Today is the DAY! 11/11/11! Veteran's Day & the release of SEAL of My Dreams & a giveaway!

Honor, duty, courage, passion . . . the men of the Navy SEALs are a special breed of hero, and in these novellas by eighteen top romance authors the SEALs are celebrated not only as symbols of devoted service to their country but as the kind of men every woman wants to love. They'll rescue a damsel in distress and her lap dog, too. They'll battle hometown dramas and international bad guys. When it comes to giving away their hearts, they'll risk everything.

All proceeds from sales of SEAL of My Dreams go to the Veterans Research Corporation, a non-profit fundraiser for veterans' medical research.

Between them, the authors of SEAL of My Dreams have won dozens of writing awards including multiple RITAs from Romance Writers of America. Their nearly 600 published novels have sold at least 35 million copies worldwide. The SEAL of My Dreams roster includes many of the best-known authors in modern romance fiction. In addition, many have strong family connections to the servicemen and women of our nation's military, and many specialize in novels featuring heroes and heroines from all branches of service.

I'm so so SO excited about this book, I can't even tell you. First thing I did this morning was boot up my iPod and download the digital copy I'd pre-ordered, even though I have five print copies sitting on my dining room table! The enthusiasm in the reading community as everyone has waited for the release of this book has just been amazing.

Equally amazing, we pulled this project together, from conception to finished product in six months! From May 5th to November 11th. It's been such a whirlwind and a thrill to be a part of this. I'm more proud of this book than probably anything I've been involved in during my career. Such a great cause and a way to honor those who serve.

Yesterday, four of our authors (Jami Alden, Stephanie Bond, Cindy Gerard and Stephanie Tyler) were the guests of Sheila English on Readers Entertainment Radio. You can listen to their thirty minute show here and learn more about their stories!

Listen to internet radio with COS Radio on Blog Talk Radio

Today I'm blogging at RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Talk about how the anthology came together, and giving away a copy, winner's choice of electronic or print. The wonderful ladies at the blog are also giving away four Kindle copies, so pop over and read all the posts by the SEAL of My Dreams contributors. Just use the navigation links at the top of each post. (If anything, at least read Loreth Anne White's entry. Wow.)

You can also visit the the USAToday's Happy Ever After blog and scroll for several SEAL of My Dreams related entries. We are out and about everywhere! As far as buying options, more will be coming as the digital book propagates through the various vendors systems, but for now, here are the online links I have:

Available in print:

Bell Bridge Books

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Available electronically:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

BTW, am I the only one who never noticed the SECOND SEAL in the photo????

Click through for a never before posted excerpt from my story, TWENTY-ONE HOURS.

She watched as he looked to the ground, and it struck her again how much time they'd both wasted, how much needless baggage they'd carried when all either of them needed to do was talk. "How're things going? With the firebreaks?"

"Pretty good. We've done just about all we can here. We'll keep the water going, and watch the wind." He turned, looked behind them, his profile strong, his jaw determined.

She imagined his gaze being equally so as he studied the very scene she'd come out here to escape. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked, coming back to her, the lines on his face softening as she became the object of his concentration.

She remembered what he'd said earlier in the day and used his words instead of wrangling her thoughts. "Get armed men in and out of tight spots."

He shrugged. "You train. You learn. You put it into practice."

"Where?"

"Wherever I'm needed."

"No. Where did you train? Coronado?"

He gave a single nod. "There. Some at Fort Benning."

"I thought so."

At that, his mouth pulled into an humble grin, and hands at his hips, he stared at her. "It's not a big deal. It's just what I do."

Something she would expect a SEAL to say. She laid her palm on his wrist and wrapped her fingers as far around as she could. "It's a very big deal, Shane. A very big deal."

He looked down to her hand, turned his beneath hers to lace their fingers. "I took you with me. You were there in my head telling me to pay attention, to focus, to be smart. Funny that yours was the voice I heard when so many after you drilled home the same things. A little more forcefully, but yeah. I always came back to you."

When he lifted his head, she stepped closer, bringing their joined hands behind her. She felt the beat of his heart as she pressed against him, as her own blood rushed through her veins.

She rose on tiptoes, found his lips with hers, and closed her eyes, humbled, frightened, honored. The kiss was tentative, an exploration of new feelings, so soft and tender, a memory of their first. He tasted the same, but different. He felt the same, but nothing like he had. She knew who he was, but she didn't know him at all.

And then she stepped away.

He rested his forehead on hers. "Sometimes, when I'm on a mission, and it's quiet, and we can't do anything but wait, I think about you. I think about you a lot, actually. About making it out and seeing you again."

"But you've never come back. Until now."

His lashes swept down, swept up. "I told myself it was all in my head. That I didn't have anything to come for. There was no reason you would want to see me."

Her heart wanted to break but held on. "Why would you think that?"

"You were bullied and I didn't stop it."

"You didn't know it was happening."

"I knew later."

"By then it was over and done with."

"I still should've—"

"Shh." She used her fingertips to silence him. "Don't. We're here now. That's all that matters."

"I need to get back to things," he said after a long moment of mingled breath, regret thick, longing thicker still.

"I know."

"I'll be around later."

"I know."

"I won't leave you again."

"I know."