Love AND
… THE UNEXPECTED SERIES
(and the giddy excitement
that comes with your readers requesting more!)
The Love AND … series was not originally intended to be a series. Love
AND Bullets was my first book, and it was a stand-alone, single title until
I started earning fans and their love and support and enthusiasm for the
story. One of the secondary characters,
Maddie Monroe, who is the sister of Devon Monroe (the hero of Love AND Bullets) . . . Well, people
fell in love with her. Which was simply
wonderful and fantastic, and my new found fans and readers begged me to write
her story.
When you're a new author
and you write a character that readers love and want more of, it's folly to
turn them down. However, I'd already started
writing Dip & Devour, a romantic
comedy, and I was fully engaged in the lighthearted comedic nature of that
book. Returning to the
action-and-bullets nature of Love &
Bullets wasn’t coming to me easily.
So even though I started writing Love
AND Revenge right away, it wasn’t too long before I got stuck needing to do
more research and to seriously think about what I wanted to accomplish with
Maddie’s story. So Love AND Revenge got back-burnered, and I dove fully headlong into
the happiness that is Dip & Devour.
I have to tell you, I’m so
happy it worked out the way it did. Not
that it didn’t stress me out immensely making my fans wait so long, fielding
their supportive and excited queries.
But in Dip & Devour, I got
to explore my funny, sassy, and sometimes droll wit. And once I’d unleashed the funny bone beast,
there was no going back. This, I feel,
is a good thing. No matter how bad
things get in real life, we oftentimes cope with humor. And for “what I put my characters through”
(I’d argue “what their lives put them through”), humor to lighten the moment is
a natural response, and it gives everyone a moment to catch their breaths.
So with these two books
under my belt (and with my ever increasing writing skills and craft), I set out
to write Love AND Revenge again. . . .
And still I was stuck. Something
wasn’t right. Three years in the
storyline had passed, and there was no real explanation for how the new bit to
the story came about. Or at least no
warning. No lead up to. So, the more I thought about it, the more I
realized I needed a “tweener.” The story
to marry the storylines together. And
thus, Love AND Leaving was born. A whole new cast with action and humor, and
for those who had read Love AND Bullets,
one helluva cliffhanger. I freaked
readers out—in a good way—and it felt soooo good!
And with Love AND Leaving out there teasing
everyone, torturing them, I got back down to business. The amount of research I had to do for Love AND Revenge was reasonably
extensive. It was for the technical side
of the action. But it was well worth
it. Research combined with a story that
compelled me and characters that I feel like I knew as family—along with my
ever growing skill and craft—and it all came together in a way that made it so
hard for me to end the book. I fell in
love in the book, and I didn’t want it to end.
(On the job hazard, lol!) But I
got to bring both casts from Love AND
Bullets and Love AND Leaving
together (and even introduce new characters) in a story so intense, so human .
. . I’m giddy with it. Every time a
reader tells me how they felt like they were there and could see the scenes as
if they were in them, I am simply thrilled.
All this time, the waiting, the learning, the growing—it was all worth
it.
I hope you think so, too!
So . . . the skinny on the Love AND … series
The Love AND … book series is comprised of two full-length novels and a
“tweener” novella. It’s
romantic-action-mystery-suspense that will knock your clothes off with steamy,
heart-melting passion. Things blow
up. People get shot. There’s witty humor. Good guys.
Bad guys. Hard moments. Tears.
Laughter. Revenge. Hot cops.
A sexy FBI guy. And one very
determined ex-Navy SEAL. The characters
have heart, and they will (I hope) find a way into yours.
All three books can
stand-alone, but if you choose to read them all, there is a forward progression
in time as the stories unfold. As I see
it, all three stories are written in their own style, unique to the characters
and their personalities. And if you
haven’t already started at the beginning of the series—although it may not seem
intuitive—I recommend starting with Love
AND Leaving (book 2, the “tweener”).
I recommend this, because it is an entirely different cast from book 1;
it is a novella; and it will give you the chance to sample the storyline
quickly. If you love it, keep
reading. And if it turns out to not be
your thing … minimal commitment.
In the end, the stories
and characters are the kind that stick with you. The kind you don’t want to end or say
good-bye to.
In my upcoming blog tour
stop at Book Club Sisters http://bookclubsisters84.blogspot.com on Wednesday, August 13th, I
will reveal more about Love AND Bullets,
book 1, along with insider background information about writing the book.
Additionally, in my
upcoming blog tour stop (also on Wednesday, August 13th) at
Roxanne’s Realm www.roxannerhoads.com, I will reveal more about Love AND Leaving, book 2, along with
insider background information about writing the book.
In the meantime, you can
watch the book trailers at the following links.
And you can find my full blog tour schedule on my website and on my
Facebook page.
Love AND Bullets Book
Trailer: http://youtu.be/MTrON4X1yl0
Love AND Leaving Book
Trailer: http://youtu.be/QpzL4FJwSWY
Love AND Revenge Book
Trailer: http://youtu.be/dZ-vxUx3qlU
You can read more about me
and my books at:
Website: http://www.marykatekopec.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marykate.kopec
All my books are available
at Amazon in both print and ebook versions.
Happy Reading to you
always,
Mary Kate
PS: For bonus blog tour material for today’s
stop, visit my Facebook page. Maddie
Monroe has stopped by Breakfast with a
Sunnyside of Business, a morning TV show, and the show’s transcript has
been made available to you!
Love and Bullets
Love And Series
Book One
Mary Kate Kopec
Genre: Romantic Action Suspense
ISBN: 978-0615968957
ASIN: B00AP54YTS
Book Description:
Three years ago Giffin Reese fell for the man of her dreams. But it wasn't meant to be. She was already married to a good man. A man who believed in her. Needed her. Loved her. Sometimes in life we do what it calls upon us to do.
It wasn't your everyday protection detail of a Senator plus trophy wife. First, she was no trophy. She came with brains and an attitude. Just what he liked. And two, the case was all kinds of screwed up. A threat with no name on it. Maybe even a leak. And it all turned to hell when the Senator got taken down by a sniper shot.
Devon Monroe still doesn't know what the hell went wrong that day. But he's not going to let it happen again. Someone's serious with an itchy trigger finger, and this time the target is squarely pointed at a certain Senator's beautiful widow. But not if he can help it. It'll take everything he has to set things right, clear his conscience, and prove himself to her. Even if it means dying, trying.
Love and Bullets is an action packed steamroller of mystery, suspense, and rekindled desire. Come join Devon and Giffin as they race against the clock, explore their hearts, and dodge bullets in this story of secrets, deception, betrayal, and love.
Sparks fly and so do the bullets!
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/MTrON4X1yl0
Available at Amazon
Excerpt,
Love AND Bullets:
“As you can see, Mrs.
Reese, we can quite easily get to you.
You cannot be protected, despite what Mr. Monroe seems to think.”
Devon? They knew him? How could that be?
“So unless you choose the
same fate as your husband, I suggest you reconsider your current ventures.”
She was baffled. What current ventures? She helped people. How could that be a problem?
“What do you mean?” she
asked.
He continued, ignoring her
interruption. “Mrs. Reese, you will die
if you do not heed my warning.” As if to
emphasize his words, he raised a gun and pointed it in her face. “This is not
a negotiable request. Do you
understand?”
No way did she understand,
but she nodded anyway, afraid to ask and not wanting to get shot. What current ventures? What could she be doing that would get her
killed? What could she be doing, and had
it gotten her husband killed? She felt
sick with fear and confusion.
Without warning he leaned
over and opened her door. Keeping his
gun leveled on her, he added flatly, “Now get out. Your ride is coming.”
Abruptly the car stopped.
You didn’t have to tell her
twice. She didn’t hesitate. She jumped out. But before she could get all the way out, the
car began accelerating again. And in her
efforts to clear the speeding vehicle, she fell to the ground and rolled,
skinning her hands and knees.
Pain shot through her, and
tears stung in her eyes. Giffin
attempted to get up, but stumbled back down to one knee. Her arms and legs shook like leaves. She was in a full body tremble. Not for trying, but she couldn’t quite catch
her balance, and she realized that her heel had broken.
Giffin reached around, and
with a shaking hand, removed her shoes.
Holding them in her hand, she pushed herself up and tried to stand
steady on her two feet. She looked up
the road to where her abductors’ car was disappearing into the horizon and a
wave of overwhelming relief flowed through her.
They didn’t kill her. It was
over.
But then the other side of
brain fought back and asked, What the
hell is going on?
She was unsurprised now,
when Devon pulled around the bend in a shiny silver Lexus sedan and came to a
stop beside her.
“Get in,” came the voice in
the car.
She knew that voice, knew
it well. It did something to the pit of
her stomach. She got in, tossed her
shoes to the floor, and fastened her seat belt.
Throwing him a sidelong glance, without humor, she asked, “Just in the
neighborhood?”
Love and Leaving
Love And Series
Book Two
Mary Kate Kopec
Genre: Romantic Action Suspense
ISBN: 978-0615988610
ASIN: B00BH51P4W
Book Description:
Emma June Carter’s life is as normal as can be. All except the part where once upon a time she was Miss Michigan and a finalist for the Miss American Sunshine pageant. She's a baker and a co-owner of Delectable Delights, a sweet treats bakery that she loves. She has good friends. A best friend. And it was all going so well - until her boyfriend dumped her. The boyfriend that had hinted at love and a life together - and then disappeared.
Detective Jack Haley is good at his job, likes life, and knows how to laugh. Poker and his luxury ride with perfect performance and buttery soft leather seats take the edge off of the grit and grime of his work in property crimes.
For them, it was any other day. Until he got the call. And she went out for one last drink to shake off the breakup. A chance meeting in a bar, and neither gets what they came for. They get so much more. Neither know it, but danger is trailing Emma's footsteps, and her life is about to go from normal to hell in six seconds, flat. It doesn't take long before their paths cross again, and this time it won't be so easy leaving.
Love and Leaving is a story about nothing being safe, but in life, having everything to gain . . . at a cost. Jack and Emma will have to decide what is worth it and what isn't.
He's coming, and she's leaving!
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/QpzL4FJwSWY
Available at Amazon
Excerpt,
Love AND Leaving:
Emma June Carter,
former Miss Michigan, now successful pastry chef and master of all things
sweet, sat twirling her pathetic excuse of a lemon twist stormily about in her
second, now half-empty, vodka tonic, swearing off men and their many useless
promises.
Twenty-nine—for real—and three days shy of being thirty, she thought she’d
found the one. But after six months of
crazy-for-you, non-stop fun and abandon—and a major hint at permanent things to
come—Max Stone, man of her dreams, had abruptly called it quits.
One phone call. No explanation. And he was gone.
Now all she wanted to do—when she
wasn’t bawling miserably—was rip his lying heart out of his gorgeous, too-fit
chest and feed it to him for lunch. Or
at least sit here for the moment, alone,
to enjoy a short, self-indulgent and well earned—if you don’t mind—pity party.
And a drink or two.
Emma wasn’t one for anger or wallowing,
but this really hurt, and she just needed a moment to cope. And process.
And get a grip. And to stop
seeing herself stomping her pain out all over Max’s, now annoyingly, beautiful face.
She smiled. Stomping on his face wasn’t the nicest of
thoughts. True. But “It’s over. Take care of yourself. Bye.” followed by a dial tone just wasn’t the
way it was done. The weasel hadn’t even
been respectful enough to do it in person.
And now, all she got was voicemail and a visit to his empty
apartment. So yes, not a nice thought,
kicking the crap out of Max, but Max didn’t deserve a nice thought. And as wishful thinking went, it was a pretty
good image, and so even though it really wasn’t like her, it made her smile.
“Your drink’s getting low. Lemme buy you another.”
Emma dropped her smile and slid her
eyes left to the gravelly and deeply masculine voice interrupting her lament to
find Mr. Ripped and Ruggedly Handsome in black leather and jeans eyeing her up
appreciatively. Good grief. Not another one. She barely suppressed a sigh.
Ruggedly Handsome was just that and
then some. But he and his
molten-chocolaty brown eyes, heavy jaw, thick brows, and perfect lips—minus the
hairline scar—were all bad-boy to the bone.
And if you weren’t convinced, the spider web and dagger tattoos on his
hands and hard-ass biker boots should finish off the story. He was oozing sex appeal like the Hoover Dam
had just let loose. And barking up the
wrong tree. Emma had had enough of suave
and slick.
She shook her head, “No thanks. I’m good.”
Returning to her drink and her
thoughts, it occurred to her that perhaps having a pity party publicly—even if she
was situated at the end of the bar, with her face tilted down, hair falling
forward, staring morosely into her drink—wasn’t the best signal for personal
time. But still. Couldn’t Mr. Ripped and Ruggedly Handsome see
that she wasn’t up for company, especially male
company?
Apparently not.
Mr. Handsome followed with, “I can see
that, and it’s just a drink. Give me a
chance.”
Oh
God. He was going with a lame line. Seriously?
Not really wanting to engage hotty
biker dude in a verbal duel over drinks, Emma thought to cut him short, so she
could get back to her alone time. But
she wasn’t the mean type, so she returned his appreciative once over and sighed
in mock disappointment, “Sorry, but you’re way too cool for me.”
Not-getting-it biker guy edged closer
with an undeterred glint in his eye and gave her comment the brush off. “Don’t say that—”
So much for being nice.
Emma realized her pity party was
over. Ruined by Mr. R. and R. Handsome
and his annoying persistence. And this
time, she dropped a very heavy sigh for real.
He made to continue with his pitch, but frustrated by his intrusion,
Emma pushed back from the bar, scraping the metal feet of her stool on the
stone tile floor beneath, and dropped a ten spot next to her drink as she made
to leave.
“Hey,” he said, and inappropriately
reached for her arm. “You don’t have to go.”
But Emma firmly deflected his touch with her hand. “Let me stop you right there. No means no.
I’m done. Got it?”
The molten look in his eyes wasn’t
chocolaty anymore, and he said, “Got it,” like he meant it. And then he called her a bitch as he turned
to the barkeep and signaled for another round.
Emma stood, shouldering her purse, back
to thinking feeding men their hearts for lunch was a good idea and came to the
conclusion, Bars are bad. Next time just buy a bottle and take it home.
But there wasn’t going to be a next
time. She’d sworn off guys, and Mr.
Ruggedly Handsome Jerk had just sealed the deal.
Shaking her head, fully irritated and
no longer feeling any form of self-pity, Emma angled for the door wanting
nothing more than to get the hell out of this bar. Two strides into her escape, the front door
pulled wide and bright-ass sunshine poured in, silhouetting her view of the incoming
human. She blinked to shake off the
flashbulb effect and kept marching toward the door. And subsequently plowed headlong into a
six-foot tall wall of solid muscle.
Bouncing back, jolted, and losing her
footing, Emma once again noted that Bars
are bad, and this time added, Men are
worse. As evidenced by the shadowed
cretin blocking her getaway.
“Whoa,
hey there,” came the solid hands that kept her from stumbling, and the calm,
even-timbred male voice that felt soothing on her angry nerves. “You okay?”
Love and Revenge
Love And Series
Book Three
Mary Kate Kopec
Genre: Romantic Action Suspense
ISBN: 978-0692212103
ASIN: B00K7J85EM
Book Description:
Maddie Monroe has had better days. And made better choices. When she wakes up kidnapped--used for bait--and in more danger than she could have ever imagined, it's all she can do to hope that she'll live to regret telling Seamus no.
Ex-Navy Seal Seamus Kincaid knows that the only easy day was yesterday. And in his line of work, enemies happen. He just never thought anyone would use Maddie to get to him. And now her life is on the line.
Maddie's dimples bring hard men to their knees, and her smoothies make them beg for more. She's smart, funny, and just one of the guys. She wields a computer like Seamus wields a knife. And she's a spunky ray of sunshine in skinny jeans and a bop-tail who gives his serious, get-it-done attitude the adjustment it needs. She's happiness in his life, until he scares the hell out of her on a mission gone bad, and she can't deal. Letting her go won't be easy, but losing her forever is unacceptable
Love and Revenge is a story about facing your fears, fighting for what's important, and learning that you can't control life--you can only decide which life you want to live.
Fight for love - die for revenge!
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/dZ-vxUx3qlU
Available at Amazon
Excerpt,
Love AND Revenge:
“Maddie,”
he said, and reached out to pull her into his reassuring embrace before she
could retreat any further. “That was a
bad day. One of the worst. But I made it. The whole team did. Everything’s okay.”
No. It wasn’t.
He
held her tightly, but her arms stayed at her sides. His chest was solid, his arms strong, but
they no longer brought her the comfort they once did.
Every
time he had to deploy to suppress a hostile environment—even though it was
completely unlike her—all she could do was think the worst. And she didn’t want to do it anymore.
Seamus,
refusing to accept her withdrawal, kept her close and lovingly whispered into
her ear, “Maddie, you are my world, my joy, my laughter, the sunshine in my
days. I love you. You are the only woman for me. My
family. Maddie,” he whispered low,
with his heart in his words, “marry me.
Be my wife.”
Maddie
stopped breathing. Her lungs froze. Her breath got lost somewhere in the silence
between the stalled beats of her heart.
Unwanted tears blurred her vision, so she closed her eyes and leaned
into his shoulder.
Seamus
cradled her as though she was the most precious person in the world to him, but
his words coaxed aching misery into the very core of her bones. Her body.
Her heart. They had so much in
common. Yet they were so very different.
She
was the light to his darkness, the laughter to his calculating necessitated
tenacity, the warmth to the loneliness of his life, and she knew it. And they both valued family and could see
their hopes fulfilled in each other. But
she wouldn’t ask, and he wouldn’t offer—and his job was her breaking point.
She’d
known it was going to tear her apart, facing him down again. But no way was she prepared for this. He was pulling out all the stops, save one. And she knew that if he gave up his field
work for her it would be poison to them both, so she never asked and wouldn’t.
She
just needed to let him go, so he could do what he was driven to do, and he
needed to let her.
It
took everything she had to step back from him, out of his embrace, away from
his love. Tears rolled heavily down her
face. She couldn’t seem to stop them,
and rather than brush them away, she ignored them and stood up straighter,
gathering her strength and will.
Seamus
looked confused, but no less determined.
“Maddie,” he said reaching for her again, but she took another step back
and out of his reach.
“No
Seamus. If you really love me, you’ll
let me go.”
His
eyes briefly clouded, then cleared. His
ironclad willpower maintained his control.
“Maddie,
this doesn’t make any sense.”
Matters of the heart
rarely did.
“We
can do this.”
She
shook her head, and his frustration began to break through. “You’re not thinking this through.”
It
was the perfect thing to say to move her from disconsolate agony to biting
anger. He was telling her she wasn’t
being rational, and there was a part of her that agreed, but he didn’t get to
make that call.
“You’re
wrong Seamus,” she said with heat in her voice.
“I have thought it through, and I’ve met somebody. I’m moving on. I suggest you do the same.”
Maddie’s
stomach clenched, and she’d gone cold with the pain of her own words. Her heart was breaking, and from the look on
his face, so was his. But he said
nothing. He just stood there searching
for a new tactic, a solution, a way to win the fight, and if she didn’t get him
out of there, he’d find one.
She
couldn’t take much more of this, so she didn’t give him the chance. She couldn’t cave.
A
desperate force of will incited her tone with something so harsh it made her
nearly sick. She didn’t want to hurt
him, but before he could find his bearings, Maddie dismissed him with a
firmness that shattered like ice across her skin and made it hard for her to
breathe. “Please. Leave.”
To
her relief and misery it worked. And her
stomach sank as she watched the light in his eyes fade, shutting her out. Where once she was his joy, now she was not,
and the determination in the strong lines of his face turned flat. She could have never imagined how bad this
was going to feel. It stabbed at her
heart and ground her stomach into bits.
She wanted to crumple into a ball and cry the horrible river she knew
was coming, but she’d made him let her go.
Seamus
stood there a moment longer, staring at her with strengthening detachment, and
if she wasn’t mistaken, disgust. He
shook his head, then stiffly turned and walked out of her room and away from
her.
About the Author:
Mary Kate Kopec creates steamy character driven stories of hopeful love. She thinks love and life are worth fighting for and that at times both are filled with hard bits and messy emotions. She likes a good mystery, lots of action, and a heavy dollop of humor to lighten the mood. She writes what she loves and wishes you great enjoyment in everything you read.
Website: http://www.marykatekopec.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marykate.kopec
August 11 Spotlight
Booklover Sue
http://bookloversue.blogspot.com
August 11 Spotlight
Emma Weylin
August 12 Guest blog
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom
August 12 Interview
More Romance Please
August 13 Guest blog
Book Club Sisters
August 13 Guest blog
Roxanne’s Realm
August 14 Spotlight
Lisa’s World of Books
August 14 Spotlight
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com
August 15 Spotlight
Mila Ramos
August 15 Spotlight
Shut Up & Read
August 18 Guest blog
Fang-tastic Books
August 18 Spotlight
Deal Sharing Aunt
August 19 Top Ten List
Darkest Cravings
August 19 Interview
Eclipse Reviews
August 19 Spotlight
Books & Tales
August 20 Character Interview
Author Karen Swart
August 20 Spotlight
Kristy Centeno
August 21 Spotlight
Share My Destiny
August 22 Guest blog
Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind
August 22 Spotlight
The Book Review
August 22 Spotlight and review
Deb Sanders
August 25 Spotlight and review
Philomena Callan
August 25 Review
Trips down imagination road
3 comments:
Thank you so much Wenona Napolitano for such a fantastic spread for me and my book series, Love AND ... here on your The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom blog!
I super appreciate your support, kindness, and generosity!
From one Michigander (currently displaced in the Northeast) to another ... I wish you the best success and happiness always!!!
Cheers,
Mary Kate
I've read the first two and can't wait to read Love and Revenge.
Mary Kate Kopec is an amazing author that takes you on a ride and holds you through the whole adventure. Hop on and enjoy!
Hello Belinda! I am thrilled with your excitement!! Thank you for your glowing words and shout out! I hope you enjoy Love AND Revenge, too. It brings together the casts from both books in a culminating story that I feel skyrockets off the pages! I super LOVE it and hope you do, too!
Happy Reading Always,
Mary Kate :0)
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