Spotlight & Giveaway: One Suite Deal by Michele Dunaway

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Michele Dunaway to HJ!

Hi Michele and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, One Suite Deal!

 
I’m Michele Dunaway, who writes sweet with a hint of spice for Special Edition.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Lana Winchester wants nothing more than to travel the world and escape small town Beaumont, while Edmund Clayton III only wants to add the Van Horn Hotel chain to his Clayton Holdings portfolio. First, though, he’ll have to go undercover on a TV show, where he discovers he’s working with the woman with whom he spent one magical, snowed in night…and she has no idea who he really is.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“My love, you have yourself a deal.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

This is the fourth book in the Love in the Valley series was inspired by a long-ago trip to Seattle, before the advent of social media, where I sat next to the most gorgeous man on the planet whom I spoke with for four hours until we parted at baggage claim. While I didn’t get snowed in with anyone I’ve ever flown with, I was on a plane that landed the same way. I also planted tons of Easter eggs in the book, such as Van Horn Hotels being an homage to the Saint Motel song of the same name, and Lana Winchester’s last name coming from missing Sam and Dean on Supernatural.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

My hero is at first attracted to her by her looks, which he realizes makes him shallow. He’s a fish out of water flying coach (and not private) and she intrigues him. From the first moment they meet, something about her challenges him to be better and to change his ways. As for Lana, she has no idea Edmund and Peter are the same person, and I don’t want to spoil it too much . Let’s say she likes them for different reasons.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

When Lana realizes what Edmund has done, how he’s changed, is one of my favorites, minus the ending. Here’s a tiny snippet:

Edmund had made some grand gestures and expected nothing in return. He’d done it simply because he cared, like Mr. Darcy. And had he really watched all five hours of Pride and Prejudice? Damn the man.

Readers should read this book….

One Suite Deal is a fresh twist on the love triangle, undercover boss, forced proximity, fish-out-of-water, and one-night-with-the-billionaire boss tropes. Oh, and I throw in a bunch of Pride and Prejudice references, too, like the one above.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’ve just finished a Fortunes of Texas book which releases in May 2025, and I’m currently writing the sixth book of the Beaumont series. Look for Liam Clayton”s story, which is Book 5, in January 2025.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: I’ll send three of you a signed print copy of either Book 2 or 3 in the Love in the Valley series (US only).

I’ll also pick 10 winners who will get a link to download one of my The Calendar Heroes eBooks for free (US and international).

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Lana wants to go to Paris. I just went to Houston, Kansas City, Frankfurt, Stockholm, and Honolulu (not all at the same time.) I’d love to hear about your travels. Tell me your absolute best vacation story ever. Where was it? Who was with you? What happened? Why was it so memorable?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from One Suite Deal:

Prologue
“I doubt you could succeed even if you tried.”
Only two people could speak to Edmund Clayton III like this, and thirty-six-year-old Reginald Justus—a man one year Edmund’s senior—didn’t qualify, because he wasn’t Edmund’s mother or sister. Edmund leveled his most haughty glare at his nemesis. Justus, whose tux made him more penguin than cover model, had the gall to add a belated laugh to his taunt.
Edmund tried not to respond with a sneer—the two men were at a New Year’s Eve charity gala, after all. Edmund made his tone as smooth as the two fingers of bourbon he held in his left hand. A gold cuff link winked from beneath a tailored sleeve. “I always succeed. When have I not?”
“Perhaps in business. Your love life, however, is quite another story.” Justus chuckled boldly, something he wouldn’t dare be doing had he and Edmund been alone. But with people around he took the risk, reveling in the fact they glanced over. “Plenty of stories, actually. What’s that word? Viral. But not in a good way, of course.”
Edmund’s broken engagement making headlines was a sore spot, but he certainly wasn’t going to concede that point to Justus. Edmund relaxed clenched fingers. “What’s that old saying? That there’s no such thing as bad publicity?” Edmund sipped his whiskey, letting the smoky heat with hints of oak and vanilla slide down his parched throat.
“You were everywhere. Still are,” Justus persisted. “Not in the best light either.”
Edmund set the empty whiskey glass on a round, bar-height table covered with white linen. A tea light burned in the center. “I’m well aware of my broken engagement.”
And the fact that a mere two weeks later his social media influencer ex, Veronica, had started dating someone else. She’d made Edmund out to be the villain to her one million followers, and six months later, the fallout from the viral breakup still followed Edmund around. The whole thing had been mortifying for a man of his stature.
“So that means you lost at something. Love.” Justus, who’d never beaten Edmund at anything, laughed even longer, as if he’d told a great joke.
Edmund refused to let Justus under his skin. He kept his tone even, bored and dismissive. “Well, it’s like Oscar Wilde said, ‘There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.’ So let them talk.”
“Aww, I hit a sore spot.”
If Edmund didn’t despise the man, he might just have admired Justus’s courage for daring to keep prodding the snake. When Edmund struck, no one saw it coming. But Justus couldn’t help that he was so full of himself, which meant he kept going. “Here’s another one for you. I’m making the acquisition of Van Horn Hotels my business. They’ll be mine by the end of January.”
Ah, there it was. The gauntlet. Justus was so damn predictable that Edmund had been waiting for it ever since Justus sought him out from across the ballroom.
“I don’t know why you’re so smug. Those hotels won’t ever be yours. As you just admitted yourself, I always win in business.”
“I did not say that,” Justus protested. Then realizing he had, he puffed out his chest. “There’s always a first time. You’re going down.”
Edmund zeroed in on his longtime rival, tuning out the low hum of guests’ chatter and the more distant musical notes of a string quartet. He was at yet another high-priced, black-tie charity gala for some do-gooder cause demanding the appearance of Portland’s A-list—his third event this holiday season. It was a tiring but necessary burden—the price of doing business in Oregon. “No, I’m not, but feel free to think that.”
With a liquor-loosened tongue, Edmund’s bitterest rival scoffed. “Been almost a year and you haven’t closed the deal for Van Horn. I’d say my chances are better than good. You’ve lost your touch, golden boy. Can’t get to the altar. Can’t get a signature on the bottom line. The sharks are circling, and you’re chum in the water. I can’t wait to take a bite.”
Competitors had sensed an opportunity when Edmund’s cousin Jack had permanently relocated to Beaumont, Missouri, after he’d fallen in love with former naval lieutenant Sierra James during the acquisition of her family’s winery. A happily married man with a baby on the way, Jack had decided investing locally in his own pet projects was far more important than running Clayton Holdings, the firm founded by both Jack’s and Edmund’s fathers, or as the business world called them, the Conquering Claytons. Starting with almost nothing, the two brothers had built a hospitality business that was worth billions. Now that Jack had abdicated, the responsibility for keeping the company profitable and at the forefront of success fell fully on Edmund’s shoulders. He was more than up for the task.
“You know I’m not the only one ready to take a bite out of your market share,” Justus added, his glee obvious. “You’re slipping, Edmund. You don’t have what it takes. Not for the long haul. You’re already a has-been.”
Edmund gritted his teeth, biting back a reply not fit for polite company. He’d never had an extended period without success, minus Van Horn, whose acquisition had been Edmund’s first order of business after being named VP of Clayton Holdings, a promotion that had leapfrogged him to the highest level in terms of company succession. The Van Horn deal should have been signed, sealed and delivered already, but lately it was like he’d walked under a ladder—not that he was superstitious. Both Edmund’s dad and his uncle Jonathan, Jack’s dad, were rumbling that they wanted to retire, and if Edmund could close this deal, he’d be a shoo-in for the company presidency. And after that, CEO.
Edmund refused to be a has-been. He most certainly would not let Justus see how close the barb came to hitting Edmund’s greatest fear. Edmund had big shoes to fill. He wasn’t as likable or gregarious as Jack. Or as adventurous and carefree as his two brothers, or as fun and witty as his sister, Eva. No, Edmund was too studious. Too serious. Too formidable. Too focused on the prize. Well, he’d always won the prize, hadn’t he?
As for Edmund’s inability to close the deal on love, he’d decided that—at least for him—love wasn’t worth it, especially after his very public breakup. The bachelor life suited him just fine. Business first. Look at what had happened to Jack. He’d given up his birthright. Edmund refused to do the same.
Edmund watched Margot Van Horn approach, a glass of bubbly in her ruby-studded right hand. She’d been his late maternal grandmother’s best friend. At seventy-five, Margot was one of Portland’s most beloved and generous matriarchs, also known for her various eccentricities. Today she wore a glittering black gown with a flared skirt. “Gentlemen, good to see both of you. Fighting over me already?”
“Of course,” Edmund inserted smoothly. He saluted her with a champagne flute he artfully plucked from a passing waiter. “You are the most beautiful woman here, after all.”
Margot’s cheeks pinked. Because her white hair was in a chignon, that flush was visible as it traveled down a neck that somehow defied aging. “Ah, Edmund, your mother raised a delightful cad. I shall scold her when I next see her. I wish she’d been able to attend tonight.”
“I’m here in her stead, and your wish is my command.” He kissed the back of the white-gloved hand she offered.
Margot trilled her pleasure. “Oh, if I were younger…” Then she waved a finger at them. “Gentlemen, I must tell you that flattery won’t get you anywhere. A donation, however, will at least keep you both in my good graces.”
“Then I will make a hefty one,” Edmund said, beating Justus, who added a hearty, “Me too.”
“Good.” Margot gestured toward the glittering collection of who’s who. “This is my favorite event, as it helps raise funds to reduce our homeless animal population.”
Edmund had heard the rumors that Margot’s four-thousand-square-foot mansion housed at least fourteen rescued cats and two rabbits. “A worthy cause.”
“Speaking of worthy, you remember my grandson Lachlan, don’t you? The one who went to NYU? He’s in California working as a producer for a TV show.”
“That’s nice.” Justus played along, but Edmund’s gaze narrowed. Margot might appear dotty, but she remained sharp and quick. She planned to drop Thor’s hammer.
Margot beamed, and Edmund braced himself. “It’s his big break. One of those shows where bosses go undercover. He’s recruiting talent.”
Edmund’s internal radar flashed danger even before Margot said, “I fully support him in his new endeavor, so I’ve decided each of you should do his show.”
“What?” Justus appeared stunned, and Edmund wished he held something stronger than France’s best bubbly.
“You’ll each do one week undercover, and whoever has the highest Nielsen ratings and subsequent social media exposure wins the right to purchase Van Horn Hotels, with mutually agreeable terms to be discussed at the appropriate time, of course,” she added with a breathy rush. “But you have my word that, should we reach fair terms, I will sell. Besides, doing this show will be great publicity for your respective brands. It’s a win-win.”
More like a week of misery, Edmund thought. But he’d do whatever it took, including keeping his mouth shut, unlike his rival, whose mouth dropped open as Justus stared, agape.
“A friendly wager, gentlemen, and an end to all this speculation and bickering. What do you say? You’re in, right? Of course you are. You both want my hotels and will do whatever it takes.”
Margot’s laugh tinkled as she lifted her champagne. Automatically the men did the same, and their glasses clinked together. Margot smiled, satisfied she’d won this round and all future ones. Both men would do whatever it took to please her. “This is going to be such fun. May the best undercover appearance win!”

To continue and read the start of chapter one, go here: https://micheledunaway.com/one-suite-deal/

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

She won’t play anyone’s fool…But is her new romance life’s biggest ruse yet?
Lana Winchester hates liars. She’d be appalled to know that billionaire businessman Edmund Clayton III hid his true identity during their snowbound one-night tryst. Learning the wealthy mogul is also her new down-to-earth friend and coworker, Peter, would be unthinkable! Edmund’s undercover-boss reality show demands he disguise himself as someone he’s not. Yet, soon private outings—and passionate kisses—with Lana feel more authentic than anything he’s ever known. Their romantic connection is real despite Edmund’s subterfuge. But can it survive Lana discovering the truth about the “men” in her life?
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Meet the Author:

Michele Dunaway brings happily-ever-afters to life, one small town at a time. She’s a best selling contemporary romance author who writes “Hometown Sweet with a Hint of Spice.”

Describing herself as a woman who does way too much and never wants to stop, Michele writes about love and second chances. She’s a proud mother of two grown daughters. As an avid pet lover, Michele shares her home with far too many rescued cats, who of course completely rule the roost.
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