Plans

I will soon be meeting with some highly creative ladies with huge hearts and a daring vision for the charity I am involved with. Rising Phoenix Charitable Foundation currently supports The Shade Tree in Las Vegas Nevada and Angels Of East Africa.  So if you have a spare prayer or two, please ask God to financially bless these needy causes.

On a lighter note and to make a long story short, due to a suitcase mix-up, I had the opportunity to visit a movie set a while back and will be going to the TV set of a popular show this fall, so I am looking forward to that.  Will post a picture or two if I can!

My current writing dreams are ambitious, but as I always say, shoot for the stars in the universe and you may end up with the moon!  Things you can look forward to are:

Aerik the Enternal:Point of No Return by Jennifer St. Giles  Book One of the Crimson Thorn Series.

Unleash the Past by Jennifer St. Giles Book One of the Blackshadow Bodyguards Series

Cocktail Cove by Jennifer Saints Book One of the Southern Steam Series

Bewitching the Wolf, Book Five of the Shadowmen Series.

And a the first in the Covenant Conspiracies, a Steampunk Series.

The only way any book gets written in one day at a time, one page at a time, so wish me well, I am so eager to finish all of these stories.

Now for an excerpt from Hard Irish Luck

The world wouldn’t end if he kissed her again.  Tonight.   All she had to do was walk down the stairs…

Rocky didn’t give herself time to question.  She put her feet in motion and tip-toed downstairs, though marching would have fit her mood better.  She was still sane enough to consider that he might have taken pain medication and might be asleep.  Rounding the corner into the living room, she found the couch empty and searched the shadows for Jared, then gasped.

He stood at the French doors, looking at the backyard.  He wore only a pair of form fitting boxer briefs and the hard-shelled boot strapped to his leg.  His crutches were back at the couch, so he’d already gone against his brother’s advice to keep weight off of his injury.  Somehow that didn’t surprise her.

What did take her breath away was the sight of him.  Every lean inch of him was honed and tanned to perfection.  He dropped the curtain and turned to face her.  His broad shoulders and rippled abs made her weak in the knees, but it was the want in his gaze that did her in.  It was as raw and edgy as her need, only sharper.

The hungry predator had found his juicy prey.    Had she actually thought she could share another roll-on-the-floor rock-her-world kiss and escape unscathed?

Rethink time.  “I came to see if you’re all right.”  She moved over to the couch and picked up his crutches, planning to take them to him.  “You should be using these.”

He didn’t wait, but moved her way—faster than she thought possible.    He reached her.  “They’d only be in the way of this.”

She didn’t have a chance to breathe before he caught her in his arms and planted his mouth on hers, instantly hot and demanding.    She opened to him, meeting the thrust of his tongue with hers, groaning deep from within as her starving senses found succor for her every want.  His tongue tangled with hers, leading her in a seductive dance unlike any other.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against his supple heat and burning erection.  She pressed her palms to his chest, half thinking to stem the flooding tide, but then went crazy in a quest to feel and know his every contour.  His muscles rippled as he shuddered at her touch.

Happy Reading!

Jennifer St. Giles/Jennifer Saints/ JL Saint

The post Hard Irish Luck is available now! appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.

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.

I am a writer who loves story, no matter the genre and have my heart in the past, present, and the future.  So I hope you get the chance to enjoy all of my novels because they are coming at you in a Big Way in 2012.

First up is new hope for my beloved gothics!  The Mistress of Trevelyan and His Dark Desires (The Trevelyan Series) are now available on Kindle.  Classic mystery and romance set in the demure, but sexy Victorian Age, where women emerged from the confines of culture and society to take control of their lives.  I grew up loving Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, and Phyllis A. Whitney and love the tale of a romance wrapped up in a murder mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Samhain Publishing re-released Midnight Secrets and Darkest Dreams, the first two books of my Killdaren Series, sexy gothics with a touch of the paranormal.  Book three, Silken Shadows will be re-released in July of 2012.

In January, my scorching hot Weldon Brothers Series will get a new look.  So be on the watch for Jesse in Wild Irish and Jackson in Smooth Irish.  If you’ve never had a taste of a Southern Bad Boy Romance then you are definitely missing something good.

In February heart-pounding suspense and romance will take center stage with the release of my military thriller, Tactical Deception.  Roger and Mari plunge headfirst into a terrorist plot that is tearing the heart out of America.  This is the much awaited sequel to and I am so excited to be starting off 2012 with this no holds barred race into danger and love.

There’s more!  But I will save news about Tales from the Dark Domain: Aerik the Eternal, Bewitching the Wolf (Shadowmen Series Book 5), and Hot Irish (Weldon Brothers Series Book 3) for later!

Thanks to all who email me your support and post reviews.  I can’t tell you how much your words encourage me.  You give me hope.

Bring on the New Year!  And never give up on your dreams.  Remember every day to Dream, Believe, Create, Inspire, Love, and Heal.

Jenni

The post New Year! New Start! New Hope! appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.

Collateral Damage

Author: J.L. Saint

Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy Romance, Post-Apocalyptic

Reviewed by: Night Owl Reviews – by Talina

PERSONAL SUMMARY:

Lauren is caught in the crossfire of her ex-husbands betrayal and deceit that is stained with terrorism against his country. Lauren has no idea of the hell about to be unleashed on her. She has only one chance at proving she had nothing to do with her ex-husbands wrong doings against her country. That one chance is in the form of one Delta Force leader. With assassins hot on her trail, Lauren will have to think fast on her feet to help save herself and her twin sons. She’ll also have to work hard to keep her heart intact and closed to one sexy as hell Jack Hunter if she survives the trained killers that is.

SUMMARY: (taken from the publisher’s site)

One thing makes Jack Hunter invaluable to his Delta Force Team. The same trait that makes him suck at relationships. Single-minded focus on his career—and honing his ability to never miss a kill.

After a terrorist missile devastates his team and leaves him with only partial memory of a

a FUBARed rescue mission, he retains only one clear picture no one believes: the last face in his gunsight belonged to a prestigious American businessman. The man’s wife has to know something, but the only way to get to her is go AWOL.

After her husband trades his family to tango with double-Ds, Lauren Collins decides her dogs are better judges of character. She’s unaware how far her soon-to-be-ex’s web of deceit reaches—until the only thing between her, her sons and a killer is a wounded Delta soldier who activates her sorely neglected X-chromosome like nobody’s business.

Their instant attraction is kryptonite to Jack’s injury-dulled edge. Thrust into a world of peril, political treachery and treason, Lauren has no choice but to trust Jack with her life. Even if she and her sons survive, she’s not sure her heart will…

Contains a warrior who doesn’t hesitate to lay his body on the line, more than one emotional love story to tug at your heart, and chaos at Chuck E. Cheese.

FIRST LINE:

Pink Floyd’s “Time” hammered through Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter’s brain as he tightened his grip on the treadmill and ran harder, his heart pounding, his lungs burning.

PLOT:

Collateral Damage was one hell of a ride! One minute you just know what will happen only to have your know it all readers mind get a jolt of adrenaline from the plot twists you never saw coming. From cover to cover there was not one page that didn’t have you wanting to know what happened next. The author definitely paid attention to the plot points and threads, making sure they weaved seamlessly together to form a wonderful tale of manipulation, secrecy, betrayal and to top it all off – love. She also delved into the meaning of the two most haunting words I have ever read Collateral Damage. If you think about it, those two words can describe so much of what people are suffering and living through right now. While showing there is a price to pay for every action that is taken, the author also pointed out the one thing that is over looked at times – the feeling of being alive, the joy of falling in love, the joy of our children, the steel nerves of determination to not allow our freedom to be taken or our lives to be interrupted. And in my opinion she did a fabulous job of showing the excitement of life through her story. Ms. Saint has written a book that I hope leads to several more to come.

SETTING:

Collateral Damage takes place in the present day. Lauren and Jack’s story starts out in Washington D.C. then moves between Georgia, North Carolina, Dubai and a secluded reserve located in a section of the Peruvian Amazon Rain forest.

WRITING:

Ms. Saint has such a fabulous and strong voice. She lavishes her stories with the grit and truth that makes the story stick with you long after you’ve read the book. I loved her books under her other name, Jennifer St. Giles, and I will definitely be looking for her J.L. Saint books in the future.

CHARACTERS:

Lauren Collins brought a life force to the story that had me riveted to everything happening in the story. She showed a strength within her that made me stop and question how I would respond to the life threatening situations she was plunged into with her twin sons in tow. To follow her through the story and to ‘see’ her fall for the wounded warrior, a man that risked everything to help protect her from being collateral damage to her ex-husbands actions was an emotional journey. Her actions and beliefs in life have changed how I see my own life. And I admit, it is not often that a character can be so well written that they influence me enough to take a step back and consider my own inner beliefs and thoughts.

Jack was the perfect counterpart to Lauren. His soul is tormented and in need of someone strong enough to help him heal. His Delta Team is in need of a leader that is whole enough to lead them and Jack ‘DT’ Hunter is determined to be that leader once again. I won’t say anything else because I would be to tempted to spoil the book for you. Be warned though, DT is one sexy-as-hell warrior that will whisk your heart away!

Ms. Saint also did an excellent job in writing the antagonist. He’s a unique character with a twisted desire to only preserve the world for his son. BUT, you’ll have to read the book to find out just how sick, twisted and somewhat genius he really is. The depth of conflict and the supporting characters provide an exhilarating emotional ride, a story that is simply a must read.

LAST THOUGHTS:

After reading Collateral Damage I couldn’t help but stop and think about my own actions in life. Ms. Saint has brought to my attention just how blessed a life I live. This book has gone to my must keep pile and I look forward to reading the Silent Warrior series as each new book comes out. I also look forward to revisiting Jack and Lauren for another read soon!

The post Top Pick Review for Collateral Damage appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.

Lightning briefly illuminated the strong curve of his stubble-rough jaw, devilish smile, and raven’s wing hair whipping in the wind. Damn, the man had no right to look so sexy in the middle of hell. He stripped off his black leather jacket, pushed her umbrella aside, and leaned in close.

“You bait a nice hook, sugar.”

“You. You Peeping Tom!” Her search for something sophisticated and deadly to say fizzled as ridiculous.

“Careful. You’re giving me ideas for a new profession.”

She didn’t have a chance to reply before his leather jacket descended over her head and his strong arm encircled her.

“Tell me how sorry I am later, sugar.” He plucked the inverted umbrella from her, popped it back right, and held it before them as he propelled them toward the back door of the yacht club, not the least daunted by the storm’s fury. But then, Nan didn’t think much got past Jackson’s thick wall. She gritted her teeth, irritated. Both the timing of Jackson’s appearance and the man were too welcome for her peace of mind.

She tingled from the heat of his arm about her, the feel of his lean, hard body next to her, and the tangy scent of musk and leather enveloping her.

“Here we go.” He hustled her into a lit hallway.

Anxious to rid herself of his scent, she slid off his coat. Cool air assaulted, making her too aware of the heat from his body behind her, touching her, like he’d said on the phone.

Can’t you feel me? I’m right up against you. Feel the heat? My hands on you… my mouth.

She shivered. The creamy watered silk walls, crown molding, and plush carpet contrasted sharply with her soggy, bedraggled state and she turned to face him, feeling like a swamp rat. He’d moved closer and her chest landed smack up against his hot, very male one.

“Where are we?” Drawing back, she teetered, dropping his coat.

“Backstage of the ballroom and just where we need to be.” He grinned and settled his hands on her hips. When he spoke, his deep voice rumbled right to her core and set off a series of delicious quakes. “It’s been a while, sugar. A long while. You hung up too soon last week. We didn’t get to the good part.”

Nan tried to stop the quakes of desire from spreading by clenching her stomach muscles. It didn’t help. Jackson let his shoulders rest on the door behind him and drew her between his jeans-clad, booted legs. She didn’t have to look to know how his jeans fit or how his leather boots gleamed. Not a thing about his dark Irish looks and southern bad boy manners had changed.

“Yes, a long while,” she whispered past the lump in her throat. A droplet of water ran down her cheek, dripped onto her breastbone, and slithered between her breasts. Jackson’s gaze followed its path, heated, then lingered. Nan looked down. Her halter-top gown lay plastered to her body like skin, the wet silk clearly defining the rise of her breasts and nipples. Something about her dress, besides the wet, was off, but the hot missiles firing at her erogenous zones scrambled her brain cells and she couldn’t figure it out.

She slammed her eyes shut. Surely, this had to be another one of her fantasies. Any minute she would wake up and find herself alone, writing in her secret black book.

“Way too long,” he growled, sliding his hands from her hips to cup the fullness of her bottom. Nan opened her eyes to the pure sexual intensity in his. Nope, not a fantasy. He was as potent, and as real as it got. He wanted her and she wanted him. Not a problem.

The problem was what came after the bedroom. She wasn’t about to get involved with a man going nowhere. He lived his life by whim; she lived hers by a plan. She had goals; she was going somewhere in life and he wasn’t budging from the comfortable hole he’d dug.

Any second he would kiss her. Desire sizzled up her spine and overrode rational thought. One more kiss wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Now that you have read the description let’s have a little fun with my fictional heroes. The lucky ladies who have read the stories might have a bit of an advantage because they have a good idea what my heroes look like…everywhere. For those who haven’t read the stories, don’t worry, just imagine what the rest of my hero looks like.

Here’s the challenge. You’ve just inherited your long lost relative’s business in Hollywood. This book is being made into a movie. Below are the actors you have to choose from to be the hero of this story. Which one would you choose and why?
Bon appetit!

The post Jackson Weldon as described by Nan Miller appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.

The question is one I am sure all of us have asked many times about a number of things. If you are Michelle Pfeiffer then you know a murdering Harrison Ford is lurking beneath the surface of your suburban life. If you are the rock group, Breaking Benjamin, then you’re searching beneath a twisted smile in a Dear Agony Album. If you are a Criminal Minds’ BAU star then you’re deep into the hidden horrors of a killer’s psyche. And LOL if you happen to be in the Highlands with bagpipes then perhaps you are staring at Loch Ness wondering if the legendary monster really lives beneath the murky waves.

In some way we all wonder what lies beneath the surface of what we see. What truths lie beneath the headlines of a gripping news story or an explosive scandal? Finding the answers to that question is never easy because life if not black and white, and there are a multitude of layers coloring the answers.

So, whenever I sit down and write a book, I always ask myself “What lies beneath?” What lies beneath, the façade of a character? The dynamics of the plot? The world in which the story is set? The answers I find often reach into the very heart of the story I tell. When I settled on the title of Collateral Damage, the first book in my Silent Warrior Series, I was drawn to explore the deeper meanings beneath phrase that had been born from war.

The military defines collateral damage as “[the] unintentional damage or incidental damage affecting facilities, equipment, or personnel, occurring as a result of military actions directed against targeted enemy forces or facilities. Such damage can occur to friendly, neutral, and even enemy forces. Since its inception, collateral damage has come to mean so much more and is now applied to many areas of life.

Put simply, every action a person takes has intent, something they are trying to accomplish, and ninety-nine percent of the time there is a world of unintentional consequences as a result of that action.

In my story, Jack Hunter, Lauren Collins and her twin sons are victims of collateral damage, and not just in regards to the injuries Jack suffers on a military mission in Lebanon. Lauren and her sons’ lives are torn apart by the decisions made by her soon to be ex. It is a stark fact in life that all of us are affected by the collateral damage from the choices other people make. And others are damaged by the choices we make, too. As Lauren and Jack realize this in their lives, they also learn from each other one very important thing. How they deal with the fallout of the collateral damage is what determines the quality of their future.

Can you see this in your own life?

Now that I likely went too deep, let me tell you that my Silent Warrior Series are romantic thrillers featuring military heroes and heroines with extraordinary hearts. Book one, Collateral Damage came out in December. The story starts two weeks after Jack has been seriously wounded on a FUBAR mission in Lebanon. Jack sees the picture of prominent American businessman, Bill Collins, on the news as having died yesterday in Brazil. Jack’s sketchy memory is telling him he killed Collins in Lebanon two weeks ago but nobody believes Jack.

Jack leaves the hospital and goes AWOL to uncover the truth. Instead of answers, he gets assassins, more questions, and a terrorist plot that threatens to ignite a world war. As he fights to keep Lauren, Bill’s estranged widow and her twin sons alive, he lays more than his life on the line and stands to lose everything when the truth behind Bill’s death comes to light.

Meet Jack “DT” Hunter…

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death…

Pink Floyd’s “Time” hammered through Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter’s brain as he tightened his grip on the treadmill and ran harder, his heart pounding, his lungs burning. Rage tinged with fear made for a potent Power Bar that fueled his drive. Sweat poured from his brow and his body screamed for relief, but he couldn’t stop. Not yet. His vision dimmed, and President Anderson’s address on the overhead TV calling for a swift but rational retaliation to al-Qaeda’s latest attack became nothing but a blur in his mind.

Life often hinged on the details, those seemingly insignificant microscopic events that most people trampled over obliviously. He’d trained to notice the details and to remember them. Yet no matter how hard he tried, his memory of the mission in Lebanon remained a kaleidoscope of combat images and one man’s mocking blue eyes…Jack clenched his teeth against the rising pain inside him. He took being team leader to heart both on and off the battlefield. The mission and his men were his responsibility. Rico, Pecos and Neil were his Delta brothers, and it killed him that he could only remember bits and pieces of what happened.

They’re here, DT. They’re alive! Will Taylor’s—aka Pecos—distorted voice echoed in Jack’s mind, sucking him down a long tunnel of fragmented memories… Suddenly Jack’s head jerked back as his headphones were snatched off and Lt. Col. Roger Weston, his Delta Team commander, whom the teams called Commander Weston because anything less didn’t fit his hard-edged charisma, got in his face. “Son of a bitch, DT. Are you trying to kill yourself?”

Jlsaint.com

You can read the full excerpt and for a chance to win an ARC email to jlsaintwrites@yahoo.com and tell me how you would choose for Lauren and Jack to meet each other for the first time.

Buy it today on Amazon Collateral Damage: Silent Warrior, Book 1
Look for Collateral Damage in print on 11/1/11.
Look for Book Two of the Silent Warrior Series, Tactical Deception to be released November 2011.
Enjoy the story and huge thanks to Pink Fuzzy Slippers for having me today.
JL Saint aka Jennifer St. Giles

The post What Lies Beneath? appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.

Night Owl Reviews

PERSONAL SUMMARY:

Lauren is caught in the crossfire of her ex-husbands betrayal and deceit that is stained with terrorism against his country. Lauren has no idea of the hell about to be unleashed on her. She has only one chance at proving she had nothing to do with her ex-husbands wrong doings against her country. That one chance is in the form of one Delta Force leader. With assassins hot on her trail, Lauren will have to think fast on her feet to help save herself and her twin sons. She’ll also have to work hard to keep her heart intact and closed to one sexy as hell Jack Hunter if she survives the trained killers that is.

SUMMARY: (taken from the publisher’s site)

One thing makes Jack Hunter invaluable to his Delta Force Team. The same trait that makes him suck at relationships. Single-minded focus on his career—and honing his ability to never miss a kill.

After a terrorist missile devastates his team and leaves him with only partial memory of a FUBARed rescue mission, he retains only one clear picture no one believes: the last face in his gunsight belonged to a prestigious American businessman. The man’s wife has to know something, but the only way to get to her is go AWOL.

After her husband trades his family to tango with double-Ds, Lauren Collins decides her dogs are better judges of character. She’s unaware how far her soon-to-be-ex’s web of deceit reaches—until the only thing between her, her sons and a killer is a wounded Delta soldier who activates her sorely neglected X-chromosome like nobody’s business.

Their instant attraction is kryptonite to Jack’s injury-dulled edge. Thrust into a world of peril, political treachery and treason, Lauren has no choice but to trust Jack with her life. Even if she and her sons survive, she’s not sure her heart will…

Contains a warrior who doesn’t hesitate to lay his body on the line, more than one emotional love story to tug at your heart, and chaos at Chuck E. Cheese.

FIRST LINE:

Pink Floyd’s “Time” hammered through Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter’s brain as he tightened his grip on the treadmill and ran harder, his heart pounding, his lungs burning.

PLOT:

Collateral Damage was one hell of a ride! One minute you just know what will happen only to have your know it all readers mind get a jolt of adrenaline from the plot twists you never saw coming. From cover to cover there was not one page that didn’t have you wanting to know what happened next. The author definitely paid attention to the plot points and threads, making sure they weaved seamlessly together to form a wonderful tale of manipulation, secrecy, betrayal and to top it all off – love. She also delved into the meaning of the two most haunting words I have ever read Collateral Damage. If you think about it, those two words can describe so much of what people are suffering and living through right now. While showing there is a price to pay for every action that is taken, the author also pointed out the one thing that is over looked at times – the feeling of being alive, the joy of falling in love, the joy of our children, the steel nerves of determination to not allow our freedom to be taken or our lives to be interrupted. And in my opinion she did a fabulous job of showing the excitement of life through her story. Ms. Saint has written a book that I hope leads to several more to come.

SETTING:

Collateral Damage takes place in the present day. Lauren and Jack’s story starts out in Washington D.C. then moves between Georgia, North Carolina, Dubai and a secluded reserve located in a section of the Peruvian Amazon Rain forest.

WRITING:

Ms. Saint has such a fabulous and strong voice. She lavishes her stories with the grit and truth that makes the story stick with you long after you’ve read the book. I loved her books under her other name, Jennifer St. Giles, and I will definitely be looking for her J.L. Saint books in the future.

CHARACTERS:

Lauren Collins brought a life force to the story that had me riveted to everything happening in the story. She showed a strength within her that made me stop and question how I would respond to the life threatening situations she was plunged into with her twin sons in tow. To follow her through the story and to ‘see’ her fall for the wounded warrior, a man that risked everything to help protect her from being collateral damage to her ex-husbands actions was an emotional journey. Her actions and beliefs in life have changed how I see my own life. And I admit, it is not often that a character can be so well written that they influence me enough to take a step back and consider my own inner beliefs and thoughts.

Jack was the perfect counterpart to Lauren. His soul is tormented and in need of someone strong enough to help him heal. His Delta Team is in need of a leader that is whole enough to lead them and Jack ‘DT’ Hunter is determined to be that leader once again. I won’t say anything else because I would be to tempted to spoil the book for you. Be warned though, DT is one sexy-as-hell warrior that will whisk your heart away!

Ms. Saint also did an excellent job in writing the antagonist. He’s a unique character with a twisted desire to only preserve the world for his son. BUT, you’ll have to read the book to find out just how sick, twisted and somewhat genius he really is. The depth of conflict and the supporting characters provide an exhilarating emotional ride, a story that is simply a must read.

LAST THOUGHTS:

After reading Collateral Damage I couldn’t help but stop and think about my own actions in life. Ms. Saint has brought to my attention just how blessed a life I live. This book has gone to my must keep pile and I look forward to reading the Silent Warrior series as each new book comes out. I also look forward to revisiting Jack and Lauren for another read soon!

The post Collateral Damage Review – Night Owl Reviews appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.

Collateral Damage

The first book in J.L. Saint’s new Silent Warrior series is a military romantic suspense thriller with enough heart-stopping action and heart-pounding passion to keep me riveted to the pages from beginning to end. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

The most danger Lauren Collins faces on a daily basis is breaking up squabbles between her five-year-old twin sons. Since her ex-husband left her eighteen months earlier for rotating flavors of the month, the single mom from Atlanta has devoted herself to her children, steering clear of men since it’s obvious that her two dogs are much better judges of character than she is, but that all changes on the boys’ birthday when a mysterious letter from her ex-husband arrives from Brazil. Thrust into the middle of a terrorist plot that could bring the world to war, this unassuming mom finds herself and her sons targeted by paid assassins, a wounded soldier she’s not sure she should trust appears to be her only hope for survival and she wonders if she ever knew her ex-husband at all!

Wounded during a mission gone awry in Lebanon, Delta Force soldier, Jack Hunter is recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center when he’s shocked to see a photo of prominent Atlanta businessman, Bill Collins on television. The reports say Collins was killed in Brazil the night before but Jack knows he shot and killed Collins during a rescue mission gone awry in Lebanon two weeks earlier. The problem is Collins’ body disappeared from Lebanon, Jack’s memories of the mission are fuzzy and nobody else believes the businessman was really there. The facts don’t add up. Jack leaves the hospital and heads for Atlanta to find the man’s wife but, instead of answers, he only finds more questions and a woman who brings his body, and heart, to life. But with more than one bad guy after them, will they live long enough to explore the attraction between them? And, if they do survive, will Lauren ever be able to forgive him for taking the life of her sons’ father?

Saint (who also writes as Jennifer St. Giles) wrote the proposal for this book prior to 9/11 but the story could be ripped from the headlines of the world in which we live today. An environmentalist discovers a “super fuel” then uses terrorist tactics to set nation against nation, hoping to bring about a world war that will see him emerging as the supreme power at the end. Using this as the basis of the story, Saint then brings the action down to a personal, intimate level by showing us what happens to ordinary people who are the collateral damage (impacted by) of the actions of others – a terrorist, the government, an ex-husband – and the extraordinary measures those people take to save themselves and the people they love. As Jack realizes toward the end of the book…

In one way or another Jack realized that everyone experienced collateral damage from the fallout of life. What determined the result was all in how a person viewed themselves and conquered the obstacles.

With Jack and Lauren, Saint has given us a courageous soldier who believes he has nothing to offer a woman in a relationship and an unassuming mom who finds a hidden well of strength and courage that she never imagined she had. (It isn’t hard to identify with a mom whose children are threatened.) She surrounds them with an intriguing cast of secondary characters that help propel the story without overshadowing the lead characters of this book but leave the reader excited about reading each of their stories. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of them better and am especially eager to learn more about Roger and Mari.

I’ve enjoyed previous offerings from Jennifer St. Giles but I really think she’s found her niche writing romantic suspense thrillers as J.L. Saint. I highly recommend this book!

~PJ at The Romance Dish

The post Collateral Damage Review – The Romance Dish appeared first on USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer St. Giles.