Today I'm thrilled to have my good friend and fellow Beachwalk Press author Ella Jade on my blog. She is talking about her new release Crossfire of Love and where the idea came from!
Ella is giving away a digital copy of her book today, all you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment with your email address!
A Long Time Coming…
My new release Crossfire of Love was a real labor of love for me. It was a long
time in the making. Like 22 years in the making. Now, of course I didn't know
when I was 16, I'd eventually be an author. I'd always wanted to write, but I
could never have dreamed back then that there would be something called the
Internet and people would be able to read books on-line. If I had, I'd be in a
whole other profession.
What am I talking about? Oh, yes, my
new release. Let me go back to the beginning. I've always been intrigued by mob
movies, books and real life history. I grew up in South Philadelphia in the
early eighties. It was a tight-knit Italian community with lots of mafia activity.
Naturally, being the curious girl that I was, I researched as much as I could
on the topic. It wasn't as easy as it is today. Again, no Internet, and when a
16 year old girl walked into a library and asked for reference books on
organized crime, a few eyebrows were raised. Hey, it was all in the name of
research. The writer was born.
I lived for movies like The
Godfather, GoodFellas and Once Upon a Time in America, to name a few. To this
day, I'll watch anything Robert DeNiro is in. He was probably the first crush I
had on a bad boy. And, Martin Scorsese is a genius. Just sayin'.
Here it is, 22 years later and I'm
penning my first mafia themed story. There was a reason I was doing all
that research, even if I didn't know why back then. Crossfire of Love is
ultimately a love story, but it has a mob flair. The story begins when
Gabriella is forced into an arranged marriage to Lorenzo, the son of a big NYC
crime lord. It seems her father Ace has gotten himself into a bit of
trouble with the Don and owes some big money. The head of the family offers him
a way out. He'll forgive the debt if Ace's daughter agrees to marry his son.
Hmm... I wonder how that will turn out?
I'll leave you with the blurb and
excerpt…
Can
an arranged marriage lead to love?
Recent
college graduate Gabriella has finally married the man of her dreams, the
older, charismatic attorney Lorenzo Martinez. She's had a crush on him for as
long as she can remember and always imagined they'd one day find their happily
ever after. Unfortunately, they enter into a union arranged by their fathers.
Lorenzo
is charming, protective, and loyal to his crime lord father Carlo. When Carlo
asks Lorenzo to marry Gabriella he jumps at the opportunity. He's been drawn to
her for many years and knows by marrying her he's helping to protect her
father.
Gabby
is resentful and won't be Lorenzo's charity case. But sparks fly and the couple
soon gives into their desire, realizing they were meant to be together.
What
happens when Carlo's enemies threaten their future? Will someone get caught in
the crossfire?
Excerpt
Lorenzo
walked up the porch steps, turning to stare at her. "Are you coming,
Gabriella?" No one but Lorenzo and his father called her by her full name.
She liked when Lorenzo said it. He'd always made it sound so formal and sexy.
These
were the first words he had spoken to her since they left the courthouse. They
were married in the chambers of the prestigious Judge John Cartwright. He'd
been a family friend of the Martinezes for many years. He was their go-to man
whenever they needed something done fast and legally. Well, legal in her new
father-in-law's eyes anyway.
She
hurried up the steps and followed Lorenzo inside their new home. It was built
within a matter of months after she'd agreed to marry him. Carlo wanted them to
have their privacy, but he also wanted to keep them close. He didn't trust
she'd hold up her end of the bargain, and keeping her on the property was the
best way to ensure she wouldn't run.
It
was silly, really. How could she run from a family like this? They had ties all
over the world. There wasn't any place she could escape to that they wouldn't
know about. She was a woman of her word. She said she would marry Lorenzo and
she did. She'd find a way to cope. She always had.
Lorenzo
pulled his jacket off, poured himself a scotch, and then loosened his tie.
"Would you like a drink?"
"No,
thank you," she said.
Most
brides would be dancing the night away and drinking champagne by this point in
their wedding night. She didn't think that was part of Lorenzo's plan.
"I
didn't think you'd go through with it." He sipped the amber colored liquid
as he looked her over.
"I
said I would."
"I
know, but when push actually came to shove, I thought you'd run."
"You
don't know me that well," she said. "I don't run."
"Good."
He smirked as he put the glass to his lips.
Gabby
couldn't take her eyes away from those lips. She'd never had the pleasure of
having them on her own. Judge Cartwright hadn't asked him to kiss his bride.
She hated herself for thinking about him that way.
"You
could've stopped this. Why didn't you?" she asked.
As
they stood in front of the judge, she kept hoping he'd put an end to the
charade and stop the wedding. It didn't make sense to her why he had agreed to
marry her. She didn't have a choice. Her father's gambling debts made sure of
that. But she didn't understand why he'd allowed things to get as far as they
had.
"I
was just as trapped as you were." He downed the rest of his scotch.
She
didn't believe that. She knew he respected his dad, but she didn't get why he
wouldn't have put his foot down and said no to such a life-altering decision.
"You
could've told your father no from the beginning. Why would you agree to marry
someone if you didn't have to?"
"Look."
He shook his head. "It's done now. We're going to have to make the best of
it."
"Make
the best of it?" She plopped down on the leather sofa. "I'm
twenty-two years old. I just graduated from college, and you want me to make
the best of it?"
"I
know this isn't what you might have wanted, but it is what it is. You agreed,
and now it's done. You can't go back on it now. My father won't forgive
that."
You can connect with Ella by stopping by her blog
I look forward to giving this a read
ReplyDeleteMelissa vbfb19@gmail.com
Thanks, Melissa;) Glad I've piqued your interest!
DeleteThis one is def. on my TBR list!! =) Looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeletebest wishes, Linda xo (fr_larsson@hotmail.com)
Thanks, Linda! I appreciate your support:)
DeleteThis looks awesome, I'll have to pick it up, and congrats on the new release!
ReplyDeleteviarirose@gmail.com
Thanks for the wishes:)
DeleteHad a great time getting to know you better last night, can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteVeronica
piperann_25@yahoo.com
Thanks, Veronica! I had fun too:)
DeleteThe winner is...
ReplyDeleteLinda!
You'll be hearing from me shortly.
Thanks so much to all of you:)
Ella