Live to Love on the Edge Blog - Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author

January 18, 2022

Tempting Teaser from Trapping a Terrorist

I hope the snow isn’t too bad by you! We only had rain during the storm, but last night had a few flurries as we went for our after dinner stroll along the boardwalk! To give you a little bit of heat, I’m sharing this teaser from Trapping a Terrorist. This is a story that has an exciting storyline about an FBI Agent fighting to stop a serial bomber in Seattle and a woman who may hold the key to his investigation. Not to mention that both the hero and heroine are battling the wounds of their pasts. The hero’s mother was an FBI Agent killed in the line of duty and the heroine’s father is a bomber in jail for eco-terrorism. I hope you enjoy this teaser!

Teaser

An FBI agent puts everything on the line…

To keep a deadly threat at bay.

When FBI agent Miguel Peters and his father land squarely in the crosshairs of a bomber terrorizing Seattle, the last thing Miguel wants is to also entangle a lovely stranger in a terrorist’s web. Yet while Maisy Oliver might look innocent, her father’s one of the most notorious men in Washington State. Miguel knows Maisy will do anything to help him and his team catch a killer. But does that include confronting a past she’s worked far too long to forget?

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Discover more action-packed stories in the Behavioral Analysis Unit series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order:

Book 1: Profiling a Killer by Nichole Severn
Book 2: Decoding a Criminal by Barb Han
Book 3: Tracing a Kidnapper by Juno Rushdan
Book 4: Trapping a Terrorist by Caridad Piñeiro

Excerpt

As soon as they were through the door, he released her hand and they stepped apart, gazing at each other, obviously uncomfortable. He broke the tension with a flip of his hand in the direction of the Murphy bed.

“I’m going to be working and you’re probably sore. Maybe you should take the bed tonight so you’re more comfortable.”

She opened her mouth, as if to object, but then just nodded. Clasping her hands before her, she said, “Thanks. But there’s room for you as well.”

And there was the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the room again, and he might as well address it. Walking up to her, he cradled her cheek and stroked his thumb across her creamy skin. So smooth. So soft. His gut tightened at the thought of all that skin against his and she was more than he could resist.

Bending closer, he brought his lips to hers until only the space of a breath was between them. “This,” he said, whispered his lips across hers and shifted back barely an inch. “This is why that’s not a good idea.”

In answer, Maisy reached up and cupped the back of his head, keeping him close. “This,” she said, repeating his earlier action, her lips a butterfly kiss against his. “This is why we have to share that bed. Whatever happens, I don’t want to say that I ran from this. From us.”

A low groan escaped him, and he couldn’t fight it anymore. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close, her softness crushed to his hardness. Every inch of her fitting to him as if they were two pieces of a puzzle.

Over and over they kissed, until their breaths became one and almost ceased to exist as they strained toward each other.

But then something registered. Sound. Vibration.

“Damn,” he said and fumbled with the phone in his jacket pocket, dropping it with a thud.

That sound killed the desire as effectively as a cold bucket of water.

“SSA Peters,” he said, and mouthed an apology to her.

“We’ve broken through one of the shell companies and like you thought, it’s part of Rothwell Industries,” Dashiell advised.

“That’s great, Dash. We’re one step closer to Rothwell. I’m sure he’s the mastermind behind this,” Miguel said.

“I agree, Miguel. We’ll keep on working to break past the other shell. Hopefully it’ll lead to Rothwell also.”

“I don’t doubt that it will and if we can get Adams into custody, maybe he will flip on Rothwell. As for the licensed blaster, I think there’s one on our list that’s at Rothwell’s current construction site. If you can get an address for him, I’ll go with Madeline to interview him.”

“We’ll try to get it ASAP,” Dashiell said and ended the call.

Miguel tossed the phone onto a nearby tabletop and it clattered noisily, making Maisy jump and take a step away from him.

“You need to get to work,” she said and smoothed her hand across his chest.

“I do. Why don’t you—”

The phone rang and vibrated noisily on the tabletop.

“Again?” Miguel muttered in frustration, swept up the phone and answered, “SSA Peters.”

“We’ve got the address for the blaster from his license application and his photo from his driver’s license,” Madeline said.

“Great. Meet me in the lobby. We’ll speak to him and see what he has to say,” Miguel directed.

Facing Maisy, he said, “I have to go.”

“I understand. I’ll be waiting up for you.”

The last bit of emptiness inside him disappeared at the thought of Maisy waiting for him at home. A home and not just a place to lay his head between investigations.

“That’ll be nice. I’ll make sure an agent is at the door while I’m gone,” he stated and rushed to the door, Maisy following.

At the door he faced her, bent and kissed her, a long, slow kiss filled with promise.

Order Trapping a Terrorist

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3stMJSx
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3dmWs6L
Amazon Box Set: https://amzn.to/3lWYdvf
Apple: https://apple.co/3fp4NcL
Apple Box Set: Coming Soon!
BN E-book: http://bit.ly/BNTrap
BN Box Set: http://bit.ly/BNBoxSetTTrap
Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboTrap
Kobo Box Set: http://bit.ly/KobpBoxSetTrap
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/TrappingATerrorist

Video

January 17, 2022

Congratulations to the Celebrate Romantic Suspense Winner

Wow, you guys were great during the Celebrate Romantic Suspense giveaway! We had nearly 1000 entries in the contest and thank you to all who participated. I’ve chosen a winner using random dot org and the winner is: Nicki O. Congratulations, Nicki!

For those of you who love Romantic Suspense, don’t forget to check out Decoy Training, my March Harlequin Intrigue release! It’s #1 in the K-9s on Patrol series and I think you’ll love this story, especially if you’re a dog lover! It was a lot of fun to learn all about dog training and incorporate that into a thrilling and romantic story.

January 14, 2022January 14, 2022

Happy National Dress Up Your Pet Day

Our fur baby Slate is a very social and easy-going cat. Because of that, we’ve been able to dress him up on occasion. When my daughter was getting married, she had a Jane Austen meets the Golden Girls theme (two of her favorites) and her colors were rose gold and plum. Of course, Slate didn’t want to get left out of the wedding celebrations so we had to make sure he was properly dressed. Hubby found this great outfit for him, but sadly, Slate wasn’t able to attend the wedding due to a prior engagement: a nice nap in the sun. LOL! How about you? Do you ever dress up your fur babies? Also, don’t forget you’ve still got time to enter my Celebrate Romantic Suspense Contest at https://www.facebook.com/Caridad.Author/posts/10158391783370913.

P.S. – According to NationalDay.Com, National Dress Up Your Pet Day was started in 2009 by Colleen Paige, a pet lifestyle expert and animal behaviorist.

January 13, 2022

Remembering My Grandparents

This is a picture of my grandfather, grandmother, and mother. In The Family She Never Met there is mention of how Lara’s grandparents were the ones who watched the children when Carmen and her husband had to flee Cuba. It was my maternal grandparents who took care of my sister and me when my parents had to leave Cuba. It took nearly a year for us to be able to escape, but we weren’t able to come directly to the United States because of the immigration policies at that time. Because of that, we bounced around from Mexico to Nicaragua, where we had very distant family.

Unfortunately, our Nicaraguan family wasn’t able to keep us for long and we made a trek back to Mexico to wait for an opportunity to legally enter the U.S. Once we were in the U.S., my grandparents continued to live with us and take care of us since both my parents were working.

They were an amazing influence in my life, and I loved hearing stories of their lives in both Cuba and Spain, where they were born. It’s thanks to them, especially my grandmother, that some of our family’s stories about leaving Cuba were saved since my mother rarely talked about our time in Cuba.

January 12, 2022

A Relaxing Book and Cat Moment

I decided to take a break yesterday to enjoy one of my favorite authors: J.D. Robb. Her latest release Forgotten in Death is out and I had to jump right into it. With yesterday’s arctic freeze, I hunkered down by the fireplace and my buddy Slate decided that my lap was the perfect place to rest. I decided the perfect place to rest my book as I read was Slate. A perfect and relaxing book and cat moment. Do you have fur babies that keep you company as you read? Are you reading anything interesting right now? Take a moment and share on this #WriteWednesday.

P.S. – Don’t forget to enter the Celebrate Romantic Suspense contest at https://www.facebook.com/Caridad.Author/posts/10158391783370913.

January 11, 2022

Excerpt from The Family She Never Met

What can I say about The Family She Never Met? As I’ve mentioned, a part of it is a family history, namely my family’s history. Another part of it is the story of three women separated by loss and anger and how they come together. Last but never least, romance is a big part of the story as the heroine, Jessica, finds love and support with Luis Torres, her grandmother’s right-hand man. This #TeaserTuesday I’ve got this excerpt for you from The Family She Never Met. FYI – if you’re on Netgalley, you can request a copy of the book for review.

Excerpt

Sandy seemed a little agitated as she jerked a finger in the direction of the customer area. “There’s a man here to see you.”

Puzzled, Jessica tried to remember if she’d scheduled any appointments for that afternoon, but as far as she knew, she hadn’t. “Did you get his name?” she asked.

Sandy fidgeted from one foot to the next and wrung her hands together. “He wouldn’t give it. He just insisted that I get you. ‘For a private matter,’” Sandy advised, emphasizing the man’s words with air quotes.

Weird, Jessica thought. She kept private things to her small circle of close friends and her immense Italian family. Of course, once family got involved, there was no such thing as private.

“Does he seem like trouble?” Jessica asked as she yanked off the nitrile gloves with a snap, grabbed her phone, and opened the security camera app for a glimpse of the unexpected visitor. Flipping to the view of the storefront, she shifted the camera until she could get a good look at him.

Trouble, all right, but not in a criminal kind of way. He had the kind of looks and confidence that said he could be difficult.

Her visitor was dressed in a light-colored suit that hugged broad shoulders and lean hips. Dark hair topped a handsome face and he looked none too pleased at having to wait. He moved with nervous energy from one piece of furniture to the next, skimming his fingers across the surfaces before he whirled, stared straight at the camera, and jammed his hands in his pockets.

With a chuckle, Jessica said, “No worries. I can handle him.” After all, she was used to dealing with the high-powered and sometimes egotistical financial types that came into her shop.

She slipped the smartphone into the front pocket of her overalls and hurried into the store, annoyed that her work had been interrupted and feeling decidedly grungy in her paint- and stain-splattered overalls and ripped T-shirt. She liked to be at her best when seeing prospective customers, and this man had placed her at a decided disadvantage. He was well-heeled and clearly well-off.

The linen suit was obviously bespoke and perfectly fitted to his lean body, but lightweight for a chilly New York City spring day. A hint of a shirt in pastel pink peeked out from beneath the collar. Gold glinted on one wrist and a big and expensive wristwatch wrapped around his other.

“How can I help you?” she said as she approached him. He stood staring at a combo bar/console against one wall of her store’s showroom.

He turned and met her gaze full-on. His eyes were a dark hazel shot through with strands of green and gold in a face far more handsome than it had looked on her smartphone screen. Sharply chiseled features were softened by full lips and long, thick lashes. His dark hair was closer to black than brown with bed-tousled waves.

“Jessica Russo, I presume?” It was impossible to miss the hint of annoyance in his tone as well as a slight singsong that said he wasn’t a New Yorker.

“I am. How can I help you?” she repeated, eager to get back to work.

He stepped closer, forcing her to look up, thanks to his much greater height. He had nearly a foot on her and the proximity to so much masculinity was surprisingly disconcerting.

She gave him props for sensing that she was uncomfortable and taking a step away. “I came to speak to you about your grandmother.”

Fear replaced her earlier emotions. She laid a hand across her stomach to quell the distress and also her confusion. Her grandmother Russo was relatively young, so he had to be referring to her ninety-three-year-old great-grandmother, who insisted on living alone in her own home. But nothing about this man said “cop,” so she tempered her concerns that he might be there with bad news. “Is Bisnonna Russo okay? Nothing’s happened, right?” she asked.

His full lips thinned into a knife-sharp line, and irritation blossomed in his eyes. “I’m here about your abuela Gonzalez and to ask for a favor.”

The fright she had experienced just moments earlier fled and a maelstrom of emotions filled that vacuum. They swirled together as powerfully as a Category 5 hurricane.

“My mother’s mother?” she asked, confusion and surprise taking control of her emotions.

He dipped his head regally. “Yes, your Gonzalez grandmother. And as I said, I’m here to ask a favor,” he explained in calm tones, but Jessica was feeling anything but calm.

“For yourself or for her?” she challenged, a growing spiral of anger twisting into the emotional storm within her. Whenever she had asked about her maternal grandparents, her mother’s gaze would cloud with pain, warning her that it was a topic not to be discussed.

“For her and hopefully for you as well,” he urged, his tone persuasive but unconvincing.

“I think I’ve been doing just fine for myself the last twenty-eight years,” she shot back. Her mother’s Miami family had never been a part of her life, and as far as she was concerned, it could stay that way. Giving in to the request was bound to cause hurt for everyone involved.

He seemed chastened by her statement and tried a different tack. “Your grandmother loves you and your mother very much. It’s why she sent me here to ask you to visit with her.”

She crossed her arms and tilted her head up a determined inch. “Funny way to show her love, considering she hasn’t been around for all of my life. And I’m too busy to leave the shop right now.”

He peered around the empty store in obvious disbelief. “Doesn’t seem too busy to me.”

“It’s a weekday and the middle of the afternoon,” she said and then shook her head. “You know, I don’t need to explain anything to you. And who are you, anyway?”

He reached into his inside jacket pocket and took out a business card that he presented to her. The cardstock weight was heavy, and the card had his name embossed in bold gold. Not a cheap online business card by any means. “I’m Luis Torres, President of Guerreiro Enterprises, but more importantly, I’m a man who owes a great deal to a woman who wants to meet her granddaughter before…let’s just say it’s time to set things to right.”

He hadn’t said it, but the reason for the request hung there like a great big softball waiting to be hit out of the park. It’s time to set things to right before time ran out and she died.

Before Jessica could say anything, he reached out and laid a hand over hers, the gesture meant to reassure. He squeezed her hand gently and said, “I know this has probably come as a shock—”

“Says the Master of Understatement,” she parried, but without sting because she sensed the sincerity in his request.

With a dip of his head, he continued. “I understand. All I’m asking is that you think about it. For an old woman who doesn’t want to end her life without knowing her granddaughter. Por favor,” he said, his gaze teeming with emotion. The tone of his voice was filled with concern and not just for the grandmother she had never met.

Somehow, she sensed that he wasn’t the kind of man used to asking, and that made his request all the more powerful. But it wasn’t enough to alleviate the worry she had about meeting a woman who had apparently driven her daughter from her Miami home and never made any effort to end the rift between them.

“I appreciate how important this is to you,” she said.

“To her, Jessica. This is very important to her. To you as well. Before it’s too late to make things right,” he said, once again strumming her heartstrings and rousing compassion. But she had to protect her own heart and her mother’s as well.

Because of that, all she could say was “I’ll think about it, Mr. Torres.”

He squeezed her hand gently again and said, “Luis, por favor. And thank you. I know this can’t be an easy decision for you to make.”

“It isn’t…Luis.” She held up his business card and said, “Can I reach you at this number?”

He nodded. “I’ll be at the Mandarin Oriental all week.”

“Try the veal,” she quipped, but he just stared at her as if he didn’t understand the old joke, so she charged on. “I’ll call as soon as I can.”

“I’d appreciate that,” he said, leaned down, and brushed a quick kiss across her cheek.

Before she could protest the gesture, he turned and hurried from her shop, leaving her to ponder what to do about his request.

At a slight noise behind her, she whirled to find Sandy returning to the showroom. “I guess he wasn’t trouble after all,” Sandy said with a smirk.

She blew out a harsh breath and shook her head. “That remains to be seen,” she replied and headed back toward her workroom. Work always made her feel better and let her clear her mind of anything that bothered her. Luis Torres and his request definitely bothered her, only she wasn’t sure she had enough projects to work on to restore peace to her world.

Order

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3tPQ7Xx
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3bonSZN
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-family-she-never-met/id1568775092
BN Nook: http://bit.ly/BarnesandNobleFamily
BN Paperback: http://bit.ly/BarnesandNovelPaperback
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-family-she-never-met
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/FamilySheNeverMet

January 10, 2022January 11, 2022

Caridad’s Celebrate Romantic Suspense Giveaway

I love that I’m writing romantic suspense again and to celebrate that and my upcoming March 29 release, Decoy Training, I’m having this giveaway! Just earn points for a chance to win autographed copies of Trapping a Terrorist, Darkness Calls, Cold Case Reopened, a Book Lover notepad and pen, NovelTea Chai Latte Tea Tin, bookmark, and $10 Gift Card! You must use your email to login in to the contest, but do not fear. Your email will not be shared with anyone else and will only be used to notify you in case you win! Contest ends at 11:30 pm EST on Sunday, January 16, 2022. To enter the contest please visit my Facebook Fan Page.