New release Feb. 1

Shielded by the Cowboy Seal is out Feb. 1! I'm quite excited about my second romantic suspense book for Harlequin. Cooper is a sexy Navy SEAL who is home on leave and has to protect a runaway heiress who needs refuge from her ex-husband. Meg hides a secret that will rattle Cooper's world once he discovers it. 

Here's a sneak peak at Shielded by the Cowboy Seal, out Feb. 1!

Copyright 2017 Bonnie Vanak

She peered upward to get a closer look at him. A thick shock of wavy dark brown hair was cropped short. He had an intense gaze, thin cheekbones and a wide mouth. Handsome, with a hint of Irish blood in those ice-blue eyes.

A dusting of black hair covered his muscled chest. Washboard abs rippled beneath smooth, tanned skin. He was mouthwatering, a prime example of masculinity. Meg stared, still struggling with the unreality that this man had rescued her from the cold and warmed her with his body.

“You’re Cooper Johnson?”

“The one and only,” he drawled. “Your host over the next several days.”

She pulled the blankets up to cover her breasts, well aware her lacy red bra provided thin covering in the chill, and her nipples had turned rigid.

From the cold. Not the pull of attraction toward this handsome stranger. It didn’t matter if her libido sat up and started shimmying.

All she had to do was think of what Prescott would do if he found her, and her heated blood turned to ice.

“Where’s Sophie?”

Cooper lifted the bottom of the blankets. Snuggled at his feet, wedged partly beneath the covers, her dog snoozed. Relief filled Meg. She tossed back the covers, climbed down the length of the bed and gathered her dog into her arms, checking her over anxiously.

“She seems okay.” Meg drew in a deep breath as the awakening Sophie licked her face.

Sheer male interest flared on Cooper’s face. He rearranged the blankets around his waist. Realizing he must have had a bull’s-eye glimpse of her rear end, Meg flushed. She clutched the dog just a little too tightly, and Sophie squirmed.

The interest faded as his expression shuttered. He scratched the bristles on his hard jaw. “You feeling okay now, Princess?”

At her nod, he flung back the blankets, displaying a pair of long, muscled legs. A dusting of hair didn’t hide a wicked-looking scar on his left thigh. Her fascinated gaze traveled upward to the black Jockeys he wore…

And the very large bulge beneath them showing a blatant male reaction.

Seems as if Cooper Johnson was equally attracted to her.
Not that she’d do anything about it. Not in her lifetime.

His mouth curved into a knowing smile as he reached down to the floor, retrieved a pair of jeans. Cooper slid into them and stood, buckling the belt.

“Had to get you warm. Can’t help the consequences. I’m a guy, and you’re a very attractive woman.”

He shoved a hand through his thick hair and the move flexed the biceps of his right arm. A tattoo of a snake writhed with the motion as well. Sailors got inked, from what she knew. And he was a Navy SEAL.

Click here to purchase! 

What goes up must go down...the drain...

I'm working on revisions for Navy Seal Seduction and finishing a proposal for the next romantic suspense for Harlequin. My editor liked NSS, which was great news! That book was a tough one to write, as it was my first romantic suspense. I usually have elements of suspense in my books, either historical or paranormal, but this was my first straight RS book.

I'm so happy that I finished the book and all looks well. It was a big challenge to write during the holidays, as the week of  Christmas we had a huge, huge problem...

We had a flood in our master bathroom a few days before Christmas and discovered mold growing between the walls backing up to our kitchen. Black mold. Lots of it. We had to hire a mold mitigation contractor, put in an insurance claim, and move out of the house.

The contractor did a great job removing the mold. It's been unsettling going back and forth from our temporary living quarters to the house, but the most important thing is our health. The black mold was causing us to cough, wheeze and get ill. And we never even knew it was there.



All this was caused by a rusty, leaking drain. We had no idea this could happen. But it was the original tub, and rusted out at the bottom. Since the tub was installed 30 years ago, and not properly sealed, it was only a matter of time.

Regarding book news, soon as I turn in my RS proposal, I will focus on finishing Tristan's book. The Mating Season needs about 10,000 more words. I have a cover as well, which I will show in another blog post. When The Mating Season is done, I'll hire a professional editor. All my indie books are professionally edited. I am a seasoned author, but writers need editors! It's hard to edit your own work because you are often too close to it.

Well, back to work for now. I'll touch base again soon. Happy reading!

Navy Seal Seduction is FINISHED!

I finally finished writing Navy Seal Seduction, my first romantic suspense book for Harlequin. Yay! This book is out in print and digital in July. I've posted an excerpt below.

The plan is now to finish the proposal due for the next romantic suspense book, and then I'll be returning to my Werewolves of Montana. Tristan's book is close to being finished. Happy 2016!

Navy Seal Seduction
copyright 2016 by Bonnie Vanak

A tall, muscled pirate in a clean white shirt and black trousers stood before her in the courtyard of Le Soleil Hotel. Scowling to hide her emotions, she stared, her heart racing as if she’d run a mile up and down the nearby mountain. Black hair cropped short, he wore a pressed white shirt, the cuffs rolled up to display tanned, muscled forearms. Smooth cheeks, strong jaw and a nose that had been broken at least once. Rugged, tough and those eyes, green as the ocean water he navigated on a mission.

            Those eyes had turned smoky and dark with passion as they’d made love, and cold as the Arctic the day she’d announced she’d hired a lawyer to initiate divorce proceedings. Whoa, he still had it. Hot, hot, hot, as the locals said. Bad boy to the extreme, who made her female parts say Why, hello there!

            Her female parts needed to stay quiet. This time she’d listen to her broken heart, and not her hormones, even though her heart jumped at the sight of him.

            He had never been there for her before, and certainly wasn’t staying now. 

            Lacey managed to find her voice. “I hope this is a bad dream and I’ll wake up and find you gone.”

            Her ex-husband pulled out a chair, turned it around and straddled it. “Well, darling, it seems your nightmare isn’t going away. Neither am I.”

She managed to conceal her trembling hands by wrapping her fingers tight around the beer bottle. Lacey took a deep drink, relishing the cool wash of liquid sliding down her throat. It reminded her of that time after they’d consumed several beers and then he’d kissed her and they had…

Not. Going. There.

“Go away Jarrett. If you’re here on a mission, aren’t you supposed to be invisible in your invincibility?”

He did not smile. Flickering candlelight on the table revealed the sharp angles and planes of his lean face. Jarrett looked all business.

“You’re my mission. I’m taking you out of here. I booked us on tomorrow’s early morning flight.” He glanced around. “Before the elections and before this place blows to hell.”

            Jarrett, trying to be funny, except his expression was dead serious. Had he heard about the mysterious vandalism plaguing her compound? It had been a few minor incidents she’d written off as a nuisance caused by locals who didn’t like how she helped women, until last week’s truck fire.

            That fire had not been a nuisance. It destroyed her best working vehicle.

She glanced around at the two other occupied tables and lowered her voice.

            “Are you insane? I’m not going anywhere with you.”

            “St. Marc is teetering on a coup and I’m taking you back to the States.”

            She knew St. Marc intimately, shied away from the hot spots and knew how to handle herself. “Elections are in two days. I know about the violence, and know how to avoid it and soon as elections are over, things will cool down. Stop wasting your time.”

            “You’re at risk of getting shot, kidnapped, or both.”

            “The media exaggerates about a few protests downtown. It’s not violent here.”

Jarrett turned his head as six men carrying sinister-looking guns trotted out onto the courtyard, racing off toward the hotel disco. His mouth curved in a knowing smile.

            “The president is here with his friends. He likes the disco,” she snapped.

            “Do all his friends carry assault rifles?”

            “It’s the latest fashion craze. Goes well with the Guayabera shirts. We do like to accessorize here on St. Marc.”

            The smile dropped, replaced with a dark stare. The Look. How many times had he aimed it at her in the past? The man had a stubborn streak bigger than a US Navy destroyer. Jarrett leaned forward. “This country is eroding into civil unrest, Lace, elections or no elections. You need to get out. How many State Department warnings does it take before you’ll listen?”

            Anger fisted in her stomach. “Those warnings are for the tourists who come here to do poverty tours, or sun themselves on the beaches. Not for ex-pats like me or Paul. And who the hell are you to tell me what to do? We’re no longer married.”

             She was 29, no longer that wide-eyed girl who’d fallen hard and fast for the handsome Navy sailor with a wicked smile, husky laugh and skilled hands. Marlee’s Mangos was her dream now, not a life of domestic bliss with a SEAL who was gone more than he’d been home.

            Gone too, when she needed him the most. Lacey clenched her beer bottle again and pushed away thoughts of the baby they’d lost. That was the past, and St. Marc was her future.

            Jarrett Adler belonged to those ghosts she’d exorcised out of her life...

RWA San Antonio

I'm leaving Tuesday for San Antonio and RWA and as usual, there's a million errands to run and stuff to do. Yesterday I went to the hairdresser and said those three little words many women sometimes regret: "Cut it off."

Oh yeah, I got a hair cut.  It hasn't been this short in years. Then I looked at my lost locks on the floor and told her, "Glue it back on."

DH likes it. It's not a short short short cut, but short enough to make a difference. I needed a change.

Today is a rush rush day, but I'm making time to have lunch at a Greek restaurant with a good friend, cuddle with the dogs on the sofa, scribbling notes about the WIP and organizing my clothing so I can pack 50 outfits into a suitcase that will allow only 50 pounds. I was looking forward to bringing my pink Coach purse with me to RWA, but the strap broke. I saw the guy who fixes my computers and suddenly, WHAP! The strap on my purse breaks. I told him, "Is this a sign that I will be owing you more money?"

Bummer about the purse because I bought it for myself to celebrate making the NY Times earlier this year, a major dream come true! I've always wanted a Coach bag, but could not justify spending that kind of money. And then we were in Key West for my birthday and there was a SALE! Fifty percent off at the Coach shop! So I bought my purse.

DH took it to the local Coach shop and they are repairing it for free. Then DH felt bad for me because I wouldn't have the purse at RWA, so what did he do? My amazing hubby bought me ANOTHER Coach purse as a surprise gift! He told me he wanted me to have that symbol of my success at RWA.

What a sweetheart!

Oh yeah, the Coach purse is a symbol of success for me, a personal triumph. But what matters more is that I have been a published author for more than 10 years and I'm finally, finally able to see my writing as a real career and a business where I can succeed. I've published many books, and I've worked hard, but never as hard as I've worked this past year. And it's paying off, finally! I have a fun series called the Werewolves of Montana and I have my Harlequin Nocturne books. I am a hybrid author, publishing both indie books and books with a traditional NY publisher. 

Oh, and I have a day job. A full-time demanding day job where I travel to poor countries. A week after I return from San Antonio, I will be in Guatemala, visiting poor families. None of them have Coach purses. To them, success is a roof over their head that doesn't leak, food on the table and a education for their children.

That's why the day job is important to me... I want to help make the world a better place and help others. And through visiting families in desperate need of help, and writing fundraising appeals to help the poor,  I'm succeeding in that goal as well. 

I will be at the RWA  "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing will be on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in the 3rd floor ballroom. Stop by to see me! 

The Shadow Wolf and Hurricane Irene

Tomorrow The Shadow Wolf is out! Yay!

Thursday we here in S. Florida are supposed to get Hurricane Irene! Boo!

My heart is beating fast, but it's not because The Shadow Wolf will be in bookstores tomorrow. It's because Irene, a Cat. 3 hurricane, is supposed to either brush our coast or have a direct impact.

I haven't gone toe to toe with a hurricane since Wilma in 2005. Score on that one? Wilma: 1, Bonnie, oh, about $50,000 in damages. Wilma dropped a tree on our roof and two others in the yard. I've posted a photo of what Wilma did to our back yard here... one of the trees crashed through the Florida room, where I had been, stupidly, standing 5 minutes earlier watching the winds pick up.

I've never taken hurricanes for granted after that.

So as excited as I am about The Shadow Wolf, I'm too focused on Hurricane Irene and what we have to do to protect ourselves from the storm.

Ironically, there is a hurricane in The Shadow Wolf. Gabe and Megan and the twins ride one out that's barely a Cat. 1. And Gabriel has a built-in generator that automatically transfers power when the electricity goes out.

Gabriel, can I move into your cottage with DH and the dogs?

How to plan for RWA in NY

RWA is a week away and what have I done to prepare? I've printed business cards with the cover to The Shadow Wolf. That's it.

And then I look at the calendar and realize I have one week left to get my act together before leaving for RWA. I have a blizzard of meetings at the day job next week, and two ART fact sheets to fill out for Harlequin for my upcoming stories, Hunted by the Jaguar and Mated to the Wolf. I need to get organized. Now.

So this blog post is devoted to advice on planning for national.

First, take a deep breath. Breathe. Just breathe. You can do this.

Now, budget a few minutes to make a list of things you must take care of before you leave your family/responsibilities. Children, husband, pets, etc.

Make another list of essentials for the conference to pack (here's a little trick I learned from traveling internationally...take a backpack to carry on and pack with essentials such as a change of clothing, business shoes, etc. you'll need if your checked luggage gets lost.)

Comfortable shoes
Business attire and some casual outfits for lounging
List of nearby restaurants that are affordable
Granola bars or snacks (come in handy for quick energy in pricey NY city)
Print out of RWA schedule
Airline tickets, car rental info, etc.
Other personal essentials (such as laptop, if you are bringing one)

Next, preprogram important cell numbers into your phone: ie: agent, editor, roommate, friends, etc.

Now for the schedule. It looks daunting. So much to do and so little time. Here is where you narrow down your choices.

Set your priorities for this conference. Ask yourself, "What do I need to get out of this?"

If your goal is to meet with a particular agent or editor, make that the Number One priority and schedule that accordingly. If your goal is meeting friends or critique partners to discuss the market and upcoming projects you have, make that your Number One priority. It's your conference.

For myself, my priorities are always meeting with my agent and my editor. Business first. Then I schedule workshops and time for lunches/meetings with friends/fellow authors. I look at the RWA schedule of workshops. To access, click here.


Pick workshops that feature areas you wish to hone. Are you weak on plotting? Select a plotting workshop. Need to learn to write a stronger heroine? Look for those. Yes, there are lots of booksignings where authors give away free books. But what will serve your writing goals more...getting autographed books or attending a workshop?

You can buy the workshops on tape, but let's say you don't have any time when you return home to listen, because your editor appointment resulted in a request for a full manuscript. Now you have to polish that book. And if you get such a request early on in the conference? Look for a workshop that can aid you in polishing your book. Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge before you.

It all comes down to prioritizing. You are the only one who can pick and choose goals for yourself at this conference. Align your schedule according to those goals. And don't forget to make time for friends at the bar. The bar is always where the action is at; where news is exchanged, market updates are provided, where you learn the real nitty gritty of what is going on.

When you have the list of workshops and appointments, program them into your phone for quick reference.

If you're shy and don't know many people, remember there are probably a lot of conference attendees who are the same. You are not alone. Force yourself to pick a table at a luncheon filled with strangers. Start a conversation about how they are enjoying themselves, if this is their first visit to NY. You never know who you'll meet.


Now, go take another deep breath, relax and say to yourself, "I can do this!"

And have fun in NY!

The Shadow Wolf

Here's the cover. This book includes Darkness of the Wolf, my Nocturne Bite that was previously released in ebook form.

The cover is the scene where they first make love by the lake.

In writing news, my muse has awoken (yay!) and I'm coming down the home stretch with a new short story. Details to follow!