one told the alluring Grayson Kinkaide.

After escaping a bad marriage of his own, Grayson realizes his soul mate is still out there and his heart is set on Sam. Their instant attraction begins a steamy affair, but the women of Grayson's past aren't ready to let him go. Grayson must convince Sam that she is the only one for him.

Pre-order Your Copy

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About the Author

I am a wife of thirty years, a mother of four grown children and the grandmother of four lovely grandchildren. When not writing a new story, I can be found riding my motorcycle and exploring this fabulous country of ours. My writing revolves around people anyone would love to spend time with. No self-absorbed billionaires for me.

Earning my Bachelor's Degree later in life fulfilled a dream for me. Then, I found the courage to write and I haven't looked back. I have several published books and continue to write daily. I have served as the VP of Communications for WisRWA and devote a large amount of my time to helping other authors slog their way through this thing called publishing. I love to hear from fans, so look me up and touch base.

I come from a family of veterans. My grandfather, father, brother, two of my sons, and one daughter-in-law are all veterans. Needless to say, I am proud to be an American and proud of the service my amazing family has given.

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#Review Captured Innocence by Kennedy Layne

Title: Captured Innocence

Author: Kennedy Layne
Rating: 4 stars

This book was recommended to me by a friend of mine. I'm always leery of reading BDSM books because I'm picky. Very picky. This one, however, was right up my alley.

The author did a great job with Lauren's character set up. Her issues, once explained, were believable as was Connor's response. Both of the main characters were easy to relate to I found it hard to put the book down at times.

There is also a mystery to be solved. Sometimes I can figure it out, or have a good idea who did it before it's revealed, but not in this one. I didn't figure out who was behind the murder until the characters did.

Readers were also introduced to the rest of the Crest Security team. Each one of them has their own issues, and I'm curious to see how they will each get their HEAs in future books...especially the owner of the security company, Gavin Crest.

There were some missing words in the text, but nothing too major. It didn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sexy romantic suspense with some kink.


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Author Bio

Kennedy Layne is a USA Today bestselling author. She draws inspiration for her military romantic suspense novels in part from her not-so-secret second life as a wife of a retired Marine Master Sergeant. He doubles as her critique partner, beta reader, and military consultant. They live in the Midwest with their teenage son and menagerie of pets. The loyal dogs and mischievous cats appreciate her writing days as much as she does, usually curled up in front of the fireplace. 

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#Review Love and Let Die by Lexi Blake

Title: Love and Let Die

Author: Lexi Blake
Rating: 5 stars

This is the fifth book in Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series and so far it's one of my favorites. For me, this one ranks right up there with the first book in the series, which happens to feature Ian's little brother, Sean. 

I knew when we first met Ian in book one that whoever his lady ended up being she was going to have to be tough. Ian needed a strong woman and he got it in Charlie. 

What can I say about this book? I loved Ian and Charlie. I loved them separately, but I especially loved them together. They brought out the best in the other person. Sean tells his brother at one point that Charlie is Ian's match and he is one hundred percent correct. She's the right amount of sweet and tough and exactly perfect for Ian. 

This is a great series, but I wouldn't recommend reading them out of order since there are elements that carry over from previous books.

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Author Bio

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem. 

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin's Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

Website

#Review of On Her Master's Secret Service by Lexi Blake

Title: On Her Master's Secret Service

Author: Lexi Blake
Rating: 5 stars

This is the forth book in Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series. 

I went into this book expecting to love it and I wasn't disappointed. Readers got to know Alex and Eve in the previous Master's and Mercenaries books and I was looking forward to finding out more of their story. 

I have to say that this was the most emotional one by far for me. Alex and Eve may be divorced, but that doesn't mean they don't still love each other. This was a story about breaking down barriers and making yourself vulnerable to the one you love. I enjoyed seeing these two reconnect and be honest with each other about what happened and why, making them, and their love even stronger than it was before. 

While this book can be read as a standalone, I wouldn't recommend it. Since Alex and Eve have been in all three of the earlier books, readers should really read those before diving into On Her Master's Secret Service. It will give a better understanding of where they're starting from and a greater appreciation for the evolution of their relationship in the story. 

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Author Bio

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem. 

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin's Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

Website

#Review A Dom Is Forever by Lexi Blake

Title: A Dom Is Forever

Author: Lexi Blake
Rating: 4 stars

This is the third book in Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series. The biggest difference between this book and the two before it is that most of the book takes place in the UK. We get to meet some new characters and get some more details about Ian's past. There were a lot of twists and turns in this one that kept me on my toes.

Liam was in both the previous books, but he took a backseat in most of the action. It was nice to see more of him and find out about his past. Avery was a good match for him. She really made him work for it, which I was happy to see. Her backstory was heartbreaking, but again it was exactly what Liam needed to move forward. I was glad to see these two finally get together. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves series with strong alpha males and a side of kink. 

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Author Bio

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem. 

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin's Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

Website

#Review The Men With The Golden Cuffs by Lexi Blake

Title: The Men With The Golden Cuffs

Author: Lexi Blake
Rating: 3.5 stars

This is the second book in Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series. I'd originally planned to skip reading this book because it's a menage and that isn't my thing, however, I was skimming through the story looking for more of the couple from the first book and ended up getting sucked in. 

Like I said, this book is a menage...the only one in the series as I understand. In the first book I was not a fan of Jake and Adam, the two guys in this story. They did grow on me a bit in this one. I also liked Serena. The problem I had was that I didn't feel the relationship when they were all together. There were times in the story when it was just Serena with Jake or Serena with Adam and I enjoyed those times way more than I did when they were all three together. 

The writing was good and so was the story line. I just couldn't get into the menage relationship. 

I would recommend this book to those looking for a good romantic suspense with some kink and don't mind menage. 


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Author Bio

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem. 

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin's Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

Website

#Review The Dom Who Loved Me by Lexi Blake

Title: The Dom Who Loved Me

Author: Lexi Blake
Rating: 5 stars

Lexi Blake has been on my radar for years. I met her in Colorado a few years back, but I'd never read any of her books. Why? Because a good friend of mine loves her and after I'd read a few other authors she'd suggested and didn't like them, she was scared to death that I wouldn't like Lexi's books so she forbid me from reading them. As luck would have it, Lexi made the box set of her first three books in this series free for a weekend and I couldn't resist the temptation. 

The first book in Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series is all about Sean and Grace. It was hard not to fall in love with them. Sean had his stupid guy moments, but he more than made up for them. 

One of my favorite things about this book is that it was more than just one sex scene after the next. Readers were able to get to know the characters and see their relationship develop and evolve. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something with a good mix of romance, suspense, and BDSM. 

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Author Bio

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem. 

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin's Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

Website

#TeaserTuesday Hidden Threat by Sherri Hayes

Release Date: January 28, 2016

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Cali Stanton has one goal in life, being a doctor. She has spent the last two years helping the less fortunate in Africa. It’s a job she loves and intends to do for the foreseeable future. That is until she receives a call from her father saying he’s been injured and needs her back in Chicago. Less than a week later she finds herself behind her father’s desk at Stanton Enterprises, running the family business…something she never wanted to do. But how could she say no to her father when he insists that she is the only one he can trust?

Matthew Andersen and his brother, Jason, have spent the last two years managing security at Stanton Enterprises. However, someone is determined to take down the company and with it its acting CEO, Cali Stanton.

Cali and Matthew must work together to find out who is behind the threats to not only the company but to Cali herself while they fight their growing attraction for each other. Can they figure out the hidden threat before it’s too late?

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Excerpt

He scanned her face as if he were looking for the answers to solve the world’s deepest mysteries. “Cali?”

“How many times?” she asked. “How many times and then you just close down and act like nothing happened?”

“Three,” he said, his voice flat.

She stepped closer and looked into his eyes. She hadn’t expected him to answer her. Or if he did, she was expecting something more along the lines of, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Matthew met her gaze with firm determination. “In my office.”

He took a step closer. “In your office.”

Cali watched the movement of his throat as he swallowed. The room seemed to be getting warmer.

Matthew took another step, closing the distance between them. “Last night.”

Her heart was hammering in her ears. He was right in front of her now. Close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him. Close enough that she could smell the cologne he was wearing.

“That’s how many times I’ve almost kissed you,” he whispered, his breath ghosting across her face, his lips mere inches from hers.

She couldn’t pull her gaze away from his.

“Four.” He said it so soft she could barely hear.

Cali’s heart skipped a beat and it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room.

He tilted his head forward, bringing their lips even closer. “Tell me no, Cali. Tell me to stop.”

About The Author

Sherri spent most of her childhood detesting English class. It was one of her least favorite subjects because she never seemed to fit into the standard mold. She wasn't good at spelling, or following grammar rules, and outlines made her head spin. For that reason, Sherri never imagined becoming an author.

At the age of thirty, all of that changed. After getting frustrated with the direction a television show was taking two of its characters, Sherri decided to try her hand at writing an alternate ending, and give the characters their happily ever after. By the time the story finished, it was one of the top ten read stories on the site, and her readers were encouraging her to write more.

Since then Sherri has published several novels, many of which have hit the top 100 in their category on Amazon. Writing has become a creative outlet that allows her to explore a wide range of emotions, while having fun taking her characters through all the twists and turns she can create. You can find a current list of all of Sherri’s books and sign up for her monthly newsletter at www.sherrihayesauthor.com.