Spotlight & Giveaway: Under the Marshal’s Protection by Anna J Stewart

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Anna J Stewart to HJ!

Hi Anna and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Under the Marshal’s Protection!

 
Hi, everyone! Always great to visit HJ!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Federal prosecutor Kara Gallagher has spent years looking for a way to bring the man responsible for her father’s death to justice. Now she has exactly what she needs to bring a solid case against him–a witness. One who needs protection. Which means she needs the best on the job. Enter US Marshal Howell McKenna, a man she’s crossed professional swords with before and not in a good way.

Howell is a man of honor, but he’s seen first hand what Kara’s tunnel vision results in. While he admires her tenacity, he isn’t sure he can trust her to make the right decisions where her emotions are concerned. They definitely have different ways of doing things, but those differences also compliment one another. Of course it helps that there’s a spark the second they’re in the same room. Cue the fun and games and of course, the danger!
 

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

I really love the verbal interaction between Howell and Kara. She’s a bit on the snarky side (okay, most of my heroines are), but she doesn’t couch it to spare Howell’s or anyone’s feelings. She borders on being filterless and that is just so much fun. He can give as good as he gets, but he tends toward going silent rather than impolite.

“You’re being nice to me,” she said once they exited the lobby downstairs and he held the door open for her. “Why? Trying to put me off guard?”

“I’m being polite,” he corrected and steered her toward the garage. “I’m polite to everyone. Until I’m not.” And then he simply got arctic cool.

None of my books would be complete without a few meals, LOL. I love incorporating food into my stories. Here, where they’re at a local diner after their initial meeting, things get really fun between them.

“Not a date,” Kara and Howell said at the same time. Their waitress merely arched a brow. “This is a business breakfast,” Kara added as her face flushed hot.

“If you say so.”

For me, writing heroes who interact so beautifully with children really makes my job fun. Howell’s initial meeting with Kara’s children, Jonah and Mia.

Howell motioned for her to sit next to him, then held out his arm for Jonah to join them. “Nice squid.”

“Octopus.” Jonah pushed his glasses higher up his nose. “His name’s Octavius.”

“Of course it is.” Howell chuckled.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The plot of this book gave me fits! I must have reworked parts of it multiple times and it took forever to get it to feel right. Most of my aha moments were courtesy of one of my critique partners, author Cari Lynn Webb. I used my afternoon walks to chat with her and talk things out until they made sense.
• I don’t normally include children in my romantic suspense books, but in this case, I really needed to up the stakes for Kara. Giving her two children was a good way to remind her that it wasn’t just her own life she was jeopardizing. They acted as a good tether to reality even as she skirts the edge of danger.
• I really enjoyed pitting Kara’s ex-husband against Howell in one particular scene. I don’t usually have former spouses on the page, but in this instance, it was definitely necessary. And fun.
• One of my favorite parts about writing a series, especially one about siblings, is introducing upcoming characters. I had to be really careful once Regan McKenna walked on the page. She really tried to take over, but she’s going to have to wait for book 3.
• It’s always a challenge for me, as a writer, to deal with snow, LOL. I’m a born and bred CA girl–I don’t do snow! So a reality check is usually needed when I’m writing east coast stories, LOL. Thank goodness I have friends who live there!

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

As this book features an enemies to lovers trope, I think it’s passion that really attracts them. Not necessarily for one another at the beginning, but for what they stand for and what they want out of life. They respect one another, albeit reluctantly at least on Howell’s part, but that respect is what opens the door to there being more between them.

Howell, like all the McKennas, is all about family. And so is Kara, albeit in a slightly different way. That on its own is what I think really connects them. As for Kara, there’s an admiration for what Howell does that she doesn’t quite understand I think. But as they get to know one another and she lives in his world for a good portion of this book, things shift for her and she sees things in a different way than she did at the start. That doesn’t mean she necessarily changes, but she’s at least able to see where he’s coming from in how he approaches things.

There’s definitely something admirable and honorable about both of them and that’s a good bond to start with.

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

Afterglow scenes are always fun to write, especially in a suspense because it acts as a kind of breather and gives a peek into how these two will be together after their story comes to an end. Howell and Kara are no exception. And they’re definitely fun.

“Two things New York does better than anyone else.” Kara stabbed chopsticks into the container of vegetable chow mein. “Chinese food and delivery.” Sitting cross-legged on the bed beside Howell may be her favorite new activity in the universe. Well. Second favorite. She had her next bite almost to her mouth when she caught Howell looking at her. “What?” How was it, even after everything they’d just shared, the man could make her blush with a glance. Not that she
wasn’t looking at him in the same ravenous way, although sustenance was currently taking priority. “What’s wrong?” She swiped a finger under her lips in case she had food stuck on her
face.

His smile was easy, almost teasing, and incredibly sexy. Almost as sexy as the solitary sheet resting low on his torso. “Just thinking that that shirt never looks this good on me.”

She glanced down at his T-shirt, which she’d grabbed off the floor when she’d gone to retrieve their phones so they could order dinner. They were on countdown mode before heading out to meet with Jazz and—hopefully—get their hands on Giselle’s laptop.

Kara grinned. “Didn’t think it was appropriate to collect our dinner naked.” The fact they’d blown straight through the afternoon wrapped in each others’ arms had been a bit…surprising. And exhilarating.

“It’s New York,” Howell said as he popped open another take-out container. “Delivery people have seen it all. Oh, good. Kung pao. You okay? With…this?”

“Yeah.” She smiled into her food, determined to get over any timidity that might remain. “Sure, I’m okay with this. With us. You?” Part of her worried what would happen if she got the answer she didn’t want to hear. “I imagine the last place you ever imagined us ending up after that day in court last year was here.”

“You’d think.” He leaned over, dipped his chopsticks into her container and pinned his gaze to hers. “Or we admit it was inevitable. We fit well together. In more ways than one.”

Readers should read this book….

This book is for fans of the enemies to lovers trope, as well as people, like me, who enjoy a revenge story. Seriously, that trope is my personal catnip. Readers who enjoy seeing characters pushed to their limits while still trying to maintain their ethics and morals will enjoy this one as well. Both Howell and Kara are faced with the question of which lines will or won’t be crossed. UNDER THE MARSHAL’S PROTECTION also asks the question… how far will you go and what price are you willing to pay to get what you want?

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

I’ve recently started the fourth and final book in the McKenna Code series. This will finally be Aiden’s story (and you’ll meet him in MARSHAL). That will be out late next year I believe (Book 3 is out in June).

I’m also writing my contribution to the next collection of Blackwell books for Harlequin Heartwarming. This time around I’m number 5, so I’m busy putting all the threads together and tying everything up.

Starting on December 1, I’ll dive into book 4 of my Circle of the Red Lily series which has recently had a publisher change. So excited that these books will be relaunching next spring with Tule Publishing (some with new titles and all with new covers!). Exciting times for sure!
 
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: For 3 winners, a digital copy of ARCTIC PURSUIT, book 1 in the McKenna Code series.
For 1 winner, a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

To enter Giveaway, please share this post (FB – Twitter) and Leave a comment to this Q: I love writing law enforcement characters, especially heroes, but I feel like I’m running out of ideas! What are some of your favorite types of first responder/law enforcement characters that you’d like to see more of! I’ll be making a list, LOL.

This giveaway closes 3 days from the date of this post.

Excerpt from Under the Marshal’s Protection:

“Is something wrong?”

He shook his head. “Not sure.”

Kara followed his line of sight, stepping back to him in the middle of the parking lot. She looked around but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. The beach was mostly empty save for a few people out for a stroll or taking their dogs for a waterlogged walk. It took her a moment to lock in on who Howell was observing: the young man who had parked beside them.

He stood on the beach, hands pushed deep into the pockets of his jacket, curly hair blowing into his face from the wind tumbling in over the waves behind him.

Kara shivered and stepped even closer to Howell. “Is he watching us?”

“Yes.” The instant Howell said it, the man stepped back. Even from a distance there was no mistaking the slow smile that curved his lips. He turned his head away, ever so slightly, and closed his eyes.

Howell whipped his arm up and around her shoulders, pivoting them both away even as he pulled her down. The explosion ripped through the air like a sudden tornado. The impact tossed them both to the ground in a tangled heap.

Kara gasped as heat and noise erupted behind and around her. She sprawled on the asphalt beneath the weight of Howell’s body. Her ears rang as she blinked to try to keep her eyes open, dragging impossible, hot air into her straining lungs. Howell shifted, blanketing
her from the lick of flames she could feel through the soles of her shoes.

Kara was stunned at first; unable to connect to what was happening. Her ears felt plugged; her lungs empty, and when she tried to breathe, all she caught was gasoline fumes and smoke.
She choked, coughing and shifting, desperate to drag in the smallest amount of oxygen that couldn’t be found. Nothing sounded normal. It was as if she’d been thrown into the deepest part of the ocean where the voices and screams and shouts were muffled, unrecognizable. Incomprehensible.

She sobbed, shoved her hands under her chest and tried to push herself up.

“Stay still! Stay down!” Howell yelled as he curled himself over her.

The second explosion robbed her of panic, of thought and nearly of consciousness. Her scream was muffled by the edges of her jacket and the rough ground. The unbelievable pressure that pushed down on them had her sucking and choking once more. She tucked her head in and blinked against the brilliant ball of flame and smoke that billowed up and into the sky directly over Howell’s SUV.

Everything moved in fast-forward even as things slowed down.

She felt Howell’s hands on her arms, hauling her up, propelling her forward toward the lodge as people spilled out of the front door. Kara’s eyes watered against the smoke as Howell pushed her into the lobby.

“Kara!” Howell ran his hands down the sides of her head, her face, over her shoulders and along her arms. She could barely feel his touch—could only stare blankly at the fireball burning where Howell’s car had been moments before. “Kara.” Howell caught her face in his hands, turned her toward him and all but pressed his nose against hers. She saw so much in the flash of a moment: shock, steadfastness. Fear. But the last he blinked away in the next second.

The marshal was there. In control. Focused on her. “You okay?”

She nodded even as his hands continued to skim over her body, stopping occasionally, she assumed, to make sure he didn’t encounter blood. “Fine,” she half whispered, half choked. She drew a hand across her stinging cheek and throbbing forehead. “Are you?”

She grabbed hold of him, both to steady herself and to make sure he was still in one piece. With both hands she yanked at him, catching the barest of glimpses of the scorch marks on his back. “You’re hurt?”

“I’m okay.” He kept one hand on her shoulder and met her gaze with a look that said everything she needed to know.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

He wants to protect her from herself!

US Marshal Howell McKenna has every reason to mistrust federal prosecutor Kara Gallagher. He’s also dedicated to his job. When she asks for his help convicting a mobster, he agrees—because it’s the right thing to do, and because her emotional attachment to the case means she’s in danger. Working together, they discover that putting their past behind them is easier than ignoring the heat that simmers between them. And, as an already-menacing case takes unexpected twists, Howell’s not always sure that Kara wants justice more than she wants revenge…
Book Links:  Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Anna J. Stewart is a National and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty romances ranging from heartfelt to suspenseful. She writes for Harlequin and Tule Publishing, with one novel optioned for film. Her stories focus on love, family, and second chances. When not writing or editing, she’s usually baking, binge-watching favorite shows, or being supervised by her cats, Rosie and Sherlock.
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