Contemporary Romantic Suspense Excerpts
Category
Hearing Loss and Military Heroes
The road to happy ever after is never easy, especially in romance novels. The harder the struggle, the more significant the conflict, the wider the gap between the hero and heroine, the sweeter the moment they come together.
When I was plotting the story for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET, I knew the heroine would be a professional musician but what–aside from her life being in danger–would create barriers between her and the hero?
How about a man who can’t appreciate music because he can no longer hear it? To torment my hero even more, I created a story in which the hearing loss has cost Special-Ops Marine Nick Jenkins his military career.
Hearing loss may not be as dramatic as losing a limb, but experts estimate that more than 50 percent of combat soldiers suffer moderately severe (or worse) hearing loss. It’s an injury that impacts more military personnel than any other type of injury. Sometimes the hearing loss is just an inconvenience; sometimes it robs soldiers of their hearing completely.
Our military personnel sacrifice time, health, and so much more. Writing about these real-life heroes is my way of honoring them.
Here’s a short excerpt from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET, coming February 2020.
“Let me take you out for a drink. We both need it after this funeral.” Ben leaned closer, his thigh pressing against hers and squeezed her hand. Ben Massine, the successful and charismatic tenor with the voice that had the world at his feet, was seated next to Emily.
Her eyes darted to his. The compassion in his dark eyes and expressive voice would be her undoing. All she could do was nod since the grief was lodged somewhere between her chest and her throat.
Emily pulled her hand into her lap, now unsure if Ben was making his usual moves or was as upset as she was. Emily never trusted Ben’s motives in pursuing her. Was she just another notch on his bedpost? He could have any woman. He did have any and every woman if People magazine was correct.
His Sicilian roots with olive skin, black hair, and Grecian profile made him irresistible. Unlike his hordes of fans, it wasn’t his dramatic looks and powerful presence that made Emily susceptible. It was the bright warm timbre of his voice, his soulful passion for the music, his ability to transcend the music. He was a gifted artist, and Ben should be the perfect match for her.
But the heart was a contrary organ that didn’t listen to reason. It was time to wipe the memory of the dark-haired, over-loaded-testosterone male, the hardened Spec Forces Marine Nick Jenkins, who didn’t have the voice like a choir of angels but a rough bass steel drum.
Coming February 2020
Available for preorder on Apple Books | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
Professional cellist Emily Hewitt loves nothing more than creating music. Sharing her gift with the world is all she lives for. Until her life is threatened. Caught up in a treacherous conspiracy, Emily becomes the pawn in an international play for power and must be assigned a bodyguard.
Former Special-Ops Marine Nick Jenkins is out of a job and out of patience. Discharged from the Corp because of hearing loss, the last thing he wants to do is babysit someone who’s surrounded by the haunting sounds of music he can no longer appreciate. When danger turns deadly, will Nick be able to save Emily?
Combustible Together ~ Excerpt from 'Mission: Impossible to Wed'
“We’ve got off-the-charts chemistry. But it’s the wrong place and wrong time.” He stared at her lips, stirring a hunger in her to taste him.
How could she feel like this and it not be the right time? It felt like the perfect time to her.
She pressed her lips to his soft full ones. She ran her tongue along his lower lip. She felt the catch in his breath before he pulled her into his arms, wrapping her against his hardness.
Expecting he would be demanding by the tension in his body and his labored breathing, she was surprised by his slow and tender exploration, nibbling on her lower lip and then licking where he bit. Mesmerized by his gentleness, she melted against him. She drifted in the sensation, her hands clenched in his T-shirt, her knees wobbly. Lost in kissing Gabe, she didn’t know how much time passed. By the time Gabe finally pulled back, her legs were buckling, and she wanted to get naked with him.
“I guess that answers all our questions. It’s exactly what I thought. We are damn combustible together.”
Mission: Impossible to Wed is part of the 10-author holiday anthology Christmas at Mistletoe Lodge. You can order a copy for just 99¢.
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Airport Pickup ~ Excerpt from 'Mission: Impossible to Wed'
“Why can’t the half-sister bring the dress? She isn’t an adult?”
Gabe recognized the misdirection. Gabe flashed on a memory of Tiffany’s younger sister, tall, thin, with big green eyes and red hair and very quiet when around Tiffany. But then no one got to talk when Tiffany was holding court.
“It’s more of a courtesy kind of thing. I guess its bulky and she has a lot of luggage. My brother asked since we’re both on the same fight.”
“What are you going to do now that your flight is cancelled? Not drive. You’ll need four-wheel drive to get over the mountain passes. The roads will be treacherous.”
“Man, what have you done with my kick-ass buddy? This wedding stuff is making you soft. Driving in a heated SUV versus horseback over mountain passes without being shot at by the Taliban sounds like a slam dunk.
“But smartass, you’ve never been in charge of a wedding dress.” Aiden chuckled and then in low rumble, said, “Later.”
Gabe stuck his phone back into his jean’s pocket, and he walked toward the main terminal. He searched for a kiosk since he was unfamiliar with Seattle’s airport. He needed a rental car, a haircut, and a shave in that order. And since he had at least two hours, he had time for mission prep. And plenty of time to think of a way to sabotage his brother’s wedding.
Mission: Impossible to Wed coming 10.22.19 as part of the 10-author holiday anthology Christmas at Mistletoe Lodge. You can preorder a copy for just 99¢.
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You can download the Christmas at Mistletoe Lodge Cookbook for FREE!
Too Hot to be a Hacker ~ Excerpt from 'Mission: Impossible to Love'
“You? A cracker?” Izzy covered her mouth. Did she just say that aloud? Okay, she was having a bit of trouble adjusting to the idea that Charles’s cousin or whatever wanted her for a government job—not for a prison sentence. Or maybe this was a trap to convict her?
Sten’s eyes and voice turned icy. “Why couldn’t I be a hacker?”
She shrugged her shoulders since it was too hard to raise her eyebrows. “You’re going to try to convince the seller that you hacked into a classified military program for a criminal organization or one of our country’s enemies? No one would believe it.”
The tense silence in the room reverberated against the glass walls. If that was physically possible.
PO’d alpha Man shifted his weight, leaning forward, closing the distance between them at the table. “And why is that?”
“Really, you need to ask?”
Reeves kicked her under the table. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she liked irritating Sten Jenkins with his dismissive attitude and cool control when she had none. “Because you’re not a chill stoner type. Nor do you have the angry edge of a rebel.” Izzy chose not to mention that his cover model face, his intense virile confidence, and his erect military posture shouted narc, not criminal.
“And you are?” His voice, laced with amusement, had Izzy edging closer to her adversary. Always underestimated by males because of her size and her age, Sten Jenkins had just thrown down the gauntlet.
“Let’s just say in the world of hackers, as a woman, I’m still unique.” She didn’t mention that gender disparity in pay and job advancement made her ripe for defying mainstream. “You’re not. And geeks who spend their entire lives in front of computers don’t have bodies that look like yours.” Izzy now wished she didn’t have the pale skin and freckles that went with her red hair. Because her skin was burning hot—like the color of a stop sign. OMG! Why was she commenting on Sten Jenkins’s body, and in front of Richard Dean?
Reeves was nodding in agreement. “It’s true, Sten. You have the whole military mojo going.”
Mr. Dean cleared his throat. “Well, I’m glad we have that clarified. Sten is going undercover as your bodyguard, Izzy, It will be the perfect cover. Sten will be running the mission but will also act as your bodyguard and accompany you when you hopefully do the buy. You might not know it, but Sten has skills in international cybercrime besides his military skills.”
Izzy didn’t like the way Sten’s full lips lifted into a smirk.
Want to read more? Get your copy of Mission: Impossible to Love.
I Want More ~ Excerpt from 'Mission: Impossible to Surrender'
“Don’t change the subject, Finn Jenkins.” Sophie moved against him, losing that last inch, taking him to boiling point with his erection swelling to no return.
“It’s complicated.” His breath came in harsh bursts with Sophie’s curves pressed to him. “Us—we’re complicated.”
Sophie rubbed those outstanding breasts against him, and there was no way Finn could hide his raging hard-on pressing against her stomach, or the way his body was clenched and ready.
“Doesn’t feel complicated. Feels straightforward to me.”
And there was the sexy teasing, making him want to drag her to the floor and show her how straightforward he could be. His self-control was evaporating.
He stepped back and ran his hand through his hair. “Sophie, this isn’t the time. You got shot at today and need comfort.” Like after Hong Kong, he wanted to be the man who comforted and protected her, not the one who took advantage like all the assholes before him. “But hell, it never feels like it’s been the right time for us.”
Sophie stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m not going to pretend that today wasn’t difficult, but I realized in the moment of danger that I wasn’t afraid. And I don’t mean because you can shoot and outrun and all the bad-ass stuff you do but because I trust you. I’ll always trust you. As long as you’re near, my world is safe and complete.”
“Just trust, Sophie?” He dragged his thumb along her pale neck before he tucked a curl behind her ear. “Because I want more than trust.”
Want to read more? Get your copy of Mission: Impossible to Surrender
