Spotlight & Giveaway: Deeper Than The Ocean by Julie Ann Walker

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Julie Ann Walker to HJ!

Hi Julie Ann Walker and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Deeper Than The Ocean!

Hey all you Harlequin Junkies! Julie Ann Walker here, happy to announce the debut of the 4th book in my bestselling Deep Six series! Adventure and romance abound!

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Ray “Wolf” Roanhorse has known Chrissy Szarek is the woman of his dreams since the first time he saw her. But just when they were about to give in to their mutual attraction, he screwed things up with her. Majorly. Now she tells him all she wants from him is friendship.

Christina Szareck grew up watching her mother fall for – and be broken by – handsome playboy adventurers like Wolf. She’s determined not to let history repeat itself. But the longer she’s near Wolf, the more his charm slips beneath her skin and quickens her heart.

Chrissy’s growing feelings for Wolf turn out to be the least of her worries, however, when she witnesses a crime that puts her in the crosshairs of a two murderous men. Thankfully Wolf, with his lady-killer smile and Navy SEAL training, is there to help her escape a date with a gruesome death in the heart of the ocean.

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

1) “Do you come with a mute button?”
2) Tough and tender don’t have to be mutually exclusive. He’d taught her that.
3) His hard, beautiful features matched his name. He looked like a wolf, sleek and fierce and dangerous.
4) “There are no guarantees in love. That’s what makes it so precious. And what makes it worth it.”
5) “When all is said and done, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the love we were afraid to feel, and the ones we let slip away.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• Wolf and Chrissy love to bounce terrible pickup lines off each other. Here are a couple..
  1) “You have a kind face, sir. The kind I’d like to sit on.”
  2) “This face leaves in five minutes. You better be on it.”
• Wolf mishears song lyrics. For instance, he thinks Bon Jovi sang “It doesn’t make a difference if we’re naked or not,” instead of “It doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not.”

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

I adore that both characters are witty and quick with a quip. It makes for some amazing back-and-forth dialogue. I’m also a huge fan of a good friends-to-lovers story. When it’s done right, it hits ALL the feels.

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

Yes! The scene where Wolf saves Chrissy from being run over. Their dialogue after the careening car fishtails out of the parking lot is hilarious and had me giggling while writing it.

He lifted his chin to check on her and found her face-first in his crotch. He’d managed to protect her from the impact, but he’d skidded afterward. Apparently she hadn’t done the same.
“You okay, darlin’?” His vision had returned to normal and he could clearly see the look on her face was equal parts did that truly just happen? and holy shit!
She made an unequivocal sound at the back of her throat that could’ve passed for either a yes or a no. Tentatively, she felt of the bandage over her shoulder and then nodded.
“I’m so sorry, Miss Szarek.” Officer Ryan was still squatted next to them. “I was on the phone and didn’t hear—”
“It’s okay.” Chrissy cut him off. “Wolf was Johnny on the Spot.” She pushed up on her good elbow and then stared down at his crotch.
Now that the danger had passed, the devil that lived in Wolf had him saying before he could think better of it, “You don’t have to do that, darlin’. A simple thanks for keepin’ me from gettin’ my ass run over will do.”
Her lips flattened into a straight line. “Did you binge eat asshole flakes this morning?”
His lungs hadn’t fully recovered, so the laugh that burst out of him sounded wheezy.
“I swear, right when I’m starting to like you,” she added, “you go and prove you’re a…a…”
He used her fumbling to help her stand, taking quick stock of his injures. A cherry on his elbow that would burn like a bitch when he washed it, and maybe a bruised tailbone.
Not too shabby. Considering.
“A what?” he prompted when they were both back on their feet.
“A guy,” she finished with a huff.
Wolf blinked at Officer Ryan, feigning bewilderment. “She says that like it’s a bad thing.”

Readers should read this book….

Because it has it all: action, adventure, brave women, heroic men, and some steamy lovin’ that can set an e-reader on fire!

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

I’m working on the 5th book in the Deep Six series, SHOT ACROSS THE BOW. It stars Romeo, a man who’s determined to never fall in love, and Mia, a women who’s past catches up to her and puts the entire Deep Six crew in danger. These two are electric on the page together. No cap! (To borrow a phrase from the younger generation.)

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: $20 Amazon Gift Card

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: I would call this book’s trope “frenemies to lovers.” What’s your favorite romance trope?

 
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Excerpt from Deeper Than The Ocean:

9:29 AM…

Wolf had closed the car door behind him when he heard the taxi driver say, “Chrissy Szarek, is that you?”
Chrissy was adjusting her sling, but at the sound of her name, she glanced up. The smile on her face when she met the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror was absolutely radiant, and Wolf wasn’t sure he’d ever heard her voice sound quite so chipper as when she chirped, “Billy Morris! What are you doing back in town? Last I heard, you were up in North Carolina singing for your supper!”
What the hell happened to all that pain med lethargy? Wolf scanned the cabby’s handsome face, noting the heavily-lashed eyes and the deep look of appreciation in them when the man stared back at Chrissy.
Ah, he thought. It jumped right out the window, thanks to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Taxi Driver.
Just that easily, that damned green-eyed monster hopped atop his shoulder.
“Still am,” Billy of the swoony blue eyes and movie star grin replied. “I’m here on vacation.”
“Vacation?” Chrissy looked around the cab.
Billy chuckled. It was a nice sound. A deep, rumbling sound. The kind of sound that Wolf knew women went goo-goo-gah-gah over. Grrrr. “My dad was short-handed drivers today. I’m just filling in.”
“You always were the sweetest guy in our class.” Chrissy’s tone was low and… flirty? The green-eyed monster on Wolf’s shoulder gained ten pounds and started poking him in the ear with a razor-sharp fingernail.
Luckily, before Wolf could prove himself a prick of epic proportions by giving into the beast’s provocations and saying something like “Stick a sock in it, cabby, and put the pedal to the metal,” Chrissy turned to him.
“Wolf, this is Billy Morris,” she said. “We went to school together. But he’s since moved to Asheville where he’s a bit of a local legend when it comes to what people from your neck of the woods would call pickin’ and grinnin’.”
Speaking of grinning, Billy had turned in the driver’s seat to smile his toothy smile back at Chrissy.
Wolf bared his teeth in response and watched the light in Billy’s eyes dim.
Chrissy was oblivious and continued with, “Billy, this is Wolf Roanhorse. He’s living out on Wayfarer Island and excavating the Santa Cristina. He’s my…friend.”
The hesitation had been slight. Miniscule even. But Wolf heard it.
Was he an idiot to feel a flicker of hope? Was her hesitation because, when it came to the two of them, the word was distasteful to her too?
He stared hard at her. Hard enough that a line appeared between her eyebrows. “What?” she asked. “Do I have gravel stuck to my forehead or something?”
She reached up to touch her face and winced when her fingers met the small scrape on her cheek. Oh, what he wouldn’t give to cover it with his lips. To kiss the hurt away.
Instead, he shook his head. “No. You’re as beautiful as ever.”
She rolled her eyes. “Then why are you looking at me like that? Didn’t you hear me make introductions?”
For her benefit, he managed to grind out, “Nice to meet you, Billy.”
“Likewise.” The cabby touched a finger to the brim of his imaginary baseball cap. “You’re part of the crew excavating the Santa Cristina, huh? I didn’t think she’d ever be found. You must be so excited.”
“Burstin’ with it,” Wolf deadpanned.
Billy cocked his head and made a face of commiseration. “Yeah. I heard you guys haven’t found the mother lode yet.”
Was it Wolf’s imagination, or was there a hint of smug satisfaction in Billy’s tone? Before he could respond, Billy’s gaze snapped back to Chrissy. Like the bastard couldn’t help himself. Like Chrissy was a honey pot and ol’ Billy boy was a hungry bear fresh out of hibernation.
Wolf was overcome with the unmistakable urge to poke the man’s eyes out of his head with a pointy stick. He might have too, had there been any pointy sticks handy.
“News of what happened last night is all over the island,” Billy said to Christy. “I’m so glad to see you’re okay.” He hesitated a bit, his smile fading completely before he added, “Winston?”
Chrissy shook her head and Wolf would swear he could feel the tension enter her body. She’d been relaxed against the cushioned seat, but now she sat as straight as a backwoods preacher. Even her fingers were rigid where they rested against her cotton-clad thigh.
Just that easily, his jealousy disappeared, replaced by concern. Before he knew what he was doing, he took her hand, gently massaging the stiffness from her fingers.
Part of him expected her to jerk away. It was a rare occasion when she let down her defenses enough to accept his comfort.
Thankfully, this was one of those times.
She gave him a grateful little smile before telling Billy, “He’s still in a coma. But he’s a fighter.”
“One of the toughest sonsofbitches I ever met,” Billy agreed. “I still remember the time in ninth grade when he took a fastball to the face. He grabbed his two front teeth off the ground, turned to Coach Taylor and said, “Coach, I think I need to have my mom take me to see a dentist.” Billy shook his head and chuckled. “It was the damndest thing.”
“He’s going to make it.” Chrissy’s voice was soft, as if she tried to convince herself as much as she tried to convince Billy.
Wolf squeezed her fingers and felt ridiculously happy when she returned the gesture.
Billy’s eyes pinged down to their joined hands, and he tried to play it off his obvious disappointment by being the professional. Turning in his seat, he put the car in gear. “Where to?”
“You want to stop anywhere before headin’ to your place?” Wolf asked Chrissy.
What little energy she’d summoned up to greet Billy had seeped out of her at mention of Winston. She was back to looking wan and exhausted.
“No.” She shook her head. “As Dorothy said, there’s no place like home.”
“Hey!” He faked affront. “I’m not allowed quotes, but you are?”
“Movie quotes don’t count. Besides, all’s fair in love and war.” She grinned impishly, and then froze, her smile sliding off her face when realized what she’d said.
You can bet your bottom dollar Wolf realized it too. In fact, the moment the word love left her lips, his heart tried to leap from his chest like his mother’s old mule used to leap out of its pen to eat the neighbor’s green grass.
“Since we’ve already established we’re not enemies, what do you reckon that leaves?” His kept his voice low.
She blushed. “It’s a figure of speech, Wolf.” Before he could answer, she turned back to Billy. “I’m headed home,” she told him, then blushed harder when Billy answered, “I gathered that. But unless you still live in the same place you grew up, I don’t know where that is.”
Wolf rattled off Chrissy’s address, and lifted an eyebrow when she turned to blink at him in surprise.
“What?” he asked, all innocent-like. “Just ‘cause you’ve never invited me over doesn’t mean I don’t know where you live.”
He’d memorized her address months ago. You know, just in case.
Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. Wolf’s favorite travel writer, Rick Steves had written that. Words of wisdom he tried to live by.
Billy drove the cab from the parking lot, and they’d made it about a mile down the road before he caught Chrissy’s gaze in the rearview mirror again. “Last time I was back here you were dating that guy who’d moved down from Fort Lauderdale to run a bar on the north end of Duval. You two seemed so smitten.” Billy’s eyes pinged to Wolf before returning to Chrissy. Was Billy boy trying to rub Wolf’s nose in Chrissy’s past romances? Was Wolf’s jealous streak that obvious? Probably. Double grrr. “What happened?” Billy asked.
“We wanted different things.” Chrissy lifted her uninjured shoulder. “I wanted to settle down and start building a life, and he wanted to text pictures of his dick to the woman who supplied his beer kegs.”
“Yeesh.” Billy grimaced. “Sounds like an ugly scene.”
“It’s branded into my brain like a bad tattoo,” Chrissy nodded grimly. Then a smirk hitched up one corner of her mouth. “Jokes on him, though. She ended up ditching his ass for a professional sport fisherman, but not before she totaled his Jeep on the overseas highway.”
Billy laughed. “I guess it’s true what they say. Karma’s a bitch.”
“That’s why I like her so much.” Chrissy bobbed her eyebrows.
For a while after that, everyone in the cab was quiet. Billy because he’d run out of things to chat about or annoy Wolf with. Chrissy because her usual exuberance was tempered by worry for Winston, the pull of the pain medication, and, you know, the small inconvenience of sporting a fresh bullet wound. And Wolf because he kept turning Chrissy’s words over in his mind.
I wanted to settle down and start building a life.
He’d always assumed she was happy being foot loose and fancy free. So damned independent the thought of a white dress and a gold ring might make her break out in hives.
He’d been fully prepared to not only have to coax her into falling in love with him, but also cajole her into marrying him. Because he wanted it all. The wedding, the honeymoon, the house, the kids. But now…
Well, now maybe the only thing I’ll have to work on is the “fallin’ in love with me” part. Which might be easier said than done since they were still haunted by the specter of That Night. He needed to fix that. Problem being, he wasn’t sure where to start since she shut him down every time he tried to talk about it.
“I, uh, didn’t get a chance to thank you, Wolf.” Chrissy’s words broke into his thoughts.
“For what?”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Oh, you know. For getting the paramedics to Winston in time. For staying with me last night. For taking care of things this morning. For keeping me from getting my ass ran over, as you so eloquently put it. I saw you barreling toward me and thought, ‘Look at him go. He’s on X Games mode.’ Too much TikTok in my spare time, obviously.”
“Huh?” He tilted his head, genuinely perplexed.
“It’s a social media app with funny videos and—” She cut herself off. “Never mind. My point is, I was this close” – she dropped his hand so she could hold her finger and thumb a half inch apart – “to becoming road k—”
He cut her off before she could voice aloud the end of that sentence and make him sick to his stomach. “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, darlin’.”
“Mmm,” she hummed noncommittally, shivering despite the warmth inside the cab. He put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close while being careful of her injury. Once again, he was ready for her to pull away. Once again, he released a sigh of pleasure when she didn’t.
In fact, far from pulling away, she snuggled into his side, placing her head on his shoulder. It felt so good. So right. A smart man would’ve kept his trap shut and enjoyed the moment.
Wolf was not a smart man.
“Were you serious when you said you wanted to settle down and start buildin’ a life?”
She frowned up at him. Her mouth was close enough to kiss. All it’d take was for him to tilt down his chin a mere two inches.
But if he filled her mouth with his tongue, she wouldn’t be able to answer him. And he was keenly interested in her answer.
“Sure.” There was confusion in her cornflower eyes. “What? You thought my plan was to wrinkle like a raisin in the sun and then die a spinster?”
“No.” He shook his head. Then he reconsidered. “Sometimes you give off a vibe that says you’re hell bent on goin’ it alone.”
She tucked down her chin. He didn’t know if he was disappointed or relieved her lips were no longer within easy reach. “Like most men, you confuse a woman’s self-sufficiency for a desire to live her life solo. That’s never been my intention.”
“So what’s your intention?”
“Ever since I was little girl, I’ve dreamed of having a big family.” She yawned so wide, her jaw cracked. “Four kids.” Her voice sounded sleepy as she continued. When he glanced down, he found her eyes were closed, the pain meds doing their best to pull her under. “Enough to fill a house with madness and mayhem, all commotion and clamor. I hated being an only child. It was so…” For a moment, he thought she was searching for the right word. Then he realized she was falling asleep when she softly finished with, “quiet.”
The physical and emotional trauma she’d been through partnered with the warm air and the lulling hum of the engine to have a soft snore issuing from the back of her throat.
Four kids. The perfect number in his opinion since it was the exact amount his parents had had. And it happened to be the exact amount he’d always envisioned having himself.
Recognizing he’d fallen in love with Chrissy had been epic. Huge. But not as big as knowing when it came to family and a future, they shared a common dream.
This is good. He felt something warm unfurl in his chest. It spread to his limbs. This is right.
Of course, the trick would be convincing her of that.
Well if there’s one thing my elisi always says about me, it’s once I set my mind to somethin’, I’m like a clock that never stops tickin’.
When he glanced up, he caught Billy watching him in the rearview mirror. “She’s the absolute best, in case you didn’t already know that.” The cab driver kept his voice low so as not to wake Chrissy. “Don’t go texting pictures of your dick to someone else.”
“Not a chance,” Wolf vowed solemnly.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Ray “Wolf” Roanhorse took one look at Chrissy and knew she was the woman of his dreams. There’s a hitch, however. He screwed things up with her. Big time. Now all she wants is to be friends. He’ll have to be his most charismatic and charming self if he has any hope of changing her mind. And winning her heart.

Christina Szareck knows all about sexy, brooding men like Wolf. She grew up watching her mother fall for – and be broken by – plenty of them. If she had her way, she’d avoid Wolf altogether. But they’re partners in the hunt for the Santa Cristina’s legendary treasure. Avoidance is impossible. And the longer she’s near him, the more he chips away at the walls she’s erected against him.

The danger to Chrissy doesn’t only come from her burgeoning feelings, however. There are mysterious players who would see her silenced – for good. And Wolf, with his wicked grin and spec-ops training, is all that stands between her and a date with death in the deep.
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Meet the Author:

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. And if those views happen to come with a blue sky and sunshine? All the better! When she’s not writing, Julie enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, fishing, cooking, petting every dog that walks by her, and… reading, of course!

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To learn more about Julie, visit her at www.julieannwalker.com. Or follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/julieannwalkerauthor and/or Instagram: @julieannwalker_author.
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