Editor’s Note: For each New Year, New You post we’ve asked a Harlequin Nonfiction and fiction author to share their New Year’s resolution. For today’s post authors Dr. Howard M. Shapiro, Chef Franklin Becker and Victoria Dahl have shared theirs!

Dr. Shapiro’s resolution:

“I lost some weight recently, and I resolve to keep it off by using the guidelines I’ve set forth in Eat & Beat Diabetes.”

Chef Franklin Becker’s resolution:

“When we wrote Eat and Beat Diabetes, we wanted to show that making the right choices can help. One of the right choices for me to help control my diabetes is a good cardio workout and my resolution is to get to the gym at least 3 times a week.

Victoria Dahl’s resolution:

“I’m going totally clichéd this year with a resolution to get in shape. I got halfway there in 2011. In 2012 I plan to reach the rest of my goals and make my outside match the way I feel on the inside!”

***

Eating is a matter of choosing, and the New Year brings a clean slate to make the best decisions for your health, beauty and happiness. Below are different food options with equal calories. Seeing the difference between food options can help you make healthy choices for a healthier you.

For 85 calories: 1 part-skim mozzarella stick OR 1 cup black bean soup

For 5 calories: 1 sip lemonade OR 1 cup diet lemonade

For 75 calories: 1 Weight Watchers Giant Fudge Bar OR 4 fruit popsicles, no added sugar

For 400 calories: 1 serving fries OR 4 ears of corn

For 420 calories: 1 wedge apple pie OR 4 baked apples

For 550 calories: 1 cup granola OR 5 cups Cheerios

For 540 calories: 1 blueberry muffin (6 ounces) OR 6 light waffles with blueberries and sugar-free syrup

For 400 calories: 1 individual raspberry tart OR 8 cups raspberries

For 650 calories: 1 buttered bagel OR 14 slices light bread with sugar-free jam

For 620 calories: 1 cup yogurt pretzels OR 16 cups popcorn

For 760 calories: 1 cup superpremium ice cream OR 19 frozen fudge pops, no added sugar

For 110 calories: 1 cup orange juice OR 3 oranges

Monday’s post on resolutions made me think about the other side of the coin: book challenges! They’re fun ways to inspire you to read more, or to branch out and read things that you wouldn’t normally. A couple of years ago I did a graphic novel book challenge that expanded my horizons indefinitely. I didn’t know I liked Spider-man as much as I did!

I thought I would round up some of the plethora of challenges that exist online for this year. Now, I entitled this the Ultimate Reading Challenge Round Up, but it really doesn’t scratch the surface of what exists out there. However, it does highlight the breadth and depth of just how many challenges exist and really, choosing a couple from this list alone will probably satisfy you for the whole year. For me, the goal isn’t to finish the challenge, but to discover new and exciting books to read that you may not have been exposed to previously. Are there any challenges on this list that you’ve joined? Or would like to join? Have you started a challenge yourself? Leave it in the comments!

Generic Book Challenges

50 Book Challenge
Books Won Challenge
ARC Reading Challenge
100 Books in a Year Challenge
New Authors Reading Challenge
Tea & Books Reading Challenge (For books over 700 pages.)
Off the Shelf 2012
Read Your Name Challenge
Mammoth Book Reading Challenge (For books over 450 pages.)
Books I Started But Didn’t Finish Reading Challenge

List Specific Challenges

BBC Book Challenge
Adoption Reading Challenge (Books about Adoption)
1001 Book You Must Read Before You Die Challenge
All the Books of Pern Challenge
The Dark Tower (Stephen King) Reading Challenge
Rizzoli and Isles Reading Challenge (Terri Gerritsen)
Women’s Murder Club Reading Challenge (James Patterson)
Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Carnival

Genre Specific Challenges

Romance Reading Challenge
Sports Romance Reading Challenge
Operation Deepen Faith (Religion and Faith-centric books)
Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Clocks, Cogs and Mechanisms Reading Challenge (Steampunk)
What Would Jane Do Reading Challenge (Jane Austen and Austen inspired reads)
Mystery and Suspense Reading Challenge
Zombie Challenge 2012
Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge
Speculative Romance Challenge
Time Travel Reading Challenge
Dystopia 2012 Challenge
Short Story Reading Challenge
Immigrant Stories Reading Challenge
Fairy Tales Retold Reading Challenge

Country-Specific Challenges

Six Book Challenge (UK)
Nordic Book Challenge
I Love Italy Reading Challenge
Global Reading Challenge
Where are You Reading Challenge

Time Specific Challenges
(Dates are listed in italics and brackets beside each challenge)

A Winter’s Respite Read-a-Thon (January 23 – January 29, 2012)
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks (a book a week, that sounds hard!)

When I was younger, the majority of my Christmas traditions were Polish. We ate fish on Christmas eve, looked for the first star in the sky that evening, and, having found it, opened presents! Then my family expanded and our regular Polish traditions melded with new (to us) Canadian traditions, such as turkey stuffing, Christmas stockings and (my favourite) eggnog.

Now, you can always find eggnog readily available in the supermarket at this time of year. But it isn’t actually that difficult to make your own–and you get to learn how to do more fun kitchen techniques like emulsifying eggs in the process! (Okay, so maybe I’m a bit of a foodie nerd.) I was quite pleased when I discovered this recipe for Christmas Eve Eggnog in the Debbie Macomber Christmas Cookbook. I can always count on Debbie to bring a little extra holiday cheer into any recipe. She’s the Queen of Christmas, after all! The recipe is not difficult to follow and it’s a perfect addition to any holiday party you’re planning, including the most important one of all, whether it be on Dec. 24th or 25th!

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Salt
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Garnishes: Ground nutmeg, chocolate shavings, cinnamon sticks

Method:

1. Place a large bowl in a larger bowl of ice water; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar until thick, for about 2 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring milk, vanilla bean, and a pinch of salt to a simmer. Remove from heat; whisk 1 cup of this hot milk mixture into the yolks. Slowly pour yolk-milk mixture into milk remaining in saucepan. Place pan over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture reaches 160F and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

4. Strain eggnog base through a fine-mesh sieve into bowl in ice bath. Let cool for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, for about 1 hour.

5. Whisk brandy and cream into chilled eggnog. In large bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar; beat on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whites into eggnog until blended. Cover, refrigerate for several hours or overnight, or until cold. Pour into a pitcher to serve. Garnish servings as desired.

Enjoy!

I hope you get a chance to try this recipe out. Let me know in the comments if you do. Or tell me what your favourite holiday recipe is. Maybe we can start our own Harlequin Blog holiday recipe collection?

When: Dec 6th at 3pm ET / 12 pm ET

LINDA WILL TALK ABOUT:
Release of Big Sky Country, new series coming in 2012!
Creeds, McKettricks, and a fan Q&A

EXCITING EXCLUSIVES & GIVEAWAY:
Cowboys in Love: Big Sky Country behind the scenes COVER SHOOT Video
Exclusive Montana Creeds download
Linda will sign on screen and giveaway LIVE one of her Christmas books!

Do you have a burning question for Linda? Send them to us before Monday Dec. 6th at 9:00AM EST through: Twitter using the hashtag #HarlequinLive, Harlequin Facebook or in a comment on this blog post. Linda Lael Miller fans really shouldn’t miss this event, but if you can’t make it we do keep the full livestream video on the Facebook page.

To celebrate this event, all print and ebooks in Linda Lael Miller’s Montana Creeds Series are 10% off on Harlequin.com! Use Promo Code: HARLIVE3 (valid Dec 1 – Dec 31)

HERE IS A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM LINDA LAEL MILLER:

Yeehaw!  It’s rodeo time again—and I’m talking about the BIG rodeo here, folks—the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, held every year in early December.  I always look forward to the event—but this year, it’s going to be even more exciting than usual.  I’ll be on the Flint Rasmussen Show—Flint is a former rodeo clown (they’re called bull-fighters now), a major radio personality, and one of my favorite people.  He’s from my mom’s hometown, Choteau, Montana, which practically makes him kin.  My fabulous Harlequin family has teamed up with Caesar’s Entertainment for some special appearances and signings at the Paris casino and, of course, there’s the rodeo itself—my favorite event being the bull-riding, since my dad was a bull-rider, back in the day.  A cowboy has to be real brave—or real crazy—to ride these enormous critters and live to tell the story.

Cowboy Christmas, a huge trade show, is a highlight for me, too.  They sell everything there, from custom saddles and other tack to boots and purses and vests and jewelry.  Be still my beating heart!

Wendy, my daughter, and Jeremy, her future husband, will be joining me for part of the visit, and my cousin Lee and his wife Margie will be there, too—they’re coming all the way from Prince George, B.C.

Why do I love the rodeo so much?  Because it represents the Western way of life, and I’m all about that.  I love the excitement and the fireworks and the gathering of thousands of good, salt-of-the-earth people under one roof, especially when they sing the National Anthem.  I love that cowboys are “tough enough to wear pink” one day of the rodeo—and they all do—to promote a cure for breast cancer.

Heck, I just plain love cowboys, period.  And there’ll be a lot of hat at the NFR, as we country types say.

I’ll be doing a live online interview from Las Vegas, in hopes of sharing as much of the experience with all of you as possible, and I’ll be blogging right along, too, and posting pictures to Twitter and Facebook as well as the blog.

If you’re going to be in town for the festivities, so much the better.  Be sure to come on up to me and say howdy!

Linda Lael Miller

Editor’s note: we’ve got new snaps from Comic Con featuring two of our authors thanks to Carly. Check out the photos below!

On Day 3 of New York Comic Con, CE Murphy and Julie Kagawa stopped by the Harlequin booth to meet some East Coast fans.

The lovely CE Murphy was there promoting the seventh installment of The Walker Paper series, Raven Calls (March 2012). She was a busy bee at NY Comic Con, but she always found time to chat with her fans.

(CE Murphy posing with a steampunk cosplayer)

Even Sailor Scouts love to read CE Murphy when they’re not battling the Negaverse!

(CE Murphy posing with two Sailor Scouts)

Julie Kagawa, author of The Iron Fey series, flew all the way from Kentucky to promote the fourth book of the series, The Iron Knight (10/25/2011).

(Julie signing a book for a fan)

Felicia Hardy (a.k.a. Black Cat) was second in line to meet Julie, even superheroes have favorite authors.

(Julie signing a book for Black Cat)

Morgan from Romantic Times Book Reviews stopped by for an interview. (You can watch the interview here!)

And when Rogue from X-Men isn’t kicking butt for Professor Xavier, she’s reading an Iron Fey novel.

Kady Cross, author of The Girl in the Steel Corset, was participating in a Steampunk panel and stopped by the booth to sign some postcards and her books.

(Kady Cross posing with Julie Kagawa)

Check out Julie Kagawa, CE Murphy, and Kady Cross’s other titles at Harlequin.com!

I love the show; each episode is between ten and fifteen minutes long, so watching one episode after the other is easy to do. The plots are hilarious and often resonate with my own awkward experiences in love, like having to say something to the cute new neightbor without coming off sounding like a dribbling idiot. Or getting the “family emergency” phone call while in the middle of a date. I love that the girls work at a romance publisher having been there myself! You would think that being a part of the Romance Mothership would give you extra insight into the dating world, but it just proves that no one is safe from the awkwardness of real life.

I contacted Jessica Mills, the writer, producer and star of the show, to see if she’d answer some questions about the show and dating for the Harlequin Blog. Do check out the show if you get a chance. Both seasons are available through their website, awkardembraces.com. Their love lives might not mirror romance novels very well, but they’re still entertaining!

Q: Can you describe the show in 140 characters or less? (We’re really into Twitter. )
A: Awkward Embraces is the Big Bang Theory meets Sex and the City!

Q: Your characters Jessica, Candis and Lyndsey all work at an unnamed romance publisher. What made you decide to have them work at a romance publisher? Have you ever worked in publishing?
A: My mom is a published writer of thrillers, so I grew up watching that business operate from the author’s point of view. The idea of them working at a romance publisher actually came from Candis. I was trying to flesh out the characters and story to help me get ideas for other episodes, and Candis threw that out there when we were talking about it. I love how many silly conversations and situations they can get into with designing the covers and Jessica constantly pitching sci-fi romance to Candis, who hates the idea. It’s a really fun jumping off point for a lot of the office scenes.

Q: Judging from your Twitter accounts, you’re all very similar to your characters. How would you describe them?
A: We definitely look at our characters as ourselves times 10. We are all a bit exaggerated, but I did write these characters with Candis and Lyndsey in mind, so their dialogue and the situations they get into were things that reminded me of them. And a lot of the Season 1 dating stories actually happened to me, so my character naturally developed to be like me, as well. But, of course, they are all multiplied quite a bit for comedic effect!

A bad date on Awkward Embraces.

Q: How do you write the episodes? Collectively? Is there a lot of improv?
A: I write all the episodes with the exception of three of the Season 2 episodes. Candis wrote two of them herself, and she and I collaborated on one. We do quite a bit of improv. Usually at the end of scenes, our director Adam, will just let us go and riff off of each other. So all the ends of scenes are completely improvised. As an actor, I want the cast to feel comfortable making the scenes their own, so a lot of times we’ll go off on a tangent and come back. The ratio of writing to improv is about 75/25 written/improv. I love it that we improv. A lot of magic happens when we’re just playing, and I think it lends a feeling of fun and relaxation to the whole shoot that translates to the screen.

Q: What type of romance novel would Jessica, Candis and Lyndsey see themselves as heroines in? Can you describe the plot?
A: Jessica would absolutely be the sexy captain of a Starship in a forbidden romance with a rogue bounty hunter. She’s by the book, and he’s fast and loose. Very Leia and Solo. ha ha
Candis loves her work, and works harder than any of the other girls. She definitely would see herself in an office romance. A very “Moonlighting” sort of situation where she and her office rival are fighting one minute and ripping each other’s clothes off the next.
Lyndsey is a free spirit and very unconventional. Her romance story would be something totally out there, like being kidnapped by gypsies and falling in love with their leader.

Q: Will there be a season three of the show?
A: I hope so! We funded Season 2 with Indiegogo, but I hate having to go to the fans for budget money. If I have to, I’ll do it again. But first, I want to see if I can find some sponsorship. A brand, network, or production company who is interested in investing in the show. I’m going to see what I can find on that route, before doing Indiegogo again. But the fans are so excited about Season 3, a lot of them say they are already setting money aside for us! Which is so sweet, and just makes us all feel so special. I’ve got SO MANY awesome ideas for Season 3, I can’t NOT do it. I’ll find a way, no matter what.

Over time, the wedding tour evolved to include places where the newly-wedded couple wanted to visit.  And the Mediterranean was just as popular a hundred years ago, as it is today.  What better way to explore exotic islands off the coast of Italy, Greece, and Turkey?

The wedding story of King Richard the Lionheart and Princess Berengaria of Navarre began in the Mediterranean when their ships landed in Sicily.  It ended at Cyprus, a beautiful island with sandy beaches, palm trees, and rich ancient traditions.  Yet, although Cyprus is a popular honeymoon and tourist destination nowadays, it was a strategic location for ships during the medieval Crusades.

Richard was en route to Acre during the Third Crusade, traveling upon a different ship from his bride when a violent storm blew twenty-five ships off course.  Berengaria was shipwrecked off the coast of Cyprus, and when Richard finally located her, he ultimately overthrew the emperor of the island, seized command, and married his bride at the Chapel of St. George.

This exciting adventure was the inspiration for “Lionheart’s Bride,” the true story of Richard and Berengaria.  And although their eventual separation during the Crusade caused tension and a marriage that wasn’t entirely happy, the beginning of their story was truly romantic, complete with the perfect setting for a wedding night and honeymoon.

My husband and I got married in September of 1998, and since I was a new teacher, we didn’t have time for a long honeymoon.  We spent three days in the Shenandoah Valley, hiking along the Appalachian Trail, enjoying dinners together, and indulging in a day of wine tasting.

Where did you spend your honeymoon?  Or if you’re not married, where would you like to go?  Post a comment, and I’ll draw two winners—one will receive a free Kindle download of “Lionheart’s Bride” and a second winner will get a signed copy of my May release Claimed by the Highland Warrior. Remember, all comments this week will be entered in our grand prize giveaway of a $50 Amazon gift card, which is open to everyone.  Good luck!

2010 RITA® Finalist Michelle Willingham is the author of over a dozen novels and short stories.  Her most recent book release from Harlequin Historical, Claimed by the Highland Warrior, is now available in stores.  She lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband and three children.  Her hobbies include baking, reading, and avoiding exercise at all costs.  Visit her website at: http://www.michellewillingham.com or interact with her on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/michellewillinghamfans .

Today’s deal: get 6 FREE muffin liners!

Find inspiration for your kitchen creations from our books of cooking and food. Buy any featured book and you’ll receive 6 FREE muffin liners! Shop now.

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There were loads of great query letters submitted to us, but unfortunately we could only select five to critique. Here now are those five, complete with critiques attached. Head over to the eHarlequin.com Community to post your thoughts and comments on each submission. Sign up here for your account if you do not have one yet.

Challenge Two Winners:

• Julie S.
• Shari N.
• Cate M.
• Janet T.
• Shadonna R.

Racism is man’s gravest threat to man—the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reasons.

—Abraham J. Heschel, rabbi and philosopher (1907–72)

Benita Sanchez was almost as afraid of running into a rattlesnake as she was U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The CBP would send her and her husband back to Mexico. But a snake… The way José said she should creep across the ground—always staying low, very low—made her feel so vulnerable. Snakes came out at night, when the temperature cooled. She could easily stumble into one. Maybe they’d hear a brief shake of the rattle, but they’d never see its beady eyes or sharp fangs before it struck. Since they’d lost their coyote, or smuggler, they had only the moon to help them. And it was barely a sliver—a sliver that looked like a tiny rent in a gigantic dome of black velvet, which was slowly turning purple as the night edged toward dawn.

Although they’d crossed the border with thirty-one other Mexican nationals, they were now alone. Everyone had scattered when the border patrol spotted them more than twenty-four hours ago. Had any of those people made it safely back to Mexico? Or were they in some holding cell? She and José had escaped "La Migra," but she was no longer sure she considered them lucky. Did José actually know where he was leading her? He said he did. He’d come to America once, but that was five years ago. And their coyote had promised they’d have only a six-hour walk. Even if she deducted for the time they’d spent sleeping, they’d been on their feet for eighteen.

As they came to a cluster of mobile homes, José whispered to circle wide and crouch lower. He’d once told her it was easy to sneak across la frontera. But it hadn’t been easy at all. Although he’d insisted she wear several layers of clothing, the thorny plants that scrabbled for purchase in the rocky soil still managed to sink sharp spines through the fabric or scratch her somewhere she wasn’t covered. Add to that the hunger, thirst, homesickness and fear— fear of snakes, dogs, drug-runners, thieves, unfriendly Americans, La Migra—and it was almost unbearable. The whole world felt hostile.

Tears began to burn behind Benita’s eyes. She wasn’t sure she could go on. She hoped the presence of these trailers meant they were on the outskirts of a town where she could at least get a drink of water, but even if they were close, two miles seemed like fifty when you were walking through the desert.

"José?" She could hear the determined crunch of his footsteps in front of her.

At the sound of her voice, he stopped. "You must be quiet," he replied in rapid Spanish. "Do you want the people in that trailer to hear you? If they do, they’ll call the border patrol!"

The mobile home they skirted was one of the nicer ones she’d seen, a double-wide with a yard and everything. But its white paint seemed to glow in the dark, making it look like a giant ghost with flat, empty eyes. This was a soulless, godforsaken land. How could it be the paradise José promised?

"Maybe we could drink from the hose," she suggested.

He hesitated and finally agreed. He had to be thirsty, too. But as they drew close, a dog began to bark, so he grabbed her hand and yanked her away.

"Agua!" she begged.

"We can’t risk it."

"Then let’s try another place. Maybe the next one won’t have a dog."

"We’re almost there."

He’d been saying that for miles. Unable to believe him anymore, she stopped walking. "I’m scared. I want to turn back."

"¿Estás loca?" he said, instantly angry. "We’ve come too far. We can’t go back."

"But…" She swallowed hard. "How much longer?"

"We’ll be there soon," he promised.

But would she be any happier after they arrived? They were going to a safe house and then the home of his cousin, Carlos Garcia. She’d met Carlos on two different occasions and didn’t like him. He enjoyed playing the big shot, pretending to be something he wasn’t. She didn’t want José to become like him….

"Hurry!"

Her husband was getting impatient. Benita knew how much this trip meant to him. He’d talked of it the whole time they were dating, painted appealing pictures of the opportunities to be found in America. But…

Gathering her courage, she started after him again. She wouldn’t be a disappointment, wouldn’t make him regret marrying her. Besides, as he said, they’d come too far to turn back. Surely the number of mobile homes meant they were indeed close to the safe house. Bordertown was as far as they had to go tonight. It was all arranged. They’d rest, then they’d call Carlos and he’d pick them up and take them to Phoenix. There, they’d live with him and two other roommates and, hopefully, find work so they could help pay the mortgage until they’d saved enough to afford their own place.

"Aren’t you worried about snakes?" she grumbled.

"Snakes will be the least of our worries if you don’t keep moving."

Sighing, she tried to move faster, but with every step she wished she’d been able to talk José out of this. They were young and in love; they could make a living in Mexico somehow, couldn’t they? She didn’t want to go to America. Maybe he could make more money here—big money, like he said—but would they ever be happy living in a foreign land? A land that didn’t want them? And what if they were caught and deported after they’d begun to build a life here?

It was a risk Benita didn’t want to take. "José, I really, really want to go home." The tears she’d been holding back began to stream down her cheeks.

He didn’t even turn around. "You’ll be glad we did this. Just…trust me."

She thought of the water bottle they’d finished hours ago. Would they find themselves lost in the desert when the sun came up in less than an hour? Would they stagger around in the one hundred and fifteen degree heat without food or water and eventually die a terrible death?

The mere possibility made her shudder. All she had left was a pocketful of nuts. And they were covered with salt.

"We shouldn’t have crossed," she said. "We should not have done this."

A gruff chuckle alerted them to the presence of a third party. "Well, well…what do you know? It sounds as if someone is coming to their senses."

Benita squealed, then clamped a hand over her mouth. A dark amorphous shape stood in front of them, blocking the faint light of the moon. She couldn’t make out specific features, but she knew he was a stranger. And she was pretty sure he was wearing a cowboy hat and holding a gun. He had something in his hand….

Was he white? She might’ve thought so except he spoke perfect Spanish.

Her husband inched toward her, placing his body in front of hers, and she let him. She hadn’t yet told José, hadn’t wanted to worry him before their trip el norte, but she’d just found out she was pregnant.

"Disculpe, señor," he said. "We—we mean no harm. We are passing through, that is all."

The stranger switched to English, which seemed to come as naturally to him as Spanish. "What you’re doing is illegal, mi amigo."

Although he knew bits of English, much more than Benita did, José wasn’t fluent. He stuck with his native tongue. "But we are just visiting family. We mean no harm. We plan to go back to Mexico after two weeks. We stay only two weeks."

It was an obvious lie, and the man was far from fooled. "Shut up." Again he spoke in English but even Benita understood the meaning of those sharp words.

"Señor, please." José edged closer to her. "It is only me and my—my little brother. We have no drugs, nothing."

This time, the response came in Spanish. "Your brother."

He’d heard her speak, which made this another transparent lie, but Benita kept her mouth shut, in case he believed José. Some boys had high voices, didn’t they?

"Sí. He—he is frightened. Por favor…please, do not hurt him."

Benita could hardly breathe. The stories of rape, beatings, robbery and other abuse that occurred during border crossings had circulated throughout Mexico. Parents used them to warn their children to stay home, as her father had warned her. But, other than to insist she chop her hair short and wear a baseball cap and men’s clothing, José had shrugged off her parents’ concerns. He said they worried for no reason and promised her everything would be fine.

"Stop groveling or I’ll shoot you both right where you stand."

Those words and the disgust in the stranger’s voice made Benita start shaking. Who was this man? What was he doing out here? If he was a border patrol agent, he would’ve told them by now, wouldn’t he? Had they interrupted a drug run? Or was this a local farmer who didn’t want them on his land?

"I—I have money," José said.

They didn’t have a lot. It was Carlos who was supposed to pay their coyote once they’d made it safely across. But at this point Benita was ready to turn herself in to the authorities. She didn’t care if he sacrificed every peso.

The man laughed. "You think I’m a dirty cop—like the kind you have in Mexico?"

José didn’t answer. "Forgive me. I am not trying to offend you, señor."

"Your smell offends me, amigo. You being where you don’t belong offends me. And the fact that every word out of your mouth is a lie offends me."

There was a click, and a brief flash of light. Benita covered her face, bracing for the worst. But he was only lighting a cigarette. She caught a brief glimpse of his chin, which was covered with dark stubble, before he closed his lighter.

"I’ll make you a deal," he said, blowing smoke in their faces.

"Sí. Money. You want money?" José bent to get the cash hidden in his sock.

"I don’t want your lousy dinero. You couldn’t have enough pesos to buy me a new pair of boots, amigo. What I want is for you to undress your little brother here. I’ll use my night-vision goggles to take a peek at his chest. If he is, as you say, a boy, I’ll let you pass. You can head on to Tucson or L.A. or wherever else and bleed this country dry just like all your wetback relatives who’ve snuck over the border before you. But—" he took another long drag on his cigarette "—if she’s got tetas…" Another blast of smoke hit Benita in the face, making her cough. "I’m going to punish you for being the lying sack of shit you are."

José didn’t move. Benita could feel his tension, could tell he was weighing his options. What had the man said? She’d recognized only a few words. Would José decide to run? They couldn’t. They’d be shot.

"Okay, I—I admit it. This is my wife, not my brother." José’s voice was raspy with desperation. "But…she’s barely twenty, señor. And she’s frightened. Please, I beg you. Let us go. We will head back to Mexico. Right now."

The man took another drag. "Until next week or the week after. Then you’ll come creeping across the border again." He switched to Spanish, no doubt to make sure she’d understand. "I read an article that said you wetbacks try at least six times before giving up. Takes some pretty big balls to be so bold, you know what I’m saying? Besides, someone’s got to die. Might as well be you."

Die? Benita sank to her knees. "No, por favor! I—I didn’t even want to come here. I’d rather go home. I’ll stay home. Don’t hurt us."

He made a tsking sound. "How could you put your wife in such danger, Pedro?"

He had never asked for José’s name. He was using "Pedro" as a racial slur. She could feel this man’s hatred as palpably as the heat of the sun when it beat down at midday. But she was glad José didn’t complain. He squeezed her shoulder. Probably to comfort her. Maybe to convey an apology. You were right. We should’ve stayed. "I was just…trying to give her a better life," he said.

A light went on in the closest trailer. When the man turned to look, José grabbed a handful of Benita’s shirt and jerked her forward. He wanted her to run, but she couldn’t get up fast enough and they lost the precious second that might’ve allowed them to escape.

The cowboy swung back, and they both froze with fear. Thanks to the light coming through the trailer window, the barrel of his pistol was outlined in silver, and they could see that it had something on the end.

Benita knew what that something was; she’d seen a silencer before. Her brother hadn’t always lived the kind >of life he was living now that he’d settled down and had a couple of kids.

"Someone’s awake," José said. "They’ll see you. You’ll get caught if you shoot us. Let us go."

The stranger didn’t seem the least bit worried. Chuckling deep in his throat, he tossed his cigarette on the ground and fired so fast Benita didn’t realize he’d pulled the trigger until José collapsed. Her husband’s hand clenched, dragging her to the ground with him, so the shot intended for her went over her head. But that was all he could do to help. In the next second, he made a funny noise and went still, and she knew the man she loved, the father of her unborn child, was dead.

"You killed him!" she wailed, crouching over his body. "You killed him!"

"Hey, what’s going on out there?" A woman had opened the door of the trailer and called out in English. Although Benita couldn’t understand her words, she thought the interruption would make the man run away. But it didn’t. With a curse, Cowboy brought up his gun and aimed again.

"This oughta teach you spic cockroaches to stay in your own damn country," he ground out, and pulled the trigger.

Benita felt a flash of pain between her eyes. Then she felt nothing at all.

The sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon when Sophia St. Claire brought her cruiser to a skidding halt at the dusty group of drab to not-so-drab trailers a mile outside of town. She’d thrown on her uniform and dashed out of the house as soon as the call came in. But she was too late. The people who lived here had abandoned the comfort of their homes to gawk and were standing in the middle of the crime scene.

If you missed out on White Heat, swing by eHarlequin.com or your favorite bookstore to pick up a copy and catch up before Body Heat’s launch!