Guilty as Sin (57 page)
Authors: Jami Alden
Tags: #Fiction / Romance - Suspense, #Fiction / Romance - General, #General, #Romance, #Fiction / Romance - Erotica, #Suspense, #Erotica, #Fiction
ME:
Do you think your brother will be moving up here with you any time soon?
AVERY:
(She chuckles before answering.)
Even though we’re very close, my brother and I are very different people. He lives and breathes city life. Plus my parents aren’t nearly as concerned with his activities as they are mine.
ME:
Meaning?
AVERY:
(Pauses before answering.)
Maybe because he has a different set of genitals?
(Laughs.)
Who knows? For some reason they focus all their energy on me.
ME:
Is that the reason you’re not active in your father’s business? Is this a rebellion?
AVERY:
I wouldn’t really say it’s a rebellion. I made a decision that I thought best suited me. The corporate life isn’t for me, anyway. I doubt I’d have anything valuable to offer. My father has enough VPs and advisers.
ME:
(I smile as I take my first sip of lemonade.)
I’ve got to say, you are a lot more down to earth than I expected. And there are a lot of girls in this country who wished they were in your shoes.
AVERY:
(She lifts a thin shoulder beneath her linen top.)
Everybody always thinks the grass is greener on the other side. Growing up in the public eye isn’t for everyone. I’ve developed thick skin over the years. But I wouldn’t change my life for anything.
ME:
Well, I certainly appreciate you granting me this interview. Good luck with your father’s campaign.
AVERY:
Thank you. I’m going to grab a copy of the magazine when the article is printed.
Dear Reader,
As I look back on the books I’ve written over the course of my career, I’m struck by two things:
1) I have a very twisted, sinister imagination, if my villains are anything to go by!
2) I love reunion romances.
Now in real life, if you ran into someone who was still hung up on her high school boyfriend and who held on to that person (consciously or not) as the one true love of her life, you might think she had a screw loose. Unless you’ve ended up with your high school or college sweetheart, most of us grow up and look back at those we dated in our youth—hopefully with fondness but sometimes with less affection. But rarely do we find ourselves pining for that boy we went to senior prom with.
So I wondered, why do I love this premise so much in romance? Well, I think I may have figured it out. In real life, for most of us, those early relationships run
their natural course and fizzle out with little more than a whimper and a gasp.
But in romance novels, those relationships that start out with unbridled intensity end with drama and more drama and leave a wagonload of unfinished business for our hero and heroine. It’s that lingering intensity, combined with the weight of unfinished business, that draw our hero and heroine together after so many years. So when they finally find themselves back in the same room together, the attraction is as undeniable as gravity.
When I was coming up with the story for GUILTY AS SIN, I found myself fascinated by the history between my hero, Tommy Ibarra, and my heroine, Kate Beckett. Caught up in the giddy turmoil of first love, they were torn apart amid the most excruciating and tragic circumstances I, as a parent, could ever imagine.
And yet, that intensity and unfinished business lingered. So when they’re brought back together, there’s no force on Earth that can keep them apart. Still, to say their road to true love is a rocky one is a huge understatement. But I hope in the end that you feel as I do. That after everything Tommy and Kate went through, they’ve more than earned their happily ever after.
Happy Reading!
LSO BY
J
AMI
A
LDEN
Beg for Mercy
Hide from Evil
Run from Fear
Jami Alden’s Novels
“Alden’s each and every well-placed word demonstrates to readers what a superior storyteller of suspense she is. Her latest has a solid plot, a strong battle-tested heroine, and tension to the extreme. This is one story that will have readers turning pages well into the night.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“A tense suspense and a captivating romance make
Run from Fear
an exciting read.”—RomRevToday.com
“Alden has written another gripping romantic suspense in
Run from Fear
. The storyline is intriguing and fast-paced.”—BookLoons.com
“A pulse-pumping, taut thriller that grips readers from the first threat to the final confrontation. The lead couple is an interesting pairing as both have survived the baptism of fire. The support cast augments a terrific, tense tale.”
—GenreGoRoundReviews.blogspot.com
“4½ stars! Anyone who says that romantic suspense is no longer a hot commodity hasn’t read Jami Alden. She’s quickly making a name for herself as one of the top writers in the genre. Her latest novel continues her streak of excellent, gripping stories and brings captivating recurring characters along for the ride.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Sexual chemistry engulfs these two and spills from the pages with the force of a tsunami… The best way I can describe this story is an emotional adrenaline rush… Alden’s portrayal of Sean is brilliant, and pairing him with the hard-nosed, determined prosecutor was risky but proved to be perfect. I’ve been looking forward to reading this novel for months, and Jami Alden didn’t disappoint.”
—
USA Today
’s Happy Ever After blog
“The sexual tension and chemistry between them was absolutely delicious, especially when compounded by their previous bad history together. Overall, I adored this one.”
—Romanceaholic.com
“Brilliant, simply and utterly brilliant!… This book moves Ms. Alden into the big leagues and most definitely onto my ‘Must Read’ author’s list…
Hide from Evil
is a flat-out scorcher… The dramatic finish to this book leaves me absolutely rabid for Talia and Jack’s book. If it’s better than this one, it’ll have to be written in gold.”—YouGottaRead.com
“4½ stars! Top Pick! Alden’s emotionally gripping
Beg for Mercy
makes readers beg for mercy, too… this is a high-caliber romantic suspense—exactly what the genre should be!”—
RT Book Reviews
“An exhilarating investigative thriller… never slowed down… Filled with action, but character driven by the heroine, sub-genre fans will appreciate this taut suspense… and look forward to Slater’s follow-up case.”
—GenreGoRoundReviews.blogspot.com
“The chemistry between Megan and Cole was absolutely mouth-watering. You could
feel
the sizzle when they were in the same room… I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series.”—Romanceaholic.com
“The sexy, heated love scenes leave the reader eagerly awaiting more, as they were well placed and a great catalyst for the ultimate showdown. I am waiting most impatiently for the next book in this series.”
—TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“Five stars! Flawless! This novel was nothing like anything I have read to date… The twists are crazy good! Not only that but the sexual tension and encounters were phenomenal!… [Cole Williams] is sex personified!… What a rush!”
—ShamelessRomanceReviews.blogspot.com
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