Romantic Suspense: Getting shot at while falling in Love

Available HERE

No, that’s not the technical definition of the genre, but it sums it up pretty well. Romantic suspense is the contemporary equivalent to a Hitchcock movie. The main ingredients include a dashing hero, beautiful heroine, and a mysterious reason for these two people to be on the run. Unlike a Hitchcock movie, the one hard and fast rule all romantic suspense have to obey comes at the very end. The main characters are required to fall in love.

In The Ringer, Jackson Thornbird is from a wealthy family, but chooses a blue collared career. He enjoys his job, but feels like an outsider—resentment in the Chicago PD runs deep. When Jax gets his hands on some erroneous cases that just don’t make sense, he finds himself under attack.

Langley Garrett is the girl next door everyone wants to marry. Unfortunately for her, she picked the wrong guy. Fresh off a divorce, Lane tries her hand at decoy work. What she thought would be an easy-peasy endeavor, instead turns out to be downright deadly.

Jax and Lane are the perfect love birds who always seemed to miss actually meeting. Caught up with his career, love isn’t the top of Jax list. On the other hand, Lane is misled by the trappings of loneliness. They orbit the same universe for a while without every bumping into one another, but once fate actually brings them together, the sparks ignite and planets collide.

Take a trip with these two great people who are even better as a couple. Join Jax and Lane as they stay two steps ahead of an entire police force, falling in love in the process.

Something Different

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Those people who know me, (all six of you) know I’m a writer of erotic romance, but I have also written four romantic suspense novels.

The first, penned when I was in my twenties – and it took me YEARS— is still in the closet. I disobeyed every rule in the writer’s handbook so it will likely stay there. It was about drug smuggling and the mafia, and a young innocent girl, set in New York and rather depressing, though because it was the first full length thing I wrote, I do have a soft spot for it.

My second suspense story is set in South America – again about drug smuggling and a young girl who gets caught in the clutches of a drug baron. That one’s partly transferred onto my computer as I reread a pile of typed pages and see if anything can be salvaged.

My fourth romantic suspense (yes, I missed three) is also a woman in peril story, this time a Russian girl who travels to Miami to find the person who murdered her family. I hope that will soon see the light of day.

My third romantic suspense was published by Decadent. It’s very much NOT their normal fare, but I was thrilled when they accepted it. It’s about a woman who’s abducted and taken on a manic cross country journey by a psychopath. Violent, dark, with rape, kidnapping and murder – this is nothing like my usual books. And despite it having a home with a company who first and foremost publish hot erotic stories, Chosen has had some fantastic reviews. Not so fantastic from those who wanted more of my other sort of work but I did try to warn people!

So if you like dark, nasty, vicious villains and plucky heroines who never ever give up – you might like to give Chosen a try. There IS a happy ever after, I promise.

Chosen

Kate Evans doesn’t take risks. She chose her apartment with care—a safe district with a good neighbor—a place where she can live a quiet, unassuming, under-the-radar existence. Then she makes one mistake and opens her door to accept a delivery of flowers from a secret admirer and her life will never be the same again. A guy she’s never seen before bursts into her apartment and asks her to marry him. Jack Thompson won’t take no for an answer and drags Kate on a cross country journey to hell.
   Invalided out of the police, Nathan Beranson works as a private investigator in San Antonio, Texas where he spends too much of his time following unfaithful spouses and delivering the bad news to their partners. When his fiancée cheats on him with Jack Thompson, the half-brother Nathan’s only just met, he becomes obsessed with Jack in the same unhealthy way as his revenge-seeking clients. By the time Nathan finally realizes putting the ghosts of the past to rest is a wiser option than settling an old score, it’s too late. He’s already been drawn into his sibling’s latest deadly game and Nathan and Kate find their nightmare is only just beginning.

I’d like to offer a free e-copy of Chosen for one lucky commentator.

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Goddess of the Hunt

Available HERE

By Becky Flade

The world’s love affair with James Bond is legendary. What’s not to love? Sinister foes, death defying stunts, international intrigue, the signature Aston Martin and a sexy man in a custom tuxedo perfectly accessorized with a smirk and an accent that rolls over you like liquid sex. I’ll admit: I dig on Double O Seven. And it’s not just me. Espionage-themed fiction is a popular entertainment genre as evidenced by the success of the Bourne books and movies; Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; and the Mission Impossible franchises, to name but a few examples. My only complaint? The female characters. Women are typically portrayed as damsels in distress or backstabbing femme fatales.

I craved a heroine. A confidant self-assured woman is a supremely attractive character to watch but even more so to read. The more I thought about it the more I wanted to be the person responsible for creating that character. And the idea of flipping the script on a male-dominated trope delighted me! She’d need to be strong, intelligent, and sexy as hell with a cocky mouth and a defiant attitude. I wanted her to be fierce, dangerous and driven.

And covert CIA operative, Paige Aster, was born.

~ ~ ~ 

Blurb:

Codename Diana

CIA field agent Paige Aster hides a cunning intelligence and lethal skill behind a mask of golden beauty. It serves her well as she moves from one undercover assignment to the next.

Current Mission

Retrieve a stolen United States military defense program from a terrorist cell in Dublin, Ireland, before they trade it to Islamic extremists in exchange for munitions. Her only back up on this time-sensitive mission is a deeply embedded MI-6 operative.

Her Asset

Eoin Fitzpatrick has sacrificed everyone he holds dear to bring these terrorists to justice. He’ll sacrifice Diana, too, if she threatens to compromise his mission or his cover. He has orders to do just that – his agency is only doing hers a favor.

Compromised?

Paige expects danger, but welcomes passion—taking her pleasure where and when it’s offered. She’s not prepared for the effect Eoin has on her. Or what happens when she surrenders to him—Paige burns for Eoin but will he leave her burned…

Excerpt:

“Is it done? Do you and the others in the house bring in sex partners from time to time?” She straightened and stared at him. “Yes.” He hissed the answer. “I’m travelling; you and I meet at a pub and go to your place to hook up. It’s simple and happens all the time. Believable, even.” She thought of Michel and her lips tilted at the corners. Then, casting her eyes over Eoin, she deliberately arched a brow and tucked her tongue in her cheek. “Well, for most people, anyway.” His lips thinned and the muscles in his cheek ticked as he worked to control the flare of temper. It delighted her. “Fine, we’ll do it your way.” Eoin pushed himself from the chair he’d been perched on and nearly charged for the door. “I’ll be here at seven-thirty tomorrow morning, be ready.” Paige grabbed his arm as he passed her. “What are you so worked up about? If it goes wrong, you can just leave me hanging and you know it. This costs you nothing, Paddy-boy; it’s my ass on the line.” He grabbed her shirt and pushed her against the closet door. She didn’t fight it and he had his mouth on her in seconds. His tongue delved and demanded she respond; she arched up into the kiss. Delight, desire, and anger thrummed through her as she both succumbed and made demands of her own. His hands molded to her hips and pinned her between the hard planes of his body and the wall behind her. Then he abruptly pulled away. They stood inches apart; the air crackled around them. Their gazes locked. He opened his mouth, then shook his head and left without a word. Tie score.

Tell us about your favorite spy book, movie or television show in the comments below! A copy of Goddess of the Hunt will be awarded to one lucky commenter.

Happy Holidays!

By Alexa Bourne

Happy Holidays, Everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the season. I’m eating too much, relaxing and hanging out with family. Of course, we’re all excited to see what Santa leaves us on Wednesday morning, right? Or are you the type to open gifts the night before?

When I lived far away from family and I worked on Christmas morning (by choice…I switched days with coworkers with kids so I could go out and celebrate on New Year’s Eve), I had a big production Christmas Eve. I would put my Christmas lights on, light some candles, stick the movie Scrooge (with Alistair Sim) in the DVD player, and have dinner. When the movie was over, I pulled out all my presents and opened them to Christmas music or another Christmas movie. When I moved closer to family, I got back in the habit of waiting for Santa and opening gifts the next morning.

What about you? Do you open gifts one time or another? Or do you open 1 gift Christmas Eve and then the rest on Christmas morning?

This year one of the best presents I could ask for is coming from my FANTABULOUS publisher! What’s the gift, you ask? My very first full-length romantic suspense book, Liar, Liar, is being released this coming Friday! (That’s the 27^th.) I can’t wait to share Devin and Grady’s story. Two people who are complete opposites and don’t trust each other join together to fight the bad guys. Grady and Devin have lived in my head for quite a long time. They’re both so much larger than life sometimes I forget they aren’t real people.

Want to find out more about Devin and Grady? Here’s the blurb:

Unable to protect her mother from her father as a child, Devin McQueen has made it her mission as an adult to protect as many abused women and children as she can. The rare moments she’s not consumed with work as a victims' advocate, she limits her involvements to safe, predictable men....until she meets bounty hunter Grady Cooper.  He is big, bold, brash, and has no problem speaking his mind.

Growing up in a broken home, Grady realized early on that good deeds had a price.  To survive, he learned to weigh every decision by what he could gain.  Unfortunately, the successful, solitary life he’s worked so hard to create spins out of control when demons from his past shake his confidence. His boss has given him one last chance—bring in Devin's latest client quickly, and quietly and maybe he'll still have a job. It didn’t sound unreasonable until he met Devin.

Suddenly, Grady must make a decision: save his career or follow his heart?

So…what do you think? Sounds pretty good, huh? Well, you’ll have to wait a few more days for it, but I guarantee it will be worth it! Until then, have a Merry Christmas!

Find Alexa:  website||blog||Twitter||Facebook||Goodreads

Not Your Everyday Holiday Romance!

By Krystal Shannan

I’m so excited to be a guest on the Decadent Blog. Hi everyone! Christmas is my favorite time of year and I am a sucker for romance and action movies. Yippee-Ki-Aay...(whispering the rest…lol ) So it didn’t surprise me at all that when I set out to write a Christmas novella, I got a fabulous whirlwind romance wrapped up in the Russian mob, kidnapping, and a gunfight! Hehehehe.

What do you look for in a Christmas story???

A Very Russian Christmas is my little smok’n hot love story between Ksenia and Matt. She’s the daughter of a Russian mobster and he’s a retired Marine. Sparks are flying on this snow-covered mountain! Have a seat with a nice steamy cup of hot cocoa and settle in for a fun and a fabulous read.

   For most of her adult life, bodyguards have shadowed Ksenia Sharanov, daughter of a Russian mobster. Her one serious relationship left her broken-hearted when she learned he only sought her father’s power and money.

   A ski vacation with her college roommates ends on a terrifying note. Her father’s enemies have been following her more closely than anyone could have anticipated. The mistake will cost a life…but will it cost her heart? Or will she find love in the arms of a complete stranger?

   Matt O’Reilly, a retired Marine, generally keeps to himself. Working as a deputy in a small country sheriff’s office, provides just enough seclusion for him to cut himself off from his family’s pity and the heartache of losing his wife. He never thought love would be in the books for him again. Will the sudden arrival of a spunky dark-haired Russian beauty change his mind?

Krystal Shannan

Putting Magick in Romance One Soul mate at a Time

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Is it Worth It?

By Katie Harper

I am a connoisseur of romance novels. I have boxes and boxes of them taking up space in my basement and I’ve read every single one. Why do I love them? Why are they so popular? The answer is simple, because we want to believe that romance novel life, those experiences are actually within the realm of possibility. But when you really think about it, do you really want that life?

The typical romance novel couple has more baggage than a house full of sorority sisters on Spring Break. The heroine’s heart has been broken, crushed, and literally trashed to the point that Ryan Gosling in full on ‘Hey Girl’ mode couldn’t penetrate her rock hard exterior. Of course the men don’t make it easy. They’ve been so crapped on by life, they make a sad country song seem like an appropriate option for hold music on a suicide hotline. Do you really want to endure all that they have prior to page one just for a happily ever after? Is it really worth it?

HELL YES! It’s totally worth it. I know, I’m living a romance novel. My first husband died on Christmas Day six years ago. I was 27 and had an 18 month-old daughter to take care of. After a lot of tears, why me’s, and several less than stellar life choices, I got to the point where I thought I was perfectly happy being single. I didn’t need anyone. I was fine on my own thank you very much (sound familiar). Then I met Mr. Perfect. I’m not kidding. He’s absolutely perfect, like he was built just for me. He’s kind, caring, helpful, patient, a wonderful father to my daughter, and holy crap he’s sexy as hell. He’s from Brazil. Do I really need to expound on anything after that? I think not. But I will. Not only is he all that and a case of chocolate wine, he had the balls to propose to me on the anniversary of my first husband’s death, Christmas Day. Some of you might see that as a little creepy. I saw it as raw courage. Sexy.

To answer the would you really want that life question, I will ask another, Would I change any part of my life? Not a single scene. I would endure having my heart ripped out a million times over if it meant I’d end up with my hero. I’d shed tanker trucks full of tears just for the chance that I might get him in the end. So, is it worth all the heart ache necessary to be a romance novel heroine? Abso-freaking-lutely.

Katie Harper started writing when two people showed up in her head and wouldn't leave until she told their story. They had a party, invited a few friends over. Now she spends her days doing the bidding of imaginary people. She lives in a city made for sin on the edge of a desert with her husband, two daughters, no pets and enough lemon bundt cake to give a refugee camp an obesity problem. Her first novel, Never Say Just, is available through Decadent Publishing.

Never Say Just

Haunted by her past of murder for hire and skinning people alive to gather vital intelligence, Kat Boudreaux wants nothing more than to hide away in her sprawling mansion with the love of her life--her daughter. But then Private Gump and his band of Bubbas land on her doorstep. Her brother and his unit of misfit Marines insert themselves with the misguided need to protect her from someone hell-bent on vengeance.

For Shooter, it's love at first sight, though he wouldn't be caught dead admitting it. When Kat is nearly fatally injured while saving his life, he knows he's found the woman for him. Together, they fight side by side to get to the bottom of the threats. Kat's daughter is kidnapped and this ex-assassin mom reverts back to old habits to save her. Saving Kat and her daughter is easy, taming the shrew that is Hell Kat Boudreaux might mean losing his favorite appendage.