There's lots going on here at Casa Clare, so here’s a quick catchup.

I finished working with Kaleo Griffith on the audiobook edition of Dead By Midnight: An I-Team Christmas. The audiobook should be out late this week or perhaps next week. Kaleo did an amazing job narrating the story — as he always does — with the sex scenes pretty much melting my earbuds as I “proofed” the recordings. All of you OKD sufferers — that’s Obsessive Kaleo Disorder, for those of you who aren’t yet addicts — are going to get a huge fix soon.

I am so excited to share this with you. I had forgotten that the story starts with Kat and Gabe getting it on, so I went from nothing to meltdown in about 2.2 seconds. You’ll have to be wearing asbestos panties not to get hot and bothered by the sound of Kaleo’s voice reading that scene (or the one of Marc and Sophie in the bathroom or the one of Zach and Natalie or Julian and Tessa at the end).

If you haven’t yet read Dead By Midnight, the most exciting of all the I-Team stories in my opinion, it is available in both ebook and paperback.

Close to Heaven is out in paperback

Close To Heaven: A Colorado High Country Christmas is out in paperback now. Thanks to those of you who took the time to read the story and share your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

If you haven’t snagged your copy of Joe and Rain’s sweet and sexy Christmas story, it’s available on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, and Kobo, as well as Smashwords.

I'm about to start working on Joaquin’s story. Yes, you read that right. An I-Team story.

After writing straight contemporary romance for the past year and a half, it will be fun to return to romantic suspense. (Yes, the Colorado High Country series was straight contemporary, something I tried very hard to communicate with readers, who nonethless complained that there wasn't enough suspense. Er... There's no suspense in straight contemporaries.)

No, I’m not abandoning the Colorado High Country series. I love the characters far too much to just skip town. But Joaquin’s story finally gelled in my imagination, so it’s time to give the poor guy his own HEA. He’s been waiting for years!

It’s been a while since I've hung out with the I-Team gang, but working on the audiobook for Dead By Midnight was a good warm-up for taking the series foward. I hope you’re as excited as I am.

Follow me on Book+Main Bites

Also, I have joined Books+Main Bites, so register if you want to come hang and read excerpts from your favorite authors all day. You can find me under @PamelaClare. There are no sales pushes on Books+Main Bites, just sexy photos and lots of exerpts and deleted chapters, etc. This gives authors and readers a snark-free place to hang out that is blissfully far from the chaos and negativity of Facebook.

On the home front...

On the personal side, my sister is flying in for the Christmas holiday on Thursday. She lives in Stockholm, so this is the only time of the year I really get to spend with her. She is my best friend, so I’m very excited to see her again.

As a final bit of good news, I decided to get my blood work for my January oncology checkup done early so that I didn’t have it hanging over my head during the Christmas season. I got the results back today, and everything was normal! Hallelujah. Dec. 9 will mark the three-year anniversary of my last day of radiation. That’s the day I’ll be able to call myself a three-year breast cancer survivor.

That makes my Christmas bright all by itself.

Watch for news about the release of the audiobook edition of Dead By Midnight coming soon!

I hope this makes your Monday a bit brighter.

Defiant, the third book in the MacKinnon’s Rangers series, is out today in audiobook format narrated by the extremely talented and award-winning Kaleo Griffith. Now the entire series is available.

Defiant, like Surrender back in 2007, was a RITA finalist this year. The RITA Awards are the highest honor bestowed on romance novels by the industry. I was thrilled that this book, which came close to never being written, received such an honor. Now audiobook fans can enjoy it, too.

Working with Kaleo on this series was different than working on the I-Team series. For one, we know each other pretty well by now. But also, these books are drawn more from my inner history geek and historical romance lover, while the I-Team series books are based more on things I saw and did as an investigative reporter.

When he came to the RWA conference in Atlanta, he was in the middle of recording this book and told me he thought it was going to be his favorite. And it is.

I hope you enjoy the hard work that both he and I put into these 14-plus hours of listening. Click here for a sound sample.

This is the last chance for those of you with Obsessive Kaleo Disorder — also known as OKD — to get a fix from my books for a while. (He has done other romance titles and other non-romance books, so be sure to peruse Tantor Audio’s catalogue to see his other projects.)

Here are the links for Defiant:

Audible: http://bit.ly/1bQoCQA
Tantor: http://bit.ly/14zdylZ
iTunes: http://bit.ly/12E3Jp6

Now to celebrate!

What are the prizes? I’ve set aside two copies each of Surrender, Untamed and Defiant. Each prize-winner will win one of those copies.

How do you enter? It’s easy! Just comment and leave your email address below before 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, and tell me which lines of Surrender, Untamed or Defiant you’re most excited to hear Kaleo perform, and you’ll be entered to win one of six copies. If you haven’t read any of the books from the MacKinnon’s Rangers series, you can enter by telling me how you first heard about it. I’ll draw the names of winners using a contest randomizer and post the winners on this blog on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Remember to leave your contact info! If you don’t claim your prize, it will end up going to someone else.

In case you missed them, here are the links for the other two audiobooks in the series:

Surrender — 
Audible: http://bit.ly/1d3d8fN
Tantor Audio: http://bit.ly/17Mk2Vh
iTunes:  http://bit.ly/17HV58I

Untamed —
Audible: http://bit.ly/16GbQBe 
Tantor Audio: http://bit.ly/16GbWZs 
iTunes:  http://bit.ly/1cHJjRY

Upcoming posts:
Cover reveal for First Strike: The Erotic Prequel to Striking Distance
Striking Distance excerpts and outtakes
I-Team games

The wait is over, and the MacKinnon’s Rangers audiobooks are back on track!

As those of you who follow me on Facebook know, Surrender (MacKinnon’s Rangers #1) was released in July only for those of us who listened to it right away to realize that something had gone wrong. There were so many editing errors in the audiobook that the listening experience was compromised.

Tantor Audio, which has released all of my audiobooks, immediately withdrew Surrender from the market, corrected the mistakes, and reissued it. But it took ages for the audiobook to be redistributed through all of the channels where it had been for sale for a short time.

Today, Surrender is finally back on Audible.com! Those of you who downloaded it right away from either Tantor Audio or Audible.com ought to be able to get the new, corrected version simply by contacting customer service.

In the meantime, of course, Untamed was released, but a lot of people held off from getting it because they were still waiting for Surrender. Now, both books are out and available on Audible, on Tantor’s website and on iTunes.

Here are the links for Surrender:

Audible: http://bit.ly/1d3d8fN
Tantor Audio: http://bit.ly/17Mk2Vh
iTunes: http://bit.ly/17HV58I

Here are the links for Untamed:

Audible: http://bit.ly/16GbQBe 
Tantor: http://bit.ly/16GbWZs 
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1cHJjRY

And this leaves us a mere six days away from the audiobook release of Defiant, the third book in the series and a RITA finalist for Best Historical this year. Click here for a sound sample.

Defiant is narrated by Kaleo Griffith, who has lent his tremendous talents to all of my audiobooks thus far. At more than 14 hours in length, it tells the story of Connor MacKinnon, the youngest MacKinnon brother, and Lady Sarah, the niece of Connor’ most hated enemy — Lord William.  

Kaleo told me he really enjoyed voicing the series and that Defiant is his favorite. I can never choose a favorite. I love each of them for different reasons. Besides, asking an author to pick a favorite book is like asking her to choose her favorite child. It just doesn’t work.

If you want to pre-order Defiant, here are its links: 

Audible: http://bit.ly/1bQoCQA
Tantor: http://bit.ly/14zdylZ

It’s not available on iTunes yet but will be on release day.

After this, I have no scheduled audiobook releases until Striking Distance (I-Team #6) in November. Those of you with bad cases of OKD — that’s Obsessive Kaleo Disorder — are going to have a bit of a wait for your next fix!

Have a great day, everyone! See you again soon.

Untamed (MacKinnon’s Rangers 2) is out in audiobook today!

Audible: http://bit.ly/16GbQBe 
Tantor: http://bit.ly/16GbWZs 
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1cHJjRY

For MacKinnon’s Rangers fans, it’s a chance to hear Morgan and Amalie’s story brought to life by the über-talented and very sexy Kaleo Griffith. If you’ve ever wanted to know whether he would sound like speaking with a French accent, this audiobook answers that question. And the answer is, “Mais oui!”

Click here for a sound sample.

I managed to sneak a listen, and I was very happy with Kaleo’s ability to voice the French characters, along with our Scottish Highlander brothers and Lord William, who comes across just like I wrote him — haughty and cold.

It has been a wild experience having these audiobooks come out one after the other — first the I-Team and now the MacKinnon’s Rangers series. As an audiobook fan, I’ve always wanted to have my books available for readers/listeners in this format. Having it happen all at once has meant that there was always something exciting right around the corner — another audiobook release, another chance to work with Kaleo.

Defiant will be out on August 26, and then there will be a bit of a wait for... Striking Distance (I-Team 6) on Nov. 5, which will mark the first time that a new print release and an audiobook release are happening on the same day. 

While I’m at it, I might as well share the cover for Defiant, which I got late last week. What do you think?





In other news, I am finishing up proofreads on Striking Distance. This is the last step before the book heads off to be printed. I’m about two-thirds of the way through the story, and I can’t wait to share it with you! Watch my blog for excerpts!

A snapshot of the view screen taken by a friend when the finalists for Best Historical Romance were announced during the RITA ceremony

Sorry it’s been so long since my last update. Let’s see if I can get caught up here.

The Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta (July 16-20) was an absolute whirlwind. Between business meetings with my agent and folks from Penguin, my publisher, I got to spend precious face time with my author friends — Norah Wilson, Bonnie Vanak, Jenn LeBlanc, Courtney Milan, Julie James, Joyce Lamb, Jill Shalvis (though we barely had time to say hello) and some of the authors from Rock*It Reads. Writing is a very isolating profession, so any time we get to spend together away from our computers is precious.

The highlight of the conference had to be meeting Kaleo Griffith face to face for the first time and meeting members of the I-Team Facebook group at the I-Team party. There were people there from as far away as Canada and California. Some had driven for six or more hours to be at the party. I signed books and Kaleo signed audiobooks. We gave away a complete set of the I-Team audiobooks and a copy of the audiobook of Surrender as prizes.

I’m already thinking about how I can improve the experience for people at next year’s conference in San Antonio.



It was wonderful to be a RITA finalist. I didn’t win, but I wasn’t as disappointed by that as I had perhaps imagined I would be. Sharing the finalist honors with writers like Monica McCarty and Jade Lee made me really happy just to be in that circle. Monica and I sat at the same table — Table 69! — during the awards ceremony, both of us cheering for the other. Kaleo was my guest for the ceremony, and having his support was wonderful.

I got home feeling extremely sleep deprived and spent a week getting caught up on all the different post-conference emails and phone calls, not to mention sleep and laundry.

While I was at RWA, Surrender (MacKinnon’s Rangers #1) was released in audiobook. Unfortunately, it was released with some significant editing mistakes. Tantor Audio went into motion to correct the problem and is offering replacement CDs to anyone who got the flawed version. Contact them through customer service. The new corrected version will be up soon. Audible pulled Surrender from its offerings and will post it again once the new corrected version is available. My apologies to any audiobook listener who got the original, flawed version!

Although that was a disappointment, the audiobook itself got an A/A+ from AudioGals. This link includes a terrific sound sample showcasing Kaleo’s skill as a narrator — all three brothers plus Lord William — and offers information about the errors on the CD and what is happening to make sure listeners get the correct version. Thanks so much to AudioGals for their continued support!

So what am I up to these days? I’ve been taking a nice long break from writing to get my mojo back and to focus on all of the important things that were neglected while I was working so hard on Striking Distance, including sleep, good food, exercise and time with both of my boys. I’ve decided that writing can’t mean my quality of life goes to hell.

But more on that in my next post.

Also, watch for news on First Strike, the erotic prequel to Striking Distance.

Upcoming releases:

Untamed — audiobook — Aug. 12
Defiant — audiobook — Aug. 26
First Strike — ebook special — mid-September — This is the erotic prequel to Striking Distance. It is not romantic suspense, but tells the story of how the hero and heroine from Striking Distance met.
Striking Distance (I-Team #6) — print, ebook, audiobook — Nov. 5.

Untamed, Defiant, and Striking Distance are all available for pre-order, while First Strike is not.

A year ago I wouldn’t have imagined that both my I-Team series and MacKinnon’s Rangers series would be available in audiobook. I also wouldn’t have imagined that I would get such a fantastic actor and voice artist to voice both series, someone who would become a close friend. But that’s how it is.

Sometimes, life can be as exciting as fiction!

Surrender (MacKinnon’s Ranger #1) is out today on audiobook. The series is being voiced by Kaleo Griffith, who also narrated the I-Team series. I’ve only listened to about half of the prologue — I’m busy getting ready to leave for Atlanta and still doing copy edits on Striking Distance today — but I loved what I heard, letting out a squeeeeal when I heard his take on Iain MacKinnon.

Here are the links:

Tantor Audio: http://bit.ly/17Mk2VH
Audible.com: http://bit.ly10UYkJF
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1anMLxr

To celebrate the release, the wonderful women at AudioGals did a big interview with me — one of the best interviews I’ve ever participated in. They asked lots of questions about why I love historical romance, how I do research and what inspired this series.

AudioGals are also doing a big audiobook giveaway thanks to the wonderful folks at Tantor Audio, which puts out my audiobooks. They’re giving away two SETS of the MacKinnon’s Rangers series on either CD or MP3 disk. So get over there and enter quickly for your chance to win.

Untamed will be available in audiobook format on August 12, while Defiant will be out on August 26.

Very exciting for me! I’ve been an audiobook lover from the days of the first Harry Potter book, so to have my own stories available in this format is a thrill.

Thanks, AudioGals! Thanks, Tantor! And thanks to you, too, Kaleo, for breathing life into my stories!

Now back to copy edits and packing for Atlanta! I’ll be meeting members of the Facebook I-Team group on Saturday for the first-ever I-Team group party, which Kaleo will be attending, too. Can’t wait to meet him and all my I-Team friends in person!

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I last posted anything on this blog.

I did finally finish Striking Distance and turned it in. My editor got back to me last week and said she loved it, which took the weight of the world off my shoulders.  I’m still waiting for a final cover, which, of course, I will share with you. This was one of the toughest books I’ve ever written, very complicated and requiring a lot of nuanced planning, but my editor said it was definitely worth the wait.

Striking Distance will be out on November 5! Watch for excerpts soon!

In the meantime, it somehow became July. Say what?!?! No, seriously. It’s July, and I’m chasing my tail trying to catch up. I’ve spent the better part of two weeks trying to clean and reorganize my office, focusing on the monstrosity that is my desk, and am finally making some progress.

But more than that, I’ve been getting ready for the Romance Writers of America conference being held in Atlanta, Ga., July 17-20. I wanted to invite you to a couple of events.

RWA “Readers for Life” Literacy Book Signing  — Wednesday, July 17, 5:307:30 p.m. in the Atrium Ballroom A-C of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. I’ll be signing books together with more than 400 other authors in a special event that raises thousands of dollars each year that go to literacy signings in the conference’s host state. As a RITA finalist, I’ll get to have a pretty blue flag on my table. I may be doing some audiobook giveaways and coupons courtesy of Tantor Audio at the signing, so if you live in the Atlanta area, please come!



Pamela Clare’s I-Team Party — Join me and Kaleo Griffith, the sexy voice/actor behind the I-Team audiobooks, for a special get-together. Meet us face to face, have us sign your books and audiobooks, and enjoy a tasty buffet and drinks. Space is limited, so RSVP as soon as you can.

Here are the details:




 If you’re already attending RWA as a writer or live in the Atlanta area and are just planning on coming to the public events as a reader, please join us!


In the meantime, I wish you a Happy Fourth of July if you live here in the U.S. and hope you’re having a great summer!

June is National Audiobook Month, and to celebrate AudioGals and Tantor Audio put together some fun events for romance listeners.

The first went live today. It’s an audio interview with me, Julie James, Anne Stuart and Jennifer Ashley talking about what it’s like to have our books published in audiobook format and what that process entails for us.

You can listen to that interview or download it by clicking here.

For those of you new audiobooks, Tantor has all of its titles in all of its formats priced at half off this month.



The next fun event will be an interview of me and actor/voice artist Kaleo Griffith, who very sexily narrates the I-Team series, talking about our collaboration on these books as well as the soon-to-be-released MacKinnon’s Rangers series, which Kaleo is currently recording.  (He must have boundless energy because he’s also in the midst of filming a movie.)

Don’t forget about the big RWA “Readers For Life” Literacy signing in Atlanta on July 17. I’ll be there. And on July 20, I’ll be having some kind of reader/listener get-together in Atlanta. All fans of the I-Team and MacKinnon’s Rangers are welcome to come and meet me and Kaleo, who will be there also. Some of you emailed me to let me know you wanted to be kept abreast of our plans. I’ve got your emails and will be in touch.

In other news:  I turned in a 467-page manuscript to New York this morning for Striking Distance, (I-Team #6). I still have the last chapter and the epilogue to write, but the bulk of the book is behind me — and closer to being in your hands. The released date is November 5. Mark your calendars!

I can’t believe I’m almost done with this book! I’m very excited to share it with you.

It has been a very long time since I’ve updated my blog. I would apologize except that I’m pretty sure you’d rather have me working on Striking Distance (I-Team 6) than blog posts. Just a guess, but I’m pretty sure I’m right about that!

The good news is that Striking Distance is moving along, slowly but surely, and I’m doing all I can to meet my May 31 deadline so that you’ll have the book by November.

I’ve also been busy shopping for a gown to wear to the 2013 RITA Awards, where Defiant (MacKinnon’s Rangers 3) is a finalist. I’ve never had any fashion sense or skill with this sort of thing, so I expect I’ll end up looking like Björk or something.

In the meantime, Nate and Megan have made it onto audiobook.  Their novella, Skin Deep, is now available on Audible.com, on iTunes and on Tantor Audio’s website.

I’ve had time to listen to only about half of it so far, and having Kaleo Griffith bringing these characters to life, some for the first time, some for the fourth or fifth time, is such a delight! Those of you who suffer from OKD — that’d Obsessive Kaleo Disorder — will get a fix here that will hopefully hold you over until November. I especially love his portrayal of old-time Colorado rancher Jack West, the former Army Ranger who happens to be Nate’s father. As Benjy joked as we listened in the car, “And now for the real romance of this story — the relationship between Jack and Emily.”


Of course, Jack is 63 and Emily is 4, but theirs is a love story of a different kind.

The audiobook includes the I-Team short, “Marc and Julian Make a Beer Run,” which I wrote in response to a joke that someone made on the I-Team Facebook group page. “I’d read anything you wrote about the I-Team heroes, even if it was just Marc and Julian making a beer run.’

Her words percolated in my imagination, and the result is hopefully something you will enjoy, written as a thank you to the I-Team Facebook group members, one of whom created the little e-card you see above here. Fun!



In other audiobook news, I do know for certain now that the MacKinnon’s Rangers series will begin its release in July with Surrender coming out on July 15 and Untamed and Defiant slated for release in August.

To celebrate the release of Skin Deep and the crazy “Beer Run,” I’m giving away one signed copy of the full CD set to a lucky winner. To enter, just post below and tell me what you love most about the I-Team series. And remember to leave your contact information so that I can reach you if you win! If you want to tweet about the audiobook or share your love of the I-Team on Facebook or Twitter, I’d be grateful, but it's not necessary.

Now back to Javier and Laura. Things are heating up for those two...

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for audiobook news her at Casa Clare.

As I announced on Facebook and mentioned here, Tantor Audio bought the rights to Skin Deep and “Marc and Julian Make a Beer Run.” The stories, which Kaleo Griffith has already finished recording, will be available on April 29 — just a few weeks away!

The email in my inbox from Kaleo telling me that he’d had fun bringing the characters to life hadn’t yet cooled when I heard from my editor at Penguin that Tantor had purchased the audiobook rights for the MacKinnon’s Rangers series — Surrender, Untamed and Defiant.

I’m not sure what the time frame is for voicing the series and release it, but Tantor moves quickly, so I don’t thing we’re in for an overly long wait.

Of course, readers and listeners began asking immediately whether Kaleo would be brought onboard to voice Iain, Morgan, Connor, Lord William and the Rangers. I don’t have the answer to that question yet. I do know, however, that Kaleo did voice a book that was done entirely in Scottish brogue, so clearly he has the accent down.

I guess we’ll wait with baited breath to see. As one listener said, “Kaleo gives great aural.” And, indeed, he does!

In the meantime, Skin Deep is already available for pre-order on Audible.com, Amazon, and soon iTunes, too, as well as Tantor Audio’s own website.

With the release of the MacKinnon’s Rangers series in audiobook, that leaves only one I-Team novella and three historicals that aren’t yet in audiobook, and I know Tantor has expressed some interest in the I-Team novella. Eventually perhaps those of you who prefer to listen to books will have everything I’ve written at your auditory beck and call.

I’m still busy working on Striking Distance. I’m halfway done with the story. The past couple of weeks derailed me a bit, but I’m doing all I can to get back on track this week. When I have a lot of interruptions — such as hearing that one of my books is a RITA finalist or writing and posting a long piece about sexual assault on Facebook, like I did last week (which got 23,000+ reads on my fan page alone) — it tends to break the thread of the story. I end up having to read from the beginning to get my mind back in the right groove again.

Have a great week, everyone!

And stay tuned for big news about a fan get-together in Atlanta in on July 19-20! Guess who’s joining me there to sign books and audiobooks? If you guess Kaleo, you’re right.

With the release of Ride the Fire less than two months away, I’ve created a boxed set for the first two books in the series and am offering them at a discount on Amazon.com until Christmas. Yes, it’s the Kenleigh-Blakewell Family Saga Boxed Set, featuring the re-edited and complete versions of Sweet Release and Carnal Gift.

If you enjoyed the MacKinnon’s Rangers series or haven’t yet tried my historical romances, here’s a chance to get them on the cheap.

Here’s a bit about the series:

Volume I: Sweet Release

For five pounds sterling, the convict was hers. Though Cassie hated the slave trade, her Virginia plantation demanded the labor, and she knew this fevered man would surely die if she left him. But as his wounds healed, and as his muscled chest bronzed from the sun, Cassie realized Cole Braden was far more dangerous than his papers had indicated--for he could steal her breath with a glance, or lay siege to her senses with a touch.

Abducted, beaten, and given a new name, Alec Kenleigh went from master of an English shipbuilding empire to fourteen years of indentured servitude in the American colonies. There, he was known as Cole Braden, a convicted ravisher and defiler of women. While he longed to ravish the auburn-haired beauty who owned him, he knew his one hope of earning her love--and his freedom--was to prove his true identity. Only then could he turn the tables and obtain his ... Sweet Release.


Volume II: Carnal Gift

“I expect you to show my friend just how grateful you are. Your willingness is everything.”

With those harsh words, the hated Sasanach earl decided Bríghid's fate: Her body and her virginity were to be offered to a stranger in exchange for her brother’s life. Possessing nothing but her innocence and her fierce Irish pride, she had no choice but to comply.

But the handsome man she faced in the darkened bedchamber was not at all the monster she expected. His green eyes seemed to see inside her. His tender touch calmed his fears while he swore he would protect her by merely pretending to claim her. And as the long hours of the night passed by, as her senses ignited at the heat of their naked flesh, she made a startling discovery: Sometimes the line between hate and love is dangerously thin.

After Christmas, I’ll be working to get both Sweet Release and Carnal Gift, as well as Skin Deep (An I-Team After Hours novella) into print. Watch here for updates on that.




In the meantime, Unlawful Contact  (I-Team #3) was released in audiobook format. I just finished listening to it at 1:30 AM. I just couldn’t turn it off to go to sleep. Once again, I think Kaleo Griffith put his heart into the narration, bringing both intimate character moments and humor to life. Advice: Don’t drive while listening to the sex scenes, okay? I did and found myself speeding.

Naked Edge (I-Team #4), will be out on Monday at Tantor.com. Hopefully, Audible.com will have it up sooner this time. Then, 2012 will finish out with Breaking Point coming out on audiobook on Dec. 31. Working with Kaleo on these productions has been one of the brightest highlights of 2012 for me. I hope you all enjoy them!

December is such a busy month for most of us. We have our tree up and our house partially decorated — Benjy was very sick last weekend and we spent hours upon hours in Urgent Care and the ER — and hope to finish decorating today. I’ve got dough for Christmas cookies, our favorite cookies of the year, chilling in the fridge, so we’ll be baking this afternoon.

With the tragedy in Connecticut, I find that I just want to be close to my kids, even if they are fully grown. The grief those families are enduring is beyond anything most of us can imagine. I hope we all take time to hugs our kids a little closer. My heart and prayers go out to all of the families affected by the shooting.

 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Things got busy around here with my sister’s arrival from Sweden, and now suddenly it’s December.

Lots of things are going on, so I thought I’d give you all a quick update.

First, as many of you know, there’s been a delay in getting Unlawful Contact out. The book was available in audio CDs as of this past Tuesday. It isn’t yet available on Audible.com or iTunes for download, but I know it will be soon.

I haven’t listened to the book yet, so I’m feeling just as impatient as everyone else. I am dying to hear what Kaleo Griffith did with Marc Hunter, and I know many of you, especially those of you suffering from OKD — Obsessive Kaleo Disorder — are, too!  Click here for the audio sample.




 Naked Edge is on schedule for a Dec. 17 release date, and there is a audio sample available on Tantor Audio’s website. I was really impressed with the way Kaleo voiced Grandma Alice and Grandpa Red Crow in this scene, excerpted from the beginning of the book.


And just today I received the unfinished cover image for Breaking Point, which Kaleo is recording right this very minute and which is slated for a Dec. 31 release.


No word yet whether the I-Team novellas will eventually be a part of the audiobook series. Because I own the rights to Skin Deep myself, I hope to get that novella published as an audiobook, too.




But I’ve got more going on that I want to share.

Right now, I’m working to get the first two books in the Kenleigh-Blakewell Family Saga — that’s Sweet Release and Carnal Gift — put together as a boxed set. The set should be available around Dec. 12 on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble’s website for download to Kindle and Nook at a special discounted price for the holidays.

AND... I’m working to get Skin Deep published in print. Yes, print! I’ve gotten so many messages from readers who don’t have ereaders and who don’t want to read the book in the cloud or on their computers. SO... my goal is to have Skin Deep available in print before the end of the year!

I took most of the month of November off from writing. I’ve been working on different aspects of Striking Distance with a goal of taking up the pen again next week. The book got bumped back to a Nov. 5, 2013, release date. I wasn’t happy with what I had so far and knew I’d have to rush to finish it on time. I just couldn’t do that. My editor was very understanding and said she’d rather have a good book than a quick book. As sorry as I am to make you all wait, I think you’ll appreciate it in the end.

My sister is spending the weekend with me, which means we’ll be decorating, listening to lots of music, talking until late at night. She is the soul I am closest to on this earth apart from my sons, and each and every minute I spend with her is precious.

Let’s all enjoy the approaching holidays with those we love!

On Monday, Hard Evidence (I-Team #2) was released on audiobook by Tantor Audio, and I was too busy doing other things to celebrate the moment. So let’s make up for that now!

For readers who are new to the I-Team, Hard Evidence tells the story of undercover FBI operative Julian Darcangelo and Tessa Novak, the reporter who unintentionally comes close to blowing his cover. It’s a gritty book that deals with a difficult topic, one I investigated during my years as an investigative journalist.

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

After the murder of a teenage girl, a mysterious man in a black leather jacket was seen lurking near the crime scene. Investigative reporter Tessa Novak has him in her sights as the culprit…

 That man was Julian Darcangelo—an undercover FBI agent working with the Denver police. He’s closing in on the trail of a human trafficker and killer. Tessa’s accusations could blow his cover—and he wants her off the investigation.

But just as Tessa has made Julian a target of interest, she is now a target—of the killer. And as they are forced to trust each other, their physical attraction escalates as intensely as the threat from a ruthless murderer who wants to see both of them dead…

Readers familiar with the series know that Julian is a favorite. In fact, he is the only I-Team hero after whom multiple Kindles and iPads have been named. His name is also part of one reader’s tattoo. What makes him so special?

He’s a tortured alpha male, a man with a good heart who has taken a bad childhood, locked down his emotions, and used his knowledge of crime and his skill with fighting as a weapon.

I’ve always had a very soft spot for him. And that soft spot got softer after listening to talented actor and voice artist Kaleo Griffith narrate his lines in a deep, dark, silky voice for 11.5 hours. As one readers said (hi, Pat!), she’d listen to Kaleo narrate the phone book. He could probably make it sound sexy, too.

To celebrate the release of Hard Evidence, I’m giving away THREE copies of Extreme Exposure, the first book in the series.

All you have to do to be entered to win is to comment below AND leave a contact email address so that I can more easily reach winners. This contest will continue through Thanksgiving to Sunday.

I’ll draw winners on Monday morning.

In the meantime, Unlawful Contact is just around the corner with a Dec. 3 release date. I can’t wait to see what Kaleo will do with bad boy Marc Hunter!

Today is the day!

It’s the official release day for Extreme Exposure (I-Team Series Book 1)! There are a couple of celebrations going on hereabouts on the Interwebs. After all, the I-Team books have been at the top of reader polls for books they want to have in audiobook format.

Audiogals is having a big release-day event and giveaway. Two lucky entrants will win a set of the first THREE books in the series — that’s Extreme Exposure, Hard Evidence, and Unlawful Contact — in audiobook format. They’ve also posted fun interviews with me and with Kaleo Griffith, the actor who is voicing the series.

UndertheCovers is hosting an interview with Kaleo today. (I really want to read it, but every time I’ve tried to get on the site since last Friday — four times now — it has crashed my computer.)

And here on this blog we’re having our own party. Post your favorite line from Extreme Exposure for a chance to win a copy of the audiobook signed by me.  I’ll pick a winner on Friday.

Partying like this is going to become a bit of a regular thing around here for a while, as the remaining books in the series are coming out at two-week intervals through the end of the year. Here’s the release schedule:

Extreme Exposure — October 29
Hard Evidence — November 19
Unlawful Contact — November 26
Naked Edge — December 17
Breaking Point — December  31

At this point, the audiobooks don’t seem to be available internationally, but I hope they soon will be.

In the meantime, big thanks to Tantor Audio, Kaleo Griffith, Audio Gals, to all of you who voted for the I-Team series in AAR’s annual poll of books you wanted as audiobooks. You have made this all happen.

In the meantime, I want to let those of you who live along the East Coast know that I’m thinking of you. I hope this storm isn’t the disaster officials fear it is. I don’t want to see loss of human life or catastrophic loss of property/infrastructure. My thoughts and prayers are with you and with the members of the Coast Guard, who risk everything in such situations.

Stay safe!

Just one weekend to go, and Extreme Exposure (I-Team, Book 1) will be out in audiobook format. I cannot wait!

Tantor Audio is releasing the first five books between now and Dec. 31.  Here are the release dates and links:

Extreme Exposure — October 29
Hard Evidence — November 19
Unlawful Contact — November 26
Naked Edge — December 17
Breaking Point — December  31

The series is being voiced by Kaleo Griffith, a talented actor and voice artist. I just listened to an audio clip of Extreme Exposure and got to hear firsthand what he has put into his work on this series. I was so impressed!

I just got the link. Click here to listen!

For those of you who worry about male narrators voicing female characters rest assured there is no falsetto, no fake sounding girly voice. He does a great job of handling Kara — and then turns it around and does sultry, rough men’s voices, too.

An audio clip should be available soon on Tantor Audio’s website, so be sure to check it out!

Kaleo has really committed himself to bring this series alive for readers. He and I have spoken on the phone and exchanged emails, discussing the characters and the stories. It’s been really reassuring to me to know that he not only takes his job seriously, but is enjoying the series as well.

So how are we going to celebrate?

On Monday, a couple of wonderful blogs will be hosting interviews with me and Kaleo. Audio Gals is also going to be doing a giveaway of the audiobook — and sharing the audio clip.

Here on my blog we’ll celebrate the release with a giveaway contest: You tell me which line from Extreme Exposure you’re most excited to hear Kaleo voice for you, and one commenter will win a copy of the audiobook. This doesn’t start till Monday, so you have a bit of time to think about it and prepare.

In the meantime, I’d appreciate it if you could help spread the word among I-Team and audiobook fans. Thanks!

And have a great weekend!

P.S. Sorry I haven’t been here much lately. I’ve been working on Striking Distance and just need the time to focus on that.