Welcome Today's Featured Author
Mary
Billiter!!
ESCAPE CLAUSE
Sometimes to escape a bad situation, you have to grit your
teeth and bare your clause.
What happens when the battle lines drawn
become blurry? In Mary Billiter’s fun novel of solving mysteries and falling in
love, a gorgeous PR guru and a happy-go-lucky single mom are linked by a
determination to discover the truth and a sizzling connection.
When
competing hotel owners, the Carlyles, attempt a takeover of the former Brubaker
hotel, now The Point Resort and also Kelsey Donigan’s second home, the front
desk manager discovers long-buried secrets between the two families. Better
yet, she uncovers an escape clause that not only prevents a takeover, but may
also overtake generations of animosity between the two families.
Kelsey finds
an ally in the most unlikely of locals. Hotel heir Oliver Carlyle’s devotion
and determination to honor his mother’s final wishes places him in direct
opposition with his powerful family.
Can the
star-crossed couple save the historic, beachfront hotel, or will they lose each
other in the process?
Buy Links
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2pocjXR
Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y624SZ6
Amazon CA: www.amazon.ca/dp/B06Y624SZ6
Amazon AU: www.amazon.com.au/dp/B06Y624SZ6
Books2Read: http://books2read.com/escape-clause
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34232083
EXCERPT
“What’d
they do?”
“They
cleverly took on the shapes of a pair of fish and jumped in the river to escape
the evil giant.”
“Oh.”
It felt like all the air had been knocked from my lungs, and my heart plummeted
to my empty stomach. I turned and gazed at the stars.
“What?
Don’t you like it?”
Tears
stung my eyes. I swallowed hard, but my emotions refused to be suppressed.
“Kelsey?”
I
raised my shoulders to my ears. “If they became fish, then he would’ve swam
away from her.” A tear fell before I could wipe it away. “Venus saved her son,
but then she probably lost him. And I understand that a mom would do anything
for her child, but I don’t like a story that ends with them separated. Or
worse.” I thought of Charlie. What would
I do if I lost him? The pain cut so deep it hurt to breathe. I would do
anything to save my child, including moving hundreds of miles away from my
home.
The
look on Ollie’s face could only be described as shocked.
“I’m
sorry, I’m being stupid.” I wiped my eyes on the shoulder of my shirt.
“No,
you’re not stupid.” He reached into the pocket of his pants and handed me a
pressed white handkerchief. “Here.”
I
took it and looked at him in disbelief. “I didn’t think anyone carried
handkerchiefs anymore. My granddaddy did, but….”
“It’s
a Carlyle thing. You know, family tradition and all. It’s proper etiquette to
carry a handkerchief, but I’ve never appreciated the custom until now.”
“You’re
my knight with a clean hankie.” I giggled and blew my nose. I was about to hand
it back to him, but stopped. “Uh, you probably don’t want this back.” I
cringed.
“I
have an entire drawer full of them. Keep it. It’s yours. Consider it a souvenir
of our night.”
I
smiled. “Thank you.” I tucked the hankie in my pocket, but I couldn’t erase the
thought of being separated from my little man. The fear pulled at my heart in a
way only a love for a child could evoke. Charlie was my everything. Tears
welled again in my eyes.
He
reached for my hand. “Kelsey, it’s okay. The story’s not over yet.”
“Really?”
He
wiped away a tear. “Promise. Venus and Cupid swam away to safety, but legend
speaks of the tails of the fish being tied together with a gold cord, to avoid
losing each other.”
I
pulled out his handkerchief to dry my eyes. “Really? They’re tied together.”
“Yes,
absolutely. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
About Mary Billiter
Mary
Billiter is a weekly newspaper columnist, romance author and college writing
instructor. She also has novels published under the pen name, “Pumpkin Spice.”
Mary resides
in the Cowboy State with her unabashedly bald husband, her four amazing
children, two fantastic step-kids, and their runaway dog. She does her best
writing (in her head) on her daily runs in wild, romantic, beautiful Wyoming.
Read more about Mary and her work at: www.marybilliter.com
Follow Mary on Twitter: @MaryBilliter
Author Follow Links
Website: www.marybilliter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marymbilliter
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Author Message to
Readers
In May 2016, I was recovering from my second major surgery in the
treatment of my breast cancer. My husband, Ron brought my children to the
hospital each day of my recovery. At night he’d return. He wanted to ensure
that if I ever woke I wouldn’t be alone. My spirits were fading with each
surgery. Ron knew and arrived one evening with a Starbucks coffee and his cell
phone. He scrolled through pictures of his beloved Oregon coast –and
specifically Newport.
“We’ll go there.” He spoke in terms of a future I wasn’t as
convinced existed. Still, when visiting hours ended, I’d be alone in my
hospital room with my thoughts. I turned them to the Oregon Coast. I dreamt
about rushing toward the ocean with my arms outstretched like I could catch the
white-capped waves. That dream got me through myriad lonely nights at the
hospital.
So when my husband of three years brought my little boy and me to
the coast with his Oregon-based family it was better than anything I had
imagined. The Oregon coast was a respite and renewal. We toured Yaquina Head
lighthouse and I knew then that it was where romance began and ended. As we
drove away from our week-long vacation, I began writing this story. I returned
home where I failed another mammogram and endured more painful procedures. But
the Oregon Coast had revived my spirits. And by December, I was victorious in
my battle against breast cancer. It gave my family the happily ever after we
long sought.
So “Escape Clause”
is for every breast cancer survivor and those still in the fight. Don’t give
up. The best is yet to come.
And for those that
wants a little escapism, this book is for you!
An Interview With Mary Billiter:
- Can you tell us a little about your books?
Kelsey
Donigan is a fiercely independent single mom who relocates to the Oregon coast
with her son Charlie to start a new chapter in their life. To escape her past
in order to have a future, Kelsey is willing to work hard at an older,
beachfront hotel.
A
chance encounter in a lighthouse with hotel heir Oliver Carlyle becomes her
second chance for love. Sparks fly and more than just the historic light gets
turned on!
- When did you know you wanted to write a book?
In the second grade, I knew I could write. By it wasn’t until I
was in my late 20s when I enrolled in a fiction writing course offered through
a community college. My journalism degree equips me to write well under
deadline, but fiction writing is an entirely different, wonderful beast. From
that class, I wrote my first manuscript horribly called, “The Willow.” If that
wouldn’t put a reader to sleep, I’m not sure what will! It’s been a lot of
learning and honing my craft.
- When you write do you write the first draft on a computer or paper and pen?’
These are great questions! I write the first draft on a computer.
Scraps of paper and random notes in my iPhone all contribute to the end
product, but ultimately the bulk of the work is written on my laptop.
- Do you have a favorite food or drink you must have nearby when writing?
Coffee. That’s a food group, right?
- Do you have a favorite spot to write?
Another good question! It’s a real toss up – kitchen table in
dining room or master bedroom. When I’m writing emotional, intense scenes or
sex scenes, I close the door to my bedroom. Everything else, is written with my
headphones on in the heart of our home – the dining room.
- Do you listen to music while writing?
Always.
- If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have?
Invisibility – then I could write anywhere without any
interruptions because no one would see me!
- What are you working on next?
“Escape Clause” is a stand-alone romantic comedy and the second in
my resort romance series. I am working on the fourth book in the series, which
is based in a haunted hotel. I’m having a kick writing it. I just love having
characters in questionable situations and how they respond. It’s hilarious.
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