It’s nice to be here on RRAH’s NovelThoughts. Thank you for inviting me, Fatin. I’m new to blogging and its more fun than I expected. I’m never short on opinions, (who isn’t?) and I love the interaction. So if you have any questions, ask away. It could win you a copy of Book #3 in my Dragon One series, Come As You Are released this month.
I’ve written novels and novellas in five genres (I get bored easily) and Come As You Are marks my 35th publication. You can read the first chapter to any of my books on my web site. www.amyjfetzer.com
If you haven’t read my recent work, expect a high action, romantic thriller with intense danger and emotion, deceit, betrayal, and threats far more dangerous than a loaded weapon in your face.
The back cover:
Captured, tortured, and nearly executed…just another day on the job for Logan Chambliss and Dragon One. Their mission: clean up a highly sensitive mess the CIA made in Venezuela involving the country’s marked vice president. Too bad the plan went belly up—then downhill with the appearance of a gutsy, gorgeous, take-it-or leave-it female Logan just happens to know intimately. And who should be dead…
Tessa Carlyle should never have answered the phone. There she was, going native in Fiji for her job as a National Geographic location scout when a voice from her past crashes her perfect life. Threatened with blackmail, her only choice is to help a man she despises—to help a man she never forgot. But her unlikely resurrection puts her directly in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer…
From the rain forests of Venezuela to the streets of Caracas, Logan and Tessa will have to negotiate a twisted trail of deceit and betrayal. At stake is the fate of two nations and a deadly threat that could kill millions…And time is running out…
In Come As You Are, Logan Chambliss is asked to rescue a man he blames for Tessa’s death. That same man is blackmailing Tessa out of hiding to help him.
If you’re wondering how I can write about the military it’s because the Marine Corps has been my life. My father is a retired Colonel, my husband is a Sergeant Major (recently retired) and my son only just finished his four years, the last in Iraq. I live in testosterone soup. 95% men everywhere, constantly and most are Marines, former or active duty. I live with three 6ft tall men and its either rule the castle or get trampled. I chose to rule. =)
Would you expect anything less from I’m a Marine’s daughter, wife, and mother? =)
The Team: Dragon One is a six-man team of retrieval experts. Five are former Marines and Logan was a Navy Seal. D-1 will retrieve anything, people, weapons, chemicals, etc. The cost is never cheap. They accept jobs with a conscience and always see the big picture. Unless the Chopper payment is due. They take the missions that are particularly sensitive and unlike active duty Marines following orders, for Dragon One, it’s a collective agreement and personal feelings matter. Think of a self-contained Black Ops squad with a conscience.
The men are banded together for more reasons than friendships. They’ve been, in some fashion, screwed by the US government. Badly. So within each story, that grudge match is resolved. While the team connects the stories, each one stands alone.
If you’ve read Naked Truth or Hit Hard, Come As You Are is the story of why Logan is the dark brooding sort, and the least optimistic when it comes to women. He’s a physician (Navy flight surgeon) and he’s a technology ‘geek of the first water,’ as well as the oldest of the team and the most experienced.
Naturally, with tough guys used to running the show, they need strong heroines. Women who’ve done and seen more than the average person. I draw on my own experiences and while military life is not easy, it has its advantages. I’ve traveled all over the world and done some exciting things like repel cliffs, land on a beach in an Armored Personnel Carrier, (APC) scuba dive in the East China Sea, ride a Junk in Fragrant Harbor in Hong Kong. And shoot lots of really powerful weapons. =)
Tessa Carlyle is a National Geographic Society location scout, and very athletic. She’s been around the world countless times, hiding from the CIA, and she plans to keep it that way. She’s an expert with a nunchuck and smart enough to know when she’s out of her league. I’ve written a villain who’ll make your skin crawl and I’ll bet you’ll recognize some political figures in the story. Nobody is safe from fictional ridicule and let’s face it, have you seen the news lately? There’s enough fodder out there for a 100 books.
Here’s a look at the first time Logan and Tessa come face to face after nearly a dozen years, right in the middle of the action…
Logan stared out the windshield at the woman in the middle of the road. The driver slammed on the brakes, throwing them forward. For several heartbeats, the guards just stared, then made a couple rude comments about the crazy woman, yet when a man followed after her, limping really, the guards left the truck, weapons drawn. Max immediately popped apart the pen and used the parts to work the locks. “Was that Riley?” Sebastian said, sitting forward.“And Tessa.” Chained, they could only watch.She ran back, playing the role of hysterical female rather well, and neither guard noticed the nunchucks in her hand. She spun the wooden rods so quickly, he only saw the results. A crack to the head, the back slashes to the other’s chin. Like glass, they broke and fell to the ground. “Clearly, the woman is skilled,” Sebastian said. She certainly was, Logan thought. However, the woman he knew eleven years ago wouldn’t have dared that alone. “Another rule shot to hell,” Tessa muttered, stuffing the nunchucks away before she searched them for keys. She kicked away the guard’s weapons, then unlocked the door and yanked it opened. “Oh Christ, it is her,” Max said.Tessa smiled. “Underdog, here to save the day.” She wiggled the keys in the air. “Go on, say it, you’re glad to see me again.” She met Logan’s gaze, every cell in her body gone still as she waited for the reaming she deserved. But he just smiled, a delighted little sparkle in his eyes that went right to her soul. “You’ve been a very bad girl.”She winked. “I thought that’s what you liked about me.” Then a man left the van and she frowned as he passed her. “Jeez, you guys look awful.” Logan snatched the keys. “Thanks Tessa, and you don’t look so bad for a walking corpse, either.” Terrific, in fact, and he was still rocked to see her alive. He focused on springing the cuff. “Where’s the guy who was chasing you?” Free, Logan handed the keys to Sebastian.“Out cold on the ground. You might want to leave him to them.” She inclined her head to the downed guards. “Irish accent?” Logan eased out of the van, Sebastian behind him. She frowned. “Yeah.” Oh hell. Just then, a man hurried between them. “Him.” She pointed.“We gotta go,” Riley said. “The van is hot.” “Defuse it.” “You know each other?” she said, glancing between the two. “Until Daisy Duke here showed up,” Riley said right over her words. “It would just blow the tire like an accident. It’s pressure sensitive and the van’s sitting on it. And exploding on a stationary object with a gas tank . . .”It would toss the van like a ball. “Good God, Riley, don’t you think that was excessive?” Logan joined Max to collect weapons and communications gear. “It’s just a little charge,” he defended. Tessa stuck her back head inside the van. “Some guy’s trying to contact the guards on tact twenty-seven.” Logan tuned the guard’s radio and listened for a moment, then chambered a bullet. “We’re getting company. Where’s the truck?” Riley gestured up the hill, walking stiffly as Sebastian caught the keys and ran to it. Logan pulled the unconscious guards off the road. “I’m sorry,” she said alongside Riley. “I really am.”“I’m just glad it wasn’t a nunchuck.” “I wanted to stop you, not kill you.”“The apology and kiss on the head was a nice touch,” Riley said, introducing himself. Tessa blushed. She’d never kneed a man in the groin and felt bad. But then, he shouldn’t have scared the hell out of her.“How do you know Logan?” he asked.“It’s complicated.” “Very.” Logan was there, guiding her with him. “And if you two are through?” She looked at him, dazed for a moment. God, it was so good to see him. Men always looked better with age, and Logan was no exception. There were a few more lines, a couple of scars after a decade, but he hadn’t changed. His dark hair was a bit longer, not the SEAL look she remembered, and like a pop flash in her mind, she had the image of her fingers pushing into that thick mop. A long time ago, she thought, then recognized his locked posture. “Logan, I know this is shock–”“Not now.” Tessa had a sneaking suspicion bitch was mentally tagged to that.
Its not your average romance.
Thanks for reading this and to all who’ve bought my books… you rock! Thank you!
Posted in E - F Authors, Guest Blogger
