Photo: Dubai City at night

I’ve taken a long break from writing — and I needed it. But as of this week, I’m back to writing again.

The first project I’m biting off involves the hero and heroine from Striking Distance. Because I rewrote that story about eight times, I have a lot of outtakes to share. That’s rare for me. In fact, it hasn’t really happened before. One of those outtakes is the original prologue.

Laura Nilsson, a broadcast journalist on her way to Pakistan, and Javier Corbray, an active-duty Navy SEAL visiting Dubai while on leave, meet in a restaurant in Dubai City. Their connection is immediate, and it is hot. They have a weekend of mind blowing sex in a place where sex between unmarried people can land a person in prison or get them flogged. This illicit fling is supposed to come with no strings, but both of them leave Dubai secretly hoping to see the other person again.

Neither of them knows what awaits Laura in Islamabad.

Yes, I’m writing a short erotic e-novella, and I hope to have it out to you by Oct. 1 so you can meet Laura and Javier before their story comes out on Nov. 5.

The original prologue didn’t work for a lot of reasons. It didn’t fit the tone of the rest of the novel. It meant I would have to have two prologues, which just felt silly. And it added thousands of unnecessary words to the novel. So I set it aside, penned the second prologue — the one posted here — and I knew when I started the second prologue that I’d made the right decision.

Now, I’m taking that initial attempt at a prologue and fleshing it out, so to speak, and getting it ready for you. In Striking Distance, Laura and Javier spend a lot of time looking back at this magical weekend, and I wanted it to be available for you either before or after you read Striking Distance.


The story isn’t romantic suspense, and it won’t contain any I-Team characters. Neither Laura or Javier have even heard of the I-Team at this point. But it should be a fun short story — maybe 15,000 words — about the intense liaison that neither Laura nor Javier can forget.

I’ve titled it First Strike to help make it clear that it’s a companion story for Striking Distance. I should have a sexy new cover to share with you in a week or so. The story will only be available in ebook. It makes no sense to offer a print version of something that can be read on a computer in a single sitting.

UPDATE: Just a quick FYI to my readers...

A reader emailed me to tell me that the special sale price for the mass market paperback edition of STRIKING DISTANCE isn’t just for Amazon Prime members. It’s open to everyone. I didn't realize that! It’s on sale for $4.79, which is a little more than $3 off the regular retail price. It’s always nice to save a buck or three.

Now I’m off to write. Have a good weekend!

Upcoming posts:
Defiant releases on audiobook on August 26 with an audiobook giveaway
Cover reveal for First Strike
Excerpts and outtakes from Striking Distance
I-Team games