Spotlight & Giveaway: Lethal Temptation by Kaylea Cross

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Kaylea Cross to HJ!

Hi Kaylea and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Lethal Temptation!

 
Happy to be here! Thank you for having me.
 

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

This is book 2 of my Rifle Creek Series, a romantic suspense set in a small town in Montana.
It’s a fake relationship/opposites attract romance, two tropes I love dearly, and it features a delicious military veteran hero who rattles our powerhouse heroine as no other man ever could.
 

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

He wanted to rip her shields away until there was nothing left but need.

“You dance?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve got moves you can’t even imagine.”

“Don’t make me need you.”
“I have to.”

“What are you doing to me?”
“Showing you you’re worth it.”

“You’re my light in the darkness.”

What inspired this book?

I love military veterans, and Mason is a favorite of mine because he’s loosely based on my cousin, who struggled with his own demons. Mason is also a Canadian veteran, and I’m thrilled to finally have another series with some Canadian characters in it.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

I almost always know my characters’ personalities inside and out before I begin a book, but sometimes they do surprise me. Mason has a lot of darkness in him, but he also has a devilish, mischievous sense of humor that I enjoyed. But my favorite thing about him is that he knows when to ditch the humor and be real, and when he turns on his seductive powers, Avery doesn’t stand a chance.

What was your favorite scene to write?

The steamy bits! Mason and Avery absolutely smolder together when they’re in the same room. Mason’s intensity is raw and sensual at the same time. Add in his protectiveness toward Avery, and it’s no wonder she can’t resist him.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

The scenes depicting Mason’s struggles with trying to keep his demons at bay. He’s loosely based on my cousin, who we tragically lost to suicide years ago, and that was never far from my mind as I wrote about Mason’s battle.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I would say this book is pretty typical of my writing style, though this one is a little more focused on the romance than the action compared to some of my other books. I loved building the heat between Mason and Avery and I think it shines through in the story.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I want them to recognize what our men and women in uniform go through, and how their service can impact them for the rest of their lives. I also want readers to come away with a sense of hope, and a belief that love can help heal even the deepest wounds.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

Right now I’m working on book 2 of my Kill Devil Hills Series, a small town romantic suspense series set on the Outer Banks of N.C.

Coming up in December I’ve got the long awaited finale of my Suspense Series (Luke Hutchinson and crew!!!) with Silent Night, Deadly Night, and then in January the 3rd Rifle Creek book (Lethal Protector) releases. In March it’s the first book of the Kill Devil Hills Series (Undercurrent).

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 2 digital copies of Lethal Edge (Rifle Creek #1)
2 digital copies of Lethal Temptation (Rifle Creek #2)

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What are your favorite romance tropes, and why?

 
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Excerpt from Lethal Temptation:

WHAT THE HELL just happened?
Avery felt like she’d been run over with a steamroller as she walked beside him down the pea gravel path toward the cabins, slightly dazed. She couldn’t say anything to him yet, there were people around. Thankfully none of her relatives or her ex, but still.
She was acutely aware of his heavy arm curled around her shoulders, the warmth and strength of it. His body heat and crisp, clean scent teasing her.
It did things to her. Things she didn’t want happening to her, and worse, he seemed to be enjoying this.
He’d also kissed her in front of everyone. Twice. The first time he’d caught her so off guard she hadn’t been ready for it. But the second…
Shit, she was still feeling it, her lips tingling. He’d shaved off his short beard, and was possibly even more gorgeous without it. A rush of heat sped through her, pooling low in her belly and tightening her nipples. Dammit, no.
“This is us,” he said, turning off the main pathway.
The two-story log cabin sat perched on a little knoll overlooking the lake. Trailing pink and yellow flowers spilled from window boxes along the front porch, with two blue rocking chairs flanking the front door.
It was charming. And the absolute last place she wanted to be alone with Mason.
He unlocked the door for her and she marched inside, towing her suitcase. The instant he shut it behind him, she rounded on him. “What are you doing?” she demanded.
“What?” All innocence, Mason set the key on the table by the door.
“You know what. This cabin. Why did you do this?”
He faced her, and in this cozy space being alone with him suddenly felt way too intimate. “Because I know you’re stressed and wanted you to be able to relax and actually enjoy yourself a little this weekend. I thought this would give you more privacy to unwind away from everyone.”
She eyed him, one hand still holding her suitcase handle. “And it had nothing to do with you wanting privacy for an ulterior motive.” Because that so wasn’t happening.
He grinned. “Why, would you be interested if I had one?”
The balls on him. What game was he playing? “I believe I made the rules clear. Speaking of…” She let go of her suitcase and went up the stairs to the loft.
Dammit, the king-size bed took up the entire loft, with no room for a cot, and the downstairs was too crowded for one. She’d gone through a rough time during and after the divorce. She’d been married, had devoted herself to a man who, as it turned out, hadn’t ever really loved her. Now she was stuck in this private and romantic cabin with a man way too good-looking and sexy and damaged for her own good, who had heartbreak written all over him.
What the hell had she been thinking, doing this to herself?
She marched back down the stairs. “I hope you can fold up on that loveseat.”
Mason set his duffel on the floor and cocked a dark brown eyebrow at her, the setting sun’s rays streaming through the windows at the back of the cabin overlooking the lake bathed him in a warm glow. Outlining the mouthwatering lines of his powerful frame.
She raised her chin. “Just because you paid for this doesn’t mean you’re getting anything more than we agreed on.”
His expression cooled, a spark of anger flashing in his eyes. “I don’t want anything you don’t want to give, so no worries there.”
Avery checked her attitude, chastened. She’d offended him. He’d given up his weekend to help her out. And if he’d truly booked this for her to have more privacy from everyone, then she felt bad for what she’d said. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just…”
“Flustered.”
She shot him a glare, annoyed that he read her so easily and that her damn cheeks were getting hot. “I’m not flustered,” she snapped. “Just, whatever, let’s get through this weekend and then things can go back to normal again.”
She grabbed her suitcase when he reached for it and carried it up the stairs, berating herself with every step. This had been a colossally stupid idea on her part, and she had no one to blame for her predicament but herself.
Between being cooped up alone here with Mason after pretending he was her boyfriend in front of her family and dreading the moment she came face to face with her ex, she was going to need to get drunk to get through it all.
Dammit. She already couldn’t wait for this weekend to be over.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

She’s got her guard up.

Detective Avery Dahl finally has her life back on track after a painful divorce. She’s not going to risk her heart again, especially to a sexy veteran with heartbreak written all over him. Due to extenuating circumstances at an upcoming family wedding, she reluctantly agrees to bring him as her fake boyfriend—and soon realizes her mistake. Because Mason is as lethal with seduction as he is with a weapon, and keeps pushing her boundaries until her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble. Her instinct is to push him away, but when a mysterious enemy targets her, Avery has a choice to make. Face it alone, or take a risk and let him in.

He’s determined to get past it.

After a horrific accident ended his military career, Mason Gallant has struggled to fit into the civilian world. Now that he and his buddies are opening a business together in Rifle Creek, he’s finally found his footing again. But he never counted on meeting a woman like Avery. He can’t stop thinking about her, so when she needs help, he steps up. Except posing as her boyfriend makes things even worse—because he soon realizes he wants way more than just her body. Now that he’s seen the caring, sensual woman inside the tough cop, he wants to protect her from whoever is threatening her. As the attraction between them heats up, the danger escalates. Mason must prove to her that she can trust him with her heart as well as her life—or risk losing her to the bullet of a stone-cold killer.

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Meet the Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards, including the Daphne du Maurier, HOLT Medallion, and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea holds a bachelors degree with a double major in history and archaeology. She’s also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and sons.
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