Spotlight & Giveaway: Secret Sabotage by Terri Reed

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Terri Reed to HJ!

Hi Terri Reed and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Secret Sabotage!

 
Hello! I so excited to share Secret Sabotage with you.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

This is the fourth book in my series set in the fictional town of Bristle Township, Colorado, featuring the men and women of the sheriff’s department and the wealthy Delaney family. In Secret Sabotage, someone is trying to kill Ian Delaney but who or why is a mystery. Ian has lost a week of memories and his family has hired a female bodyguard to keep him safe. For a man used to being in control, Ian struggles against the restrains of having a beautiful and resourceful babysitter. Simone Walker has guarded rich men before, but none have gotten under her skin as easily or effectively as Ian. The only way she can keep him safe is to help him figure out who sabotaged his helicopter and what’s going on in the woods outside of Bristle Township that someone is willing to kill to keep secret.
 

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

“Glad to hear that. I’m pretty sure you didn’t like me when we first met in the hospital.”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t like you…” she said.
“I know. It’s probably more that you’ve protected men like me, men who expect everyone to jump at their command.”
She deserved those thrown-back words. “Sorry about that. I did make assumptions based on previous experiences. Many of those whose lives I’ve protected would’ve been in puddles right now, sobbing into their knees.”
“Believe me, if I thought it would help, I would do it.”
“But it won’t. And I appreciate that you’re not.”
“What are you planning?”
“Why do you think I’m planning something?”
“Because you’re a smart lady, and you’re always strategizing.”
His assessment of her brought heat to her cheeks. “Okay, so you’re right. Brace yourself.”
“Now you have me worried.” He grimaced. “I’ll follow your lead.”
Surprised and grateful, she flashed him a grin. Then she took a deep breath and let out a wailing sound that startled the birds in the trees and sent them flying.
Ian flinched. “Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

I really liked Ian when he first showed up in Buried Mountain Secrets and couldn’t wait to give him his own story. I thought I’d do Ian’s story before his brother Nick’s (Christmas Protection Detail) but Nick kept knocking on my mind first and when Nick needed someone to protect an innocent baby, I decided to draw from a previous series I did. The Protection Specialist series was about a team of bodyguards with their headquarters in Boston where the Delaney Holdings is also headquartered. So when I was planning on Ian’s story, I brought in Simone in. I’d always wanted to give her her own story and I finally was able to.

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

Ian’s aware of Simone’s beauty right from the start, but the way she handles herself, and him, is what draws him to her. Simone at first finds Ian’s handsomeness a strike against him as well as his wealth, but the longer she is with him the more she comes to realize he’s more than he seems and it blows her assumptions about him to smithereens.

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

Ian challenges Simone to work out with him in the dojo, never expecting her to accept. And Simone never expected how good Ian would be at martial arts. She’d pegged him as soft but underneath his designers suits, he’s more than he seems. To write this scene, I watched many youtube videos of people sparring and it helped me envision Ian and Simone moving through the scene. It was fun to write.

“Hand-to-hand or do you want to use weapons?” he asked, curious to see what she’d prefer.
She glanced at the rack of martial arts equipment. “Sticks. Less chance of physical contact. I wouldn’t want to get sued for assaulting you.”
He barked out a laugh. “I’m not the suing type. But sticks it is.” He tossed one of the long, blunt-ended woodened staffs to her, which she deftly caught, and took a ready stance. Interesting choice. The use of sticks often mimicked empty-handed strikes, the stick becoming an extension of one’s self.
Mirroring her, he nodded. “Begin.”
At first, their strikes were tentative; they each seemed to be testing one another. Ian was impressed by how well she handled the staff. Soon, the sparring turned more determined, more forceful. The sound of the wooden sticks clashing together nearly drowned out the music.
He managed to sweep her legs, toppling her over. He didn’t take any joy in the momentary victory. She bounded to her feet in a swift move that was both surprising and impressive. Then she was attacking with more vigor, forcing him into a corner. Ian bumped up against the wall. Her stick pressed at his throat, the pressure not painful, but she was clearly making a point that if she wanted, she could render him unconscious.
“Want to call it?” she asked, her warm stare filled with challenge.
His eyes dropped to her upturned mouth as her breaths came out in little puffs. Her checks held a rosy hue from the exertion. She was beautiful and exciting and oh, so off-limits. But what he wanted, more than anything, was to kiss her. Fully. Deeply.
She moistened her lips. An invitation?

Readers should read this book….

For an action packed, adventure where two strong-willed characters fight to find the truth, evade bad guys determined to do them in, all the while falling in love.

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

I have a book coming out in April 2022, Detection Detail, the first book in the Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit, a new continuity series staring a mobile unit of K-9 officers and their handlers. There are many mysteries too be solved and lots of wonderful dogs to win your hearts.
I have a a new series starting in October 2022. Forced to Flee, book 1 of my US Marshal series. In this book, US Marshal Jace Armstrong is tasked to protect an innocent woman who discovers a dangerous family secret through a DNA test. But as the secrets from the past unfold and these two go on the run, they discover resisting their growing feelings is nearly as hard as evading the bad guys.
I’m currently working on book 2 of my US Marshal’s series, as yet untitled, scheduled to release in February 2023. When an unknown bomber threatens the life of Judge Gwyn Weston, US Marshal Brian Forrester is assigned to her protection but falling in love with the judge was never part of the plan.
 

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Excerpt from Secret Sabotage:

Once Nick left and it was just the sheriff and Simone in the room with him, Ian addressed Alex. “Keep me updated on any and everything you find out.” He could see the man wanted to argue. “Alex, don’t cut me out of the loop trying to protect me. The best way for you to protect me is to give me information.”
Alex gave a beleaguered sigh. “Ian, this town owes you a lot. Not only did you rebuild the sheriff’s department after it burned down, you’ve helped by using your helicopter during several search and rescues, including when Maya, Brady and I were being hunted on the mountain. I owe you a lot. I will tell you what you need to know when you need to know it.” He then focused on Simone. “We are all trusting you to keep him safe, not only from the bad people who want him dead, but also from himself.”
Ian barely refrained from snorting in protest. Like anyone could control him. He didn’t need a babysitter. He needed answers.
“Roger that,” Simone said, her gaze cutting to Ian’s with purpose in the dark depths. She really was pretty and feisty. And there was something about her that made him want to know more, to dig deep into her mind and find out what made her tick. Not a usual occurrence for him. Must be the pain medications or the bump to his head.
Alex gave a sharp nod and left the room.
Ian stared at Simone, who stared back at him unflinching. He let out an aggravated breath. He doubted she’d let him past her stoic walls, even if he tried. “This is maddening.”
“I would imagine so,” she said crisply. “The best thing you can do for yourself is to heal and to let your brain remember what happened. And the only way you’re going do that is if you rest. I’m going to draw the blinds, shut the lights off, and pray you’ll uncover the secrets locked inside your mind with some sleep.”
He’d pray so, as well.
Why did he take comfort in knowing she was a woman who prayed?
In the darkened room, he could barely make out her silhouette as she moved to the corner and sat in the chair. He doubted he’d be able to rest with her only a few feet away. She gave off such a dynamic energy that he felt buffered by it. But her words were true. If he could remember what happened, what had sent him out in his helicopter, it would save all of them a great deal of grief and send her on her way. And that would be the best thing for them all, because he had a feeling spending time with Simone wouldn’t be easy. A thought he didn’t want to examine.
He closed his eyes and sent up a prayer that God would bring the memories back. He willed his body to relax and cleared his mind, allowing sleep to claim him.
Hours later, Ian awoke with a start. Somebody hovered at the side of his bed. He blinked the sleep away to realize a male nurse was about to put a syringe into his IV line. Was he scheduled for some sort of medication the doctor neglected to mention?
The green glow from the monitors illuminated the menace in the man’s face.
“Hey!” Ian grabbed for the hand with the syringe.
The door to his room’s small bathroom burst open and light spilled out, silhouetting Simone in the doorway. “What are you doing?” Simone’s voice cut through the tension of the room.
The nurse spun toward Simone then moved out of Ian’s line of sight. There was a scuffle, a curse, and then the door to the room banged open, allowing the light from the hall to spill inside, stinging Ian’s eyes.
His heart hammered in his chest. He yanked the IV catheter from of his hand, flinching at the sharp bite of pain.
Someone had just tried to kill him.
Again.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

The crash was intentional…
But he can’t remember why.
With no memory of the crash that landed him in a hospital, Ian Delaney is determined to uncover who sabotaged his helicopter—without the protection of his family-appointed bodyguard. But Simone Walker’s used to stubborn clients and won’t let Ian leave her sight. To catch an unknown traitor, they must rely on each other…or the next attack could prove lethal.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
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Meet the Author:

Terri Reed’s awarding winning romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publishers Weekly top 10 Romance Bestsellers and Publishers Weekly top 10 Religion Fiction Bestsellers, Publishers Weekly top 10 Mass Market Paperback Bestsellers, Nielsen’s Bookscan top 100 Bestsellers and featured in USA Today and have been Amazon Bestsellers, as well as Fresh Picks at Fresh Fiction. Her novel A Family Under the Christmas Tree was adapted into a Hallmark movie and retitled Picture a Perfect Christmas in 2019. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Novelist Inc. and a member of the Authors Guild. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her college-sweetheart husband. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and agility training with her dog. Contact Terri @ [email protected] or P.O. Box 19555 Portland, OR 97224 and online @ http://www.terrireed.com/
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