The police have no interest in finding Mark. They reason he wasn’t ready for marriage and he walked. She wonders if his disappearance could be associated with her work.
Ryan, a close friend and co-worker, assists her in piecing together her missing memories. As the pair work together, they find that Amy’s actual past reveals a scenario that is so horrifying that it forces them on the run, not knowing whom they can trust. Will Amy’s newly recalled memories prove fatal to both her and Ryan?
Secrets behind Love or Deception
Secrets behind Love or Deception
• The major plot twist is courtesy of my husband, who suggested it. I originally rejected it, but decided it would work perfectly later.
• Ryan’s car in the novel I based on my husband’s dream car.
• One of my beta readers suggested that my main character was too smart. Women couldn’t identify with an intelligent woman. I didn’t agree.
• I spent time googling chemical warfare agents and deadly poisons. This led to me stating on social media that I was writing a suspense novel in case my actions were ever viewed with suspicion.
• I spent a great deal of time on the CDC studying the reactions to various poisons.
• My main characters hit the road, but I had to MapQuest their route. Google Earth allowed a good view of the surrounding area.
• My first editor took out all regional expressions and dialect because they weren’t proper English. I reinserted them.
• My bulldog information came from the study hall teacher who owns a bulldog.
• While Love or Deception is my longest tale at a little more than 96,000 words, I wrote the first draft in a month.
• In order to get a feel for the expense behind a pharmaceutical conference, I inquired about booking one. This resulted in several follow up calls from the conference hall manager offering various discounts.
• The craziest thing was 75% into the book, I decided my secondary character Simpson should be a main character. This involved rewriting the entire book. Ironically, Simpson is the connecting factor in the series.
• Love or Deception is my first romantic suspense, my favorite genre.
• The idea for the story came from a what if scenario. A woman finally finds the man of her dreams only to have him vanish without a clue.
• The major plot twist is courtesy of my husband, who suggested it. I originally rejected it, but decided it would work perfectly later.
• Ryan’s car in the novel I based on my husband’s dream car.
• One of my beta readers suggested that my main character was too smart. Women couldn’t identify with an intelligent woman. I didn’t agree.
• I spent time googling chemical warfare agents and deadly poisons. This led to me stating on social media that I was writing a suspense novel in case my actions were ever viewed with suspicion.
• I spent a great deal of time on the CDC studying the reactions to various poisons.
• My main characters hit the road, but I had to MapQuest their route. Google Earth allowed a good view of the surrounding area.
• My first editor took out all regional expressions and dialect because they weren’t proper English. I reinserted them.
• My bulldog information came from the study hall teacher who owns a bulldog.
• While Love or Deception is my longest tale at a little more than 96,000 words, I wrote the first draft in a month.
• In order to get a feel for the expense behind a pharmaceutical conference, I inquired about booking one. This resulted in several follow up calls from the conference hall manager offering various discounts.
• The craziest thing was 75% into the book, I decided my secondary character Simpson should be a main character. This involved rewriting the entire book. Ironically, Simpson is the connecting factor in the series.
• Love or Deception is my first romantic suspense, my favorite genre.
• The idea for the story came from a what if scenario. A woman finally finds the man of her dreams only to have him vanish without a clue.
“I love you,” Mark whispered into her hair as he slipped one long, muscular leg over hers.
Amy snuggled closer to him, nuzzling his neck. Ah, she loved this time, right after a rousing lovemaking session when they were both sated and drowsy, drunk on the idea that in a world of mismatched couples, somehow they found each other. Mark’s slight snore alerted her he’d dropped off to sleep. She should get up. There was so much to do before work. Instead, she stayed, breathing in the peace of the moment.
Hard to believe she was a bride. Not that she had anything against marriage. She just hadn’t foreseen it happening to her. How could it? All she did was work at Theron under major security scrutiny. The only people she saw were other employees, with the majority being women. The confidentiality clause she’d signed forbade fraternization between employees. The company must have a reason for being so paranoid. Right now, she didn’t care. All she wanted was her husband to awaken.
“Honey, do you remember our wedding?” Using her index and middle fingers, she made slow circles across his wide shoulders and around his muscular arm. The barbed wire tattoos encircling his biceps always surprised her, not that they didn’t look good on his tanned skin. They did. No, it was that she never imagined herself as a woman with a big gorgeous husband who could easily be a male stripper or a porn star with his looks. Nope, she never expected to marry. Even if a part of her held out hope, she never expected anyone without a heavier eyeglass prescription than hers.
Mark held up one arm, stretched, and twisted it enough to make his bicep pop. He noticed her eyes following the play of his muscles. His deliberate wink made her giggle a little. Geesh, just another sign she was way out of her depth. Truth told she never dated much, period. School, then work consumed her every waking moment.
He rolled to his side, facing her, and yawned before answering. “I do remember our wedding since I was there. Plus it was only two weeks ago.”
“Yes.” All that was true, but it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. By mentioning the subject, he might tell her how wonderful it was or even describe it in detail. Did she expect him to gush about the meaningfulness of their vows? No way, she’d admit that she had issues bringing their wedding into focus. All she could see was a couple and minister on the beach with the sun setting in the background. With the shadows falling on them, it was hard to tell if the couple was even white, let alone if it was actually them. The sun was setting in the west, which worked since they married in Tahiti. Still, it had the same feeling of looking at a magazine ad for honeymoons.
The woman had on a short dress, and the groom was barefoot. That she could tell. They did have a whirlwind romance. Was it possible she was drunk when she married Mark? Was that why she couldn’t remember anything very well? Her hope was, by mentioning the wedding, he might also confess how wildly in love he was with her. It might ease her fears about the two of them being an odd couple.
Her Aunt Remy raised her with a healthy self-esteem. Being worthy of her handsome husband wasn’t an issue. It was more a case of like going with like. She’d heard enough comments when a couple showed with one partner being more attractive. When the woman was more beautiful, people assumed the man was rich and powerful. Charitable women might think he was charming and good in bed. Unfortunately, it never worked that way with the women. People seemed genuinely baffled and usually predicted a future break-up. Rather unfair if you asked her. Couldn’t the woman have some great trait? Maybe she was smart, interesting, and a decent conversationalist, even reasonably good looking with a slender build and short blonde hair. Her nose crinkled once she realized she’d just described herself.
The curve between his shoulder and neck beckoned her to nuzzle. The simple action reassured that they were actually married and together. Everything happened so fast. A slow roll of her body had Amy looking up at her husband who pinned her to the mattress. “I think I know what my own Dr. Death needs.” He wiggled his eyebrows and leered at her.
Morgan K Wyatt believes in happy endings. When things don’t end well, she holds to the familiar Indian saying: If things don’t work out, then it’s not the end because everything works out in the end. She considers herself living proof after escaping an abusive marriage; she found and married her soul mate. While not every day is sunshine and roses, she writes about the possibility of flowers and chance meetings between strangers. Amy snuggled closer to him, nuzzling his neck. Ah, she loved this time, right after a rousing lovemaking session when they were both sated and drowsy, drunk on the idea that in a world of mismatched couples, somehow they found each other. Mark’s slight snore alerted her he’d dropped off to sleep. She should get up. There was so much to do before work. Instead, she stayed, breathing in the peace of the moment.
Hard to believe she was a bride. Not that she had anything against marriage. She just hadn’t foreseen it happening to her. How could it? All she did was work at Theron under major security scrutiny. The only people she saw were other employees, with the majority being women. The confidentiality clause she’d signed forbade fraternization between employees. The company must have a reason for being so paranoid. Right now, she didn’t care. All she wanted was her husband to awaken.
“Honey, do you remember our wedding?” Using her index and middle fingers, she made slow circles across his wide shoulders and around his muscular arm. The barbed wire tattoos encircling his biceps always surprised her, not that they didn’t look good on his tanned skin. They did. No, it was that she never imagined herself as a woman with a big gorgeous husband who could easily be a male stripper or a porn star with his looks. Nope, she never expected to marry. Even if a part of her held out hope, she never expected anyone without a heavier eyeglass prescription than hers.
Mark held up one arm, stretched, and twisted it enough to make his bicep pop. He noticed her eyes following the play of his muscles. His deliberate wink made her giggle a little. Geesh, just another sign she was way out of her depth. Truth told she never dated much, period. School, then work consumed her every waking moment.
He rolled to his side, facing her, and yawned before answering. “I do remember our wedding since I was there. Plus it was only two weeks ago.”
“Yes.” All that was true, but it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. By mentioning the subject, he might tell her how wonderful it was or even describe it in detail. Did she expect him to gush about the meaningfulness of their vows? No way, she’d admit that she had issues bringing their wedding into focus. All she could see was a couple and minister on the beach with the sun setting in the background. With the shadows falling on them, it was hard to tell if the couple was even white, let alone if it was actually them. The sun was setting in the west, which worked since they married in Tahiti. Still, it had the same feeling of looking at a magazine ad for honeymoons.
The woman had on a short dress, and the groom was barefoot. That she could tell. They did have a whirlwind romance. Was it possible she was drunk when she married Mark? Was that why she couldn’t remember anything very well? Her hope was, by mentioning the wedding, he might also confess how wildly in love he was with her. It might ease her fears about the two of them being an odd couple.
Her Aunt Remy raised her with a healthy self-esteem. Being worthy of her handsome husband wasn’t an issue. It was more a case of like going with like. She’d heard enough comments when a couple showed with one partner being more attractive. When the woman was more beautiful, people assumed the man was rich and powerful. Charitable women might think he was charming and good in bed. Unfortunately, it never worked that way with the women. People seemed genuinely baffled and usually predicted a future break-up. Rather unfair if you asked her. Couldn’t the woman have some great trait? Maybe she was smart, interesting, and a decent conversationalist, even reasonably good looking with a slender build and short blonde hair. Her nose crinkled once she realized she’d just described herself.
The curve between his shoulder and neck beckoned her to nuzzle. The simple action reassured that they were actually married and together. Everything happened so fast. A slow roll of her body had Amy looking up at her husband who pinned her to the mattress. “I think I know what my own Dr. Death needs.” He wiggled his eyebrows and leered at her.
Her reputation as a plant rescuer has people dropping sick and dying plants at her house, and then speeding off in the night. The magic ingredient that brings the plants back to life is love and Miracl-gro. Morgan would love to hear from you. If you have a name for a character, cute dog pics, or gardening info, even better.
Win a $50 Amazon or B&N gift card and a signed copy of Love or Deception (open Internationally)!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThe intense cover is my favorite part!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mai.The cover is reflective of the mood of the tale.
DeleteThanks for hosting me on your lovely site.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your comments. Good for you for putting the local dialects back in. As the writer you know what will work with your characters. This sounds like an awesome story line.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mom Jane. I wanted to write about people more interesting than myself. They needed to sound left of normal.
DeleteI like the synopsis, sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rita.I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
DeleteI enjoyed the fun facts about this book
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen H. I finally passed on my computer I looked up so many posions and how hot explosions burned on to my daughter. Hopefully, National Security won't knock on her door.
DeleteEnjoyed reading the "secrets" behind your book. Good premise for a "Lifetime" movie.
ReplyDeleteAngela,
DeleteI like the Lifetime movie idea.
Love that it's ends nicely - shaunie
ReplyDeleteWe all deserve happy endings, even fictional characters.
DeleteI really liked the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Brooke. I'm pleased you liked the excerpt.
DeleteEnjoyed the Fun Facts, and Thx for the chance!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the Fun Facts. I appreciated you commenting and good luck.
DeleteI love the excerpt. Sounds like a great book
ReplyDeleteThanks Teresa. I had fun writing it.
DeleteThe synopsis looks interesting and I liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks Glenda. It took a lot of research to write it. I dscovered there are many drugs available for mind control and others if used wrong can be toxic. All my research was in reference to writing this book and the other books in the series. ( My official disclaimer)
DeleteI enjoyed both the fun facts, and the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks Juana. I enjoyed your comment.
DeleteEnjoyed reading the fun facts, thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Nikolina,
DeleteThanks for stopping by. What a exotic name you have. It's perfect for a mysterious character in a suspense novel. I bet you can see where I'm going with this. :)
Love the fun facts - shaunie
ReplyDeleteHi Shaunie,
DeleteThanks for commenting. If you live in Zionsville, IN, I put a signed copy of Love or Deception in their library today.
i loved the excerpt
ReplyDeleteHello Alexandra,
DeleteThanks for commenting. It's always hard knowing what excerpt to post to avoid giving away too much of the tale. :)
I loved the excerpt and can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteHi Ree Dee,
DeleteFollow the tour because different hosts can post different excerpts. Thanks for commenting.
Good luck on the tour and thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHi ELF,
DeleteI appreciate your good wishes. :)
I like to sample the author's style with the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks Stacy for stopping by. :)
DeleteI liked the fun facts. It was nice to find out the secrets behind the making of "Love or Deception". I also enjoyed the excerpt. Blessings & Thanks to All.
ReplyDeleteI loved the excerpt! I was kind of jealous of the characters lol. Happy friday!
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt! Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleterounder9834 @yahoo.com