Episode 4 of Reckless Love is here!

Happy Tuesday!!

This week's newsletter contains three things. That's it! 

  1. The Storm Inside Series sale!
  2. A MEGA giveaway!
  3. Episode 4 of Reckless Love

I'm deep (deep!) into the weeds on Esme and Leo's story (read: I'm at the good part where everything goes BOOM!) so I don't have time to tell you all about my Thanksgiving feasts (there were three) or how tired I am or how excited I was to send everybody back to school/work. OR that I'm super duper insane excited to be headed to Richmond this weekend for a little writing retreat with Tamsen Parker and Mary Chris Escobar! 

BUT you can always get the inside scoop by following me on Instagram @alexisanneauthor. 

xoxo

Alexis

1. SALE!

To help celebrate the holidays and Leo and Esme's duet inside the world of The Storm Inside, I've put The Storm Inside back to FREE and reduced the other three books in the series to $2.99. (That's half price for four books!)

The Storm Inside (free!)
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F9B09WY
Apple: http://bit.ly/HjUt2z
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1KKri3y
Nook: http://bit.ly/StormInsideNook

Reflected in the Rain ($2.99)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DLBAWE
Apple: http://apple.co/1qk5zKV 
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1LkkIQq
Nook: http://bit.ly/1feJDW5

When Lightning Strikes ($2.99)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DYj9Pq 
Apple: http://apple.co/1WgUBU3 
Kobo: http://bit.ly/Lightning_Kobo 
Nook: http://bit.ly/Lightning_nook

Never Let Go ($2.99)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2TLU6DR
Apple: http://apple.co/1NlogmH 
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1VjTMK9 
Nook: http://bit.ly/2DKNqAf

2. Giveaway!

10 Signed Paperbacks

5 Mystery Boxes (US only)

1 Week To Enter!

This is my biggest giveaway ever! Click to get the details:

Facebook | Instagram

3. Episode 4 of Reckless Love

Reckless Love is the second part of The Reckless Duet, a newsletter serial. Reckless Kiss is now available for purchase. Reckless Love will continue to publish each Tuesday.

Get Reckless Kiss

Read Reckless Love:

Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3

 

“William!” Marie gave him a hug. “How are things?”

My brother was a quiet man, generally. At least I thought he was. Honestly, I didn’t know the guy all that well. Yes we grew up together, but William was older than me. He went off to college early just like I did. He rarely came home until he completed his MBA. By then I was gone. I always felt that he was in my corner and that I could call him if I needed him, but at the end of the day he chose to work for Edmund and that made me want to forget him.

The boy I knew hated our father and the way he treated our mothers. I still didn’t understand why he accepted the job . . . unless it was all about the money. Maybe William was more superficial than I realized.

Tonight he wore a black suit with a black tie. It made him appear grim especially when combined with his nearly black hair, dark eyes, and broad shoulders. He reminded me of Orson Wells when he played Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre.

He cracked a sardonic smile for Marie. “I’ve seen you more in the last six months than I have in the last six years.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“That things are going well.” He gave her shoulder a brotherly tap. “How’s that bastard treating you?”

“Greg might be a bastard but no one dares to mess with me. They’re all too afraid of him.”

“Good man.” William nodded before turning to me. “Sister dear, and how are you?” He folded me into a quick but warm embrace that gave me hope one day we’d find some sort of strange sibling equilibrium.

“Until about fifteen minutes ago I was doing very well.”

All traces of happiness disappeared from his face. “I’m sorry.”

I believed he was sorry. What I couldn’t understand was how he could be part of all this. Or maybe I was the extreme one, going to criminal lengths to separate myself from it. “It’s fine. In a couple of hours I’ll go back to my real life and forget tonight ever happened.”

I was probably a bit too flippant and sarcastic because William stiffened.

Marie shifted uncomfortably. “Well I’m pretty sure that’s my cue to leave. I’ve had this conversation enough times to know what happens next. William, I hope I’ll see you later?” He nodded. “And Esme I’ll see you in a minute.” She glared at William. “And if I don’t I’m coming for you first.”

My brother found her threat incredibly amusing. “Is that so, half pint?”

Marie rolled her eyes. “We’re not ten anymore.” Then she flipped him the bird and walked away.

We both watched her walk away. I had no idea what to say or what could possibly be resolved between us at a party like this. So I waited, hoping my big brother had some wisdom to share.

Turns out he had a confession instead. He swallowed hard and fiddled with the button on his jacket. “I don’t know what to call you.” He shrugged. “That’s why I keep calling you sister. You were always Rosie but now everyone calls you Esme. I want you to be comfortable but I don’t how to change your name in my head.”

That was really kind of sweet. “You can still call me Rosie. I’m still your sister.”

His right eye twitched at the corner. “But you’re not, are you? You changed your name, you don’t come home, you treat me like a stranger.”

My name and my clothes were my armor but did any of that matter with my brother, the only person who was in the trenches with me, even if it was only for a short time? “You left for college and never came home. I learned how to survive from you.

He winced. “I never apologized for that. I feel like I abandoned you to him and caused this whole mess.”

Edmund caused this whole mess. This is his world.” I waved at the room filled with nicely dressed athletes and agents. “He’s the one who goes through women and discards them. He’s the one who cares more about money than being a father. He’s the reason I left.”

William’s jaw flexed. “I know.”

“I won’t be a part of it. He can summon me to as many parties as he wishes but I’ll never work for him again.” God, how I hated that I was here now. If I could grow wings and fly away I would.

“Again?” William repeated slowly. In the blink of an eye his affection for me was replaced by rage.

Pure. Wild. Rage. And I didn’t know why. “Yes again.” I waved my hand through the air as if the action would magically transport the years of information into William’s brain.

Oddly, he didn’t get the unspoken information and instead grew even angrier, hovering over me as he growled, “When did you work for the company?” He practically spit out the words and I had no idea why this information made him so angry.

“I didn’t work for the company. I worked for Edmund.”

His eyes blazed and I swear he was about to punch the wall or maybe me? I really couldn’t be sure because I didn’t know why he was so upset all of a sudden. “When?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Until about five years ago? Whenever it was I got my doctorate.”

He shook with anger. He actually shook. “That fucking bastard.”

“William . . . how could you not know this?” Did he honestly think I came into the office for fun? “You worked for father then. Didn’t he tell you why I was there?”

I didn’t know how to feel about my brother’s reaction. Part of me was scared of how much anger boiled inside him. Part of me was fascinated. The fascination won out. I really didn’t know my brother anymore. I had no idea if he was coming apart at the seams because he couldn’t control himself, or if he was shocked, or what. All I knew was that in front of me I had what I usually considered to be a six-foot-five teddy bear about to explode.

“What’s going on here?” Leo slid in beside me shooting daggers at William as he dropped a tender kiss on my cheek. “Are you all right?” he murmured against my ear.

“I’m fine.” I snuggled into his side because I liked the security of being pressed up against Leo.

“Of course she’s fine. What the hell kind of bastard do you take me for?” He shoved his large hand through his dark hair. “And who the hell are you?”

“Leo Hancock,” Leo thrust his hand out. “We met a couple of months ago. I work for Marie and I’m in love with your sister.”

William’s eyes rounded. “You’re . . . what?” He smiled. “You have a boyfriend?”

I might have whiplash by the end of the night from all of the emotional extremes. “How about we start over. William, I’d like you to meet Leo. We’re living together now. He’s an agent at Bancroft Sports and I love him very much. Leo, this is my big brother William.”

The two men shook hands. The long kind of shake where they tried to crush each other with their muscles and eye daggers. “So what are you two talking about?” Leo smiled while glaring.

“We were just getting some facts straight. William was unaware of the work I did for Edmund.”

Leo took his hand back but the glare stayed firmly in place.

“I’m still not clear on what that work was, sister dear.” William said with what appeared to be painfully clenched teeth.

Leo pulled me into his side, kissing my temple. It was a vote of confidence and an admonishment all at once. “Careful.”

William didn’t like that. “Careful? Of me? Really?”

“Yes really,” I sighed. It felt nice to be near my brother and I wanted to keep this going, spend more time with him, but not at the expense of my objective. “I love you, William, but I don’t know you. In your position you should know just how manipulative and deceitful our father is.”

“Which is why I need to know what you did.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I’m the same as you Rosie. Just the same.”

I searched his eyes trying to determine what just the same really meant. Of course we were the same. We had the same father. We shared the same issues. But William’s words and searching eyes implied more.

Rosie.

We were in the trenches together.

“William I—”

I reached for him but not before our father appeared at our sides. My hand fell away, a canyon opening up between us that felt dangerously wide until Leo squeezed me protectively against him.

I watched as William drew himself up to his full height, realizing just how alike we were. In a split second he shed the caring brother skin and slid back into his role as heir apparent. He wore that suit the same way I wore my dress. A costume and armor all rolled into one.

“My two children in the same place at the same time. What a rare sight indeed.”

I swear the air dropped ten degrees whenever my father was around. His silver hair didn’t help the illusion, either. It was as if he were made of ice inside and out.

William tucked his tie away. “I was just asking Rosalind about her latest research.” He didn’t look at or acknowledge Leo as his eyes moved from me to our father. “Fascinating stuff.”

“I’m sure it’s delightful.” Edmund might as well have patted me on the head, the condescending prick. “It’s Mr. Hancock, correct? Bancroft Sports?” He held his hand out and Leo shook it.

“I am, indeed. Wonderful party,” he said smooth as can be.

My skin crawled as Edmund’s eyes wandered to the place where Leo’s hand rested on my hip. His eyebrow lifted. “And dating my daughter?”

“Yes,” he said simply. He didn’t offer details. I loved him for that. But I also loved how he didn’t offer his first name or any other familiarities.

I didn’t offer any either.

To my surprise it was William who came to my rescue. “How’s the mapping project coming along, Rosie?”

I blinked at him for a moment because I wasn’t aware William knew about the mapping project. “Um, it’s—”

“The fundraiser was smashing success,” Leo said proudly. “Dr. Brown’s research had the entire room stunned with fascination. They couldn’t pull their wallets out fast enough.” His thumb pressed a soothing circle on my hip, then he moved his hand to the small of my back and repeated the motion with his whole hand. “Her work is groundbreaking, but I’m sure that’s no surprise to either of you. She must have been full of surprises as a child.”

William laughed. “There was one time, Rosie rigged all the lights upstairs to go on and off at the same time. It took me a fucking week to figure out she was the one turning my lights on in the middle of the night.”

“And off when you were in the shower.” I’d completely forgotten about that.

William groaned. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“You’re quite the troublemaker.” Leo’s eyes twinkled as he grinned at me.

“You have no idea,” Edmund drawled. He was clearly not amused by our walk down memory lane. “Rosalind I was hoping to have a word with you.” He waved in the direction of his home office.

All the hair on my arm rose up. Leo tucked me into his side.

William scowled at our father. “I actually have a few items to discuss with you as well. Let’s all retire to the office.”

“No,” Edmund said. “I need to speak to Rosalind alone. I’ll have her back in a few minutes.” Then he turned and left.

Episode 5 hits inboxes December 4th!

Find Me On:

Facebook Twitter Youtube Soundcloud Instagram Pinterest Bookbub

Alexis Anne

PO Box 2122, Indian Trail
United States

SHARE TWEET FORWARD
MailerLite