Military Week: Melissa Schroeder

Welcome to Mel's Salute to Military Romance! I will be honest with you. For years, I didn't write much military romance. I will be the first to tell you that being a military spouse is just not romantic a lot of times. There are the moves, the TDYs, the OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS (which I usually completely hate) and then there is the feeling that no one in the world understands what you are going through. Then, Malachai Dupree, brother to Chris and Jocelyn, popped up in my head when Jocelyn was talking in A Little Harmless Addiction. It was a kernel of a thought: a spinoff of Harmless but with military men and women.
I will be completely honest with you. I wasn't sure I could do it. When I first said something to my then editor I had with the Harmless publisher, there was little to no interest. Usually when I talk of the military it is to complain about something. One assignment in 20 years in a place with seasons would be the top of my list. But as a military brat myself, I knew there was something else to the military. See, I love romantic suspenses with a military bent. I couldn't write them though. I was born in an Army hospital and have spent most of life immersed in military. I wanted it to be a little more reality based, and sometimes that doesn't thrill readers, lol.
I was a big lover of M*A*S*H growing up and one thing that taught me was there isn't anything pretty about military. But it also taught me something else, something I knew without actually acknowledging it. Military folk are just like everyone else, but their problems all have an added layer to them. Along with the regular squabbles that pop up, you have to move every few years, deal with a spouse who often times HAS to put the job in front of the family (there is that little thing called an oath they take when the enter the military) and a bone deep loneliness that others outside of the military just will never understand. Your life is ruled by the military whether you want it to or not.

So when I sat down to write my first A Little Harmless Military Romance, I felt a lot of pressure. I wanted to make sure that my readers understood what these people and their loved ones go through all the time. I didn't want to glorify it, because a lot of times, it isn't very glory filled. Still I wanted everyone to see the softer side of life, the part that keeps the military man and woman whole while they have to deal with the horrors in the field. There is something about that saying "keep the home fires burning" now more than ever.






Be sure to check out the first two A Little Harmless Military Romance Books:
INFATUATON: A Little Harmless Military Romance
AMAZON   Barnes and Noble   ARe   KOBO 


POSSESSION: A Little Harmless Military Romance
AMAZON    Barnes and Noble  ARe  

SURRENDER
Coming Late June

So, I have a big old prize for you! How about a SWAG PACK of Harmless Military goodies, along with two signed copies, one of Infatuation and one of Possession??? And this is open to international readers also. Just let me know your answer to this question:

What is your favorite kind of military hero? Do you like the kind of guy in the midst of international intrigue, the cocky fighter pilot, or maybe you go for one of the PJ's who go for the rescue? Let me know and your name goes in the hat!

A Little Harmless Submission is NOW BACK ON SALE

I promised it would back and for this weekend only, I will have it at the low price of .99 everywhere it is posted right now.

A LITTLE HARMLESS SUBMISSION
Amazon  Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks

Possession: A Little Harmless Military Romance RELEASE

YAY, Deke and Samantha are here!  The book will go right to print so look for it in the next 10 days or so.

POSSESSION
A Little Harmless Military Romance
AMAZON   ARe   B and N  SMASHWORDS

Loving a military man isn't always easy and sometimes living with him is impossible.

Possession: A Little Harmless Military Romance Book 2

Deke Berg has been in love with Samantha for ten years. From the moment they met, they could never keep their hands off each other. Their marriage was volatile and short-lived, and they were both much too young. Now, though, Deke knows what he wants in life, and Samantha is at the center of his plans. Unfortunately, Samantha is wary of the marriage-espcially to a man who broke her heart.

Sam has always loved Deke. Being a former military brat, she thought she'd been prepared for life as a military spouse. But the long separations were hard, especially dealing with the stranger who returned home. When she asked him to choose, he left and she tried to move on. She doesn't know if she can handle that pain again, but after spending a night together in Hawaii, it's impossible for her to ignore him.
Old prejudices and painful memories aren't easy to overcome, but there is one thing Deke understand: Samantha is his woman, and he will do anything to prove his love and win her back.

Warning, this book contains: Another hard headed military man, a few embarrassing moments, nosey brothers, and two people too stupid to realize they are perfect for each other. It's Harmless and military, so for your own safety make sure there is ice water nearby. The author assumes no responsibility for overheating the reader.

The Harmless Series
A Little Harmless Sex
A Little Harmless Pleasure
A Little Harmless Obsession
A Little Harmless Lie
A Little Harmless Addiction
A Little Harmless Submission
A Little Harmless Fascination

Coming soon
A Little Harmless Fantasy

A Little Harmless Military Romance
Infatuation
Possession 

coming soon
Surrender

EXCERPT

He stopped again and stared at her. “I’m always interested in you, Samantha. You know that.”

Seeing him there, with the sun setting behind him and the waves crashing against the rocks, she couldn’t fight it, didn’t want to. They were wrong for each other. They had bad tempers, they fought too much, and neither of them was ready to negotiate. Compromise wasn’t in their vocabulary. But the need that always seemed to ignite when he was near was too strong. She stepped closer and rose to her tiptoes. Slowly, without closing her eyes, she brushed her mouth against his.

“It’s the same for me.”

He skimmed his fingers up her arms. “We said we wouldn’t do this again.”

She drew in a deep breath then released it with a sigh of pleasure as he slid his fingers over her pulse. “We always say we won’t do it again.”

He looked up at her, those gray eyes dark with need. His lips curved slowly. The breath she had been taking tangled in her throat. Her heart did the slow roll it did right before it fell at his feet.

“I have a really nice room with a great view.”

She laughed. “Really?”

“Yeah, why don’t I show you?” He stepped back and held out his hand. She looked down at it, knew that this was her decision. This time it was all up to her.

She looked at him and smiled. It was insane and it was really stupid, but just like always, she couldn’t resist him. All of the barriers she had built crumbled when she saw the curve of his lips. There was something wrong with her—with both of them—but she didn’t care.

Without a word, she threw away all her worries and took his hand. He raised it to his mouth. Keeping his gaze on hers, he touched his lips to her fingers.

“Come with me.”

All Kinds of Harmless News

A LITTLE HARMLESS FASCINATION
AMAZON  ARe  B and N SMASHWORDS
YAY, A Little Harmless Fascination is not only selling well, it is also getting a lot of great reviews. On top of that, it has broken the top 100 on Barnes and Noble. I haven't done that with one of my self-pub books, so I am uber excited about that. Here are what some reviewers are saying about it:

The great Hawaii setting, the wonderful cast of current and past characters whose lives all seem to overlap, the snappy dialog, and the hotter than hot sex scenes mixed with some BDSM elements makes this a must read offering from Melissa Schroeder. -Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews


I loved everything about it-Rho Knows Romance




A Little Harmless Fascination is just as hot and sexy as the other books in the series! -Ladybug Storytime


“A Little Harmless Fascination” is one of my favorite of the Harmless series. It has some incredibly hot moments as well as some wonderfully tender ones. It is a great romantic read. Jennifer, Romantic Novel News


Other news...


A LITTLE HARMLESS SUBMISSION
EBOOK-
AMAZON
PRINT
AMAZON  B and N  Book Depository  BAM

I am nearing the end of my KDP and I can say that I probably won't do it again for another Harmless books. I had to pull it off all the other sites and give it to Kindle exclusively. I think I gained some new readers out of it, but not worth it to leave all my non kindle readers out of the loop. 
I cannot put it up for free for a limited period of time at B and N. I can finagle my way into getting a shorty up there for free, but that will stay there for free forever and I cannot do that will a full book. So, to show my appreciation for my readers, I am going to put ALH Submission on sale for .99 the weekend after it goes off of KDP. That will be May 18,19, and 20 and then it will go back up to the new price of 2.99! That will be with every retailer. 
If you are a kindle reader and have not used your free borrow book, you have just a few more days to get it for free. 
For those of you who are into print, it is everywhere now. The links are up above for those of you who shop different places. 




INFATUATION
AMAZON

Now you can buy the first A Little Harmless Military Romance in print! It also include an entire chapter of By Blood: Desire at the end! 
Right now, it is only available at Amazon. To distribute it out further, I would have to raise the price to 7.25. That is kind of high for a short novel. But, it also means that I can't have it in book depository. if there are a lot of people interested, let me know. If I get enough emails, then I will consider it. 






POSSESSION

I am going to be finishing this completely up tomorrow, come hell or  high water. Then, I will be editing it this week. I hope to have it out by mid to late May. Again, this will go on sale at .99. If I can still make a profit, I will be keeping all my books under 40K this price. 






That's it for now. I am exhausted from our move, but I hope to have the house completely in order by next week. Or the one after that. Maybe. I hope everyone has a great Sunday!

Mel's Lei Day CELEBRATION

May day is called Lei Day in Hawaii. That is King Kamehameha and they do cover him with Leis on Lei day. Well, he does get Lei'd a lot, lol. Many of the statues across Hawaii are covered in them during special celebrations like Lei Day. It is a huge part of a their culture, and there is something about getting a lei in Hawaii.  This year marks the 85th anniversary celebration and because most of the Harmless books have some kind of connection to the islands, I would have a big party here on the blog.


A Little Harmless Addiction is now officially in print and the last of the publisher Harmless books. A Little Harmless Fascination is now in digital and will be in print in the next few weeks along with Infatuation.




So, I am going to have a little contest and you just leave your answer down there in the comments. I will draw the winner THURSDAY at NOON central US Time. And, what do I have for y'all? Well, we have a Hawaiian bag that Brandy and I picked up this year at the Swap Meet, and we can fill it with lots of Hawaiian goodies including a print of A Little Harmless Submission, some Harmless swag, and how about a beach towel since summer is coming up. Oh, and why don't I spread the love and offer  up two runner up swag packs of Harmless fun.


So, what do I want to know? If you had a chance to go to Hawaii this year, what would you like to do? Are you a touristy kind of person who loves to hit all those places you've seen in movies and on TV? Or do you want to hang out on the beach and maybe dabble in some shopping? Or, are you in it for adventure, to do some surfing, parasailing or a little hiking? Let me know, and I will put your name in the pot. 

NEW RELEASE: A Little Harmless Fascination

The time has arrived! This is going to start the roll out of THREE Harmless books within the next two months! I really loved this story. I love all of them, but since Jillian decides to treat Conner as a tourist, I get to take the readers to a few of my favorite places, just like I did with Brandy this January. But it is finally here! Make sure to check back throughout the day and I should be adding links as they load up. 

A LITTLE HARMLESS FASCINATION

AMAZON    BARNES AND NOBLE

ARe               SMASHWORDS

Wanting her isn't smart, seducing her is inevitable, but falling in love with her could be downright deadly for both of them.

A Little Harmless Fascination

Harmless Book 7

Security expert Conner Dillon isn’t a man who often takes a vacation. So when he is ordered to take a month off, and his sister insists on a trip to Hawaii, he isn’t very happy. But, after seeing his landlady Jillian Sawyer again, he might just find something—or someone—to occupy his time.

For years, Jillian has always had a crush on Conner. Now an erotic romance author with a thing for Doms, she finds herself beyond intrigued by the man. He is good to the core, but there is something else darker in him that calls to her. 

After one night in bed, they both find themselves addicted. In Jillian, Conner has found the perfect sub…and in him she finds someone she can trust.  Falling in love isn’t what they expected, but walking away is impossible—especially when they realize someone wants Jillian dead.

WARNING this book contains the following: An uptight security expert who prefers schedules, a romance writer who does not, tattoos, a trip to the Aloha Swap Meet, two hunky neighbors who irritate our hero, and of course this would not be a Harmless book without a trip to Rough 'n Ready.  Ice is recommended as any Harmless Addict will tell you, but the author takes no responsibility if a reader should become overheated. Read at your own risk. 

BONUS MATERIAL:Includes the entire first chapter of Melissa's upcoming historical vampire release By Blood: Desire. ALSO: EXCERPTS from LEXI BLAKE and KRIS COOK.

A Little Harmless Fascination is an Interracial erotic romance with BDSM elements and light suspense. It is the seventh book of the series that can be read alone. It is 63,000 words and include 11,000 word excerpt of Desire. 

EXCERPT:

“How about a tattoo?” she asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He choked on the drink of coffee he’d just taken. The warm liquid shot up his nose, and he winced. She handed him a napkin.

"What?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded to a tent on the other side of him.

"It's just henna. Don't look scared."

"I'm not scared. I'm just not into tattoos on me."

She pulled her glasses down on her nose so she could look over the top of them. "What about on other people?"

He could tell from the sparkle in her eyes that she was fucking with him. He looked down her arms at a sleeve of tattoos that must have taken hours to get. "Depends on the person. I especially like yours."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That and your belly button ring."

Her lips curved as she pushed the glasses back up and turned to walk away. The woman moved like a freaking temptress. He knew it was innate to her, like breathing. She didn’t do it on purpose. That didn’t mean he could ignore it. His hands itched to touch, to tease, to spank. That full ass swinging in her barely-there shorts...he was sure the lack of blood in his brain wasn't good for his health.

He caught up to her. "So, is your belly the only place you're pierced?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

He slipped his hand around her upper arm and gently tugged her to the side of a tent at the end of one of the rows, out of the pedestrian traffic. It was heating up, the air stifled by the arrangements of the vendors, and the humidity was rising by the minute. The scent of her filled his senses.

"Yeah, I kind of do want to know where else you're pierced."

She smiled up at him, and he could tell she was going to brush him off. The Dom in him was already beating his way out. He had lain dormant for months, but with Jillian around, those dominant tendencies were surfacing again.

She patted his cheek. "I only share that with intimate friends."

Jillian turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm again.

"Don't mess with me, Jillian. I don't like it, not that way."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at his hand on her upper arm.

"If you're not interested, just say ‘leave me the fuck alone, Conner.’"

He waited, holding his breath. He hadn't meant to challenge her, hadn't known this was so important right now. It was. More than he had ever expected, it was beyond that now. Why this woman, right now, he had no idea. But the need he had building in him was starting to take over any sane thought he had. He knew right now if he didn’t have her soon, there was a good chance he might just go a little insane. If she said to fuck off, he would be screwed.

When she didn’t say anything, Conner let loose the breath and nodded. "Good, then we understand each other. Just know that when I ask you that question again, I will expect an answer."

Free HARMLESS books

Hey, everyone. Thanks to Kindle and their KDP Select program, I can bring you three more days of A Little Harmless Submission for free! These are the last three days so if you haven't done it yet, make sure you get it now.
Again, for those of you without Kindle devices, I apologize. Barnes and Noble does not allow me to do promos like this, but maybe with a little push from readers, they may start.
Also, now forever, A Little Harmless Surprise and A Little Harmless Gift are free on Amazon. A Little Harmless Surprise is free on B and N now and I am hoping to get Gift there soon.

A LITTLE HARMLESS SUBMISSION

For a tough as nails Dom hunting a sadistic serial killer is nothing compared to losing his heart.

Harmless #6

Rome Carino is hunting a predator. One who likes to hurt submissives, and the most popular BDSM club’s patrons are being targeted. With each fresh kill he gets more brazen. Rome knows he just needs one little break, but before he can make headway, the FBI shows up. Worse, the uptight, buttoned-down Special Agent Maria Callahan suggests a plan that is dangerous, but worth it because it might just catch the killer. If Rome can keep his mind on the case and off the beautiful FBI agent, he'll be just fine.

Maria is still trying to step out of her legendary father's shadow and knows just how to do it. Luring the killer by posing as Rome's new sub seems like a good idea. That is, until undercover becomes real life and she finds herself tangled up with a man who amazes and scares her at the same time. Her growing attraction to the Honolulu Police Detective is a little too much to handle. Even knowing that, she can't help falling in love with the tough Dom and losing herself in the games they play in the bedroom. 

Rome is overwhelmed by his need for Maria. He has never had a sub respond to him the way she does, and no matter what he does, he feels himself slipping off that cliff into love. As their relationship starts to unfold, he realizes that he will do anything to win her heart, to convince her to become his sub for a lifetime. But before he can do anything, the killer turns his attention on Rome and the one thing he holds dear: Maria.

WARNING: The following book contains: A Dom who thinks he can do no wrong, a new sub who is about to teach him he can, palm trees, a trip or two to Rough ‘n Ready, a flirty Aussie Dom with questionable motives, old friends, and a new enemy. Yeah, it might be called Harmless, but you Addicts know it’s anything but. 

Possession Music

If you follow the blog, or my crazy ramblings, you know that music is a huge part of my writing. I have a soundtrack for every book I write. Possession is of course no different. There are a always a few songs on every soundtrack the same. But there are usually one or two that speak to me about a book. For Possession, it is this song. Deke and Samantha have had a bumpy road. Divorce didn't dampen their need or their love. There is a reason neither of them seem to be able to move on. 

Now, they are in a different place. Things have changed and have thrown them together permanently and our hero Deke doesn't want to give her up. He gave up being on an active Seal Team to work at a planning job in Hawaii because she's there. This time, he isn't giving up and the second I heard this song, I knew it was his. Jason  Mraz is a special favorite of mine.  I also love the progression of his talent. The new album is fantastic and a lot of the songs are on my soundtrack and I know that this one in particular will be in soundtracks for years to come. But I Won't Give Up is Deke down to his dog tags. He has decided this time he will not give up. This time, Samantha and he are staying together.

Is there any sexier than a military man on a mission to win a woman's heart? I hope you enjoy;)

Two More Covers, and a CONTEST

So, we have been busy. Jenn LeBlanc has been working on the pics and Kendra on the covers and we have two more covers for you. Part of this is done early because of an ad I have in RT mag this fall and I want to feature the Harmless books. So, I wanted all of them featured.

Here are the next two covers and I have a contest for everyone. I will be giving away a Hawaiian fun pack that includes a bag with Hawaiian print, a key chain, the coveted Infatuation dog tags, a beach towel and some magnets. I will also throw in a Rough n Ready journal. What do you have to do? Just answer the question below the covers by Sunday at noon US central time.  This contest is open to everyone, even international folks. So, answer the question below the covers and good luck!

So, summer is approaching, and I was wondering, if there are any special activities you are looking forward to this year? Are you going to the beach, the mountains, or are you looking forward to some releases by your favorite authors?

NEW COVER REVEAL: THE TENTH HARMLESS

It is odd to be talking about the tenth Harmless book. Seriously. I never knew I would get to the point where I could. So many people discounted the series, ie publishers. Also, you never know where a series will take you. I love the series myself, but how was I to know that people would get attached to the characters I created. I hoped for it, and I love that I get to share my love of Hawaii with others. So, the fact that it was coming up in January of 2013, I figured we should do something for it special.

I loved my old cover design by Scott Carpenter. He took what I had at my old publisher and made it sexier, and it was fresh and new. Now, though 5-6 years later, I am ready for something different. The books are tied to Hawaii and we (Kendra Egert, Brandy Walker and myself) felt we needed something new. So, here it is. This book will feature Devon, Dee's brother who first appeared in A Little Harmless Lie-the one who stole her from Hawaii.

The photography was done by the amazing Jenn LeBlanc and the cover of course, done by the uber talented Kendra Egert.

A special Infatuation price for EVERYONE!

So, I wanted to do some promos and see what happened. The free book thing for ALH Submission and Callum was a great success. I am very irritated though because I cannot offer free books to Nook, KOBO, etc readers. So, to do something across the board, I have decided to lower the price of Infatuation for TWO WEEKS everywhere. It will be available at every outlet at the low price of .99!  So starting today, until the 15th of April, I will keep the price at the lower price everywhere.

I am actually thinking about doing this with new releases. But, in order to do that, I need your help. I need to prove to myself that I can make a profit by offering new releases at this price. So, if you could spread the word, let everyone you know about it, that would be FANTASTIC!

So, how can you let everyone know? If you have a Facebook page, post the link to this page. If you are on Twitter, let people know with a link here. Word of mouth is very important. If this goes over well, I might very well consider it for new releases as I said before. I am already contemplating it for my June release of By Blood: Desire, so please, spread the word. And if you didn't pick this up now is the perfect time to do it!

INFATUATION

ARe    AMAZON  AMAZON UK  AMAZON DE  AMAZON FR  AMAZON IT  AMAZON ES
B & N     DIESAL Ebooks  SMASHWORDS

To prove her love and save her man, she has to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Infatuation: A Little Military Harmless Romance

Francis McKade is a man in lust. He’s had a crush on his best friend’s little sister for years but he has never acted on it. Besides that fact that she’s Malachi’s sister, he’s a Seal and he learned his lesson with his ex-fiancé. Women do not like being left alone for long months at a time. Still, at a wedding in Hawaii anything can happen—and does. Unfortunately, after the best night of his life, he and Mal are called away to one of their most dangerous missions.

Shannon is blown over by Kade. She’s always had a crush on him and after their night together, it starts to feel a little like love. But, after the mission, Kade never calls or writes and she starts to wonder if it was all a dream. Until one night, her brother Mal drags him into her bar and grill and Shannon gets the shock of her life.

Kade isn’t the man Shannon knew in Hawaii, or even the last few years. Losing a friend and being injured changes a man, especially one who had never felt so vulnerable. He still can’t shake the terror that keeps him up at night. Worse, he is realizing that the career he loves just might be over.

Shannon is still mad, but she can’t help but hurt for the man she loves. He is darker, a bit more dangerous, but beneath that, he is the Kade she's known for so many years. When he pushes her to her limits in the bedroom, Shannon refuses to back down. One way or another, this military man is going to learn there is no walking away from love—not while she still has breath in her body.

Warning: This book contains two infatuated lovers, a hard-headed military man, a determined woman, some old friends, and a little taste of New Orleans. As always, ice water is suggested while reading. It might be the first military Harmless book, but the only thing that has changed is how hot our hero looks in his uniform—not to mention out of it.
This is an original novella that is approx 32,000 words.

Writing, editing and house hunting

Well, the Schroeders have been on a roller coaster the last few days. Thankfully, it looks like we will not be homeless but we are still waiting to finalize everything.

Harmless News
I have been editing A Little Harmless Fascination. I am finally happy about it which rarely happens this early in the process, so that kind of worries me, lol. I have been double timing it, writing Possession rough draft and it is going scary easy. I will warn you, because of certain things, Possession will not be BDSM. Mainly because it doesn't fit the characters. There might be a little play here and there, but no heavy BDSM. Not sure about Surrender. A Little Harmless Submission is off for formatting for print. It will be releasing right around the time that A Little Harmless Addiction does this May. Not too long after that will be the Infatuation print release. I wasn't going to do it, but I love all the Harmless Military covers, so I really wanted them in print. I will be adding the Harmless shorts to it so it won't be too short. That will be releasing about the same time as the others in print.
 I had a notion of doing another Harmless really fast. Problem is, because we have to move ourselves, thanks very much for that Maxwell Housing Office, I won't have the time to do that one, with the next two books I have planned.

So, next up will be some paranormals. I have not decided which way to go yet. I know I have had a lot of emails about Angus and I wanted to talk about The Cursed Clan. I love this series. Just love it. I love all my books, but this really allowed me to play a little bit. And, for those of you who are looking for more paranormal in the storyline, it will expand with each book. As the clan works to break the curse, the magick surrounding them will increase.

The other paranormal I have is By Blood: Desire. This is the first of my Victorian vampire books and one that Kris Cook and Joy from Joyfully Reviewed won't leave me alone about. The idea was born back in 2009 and was the last project I shopped to NY with my agent. They all said it wouldn't work, then proceeded to put out their own versions. Thanks for that, lol. But it is another book where I get to mix it up with an entire world built within the ton.  I am kind of excited about it and hope that readers like it.
 Here is the blurb:

By Blood: Desire

Nicodemus Blackburn has seen the best and worst of mankind. Five hundred years of dealing with them teaches the vampire to be very wary of the creatures. Unfortunately, alarming events leave him no choice but to enter the world of the ton to hunt a villain. He must find a rogue vampire, one who is making his own army of blood thirsty vampires. Searching for the villain is not the worst of his troubles. That can be laid at the feet of bluestocking Lady Cordelia Collingsworth.


Cordelia has always been an outcast, even in her own family. She has forged her way in the world with her ability to write, and Nico Blackburn is the focus of her next article. Before she can obtain any information about the mysterious man, she is pulled headlong into a scandal that leaves her with no choice but to marry Nico—a man with dangerous secrets.  


Thrust into a world she knows nothing of, Cordelia finds herself falling in love with a man who claims to be a vampire. As their passion grows, so does the danger around them and Nico will have to call on all of his powers to protect the one thing he has realized he cannot live without: his opinionated, infuriating, and thoroughly delectable wife.

So, I am back to work. Lots of teaching and getting ready to move. And editing and writing.