Broken Honor
Hornet Series – Book 3
By Tonya Burrows
Synopsis
Ice-cold and unbreakable, Travis Quinn is the HORNET team’s hard-ass. No weaknesses. Except, of course, for the accident that not only destroyed his career as a Navy SEAL, but left terrifying blanks in his memory. But Travis remembers everything about Mara Escareno–the curve of her lips, the feel of her body…and how he walked out on her suddenly six weeks ago.
Mara could never resist the dangerously sexy Travis, which is probably how she ended up pregnant and disowned by her family. But before Travis can fully process the news, Mara is kidnapped by his enemies and plunged into the violent, merciless world of human trafficking. They want Travis–and the information locked within his damaged memory–no matter the cost. And now Travis’s enemies have discovered his only weakness…Mara.
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The Hornet Series
Seal of Honor – Book 1
It’s a good thing Gabe Bristow lives and breathes the Navy SEAL credo, “the only easy day was yesterday,” because today, his life is unrecognizable. When his prestigious career comes to a crashing halt, he’s left with a bum leg and few prospects for employment that don’t include a desk.
That is, until he’s offered the chance to command a private hostage rescue team and free a wealthy American businessman from Colombian paramilitary rebels. It seems like a good deal—until he meets his new team: a drunk Cajun linguist, a boy-genius CIA threat analyst, an FBI negotiator with mob ties, a cowboy medic, and an EOD expert as volatile as the bombs he defuses. Oh, and who could forget the sexy, frustratingly impulsive Audrey Van Amee? She’s determined to help rescue her brother—or drive Gabe crazy. Whichever comes first.
As the death toll rises, Gabe’s team of delinquents must figure out how to work together long enough to save the day. Or, at least, not get themselves killed. Because Gabe’s finally found something worth living for, and God help him if he can’t bring her brother back alive.
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Honor Reclaimed – Book 2
Former Marine sniper Seth Harlan is determined to prove that he can still do his job despite his ongoing battle with PTSD. When an old friend contacts HORNET to rescue a black ops soldier, Seth’s stability is strained. He knows all too well what it’s like to rot inside an enemy camp, praying for rescue and waiting for death. And he’s not about to leave a man behind.
Photojournalist Phoebe Leighton just stumbled into the middle of an arms deal. Teaming up with a ragtag team of mercenaries is the last thing she wants to do–especially when she realizes Seth Harlan is assigned to the mission. He may ignite a passion in her she thought long dead, but Phoebe’s hiding a secret that could destroy him.
With a bomb in the mix, HORNET’s mission is suddenly about a lot more than an abandoned soldier. Racing against the clock, Seth, Phoebe, and the rest of the team struggle to stop a ruthless warlord bent on power, revenge…and death.
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Tina’s Review
The men of HORNET are back! Although Ms. Burrows does a wonderful job at writing this so it may stand on it’s own, I feel it would be most beneficial and enjoyable if the reader reads SEAL of Honor and Honor Reclaimed prior to this to appreciate the supporting characters to their fullest value. I’m always nervous to review a book by one of my favorite authors. I worry it won’t live up to my lofty expectations and I also worry that the author may not like my review… because, regardless of who the author is, I took a vow to read and review each book fairly and honestly.
That said, here I go… although Quinn has been an important member of HORNET, his character never left a strong, positive impression with me. He knew he was suffering side effects from the brain injury, but kept playing it off as no big deal. It’s irresponsible, reckless and selfish to do, especially as the commanding officer of the team. But, this book redeems him. Mara’s kind of a more obscure character, meaning though they have history and she’s been introduced in a previous storyline, she played more of a cameo than a minor role. Her character is quite enjoyable and I find her blend of vulnerability and feistiness to be refreshing. The dialogue and interaction between characters can easily be envisioned playing out in front of you, it’s very believable and feels feel. The plot is darker than the others of this series, it is dynamic and exciting, providing thrills and laughs and tears all while flowing with the smoothness of a decadent chocolate fountain. I’ll never be able to look at a Whac-a-Mole game again without thinking of Jean-Luc… priceless! There were plenty of conflicts being tossed at them from many different directions, all of which seem to have been resolved quite neatly. I had some speculations early on about “Captain Cold” and was oh-so close to being right, but I was just wrong enough for it to still be have that “whoa” factor upon the big reveal. Glad Tank made it back from London, he had me worried for a bit. The conclusion was solid and there’s just enough of a slight tease to whet the appetite for what might be the next book in the series. I really enjoy this series. If you like Maya Banks’ KGI series, you will love Tonya Burrows’ HORNET series.
Interview With Tonya Burrows
The third book in the HORNET series, BROKEN HONOR, by Tonya Burrows is about to release. Congratulations & Happy Release! She was kind enough to take time out of her super busy schedule to sit down with me long enough to conduct a short Q & A session.
Thank you, Tonya.
Tina:
Hi, Tonya. Thank you for taking time out to answer a few question for me.
Let’s start at the beginning… When did you know you wanted to become a professional writer/author and who were your influences and role models at that time? And now, what author(s) do you admire most?
Tonya:
Hi, Tina! Glad to be here!
I’ve always known I wanted to be an author. I remember telling my first grade teacher I would be an author someday, but it wasn’t until I was in 8th grade that the idea really took hold. I have my literature teacher to thank for that. She read everything I wrote, no matter how horrible it was, and encouraged me to keep writing. And I did.
There are two big-name authors I admire. Nora Roberts because she always manages to suck me into her stories, and J.R. Ward because her Black Dagger Brotherhood series inspires such a huge fandom. Those are two things I aspire to with my books.
Tina:
Your heroes are all kick-ass, uber-macho Alpha men. Is there any correlation between the fictional heroes and a real, live Alpha muse or muses?
Tonya:
Nope. I wish, but my heroes are complete fantasies.
Tina:
For those who follow the HORNET series, we have come to expect some pretty controversial plot locations. SEAL of Honor taking place in Columbia, Honor Reclaimed set in Afghanistan, and now Broken Honor is in… Transnistria? Can you tell us how you FOUND and decided on this obscure location?
Tonya:
Well, I knew I wanted Broken Honor to take place in a country that has problems with human trafficking, so that’s where I started with my research. When I came across Transnistria, a small breakaway republic of Moldova, I found the idea of an unrecognized country so interesting, I knew I had to set the book there.
Tina:
It sounds like Quinn’s story will be a little darker and/or edgier than the others with having to take on Human Traffickers in some unrecognized Eastern European country. How difficult was getting his story put into written words? It all sounds pretty foreign and complex; how deep did you need to research the topics and location for this book?
Tonya:
I do so much more research than what makes it into the actual book. Human trafficking is a very dark topic and I wanted to make sure I did it justice and had my facts right. Same with the setting—I read and watched everything I could find about Transnistria and Moldova because I wanted to make sure to do the countries justice. No place is all bad and I really try to show some of the good with the bad in these books.
Tina:
I understand that you are planning to donate a portion of your first month’s proceeds. NOT FOR SALE (notforsalecampaign.org)’s goal is to protect people and communities around the world from Human Trafficking. What was it about this cause and this organization that made you choose it over so many other charities?
Tonya:
After researching Broken Honor, I felt like I had to do something to help combat human trafficking, so when it was mentioned in passing that I could donate a portion of my proceeds, I jumped on the idea. I researched several organizations and decided I wanted to donate to a smaller, more “grassroots” effort. Not for Sale appealed to me for many reasons, but I made sure to get a second opinion by posing the question to my street team.
Tina:
You have two other series ongoing, WILDE SECURITY and D.I.E. SQUADRON. Can you tell us what’s happening with those? Any more New Releases we should be watching for in the near future?
Tonya:
Yes, I hope to finish the Wilde Security series this year. I don’t have release dates for any of them yet, but I hope to soon!
As for D.I.E. Squadron, I’m going to have to put that series on hold. Vision of Darkness was my first self-published effort and unfortunately, it didn’t sell well. So as much as I want to tell D.I.E. Squadron’s stories, I can’t justify spending the time or money to continue it at the moment. Hopefully I’ll be able to do it sometime in the future!
Tina:
With writing books for three series at a time, how do you keep all of your characters and plots organized and/or separated?
Tonya:
I have notebooks, my “bibles” for each book, but as I get farther into the series, I’m starting to realize that isn’t working anymore. I really need to take the time to put all the information into one binder for each series. And, I’m not gonna lie, the character profiles on my website have saved me from giving the characters the wrong colored eyes more than once.
Tina:
Finish these sentences:
“I’m going to celebrate my New Release by___” … work. I don’t usually do anything fun on release days. I’ll having marketing stuff to do and I’ll be working on the 4th Wilde Security book. I might indulge in a margarita that night, though.
“My ideal way to chill and relax is to ______” … veg out with Netflix. I’ll fully admit to being addicted to TV.
Tina: Could you describe a typical day in the life of Tonya Burrows? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not trying to meet deadlines?
Tonya:
My days are pretty uneventful. I walk my dogs, then have my coffee and catch up on emails, social media, and other online stuff. That usually takes me until lunchtime. I walk the dogs again, catch up on my TV shows while I eat and if I have any errands to do, I’ll do them in the afternoon. I do almost all of my writing in the evenings and at night. I’m a night owl. When I’m not writing, I like to spend time outside with my dogs at the park or beach. And, like I said, I’m addicted to TV so Netflix usually plays a big part in my days off. 🙂
Tina:
Lastly, I’d love to learn a little more about YOUR reading preferences.
What book did you just finish reading? What are you currently reading? What 2015 New Release are you looking most forward to?
Tonya:
I am most looking forward to J.R. Ward’s new releases. The Shadows, The Bourbon Kings, and the first book in the new series she just announced. I’m also looking forward to the next book in Cindy Gerard’s One-Eyed Jacks series and the next J.D. Robb book.
Right now, I’m listening to Rebecca Zanetti’s Blind Faith on audio, but I can’t share with you what I’m reading because I’m currently judging books for the RITA awards.
Tina:
Again, I’d like to thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to sit down and answer my questions. I enjoyed it. Best wishes on BROKEN HONOR!
Tonya:
You’re welcome! Thanks for having me!
Author Bio:
Tonya Burrows wrote her first romance in 8th grade and hasn’t put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she’s currently soaking up the sun as a Florida girl. She suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. Luckily, her two dogs and ginormous cat are excellent travel buddies.
When she’s not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can usually be found at a bookstore or the dog park. She also enjoys painting, watching movies, and her daily barre workouts. A geek at heart, she pledges her TV fandom to Supernatural and Dr. Who.
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads
USA Today Bestselling romance writer with a penchant for coffee, sugared cereal, and alpha males. Three children, one husband, and too many dresses for my closet.
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