Today is Flag Day and I am proud to fly the flag at my home. America may not be perfect but it’s an amazing country. It has provided my family and so many others with incredible opportunities. My family has been able to live the American Dream and I am truly grateful for that. God Bless America and keep her safe from those that would tear her down.

OMG in just barely over a week my buddy Jayne and I will be doing a road trip to the Space Coast Book Lovers Conference!! I’m in the middle of packing up and finishing swag for the conference. I’m so excited to be going and if you’re going, I’d love to see you there. If you’re not going to the conference but are in the area, please drop by the book fair on Saturday, June 25 from 3 to 5 pm. It’s free to the general public and you can get more info at https://www.spacecoastbooklovers.com/. If you’re going and would like to pre-order some books, you can do that at https://tinyurl.com/CaridadPreOrder.

I don’t have a lot of yard at my new place, mostly containers with an assortment of flower and vegetable plants. Because of that, I have just one rule for what I have in my garden, namely, that if the plant doesn’t give me either flowers or food it’s a goner. This year I got a headstart on my garden by planting seeds in March and putting them in a cold frame in mid-April. I was also able to buy some more mature plants from a great place near where my daughter lives. That means I have lots of flowers and even some vegetables already! I can’t wait to pick them! How about you? Do you garden? Share your photos!

I didn’t have to think for long about who to feature on this Monday’s Man Candy edition: Tom Cruise! I’ve thought he was a cutie since I saw him in All the Right Moves. I’ve watched his movies off an on, even enjoying Far and Away with Nicole Kidman. When hubby and I saw that Top Gun: Maverick was out, we knew we had to go see it and we were not disappointed. Tom is terrific and looks amazing for his age. The movie is classic Bruckheimer with lots of action and rah-rah America vibes! Just what the doctor ordered. If there were more movies like this from Hollywood I might go to the movies more.

The romance in DECOY TRAINING builds slowly but leads to a big eruption of the need between Shane and Piper. In this scene, Shane has had a nightmare. It’s one that he’s had before only this time, something very important is different and makes him realize that he wants something different for his future: he wants Piper.

WARNING: Only for mature audiences!

Excerpt

PIPER BLOCKED HIS arm and took hold of his hand as he sat up in bed, bare-chested. His scars, both emotional and physical, revealed to her.

“You were having a nightmare,” she said and smoothed her hand across his chest. His skin was damp and chilled from the night air.

“I’m okay,” he said, but when his gaze focused and settled on her, he cupped her cheek, almost as if to confirm she was really there.

“You’re okay. Everything is okay,” she said, trying to reassure him.

Shane rubbed his head, as if trying to dispel the last remnants of the nightmare. He looked away for the briefest moment before settling his gaze on her once more.

“It was different this time,” he said and ran his thumb along her chin and the slight dimple there.

She squinted, trying to figure it out, but couldn’t. “How was it different?”

“You were in my nightmare,” he said, shocking her.

She laid a hand on her chest and squeaked out, “Me. I was in it?”

“You, Piper. You were there, trapped. I was trying to reach you, but I couldn’t,” he said.

“I’m here, Shane,” she said.

“You are,” he said and wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close. As he lay down, he took her with him, and she ended up lying along his length.

His body was so hard beneath hers, calling to the woman who hadn’t experienced emotions like this since her husband’s death. But as she inched up to meet his lips with hers, she knew it was about more than physical longing. Shane had breached the walls of her heart and she could no longer deny what she was feeling.

She kissed him, moving her mouth along his. Taking in his breath as if she needed it to breathe. Dipping her tongue in to taste him because she wanted to know everything about this strong and caring man.

As he cupped her breast through the thin fabric of her nightshirt, her nipple beaded against his palm. Her breast heavy with need, she covered his hand and pressed it to her, moaned when he tweaked her hard nipple with his fingers.

*

HIS BREATH EXPLODED from his chest at the sound of her needy moan and the feel of her breast against his palm, beneath his fingers. The softness of her belly cradled his erection and he wanted nothing more than to strip off her thin cotton nightshirt and make love to her, but not like this.

Not when their emotions were running high from the danger threatening Piper’s life and his. He had no doubt that if the intruder needed to get to Piper, he’d kill Shane to do it.

“Shane?” Piper asked and leaned a hand on his chest to look at him in the dim light of the room.

“I… I care for you, Piper. I really do, but things are too unsettled now. We’re both not thinking straight.”
Her eyes widened at his words, and she scrambled off him, but stood by the bed for a halting second. “I care for you, too.”

Then she burst from the room, Chipper barking and hopping up and down as she chased after Piper.

Order

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZohoXx
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3CNO4bl
Apple: https://apple.co/3o9usuh
BN E-book: http://bit.ly/BNDecoy
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/decoy-training
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/DecoyTraining

You can read Deadly Chase for free at Harlequin.com. In Deadly Chase, a K-9 officer and a DEA agent join forces to combat a deadly enemy and confront their own complicated past. You’ll get to meet Alex and Miriam, the two law enforcement heroes in this story, but also a number of the other heroes in the K-9s on Patrol Series which begins with my book — Decoy Training — in April 2022.