Spotlight & Giveaway: Code Name: Revenge by Sawyer Bennett

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Sawyer Bennett to HJ!

Hi Sawyer and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Code Name: Revenge!

 
Hello! *waves*
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Code Name: Revenge is an edge of your seat friends-to-lovers romance. Dozer Burney is the tech genius at Jameson Force Security. Jessica Anderson is his best friend, a single mom and artist who he has always been in love with, but was too scared to admit to anyone (including himself).
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

I need you in my life, Dozer. Now that I can be free with my feelings, my life won’t be complete without you.

She’s a friend, but…she’s always been the one for me.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• Just about every past character from the Jameson Force Security series makes an appearance in Dozer’s book. A little check-in with the team before we say goodbye to this series later this year.
• There is a scene in the final chapter (I don’t want to say too much and spoil it), but it was inspired during a food coma inducing trip to Epcot last fall. I saw this shirt and knew it needed to go in a book!

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Dozer and Jessica have been friends for years, so their connection already runs deep. Even when JJ (as Dozer calls her) was with her daughter’s father, Dozer always had feelings for her. He never wanted to admit it, and she was scared he didn’t feel the same. But once they put it all on the table, it is GAME ON.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

Jess and Dozer have been friends for years, and the feelings they have for one another run deep. So when they finally give into those feelings, it’s just…beautiful. The love and respect they have for one another is heartwarming.

My body made the move and my lips pressed to his, but that was where my efforts ended and Dozer’s took over.
His strong arms band around me, hand to the back of my head, and his mouth plunders. His kiss blows through me with the force of a hurricane, leaving me breathless and needy.
Years of pent-up desire I failed to admit? Deep love developed over years that we’ve finally realized is not the friend type? Perhaps it’s even the fact we’re facing life-and-death circumstances, so we’re being given license to act.
I have zero regrets we’re doing this. All my fears melt away, and deep in my soul, I know nothing will be ruined between us.
On the contrary, I feel like I’m gaining a piece of me that was missing.
“JJ,” Dozer whispers against my lips.
I hear something in that tone… residual fear.
“No talking,” I say before pressing into him and slipping my tongue in his mouth. He groans and moves his mouth down my neck. “This is happening.”
“It’s happening,” he agrees, voice gruff and forceful. His teeth graze along my skin, and I shiver.

Readers should read this book….

For a low-drama (at least in terms of the relationship), friends-to-lovers story with an element of suspense.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

There is one final release coming this year in the Jameson Force Security series. Code Name: Omega, about the newest member of the team and his dog, releases September 13.

There is more coming from the Pittsburgh Titans series (Gage on July 27, Coen on November 1), and we’ll be heading back into the PNR/fantasy genre this December (this is what I am most excited for!!).
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Signed paperback of Code Name: Revenge (US only).

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What is your favorite trope?

 
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Excerpt from Code Name: Revenge:

The iron gate to my father’s waterfront estate slowly opens when we pull up, which indicates someone is watching on one of the security cameras inside.
“Your dad sure does like the opulent lifestyle, doesn’t he?” Jess murmurs as she takes in the huge Mediterranean-style villa he bought on Key Biscayne a few years ago. It came with a fourteen-million-dollar price tag, or so he bragged on the phone to me. I didn’t doubt it as his accumulated wealth lets him easily afford it.
“He’ll tell you he earned every bit of this with hard work. Now, whether that hard work is legal, who knows?”
Jess snorts. She’s well aware of my arm’s-length relationship with my dad and the myriad of reasons why.
At the apex of the circular driveway, I see Claire Collins’s car. Jess’s mom stands outside it with Thea and my father. He’s squatted in front of my goddaughter and is talking to her. Whatever he’s saying, it has Thea giggling.
Hearing our car approach, my dad straightens and turns. Behind him, I see two of his men decked out in expensive tracksuits at the house’s main entry looking vigilant but without obvious weapons, although I guarantee they’re packing.
I turn off the Suburban, shooting a wry smile at Jess before we get out. She knows this is no easy task, me coming to him for help. I leave my gun on the front seat, knowing I won’t need it here.
My dad walks up to me and gives me a big bear hug with a hard slap on my back. At fifty-two, James Burney is still as strong as an ox, and his voice is deep and gruff. “It’s been too long. Good to see you, son.”
I return the embrace genuinely, because it has been far too long. We may not be thick as thieves in our bloodline, but I do love him. And for the first time in my life, when I’ve needed help, he’s here for me.
“You going to tell me what this is all about?” he asks in a low voice. “Are there going to be cops involved? Do I need to hide you?”
I shake my head, reading between the lines. He doesn’t want cops showing up here, but if they do, he probably has things in plain view that need hiding. “I’ll fill you in later, but I don’t think cops will be involved right now.”
When I called him no more than half an hour ago, I merely told him that a friend was in trouble and that we needed sanctuary at his place for a day. He told me to come right away. He never met Jess or Chase when we were in college, nor Thea since her birth, although he knows about them from past discussions over the years. I never felt compelled to introduce my dad into their lives, and frankly, I didn’t think he’d really care about my friends.
Obviously, my dad having met Claire and Thea already, I turn to introduce Jess. “This is my friend, Jessica Collins.”
My dad smiles at her, holding out a hand, a charming, toothy grin on his face. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Jessica. You are welcome to stay here as long as you need. I see that you get your beauty from your mother.”
My dad shoots a look over to Claire and he’s not wrong.
Claire Collins doesn’t share the same skin color as her daughter, but they share the same facial features. The wide eyes, high, arched eyebrows, rounded cheekbones, and even that stubborn, defiant point to their chins.
Jess was born of a biracial marriage. Her mother is white and her dad, Monte, is black. Jess’s light brown complexion is a perfect blend of both parents and really the only thing that sets her apart in looks from her mom. Claire’s brunette hair is worn in a short, sleek pixie, and Jess has always celebrated her African-American heritage by wearing her hair natural. Both very beautiful women, no matter their skin color.
My dad seems to think so, too, as he flashes another grin at Jess. “Your mom single?”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Book Info:

I joined the team at Jameson Force Security three months ago and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. Leaving behind the Marine Corps together, my dog Omega and I made the cross-country trek to Pittsburgh for an exciting new career. Now I get to spend my days doing dangerous missions with my team and Omega gets to spend his days relaxing, unless there are explosives to be sniffed, and then he’s all paws on deck.

When Omega—who I affectionately refer to as Bubba—snacks on something he most definitely shouldn’t have, an emergency trip to the vet introduces me to Abigail Blackburn. She’s a little quirky, a lot smart, and completely captivating. She also has a penchant for trouble and when Abby makes it her own personal mission to expose the puppy mill industry, she finds herself mixed up with unsavory characters who aren’t happy with her efforts to cut into their profits.

This seedy underbelly is a dangerous place, particularly for a well-intentioned, yet somewhat naïve, small-town vet. What began as peaceful protests outside of local pet stores has escalated into something that threatens Abby’s safety, and I refuse to sit by and watch her get hurt. Somehow this raven-haired beauty has gotten under my skin, and I don’t hesitate to call in my teammates at Jameson to help keep her safe.

Now I find myself trying to balance my need to protect Abby while helping her successfully complete her mission, but also redirecting her focus long enough to show her that I’ve completely fallen for her. One thing is certain—this is going to be my toughest assignment yet.
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Meet the Author:

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
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