Hi there,
Today I have great pleasure in introducing you to Seelie Kay, who's latest novel, 'Hope' was released recently. In case you haven't met Seelie before, here's a little about her:
Seelie
Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years
of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she
writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to
happen! In possession of a wicked pen
and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of multiple works of
fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty
Lawyers series,The Garage Dweller, A
Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, and The President’s Daughter.
When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms.
Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb
outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with
her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional
bottle of red wine.
Ms.
Kay is an MSwarrior and ruthlessly
battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with
MS: Never give up. You define MS, it
does not define you!
Author links:
And a short interview to give you more insight into Seelie and her writing:
Q.
Why do you write romance?
Q.
Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?
I
adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can
be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger
just hooks me! However, I also love strong, independent women who aren’t afraid
to fight for what they want, even love.
Q.
Why did you write “Hope?”
Hope Ali has been a minor character in past books
and has made no secret of her desire to join the Agency. She had to grow up
first. Now she has and it’s time for her story. She enabled me to tackle two
issues: The number of people who are “disappeared” for opposing governments and
leaders, and post traumatic stress disorder. In this book, Hope helps rescue a
writer in the UAE who has been put under house arrest for authoring a book
exposing the ties of the ruling families to gunrunning and terrorism.
Unfortunately, Hope gets attacked and is broken, mentally and physically. This
very vital, strong woman must find her way back from that traumatic event and
the path is not easy. It is a story of courage and survival.
Q.
How does your former profession as a lawyer impact your writing?
My
friends say I am obsessed with justice and I guess that’s true. After 30 years,
the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t
flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and
that naturally guides my characters and plots. Injustice infuriates me, but it
also leads me to great stories!
'HOPE' by Seelie Kay
Blurb:
At only age twenty-two, she’s the
best Probie the Agency has ever had—until her past catches up with her, leaving
her devastated and broken. Without hope.
No one knows what they’re made of
until they’re broken. At the tender age of twenty-two, Hope Ali has finally
joined the organization of her dreams, the Agency, an elite group of attorneys
who go undercover to right wrongs the law can’t. The requirements are
stringent, the training exhausting.
After
seeking asylum in the United States when she was sixteen, Hope and her father,
Sheikh Harun Ali, settled in a quiet Wisconsin town, hiding from those who had
placed a price on their heads. Still, she excelled, finishing her university
and law school education by the time she was twenty-one.
Now,
after breezing through the Agency training program, Hope appears to be
indestructible—until she is assigned a simple task during the rescue of an
author among the disappeared in the UAE. The task? To distract the woman’s
captors until she can be spirited out of the country.
Unfortunately,
a member of MISix has other plans. In an attempt to disrupt the Agency’s
mission, she tips off one of Hope’s enemies, alerting them to her location.
Hope manages to lead the author’s captors on a merry dance, freeing others to
rescue her, until she is unexpectedly confronted with a violent angry mob
intent on harm.
She
is left bloody and broken. No one knows whether Hope’s body or her mind will
heal. Suddenly Hope is no longer just her name. It is also the one thing she
must embrace to find her new normal.
Excerpt:
Dianna smiled. “This is your new
obstacle course. It’s called The
Ballbuster. Obviously, the other one wasn’t challenging enough for you, so
I thought we’d try something else.” She smirked. “What’s the matter, not up to
it, Probie?”
Hope scowled. “I thought you were my
friend.”
“When you’re on Agency grounds, I’m your
trainer and mentor first. You know that, Hope. My job is to make sure that when
in the field, you can overcome every obstacle. Failure isn’t an option. Failure
could mean death.”
Hope snapped, “Don’t you think I know
that? God, everyone seems duty-bound to remind me of that every damn day. I’m
not a child. I know my limits. I know my weaknesses. You don’t have to bludgeon
me over the head with a cudgel.”
Dianna’s expression hardened. “Here’s
the thing, Hope. The second you begin to believe that you can overcome every
obstacle put in front of you is the day you should quit. Confidence is one
thing. Feeling that you’re omniscient is another. Out in the field, fear is
what drives you, and it could very well be what saves you. I don’t need you
taking stupid chances because you think you’re Wonder Woman, able to
thwart every threat. I need you to calmly assess each situation and rationally
weigh the risks. You need to know when to walk away. Just as you need to know
when a risk is worth taking. You have no real superpowers, woman. And you need
to remember that. That’s why you’re on probation until we’re confident you can
survive, Probie.
“This job isn’t about physical skill.
It’s about being able to clearly, quickly, and competently analyze the risks.
What I see right now is a young woman without fear, willing to take on any
roadblock. I need you to recognize your limits and work around them. There is
no shame in admitting defeat. And there most definitely is no shame in asking
for help. That’s why each obstacle has a kill bell. Hit that and the exercise
stops.”
“And then what,” Hope muttered. “I get
kicked out?”
“No, then we step in and help. This
Agency leaves no man or woman behind, Hope. They proved that to me when I was
sent to Bolivia. The minute I sent out the Bat Signal, they began putting
together a team to extract me. They saved my life.”
Coming
soon to all other major booksellers!
Prior
Books:
Thanks so much for being my guest today, Seelie. It's been lovely having you here. Thanks to you, too, reader, for joining us, I hope you enjoyed taking a look at this hot new release.
Take Care,
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