Hello Smexy Books!

When did you start reading romance? For me it was the summer of ‘87. I was eleven years old, unattended and un-athletic but not unadventurous. I wanted excitement! Danger! Boys! I didn’t find any of these things in my sleepy neighborhood. My best discovery was made in the used bookstore across town.

Harlequin paperbacks were five for a quarter. I don’t recall YA being a genre back then. There were children’s books and adult books, and I’d already graduated to adult. I loved Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Romance novels didn’t scare me. I loaded up.

I quickly discovered the eye-popping sex scenes of Harlequin Temptation and Silhouette Desire. I read book after book in a fevered rush of sweaty afternoons. I’d found my place in the dark corner of the stacks, admiring clinch covers and scanning the descriptions, anticipating hours of hushed, unfettered joy.

I still feel that joy when I discover a new author, or buy the latest release from a favorite. I’m still seeking romance, danger, and adventure (in books).
I love reading a good sex scene—and writing them! Sharing my own stories is the ultimate thrill.

Navy SEAL Rescue stars William Hudson, an elite warrior hero. He’s also an expert mountain climber, so bonus points there. At the start of the story he’s been captured by the enemy in Iraq. The heroine, Layah Anwar, helps him escape.

Navy SEAL heroes have been popular since the 80s. Middle East settings are common in romantic suspense, with Arab or Middle Eastern characters often portrayed as villains. I’ve never read a book with an Iraqi heroine, so I decided to write one. I wanted to push back against negative stereotypes and open my mind to new ideas. During my research I learned about the Assyrian people, who are part of the rich culture of the region.

I’m so proud of this story. I can’t wait to share it with avid, adventurous romance readers like myself.

Thank you!!

Susan Cliff

www.susancliff.com

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Bound by more than desire…

A gripping Team Twelve romantic thriller

Sexy SEAL William Hudson will accept any help escaping enemy captivity…even if that comes from beautiful Dr. Layah Anwar, who’s willing to do anything to get her family to safety. Though neither Layah nor Hud trust easily, they must join forces on a harrowing journey across the mountains. Their survival is threatened by the brutal elements, enemy snipers…and the devastating desire they can’t deny.

EXCERPT

Hud was in hell.

He’d woken up here two months ago, buck naked and half-dead, caked in a mixture of blood and dust.

This particular corner of hell was an underground spider-hole with four walls, a solid dirt floor and no light. The only exit was an impenetrable metal door. It had a slot wide enough to push a tray through. He ate whatever they served with his bare hands. On good days, the gruel had bits of meat and gristle. On bad days, he went hungry.

Each week he was given a gallon of drinking water and an empty bucket. He’d learned to ration his water or suffer the consequences. He hadn’t bathed since his arrival, unless he counted that extended waterboarding session with his new terrorist friends. One afternoon of this method had almost broken him, despite his extensive Navy SEAL training, but they hadn’t continued. They must have decided it was a waste of water. Either that or they thought he’d die before he coughed up any useful information.

In addition to waterboarding, he’d been treated to periods of sleep deprivation, electroshock therapy and regular beatings.

He almost missed the beatings; they’d made him feel alive. He craved human contact, even in the form of fists. He preferred blood to dust. Blood was pain, hot and bright. Dust was oblivion. It was the dark nothingness that smothered him. It rained down on his head from the cracked ceiling like a slow burial.

Sometimes he closed his eyes and pretended he was back in Iowa, in the storm cellar on his grandparents’ farm. He hadn’t wanted to be cooped up underground, protected from the elements. He’d never been afraid of thunder and lightning. He’d wanted to chase tornadoes and climb mountains and touch the sky.

GIVEAWAY

If you’d like to win one of ten print copies (US only), please enter the giveaway by answering one of the following questions.

Questions: When did you start reading romance? Do you like Navy SEALs and military heroes? What about Middle East settings? Do you prefer fictional lands or real places?

A winner will be picked on Thursday.  US residents only. Sorry.