Today I am so pleased to welcome Annabeth Albert to Joyfully Jay. Annabeth has come to talk to us about her latest release, Off Base (which I reviewed here and totally loved!). She has also brought along a great tourwide giveaway Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Off Base Tour Banner

 

Thank you so very much for having me today! I’m celebrating the release of OFF BASE today, which is the first book in my OUT OF UNIFORM series, a spin-off from my #gaymers universe featuring SEAL heroes and the men who love them. Why SEALS? I’ve always loved military heroes, having done Army soldiers in RESILIENT HEART and another SEAL in CONNECTION ERROR, but for this new series, I wanted to dig deeper into active duty life and into what life is like for LGBTQ personnel post-DADT as they face both unique challenges and obstacles common to all military families.

I blame Suzanne Brockmann for my deep fascination with military romance. Way back in 2006, I broke my foot, and a dear friend at the time loaned me what she called the perfect distraction—two complete series from Brockmann. I roared through both series, deeply immersed in her universe, and thoroughly inspired. I’d already written a few books at this point (these will forever live under my bed), but Brockmann really shaped who I was to become as a writer—pushing me towards a deeper POV, more feels, more stakes, more conflict. I don’t write suspense, but reading her books was like a master class in plotting, GMC (goal/motivation/conflict) and POV.

Off Base Teaser GraphicBut it would be almost a decade before I was brave enough to try my own spin on the military romance genre, a full ten years of devouring hundreds of books both fiction and non-fiction, and developing a intense love of the genre. But I was super afraid of getting it wrong, even though my husband is a former Navy sailor, and I’m blessed with some military contacts in my life. I was afraid of not doing these characters justice.

But the more I wrote other books, the more I felt absolutely called toward this subgenre. Ryan, the SEAL from CONNECTION ERROR, was years in the making, a character who spoke to me long before the #gaymers series was even a glimmer in my brain. Once I allowed myself to tell Ryan’s story, complete with hours and hours of research, other stories started demanding their turn, and I started crafting a universe for my military men to live in, giving birth to the OUT OF UNIFORM series.

I’ve done more research for these books than any others I’ve written, and I’ve loved every moment. From researching the San Diego housing market to minutiae about military regulations and customs, I’ve adored creating this series and the characters that inhabit it. I’m moved past my fears about not being the right writer for these characters to a place where the stories absolutely HAD to come out. I wrote OFF BASE, AT ATTENTION, and ON POINT back-to-back-to-back, immersed in their world, and it was among the best writing experiences of my life. I’m so excited for you to meet these characters, and I hope you enjoy OFF BASE.


Blurb

Off Base CoverAfter trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate—especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike’s flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike’s arrival would spark from Zack’s teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can’t refuse.

Pike Reynolds knows there won’t be a warm welcome in his new home. What can he say? He’s an acquired taste. But he needs this chance to get his life together. Also, teasing the uptight SEAL will be hella fun. Still, Pike has to tread carefully; he’s had his fill of tourists in the past, and he can’t risk his heart on another, not even one as hot, as built—and, okay, yeah, as adorable—as Zack.

Living with Pike crumbles Zack’s restraint and fuels his curiosity. He discovers how well they fit together in bed…in the shower…in the hallway… He needs Pike more than he could have imagined, yet he doesn’t know how to be the man Pike deserves.

Book One of the Out of Uniform series

This book is approximately 73,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise

Purchase Links


Bio

Annabeth AvatarAnnabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

Author Links


Giveaway

Annabeth has brought a $20 Amazon gift card to give away to one lucky reader on her tour. Just follow the Rafflecopter below to enter. 

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