Grace Under Fire
Jerri Drennen
Crimson Rosebud
Release Date: 11-18-2009

Since her husband's death, Grace Diaglo has been sleepwalking through life. That is, until her husband's ex-partner shows up just in time to become her impromptu bodyguard when a peeping Tom is spotted outside her bathroom window. Grace isn't sure who she's more afraid of, the man trying to see her naked or the one she's started picturing that way.

Ex-Chicago cop, Cord Rawlings, intends to find his partner's killer. What he doesn't count on is an intense attraction to the dead man's wife or the corruption a probe into his friend's death uncovers-an investigation that has the pair dodging bullets to stay alive. Will he be able to keep Grace safe or have they become the targets of the last person either of them suspected?

Excerpt

Cord Rawlings lifted the bottle of whiskey to his lips and drained the last drops. He wouldn’t say he was drunk, just numb. He’d spent all evening in Rockford, Illinois, holed up in a room at a roadside motel, drinking, and still felt no better than he had before he’d opened the bottle.
Would the painful memories ever fade—as the face of his partner, Vincent Diaglo, had?
He forced himself to swallow past the burning in his throat as he slammed his fist into the lumpy mattress.
Contempt for himself consumed him.
Vince had died because of him. He should have been in the car that exploded, not his partner. Now all Cord saw when he thought about his friend was his charred remains—not the strong, dedicated cop he’d been.
Inside, Cord was dead too. Probably wouldn’t fear dying because he’d been lifeless inside for a long time.
Maybe he should just end it all. Right here, right now.
He shook his head. That would be taking the coward’s way out. No way could he do that.
He sent the empty bottle into the air. It landed with a dull thud onto the carpet.
Vincent would have been disgusted with what he’d become, and that bothered Cord more than anything. Vince and his wife had been like family to him.
God, he could still see Grace’s pale, tear-streaked face at the funeral as the graveside attendants lowered the shiny silver casket into the ground, her hands white-knuckling the American flag that had draped it only moments before.
He hadn’t been able to face her that day. Guilt had eaten at him with a vengeance. So he’d watched from a distance, afraid she’d blame him for not being there to save her husband—to save the only friend he’d ever had.
The morning of the funeral, he’d pictured Grace’s misty green eyes filled with loathing, eyes that had haunted him from the moment he’d met her, and known facing her would be impossible. Burying his partner and losing her respect, all in the same day. No way could he have dealt with that. He’d chosen not to confront her.
Instead, he’d run away and buried himself in a bottle.
Shaking off his alcohol-induced buzz, Cord forced the images from his mind. He refused to think about Grace any longer. Every time he did, his stomach knotted. What he needed was another bottle of whiskey. Maybe then he’d pass out.

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“Aztec Security PRINT” by Jerri Drennen

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

ISBN 978-1-60504-122-3

Length 272 Pages

Price 14.00

Publication Date January 27, 2009

http://samhainpublishing.com/print/a...

Love is the most dangerous mission of all…

Inventing the Abbotts
Following the rules has never been agent Ava Stanton’s strong suit. Thorn Abbott isn’t exactly your average agent, either—more like Mr. Computer than James Bond. Until he leaves his desk to join her in operation “Fly to the Spider.”

Now Ava’s seeing a whole new side of Thorn that ignites her passions. And as they dance a dangerous two-step through the Louisiana bayou, it’s difficult to tell who’s the spider and who’s the fly…

Mauvelous
Yancy Adams returns determined to prove he’s no traitor—and to get fellow agent Mauve O’Connor out of his head. Seducing an international criminal’s girlfriend should do the trick on both counts.

Mauve not only doesn’t trust her partner, her job is to watch him prove his innocence…or guilt. Except memories of their one night together hold her hostage. As sparks—and bullets—fly, she finds that the most elusive and dangerous thing of all is the truth.

Caddy-Did
Kent Jameson is content with his free-and-easy life—until he’s sent out on a survival training mission with the agency’s newest recruit. Cadence Fleming didn’t get what she considers the best of the best as a trainer. She’s stuck with a man who reeks of booze and sex and brings out the worst in her.

Then they come across a body, and their training mission becomes a trial by fire. There’s a killer in the Everglades—and he’s hell bent on making them his next victims.

Warning: This title contains graphic language, violence, kick-ass heroines, heroes to die for, high-octane action, run-for-your-life suspense, and hot steamy sex.

Aztec Security Series was chosen as a 2008 Gem over at Kathy’s Review Corner. If you jump over to her site and join her announcements newsletter, you’ll get a chance at winning a print copy of Aztec Security.

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Mauvelous by Jerri Drennen
ISBN: 1-59998-704-X
Length: Novella
Price: 3.50
Publication Date: December 11, 2007

http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/pr...

Can trust, once lost, ever truly be regained?

Book 2 in the Aztec Security series.

Yancy Adams returns to work at Aztec Security with three things on his to-do list: 1. Prove he’s no traitor; 2. Bring down Evan Grayson’s criminal empire; 3. Get fellow agent Mauve O’Connor out of his head. Or back into his bed.

They may have spent only one perfect night together, but Yancy can’t keep the fiery redhead off his mind. But his new assignment for Aztec should take care of that. Seducing an international criminal’s girlfriend should be the perfect way to purge Mauve from his system.
Too bad the closer he gets to his mark, the more he wants the one woman he can’t have.

Mauve O’Connor’s got a problem. Not only is she partnered with Yancy—a man she doesn’t trust—she has another assignment for Aztec. To watch him and prove his innocence…or guilt. Except she hadn’t planned on how damned good he’d look, or how memories of their one night together would creep into her mind and hold her hostage. Or how jealous seeing him with another woman would make her feel.

As they close in on their elusive target, sparks—and bullets—fly. But the most elusive and dangerous thing of all is the truth.

Warning: High-octane action, witty banter and toe-curling love scenes.

Excerpt

Through a small pair of binoculars, Mauve viewed an exchange between Yancy and a man sitting at an adjacent table, then flipped through the file in her lap.
She found a picture of Muacac and glanced at the man again. Yep, this was the guy, and Yancy was glaring spitfire at him.
Did they know each other?
From the sparks flying from both men’s eyes, she’d say no. Could it be an act, though, one they’d concocted for her benefit? She couldn’t say for sure. Yet, her gut said it wasn’t.
Her cell phone chirped.
She reached inside her handbag and grabbed the phone, flipping it open. “Talk to me.”
“Mauve, it’s David. How’s it going? Any contact yet?”
“Yancy is having lunch at The Sands as we speak and has met the target. I’m not sure if she took the bait or not. It’s too early to say.”
“Yancy has no problem attracting women. I’m not worried about that. I’m more concerned with how you’re going to handle it when he does.”
Mauve was taken aback by his remark. Did he think her so unprofessional that a night with Yancy could erase five years of training? If so, she had to reassure him. “I’m handling this case just fine, David. You have no need to worry.” True, she was stretching the truth a little but she needed her boss to trust her to deal with the job at hand, to know she could put her personal feelings aside where Yancy was concerned.
When push came to shove, she could do that.
Admittedly, Yancy had her body quaking. So what? Her job was more important than giving herself satisfaction, and always would be.
Besides, he was drunk the evening they were together and could hardly remember anything about it.
Most men were horrible in bed when they were that drunk. Not Yancy. He just couldn’t remember how remarkable he’d been.
What would he have been like sober? Better? Was that even possible?
She’d never know.
“Mauve. Are you still there?”
Mauve forced herself to put all that old baggage away and focused on her job.
“Yes, I’m here. Sorry, the reception’s awful,” she lied, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
Get it together, Mauve. Before you come undone.
“Look, David. I can do this. You have to trust me, give me some time. If Yancy is working for Grayson, I’ll uncover the ruse. Ex-lover or not, Aztec is my number one priority, and if Yancy’s goal is to bring about its demise, I intend to bring about his first.”