SHOT CALLER Release Day!

I'm happy to announce that NYPD Negotiators #2, SHOT CALLER, releases today!

In SHOT CALLER, NYPD Detective Gemma Capello and her fellow hostage negotiators are given a particularly difficult situation when a riot in one of the enhanced security units on Rikers Island ends with eight correction officers being held hostage. It’s a challenge—how do you negotiate with someone who already lives under the weight of a life sentence? What retribution within Gemma’s power to grant could possibly be worse than what already lies ahead of those inmates? It makes for an extremely tense situation where everyone from the Department of Corrections administration, NYPD commanders, the tactical team, and the mayor of New York City all have an opinion and an agenda:

In Jen J. Danna’s gripping suspense series, NYPD detective Gemma Capello is called to Rikers Island, where a prison riot threatens to become a bloodbath . . .

On Rikers Island, tensions always run high, especially in the Enhanced Supervision Housing unit. The ESH is home to Rikers’ most dangerous offenders, many of them members of rival street gangs. When Gemma Capello and her team get word of an uprising at the ESH, they know how much is at stake. Gemma also has her own unresolved feelings to deal with—this is the first case she and Detective Sean Logan have worked together since a siege at City Hall that ended with the hostage taker’s death.

Built to hinder escape, prisons are also especially difficult for a tactical team to invade. That’s a last resort for Gemma, but the longer the inmates remain in control, holding corrections officers hostage, the greater the risk. Gemma begins negotiating with Kill Switch, a young, aggressive member of the Filero Kings gang and the inmates’ spokesman. She can tell the stress level is escalating inside. That may give her team some advantages, but it soon leads to a brutal act of retribution—and threats of more to come.

Navigating assumptions on all sides, Gemma desperately tries to stop the body count from rising. But with disagreements and volatility increasing all around, the only certainty is that the next misstep may be a fatal one . . .

Publishers Weekly described SHOT CALLER as "A solid sequel to 2020’s EXIT STRATEGY. Danna’s convincing portrayal of the hostage negotiating process and life at Rikers keep the pages turning. Readers will look forward to Gemma’s next outing."

SHOT CALLER is available now from these fine retailers: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Audible, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Indigo, Target, and Walmart.

And a book release means it's party time!

Please join us tonight from 7 - 10pm EDT for a mass Kensington launch party. You'll find the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/849446682324828. Many of the prizes being offered this evening are already up for preview in the discussion tab, including the grand prize from Kensington - one of each of the twelve books highlighted at tonight's party to one lucky winner! All giveaways are open for twenty-four hours, so if you can't make it tonight, you can still catch up tomorrow and get your name into the prize draws. Personally, I'll be giving away three copies of SHOT CALLER, an audio CD set of EXIT STRATEGY, and five ARCS of my upcoming FBI K-9s novel, UNDER PRESSURE.

Hope to see you there, and good luck in all the draws!

SHOT CALLER Sneak Peek and Launch Party Details

We're a little over a week away from the launch of NYPD Negotiators #2, SHOT CALLER, and I have a special sneak peek for you—Chapter One in its entirety to give you a taste of what's to come.

You can find Chapter One right here: SHOT CALLER - Chapter One

In Jen J. Danna’s gripping suspense series, NYPD detective Gemma Capello is called to Rikers Island, where a prison riot threatens to become a bloodbath…

On Rikers Island, tensions always run high, especially in the Enhanced Supervision Housing unit. The ESH is home to Rikers’ most dangerous offenders, many of them members of rival street gangs. When Gemma Capello and her team get word of an uprising at the ESH, they know how much is at stake. Gemma also has her own unresolved feelings to deal with—this is the first case she and Detective Sean Logan have worked together since a siege at City Hall that ended with the hostage taker’s death.

Built to hinder escape, prisons are also especially difficult for a tactical team to invade. That’s a last resort for Gemma, but the longer the inmates remain in control, holding corrections officers hostage, the greater the risk. Gemma begins negotiating with Kill Switch, a young, aggressive member of the Filero Kings gang and the inmates’ spokesman. She can tell the stress level is escalating inside. That may give her team some advantages, but it soon leads to a brutal act of retribution—and threats of more to come.

Navigating assumptions on all sides, Gemma desperately tries to stop the body count from rising. But with disagreements and volatility increasing all around, the only certainty is that the next misstep may be a fatal one . . .

For all those who have already pre-ordered, huge thanks. And for those who are interested in ordering early so SHOT CALLER is available immediately upon release, it's carried by these fine retailers: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Indigo, Target, and Walmart. Thank you to you as well!

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In more NYPD Negotiator news, Gemma Capello, Sean Logan, and the whole Capelllo family will return in book #3, LOCKDOWN. Newly completed, LOCKDOWN takes Gemma and Logan into the horror of a Brooklyn high school shooting that evolves into a hostage situation. But the incident becomes even more terrifying for the Capellos when Gemma's nephew, who attends the imperiled school, is not among the evacuated students and cannot be contacted. Coming in 2022...

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Speaking of upcoming releases, FBI K-9s #6, UNDER PRESSURE, releases on November 30th, and I have paperback advanced reader copies! So watch this space for giveaway information in a few weeks. But, if you are interested in winning a copy sooner, then you'll want to come out on August 31st...

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It's launch party time again! Once again, I'm teaming up with a stellar lineup of Kensington authors to celebrate our new releases on August 31st on Facebook. Check out this amazing group of authors and their new books:

Suzanne Chazin - THE FRAGILE EDGE
Jen J. Danna - SHOT CALLER
Maddie Day - NO GRATER CRIME
Devon Delaney - DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE MURDER
JC Eaton - RAILROADED 4 MURDER
Alex Erickson - DIAL M FOR MAINE COON
Lee Hollis - HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER
Anna Lee Huber - MURDER MOST FAIR
Victoria Laurie - COACHED IN THE ACT
Alyssa Maxwell - MURDER AT WAKEHURST
Barbara Ross - HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER
Karen Rose Smith - MURDER WITH ORANGE PEKOE TEA
Traci Wilton - MRS. MORRIS AND THE VAMPIRE

We would love to see you there, so please join us that evening from 7 - 10pm EDT. If you can't stay the whole evening, or can't make that time frame at all, no problem! All giveaways are open for 24 hours before a winner is selected, so you can catch up the next morning or afternoon, if you like. You can sign up as Going or Interested to stay in the loop: https://www.facebook.com/events/849446682324828. Many of the prizes are already being previewed on the discussion tab, so stop by to see what you could win. Seriously... so many prizes (including copies of UNDER PRESSURE)! And, for the first time, there will be a Kensington grand prize this year that will be revealed in the coming days.

Many of you have attended in the past and know what a blast these launch parties are. Hope to see you there!!

Cover Reveal and Exciting Release Day News for FBI K-9s #6, UNDER PRESSURE

Lots to cover in this post, but we’ll start with the brand new cover for the next FBI K-9, book #6, UNDER PRESSURE:

Doesn't it look great? Do you recognize the location from those steps? That's the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and you may remember them as the famous steps Rocky Balboa jogs up in the original Rocky movie.

So, what is the team up to in UNDER PRESSURE?

FBI handler Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner, Hawk, are drawn into a case that involves a fortune in uncut gems, and an enemy whose power and ruthlessness know no bounds...

Diamonds are no one’s best friend when the jewels in question are smuggled conflict gems. Meg Jennings and her Labrador, Hawk, have undertaken many search-and-rescue missions, but this case has an unusual twist. A Philadelphia syndicate is importing diamonds from war-torn African nations and selling them with fake certificates to Stateside dealers. Agent Finn Pierce of the Organized Crime Program is embedded with the syndicate, but being caught with a wire or tracking device would mean instant execution. If Meg, her partner Brian Foster, and their dogs can track Pierce to a deal location, they can break the smuggling chain while maintaining Pierce’s cover.

With the syndicate monitoring every move, it’s a risky operation with more players than Meg and Brian first assumed—on both sides of the law. And when one of their own gets caught in the line of fire, the team embarks on a desperate rescue mission, knowing that mere seconds are all that separate life and death...

Whose life is on the line? It's a fan favourite, so you won't want to miss this one!

I was recently pleasantly surprised to learn that the release of this book has been moved up several months, so, everyone who loved LEAVE NO TRACE and wanted more, you'll be happy to hear that it's no longer a winter 2022 release, but will be launching on November 30, 2021! And savvy readers will note from the blurb above that Brian and Lacey are back with the team after Lacey's devastating injury in LEAVE NO TRACE. Good news all around!

Because the release date has been moved up, pre-order links are already live for UNDER PRESSURE. You can pre-order your copy here: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes and Noble, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Indigo, and Target.

Speaking of LEAVE NO TRACE, the fifth book in the FBI K-9s series continues to be popular. Perhaps it's the mix of case with so many threads woven through of the personal lives of the team, but this book has struck a chord with many readers. Haven't grabbed your copy yet? You can find it here: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Indigo, Target, and Walmart.

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A reminder that NYPD Negotiators #2, SHOT CALLER, the sequel to EXIT STRATEGY, will release on August 31, 2021.

For longtime newsletter readers, you know what this means? This means another amazing virtual Kensington authors launch! It's really early, so early I haven't made up any promo images yet, but I do have a list of all the authors who are excited to join me for a Facebook event on the evening of August 31, from 7 - 10pm EDT.

Check out these amazing authors and the books they'll be sharing that night:
Suzanne Chazin - THE FRAGILE EDGE
Jen J. Danna - SHOT CALLER
Maddie Day - NO GRATER CRIME
Devon Delaney - DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE MURDER
JC Eaton - RAILROADED 4 MURDER
Alex Erickson - DIAL M FOR MAINE COON
Anna Lee Huber - MURDER MOST FAIR
Victoria Laurie - COACHED IN THE ACT
Alyssa Maxwell - MURDER AT WAKEHURST
Carol J. Perry - BE MY GHOST
Barbara Rosss - HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER
Karen Rose Smith - MURDER WITH ORANGE PEKOE TEA
Traci Wilton - MRS. MORRIS AND THE VAMPIRE

Please save the date, and watch for all the details you'll need to join us in upcoming newsletters!

In Jen J. Danna’s gripping suspense series, NYPD detective Gemma Capello is called to Rikers Island, where a prison riot threatens to become a bloodbath . . .

On Rikers Island, tensions always run high, especially in the Enhanced Supervision Housing unit. The ESH is home to Rikers’ most dangerous offenders, many of them members of rival street gangs. When Gemma Capello and her team get word of an uprising at the ESH, they know how much is at stake. Gemma also has her own unresolved feelings to deal with—this is the first case she and Detective Sean Logan have worked together since a siege at City Hall that ended with the hostage taker’s death.

Built to hinder escape, prisons are also especially difficult for a tactical team to invade. That’s a last resort for Gemma, but the longer the inmates remain in control, holding corrections officers hostage, the greater the risk. Gemma begins negotiating with Kill Switch, a young, aggressive member of the Filero Kings gang and the inmates’ spokesman. She can tell the stress level is escalating inside. That may give her team some advantages, but it soon leads to a brutal act of retribution—and threats of more to come.

Navigating assumptions on all sides, Gemma desperately tries to stop the body count from rising. But with disagreements and volatility increasing all around, the only certainty is that the next misstep may be a fatal one . . .

Think SHOT CALLER looks interesting, but you haven’t read EXIT STRATEGY yet? I'll put buy links in below, or perhaps you could grab a copy from your local library. Your local library doesn't have it? Request it! You’ll get to enjoy it and then others who frequent the library will also have a chance to discover it. What if you've already read it and possibly even own EXIT STRATEGY, but still want to support the series because you love Gemma and the Capellos and want to spend more time with them? Request EXIT STRATEGY and/or SHOT CALLER at your local library if they aren't already in their catalogue. And, of course, pre-ordering your copy of SHOT CALLER is the very best way to support the series and ensure there will be more installments in the series. However you can help out, sincerely, many many thanks!

SHOT CALLER pre-order links: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Indigo, Target, and Walmart.

You can find EXIT STRATEGY at these fine retailers: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Audible, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Indigo, Target, and Walmart.

In this taut new suspense series featuring NYPD detective Gemma Capello and her close-knit law enforcement family, a madman brings a halt to the heart of the city that never sleeps . . .

After her mother’s death during a bank robbery when she was a child, Gemma Capello grew up to become one of the NYPD’s elite hostage negotiators. In a family of cops, there’s rarely a day when a Capello isn’t facing down some form of threat. Still, despite their unpredictable schedules, they always find time for their annual family summer picnic. But this year, a sudden phone call changes everything.

A heavily armed gunman has taken hostages at City Hall. Gemma races downtown to join the rest of the Hostage Negotiation Team as they scramble to identify the captives—fearing the mayor may be among them. But as they scramble for answers and struggle to gain control of the circumstances, it becomes clear that the mayor is at the center of it all, just not in the way they initially believed.

With several lives on the line and a criminal who always seems to be one step ahead, Gemma is the only one able to connect with the suspect. Soon, she finds herself engaging in a battle of wits while enduring a battle of egos in the command center. With time running out and a mastermind who has proven he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, Gemma risks it all—her career and her life—in a last-ditch effort to save the hostages. Now, she needs to figure out how to save herself . . .