Bed of Lies. Paula Roe

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      For one heartbeat, Beth wondered what it’d be like to have all that long-lashed, dark-eyed charm smiling only for her.

      Don’t even think about it. Luke was definitely a love ‘em and leave ‘em guy. Unpredictable, career-driven and an attention magnet. Attention she had spent years avoiding. Getting involved with him—however superb the encounter promised to be—was the last thing she needed.

      She looked away even as her skin began to tingle in the most annoying way. “What’s our next move?”

      “You’re determined to stay, right? So if you’re not moving out and won’t consider my offer, it leaves me with only one option. I’m moving in.”

      Luke De Rossi. In her home. In the bedroom next to hers.

      Her stomach made a weird little lurch.

       You sure your secrets are all you’re worried about?

      Dear Reader,

      You may not know this, but writers don’t miraculously become published overnight. (As much as we’d wish it so!) It takes, on average, ten years honing your craft before you have something saleable. Which means loads of writing—starting a new story, working on it, sticking it under the bed, then beginning a new one. And then you go back to those “under the bed” stories, dust them off and begin the process of editing, revising, tweaking. Sometimes it works and results in a sale. But sometimes they become your “learning curve” stories, never to see the light of day again.

      And why am I telling you this? Beth and Luke’s story was one of those “under the bed” stories, originally written in the early nineties. Over twenty years later, the basic premise remained the same but pretty much everything else changed (including the technology!). Luke’s previous occupation, Beth’s six-year-old child and ex, her convoluted past as a US senator’s socialite daughter, plus Luke’s cousin’s shady embezzlement dealings and a slew of secondary characters—they all went. Boy, was there a LOT of work to do on that original story, including cutting twenty thousand words!

      However, I still loved the original idea of my hero and heroine fighting over a house and, thankfully, my editor did, too. Even so far from the original concept, I’m thrilled with the way Beth and Luke’s story turned out. Which goes to show that sometimes there can be a diamond underneath all that rough.

       Paula

      About the Author

      Despite wanting to be a vet, choreographer, card shark, hairdresser and an interior designer (although not simultaneously!), British-born, Aussie-bred PAULA ROE ended up as a personal assistant, office manager, software trainer and aerobics instructor for thirteen interesting years.

      Paula lives in western New South Wales, Australia, with her family, two opinionated cats and a garden full of dependent native birds. She still retains a deep love of filing systems, stationery and traveling, even though the latter doesn’t happen nearly as often as she’d like. She loves to hear from her readers—you can visit her at her website, www.paularoe.com.

      Bed of Lies

      Paula Roe