Book Club: Hidden Away by Maya Banks

By: Kris Gilson

Kelly Group International…a super-elite, top secret, family-run business.

Garrett Kelly is the ultimate alpha male; former military, rock hard body, highly intelligent, the type to shoot first and ask questions later. His scowl and suspicious nature would have a lesser man shaking in his boots. In the two previous books (The Darkest Hour, No Place to Run), Garrett is always very intense and consistently broods, but his deep loyalty and devotion to his family is evident when he takes a bullet (in No Place to Run) for his soon-to-be sister-in-law. In Hidden Away, Garrett is recuperating and he accepts a mission to babysit Sarah Daniels on a tropical beach. Most people would think an all-expenses tropical getaway for a cake job would be fabulous, but Garrett sees it as a potential opportunity for revenge. Sarah Daniels is the secret half-sister of Marcus Lattimer, the man who betrayed Garrett and his team and resulted in the deaths of several of his men.

Garrett is instantly drawn to Sarah. She is haunted by a devastating betrayal of her former bosses. One of those bosses is the man that Marcus Lattimer killed, drawing the attention of the CIA and, subsequently, the Kelly Group. From early on in the story, you can see that both Garrett and Sarah are closed off people, and not very trusting for decidedly different reasons. During their time on the beach, both of them slowly start to change. Garrett is described by his mother as a self-sufficient loner, but deep-down there are more dimensions to his character than just being grouchy and anti-social. We get to see the warm and caring qualities and his lighter side the more he interacts with Sarah. It was also a sweet journey to watch Sarah begin to overcome her past, her timidity, and her vulnerability.

Garrett follows Sarah to Mexico and when he shows up at her house, telling her that her brother hired him to watch over her, she asks what’s in it for him, besides the money. He tells her “You, you’re what’s in it for me”. A minute later they’re kissing and she is laughing when he tells her to forget about his expanding groin. He tells her that he was trying not to be an asshole. She laughs harder and says “You break into my house. You take my gun away from me. Informed me you lied about pretty much everything when we were on the island. Then tell me I’m an idiot who’s trying to get herself killed. And you’re worried about being an asshole?” To me, this scene exemplifies the book and how it transports us from the emotionally tender to the laugh out loud.

Garrett knew Sarah would be unhappy to find out that he lied about working for her brother. He knows there is a loyalty and innate goodness to her, but he desperately has to believe he is doing the right thing in fulfilling his unspoken promise to avenge his fallen teammates. Even as he begins to realize that he could lose Sarah and might be losing some of his honor, he is driven by the honor of that promise. It is this internal struggle that kept me from thinking that his lying to Sarah was a despicable act!

When they’re kidnapped in Mexico and Garrett takes a beating for her, she tries to defend him as she is sick with worry that he will be too badly hurt. She doesn’t understand how strong willed he is that he could suffer a beating without uttering a single sound. When Rio shows up to rescue them, she doesn’t know who he is and puts herself between Rio and a sleeping Garrett in order to defend him. She is ready to humiliate herself and give him her body in order to protect Garrett. Then she is embarrassed that she partially bared herself in front of one of Garrett’s men. Not only is this a glimpse into Sarah’s loyalty and her growing love for Garrett, but we get another glimpse into Rio’s mysterious and unique personality. I am so looking forward to Rio getting his own book (which, according to Maya’s web page, will be Book 5, after Nathan’s story!).

There are so many wonderful and intriguing characters we’ve been introduced to so far who are further developed in each book, and I really am hoping that each and every one gets their own story. There are also other elements that simply add to the story, namely the family dynamic and the interaction among the brothers. Visiting again with some of the characters was great, and truly meaningful, not simply page filler. I was charmed by Sam with the birth of his baby and devoured the news that Rachel continues to improve. Other than Rio, I’m especially intrigued by PJ and Rusty. I know Rusty has a lot of growing up to do, but I’m really hoping that we’ll get to see her paired up with Sean someday. Perhaps if Maya is able to pop in and chat she will give us some more info on what the future might bring!

Maya is giving away the winner's choice of one of her books, so comment to be entered in the drawing! Find out more about Maya and her books at http://www.mayabanks.com./

Since a portion of the story takes places in the Caribbean, I thought we could cook up a treat from the island where I honeymooned just about 20 years ago:

Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Jerk seasoning, a spicy blend of garlic, onion, chiles, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, originated in Jamaica and is traditionally used on pork and chicken. Because the jerk marinade can burn easily, the chicken requires slow cooking on the grill, which also helps keep the meat moist.

Ingredients
For jerk marinade:
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 to 5 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stemmed and seeded
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For chicken:
• 4 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (3 pounds), halved crosswise
• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks

Preparation
Make marinade:
Blend all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Marinate and grill chicken:
Divide chicken pieces and marinade between 2 sealable plastic bags. Seal bags, pressing out excess air, then turn bags over several times to distribute marinade. Put bags of chicken in a shallow pan and marinate, chilled, turning once or twice, 1 day.
Let chicken stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
Papaya Salsa accompaniment

Ingredients
• 2 pounds papaya (2 preferably pink-fleshed strawberry variety), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 1/2 cups diced (1/4 inch) fresh pineapple (from 1/2 small pineapple)
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
Stir together all ingredients.
You can also substitute mango or cantaloupe.

Next Up on Book Club: Hidden Away by Maya Banks

A man who shoots first and asks questions later…

Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who’s in hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half-brother—and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath a disciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it…

…and the ultimate moving target.

But Garrett hadn’t counted on falling for Sarah. He’d considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah’s dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe—even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn’t know exactly who, or what, Sarah’s running from, but whatever it is, she’s running for her life…

Join us Thursday, March 31, from 6 a.m. EDT on to discuss book 3 in Maya's exciting Kelly Group International series, which has become one of my favorites! Look forward to talking about Garrett, Sarah and the rest of the Kelly family!

My Favorite Books of 2010 (And a Few Other Things)

As we say goodbye to 2010, I thought it would be a good time to look back on this fabulous year, to say a few thank yous and to list my top three favorite books of the year. First, a look back. As some of you who've known me for a while now will recall, 2009 was a bummer around here. My dad suffered a life-threatening head injury, my brother got divorced (sniff), my father-in-law died, two of my aunts died, my best friend's mother died far too young and we lost our darling 17-year-old dog Consuela who'd been with us since the second month we were married. A bummer of a year by anyone's standards. 2010 had to be better right? Well, it was!

While my family and friends thrived and good health abounded (other than those two unfortunate episodes of diverticulitis for yours truly), my writing "career" finally seemed to take off in 2010. As of today, I will have signed FIVE contracts with Harlequin for four Fatal books and a novella. I could hardly have seen that coming going into this year when Fatal Affair was on submission to Harlequin's new Carina Press. Over the years I have learned to submit and forget about it until you get a reply. So it was with great delight that I heard of Carina's interest in Fatal Affair in early February. They bought it later in February, Fatal Justice went in May (and is out on MONDAY!), Fatal Consequences in August, Fatal Destiny and Fatal Flaw in November. A very, very good year indeed. In 2010, I wrote a book to deadline for the first time and survived the process, proving a few things to myself. This fall came the spectacular news that Fatal Affair had been chosen for one of Harlequin's direct-to-consumer programs and will be sent—in print—to all of HQN's mystery and romantic suspense subscribers in July 2011. It was also released in October as an audio book. Some days I still wake up and want to pinch myself over all the good stuff that happened this year. And that brings me to my first thank you: To all the people who bought Fatal Affair, who wrote to express their love for Sam and Nick and Freddie and the rest of the gang, THANK YOU! I can't tell you how much it means to me to be writing this series the way I wanted to write it, with Sam and Nick front and center in every book. If there's one thing I know for sure about publishing it's that there would be no book 4 in the works if book 1 hadn't done fairly well. That is all on you, my faithful readers and I thank you so profoundly for that. I fought hard for this series, and I knew there were readers out there who would embrace this couple, so thanks for coming through for me! :-)

The second thank you is to ALL the readers who have checked out the two offerings I posted to Amazon: True North and The Fall. You guys have OVERWHELMED me with your response to these two books. People have asked me why I went ahead and posted some of my unsold books on my own. Well, the answer to that is easy: no one was interested in them except my readers. I had a feeling you all would connect to Travis and Liana and Ted and Caroline, and judging by the numbers, the reader reviews and the emails you've sent, I was right about that. So thank you. Truly, you have humbled me with your support. There will be more coming in 2011, so keep your eyes posted here and on my Amazon author page for more of my favorite books!

The next thank you goes out to all my new friends! Whether we found each other through Facebook or you wrote to me about my books or we met at a conference, I am deeply grateful for each and every one of you. The fun we've had on Facebook has made my somewhat lonely existence working two jobs from home so much brighter. I look forward to our daily banter and can't wait for more fun in 2011. I want to say a special thank you to Ronlyn Howe, Alyson Hackett, Kara Conrad, Hope Frost, Kris Gilson, Anne Woodall, Mary G and all the ladies who've supported our new Romance and Oreos Book Club. The book club has been GREAT FUN and I'm so glad we've gotten it up and running in 2010. I'm looking forward to a fun year of new books and fabulous authors in 2011. I have read some truly AMAZING books this year thanks the recommendations from the Whip Cracking Book Club Wenches, so thank you for that, too! Thank you also to the amazing authors who have come bearing gifts and given of their time and insight to the book club. We appreciate you more than you know!

Finally, this year I decided to keep track of how many books I read and to note the ones I particularly loved. You've heard me say before that I am not a big fan of authors rating other authors so you won't see me scoring books on Goodreads or Amazon. Instead I give a little * to those that really resonated with me. That doesn't mean I don't like the others. I liked most of the books I read this year with few exceptions. The final total for the year was 112. To be honest, I am surprised it's that low. I would've guessed closer to 200. In years past, it probably was 200 or more. But now that I am having to be even more disciplined about writing, the reading time is getting ever more precious. I still read for fun every single day. My day is simply not complete without at least 30 minutes of reading time. And in 2010, I became an e-book convert. In early November, I downloaded the Amazon app to my iTouch (okay, let's be real, Emily did it for me) and have become an e-book reading fool. I'm a total convert. I never imagined I'd love it so much!

So now without further ado, I give you my top three favorite books for 2010:
1. A Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr. This book contained all the things that make a book unforgettable to me: amazing, well-crafted characters dealing with serious issues in their lives along with a healthy dose of romance. Four interwoven stories told from Robyn's unique perspective made this book a total winner for me. I know I will remember it for some time to come. And, I'm delighted to call Robyn a new friend in 2010. Her Virgin River books rank right up there among my all-time favorites.

2. Hot Island Nights by Sarah Mayberry. What a terrific book about a hero dealing with unimaginable grief and all it's accompanying issues. I love the way Sarah tackles the subject of post-traumatic stress in the context of a new romance. To be honest, I've come to expect a lighter, fluffier read from a lot of the Blaze line and with the title of this book, I was expecting a sexy beach romp (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with a sexy beach romp!). This book was SO much more than that. I thought about it for weeks after I finished it, and that made this book one of my top 3 for 2010. Well done, Sarah!

3. Extreme Exposure by Pamela Clare. I chose this book because it set me off on a reading frenzy that reminded me of when I read the Virgin River books. For about 20 days in November I was all Pamela Clare all the time. Her I-Team series, which begins with Extreme Exposure, was some of the most riveting reading I've done in a long time. I tend to shy away from contemporaries and romantic suspense because that's what I write, and I never want to be influenced by other books. However, my book club wenches insisted I read this series, and WOW, I am so glad I did. As a former reporter myself, I loved reading about Pam's investigative reporters and their many adventures. If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? Even though I listed Extreme Exposure as one of my top three, I am STILL on team Julian (ALY)! He is the hero from book 2, Hard Evidence. One word: YUM. Thank you for the many hours of entertainment, Pamela!

Honorable Mention
1. Last Chance Rescue Series by Christy Reece. Riveting. Amazing. Heart-pounding.
2. Kelly Group International Series by Maya Banks. Outstanding. Sexy. Thrilling. Can't wait for the third book! Six yummy brothers. What more do we need?

So much for avoiding romantic suspense, huh? :-) I am shocked to not see a historical on my top 3 list. I truly enjoyed Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean (coming soon to book club) and 10 Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn. And, of course, A Wallflower Christmas and the final Hathaway book by Lisa Kleypas.

I end 2010 a thankful, grateful wife, mother, daughter, sister, cousin, friend and author who is surrounded by amazing people who make life a happier place to be. Whether you are near or far, I love you all and look forward to 2011. Happy New Year!

Now, tell me your top three favorite books for 2010 and your resolutions for 2011!