I said it!  Gulp.  Now I need to make it all come together despite my sometimes insane life.  Book Three of the Weldon Brothers Series, HARD IRISH LUCK, will be out this month even if it takes me to the eleventh hour of the last day of the month.  I am going to get it done.  The kids may starve and the dog may languish.  I might get fired from my day job because I’ll be percolating hot steamy scenes all day and burning the midnight oil to get them written, but I vow to get the job done.  Now enough about me.

Let’s talk about Jared Weldon.  This hunky brother and identical twin is up next.  He’s been living the life of a hardcore bachelor but is about to get a knockout punch from Rocky McKenna.  It’s going to take more than good looks and a hard body to send this hard Irish woman over the edge.  Add in steamy nights, ragged emotions, heart-wrenching drama, and a killer and you’ll get what it takes for an explosive free fall into love.

Before we get to the excerpt I have another announcement that I hope will be great news to all.  The response to the Weldon Brothers Series has been so good that I’m asking myself why should it all end?  Once James’s book, HOT IRISH LASS, comes out, there are no more Weldon brothers of age and I’m not quite ready to bring the second generation into adulthood yet.  But I am more than ready to write about some sexy southern men.  So coming in December 2012 I will start my Southern Steam Series.  You won’t want to miss COCKTAIL COVE and YOU MUST see THE MAN who has agreed to be on the cover.  Tim Parrish who will be in NBC’s LOVE IN THE WILD Season Two Premiering this Tuesday Night, June 5th.  Tune in to watch and follow him on Twitter @timboparrish or facebook.com/timfparrish.  Tomorrow I will have an interview with him and debut the cover!

Hard Irish Luck

“I’m warning you now that you’ll be on your own for a bit, bro.  Before I leave here tonight, I’m getting that woman’s number or my name isn’t Weldon,” Jared said.

James raised a brow, looking more like his usual self than he had all day.  “Maybe I’d better take a second look at her.  I haven’t seen you this determined in a long time.”

“Look is all you can do.  She’s mine,” Jared muttered.  There was one negative to having an identical twin.  If a woman was attracted to one then odds were she’d be equally attracted to the other.  It always left a little doubt.

They’d lost their premium seat at the bar, much to Jared’s frustration and had to settle for a table across the room, which put a kink in his brow and had him grumbling at James over it.

“If you remember, the reason we’re here has nothing to do with picking up chicks for the night.  We’re supposed to be scouting out McKenna’s crew.”

“I said I was getting her number.  I didn’t say I was…have you even looked at her,” Jared glared at James.  “She’s so not that type.”

James spewed his beer mid-sip.  “You haven’t even spoken to her yet and you already know what type she is?  Come on, what’s gotten into you?  Do you hear yourself?”

Jared opened his mouth then shut it.  There wasn’t anything he could say.  There wasn’t any ration or reason to the vibe he got from her.  It just was and it bothered him James couldn’t see it.  Alan Jackson was crooning over the sound system about being in love with a woman whose name he didn’t even know.   

“I will warn you that you aren’t the only guy in the room focused on her,” James added.

“No dah.  There are ten staring at her play pool.”

“Not them.  That guy back there.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Jared’s hackles rose.  A man in the back corner was staring daggers at the woman.  It was more than obvious that he had a bone of ill content to pick with her.

“He’s looking like possession is the law and that he has every right to possess her.” James said.  “I don’t need any Beam-me-up-Scotty’s premonition to predict that.  Bad news is about to happen.”

The guy downed his drink and staggered to his feet.  Jared braced himself and turned his gaze on the woman.  He had to know what this guy meant to her and he had his answer the moment she caught sight of the guy heading her way.  Terror and anger.  She was afraid of the man approaching, but not too afraid to turn her back on him.

Jared watched as the woman tossed the cue onto the pool table and pointed her finger at the men around her, clearly accusing them of something.  They all stood, shaking their heads in denial.  Two of them moved toward the approaching man, who promptly shoved them aside.

Jared stood and James grabbed his arm.  “This isn’t your business.  Men get shot for sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.  Sit down.  She’s not alone.”

Two more men split from the group and went to head the guy off.  “Go home, Roan.  You weren’t invited and Rocky doesn’t want you here.”

“Stay out of it, Mack.  This is between me and her.”

“Afraid not.”  Mack moved to block the guy and that’s when the fight broke out.  The guy threw a punch, the Mack guy ducked, and the punch caught some biker dude upside the head.  It spread like wildfire.

“Shit.” James grabbed Jared’s arm again.  “Let’s get out of here.”

Jared pulled free.  “Not yet.  Cut off by the fray, he saw the woman backing into a corner and headed her way.  People shoved and hollered.  Beer bottles flew along with bar stools.  Women yelled and men shouted.   He knew she was tall but hadn’t quite realized how tall until he got closer.  Six foot at least.  She had her gaze focused on one man.  The man who’d started the fight.  The man who still looked bent on getting to her, but was happy to knock a few others out on the way first.

“Watch out!” Jared dove her way.  Wrapping his arms around her, he brought her crashing down with his best offensive tackle as a flying bar stool smashed into the wall where she’d been standing.   He grabbed the heart-shaped ass he so admired and twisted to take the brunt of the fall.  Splintered pieces of wood rained down on them.  

Jared’s pulse kicked up about ten notches.  Just an adrenaline rush.  It had nothing to do with the scorching feel of her long, lean but curved just-right body plastered to him or the thick-lashed, narrowed green eyes the color of spring clover staring at him.   Her curtain of dark hair fell about them, framing her face that could only be described as beautifully determined.  Sun-kissed skin glowed like warm honey and an even sweeter-looking, lush mouth softened her dominant nose, chin, and brow.  She smelled of citrus and coconuts, making him want to lick just to see if she tasted that way, too.

The fear was still in her eyes, along with surprise.

He gave her a reassuring smile.  “I don’t know who that jerk coming after you is, but I do know two things.  He doesn’t deserve to be in any universe you’re in.  And I’d do just about anything to take that fear out of your eyes.”  He slid his hands up from her delectable bottom to pull her tighter to his chest.  “Please tell me he isn’t your husband.”

She blinked at him a moment before she exhaled and whispered.  “Ex.  He’s my ex.”

He brushed back a wave of hair that had fallen across her face, it was like heavy silk.  “Best news I’ve heard all day.  I’ve half a mind to kiss you and show him you’ve moved on to bigger and better things.”

She arched a skeptical brow.  “I’ve lost my mind, because I’ve half a mind to let you.”

“Two halves make a whole,” Jared whispered.  He leaned up slowly, giving her plenty of time to back off before he claimed her full mouth.

Until tomorrow, Happy Reading and remember every day to DREAM, BELIEVE, CREATE, INSPIRE, LOVE, HEAL, and then you will know you have truly SUCCEEDED in life!

Love Jenni

The post Hard Irish Luck is Arriving in June! appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.

Plot & Characters:
An all consuming powerful story that shows the price we pay for the bonds that tie us to the lives of others and the power of the choices made by them.

This riveting story holds strong roots in the romance and love we search for in life, the love that Mari and Lt. Col. Roger Weston battle against and eventually for. We see it time and again serve as the bases of what makes us human, bringing us back from the brink of destruction. Tactical Deception is a masterfully crafted story with a message hidden in and around an action packed gut wrenching tale of horrific plots of terrorism and those that must step up to the plate to defend their country no matter the cost to themselves.

In book one we meet and follow a Delta Force Team through cracking a plot of terrorism set to unfold and destroy the lives of so many. Each member is shown to us through their actions to reach the end of what is going on; actions that offer us great insight into their character. Lives were saved, a family formed, but lives were also lost which leads us to the major romance plot in book two. In Tactical Deception we join up with them again as they deal with the aftermath of the fallout from the previous attack while trying to break through recently discovered terrorist cells already killing innocent people in America and gunning for the President while also weeding out the threat from the White Aryan Vipers Militia training Camp set on setting the balance straight again.

There are intense moments when you think everything is going to go south and other moments when you are cheering for whatever advancement the main hero and heroine make in reaching towards some kind of happiness between them. Then the author throws us in the deep end by showing us what’s going on in the minds of the antagonist, of which there are many. It’s a tangled web of deceit, family treachery and love. Love of friendship. Love of camaraderie between the men of the Delta force. And love between a man and a woman that just might beat all the odds stack against them. The road is a bloody one but so worth the fight when you reach the end. It will bring a tear to your eye and pull at your soul. It also sheds a ray of light on a people and culture that are misunderstood at times. The author definitely did her research for this series and it shows through the seamless story she has written.

To go into detail of how this book’s scenes unfold would be pointless in that you, as the reader, need to experience each moment for yourself to grasp the full concept and emotion buried within each page. It’s that intense. Ms. Saint, you’ve really outdone yourself. This is the blockbuster of military romantic suspense!

Writing:
True to her talent Ms. Saint has delivered a well written a story worthy of her title as a USA Today’s Bestselling author under her writing name Jennifer Saint [St.] Giles. Her ability to write with such depth and perception, smooth prose, fast paced action and hot loves scenes make on heck of a combination that delivers explosive stories that readers will never forget.

Summary:
Ms. Saint can write one hell of a military romantic suspense! I highly recommend this book, this series, THIS AUTHOR to readers that love to step into stories with heart and meaning. Not to mention hot heroes the heroines they fall in love with! Tactical Deception was just too good to put down and I want more! Here’s to hoping bad boy Corporal Rico Santana gets his story in the next installment in the Silent Warrior Series!

The post 5 Stars and a Reviewer Top Pick for Tactical Deception! appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all..”

Great stories bring hope to the heart and with every story I write, I strive to deliver that to my reader.  To give the hope of love.  To give the hope that good conquers evil.  To give the hope that there is light in the darkness, heroes in the battles, and healing to be found within the sharing of our hearts.

So secondly I realized that touching hearts is the true meaning of success for a writer, no matter what the financial gain may be.
All of which brings me to Mari and Roger, the heroine and hero of TACTICAL DECEPTION.  I hope they touch your heart.  Both of these characters have suffered through life-altering hurts and are struggling to find their way through pain, disillusionment and guilt.  The world events playing out around them amplify their internal conflicts and as they fight their way to save lives and keep the world from spinning into chaos, they discover the healing and forgiving power of love.

I hope that I have succeeded in writing a story that will speak to your heart and invite you to give TACTICAL DECEPTION a try.  But if a military romantic thriller isn’t where your heart lies, I invite you to give one of my other stories a try.

MIDNIGHT SECRETS, the first book in my Killdaren Series, a paranormal historical suspense was re-released in print this month.  Cassie Andrews steps beyond all propriety and safety when she goes undercover as maid into Sean Killdaren’s dark castle.  As she searches for the truth behind the disappearance of her cousin, her life and her heart are plunged into jeopardy.  She’s in a battle for her life and doesn’t know who to trust.  Especially the cursed Sean Killdaren.  He may be her darkest dream…or her most terrifying nightmare.

If you’re a new reader to my books, try one of my hot contemporaries or sexy historicals with great new covers now available on Kindle.  THE MISTRESS OF TREVELYAN, HIS DARK DESIRES, WILD IRISH RIDE, and SMOOTH IRISH SEDUCTION are all ready to whisk you away into the magic of story.

If you like what I’ve written then tell me the best way possible by posting an Amazon Review so others can read why!

Now back to TACTICAL DECEPTION!

Here is an excerpt of Roger and Mari.

Before the guilt of Neil’s death could get another strangling hold on him, Roger marched to his bedroom door. He couldn’t effectively take care of Mari if she hid herself from him. Something had to change. He knocked on the door.

No answer.

He knocked harder.

Still no answer. Worried now, he opened the door. “Mari?”

Light from the bathroom highlighted her figure at the window. She stood minus her abaya and hijab—her black gown and head scarf. She wore a long tunic over slim pants, a vision of cream-colored silk and ebony hair that fell well below her waist. Gold leaves embroidered the collar, sleeves and hems of her outfit. The effect was delicate, exotic, almost ethereal.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she had her hands pressed to her abdomen, to the child growing within her.

“Are you hurting? Is it the baby? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“No. The baby is fine. No pain.”

Relief had his blood rushing with dizzying force, leaving him almost light-headed and his chest tightened into a knot. Emotion, pain, and desire sucker punched him in the gut and below. What kind of low-bellied dick was he?

The lowest he decided. He couldn’t stop his heated arousal in response to her beauty, but he damn well could ignore it and remember with every shred of decency he had in him that if it wasn’t for him, Neil would be with Mari right now and none of the shit that had happened to her lately would have occurred.

She stood frozen a moment then turned, reaching for her black gown.

“Don’t. Please don’t hide from me.” His voice escaped in a harsh rasp.

She paused, looking at him, her hand resting on her heavy gown. Her golden eyes were wide with…fear?

He covered the distance between them.

“Are you afraid of me?” Their gazes met and she lowered hers.

He knew before he slid his thumb under her chin how soft her skin was. Just weeks ago, he’d lost his restraint and kissed her tear-dampened cheeks after Dugar had taken a shot at her outside the hospital. That night he’d held her bandaged hand as she’d restlessly slept between nightmares. And until helping her up from the street today, it was the last time he’d touched her.

He clasped her hand resting on her gown and brought it to his chest, placing her palm firmly over his racing heart. Her gaze reconnected with his and he asked her again. “Are you afraid of me?”

“No,” she whispered before shutting her eyes and pulling her hand away.

She said no, but he swore he saw fear swirling in her conflicted expression.

“Why then? Why didn’t you tell me how bad things were for you? I could have helped or gotten you help. And why didn’t you tell me about the shooting lessons? I would have arranged for them. Made sure you were safe.”

“You would have?” She blinked at him with surprise. “But you were adamant about me not leaving the post for any reason. Not even to go with Holly to the store in Fayetteville.”

“Going to a shoe sale in a crowded mall is different than going to a gun range. Besides, learning to protect yourself is more important than buying shoes.” Roger raked his fingers through his hair. He remembered the conversation they’d had a few weeks back. And yeah, he’d been pretty strong in his objections about them going to the mall. But then, someone had been calling in bomb threats at that time too. It had been three weeks after Dugar’s attempts to kill her and Roger would have bet money Dugar was behind the threats. He hadn’t told Mari about any of it though. He hadn’t wanted her to worry. Only to heal.

She frowned at him as if he’d grown horns. “What?” he asked. Had he said something wrong?

“So what does that mean? I am not supposed to do something, but if it’s something you approve of then it is all right to do it?”

Hell. She made him sound as if he were a bipolar prison guard. He counted to ten, hoping to ease his frustration, but it didn’t work. “No. Well, sometimes, maybe, yes. I mean—” Tension knotted his brow. What did he mean? Couldn’t she see the difference between the two outings? “We can discuss the details later. I just need to know why you couldn’t tell me about the anxiety you’re having and that you wanted to learn self-defense.”

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

Roger opened his mouth then shut it. He’d kept things from her for the same reason, but this was different. She’d put herself in both physical and mental jeopardy. Then again, hadn’t he set himself as her prison guard as opposed to a bodyguard? Had he done anything personal to put her at ease enough to be able to share her anxiety with him? No, he’d let his guilt and his need to avoid his attraction to her keep her at a cold, formal distance.

He had to change. “You can’t do that anymore. From now on, no matter what you want to do, just tell me and whether I like it or not, I will help you do it, okay? It is the only way I can assure your safety.”

“That’s it? If I want to go buy shoes then you’ll take me?”

He exhaled. “Yes. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to voice my opinion on whether it’s a smart thing to do or not. And if I really think something is too dangerous then I expect you to respect my serious concerns. This isn’t a forever state of affairs. It’s just until Dugar is caught, then you’ll be your own woman, okay?”

Her own woman? Did she even know who she was? Mari looked up at Roger, her heart racing so fast she could barely think.  A few moments ago, she’d been staring out at the purple-red sunset, wondering how she could face Roger.  She’d done exactly what he’d told her not to do and it had turned out so badly.  She’d been sickened over how miserably she’d failed in establishing any shred of independence.  Her worst fears about herself had come true. She’d had a total panicked meltdown. She’d been thrust back into the darkness of what had happened in Afghanistan. She’d hit the bottom and was surprised that she’d survived it all. Her pride was bruised, but she was okay.

Now she was not only facing Roger but… she stood alone with him, in his bedroom, wearing only her tunic and pants and she wasn’t embarrassed or shamed.  She wanted this familiarity between them.

He wasn’t as mad as she thought he would be either.

It wasn’t as if her choosing to leave the post didn’t matter. She could see that he was clearly upset and worried about her. But it wasn’t how she’d thought it would be. Her father would have—

Roger wasn’t her father. Never would be. But he wasn’t the easygoing teddy bear Neil had been either. In some ways Roger was like a fierce warrior. Dangerous and remote. She’d seen the deadly anger in his eyes when it came to Dugar. She had no doubt that Roger would kill Dugar with his bare hands if he had to. She’d also seen a haunted darkness in him too. Roger had deep secrets that she instinctively knew he’d never let another person near.

Neil had been different. There wasn’t a part of him he didn’t openly share with her. It wasn’t that he didn’t keep information from her. There were things about his job he couldn’t tell her and things she would never ask him. But his soul and heart had wrapped warmly around her as accepting and loving as a puppy. He’d never said anything to curtail what she did, but then, she’d never ventured beyond the strictures of her upbringing. It was two years before he could talk her into going to the store alone.

It wasn’t until she met Holly that Mari started thinking about doing things outside of the rules, about getting an education, a job, learning to shoot a gun, and yes, one of those things was standing without her abaya before a man who wasn’t her husband, her brother or her father. A man who said she could be her own woman? What did that mean?

“Okay?” Roger angled his head to look into her eyes as he set his hands on her shoulders.

She nodded. Her tongue was tied in the gratefulness clogging her throat and in the fire burning through her senses at his heated touch. He’d made this whole big problem and the fiasco of the day all so simple. So easy to let go of and move forward. At least she thought he had. Currently her mind reeled, making coherent thought debatable. His nearness and intensity had her blood racing places her mind couldn’t go yet.

He released her and stepped back. “Hungry?”

“Yes.” She drew in a much-needed breath of air. She thought about grabbing her abaya and putting it on now. Considering the way he made her feel, it would be safer.

“What do you want to eat for dinner?” He started walking out of the bedroom, but his gaze fell on the rumpled bed and she cringed. It looked as if a tornado had struck it; she’d tossed and turned so much.

She rushed over to straighten the bedcovers. “Whatever you want will be fine.”

She didn’t dare look at him. What he must think. He’d loaned her his bed and she couldn’t even leave it neat. Leaning forward with her knees against the mattress, she fixed the blanket and threw the pillows back up to the headboard. She stood back quickly and hit a hard, hot body—an unmistakably aroused, hard, hot, male body. His arm wrapped around her when she teetered with surprise and a visceral shock wave of want hit her hard.

Thank you for reading today and I hope to hear from you!

Remember every day to Dream, Believe, Create, Inspire, Love, Heal

Jenni

The post Open the Flood Gates! appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.