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Archive for the 'About books…' Category
Tuesday, June 24th, 2025
Maybe you only know me through my bounty hunter books or the Brotherhood Protector stories I sometimes write. I’ve been a full-time author for more years than I care to admit, so there’s more on my backlist if you’re interested in checking out my older titles. Plus, if you love a sexier story than I tend to write now, you’ll really dig these. Hot cowboys? Lava-hot sex? What’s not to love? Read the excerpt below and comment for a chance to win a free download of any one of my six Texas Cowboys stories. They’re available in eBook and gathered together in two print volumes, or individually, if you go to my series page, and scroll down to Texas Cowboys.
 
Texas Cowboys: Bound & Determined
When Tara Toomey hosts the annual cowboy auction in her bar, she’s in the mood to serve bad boy Cody Westhofen more than a drink when she raises her bidding paddle. She’s done with his freewheeling ways. It’s time for the sexy cowboy to man up or get the hell out of her life. What better way to capture his attention and show him she’s serious than to kidnap him for a wanton weekend?
Tied to Tara’s bed, Cody is more than willing to cooperate. Until he found himself cuffed to her bed, he didn’t know how desperate she was to show him how much she cares.
It’s going to be a long, hot weekend…
Read an Excerpt
When the DJ’s speaker set crashed to the floor as the first women to arrive rushed the tables nearest the stage, Tara Toomey scrambled for a replacement and chalked the mishap up to high spirits.
When one of the volunteers carrying a tray of Jell-O shots tripped, and cherry and lime gelatin slid in glistening trails down his face and naked chest, she laughed as eager women offered to lick him clean.
However, it wasn’t until one of her staff whispered in her ear that she knew she was in for a long night. The main attraction had yet to arrive.
She crushed her dog-eared copy of the “Hook-up” program in her fist and headed toward the old-fashioned, double swinging doors, ready to stomp all the way to Redbone Ranch to drag his butt to town.
As she passed excited, tittering women her smile felt strained, and her nerves stretched taut. The “Annual Honky-tonk Hook-up” had always been a good time, but this year she wished she hadn’t been so quick to volunteer her bar again. Sure, it was good for business and many of the “blow-ins” from Houston, San Antonio, and San Angelo returned throughout the year because they enjoyed the event and Paraiso’s authentic western ambience.
But Tara wished she could return home, crawl into bed, and pull the covers over her head. The last thing she felt ready to do was watch one particular cowboy strut his stuff across the stage and land in some other woman’s clutches—even if it was just one night, completely innocent, right, and for a really good cause. The fact he might blow off the auction pissed her off almost as much as the thought of the spectacle he’d cause if he did finally make an entrance.
If anyone thought splintered speaker casings or a little spilled Jell-O were trouble, they hadn’t seen a room full of women erupt in the wake of one seriously sexy cowboy.
The thought soured her stomach. Still, she had a part to play in tonight’s festivities. Everyone seemed to think it was her job to make sure that cowboy showed up, because she was one of the few true friends he had. And after all, his picture in the auction advertisement had been the big pull.
Too many gussied-up women crowded the entrance to the bar, and the line wrapped twice around the narrow foyer. Not that anyone complained about the wait as bare-chested men wearing tight jeans, cowboy hats, and wicked smiles carried more trays laden with drinks down the long line.
Rather than wade through the cloud of perfume when all her “polite” was gone, Tara swept past the sign-in tables where volunteers busily took the women’s cash and handed out programs, shiny Mardi Gras beads, and wooden bidding paddles.
The combined scent of expensive perfumes made Tara’s nose twitch, so she pivoted on her heel and stomped toward the side entrance, reminded again about the cause of her agitation.
Perfume was like doe piss to this horned buck—irresistible bait. So, where the hell was he?
“He’s late!” a high-pitched voice squeaked behind her.
Tara didn’t even bother trying to pretend she didn’t know who “He” was, or that she didn’t know he hadn’t shown. Any woman with an ounce of estrogen in her veins would feel the tingle the moment the cowboy sauntered into the room.
“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Tara muttered, pausing at the door to shoot a glance over her shoulder.
Meaghan Garrity, the event’s “man-wrangler”, trotted toward her, her anxious gaze rising over the top of the clipboard she clutched to her chest. Spots of hectic color glazed each pale cheek. Her long red hair escaped the untidy knot at the top of her head in long curling tendrils. “Didn’t you tell him he was second on the program? We can’t start until he gets here.”
“He’ll be here,” Tara bit out, and then forced a smile. No use getting Meaghan more nervous than she already was. He wouldn’t stand them all up, would he?
Even as she said it, her stomach churned. There was only one thing that would keep the cowboy from his adoring fans. An easier fish to land—one he didn’t even have to bother moving his adorable tail to find.
Tara wondered what her name was, and the image of a beauty with her head snatched bald flashed through her mind. But she pasted on a smile to reassure her friend, while inside her anger began a slow, hot boil.
Leave it to Cody Westhofen to keep three hundred intoxicated women waitin’ on his sweet ass. Does the man think his sex appeal will forgive all sins?
Tara carefully ignored the little voice inside her that screamed an emphatic, Yes! Instead, she murmured, “Think that man would miss a chance at addin’ a hundred more numbers to his little black book?” Although she began the statement as a joke, anger scraped a sharper edge to her voice toward the end.
Tara caught herself before she began a rant, afraid Meaghan, whom she’d known since kindergarten, would wonder why one slow-as-molasses cowboy could get under her skin. After all, Tara was known for her ready smile, even temper but, especially, for her cowboy-proof armor.
She shoved her crumpled program into Meaghan’s hand. “Um…I’ll check outside and see what’s keepin’ him.”
“Or who! Better check back seats!” Meaghan whispered loudly. “That man can’t take a step without trippin’ over a droolin’ woman.”
With a wry twist of her lips, Tara pushed open the glass door to step out into the parking lot.
Outside, stars twinkled above the spotlight that illuminated the gravel lot overflowing with cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks. More vehicles lined the road leading to the bar for as far as she could see. Luckily, the southerly wind that had whipped up the stink from the stockyards earlier had changed course. Although a little humid, the air was sweet and cool.
Muffled music and laughter sounded from the building behind her, but for a moment, a peaceful calm surrounded her. Tara closed her eyes and dragged in a deep breath, sure this would be the last time she’d get a chance to relax tonight.
Gravel crunched behind her, and her eyes shot open. Thick, corded arms encircled her waist, a cowboy hat held in one hand. The crisp scent of spicy cologne tickled her nose. “Hey darlin’, afraid I wouldn’t show?”
Even if he hadn’t spoken first, she’d have known it was him. That telltale tingle raised goose bumps all over her body.
Tara stiffened and her eyes slid open, but she didn’t push the arms away. The snug pressure provided a moment’s reassurance however empty the promise.
She slid her hands over the tops of his and squeezed. “Cuttin’ it a little close, aren’t ya, cowboy?” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. “The natives are gettin’ restless.”
“Been waitin’ on you, sweetheart. Thought I’d let you get mad enough to wrestle me inside. You know how much I love to get you riled.” Cody’s arms withdrew, but before she had a chance to light into him good for being late, his hands gripped her hips and twirled her around.
And although she knew peeking up into his face would spell the end of her self-possession, her gaze rose to lock with his for a long, charged moment.
Even in the shadows, shards of pale electric blue pierced the night. Whoever didn’t think there was a God had never looked into Cody’s bluer-than-blue eyes. Their gazes had never lingered over the width of his shoulders, the masculine curve of his jaw, the strong jut of his square chin and straight nose. With a body made for loving and hair so pale and silky it captured light like a halo around his head, a woman could be fooled into thinking he just might be an angel incarnate.
Until they saw the wicked curve of his lips—a smile so seductive, so sensually ripe, it triggered a primal response an octogenarian nun couldn’t deny.
Trapped against his naked chest, Tara dug deep for any frayed fragments of pride she still possessed and scowled. “What do you think you’re doin’? Anyone could look outside and see us.”
“What do you care?”
“I’m not your girlfriend,” Tara growled. “And I don’t want to be mistaken for one of your goodtime squeezes. I’d just as soon keep it on the down low that I’ve succumbed a time or two to your charms.”
Cody’s brows drew together, deepening the shadows engulfing his eyes, making his appearance seem a tad sinister. “Ashamed of me?” he asked softly. “Or are you ashamed you want me?”
Tara shivered, whether from the cooling tension in his voice or her own tightly wound anger, she couldn’t have said.
Her last speck of self-respect kept her frowning, denying his overpowering attraction. “No, I’m not ashamed of you, and I’m woman enough not to be ashamed all my parts seem to function just fine when you’re around, but I do have a reputation to uphold. If anyone found out I’ve been sleeping with the biggest womanizer in Texas, it would be ripped to shreds.”
“Sure sounds like shame to me.”
The easy, sexy slide of his voice told her she’d amused him. Cody always said he knew when she was lying because she talked too much without saying anything at all.
She took another deep breath to calm her racing heart. “I just don’t want everyone knowin’ my business. And since there isn’t really anything for them to know—I mean, it’s not like we’re a couple, right?—I’d just as soon not ask for trouble.”
“What kinda trouble you expectin’?”
Tara rolled her eyes. “You’re kidding, right? Trouble follows you everywhere you go! That wasn’t you Brandon Tynan took a couple of swings at for gettin’ fresh with Lyssa? Sarah Michelson didn’t almost get arrested for indecent exposure when she cornered you in the bathroom?”
“No man’s gonna punch me out for messin’ with you. They’d probably pin a medal on my chest for havin’ the guts. And I didn’t ask Sarah to follow me inside the bathroom.”
“No, you didn’t, but she did. And she wasn’t the first to throw herself at you. Do you think I’d have a business left if half my customers, the female half, decided to boycott me?”
Cody snorted. Then his lips stretched again into a smile. “You’re not makin’ any sense at all. Tonight got you rattled, sugar?” His hands slid up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her.
Her irritation spiked like oil breaching a well-head. “Cody, we don’t have time for you to play with me. Besides, would you want any of those women you’re trolling for tonight to think you’re already taken? They don’t know you like the rest of Paraiso does. They might think you actually do have a loyal bone in your body.”
Cody’s lips tightened for a second then relaxed, slowly sliding into his trademark smirk. “Gimme a kiss for good luck?”
She let out an exasperated huff. “Do you promise you’ll get your butt inside if I do?”
“Lady, don’t you know all you have to do is ask? Your pleasure’s all mine.”
She stifled the sigh sifting between her lips. If only that were true. “Well, I’m askin’.”
“For a kiss?”
She wrinkled her nose and forced a light-hearted laugh. “You’re impossible.”
His grin stretched. “And you’re beautiful.”
His head bent towards hers, and Tara forced herself to turn her head to the side. “This isn’t part of our agreement,” she whispered.
“It’s just a goddamn kiss,” he growled.
“Anytime you want to change the rules…”
His hands tightened on her waist. “Maybe those rules should be up for renegotiation. All I want’s a kiss. Not anything I’m not gonna give a dozen women tonight.”
“You’re wastin’ time.”
“You wanna explain what kept me in the parking lot?”
Tara tightened her lips and turned her head toward him. “Be quick.”
“Stubborn woman,” he said softly as he bent toward her.
A smile tugged at her lips as he bent over her again. No way was he gonna let a woman have the last word.
All her arguments bled away as he closed in. She pushed aside her concern that anyone might see. She’d waited all night for this kiss. Not that she’d let him know it. And lordy, he didn’t disappoint. Never did.
Never mind his mouth would be kissing dozens of lips before the night ended. For this moment, he was all hers.
His firm mouth captured hers and began a sexy, circling glide that sent an electric jolt of awareness straight through her. Her pulse began a delicious throb, her nipples beaded, and moist little tugs of arousal stirred between her legs.
She gasped against his mouth, and his tongue swept inside to ravish. A low, throaty growl rumbled from his chest into her mouth, and he jerked back his head. “Damn. Do we really have to go inside now?”
“It’s that or risk having three hundred women descending upon us mid-stroke in the parking lot.”
He settled his forehead against hers. “I love when you talk dirty. You should do it more often.”
“It’s a sad fact it doesn’t take more than ‘hello’ for you to get horny. Better get inside. Meaghan’s gonna have a coronary. And you forgot your shirt.”
“No, I didn’t. Just didn’t want it disappearing like the rest of my clothes did last year.”
“Women takin’ souvenirs?” Her lips curved.
His grin stretched wide. “Will you fight them off if they manage to get my pants this year?”
Her glance fell to the blue jeans lovingly curved over the bulge at the front of his pants and the leather chaps that encased both of his thick, muscled thighs. “Why on earth would you think I’d care?”
His eyes narrowed, falling to her mouth.
She fought to keep her lips from thinning, or Cody would know she was lying. Another little “tell” she’d never known she gave away—until he’d mentioned it.
His chest expanded around a deep sigh. “You sure know how to sink a dent in a man’s ego.”
“Someone has to give it a prick every now and then, or you’d be a complete jerk.”
He arched a brow. “Why do you put up with me if I’m such a pain?”
Tara felt her face and chest warm. “I live in hope of seeing you hog-tied to one woman some day and lovin’ it.”
His snort jerked back his head. “Better plan on livin’ a long, long time, sweetheart.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “You had your kiss…”
His hands dropped from her hips. “Guess Meaghan’s havin’ kittens right about now.”
“Kittens? I’m havin’ goddamn orange tabbies and alley cats!” Meaghan shouted from the side door. “Get your butt inside before they start a riot!”
Tagged: contemporary romance, cowboys, excerpt, Flashback, Texas, Western
Posted in About books..., Contests! | 9 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Debra - Ani - Mary McCoy - flchen - Theresa Privette -
Monday, June 16th, 2025
SALE. SALE. SALE.
Gunn’s Mission: Team Eagle Book #3, by Delilah Devlin in the Brotherhood Protectors World, is on sale for just $1.99 for the week of June 15-21! If you haven’t read this story yet, here’s your chance to get it for a great price! This story has a very unique setting and plot—one I’m sure you haven’t read before! Polar bears, a floating island in the Arctic, a murder mystery, and a sexy, hot SEAL… Yeah, if you haven’t already read this, here’s your chance to get it for a great price!
After surviving a catastrophic helicopter accident that left him scarred and unable to continue serving on the Teams, former Navy SEAL Gunnar “Gunn” Nielson is settling into life as a Brotherhood Protector in the Yellowstone, Montana, office.
When a request from the U.S. government arrives for a protection detail for someone with extensive cold-weather experience, Gunn, born and raised in Minnesota, is tapped for the job. He soon discovers that he will be the lone protector for a group of scientists working at a research facility on a floating island in the Arctic Ocean.
After discovering that one of her team members was murdered, Facility Chief Maddie Russo is grateful for Gunn’s expertise. Thinking the murder might have been committed by someone trying to interfere with a military-sponsored study, she and Gunn have to keep her team safe as the work continues.
Maddie and Gunn grow closer as the weather turns colder and the threats to the facility and its inhabitants continue.
Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon IT
Tagged: contemporary romance, romantic suspense, SEAL
Posted in About books..., On Sale | Comments Off on GUNN’S MISSION — On Sale This Week! | Link
Sunday, June 1st, 2025
UPDATE: The winner is…Jackie Wisherd!
*~*~*
May
  Work-related:
- I completed 4 editing projects for other authors in May!
- I found new artwork for a previously published anthology of erotic short stories, Ultra Strokes, Vol. 1. I recovered it and reuploaded it.
- I compiled my second volume of erotic short stories, Ultra Strokes, Vol. 2, and published it! It’s my first release of the year! Progress, finally!
Health-related:
- I finally went to the optometrist since I’m far enough away from chemotherapy that I don’t think my eyesight is going to further degrade any time soon. I have new glasses, and the screen is no longer blurry!
- I fought a second UTI and have completed another round of antibiotics. I feel great!
Happiness-related:
- I continued my participation in #the100dayproject. Here are a few small pieces I completed:
June
 
For work-related, I plan:
- To finish writing Ignition! No excuses! This will complete the Delta Fire series, my erotic firefighter stories. The pre-order will be set up this week, and the book will be out by the end of the month!
- To begin work on Built Like Mack, the next story in my We are Dead Horse series.
- To await the arrival of two editing projects around mid-month. Not having any at the moment is fine with me. Again, I have nothing to get in the way of my writing mojo, other than me.
For health-related, I plan:
- To continue to focus on recovery! Rest when I need to, and some light exercise—housework and swimming.
- To endure another immunotherapy session this month (I tolerate it so much better than chemo!) and a wellness checkup with my general practitioner.
For happiness-related, I plan:
- To spend time with the family during this summer break. We have plans for fun meals, movies, flea market shopping, and lots and lots of swimming.
- To complete #the100dayproject and create more art.
Contest
Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier, or tell me what you plan to read in June…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
Tagged: contemporary romance, erotic romance, Motivation, planning, We Are Dead Horse
Posted in About books..., Contests!, Real Life | 9 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Debby - cindy - flchen - Mary McCoy - Dana Zamora -
Tuesday, May 27th, 2025
I’m getting back into the writing/publishing groove. It’s been a while, I know. Ignition, the last of the Delta Heat stories, is in the near future (I’m shooting for release in late June!). Then I’ll be working on the next We are Dead Horse stories, Built Like Mack. I’m hoping I can have it ready for late July, but it might be August. It just depends on…well, how I feel, how the story comes together, and how long it takes for me to reawaken my muse. 🙂
In the meantime, I’ve published a compilation of some of my sexier short stories in Ultra Strokes, Vol. 2. For the short term, it’s FREE in Kindle Unlimited. So, if you’re wanting a copy, do it now! Ultra Strokes, Vol. 1, is also in KU, for now, if you haven’t read that anthology yet. Links for both are below. In August, both will go wide to all the usual publishers. Even at $4.99, that’s a nearly $7 savings, if you were to purchase all individually. Both volumes will be available in print in June!
So, if you were looking for something sexy to read, something with a variety of genres, this should do the trick! Happy reading! Wish me luck as I get back on the writing merry-go-round!
Ultra Strokes, Vol. 2
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Delilah Devlin, comes another sinfully hot collection for your reading pleasure…
From the author… This compilation includes twelve stories in a variety of settings and genres. Something for all tastes—so long as you like your romance sexy. Most are contemporary stories, but there are historical, paranormal, and a for-grown-ups-only fairy tale included in the mix. The collection is intended for bedtime reading. Read the stories while you’re alone or with your partner. Read them to your partner. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.
This compilation includes:
The Bounty
Runaway Bride
Invite Me In
Drive Me Crazy
In the Wild
How to Train Your Skaldmaer
Hunk of Burning Love
Ripples
Dreaming By the Sea
Quincy Down Under
One Track Cowboy
The Obedient Wife
Get your copy!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Ultra Strokes, Vol. 1
Get your copy here!
Also, FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Tagged: anthology, bounty hunter, contemporary romance, firefighter, gods and goddesses, historical, short story, vampire, vikings
Posted in About books..., Cover Reveal | 3 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Laura Bowles - Terra Oenning - Delilah -
Friday, May 23rd, 2025
It’s the Victoria Day Weekend in Canada. It’s a statutory Federal holiday and the unofficial kickoff to the summer season. The holiday has been observed in Canada since at least 1845, originally falling on Victoria’s actual birthday (24 May 1819). Now it’s celebrated on the last Monday preceding May 25.
We call it the May Two-Four weekend to refer both to Queen Victoria’s birthday, but a two-four is also how we refer to a twenty-four pack of beer, always a popular drink on the holiday weekend.
So how do we celebrate:
- A lot of folks go camping or head to their cabins. I’ve seen snow on the holiday weekend, and I’ve also gone swimming. The weather is unpredictable around here.
- Drinking. A lot of people will kick back and enjoy a few cold alcoholic beverages.
- Grilling. Steaks or burgers or hotdogs…something, but food is essential.
- Campfire. It’s always a nice weekend to have a campfire on the beach. I haven’t done this in years but did a lot of it during my teenage years.
- Relax. It is a holiday after all, a three-day weekend to relax with family and friends, maybe curl up and read a good book.
Whether you’re enjoying the holiday or it’s simply another Monday for you, I hope you enjoy it.
And if you’re looking for something to read, why not check out SAMAEL, the first book in the Blackwell Brothers’ Redemption trilogy.
Samael
Blackwell Brothers’ Redemption, Book 1
Love her. Protect her. Reap her soul.
Samael Blackwell is the son of Death—and he’s officially out of chances. After centuries of reaping souls with zero regard for the rules, his father sends him to the dead-end town of Redemption. With only a few hundred bucks and the clothes on his back, Sam has one last shot to prove he can do the job right: reap with compassion or lose everything.
It should’ve been easy. Find the soul. Finish the job. Walk away.
Then he meets Adrianne Sharp.
She’s strong, guarded, and hiding from a past that refuses to stay buried. The connection between them is instant—and impossible. Because Adrianne isn’t just anyone. She’s his assignment.
And her soul’s on the clock.
To win back his old life, all Sam has to do is watch her die. But what if the cost of redemption…is her?
He was sent to end her story. But she just might rewrite his.
Want to read more? You can find SAMAEL here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SDQMVF/
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/samael-n-j-walters/1147212495
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/samael-13
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/samael/id6743937757
About the Author
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
Visit her at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://x.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters
Tagged: Guest Blogger, paranormal romance
Posted in About books..., General | Someone Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Mary Dellenbusch -
Tuesday, May 13th, 2025
UPDATE: The winners are…Karen LeBeau and Elaine Swinney!
*~*~*
Before there were bounty hunters, there were SEALs. And I loved writing my Uncharted SEALs series. All those rugged, alpha heroes and strong heroines. Humor. Action. Spicy sex. All the ingredients that make stories fun for me to write, and hopefully, fun for you to read.
With Uncharted SEALs, I experimented a bit. For the first time, I did sequels with the same characters—for the simple reason I couldn’t say goodbye to them. I wanted to see inside their Happy-Ever-Afters. Through Her Eyes and Between a SEAL and a Hard Place share the same main characters, as do Dream of Me and Heart of a SEAL.
Big Sky SEAL gave birth to my Montana Bounty Hunters, introducing Jamie and Reaper, who, as a result of their work in Big Sky, earned their own satellite office of MBH. A fun theme I used in two of the stories was a cruise ship. Both Before We Kiss and Hard SEAL to Love are set on the same ship and have the same supporting characters. Plus, Hard SEAL to Love features a disabled female vet!
This time, I’d like you to read the very fun introduction of Big Sky SEAL.
Enjoy!
    *~*    *~*   
Click on the covers to learn more!
Contest
Win your choice of one of my Uncharted SEALs stories! There will be 2 winners! All you have to do to enter is answer me this…
Do you still like alpha hero stories, featuring ex-military men? What’s one you’ve read recently you really enjoyed?
Big Sky SEAL
Romance sparks between a bounty hunter and a SEAL on the hunt for an escaped terrorist…
A former military police dog handler, Jamie Burke, along with her former bomb dog Tessa, are still trying to adjust to civilian life. With a jaded, testy personality, Jamie has few friends. Now, a bounty hunter, she’s tasked to help federal and local law enforcement search for an escaped terrorist in the Crazy Mountains of Montana.
Former SEAL, Sky Reynolds can’t believe Jamie Burke is part of the task force. The last time he saw her was in Afghanistan. Back then, he thought he’d never stand a chance with the pretty, ballsy blonde, sure she had someone waiting for her back home. But here she is, still single, still prickly as hell. Assigned to stick close to her and her dog Tessa during the hunt, he’ll use the situation to get close. This time, he’s not letting her slip away.
When Jamie’s captured by the terrorist, it’s up to Sky, his fellow SEALs, and her motley crew of bounty hunters to save her…
Excerpt from Big Sky SEAL…
According to the satellite image, Mosby’s cousin’s crude hunting shack stood in an isolated clearing deep in a woodsy area at the foothills of the Salish Mountains. Jamie Burke and her partner for this takedown, Reaper Stenberg, parked their SUV a quarter mile down the gravel road leading to the Montana cabin.
Lock and load time. Jamie drew deep slow breaths to slow her heart, while getting her head “in the zone”. They were going after a badass. A mistake could turn deadly.
Reaper opened the back hatch of the SUV and reached into their bag of weapons and gear.
First, they donned Kevlar jackets. Jamie clipped her badge onto her web belt and slid her Glock into the holster strapped to her leg. Then Reaper held out a shotgun with an orange stock.
She glared. “Seriously? You expect me to take down Mosby with a bean bag round?”
“I don’t expect you to take down a damn thing, other than notes.” He smirked. “I’ll handle Mosby. If he gets past me, you nail him in the gut with this.” His glacier-blue eyes narrowed. “Your Glock is your last resort. You’ll be coming through the back of the cabin. Think I’d trust you with real bullets when I’ll be in the line of fire?”
“I’m a better shot than you,” she muttered, thinking of her last weapons qualification test and the ten tightly grouped shots in the circle around the heart on her target.
“On the range. This is the real world, sweet cheeks.”
She crimped her mouth and loaded a bean bag round into the chamber of her weapon, then stuffed two more shells into the pockets of her jeans. The rounds, intended to disable rather than kill, were filled with fabric “pillows” containing birdshot. Although his caution made sense, she couldn’t let him know she was relieved to carry non-lethal rounds—she’d seen enough death and never wanted to kill again. The fact he didn’t trust her aim—or, perhaps, her nerves—rankled. Still, they’d be inside close quarters, and the “non-lethal” round was far more dangerous than when used, as recommended, to hit targets twenty to sixty feet away.
Didn’t matter to Reaper that she was ex-military and knew her way around firearms. Since being discharged, she’d caught a desk at Montana Bounty Hunters, learning the ropes of the paperwork end of the job, and training with the agency’s owner, “Fetch” Winter, until he’d felt comfortable letting her ride shotgun with his most experienced hunter.
From the moment Fetch told Reaper she was his responsibility, he’d been on her ass. No doubt Reaper hoped she’d quit inside a week, but she was entering her second week and rather enjoying the fact her stubborn acceptance of his constant snarky disses annoyed the crap out of him. She’d weathered similar, un-PC comments during her time in the military. They rolled off her back like rain off a duck’s ass.
Lastly, he handed her an earpiece and inserted his own. “Testing,” he whispered. When she took her time responding, he raised an eyebrow. “You got it turned on?”
She raised her hand and shot him the bird. “I heard you loud and clear.”
He hefted a battering ram with one huge hand and rested it on his shoulder then passed over a lock pick kit. “Don’t keep me waiting. As soon as you’re in place, I’ll knock down the door.”
“Shouldn’t we make sure he’s inside first?”
He scowled. “Think I’m a rookie, rookie? Peek in a window on your way. And don’t get your head shot off.”
“Geez, I’d almost think you cared,” she said, giving him a sly grin and a wink.
His expression remained stony.
The time was mid-afternoon, still plenty of light, but she knew he was too impatient to get this catch-and-release finished. They’d already logged ten days on the road, interviewing Mosby’s high school buddies, family members, and former cellmates. A girlfriend who was pissed Mosby was willing to let her car be taken, part of the collateral of his bail bond, mentioned the hunting cabin. After a quick trip to a local Bureau of Land Management office that morning, they had what they hoped was their first break in this case.
They jogged down the quarter mile track to the edge of the clearing. She stayed close to his heels while his long blond ponytail flapped down his back. Not for the first time, she noted his broad shoulders and powerful build. If only he wasn’t such a dick to work with… When they halted, she noted the rusty white pickup parked next to the porch. Someone was home.
Reaper gave her a curt nod then broke left following the tree line, while she kept to the brush to the right, until she was midway down the long side of the shotgun shack. With her heart rate kicking higher, she edged carefully toward a window and shot upward to glance inside.
A man sat in the shadows of a living room in a ratty easy chair, watching TV.
She edged upward again, quickly studied his profile, then crouched to pull the bench warrant from her back pocket to check out their target’s picture. Same bald head and heavy brows, same black tribal tattoo climbing up his shoulder from under his grubby white wife beater to wrap around his neck. “It’s him,” she whispered. “In the living room. Front door’s ten feet from his chair.”
“Is he armed?”
“Didn’t see a weapon. I’m heading to the back door.” She kept close to the side of the house, came around the back, and then halted when she noted the modified back door. “Big damn dog door,” she whispered. “I didn’t see a dog.”
“Good. Door saves us both some time. Get your ass inside, Burke.”
Jamie knelt, lifted the rubber flap, and peeked inside. Still no dog in sight. Tightening her mouth, she pushed her weapon through first, angled her hips, and crawled into the opening, her hands sliding on greasy tile. “I’m inside,” she whispered as she lay sprawled on a floor that smelled like onions and beer. Did the guy use the floor to fry his hamburgers?
“On three,” came Reaper’s raspy whisper. “One…two…three…”
As she shoved to her feet, she heard a distant crash as the wooden front door splintered, and then the clatter of nails on linoleum from a room just beyond the kitchen. She rushed through the doorway into a bedroom just as a short, very muscular brindle pit bull jumped onto the mattress, heading in the most direct path toward her. She darted into a bathroom, climbed onto the toilet seat, then the small counter. When the dog stood on his hind legs, snapping at her boots, she leapt toward the doorway and slammed the door closed, trapping him inside.
The dog thudded heavily against the wood and then barked like a hellhound.
The sound of furniture thudding came from the next room. Something glass hit the floor and shattered. Muffled grunts and curses sounded.
“Bastard, stay down!” Reaper shouted.
Speeding toward the living room, Jamie halted when she saw Daniel Mosby with Reaper hanging on their target’s back, his arm around his neck in a chokehold.
The two large men hit one side of the doorframe then the other. Mosby’s face was red, his teeth bared. Three inches taller and burlier than Reaper, Mosby kept moving.
Pulse racing, she backed up toward the kitchen doorway.
“Shoot him, Burke!” Reaper growled. “Shoot the fucker!”
Sucking in a breath, she raised her shotgun, aimed for Mosby’s large belly, and pulled the trigger.
Mosby grunted, his black eyes widened, and he screamed, despite the arm cinching his thick neck. And despite the direct hit, he kept coming.
She backed up into the kitchen, sure Mosby would drop any second, but he lunged toward a wall, slamming Reaper against it. Reaper’s hold loosened.
Mosby shook him off and aimed an elbow behind him, catching Reaper in the chin as he went down. Mosby’s dark gaze locked with hers, and he rushed forward.
With no time to load another round in the shotgun, she considered her Glock, but that was her last resort.
Brains over brawn—a cliché that had served her well in tighter situations. The bastard was big and lumbered toward her like a bear. Likely his size intimidated most men, but she wasn’t a man. And she wasn’t scared. Although she was good at pretending fear. She widened her eyes and sank into a crouch, raising a hand as though to cover her head.
Behind Mosby, Reaper groaned. “Goddammit, Burke. Use your fucking weapon!”
But she had a better idea. Killing was easy. And Mosby had sworn he’d never be caught, never spend another day in prison. She wanted the sorry asshole to spend years thinking about the fact he’d been bested by a woman.
As he rushed her, she kept her feet flat on the greasy floor and ducked to the side. Just as he came within reach, she swept out a foot and tripped him. On his way toward the dirty tile, she spun and clocked him in the back of the head with the butt of her shotgun.
He hit the floor hard, arms sprawled from his sides, and didn’t move.
Before he could stir again, she stuck a knee in his lower back, pulled back one meaty arm, and latched a cuff around his thick wrist, then repeated the action with the other. When he was secured, she shot to her feet and stood over him, at last withdrawing her Glock from its holster to point toward his ass in case he roused. She shot a quick glance over her shoulder at Reaper. “You through napping?”
“Bitch,” he wheezed from the floor.
“He wasn’t armed. What’s your excuse?”
Reaper sat and leaned against the kitchen wall, working his jaw side to side. He winced. “I was just softening him up for you, babe. Nice takedown, by the way.”
And then he smiled—a real smile, not his usual one-sided smirk. She grinned, relieved that at last he saw her worth. “I’m still too scrawny to get his ass to our vehicle. You rested?”
He chuckled and pushed upward, not hiding a groan as he straightened. “Wait until I tell Fetch. He said you were a firecracker, and that I shouldn’t count you out in a fight.”
Tagged: action-adventure, contemporary romance, excerpt, Flashback, Montana Bounty Hunters, romantic suspense, Uncharted SEALs
Posted in About books..., Contests! | 11 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: BN - Peggy Fowler - Jennifer Beyer - Colleen C. - Karen LeBeau -
Monday, May 5th, 2025
UPDATE: The winners are…Debra Guyette and Stacy Hartley!
*~*~*
Depending on how long you’ve been reading me, you might not be aware of my naughty cowboy ménage series, Lone Star Lovers. All my sexiest fantasies are rolled up in those stories. Two cowboys, three cowboys, four… All that attention concentrated on one lucky girl… Heck, it’s not really fair, and there must be something in the water in Two Mule, Texas because there’s a whole lotta sharin’ goin’ on. 
Four-Gone Conclusion
Sometimes a cowboy needs a little help—or three brothers—to snare a wife…
Sam Logan’s boys have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. Most of it earned. When it becomes clear his foster sons won’t settle down without a nudge from him, he issues his challenge. Find a wife…
The oldest, Johnny, already had his eye on Mean Ellie Harker. Sam’s challenge just gave him the gumption to ask her out. However, before he makes his move, the twins kidnap Ellie from under his nose. Now, he has to compete with three brothers for the woman he wants.
Ellie thought her prospects were drying up until Johnny Logan finally untangled his tongue and asked her out. When his brothers kidnap her and take her to the ranch, she’s furious…then intrigued by the thought of four men bent on showing her what being their’s would be like.
Read an excerpt…
“I could help you, you know,” Killian said, his tone casual.
Too casual. Johnny grunted. “With what?”
“Gettin’ you a wife.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Worry about findin’ your own.”
“It’s not how it works, bro. We’re brothers.”
“We’re not blood.”
“Blood’s not what counts.”
Which was a sorry damn truth they all knew too well. Blood had failed them all.
Johnny cussed under his breath. “How would you help? You gonna chat her up for me? You gonna tell her what a catch I am?”
“Well, you are. You stand to inherit a fourth of the Double Tree. And I’ve seen the way women look at you.”
Johnny snorted.
“You’re not a bad lookin’ guy.
Johnny aimed a blistering glare his way. “You gonna ask me out?”
Killian grinned. “Just statin’ the facts. You’re not hard on the eyes. And you’re tall. Girls like that. And they like your hair. They like you fine until you give ‘em that thousand yard stare like you’re sightin’ down a rifle barrel.”
Johnny gave him his meanest glare. “This isn’t gonna work.”
Killian gave a waggle of his eyebrows. “I’ll help. What’re brothers for?”
“You’re just hoping I’ll snag a wife and that’ll be the end of it. You’ll be off the hook.”
“Maybe.”
“You think this is funny.”
“Watchin’ you tryin’ to sweet talk a woman—yeah, it’ll be the most fun I’ve had in while. So where do you wanna start?”
Johnny didn’t answer but he passed up the most obvious place. The saloon’s parking lot was already full. Instead, he turned onto main street and slowed as he searched for a parking place.
Killian straightened in his seat. “You’re not thinkin’ of Ellie, are you?”
The way Killian said it intimated he thought Johnny had lost his mind. Maybe he had. But she was the first woman he’d thought of when Sam had mentioned the stew. “She can cook.”
Killian gave an exaggerated shudder. “But she’s mean.”
“Should be perfect for me then, don’t you think?”
Killian gave a bark of laughter then crammed his cowboy hat on his head.
Johnny raked his hair with his fingers and wished he’d thought to bring a rubber band to tie it back. However, Killian had said girls liked his long, straight hair. He didn’t know why he’d kept it. It was the one most glaring trait that set him apart from his brothers. The last vestige of the heritage he’d thrown off when he’d run away from life on the reservation.
He trailed behind Killian who stepped out with a bounce in his step, likely grinning his ass off that Ellie Harker was the first woman who’d come to his mind. What he didn’t know was that Johnny had been working up the courage to ask her out, sitting in the diner week after week, but never quite finding the right way to do it.
Killian pushed through the door of the café. Johnny caught it before it slammed in his face, but didn’t say a word. Already, he could feel his body tensing at the thought of talking to the woman.
She’d taken over the running of Katie’s Diner when Katie’s belly got too big and her husband, Cutter Standifer, had insisted she hire a cook until after the birth of their first child.
Inside, the smell of freshly baked apple pie assailed him, and his belly rumbled loudly. There could be worse things than being hitched to a mean woman, especially when she could cook almost as well as Gracie.
The place was busy. Wade Luckadoo’s girl, a college kid home for the summer with a blue streaks in her white-blond hair, glided out of the kitchen with a tray balanced on one hand. “Someone’ll be right with you. Take a seat if you can find one.”
Killian headed to the counter and slid onto a stool then patted the empty one beside him. Johnny felt his face harden to stone, his usual mask in public, as he sat. From this vantage they had a view straight into the kitchen where Ellie was working.
One glance and his body stilled, breath leaving in a quiet sigh. She was a pretty woman, although her looks weren’t flashy like most men might prefer. Pale blonde hair, pretty milk-colored skin, and he didn’t need to see what stretched below. Her well-padded curves were burned into his memory.
Right now, her cheeks were rosy, a fine sheen of sweat glistening on her brow. Johnny stared, wondering, not for the first time, whether she’d taste like everything she cooked.
Ellie pushed back a lock of her pale hair that fell over her hazel eyes with the back of her hand, and then glanced up. Her startled gaze met his for second then quickly darted to his brother before falling away.
He kept right on staring, wondering how long it would be before she’d come out to check on the customers first-hand.
Killian leaned toward him to whisper. “See? She was lookin’.”
“She looked at you too. Would have looked at Ole Win’s ugly face if he’d taken a seat right in front of her.”
“But she wouldn’t have blushed.”
“She’s cookin’ over a stove. Of course her cheeks are pink.”
Killian grunted. “You are the stubbornest man I’ve ever known. She’s interested.”
Johnny didn’t like the little thrill of hope that warmed him. No use getting excited when Killian was only trying to warm him up to the challenge. “She looked at you too,” her repeated under his breath.
Killian arched a brow. “We could follow in the twin’s footsteps…”
“I’m not sharin’ a wife with you.”
“Only one of us can marry her, but seein’ as you’re a little stunted in the courtin’ arena, you might need someone watchin’ out for your interests. I can close this deal for you, bro.”
Johnny thought about all the times he’d rehearsed the perfect opening line but sat tongue-tied when Ellie’s attention landed right on him. He might need some help alright. “Say I was to agree to let you help. No one else would have to know?”
Killian’s lips curved in a sly arc. “No one other than Ellie.”
Johnny ground his teeth. “I might need a little help. The woman ties my tongue into a knot.”
“You just do what you always do. Play the silent Injun. Be mysterious. Leave the rest to me.”
Johnny didn’t like it one bit, but he didn’t see another way around it. And the last thing he’d admit to Killian was that Sam’s pronouncement had given him the nudge he’d needed. He’d had his eye on Mean Ellie Harker for weeks but hadn’t gotten up the gumption to do anything about it.
He nodded, then instantly regretted agreeing when Killian’s mouth stretched into a wider grin.
“Not a word to the twins,” he said, gritting his teeth.
“It’ll be our little secret.”
The kitchen door swung open and Ellie breezed out, a towel over her shoulder and a pitcher of water in her hand. She grabbed two tumblers from under the counter and set one in front of each man. “What can I do for you boys?”
Johnny bristled. No one called him a boy except Sam these days. And the way she said it with that wicked glint in her eyes told him she knew he didn’t like it.
Killian leaned over the counter and tilted back his head. “Sweetheart, how come no one’s married you out from under this place?”
Johnny stepped on Killian’s boot and ground his heel into his brother’s toe.
Killian grimaced but didn’t turn away from Ellie’s narrowing glance.
“Guess I’ve just been lucky,” she said, her tone brisk. “What’ll it be? We’ve got meatloaf and mac tonight.”
“Just pie. Johnny here’s been goin’ on and on about how good your pie is.”
“Has he now?” Her razor glance flicked to Johnny, and he felt its scrape against cheek. She leaned closer, her face inches from his. “What do you say, cowboy? Want me to top it with cream?”
He gulped at her throaty purr. Not a sound he’d ever heard her make. His dick stirred and his cheeks heated. “Vanilla,” he ground out.
She tsked. “A shame. Not what I had in mind at all.”
His mind went blank for second. “Um, you meant whipped?”
She gave a wicked chuckle, and his skin burned like fire.
“Now, that’s more like it,” she said, her voice deepening into husky purr again.
Beside him, Killian choked on laughter.
Ellie straightened and raised both brows. “Pie comin’ up. A la mode.” She turned on her heel, but not before he saw a hint of a smile on her face.
“Not bad, bro. Not bad at all.”
“Not bad?” Johnny growled. “She thinks I’m an idiot.”
“She was flirtin’ with you.”
“She knows I can’t get a word out that makes a lick o’ sense around her.”
Killian turned his gaze from the sashay of her pretty bottom. “She knows you’re interested.”
“How long we gotta sit here?”
“’Til this place closes down. Don’t eat that pie too quick.”
“It’ll be soggy.”
“Then get another slice.”
Johnny ducked his head and turned to watch Ellie as she refilled glasses, pausing to share a word or a quick quip. She had a way with her customers. A sassy flare. With her other customers anyway. Most times, she just ignored him. Or teased him, like tonight, until he couldn’t think he was so damn hard.
Her head tilted back in laughter at something a couple said to her. Then she turned to catch him watching her.
For once, he didn’t let his glance skitter away. He held her gaze, let her note where he looked, and then burned a slow trail down her body.
This time, he saw her throat work around a gulp.
Killian nudged him with an elbow. “Not bad, bro. Not bad at all.”
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Tagged: erotic romance, Lone Star Lovers, menage
Posted in About books..., Contests! | 11 People Said | Link
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