Emilia Berceto’s beauty captures the attention of a well-known
Italian billionaire, Alex Armanti, when she attends a gala at his mansion in
Los Angeles. Images secretly captured of her partially nude are released to the
tabloids and her overly protective family sends her far away.
Four years later, Emilia continues to live a secluded life
designing custom jewelry for the wealthy. Her family needs her to return home
to California when their jewelry empire is near bankruptcy. When she returns,
she must face the man who caused her downfall and is threatening to reveal her
secret if she is to save her family’s jewelry empire.
EXCERPT:
Taking
a sip of chilled water, she tried to calm herself. It was inevitable that she
would need to return to California and deal with the media. The more she tried
to hide, the more interested they became.
Liv
found her and said, “Are you okay?”
“No,
not really. My grandfather is in the hospital after arguing with my father and
uncle about selling the business. I think we may lose the Ellerby commission.
It has to do with the bad press surrounding recent financial disclosures. We
could lose other commissions.”
The
two of them walked back to her office and she closed the door for privacy.
Liv
said, “I know the problems must seem insurmountable at the moment but they have
been building for a long time. You won’t be able to solve them in a few days.”
She
drew strength from her friendship with the older woman. Liv was practical and
intelligent. At fifty years old, she was marvelously put together: her short
grey hair was worn in a stylish cut, complimented by earrings from the shop and
a slim-fitting white sundress.
Emilia
met Liv’s concerned glance. “I need to see my grandfather, but I don’t know if
I’m ready to face the craziness of Southern California.”
“Going back and facing a past mistake or
embarrassment is never easy.” Liv’s voice was kind and she reached out and
placed a hand on her shoulder. “But you are stronger than you realize. And your
family needs you even if they don’t realize it.”
Emilia
perched on her desk. “My grandfather is the creative genius behind Berceto.
Without him, it may be too difficult to stage a comeback.”
Liv
met her gaze. “Emilia, you are immensely talented. I know you have inherited
his genius with design.”
“I know they love me, but for whatever reason
I can’t make them happy. They don’t value fame, and speculation in the media is
excruciating for them. They value obscurity. Isn’t it strange… to be in the
jewelry business and to be completely repulsed by glitter or beauty?” It gave
her a sense of peace to finally understand why they behaved as they did. It
made it less personal.
Liv
tapped a pencil against the desk. “That doesn’t mean you have to shun the
spotlight.”
Looking
into Liv’s determined face, Emilia’s
spine unfurled. “It’ll be hard to go back. I should have remained in California
and dealt with the speculation. Now the media will dredge the story back up,
speculating on my self-imposed exile, and it will be just as painful for my
parents.”
Liv
dismissed her concerns with a wave of her hand. “There is no point in holding
onto regrets. Face the media vultures.”
Emilia
looked sharply at her friend.
Liv’s
voice rose. “Just brazen it out. You are a beautiful girl. Refuse to comment
and let people think what they will.”
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Susie
Warren writes contemporary romance. Besides being an avid reader, she spends
much of her free time crafting intense and complex stories about falling in
love. When she is not writing, Susie works as an administrator in a small,
independent school while caring for three teenagers and keeping tabs on her
inventor husband. With the launching of her first book, The Forgotten Heiress,
she has slowly begun to navigate the social media realm.
Susie
loves to hear from readers and responds to each email and Facebook post. Please
reach out to her via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Susie-Warren/647556668647832
or Twitter @susiecwarren
For
more information on her upcoming releases, new excerpts and other related
postings, or to sign up for free promotions, please visit www.susiewarren.com
The
Rosa Legacy Series
The
first novel in The Rosa Legacy series, Ruthless Perfection, started with the
idea of a traditional Italian mother who wanted her only daughter happily
married. The mother, Carla Rosa Neri, along with her two sisters, Francesca and
Marie, had emigrated from Italy as young girls and each went off to create a
dynamic and successful family.
Each
of the sisters had an only daughter and they made sure the girls spent time
together. They attended the same boarding school in the northeast and visited
each other’s homes in the summer.
Ruthless
Perfection
Carla
Rosa married into the Neri family with a long history in the Carrara marble
industry. Her daughter, Isabel Neri, being a filmmaker and wanting to honor her
grandfather’s legacy, approaches a reclusive billionaire, Marc Santoro, to ask
permission to produce a documentary about the life of a quarry worker. Ruthless
Perfection is the story of how they fall in love.
The
Exiled Jeweler
Francesca
Rosa married into the Berceto family with a long history in the jewelry making
business. The Second novel in The Rosa Legacy series, The Exiled Jeweler, is
about her daughter, Emelia, who went into seclusion after a scandal tore the
family apart. Emelia is a talented jewelry designer who lived a sheltered life
and was drawn into a passionate encounter with her family’s rival, Alexander
Armati at a gala. Outside in the garden, photographs were taken on them and sold
to the tabloid press. Her family was shocked and embarrassed and sent Emelia
off to Florida. Four years later, she returns when her grandfather has a heart
attack and her parents are deciding to sell the family business.
The
Convenient Wedding
Marie
Rosa married into the prominent Montgomery family, with a successful background
in politics. Her only daughter, Lucia, is fascinated by politics and becomes a
campaign aide. The opportunity to work on a senate campaign in Connecticut
draws her into the middle of a scandal. Anderson Adams is a dark horse in the
senate race yet convinces Lucia to play along with a strategy to save his
campaign. The third novel in The Rosa Legacy series, The Convenient Wedding, is
the story about how they reconcile their public image with their private life.
The Convenient Wedding will be available in February 2015.
Susie will be awarding a Vintage Books Smartphone Case to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. This plastic hard case features a nostalgic photo of book spines of popular books. It’s scratch resistant – made from polycarbonate used for motorcycle helmets. Full colour, high quality image is printed all over the case, available for iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy S3.
An Out of Print Poe-ka Dots iPhone Case will be awarded to a randomly drawn host. It fits iPhone 5 and 5S (or similar case depending on phone). A smart design combines a face of Edgar Allan Poe with a fashionable polka dots pattern. On the inside there is a quote “Calleth the Raven, “Nevermore.” The snap-on, hard shell case is a part of Out of Print collection with iconic book covers. (US ONLY)
The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for hosting!
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