Secret Agent Secretary by Melissa Cutler ~ Guest Post, Review, Giveaway!

Please welcome Author Melissa Cutler to Sweet Spot Book Blog!

We're chatting about her latest romantic suspense book release and more! There's a giveaway down below.

~ Q&A ~

1.  Welcome to our blog! Please tell our readers a little about yourself

Hi, Grace, and Hello, Sweet Spot Book Blog readers! My name is Melissa Cutler, and I’m a romance author. A few things you should probably know about me are: 1) my favorite romance novel of all time is THE SECRET by Julie Garwood. (Judith ROCKS!), 2) I have two suspicious rescue cats named Sugar and A.J, 3) I once got a ticket for rolling a stop sign while turning right into a mall parking lot, but I passed traffic school with flying colors!, 4) My favorite movies are Bull Durham and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and 5) I am both a terrible housekeeper and gift wrapper. 

2.  What do you think readers will like about the main couple in Secret Agent Secretary, Ryan and Avery?

Great question! What I’m hoping readers enjoy most about Ryan and Avery is discovering how perfect they are for each other. There’s no better woman for a jaded, weary black ops agent like Ryan who has a deadpan, killer sense of humor than a spy-obsessed, whip-smart optimist like Avery. I love that he loves how smart and capable she is. He doesn’t want to control her or run her life; he wants to help her fly. And in turn, she breathes new life into him and helps him rediscover how much he loves the world of black ops.

3.  In this book Avery has quite the fascination for guns and gadgets.  As a romantic suspense writer I'm sure you've done a lot of research in this area. I'm curious if you have a weapon of choice like Avery does?

Yes, I do research guns and weaponry quite extensively. I find guns and America’s love/hate relationship with them endlessly fascinating. I’m NRA certified with handguns and have tried out many, many other kinds of firearms. So far, the gun I have enjoyed learning about and firing the most is a S&W 1911 pistol. I don’t enjoy shotgun recoil at all, and that would be my least favorite. Of other varieties of weapons besides guns, what I find truly fascinating is everyday objects in a person’s environment that can be turned into weapons—from lamps to T-shirts to (in Avery’s case) paperclips.

4.  Can you share with us a little of what you're currently working on?

Absolutely! Right now I’m working on the second book in my new Destiny Falls series, which is a contemporary romance series that revolves around a men’s league ice hockey team comprised solely of ex-soldiers who were wounded in battle. The first book is titled THE FIRST TIME and it debuts this coming August. The book I’m presently working on, THE ONLY EXCEPTION, comes out in November.

Quickie questions:

Current favorite song or band? Tricky question! The last album I bought was by Florida Georgie Line, the last single I bought was Eminem’s “Friends with the Monster”, and my favorite all-time album is Paul Simon’s The Rhythm of the Saints, so I’d say I have quite the eclectic taste.

Sweet or savory? Savory!

Read anything good lately? Yes. I’m finishing up Lisa Kessler’s You Slay Me, which is a paranormal romance about a demon slayer, and it’s SO GOOD. Loving the alpha hero! 

My thanks to Grace and The Sweet Spot Book Blog for hosting me today. I love hearing from readers and am really easy to find at www.melissacutler.net, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MelissaCutlerBooks ), and Twitter (@m_cutler). And you can always email me at melissa@melissacutler.net or sign up for my newsletter (http://www.melissacutler.net/newsletter/ ) to find out about my latest books and upcoming events.

Many thanks to Melissa Cutler for stopping by and chatting with us!

Tops on Avery Meadows's bucket list is assisting in the capture of an international criminal mastermind…from the safety of her desk as an ICE Agency secretary. But when fate catapults her into the arms of sexy, brooding Ryan Reitano — an undercover ICE agent with dangerous secrets and a past he's desperate to hide — Avery's dream of saving the world takes on a whole new twist...

Series: ICE: Black Ops Defenders #2

Release Date: January 1, 2014

Book Links:

Goodreads 

Amazon B&N Walmart iTunes Kobo Harlequin

  

Read Chapter One on Melissa’s Website: http://bit.ly/161L7B2

ICE: Black Ops Defenders Series:

Book 1 - Tempted Into Danger

Book 2 - Secret Agent Secretary

Book 3 - Hot on the Hunt (expected publication July 2014)

About the Author

 Melissa Cutler knows she has the best job in the world, dividing her time between her dual passions for writing sexy contemporary romances and edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense for Harlequin, Penguin, St. Martin’s Press, and Kensington Books. She was struck at an early age by an unrelenting travel bug and is probably planning her next vacation as you read this. When she’s not globetrotting, she’s enjoying Southern California’s flip-flop wearing weather and wrangling two rambunctious kids.

 Five Stars 

Feel the RUSH!!!

I love reading romantic suspense. I love the feel of being on the edge as the plot moves at a quick pace. I love the build-up of the romance and tension and wondering if the couple will survive in the next moment. I love how the description of a deadly weapon can be so sensual. Secret Agent Secretary made me feel all this and more!

Avery Meadows feels so fortunate to have her job as a secretary for the ICE Agency. She has a huge fondness for anything related to secret agents, spying, and gadgets. Her job is likely the closest thing to getting things checked off her bucket list even if she doesn't really see any action as an office secretary. At least she can admire her office crush, Agent Ryan Reitano, from afar...le sigh! Then one evening Ryan asks for her help. Oh, boy, what happens next turns into one of the BEST thrill rides I've ever been on. What an adrenaline rush!!!

I was first introduced to Ryan in the previous book, Tempted into Danger. In that book you meet all the members of his Black Ops team. Now, Secret Agent Secretary has details on what became of that team, so if you don't want to know, then I suggest reading that book first. The previous book also made me quite interested in Ryan's character. He's very much into taking down international criminal Vincenzo Chiara and in this book you'll find out why. With Avery by his side, his lifelong quest to getting this particular bad guy could very well happen.

“Number one rule of being a secret agent—there's a time to kick butt and a time to stay cool. Recognizing which is which can mean the difference between life and death—or worse.” 

I absolutely adored Ryan and Avery! I loved how Avery kept surprising Ryan at every turn. She sure is not any ordinary secretary. I love the kind of heroine that can hold her own, and Avery sure does kick some major butt! There's a scene with paper clips, and...well...let me tell you that I will now be carrying paper clips in my purse in case I need them in that way. And don't get me started on what she named her car. Yep, I'm sort of a fan of Avery, LOL! Ahh, but then there's Ryan, and when you finally learn all his secrets, your heart will just widen for him, too! I loved how these two challenged each other. Then there's this scene with a weapon that was off-the-charts sensual. Oh, my! Can you tell that I freakin' LOVED this book? I can go on and on, but I won't. You'll have to discover how awesome this book and this series is for yourself.

Secret Agent Secretary has everything for romantic suspense fans. It has secrets, car chases, really bad guys, guns, gadgets, double-crossing, and a likeable hero and heroine. There's plenty of action and danger. The story takes place over only a few days, so the plot is very fast-moving. There are lovely twists and turns including a huge my-eyes-totally-bugged-out moment that I didn't see coming!

I enjoy Melissa Cutler's writing very much. I thought it was so clever of her to incorporate the names of well-known fictional secret agents in the story. She sure knows how to draw out the tension between two people while creating a story that finds the right balance of emotion, suspense, intrigue and romance. I really did not want this story to end. I felt like I was part of the adventure the entire time! I'm already bouncing in my seat for the next book!

*A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.*

 ~ Author-Hosted GIVEAWAY ~ 

Melissa Cutler is giving away a copy (print or digital) of TEMPTED INTO DANGER, which is book one of her ICE: Black Ops series (SECRET AGENT SECRETARY is book 2) to one commenter (USA only, sorry).  She would like to know...

What’s YOUR current favorite song or band? Or what was the last song or album you bought?

Please comment below. Giveaway ends 1/19/14.  One commenter will be chosen at random. Good luck!