On Tour: Catching the Bad Guy by Marie Astor, an Excerpt and a Tour Giveaway!

Janet Maple and Dennis Walker make a good team: she is a top-notch white collar crime investigator, and so is he. Both Janet and Dennis are thrown in for a loop when Janet’s treacherous snake of an ex-boyfriend, Alex Kingsley, is appointed as their new boss, and the case that was supposed to be the highlight of their careers is dismissed for lack of evidence.

To make matters worse, Alex is asking Janet to get back together, and the one man she wishes would ask her out sees her as nothing more than a coworker. Janet’s love life soon becomes the least of her worries, as she begins to suspect that Alex’s rekindled interest in her is driven by ulterior motives. She is determined to get to the bottom of things, but she can’t do it alone.

Together, Janet and Dennis team up to solve a tangled white collar crime web that leads to powerful politicians and corporate executives. Armed with their keen instincts and skills, Janet and Dennis are bound to succeed. There is just one glitch: both are attracted to each other, and both refuse to admit it. Will Janet and Dennis solve the biggest case of their careers or will their attraction to each other get in the way?

*Catching the Bad Guy is book two of the Janet Maple Series, but it can easily be read on its own.*

An excerpt

Janet brought the pizza into the living room and saw that Dennis was busy tinkering with a gadget in his hands. “It’s the transmitter for the bug,” Dennis explained.

“Is it working?” Janet asked as she placed the food on the reading table.

Dennis adjusted the controls, and distant human voices erupted from the speaker. “It is now. Can you recognize Muller’s voice?”

Janet recognized Muller’s cocky inflection emanating through the receiver. “Yes, that’s him all right!” she exclaimed, straining her ears to make sense of the conversation that was taking place on the other end of the transmitter.

“Now all we have to do is sit back and wait for the evidence to glide right into our hands.” Dennis took a bite of pizza and chewed it with relish.

Janet resisted the urge to smack the man. “It would also help if we could actually make out what they are saying,” she added pointedly.

“Let them settle in first. They are just shooting the breeze for now.” Dennis took a swallow of his beer. He handed Janet her beer. “Here, let’s toast to success.”

“I don’t want to jinx it.” Janet took the beer bottle from Dennis’s hand and placed it on the table. “And I don’t drink on the job,” she added because that was all it was—a job. Even though it was Saturday night, and a handsome man was sprawled out on her couch, drinking beer, he was nothing more than a colleague. A colleague who also happened to kiss her earlier but, as Dennis had made clear, that too had been part of the job, and Janet had no intention of disappointing him.

“Fine, be boring.” Dennis shrugged, reaching for the beer. “I on the other hand think that there’s nothing wrong with combining business with a little bit of pleasure.” 

Maybe it was the tone of Dennis’s voice, or maybe it was the way his lithe, muscular body lay stretched out on Janet’s couch only a few inches away from her, but she felt her face growing hot. Actually, she sensed her entire body temperature rising. This will not do, Janet thought, this will not do at all. There she was, on the brink of closing what could easily turn out to be the biggest case of her career, and all she could think about was the tantalizing scent of Dennis’s cologne and the sexy, although admittedly smug, smile on his face. She forced herself not to think about the glint in his blue eyes, the faint stubble on his cheeks, and the hollow of his throat that, along with a bit of clavicle bone, was peeking through the open collar of his shirt.

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About the author

Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic, which is why she loves writing in the contemporary romance genre. She is the author of Janet Maple romantic suspense series: To Catch a Bad Guy and Catching the Bad Guy, contemporary romance novels This Tangled Thing Called Love, Lucky Charm, Smitten at First Sight, and a short story collection, A Dress in a Window. Marie is also the author of young adult fantasy adventure novel, Over the Mountain and Back. Marie’s next novel, book three of the Janet Maple Series, is expected to be released in late fall of 2013.

In her spare time, Marie enjoys being adventurous out-of-doors. She often gets new story ideas while she is hiking up a mountain or trying to avoid bumping into a tree while skiing.

Marie loves hearing from her readers and always answers all of her email personally. Please visit www.marieastor.com to join Marie’s mailing list for updates on contests and new book releases or drop her a line at marie.astor@yahoo.com.

Connect with Marie

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Buy the book

Kindle | iTunes | Kobo

  

And now for the tour giveaway! 

This is what is up for grabs! 

Be sure to go to the tour page to enter! 

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page (click here) will be entered in the giveaway! Anyone who purchases their copy of Catching the Bad Guy before June 10 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will receive 5 bonus entries! 

Want to receive more bonus entries? Get 1 point for liking Marie's Facebook page, and one point for becoming Marie's fan on GoodReads! Please leave your points in your comment section on the tour page (click here)  Five individual winners will receive a piece of jewelry shown above, and one bonus winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card! Please note this is open to US residents only.**

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

On Tour, an Excerpt and a Giveaway: On the Rim of Love by Marie Astor

Isn't this cover just beautiful? 

Enjoy this excerpt from On the Rim of Love and then 
visit these other stops on the tour to read more.

Taylor woke up at seven a.m. and shut off the alarm clock that was supposed to go off in ten minutes – he had always been an early riser, but he turned on the alarm clock last night just in case he might oversleep. He stretched and sat on the edge of his bed for several moments, gearing up for the day ahead of him. He could honestly say that today was the first day in his life that he did not look forward to spending the day on the mountain. That is, he looked forward to the skiing part - he just did not look forward to the company he’d be skiing with. Well, except maybe for one person – a girl, to be more precise, but he would not think about her now.

He got up and turned on the shower, making the water extra hot. Whatever is she doing being engaged to that moron Jeffrey? wondered Taylor as Maggie surfaced in his thoughts once more, she is too good for him. But then again, he hardly knew her; correction, he did not know her at all, although under a different set of circumstances, he would most certainly like to get to know her. Get a hold of yourself, man, thought Taylor, she’s the producer’s fiancée. Which of course was easier said than done - the way Maggie stood out in the room full of people, made it difficult for him to forget her. Perhaps it was because of her light brown eyes or her long, chestnut hair, or maybe it was the smooth, pearl-white of her skin or the delicate, chiseled features of her face, or her perfectly proportioned body - it could have been any of these things, but it was the way Maggie carried herself that really caught Taylor’s attention. Not only was Maggie beautiful, but she was also elegant and full of grace - the kind of girl a guy could fall in love with.

Snap out of it man. Taylor slapped some aftershave onto his face. It was half past seven, and he wanted to get to the Owl Lodge to make sure that all the equipment was in order well before Jeffrey and company arrived. At least Taylor would not have to be on his own – Shawn and Ryan would be there to help him guide the group.

Shawn Gregory was Taylor’s closest friend – the two had been exploring the wilderness of the Eagleville Mountains every winter since their early childhood – the tradition that still held true today. Their personalities were as different as the reasons why they both loved to ski: while Taylor was always looking for new lines and different ways to challenge himself, Shawn’s interests were more on the traditional side: an excellent guide, he loved to share his knowledge of skiing with those looking to improve their skills. Shawn knew the mountains of Eagleville like the back of his hand, and Taylor was glad that Shawn was going to be there this morning to help him shepherd the group. Today’s group was going to be no picnic - the lower the skiing ability, the greater the risks when it came to off-piste skiing, and Taylor held no illusions about Jeffrey’s skiing prowess or that of the rest of the group for that matter. Still, he had agreed to be their guide on the mountain, and he would do everything in his power to ensure their safety.

Ryan Gibson was ten years older than Taylor, and he was an excellent big mountain skier in his own right - he had to be; otherwise, he would never have been able to achieve the unique cinematography that was the hallmark of his films. Taylor knew Ryan well from other film shoots where Taylor had had a small part. In fact, it was Ryan’s idea to film Taylor’s descent of the Needle Eye when Taylor had confided to him his desire to ski the formidable couloir. Ryan had been invaluable in helping Taylor find the producer for the project, and now, almost two years later, their joint venture was finally about to come to completion.

With his two close friends by his side, Taylor was fairly certain that the three of them would be able to keep any mayhem in check. However, he sincerely hoped that it would not come to that, not after the agreement that he and Jeffrey struck last night – he did not expect Jeffrey to understand the reasons why he skied the way he skied, but he expected Jeffrey to respect him and his friends, and, more importantly, to respect the mountains; otherwise, the project Taylor and Ryan had worked so hard to bring to life would have to be put on hold indefinitely. 

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered in the giveaway! Anyone who purchases their copy of On the Rim of Love before December 24 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will receive 5 bonus entries! Want to receive more bonus entries? Get 1 point for liking On the Rim of Love on Amazon, one point for liking Marie's Facebook page, and one point for becoming Marie's fan on GoodReads! Please leave your points in the comments section on the tour page here. Five individual winners will receive a piece of jewelry shown and one bonus winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card! Please note this is open to US residents only.**

On Tour and a Giveaway: To Catch a Bad Guy Marie Astor

Today is my stop on the CLP Blog Tour for To Catch a Bad Guy by Marie Astor. I have to admit that I have not read any books by Marie yet but after reading this excerpt and seeing the other books that she has written, her books are now on my TBR list. I hope you enjoy this little part of To Catch a Bad Guy. Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour to read more.

Excerpt from To Catch a Bad Guy ~~

“Tom, so wonderful to see you!” Lisa leaned in for an air kiss exchange. “So sorry we are late.”

“Nonsense, good company is worth waiting for.” Tom grinned.

“You’re such a charmer.” Lisa batted her eyelashes.

She’s flirting with him, Janet felt a sting of irritation. She was not even interested in this Tom Wyman character, but, in spite of herself, she was hot with resentment. Lisa’s behavior was reminiscent of all those teenage double dates Janet had endured, with Lisa flirting away with the very guys Lisa had supposedly invited as Janet’s dates. Sure, Janet was much older now, but when it came to her friendship with Lisa, other than the number of candles on her last birthday cake, not much had changed.

“Tom, Tom Wyman.” Tom’s eyes locked in on Janet’s as he extended his hand. Coiffed was the word to describe him. Everything about this man was polished: his manner of speech, his silky dark eyes, his curly black hair, which was carefully slicked back, and his tailored outfit of Brooks Brothers suit and pink shirt with onyx cufflinks.

“Janet Maple.” Janet blinked, sensing Tom’s smooth, manicured fingers wrap around her hand.

“Janie just started working for me today,” Lisa cut in.

Janet nodded good-naturedly. She hated it when Lisa called her Janie – the diminutive was reserved for family only, but somehow, years ago, when Lisa had overheard Janet’s mother call her Janie, she had picked it right up and Janet never had the heart to tell her to stop.

“Some would say never hire your best friend, but I’m of a different opinion. Janie and I are the best of friends, and I know that we’ll get along splendidly at the office.”

Tom let go of Janet’s hand and looked at Lisa, bemused. “Well, Lisa, from what you’ve told me about Janet, she is going to be a great asset to the firm.”

Janet beamed him a smile. She did not know much about this Tom Wyman character, but she could have kissed him on the spot for putting Lisa back in her place.

As if reading Janet’s mind, or more likely her facial expression, Tom winked. “Columbia Law School graduates rarely come clamoring for employment, especially those who graduated magna cum laude.”

“I see that Lisa has been talking about me.” Janet returned Tom’s wink with a smile. She might not like the idea of Lisa meddling in her personal life, but that did not mean that she would let Lisa steal the limelight from her date – not anymore.

About the author

Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels This Tangled Thing Called Love, Lucky Charm, On the Rim of Love, romantic suspense, To Catch a Bad Guy, and a short story collection, A Dress in a Window. Marie is also the author of a young adult fantasy adventure novel, Over the Mountain and Back.

Books by Marie Astor

This Tangled Thing Called Love – a contemporary romance about overcoming one’s inhibitions,learning to tango, and finding one’s true love match. Purchase from Amazon

Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship. Purchase from Amazon

On the Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love. Purchase from Amazon

A Dress in a Window – a collection of short stories about love, coincidences, and fate. Purchase from Amazon

Over the Mountain and Back – young adult fantasy adventure novel about a boy who takes his snowboard for a ride and finds himself in a magical, hidden world he never knew existed. Purchase from Amazon

Connect with Marie!

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter @marieastor

**Everyone who leaves a comment on Marie’s tour page will be entered in the giveaway! Anyone who purchases their copy of How To Catch a Bad Guy before November 19 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries! Three individual winners will receive a piece of jewelry shown above, and one bonus winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card! Please note this is open to US residents only.**

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