Now with Montlake Romance
Release Day TODAY November 12, 2013
Release Day TODAY November 12, 2013
~ Synopsis
~
Sixteen
years ago, Tyne Whitlock cut all ties to her past and left town under the
shameful shadow of a teenage pregnancy. Now her fifteen-year-old son is in
trouble with the law, and she is desperate for help. But reaching out to
high-powered attorney Lucas Silver Hawk will tear open the heart-wrenching past
in ways Tyne never imagined. Forced
to return to the Delaware Indian community where Lucas was raised, Tyne and
Lucas are tempted by the heated passion that consumed them as teens. Tyne
rediscovers all the reasons she found this man irresistible, but there are
scandalous secrets waiting to be revealed, disgraceful choices made in the past
that cannot be denied. Love is a powerful force that could heal them both—if
the truth doesn't rip them apart.
~ Excerpt ~
"Please,
Lucas." He couldn't dismiss the tone of those two small words, nor could
he ignore the magnitude of emotion clouding her expression. He had no choice
but to relent. "Sit down," he murmured. He closed the door of his
office and then returned to perch himself on the corner of his desk. He steeled
himself before asking, "What's on your mind?" She seemed to shrink a
little as a thousand thoughts ran though her head. Seconds passed, and still
she didn't speak. Lucas witnessed the phenomenon almost on a daily basis. The
people who wound up in his office often felt as if they were carrying the world
on their shoulders. He knew her anxiety would eventually discharge, and from
the looks of it, he wouldn't have to wait long. Finally, she pressed her hand
to her chest. "I can't breathe." "Relax. Do you want some
water?" She shook her head, a lock of her long, platinum hair falling over
her forearm. "No. I need to get this out. I promised you I'd hurry."
He couldn't keep his brows from arching a fraction. She hadn't kept her
promises in the past. Why would he expect her to now? Tyne ran her tongue along
her full bottom lip, hesitated another moment, then blurted, "I need a
lawyer." Lucas closed his eyes and stifled a sigh. He could have guessed
as much, of course. He'd worked hard to get himself into the privileged
position of being able to pick and choose his clients. The last person he
wanted to represent was Tyne Whitlock. "A good lawyer, Lucas." Common
sense told him Tyne wasn't attempting to flatter him. She was speaking purely
out of desperation. "Look, Tyne—" Something made him stop. He sighed,
and then he stood, taking his time rounding his desk and sitting down. The
leather-upholstered arms of the chair were cool and smooth under his fingertips.
"I know some of the best attorneys in the city." He plucked a pen
from the cup on his desktop. "And many of them owe me a favor or
two." He reached into his inside jacket pocket, pulled out one of the
business cards he always kept handy, and turned it over, poised to write.
"Let me give you some names and numbers—" "I don't want just any
attorney." Her chin lifted. "I want you. Why else would I have come
here?" His gaze lowered to the small white card in his hand. With much
deliberation, he set down the pen and the card, and then he looked her directly
in the eyes. Every muscle in her body appeared board-stiff. "Listen to
me—" he kept his tone calm "—when people find themselves in trouble
with the law, or victimized, or wrongfully sued, or unjustly accused, they tend
to get lost in a strange, I don't know, franticness. A recklessness that they
almost always regret. Believe me when I tell you that no situation is hopeless,
and circumstances are rarely as desperate as they might be perceived. Whatever
trouble you're in, don't let panic and fear haze your thinking." "You
don't understand." "I think I do," he rushed to assure her.
"I see it every day. Honest, hardworking people finding themselves in dire
straits. And this unfamiliar territory throws them. They grasp at help from the
first source that comes to mind." "But—" "Just like that
old adage warning that only a fool acts as his own lawyer, it's also foolish to
choose an attorney in haste. You and I have a past, Tyne, and even though all
of that took place years and years ago, the fact remains that we have a
history. I don't believe I would be the best person to represent you in a court
of law. You need someone who'll be totally unbiased. Let me give you some
names. I'll make some calls for you myself—" "Stop!" She lifted
her hands and scooted to the edge of the seat. "You don't understand. And
I can't make you understand if you won't shut up for a minute." His
eyebrows arched and the frustration in her statement had him leaning back a
bit. She frowned. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. I had to stew all day
yesterday." She fisted her hands in her lap. "I didn't expect to
reach anyone on a Sunday, but do you know that your firm doesn't offer an
emergency number on the answering machine?" She exhaled with force.
"I'm a nervous wreck just being here. Seeing you. But all that aside, I
shouldn't have snapped at you. Please accept my apology." He didn't react,
didn't move. He just waited for her to continue. "The thing is… what you
need to know…" Once again, she grew terribly cautious, and Lucas found
that extremely curious. What the hell was it she found so hard to tell him?
What kind of trouble was she in? She blanched, but then her spine straightened.
"I'm not the one who needs a lawyer. I want to hire you, yes. But I'm not
the one needing representation. It's my son who's in trouble." A nerve at
the corner of her eye ticked, but her gaze never veered from his as she added,
"Our son, Lucas."
~ Links to Buy ~
~ On becoming a Montlake Author ~
Let
me tell you about my wonderful publishing experience! I have to back up a
little bit… to this past spring. I self-published a romance titled Reclaim
My Heart. The book received great reviews immediately, and it sold
well from the beginning. Very well. In fact, during the first week of August I
was enjoying a mug of coffee while perusing the USA Today Bestseller's List (my
usual Thursday morning routine), and I nearly choked when I saw that Reclaim
My Heart was sitting
at #123 on the list. A couple of days later I was contacted by an editor from
Montlake. She told me she'd read one of my books months before and had been
keeping an eye on me. She said she'd read Reclaim My Heart and loved it. Now, what author doesn't
love to hear that? She made an offer I couldn't refuse.The Montlake editor and
the design team loved the cover that was on the indie version of the book;
however, Amazon had trouble licensing the rights to the image. So we searched
for weeks before finding the picture that's on the current cover. I love it!
And I hope my readers do, too. I'm
happy to be writing romance novels for Montlake. I feel wanted and appreciated,
and it can't get much better than that in the publishing industry!
~ About the Author ~
Donna Fasano is a three time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a
CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose
Golden Quill Award finalist, and a Golden Heart finalist. Her books have sold
over 3.6 million copies worldwide and have been published in nearly two dozen
languages. Her books have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times,
climbing as high as #17. What others are saying about Donna’s books: “…complex,
funny, and realistic…” ~Wilmington News Journal “Excellent!” ~Bookreview.com
“Could not help myself from reading excerpts to my husband and friends. This
book is well written, the characters are real, everyday folks. It is very easy
to identify with them. Donna Fasano is a talented author.” ~Elizabeth M.
Caldwell on Amazon “…a fast paced riotous look at family life today. Donna
Fasano is right on target!” ~Donna Zapf, SingleTitles.com
~ Connect
with Donna ~
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