Unchained Hearts, Baxter Family Saga Book 1 by Palessa

Kyle Avery, CEO of Mama Avery Foods, has been summoned to a special meeting by a note from her late mother, Virgilia Avery. When she arrives, she meets the elusive mogul Newton “Cass” Baxter, CEO of Baxter Chemicals and learns of the nearly forty year history her mother shared with Cass, as well as the obstacles they’d been forced to endure. As Kyle struggles to understand their history, she’s forced to confront the man who loved and left her, Brandon Hall, VP of Baxter Chemicals and the adopted son of Cass Baxter. Kyle and Brandon unite in love, but separate in tragedy. They are forced to deal with the sad legacy of their parent’s lives as well as their own heartbreak. It’s up to them to finally break the chains which bind their hearts and find their own path to happiness.

SKU: B00HL37QII Categories: Romance, Romantic Comedy Tags: author palessa, baxter family saga, contemporary romance, interracial romance, Palessa, unchained hearts

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About the author:

She considers herself just a storyteller who sees no reason to shy away from the juicier romantic elements. She currently lives in the mountains of Jamaica with her crazy, cracker-munching-mutt Ivy and a farm, primarily managed by agribusiness partner, also known as Dad.

What inspired you to write your book?

This story was not like I had thought it would be. I was being pulled by the characters and following their lead. It felt good and I knew this was my calling. I’m working on a fourth book and have quite a few more stories in the pipeline including the wrap-up of the Baxter Saga which will be out next year some time. So Unchained Hearts was my first published fiction book and I’m glad readers have been enjoying the series.

Here is a short sample from the book:

When the movie ended, she stared at the screen, reading the credits. When she turned to glance at him, he was gone. Virgilia experienced a pang of disappointment.
As she exited the theater, she sensed a presence behind her. She turned to see him smiling at her.
“You never did answer my question. Don’t you think you’re worth following?”
“I will only answer questions from men whose names I know.”
“Fair enough,” he said, extending his hand. “My friends call me Cass.”
“I’m Virgilia,” she replied, shaking his hand.
“That’s quite a name. I think I’ll call you ‘Lila’ for short.”
Normally, she hated it when people called her by some modification of her name, but this one seemed different. “Do you often change the name of the people you meet to suit yourself?”
“Only the special ones.”
Virgilia’s cheeks got hot and her stomach did backflips. No stranger had ever made her feel so at ease.
For his part, Cass was fascinated by this vision he saw before him. There was something about this woman, a light, a fire which drew him in and made him want to lose himself in those gorgeous brown eyes. He’d never felt anything like it before and was not going to let this opportunity pass him by.
“Yes,” Virgilia said, suddenly.
“Yes, to Lila?”
“That too, but I meant the answer to your question.” Cass looked a little lost and then she said, “I am worth following.”
Cass heart flipped as he grinned. “Shall we?” he said, offering his arm.
They walked around and talked for what seemed like minutes, but turned out to be hours as evening turned to dusk. Virgilia’s face hurt from smiling so much; she couldn’t recall the last time she’d had so much fun by herself or with anyone.
Cass found her smart and witty and even more beautiful than when he’d opened the door for her. He had met some stunning women in his life, but tonight, they seemed merely passable compared to Lila.
“It’s getting late,” she said. “I had better get home.”
“I’ll walk you,” he announced.
“No, I don’t live too far from here.”
He held his hand up. “I’m not letting any woman walk alone at night anywhere, no matter how close she lives.”
They’d only just met, but the look on his face said he wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. She thought better of starting an argument as they slowly made it to the gate of her house.
“Well, this is me,” she said.
He nodded and looked at the house. It was small, modest, and held a bit of charm with the low white fence separating it from the house next door.
“Cass, I had a wonderful time.”
“So did I,” Cass said as his gaze moved from her eyes to her lips. “I want to do it again.”
Virgilia wanted the same, but she had to be practical. “Maybe we should leave it at tonight.”
Cass looked Virgilia straight in the eyes with a determination that came from deep within. He was not used to hearing the word ‘no’ from a woman. But from this woman, the thought of not seeing her after tonight was completely unacceptable. “I don’t believe you believe that. I can see it in your eyes.”
Virgilia looked down for a moment and he gently lifted her chin and guided her gaze back to his. “Look, I don’t care if you’re purple with green polka dots. I know what I’m feeling and I know you feel it too.”
She couldn’t lie to him and nodded slowly in agreement.
Emboldened by her subtle ‘yes’, Cass declared, “I want to kiss you so badly right now, but I’m afraid the prying eyes would just bore right through me.”
She laughed. “You felt them too, huh?”
“Yeah, so that will just make it even sweeter when I plant one on you on our next date.”
She smiled at the thought of kissing this man she’d just met a few hours ago.
“You told me you have to work tomorrow, so maybe tomorrow night?”
“Okay,” she said. “I should be off by three, so how about seven?”
“I will pick you up here.”
They said goodnight as Cass watched Virgilia enter the house.