Review: Worth Dying For by Cindy Gerard

Worth Dying For

by Cindy Gerard

WORTH DYING FOR in a two-story anthology by Cindy Gerard. Both stories have been previously released and are award-winning novellas. As a big fan of Gerard’s Romantic Suspense work, I decided to give this book a shot. Going into this book, I had no idea that these stories would actually be Contemporary Romances, not Romantic Suspense so I had to adjust my expectations a bit because I was hoping for some pulse-pounding action. Nevertheless, Gerard is always a pleasure to read.

Into The Night

Brought together for the purpose of work, Jessie Fox and Tony Falcone are back together to explore this explosive chemistry they have for new radio promo. To be honest, I had a bit of trouble getting into this story. I don’t think I felt the connection between Jessie and Tony right away. It took some time to build. However, the suspense subplot was a nice touch. I just don’t think this was my favorite of this anthology.

Man Around the House

Katie McDonald finds herself in a particularly embarrassing spot. Her toe is stuck in a tub faucet and she can’t seem to get it out. Matthew Spencer, her neighbour and his five-year-old son come to help out the damsel in distress. This opening had me smiling from ear-to-ear, causing me to immediately fall in love with this story. Funny and sweet, Gerard really captured my interests with the charming personalities of all the characters. The sexual tension and chemistry was evident from the very beginning and I thought that Gerard did a wonderful job of keeping the dialogue engaging and fun. Overall, this story turned out to be my favorite of this book.

 Bottom line? If Gerard were to explore writing in Contemporary Romance again, I think I’d check them out.

*Review copy provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon

PocketStare Books is giving away an ebook copy of WORTH DYING FOR.

For an excerpt you can download here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/101037384/Worth-Dying-For-by-Cindy-Gerard

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Covers to Covet

Killing Time

by Cindy Gerard

One Eyed Jacks # 1

Mike "Primetime" Brown's story!

Available February 2013

Shades of Gray

KGI # 6

by Maya Banks

P.J. and Cole were sharpshooting rivals on the same KGI team and enjoyed a spirited, uncomplicated camaraderie. Until the night they gave in to their desires and suddenly took their relationship one step further. In the aftermath of their one night stand, they’re called up on a mission that goes terribly wrong, and P.J. walks away from KGI, determined not to drag her teammates into the murky shadows she’s poised to delve into.

Six months later, Cole hasn’t given up his search for P.J., and he’s determined to bring her back home where she belongs. Bent on vengeance, P.J. is on a mission that will plunge her into a serpentine game of payback and make her question everything she’s ever believed in. Cole—and the rest of their team—refuse to let her go it alone. Even if it means sacrificing their loyalty to KGI and their very lives…

Available January 1, 2013

Fall Into You

Loving on the Edge # 3

by Roni Loren

He’ll do anything for you. But you’d better say please.

When tomboy sports reporter Charli Beaumonde loses a dream TV job because she’s not girly enough for primetime, she’s determined to land a big scoop and prove her boss made a mistake. But when she gets too close to a football scandal and finds her life threatened, Charli accepts an offer from family friend Grant Waters to hide out at his place—even if Grant predicts nothing but trouble from his buddy’s hard-headed, uncompromising, irrepressible, younger sister. There’s one more problem…

Grant’s “place” is The Ranch, a BDSM resort in Texas, and he’s used to being in charge —even if that means trying to keep Charli in line. But much to Grant’s surprise, she’s intrigued—even envious—of his trainees. They’re the epitome of what she’s never been: sexy, beguiling, and totally irresistible to a man. Still, Grant doesn’t believe for a minute that the sharp-tongued Charli has it in her to be anyone’s submissive. But Charli’s already on her knees vying for the chance to prove that even the Master can be wrong sometimes.

 Available January 1, 2013

Lush

Delicious # 3

by Lauren Dane

This is the 3rd DELICIOUS Novel and features Mary and Damien…

USA Today bestselling author Lauren Dane delivers a second serving of sexy in her new Delicious novel—in which taste and temptation make up a sweet recipe…

Mary Whaley has her hands full running a successful catering company and overseeing her supper club. She’s got everything she ever wanted—or so she thought. When she meets ridiculously hot and very dirty rock star Damien Hurley at her friend’s engagement party, the attraction she feels is overpowering—and she isn’t about to deny herself.

Damien is used to a hard and fast life. He and two of his brothers started a band when they were all in high school—then they hit the big time and stayed there. He’s also a legendary madman on the stage and in the bedroom. But when he meets Mary, something clicks, and the bad boy starts thinking he may have finally found something good.

What begins as a series of fleeting trysts soon get much more complicated. Damien can’t figure out why Mary doesn’t want more from him. And before long it’s Damien who wants more of Mary. But it turns out Mary is no stranger to the celebrity news and he’s got a very big job ahead of him—proving that he’s worth more than a one-night stand…

 Available April 2, 2013

Interview and Giveaway with Cindy Gerard

Today we have with us one of the best romantic suspense authors out there! Her Bodyguard and Black Ops Inc series have gotten rave reviews everywhere and we can't wait to read more from her. Now we get to know her a bit better. ;)

Welcome to Under the Covers, as you probably already know we are fans of your work and are very excited to have you here today!
Thanks Francesca. I really appreciate that and your invitation to chat today.

You have a brand new series called the One-Eyed Jacks, which is a spin off from the BOI series. Can you tell us a bit about this new series?

It’s always difficult to say good bye to a group of characters in a series. I fond it a huge problem when I was wrapping up the Body Guard series. Luckily, Gabriel – the Archangel – Jones showed up along with a couple of his buddies in the last BG book and showed me the path to a brand new series – Black Ops Inc. That same lucky accident happened while I was writing the 2nd to the last book of the BOI series. The BOI’s needed an extra pilot and called on their old buddy Mike – Primetime – Brown to help them out of a jam. The same thing happened with Mike as happened with Gabe. He was just larger than life and I knew I needed to tell his story – and of course add some buddies to the mix. So, here’s the down and dirty on One-Eyed-Jacks:

The One Eyed Jacks (a multi-branch military task force formed in 2002 and disbanded in 2005) got their nick name because of the uniqueness of their experimental unit, their tight camaraderie, their slightly reckless reputation, their favorite downtime/pastime of high stakes poker and because each of them made a pact to always carry a One Eyed Jack playing card (either a Jack of hearts or a Jack of spades) as their lucky charm and a sign of unity.

Today, only three men of the original detail are still alive – Mike – Primetime - Brown, Bobby – Boom Boom -Taggart, Jamie – Hondo – Cooper. On their last mission in Afghanistan, all three were dealt a losing hand and now share one common bond: The military that they proudly served cut them loose eight years ago with a ‘less than honorable’ discharge when their team led a covert operation that went south and the powers that be laid the blame squarely on their shoulders. To the dismay of the prosecutors of the Navy, Army, and Marines military tribunals, the most serious of charges could not be proven, which negated the possibility of court martial and prison but still ended in their separation from the service.

Now Brown, Taggart and Cooper lead separate lives in separate countries, have all dropped out of ‘normal society’ and not only live with the lie that led to their military separation but with the weight of the deaths of both their task force team members and several innocent civilians haunting them.

For these three men, life is now all about getting by, about forgetting the past, dealing with the anger and coping with the hand they’ve been dealt. None of them intend to break the status quo – until a mysterious woman confronts and forces Brown to ask questions about what really happened in Afghanistan and how those events played into a current national security threat. She dangles bait Brown can’t resist – the means to clear his name, deliver justice and expose the master mind behind the death of his teammates and his own downfall.

Only nothing is ever as simple as it seems. It’s going to take the help of Taggart and Cooper to bring down the men who set them up. The three wronged men with three strong-willed women by their sides, set out on their quests to write several wrongs, finally find peace, justice and the women who can complete their lives.

Readers met Mike Brown in the last book, LAST MAN STANDING. What would you say is Brown's greatest strength? What is his greatest weakness?
Brown’s greatest strength is his moral compass and his sense of humor. His biggest weakness is his inability to deal with a past that haunts him which in turn led him to a struggle with alcoholism and disenfranchisement with life in general. Of course, no one would know because he hides all the pain behind his ridiculous sense of humor.

How many books do you have planned in this new series?
At this time, there are plans for three books – KILLING TIME, RUNNING BLIND, and TAKING FIRE, but then, I was only going to write 3 Bodyguard and 3 Black Ops Inc books :o) so you never know.

What does your writing space look like? Is it clean or messy? Any visual would be nice.
My space is fairly tidy – unless I’m on deadline crunch and then all bets are off. Here’s a link to some photos My hubby planted a flower garden for me so I can see it out my window. It’s gorgeous right now. I’m also going to be adding a 75 gallon fresh water aquarium to my office space soon. I can’t wait!

I love my office space but sometimes, when the weather is nice, I’ll snag my laptop and write on the screen porch just for a change of pace. Notice my writing pals, Buddy (yellow cat) and Sly (black) snoozing on their favorite chair.

If we were unforgivably rude and took a peek inside your purse, what items would we find there?
Oh, Lord, You don’t want to know. It’s a mess. Let’s see, make up case, car keys, book marks (don’t leave home without ‘em LOL), tums, wallet, tissue, sunglasses, phone, old grocery list, several receipts, mini flashlight, photos of grandkids … fuzz and lint :o)

What are three essential items you require in order to write?
A solid block of time, a warm up with a game or two of spider solitaire and or scrabble, soft music playing in the background.

What's the best part of being a romantic suspense author?
Oh, the fans and my writer buddies. I love the inter action – just wish I wasn’t such a slow writer so I could spend more time on FB and Twitter but I need to keep my nose to the grindstone or I’d never get a book finished.

How do you balance the suspense and the romance aspects in your books to make the perfect combination?
Well, I’m not sure I always hit the perfect combo but thanks. It is a balancing act. A good, intricate exciting plot is essential to me. Sometimes I have to sit back and remind myself that even more essential is the relationship. So I always keep what happening with my H/H in mind on several levels. The action should move the relationship and visa versa. I like to think that when I look back, I’ve dovetailed the two elements but it does take a lot of thinking and reworking and rewriting to make it happen. Wish I could tell you it was some magic formula but it’s not. It’s just a lot of planning and adjusting.

You've done some incredible research and met real-life heroes and heroines. What would you say has been the best experience you've had as you researched for one of your books?
Oh, there are so many wonderful experiences. Of course, my opportunities to meet and work with so many of our military is at the front of the list. But, my experiences zip lining, white water rafting, jumping off a cliff, shooting most of the weapons I reference in my books – the list goes on. And I hope it will keep growing.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chatting with us for a bit.

Again, I’m thrilled to be here. I’m just off a deadline – literally turned in KILLING TIME, book 1 of the One-Eyed Jacks series on June 1st. Primetime was a challenge – a fun one – and his heroine is the perfect match. That book will be out in February, 2013, but I’ve got some other projects that will be out and available between now and then.

Available right now, LOVE IS MURDER – a short story collection featuring some of the hottest suspense authors writing today (Allison Brennan, Lee Child, Heather Graham, MOI :o) and many more) was just released this last week. My story, DYING TO SCORE ,is an action packed BOI short story featuring Johnny and Tink. Amazon Link

I’m really excited about this next news. This August will see the reissue of some of my classic romances that were published several years ago and have been out of circulation for a while. WORTH DYING FOR is a 2 for the price of 1 volume and will originally be available in e-book format August 7, 2012. I can’t wait for those two books to become available. The stories are not what I write now, but they still have the same fun, engaging characters and some light suspense that I think RS readers will appreciate.

I’d love to hear what readers are looking for in a great Romantic Suspense read. And some one who comments will receive an autographed book of their choice from my Body Guard or Black Ops Inc. series. (Be sure to leave your email so we can contact you)

Thanks for stopping by and please check out my website or my Facebook Fan Page to catch up on my latest news.

ARC Review: Last Man Standing by Cindy Gerard

 

(more like 4.5 flaming feathers)

Last Man Standing

(Black Ops, Inc # 7)

by Cindy Gerard

LAST MAN STANDING is the last book in Cindy Gerard’s BOI series. While it’s been an amazing run with this series, I’m still sad to see it end. I devoured these books one after the other, reading a book per night. Once you pick these babies up, you simply can’t stop.

LAST MAN STANDING is no exception. “Mean” Joe Green and Stephanie Tompkins have been characters we’ve seen throughout this series. Their relationship started in FEEL THE HEAT but now in their own book, readers finally get the story that they have been eagerly waiting for.

If you’ve followed this series from the beginning, then you know that Stephanie’s brother, Bryan was killed in Sierra Leone in the first book, SHOW NO MERCY. Fifteen years later, Joe still feels that something wasn’t right about that night. So as he follows his gut and travels to Sierra Leone to find out what really happens, he breaks Stephanie’s heart in the process, leaving her without a good enough explanation as to why he can’t be with her.

However, when Stephanie finds out that Joe is accused of killing a priest in Sierra Leone and awaiting trial for it, she realizes that there is another reason as to why Joe simply walked out of her life.

The Stephanie we knew in the previous books isn’t so much in this one. She has grown as a character and has been toughened by her exposure to the BOIs and their daily routines. Threats to her life no longer scare her. Her only fear is losing Joe. And this is the reason why she buys a ticket to Sierra Leone to rescue him.

On her journey she bands with Suah, a fifteen year old teen who has seen the worst of the war in Sierra Leone. Though she senses that this could end up more deadly than she first anticipated, Stephanie has no choice but to trust the kid. They work together to free Joe before he is transported to a maximum-security prison and get him out of there.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to know that I finished this book in one night. Again. Gerard simply writes the best romantic suspense stories out there. It’s hard not to get sucked in with her easy-to-read writing style and ability to get into her hero’s head.

While this isn’t the most action-packed book of the series, there is still a fair amount of heart-pumping action to get you reading into the wee hours of the night. I just love the fact that Gerard weaves the events from the first book to set up the premise for this one. It showcases her impeccable planning and she really does a fantastic job of closing out the series.

But fear not, Gerard is starting up a new series called One Eyed Jacks. We get a great glimpse of the new hero of the first book, Mike “Primetime” Brown. He’s called Primetime because his face is the kind you’d see on TV – penetrating eyes, killer smile. Yup, the stuff we ladies lust for. I’m sure this new series will have me hooked like the BOIs series have had me. I’m exciting for more all-night reading. Bring it on, Gerard. Bring it on!

*ARC provided by publisher

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Risk No Secrets by Cindy Gerard

 

Risk No Secrets

(Black Ops # 5)

by Cindy Gerard

RISK NO SECRETS is a little different from the rest of the series. This takes on the issue of kidnapping for ransom. Sophie Baylor, a sweet teacher from El Salvador calls Wyatt “Papa Bear” Savage when her daughter’s best friend was taken right before her eyes. Though still fearing for her the little girl’s life, Sophie also feels like a terrible person when she feels relief that it’s not her daughter who was taken. However, there is a chance that whoever this person who took the girl will come back to steal Hope also. Such a scary thought!

But Wyatt is there to prevent this from happening. Papa Bear and Sophie are the perfect match. Both are protective of innocents and their strengths really compliment one another. When Sophie has a meltdown over the situation, Wyatt is there to keep her steady and vice versa.

As usual, the action started right from the get-go and Gerard does a stunning job of pulling on a reader’s heartstrings. Anyone with a heart will fall in love with this book. There’s passion, friendship and love all rolled into one.

But it’s this old friendship between Wyatt and Sophie that makes the romance aspect of this story interesting. Sophie was married to Wyatt’s best friend and unfortunately for Wyatt, he still carries strong feelings for Sophie. When she calls him, those emotions roil through him once again, sparking a long repressed instinct to love.

Though this may not be my favourite of the series, the Black Ops series is still going strong. I can’t wait to get into Doc Holliday’s book!

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Feel the Heat by Cindy Gerard

 

Feel the Heat

(Black Ops, Inc # 4)

by Cindy Gerard

Cindy Gerard continues her stellar Black Ops series with Raphael Mendoza’s book, FEEL THE HEAT. Taking a different but still interesting route this time, the author sets the first part of the book in Washington, D.C. where B.J Chase, an Defense Intelligence officer gets caught up in case where a stolen E-bomb is floating around in the world. This E-bomb has the ability to take down all electronics in half the country permanently. No cars, internet, gas pumps ever again. There is a traitor amidst the NSA where this person sold out their country for some big bucks. Whoever this person is is now targeting Stephanie Tompkins, a familiar character whom we met in previous books. With a hit on her persons, B.J. must help Stephanie cover her six as they call in the BOIs for added assistance.

B.J. and Raphael have had a bit of a rough start. After being compromised in a previous assignment, both are still holding grudges against each other as they are now faced with working with one another. B.J. is a tough as nails chick who knows what she wants and how she wants it. She is a self-made woman who doesn’t need the help of a Latin charmer to run her life. In fact, B.J. is the most standoffish and toughest heroine we’ve seen in this series. So much so that at times, B.J. was kind of a bitch.

But as the story progressed and she fell prey to Raphael’s come-ons, we saw another side of B.J. that made me like and respect her. A wall guards her heart and in this book, Raphael tears down those walls and is the first to really show her that she can be loved. B.J. allows her past to rule her future to the point where she believes that love isn’t in her capacity. Raphael shows her that she is wrong, that loving someone isn’t easy but it’s worth it.

As all this emotional development happens, B.J. and Raphael go to Columbia to Rafe’s Uncle’s home, who has ties to a drug cartel to get much needed information. In order to slip in without raising suspicion, B.J. has the play the part of a dumb blonde. Her new name is ‘Brittany’ and she, um *smacks gum and twirls hair* likes to party! This part was highly entertaining and brought in some really great comic relief in dire times.

Though this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the series in order. Not only would you get a richer experience but you would happy to note the different familiar faces we’ve encountered so far in the series.

Speaking of that, Stephanie, Bry’s younger sister makes up a huge part of this book. And with Stephanie, Mean Joe Green isn’t far behind. Their relationship really blossoms in this book and made me wish that we have Joe’s book sooner! He’s some hot stuff and I wouldn’t mind getting burned by him once or twice.

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Whisper No Lies by Cindy Gerard

 

Whisper No Lies

(Black Ops, Inc #3)

by Cindy Gerard

Crystal Debrowski has got it all – the red, pixie hair, the big boobs, the mile-long legs. Many envy her good looks, but it’s those same looks that have made her a target of an Indonesian bastard named Yao Long.

Yao wants Crystal as his slave. His sex slave.

When Yao’s second-in-command, Wong Li tries to proposition Crystal on behalf of Mr. Yao, Crystal gives the two the one-finger salute. It isn’t until her job is in jeopardy and she spends some time behind bars that she realizes that the counterfeiting scam on her shift may be due to Mr. Yao’s actions.

Crystal gets attacked unawares and is taken into the world of prostitution and sex slave rings in Jakarta, miles away from her smooth-talking cowboy, Johnny Duane Reed.

But it doesn’t take Johnny long to figure things out... And then he’s on the hunt for his girl, delving deep into the city of Jakarta to get Crystal back. But what he finds there causes even a worldly man like him to step back in surprise.

WHISPER NO LIES is lighter in tone than the rest of the books. While it does involve the sensitive subject and real-life issue of human trafficking, Johnny and Crystal are jokers all the way through. It seems that the more tense and dangerous the situation, the more wise cracks they make. It works for them, but sometimes I wished they were more serious when my heart was pumping a mile a minute as they faced off dangerous SOBs.

This book hits just as hard as the other ones, however, I did feel like the romance was set on the side for most of the book. Both the hero and heroine struggle with this image they portray and being seen as someone else other than who they really are. Crystal, the girl with the cute strut and big boobs. Johnny, the blonde haired, blue-eyed looker. Their appearances make impressions on others that revolve around sex and sex only.

And for awhile, between Crystal and Johnny, it was just about sex too. Until something happened in the dirty streets of Jakarta. The two fell in love and it was believable. They saw something more in each other than just their appearances and it works well with the storyline.

What I loved was the fact that even when they returned from the adrenaline-filled atmosphere of their last op, their chemistry was still there. And they put effort into their relationship to make it work. Things just didn’t fall into place on its own. They MADE it work.

And to me, that’s better than anything fate could plan for someone.

 

 

Purchase Links:  Amazon

Review: Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard

 

Take No Prisoners

(Black Ops, Inc # 2)

by Cindy Gerard

The hero of TAKE NO PRISONERS is a man of little words. He’s a meticulous one, Sam Lang. And while he was the polar opposite of Johnny Reed, his brother in arms, I found myself loving Sam’s responsible, take-no-shit streak. He was reliable, cunning and badass in a subtle way.

Sam Lang left BOI after his sister and her husband were killed in a car bomb incident - an incident that would not have occurred if Lang hadn’t pursued Nader and his criminal activities. His sister’s death was a warning to Sam to back off or pay the price. And so, with a heavy heart and a truckload of guilt, Sam did.

Abbie Hughes, our heroine is a spit-fire in disguise. Busy with school and a job as a blackjack dealer, Abbie’s life is on the straight arrow. However, her younger brother, Cory lives his life tinkering in places where he shouldn’t be. Cory goes to Honduras to collect his inventory for his “job” but then gets caught up in a huge mess involving two major rival gangs willing to do anything, including kill to get their hands on a national treasure.

Stuck in the middle, Cory is taken hostage while the diamonds are being shipped back to the States to his sister, Abbie for safekeeping. This act brings Abbie into the loop. To get her brother back, Abbie teams up with Sam Lang and they go through hell and back in their journey to rescue Cory.

What can I say? This is another keeper by Gerard. While different than Gabe Jones in the first book, Sam does make my heart go pitter-patter in another way. I liked his slow control, but I also loved it when he and Abbie indulged a little bit and let themselves go.

TAKE NO PRISONERS has one of the best action sequences I’ve read in a long time. Cory’s rescue scene is by far the most action-packed scene I’ve read. It’s sharp, smart and soo adrenaline-pumped, you’ll feel like you’re experiencing it as you read it.

Another thing I loved about this book is that the women of the series are very much involved in the action. They don’t stand by in the trenches and nibble their nails in anticipation and worry. They are right in the heart of all the action and I LOVE that!

Abbie Hughes shows her courage in this book countless times, making her one of my favourite heroines so far. For a woman who doesn’t have any combat experience, she’s a sharp-shooter.

Also introduced in this book is Crystal Debrowski, the heroine of the next book, WHISPER NO LIES. Crystal was a trip and I am looking forward to reading about her blooming relationship with the gay cop cowboy. Actually, I shouldn’t say that. Johnny may shoot me. Or frisk me. In which I much prefer the latter.

Here’s a scene from the book:

Dinner. All Crystal had agreed to was dinner. It begged the obvious question, then: So how had she ended up buck naked and tied to her own bed with flex cuffs?

NOW, I bet you’re curious too!

 

 Purchase Links: Amazon