Harlequin Presents Author, Rachael Thomas!

*GIVEAWAY BELOW*

Help me welcome Rachael Thomas back to the blog with her latest release:

Di Marcello's Secret Son

The challenge: To leave your billionaire lifestyle behind for two weeks…

Italian tycoon Antonio Di Marcello relishes a challenge – but running into Sadie Parker while undercover as a mechanic rocks him to the core. Four years after their fevered fling stripped away his iron guard, he’s confronted with the shocking consequences…

Sadie gave up hope on her desperate attempts to contact Antonio. Now she has to face the day she’s both dreaded and longed for! Yet Antonio’s claim over her and her son is hard to resist – especially because he’ll use a sensual onslaught to get what he wants!

READ A LITTLE...

She glanced in the mirror again as a man’s figure filled her doorway. She stared at the reflection, unable to believe the image of the man behind her. Antonio Di Marcello stood there, confident, powerful and on the threshold of the life she’d created for herself after he’d abandoned her. A life he had wanted no part in.

He was the man she’d given her heart and soul to, only to be treated with cold disregard for the last four years, and now he was here. Every unsettling suspicion she’d had over the last two weeks must have been right. Toni Adessi had been sent to work in the garage by this man to find out all about her. And she knew exactly why. Leo. The moment she’d dreaded, yet had wanted, had arrived.

‘We need to talk, Sadie.’ His deep voice sent a shiver of awareness rippling all over her and she bit down hard, drawing in a deep breath. She couldn’t be affected by him still. She just couldn’t.

She put back her shoulders and turned round to face him, her chin held high as she tried to fill herself with the kind of confidence needed to deal with this situation—this man. It took all her willpower not to drink in the image he created as he stood there in his expensive dark suit, exuding the kind of dominance best suited to a boardroom.

‘We didn’t have anything to say four years ago, Antonio, and we certainly don’t now.’ She didn’t move—couldn’t move. The hallway suddenly seemed dark and narrow as he moved towards her, into her home, into her new life. The one she’d built without him for herself and Leo—his son.

‘I don’t recall being given the opportunity to say anything four years ago or being told that I was to be a father.’ The unconcealed menace in his voice as he came to stand so very close to her should have intimidated her, but, to her complete horror, the spark of attraction ignited and her heartbeat raced as she inhaled the intoxicating freshness of his aftershave, stirring up the past.

                                               

‘If my memory serves me right, you were more concerned about the marriage you were due to make only a few weeks later. You used me, Antonio, in the cruellest way possible. You showed me things I could never have, made me want something that could never exist, not with you anyway. After that, you were lucky I even tried to contact you.’

                                                

The fire of indignation rushed through her and she glared angrily at him, all the words she’d rehearsed over the years completely forgotten in the passion of the moment. The cool, level-headed woman she’d so desperately wanted to portray when she finally came face to face with the father of her child was nowhere in sight. One look at the man she’d lost her heart to and that woman had evaporated.

                                                 

‘I didn’t promise you anything, Sadie.’ His cool and insanely calm exterior began to chip away at her confidence, but she couldn’t let him know. She had a job to do and that was to protect Leo from the man who could upset his life, the man who could inflict the worst kind of pain on him when he walked away again, putting his own needs before those of his son.

He’d walked out on her, left her all but destitute in a country she’d lived in for only a short time. Then, if that wasn’t enough, he hadn’t done anything for Leo—he hadn’t even bothered to find out if his child was a boy or a girl. Despite asking—no, pleading—in a letter she’d written after that horrible visit to his family home, he hadn’t contacted her at all. He’d completely turned his back on her—and Leo. If he’d done it once, he could do it again.

‘Neither did you own up to your responsibility. All you were concerned about was your duty to your family, duty to the woman they’d always wanted you to marry.’

The hurt of hearing those words still speared through her, even four years later. As did the shame that she’d foolishly believed what they’d had was different, that somehow the love she’d instantly felt for him would change things. Change him.

‘We could never have been anything, Sadie. I made that clear.’ The harshness of his words and the severe set of his jaw intensified the hurt, serving only to inflame her anger. This wasn’t just about her and the way he’d let her down. This was about Leo and she’d fight to the bitter end for her son. But was it right to deny Leo his father? The question pushed forward in her mind. She ignored it.

‘Yes, you certainly did. After you’d taken me to your bed, taken from me the one thing you didn’t deserve.’ She fired the blame back at him, even though deep down she knew it was her own foolish dreams which had set all this in motion. If she hadn’t been so taken in by his charm, by the fact that a man so undeniably sexy and handsome had sought her out at the party she’d been coerced into going to by friends, then they wouldn’t be standing here having this discussion.

Neither would she have Leo. That was unthinkable.

BUY THE BOOK THRU THESE WEBSITES...

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Harlequin.com

Jan Schliesman: Do you ever get lost in your own stories?

Rachael Thomas: Absolutely! The characters quickly become very real and I get so absorbed in their story.

Jan: Do you struggle to find fresh ideas or do they come naturally?

Rachael: Thankfully not. New characters and their stories are always lurking in my mind!

Jan: Name three things on your desk right now.

Rachael: To be honest, there are far too many things, but here’s three – bullet journal, a selection of pencils and my daily hunk calendar. What do you think of today’s hunk? 

Jan: What do you love most about your latest release?

Rachael: The fun time I had with Dani Collins and Jennifer Hayward creating our Secret Billionaires series.

Jan: What are you currently reading?

Rachael: The series Big Little Lies is coming to an end here in the UK and I’ll be reading that just as soon as I have finished writing my current book.

Jan: Do you believe in love at first sight?

Rachael: The first time I saw my husband I just knew he was the one, so I guess that’s a yes!

Jan: If you had the skills to be in any other profession, what would it be?

Rachael: I am a farmer as well as an author, but I do like the idea of being a professional photographer.

Rachael in Central Park

Jan: Best vacation you’ve ever taken?

Rachael: My vacation to New York in 2015 still tops them all!

Jan’s GOTTA ASK: My hubby works for Tombstone/DiGiorno. What do you like on your pizza?

Rachael’s GOTTA ANSWER: For me that would have to be mozzarella, tomato and basil.

Find RACHAEL THOMAS:

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

 Previous GLIAS interview

UP NEXT: Valdez’s Bartered Bride in November 2017 is the first of two of my own stories which are linked.

 

PREVIOUS RELEASES: A Child Claimed by Gold – January 2016, Married for the Italian’s Heir – November 2016, To Blackmail a Di Sione – September 2016

THANKS SO MUCH, RACHAEL, for sharing a bit of your writing world with us! Rachael is giving away an autographed copy of Di Marcello's Secret Son to an international reader. Answer the following question in the comments section:

Di Marcello’s Secret Son is partly set in Italy, a country I have always been fascinated with and have been lucky enough to visit several times. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?

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Rachael Thomas Has A Book Giveaway!

Hi everyone and it’s great to be back here on Get Lost In A Story to celebrate the release of my latest Harlequin Presents To Blackmail A Di Sione:

Billionaire Liev Dragunov has spent a lifetime plotting revenge against those responsible for his family’s ruin. Finally he has the way: Biance Di Sione. She’s denied their obvious attraction and coolly rebuffs every request to work for him – until he finds her weakness: a diamond bracelet she desperately needs! Bianca must become his fake fiancée if she wants her trinket! But the taste of revenge isn’t as sweet as desire, and Liev discovers that she is innocent in more ways than one….

Read a little, BUY THE BOOK

‘How could you?’ Bianca’s furious tones alerted him to her presence, even if the zip of energy which rushed through him hadn’t.

He turned to face her, anger glowing on her cheeks and sparking in her eyes. There was more yet, of that he was sure, and he stood silently against her anger.

‘You are unbelievable. You’ve just done this to get at me, because I wouldn’t represent your company. I knew you were trouble, knew you couldn’t be trusted.’ Her hissed tirade continued, attracting the attention of passers-by. The fury in her face and the exasperation in her stance brought a smile to his lips. She looked quite beautiful, stunningly passionate, with her eyes sparking so wildly that he wanted to kiss her into silent submission.

‘I had no idea you wanted the bracelet quite so badly.’ He raised his brows speculatively as he looked down at her, sure his smooth tone was as irritating as the fact he’d bought the bracelet, belittling her as much as she had him in the bar in Geneva when she’d refused to represent his company. He could feel the heat of her anger burning him.

‘You saw me bidding. You as good as stole it from me.’

Now his anger matched hers, but whereas hers was red hot, his was ice cold. Nobody branded him a thief and got away with it. ‘Think what you like of me, Ms Di Sione, but never call me a thief.’

Her accusation hurtled him back to the days of living rough on the streets of St Petersburg. And he clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides, determined not to allow her to push him to the limits of his control.

‘I need that bracelet.’ There was only the merest hint of desperation in her voice. Anyone else might not detect it, but with years spent on the streets, fending for himself, he’d become adept at such a skill.

‘I’m sorry. Did I deprive you of your latest little trinket?’ A bad taste filled his mouth as he again thought of her, growing up with the life of a princess, while he, along with other unfortunates, had sometimes not eaten for days.

‘Why do you even want it?’ She glared at him, her voice lower and more controlled, but her anger was all there in her eyes to see. He snapped the door closed on his past, knowing it would only make him angry—and anger wouldn’t help him now, only cool control was needed.

He waited calmly as she fixed him with those dark eyes, her breathing coming fast and hard, as if they’d just shared a kiss. The thought sent a rush of awareness around him, flooding his body with an undeniable need to know her much more intimately, to know how she kissed, how she liked to be held, but he pushed aside those heated ideas. He must be fired up by the exchange and the thought that now he had her where he wanted her. ‘That is none of your concern.’

The Billionaire’s Legacy is a series of eight books by different Presents authors and I had fun working on mine, bringing my Liev and Bianca to life to produce their story. The whole series is worked around the Di Sione children, who have been brought up by their grandfather after the loss of their parents. When the grandfather becomes ill and wants to be reunited with valuable and sentimental pieces from his past, each grandchild is given the task of locating one such item. Bianca’s item was a diamond bracelet and in trying to obtain this item she brings Liev into her life and then her heart.

The process of writing this story was slightly different to my previous books as I was given the details of the hero and heroine, along with the backstory and premise of their romance. I also had to be aware of the other seven stories and the characters, weaving them into my story.

I also had the fun of researching New York as this was the setting for part of my story and whilst I was due to go there for Romance Writers of America conference it wouldn’t be until after I had written the book. I have always been fascinated by Central Park, so used The Bethesda Fountain to set a scene in the book, so when I did go to New York, Central Park was top of my list of places to visit. 

The whole process was a great experience. I really enjoyed bringing Liev and Bianca to life and hope that you will enjoy their story as much.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR VISITING THE BLOG TODAY, RACHAEL!  She is offering a signed UK Edition of To Blackmail a Di Sione, to one lucky winner of our Rafflecopter below. Answer the following question in the comments section below:

Just tell me where in the world have you always wanted to visit?

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Welcome Back Harlequin Presents Author, Rachael Thomas!

Happy Monday!  Today I'm catching up with fellow Harlequin author and former So You Think You Can Write finalist, Rachael Thomas!  We had the pleasure of meeting for the first time last summer at the RWA Convention in New York City. Enjoy the interview and make sure you enter the contest at the bottom of the page!!

THE SHEIKH'S LAST MISTRESS

Destiny Richards knows she is playing with fire when she accepts charismatic Sheikh Zafir Al Asmari’s job offer, but it seems like a fair price to pay to start her life over again. Until the temperature reached the boiling point and Destiny finds herself spending one out-of-this-world night with the sheikh!

When powerful Zafir seduces English rose Destiny, he never anticipates she’ll hold the title of his Last Mistress. But their scorching affair has shocking repercussions. Now before their nine months are up, Zafir must convince Destiny to make their arrangement more permanent!

READ A LITTLE...

This was a man fate had sent her way. A man so wild and exotic he could have been conjured up by her imagination. She had never hungered after passion and certainly not with a man such as Zafir but now that she had met him she knew it would only ever be him she’d want.

‘I want you, Zafir.’ She could scarcely believe she’d said the words. Her heart was pounding so fast in her chest, but she’d had to say it, had to tell him. Here, away from the palace, he seemed different, more relaxed, more like the man she’d thought had been about to kiss her that very first night. She too felt different out here, as if she’d uncovered a hidden part of her as they’d galloped across the sands, then discarded her usual caution, losing it to the warm winds, making her a different woman.

Zafir’s horse whipped round, pawing the sand, eager to be off, but he soothed the agitation with words she didn’t understand, words that sounded like poetry to her.

‘I can’t offer you what you’re looking for, Destiny,’ he said, his voice almost harsh as he struggled with the prancing stallion.

Destiny’s mare instantly picked up the excited vibes from the stallion and turned, leaving her facing Zafir, able to look into the dark swirling depths of his eyes.

‘What am I looking for, Zafir?’ she asked as the mare spun round again. Destiny held the reins firm, her body moving with each excited step the mare took and waited for his answer.

‘I can’t give you forever. I can’t even promise you happiness, but I can promise you a night like no other.’

Deep down she’d known that all along, known that he was so far removed from her world that they would never have any kind of future together. But that hadn’t stopped her wanting him from that very first moment she’d seen him at her stables—even if she hadn’t recognised it then.

Happy ever after would be nice. A dream come true. But dreams didn’t come true—her mother was testament to that—and before her now was a man offering her a taste of such a dream. A taste she intended to sample to the full. She wanted to know what passion and desire felt like before she returned to a fresh start in England.

‘I hope you keep your promises, Your Highness,’ she teased, feeling a recklessness she’d never known around a man before, and launched the mare into a gallop. Behind her she heard Zafir’s mount as it whinnied with excitement, then the thundering of its hooves as the distance closed between them.

She laughed out loud, the wind snatching the sound away. She was totally free. The glint of passion she’d glimpsed in Zafir’s eyes before she’d raced off hummed inside her as excitement and anticipation grew. She would be brave and sample the dream of happiness and forever, even if it was only for one night. BUY THE BOOK

About the author:

Rachael Thomas always loved reading romance and she's thrilled to now be a Presents author. She lives and works on a farm in Wales, a far cry from the glamour of a Presents story, but that makes slipping into her characters’ world all the more appealing. When she's not writing or working on the farm, she enjoys photography and visiting historic castles and grand houses.

Jan Schliesman: How often do you Get Lost In A Story?

Rachael Thomas: I love to Get Lost In A Story – the more often the better!

Jan: How much research do you do?

Rachael: I love to research the settings for my stories and if I can go there personally all the better. If not, the internet is a wonderful research tool.

Jan: What’s the best vacation you’ve ever taken?

Rachael: The answer just has to be the week I spent in New York last summer. I went for the RWA conference, but enjoyed the perfect combination of seeing some sights, catching up with friends and the conference itself. Here’s a photo of me in Times Square.

Jan: What do you love most about your latest release?

Rachael: My latest release was initially written before I became published and last year I just had to rewrite Zafir and Destiny’s story as I had totally fallen in love with the characters.

Jan: Any writing rituals you follow? Celebrate a certain way when it’s completed?

Rachael: My writing ritual is to start early in the morning and get as much done as possible before the day gets under way. Not always an easy task living on a dairy farm! As for celebrating, I always give myself a bit of ‘me time’ after sending my manuscript to my editor. It could be a day out or just time to curl up and indulge in a movie.

Jan: What one book from your childhood is your favorite?

Rachael: Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty. I was given it as a birthday present and read it so many times it is falling apart, but I just can’t part with it.

Jan: It was love at first sight when I met my hubby. How about you?

Rachael: It sure was! We’ve been married for twenty two years now.

Jan: What are you currently reading?

Rachael: Early One Morning by Virginia Baily. It was the final part of the blurb which made me buy the book – And in that moment, two lives changed forever.

Jan’s GOTTA ASK: What’s your unhealthiest habit?

Rachael’s GOTTA ANSWER: Definitely coffee and chocolate!

Find RACHAEL THOMAS:

 Contact, Website, Facebook

 Goodreads, Pinterest, Blog

Twitter, Previous GLIAS Interview

UP NEXT: 

My next release To Blackmail a Di Sione will be available in September 2016!

THANKS SO MUCH RACHAEL, for sharing your writing world with us! As a bonus, Rachael is offering a copy of her latest release, The Sheikh's Last Mistress, to an INTERNATIONAL reader!  Answer the following question in the comments section below: What makes you buy a book? The author, the cover, the blurb or something else?

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Rachael Thomas Writes Glamorous Stories For Harlequin Presents

I'm thrilled to welcome Rachael to the Get Lost In A Story blog for the very first time with her new release, A Deal Before the Altar. 

Back Cover Blurb:

"I have a deal to put to you, Mr. Ramirez." 
Georgina Henshaw will do anything to ensure her younger sister's happiness—even marry the darkly enigmatic Santos Ramirez! She has just one condition—she'll wear his ring, but she'll never share his bed! 

Santos has earned his ruthless reputation, but even he isn't sure whether to be shocked or awed by Ms. Henshaw's proposal. He can't deny marriage would solve his current problem, but to truly secure his family business, the delectable Georgina must provide him with an heir….!

READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK

Jan Schliesman: How often to you get lost in a story?

Rachael Thomas: As often as I can. I read every evening in bed, but if the book really hooks me and I can’t put it down, it goes with me throughout the day - in case I can snatch a bit more reading time.

Jan: How long have you been writing?  Did you enter any contest along the way?

Rachael: I have seriously been writing for the last seven years, but have always scribbled stories down. When I was eight, a short story I’d written was held up to the class as a good example and that’s when I thought ‘I want to be a writer’.

Over the last seven years I’ve entered lots of competitions, some giving positive feedback, others nothing, but it was entering So You Think You Can Write last year that changed everything. 

Jan: Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

Rachael: Yes I do. Originally it was a ‘sign’ to my family that I was writing, but now it helps me to switch from the day job on the farm and back into my story.

Jan: What was the best advice you were ever given by another editor or author?

Rachael: There are two pieces of advice I’ve been given by writing friends. The first was to write the story in my heart, the one I just had to write. The second was to enjoy it.

Jan: Describe an absolutely perfect day?

Rachael: Taking time out with writing friends is always a great day, but if an exotic location could be thrown in, that would be just perfect.

Jan: Are your husband and kids good about helping you out and/or doing extra chores when they know you are on a deadline?

Rachael: Even before I became published my family has been really supportive of my need to write. At that point I didn’t have an editor setting a deadline, but as a member of The Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, I did have an annual deadline. Now my husband is helping me to step back from some of my jobs on the farm, enabling me to meet my deadlines.

Jan:  What is the best thing about living in Europe?

Rachael: I love that there are so many countries to explore, so many cultures to learn about and fascinating people to meet. My recent travels have only been in Europe, but I’m itching to go further.

JAN’S GOTTA ASK: My hubby works for Haagen Dazs so what is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

RACHAEL’S GOTTA ANSWER: I love white chocolate, so raspberry and white chocolate is a favorite, but Baileys comes a close second.


Rachael's next book, Claimed by the Sheikh, is a February 2015 release.

Rachael has always loved reading romance and has been writing since she was a child. She lives and works on a farm in Wales. Although it's a far cry from the glamour of her stories, Rachael says it makes slipping into the world of her characters all the more appealing. When she's not writing or working on the farm, she loves nothing more than to visit grand historic houses or ancient castles.

Contact    Website    Facebook    Twitter   @RachaeldThomas   
Goodreads    Pintrest   Blog   

Thanks so much, Rachael, for sharing your time with all of us on the Get Lost In A Story blog!  

Tomorrow on GLIAS: Kimberly Kincaid

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or @GetLostInAStory  #GetLostStories

Rachael will be giving away a hard cover copy of her new release A Deal Before the Altar (which she will ship Internationally).  Click on the comment button and answer the following question. Be sure to include your email address.

 What unusual location would you like to see a book set in?