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Army Special Forces

Laura Kaye: Top 10 things the Hard Ink heroes are thankful for

Special for USA TODAY
"Hard to Come By" by Laura Kaye.

Laura Kaye, author of Hard to Come By (Hard Ink #3), joins HEA to share what her heroes say they're thankful for this Thanksgiving. Hard to Come By is new this week!

Laura: It's always so great to visit the HEA USA TODAY blog, and I'm super excited to do it on the release week for my new book, Hard to Come By! This book is part of a super sexy and suspenseful series about the surviving members of an Army Special Forces unit investigating the suspicious circumstances that got them dishonorably discharged from the military. Hard to Come By is about amputee hero and team techie Derek "Marz" DiMarzio, who finds himself falling for the sister of one of their known enemies.

One of my favorite things about writing this series has been writing the relationships between all the guys. The team's camaraderie, solidarity, humor and shared history have created compelling, funny and sometimes heart-wrenching story lines. Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the U.S., it seemed like a good time to have the guys stop and think about what they're most thankful for this Thanksgiving. Here's what they had to say:

10. Ice cream. Nick Rixey insisted this be on the list. This man may be tough as nails, but he has 10 half-gallons of ice cream in his freezer and a sweet tooth that will not quit.

9. Eileen. Marz suggested that their little three-legged German shepherd puppy had to be on the list, and everyone agreed. Nick's girlfriend, Becca, found her digging in the trash at the hospital, and since she moved into the Hard Ink building, the puppy has won over every single heart with her big ears, playfulness and furry cuddles, proving that all these big tough guys really are soft on the inside.

8. Tattoos. All the guys have them, and Nick and his brother Jeremy actually give them. For the Hard Ink men, tattoos have meaning, reflect values and commemorate those they've lost. They couldn't be who they are without their ink.

7. Jeremy Rixey (he's gonna flip when he sees that the other guys added him to the list!). Jeremy opened his home, sacrificed his business, and pitched in to help Nick's teammates and investigation every way that he could — despite the fact that it wasn't his fight. Every single man said they couldn't have done everything they've managed to do to restore their honor without Jeremy's generosity. They just wanted him to know.

6. Brotherhood. It's one of the most important things to these guys. An unbreakable bond.

5. Loyalty and honesty. Given the betrayals the team has experienced, loyalty and honesty — and knowing they have these with their Hard Ink teammates — are things for which they're all thankful.

4. Marz (he's also gonna flip!). But all the rest of the guys said that they couldn't have achieved half of what they have without Marz's computer and hacking expertise. And since he's too humble to claim any of glory for himself, they insisted he be on the list so he knew how they felt.

3. Honor. It's what they live by and what they're fighting to have restored. They don't have it yet, but when they do, they'll feel so thankful to be made whole again.

2. Strong women. Every single Hard Ink man acknowledged that the women of the group have been central to everything they've achieved. Becca contributes money and let herself be used as bait. Sara assisted in the team's escape from their enemies' headquarters and stole documents for them. Jenna pulled Easy out of his shell and helped him make a difficult confession. And Emilie gave them the means to learn more about exactly whom they're fighting. The guys couldn't be more thankful to them for every bit of it.

1. Love. None of them thought they'd find it. Some weren't even sure they deserved it. But the ones who have found it say they've never been more thankful for anything.

What are YOU most thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Here's the blurb about Hard to Come By (Hard Ink #3):

Caught between desire and loyalty…

Derek DiMarzio would do anything for the members of his disgraced Special Forces team—sacrifice his body, help a former teammate with a covert operation to restore their honor, and even go behind enemy lines. He just never expected to want the beautiful woman he found there.

When a sexy stranger asks questions about her brother, Emilie Garza is torn between loyalty to the brother she once idolized and fear of the war-changed man he's become. Derek's easy smile and quiet strength tempt Emilie to open up, igniting the desire between them and leading Derek to crave a woman he shouldn't trust.

As the team's investigation reveals how powerful their enemies are, Derek and Emilie must prove where their loyalties lie before hearts are broken and lives are lost. Because love is too hard to come by to let slip away…

Find out more about Laura and her books at www.laurakayeauthor.com.

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