Description
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About the author:
I was once an intrepid traveler, now I'm a stay-at-home mom (or trophy wife as I prefer to be called) who writes contemporary romance stories that reflect my love of exotic destinations and diverse characters and cultures. I currently live near Vancouver, Canada with my husband and four children and dream of a world without housework.
What inspired you to write your book?
My husband and I went to Thailand on our honeymoon and we've both longed to return. As travelling there is currently beyond our budget, I set a story there so I could at least vicariously travel to a once-loved land.
Here is a short sample from the book:
She didn’t need to look up to know when Mr. Doyle turned his attention back to her. A tingle trickled down her spine. “We’re all set. How far is it to the resort?”
“About three hours, depending on the traffic. If you need to send any messages, you should do so now. Cellular service is sporadic outside of Nan.”
“I’m good. I texted my office that I’d arrived when the plane touched down. I try to avoid my phone as much as possible.”
“Then you’re going to love your new resort.” She put as much enthusiasm as she could into the pronouncement, and a glimmer touched his eyes.
“Why do I get the feeling that’s a warning?”
She hid her unease behind a fake smile. “I’m just here to translate. I’ll leave the decision making to you.”
A wall of hot, humid air hit them as they exited the terminal and made their way to the rental vehicle. Malee was pleased to see it was a newer-model SUV, complete with airbags and all the regular safety features her cousin’s Jeep lacked.
As Caleb put his suitcase in the back, he asked, “Where’s your bag? I assumed you’d be staying at the resort as well. I read it’s quite a trek to the nearest village.”
She froze, her hand on the passenger’s-side door handle. “You’re staying at Primarayatha Resort? The one in the mountains near Pakang Yao village?” She’d figured he’d arranged to stay in one of the few luxury houses dotted around the countryside. The place he was here to investigate was only fit to accommodate mold spores and spiders.
“Yes, of course. What better way to determine if it’s a good fit for my brother’s hotel portfolio than to experience its ambiance and service for myself?”
Damn. She couldn’t mislead the man into a three-hour drive to sleep in a ruin. By the time they got there, it would be too late to make the trek back to Nan safely. Her cousin’s plea rang in her head, but she had to listen to her conscience.
She lowered her eyes to the ground. “Mr. Doyle—”
“Call me Caleb. And please look at me when you speak. I can’t have a conversation with the top of your head.”
She raised her gaze and was caught for a moment in the intensity of his. What was she about to say? Oh, right. That her one-week assignment was about to shrink to five minutes. “Caleb…” His name was delicious on her tongue. She hauled in a deep breath to steady her voice. “It seems you’ve been misinformed about the state of the resort. It’s been deserted for several years and needs a lot of work.”
He lowered his sunglasses, spearing her with his green eyes. “Really?”
“Yes.”
He replaced his aviators and ran a hand through his blond hair before shrugging. “I’ve come this far. I might as well see the place. And I’ve spent the night clinging to the side of a mountain with only a rope keeping me from certain death. I’m sure a stay in a broken-down hotel won’t kill me.”
She admired his determination if not his self-preservation skills. “All right. If you’re sure.”
Fortunately, she had a cellular signal long enough to navigate them out of the city and onto the highway toward her grandparents’ village and the resort. Maybe it wasn’t in such bad shape. She hadn’t been there since it closed. Perhaps someone had taken an interest in it and cleaned up? If they were trying to attract buyers, it made sense. Although she was sure she would have heard something about that in the village. Maybe Bodin had, and that’s why he was sure Mr. Doyle would be persuadable. Still, an uneasy niggling in her stomach kept her on edge.
And when she was nervous, she talked. Incessantly. To start, she pointed out local landmarks that she remembered, making a few things up when she couldn’t think of something to say. Once they were out of town, she waxed lyrical about the vegetation and animals they spotted. Her dissertation on water buffalos was a low-light that she was sure to relive in her darkest moments. Poor Caleb. He undoubtedly thought he’d been saddled with a lunatic. He was probably eagerly anticipating some solitude in a decrepit hotel after this car journey.
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