I'm so excited!!!

As you've already heard we have a lot to celebrate here at the Top Down. Four years! Quite a milestone. And even though I didn't sign on for the maiden voyage, I hitched a ride shortly after they got started and have loved every mile I've spent in the convertible with these amazing women. So yea, us!! Here's to four more years ... and who knows what after that.

I have something personal to celebrate this week, too. RISK NO SECRETS, Book 5, in my Black Ops., Inc. series, officially hits the bookshelves tomorrow, May 18th, and that makes me officially excited!

I started out on this journey quite some time ago with the intention of writing a 3 book series about a group of elite shadow warriors who fought for freedom and justice even after they parted ways with Uncle Sam. It all began in a back alley behind a seedy cantina in Buenos Aires where the hero and heroine of my last Bodyguard book, Into The Dark, had found themselves boxed into a corner with the baddest of the bad guys closing in. I had no idea how they were going to get themselves out of their fix when ... drum roll please ... along came Gabriel - the Archangel - Jones.

Gabe was larger than life, totally unexpected and on the dark side of shady. Be still my heart. I didn't know who this guy was or where he'd come from but one thing I did know: THIS man was amazing. THIS man was going to have his own book!!

So when Gabe, in turn, introduced me to his buddies, the stoic Sam Lang and the outrageous flirt, Johnny Duane Reed, I had my 3 heroes and Black Ops., Inc. was born. But, guys like these, capable, courageous, loyal and well, hot, they had to have some buddies, right? Right. So I tossed in their boss at BOI, Nate Black, the cute Latino, Rafael Mendoza, and then stirred two former CIA agents, 'Mean' Joe Green, and Wyatt - Papa Bear - Savage into the mix.

Little did I know that these secondary characters were going to demand stories of their own. That worked out pretty well because as it turned out, I heard from a LOT of readers who also wanted to hear their stories which meant my publisher wanted more, too. It was a win win all the way around. (Thank you all by the way, for putting the first 4 BOI books on the New York Times! I'm still stunned over that turn of events and I owe it all to you!)

Anyway, RISK NO SECRETS is Wyatt Savage's story. (Can we say hubba hubba??) This slow talkin' Georgia boy was content playing wing man until someone very special to him ended up in trouble and needed his help. And that's when Wyatt willingly stepped up to the plate and into a true hero's role. I love this story about Wyatt and Sophie. I love the action, the surprises I discovered about Wyatt, and the love story that survived in spite of all odds against it.

I hope you rush right out and buy RISK NO SECRETS but most of all, I hope you love the story as much as I do. Just to whet your appetite, here's a link to an excerpt http://www.cindygerard.com/excerpt_may2010.html AND here's a link to the book video. http://www.cindygerard.com/
AND, a little something extra if you click this link http://www.simonandschuster.com/search?term=cindy+gerard it will take you to the Simon and Schuster website and you can check out several short videos of me talking about the books. How's that for a test drive or two to help you decide to buy the product?

Seriously, check it out and then come back and make a comment about either the excerpt, the book trailer or the videos featuring moi :o) OR about your favorite BOI character and I'll send an autographed copy of RISK NO SECRETS to not 1 but 2 randomly selected 2 winners.

One final note. Michele hinted that we have a surprise in store this week. Anyone care to guess what it might be?? Tune in tomorrow for a really big announcement! You're gonna love it.