Author
Override is the place where authors take the reins and take you on a
journey into their world. Some may allow you into their private writing
dens. Others may take you along with them on research trips or
interviews. Whatever the case may be, sit back, relax and enjoy the
ride because here you’ll get an in-depth look into an author’s musings.
Lori Foster
Tell us some background and how you came up with the idea for your new series Love Undercover.
It’s pretty weird how the process works for me. I almost always see a scene first, and in this case, the scene was a hunky male neighbor putting the moves on a female neighbor because she had a secret that he needed to know. When I started writing, I was unsure what the secret might be, why the heroine was keeping the secret, and why the hero needed it. See, very weird!
I’ve always been drawn to those stories where the male protagonist gets himself into deep trouble – under the best of intentions – and then has to find a way to regain the heroine’s trust. Good examples are “Loving Evangeline,” by Linda Howard, or “Scandal,” by Amanda Quick. Most of the wonderful books by Kresley Cole, too.
I love it when the characters are honorable, but are forced to do dishonorable deeds.
Run the Risk Love Undercover # 1 by Lori Foster When Detective Logan
Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best
friend's unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means
necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more
danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start
caring for her….Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner
who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not
even the handsome new "construction worker" who's moved in next door.
The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion
bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw
them both into a killer's crosshairs?
A new romantic suspense series by Lori Foster, cue squeeeees of excitement!!! After enjoying Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor so much, I was starting to feel the void of her sexy alpha men. RUN THE RISK delivered on alphas with an exciting story that captured my interest from the beginning and never let go. The plot
I actually enjoyed the change of pace with the type of suspense in this series. This wasn't so much human trafficking and more undercover detective work. Still plenty of suspense, still bad guys who may not really be the bad guys, and quite a bit of action. The twists and turns in the story kept it refreshing and kept me interested. I really couldn't keep up with guessing what would happen. I also enjoyed that people were never what they seemed.
The characters
Logan Riske is so hot and delicious. I can totally picture him lounging around, no shirt, jeans hung low on his hips, comfortable barbequeing and drinking a beer. Casual and cool. And extremely hot. He wants to do the right thing, which is why he's still investigating and doing his undercover work. He wants to catch the guy who killed his friend.
Pepper Yates was a bit of a surprise for me. It was almost like having two of her in the book. The original Pepper and the new and improved. I think I liked both in their different roles. First mousy with a hint of bold. Then bold with a hint of vulnerable. She loves her brother and takes risks for him. But she also takes risks with her heart and lets Logan in.
The extra
Of course, I always love a good side story and secondary characters. Reese and Alice have a little connection there but Reese (Logan's partner) has a lot on his plate to pursue anything. I enjoyed them both a lot and can't wait to read their book next. Of course, my bad memory, I don't remember Alice but apparently she's from TRACE OF FEVER. Must revisit that book before her story comes out in BARE IT ALL in April.
Five of today’s hottest romance authors celebrate the
special place animals hold in our hearts in one unforgettable new collection.
From matchmaking parrots to proposing puppies, the animals in these enchanting
stories are determined to lend a helping paw on the road to happily ever after.
Don’t miss these never-before-published “tails” of couples whose pets give them
a new leash on love!
The authors are donating all of their proceeds from Love
Bites to the Animal Adoption Foundation of Hamilton, OH, a charitable
organization.
The Animal Adoption
Foundation of Hamilton, Ohio, is a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter for dogs
and cats that have been abused or abandoned.
On May 10th at 6pm EST, a virtual kick-off party is scheduled to take place where readers will have an
opportunity to interact and ask questions of the five Harlequin authors: Lori
Foster, Brenda Jackson, Virna DePaul, Catherine Mann, and Jules Bennett.
RSVP for the event between May 3rd and May 9th athttp://www.eventbrite.com/event/3434726359/for a chance to win a complete
signed set of the Primal Instinct series plus "Deadly Is the
Kiss" by Rhyannon Byrd (9 books total)!!
During the live event, each of the anthology authors
will be giving away one autographed book to a guest from the pre-registration
sign-up who's attending! One of the books being given away is a Limited
Edition Print Copy of "Love Bites" signed by all five authors!!
Other ways to win more books:
•Exclusively for my newsletter friends: Those that pre-register by
clicking on this link: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3434726359/
, will be entered to win an autographed copy of Tawny Weber's upcoming Blaze "Blazing
Bedtimes Vol. VII" (with Rhonda Nelson).
•Follow along on the anthology website, http://www.lovebitesantho.com, to see
author and blogger pet pictures, as well as read mini pet stories by the
guests. Each week we'll be giving away more books to commenters!
•Coming on May 10th, the same day as the live kick-off event, the
"Love Bites" Facebook page will be ready for fans to stay
up-to-date on information and stay connected with the authors during the
pre-release. Additionally, US residents will be able to share their own
"love bites" pet story to be entered into a sweepstakes for the chance
to win five more autographed books donated by each of the anthology authors!
The sweepstakes will run from May 10th - June 1st.
The"Love
Bites" anthology is set to release on June 1st, and will be available
in digital eBook format.
Stay up to date on the latest
"Love Bites" event news by visiting
The Love Bites anthology
website is the go-to place to find the latest information about the anthology,
as well as to see different blogger and author pet pics being posted between
May 11th and June 1st. At the end of each week, two random commenters names
will be drawn to win a fabulous prize donating by some fantastic authors!
Kicking off this book about the sexy Watson brothers is the oldest, Sam. He's had a crush on Ariel for a long time but has always told himself he's too old for her. His youngest brother Pete thought he was in love with her a few years back. So Ariel has always been off limits. Now in the middle of an investigation, because hot sexy Sam is a cop, she has decided she wants him and is going after him. Other than some pretty sucky timing on her part, I just wanted to slap her around most of the time. Ariel is young, and immature, and innocent. And I don't really think she knows what she wants. She decides she wants to give her virginity to Sam but then is about to walk out the door when he asks her to strip? Good thing Sam was hot enough to make up for my lack of like of the heroine.
"Bringing Up Baby"
*** 3.5 Feathers
Such a crazy situation to be in. Gil Watson is the middle brother, the centered and stable brother. The one running the family business. The one who has his career in the right direction, has the nice big house, and everything where he wants. Except for when he finds out that he has a daughter. He has one night of passion with a work-related acquaintance in another state and apparently she got pregnant and didn't say anything. Now that she's dead he is faced with having to raise his daughter. But she comes with an extra person. Anabel was actually the one who raised the girl until now since the mom didn't really want to deal with her. And she's grown attached to the baby and will do ANYTHING to not be separated from her. Anabel is not the usual type of woman Gil has envisioned himself with. But he's wanted her ever since he met her years ago. These two actually had really good chemistry and they worked well as a couple for me. Even though her proposition was CRAZY they made it work!
"Good With His Hands"
*** 4 Feathers
This was the story I originally read that introduced me to the Watson brothers. It was cute, funny, sexy and hot. There's the girl next door, Cassidy, who's a bit of a tomboy, doesn't worry too much about how she dresses or what her hair looks like. She works with, and now lives next door to, hunky and to-die-for hot Pete Watson. They've been best friends for over a year, they have a great routine together, almost as if they're married, but it's not sexual between them. Until Pete decides that he wants it to be sexual. And of course, Cassidy had been drooling over him the whole time and torturing herself by being so close and not having him so she's all for the idea of them together. Pete was just too cute. The guy just had no clue sometimes about things and it was adorable to see him wonder how his charms might not be working on Cassidy. She's the girl with the plan of where her life is going and what kind of guy she wants to marry. And that guy is so not him. But maybe he can make the effort and be what he feels her ideal is. Or make her realize that she wants him instead as he is. Because he realizes he's been falling for her this whole time.
Maidens we are very excited to have here today New York Times best selling author Lori Foster. I'm sure most of you know of her and probably have read her books, and if you haven't you need to rectify that right away! Whether writing about cowboys or hot ex-military alphas, her characters are endearing and the stories always well written. Now, celebrating the recent release of the fourth book in the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor, we got a chance to ask her a few questions and just happened to run into some of the hot men she writes about!
Hi Lori, welcome to UTC! A Perfect Storm is Arizona and Spencer's book, and we got a great taste of their personalities in Jackson's book. What can readers expect of these two?
Arizona is volatile and unpredictable; Spencer is a rock, always. She’s still in survival mode, and he’s the steady, safe place.
But they’re both wounded from their pasts, sharp witted, and highly capable. I think you’ll grin as much as you sympathize.
Do you have plan on writing more books in this series after A Perfect Storm?
I have a new series starting in October, with all new characters. However, Alice (who was a secondary character in “Trace of Fever”) will show up in the 2nd book of the new series. She stayed in my head and in my heart, and she deserves a happy ever after.
Human trafficking being the main subject line that ties the series together, what would you say has been the most important part of your research?
It’s easy to get data and statistics. It’s easy to find out legal procedures and shortfalls. The most wrenching part was reading the human accounts – finding out from interviews how victims felt, how they were affected, and what they went through. So many tell the tragic details in a very detached way, almost as if they’re talking about a fender-bender instead of a life-altering assault. One particularly emotional account came from the mother of a victim. I cried while reading it because I could feel her pain. It’s unthinkable for most of us – and yet many are going through it every single day.
You write some sexy ex-military heroes in your Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor, hot guys next door in your Watsons series, and studly cowboys in Buckhorn. What is your favorite to write about?
I like writing sexy Alphas, period. I don’t care where they work or what they have in their pasts. To me, being a hero isn’t always about the job as much as the core of the man. Many times, a person doesn’t realize he/she is a hero until circumstances dictate that someone step forward. An entire crowd of people (like me!) will be standing there, watching something unfold, and a single person will step out and *do.* I remember a man who dove into an icy river to save someone. A kid who dove into a murky pond to save a man who’d passed out behind the wheel and drove his car in. A man who jumped onto the tracks to save someone... every day, if you watch the news, you hear about an ordinary person who took extraordinary steps to assist someone in need. I LOVE seeing those stories, and I love writing about those people.
You are obviously hosting your own event, but who would be your ideal panel of authors and what would you talk about?
I have a lot of longtime faves, and I’m currently a big fan of Kresley Cole. Also, I recently read a new author (1st book out in Oct 2012), Macy Beckett. “Sultry with a Twist” was *amazing.* Can’t wait to read more from her.
I guess if I was putting together a panel, I’d love to hear what new authors have to say. It’s very different for them than for old veterans like me.
Virna DePaul, Donna MacMeans, Macy Beckett... it’d be great to get them all in one place and pick their brains to find out how things have changed – because they surely have! (I first sold back in 1995. LOL)
Arizona seems to be the most kick ass chick in the series Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor, and my favorite, even though still with a damaged past. Who is your favorite heroine?
I still love Gaby Cody, my mega kick-ass heroine from my urban fantasy series, “Servant.” I didn’t intentionally put romance in the books, but I guess at heart, I’m a romantic, because she and Luther pretty much burn up the pages. ;-) And the 2nd book, “Servant: the Acceptance,” was named Amazon’s #1 Editors’ Pick in Romance. Gaby is a paladin, so she has extreme ability, but she’s also very compassionate, and very curious about Luther Cross. Love, love, love her. J Who was the hardest hero to write?
I don’t really write heroes who are difficult. The way it works for me, characters are in my head, clamoring for a book. Whoever kicks the biggest fuss gets priority. If a hero isn’t telling me his story, I don’t write him.
What are your essential items required for you to write a book?
Time. LOL. That’s the only truly essential item.
I like the PC, desk, proper light – and I love writing with a nice view, like the pond in my backyard or the lake at our summer house.
But always, the biggest essential is the time to dedicate to the writing.
You are re-releasing some older books with some pretty hot new covers! Any particular one that has a special place in your heart?
The publishers handle all that, including the covers. It’s no secret that I like hairy chests on my heroes, and Harlequin has been wonderful about providing that for new covers. Not so much for reissues. ;-) So none of the reissue covers really excite me, although readers certainly seem to enjoy them!
If you’re talking stories, I’m thrilled that the Buckhorn brothers are once again being reissued. It amazes me that they continue to stand the test of time. :)
What does a typical writing day for you look like?
Up by 5am, coffee, tend the animals (4 cats and 3 dogs) then answer the 200 plus emails that come in every day. Do any promo stuff (like this interview) that’s waiting in my inbox. I try to get on the treadmill for a bit. Then I light my favorite scented candles, crank up the playlist on my iPod, and start writing. Usually I start writing by 10 am and stick with it until 4pm or so – unless I’m under a tight deadline and then I work as late as necessary to get things done.
Since we were lucky enough to catch the men in your books around, we'd love to ask you a few things as well! If you could take your girl in the perfect vacation, where would it be?
Jackson: I’m partial to the lake, because then I can get Alani into her swimsuit... or maybe out of her swimsuit. When no one is around, yeah, I can usually talk her into skinny dipping. And more. With me, she’s not shy, and thank the good Lord, she’s not all that proper either. You know how exciting that is, knowing she’s all prim with others, but a sexual hedonist with me? I’m a lucky bastard, right? The luckiest.
What's the craziest thing you've done for her?
Dare: I killed for her. Hell, I’d kill for her again. But that’s not really crazy, is it? Molly’s so grounded, she doesn’t ask for anything crazy – but she knows whatever she needs, I’m there for her.
If you weren't out fighting bad guys, what would you like to do instead?
Trace: Have sex with my wife. Actually, do anything with my wife. Arguing with her is exhilarating. Talking with her is comfortable. Just... being with her is perfect, even when she makes me nuts, which she does on a regular basis. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What are your thoughts about the woman that writes your stories?
Spencer: I’m grateful to her. She brought Arizona to me, when I would have thought – did think – her totally unsuitable for me. Arizona is young, and her past is so tragic... but with all her quirks and difficulties and big heart, she’s the one thing that was missing from my life, when I didn’t know anything was missing.
Yeah, I’d say gratitude covers it.
Have You Met the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor??
Maidens, Lori Foster has a great giveaway for you. One lucky US maiden will win a T-shirt, a fan , an autographed copy of “When You Dare,” and other promo stash ;)
The tougher they are, the harder they fall…
Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.
Spencer first met Arizona while she was doing what she normally does best. In the middle of a bar fight while trying to uncover some human trafficking organization. They both have bad past history with that subject. Arizona was sold by her own father to a group that used her for prostitution. Spencer lost his wife to that same organization while she was at the wrong place at the wrong time and got killed.
Having taken care of the head of that group in the previous book, Arizona can't just sit around now and do nothing. She has found another bar that is running a similar group and wants to play bait. She knows Jackson would never approve so she enlists Spencers' help, or blackmails him, whichever way you want to look at it.
Spencer being older than her feels that his attraction to Arizona is something he should never act on it. Not only is she younger, but she's emotionally damaged and has a lot of issues. A lot of those issues sometimes made her a bit immature about certain things but that was part of her charm. She is a lot like a child still and Spencer was just the perfect guy to make her comfortable, to get her to trust again, and to allow herself to feel and to want. Spencer on the other hand
The suspense subplot was good and interesting, even though I did manage to figure out who the real bad guy was as soon as he showed up. It was also nice to see the whole gang working on this "case" and seeing a little bit more of their daily lives.
I think as a couple they are my second favorite, just because Jackson and Alani were just too awesome. But don't let fact that he was trying to be gentle with Arizona fool you, Spencer is packing a lot of heat, guns and otherwise.
"He couldn't discuss the size of his junk with her. Not ever."
"Got it. Well-lit, you in the dominant position - and plenty of laughs. Any other demands?"
How come I didn't know about this series by Lori Foster? Well, I really enjoyed this story, which is # 3 in the Watson Brothers, and believe me I'll go back and read the rest. It was cute, funny, sexy and hot. There's the girl next door, Cassidy, who's a bit of a tomboy, doesn't worry too much about how she dresses or what her hair looks like. She works with, and now lives next door to, hunky and to-die-for hot Pete Watson. They've been best friends for over a year, they have a great routine together, almost as if they're married, but it's not sexual between them. Until Pete decides that he wants it to be sexual. And of course, Cassidy had been drooling over him the whole time and torturing herself by being so close and not having him so she's all for the idea of them together. Pete was just too cute. The guy just had no clue sometimes about things and it was adorable to see him wonder how his charms might not be working on Cassidy. She's the girl with the plan of where her life is going and what kind of guy she wants to marry. And that guy is so not him. But maybe he can make the effort and be what he feels her ideal is. Or make her realize that she wants him instead as he is. Because he realizes he's been falling for her this whole time.
Miss Extreme Congeniality - 3.5 Stars
I'll tell you what with this Erin McCarthy story. It was hot! The sexual tension was there constantly BUT I was not sold on the heroine of the novel, nor was I sold on how quickly they "fell for each other". Let me explain. CJ and White are undercover cops on a case. They've been working this case for a while and she just hates his guts, she thinks he's a playboy chasing after skirts and has no respect for him as a person. But she wants him. Wyatt on the other hand seems to not have noticed her much, she gives off a very don't-mess-with-me vibe and he's kept his distance. So they haven't had a chance to even get to know each other in the slightest. Then one night while on assignment working at a party they decide to have sex. As a deal. She will go to Wyatts' house for an all-night sex-fest and then after that he will transfer to another city when they're done with the case. But it turns out that the wild night of passion turns into I love yous. But still a very hot story and an enjoyable read.
Last Call by Morgan Leigh - 3 Stars
Tess is a singer at a local bar in Justice, North Carolina. She's recently moved to the town (and I'm not telling you why). One night she catches the eye of a really good looking, if a bit rough and greasy at the moment, bad boy. Fletcher felt that connection, lust and need, at first sight. Recently divorced from his gold digging wife, he's still a bit careful with women but he can't not go after Tess that night. But he's keeping a secret from her. Tess and Fletcher definitely have sexual chemistry, but here's another I-love-you-the-morning-after-I-met-you situation. I think I would've been happier to see them have a happy for now ending to this story. Personal choice.
There are just no two ways about it, Jackson is HOT. On Fire. But I knew he would be since he first made an appearance in Trace of Fever. Damn, but that combination of total alpha male, possessive, trained, powerful, sexy, skilled and funny just worked for me!
We can tell there's an attraction between him and Alani (and I just loved that girl from the beginning of this series) and things came to the surface right before this book started. By the time we catch up with them (between Savor The Danger and Trace of Fever) they had been together. But not exactly how you would expect because it turns out Jackson had been drugged when it all happened and can't actually remember anything that happened except for the fact that when he awoke one morning he had a very naked and very satisfied Alani in bed with him.
So either someone is after her again or they're after him. Either way, his job now is to keep Alani safe until they figure out what's going on. In the meantime, these two get plenty of time to heat up the sheets...and the shower...and the lake....and, you get the picture.
Funniest thing to see was Trace being uncomfortable with the big brother talks with both Alani and Jackson, hilarious! And Jackson wasn't backing down or feeling any shame about ANYTHING.
In the end there's always another human trafficking Lord that needs to be taken down, and maybe a ghost from the past coming to haunt them all.
Jackson also has a bit of a secret. Arizona. This sets up the next book perfectly and I can't wait to get my paws all over that book (and all over Spence).
I think I need a moment to scream and let out all my frustration with this book. First of all we have a hot hero, Trace Rivers is so sexy and badass that when I first met him in book one I couldn't wait to read his book. Of course expecting something a bit larger than life. He's coming from just recently having rescued his sister from a human trafficking organization and now has made it his mission to put a stop to it.
Now in this book he's not really going after the guy that had taken his sister but a different baddie who is running the same type of op. He's infiltrated the organization and made himself a key, trusted player. All his plans get changed when a gorgeous woman saunters in and claims to be the big baddie's long lost daughter. But he knows she has ulterior motives to be here.
Priscilla is the product of her mother being taken by him and passed around, so she's not quite sure who her father is but what she does know is that she wants vengeance.
Now up to here you're thinking pretty good huh? Well... I thought it was a bit boring. No, not a bit, quite boring actually. Priscilla was annoying at times and Trace should've been, I don't know, more. I actually found myself more interested in any glimpses of Alani and Jackson (which I'm told their book is amazing!!).
I can only say so far I've been just a tad disappointed with this series and this book was very anti-climactic. But I still like the idea of the organization and I definitely like the characters of the next book so I'll be reading it soon. I'm just ready to be wowed!
This book starts up with suspense and action. Molly was kidnapped. Nobody in her family has been worried about her disappearance except her sister Natalie. So no one is looking for her. But she gets lucky when Dare goes into the house where she was being held in Tijuana to rescue his friend's sister, Alani.
He takes Molly back home with him, with all the good intentions of just taking care of her and returning her to her family. But he soon realizes that Molly's kidnap was different than Alani's. They didn't want her for human trafficking, someone wanted her out of the way. And they keep coming after her. Of course Dare won't allow anything to happen to her. First, because it's his job, then because he starts caring for Molly in ways he wasn't supposed to.
Dare is the perfect romantic suspense hero. He's big, hot, possessive, skilled, bad ass and will make your toe curls. I didn't think he's sudden change from "I can't be in a relationship because of my line of work" to "I'm falling for Molly and I want her to be in my life forever" made much sense. But I liked him throughout most of the book!
Molly is a very strong character, I really liked her, she has gone through so much and she still puts up a strong front, and keeps going. I mean, what can be worse than being kidnapped and abused (good thing she wasn't raped) and then find out the one that wanted you out was someone so close to you! So cuddos to her, and for going for what she wants (i.e. Dare).
The "bad guy" of the story was obvious to me at about 50% or so. And yes, I was right! Maybe I wasn't expecting quite the how or the rest of the details at the end, but it was a little predictable.
My one complaint about this book was that after they come back to her place the story starts dragging. Yes, it got a bit boring, not much was happening or happened very slow. I feel that if the book would've been a little shorter it would've kept a better pace.
But I am really excited to keep reading this series, it was entertaining, and I'm glad I tried the audiobook for it, even though I don't usually do audios for this genre. It's Jim Frangione! I love his voice! Moving on to book 2 soon.
Run the Risk
