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.