So excited to finally-FINALLY-have the next installment in Marie Force's Fatal Series with the new book that goes in a new direction, hence forth the books are now known as 'First Family' series. Same explosive action and romance that this couple is known for but in a new direction they didn't see coming. Marie Force is one of my auto-buy authors, where anything she has out I pre-order and I adore Sam, Nick and the gang in Fatal Series so I am eager to see where the author takes them in this new direction. So get ready for STATE OF AFFAIRS and the first book in the First Family Series.
The phone call that changed their lives forever…
Minutes after Vice President Nick Cappuano and Lt. Sam Holland get the call that President Nelson has been found dead in the residence on Thanksgiving, they’re still processing that Nick has been asked to come to the White House to take the oath of office.
As they go through the motions to ensure a peaceful transition of power, Sam has a million and one concerns about her husband, her family, the Nelson family, the country and the enormity of what Nick is about to take on. In the back of her mind is another major concern: What does this mean for my job? No other first lady in history has held a job outside the White House, but she’s determined to be the first, to blaze new trails for those who will follow her. However, in order to do that, she quickly realizes that compromises will have to be made to continue working as a Homicide detective.
Their lives become an immediate firestorm of meetings, requests for interviews, difficult questions from their children and a host of potential landmines to navigate as they make the transition from second family to first family. An unexpected issue with a diplomatic trip to Iran quickly thrusts Nick into the thick of his new responsibilities while Sam confronts a murder investigation that may have ties to a cold case from fifteen years ago.
As everything around them spins out of control, Sam and Nick take refuge with each other, relying on their unbreakable bond to see them through the storm.
Buy links can be found HERE
Excerpt Teaser:
First Family Series, Book 1
By: Marie Force
Chapter 1
A full minute after ending the bombshell call from the White House chief of staff, Nick Cappuano stared into the eyes of his wife, Samantha, looking to her for calm in the midst of calamity. However, he wasn’t finding calm in her lovely blue eyes. Instead he saw the same panic he felt.
President David Nelson had been found dead in the White House residence.
Nick was going to be president of the United States of America.
The Secret Service was waiting to transport him and Sam to the White House so he could take the oath of office.
Five minutes ago, they’d been in bed, commiserating after eating too much at Thanksgiving dinner. And now… Now, he needed to breathe, to remain calm, to do what needed to be done for his family and his country. “Say something.”
Sam licked her lips and looked up at him with eyes gone wild. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s going to be okay. You and me… We’ve got this. There’s nothing we can’t handle.”
She laughed, but it had a maniacal edge to it. “If you say so, Mr. President.”
Mr. President.
She was the first to ever call him that, as it should be. She was the most important person in his life.
He held her precious face in his hands and gazed into her light-blue eyes. “Before we leave this room and step onto the biggest stage in the world, I want you to hear me when I tell you this won’t change anything that matters. This—you and me and our family—will not change. I swear to you, Samantha.”
She nodded and reached for him.
He took her into his arms and held on tight to the love of his life, determined to do whatever it took to reassure her even as he tried not to freak out himself. No one needed a president who was freaking out.
President.
This could not be happening. But it was. David Nelson was dead. Nick couldn’t wrap his head around the last five minutes.
Still holding Sam, he said, “We need to get up, get dressed and make ourselves presentable for pictures that’ll be in history books for the rest of time. But no pressure or anything.”
Again, Sam’s laughter had a hysterical edge. “I… We should tell people. Like Graham, Terry, Celia, my sisters… Your dad.”
He shook his head. “They’ll find out in the morning. For right now, we need to focus only on getting to the White House.”
“We have to bring Scotty. He’d never forgive us if we didn’t.”
“Agreed. I’ll go get him up and tell Elijah what’s going on so he knows he’s in charge of the Littles.” Aubrey and Alden, the twins Sam and Nick had recently taken in after their parents were murdered, would be six on Saturday. Leaving them with their older brother, who was home from Princeton for the Thanksgiving holiday, was the right thing to do.
“Will we be allowed to come back for them?” Sam asked.
“Of course, or we’ll have the Secret Service bring them to us. Try not to worry. We’ll figure it out one step at a time.”
Sam looked around at the bedroom that was their private sanctuary, their calm in the storm of their crazy lives. “We’re going to have to move. This won’t be our home anymore.”
“This will always be our home. We can come back here anytime we want to.” He pulled back to kiss her forehead and then her lips. “We have to go, Sam. Are you going to be able to do this?”
He watched as she took a deep breath and summoned the fortitude to take this formidable next step on their journey. “I’m about to prove to you that I meant it all the times I said there was nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Smiling, he said, “I love you more than anything. Don’t ever forget that.”
“Same.”
They got out of bed, and he pulled on a T-shirt and pajama pants and grabbed the child monitor they kept in their bedroom to alert them if the twins woke up. When Nick opened the bedroom door to go wake Scotty, he found his lead agent, John Brantley Jr., waiting to speak to him.
“We’re ready to transport you and Mrs. Cappuano to the White House, sir.”
“We need a few minutes to pull ourselves together. I’m going to wake Scotty. He’ll want to be there, and I need to tell Elijah what’s happening.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’ll be quick.” Nick went into Scotty’s room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Scotty.” He gave his son’s shoulder a gentle shake. In the glow of the Capitals nightlight, he watched his son’s eyes open.
“What’s wrong?”
“President Nelson has died.”
Scotty’s eyes went wide as the implications hit him immediately. “Holy crap.”
“That’s putting it mildly. The Secret Service is waiting to take Mom and me to the White House. Mom said you’d never forgive us if we didn’t bring you with us.”
“Hell yes, I want to be there.”
“You have to hurry.”
“Work clothes, I presume?”
Nick smiled and nodded at their code for the clothes Scotty wore when he accompanied Nick to official events—khaki pants, navy blazer, dress shirt and tie. Nick got up and headed for the door.
“Dad?”
He turned back to his son.
“Are you wigging out?”
“Trying not to.”
“How about Mom?”
“Same.”
“Are we bringing the Littles?”
“They’re asleep, so we’re going to have them stay here with Elijah for now. I think it would be confusing and upsetting for them until we have time to explain what’s happening.”
“That’s a good call.”
Nick smiled at his adorable son. “Glad you agree. I’m going to tell Elijah. Hurry up and get ready, okay?”
“I’m hurrying, and in case I forget to tell you later, I’m super proud of you, even if it’s gonna be kinda weird at first.”
Nick grinned. “Thanks, bud. That means the world to me. We’ll get through it. Like I told Mom, nothing that really matters will change. As long as we’re all together, we can handle whatever comes our way.”
“I guess we’re gonna find out if that’s true. Thanks for getting me up. Mom was right—I never would’ve forgiven you if you hadn’t.”
“We had a feeling. You probably know this, but you can’t say anything to anyone about this until the White House releases the news.”
“I never would.”
“Thanks. Be back in a few.”
Nick went up to the third floor, where they’d made a bedroom for Elijah across the hall from the loft Nick had put together as a sanctuary for him and Sam to get away from it all. He knocked on Elijah’s closed door.
“Come in.”
Nick opened the door to find Elijah stretched out on the bed watching a movie on his laptop.
“What’s up?” Elijah asked.
“I have to tell you something that you can’t tell anyone. I need your word.”
“You have it.”
“President Nelson was found dead in the residence a short time ago. Sam, Scotty and I are headed to the White House so I can be sworn in.”
“Holy. Shit.” Elijah sat up on the bed. “I, um… Wow.”
Nick handed the child monitor to Elijah. “We’re going to leave the twins here with you for now. I think it would scare them if we woke them to take them with us.”
“Yes, that’s better. I’ll talk to them when they get up, and then we can figure out what’s next. But Jesus, Nick… I mean…”
“Believe me, I know. As I said to Sam and Scotty, nothing that matters will change. We’re still a family. You and the twins are still our family, and we’re going to stick together and get through this. I promise.”
The young man nodded, but Nick saw the same wariness, fear and uncertainty they were all feeling.
“Try to get some sleep. It’s going to be a crazy few days.”
“Ah, yeah, sure,” Elijah said, laughing. “Not seeing a lot of sleep in my future tonight.”
“I don’t want you to worry about anything.”
“I’ll try not to.”
“We’ll be in touch as soon as we can about what’s going on.”
“Okay.”
Nick wasn’t sure what else he could say to reassure him, so he left it at that and returned to his room, where Sam was emerging from the shower, wrapped in a towel.
“I’m hurrying.”
“Thanks, love.” Nick got in the shower and ran a razor over his face, being careful not to cut himself in his haste to get ready. His thoughts swirled a mile a minute, but he concentrated only on the task at hand. Shower, shave, get dressed, get in the car, go to the White House, take the oath. If he took this one minute and one step at a time, he could hold it together to do what needed to be done.
At least he hoped so.
About the Author
Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance. Her indie-published series include Gansett Island, First Family, Treading Water, Butler Vermont, Quantum and Miami Nights. She’s also the author of the Green Mountain and Fatal Series.
Her books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Website: https://marieforce.com/
Book 2 is coming in December 2021: State of Grace
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