Spotlight & Giveaway: The Housekeeper and the Brooding Billionaire by Annie West

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Annie West to HJ!

Hi Annie and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Housekeeper and the Brooding Billionaire!

 
Hello! Thanks for inviting me to stop by.
 

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

I’m so very excited about this one. I try very hard not to have favourites among my stories but Charlotte and Alessio’s story really spoke to me at so many levels. I loved diving into their world each day.
Both of them believe their lives will only intersect for a short time. Alessio because he’s determined to bury himself away on his island and ignore life going on around him, because he feels guilty about the past. Charlotte because she has plans for her future and working for Count Alessio is just a stepping stone to bigger things. But when they meet everything goes haywire. Both are determined but the rising passion between them is impossible to resist completely. And that emotional connection forces them each to face their demons and to embrace life to the full – something they’d both avoided. Think lots of sizzle, repressed passion and fireworks.
 

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

Hm, this time I haven’t chosen anything romantic or exciting but it made me grin.
Charlotte is Alessio’s temporary housekeeper and soon learns that most of the house rules revolve around never disturbing her reclusive boss. Then she learns the fourth rule of her new job:
Four. If she couldn’t make a perfect espresso there was no point staying.
Charlotte’s lips twisted in a tight smile. Apparently the demon count could be pacified with decent coffee.

I loved that even on her first day Charlotte was working out ways to manage her daunting boss! I liked her determination not to be scared off by his grumpy ways, especially when we begin to learn he hides behind that grumpiness because he’s emotionally scarred.

What inspired this book?

Oh, I could talk for ages about this. The story idea came to me when I was at Orta San Giulio in northern Italy. I was sitting, drinking coffee by the water at a very secluded courtyard, on the actual island where I set this story. (Wasn’t I lucky?). I started to imagine a castle on the island instead of a church, and borrowing from the legend about a dragon that used to live there, I instead created a tortured hero whose aristocratic family were known as the dragons of the lake.
This book also has a nod to the old gothic romances I read in my teens– think beauty and the beast and Bluebeard, for there are whispered rumours about my hero and what happened to his first wife. Then, of course, there’s a Cinderella element, with a heroine who transforms into someone unexpected, while all the time staying true to herself.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

I was lucky in that they came alive on the page as soon as I started to write them. Some characters take a little while but Charlotte and Alessio were real and multi-faceted from the first. I could hear their voices talking as I wrote – such a wonderful gift to an author. Hm, surprises? I suppose Charlotte was so much more indomitable than I am, forging ahead and refusing to be beaten by circumstances. She’s so much braver than I am!

What was your favorite scene to write?

I was itching to write was their meeting. Alessio looks out across the lake, remembering the day three years previously when his wife died there. When he sees a woman’s figure in the lake it seems like the past has returned to haunt him. Here’s a taste.

Alessio strode towards the castello when the mist on the lake lifted and with it every hair on his body.
She was there.
The woman he’d seen earlier.
A rogue shaft of sunlight lit her from behind, turning her into a silhouette as she emerged from the green depths and waded towards the shore, shoulders back and hips undulating in a gait that was pure feminine allure.
Alessio’s heart threatened to burst the confines of his ribs as he took her in. Face in shadow, wet hair slicked back and clinging to her skull. Slender arms. Narrow waist and flaring hips.
He must have made a sound. What, he couldn’t imagine, for his larynx had frozen. But she stopped, head jerking towards him as if she’d been unaware of his presence.
For another devastating second the illusion held, his brain telling him it was Antonia, or her wraith.
Except this was no wraith. Nor a haunting memory. The gap in the mist widened, the shaft of sunlight opening further, gilding the young woman’s arm and one pale, wet thigh, turning her from shadow into cream and gold and slick, living flesh.
Alessio’s lungs burst into life as the breath he’d held escaped and he dragged in oxygen so fast it slammed into his tight chest.
Of course it wasn’t Antonia.
She’d been gone for three years. Nor had she possessed a sapphire blue one-piece swimsuit. Antonia had preferred bikinis.
He blinked, taking in the sleek shape of the woman who’d stopped in knee deep water, as if wondering if it were safe to come ashore.
He would have told her the place was cursed, warned her to go back to wherever she’d come from, except his throat had constricted so badly it felt wrapped in barbed wire.
So he stood, hands clenched at his sides, listening to his drumming pulse and staring.
The high-necked swimsuit should have been demure, except it clung to delectable curves and a slim waist. Dimly he thought of the renaissance painting of Venus emerging from her bath that hung in the principal guest suite. But Venus lacked this woman’s punch to the belly sexiness. Even her pale bare shoulders, glistening in the first rays of the sun, looked sleekly inviting.
That, finally, freed him from stasis. This was no ghost but a flesh and blood woman.
It was confirmed by his body’s abrupt, almost violent response, a rush of what he could only label masculine appreciation. Because he refused to be more brutally honest about that sudden surge of blood and testosterone.
Alessio widened his stance, locking his knees, enduring a sensation like the thawing of snow-numbed flesh, painful yet invigorating. It had been years since he’d experienced anything like this.
Had his physical responses been frozen along with his heart?
He strode forward, furious with this interloper who’d mystified and aroused him, drawing responses he’d never expected to feel again. Never wanted to feel again.
‘You’re trespassing. Go away.’
It emerged as a growl from his tight throat. So be it. He, more than most of his ancestors deserved the ancient, whispered appellation, Dragon of the Lake.
Yet the woman moved closer, swinging her arms wide as she waded in. Sunlight caught the rest of her now, revealing hair the colour of the old gold jewellery locked in the vault below the castello.
Alessio scowled. Didn’t she understand Italian? He repeated himself in English.
Even then she didn’t stop until she stood before him, ankle deep in water.
‘I understood the first time. But I’m not trespassing. I’m Charlotte Symonds.’
Then she smiled.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

No, this is definitely pure Anne West. I love stories about people who believe there are important reasons why they shouldn’t connect, yet who find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. My stories are usually rich in emotion and passion and this is no exception. It also has a tiny taste of gothic romance – not much – be enough to make me think of the romances I read and adored in my teens.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

A real sense of joy, a fizz of delight from the happy ending, and hopefully a desire to read more stories with a touch of the fairy tale about them. This story is firmly rooted in authentic emotions and characters but I believe some of those fable qualities apply to this story too and give it extra zing.

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

My next release is ‘Nine Months to Save Their Marriage’, out in September. It’s a passionate, very emotional story about a separated couple who reconnect after their marriage of convenience went wrong, then discover they’re expecting a child. After that, look out for ‘His Last-Minute Desert Queen’!

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: I’ll give two winners each a signed Annie West paperback featuring another dark, brooding hero. The giveaway is open internationally.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: I tortured heroes and feisty heroines. Do you have a favourite tortured hero? I’d love to hear some recommendations. Or if you can’t think of one, maybe tell me about a setting that you think would suit a reclusive, brooding hero.

 
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Excerpt from The Housekeeper and the Brooding Billionaire:

They stood together at the main entrance to the castello, waving off the last of the guests heading to the boats that would take them to their luxury accommodation. Because, while the Conte Dal Lago had opened his doors for a fabulous celebration that guests would talk about for years to come, there’d be no overnight guests.
The chatter and laughter died away and still Alessio said nothing. Not one word of praise. In silence he closed and bolted the vast, iron-studded doors.
Charlotte had had enough. She’d done her best but clearly it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. And it wasn’t as if the night were over. She had hours of work ahead.
She spun on her heel, lifting the long skirts that had made her feel, for a little while, like a princess in a fairy tale. Her jaw clenched at her futile imaginings. Nothing would make her more than his domestic drudge. She flattened her mouth, fanning anger at her own stupidity.
‘Where are you going?’ Alessio’s voice was sharp.
She didn’t bother to turn back, instead marching towards the grand staircase. ‘To my room to get changed ready to supervise the clean up.’
‘No.’
Nothing else. Just a single word.
‘Pardon?’ She was forced to swing around, and discovered him right there, so close she could see the hint of tiny dark bristles beginning to form on his jaw.
‘I cancelled tonight’s clean up and sent everyone home.’
‘You did what?’
‘It can wait till tomorrow.’
‘Everyone will be busy tomorrow. There are boat races and a festival and-’
‘Then the cleaning can wait till after the festival.’
Charlotte opened her mouth to argue. Then she read his expression and her breath disappeared. A finger of disquiet tracked down her spine, making her shiver.
He looked…dangerous.
Yet she felt no impulse to flee. On the contrary…
‘Aren’t you going to ask me why I sent them away, Charlotte?’ Alessio’s voice was silky smooth yet tight with whatever emotion clamped his jaw.
The air between them thickened and she had to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. ‘Why, Alessio?’
His eyes flared as her voice turned husky on his name. Then his mouth curled in a harsh smile and he stepped close, his arm encircling her waist and drawing her up against him. ‘Because of this.’
Alessio’s arm around her felt shockingly familiar, stopping her angry retort.
Charlotte might be infuriated and confused but she knew what she wanted.
This. The weight of his arm around her waist, pulling her hard against his lean, muscular frame. The press of powerful thighs against hers. The spark of awareness that turned his usually cool, green gaze to fire.
She felt that fire inside, racing along her veins, pooling in her pelvis, heating breasts that seemed to swell and press against the tight fabric of her bodice.
‘What do you want, Alessio? You need to be more specific.’
She was amazed to hear herself sound so calm.
His eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘With pleasure.’ Did she imagine he gave the word pleasure lingering emphasis? ‘It’s a ball, Charlotte. I want to dance with you.’
She shook her head, spirits plummeting. Was he making fun of her? ‘The ball’s over. We could have danced earlier.’
She ordered her unresponsive feet to step back but they didn’t move.
‘Impossible. If I’d danced with you then I’d have been obliged to dance with others.’ His eyes held hers and his voice deepened to a luscious rumble. ‘I didn’t want to dance with anyone else. Just you.’
As if she alone, among all those sophisticated women, attracted him. Charlotte swallowed and discovered her throat had constricted. Her heart beat too fast and her thoughts scrambled.
Danger, screamed a warning voice in her head.
But oh, what glorious danger.
When he looked at her that way Alessio undermined all her caution. After years protecting herself maybe it was time to live a little. To choose danger instead of safety.
Still she resisted. ‘There’s no music.’
Alessio took her resisting hand and placed it on his shoulder where her fingers instantly spread and clung, absorbing his heat and hard strength. He took her other hand, lifting it in a waltz hold.
‘You can’t hear the music?’ He drew her closer. ‘Listen to your heartbeat.’
Then they were moving, slowly but in perfect unison in a circle that took them from the vaulted entry hall into the brilliantly lit ballroom.
Charlotte was floating, the steps coming easily, without thought. As if they’d danced together a thousand times, their bodies totally attuned.
Alessio swung her faster and now they swirled down the grand room, her skirts flaring, their legs pressing close, and not once did he lift his gaze from hers. She could almost hear the music, its powerful rhythm urging her on. They reached the end of the room and his arm tightened around her waist, swinging her up for a second off the floor.
A laugh escaped her. The sound of pure joy as they circled back along the polished floor, faster and faster. Yet Charlotte felt totally secure in Alessio’s embrace, ready to go where he led, caught up in heady excitement.
‘Why were you angry? You marched out of here in a temper.’
The words emerged as a gasp but Alessio didn’t slow. If anything he hugged her closer, spinning them faster on the next turn. Charlotte didn’t care. Never had a dance felt like this, like they were flying.
For a moment, for two, it seemed he wouldn’t answer. Then they slowed to a more decorous pace. ‘The simple answer?’
His eyes glinted and arousal arrowed to her core. Charlotte nodded. It was more and more difficult to concentrate on words. ‘Simple will do.’
‘Frustration.’ His chest rose high in the first indication that their reckless speed affected him. But his next words proved it wasn’t that shortening his breath. ‘I wanted you in my arms, Charlotte. Not dancing with every womaniser and layabout in Italy.’
Charlotte stumbled and Alessio’s hold tightened. Their steps slowed until they barely moved.
‘They weren’t all womanisers and layabouts.’
He huffed out a laugh and the sound stroked deep inside her. ‘I wanted to throw them out when I saw how they looked at you.’
Her eyes grew huge. Alessio had been jealous? Her chest clogged. ‘And are you enjoying it now, dancing with me?’
To her surprise he shook his head. Charlotte pulled back in his embrace but still Alessio held her securely.
‘I was. But it’s not enough.’ He swallowed hard and to her astonishment this man who’d always controlled every situation looked suddenly desperate. ‘I want more, Charlotte, much more. Too much.’
That teasing smile was gone, his features harsh as he frowned down at her. Then she turned cold as he released her, sliding his arm away and stepping back so her hand on his shoulder dropped to her side.
His voice was rough when he spoke again. ‘This was a mistake. You work for me. I remind myself all the time but tonight I keep forgetting and-’
‘Couldn’t we pretend for tonight that I don’t?’ Did he hear her longing? ‘Couldn’t we pretend I’m someone else?’
He shook his head so vehemently that obstinate lock of hair tumbled forward over his brow. All night Alessio had looked perfectly groomed, perfectly in command. Now he was more like the marauder she’d first met.
‘No pretending. It’s you I want, Charlotte. The woman who drives me to distraction with her unflappable efficiency. Who makes even navy trousers and flat shoes sexy! A woman of secrets who’s anything but a simple housekeeper.’ He watched her jump of surprise. ‘Oh, yes, I see more than you think.’
His words were a potent caress, smoothing doubts and fears, stroking her sensitised skin and stoking the need deep inside.
How could she resist a man who said such things and meant them? It was rare for Alessio to let down his guard but now he did, enough for her to see the truth in his eyes. The raw hunger, the loneliness that matched hers.
Charlotte’s heart squeezed. ‘If you see so much then you know how I feel.’
He wasn’t letting her off the hook. ‘Tell me.’
She held his gaze. ‘I want you, Alessio. I’ve tried to pretend there’s nothing between us but it doesn’t work. I’ve never had a sexual relationship with an employer.’ Now wasn’t the time to admit she’d never had sex, lest he think twice about this. She lifted her chin. ‘I want to be your lover.’

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Is this forbidden Cinderella…
The key to his redemption?
Rumors surround the reclusive Alessio, Conte Dal Lago, yet Charlotte Symonds isn’t intimidated. Housekeeping for such a prestigious aristocrat will help fulfil her dreams of running her own business. But she isn’t prepared for her unexpected attraction to her new boss…
Wracked with guilt since his tragic loss, Alessio runs his billion-euro empire from his secluded Italian castello. Until Charlotte opens his eyes to the world he’s been missing–and to a long-forgotten desire. But can he hope to maintain his impenetrable, emotional walls once their powerful chemistry is unleashed?

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Meet the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author Annie West loves writing passionate, intense love stories. She has devoted her life to an in depth study of tall, dark, charismatic heroes who cause the best kind of trouble in the lives of their heroines. Creating heroines who are a perfect match for those strong, stubborn men is one of her all time favorite things. As a sideline she’s also researched dreamy locations for romance, from vibrant cities to desert encampments and fairytale castles. She lives on the east coast of Australia and her favorite things are books, good company, good food and travel. For behind the scenes news, early release information and special giveaways, sign up for Annie’s newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/ya56pe7c
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