Knowing Gold

THE SON HE NEVER KNEW

Delta Secrets Book 2

Harlequin Super Romance

ISBN: 037371744X

He's served his country and now Chase Reed is ready to serve his hometown. As sheriff, he can give back to the people who helped him and reconnect with his old friends. Landing in the middle of an incident between Jessica Keller and her ex, however, is definitely not how Chase imagined reconnecting with her. Even with all the time and experience between them, he has never forgotten their night together.  

But things are different now. Jess has a son. Despite the crazy attraction they share, Chase isn't ready to be a father. He might not have a choice, though. Because when she reveals the truth, he has to step up and be the man his son needs. 

THE ONE SHE LEFT BEHIND

Delta Secrets Book 1

Harlequin Super Romance

ISBN: 978-0373717323

You can go home again. 

At eighteen, Savannah Greer has a dream and one shot to make it happen. Choosing big-city success in corporate law means putting her family's farm—and Sam McBriar—in her past. Now, years later, she's on a path toward home. And she has every intention of keeping the visit brief. 

Too bad life gets in the way. 

With Sam managing the farm, Savannah can't help but see him—everywhere! He's as gorgeous as ever, and when he's with his little girl? Well, it would take a stronger woman than Savannah to resist him. It's not long before they're picking up where they left off…until old betrayals and long-buried secrets threaten to separate them for good.

FINDING GOLD

Since her first venture into novel writing in the mid-nineties, Kristi Gold has greatly enjoyed weaving stories of love and commitment. She's an avid fan of baseball, beaches and bridal reality shows.  During her career, Kristi has been a National Readers Choice winner, Romantic Times award winner, and a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist.  She currently resides in Central Texas in the proclaimed "Cowboy Capital of the World" where every other car is a truck and seeing spurs in the post office is a common occurrence.

DISCOVERING GOLD

ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?

KRISTI: Many times, but one instance stands out in particular.  Several years ago, while on a vacation with the family, I left my books at home (oh, no!)  I found a mainstream romance at the local grocery store and although I didn't know the author, the story looked good and it seemed long enough to last for at least a couple of days.  I settled into a lounge chair on the beach to read while my husband and children played in the waves.  I kept right on reading until too much sun forced me back inside to finish it.  That fabulous book was Danny Boy by Leigh Riker. Let me tell you, if I ignore a beach for a book, that's rare because I'm a Pisces, and we're all about water.   

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading? 

KRISTI: Gee, that's a tough one.  The biggest stand-out books from my youth are the Nancy Drew stories.  But the one that impacted me most was a book called Mr. and Mrs. Bojo Jones that I originally read in junior high.  I recently bought a reissue, re-read it on a plane, and was still impressed, even after many years. 

ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?

KRISTI:  Easy enough.  That would be my husband, Steve.  He was a great husband, father, doctor, rancher and the love of my life.  While I was writing The One She Left Behind in 2010, he passed away after a lengthy illness, and I miss him terribly.  There's a little bit of him in every hero I write. 

ANGI: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

KRISTI:  Beauty and the Beast.  I have a thing for dark, wounded, alpha heroes and headstrong heroines. 

ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?

KRISTI:  Wile E. Coyote.  He has extreme perseverance. 

ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?

KRISTI:  I'm an obsessive baseball fan and I love every aspect of the game.  However, nothing turns me off more than to see a camera pan in on some gorgeous player in the dugout who happens to be spitting.  I don't care if it's only sunflower seed shells, all I can think is ewwww… I wouldn't want to clean that up.  

ANGI: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?

KRISTI: I actually tailor my own playlist for almost every book I write and I usually designate one trademark tune.  For the Delta Secrets series, most of the songs are country music favorites, past and present.  The One She Left Behind was actually inspired by a classic—It's Been A Good Year for the Roses by George Jones.  Music is a mainstay in my writing routine. 

ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?

KRISTI: As cliché as it may be, I love to hear the sound of waves.  See above comment about being a Pisces.

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

KRISTI: Fairy Tale, without a doubt… with a little action adventure thrown in. 

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?

KRISTI:  I wrote a 'novel' with a friend in the 8^th grade titled 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' featuring four incredibly gorgeous brothers that we admired from afar.  It will never see the light of day.

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

KRISTI: It's impossible for me to choose just one, but I'll toss out my first favorite movie—Gone With The Wind. Nothing touched me more than seeing Rhett hold his daughter.

ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?

KRISTI:  Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs.  Such a lovable, albeit creepy canibal. 

ANGI: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroine’s role?

KRISTI: I can't say that I put myself in her role, but I can say every character I create is made up of bits and pieces of my life experience.  I do tend to 'filmstrip' when I write, meaning I see scenes featuring my characters and they usually look like famous people. 

ANGI: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

KRISTI: Story-telling is much easier.  If I could have three hundred pages of nonstop dialogue, I'd be a happy camper.  It sometimes becomes a chore to come up with the technical aspects of a story—action, dialogue tags (he said, she said), etc.—that aren't repetitive.  I wrote one book (House of Midnight Fantasies—a gothic Silhouette Desire) where I used the word 'snap' numerous times, graciously pointed out to me during edits. It was definitely a 'snappy' book. 

ANGI: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

KRISTI: I'd like to address this to all fans—you'll never know how much authors appreciate you.  Nothing brightens my day more than to receive an email from a reader who's taken the time to ask a question or to simply say they've enjoyed my books.  Without readers, we would have little reason to continue to tell our stories.  Many thanks to all of you! 

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Give us a hint about Delta Secrets Book 3. **grin**  Care to share WHO the only Man is and tell us your favorite thing about this hero?

KRISTI’S GOTTA ANSWER: Well, The Only Man for Her involves a couple that married at eighteen and nearly fourteen years later, are contemplating divorce following a tragedy.  Matt Boyd, the 'only man,' is a sexy, handsome, charming, outgoing, man's man … on the surface.  Beneath that façade, he's probably the most wounded, emotionally closed-off—yet honorable—hero I've ever written.  He's carrying around a secret that could ultimately destroy not only his marriage, but his life if he doesn't come to terms with a choice he was forced to make.  Yes, I do like him a bunch.  Can you tell?   

KRISTI’s GOLD GIVE-AWAY three sets of the first two Delta Secrets books. We’ll be drawing Sunday, giving everyone time to leave a comment.

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

KRISTI WANTS TO KNOWABOUT YOUR GOLD: Delta Secrets involves three reunion stories with distinctly different plot devices—first love, friends to lovers, and a broken marriage.  Which of the three is your favorite? 

FIND MORE GOLD by sending her an email: kgoldauthor@aol.com 

Or visiting her Website  

She’ll be on Facebook soon.

UP NEXT: The Only Man for Her, Delta Secrets Book 3, June 2012  

READERS DON’T FORGET to follow us on Facebook & Twitter (@GetLostInAStory #GetLostStories) for a daily update on who’s visiting GLIAS and what they might be giving away! Join me tomorrow for Kathleen Long and Jill on Friday for Brenna Aubrey. Visit next week for Mia Marlow, Tessa Dare and more.  ~Angi

Flying High with Sherri L. Smith

Sherri L. Smith's novel Flygirl has a one of a kind premise - the heroine not only wants to be a pilot during World War II, but she is also a woman of color. Now that's a strong heroine I can root for. I just had to ask Sherri to come by for an interview!

Ida Mae Jones dreams of flight. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didn’t stop him from fulfilling his dreams. But her daddy’s gone now, and being a woman, and being black, are two strikes against her. When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the Army creates the WASP, the Women Airforce Service Pilots—and Ida suddenly sees a way to fly as well as do something significant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the WASP won’t accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of “passing,” of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding one’s racial heritage, denying one’s family, denying one’s self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be.

Simone: Flygirl is such a fascinating premise. When did you first hear about WASP and what inspired you to write the story?

Sherri: I first got the idea for FLYGIRL while listening to a Radio Diaries documentary about the WASP on NPR. It was such a gripping story, I was hooked. I started thinking about women in a man’s world, and what other sorts of discrimination people face, which made me think of my mother’s stories about growing up in New Orleans in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Ida Mae was born, and the rest is… well, in the book!


Simone: What kind of reaction have you had from readers?

Sherri: It’s been really great. The book appeals to boys and girls, young and old. I was particularly moved during a signing at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. when I was approached by a boy who had flown in from Japan and came to see me on his vacation! At the same signing, a woman was pushed forward by her adult daughters. It turns out she wanted to be a pilot, but her eyesight wasn’t good enough. She was in tears when she picked up the book.

Simone: Research must have been such a large part of writing this book. Did you research as you go, or do all of the research first?

Sherri: Yes, and yes. I started with a transcript of the radio documentary. From there, I looked at picture books, and worked my way up to memoirs. I wrote FLYGIRL before there was an official WASP museum, so the research was not as readily available as it is today. In fact, more resources surfaced as time went by, so the research never stopped.

Simone: I know that feeling! What inspires you daily?

Sherri: Everything around me. There are stories in every single thing we do, and my mind just spins tales as I navigate the day. Good books, gossip, talking to people and hearing their stories, anything can lead to the next book idea.

Simone: What is the best book you've read recently?

Sherri: That’s a tough one. Right now, I’m reading The Diamond Age by Neil Stephenson. He’s such a complex writer. I think his work can be hard to delve into—very complex worldbuilding at play, but he’s like a linguistic archeologist. The words he uses! He keeps me running for the dictionary, but I’m glad because it’s easy to forget how deep our language can be. It makes me want to memorize a thesaurus!

Simone: Where is your favorite place to read?

Sherri: The planet Earth. I think I could read anywhere in the universe. If the book grabs me, I’m in 100% and it doesn’t matter where I am, just that I’ve got a good book!

Simone: What's next for you?

Sherri: My next novel comes out in Fall 2012. It’s a speculative novel set in a not-so-distant-future New Orleans. I’m super excited for it. And then I’ve got my fingers in a few mysteries, and maybe even a fantasy down the line. And then, who knows? I can only guarantee that there is more writing to come!

Thanks so much, Sherri!

I so love heroines. Love them. Check out the real WASPs on the left. Are they not awesome???

So who is your favorite heroine, fictional or not?

This Get Lost in a Storyteller is ...Icebound

Author Julie Rowe is one of the nicest, most prolific authors I know.  She writes out of the box and readers have long anticipated Julie’s stories.  Today she’s here with the Get Lost crew to talk about one of those stories.  Please welcome, Julie Rowe.

In Antarctica the land and ocean aren’t the only things bound in ice. For Dr. Emilie Saunderson, it’s her past. She fears she won’t ever let go of the pain and grief caused by the death of her husband and child. For South Pole station manager Tom Wolinski it’s his future. He fears it’s his destiny to inflict pain and suffering on those he loves the most. Neither is prepared for the tragedy, or the miracle, with the power to free them both from being…Icebound.

DONNELL:  Big city or small town girl?

JULIE:   Small town to live in, big city close by for shopping! The small city where I live is a 4 ½ hour drive from the nearest big city. Needless to say, I don’t get to go marathon shopping very often.

DONNELL:  Let’s make this difficult… Warm or Cold Weather?

JULIE:  Cold, you can always put on more clothes or snuggle with a friend (I prefer the second option myself).

DONNELL:  Favorite room in your house and why?

JULIE:  Office/library – that’s where all the books are!

DONNELL:  Character driven or plot driven author?

JULIE:  Character driven. Darn characters nag and nag to have their story told. They’re worse than my kids.

DONNELL:  Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

 JULIE:  Sure I read reviews. It’s interesting to discover what readers take away from a story as it’s often surprising and usually something I never even thought of. That’s what’s so cool about books. The reader brings as much to the story as the author does.

DONNELL:  You’re in Antarctica in white out conditions.  Who do you want with you?

JULIE:  A cute Canadian Fish & Wildlife Officer, they know how to build an igloo in a hurry (see answer to Q. 2).

DONNELL:  What’s in your refrigerator right now?

JULIE:  A whole lot of leftovers, oh and cake. Gotta have cake in your fridge.

DONNELL:  What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?

JULIE:  I can’t drink alcohol, it gives me a horrible headache, so I’m like the cheapest date ever.

DONNELL:  Dog or cat person?

JULIE:  Both!

DONNELL:  What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

JULIE:  Wow, this is a difficult question to answer. There have been so many little dreams or goals realized, like validation. It’s incredibly uplifting and encouraging to discover you’re not the only person who thinks your writing is good. Seeing someone else enjoy your story is another. I want to entertain people, give them a reading experience that leaves them feeling hope and happiness. I met my book’s second reader at a conference. She told me she loved my book and thought my hero was so tortured, yet she loved him and was happy when he earned his happily-ever-after. I was overwhelmed to hear this and nearly burst into tears.

DONNELL:  What’s the most surprising thing you learned while writing/researching a book?

JULIE:  The incidence of appendicitis is much higher in Antarctica than elsewhere. No one knows why.

DONNELL:  What turns you off;  what turns you on?

JULIE:  Arrogance turns me off, intelligence turns me on (I married a computer geek = sexy!)

DONNELL:  If you could meet anyone in the world, past and present, who would it be and why?

JULIE:  Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, test pilot and the first man to break the sound barrier.  I’d like to ask him why, in 1944 after being shot down by a German fighter and escaping capture on the ground, did he appeal to General Eisenhower to be allowed to fly combat missions again. Why did Eisenhower let him fly more missions? What did Yeager say?

JULIE’S Question for Readers (Fans).  Icebound is set in Antarctica, arguably one of the last frontiers on earth. What’s the most unusual place you’ve traveled to? What drew you to this destination?

A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing medically inclined romances for over ten years. She's also a published freelancer with articles appearing in The Romance Writer's Report, Canadian Living, Today's Parent, Reader's Digest (Canada) and other magazines.

Julie is an active member of RWA and its subchapters, Heartbeat RWA, Calgary RWA, The Golden Network, Hearts Through History and RWA Online. She coordinates Book In A Week, and online workshops for Heartbeat and Calgary RWA.

And this just in… Carina Press has just bought a second medical romance, set in the Arctic. NORTH OF HEARTBREAK will release on April 16, 2012.  To learn more about Julie, visit her web site at http://www.julieroweauthor.com/

READERS DON’T FORGET to follow us on Facebook & Twitter (#GetLostStories) for a daily update on who’s visiting GLIAS and what they might be giving away!
***Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Rochelle Staab

Get Lost in the Spell of Who Do Voodoo?

A few clues about Rochelle Staab

A 2010 Golden Heart® finalist, Rochelle brings to the world of romance readers her fascination with the supernatural and her love for mystery in WHO DO, VOODOO? the first novel in her Mind for Murder Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. An award-winning radio programmer and music-industry marketing executive, Rochelle began her writing career in 2007. BRUJA BROUHAHA, the second novel in the series will be released in August.

You're invited to a seance

Madame Iya’ rocked back and forth, shaking a small brass rattle. “We humbly ask you to send the spirit of our beloved Sophie to join us.” A full minute passed then Madame Iya’ spoke again. “Sophie is here.”

A candle popped. Shadows flickered on the walls outside of the circle. A draft swept across the floor and flickered the flames of the candles. I thought I saw a shadow move behind Jimmy and Tawny. I brushed away the sensation that someone else was in the room with us. I tensed up.

“Nola. Sophie wants you to publish her spell book.” Madame Iya’ let out a deep sigh. “She wants me to help you complete it.”

Linda’s body went rigid. She clenched her hand over mine and began to rock. She spoke in a deep and insistent voice; a voice I didn’t recognize. “No. I don’t want that. My secrets have to be protected. There will be danger. No.”

“What are you talking about, Linda?” Nola said.

Linda stared across the room. “Linda’s not here, my treasure.”

“Who are you?” Nola’s words came unsteady, searching. “Sophie?”

“Not Sophie. I’m Callia.”

The back of my neck tingled. Who was Callia? Linda gazed around the circle. She stopped when she got to me. Her face had changed: the softness drained from her features. She looked tired, older. Her eyes were vacant. A small terror edged my rational mind aside. I had a fleeting sensation that someone else’s eyes were staring at me from Linda’s face.

“You have to keep my secrets safe and with my family. Your question is answered inside.” She held her eyes on mine. “Promise me.”

I nodded warily, not knowing what she meant. “I promise.”

A door down the hall slammed shut with a force so hard it rattled the windows. Tawny screamed. I jumped.

Unveiling at least some of the mystery that is Rochelle Staab

Jillian: How often to you get lost in a story?

Rochelle: Every day! I adore the escape of reading a good novel and the thrill of writing a new story. I take my Kindle to the gym every morning to read on the treadmill; and when I’m alone I read during lunch and dinner. Falling into the world of a story is the best. When I’m engrossed in writing, my characters follow me around all day, poking me with story ideas and plot complications even when I’m away from my computer.

Jillian: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

Rochelle: Cinderella. The innocent sweetness of the rags-to-riches, obscurity-to-center stage, the basement-to-the-ballroom story tickles the little girl in me. As a child, I was enchanted by the magical world in the animated Disney film. Mice talked. Pumpkins became carriages. The fairy godmother waved her wand and a ball gown materialized. The scullery maid married the prince. Cinderella made me believe anything was possible.

Jillian: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?

Rochelle: Oh, yes. My character Nick’s favorite: the slow, sexy tempo of the blues. Randy Newman’s “Leave Your Hat On”, Eric Clapton “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”, and Bonnie Raitt’s “Love Me Like A Man”. Chicago blues like Muddy Waters’ “Don’t Go No Farther” and Howlin’ Wolf’s “Evil”; and any of the New Orleans blues songs on Hugh Laurie’s Let Them Talk album. And, of course, Ella Fitzgerald singing “That Old Black Magic”.

Jillian: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

Rochelle: I walk through my house, arms in the air, and smiling like I just scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Then for a treat, I book a massage for an afternoon of undistracted bliss.

Jillian: What do you do to unwind and relax?

Rochelle: Once a week I drive to Santa Monica beach and eat lunch at the ocean. I park in a lot at the edge of the sand, sit on a bench, and watch the joggers, tanners, and birds pass while I eat my sandwich. The break completely erases all mind-clutter.

Jillian: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

Rochelle: The day I started writing WHO DO, VOODOO? I tented a piece of white cardboard, wrote “reserved for WHO DO, VOODOO?” on it in bold black, and placed the card in front off an empty slot on my bookshelf. Nothing, NOTHING, beat the feeling of putting the first commercial copy of WDV into that slot!

Jillian: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

Rochelle: Coffee. A decaf, no sugar added, mocha latté with soymilk. (Blushing.) I’m a California cliché—I mean, chick.

Jillian's long convoluted gotta ask question (Because she is very very curious about the mystery genre): According to the website Murder by 4, there are thirteen different types of mysteries including amateur sleuth, professional sleuth, cozy, police procedurals, legal/medical, suspense, romantic suspense, historicals, private eye, noir, crime, caper, and something called mixed genre which seems to primarily involve science fiction. As a mystery writer, which of these types do you enjoy reading? And, we know that WHO DO, VOODOO is a romantic suspense mystery but might there also be elements of other types in there? Please share!

Rochelle's Answer: The first mysteries I read were the Nancy Drews and I’m still drawn to amateur sleuths. One of my favorite series is Cleo Coyle’s Coffee House Mysteries and I enjoyed Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series. But I’ve also read all of the Hammett, Chandler, and Cain noir, and I’ve read Grisham’s legal thrillers and Connelly’s police procedurals. I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody Egyptian historicals, too. The Mind for Murder Mystery series is categorized as a cozy and there’s a definite paranormal vibe. One of my favorite scenes detours into eerie historical settings in Haiti and New Orleans. And I couldn’t resist adding touches of sexy banter (ala screwball comedy) into the mix.

Rochelle has a question for readers:

Music and lyrics are a special part of my life. I’ll always include music somewhere in my stories. Some songs pull me back to specific places, others make me cry no matter what, and there are songs that make me strong. I’d love to know if you have a certain song that moves you to tears or, by contrast, sucks you out of a bad mood. You know, the Gloria-Gaynor-“I Will Survive”-at-the-top-of-your-lungs in the car song?

Rochelle has a copy of WHO DO, VOODOO (sent by Berkley, so no autograph) plus a WDV pen!

For more about WHO DO, VOODOO and the upcoming BRUJA, BROUHAHA go to:

www.rochellestaab.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rochelle.staab

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/rochellestaab

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4705211.Rochelle_Staab

***Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

SEAL of My Dreams. Love at first Tweet.

The story goes like this:

Thursday, 05/05/2011: Christie Ridgway tweeted the following: Has everyone seen this SEAL photo? Makes me feel very, uh, patriotic. http://nyti.ms/jLRdAC

On Friday, 05/06/2011, she tweeted: We could all get together & write antho inspired by ystdy’s SEAL. Donate proceeds to military charity, something like that.

Six months later: With the help of many, including publisher Bell Bridge Books and cover designer Frauke Spanuth of Croco Designs, Christie Ridgway and her sidekick Alison Kent brought nineteen authors together to create SEAL of My Dreams.

SEAL of My Dreams is available to purchase digitally at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., as well as in print at all retailers.

A teaser about the SEAL stories!

All the stories honor the courage and sacrifice of the SEALs and those who love them. Some feature characters from ongoing series, others introduce new series, and all include the hallmark of romance––that great feeling of falling in love!

A brief interview with Christie Ridgeway:

Jillian: Welcome Christie, we are so excited to help promote SEAL of My Dreams. All the proceeds are pledged to Veterans Research Corporation. Can you tell readers something about them?

Christie: I live in a Navy town and this non profit organization was founded here for the specific purpose of raising funds to support medical research for veterans of all wars from all branches of service. They recognize the great need for veteran-based medical research due to emerging health challenges like PTSD and traumatic brain injury among others. They are highly committed to helping our service people and are excited about our project. (We've made new fans of romance!)

Jillian: Had you ever written a SEAL hero before? The cover shot is certainly a whole lot inspiration!

Christie: I've not written a SEAL hero before (though I once went to a real SEAL wedding!). I have written a secondary hero who is a former soldier in Can't Hurry Love. In the current book I'm writing, the hero is a combat medic with the Army. So my guy for the anthology, Josh Frye, is my first Navy man.

Jillian: Tell us something about what it was like to wrangle all these writers together, find the right charity, publisher, photography rights, etc. (You did a brilliant job by the way.)

Christie: I couldn't have done it without the wonderful Alison Kent. We drew up a list of potential authors and getting participants was the easiest part! I was very committed to using the actual photograph (in case you don't know, he is an actual SEAL, the photo from 2007). That took some digging (again, thank you Alison), but it turned out to be do-able and Getty Images even cut us a small break on the price since it was for such a good cause. I looked into a lot of charities and so many are doing excellent work. I had a personal connection through a friend with the Veterans Medical Research Corporation and it made me very comfortable to donate to them. Their work helps all our military men and women, which was another bonus in my mind. It was author Cindy Gerard who told publisher Bell Bridge Books about our project and they stepped up and volunteered to do all the heavy lifting. We just had to write the stories...which naturally is the part we authors like best.

Jillian: Patriotically speaking, that trailer is so...hot. What can you tell us about it?

Christie: Isn't it wonderful and romantic? That was put together by Deborah Smith, one of the head honchos at Belle Bridge Books (and an awesome author too). The first time I watched...well, the dozenth time I watched it, I choked up.

Jillian: SEAL of My Dreams has to be an exciting release for you. How/what are you feeling?

Christie: I'm thrilled to be attached to such a worthy project and so gratified by the enthusiasm of everyone...from those of us who put it together, to the bloggers such as yourself helping us promote it, and to the readers who tell us they can't wait to own their copy. It was a daunting task at first, but with all the help we've had, it's become such a pleasure.

Christie's question for readers:

It's time to use your imaginations and answer the burning question that's occurred to us all! Check out our SEAL on the cover. How do you think he got that scar on his back?

On behalf of all the authors of SEAL of My Dreams, Get Lost in a Story will be giving away either a digital or print copy of SEAL of My Dreams to one lucky commenter!

List of anthology titles and authors:

Foreword by Robyn Carr

Coming Home by Jami Alden

Baby, I’m Back by Stephanie Bond

SEALed Fates by Kylie Brant

Going Dark by Helen Brenna

Finding Home by HelenKay Dimon

SEALed With A Kiss (A Black Ops., Inc. story) by Cindy Gerard

Panama Jack by Tara Janzen

Wrapped and SEALed by Leslie Kelly

Worth the Risk by Elle Kennedy

Twenty-One Hours by Alison Kent

Not Waving But Drowning by Jo Leigh

Her Secret Pirate by Gennita Low

SEALed By Fate by Marliss Melton

Signed, SEALed, Delivered…I’m Yours by Christie Ridgway

Dog Heart by Barbara Samuel

Whirlwind by Roxanne St. Claire

Holding On by Stephanie Tyler

Letters To Ellie by Loreth Anne White

***Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.