Roxanne St. Claire's MAKE HER PAY - celebrating with a giveaway!

Roxanne St. Claire has a new release, MAKE HER PAY, available now. Remember a couple of months ago I posted a review for HUNT HER DOWN, and said that I was looking forward to meeting Roxanne at the COFW conference book signing? That book signing took place about three weeks ago and I did have the pleasure of meeting Roxanne. She is an absolute doll -gorgeous, funny and charming; I wish I'd had more time to visit with her. Just as exciting was getting an early, autographed copy of MAKE HER PAY! Continuing the Bullet Catcher series, MAKE HER PAY is the story of Constantine "Con" Xenakis. Constantine made appearances in at least two Bullet Catcher books and I was extremely excited for his story, especially after his role in HUNT HER DOWN. Take a closer look at MAKE HER PAY with this great excerpt!

Blurb:
Bullet Catcher and former Navy SEAL Constantine Xenakis has infiltrated a dive ship to discover who's plundering priceless gems from a legendary sunken Spanish galleon. When he catches Lizzie Dare red-handed in the locked treasure room, her story of a stolen ancestral legacy convinces him to work with the sexy thief instead of turning her in -- and not just because he wants to find the real culprit. Lizzie is willing to risk everything to save the Bombay Blue Diamonds from her sworn enemy, even if that means giving in to an irresistible desire to get closer to her accomplice. But when passion hits them like a rogue wave and danger surrounds them like a school of hungry sharks, their adventure on the high seas turns treacherous...and deadly.

My review:
Constantine Xenakis is working undercover on a dive ship in an effort to find the person or persons responsible for recovered priceless artifacts. Imagine his surprise when he's only on the ship for a couple of hours and discovers fellow diver Lizzie Dare sneaking into the lab where the artifacts are held. After an initial confrontation, it appears that the two have similar objectives when it comes to the artifacts. Con's reaction to Lizzie is instantaneous and heated, which makes cozying up to her to keep her under watch no hardship whatsoever. But Con is hoping for a long-awaited, permanent return to the Bullet Catchers and soon finds himself torn between doing what's right and doing the job he's been probationally hired to do. Given his attraction to Lizzie, Con soon realizes that the job, his future, everything, hinges on whether or not he's willing to break her heart.
Lizzie's motives are much more personal than Con's and the emotion blanketing a heart that's heavy after her father's death is fueling her determination to return the artifacts where they rightfully belong. Constantine Xenakis is an unexpected force to be reckoned with. As if. There is very little reckoning with Con. He's the most intimidating, capable, frustrating male that Lizzie has ever encountered and she knows that staying on her toes, the very ones that he repeatedly makes curl, is the only way she'll be able to keep her wits and take possession of the sunken treasures. It isn't long before Con and Lizzie realize that they're surrounded by evil, on ship and on shore, and their fight soon goes beyond keeping the artifacts safe to keeping themselves alive.

MAKE HER PAY brings to a close the Bullet Catcher series that has brought readers so much pleasure over the years. I'm excited for the new series Roxanne St.Claire is working on, but at the same time, I'm extremely disappointed to see this series come to an end. I know that authors appreciate their readers and happily absorb the positive comments and feedback they get from them about their work, but wonder if they fully understand how deeply their talents touch (and stay with) readers? I have gotten my hands on every one of the Bullet Catcher books as soon as they were released, earlier if I was lucky enough to get them for review, and I truly think that I enjoyed the storytelling in this particular book more than any other in the series. Con is unashamedly a thief and Lizzie is a gentle, kind-hearted soul who has seemingly reached right in and grabbed hold of his heart, making it her own. Together they simply sizzle. I am trying to content myself with the knowledge that Roxanne St. Claire is hard at work on a new series, but in the meantime, I give MAKE HER PAY my highest recommendation!

Go here to order MAKE HER PAY!

To celebrate the release of MAKE HER PAY, I have an autographed copy of HUNT HER DOWN for giveaway. If you're interested, please leave a comment. I'm very interested in what your favorite book in the Bullet Catchers series is. Do you have a favorite character, locale, or couple? Haven't read any of the series? That's okay, and you can even say so in your comment, but then I'm going to ask "What rock have you been living under?" just to give you a hard time! Send a friend over who mentions you and you'll be entered an extra time for each friend. I'll draw the winning name on Tuesday, October 13. Good luck, everyone!
Can't wait to win a copy? I'll make it easy for you to get a copy of your own - go here to toss a copy of HUNT HER DOWN in your Amazon shopping cart alongside MAKE HER PAY!
Thanks for taking a look!
Laurie

Roxanne St. Claire's HUNT HER DOWN

Roxanne St. Claire has a new book, HUNT HER DOWN, releasing at the end of August '09. Yeah, I know, all of you romantic suspense lovers already know that, and boy do I ever hope you're super excited because this one is so very worth the wait! And those of you who appreciate hot covers, did you check this one out? Wow! This cover has been touched up to sizzle so much more than the cover on the arc - very nice! I was fortunate enough to snag HUNT HER DOWN for Romance Junkies review, but before you read my review, here's a couple of little nibbles from Ms. St. Claire's website to tempt and tease!

HUNT HER DOWN (Mini-Excerpt #1)
“Call it whatever you want.” Dan lifted the hand holding the dossier and gave Max Roper’s massive shoulder a decent smack. “Now go eat some charred meat like a good Rottweiler. You’re missing the party and all the gossip about the reasons behind my first official leave of absence.”
“A leave of absence?” Max’s gaze slid to his shoulder. “With a Bullet Catcher dossier still warm from the Research and Investigative Department printer?”
The son of a bitch didn’t miss a trick. “Just grabbed a file on an old friend I might look up in the Keys.”
“You’re going to Florida? Cori and I are going down to Miami tomorrow, to her place on Star Island. Why don’t you stay with us for a few days?”
“And get psychoanalyzed by two of you? No thanks. Anyway, I’ll be a couple of hours south, in Marathon.”
“Doing what?” Max pressed.“Fishing.”
“You don’t own a tackle box. What’s going on down there?”
“Nothing.” He hoped. “I’m taking some time to myself. See an old friend. Learn the difference between a trout and a…nother kind of fish.”
“Who’s the old friend?”
It was a waste of time to try and sidestep Roper. “A young lady I knew from my Miami days.” Well, she’d been young. But not exactly a lady.

HUNT HER DOWN (Mini-Excerpt #2)
Straightening, Maggie nodded to the stranger. “I’ll be right there,” she mouthed, taking the empty glasses from the table and wending around some chairs to make her way over.
As she did, he made no effort to hide his long, slow appraisal of her, the hungry gaze leaving a trail of heat and a thousand chills over every well-admired inch of her. By the time he got back up to her face, she’d reached the table, and slithered into the chair across from him.
“You want a Heineken?”
“Among other things.” He added an imperfect, slanted, utterly decadent smile that took him from jaw-dropper to heart-wrecker in a pulse beat.
“Name ’em,” she shot back.
He dropped his elbows on the table and folded his arms, a move that just emphasized the power and size of his shoulders, and leaned closer. She got a whiff of peppermint and spice, and dose of raw sex appeal, and a chance to see that, no, he hadn’t shaved.
“Mrs. Smith. Are you married?”
His question was direct, simple, and delivered with a baritone that made her wonder if his chest rumbled when he spoke.
“Not anymore.” She met him halfway across the table. “Are you?”
“Not even close.”
“Well, now that we got that little detail out of the way, how about we finally introduce ourselves?” She held out her hand, ready for the first touch, bracing for the electricity she just knew was going to zing up her arm. “I’m--”
“I know who you are,” he said. He didn’t shake her hand. Instead, his long, strong fingers plucked at one of the silver bangles on her wrist. “You make noise when you walk, you know that?”
She just stared at him, mesmerized and unable to look away.
“I’ve been hearing you jingle in my sleep.”
Oh boy. He was good.
“What’s it sound like?”
“Trouble.”

My (5 Blue Ribbon!) Romance Junkies review:
When former lovers Dan and Maggie are reunited after a thirteen year estrangement, old threats become new dangers and past secrets may hold the key to their future, in Roxanne St. Claire’s HUNT HER DOWN.

As soon as Bullet Catcher Dan Gallagher hears that evil drug lord Ramon Jimenez has been released from prison, he knows there’s a good chance he and his cohorts will be seeking out those who put him away. Although she didn’t testify in court, Maggie Varcek played an intricate role in bringing Ramon down. It soon becomes apparent that Maggie’s life is in danger. As Dan steps back into Maggie’s life to protect her and they test the waters of a new relationship, he realizes that the secrets he kept from Maggie are small compared to the one she’s unknowingly kept from him.
Maggie has tried to put the past behind her and keep it there, but she never forgot the man she loved so desperately all those years ago. When Dan Gallagher shows up at the bar she owns, she’s instantly intrigued. She’s upset over his earlier deceit, but her anger quickly dissipates as danger looms, threatening everything she’s fought so hard to safeguard. Maggie discovers strengths she didn’t know she possessed, and a passion for life and love that promise an exciting new future, provided they can stay alive.
The latest in the hugely popular Bullet Catcher series, HUNT HER DOWN is simply stellar. Roxanne St. Claire has given Dan an absolutely perfect match in Maggie. She is fiercely independent and strong, capable of taking care of herself, and readers will discover a side of Dan that will make them fall even more deeply in love with him. Through the reflections and recollections of Dan and Maggie, readers are provided heartrending back story. Both had difficult decisions to make and those decisions played a significant role in developing the lives they made for themselves and the people they became. Secondary characters are key to the story and the appearances of previous Bullet Catcher characters will satisfy even the most dedicated of Ms. St. Claire’s fans. I give HUNT HER DOWN the highest of recommendations, especially for readers who’ve read the earlier books in this series. For readers who are new to the series this book stands firmly on its own, but for even greater reading enjoyment I suggest reading in order; I’m confident that you won’t regret it.
I'll make it easy for you to get a copy of your own - go here to toss a copy in your Amazon shopping cart!

Releasing in late September '09 is the next Bullet Catchers installment, MAKE HER PAY, the story of Constantine "Con" Xenakis. I can't wait!! Constantine made appearances in at least two Bullet Catcher books and his role in HUNT HER DOWN has me extremely excited for his story. Want even more temptation? Get a closer look at MAKE HER PAY with this great excerpt!
Go here to pre-order MAKE HER PAY!

In perusing Ms. St. Claire's website I see that she'll be visiting Ohio in September as keynote speaker at the Central Ohio Fiction Writers conference - I couldn't be more excited! I don't attend the conference, but always try to make it to the booksigning since it's only 30 minutes from me. Maybe we can get her back to Ohio sometime for Lori and Dianne's event in Cincinnati, hmmm?
Thanks for stopping!
Laurie