From the Author...
I’ve often been asked
why I chose a circle of friends to write about for my first series.
Bringing a new story about
the tight knit group of friends from Fredericksburg, Virginia, was like coming
home, especially since I’ve lived in the area all my life. The friends I’ve
made over the years, and have continued to keep in touch with, are much like
the people in this book—minus the bombs and gunfights. Instead of a weekly
cocktail hour, we get together at least once month at a winery, brewery or the lake.
Blurb:
Nothing
is as it seems….
Temptation
landed at Special Agent Larry Newman’s feet—literally. Charlene Smith captured
his heart after he rescued her from terrorists two months ago. A failed
relationship and being an abused child have turned him into a loner and
workaholic. The scars weigh heavy on him and keep him from pursuing her. So
what’s a guy to do when the woman he pines for passes out in front of him while
working a case?
Battling psychological
wounds from abduction is easier than coming face to face with the sexy FBI
agent she’s fantasized about for months. A single mother, avoiding the drama
that dating would bring to her son’s life, she allows Larry close only in her
dreams. Now, she's second-guessing her decision. Should she have a relationship with this man who makes her feel alive
just by being close?
Excerpt:
His breath drifted across her face, stirring a desire she’d only felt
once before. Impossible, as Larry had been the only man who’d stimulated
outrageous cravings. A hallucination can’t do that. Can it?
He slid another finger down her cheek. She quivered. The electricity
produced a throbbing in her body and prevented her from grasping onto any one
emotion. One second, she was delusional, the next, she melted. “How can I feel
you?”
“You’re not asking the right question.” His voice filled with mischief.
The one she asked seemed important. “What is the right one?”
His hands slapped the wall on each side of her head, trapping her.
Anticipating an imprisoned impression, she tensed.
It didn’t occur. “What is the right—” Her whisper broke off when he
moved closer, aligning his over six-foot stature perfectly to her
five-foot-five frame.
“Why do I allow you?” he asked, his voice teasing.
Good question, yet why did he joke? Was this a game to him? “Why?”
A mere fraction stood between their bodies, and she wanted to taste him,
have his lips move across hers.
“I’ve wanted you since the day I saw you,” he whispered.
Her vision cleared. She bit her lip and gazed into his eyes, watching as
the gold flecks sparkled. “Larry?” she asked, her voice a little louder than a
whisper.
His dark, intense brows that made guys look extremely sexy, lifted.
“Were you expecting someone else?”
She shook her head and let her eyes drift down the open shirt. Broad
shoulders, flat abs framed by a narrowed waist. He had that sleek, muscled look
that said he had kicked ass.
He lifted her chin with his finger, bringing her gaze back to his. “A
woman’s wet lips captivate a man.” His eyes shifted to her mouth.
She fought the urge to squirm. The man was potent.
“When moisture forms on them,” his voice dropped an octave, “it lets him
know if he’s worthy to touch her.”
The seduction warmed her already overheated body. “Are you…worthy?”
“Your lips say so.”
The air crackled between them.
Her pulse raced, throwing her back onto the merry-go-round ride. This
time, her vision wasn’t distorted, her heart was.
“I’ve dreamed of doing this.”
If she was hallucinating, she didn’t want the delirium to end.
He leaned toward her, his mouth coming in for the capture. She couldn’t
wait. Her lips parted.
His soft lips glided over hers. The kiss so delicate, so gentle, she
felt like the treasure at the end of a rainbow. A gem someone looked long and
hard to find. The hallucinations had played tricks on her all night.
Is this another trick?
She had to touch him to find out if she lived a dream or not. She placed
her hands on his hardened pecs. Every nerve ending in her palms shot a jolt of
awareness between her legs. If this was an illusion, she wanted more. Lots
more.
A low growl escaped him, vibrating through her body. He nipped her
bottom lip before taking the kiss deeper. His tongue tangled with hers, urging
a response and threatening to pull well-hidden passion out of the secure hiding
place she’d created two years ago.
Buy Links:
Author Bio:
From writing ‘every girl’s dream heroes’ to ‘strong,
down-to-earth heroines,’ Cait Jarrod twists ‘cliff hanging plots’ and ‘clever,
unpredictable sub-plots’. She loves diving into a good book as much as she
loves writing one.
Mother of three gorgeous daughters, she’s married to her best
friend, hangs out with the WWC, a great group of women, and loves a good glass
of wine.
Author Links:
Nothing like a heroine taking charge!
I love Charlene Smith’s
journey from submissiveness to taking charge of her life. She figuratively
slams her hands on the table and says, “No more.” She’ll no longer allow her
ex-husband to control her like he had while they were married. She’ll no longer
allow him to use their son as a pawn. Instead of slamming her hand down on a
desk or gingerly saying, “No more,” read the excerpt below from Mystic Hearts, Book 2 of The Band of
Friends, to find out how Charlene decides she can and will fight.
The venomous tone, at one time,
would have had her withering. But not anymore. “Pig!”
Her ex-husband charged toward
her, eyes wild, nostrils flaring.
She swung, faking high and
going low. The bat connected with his stomach.
“Fuck,” he puffed and clutched
his gut. “You’ll pay.” He straightened and snatched the butcher knife from the
block on the kitchen counter.
Crap!
The shiny blade glistened above
his head.
It was
her or him.
She dug deep, seizing strength from all the wrongs Andrew had inflicted on her
family, fortifying her with the power for what she needed to do. She raised the
bat behind her head and went for the homerun...for her...her mother...and most
importantly, her son. She struck his arm. Bones cracked. The knife flew out of
his hand. He stumbled backwards, holding his wrist, and fell backwards into the
wall. She raised it again, aiming for his head.
The
bastard is Henry’s father, her conscience screamed.
At the last second, she pulled
back and clobbered him square in the ribs.
Yelping, he collapsed on the
floor. “You bitch!”
She lowered her hand, clasping
the handle, ready to swing. “Not another word. Get the hell out of my house!”
“I’ll be back!”
She raised the bat. “You asked
for it.”
“No!” He held up his good hand
and sidestepped.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
In the romantic
suspense Mystic Hearts, I touched on the idea that ghosts exist in Greenwood
Manor in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Spotsylvania and the nearby city
Fredericksburg are counties some of the Civil War battles were fought.
A sneak peek into the
sightings mentioned in Mystic Hearts:
The Madison Hand was
a fictitious scare tactic by my oldest brother. He loved to scare and tease me.
The Madison Hand, as I described in the book, was taken from one of the many
things he invented to torment me. I can smile now with fond memories, but then…not
so much.
As for the other item
I mentioned, the white patch flowing through the sky was not another tactic constructed
by my brother. Each time I saw the bizarre shape and movements, my brother wasn’t
home, so I can’t blame or accuse him…
I’m not alone. Others
have witnessed peculiar sightings in Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg and the surrounding
areas.
People either believe
in ghosts or they don’t. Many rationalize the strange phenomena as a freak of
nature or their eyes playing tricks on them for a brief moment. Others
wholeheartedly trust their sight and know what they saw.
Whatever you believe,
I hope you enjoy the websites I’ve listed below.
Thank you for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteAny time at all, Cait :)
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