Today I have Ila Rose taking over my blog and facebook page. She's the first Author I've signed to my new publishing company, SIlver Rose Publishing. I'm sure you will all enjoy her book when it releases. Just a little reminder that this blog and my facebook page is for those of you 18+ as anything that is posted could be of an adult nature. So, let's go a little contemporary today and immerse ourselves in the world of the High Society Wives.
For
all the Ila Rose fans,
A
special sneak peek into Ila Rose’s debut novel, High Heels and Naked Lies
featuring Kay Barrett, especially for fans of her pages! Check it out and maybe
even buy her book on January 4th! Only you lucky few get a glimpse
between the pages and into the rich and convoluted lives of the women we all
envy. They have more Oh’s in their bank accounts than married women could hope
to receive in any given month. Money supposedly buys happiness, but does
happiness have a price tag? Kay’s story is a funny, sarcastic journey into the
lives of women we idolize even as they crave the simple things in life we take
for granted. The theme of a woman finding inner strength and identity apart
from her titles of wife and mother; standing solid and strong while life throws
it’s worst at her is one most women can relate to, despite our own financial
status. Ila Rose is all about writing women who are strong and who take control
of their destiny while flipping fear and desperation the bird as they fulfill
the maternal duties expected of them. Ila Rose prefers stories of women who don’t
need to rely on men in every aspect of life, allowing them to dole out tissues
while the fragile female weeps on his stronger shoulders as his cape flutters
in the breeze. You need to prepare to
laugh, gasp, and maybe even blush. Kay’s story is a witty, sarcastic and
sometimes hilarious one, that prompts you to ask; “What would I do…”, “What is
she thinking,” and maybe throw in a few, “Oh my God’s” just for fun. Follow Kay
and see if she will be able to let go of the ties that bind her to her unhappiness
and let love in and finally accepts that there is good in the world beyond her tragic past; or will she stay
forever sealed away inside the jail of her cold heart, destined to be
miserable, sad and eternally alone.
Meet
Kay; a woman struggling with status, obligations and expectations of society. After
a traumatic childhood, devastating physical assault in college and marriage to
an abusive man, she gives up on happily ever after. She finds the idea that
money equaling happiness ridiculous and so far removed from the actual and often
shocking things that go on behind mansion doors. She leads her life hiding
behind a veil of lies, secrets and omissions. The mask of sophisticated
elegance she applies daily her solitary protection against the outside world.
Propriety and obligation rule as she lingers at the beck and call of her
husband; diamonds and stilettos at the ready. She’s saddled with sadness unfathomable
and overwhelming making herself untouchable and unreachable; living within the
hollowed out shell of what once may have resembled a woman.
*
Preston,
Kay’s husband, is devilishly good looking. With blonde hair, blue eyes and a soul as black
as a moonless night he reins over Kay, controlling every aspect of her life down
to the heels of her Louboutins. His pretentious grip on reality is skewed to
say the least, and lives his life to his own personal gain damn the
consequences or the bodies left bleeding in the street. His pompous,
pretentious and archaic views of marriage, fidelity and ethics cause more drama
than a teenage girl at the prom. He has Kay in a firm grasp, gleefully using
abusive and disparaging behavior to enslave her heart and mind for his own
entertainment and demented joy. He depends on Kay’s money to maintain his
status and ensure that he will always have his hands in her cookie jar. Kay
remains ignorant to his treachery and depth of deceit as she resides within the
impenetrable fortress of her cold heart. Ryder Sinclaire is Prestons next mark
and his aim is rarely far from true; however Sinclaire refuses to take the bait
of the sycophantic sociopath. Preston is infuriated by Sinclaire’s obvious
disdain and refusal to bow to his whims. The two men add a dense layer of
testosterone fueled energy as they vie for Kay’s attentions, each for their own
means although Preston’s are far more deceptive and corrupt. Who will win the
battle of wills; the crooked miscreant spouse, or Ryder Sinclaire the enigmatic
quintessential rich bachelor?
*
Ryder
Sinclair is a man of great wealth, great mystery and so sexy clothes fairly
melt from your flushed skin as he flashes his movie star grin and utterly
captivating dimple. Charm, danger and sensuality emanate from him; magnetizing
women with his nonchalant self assured swagger. His arctic eyes captivate, thick
salt and pepper hair cause your finger tips to tingle with the urge to touch
and his hard body belies the soft heart beating behind his chiseled chest. He meets Kay in a moment of her disparity as
she begins to question her life, beliefs and marriage. Ryder’s magnetic allure
captivates Kay, his innate kindness fascinates her and his looks entice her; causing
the ever faltering foundation she had built the mockery of her life on to increasingly
waver, threatening to implode the walls she had built to guard her fractured
heart. His calm nature continuously stymies Kay who is used to men taking what
they want, by any means necessary and only serves to enhance the hypnotic and
terrifying attraction she feels. She is determined to protect herself, her
heart, from men in any way possible but Ryder is an opponent unlike any she’s
ever faced. Will he heal Kay’s broken mind and heart, freeing her to discover
things she never thought possible, reaching limits that previously were
unattainable? Will Ryder Sinclaire finally demolish the armor Kay built to
enclose her delicate heart, or will his actions cause her to further fortify
that armor and turn her back on the only chance she has at love?
Here’s
a special gift in the spirit of the holidays: A full chapter preview of High
Heels and Naked Lies; book one of the High Society Series, before its release
on January 4th. Enjoy this
exclusive peek into Ila Rose’s debut contemporary romance, please check in with
www.facebook.com/authorilarose for more peeks and
surprises leading up to the big release.
A beautiful cover reveal will be coming on Dec 21st. Watch this space!
Chapter
one:
The
blaring alarm in her ear signaled the start of yet another day in the life of
Kay. Rolling over she slapped at the offending noise, silencing it and laid
back against her pillows. It had been taking her longer lately to work up the
energy and courage to face the days. She finally threw the comforter aside and
climbed out of her cozy cocoon of safety before she could change her mind and
curl back into the warmth to hibernate indefinitely. As she stood to wrap her
robe around her she noted the empty spot in the bed where Preston, her husband,
slept. She felt absolutely nothing about the fact that he hadn’t come home, yet
again. No anger, no disappointment, no sadness. Nothing. She simply took note
of the vacancy and headed into the adjoining bathroom to begin her morning
ritual. It was barely five am, yet she was standing in front of her vanity
donning the persona the public expected of her as a member of the high society
plastic wife club. Nothing less than
perfection was acceptable, she
thought bitterly, as she tweezed, teased, moisturized and applied the various
tools of her trade. Standing in the middle of her massive walk in closet,
larger than some people’s studio apartments, she tried to find her costume of
the day. It had to be an ensemble no one had seen her in, yet be classy and
elegant enough to fool the outside world. Deception is a tricky bitch. Finally
deciding on an over sized powder blue drape neck sweater and black wide legged
slacks, she slipped into a pair of powder blue Manolos and checked her
reflection. Her hair had always been the bane of her existence, being stick
straight and a color somewhere between blonde and mouse brown with red highlights;
recently mixing with grey. Her smoke colored eyes were expertly lined in kohl
and shadowed with a pearl grey that made them seem like she was hiding a fire
in her soul, which she sort of was in a way.
A killing fire that was consuming her from the inside out and causing
her to slowly die away and become the Stepford wife of her nightmares. Happy as
she was going to get with the reflection in her mirror she headed downstairs to
get her caffeine fix.
She
entered the kitchen fragrant with a mix of coffee and baking pastries and
headed straight to the coffee maker. Lauren, the live in nanny and recent
college graduate, was currently in a battle of wills with Sophia; Kay’s
precocious five year old who recently decided to be excruciatingly picky and refused
a normal diet thanks to the dietician at school promoting holistic and clean
eating. She changed her mind daily flipping from vegan to gluten free and
refusing anything green, red, yellow or orange. Sophia was sitting on a stool
at the kitchen island clad in her adorable school uniform and her unruly brown
curls were currently tamed into little barrettes behind her ears. Her small ugg
clad feet kicked the counter as she toyed with her eggs, smashing them almost
into a yellow mush on her plate. Evidently they had been at it for some time as
Lauren was finally resorting to bribery; a tactic that was rarely used and in
only the most serious of circumstances.
Lauren
used a calm tone as she spoke to the pint sized rug rat as if she wasn’t
frustrated to tears. “Hey I was thinking
about hitting up the park later, after school and before your lessons. What do
you think about that?” Makinin, Kay’s seven year old and master of manipulation
raised her brown eyes so fast her blonde ponytail bobbed, suddenly paying very
close attention to her sibling’s conversation and preparing her own strategy.
“Nope.” Sophia said her eyes still on her
mutilated food. “How about after your Spanish lesson, we stop at the bakery for
a cupcake?” Sophia’s blue eyes finally met Lauren’s green ones, squinting as
her almost six year old brain studied Lauren and sized up her chances at
negotiating a deal that they both could live with.
“Two.”
Sophia said.
“One,”
Lauren countered, “Strawberry with extra icing.”
“One,
strawberry with extra icing and sprinkles.”
Sophia returned, lightning fast.
“Lauren!
If she gets one I should too, I got up and didn’t argue this morning.” Makinin’s
turn at the wheel had come and she wasn’t letting go easily. Lauren just narrowed
her eyes at Mack, not answering just giving her a ‘yeah right look’. “Ok, I didn’t argue much.” Amended the notorious
morning grump.
“Fine,
one cupcake apiece, to be eaten as a snack before your lessons but you also
need to finish breakfast and run upstairs
to brush your teeth and grab your
backpacks and jackets. You have ten minutes.” Eggs disappeared magically and
both girls dashed up the stairs sounding more like a football team then two
small children. Kay smiled at Lauren who sat at the island with her head in her
hands and rubbing her temples, probably counting to ten and taking a moment to
calm her nerves. “That was pretty
intense, you did well.” Kay told her.
Lauren’s
head was still in her hands when she finally responded, “Kay those girls are
way too smart, and they work as a team ganging up on unsuspecting victims. One
day they’re finally going to outsmart me and I’ll have to be admitted into a
mental health facility.” Kay laughed
lightly at the exaggeration. Lauren was a true gem. Kay had hired her as a
nanny shortly after Sophia’s birth and had never regretted the decision. The 25
year old was a recent college graduate and held dual master degrees in early
childhood education and psychology.
Taking
advantage of the brief pause in the chaos, Kay asked Lauren. “Can we go over
the days schedule please?” Preston had long ago insisted that every day be
planned and micromanaged; from managing the household to the people within and
down to the last second of every day. It was a practice that Kay struggled with
but was too intimidated to defy Prestons wishes, although he was rarely home to
enforce the schedules. Kay felt that the time it took to compile and coordinate
the daily agendas would be better spent in other areas; however the nearly crippling
fear of a probable hostile confrontation with Preston kept her mouth shut and
adhering to the routine even in his absence.
“Sure,” Lauren said, reaching into her bag for her planner as Kay brought her
own up on her tablet. Together they ran through Laurens day after dropping the
girls off at their posh private school. “I need to run and pick up their new
shoes, they finally came in. I also need to grab them new tights and pick their
new uniforms up from the tailor.” Kay tapped in all the info with a side note
to add the receipts into the monthly record for her accountant.
“Tomorrow?” Kay asked.
“Let’s
see,” Lauren said, flipping the page of her planner, “They have swim lessons at
the club in the morning followed by ballet at noon.” Busily tapping, Kay asked
if that was all. “Yep. After that it’s free until Monday.”
“Good, I’d like to take them to the park
Sunday. Beth and her girls are going to join us for a picnic before the weather
turns too cold.”
“Sounds
good.” Lauren replied as the girls thundered downstairs and slid into the
kitchen. Kay kissed them both at the top of their heads and wished them a good
day.
“Love
you, see you later.” Standing at the
garage entrance in the kitchen they both hollered a good bye and Lauren ushered
them out.
The
silence was suddenly so great that it was almost tangible. Linda, the live in
housekeeper and cook, entered the kitchen to put back in order the whirlwind
jumble of the two small girls. She refreshed Kay’s coffee, slid a still warm
muffin onto a plate sitting it at her elbow. Kay, who was busily checking her
emails and planning her own day, mumbled thanks to the woman. “Hey Linda, while
I have you here can we go over your day?”
“Sure hun, no problem.” Linda reached into a nearby drawer, pulling
her own day planner out. With her blonde hair just going silver she didn’t fit
the classic widow image most people had in their minds. Her hazel eyes were
surrounded by just a few fine lines, a deep sadness held behind the kindness
that shone through them. She was as close to a maternal figure that Kay had,
secretly looking up to the confident and assertive woman. Kay had several
moments where she wished she could have Linda’s arms wrap her into her plump
body and surround her with warmth. Kay shook away her melancholy and focused on
inputting Linda’s day into the tablet.
“Ok,
so Friday is my market day. I also
planned on dealing with the dry cleaning.”
Tapping
away Kay answered, “Yeah that would be great. I need to run to Haven for a few
hours today.” She said as her phone buzzed next to her and reading the display
she added, “Evidently Preston has a dinner planned with a new client and he
wants me there, so I’ll have to come back to get ready. Looks like a late
night, unfortunately.”
Linda
patted her hand affectionately, “No worries hun, Lauren and I have this end
taken care of. Now, eat your muffin before it gets cold.” Kay smiled and peeled the muffin open, the
steam rising from it along with the smell of fresh blueberries made her mouth
water. Taking a big bite she almost moaned. Who
needed a man when you had a woman who could cause a foodgasm? She finished
her breakfast and gathered everything into her favorite Coach satchel for her
day. She planned on going to spend the entire day at Seventh Haven, now with
Prestons dinner plans, she’d have to cut her day short. She hollered a goodbye
to Linda and as she climbed into her Lexus SUV speed dialed Beth, “Seventh
Haven, can I help you?”
“Only
if you need a latte fix.” Kay laughed.
“That
would be amazing about now, honestly.” Beth sighed.
“That
good huh?” Kay asked. “Now what?”
Beth
just sighed again, “I’ll fill you in when you get here, chop chop!”
Kay
clicked off as she pulled into the coffee shop’s drive through. She tried to
get to Haven as often as she could. It was the only place that Kay felt she fit
in completely. She had worked side by
side in the kitchens with women who were bruised, she had held women as they
cried and comforted children too afraid to sleep for the nightmares that
plagued them. She worked tirelessly arranging fund raisers and finding
donations to keep Havens doors open. They never asked a dime from the women in
residence for any reason, instead only asking them to maintain a household duty
to help out. None of the residents knew how much they helped Kay, or the
reason, except for Beth. She never let on how much they healed her or why. Kay
allowed herself to recall her initial arrival every time she pulled into the
secluded drive that leads to Seventh Haven. She used that as fuel for her, a
reminder of what men were capable of and the lives they ruined, people they
destroy using a women’s own desires and attractions. She may have never told
anyone what had happened to her other than Beth but that didn’t mean she had
forgotten, much less forgiven. Preston and her father had never done anything
but prove her right within their relationships. She had walled off her naive
and youthful need for romance, love and passion when she lay in a hospital bed
all those years ago. Some things are just not meant to be and she had accepted
that a long time ago.
Stalk Ila here:
Ila Rose is a Silver Rose Author and it is a great pleasure in presenting her first novel
High Heels & Naked Lies.
We are now looking for other Romance Authors to join our group. We are now open for submissions.
