Today's Special - - Kat Martin

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. 

New York is my favorite.  Broadway, Times Square, great restaurants on every block.  I love to stay at the Waldorf Astoria, a hotel that oozes tradition.  It’s glamorous and charming and the rooms are all very special, with a sort of art deco flare that was popular when the hotel was built in the 30’s. 

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 ...

Treasure hunter and former Navy SEAL Conner Reese isn't happy to have Hope along for the ride. He doesn't need the publicity, nor does he want a gorgeous redhead driving his crew—and himself—to distraction. But there's something else. Conner can sense extreme danger, and danger is following Hope Sinclair very, very closely ...

 

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 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.