The post title says it all. CONTRACTED DEFENSE joins the Safeguard novels in Print in 2018!
Back in June, I was able to share the news that HIDDEN IMPACT and DEADLY TESTIMONY were picked up by Harlequin’s Direct to Customer (DTC) program. This meant subscribers to the program would be receiving print copies.
Print editions will be available on some third-party dot-com retailers, including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, for those who are not subscribed to the DTC program. Now, I’m happy to say that readers will be able to order all three of the Safeguard novels and receive those print copies they’ve been requesting!
Check each book’s page for added links to order the print formats. I’ll be updating those as they become available!
Thank you, readers, for wanting the Safeguard novels in print and ebook formats. It’s because you’re out there and buying my books that these became available. <3
Haven’t read CONTRACTED DEFENSE yet? Here’s the blurb…
Time is running out and the enemy is at the gate.
Adam Hicks may be the rookie at Safeguard, but he’s no novice in the field. Retired from active duty after multiple tours and back fresh from a brief rest in New Zealand, he’s itching to return to action. But the challenge he hoped for arrives in an unexpected form: his sexy yet stern new partner.
The last thing Victoria Ash wants is to work with the new guy—especially one as gorgeous as Adam. His relaxed attitude about their first “easy” assignment together—setting up a private home defense network for a reclusive client—doesn’t impress her. Easy usually means trouble. She’s proved right when Adam discovers that the multiple incursions on the physical and cyber security systems aren’t just glitches. They’re under attack…and there’s a traitor in their midst.
As tension mounts, so does the attraction between Victoria and Adam. They must protect their client and the research he’s desperately trying to keep secret. Working together, they have to find the mole before their defense measures, in the fortress and online, are compromised and the deadly secrets they’ve sworn to protect are revealed.
I’m always looking for new recipes for my sourdough adventures and recently, the Piper Mommy and little sister were in the mood for sourdough waffles. I would say I have the Best Waffle Maker and some great sourdough recipes so why not combine them? I loved the way this sourdough waffle recipe turned out. The waffles were crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, with just a hint of sour from the sourdough and buttermilk. Really, the buttermilk made the difference in making this recipe light and airy.
Overnight sponge
2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sourdough starter, unfed
Waffle (or pancake) batter
all of the overnight sponge
2 large eggs
1/4 melted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Small amount of water or buttermilk set aside
Directions:
Prep overnight sponge –
Stir down starter and measure out 1 cup.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup starter, flour, sugar, and buttermilk.
Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.
Waffle batter –
In a small bowl, beat together eggs and melted butter.
* Careful to temper eggs when combining or allow melted butter to cool slightly so as not to cook the eggs as you beat them together.
Add beaten egg and butter mixture to overnight sponge.
Add the salt and baking soda to small amount of water or buttermilk to dissolve evenly, then add to batter, stirring to combine. Let sit for a few minutes and the batter should begin to bubble more actively.
Pour batter onto your preheated, greased waffle iron, and bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Serve waffles immediately, to ensure crispness. Or hold in a warm oven till ready to serve.
Yield: about 1 dozen 8″ waffles or about 2 dozen medium pancakes.
Great news! One of the most frequent requests I receive from readers is for the Safeguard Novels to release in print. I am very happy to announce that Harlequin’s Direct to Customer (DTC) program, Reader Service, has selected HIDDEN IMPACT and DEADLY TESTIMONY for their upcoming Suspense shipments, in January 2018 and February 2018, respectively! Reader Service sends a monthly shipment of 3-4 books to readers who have signed up or subscribed for the service.
What does this mean?
What if I’m not subscribed to Reader Service, can i still get the print books?
Yes! Print editions will be available on some third-party dot-com retailers, including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Readers will be able to order and receive those print copies they’ve been requesting. I’ll be updating the pages for both HIDDEN IMPACT and DEADLY TESTIMONY as soon as the pre-order links are available.
(Print release will not be in brick & mortar bookstores at this time. Readers will need to order online to have the print book shipped to them. Seems odd? the publishing industry is complicated and there are so many nuances to releases!)
But what about CONTRACTED DEFENSE?
Won’t that be available in print too? We need the complete series!
It is ultimately up to the folks at Harlequin. I would be absolutely delighted to see CONTRACTED DEFENSE also chosen. Choices have not yet been finalized beyond February 2018 but the best support readers can provide is pre-ordering HIDDEN IMPACT and DEADLY TESTIMONY in print to let Harlequin know the series is in demand. You can also pre-order CONTRACTED DEFENSE in digital format. It releases this September in ebook!
Alyssa Cole is an agent-sibling of mine. Her story, Let Us Dream, is nominated for the 2017 RITA award for Best Romance Novella.
She is a science editor, pop culture nerd, and romance junkie who lives in the Caribbean and occasionally returns to her fast-paced NYC life.
In addition to writing, she founded and hosted the Jefferson Market Library Romance Book Club and taught Romance Writing for Beginners. She speaks on topics such as writing erotic romance, writing multicultural romance, and self-editing. She has contributed romance-related articles to publications including RT Book Reviews, Heroes and Heartbreakers, Romance at Random, and The Toast. She has also started a bi-monthly column in the Romance Writer’s Report, Romancing the Globe, in which she chats with romance writers from around the world.
When she’s not busy writing, traveling, and learning French, she can be found watching anime with her husband or tending to her herd of animals.
https://alyssacole.com
I’m happy to have Alyssa join me on EMEPiper!
Highlights
- Introduction to Alyssa Cole and her work
- Writing in series versus stand alone stories
- Alyssa’s technique to manage her time writing: winging it in the past and recently using Pacemaker
- On deadlines: self-imposed and contracted
- Planning to pad time between deadlines and remembering we’re human
- Difference in pace of writing genre fiction and literary fiction
- On voracious readers: romance
- How to prioritize when deadlines collide?
- Alyssa’s Time Management Tip
Shout-outs
- Pacemaker: A Simple Flexible Goal Planner for Writers & Students
- Write or Die
- myWriteClub
You can support EMEPiper and Piper’s other writing-related creative content at patreon.com/piperjdrake.
Procrastination is a serious challenge for me. I find myself procrastinating all the time and I’ve rationalized to myself to make it okay. But it’s not.
Writing doesn’t happen while I procrastinate. No matter how much I think I’m getting done, I’m not doing the thing that matters: writing.
So here’s a short podcast on recognizing and defeating procrastination. After all, the longer this podcast episode is, the less time either you or I are writing. Give it a listen, then get back to writing. 😉
Highlights
- Where’s Piper? In her new recording CLOSET!
- Recognizing Procrastination
- Block Out Procrastination Enablers
- Achievable Goals and Rewards
Shout-outs
- Extreme Makeover by Dan Wells
- Scrivener
- Write or Die
You can support EMEPiper and Piper’s other writing-related creative content at patreon.com/piperjdrake.
