HARD JUSTICE is out in ebook and print! Get ready to fall in love with sexy Scotsman Quinn McManus. Hard Justice (Cobra Elite #3) is out today, and this time the badass men and women of Cobra International Security head to Glasgow, Scotland. I confess that I was selfish when I wrote this book. So far, the Cobra series has taken us to Afghanistan and Bangladesh. But I love Scotland and find Scottish accents irresistibly sexy. So when I needed to pick the next location for an adventure, I chose Scotland. Can you blame me? Read below for a description of the story, followed by a fun little excerpt. Kindle Nook ibooks  Kobo Smashwords Paperback Elizabeth Shields has always craved adventure. That’s why she went to work for the CIA straight out of college. That’s probably also the reason she feels drawn to Quinn McManus, a veteran of the British Special Air Service. The big Scotsman gives off a dangerous vibe that she can’t resist. Yet, resist she must. She and Quinn both work for Cobra International Security, which has a strict policy against hook-ups between employees, and she’s too much of a professional to date a coworker. She and Quinn can never be more than friends. But when his best buddy from the SAS is found murdered on the streets of Glasgow, Elizabeth will do all she can to help Quinn cope with the loss … and find the culprit. Quinn McManus escaped a life of poverty by joining the British Army. His fellow soldiers became his family, forging a bond stronger than blood. Now, with his best friend dead, he needs Elizabeth’s special skills to help track down the killer. He has no intention of getting physical with her. Rules are rules. But as their unofficial investigation heats up, so does the attraction between them. Still, he refuses to surrender. Because if they cross the line from friends to lovers, there will be no going back. But some battles can’t be won, and soon the passion between Quinn and Elizabeth ignites, hot enough to melt the cold Glasgow winter. As they move closer to the truth and to each other, they find themselves in the sights of a stone-cold killer, who won’t hesitate to destroy them both to keep a terrible secret.

Excerpt from Hard Justice Quinn walked in wearing a T-shirt and gym pants that rode low on his hips. He flashed Elizabeth a smile and walked over to the free weights, setting up the chest press. Damn. Elizabeth had seen him work out before—all that muscle in action. Cobra had a gym in the basement that most of the employees used to stay fit. The difference between Cobra’s gym and this place was that they were on vacation now—and they were alone. It would be so easy to give in and let her hormones win. She’d danced with Quinn and knew he was good with his body. He’d probably be as lethal in bed as he was out of it. But she’d hooked up with a coworker once before and had paid a terrible price for it. She’d sworn to herself never to make that mistake again. Still, she was on vacation. It didn’t hurt to ogle him—just a little. Bench press. Bicep curls. Triceps. Incline press. He got to his feet, raised the hem of his T-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face, exposing that delicious six-pack. Elizabeth didn’t realize she’d stopped running until the machine tossed her onto the floor. She toppled with a shriek, landing flat on her butt. “Are you hurt?” Quinn jogged over, held out a big hand to help her up. Heat rushed into her cheeks. “I’m fine.” She took his hand, stood, coming face to face with him—or face to sternum. He smelled like salt and sweat and soap, the warm scents filling her head, leaving her intoxicated. Pheromone alert. “Did you forget you were runnin’?” The gleam in his blue eyes told her he found all of this funny. She couldn’t tell him the truth, so she lied. “I’m not sure what I did.” She was such an idiot. He leaned down, bringing his gaze level with hers. “Next time you’re wantin’ to watch me at the weights, turn off the machine first, and come pull up a chair.” # # # Quinn saw Elizabeth’s eyes go wide, her cheeks flaming scarlet. “You!” She glared at him, gave him a wee shove. “Me?” He fought not to laugh. Och, she was adorable when she was angry. “It was you gawpin’ at me and you who fell. What did I do?” “Oh, like you’ve never stared at my ass before.” Furious now, she gave herself a slap on the bum and then cupped her breasts through her T-shirt. “Or ogled my tits.” The sight of her cupping her own breasts sent blood rushing to his groin and brought his gaze to the exact place it should not be. Sweet blazin’ hell! “Aye, I’ll no’ deny it. We’re both adults. What’s the harm in lookin’?” His words seemed to make her angrier. She opened her mouth as if to blister his ears—then leaped into his arms and kissed him. Quinn caught her, drew her hard against him, his shock washed away by a rush of lust. He forgot about Jack’s murder. He forgot they were in the hotel gym. He forgot that they shouldn’t be doing this, because, sweet Jesus, they ought to have done it years ago. He forgot everything but Lilibet—her taste, the soft feel of her body against his, the sweet scent of her skin. Och, the woman could kiss. She took everything he could give her and demanded more, her tongue teasing his, her teeth nipping his lips— “Is this man harassin’ you, miss?” Elizabeth went stiff in Quinn’s arms, the two of them opening their eyes to find a young security guard walking toward them. Quinn set Elizabeth on her feet, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. “We’re just havin’ a wee snog, aye?” “Miss?” The man didn’t seem to believe Quinn, but waited for Elizabeth to answer. “It didnae look like snoggin’.” It took Quinn a moment to understand the accusation—a measure of how distracted he was just now. The guard must have seen Elizabeth shove him on the surveillance feed and had gotten the wrong idea. Fuck. Elizabeth gave the man that beautiful smile of hers. “I’m fine. Thank you. I fell off the machine. He helped me up and teased me about it, so I gave him a shove and, um, kissed him. I guess we forgot where we were. I’m so sorry we worried you, but I do appreciate your concern for my safety.” “If you’re certain, miss…” “Yes, thank you.” Quinn couldn’t fault the guard for watching out for women, but the thought that anyone could believe him capable of abusing Elizabeth set his temper on edge. He wasn’t that sort of man. No matter what anyone said, he was nothing like his father. Some part of him wanted an apology, but that would make him a right prick. The guard was just doin’ his job, aye? Elizabeth turned to Quinn. “I’m done with my run. I’ll see you upstairs.” “Aye, I’m comin’, too.” The security guard walked out of the gym with them. “Enjoy your stay wi’ us.” * * * I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Grab your copy today, and snuggle up with Quinn and cup of hot cocoa. Copyright (c) 2019 Pamela Clare

What woman doesn’t love a sexy Scotsman? I joke with my fellow authors that a Scottish accent counts as foreplay. How could I resist telling Quinn McManus' story?

McManus is a veteran of the British Special Air Service, a badass who now works for Cobra International Security. In the first two books in this series, we've seen that he has an interest in Elizabeth Shields, a former CIA analyst. But the two of them have never hooked up—and for a reason.

Here’s the story description:

Elizabeth Shields has always craved adventure. That’s why she went to work for the CIA straight out of college. That’s probably also the reason she feels drawn to Quinn McManus, a veteran of the British Special Air Service. The big Scotsman gives off a dangerous vibe that she can’t resist. Yet, resist she must. She and Quinn both work for Cobra International Security, which has a strict policy against hook-ups between employees, and she’s too much of a professional to date a coworker. She and Quinn can never be more than friends. But when his best buddy from the SAS is found murdered on the streets of Glasgow, Elizabeth will do all she can to help Quinn cope with the loss … and find the culprit. 

Quinn McManus escaped a life of poverty by joining the British Army. His fellow soldiers became his family, forging a bond stronger than blood. Now, with his best friend dead, he needs Elizabeth’s special skills to help track down the killer. He has no intention of getting physical with her. Rules are rules. But as their unofficial investigation heats up, so does the attraction between them. Still, he refuses to surrender. Because if they cross the line from friends to lovers, there will be no going back. 

But some battles can’t be won, and soon the passion between Quinn and Elizabeth ignites, hot enough to melt the cold Glasgow winter. As they move closer to the truth and to each other, they find themselves in the sights of a stone-cold killer, who won’t hesitate to destroy them both to keep a terrible secret. 

Since the last time I posted, I’ve been to my older son’s wedding, went on the honeymoon cruise with him and my new daughter-in-law, been up close and personal with bears in Alaska, seen so many humpback whales, seals, sea lions, otters, glaciers, and so on. And I topped that off with a visit to fellow author Kaylea Cross in Vancouver, where we talked about our books, went sea kayaking, ate some fantastic food, and looked at beautiful gardens.

Of course, I caught some nasty virus on the plane on the way home, so I've been in bed since getting home four days ago. Doesn’t it just figure?

I thought I'd share some of the photos. Ready?

At the top is a photo of the bride and groom with their two older kids from her first marriage. The bride wore purple embroidered with white, while the groom wore purple. It was an amazing day with a sweet ceremony that left me in tears. After a reception with cake and champagne, we set off on the cruise, and that was a week of non-stop adventure.


We also got amazing views of the Inner Passage — so many islands and channels, so many humpback whales, so much beauty. My brother and I spent some time just sitting on our balcony watching the scenery slip by until it was too dark to see anything.




Speaking of humpbacks, we went on a whale-watching tour and got to see several. None of them breached, but we did see a lot of flukes. In one case, we saw a mother with her calf swimming side by side. On this same trip, we encountered a colony of sea lions, some harbor seals, lots of jelly fish, eagles, and a sea otter floating along and washing its cute face.



On August 27, when I was still on the ship, Hard Asset was released — my biggest release day ever! Thank you for that. The book is garnering fantastic reviews overall. I packed it full of action and adventure — and a little hot jungle sex. I'm grateful to those of you who’ve read it and taken time to post reviews, with a 4.7 average on Amazon and a 4.54 as of this moment on Goodreads.




Here’s a description of the book:


The book is available in ebook and paperback formats.


Kindle US
Kindle UK
Kindle CA
Kindle AU
Kindle DE
Nook
Apple Books
Kobo
Smashwords
Paperback

It has been a crazy summer! Benjamin and I did some landscaping work outside, managing to put in a new flagstone and gravel patio before our annual High Bloom Party when we celebrate our roses. We grow a lot of our own fruit and veg here, too, so there's a lot to do outside when we aren’t working on landscaping. So far this summer, we’ve gotten radishes, arugula, chard, scallions, peas, shishito peppers, green peppers, potatoes, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries out of the garden with so much more on the way.

Yum!

In the meantime, I’ve been hard at work on Hard Asset, the second book in my new Cobra Elite romantic suspense series. Book 2 picks up with the men and women of Cobra International Security to tell Connor O’Neal’s story. I'm super excited to say that the book is now available for preorder and will be available on August 27.

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

A perilous mission…

Shanti Lahiri’s tragic family history inspired her to fight for justice. Now a prosecutor with the International Criminal Court, she doesn’t have time for dating or relationships. When an investigation takes her to the Rohingya refugee camps in her father’s homeland of Bangladesh, the last thing she wants is an armed security team following her everywhere and frightening her already traumatized witnesses. But others who’ve tried to investigate these crimes have gone missing, and Shanti doesn’t want to be the next one to disappear. Despite her misgivings, she has no choice but to accept their protection. And, no, the fact that the team’s leader is lethally sexy has nothing to do with her decision.

An undeniable attraction…

Connor O’Neal left the Unit—Delta Force—after a decade of war, scarred both inside and out. Now an operative with Cobra International Security, he’s been tasked with protecting Shanti in one of the most dangerous parts of the world. He can handle anything the bad guys throw at him, but nothing prepares him for the instant attraction he feels to Shanti. From the first moment he sees her, he wants her. Too bad, because clients are strictly off-limits, and he’s a man who follows the rules—most of the time. Besides, he can’t afford any distractions when Shanti’s life is on the line.

A merciless enemy…

But something about Shanti breaks through Connor’s defenses, forcing him to confront his demons. As their mutual desire transforms into reckless passion, Shanti discovers evidence crucial to putting a mastermind of genocide behind bars. Connor knows her life is in immediate danger, but his plan to get her out of the country comes crashing down when a traitor strikes, leaving the two of them stranded in the jungles of Myanmar. Now on the run from a ruthless killer and his army, Connor and Shanti are fighting for survival—and a chance at the love of a lifetime.

Hard Target, Book 1 in my new Cobra Elite romantic suspense series, is now available for pre-order! It will be out in ebook on April 25, and hopefully, print that same day or shortly after that.

Kindle US
Kindle UK
Kindle CA
Kindle AU
Kindle DE
Nook
iBooks
Kobo

It will be available on Smashwords (all formats, international) on its release date.

This is a high-octane spin-off to the I-Team series, featuring Javier Corbray, Holly and Nick Andris, and Derek Tower and all the heroes and heroines at their private military company, Cobra International Security. Expect the occasional I-Team cameo in this series.

Here’s a description of the story:

Derek Tower has spent his life at war, first as a Green Beret and then as the owner of a private military company, Cobra International Security. When a high-ranking US senator asks Cobra to protect his daughter, a midwife volunteering in Afghanistan, Derek’s gut tells him to turn the senator down. The last thing he wants to do is babysit an aid worker. But Jenna isn’t just another assignment. She’s also the younger sister of his best friend, the man who died taking bullets meant for him. There’s no way Derek can refuse. 

Jenna Hamilton doesn’t need a bodyguard, especially not one hired by her intrusive and controlling father. She knew the risks when she signed on to work in rural Afghanistan, and the hospital already has armed security. She also doesn’t need the distraction of a big, brooding operative skulking about, even if he is her late brother’s best friend—and sexy as hell. As far as she’s concerned, he can pack up his Humvee and drive into the sunset. And, no, nothing her hormones have to say about him will change her mind. 

From the moment his boots hit the ground in Afghanistan, Derek does his best to win Jenna over, posing as her brother so the two of them can spend time alone. Except that what he feels for her is anything but brotherly. Stolen moments lead to secret kisses—and an undeniable sexual attraction that shakes them both to the core. But events have been set into motion that they cannot escape. When a ruthless warlord sets his sights on Jenna, Derek will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it costs him his heart—or his life.
I'm super excited to share the story with you. Without further ado, an excerpt.

In this scene, Derek, who is pretending to be Jenna’s brother so he can speak with her in an environment that mandates total separation of the sexes, helps Jenna get the hospital safe room ready just in case.

From HARD TARGET —

Derek jogged back up the stairs, making four more trips -- two for the remaining two drums and two for the rest of the MREs and the water -- while Jenna tore off the shrink wrap, opened the boxes, and piled the meals into the barrel. Then she fitted the lids onto the barrels, stepping back as he pounded them firmly into place with the heel of his palm.

“That ought to keep out the mice.”

“I’d like to store some medical supplies down here, too, just in case—first aid supplies, IV fluids, pain meds.” Her headscarf had come loose, and she instinctively reached up to straighten it.

He caught her hand. “Don’t. I want to see your hair.”

Jenna forgot to breathe.


What the hell are you doing?

This hadn’t been part of Derek’s plan. The words had just come out of his mouth, but for some reason, he wasn’t taking them back.

A part of him tried to convince himself that he was just doing his job, just trying to win Jenna over. But he knew that was bullshit. He truly did want to see her hair.

Jenna stood, frozen in place, looking up at him, green eyes wide, her pupils dilated. “I-I probably shouldn’t…”

He took hold of the damned headscarf and pulled it off to reveal thick auburn hair that hung well below her shoulders.

She reached up, ran a hand self-consciously over her hair. “I’ve gotten used to covering up. I don’t spend any time styling it or…”

Her words trailed off when he lifted a handful of silky strands, raised them to his nostrils, and inhaled, the feminine scent sending a dart of arousal to his groin. “You smell like flowers.”

“It’s … uh … my shampoo.”

Had he managed to fluster her?

Good.

“I like it.” He slid his fingers through the thick tresses, grazing her cheek with his palm, his fingers finding her nape.

Her eyes drifted shut, her lips parting on an exhale.

Lust punched through him, sharp and bright.

Reluctantly, he drew his hand away, fighting an irrational impulse to pull her close and kiss the hell out of her. “You’re a beautiful woman, Jenna.”

She shook her head, her cheeks flushing pink. “I’m not wearing any makeup.”

“You don’t need it.” He truly meant that.

Her skin was nearly translucent, her eyelashes dark and long, her lips full and…

Hell, he should not be thinking about her lips. If anyone caught them kissing, they would both end up very dead. Not that anyone would wander in just now. The women were shut in the hospital wing, and Farzad was likely too afraid to set foot in this place.

Don’t take chances.

He wouldn’t, not where Jenna was concerned.

Besides, kissing her wasn’t his mission.

“I wish you would come with me back to the U.S.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. “There are men not far from here who would tear you apart if they could.”

“Are you trying to scare me? It won’t work.”

“No, I’m just telling you the truth. I’ve seen the aftermath of more than one Taliban massacre -- women and girls raped to death or shot in the head, entire families slaughtered.”

She took a step backward. “I know it’s dangerous to be here, but it’s more dangerous for these mothers. If I bail out of my contract and go home because I’m afraid, where does that leave them? Where does it leave Marie, Delara, and the students? The world can’t just abandon these women. I know that what I’m doing is just a drop in the bucket compared to what’s needed, but at least I’m doing something.”

Derek could tell she meant every word, and he respected her. That didn’t change the fact that he had a job to do. “At least think about it.”

“I should get back to work.” She bent down to pick up her headscarf.

“Let me.” He took it from her, draped it over her hair, tucking it beneath her chin and drawing it around her so that the ends fell over her chest to cover the gentle curves of her breasts. “That should do it. Not a single strand is showing.”

Here it is — the sexy new cover for my sexy COBRA ELITE series. Yes, I’m back to writing romantic suspense, and HARD TARGET is the first book in my new I-Team spinoff.

The hero of the story is Derek Tower, who first made his appearance in the I-Team series in Striking Distance as the owner of a black-ops company that had gone into bankruptcy after the kidnapping of Laura Nilsson. He was a JERK — at first. As the story moved on, he discovers that Laura isn’t to blame for her kidnapping and the deaths of his men and does all he can to make up for the way he intimidated her.

We see him again in Seduction Game when the new black-ops company he and Javier Corbray (Striking Distance) have created get involved to recover Holly Bradshaw after a rogue CIA agent abducts her. Here’s the logo of Cobra International Security.


Basically, if you’re a terrorist or drug smuggler or asshole and you see this, you are probably well on your way to being trussed up in the back of a truck or dead.

Hard Target is Derek’s story. A former Green Beret, he is compelled to accept an assignment that lands him in Afghanistan’s Balkh Province playing bodyguard to the younger sister of special forces buddy who gave his life to save Derek’s.

Jenna Hamilton, the heroine, is a nurse midwife. She’s gone over as an aid worker to help save the lives of women and babies in a country where women have a 1-in-8 risk of dying of pregnancy-related causes in their lifetimes. That part is not fiction, sadly. Neither is the fact that the Taliban, which forbids the education of women, deliberately targets and executes midwives. Last year, they attacked the city of Ghazni, occupied a midwifery school, and murdered one of the midwives while the others hid in a safe room.

Caught in political the political machinations of militias, warlords, and Talibs, they find themselves on the run, relying on Derek’s skills (and at times Jenna’s) to survive.

Derek has no intention of getting involved with Jenna. He owes her brother a life debt, something he can’t repay by getting in bed with her. But sometimes adrenaline and primal attraction can overcome even the strongest will.

Where did I get the idea for this story? I’m so glad you asked.

The groundwork for aspects of it was laid in Striking Distance and Seduction Game. Javier and Derek’s company — Cobra International Security — was already established.

But the setting and especially the heroine come from a story I reported on long ago when I was a journalist. I'd heard of a local midwife who had set up a midwifery school and hospital out of her living room in Boulder County. She went over to Bamiyan and worked with the Afghan government to develop a curriculum to train one of the first groups of midwives in the new Afghanistan. She saved lives every day. She had the honor—I think it IS an honor—of receiving death threats from the Taliban, which promised to put a bullet in her head.

Screw those guys. (Or not.)

The organization she founded is a nonprofit that now operates in Afghanistan, Uganda, and Haiti, helping local women give birth safely. Through her efforts and those of others who joined in to help, these clinics have surpassed UN goals for maternal and infant safety. The organization is one I am proud to support — International Midwife Assistance. You can read about their work at www.midwifeassist.org.

She and I met over coffee a few weeks ago, and I told her that I’m working on a story with an American midwife working in Afghanistan—and she literally squealed. Immediately, she began making suggestions for how to make the story real, offering me a wealth of first-hand experience that I couldn’t have unless I, too, worked as a midwife in Afghanistan.

The Cobra Elite series is going to be a fast-paced, action-packed romantic suspense series with all the realism of the I-Team series. At this point, I’m planning for a trilogy, all of which will be published in 2019. So hang onto your panties — if you can.

Hard Target will be out in mid-April. Watch for an excerpt with pre-order links soon! If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, click here. It’s the best way to stay on top of new releases. I won‘t spam you or share your email information. Just be sure to check your inbox for a confirmation email.