Hi, I’m Lisa Carlisle. I write
a paranormal erotic romance series for Ellora’s Cave and I just had my first
military romance released, called A
Marine’s Proposal. I actually started this story over ten years ago as well
as a few other military romances, but put them aside. In 2013, my resolution
was to finish one of these and send them out. Imagine how happy and surprised I
was when Red Sage offered me a contract the very next day! As an author I know
this doesn’t happen very often. It can be months of the hurry up and wait
game—wait, that’s the military. ;)
A
Marine’s Proposal sprang from an idea that came up when I served
in the Marines over in Okinawa many years ago--getting married to move out of the
barracks. They can be quite rowdy. :) As an author I thought what if? What if two Marines tried to
pull this off, but they had the added complication of a secret attraction?
The release date for A Marine’s
Proposal was January 1st—perfect for a New Year’s resolution!
A Marine’s Proposal by Lisa Carlisle
When Slade Masters, her closest
friend in the Marine Corps, proposes to her, Caitlyn O’Neill lets her thrill
overshadow the catch. It’s a marriage in name only. Slade thinks a temporary
marriage is the perfect solution to their problematic living situations in the
barracks. Despite her reservations about the deceit involved, Caitlyn is
thrilled to live off-base and experience the culture of the island of Okinawa,
Japan, as a local—especially with Slade. Swept up in the excitement of
apartment hunting and planning a wedding, she silences the anxiety within and
goes along with Slade’s plans. They struggle to fight their growing attraction
while acting on their script. On their wedding night, their bodies heat up with
the thrill of being so close. Desire intensifies during a heated moment on the
dance floor. How can they play off the charade of their marriage now that they
have complicated their arrangement? Have they ruined their plan or will they
find a way to continue? Or has their passionate night together uncovered hidden
desires impossible to ignore?
Contemporary Military Romance
Red Sage Publishing
Buy
now:
Red Sage Publishing
EXCERPT
"We should get married."
Caitlyn didn't blink nor twitch a muscle for a
good five seconds. She must have misunderstood. "Married?" she
repeated, her jade eyes opening wide as she put down the magazine. "What
are you talking about? I thought you were talking about dinner. You're joking,
right?"
"No, I'm not joking. I'm completely
serious."
"Masters, get out of here," Caitlyn said
with a flick of her wrist. "I think all that thin air from rock climbing
earlier has gone straight to your head." She glanced at the television and
saw a commercial with a couple exchanging rings in some outdoor setting. What
the heck was this show even about? Whatever it was, it must have been where he
came up with that cockamamie idea. "I still think we should go into Naha.
It's a Saturday night, we can get some noodles and some drinks. Go for a walk
in the outdoor markets, maybe even go dancing," she emphasized. She was
pushing her luck with that idea. In all the time she knew him, Lance Corporal
Slade Masters did not dance.
Slade ignored her and stood up. "You
see," he began, pacing the room already like a lawyer presenting a case,
"we both want some privacy. You want to get away from guys hitting on you.
I want to get off-base so I can study. Do you know how much they make you read
in these law courses? If I'm ever going to graduate, I can't live in a box with
loud Marines stumbling in drunk all hours of the night. If we get married, we’d
get a housing allowing since the staff housing is all full. Then we’d share an
apartment off base and get out of these goddamn barracks."
While watching him outlining his points with
such confidence, Caitlyn found it hard not to drool. Outdoorsy, masculine, and
intellectual. His self-assurance filled the area around him like a physical
presence; She couldn't help but be impressed by him. His tone, his gait, all
commanded attention. He’d be an excellent officer one day if he wanted to. Or a
lawyer or politician. He's a natural leader. People can’t help but look
up to him.
At the same time, Caitlyn tried to get over the
shock of Slade's unexpected proposal. Slade Masters was the one Marine she
secretly fantasized about for months, ever since they met in training in the
States. Now they were living across the hall in Okinawa, Japan. They started
out friends, but as they grew closer, Caitlyn developed stronger
feelings—something she could never admit without harming their friendship.
“I never pictured you to be the marrying type,”
Caitlyn remarked.
“Why not?”
“You’re always so focused on other things. Your
running times, scuba-diving, grades—never something as ‘trivial’ as romance.”
“This isn’t about romance. It’s about being
practical.”
“Oh, of course.” Caitlyn smirked. “Naturally.”
She knew there had to be a catch.
ABOUT
LISA CARLISLE
Lisa gravitates toward stories
with dark, brooding, isolated characters (think Heathcliff, Dracula, Darth
Vader and Severus Snape) and tough, independent, caring heroines. She’s wanted
to write since the sixth grade and is thrilled to now be a multi-published,
award-winning author.
She spent a short time in the
Marine Corps, living in Parris Island, the California desert, and Okinawa,
Japan. She then backpacked alone around the US and Europe and lived in Paris,
France, before returning to the U.S. to buy a bookstore. Now she lives outside
of Boston with her husband and children and draws on these experiences in her
stories.
Sign up for new releases and specials at lisacarlislebooks.com
Thanks for having me, Angel. :)
ReplyDelete