Guest Post with Author Karen Rock and Giveaway

Meet Karen Rock author of His to Protect.

Award-winning author Karen Rock is both sweet and spicy—at least when it comes to her writing! The author of both YA and adult contemporary books writes red-hot novels for Harlequin Blaze and small-town romances for Harlequin Heartwarming. A strong believer in Happily-Ever-After, Karen loves creating unforgettable stories that leave her readers with a smile.

She enjoys returning to her teaching roots when speaking at regional and national writing conferences and interacting with other writers. She has a Master of Fine Arts in English and has continued to learn and grow professionally through her work with YA co-author, fellow romance author, friend and sister-in-law, Joanne Rock.

When she’s not writing, Karen is an avid reader who’s typically immersed in three different books at a time, all in different genres. She also loves cooking her grandmother’s Italian recipes, baking, Christmas (no need to specify—she loves every bit of it), and having the Adirondack Park wilderness as her backyard, where she lives with her husband, daughter, dog and cat who keep her life interesting and complete.

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Top Five Things Hero is Protect Of

1. As mission commander, USCG pilot Mark Sampson is extremely protective of his crew: two rescue swimmers, a flight mechanic, co-pilot and sometimes a flight medic. It's his job to fly the Jayhawk through hurricanes and ensure he gets everyone home safe.

2. Mark is protective of the men and women he's in charge of saving on each mission. He's single-minded and very good at his job in rescuing every last man, woman and child before returning to base... except one person, a fallen brother in arms, whose memory haunts Mark to this day.

3. Mark if protective of his flight readiness status. He's battled demons from his past and believes he's ready to get back in the cockpit for this hurricane response mission. However, when our heroine arrives, she's a constant reminder of the biggest, most tragic call he's ever had to make. He begins to question if he's as flight ready as he'd thought.

4. Mark is protective of his shameful childhood and hides the fact that his father is incarcerated; a criminal. He's always wanted to be a hero, a good guy, to prove that he was nothing like his father and that spurred him to join the USCG.

5. Mark is very protective of Cassie. She's come on this hurricane mission to find closure for her brother, rescue swimmer, Jeff Rowe's death. She's a nurse but has no real disaster experience. Because of the guilt he feels for his role in Jeff's death, he's determined that no harm will come to Cassie and he keeps a close eye on her. Initially, he believes his protective instincts are aroused because he owes it to Jeff to keep his sister safe. As his own feelings for Cassie grow, however, he discovers that he can't bear to ever lose her and goes out of his way to protect her through their life and death ordeal.

Subject: Lt. Commander Mark Sampson

Mission: Keep his eyes on the skies…despite one sexy distraction!

There are things a man can never undo. For Coast Guard search and rescue pilot Mark Sampson, it was the agonizing decision that cost him a teammate—and his faith in himself. But an unbelievably sexy blonde on a secluded beach may help him forget…if only for a night.

Cassie Rowe needed a distraction—and, boy, did she get one! How was she to know the brooding stranger who rocked her world was the pilot who'd left her brother to die? And now they're on the same mission. She should hate him. But she can't fight the storm of desire threatening to pull them under…

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While the crowd responded to the DJ’s provocation, Mark flipped his hand so he was holding Cassie’s.

“So what’s that last category?” he pressed.

He squinted at her until her cheeks pinked and she squirmed. He wanted to haul her out of the bar and back to his room, where he could lose himself in that incredible body and mind-numbing sex.

But even if he was the type for casual hookups, something about her didn’t speak of one-night stands… despite her flirting. Maybe it was the pain tucked in the corners of her laughing eyes, the way her smiles slid off her face too fast, as if they rarely stuck. He was having a tough time reading her.

“It’s one I’m not prepared to judge just yet.” Her words were breathless.

He could feel the thrum of her pulse where he held her hand, the pace a rapid tattoo of nerves or excitement. Or something more.

“Now I’m even more curious.” He slid a thumb along the heart of her palm and imagined himself touching other parts of her that same way. With slow, lazy circles. “You can at least tell me what you would be critiquing.”

Her blues met and held his. No innocence there now. Only heat and daring.

“Sexual prowess.” She drew out the words like a long caress.

His whole body hardened like new-forged steel and just as hot.

They stared at each other across the table, the noisy world of the bar full of lap dancers not even a blip on his radar. He breathed in when Cassie exhaled, their shared air as hot as any kiss he’d ever tasted.

“You ready to cut out of here?” he asked, his voice low and his restraint disappearing.

He wanted nothing more than to drive her wild and fill her head with enough sexy dreams to satisfy her for the rest of the night. He tossed bills on the table, never taking his eyes off her.

She squeezed his hand. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Up For Grabs:

• 1  $50 Amazon Gift Card + signed copies of His Kind of Cowgirl, Raising the Stakes and Under an Adirondack Sky

To Enter:

• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

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Special thanks to Karen Rock & Tasty Book Tours for sponsoring this tour-wide giveaway.

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