Bought By the Italian

She’s up for sale, and he’s the highest bidder.

 

What do you think of that as a tagline? It worked for me. And as soon as I had it I knew the plot for my second Hot Italian Nights novella. Here's a taste:

 

Gennaro De Laurentis might prefer motorcycle leathers to Armani, but when it comes to what he wants, he’s as ruthless as any corporate raider in a killer suit. And he wants Chiara, the unforgettable woman who denied the passion sizzling between them and walked away without a backward glance. Now he has the high society princess back in his power – and he’ll risk everything to make her his.

When glamorous fashion designer Chiara Armati goes up for auction, she’s selling her company over dinner for charity. Nothing else. As bidding rises to astronomical heights, she gets nervous. Yet only when she discovers her purchaser’s identity does she realise she’s caught in a trap. She’s never stopped wanting Gennaro or forgiven his betrayal. Now she’s at his mercy – and he’s as irresistible as ever!   

I published my first Hot Italian Nights novella earlier in the year. If you haven't read it, follow this link to find out more about BACK IN THE ITALIAN'S BED. I was determined to write the next story soon, plus I had the lovely experience of readers emailing to ask for Chiara's story. Note: if ever you read a book and like it so much you have the idea of writing to the author, DO IT! I can't tell you how special that is. Anyway, I was getting ready to work out just what Chiara's story was when life intervened with a few rather tough months, and my plans got put on hold.  

Finally, just recently, I carved out some time to write Chiara and Gennaro's story and I'm so glad I did. What fun we all had! I love a sizzling, intense hero and Gennaro is about as intense as they come. And in case you're wondering, this IS Gennaro and Chiara on the cover. I had the picture well before I finished the novella and this was the pair I wrote about.

I won't give you an excerpt here. You can find one on my website or at Amazon, Smashwords or Barnes and Noble where the story is on sale. But I'll leave you with a photo of the area that inspired the story - the stunning Dolomites of Northern Italy.

 

I'm in the middle of another Harlequin novel now but I've got plans to write a third Italian novella too. For a bit of fun, how about giving me a suggestion for a title? I can't promise to use it but it might spark some ideas.

To celebrate the release of BOUGHT BY THE ITALIAN, I'll give a copy of a book to someone who leaves a comment.

Check back tomorrow when I'll post the winner's name.