Kindle Unlimited Winner, new giveaway, plus exclusive excerpts from Up for Heir
Published: Wed, 08/23/17
Dear Amazing Reader:
I am so excited (and unbelievably grateful) to be able to say that In the Heir is sitting in the top 10 on Amazon. It's still $1.99 but that sale ends when August does. If you
haven't gotten your copy yet, now is the time!
The countdown is now on for Spencer's story in, Up for Heir. Get it now at the pre-order price of $3.99. Read down for a excerpt. Delinda is at it again!
And get Up for Heir for the pre-order price of $3.99
Congratulations to Rachel Purvis - mother of 8 in NH. She won a 1 year membership to Kindle Unlimited from our last email giveaway.
Wish you had won? Here's another chance.
Okay -- since you twisted my arm -- I'll give away another membership and announce the winner in my next newsletter.
All you have to do
to enter that giveaway is send me an email at rcardellocontests@gmail.com and say: Bring on the Books
One winner will be randomly chosen. If you'd like to tell me in your message, I'd love to hear which book was the one you found me through.
If you are looking for the timeline of the series, it all started with Maid for the Billionaire. Next came the Andrades. Then the Barringtons. The Westerly series is happening during the
same timeline as the Barringtons.
I'm considering going back in time and writing about Dominic Corisi's twin. Should he have one? Imagine the fun. If you'd like to share your thoughts on that possibility, write them in your entry for the above contest. I try to read all of the entries because so many include personal messages. I don't always have time to answer them because I'd never finish my next book, but I do love to hear from
you.
Ruthie
Excerpt from Up for Heir:
(Delinda)
Desperate times call for desperate measures, but surely I can do better than this.
Seated at her Queen Anne writing desk, Delinda Westerly tapped her perfectly manicured nails absentmindedly and
studied the bold redhead across from her. “You don’t look like a detective.”
The woman pursed her wine-colored lips in a childlike pout that didn’t diminish the intensity of her gaze. Her tan pantsuit was understated but tailored to fit. Expensive camouflage. She reminded Delinda of a Siamese cat she’d once had who purred and preened but pounced mercilessly and without warning. “That’s the goal, wouldn’t you say?”
“Victor Andrade said you’re
the best.”
“I am.”
“He said you work with Dominic Corisi. Considering his reputation, that’s hardly reassuring.”
The detective maintained unblinking eye contact. “And yet, here I am.”
Delinda sighed. “Yes.” She picked up a black card that had only the woman’s phone number written in white. “It’s a delicate situation. No one can ever know I was involved in this
part.”
“A secret assignment. My favorite kind,” the woman said with a smile.
“Cockiness leads to sloppy mistakes, and I have no tolerance for either, Alethea Narcharios.” The redhead arched an eyebrow. “Did you think I didn’t know your real name?” Delinda tapped her nails again. “Rule number one in any engagement: never underestimate a person’s connections. The Andrades are close friends of mine, and they consider Corisi one of their own.
I know all about you. The background report your friend Jeremy gave you about me? I helped him write it.”
Alethea’s eyes widened, then she threw back her head and laughed. “It felt too perfect. Well played, Delinda. Not many people surprise me.”
“I really don’t see what you find amusing.” Delinda narrowed her eyes. “According to Victor, you are dangerously curious, often manipulative, and consider yourself above the
law.”
Looking more intrigued than insulted, Alethea leaned forward.
“Something tells me those are traits we share.”
After pressing her lips together briefly, Delinda circled back to her concern. “I can’t afford another mistake. I need to know I can rely on your discretion. Money is no object if this is done well.”
“You’ve been misled if you think I care about the
money.”
Delinda wanted nothing more than to dismiss the brash redhead. Unfortunately, I need her. “It’s about my grandson, Spencer. I thoughtlessly said something last year that hurt him deeply. I hoped that reconciling with his mother, Stephanie, would be the bridge back to him, but as personally cathartic as that reunion has been, it hasn’t helped with Spencer. He is distancing himself from the whole family, determined to prove he doesn’t need anyone. His older
brother, Brett, is getting married soon, and Spencer has announced he won’t be attending. I want him at that wedding.”
With a look of amusement, Alethea said, “How exactly would you like me to change his mind?”
Delinda took a photo out of her desk drawer and laid it down, facing Alethea. “Hailey Tiverton. She and Spencer dated in college. Stephanie said it ended abruptly, and Spencer pined for her for a long time. She’s the only woman his
mother thinks he’s ever really cared about. I want you to find out why they broke up and bring me a full report on her. If I approve of her, you’ll arrange for her to come work for me.”
Alethea smiled slowly. “Delinda Westerly, you’re a romantic at heart.”
In response, Delinda touched the tablet on her desk to wake it and then turned it to face Alethea. She gave the woman a moment to absorb the headline of the online article, as well as
the photo of Spencer leaving a club, looking as disheveled as the scantily clad woman on his arm. “I want my grandson back—he’s a good boy. Not this. He’s miserable.”
“He doesn’t look miserable.”
Delinda spun the tablet back. “Are you interested in helping me, or not?”
The PI took a moment, as if she were debating the same question. “I am.” She paused, then asked, “When you said I’ll ‘arrange for her to come
work’ for you, what did you mean?”
“This is where your skills come into play. You’ll close every door around her until I’m the only choice she has.”
“That’s a dangerous game.”
Delinda stood. “And here I thought dangerous was your forte.”
“It is.” Alethea rose to her feet. “I’d just hate to see you hurt by this.”
Raising her chin, Delinda answered, “My
dear, at my age, pain is a friend of mine. Time is the enemy. It has been a year. My grandson needs a shake-up, and if he felt half as much for this woman as his mother thinks he did, I’ll have him married and in my life again by the holidays. First, though, we need to get him to attend Brett’s wedding. It’ll break Brett’s heart if he’s not there.”
Alethea whistled. “I have to admit, I admire your confidence.”
Confidence or desperation?
It didn’t matter. “Michael,” Delinda called out to her butler, “please show Ms. Narcharios out.” Before the detective left the room, Delinda added, “I’ll expect that report by the weekend.”
Alethea nodded before turning to leave.
Alone, Delinda sank back onto her chair and picked up the photo of the woman she’d sent Alethea to investigate. Bring Spencer back into my life and you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted—in
abundance.
Hurt him again and you’ll discover exactly how much fight is left in this old broad.
(Want to meet Spencer? He's so angry it's delicious.
If you had a simulator that could take photos and videos and make them into a world you could walk through and revisit--what would you go back to? Spencer
needed to see the woman who had broken his heart to prove to himself that what they'd had wasn't as good as he remembers. The problem is -- it was.)
Brett never gave a sh*t about seeing me or Mom until Alisha told him he should. He falls in love, and all of a sudden he wants to pretend we’re close? It doesn’t f*king work that way.
Love.
All it does is f* a man’s head up.
Spencer finished his beer, reached for another, and groaned as he remembered how that kind of thinking had driven him to step into the simulator. There was someone he needed to see. Her.
Hailey was my first. Two virgins. Of course we thought we were in love. I was happy I was finally getting laid. That’s all it was. If I met her now, I wouldn’t spare her a second look. I’ve been with women so beautiful I could almost taste the envy of the men around me. I’ve slept with some so talented they could have taught a course on how to give males multiple orgasms.
It probably wasn’t even as good as I remember it. And I can prove it.
Jordan had said he’d loaded the drive with Spencer’s old photos. “Run album two.” The walls around Spencer were replaced by the college quad setting Jordan had programmed in. He knew Jordan well enough to guess the language he would have written for commands.
“Show Hailey Tiverton.”
“There are one thousand six hundred seven images detected and fifty-eight videos. Play through or isolate and merge?” a computer voice asked.
“Isolate and merge.”
“Location?”
With his heart racing, Spencer said, “Garage.”
The grass and college dorm buildings faded away, replaced by a representation of the computer lab he’d built in his mother’s garage. Although Spencer knew none of it was real, the experience of literally stepping into a memory
was unsettling.
Then Hailey appeared on a stool. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her eyes were just as beautiful and deep blue as he remembered. His heart began to thud wildly in his chest just as it always had when she smiled at him. “Your mom said you skipped dinner, so I brought you a sandwich.” She held out a wrapped package, and his memory of that day came back to him in full
force. “Put the camera down and eat something.” Her eyes twinkled, and she smiled at him as she said, “Or put the camera down and kiss me. Your choice.” Her delighted laugh echoed through him, and he remembered exactly what he’d chosen that day. His c*ck tented his pants in excitement.
F*ck, it was that good.
Her image faded away, and she reappeared in another outfit. This time she had an earnest expression on her face. “I feel silly, but if you think this will help, I’ll do it. You know I hate cameras. Don’t you dare show this to anyone. And I’d better not end up as an avatar. Unless you make me a kick-ass one. Then I guess I’m okay with it. Really? You need more? You’re lucky I love you.” She looked toward the entrance of the garage, and a huge smile spread across her face.
“Jordan, save me. He’s working on that voice-to-face recognition software and filming me again.” Her laugh rang out and mixed with his and Jordan’s just before the vision faded away. Spencer’s chest tightened until he could barely breathe as feelings he’d thought were gone emerged in full force.
The next image of Hailey surprised Spencer. It was from a video project she’d helped him with a month after
her father died. He remembered how sad she’d been after it happened, but he didn’t remember her looking as fragile as she did in the hologram. There were dark smudges beneath her eyes. She looked significantly thinner than she had in the earlier images. She’d always said she was fine, but she hadn’t been. Clearly.
The representation of her in the simulator was so real, it was as if he were in the
moment with her, and the pain in her eyes tore through him. “Come meet my brother. You’ll love him.”
He nodded. Of course he would go. Then regret filled him as he watched disappointment darken her eyes. He didn’t need to hear his own voice to remember what he’d said.
She continued, “Of course. I
understand. Maybe another weekend?”
She’d needed me. What the f*ck had I been working on that was more important?
He’d always thought their breakup had come out of nowhere, but the beginning of it was right there in her
eyes.
