Update: The winners of SOUTHERN FRIED BLUES are Margaret and Jennifer C! Congrats!

We’re going old school today with some Tuesday Teaser fun! I’ve got author Jamie Farrell here with me today (welcome, Jamie!) and she’s going to dish about her new release, SOUTHERN FRIED BLUES.  (And I’m going to select two lucky commenters at random and give those people digital copies of Jamie’s new book).  Jamie and I met at our local writing group ages ago–she is one of the nicest and funniest ladies that I’ve ever met. Jamie, it’s a pleasure to have you here! 

Super huge thanks to Cynthia for having me here to share my new release with you today!

SOUTHERN FRIED BLUES (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EVHUCX8) is a fun military romance about a redneck rocket scientist and a divorced Yankee lady who’s sworn she’ll never again depend on another man—especially a military man. There aren’t shape-shifters or demons or serial killers lurking in the pages of Southern Fried Blues, but there are one or two Southern mommas. And trust me, Southern mommas are their own breed of scary.

As a military wife, I’ll always have a special place in my heart for this book. It’s given me an opportunity to tell a different kind of military romance—one with a hero who isn’t on the front lines, but who is super smart and funny and dedicated to his mission and country. One with a heroine struggling to balance the desire to have her own career with falling in love with a man whose mobile lifestyle makes her having a career impossible.

Intrigued? I hope so!

Here’s an exclusive excerpt of Southern Fried Blues:

Jackson settled on a barstool on the other side of the counter, propping up his tan forearms. He grabbed a peach and shifted it between his hands. “Brought some extra peaches so you can make one of those pies just for me after our rematch tonight.”

Another frisson of awareness prickled Anna’s wet skin. She bent over and, out of desperation, peeked in the dishwasher to hide her reaction. Bingo. There were the knives. She plucked a paring knife out of the silverware section, then gave one of the peaches a sniff. Peach season was winding down, but these smelled sweet and yummy.

He looked yummy. In an I’m only in it for the lust kind of way.

Maybe Kaci was onto something with that expiration-date thing. “Nobody told me you were coming, so I only brought one crust,” she said, and she gave him a wink Kaci would’ve been proud of. Her cheeks warmed, but she didn’t care.

Because he’d leaned closer. His gaze dropped to her mouth.

And she had a suspicion he wasn’t as dumb as he wanted her to believe.

“No problem,” he said. “Kaci probably has flour and bacon grease somewhere in here.”

She almost dropped the peach. “Bacon grease? In pie crust?”

“Ain’t that how your momma taught you to make it?”

“My momma taught me to make pie taste like pie and pig taste like pig.”

“Then what do you do with your bacon grease?”

In the middle of her shudder, she caught the look. The I’m playing games with the uptight Yankee look.

She’d be damned.

She’d been rednecked.

This one was a lot smarter than he let on.

She jutted her chin until her nose was high enough for her to stare him down. “I donate it to our annual Hicks Without Hogs drive at work.”

“Right decent of you.” But if that ornery spark was any indication, his coughing fit had nothing to do with the pollen count.

***

SOUTHERN FRIED BLUES (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EVHUCX8):

A Yankee Lady Stuck in the South

Divorced wasn’t a label Anna Martin ever wanted.  Now she’s a thousand miles from home, underemployed, and lonely, but she’s squeezing this lemon life gave her and turning it into lemon meringue pie. Never again will she let any man—especially another military man—get in the way of her career.

A Southern Gentleman Military Officer

Jackson Davis believes in family, football, and Uncle Sam. He treats ladies right, takes his uniform seriously, and he loves his dog, but he doesn’t reckon he’s built for true love. After all, if a man good as his daddy couldn’t do it right, what chance does Jackson have?

One Undeniable Attraction

These two vulnerable souls are as different as cornbread and ketchup, but they fit together like sweet butter on hot biscuits. Short-term, they’re exactly what the other needs. But when their hearts get involved, they’re both gonna end up with a big ol’ case of Southern Fried Blues.

Southern Fried Blues is available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EVHUCX8/), Barnes & Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/southern-fried-blues-jamie-farrell/1116799756?ean=2940148624141), and Kobo(http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/southern-fried-blues).

Thanks again for having me hang out today! I’d love to hear your favorite military romances. Don’t forget, everyone who comments will be entered into a drawing for a copy of Southern Fried Blues!

About Jamie: Jamie Farrell writes humorous contemporary romance. She believes love and laughter are two of the most powerful forces in the universe.

A native Midwesterner, Jamie has lived in the South the majority of her adult life. When she’s not writing, she and her military hero husband are busy raising three hilariously unpredictable children.

For more information on Jamie and her books, visit her online at www.JamieFarrellBooks.com.

For the next two weeks, MINE TO TAKE will be priced at just .99!  You can get this deal at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBookstore or at All Romance eBooks.

If you haven’t read MINE TO TAKE yet, this is your chance! 😉

Sometimes you want someone so much…

Sometimes you need someone so much…

Lust can become love.

And love can turn into a deadly obsession.

***

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching—stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won’t stop pursuing her, not until she’s dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her—Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they’d come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He’d joined the military, vanishing from her life. She’d put all of her emotion into dancing, and she’d tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He’ll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he’ll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He’s not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything—or anyone—that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won’t let her go again.

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He’s a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

***

MINE TO KEEP (the second book in the “Mine” series) will be out on 9/16.  Before reading MINE TO KEEP, I’d definitely say that folks should check out MINE TO TAKE (otherwise, you will find lots of spoilers from the first book!).

And I am busy with MINE TO KEEP party plans right now. Party, ahoy!  I will be having a huge Facebook Party on 9/16, and I sure hope that you can attend!

MINE TO KEEP will be available on 9/16 (that is so soon!!). To celebrate the release, I’ve got some party plans!

What:  MINE TO KEEP Release Party

When:  9/16/13 (The party will last all day)

Where:  Facebook! This time, I’ll be having my party on Facebook (due to lots of reader requests).

Sign-up!: You can register for the event here.

There will be LOTS of prizes given away at the party–and I’ve got some special guest authors who will be joining the celebration, too. (Those authors will also have prizes–it’s a prize bonanza!)

I hope that you can join!

Have a great weekend.

It’s Labor Day! In the U.S., this is a day of rest and relaxation (and often, a day spent grilling!). I hope you all enjoy a wonderful day!

The fabulous Katie Reus is taking over my blog this Labor Day. She’s got a great new romantic suspense out, PROTECTING HIS WITNESS–a perfect read on this relaxing day!

Thanks so much to Cynthia for having me here today!

With the recent release of Protecting His Witness, my 7th Red Stone Security book (jeez, how is it number 7 already?!) Cynthia is letting me hang out today, share a sneak peek and as a thank you, I’m giving away two copies to random commenters!! I receive more emails from readers about Vincent than any other Red Stone character and I’m thrilled to finally be releasing him into the wild.

So, without further rambling from me, here’s an exclusive excerpt from Protecting His Witness…

Out of the corner of his eye, Vincent noticed the same four-door sedan he’d seen drive down his street slowly cruise by his house again. For the third time.

This time it stopped in front of a house two down from his and idled. He lived on a quiet, dead-end street and he recognized all the vehicles on sight. Even if one of his neighbors had bought a new car while he’d been out of town, there was no reason for the driver to be creeping around like they planned to do a drive-by. Not that he was actually worried about that. This was a middle class Miami neighborhood that rarely saw crime. But he believed in being vigilant.

Vincent kept his stride even as he walked from his neighbor’s house to his. His fifty year old next-door neighbor had collected his mail for him while he’d been in Vegas at his friend Iris’s wedding. He still had a couple more days off and he planned to spend it with his family. If he didn’t go see his mom soon she’d chew his ass out and then he’d hear about it from his three sisters. Now that they all lived in the same city, he caught hell if he didn’t see them on a regular basis. He might complain about them hassling him, but he loved them more than anything.

Right now he was going to find out who the hell was in that vehicle. Something about the way the person drove told him they weren’t lost. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he always trusted his gut and he always looked out for his neighbors. Life could change in an instant—something he knew from personal experience—and he wasn’t someone who sat idly by and did nothing if this was a potential criminal casing his neighborhood. He just wasn’t wired that way. Probably his Navy training.

Once inside his house he dropped his mail on the small table in the foyer, then raced for the backdoor. The sun was setting, giving him enough shadows to blend in for what he planned. His backyard had a privacy fence so he climbed it into his neighbors’ yard. Even if any of his neighbors saw him it was unlikely they’d be worried. He’d been nominated as unofficial leader of their neighborhood watch and he took his job seriously. Plus when he’d retrieved his mail his neighbor had mentioned a few petty break-ins a few blocks over while he’d been out of town.

Using the lengthening shadows, he scaled fences and jogged across backyards until he was six houses down. Adrenaline pumping, he hurried to his neighbors’ front yard and scaled another privacy fence because it was locked. His feet hit the grass with a soft thump and a second later, a security flood light came on, illuminating the side of the house. He inwardly cursed even though he was the one who’d recommended everyone on the street get the lights. Pausing, he took a moment before he peered around the corner of the house.

From his angle he was still hidden from view of whoever was in that vehicle, which was good. Instead of using the well lit sidewalk, he quickly walked across his neighbors’ front yards, avoiding kids’ toys and other crap left out. Two dogs barked in the distance, then he heard the soft sound of Mr. Canning’s automatic sprinkler going on like clockwork as he closed the distance.

Two yards to go. Then one.

The car still idled and even though the windows were tinted he could see the outline of a driver in the front seat. There was no one else in the vehicle and the person was small. Their head fit right against the headrest, but they were looking down at something in their hands.

Normally Vincent was armed, but hadn’t felt it necessary now. Besides, with his training, he could take almost anyone out in hand-to-hand combat. He closed the last few feet to the car, sliding along the side until he reached the driver’s door. He really hoped he was overreacting and this driver was just someone lost, but in his neighborhood, he never took chances.

He rapped his knuckles against the top of the car. Judging from the small size of the person, he guessed it was a woman. She jumped and dropped whatever had been in her hands.

Good.

He’d wanted to startle the driver, take her off guard and it worked.

A second later, the door opened and as the dome light flooded the interior and he saw her sitting there, he froze.

For a moment, it was as if time stood still. His surroundings, his neighbors’ houses, the distant familiar sounds of the evening, just fell away in that moment. All he could do was stare as her head tilted up toward him and he found himself looking into familiar hazel eyes. His chest constricted and he tried to drag in a breath, but it was as if an elephant was sitting on his chest.

Moving, breathing, thinking—impossible. His heart was a staccato beat against his ribs as he tried to control his breathing. He blinked once, sure this was a hallucination.

Or a fantasy he’d conjured up.

Nope, she was still there.

Her small hands were clasped tightly in her lap, her dark hair a sensual cascade falling over one shoulder as she stared right back.

His hands fell to his sides as he stared at Jordan Alvarado. The woman he’d loved more than anything. The woman who’d disappeared from his life seven years ago without a fucking word. The woman he’d never been able to get over. No matter how damn hard he tried. She was under his skin and in his heart, and nothing he’d done had worked her out of his system.

Her hazel eyes were wide as she watched him with a mix of nervousness and…lust. Yeah, that had always been there between them. The explosive attraction was like a living thing. Combustible and raw. That definitely hadn’t changed. And he hated that he felt it too.

“Jordan.” He hadn’t realized he’d been about to speak until he heard his own raspy voice scraping out her name.

Her seatbelt was already off and he watched as she swallowed hard then took a tentative step out. She wrapped her arms around herself, her petite, compact body still as lush as he remembered. The halter-style dress she wore showed off all her curves and bronzed skin. Her dark hair had grown at least six inches since the last time he’d seen her. Back then she’d kept it shorter, so that it fell in a longer angle around her face and was shorter in the back. Now it was long, falling in soft waves. He wanted nothing more than to run his hands through it. “Vincent, I…you look really great,” she said softly, too many emotions to define in her expression.

He couldn’t help himself. He had a billion questions—like where the hell had she been for so long—but he was overcome with the need to taste her. To dominate and possess her. It had always been like that between them, but he’d convinced himself that the electricity wasn’t real. That he’d built it up in his mind. People just didn’t react that way to each other after so long but here she was standing in front of him and all he wanted to do was jump her. To take her hard and fast against the car, right out in the open for anyone to see.

Normally he was in absolute control of himself but before he’d realized he even intended to move, his lips were on hers and he was crushing her against the car.

Protecting His Witness:

Seven years ago she broke his heart…

Leaving Vincent was the hardest thing Jordan Alvarado ever had to do, but she had no choice. She never expected to come back, or for the smoldering attraction between them to ignite into a bonfire. But deep down, she knows he’ll never be able to understand or forgive what she did, and that being with him will only lead to heartbreak.

He’s not letting her go again…

Former SEAL Vincent Hansen never got over Jordan and the way she up and left him without a trace. When she reappears and explains what happened, he’s even more furious. He doesn’t know what he wants from her, but when she’s targeted in a series of potentially deadly attacks, he realizes he’s never stopped loving her. Now he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and convince her that she was always meant to be his.

Purchase info: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, All Romance eBooks

Thanks again for having me here today!! Remember, two random commenters will win a copy of Protecting His Witness! Open until tomorrow, September 3, 2013 at 6 PM Central! Winner announced in comments section so please check back.

A little about Katie: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katie has been reading romance since a young age—ever since she discovered her mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with her into adulthood. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. For more information on Katie please visit her website: www.katiereus.com. Also find her on twitter @katiereus or visit her on facebook at: www.facebook.com/katiereusauthor

Today, the digital version of GLITTER & GUNFIRE is available at retailers!

Cale Lane had his orders: keep Cassidy Sherridan alive at all costs. But who sent six armed men storming the Rio ballroom to take her out? The gorgeous party girl wasn’t giving it up. Now he had a more urgent mission: uncover Cassidy’s secrets…one by one.

Cassidy didn’t need the former Army Ranger to play hero and blow her cover. Using herself as bait was the first step in bringing a killer to justice. How could she do that with Cale shadowing her every move…and awakening feelings that tempted her to put her life—and heart—on the line?

“Readers are barely going to have time to catch their breath as the nonstop action and sizzling romance plummets them down, sweeps them up and never levels out.”

TOP PICK, 4 1/2 Stars from RT Book Reviews

***

You can check out an excerpt here.