Dear Reader,

It was with great pleasure that I finally got to return to New Orleans this past year for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated that lovely city. I was thrilled to see that the Grand Lady of the South has come back strong and that she’s as fun and fabulous as ever. And what better way to celebrate the recovery of New Orleans than to write a book set there? My only problem in writing this story was choosing where in the parish to set the book!

Fortunately, my heroine (who announced to me early on that she goes by the improbable nickname Hank) and her navy SEAL hero, Ashe, are both N’awlins natives and knew just where to go to best unfold their story. It turns out that a blend of steamy romance, dark suspense, towering love and simmering danger is pretty darned close to the perfect tale to tell when those hot summer nights come calling in the Big Easy.

So, pour yourself a mint julep, turn on the ceiling fan slow and lazy, put on a little Preservation Hall jazz, and get ready to go undercover with a SEAL in a hot story of love and danger that I’m excited to share with you!

Happy reading,

Cindy