Friday, September 30, 2016

COLD SIGHT GUEST POST, SPOTLIGHT & EXCERPT

Meet the Extrasensory Agents…a team of psychics who can solve the coldest of crimes!

Aidan McConnell once used his special psychic abilities to help find the missing. But after the media made him the scapegoat for a child’s death, he retreated from the world and became a recluse.

Lexie Nolan is a small-town reporter with big vision. She was the first to connect a series of disappearances among teenage girls to a serial killer…but nobody will listen to her.

Lexie is in desperate need of help from the sexy psychic who's an expert in finding people. And even though Aidan loathes the media, he can’t help being drawn in to the passionate, beautiful reporter.

Nor can he resist helping her on this particular case. Because he knows the latest missing girl.

And he knows time to save her is running out.

Plus: EXTRA Content! Includes a bonus Extrasensory Agents short story!

COLD SIGHT was the winner of the National Reader's Choice Award for Romantic Suspense!

Note: A version of this book was published as Cold Sight by Leslie Parrish. It has been edited and updated, and now includes a bonus short story.

Buy Links:

Cold Sight on Amazon:



Cold Sight on Nook


Cold Touch on Amazon (Pre-order, release date 10/31)


 I loved every single thing about both Cold Sight and Cold Touch when they were originally released! I've already downloaded Cold Sight to my kindle and can't wait to dive back into the Extrasensory Agents series from Leslie A. Kelly! OMG I adore the new covers for both books! I'm super excited to host Leslie on my blog today for the release of Cold Sight, and hope she visits again for each new release! Welcome Leslie!!!

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Leslie A. Kelly Guest Post

It’s been a rough year. A rough couple of years, actually.

Although I’ve written steadily since 1998—publishing about seventy books since then—last year I reached a plateau that many writers reach. First, I was dealing with some personal stuff that led to a severe bout of depression. My hubby and I had moved across the country to an area I really wasn’t fond of. We had become empty nesters—two of my daughters now live in Florida, and the youngest went away to college. I was far from my siblings and all my friends. I was having health problems and facing hip replacement surgery at age fifty! And I felt like my career had just completely hit a wall.  I was, quite frankly, tired of writing sexy category romances for Harlequin. Burned out on those for sure, so I declined to take a new contract.

So I quit. For a while, anyway. I called it taking “a gap year.” I focused on getting healthy physically (down 40 pounds and hip is doing okay! Yay!) and mentally (on antidepressants and they’re working! Yay!) It’s been a good year. A year I needed.

I haven’t written much during that time. I did work on a few proposals for my agent (one of which I’m very hopeful about right now—a sexy romantic suspense.) But it’s been a long time since I feel sheer, utter joy with my writing.

Until now.

You see, seven years ago, I contracted with NAL Books to write a series of paranormal romantic thrillers. My Black CATs series had done okay, but paranormal was hot and they wanted me to switch to that. I agreed, as long as I didn’t have to write vampires or shifters (not my thing.) They said okay, saying my idea for a detective agency where psychics with unique powers solved cold cases would be perfect.

And it was. Oh, my, it really was. Writing COLD SIGHT and COLD TOUCH was an utter joy. I truly loved the world I was creating. The Extrasensory Agents team, their wild abilities, the really brutal cases they had to solve—they were awesome. I loved the people, the settings, the stories, the subplots. Absolutely everything. Writing those books was easier than anything else I’ve ever written and I was very proud of them.

Reviewers loved the books, too. They finalled and/or won several prestigious awards, including a National Reader’s Choice Award for COLD SIGHT and a Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Aspen Gold Award, plus a Romantic Times Magazine nomination for COLD TOUCH.

Unfortunately, not enough people read them. So when it came time to negotiate a new contract for the next few books in the series, the publisher wasn’t interested. No more Extrasensory Agents. No more books from me period.

Did I mention this can be a really depressing business?

So, the years went by. Every six months, I would write to the publisher, asking them to revert the rights to COLD SIGHT and COLD TOUCH. Every six months, they would decline. Either the books were still available in print, or I’d sold just enough electronic copies to satisfy the terms of my contract. I heard from readers all the time looking for more of those books. But there was no way I could continue the series while someone else held the first two books. I had to have control over all of them.

Then…the magic day. I finally got a YES. A letter came in the mail releasing all rights to the books.

Believe me, I was ecstatic. So ecstatic that I immediately—not kidding, immediately!—sat down and started writing book three of the series. Mick Tanner, with his always-gloved hands, had been lurking in the back of my mind for seven years. I knew what his story would be about (his carnival background.) I knew who his heroine would be (another carny kid turned cop.) I knew which new characters I would be introducing to add to the team (a brother/sister act from the carnival sideshow.)

It flowed like water. On Day 1 I wrote 15 pages. I haven’t written like that in more than a year. And I’ve been barreling along ever since, loving being back in this world. I think about it day and night, I’m obsessed again, like I haven’t been in forever with my writing. I have no doubt that I can do this—and that surety, that confidence—is probably the best thing about this whole experience.

I needed it. Badly.

Just because I got the rights back to those books, however, didn’t mean I could just slap new covers on them and put them up for sale. I had always had some regrets about things I’d done in the original books. They were a little bloated. There was a bit too much narrative, and the pacing was too slow in places. I had also made some mistakes that weren’t picked up by my editor, the line editor, the copy editor…or me. ARGH! (I not only had changed a secondary character’s first name between one scene and another, I also switched the role of mayor between two.) I found the absolutely perfect image to go on the cover of book two—but the woman has blonde hair, not red. So I did some hair color switching in both books.

I also wanted to add something to COLD SIGHT. You see, COLD TOUCH had begun with a prologue about the trauma the heroine experienced, which inspired her gifts. And I knew COLD MEMORY would start with a prologue about Mick’s struggles as a kid. I have known since day one how Julia’s book will begin—flashing back to the death of Morgan Raines, her partner, her lover. (God, that scene is gonna break my heart!) I want the books to have parallel structure, for the reader to see a pivotal moment in each character’s life that took place long before the story began.

So I needed to go back to Aidan’s past. I had to tell his origin story. And it wasn’t hard to figure out where to begin. Now there’s a new epilogue that reveals a bit of Aidan’s history, while also foreshadowing the kind of man he would become. I really love it, and I hope readers will too.

For anyone who read COLD SIGHT during its original release, hopefully you’ll be up for a reread. There are no major plot changes; however, I think the book is tighter, and more exciting, especially with the added scene. Not to mention a BONUS short story at the end of the book.

While it wasn’t a big hit when it first came out, I’m really hoping this series takes off this time. But even if it doesn’t, I’m going to finish it.

Because I’ve finally rediscovered why I started writing in the first place.

I remembered that I like it. 

~~~Cold Sight Excerpt ~~~

Aidan drew a steady breath. Then sent his power flying.
Wishes and demands, fears and instincts . . . all spewed out of him and raced in search of answers to his deepest questions. His questing mind was like an enormous blanket held aloft by a flock of soaring birds. They dove closer to the earth and slowly draped Aidan’s consciousness over the entire town, insinuating itself into others’ conversations, thoughts, private moments.
He shrugged off the familiar sense of unease, ignoring the barrage of images that charged back at him through that small hole. Snippets and ideas, half-lost memories of people who didn’t even know they still existed deep within their brains, they all had to be sifted through.
“Vonnie,” he murmured. The name became a chant. “Vonnie, Vonnie.”
He looked for her, trying to find just her thoughts, just her memories in the ocean of them that were flooding his mind. He pictured her face, heard her laugh, and remembered the moisture on the glass as he’d taken it from her and the faint brush of their fingertips.
He wanted to see her alive and well, sitting on a bus somewhere. Anything that would allow him to let this go.
The tension grew, until he felt like he was being pulled toward that hole in the wall. Aidan was being drawn by a powerful rubber band that was wrapped around his chest, squeezing the breath out of him. It was so strong, it could suck him through the tiny opening, crushing him in the process.
One more tremendous push. Vonnie!
And suddenly he found her. It was brief, so brief, just a few seconds. He didn’t see her, didn’t feel her or gain any insight as to where she was. But he heard her, heard two words repeating over and over in her voice. Her terrified voice.
The king. The king. The king.
He dug deep for the strength and drove harder, needing more, trying to grasp the meaning of the words. Was she saying them? Thinking them? Were they real, or literal? Was she alive, or was this some echo of the last words she’d whispered days ago?
But he pushed too hard. The band snapped. The cement block flew back into place, cutting the connection instantly. He went flying too, stumbling across the kitchen until he ended up sprawled on the kitchen table with her words echoing in his brain. The king.
The word came with a faint whiff of gingerbread.

God help him. God help her, for the terror in that voice

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

HOT SEAL RESCUE REVIEW & EXCERPT

Navy SEAL Cody “Cowboy” McCormick is in Las Vegas for a little R & R before his friend’s wedding when a beautiful blonde jams a gun in his side and abducts him from a casino in broad daylight. He could stop her, but he plays along because he’s intrigued—plus he’s convinced she’s in danger.

CIA agent Miranda Lockwood’s life is on the line when an undercover operation goes wrong. Little does she know when she sashays up to the biggest, baddest looking dude in the casino lobby that she’s kidnapping a Navy SEAL—or that she’ll be unable to resist his charm when he turns up the heat.

When the CIA labels her a rogue agent, Miranda’s faith in everything she believes in is shaken to the core. Cody’s the only one she can trust to help her find the traitor in the agency. But even though she’s forced to betray him, she can’t get over the SEAL who made her feel safe in his arms. Miranda will have to fight harder than she’s ever fought for anything if she wants his forgiveness—but Cody’s not in a forgiving mood in spite of the sparks that still fly when he’s forced to team up with her again.

When disaster strikes and they’re caught in the line of fire, Cody will do everything in his power to keep them both alive. Because if he doesn’t, he’ll never get to hold Miranda close again…



NOTE: If you read the first part of this story in SEALs of Summer 3, this is the complete book. 

Release Date: September 27, 2016
HOT SEAL TEAM SERIES #3
Military/Romantic Suspense
H.O.T. Publishing, LLC
Review copy provided by publisher

Liza’s Review:

Hot Seal Rescue is an amazing addition to the HOT series from Lynn Raye Harris. I read and loved all of the books to date in both the original HOT series and the HOT Seal series and find myself loving each book more than the last. In fact, I'm pretty sure Hot Seal Rescue is my favorite book in the full series to date...of course I don't have Mendez's book yet.

I love a strong heroine, and Miranda Jane Lockwood is the epitome of a strong woman. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she had Cowboy in her corner from the beginning, but with everything that had been thrown at her in this story, a lesser woman would have been curled up in a ball on the floor. Miranda never stopped fighting no matter what surprises were thrown her way and I loved her every bit as much as I loved Cowboy.

I knew it would take a special lady to make Cowboy fall, and when Miranda "kidnapped" him in Vegas, I knew he had found a woman strong enough to be his. I loved them as a couple from the moment they met, even though it wasn't in the best of circumstances and things only got crazier from there. I loved neither could seem to keep their hands off the other if they were anywhere near each other. They had some of the hottest chemistry of any couples in the series, and all the couples to-date have had pretty incredible chemistry. 

I'm a fan of romantic suspense and Lynn Raye Harris totally delivers every single time on having a major mission with full-blown suspense. I had an idea of what was going in, but will admit she threw me for a loop with the twist in Hot Seal Rescue, and I absolutely loved it. I figure out so many suspense books in advance, it was nice to have a bit of a "what" moment.

I highly recommend the entire HOT series to romantic suspense fans everywhere. While I believe you know more about the characters if you read the books in order, because so many characters from other books cross over, you could still pick up Hot Seal Rescue and read it as a stand-alone and be okay. Just be prepared to go back and want to read all the other books in the series very, very soon.

Rating: 5 Stars (A)


BUY LINKS:




EXCERPT



You aren’t a Navy SEAL,” she said, her heart thumping. I dont know who you are, but you arent that.

Actually, I am. But I work for an organization that, uh, knows things. If youre involved with Conti, then youre either with the FBI, DEA, or the CIA. Contis illegal activities fall under the areas of interest for any of the three.

Crap.

So care to tell me which one it is?he finished. Might make this a bit easier for both of us.

You planning to give me back my ammunition if I do?

Depends,he said.

Miranda sighed. Her default setting was not to trust anyone, but maybe she needed to start. Not that shed tell him everything. Definitely not. But she could give him enough to relax his guard—and then she could give him the slip when she got the chance.

Or, hell, maybe hed prove to be useful after all.

“CIA,” she said. “We’re interested in the arms dealing, of course. Hes been supplying guns to ISIS and the Freedom Force, among others, for quite some time. But hes also putting assault weapons on the streets here, and thats not a good thing. Of course, thats the FBIs territory, but were cooperating on this one.

So whats your real name, Jane?

Actually, that is my real name—my middle name. My first name is Miranda.

“Miranda,” he said softly, and a shiver ran down her spine. Liquid heat took up residence in her core, spilling out into her limbs. All because of the way he said her name. What the hell was that about?

Thats right. Can I have my clip back now?

Not quite. Give me a last name.

Why do you need that?It was against her religion to share her details. Shed had that drummed into her during the years of covert ops. Trust no one.

Mine is McCormick. Cody McCormick, United States Navy. I work for an organization youve probably heard of, but Im going to bet you thought it was a myth. Unless youve ever worked with us before, and then you know.

HOT. He had to be talking about the Hostile Operations Team, but she wasnt going to be the first to speak the name. Yeah, she knew about them. Mark had done ops with them before in the Middle East. Shed once spent a rough two days in the embassy in Baghdad with a group of HOT operators. Theyd been there to extract a major whod gotten nabbed in a market and taken prisoner. But then the embassy came under attack, and shed thought for sure the major was dead.

He wasnt though. HOT came through.

And what phantom group is this?she replied, because she wasnt going to let on that she knew.

“We’re called HOT. We deal in pretty much all the shit nobody else wants to. We go where none dare.

Where None Dare. Yes, she remembered that from the team shed spent time with. They were proud of that.

For the first time, she felt a little bit of relief flowing through her. My name is Miranda Lockwood. Thats not the name Conti was supposed to know—but he does. I dont know how, but Ive been compromised.

Saying the words aloud was like releasing the pressure in a valve. She felt as if a weight was gone even though nothing had been resolved.

Wordlessly, Cody handed her the clip to her weapon. She took it and slid it home. Then she put the gun into her purse and draped the chain over her shoulder. The sense of relief washing through her was strong. She was used to staying on her guard, and she still would, of course, but his gesture meant something. He wasnt out to kill her. At least not immediately.

Thank you.

Youre welcome. Trust me now?

She shrugged. I dont trust anyone. But I believe were on the same side. At least for now.

“I’m going to help you, Miranda. Were getting out of here. Promise.

Shed love to believe him, but shed learned never to count the chickens before the eggs hatched. Thats how you ended up dead in this business.

“I’m going to need a change of clothes and a burner,she said, all businesslike.

Can you manage that?

He shot her that sexy grin again. It melted through her like a flame cutting through wax. Sunshine, I can manage anything you need.

HOT SEAL TEAM SERIES: 
Book 1: HOT SEAL (Dane & Ivy) 
Book 2: HOT SEAL Lover (Remy & Christina) 
Book 3: HOT SEAL Rescue (Cody & Miranda) 

THE HOSTILE OPERATIONS TEAM SERIES: 
Book 1: HOT Pursuit (Matt & Evie) 
Book 2: HOT Mess (Sam & Georgie) 
Book 3: HOT Package (Billy & Olivia) 
Book 4: Dangerously HOT (Kev & Lucky) 
Book 5: HOT Shot (Jack & Gina) 
Book 6: HOT Rebel (Nick & Victoria) 
Book 7: HOT Ice (Garrett & Grace) 
Book 8: HOT & Bothered (Ryan & Emily) 
Book 9: HOT Protector (Chase & Sophie) 
Book 10: HOT Addiction (Dex) ~ Coming soon! 

Book 11: HOT Valor (Mendez) ~ Coming soon!