Spotlight & Giveaway: Redemption of the Maverick Millionaire by Michelle Douglas

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Michelle Douglas to HJ!

Hi Michelle and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Redemption of the Maverick Millionaire!

 
Thanks, HJ! It’s great to be here.
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

Damon did Eve wrong. Big Heartbreak. Four years later… Damon tries to play white knight. Fails. Is there anything he can do to earn Eve’s forgiveness, find redemption and win back her love? He’s desperate. And he’ll try anything.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

The phone in the top pocket of Damon Macy’s pristine white business shirt vibrated. He pulled it out and gave it a cursory glance. A text with an email link and then a message. You need to read this.
What the hell was Clay thinking sending him anything today? He slipped the phone back into his pocket. Later.
His phone vibrated again.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• Fun Fact #1: The setting for this book, Mirror Glass Bay, is a mash up of two of my favourite beaches. Hawks Nest (2 hours north of Sydney) and Lennox Head (9 hours north of Sydney).
• Fun Fact #2: It took me three goes to name my heroine. First she was Emily, and then she was Emma. It wasn’t until around the Chapter Three mark where I finally settled on the perfect name for her—Eve.
• Fun Fact #3: A cat walked onto the pages of this book…and stayed. I hadn’t planned on a cat, but Dolly, like a lot of cats, decided she knew better.

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

Damon has always found Eve very physically attractive, and while in the past what he loved about her was her intelligence, her humour, and her strength, the thing that most drew him to her was her kindness. It’s not showy…it’s subtle and understated but makes a difference to people’s lives. It’s still her innate kindness that sings to him.

Eve loved everything about Damon in the past—even his single-minded focus and his ambition. But he sacrificed their relationship on the altar of that ambition and broke her heart. And yet she can’t help finding herself mesmerised by it again now. Especially when she’s become the focus of his single-mindedness.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

Hot. Rocky. Complicated. Strong. Fated.
(Or, in other words: Too darn strong to fight.)
 

The First Kiss…

Happens on the beach, beneath the stars. It comes out of nowhere, is utterly perfect and makes things so much worse than they were before.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

Oh, there are so many moments that I love in this book that it’s impossible to choose just one. But here’s an excerpt that highlights the conflict between the two leads. They’ve just returned to the motel after a town meeting.

‘Did you want a drink?’ she asked abruptly, just as he thought she’d head inside to the bright lights of the bar and bid him goodnight.
‘Sure.’
‘Scotch?’
She remembered? ‘Please.’
She led him up to the bar. ‘Hey, Cass, this is Damon Macy. Damon, this is Cassidy Evans, my bar and restaurant manager, right-hand woman and best friend.’
‘Pleased to meet you,’ he said.
Cassidy was a tall, bronzed brunette—utterly gorgeous—and his stomach clenched at the look she sent him. She didn’t return his greeting, just gave a curt nod in his general direction.
She knew.
She knew about his and Eve’s history. Acid coated his tongue.
‘Two Scotches, please, Cassidy. The good stuff.’
‘I’ll make them doubles, shall I?’ She nodded down the other end of the bar where a group sat nursing beers. ‘I heard about the meeting.’
‘Good news travels fast,’ he said.
The brunette shot him a glare that should’ve shrivelled him. ‘As does the bad.’
He didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know which category she filed him under.
Eve took their tumblers and led the way to a small table at the far end of the room. He sipped his Scotch. ‘Your friend Cassidy knows about our past.’ He didn’t mean the words to sound accusatory, and they weren’t. At least, he didn’t think they were, but they held an edge he wished he could temper.
‘There are two people here who know our history. Cassidy is one and my grandmother is the other. Neither are going to be big fans of yours.’ She sent him one of those piercing glances that had always cut through the nonsense and got to the heart of a matter. ‘And if that bugs you then you should take more care not to do things that make you ashamed of yourself.’
He didn’t answer that. What was there to say? She had no idea how much he regretted—hated—what he’d done. But, even if she did, it wasn’t her job to ease his guilt and make him feel better.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

Eve and Damon have to work together to save the town of Mirror Glass Bay. They wrangle invitations to a very swish party, which is being attended by several high-flying business people. Eve and Damon are hoping to co-opt to them to their cause, and the scene shows how well the two of them work together.

He took two glasses of champagne from a proffered tray and handed her one. She touched her glass to his and just for a moment their gazes clung.
She blinked and broke the moment. ‘See the man over there?’ He glanced to where she indicated. ‘That’s Mr Dalton…a local brewer.’ Damon filed the information away.
‘And that man over there is our host.’ He nodded in the direction of the luxury-yacht builder.
She stared. ‘I think you should take Dalton while I take Mr Sorensen.’
‘Divide and conquer?’
‘You bet.’
He feigned outrage. ‘You just want the kudos of closing the bigger deal and leaving me with the small fry.’
‘Mr Dalton is not small fry! He’s also a fan of Australian soccer—he’s thinking of buying a club in the national league. From memory, that was your thing too, right?’
He feigned further outrage. ‘It’s called football, not soccer.’
It was an old argument that had her grinning. ‘Whatever. But I have a point of contact with Mr Sorensen—I once had a cruise around Sydney harbour in the Joyful Jade.’
He eased back in genuine admiration. ‘That was his first big yacht.’ That was when the Sorensen brand had become synonymous with luxury and quality.
‘I know. And it’s an in.’
She’d done her homework but so had he. ‘You have an in with the Daltons too. His goddaughter is one of your housekeeping staff.’
It was her jaw that dropped this time.
‘And he’s a big reader of mystery novels—his favourite author is Agatha Christie. You once told me that you spent your summers re-reading your favourite Agatha Christie books.’
She blinked. ‘You remember that?’
In the same way she’d remembered that he was a football fanatic. ‘Sure I do.’ He spoke the words lightly enough, but the atmosphere between them threatened to turn tense. He made himself gaze back out at the crowd.
Keep it light. Don’t make her feel uncomfortable.
‘While I’m considering buying a luxury yacht.’
‘Ah, so you want me to take Mr Dalton while you have a shot with Mr Sorensen.’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t think divide and conquer is our best strategy. I’m thinking that together we make a crack team. Why halve our power and impact if we don’t have to? There’s time for us to chat with both the Sorensens and the Daltons.’
‘A joint charm offensive?’
He grinned down at her. ‘Precisely.’
She grinned back. ‘Game on.’

Readers should read this book …

If they love brooding heroes with hearts of gold, strong heroines who are determined to hold their own against all comers, and if they love to have their hearts tugged as they watch two people find the courage to finally lower their barriers and admit to a love too strong to be denied. Also, the beach in this book is divine, so if readers are fans of the beach…

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m currently writing my 30th romance—it’s set in New York with an Aussie girl who has become an unexpected heiress and the New York billionaire who’s living in the very swish basement flat of her apartment building in Greenwich Village. The sparks are really flying, so I’m having an absolute ball with the book.

And in October Her Singapore Fling with the Millionaire releases. Guess where it’s set? ☺ I was lucky enough to visit Singapore for a few days last year and I fell in love with the city. So in many ways, this book is homage to the city. I can’t wait to find out what readers think of it.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A signed copy of Redemption of the Maverick Millionaire

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: The very first thing I often decide when writing a book is the setting. In so many ways, the setting gives me clues as to the kind of characters who might live in this place and the kind of potential plot that might develop there. Do you have a favourite setting? Or is there a setting you’d love to see featured in a romance novel?

 
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Excerpt from Redemption of the Maverick Millionaire:

This is the scene where Eve and Damon come face to face for the first time in four years. Damon has just closed a deal and bought a development site in Eve’s town from a rival businessman.

The hard knot in Damon’s stomach eased. ‘I got what I came for, Kevin.’ Mirror Glass Bay and Eve’s business were safe, and he had every intention of keeping them that way. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.’
He turned away to stash the papers he’d just signed into his briefcase when the door to the boardroom crashed open.
‘Mr Greamsman,’ a female voice said, cutting through the air. ‘Is it true you’ve just pulled out of your resort development?’
A familiar female voice. Damon closed his eyes and bit back an oath. Eve! He hadn’t meant for her to see him, or even to know he’d been here. He’d resisted every bitter impulse yesterday to turn his hire car in the direction of Mirror Glass Bay just to see the place she called home. It took all his strength now not to swing around and feast his eyes on her.
‘You’re well informed, Ms Clark. Let me introduce you to Damon Macy, who has just bought the development site. I’m afraid I’ll be moving my operations elsewhere.’
Two beats passed. ‘Damon…Macy?’
He counted to five to give her a chance to gather herself—five, four, three, two… He turned, met her gaze and froze.
She wasn’t wearing make-up. It seemed the most inane of things to notice, but when she’d worked for Spellman and Spelman she’d never walked through the office doors, let alone attended a business meeting, without her armour, a full face of make-up. He didn’t know what it meant.
He opened his mouth but snapped it shut again. What was he going to say—you’re not wearing make-up? Looking good, Evie? Can I kiss you? All of them were totally inappropriate.
And her white-faced shock tore him to the centre of his being. He’d known she never wanted to see him again, but to be presented with such stark evidence made him feel physically sick.
Her familiarity, though, punched through him in a way he hadn’t expected, rocking him to his foundations. He hadn’t known he had anything left inside him that could still want. And he wanted her with a ferocity that had only increased in the four years since he’d last seen her.
He wanted to throw his head back and roar against the unfairness of it.
Only it wasn’t unfair, was it? This woman had every reason to loathe him. And she did—he could see that in the endless depths of her green eyes—eyes the colour of sea glass. Some would call it poetic justice.
He’d call it hell. But it was a hell he deserved.
He swallowed and nodded. ‘Hello, Eve.’
Greamsman glanced from one to the other, speculation rife in his eyes. ‘You know each other?’
Her eyes turned hard and cold, her lips refusing to lift into anything even approximating a smile. ‘“Know” would be an exaggeration, Mr Greamsman.’
I thought I knew you, but I was wrong.
Her words from four years ago circled through his mind now. His temples started to throb.
‘I once had the pleasure…’ the word dripped with sarcasm ‘…of working with Mr Macy.’
‘Ah, so you’ll be aware of his business practices, then.’
That made his back stiffen. ‘My business practices are completely above board. If they weren’t, you’d have found a way to have my company brought before an industrial tribunal by now, Greamsman.’
‘Perhaps, perhaps not,’ the other man said. ‘But your tactics…’
‘Can leave a lot to be desired,’ Eve finished, folding her arms.
‘Well, my dear—’
‘Don’t call me your dear.’ Cold eyes turned to his rival and Damon’s spine unhitched a fraction with the relief of being released from their cold, penetrating knowingness and the accusation that flared in their depths.
‘Yes, well,’ Kevin blustered. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.’ He gathered up his things before shooting Damon a malicious smile. ‘Nothing personal, remember, Demon. Just business.’
Damon wanted to slam a fist into the other man’s face—not for the smugness or his ridiculous game of one-upmanship but for continuing to call him that hideous nickname. The impulse made him suck in a breath. For the last four years he’d been incarcerated in some icy, contained world of his own. But one look at Eve had brought all those walls crashing down. Really?
He rolled his shoulders. It felt good, invigorating. Disturbing, too, but…he felt alive again. He straightened. When had he started to feel so dead inside?
He glanced at Eve as Greamsman and the lawyer left the room. She hated him, and he deserved her resentment, her censure, her mistrust—it was an undeniable truth. But he wanted to live again, to feel alive again. He was through with punishing himself. He’d done her the good turn she deserved. Now he was free to go to Frankfurt, do all he could to close the Mueller deal and then…
He lifted his chin. And then he’d take a holiday, walk on a beach somewhere and rethink his life…make some changes.
Her arms were still folded and the fingers of her right hand drummed against her left upper arm. She stuck out a hip and raised an eyebrow. He nodded. Before he could do any of that, he needed to deal with the here and now. ‘I know you must hate me, Eve.’
She waved that away. ‘Ancient history.’
He tried to gauge what was happening behind her eyes, but he couldn’t. Had she really moved on so easily? A dark heaviness settled over him that he tried to shake off. He hoped she had.
‘Is it true that you’ve bought the site from Greamsman?’
She didn’t want to talk about the past. Her gaze was firmly fixed on the future—on her livelihood—as it should be. He pulled himself into straight lines and nodded. ‘Yes.’
Her eyes didn’t waver from his. That was one of the things he’d always loved about her—her unflinching strength.
‘And what do you mean to do with it?’
The tightness in his chest started to drain away. Finally, he could give her something of worth. ‘Absolutely nothing.’
She blinked as if his words made no sense.
‘Mirror Glass Bay will retain its unspoilt character, preserved for generations to come as it should be. I know how special—’
‘You’re not going to build a big, shiny new resort on that spot?’ she interrupted him.
‘No, I’m not.’ He waited for her shock to dissolve into relief…to dissolve into happiness. He didn’t expect her to thank him, but one small smile didn’t seem too much to ask for.
Her hands clenched and her face twisted. A breath shot out of her lungs and it seemed to leave her diminished, lesser…broken. ‘What the hell did I ever do to you to deserve this? From you of all people!’
His mouth went dry. ‘What are you talking about?’
She slammed a hand down to the table between them and eyed the pens, the bowls of mints and the coffee mugs as if she was trying to decide which of them to hurl at him first. ‘Damn you, Demon.’
His jaw clenched so hard pain shot down his neck.
‘Mirror Glass Bay needed that development.’
What the hell…?
‘You wanted that development?’
‘Yes!’
He took a step back, his veins freezing to ice. Damn it all to hell, how had he got this so wrong?

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

The man who broke her heart…

…wants to win her back!

Millionaire entrepreneur Damon Macy bitterly regrets betraying Eve Clark four years ago. Preventing a massive development in her beloved seaside town seems the perfect way to make amends. Only, his “knight in shining armor” strategy backfires spectacularly—she supported the project! Now Damon must work closely with the still devastatingly stunning but now wary Eve to redeem the situation—and hopefully himself in the process…
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Michelle writes romances full of emotion and heart. “Truly funny and moving”, “Poignant and absolutely impossible to put down”, “Sparkling with warmth, humour and charm,” is just a small sample of what critics have had to say about Michelle’s award-winning romances. She lives in a leafy suburb of Newcastle, on Australia’s east coast, with her own romantic hero, a house full of dust and books, and an eclectic collection of sixties and seventies vinyl.
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