Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Hidden Impact (Safeguard #1) by Piper J Drake - Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway


An aloof bodyguard and mercenary puts his heart on the line in HIDDEN IMPACT, the first book in the Safeguard series by Piper J. Drake.  Fans of Marie Force’s Fatal series or Laura Kaye’s Hard As It Gets, will love this brand new romantic suspense series.




He’s not the hero she’s looking for...

As part of the elite Centurion Corporation team, military-veteran-turned-mercenary Gabriel Diaz is a natural defender. He’ll do anything to ensure a mission is successful. Anything but get emotionally invested—he learned the hard way that can be deadly. Easy bodyguard jobs in between the more challenging missions are all he’s interested in now.

Maylin Cheng is desperate and running out of time. Her younger sister has gone missing but no one seems to take her concern seriously. Her last hope lies in asking an aloof bodyguard for help. He dismisses her outright, but all that changes when she is almost killed in a not-so-accidental hit-and-run right before his eyes.

As Maylin leans on Gabriel, she begins to rely on him for more than just her safety. But as their attraction grows, so does the danger surrounding them. When the elaborate web they're trapped in unravels, Gabriel will do anything to protect them. Even if that means putting his heart in the crosshairs.

Book one of the Safeguard series






Breathe.

She gasped and cool air rushed in, clearing away some of the fog.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Take another breath nice and slow. Slow.” Strong hands patted her down, touched her with gentle purpose. “Does anything hurt? Your neck, your head?”

“The way you took her down, it’s amazing her skull isn’t splattered all over the sidewalk.” Another man’s voice floated over from some distance away. Or was it a shock thing?

Maybe she was in shock.

Did people’s feet get cold at times like this? Only her left one.

“Your left foot is colder because you lost a shoe when I shoved you out of the way.” A thread of amusement ran through the original speaker’s voice. She liked the sound of it. Kind humor, like what she heard in his words, was the sign of a good man. “I’m going to help you to a sitting position, but if anything hurts at all, you let me know right away and we’re laying you back down. Understood?”

“Yes.” She said it out loud on purpose, because she was pretty sure she’d been talking out loud anyway so it’d be good to know if she could do it when she actually meant to.

The same big hands she’d taken note of before took hold of her, one sliding under her neck to give her support as she came up to a sitting position.

“Slow,” her caretaker admonished.

His choice of speeds was frustrating.


Action, suspense, mystery, romance and sex kept me turning page after page! Maylin is a great heroine as she holds her own along with the men and women of Centurion as they attempt to locate and rescue her sister. Gabe and Maylin have great chemistry and their relationship develops well even with everything going on around them. I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the next book in this series!


I received an ARC via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.



Do you have any strange writing habits?
When I’m stuck in a scene, I tend to step away from the computer and either go for a long walk or take a hot shower. Sometimes I do the former directly followed by the latter. Mostly, I’m trying to get my blood circulating and refresh my mindset. I’m also generally resting my eyes.

What was the last book you read/loved?
Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher. Actually, I listened to it in audio book and James Marsters does an incredible job narrating. I really enjoy the entire Dresden Files series.

What are you working on now? What is your next project?
I’m currently working on the next book in the Safeguard series. Deadline is tight and then I’ll be working on the third book in my True Heroes series. Book 1, Extreme Honor, releases in January 2016!

Are there certain scenes that are harder/easier for you to write? Love? Emotional?
I wouldn’t say love scenes are harder for me to write, but they do go much slower for me. When I’m writing an action scene, the words seem to pour out of my hands whereas in a love scene, I think about every moment of the scene as I write it. It can take more than twice as long to write.

What is your dream vacation?
Dream? If we’re shooting for the stars, I would love to travel to a space station resort someday. A luxury resort in orbit. That would be amazing.

More attainable, I’d love to spend a week, all expenses paid, at an underwater resort. they do exist and I think it would be an incredible experience.

What was your first alcoholic drink? What age were you when you consumed it?
A fuzzy navel. I was..not quite legal at the time. It was my first semester of college and we found out I tend to wander around when I’m drunk.

How old were you when you had your first crush/first love? Are you still in contact with them?
I don’t know when I had my first crush in the real world. I dreamt of adventures with Wil Ohmsford in the Elftsones of Shannara, though. That was back in third grade.



Piper J. Drake (or “PJ”) began her writing career as “PJ Schnyder” writing sci-fi & paranormal  romance and steampunk. She has recently received the FF&P PRISM award for her work as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award.


Now, PJ is exploring the complexity of romantic suspense, incorporating her interests in mixed martial arts and the military into her writing. 






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