Romance Novel Giveaways - Freebies and Giveaways of All Things Romance Romance Novel Giveaways: Another Notch in the Beltway by L.A. Long ♥ New Release Spotlight & GIVEAWAY ♥ (Romantic Suspense)

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Another Notch in the Beltway by L.A. Long ♥ New Release Spotlight & GIVEAWAY ♥ (Romantic Suspense)


Historical romance writer, Lenore Held, AKA, LaSandra Lacy, feeling the need to step into the present century, both personally and professionally, has agreed to co-author a steamy contemporary romance with male author, MP Finnegan.

As sparks begin to fly, on and off the written page, the world around them turns into utter chaos.

Her son’s father, Senator Byron Maxwell, makes an appearance in her life after an almost 22-year absence.

Theirs was the proverbial bad clique of a Washington romance: the gentrified, conservative, womanizing statesman and the beautiful, brilliant but naive, starry eyed intern, who had the bad taste to become pregnant with his child. He pretended they didn’t exist, until now. Now he wants something from her, something that isn’t hers to give.

Add to that a media play gone horribly wrong, a stalker, home invasion, and unhinged family members of the senator’s and Lenore and MP’s life together begins to resemble a book plot. Unlike a book, the turmoil that surrounds them is real and deadly.




Chapter 2


Lenore Held, a.k.a. LaSandra Lacy, was driving home from spin class, forty-two years old and looking for a change. Despite her success as a romance writer, she felt there had to be more. At least Lady Tightbud was getting it in the bushes. Her own love life was lackluster on a great night.
John Irving, the name should have been the tip-off, was more boring than . . . she’d say watching paint dry, but that was actually more exciting, because at least you got to see what the color truly looked like when it dried. Irving’s color was always nondescript gray, like once-snowy-white underwear washed one too many times. Lenore continued to plunder her vast store of words, both old world and this world, and could not find a word to describe him adequately.
Barbra Streisand and Bryan Adams were crooning on XM. What she wouldn’t give to have a man with a voice like that, whispering his urgent need for her into her ear.
What she’d get, if she got anything, from JI was straight missionary sex, by which she never achieved orgasm, he’d finish her off manually and be all pleased with himself. Foreplay consisted of his rubbing up against her, like a half-dead Saint Bernard and maybe, just maybe, running his hand down her leg.
He needs to go. I’d be better off with my fantasies and a large cucumber, she thought as she pulled into the garage. These pleasant musings brought me all the way home.
“Ugh.”
She noted her son’s car was in the garage and wondered what he was doing home. Lenore didn’t think he had a break from college. She hoped this wasn’t going to be a twenty-question night.
Nathan Held was twenty-one, a senior at Georgetown, majoring in International Relations. He was accepted to Yale Law and would start there in the fall. Nate was a brilliant, handsome, funny young man who until recently had never given his mother a moment’s grief. Even now, it wasn’t grief. He wanted something from her, something she couldn’t give him.
Two years ago, Nate began making noises about wanting to know who his father was. She was lucky the drumbeat hadn’t started earlier. But Lenore had sworn her silence on that front. Nate’s father was a major politician, a very wealthy, very married, very conservative politician who couldn’t keep it in his pants. It made her laugh now. It was the age old story, young intern, gentrified senator, late nights, stolen moments, intern gets knocked up, senator wants her to have an abortion, she refuses, so he buys her silence.
Money can’t buy a lot of things. But his money gave her the freedom to be a doting mother and get her writing career off the ground. By the time Nate was five, she didn’t need the senator’s money and invested it for her son. Nate didn’t even know how much money there was. He didn’t need to know now, but it would give him a good solid start in life.
Lenore’s career took off, but the senator kept his end of the bargain, and she kept her silence. Nate didn’t care about financial arrangements and promises of silence. He wanted to know who his father was.
She sighed. “Nate,” she called, walking in the door.
“Over here, Mom,” he hollered back.
She went to join him in the great room of their Yardley, Pennsylvania, home.
They met halfway and embraced.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, holding him at arm’s length.
“Not happy to see me?” he teased.
“I’m always happy to see you,” she replied with a warm smile that lit her vibrant hazel eyes. He looked happy. No sign of his being there to fish for information on his father.
“The admissions counselor at Georgetown asked if I wanted to help with the booth at the George School college fair, and I said sure. It should be fun.”
Nate was a graduate of GS, and he always liked to go back when he had time.
“That’s great. I don’t recall GS having a college fair when you were there.”
“No, we didn’t. The college reps would come and talk to anyone who was interested in the school. I think the fair makes sense so students can see a number of prospective schools. They might find they’re interested in one they never considered before.”
“I agree. Maybe you should go into college admissions instead of law.”
“Law is a good springboard for anything, Mom. I don’t even know that I’ll ever practice law.”
She nodded, ruffling his deep brown hair. “Whatever you do, you’ll be great.”
“You’re my mom; you have to say that.”
“No, I don’t, but I mean it. Do you have time for dinner?”
“I’ll grab something at the Hoagie Shack on the way over, but I’ll let you make me waffles tomorrow morning.”
“Chocolate, chocolate chip?”
“You’re the best, Mom.”
“You’re my son; you have to say that.”


   



L.A. Long is an insurance industry executive with a long history investigating insurance fraud. She applies her knowledge of the law, investigation, and human behavior to developing her story lines. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her family, three cats and a very human dog.

   


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