The Maze by Jennifer Lowery

Hi Author Sandra Love and all you fabulous readers out there *waves* Thank you so much for having me today! My romantic suspense, The Maze, released this month so I’m very excited to be here! Thank you so much for sharing it with me!! 

In honor of my release I am giving away an e-book copy of any one of my books (go to my WEBSITE to choose) to one lucky commenter so please leave me a comment with your EMAIL so I can contact you if you win!!

The Maze/Romantic Suspense

Blurb:

TAG: …A game of survival tests their will and their love.

A mission she can’t forget…

The first female operative for the counterterrorism unit known as ATCOM, Atalanta Devayne is haunted by a former mission gone wrong. That mission led to her imprisonment, torture, and ultimate retirement, along with her loss of faith in the man she’d trusted with her life.

Brings his vengeance…

Former Navy SEAL, Noah Kincaid, bears the responsibility of Attie’s imprisonment and blames himself for not protecting her from drug lord Carlos Santiago. This time he won’t fail her.

In a deadly game of survival.

Santiago has resurfaced and set up an elaborate plan to exact his revenge on Attie by taking her brother hostage. The only way to save him is by revisiting the darkness of her past and relying on a man she can’t trust. In a battle of life or death, Noah and Attie are put to the test. They must face challenges to overcome the past and accept their feelings for each other before the danger that tore them apart separates them forever.

Content Warning: Sexual content

Short Blurb:

Former Navy SEAL, Noah Kincaid, bears the responsibility of fellow counterterrorist operative, Atalanta Devayne’s, imprisonment, torture and retirement. Now the drug lord has resurfaced and set up an elaborate plan to exact his revenge on Attie. Noah and Attie must face challenges to overcome the past and accept their feelings for each other before the danger that tore them apart separates them forever.

Excerpt #1:

Copyright ©2014, Jennifer Lowery

Trying to explain was out of the question, he knew she wasn’t in a place where she could listen, so he set the lantern on the ground and stepped back. “Come on, Devayne, take what you need from me.”

“You have nothing I need.”

“Oh, I think I do. Let’s work on your fighting skills before we meet up with Santiago.”

It worked. Attie took off her parka and hung it on a tree limb. Then she lunged. Noah simply allowed her to release her pent up emotions on him, parrying her blows, challenging her and offering what she needed. She flew at and around him with skill and agility that impressed him once again. She jabbed with her fists, kicked and danced as if she were weightless.

The ground below them grew muddy from rain and their boots. Anyone watching would no doubt think them crazy to be out in such weather—Noah would have agreed—but this was important. Attie’s state of mind took precedence over the storm.

Dodging a jab to his kidney, he put his hands together in a time-out gesture as lightning flashed overhead. Attie ignored it and trotted toward him. Deflecting the blow, he said loudly to be heard, “Enough. You’re going to catch pneumonia.”

Again, she ignored him.

Annoyed, he waited for her to turn just like so…and in one swift move spun her into his arms and trapped her arms at her sides, holding her tight against him.

Green ice met his stare and her beauty struck him again. Anger never looked so good on a woman. Raindrops clung to her lashes and slid over the smooth flesh of her cheeks. Her hair clung like a deep flame to her head and shoulders. She looked hostile and aggressive and sexy as hell with her eyes flashing, cheeks flushed and clothes plastered to her lithe body. Her chin jutted out stubbornly.

“I’ll tell you when I’m done,” she snapped, struggling against him.

“You’re done.”

Like a wildcat she fought to be released. She managed to slip an elbow free and slammed it into his ribs. The same as she had the night he rescued her from that cell. She’d landed a good blow to his jaw despite her battered state.

“Ouch,” he growled.

Somehow, she managed to wrap her leg around his. He tried to stop their descent, but the ground beneath them was slippery from where they had churned it up with their boots, and they both went down.

Noah managed to take the brunt of the fall, banging his elbow on a rock when they hit. Attie landed on top of him in a tangle of arms and legs and she was more furious than ever.

“Let me go.”

“Not until we finish this.” He clamped an arm around her waist to still her movements. She collapsed against him, her breath heaving in and out of her lungs. Her forehead dropped down on his shoulder and he tightened his arm around her waist. Slim and delicate against him, her curves fitting into his contours like puzzle pieces.

The air changed around them. Attie’s breath hitched. Like it or not, the chemistry was still there. Years of attraction, years of fighting it, broke him. His control snapped and he lifted his head and captured her mouth in his.

Excerpt #2

Copyright ©2014, Jennifer Lowery

In six months she hadn’t had a night when she didn’t have a nightmare that had her waking up in a cold sweat. She slept with a light on. The dark terrified her now. Evil things lingered in the dark. She didn’t want Noah to see her like that. She didn’t let anyone see her like that. Not even Uncle Jed and Brendan. Noah knew her as an agent and she wanted to keep it that way. All business. Professional. Just like before.

She knew, even though she tried to deny it, that it wasn’t going to work. Not after what they’d shared last night. Nothing was going to be the same again. Too much lay between them. The past, the present. The kiss.

Attie sighed and turned off the water. When had this gotten so complicated? It had never been simple between her and Noah, but this…this tied her in knots. Throw in Carlos and fear for her brother’s safety and she was borderline certifiable.

Stepping out of the shower she wrapped in a towel and walked into the bedroom to find Noah stretched out on the bed, fully clothed, his hands stacked behind his head. He had changed into a pair of tailored slacks and designer shirt, open at the neck.

Her steps faltered. God help her. This wasn’t the man she knew. This was insight into the man, not the agent. Images of him in their bedroom, lounging in bed in civilian clothes and waiting for her, wanting her, filled her head. It made her want things she couldn’t have. Any possibility of a future together had been destroyed, and they weren’t getting it back.

He glanced over when she walked in. His eyes did a slow perusal from head to foot before meeting hers. The heat she saw simmering there made her breath hitch. Then she remembered they were putting on a show for Carlos’s sake and it cooled her hormones instantly. How were they going to pull this off? Somehow, they had to convince Carlos that they were spending the night together. With Noah stretched out on the bed like that, limiting it to pretend would be difficult.

Stopping that train of thought before it began, Attie walked to the closet and opened the doors. She pulled a light blue dress shirt off a hanger and returned to the bathroom, ignoring Noah’s quirked brow and half smile. The man had a dangerous smile.

Excerpt #3:

Copyright ©2014, Jennifer Lowery

He lunged, and she sidestepped, but he anticipated her move and caught her with a blow to her midsection that knocked the breath out of her. She doubled over, gasping for air. Carlos took advantage and moved in. He knocked her to her knees and brought a hand down on her shoulder.

She cried out when pain erupted behind her stitches. She felt them pull free as Carlos dug his fingers into her flesh through the bandage. Nausea rolled over her in waves as her vision blurred. Carlos didn’t play fair and he hated to lose. He saw her weakness and went after it. She was helpless to stop him. Pain paralyzed her

“Do you surrender, mi amor?” Carlos asked, his fingers digging deeper until she cried out.

“No,” she managed to choke out. “Never, and I will sleep with Noah again if I decide to, you bas—”

She was cut off by the shouts of men outside the ring and lifted her eyes to see a former Navy SEAL taking on six armed men with deadly intentions. Bodies flew in all directions as Noah moved steadily through them to get to her. He had a look she had seen many times in the past. He was a machine and would kill anyone that got in his way.

Attie used the distraction and took advantage. She chopped Carlos in the shin with the flat of her hand. It was enough to catch him unaware and when the pressure eased on her shoulder she dropped and rolled away. She saw Noah reach for the ropes as he prepared to swing into the ring at the same time one of the thugs he’d felled raised his weapon.

She knew what was going to happen and she couldn’t allow it. She would never make it through this without Noah at her side. He was her rock. Despite the past, she needed and wanted him here with her. They could sort through the rest later. For now, she wanted him by her side.

“No, I surrender,” she shouted to Carlos, hating how the words tasted like poison on her tongue, but for Noah, she would do it.

A slow, feral smile spread across his face as Carlos held up a hand for a cease-fire. Noah was inside the ring before the shot rang out. He grabbed Attie by the elbow and pulled her to her feet before shoving her behind his back, serving as a barrier between her and Carlos. This time Attie didn’t argue.

“Atalanta surrendered to me to save your life, Noah. Quite an honor. She doesn’t like to lose.”

“She didn’t lose.”

“By default she did and now she’ll pay the consequences.”

“I’m not finished with you. What do you say I give you someone more your size to play with?”

“You don’t approve of my sparring with Atalanta?” Carlos sounded genuinely surprised.

“Give me one minute.”

“You think you can take me in one minute?”

Attie knew Carlos wouldn’t back down from a challenge. It was a rare treat for him to find a sparring partner with equally matched skill.

“Try me.”

Warm blood seeped down her back and she hurt all over, but she wasn’t going to let Noah do this. If he killed Santiago now, then they may never find Brendan or get out of here. She stepped around him and positioned herself between the two men, struggling to stay focused.

“Do what you’re going to do to me, Carlos. Leave him out of it.”

The blow came hard and fast to her cheek. The force of it twisted her head to the side as pain exploded behind her eyes. She staggered, her face bumping into Noah’s chest. She would have fallen if he hadn’t caught her. He carried her to the corner and set gently down so that her back was against the ropes.

She looked up when Noah cupped her cheek. In his eyes was tender concern mixed with a look of censure that lacked anger. He was upset with her for going along with this in the first place.

“Will you stay here for one damn minute?”

“You don’t need to do this.” Not for me.

“Yes, I do,” he said and with one last, intense look, rose to his feet and turned to face Carlos.

What she saw then chilled her to the bone and she knew she would never see anything like it again.

The man she was afraid to love fought for her

Author Bio:

NY Times & USA Today bestselling author, Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer.  Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of ice tea at their side. 

Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers.  She loves everything there is about romance.  Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines.  She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overcome fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.  

Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family. 

Find Jennifer:

Author Website   Facebook   Twitter   Romance Recipes

Buy The Maze:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iTunes

Other Books by Jennifer Lowery:

A SEAL’s Song (Book #1, SEAL Team Alpha)

Hard To Handle (Book #1, Sawyer Sisters Trilogy)

Hard Core (Book #1, Onyx Group)

Murphy’s Law

Taking Chances (short story)

And now, for the rest of my playlist:

Metallica-Load and Reload

Audioslave-Audioslave  

See, told you it was short, lol. But, these awesome artists got me through the writing of The Maze and I thank them for it! To this day whenever I hear any song off any of these albums I am taken back to the scenes I was writing when I heard them and the emotions I felt as I wrote them. I fall in love with Noah and Attie and this story all over again J

I love cooking almost as much as I love writing. Almost. Writing is definitely my passion, but cooking can be fun sometimes too. I often include cooking scenes in my writing and it is usually the hero that is doing the cooking. Hmm…wonder why that is, lol. Probably because I don’t have the time anymore! And, probably why I started a cooking blog called Romance Recipes…Authors cooking up more than romance. So I can introduce readers to a blog where they can meet new authors, try a new recipe and pick up a new book all in one place! If you’d like to check it out here the link: Romance Recipes.

In The Maze Noah and Attie cook a meal together. I can’t really tell you when or why because that would give the story away so you’ll have to read the book to find out when they cook this meal together J But, I can give you the recipe and tell you it is delicious! Noah and Attie give it their seal of approval and since Noah is a former Navy SEAL you know it’s authentic! LOL. So, here’s the recipe for Cilantro-Lime Chicken from The Maze. Enjoy!

Cilantro-Lime Chicken

Serves 4

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 small onions

1 small green or red jalapeño

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1 large lime

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

Hot cooked jasmine rice

-Cut chicken into chunks or strips.

-Cut each onion into 8 wedges.

-Cut jalapeño crosswise into slices; remove seeds (wear gloves)

-Cut ginger into thin slices.

-Zest lime and juice to measure 2 tbs. juice.

-Heat wok over med-high heat 1 minute. Drizzle oil into wok and heat 30 seconds. Add chicken, jalapeño and ginger: stir-fry 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Reduce heat to medium.

-Add onions; stir-fry 5 minutes.

-Add lime peel, juice, and cilantro; stir-fry 1 minute.

-Add soy sauce and sugar; stir until hot.

-Serve with rice.

How did you first meet your writer?

Noah: When she called me to duty to rescue one of my operatives. I didn’t agree with Jennifer’s terms, but she didn’t leave me any choice. Writers are stubborn creatures.

Attie: Noah’s right. Writers are very stubborn. Jennifer pulled me back into duty after my retirement from ATCOM. Against my will. But *glances at Noah with warmth in her eyes* I’m glad she did.

What are your favorite scenes in your book: the action, the dialog or the romance?

Attie: As the first female operative for ATCOM, I love the action. Who wouldn’t love being in the field? *sends Noah a sizzling hot look* Then again, the romance is great too.

Noah: *returns the look, but doesn’t comment*

Do you infiltrate your writer’s dreams?

Jennifer: I’m going to interrupt this interview to answer this question because these two didn’t let me sleep peacefully the entire time I was writing this book. Okay, continue.

Attie: In our defense, you weren’t a very cooperative writer. You refused to listen to me.

Jennifer: *nods* I’m working on my control issues. It all worked out in the end though, didn’t it?

Attie: *smiles* Yes. Definitely.

Are you happy with the genre your writer has placed you in?

Noah and Attie in unison: Yes.

If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

Would you be interested in a sequel, if your writer was so inclined?

Noah: Hell, no. No more books. My wife isn’t going through anything like that again. Damn it, Jen, you promised.

Jennifer: *whispers* Relax, Noah. Attie is safe. Now, as far as the rest of the ATCOM guys…

What are you proudest of?

Noah: *something deep and haunted flashes in his blue eyes* My wife.

Attie: *smiles and laces her fingers through Noah’s as they share a private moment*

What do you like most about where you live?

Attie: After spending time in a South American jungle, I love Montana and living in the mountains. The air is so clear and crisp. If I never visit a jungle again, it’ll be too soon.

Noah: *goes rigid in his chair, but remains silent*

What is your least favorite word?

Noah and Attie in unison: Carlos Santiago.

***BONUS***

For everyone who signs up for my NEWSLETTER you will receive an e-book copy of my short story, Taking Chances ($.99 value) for FREE!

Thank you for having me today, Author Sandra Love !! I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers out there! Without you I wouldn’t be here. My wish is to one day meet each and every one of you so I can personally thank you for your generosity and support! 
All my best, 
Jennifer