Red Team Series by Elaine Levine

 

 

                 

 

 

November 2013

 

I was introduced to the Red Team members last year when Elaine Levine asked me to read The Edge of Courage. It was a darker read than I typically choose, but once I started, I was hooked. And I was absolutely in love with all the characters - and wanted more.

Thankfully, Ms Levine has already published two more in the series, and future stories for all the team members are planned.

I had asked Ms Levine to have three Red Team members participate in my 3 Q & A. Instead, she provided an interview which is below. That is followed by the beginning of the review for The Edge of Courage and links to the reviews for the second and third stories.

Also, Elaine Levine has offered winner's choice of a Red Team story. Go to the Newsletter page (link on side) for further details.

 

Kathy Andrico sits in a chair facing the three Red Team men--Val Parker, Owen Tremaine, and Kelan Shiozaki. Having only recently started interviewing characters from her favorite reads, she is surprised that she scored interviews with not just one Red Team member - but three! Plus, she was asked to do it in a live segment on Romance Heroes Today. Nervous for the live airing, she waits while the Red Team men get their microphones setup. Two of her assistants are giggling as they retouch Val's make-up. He murmurs something to them, his voice a low rumble that she doesn't quite catch.

The show's producer counts down from ten, starting the show.

"Today, we welcome three members from the Red Team to Kathy's Review Corner," Kathy opens the show.

"Val Parker - You put your life on the line whenever you take one of the other team member's women shopping. Why do you do it?" Kathy asks, having decided to open with the easiest man to, well, Val was certainly the easiest man for anything. On the eyes, to talk to, to listen to. To interview.

Val slowly grins. Owen leans back in his seat, folds his arms, and arches a blond brow as he awaits Val's answer. Kelan grits his teeth.

"First off, I never do anything that puts the women in jeopardy. Shopping isn't exactly a black ops mission--" Val rubs his right eye "--though sometimes, it has its repercussions. Why do I do it? Because it makes the women happy. Because for a day, they can be princesses. Because afterwards, they walk with pride, their eyes shine, and they see themselves differently. They see what had been hidden before. Kit and Ivy, Eden and Blade are getting married soon." His grin widens. "Guess who's taking them shopping for wedding dresses?"

"Selena's taking them," Owen answers the rhetorical question.

"Yeah. But not to shop. The woman only knows tactical gear. She'll have guard duty while we pick the right ensembles." He looks over at Owen, a challenge in his eyes. "It'll be fun hooking Selena up with some female attire for the wedding gigs. I'm sure there'll be bridesmaid dresses to find for the other girls, too."

"You aren't going shopping with Fiona," Kelan growls the warning.

"Well, of course I am. She'll likely be a bridesmaid. And if not, she'll at least want something pretty to wear to the weddings. It's not very nice to leave her out, K."

"Then I'm coming, too." Kelan's dark eyes are entirely focused on the blond giant.

Owen curses. "It doesn't take an entire team to buy dresses. Val will be an advisor only. Selena will have orders to keep him out of the dressing rooms."

"Sure, that's how it'll go," Val says, that ever-present smile grinding on the others' nerves.

Kathy would love to pursue this further, maybe finagle her own shopping excursion. Unfortunately, time is short in live interviews, and she doesn't want a brawl during her first one. Hoping to rein the guys back in before tensions escalate further, she tosses out an unplanned question. "Owen, we know you started Tremaine Industries and have hired this team, but we haven't learned much more about you. Will you share a little of your history?"

"No," Owen answers in a terse voice. His pale blue eyes settle on Kathy. "We agreed you wouldn't ask me personal questions."

"Right," Kathy quickly regroups. "Perhaps you could share a little about the work you're doing in Wolf Creek Bend? The townspeople have seen an uptick in unusual activity in their area and are concerned about the town's safety."

"What kind of unusual activity?"

"Well, shoot-outs on Main Street between your team and some drug dealers, an influx of gang members, buildings being blown-up--things any resident would fear if they happened in their hometown."

Owen shrugs. "You know how it is when you clean out a rat hidey-hole. Rodents run everywhere."

Kathy wonders why Owen bothered agreeing to the interview and decides to ask the one question on the minds of many readers regarding Owen.

"One last question, Owen. We understand that you're single. If you could describe some key features of your perfect woman, what would they be?"

Owen doesn't answer. The dead air time lengthens. Kathy wishes she hadn't tried to sneak in another personal question, but figures it wasn't like she planned to invite him to any further interviews. Tearing herself from the man's icy glare, she focuses on Kelan.

"Kelan, you have an unorthodox approach to falling in love and claiming your mate. Where did it come from?"

Kelan makes a face and looks at the other two guys. He sighs and looks at Kathy. "An ancestor of mine moved to the American frontier from Iceland in the middle of the 1800s. He became a friend of the Lakota people and fell in love with a daughter of the man whose family he frequently visited. They married and had many children. My beliefs stem from those he brought with him and passed to his children and they to theirs."

"When you find your other half, will you have a traditional wedding ceremony?"

"There's a difference between satisfying government regulations, which occurs with a marriage license and a traditional wedding, and two people committing themselves to each other. One is a business transaction, the other is a sacred transaction. But yes, we will have both. And I have found my other half."

"I knew it!" Val laughs. "We've all seen you fawning over little F--"

Kelan holds up a hand, interrupting Val. "It's premature to discuss this in public."

Kathy wraps up the interview, thanking the three men for visiting her Review Corner. She looks at the camera. "Coming next from Elaine Levine's Red Team series will be Kit and Ivy's wedding novella in January, then Max's story, Twisted Mercy in March.

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Levine

 

I hope that this interview has piqued your interest to learn more. Below is the beginning of my review for The Edge of Courage and the links to the reviews for Shattered Valor and Honor Unraveled.

 

The Edge of Courage

Rocco Silas's life had become a living nightmare. He couldn't escape the trauma of his past. Not only did the nightmares come to him at night, but during the day as well. He had spent seven years undercover in Afghanistan. As part of his cover, he had married and had a son. But the mission had blown up. Literally. His wife was dead. He had been told his son was dead, but he couldn't believe that. His son had to be alive.

Mandy Fielding just wanted to open her therapeutic riding center, but unexpected delays kept happening. It would be nice to believe it was all coincidence, but Mandy, and her half-brother Kit, thought otherwise. That was why Kit had sent Rocco to her.

Click here for full review.

 

Click here for Shattered Valor review.

 

Click here for Honor Unraveled review.

 

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