Guest Post & Giveaway: One Night with a Hero by Laura Kaye

We're so excited to have Laura Kaye, author of the Hero series, here with us today. She's talking about the incredible bond between the two leading men in her Hero series. She's also offering one lucky reader a chance to win a copy of One Night with a Hero, the latest book in the Hero series.

Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is the bestselling and award-winning author of over a half-dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. A published non-fiction author, Laura’s work as an historian and training as an archaeologist help her create vivid and accurate portrayals of other times and places. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

For more information about Laura check out her website.

You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Celebrating the Band of Brothers

We few, we happy, we band of brothers. For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. ~William Shakespeare

I’m so happy to be at Book Sniffers Anonymous today to celebrate the recent release of my contemporary romance, One Night with a Hero. The book has already had an incredible journey during its first two weeks, and I’m just thrilled and so appreciative! *grins*

One of my favorite things about writing the Hero series (Her Forbidden Hero, One Night with a Hero) is the incredible relationship between the two books’ heroes, Marco Vieri and Brady Scott. Marco and Brady were childhood friends—they met playing peewee baseball—and they not only grew up together, but Marco’s family took Brady and his little sister Alyssa in when the Vieri family fell apart. To make sure Alyssa was taken care of, Brady and Marco delayed leaving their hometown after graduating high school for nearly five years, until she could also graduate and safely go off on her own. The guys had become brothers in the close friendship sense of the term.

Marco and Brady then joined the Army together, entered into the Special Forces Qualifications course, and, successfully completing it, joined the Special Forces in the same A-Team. For four years, they served together, mostly in Afghanistan, and became brothers-in-arms. Then, one day, on a mission-gone-wrong, Marco was severely injured. Here, he’s recounting that moment to Brady’s brother Alyssa:

“I recommended my team act on some intelligence I’d spent months gathering. It turned out to be bad information, a setup. Three of our men died, and I got this”—he held up his scarred arm—“and a brain that doesn’t work like it used to. Brady is the only reason I’m here today. He saw the trip wire a second before the lead guy set off the bomb and pulled me out of the doorway. Well, mostly.” [Her Forbidden Hero]

Even though Marco is medically discharged after this mission, the ties between him and Brady have been forged by blood and honor as much as by friendship and time. And that deepens their relationship in a way I absolute adored writing and exploring. Here’s a moment from One Night with a Hero that shows just how well they know each other:

“Brady, talk to us. Let us help.”

He whirled and stalked up to his best friend. He pointed at Marco’s left arm, the scars mostly hidden by the dark gray suit he wore. “That…that should’ve been me. My whole life, you’ve been the truest friend I’ve ever had. And you didn’t deserve that. But I—”

Marco’s good fist cracked into Brady’s jaw and jarred his head so hard his ears rang. Brady staggered and just managed to keep himself on his feet.

“Marco!” Nick yelled.

Brady backhanded the blood from the corner of his mouth. The fog, the haze, the rising tide of rage—they faded away. “Dude. What the hell was that for?”

“Don’t you ever, ever say that again,” Marco said in a tight, seething voice. “Most of the time, I m-manage to accept that I didn’t de-de—” He clenched his eyes tight. It was the worst Brady had ever seen his injury-born apraxia trouble him, but Marco heaved a breath, opened his eyes again, and nailed Brady with a glare. “But you didn’t d-deserve it either. You haven’t deserved any of this shit.” He waved a hand at the casket, then tugged it roughly through his hair and turned away.

He whipped back in his face a moment later. “Jesus Christ, Brady. You think I don’t know what you think of y-yourself? All these years, you don’t think I’ve noticed you’ve never had anything more than a one-night stand or a fuck buddy? You don’t think I realize that the way you keep a lid on the boiling cauldron in your head is by beating yourself the fuck up?” He glared at Brady a long minute. “That’s why I hit you, by the way. ’Cause I’m just fucked up enough to give you what you need. Feeling a little better?”

Brady stared at him, but could see by the expression on Marco’s face he knew the answer. And damn if he wasn’t right. After that punch, Brady’s head was clearer than it had been in days. Even though it hurt like a mofo.

“I will help you six ways from Sunday, but, man, seriously, you have to find a way to let go of the anger. I’m not saying you didn’t come by that shit honestly. You did. But it is eating you from the inside out. And I hate that. I hate that for you. I hate that for Aly.”

I am the only one verklempt right now??? This, by the way, is the only scene I’ve ever written that brought me fully to tears (there’s a scene in my Greek-mythology-inspired book West of Want that’s a close second…). And beyond Brady’s terrible agony, part of the reason I was so moved was because of what Marco does for him to help him through it.

Thanks for reading!
Laura Kaye

Laura is offering up an ecopy to one lucky winner! For more chances to win stop by the other stops on the tour.

One Night with a Hero
By: Laura Kaye
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

He wants just one night…

After growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father, Army Special Forces Sgt. Brady Scott vowed never to marry or have kids. Sent stateside to get his head on straight—and his anger in check—Brady’s looking for a distraction. He finds it in his beautiful new neighbor’s one-night-only offer for hot sex, but her ability to make him forget is addictive. Suddenly, Brady’s not so sure he can stay away.

…what they need is each other.

Orphaned as a child, community center director Joss Daniels swore she’d never put herself in a position to be left behind again, but she can’t deny herself one sizzling night with the sexy soldier who makes her laugh and kisses her senseless. When Joss discovers she’s pregnant, Brady’s rejection leaves her feeling abandoned. Now, they must overcome their fears before they lose the love and security they’ve found in each other, but can they let go of the past to create a future together?

a Rafflecopter giveaway