Holiday Survival Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway with Tawny Weber

Nothing is sexier than working undercover with someone who will make you think twice about pulling a con. In Tawny Weber's final installment of the Undercover Operatives series which follows the Black family (2 brothers and a sister), Gabriel Black has just been taken down a notch by undercover FBI agent Danita Cruz masquerading as a hooker for hire. Today, Tawny is sharing an excerpt from SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES.

HOWDY TAWNY!!!

Meet Tawny:

Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy stories for Harlequin Blaze since her first book hit the shelves in 2007. When not obsessing over deadlines, she’s shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking or hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. Come by and visit her on the web at www.tawnyweber.com

In December of 2011 Tawny launched her Undercover Ops series with SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE. The second book in the series, SEX, LIES & MIDNIGHT is on shelves in January 2012, quickly followed in February by SEX, LIES & VALENTINES. You can read the first chapter of SEX, LIES & MIDNIGHT on her website, too – all you have to do is join the Reader LoveFest! Be sure to follow Tawny on her Holiday Survival Tour as she celebrates these three books with tons of fun and a chance for readers to win a $100 giftcard!

Dream Wedding and Valentines by Tawny Weber

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for romance. Hmm, given that I write romance novels, that might not be a major confession, I suppose. The bigger question would be did my love of romance feed my desire to write romance novels, or did my writing romance novels just intensify my love of romance. Ahh, the chicken and the egg *g*

One of my favorite dedicated-to-romance days is Valentine’s. And one of my favorite dedicated to romance events is a wedding. Since most of my stories end with the declaration of love, rather than the wedding, it was such a thrill to be able to incorporate both in my latest Undercover Operatives release, SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES. Not the hero and heroine’s wedding, though – but the wedding of the hero of the first book in the series, SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE, Caleb and his true love, Pandora. Danita is a guest at the wedding, which is a little awkward since she came to town pretending to be the best man’s girlfriend, with the intention of arresting the father of the groom. Okay, so that might not sound romantic itself, but I promise –the story, and the wedding, were.

Here’s a peek:

It was a testament to her respect for Hunter—their history and the fact that he was her boss—that she didn’t just turn and run.

“Fine. Until the toast,” she agreed. And not one second longer, she vowed as she slid onto the glossy bench. Her car was out front, packed and ready to go. If she thought she could get away with sliding all the way across this bench and heading right back up the aisle without Hunter busting her, she’d do it in a heartbeat.

Then the music started. Caleb and Gabriel stepped out of the antechamber together. She sighed a little at the sight of them, so gorgeous and elegant in steel gray tuxedos, each with a red rose on their lapel.

As if drawn by a magnet, Gabriel’s eyes immediately found her. He offered a warm, charming smile that immediately set off her warning radar. Why was he smiling at her? What was he up to? And why did it make her stomach tumble like a giddy virgin?

His gaze narrowed, his eyes heating as they wandered over her. Danita had to force herself not to glance down to make sure her blouse was buttoned.

Then the music changed. With difficulty, Danita tore her gaze from Gabriel’s and stood, turning to watch Pandora walk down the aisle on Cassiopeia’s arm. Danita was shocked when tears filled her eyes at the obvious love between the two women. Pandora wore traditional white, her gown a vision of froth and lace with a sweetheart neckline and a subtle hearts embroidered over the satin. Looking like the Queen of Hearts, Cassiopeia wore a flowing ruby caftan, crystals dangling and roses arranged in her hair.

Terrified to realize that she wanted the same thing—love and marriage and family—Danita fell, rather than sat, back on the pew. The ceremony was a blur as she struggled with the idea of marriage, commitment and all of the possibilities that came with it. Especially as the only person she’d make that promise to would be Gabriel.

When her eyes met his again, she wasn’t able to keep all the wishes and hopes in her heart from showing on her face.

But instead of looking away, or worse like seeing that freaked him out, Gabriel held her gaze. Through the entire ceremony. By the end, her hands were shaking.

She had to get out of here.

As soon as the happy couple made their way back up the aisle, she was out of her seat and heading for the door.

So what do you think? Are you a fan of Valentine’s Day? And how about weddings? What’s the most romantic wedding tradition you’ve ever seen or heard of?


SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES:

My naughty valentine...

Con artist Gabriel Black just got busted. By a babe. Drool-worthy (and clearly sneaky) FBI agent Danita Cruz is forcing Gabriel to choose between hard time and scamming his own family for an undercover sting. Now he has to present Danita to his family as his girlfriend. And it's the perfect opportunity to get wickedly even with her...

But Danita has some tricks of her own, and Gabriel's control begins slipping away as raw sexual energy takes over. Their sham relationship starts feeling a lot like...well, the real deal. The Big Question is, will overwhelming desire be enough to make a liar go legit?

Where To Buy: Amazon(pb) | Kindle | B&N(pb) | Nook | Book Depository
Other Books In Series(click for excerpts):

Tawny is giving away a copy of SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES to one(1) lucky reader. Here's how to get your hot little hands on this scorcher of a book:

• Leave a comment answering any or all of Tawny's questions:  Are you a fan of Valentine’s Day? And how about weddings? What’s the most romantic wedding tradition you’ve ever seen or heard of?  
• Fill out the rafflecopter form below. You MUST leave a comment. All other entries are optional.
• Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL (yay!)

A huge thanks to Tawny for hanging out at the blog today and giving away a copy of SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Survival Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway with Tawny Weber

Tawny Weber's Undercover Operatives series is one hell of a sexy, sexy ride. A bad boy biker dude with a chip on his shoulder, a sister trying for the straight and narrow and a con artist who has to scam his own family. What a crazy family! Come join in the fun of Tawny's Holiday Survival Tour full of fun giveaways and prizes. Today, she's sharing an excerpt from SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT, the second book in her Undercover Ops series. 

HOWDY TAWNY!!!!

Meet Tawny:

Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy stories for Harlequin Blaze since her first book hit the shelves in 2007. When not obsessing over deadlines, she’s shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking or hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. Come by and visit her on the web at www.tawnyweber.com

In December of 2011 Tawny launched her Undercover Ops series with SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE. The second book in the series, SEX, LIES & MIDNIGHT is on shelves in January 2012, quickly followed in February by SEX, LIES & VALENTINES. You can read the first chapter of SEX, LIES
& MIDNIGHT on her website, too – all you have to do is join the Reader LoveFest! Be sure to follow Tawny on her Holiday Survival Tour as she celebrates these three books with tons of fun and a chance for readers to win a $100 giftcard!

The Sibling Connection by Tawny Weber

SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT, the second book on my Undercover Operatives series, is out now, and I have to say one of the things I love best about this story was the chance to explore the sibling connection between the heroine, Maya, and the hero from my December Undercover Operatives book, SEX LIES AND MISTLETOE. There’s always so much fun to be had when siblings are involved – at least, fun for the reader (the characters, maybe not so much *g*) Siblings are the ones who know all your secrets, just what button to push to get the reaction they want, and how to put life back into perspective after they’ve turned it upside down. But most of all, siblings give insights into the characters that we just can’t get any other way. Backstory and sources of conflict, a clearer idea of why emotional issues are what they are, and hopefully a support system the character can turn to when things get rough (aka, the dark moment of the story).

Home for the first time in 6 years, here’s Maya’s visit with her brother. Knowing the trip home was going to have a ton of challenges, she brought along her own distraction, in the form of hottie hero, Simon Barton.

Now was the time to man up and play his part. Simon had promised Maya distraction and a buffer. With that in mind, he stepped closer and slipped his hand into hers.

After a brief spasm, like she might pull away, her fingers clenched his. She looked up at him with a grateful smile, which did nothing to hide the pain in her eyes.

“Let’s sit,” he suggested, keeping his words low and intimate. To jolt her out of the funk he could see her sliding into, he lifted their joined hands to his lips so he could brush a kiss over the inside of her wrist. Her breath caught. Like before on the front sidewalk, she seemed to forget her nerves in favor of a little love play.

Which clearly pissed off the men in her life. Too bad. At the moment he didn’t care how it affected his case. Ignoring the twin glares coming at him from opposite ends of the room, Simon wrapped his arm around Maya’s shoulder to lead her to a purple velvet couch. They sat, close enough that her thigh was almost on top of his. As soon as he pulled his arm from around her shoulders, she gripped his hand again.

A surge of protective instincts rose to match the ever-growing, and slightly disconcerting, rising lust brought on by the feel of her warm body pressed against his.

The lust was totally inappropriate, especially considering the situation and other people in the room. But, dammit, her thigh felt so good against his. She was so close, he could smell the flowery spice of her perfume and the sweet apple of her shampoo.

Breathing deep, mentally breaking down an AK-47 to try and distract his body from embarrassing him, Simon leaned back into the couch cushion. He wasn’t sure if he was pleased or just tormented when Maya followed, her body curving into his.

“So what’s the deal?” Caleb snapped, his words shooting across the room with the speed and velocity of a bullet. “Where’d you two meet? How long have you been a... thing?”

“The length of my things are none of your business, big brother,” Maya returned, offering him a saccharine smile. She sounded more amused than irritated, though. “I’d think you’d remember that, even after all these years.”

Brow arched, Simon’s gaze shifted from brother to sister. They were too busy grinning at each other to clarify the memory for the rest of the room, though.

“Caleb and Gabriel used to think big brother status gave them some say in Maya’s dating life,” Tobias offered, untangling himself from the brunette’s clutches and coming into the room to take his own seat. “She let them get away with it when it served her purpose. Like getting rid of too-ardent admirers. But mostly she kept their noses out of her business.”

“How do you keep Caleb out of anything?” Pandora wondered. True love or a bad case of hero worship, Simon wondered. Then she continued with a cute little laugh. “He’s so bossy and pushy. I might need a few tips, Maya.”

“A solid right hook, plenty of blackmail material and when necessary, a talent for sneaking down the trellis after dark,” Maya told her future sister-in-law. Her tone was amused, her words easy and light. But her fingers still gripped Simon’s like he was a lifeline.

Clearly, I love the interplay of bringing siblings into stories. That family dynamic plays out with such fun and drama. How about you? Are you a fan of sibling stories? How about of your own siblings, if you have any *g* (and yes, I adore my brothers *ggg*)

SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT

He's lying. She's lying. And before long, they're lying. Together. In bed.

Born into a con artist family, Maya Black abandoned the grifting life to live on the straight and narrow (and somewhat dull) years ago. But when her family is threatened---and the swindlers are on the verge of becoming the swindled---Maya swings into action. All she needs is a stand-in boyfriend, and the charming, tasty-as-sin Simon Barton will do quite nicely, thanks.

But Simon has a little lie of his own. He's FBI, and Maya is his inside track to her less-savory relations. It's a mutual using, which quickly turns into a scorching mutual attraction.

In fact, their naughty little sexcapades are the only things they aren't faking!

Where To Buy: Amazon(pb) | Kindle | B&N(pb) | Nook | Book Depository
Book Extras: Read the 1st Chapter
Other Books in Series:

Tawny is giving away a copy of SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT to one(1) lucky reader. Here's how to get your hot little hands on this scorcher of a book:

• Leave a comment answering Tawny's question: Are you a fan of sibling stories?
• Fill out the rafflecopter form below. You MUST leave a comment. All other entries are optional.
• Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL (yay!)

A huge thanks to Tawny for hanging out at the blog today and giving away a copy of SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway