Trust can’t be bought – #Billionaires #SiliconValley #ArtificialIntelligence #MFRWHooks

It’s Wednesday again! Which means it’s time for another MFRW Book Hooks blog hop.

Sticking with last week’s theme of “realistic” romance, I’ve got an excerpt from my BDSM erotic romance The Gazillionaire and the Virgin. Actually, when I wrote this back in 2016, I didn’t realize how realistic it was going to be. Both of the main characters are tech people and the book features an AI system that can generate stories... Sounds familiar, right?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my hook, a somewhat fraught phone conversation between my heroine and my hero.

Blurb

Trust can't be bought. It has to be earned.

When Silicon Valley entrepreneur Rachel Zelinsky meets reclusive genius Theo Moore, she has a single objective —a deal to incorporate his AI software into her company’s popular virtual world. She finds Theo to be arrogant, sensitive and socially awkward, but his aura of power speaks to her carefully-hidden submissive side. Confused and aroused, she falls under his geeky spell.

Theo Moore can’t be bought. His past battles with poverty make him deeply suspicious of the billionaire CEO, though Rachel’s voluptuous curves and brilliant mind embody his ultimate fantasy. Too bad his knowledge about sex derives from extensive research and a stash of kinky porn rather than real-world experience.

Rachel may be Theo’s first lover, but Theo is her first true Master. One word from him, one touch, and she surrenders to bliss. It seems that love and complementary desire may harmonize their differing values, until Rachel’s unwitting violation of Theo’s trust tears them apart.

The Hook

I wait until the fundraiser’s all arranged before getting in touch. I don’t want to give him too much time to obsess about the prospect. I call him from home, about seven a.m. My spies have discovered he’s a morning person.

“Um—hello?” His voice is a bit gravelly, but deeper and more sonorous than I’d remembered.

“Hello Theo. This is Rachel Zelinsky.” Don’t hang up, I think during the ten second pause that follows. Don’t even consider it.

“Oh—um... Hi, Rachel.”

So far so good. I wait for him to continue, but he’s silent.

“How are you?” I prompt, finally.

“Okay.” Two beats. “And you?”

“I’m great. Busy, but that’s normal. Anyway, I’m calling about the fundraiser.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“For Code in the Hood. Remember? I told you when we met I’d try to organize an event to raise more cash for your organization.”

“Oh, yeah, right. I thought you were just being polite.”

I chuckle. “Not at all. As you’ll learn when you get to know me better, when I say I’m going to do something, I do it. So it’s all set, for seven tomorrow night, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. I’ll pick you up around six. 1263 Redondo Palms Avenue, right?”

“Ah—ach—what? No! No, I can’t, Rachel!” He sounds as though he’s choking. “Really—you don’t need me. I’m grateful, but—”

“We most emphatically do need you, Theo. You’re the founder of CIH, its public face, the man behind its success. People want to meet you.”

“Oh, God—what kind of people?” He’s breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating.

“Rich people. People who want to give you money to help the poor kids in the ghetto learn about modern technology. Millionaires, Theo. Billionaires!”

“I don’t want to meet them...” He’s almost inaudible.

“You’ve no choice, Theo, not if you care about CIH. Look, you don’t have to make a speech or anything. Just attend the function with me. Smile, Drink a bit of champagne. Shake people’s hands. I assume you have brochures and other PR material, right?”

“Yes, yes....”

“Bring that and let my people pass it out. Then all you have to do is be yourself, Theo. Share your passion for CIH, and let these people see how they can make a difference. I guarantee that if you follow my instructions, you’ll rake in at least a couple million in one evening.”

“A couple million? You’re kidding.” His astonishment has overwhelmed his anxiety, at least for the moment.

“Dr. Moore, another thing about me: I never kid about money.”

Theo is silent. I press my advantage. “The function’s black tie—I love to get dressed up, even if most of the Valley crowd would be happier wearing polo shirts with company logos seven days a week. So I’ve taken the liberty of ordering you a tuxedo. The tailor will deliver it this afternoon, and make alterations if necessary. You will be at home, right? Your department secretary says you have no classes or meetings today.”

“Dr. Zelinsky, you have no right to go snooping into my life.” I hear genuine anger in his tone. A little chill shimmers through me. “Talking to my secretary! Finding my street address! What, did you do a secret 3D scan to get my suit measurements? I’m not one of the pawns who inhabit your virtual world. I care about my privacy.”

“Sorry—Theo, please, try to understand. I just want to make this as painless as possible for you. I apologize if you feel I’m being intrusive. If I’d asked you whether you wanted a tuxedo, though, you probably would have refused my offer.”

“Damn right I would. I’m not wearing some penguin suit just to please you, Rachel Zelinsky.”

A little thrill shoots through me. There’s something about the way my name rolls off his tongue—as though he’d been saying it, or at least thinking it, a lot...

“Theo.” I soften my voice, add a note a pleading. “It’s not for me. It’s for the kids in South Central. Can’t you do it for them?”

“Humph.” When that’s all he says, I know I’ve won this round.

“Pick you up at six. I’m looking forward to seeing you again, Theo.”

He hangs up without any reply.

I find that my nipples are like stone and I’m soaked with sweat.

 

Buy Links

E-Book

Kinky Literature: https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/811-the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SDY5XJ5/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09SDY5XJ5/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-lisbet-sarai/1123327821?ean=2940165788888

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin-2

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1132432

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1610802851

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60397753-the-gazillionaire-and-the-virgin

Audio (WordWooze):

https://www.amazon.com/The-Gazillionaire-and-the-Virgin/dp/B075WZS3TN/

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gazillionaire-and-the-Virgin-Audiobook/B075X1XN87

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today's Book Hooks!

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Love, art and uncertainty in the French countryside – #France #LaterInLife #FriendsToLovers

In her late forties, Callie Patterson, an amateur artist, craves success in the art world. Opportunity presents itself in the form of the irresistible French artist Nicholas Trier who offers a three-week Artists’ Retreat in a French château. If she manages to charm him, who knows where the association might lead?

However, from the moment she arrives in France, things don’t go according to plan. The château is magnificent, the countryside is splendid, but it never stops raining, and Nicholas is surrounded by an ambitious group of women who have the same plan she does.

She is grateful for the growing friendship with the château’s gardener, Michel Alexander, but if Callie finds him seductive she can’t consider him a potential lover: Michel is probably as poor as she is.

Set in rural France, this light-hearted romance touches on the contemporary art world and French history.

Blurb

Callie Patterson, an unsuccessful artist, hopes that a relationship with the irresistible and magnetic Nicholas Trier will pave the way to success. She follows him to France where, in a magnificent château, he holds his artists' retreats. But famous men surround themselves with hangers-on and demand complete loyalty.

Callie soon finds herself far more attracted to Michel Alexandre, the estate gardener, who loves and protects trees and every living creature. But if she wants to make a name for herself, she’ll have to choose Nicholas and his world.

Except nothing is quite the way it seems, and perhaps success isn’t the most important thing, after all.

Excerpt

Callie dropped her backpack and, uninvited, sat down on the soggy ground not far from where he was digging. She didn’t even own a houseplant, but a banal conversation about twigs and saplings, was what she craved at the moment. “Okay, tell me why isn’t there a hedge here now.”

“Because, years ago, the farmer ripped out all the hedges to have larger fields for his agricultural machinery. Now we’re bringing back a balanced environment.”

“You’re not planning to replace every single hedge on your own, are you?”

“Of course not,” he scoffed. Picking up a small spade, he loosened another patch of earth. “There are thousands of trees and shrubs to replant, and that would be an impossible task for only one person.”
With gentle fingers, he spread the delicate roots of a tiny shrub, tucked it into place in the little hole, then tamped down the moist soil with his palm. Reached for another, and then another.

She watched silently as he planted, and strangely enough, it was almost a sensual sight. His hands were broad, strong, and deeply tanned from working outdoors; his long fingers were beautifully shaped. And under that denim shirt of his, there was the alluring suggestion of tight sinew and warm, fragrant skin. Bear like? No, not exactly. Something more, something…

“A penny for your thoughts.” Michel was watching her with those disconcerting eyes of his, very dark, with heavy lids and thick lashes.
She felt the blush as it traveled upward, flooding her neck, her face. He hadn’t caught what she had been thinking, had he? Perhaps he had. Surely, he’d seen how her gaze had slipped over his hands, his arms, his chest, and shoulders. How incredibly humiliating! What vaguely plausible answer could she give? “Oh…just remembering something.”

“Ah.” Eyebrows raised in overt amusement, he smirked—rather cockily—then went back to working on the next hole, the next shrub.

 

The Unpredictable Colors of Love is published by the Wild Rose Press

Purchase Links https://books2read.com/TheUnpredictableColorsOfLove

Trailer: https://youtu.be/27nE-cCHNqM

Review Quotes

As always the author creates characters who are not always perfect, have enjoyed full lives up to the point where she brings them together, and who are on a journey of discovery. The story is set within in the luxurious and lovingly renovated chateau and in the glorious countryside where its ancient fields and hedgerows are also being brought back to life. The perfect setting for two people who might have given up hope on finding a soul mate to explore the possibility there might just be a chance for them after all. ~ Sally Cronin, Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

The charming setting of rural France is an excellent backdrop to the book, which explores the dichotomy between urban and countryside environments. It also examines the contrast between two vastly different types of men: the arrogant and popular Nicolas, and humble, caring Michel. Indeed, the unfolding romance between headstrong Callie and the down-to-earth gardener is delightful to behold, as is Callie’s transformation from urbanite to country-dweller. Michel supports and validates her, which is in stark contrast to Nicolas’s superior attitude and vanity.

A sweet, tender romance, with well-developed characters I could root for, this is an immersive story, with its unique and picturesque setting. ~ Whispering Stories

About the Author

Writer, social critical artist, and impenitent teller of tall tales, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a mud house on the Great Hungarian Plain, in a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave dwelling, a haunted house on the English moors, and beside a Dutch canal. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest where, much to local dismay, she protects spiders, snakes, and weeds. 

Observing people everywhere, she eavesdrops on all private conversations and delights in hearing any nasty, funny, ridiculous, sad, romantic, or boastful story. And when she can't uncover any salacious gossip, she makes it up.

Author Website http://www.j-arleneculiner.com
Blog: http://j-arleneculiner.over-blog.com
Author links: https://linktr.ee/j.arleneculiner 

Unchaperoned at Waverly Hall... #HistoricalRomance #Giveaway

Blurb

Molly Merriwether readily accepts an invitation to Waverly Hall, eager for adventure and amusement with her best friend. She never expected to be left unchaperoned with three intriguing young gentlemen for weeks.

Roger Bailey, recuperating in more ways than one, avoids Molly until her kindness and humor tempt him to deepen their acquaintance.

Molly lands in one unlikely escapade after the next with Roger and soon considers him a friend—perhaps more—but the barriers he puts up make it impossible to truly know him. Has she only imagined those tender looks in his eyes?

For a chance at love, Molly will need to bare her innermost self and trust someone more deeply than she’s ever dreamed possible.

Excerpt

“Not having chaperones has made it all the more interesting.” Molly glanced outside, where the men stood in a circle talking.

“Auntie’s going to be so upset when she finds out,” Caroline said.

“Perhaps she never will.”

Caroline clicked her tongue. “Of course she will. She’ll tell our parents.”

“Then we’d better enjoy ourselves while we still can.”

About to sip her juice, Caroline set the glass down. “I know that look, Molly. What are you planning?”

“Oh, I just thought we might have a poke around while the gentlemen are otherwise occupied.”

Outside, the men had set out across the field toward the kennels.

“We’ve done enough poking around,” Caroline said. “We’ll probably get lost again.”

“No. We’ve done enough poking around that we won’t get lost. And there’s that arched door we saw in the east wing other day.”

“It’s most likely a broom closet.”

Molly rose, leaving her napkin on the table. “It’s in the corner of an empty room on the third floor. And with such an elaborate door? There were vines engraved on it.”

“The room wasn’t empty—it looked like an old sewing room. I’m sure it’s nothing of interest.”

“We won’t know until we look.”

“You’re doing this no matter what I say, aren’t you?” Caroline asked.

“You don’t have to come.” Molly gave her an angelic smile as she backed toward the door.

About the Author

Kate grew up in a woodsy New England town where summer days at the lake seemed to last forever. She read her first historical romance at age eleven when a teacher challenged her to find a book in the library written by an author she’d never heard of. Thus began a life-long love of love stories.

After graduating from college she settled in the Pacific Northwest, where she currently resides with her family.

Kate wrote her first romance when she was sixteen, then set her pen down for years until another story floated into her head out of the clear blue sky. She jotted it down, just for fun, but soon it took on a life of its own.

Website: http://www.kateellington.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateellingtonwrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateellingtonauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29720924.Kate_Ellington

Teacups and Temptation will be released November 18^th!

PRE-ORDER FROM AMAZON today! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGQMN6GX/

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Surrendering to her traitorous needs – #UrbanFantasy #EroticRomance #NewRelease @TinaDonaue

Blurb

She can heal the dying…

Two men—enemies of her people—will stop at nothing to have her gift, her desire and love

The Prophecy, Book 1

Trapped in a blood feud, Liz uses her healing power to bring Zeke Neekoma from the brink of death so her clan can exploit his prophecies. During the ceremony, she drapes her nudity over his, experiencing his building strength, the stunning pleasure of his caress as he takes her without warning, using her as he wills.

His hunger for a woman he’s supposed to hate isn’t what Zeke expected, nor does he intend to deny himself. Kidnapping Liz, he’s resolved that she heal his brother Jacob ambushed by her people. At his stronghold, Zeke keeps Liz captive to his and Jacob’s desires. The brothers pleasure her without restraint and in ways she’s never known. Before, her life was filled with loneliness and wanting. Now…

Used by two powerful men, threatened by her clan’s determination to get her back, Liz risks all as she surrenders to Zeke’s and Jacob’s lust, the ecstasy of their touch and her most traitorous needs.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL3T3JBF

 

 

Excerpt (Explicit)

Her lips brushed his in striking tenderness, her pleasantly scented breath filling his mouth.

Zeke stiffened, expecting another blaze of pain from the blood flow. Instead, each ache receded beneath soothing warmth, the kind delivered by a slug of booze or a potent narcotic.

She blew into his mouth again, her fingers stroking his biceps. Tingles dashed up Zeke’s arms. On instinct, he reacted, wrapping them around her, one hand on her smooth back, the other gripping her ass, meaty and plush, pulling her into his embrace.

Her breath caught. She tensed in what appeared to be surprise or dread, and yet her lips remained submissive against his, trembling as she parted them, yielding even more.

Bursts of heat, wondrous not painful, worked their way from Zeke’s chest to his groin, his thickening cock. It nuzzled against her cunt, dewy with arousal.

Again, she stiffened but didn’t leave him.

Her name drifted close, one Zeke knew from his visions, but couldn’t retrieve. Thinking proved too difficult, the journey from near death to health leaving him with little at the moment except raw instinct.

Tilting his head, he fitted his mouth to hers and thrust his tongue inside. She whimpered at the intimate invasion. Losing whatever restraint he’d owned, Zeke burrowed his fingers into her thick, fragrant mane to keep her from retreat as he deepened the kiss, not caring how savage it became, wanting it to be.

She’d brought him back against his will. Now, she’d pay for that transgression and would see to his pleasure.

Her back arched at his hand sliding down the silky furrow between her cheeks, his fingers reaching her anus. She wiggled when he stroked the tight circle, and then she moaned as he dipped his hand lower, touching her cleft, her vaginal lips glutted with desire, damp with need.

Pleased, he kissed her with a right he’d taken, one she had no say in. The same as he’d had no choice in her bringing him back. With one hand, he held her head to his. With the other, he teased her clit. Delicately. Ruthlessly.

A new gasp escaped her, opening her mouth even more to his tongue. Zeke used it to his advantage, thrusting deeper, taking all he could, all she owed him, tasting a hint of the coffee she’d drunk.

And the saltiness of her tears.

His strokes paused.

Tempering his kiss, Zeke forced himself to be gentle and tender with this woman. He drew his thumb over her cheekbone and stroked her clit lazily.

Her body, so tense a moment ago, weakened against his. A wanting growl tore from the back of her throat. She suckled his tongue, wanting it deeper now, not content to have them apart. Cradling the side of his face, she tunneled her fingers through his hair, using it to hold him to her.

They kissed with the wonder of new lovers, yearning in each sigh and every moan. It proved too little. With his caring touch, her passion grew. Pushing his tongue aside, she filled his mouth with hers, grunting in what appeared to be pride at what she’d accomplished.

Not about to let her outdo him, Zeke rolled them over, their mouths still joined despite her faint squeal. Allowing her no chance to recover, taking what he knew she was offering, he used his knees to push her thighs apart. Holding his stiffened cock, he bathed the crown in her silky juices and plunged inside.

About the Author

 

Tina’s an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes passionate romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She’s won Readers’ Choice Awards, was named a finalist in the EPIC competition, received a Book of the Year award, The Golden Nib Award, awards of merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competitions, and second place in the NEC RWA contests. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.

On a less serious note: she’s an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, brakes for Mexican restaurants, and has been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally while wolfing down tostadas. She’s flown a single-engine airplane (freaking scary), rewired an old house using an ‘electricity for dummies’ book, and is horribly shy despite the hot romances she writes.

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/tinadonahue

Website/Blog: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/

Newsletter: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/p/newsletter.html

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tina-donahue

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/146988.Tina_Donahue

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinadonahue

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/tinadonahue

Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/1ChWFkO

Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas: https://sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com/

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AuthorTinaDonahue 

 

Available NOW on Amazon. Free on Kindle Unlimited!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL3T3JBF

 

All in a day’s work – #EroticNoir #Thriller #MFRWHooks

Welcome to this week’s MFRW Book Hooks blog hop!

All through October, in honor of Halloween, I was posting excerpts from my paranormal titles. With the new month, I thought I’d switch gears by giving you an excerpt from one of my grittiest, most realistic books, Exposure. This is an erotic thriller, with some romantic elements.

Blurb

Sex, blood and betrayal: it's all in a day's work.

I strip for the fun of it. Don’t let anyone tell you different. It’s not the money. I could make nearly as much working at the mill and keep my clothes on, but then I’d have to suck up to the bosses. Up on stage, I’m the one in charge, and I like it that way.

Tony Pinelli hired me for a private dance. I was determined to give him his money’s worth. I didn’t expect to be caught in the cross-fire of a double murder. When his widow shows up at my door, I know I’m in way over my head. Now I’m everyone’s target. I can’t trust anyone – not even the police detective who was sweet on me in high school. My only chance at survival is to shift through the lies and expose the truth.

The Hook

When I calm down a bit, I put on my kimono and go check out the crowd. A few more tables are occupied now, and there’s a rowdy group at the bar. Meanwhile, Mr. Clean hasn’t budged. When he sees me, he beckons me to come over.

“Good evening,” he says, very polite. “I enjoyed your performance.”

Oh, yeah? I think to myself. “Glad to hear it,” I say out loud.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“Thanks, but I don’t drink.”

“What’s your name?”

“Stella.”

“Stella what?”

“Stella Xanathakeos,” I say, smiling despite myself at his reaction. Not your typical stage name. But why should I pretend to be somebody else?

“Well, Miss Xana—Xanathakeos, I have a business proposition for you.”

“Look, I’m no hooker.”

“That’s obvious, Miss Xanathakeos. You have a presence on stage, a special flair that marks you as a true artist.”

Bullshit, but his politeness is softening me up anyway.

“I have an associate who has a particular fondness for voluptuous women of Mediterranean complexion, like yourself. I’d like to engage you to give him a private performance.”

“I don’t know...” I begin.

“I’ll pay you five hundred dollars,” says Mr. Clean. “Two hundred fifty in advance and the rest after you dance for him.”

Well, that stops me for a minute. Like I said, I don’t do this for the money. But five hundred dollars would bring me a lot closer to that trip to Greece I’ve been saving for. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to see the Parthenon, the island of Rhodes, the ancient ruins at Salonika. My dad used to talk about Greece all the time, how the sky was blue as crystal and the air smelled like wine.

“All I have to do is dance?”

“That’s right. Your usual routine, or something more creative, if you like.”

“Where and when?”

“Tomorrow night, around eight o’clock, at the Hyatt downtown. I’ll give you the room number.”

“How long will it take?”

“An hour at most. You can be back here at the Peacock by nine thirty.”

I consider the question. Can I trust this guy, with his closed-up face? He’s already holding out two C-notes and a fifty, confident that I’ll accept. What the hell, I decide finally. I’ve got my Mace, and I can deliver a mean kick in the balls. I can take care of myself.

 

Buy Links (Ebook)

Kinky Literature: https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/100-exposure-urban-erotic-noir/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09V19MLDR

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09V19MLDR

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exposure-lisabet-sarai/1141122670?ean=2940165803093

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1136224

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/exposure-urban-erotic-noir

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60574045-exposure

Buy Links (Audio Book)

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Exposure-An-Erotic-Murder-Mystery/dp/B079K627T3

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Exposure-Audiobook/B079K2828J

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks hop!

 

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A valuable and elusive antique – #HistoricalFiction #SplitTime #Giveaway

Blurb

For fans of "Antiques Roadshow" and "American Pickers" - this is the one for you!

Beginning at a cluttered flea market and ending at a glittering art auction, Georgia’s Folly tells the compelling story that blends past and present and the search for a valuable and elusive antique. Chloe Bishop grew up in foster care. She loves shopping at flea markets, picking up family heirlooms like old pottery or vintage furniture to fill in for the family and home she never had. As Chloe walks through the Brooklyn Flea Market, she stumbles upon the diary of Miss Georgia Potter, a young woman who had lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. The yellowed pages reveal the impact of the war on daily life and spotlights the role of women including Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton and Louisa May Alcott. Like Chloe, Georgia Potter was a passionate collector and her diary lists her collection of valuable antiques—including the Holy Grail of 18th century furniture—a Chippendale settee. Well versed in antiques, Chloe is aware that There are only five known examples and a sixth settee would be worth more than $4 million.

Chloe immediately contacts Ben Thompson, the man who sold her the diary. Ben is a picker who drives his RV across America, searching for collectibles to sell to dealers. He is estranged from his wealthy, prominent family who cringe at his chosen career. Ben agrees to take her along to search for the valuable and iconic settee. As Ben and Chloe head to Gettysburg, they are unaware that Gregor Petrov, a shady antiques dealer and Harrison Kent, a respected but unscrupulous art expert are trailing them.

The search for the settee takes Chloe and Ben on fast paced journey from the Gettysburg battlefields to the 18th century street of artisans in Philadelphia to a historic mansion on the banks of the Hudson River. Traveling together in the small RV, Ben and Chloe draw closer. In the confines of the RV, embroiled in an unimaginable quest, Chloe confides that she is also in search for the father she never knew while Ben struggles to explain his complicated family to a woman who never had one.

In a thrilling ending, the rare Chippendale settee is not Chloe’s only valuable discovery.

Excerpt

Chole Bishop felt her pulse quicken as she walked to the jumbled tables at the Brooklyn Flea market. Under the soaring arches of the massive bridge, the piles of pottery, jewelry and racks of vintage clothing sparkled with the promise of discovery. Every time she walked into a thrift shop or flea market, she remembered stories of the discovery of a long-lost Picasso or a rhinestone ring turned out to be a flawless diamond. But she really wasn’t treasure hunting—she just loved finding what she called “pieces of history.”

She never knew what she was going to find, but she knew it when she saw it. And there it was, as if it had been patiently waiting for her. Next to a vintage tin sign for motor oil and under a cracked ironstone pitcher, she could see the trim edges of a ladies’ lap desk. Chloe smiled to herself. I have always wanted ne and here it is under the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge. She walked over to the table, gently removed the pitcher and placed it on the table.

The lap desk was clearly not a family heirloom. It was a very basic lap desk with a faded, stained finish. She opened the lap desk and smiled to see the worn well-worn, blue felt padding. The top and bottom flaps were intact- a great sign for a well-used lap top more than 150 years old. Two small partitions on the bottom were stained from the ink bottles they once held. The bottom section was empty except for two vintage ladies hair pins but the top lid was jammed. A lady often kept personal letters there and Chloe was instantly curious. What secret romances could the lap desk hold?

About the Author

I grew up in a family filled with art and antiques. On the high end, my uncle, William Lincer, lead violist at the New York Philharmonic, was an art lover whose collection was sold at Sotheby’s. On the low end, her father, writer Allen Chase took me to flea markets and estate sales. He sparked a lifelong fascination with tales of lost treasures that ranged from plundered Egyptian tombs to trainloads of art stolen by the Nazis. It was this love of history and antiques that inspired my first novel, Georgia’s Folly

I was a founding editor of the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter and the author of 12 books including The Medically Based No-Nonsense Beauty Book (Alfred Knopf), Extend Your Life Diet (Pocket Books), Fruit Acids for Fabulous Skin (St Martin’s Press), Every Bride is Beautiful ( Morrow), and with her husband Dr Neil Schachter co-author of Life and Breath (Doubleday) and The Good Doctor’s Guide to Colds and Flu (Harper). The books have been a selection of the Book of the Month Club and my articles have appeared in Ladies Home Journal, Self, Glamour, Redbook, Family Circle, Parents and Good Housekeeping.

I am a graduate of Bronx High School of Science and a winner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. A graduate of New York University I earned a degree with a duel major in journalism and history.

A native New Yorker, I like to spend my weekends at an upstate home where a big kitchen and an endless supply of estate sales indulge my duel passions for cooking and collecting.

Website: Deborahchase.com

Facebook: @Deborahchase

Instagram:@writinglife2

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Georgias-Folly-Deborah-Chase-ebook/dp/B0DGWF6J7G

The author will be awarding a $50 Visa card to a randomly drawn winner.

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