Stephanie Queen

USA Today Bestselling Author

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New Pre-Order! Beachcomber Danger

March 19, 2018 By StephanieQueen

 Beachcomber Danger is the 8th book in the Beachcomber Investigations romantic detective series.

Here’s the tab:

The trouble with being stupid-in-love is that it makes you stupid. And you have your whole world to lose…

Dane Blaise was once a special ops legend, so he’d been in danger before.
But not like this. This time it counted for all the marbles.

Shana was not going to let Dane take on this assignment without her, though she knew he wanted to. The stakes were off-the-charts high. This was about saving the President. And there was no way she would let him shield her from the dangerous consequences.

The only problem was, when someone was out to assassinate the President of the United States, things got complicated. They had a way of spiraling out of a man’s control until legendary status meant shit.

And in the end, there was nothing left but you fighting for the life of the one you loved most…

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

They were blessedly alone at this ungodly hour of the morning. Dane ran behind Shana along State Beach, mostly for the view of her backside. He could catch her and pass her if he’d wanted to. Sweat trickled down his temples and he bent his head to wipe the sweat off on his sleeve. When he did, he caught a glimpse of a moving car out of the corner of his eye.

He turned his head only slightly to see two men in a gray sedan creeping along the road about fifty yards behind, tracking them.

Picking up his pace, he caught up to Shana.  Ever the competitor, she speeded up to try and stay ahead of him. Before she got too far, he managed to snag her t-shirt, almost tearing it from her shoulder. She slowed and swung around, pulling the shirt back on while she scowled at him.

She was about to protest but he quieted her with a look and hauled her in close. He didn’t want it to be obvious to the men in the car that he’d made them. He had no idea who they were or what they were up to, but it was scalded into his DNA by now to be cagey. Never play it straight.

He put an arm around Shana’s sweaty body, enjoyed the effects of running with the heat and humidity of the day rising, and nuzzled her ear while he whispered.

“Two men in dark glasses and suits are following us in a non-descript sedan. What does that tell you?”

“Are you in trouble with the feds?” It was both good and bad that she stopped squirming in his arms.

“No.” He thought for a moment, running his mind in reverse back to the last time he’d had a run-in with a federal law enforcement agency. The ATF. One of their agents had been bad and they hadn’t been thrilled that Dane had been the one to discover this fact. But the man had killed their client’s husband and Dane and Shana had nailed him with a recorded confession and a gun aimed squarely at him with intent to kill. No one was happy about that mess. As a reward for uncovering the ATF agent’s drug ring, Dane had been threatened with imprisonment for his so-called interference that they’d insisted labeling as obstruction of justice. But that fiasco ended a while back with a truce.

“Then what’s it about?” Her scowl changed over to something more loving, not worry, not yet.

“I’m hoping it has nothing to do with the President’s upcoming vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, but I’m not that optimistic.”

She stood stock still now and looked at him.

“Do you think they want us to—“

“No. I think they think we’re suspicious characters and they’re keeping an eye on us.”

She slapped his arm and took off at a sprint before he could stop her. Damn.

Now he’d have to catch up with her. And he’d have to acknowledge that she was probably right. The feds, likely secret service, wanted something from him—from them. He needed to remember he wasn’t in this alone. And never would be again.

Pre-Order Now at Amazon for $.99 or FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

 

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Filed Under: Books, Characters, Excerpts, New Releases, Romance Reader Interest, Stories Tagged With: alpha hero, bargain books, Beachcomber Investigations, books, Excerpt, Martha's Vineyard, Reading, Romance, Romance Novel, romantic suspense, Stephanie Queen

A Special Valentine Romance Treat: Author Jennifer Lowry

February 14, 2018 By StephanieQueen

Hi Stephanie Queen and all you fabulous readers out there *waves* Happy Valentine Day! Thank you so much for having me on this special holiday! My romantic suspense, Maximum Risk (Book #1, Wolff Securities) is on sale for .99 for a limited time only so I hope you’ll go pick up your copy now! You can buy it HERE on Amazon.

As a special treat, Quinn and Avery have agreed to do a character interview for you today! Yes, it took some doing,  considering it’s Valentine Day, but I managed to get them to answer a few questions for me. So, without further ado, here are the hero and heroine of Maximum Risk, Quinn Wolff and Avery Marks!

 

How did you first meet your writer?

Quinn: When she decided to pull me on a rescue mission in the Middle East.

Avery: I was the rescue mission.

Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

Quinn: Hell, no. I run a private security firm, our business shouldn’t be in a book.

Avery: I’ve been written about in brochures and magazines with my charity work, but never a book.

Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you?

Quinn: More like she convinced us. I’m still not happy with what you did, Jennifer.

Jennifer: I know, and I’m sorry, but I had to go where the story took me.

Avery: *sadly* I don’t like that part of the story. Let’s just move on.                                                

Are you happy with the genre your writer has placed you in?

Avery: That’s a loaded question. Romantic Suspense is great and all, but it means hell for Jen’s characters. I like the romance, not so much the suspense. Too nerve-wracking.

Quinn: I prefer to keep my wife out of the suspense part.

If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

Jennifer: I can’t let them answer that because it will give away the book. They don’t like to talk about it anyway.

*Quinn and Avery nod in unison*

Do you like the way the book ended?

Avery: Despite what we had to go through to get there, yes. *laces her fingers through Quinn’s*

What do you do for a living?

Avery: You already know Quinn runs a private sector security firm. I’m founder of Books for Change. A non-profit organization that helps teach women and girls to read in deprived areas of the world.

What are you proudest of?

Quinn: My family.

*Avery nods, squeezing his hand*              

What do you like most about where you live?

Avery: Quinn’s family lives on a private lake in Michigan. It’s the most peaceful place I’ve ever been. I love it there. Although it took some time to get used to not having the city outside my window.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy Sunday?

Quinn smiles: Mom cooks a big family dinner and afterwards we play our traditional football game.

Avery: Translated into five alpha male brothers kicking the crap out of each other *she smiles*

If you knew a zombie apocalypse was coming in one week, what would you do?

Avery: I have the Wolff brothers surrounding me. I would have no worries. Not that I believe in zombies.

I hope you enjoyed talking with Quinn and Avery! Thank you for stopping by!

Author Bio:

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Lowery is a romantic at heart. She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance.

She debuted her first book in 2012 which made her dreams of being a writer come true, followed with her SEAL Team Alpha series and loves her job as much today as she did then. She is delighted to bring you stories from the heart and hopes you enjoy them as much as she did writing them.

 

Connect with Jennifer:

Read more about her books on her website: https://jenniferloweryauthor.com/

Join her on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenniferlowery/

And on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JLoweryauthor

Please “like” her Facebook author page! https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferLowery/

 

Love my books? Want to receive news, releases, giveaways, and more directly to your inbox? No spam, just the info you want to know!

Sign up with your email today and don’t miss out on news from me!

https://jenniferloweryauthor.com

 

Thank you for having me today, Stephanie Queen!! I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers out there! Without you I wouldn’t be here. My wish is to one day meet each and every one of you so I can personally thank you for your generosity and support! 
All my best, 
Jennifer

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Filed Under: Books, Characters, holiday, New Releases, Romance Reader Interest, Stories Tagged With: alpha hero, bargain books, bestsellers, books, characters, Holiday, Reading, Romance Novel, romantic suspense, Valentine's Day

5 Tips to Find Your Next GREAT Romance Read

February 1, 2018 By StephanieQueen

Even Sylvia Plath loves a good book.

EVERYONE loves a great read. I always crave a great romance read. But how do you find them? Especially if you’re like me, and you read a lot AND you want the best possible stories. Good books are hard to find. [CAVEAT: Everyone gets to define what constitutes a GOOD book for themselves. Even Myren, my chauffeur.]

What to do? There are millions and millions of fiction books out there. Last count on Amazon was over 1 million romances books alone.  Here are the SQ Tips to help solve this problem. [I just swatted Myren, my chauffeur, on the arm for laughing at me and he almost drove us into a mailbox on the side of the road. Writing can be a very dangerous business.] [Myren just accused me of being melodramatic. Should I hit him again? (Answer below)].

5 Tips to Find Your Next GREAT Romance Read:

  1. Personal Recommendation:  Narrow down your sub-genre. Pick one based on your mood right now. Got it? [I’m picking Romantic Suspense. I’m in the mood for danger for some reason…] Now ask your friends, your book-reading pals, book club peeps, local librarian or mother-in-law [do NOT ask your chauffeur] for a recommendation for the BEST Romantic Suspense novel they ever read. This happens to be the NUMBER 1 way readers buy books.
  2. Reviews:  Reviews can be anything from professional, like the New York Times Book Reviews (fat chance they’d review a romance novel) or Publisher’s Weekly or Romantic Times Book Reviews, to amateur reviews such as an Amazon reader review posted on the book page. The in-between reviews would be those on book blog sites and such. If you have a book reviewing source you trust based on past experience, check out these sources. My romance book review source is the book review blog Fiction Vixen Books & Beauty.
  3. Facebook Groups:  If you’re like me, you spend a good amount of time on Facebook. Besides checking out what the heck your friends were doing without you last weekend, you can find books. I don’t mean that you need to try sifting through the millions of Facebook ads. I’m talking about Facebook Groups. Facebook has interest GROUPS for EVERYTHING. If you want a quick way to find books in a niche you enjoy, like Romantic Suspense, especially if you want new releases or sale books, and you want to learn a little something about the books, this is the place to go. I regularly visit the Romance & Thrillers Group and the Romance Novel Junkies Group for info on what the latest and greatest romances are.
  4. Favorite Authors:  I have a list. So far it’s a mental list, but I don’t have to worry about forgetting their names. The authors on my list have made a big impression on me. When I’m in the mood for Romantic Suspense, some of my favorite go-to authors are Lisa Mondello, Jacquie Biggar, Mimi Barbour, Rebecca York , Taylor Lee and too many more to list. I’ll check out their author websites to see if they have anything new.
  5. Amazon: As a last resort, you can use Amazon’s search engine to find the top rated books in any category known to mankind. I say this is a last resort because you may not want to buy your book on Amazon. You may want to get it from your library or buy it from a book store or download it from an author’s website, for instance. [Myren is asking me why he can’t download books from my website and I kicked him and told him to mind his business. He has a creepy habit of reading over my shoulder while he’s driving. Maybe I should sit in the back seat…]

You get the picture. There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Too bad there’s no sure-fire way to find that WOW! book every time, but as die-hard readers, we persevere and keep trying. [Myren pointed out that I’ve been redundant. I pointed out that I wanted to emphasize my point.]

If you have a good and quick way to find a fabulous read, please share it here.

Where do you go to find your next GREAT ROMANCE READ?

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Filed Under: Books, Myren, Quirky Commentary, Romance Reader Interest, Tongue-in-Cheek Tagged With: bargain books, bestsellers, books, Funny, Humor, humorous, Reviews, Romance, romance authors, Romance Novel, romance novels, romantic suspense, tips

A Christmas She’ll Remember – Available Now

October 25, 2017 By StephanieQueen

It’s not Christmas yet, but let’s warm up to the holiday and get in the mood with this gorgeous set of memorable stories by seven accomplished bestselling authors.

The seven authors include Mimi Barbour, Patricia Rosemoor, Joan Reeves, Tamara Ferguson, Alicia Street, Ev Bishop and yours truly, Stephanie Queen.

The stories range from sweet to spicy with settings all over the map. The one thread they have in common is that each story is about a particularly memorable romantic Christmas.

This set of seven stories is available now at Amazon.

A Movie!

To really help you get into the spirit of the holidays, how about a video with Christmas music?

LOVEABLE CHRISTMAS ANGEL by Mimi Barbour

This heartwarming Christmas story takes place in Waikiki, Honolulu; a magical city where anything is believable. Because Angels really do love romance, Leilani is about to find out just how they scheme to make fantasies happen for those in their care.

CRIMSON HOLIDAY by Patricia Rosemoor

Passed out after the Westbrook Department Store Christmas party, window designer Shelby Corbin wakens only to trip over Santa, the store’s co-owner and Shelby’s boss. CEO Rand McNabb sees a dark-haired woman wearing a crimson party dress fleeing the scene. His romantic attentions both thrill Shelby and frighten her. Is the sexy CEO really helping her search for the truth about that fatal night, or does Rand have another reason for courting her?

NOBODY’S CINDERELLA by Joan Reeves

Darcy Benton is the oldest cliché in the world: a woman in love with her boss. Too bad she’s not even a blip on his radar. That’s about to change thanks to her scheming BFF, a couple of little white lies, and a wish on a Christmas star. Uh oh! She should have remembered that old advice:“ Be careful what you wish for!”

TWO HEARTS FIND CHRISTMAS by Tamara Ferguson

When Josh Loughlin, a blind wounded warrior, returns to his hometown of Crystal Rock, Wisconsin at Christmastime for his rehab, nurse Nina Chandler helps him confront the demons from his abusive past. But does an attempt on his life mean that his tarnished past has finally caught up with him?

THE CHRISTMAS SPARKLE TEST by Alicia Street

Star-crossed sweethearts get a second chance, but will the magic of Christmas be enough to rekindle their love despite the secrets of the past?

ONE TO KEEP by Ev Bishop

When chance throws Sophie and Jesse together at River’s Sigh B & B this New Year’s, they’ll each have to face their worst fears: their unacknowledged yearnings for love that lasts. Can love tempt them to commit? Maybe. If they’re brave enough . . .

CHRISTMAS SURPRISE by Stephanie Queen

Margo never expected to see George the third ever again. So when he showed up leaning against the doorjamb of her tiny apartment, surprise barely covered how she felt. Her life had changed in the three years since they’d parted ways, but had her heart stayed the same? More importantly, had George changed? Will a surprise at Christmas renew an old flame–Or extinguish it forever?

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Filed Under: Books, holiday, New Releases, Romance Reader Interest Tagged With: anthology, bestselling authors, books, box set, Christmas, holiday anthology, Reading, romance authors, romance box set, romance novels

What I love about NCIS (besides Mark Harmon)

August 19, 2017 By StephanieQueen

NCIS has long been one of my all-time favorite TV series, and I’m in good company since it’s been running now for 14 years and has been a top 5 rated show for 8 of those years. In 2011, NCIS was voted America’s favorite television show in an online poll.

In the fiercely competitive arena of TV dramas, how has NCIS managed to come out a winner so consistently? Why do we love this series so much? What’s made it so compelling?

I have some of my own answers here, but I’d love to hear your theories too (besides Mark Harmon).

What We love about NCIS:

Off the Reservation

Don’t you love how the team goes off the reservation to solve the problem and prevent catastrophe, in spite of the danger? But the writers are brilliant because they take the characters a step further. Gibbs and everyone on the team have broken the rules in spite of the potential for great personal cost even if they succeed. Like the episodes when they’re trying to pin Gibbs with murdering his wife and daughter’s murderer. They work on it when they’re not supposed–stopping the elevator to talk–knowing they could get fired, but knowing that Gibbs needs them.

The team will do anything to save each other and this creates a community much like a family—I love this part too. Abby is like the mother and Gibbs is like the strong silent father.

Eccentric Side-Kick Characters

The cast of eccentric, sometimes clashing characters add more depth, giving the show an element of fun to break up the edge of tension. The non-stereotype characters makes it feel real. Abby, Ducky and Mr. Palmer are perfect fun foils for the dangerous drama.

Chemistry and the possibility of romance

But the number one reason I think we’ve loved this show for years, and watch re-runs now, is the off-the-charts chemistry between Tony & Ziva. They were a couple always on the verge of sizzling romance or murderous competition. The spark of potential explosive passion between them, the fast banter and wit between two very confident, strong characters was the IT factor, added to the rest of the elements, that made NCIS my must see TV for so many.

Now that these two characters have disappeared, I find I watch and enjoy the re-runs more than the current cast. How about you?

All of these elements: the team’s self-sacrificing bravery in the face of breathtaking danger and commitment to each other, the family-like community including fun quirky characters, and the sizzling chemistry of that special couple, are what I’ve included in my series, Beachcomber Investigations. I call it a romantic detective series.

Find out why it’s been compared to TV series like Moonlighting with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepard.

Read the prequel to the series, The Beachcombers, for FREE when you sign up for my Newsletter!

Or start with the Beachcomber Investigations 4 Book Set which includes the first four stories of

the series for only $4.99.

But be prepared to become addicted…

Available at

AMAZON

iBOOKS

B&N

KOBO

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Filed Under: Books, Characters, SQ's Favorite Things Tagged With: alpha hero, Beachcomber Investigations, books, characters, Lifestyle, Mark Harmon, NCIS, romantic suspense, TV shows

Why Should I Know About the Women of Scotland Yard?

November 9, 2016 By StephanieQueen

newscotlandyardIt’s all because of a story, more precisely a character named Shana George. She happens to be a Special Investigator with the Scotland Yard in their Specialist Operations Counter Terrorism Command. I moved Shana to Martha’s Vineyard as part of the Scotland Yard Exchange Program with Boston (that’s a whole other story). But before I wrote this romantic suspense novel, The Beachcombers, I had to do some research. I had to find out all about women of Scotland Yard.

What do women really do at Scotland Yard? The answer is: Everything.

From Matrons to Women’s Police Service to their current day status as Officers, women can now be found in every role in the Metropolitan Police Service—more commonly known in the states as Scotland Yard

It all started in 1983 when a female visitor was appointed in 1883 by the then Metropolitan Police Force to attend to female convicts. Six years later, fourteen more women were hired and they were called the Matrons. In 1914 Scotland Yard set up women patrols known as Voluntary Women Patrols to control all the women coming to town to hang around army buy-trusted-tablets.com camps. Then in 1918 when women were given the vote—women over 30 that is—the Met started recruiting women officially to deal with female criminals and children.

In 1922, When women officers were cut, Mr. Shortt M.P. said in the House of Commons that policemen’s wives could do Women Police Work. Lady Astor retorted that police did not choose their wives for patrolling streets or escorting prisoners. . In 1923 fifty officers were re-sworn, and this time with full powers of arrest.3d-cover-beachwedding

Fast forward to the 1970s, with attitudes toward women changing, women officers were mixed with the men on all shifts and departments and new specialist mixed gender teams. Today women officers are assigned to every role within the Service including some of the highest ranks.

Of course Shana George is a superstar with “skills” and you can read all about that in The Beachcombers and in the Beachcomber Investigations series books including the most recent release, Beachcomber Wedding.

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Filed Under: Books, Characters, New Releases, Research, Romance Reader Interest Tagged With: Beachcomber Investigations, books, novel research, romantic suspense, Scotland Yard

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