It's our pleasure to welcome Kat Martin back to the Romance Dish! Kat's here today to blog about some of her favorite cities and to share some info about DEEP BLUE, a re-issue of her original 2005 book that's coming out in September. I don't know about you, but that cover sure has me wanting to know more about this book!
I
LOVE New York !
by,
Kat Martin
I’m
missing my annual trip to New York
City this year.
Which means I’m missing my city fix.
When you live twenty five miles away from the nearest town, you start to
get a people-itch and nothing but being in a big, crowded, fast-moving city
will cure it.
I’ve
never lived in a city, except for a brief stint in Houston , which is more like an overgrown
town. It was interesting, though, and
wound up being the place I set a number of my AGAINST books. AGAINST THE ODDS, book #7, out in December is
set in Houston, as well as AGAINST THE EDGE, the book to follow.
In the
meantime, Kensington is re-issuing DEEP BLUE the first of September. Conner Reese owns a salvage boat and he’s
searching for Spanish sunken treasure in the Caribbean . The last thing he needs is Hope Sinclair, a
woman reporter, aboard his ship.
In a
couple of days, I’ll be heading to Los
Angeles . Sort
of a sprawling city, but parts of it are terrific. I’m a big fan of Beverly Hills . I love to people-watch there. Walking down Rodeo Drive (forget shopping--who can
afford it?) never fails to entertain.
They have cars parked on the street that cost more than most people’s
houses!
So what is your favorite city
and why do you like it? I'm giving away a copy of DEEP BLUE to one randomly selected person leaving a comment on today's blog. (US only)
Love to hear from you. And I hope you’ll watch for DEEP BLUE with
its sexy new hunky male cover.
Have a
great summer and happy reading,
Kat
Back Cover Blurb:
For reporter Hope Sinclair, writing about the recovery of a sunken
Spanish treasure off Pleasure
Island should be her big
break. Yet Hope can't help feeling she's been hand—picked for this job for all the wrong reasons. Someone wants Hope
out of New York -and
off a story that could blow a corruption case wide open. But if they think
sending her to paradise will shut her up, they've got another thing coming ...
DEEP BLUE,
by Kat Martin
Excerpt
Hope felt the deck sway
beneath her feet. The Conquest was eighty-feet long and looked to be very
well equipped. She glanced around and spotted a fiftyish, silver-haired
man walking toward her while a taller, dark-haired man followed a few feet
behind.
She smiled at the first
man. "Hello, I'm Hope Sinclair. It's very nice to meet
you. You must be Conner Reese."
He gave her a warm,
inviting smile. "Actually, I'm Bob Gibson, captain of the
Conquest." He turned to the man behind him. "This is
Conner Reese."
She tried not to
stare. If she'd had more time, she would have known everything there was
to know about the partners of Treasure Limited. As it was, she knew Brad
Talbot, the money man, and she had met Eddie Markham, the owner of Pleasure Island . This man, the head of the
search operation, Conner Reese, was nothing at all what she had expected.
She extended a hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Reese. I'm Hope Sinclair. I
assume you've been expecting me."
"Expecting you to
what?"
She didn't like his tone,
or the unfriendly look in his eyes. But she had to admit they were
gorgeous, the same incredible blue as the sea. And he was handsome.
Remarkably so. He was wearing red swim trunks and canvas deck shoes, his
chest bare and nicely sculpted with muscle. He had a set of very
impressive biceps, a lean, flat, six-pack stomach, and a pair of shoulders that
would stretch the limits of a size seventeen shirt. And he was tall, at
least six-foot-two, with a very dark tan.
Still, it was obvious he
wasn't pleased to see her and that jabbed her temper. She didn't want to
be there in the first place. The least he could do was be pleasant.
She pasted on a
smile. "Since you weren't told I was coming, I suppose I had better
explain. I'm a writer for Adventure magazine. I'm here to do an
article on your search for the Spanish galleon, Nuestra Senora de Rosa. I
assumed someone from the magazine would have called you."
"Yeah, well they
didn't. Adventure might like to do a story, but unfortunately we're not
interested. It's a shame you came all this way for nothing but that's the
way it is. The last thing we need is a bunch of people finding out we're
down here looking for sunken treasure."
She worked to keep her friendly
smile in place, all the while cursing Conner Reese. "I'm afraid you
don't understand. I've been assigned to do this story and that's what I
intend to do." She glanced around at the ultra-modern equipment on
the deck, most of it new. "You probably have a satellite phone out
here. Why don't you call Brad Talbot? He can explain what's going
on."
"Talbot? This
was Talbot's idea?"
A noise behind them
interrupted her answer. She turned to see one of the crewman coming down
from the wheelhouse holding a cell phone, a huge black man in baggy knee-length
shorts and a blue-flowered shirt. He had a chest the size of a wine cask
and arms that would rival Mike Tyson's.
"It's for you,
boss."
Reese took the phone,
flicked a glance at Hope, then turned and walked a couple of feet away.
He was angry and getting madder by the minute, speaking louder and louder until
she could hear every word.
"Are you
insane? We let her write a bunch of articles about this operation and
we're going to have every amateur treasure hunter within two thousand miles
breathing down our necks. This isn't the States, Talbot, it's a private
island. The only laws here are the ones they make up. We won't have
a damn bit of protection--legal or otherwise--if we start to have trespassing
problems."
Talbot said something
lengthy on the other end of the line.
"This is crazy,"
Reese said. Then, "Fine--have it your way. But don't say I
didn't warn you." Reese ended the call and took a deep breath.
He handed the phone back to the big black man. "Thanks, King."
"No problem,
boss."
Reese turned to face her,
a scowl on his handsome face. "I guess you're staying, since Talbot
holds the purse strings." He gave her a perusal that went from her
breasts to her toes and sent her hackles up another notch. "But then
you probably knew that already."
Hope clamped down on a
nasty retort and the captain stepped into the fray.
"Why don't I take the
lady down to her cabin?" he suggested, trying to prevent what was fast
becoming a mutual dislike.
Reese gave Hope a cold,
hard smile. "I'll take care of it. I want to make sure our
guest gets properly settled in."
Ignoring his grim
expression, Hope reached for her carry-on. Surprisingly, Reese picked it
up before she had the chance. At least he knew how to behave like a
gentleman, though she figured he usually chose not to.
She sighed as she followed
his broad, muscular back along the deck to the ladder. It was going to be
a helluva long three weeks.
My favorite city? Man! That's a hard one. I can more easily list the ones I don't like! :) I confess that I'm not much of a "big city" person. I live in a town with about 37,000 people..big enough for me. I've gotten spoiled in being able to be anywhere in only minutes. I lived in Memphis for years. I had to leave 45+ minutes just to drive to dinner.
ReplyDeleteSo in place of a city, how about my favorite location? Tabacon Resort in Costa Rica.
I have to say my home city of Pittsburgh. It's a fairly large city with a hometown feel - the people are really friendly. Although, I've never lived in the city, only the suburbs, I do think it would have an exciting feel to it. I just visited NYC a couple of years ago and loved it. And Paris would be glorious I think!
ReplyDeleteCynthia--love your comment about cities--I hate the traffic, too! would much rather visit and cab-it. Costa Rica...ummm. I hear it's lovely.
ReplyDeleteCatslady--I've been to Pittsburgh for RT--really loved it. kat
Hi Kat! Welcome back! I'm working today but will check in this evening.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite cities is London!
ReplyDeleteOh! One day, I hope to go there, girlygirl!!
DeleteHi, Kat! Welcome back to TRD. We're happy you could join us!
ReplyDeleteFavorite city? That's a tough one. Seeing that my home town is a given, I would say that I loved Wsahington D.C. because of all it offers to an American history buff; and also Carmel, California because it's one of the most quaint and beautiful places I've been. :)
My favorite city is nashville. I went there a couple of summers ago and had the best time. It is a beautiful city, great shops, great food & bars, great history, and great music. Love kat's books. This series sounds awesome and would love to win and read. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteChristinebails@yahoo.com
I like New York City for the Broadway shows.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
I am not a city girl! I love my small town. I lived in Cincinnati for 2 years and it was not for me! Though there are several big cities that I hope to visit one day, including New York and London. They are dreams that I hope come true.
ReplyDeleteYou are firmly on my keeper shelf, but DEEP BLUE is not one that I have. Sounds like it will be suspenseful and a good read.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to live in the country, but cities are great places to visit to soak up all they have to offer. New York is on our list to visit. I went when I was in college, but didn't get to do or see much. I tried to get my husband to go when we lived closer but he wasn't interested. Now that it is more of a trip, he wants to visit. We lived near Sacramento, CA for a couple of years, but spent what time we had to visit in other places like San Francisco. That is always a fun place to go. It is pretty and has lots of interesting things to do and see. After living there, we lived in Northern VA, outside Washington, DC. I guess that is our favorite city. There is so much to do and see whether you are adults on your own or a family with children. So much of it is free, it makes it affordable once the room is taken care of. Each time we go back up there, we find something else we haven seen plus revisit our favorites. It offers much for those interested in history as well as culture and what is current in the world. We are now taking grandchildren with us and sharing it with them. New Orleans, Boston, and Quebec City, Canada come in after San Francisco. Every one of these cities has its own personality and something special to offer.
Thanks for the excerpt. I hope the rerelease goes well.
I love NYC, but I've lived in Los Angeles for all but the first six months of my life. And PJ can tell you how long that has been. Kay, if since you are heading my way I would love to meet you! PJ can vouch for me! I hope you can accept our invitation to meet and be our guest for a meal while you are in town!
ReplyDeletePS. I forgot my manners. Please accept my congratulations on the re-release of DEEP BLUE. I need to get that book ASAP!
ReplyDeletecongrats!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletemy favorite city? i rarely traveled to other cities, and so far my favorite is singapore. minimal traffic jam, woo hoo!!
ps, i'm international *sigh..*
I'm not much of a city girl. I live in Kansas City but I much prefer the atmosphere of a small town.
ReplyDeleteVery enticing excerpt. I can't wait to read it!
Hi Kat! I love the excerpt of DEEP BLUE and really enjoy your books.
ReplyDeleteI am also not much of a city girl although I also live in Kansas City and have lived here all my life. Our family farm is located in Lexington, MO, and I love that small town. I spent a lot of time while growing up there as well as an adult. I guess if I have to name a big city, I would say Phoenix, AZ because my brother lives there.