Lena Diaz's Blog, page 2
November 28, 2017
Double Trouble!
We’ve got two new books from our gang to tell you about! Rachel and I (Carey here) are very excited to be sharing the new release circuit. And since there’s double the stories to tell you about I’ll skip the small talk. Let’s jump right in! I hope you’ll find something here that goes down easy with your turkey or cookies or holiday spirits!
[image error]When a food storage depot in famine-struck South Sudan is torched, American aid worker Brie Stewart flees, only to land in a market where she’s the next item up for auction. Is the attack on the aid facility another assault upon the war-torn fledgling democracy, or has her family set her up as a pawn in their quest for oil rights?
Chief Warrant Officer Sebastian Ford crossed paths with Brie years ago when she was a shill for her family’s company, pushing a pipeline that threatened his tribe’s land. Determined to lead the rescue operation to save her, he won’t let her abduction—or the attraction that flares between them—get in the way of settling their unfinished business.
The Green Beret’s skills are put to the test in the flooded grasslands of South Sudan, where they must battle nature and dangerous factions who are after more than oil. Bastian and Brie put their hearts on the line as they find themselves embroiled in a conflict that extends beyond country and continent. Together they must douse the spark before it reaches the flashpoint and engulfs everything they hold dear.
GET YOUR COPY TODAY: Amazon Barnes and Noble iBooks
[image error]Don’t believe everything you see.
Special Agent Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy are in Tahiti enjoying a much-needed break from the FBI when they spot newlyweds taking fun photos on the beach. But as the groom carries his bride deeper into the waves, Spense is positive he sees a flash of terror cross her face. All his instincts scream that this woman is in danger. Yet moments later, it’s the groom who has nearly drowned… and the bride has vanished, leaving a bloody wedding dress floating in her wake.
The authorities aren’t sure who to believe—the groom, who insists his wife tried to murder him… or her twin, who claims her sister must have acted in self-defense. Intrigued, Spense and Caity agree to help investigate. But when they discover that the missing bride is the daughter of a notorious confidence man, they begin to suspect that all is not what it seems. Now they’ll need to separate victim from villain, fact from fiction, truth from lie, to determine if there’s really a killer on the loose… or if it’s all one big con.
GET YOUR COPY TODAY: Amazon Barnes and Noble iBooks
Filed under: Uncategorized
September 16, 2017
A View of the White House
(c) 2017 Diana Belchase
I’ve been lucky to be invited to the Top of the Hay several times this year. While I’ll be talking more about that in a later post, the most striking thing about this private room on the ninth floor of the Hay Adams Hotel is the view. It directly overlooks the White House in the most remarkable way.
From this bird’s eye perch, we can see from Lafayette Square all the way to the Air Force Memorial in Arlington,Virginia, to the National Harbor in Maryland, to the Potomac beyond. Below, protestors march in front of black iron gates, while couples stroll under the thick canopy of trees, and the dome on St John’s Church, also called the Church of the Presidents, glistens in the dimming light.
Here we are at the moment of dusk, when the sun finally submits to night, and the lights of the…
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July 18, 2017
Lena Diaz Sweeps 2017 Nominations!
Romantic Suspense author, Lena Diaz [image error]has swept nearly every major published book award this year. This comes as no surprise. The author of more than 18 books, Lena has always been a favorite among judges of great literature, and most of her books have been nominated or been winners.
But this year her nominations are exceptional. Look at this incredible list:
[image error]Deep Cover Detective is a finalist in the 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense.
[image error]No Exit is a finalist for the 2017 Holt Medallion award.
[image error]Hostage Negotiation is a finalist in the Romantic Suspense Category of the 2017 Carolyn Readers Choice Award.
[image error]Arresting Developments is a finalist in the Series Action Adventure Category of the 2017 Carolyn Readers Choice award.
[image error]Deep Cover Detective is a finalist in the Series Action Adventure Category of the 2017 Carolyn Readers Choice award.
A total of four books up for five national book awards! In the book biz this is something that gives all of us the vapors, as Southern girls like to say. 
July 13, 2017
KaT’s Carey Baldwin is a USA Today Bestselling author!!!!
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The Kiss and Thrill ladies would like to congratulate our own KaT, CAREY BALDWIN, for hitting the USA Today Bestseller list with her thriller, STOLEN! This is Carey’s first time on the list. We are so proud of her! Congratulations, Carey!!!!!
Who0 Hooo!!!
Yay!!!!
Congrats!
Amazing!!!
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
[image error]Amazon | B&N | iBooks | HarperCollins
Is she missing…or a murderer?
When Laura Chaucer, daughter of a U.S. senator, vanishes from her college campus, celebrated FBI profilers Special Agent Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy are called in. Thirteen years ago, Laura and her nanny disappeared from her family’s Denver home. Laura was found alive, but her nanny wasn’t so lucky… and the killer was never caught. Laura could identify him—if only she didn’t have a deep, dark hole in her memory.
Now she’s missing again. Did the troubled young woman run away or has the kidnapper returned? As women who look eerily similar to Laura’s nanny begin turning up dead, the Chaucer family psychiatrist renders a disturbing opinion: Laura is unstable, a danger to herself and others. Who knows what terrible secrets lurk in the shadowy recesses of her mind? Cassidy and Spenser must solve one of the most infamous cold cases ever to uncover the answer: Is Laura a killer, or is a monster still out there, waiting to claim another victim?
Filed under: Announcements, Author Spotlight, Carey Baldwin Tagged: Carey Baldwin, Stolen, Thriller, USA Today Bestseller
June 13, 2017
Rita Finalist, Sarah Andre, releases CAPTURING THE QUEEN
CAPTURING THE QUEEN!
Restoration artist Sean Quinn is perfectly content spending his downtime devouring classical literature, while keeping his OCD and fourth-degree black belt under wraps. But when his FBI agent brother coerces him into investigating stolen artifacts, Sean becomes the target of a ruthless smuggling ring that funds terrorists.
Gretch Allen, a beautiful man-magnet, hides a world of hurt under her icy exterior. When Sean rescues her from a stalker, she discovers her co-worker has an alpha-hot fire burning beneath his geeky exterior. As barriers between them begin crumbling, however, she accidentally places herself in much more extremist danger.
Unable to stop the unraveling events from turning deadly, Sean must conjure his inner hero to save his city and capture the heart of the queen.
CONGRATULATIONS, Sarah, from your KaT family! Happy book birthday!
You can learn more about Sarah and her award-winning books here: Sarah Andre
Filed under: Announcements, Celebration, New Release, Sarah Andre Tagged: Capturing the Queen, release day, Rita Finalist, Romantic Suspense, Sarah Andre
May 30, 2017
Rolling Thunder in D.C.!
Every Memorial Day weekend, the forecast is Rolling Thunder in the D.C. area. No, not the weather — though we’ve had some storms of late — but a huge motorcycle rally.
This was the 30th year this group roared onto the D.C. Mall — all in tribute to vets and for a great cause — MIAs, POWs, and repatriated remains. For those of you too young to know this terminology, it stands for those still Missing In Action, Prisoners of War, and allowing the dead, who are in hostile territory, to be brought home for a decent burial.
I think there are few greater causes on this Memorial Day and I salute the men and women who gave their lives and their service. I also salute folks like those in Rolling Thunder who remind us of these important veterans’ causes and force us to remember how lucky the rest of us…
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May 17, 2017
Jo Beverley’s Last Interview
Today marks a special event in 
literary history: Jo Beverley’s last book, Merely a Marriage, is being released to the public.
Anyone who has read Jo Beverley’s books knows that it is a singular pleasure. She masterfully merged meticulous detail, lovely characters, and compelling plots. Her heroines inspired, her heroes were manly and believable, bodices never ripped, and in the process, the reader felt transported to another age and time where manners ruled and life, even for the privileged, was far from simple. Along the way, lessons in history were intricately woven into stories making characters of the Regency and medieval periods come alive.
Merely a Marriage is simply one of Jo’s best. In it we are thrust into a time shortly after Princess Charlotte died in childbirth and the consequent effect her death had, not only on the royal line, but on the every day life of the subjects…
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March 27, 2017
Congratulations to KaT’s own 2017 RITA and GOLDEN HEART Finalists!
The Kiss and Thrill ladies would like to congratulate two of our own, on their tremendous achievements.
Congratulations to SARAH ANDRE for being the first KaT ever to become a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® awards!
Congratulations to DIANA BELCHASE, a former winner of the RWA Golden Heart® awards, who has just become a Golden Heart finalist for the…wait for it…FOURTH time! We’re so happy for both of you and will be cheering you on at the award ceremonies!!!
Sarah Andre
[image error]Wow! We all knew that Sarah Andre was talented. We knew she was a wonderful friend. We knew she had a generous spirit. But we did not know she would be the first among us to garner one of the highest honors in the romance writing community: a coveted RITA final, which is like the academy awards for published romance novels. Congratulations, Sarah! We love you and we are so proud!
What folks are saying about her Rita finalist book, Tall Dark and Damaged:
“…Although the build-up pretty much had me rocking back and forth in the fetal position, the ending was fantasmically awesome! It really plays out like a movie, with every scene described in such vivid detail that you could really picture everything playing out with absolute clarity. Another unique feather of this ending is that although it ends happily, it in no way ends perfectly.” Romance4theBeach
“Solid romantic suspense with strong characters and surprising plot twists.” Kirkus Review
“Get comfortable and be prepared to stay up all night, once you start reading TALL, DARK & DAMAGED.” Susan Breeden
“Brilliant! Five star read, five star plot, five star writing! The plot of Tall, Dark and Damaged is amazing. So many twists and turns and a spectacular ending. I would never believe anyone who told me they saw this ending coming–and yet it makes perfect sense AND it makes you happy! How does that even happen with such a thick, juicy plot??” Leigh
Here is the list of finalists in the romantic suspense category for the 2017 RITA. Sarah is one of only EIGHT finalists!
Romantic Suspense
All the Dead Girls by Rita Herron; Montlake Publishing; Alison Dasho, editor
Atone by Beth Yarnall; Penguin Random House, Loveswept; Sue Grimshaw, editor
Field of Graves by J. T. Ellison; Harlequin, MIRA Books; Nicole Brebner, editor
Killer Countdown by Amelia Autin; Harlequin, Romantic Suspense; Carly Silver, editor
Mr. and Mr. Smith by HelenKay Dimon; Penguin Random House, Loveswept; Shauna Summers, editor
One Minute to Midnight by Nico Rosso; Carina Press; Rhonda Stapleton, editor
Repressed by Elisabeth Naughton; Montlake Publishing; Charlotte Herscher and Christopher Werner, editors
Tall, Dark and Damaged by Sarah Andre; Self-published; Anya Kagan, Touchstone Editing, editor
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Rita Nominated Romantic Suspense Novel
Diana Belchase
[image error]Her manuscript, VENGEANCE, is a finalist in the Romantic Suspense category.
The Golden Heart is to unpublished authors what the Academy Awards are to actors and actresses. It’s an incredible honor that thousands of authors aspire to. But only a handful ever become finalists, and even fewer actually win. Diana has done both! She has won the Golden Heart before, and we’ll be rooting her on this year to win it again! But win or not, just being a finalist puts her at the top of the pack, the cream of the crop, a writer who stands out from others as being extremely talented with a very bright future ahead of her.
CONGRATULATIONS DIANA!
Diana is a truly kind, intelligent, wonderful person whom we all love. We KaTs are so happy for her! Below is a list of just some of her writing accomplishments, in addition to this year’s Golden Heart final!
Golden Heart Finalist 2015 (Escape from the Harem)
Daphne Du Maurier Nominee 2015 (By the Skin of Her Teeth)
Daphne Du Maurier Nominee 2015 (His Brother’s Child)
Daphne Du Maurier Nominee 2015 (At Midnight)
Golden Heart Winner 2011 (Spy in the Mirror)
Golden Heart Finalist 2012 (Spy in the Harem)
Silver Quill Winner 2011 (Spy in the Mirror)
Wisconsin Fab Five Winner 2011 (Spy in the Mirror)
Jack Reid Award 2010 (The Spy Next Door)
NEORWA Cleveland Rocks 2nd Place 2009 (The Spy Next Door)
Here is the list of finalists in the romantic suspense category for the 2017 Golden Heart. Diana is one of only SIX finalists!
Romantic Suspense
“The Fire Beckons” by Lynnette Labelle
“The Guide” by Sarah Morgenthaler
“Seductive Strokes” by Patty Hoffman
“Semper Fi” by Meta Carroll
“Shot Down” by Tracy Brody
“Vengeance” by Diana Belchase
CONGRATULATIONS SARAH AND DIANA!
Filed under: Announcements, Author Spotlight, Celebration, Diana Belchase, Golden Heart Finalists, Sarah Andre Tagged: 2017 Rita and Golden Heart Finalists, Diana Belchase, Sarah Andre
February 21, 2017
New Release – Tennessee SWAT Continues with SECRET STALKER!
Ten years ago, Bexley Kane and Max Remington were high-school sweethearts hoping to get married and start their future together. But a stalker, and his death, ended their hopes and dreams and sent Bex fleeing town under suspicion of murder.
Now she’s back, and the past has caught up to her. But will SWAT officer Max Remington learn to trust and love her again? Or will Bex’s secrets destroy them both?
In 2014, award winning book TENNESSEE TAKEDOWN introduced readers to the sexy SWAT team of Destiny, Tennessee. This year readers get to experience more stories about the wonderful men and women in the TENNESSEE SWAT series, beginning with MOUNTAIN WITNESS. The newest release is out now, SECRET STALKER. And there will be more stories after that.
Below is an excerpt from SECRET STALKER. Enjoy!
CHAPTER ONE
The whispers started thirty seconds after Bexley Kane walked down aisle three in the Piggly Wiggly on Magnolia Street. Not that there was a Piggly Wiggly on any other street in the tiny town of Destiny, Tennessee. With a population the size of a large high school in other parts of the state, this town could only support one grocery store. And one movie theater. And one Waffle House. But, oddly enough, there were four Starbucks. Too bad not one of them was anywhere close to Magnolia Street. Bex sure could use a venti caramel macchiato right now.
Head high, shoulders back, she began filling her cart as quickly as possible while pretending not to notice the other shoppers talking behind their hands as she passed. But, come on, did they really believe that she didn’t know they were gossiping about her? She could well imagine what they were saying.
Is that who I think it is? What’s it been, ten years? Why is she back in town?
You didn’t hear? Her mama done passed away. I heard she died of a broken heart, on account of her daughter didn’t visit even once after she got run out of town.
You think Chief Thornton will arrest her this time?
Is there a statute of limitations on murder?
“Miss Kane, nice to see you today.” Mr. Dawson gave Bex a genuine, welcoming smile from behind the deli counter. “I was hoping I’d see your lovely face at least one more time before you left Destiny. You here for lunch? We’ve got a brand-new batch of pickled pigs’ feet.” He proudly thumped a large jar on top of the display case that looked like a science experiment gone horribly wrong.
Bex very nearly lost her breakfast. She averted her gaze from the nauseating sight and smiled at one of the few people in Destiny who hadn’t treated her like a pariah in the week that she’d been back.
“Hello, Mr. Dawson. I called in an order for some lunch meats and grilled chicken. Could you see whether it’s ready, please?”
“Gladys must have taken that order. I’ll check the cooler. Won’t take but a minute.” He opened the massive walk-in refrigerator behind him and headed inside.
Bex checked her grocery list. The only thing left to get was mustard, one of several things she’d forgotten the first time she’d been in the store. After today’s shopping trip, she should have enough to tide her over for several more days, until she finished taking care of all of the details of her mother’s estate. Then she could hop into her car and leave Destiny in the dust. Again. And this time, she’d never come back.
If she remembered correctly, Mr. Dawson kept the condiments across the aisle from the meat case. Since little else had changed in this town, she doubted that had, either. She turned around—and locked gazes with the one person she’d hoped to avoid.
Max Remington.
His golden-brown eyes stared at her in shock for all of three seconds. Then they filled with anger. His jaw clamped tight and, without a word, he circled around her and headed to the sandwich counter at the other end of the deli.
Gladys miraculously appeared as if from thin air, eager to take Max’s order. Bex couldn’t help noticing that he was all smiles and yes, ma’ams, no, ma’ams when speaking to the older woman. But he couldn’t even spare a hello for his former lover.
His curt dismissal shouldn’t hurt. After all, she was the one who’d left him. But he’d been her first love. And she’d built him up in her mind over the years as her handsome hero, dreaming of what life could have been, should have been, if she’d said yes that night.
And if Bobby Caldwell hadn’t died.
Filed under: Celebration, Lena Diaz, New Release Tagged: Destiny, Harlequin Intrigue, Lena Diaz, new release, Romantic Suspense, Secret Stalker, SWAT, Tennessee SWAT
February 13, 2017
3 New Releases and a Launch Party!
Gwen Hernandez, Rachel Grant, and Carey Baldwin all have new releases for Valentine’s Day this year. To celebrate, we’re hosting a Facebook party tonight (Feb 13th, 8-10pm EST) and tomorrow (Feb 14th, 11am-4pm EST), along with Toni Anderson and Darcy Burke.
There will be plenty of awesome giveaways, including the grand prize: an Amazon Echo, Kindle Fire, and 3-month subscription to Audible. We hope you’ll join us for the celebration!
RSVP to make sure you get a reminder to show up. (All comments through February 14th EST are eligible to win.)
Here’s a quick peek at the new books, out tomorrow.
♥ Happy Valentine’s Day! ♥
Stolen by Carey Baldwin
Is she missing…or a murderer?
When Laura Chaucer, daughter of a U.S. senator, vanishes from her college campus, celebrated FBI profilers Special Agent Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy are called in. Thirteen years ago, Laura and her nanny disappeared from her family’s Denver home. Laura was found alive, but her nanny wasn’t so lucky… and the killer was never caught. Laura could identify him—if only she didn’t have a deep, dark hole in her memory.
Now she’s missing again. Did the troubled young woman run away or has the kidnapper returned? As women who look eerily similar to Laura’s nanny begin turning up dead, the Chaucer family psychiatrist renders a disturbing opinion: Laura is unstable, a danger to herself and others. Who knows what terrible secrets lurk in the shadowy recesses of her mind? Cassidy and Spenser must solve one of the most infamous cold cases ever to uncover the answer: Is Laura a killer, or is a monster still out there, waiting to claim another victim?
[image error]SHE’S RUNNING FOR HER LIFE
Framed for espionage, reformed hacker Valerie Sanchez has no choice but to run. Worse, when the proof of her innocence is destroyed, things turn deadly. Can she trust the sexy terrorist hunter who mysteriously turns up to protect her, or is he the real threat?
HE’S HOT ON HER TRAIL
Former Marine sniper Scott Kramer’s job was supposed to be easy. Follow the hot computer geek who stole plans for classified weapons until she meets her buyer, then let law enforcement take over. But when Valerie becomes an assassin’s target, Scott’s gut says she’s innocent. Now, he must risk his life—and his heart—to keep her safe.
[image error]In the volatile tinderbox of the Horn of Africa, Morgan Adler has made the paleoanthropological find of a lifetime. The discovery brings her to the attention of a warlord eager to claim both Morgan and the fossils, forcing her to make a desperate dash to the nearby US military base to beg for protection.
Master Sergeant Pax Blanchard has orders to intercept Dr. Adler before she reaches the base, and in so doing saves her life. After a harrowing afternoon he safely delivers her to his commanders, only to find his responsibilities toward protecting the obstinate archaeologist have only just begun.
Morgan and Pax are forced to work together in the Djiboutian desert heat, but it is the fire that ignites between them that threatens to combust them both. For the Green Beret, involvement with the woman he must protect is a threat to his career, while for the archaeologist, the soldier is everything she never wanted but somehow can’t resist. When Morgan uncovers a mystery surrounding Djibouti’s most scarce and vital resource, the danger to her reaches the flashpoint. For Pax, protecting her is no longer a matter of following orders, and he’ll risk everything to bring her back alive.
Filed under: Carey Baldwin, Celebration, Gwen Hernandez, New Release, Rachel Grant
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