This week on my blog, I'm welcoming Meg Wainwright and Blaine Reeves, the main characters of Changing The Past, my newly released contemporary romance published by The Wild Rose Press.
Welcome Meg and Blaine. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to be here with us today.
Meg: It's our pleasure.
Blaine: Thanks for inviting us to participate in your blog. What would you like to know?
Let's start with this. How did the two of you meet?
Blaine: We met at work. I was the art director for a magazine based out of Los Angeles. Even though we had a staff photographer, part of my job included hiring freelancers for specific assignments when we needed them. Meg had submitted a resume and samples of her work to our company. I had never met her, but I was very impressed with her photographs so I called her in for an interview then contracted her for an assignment.
Meg: I had been concentrating on establishing my career, both as a photographer and a writer. In my mind, I saw my future as being on staff at National Geographic as a photojournalist. When Blaine called me in to talk with me about a possible assignment, I was both thrilled and apprehensive. I knew this could be the big break I had been looking for—an assignment with an international magazine.
Blaine: The moment we shook hands, I knew she was someone very special. Company policy frowned on management dating freelancers, especially ones they hire for assignments. Once the assignment was completed, I asked her out to dinner. We started dating steadily after that and it soon became an exclusive relationship.
Meg: The second I walked into his office and he rose from his chair, I knew he was the one I wanted to spend my life with. For a year everything was perfect, or at least I thought it was. I found out differently on that fateful day. He broke my heart, betrayed my love, and destroyed my trust. I was devastated.
[Blaine reaches over and takes her hand in a show of support and comfort]
Blaine, you said you regretted those actions every day of the ten years that elapsed from the time you walked out Meg's door in Los Angeles and out of her life. If that's the case, why did you wait ten years to put a plan into action to win her back? To bring her to London where you lived? And why did you trick her into coming to you rather than you going to Los Angeles?
Meg: I think I can help you with part of the answer, the part about tricking me into going to London rather than Blaine coming to Los Angeles. It wouldn't have mattered if it was a week later or ten years later, if he had suddenly appeared at my door, I would have slammed it in his face.
Blaine: It was fear of how close we had become that initially drove me to break off the relationship. But that was something I couldn't say at the time, inner deep feelings I was afraid to divulge, to express out loud.
Meg [frowns]: And don't forget that other contributing factor.
Blaine: There's no way I can forget that. Even though admitting it ten years later was extremely painful for me, I knew I had to tell Meg the truth about everything if we were to have a future together.
What was this additional information?
Blaine: Sorry…you'll need to read the book for that. [furrows his brow in a moment of concentration then continues with what he had started to say] I couldn't try to win her back until I was able to provide her a future. That's what took ten years. I worked hard establishing myself with my own publishing company. I was finally in a position to lure her with a lucrative job offer, a freelance assignment. Having followed her career for the entire ten years, I knew she was totally qualified for the task, and it would enhance her list of major job credits.
Meg [chuckles]: He made me an offer I couldn't refuse, although I didn't know Pendragon Publishing was Blaine's company. I knew it only as a dynamic young company rapidly making its mark in the publishing industry. And an opportunity to both photograph and write a series of travel books was an incredible opportunity. And the money offered was very generous.
So what happened when you arrived in London and discovered the truth?
Meg: I felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. My first thought was to take the next flight back to Los Angeles, but Blaine reminded me that I had signed a contract and cashed the sizable advance check. That legally obligated me to finish the assignment, at least the first book covering England. It also meant I would have constant in-person contact with Blaine, and the temptation of being in physical proximity to him truly frightened me—not physically but definitely emotionally.
As I understand it, Blaine, there were several seemingly unrelated situations interfering with your plan to win Meg back. Let's start with Dennis Mallory. Tell me about him.
Blaine: Dennis…he came to work for me as my managing editor in the early days while I was still building Pendragon. He just wandered into my office one day and said he heard I was looking for someone to head my editing staff. I certainly knew him by reputation. He was considered the best in the business. I was shocked when he agreed to work for me at a salary much less than he could command anywhere. He's an important part in making Pendragon the success it is in such a short time. Dennis was also well-known as a womanizer, but I have to admit that he never allowed his social life to interfere with his job.
What is behind Dennis? What motivates him?
Blaine (laughs): That's too complex to tackle here. You'll have to read the book to find out.
What about your older sister, Crista?
Blaine: Crista and Dennis have been friends for eight years, from the time they first met. They genuinely enjoy each other's company on a platonic level, a situation very unusual for Dennis.
Meg: Let me interrupt here. I've known Crista for years. We met one week after Blaine and I started dating. Crista and I became good friends. She's smart, level-headed, outgoing, and has more than her share of common sense.
How did Crista fit in with Dennis and his relationship with Blaine? And how did she fit in with his plan to win you back?
Meg: I'm afraid I have to agree with Blaine's statement—you'll need to read the book for those answers.
What can you tell me about how Blaine was able to finally win you back?
Meg: All I can tell you is that you'll—
Blaine: —need to read the book for the details of that rocky road to happiness.
So…what you're saying is that's all the information I'm getting from you?
Blaine: [laughs] Yes, that's about it.
Meg: [joins Blaine's laugh] Everything else you want to know is in the book including an unexpected change in Crista and Dennis' relationship.
I guess the only thing I have left to say is thanks for being here today. I'm going to immediately order the book so I can find the answers to my questions.
CHANGING THE PAST, a contemporary romance published by The
Wild Rose Press. Ten years ago,
Blaine betrayed Meg's trust, love, and broke her heart. Desperate to win back
the only woman he ever loved, he lures her to London with a lucrative job offer
without revealing his involvement. Seeing him again has her confused and upset.
Her emotions vacillate between anger and longing.
Blurb:
Successful
freelance photojournalist Meg Wainwright is offered the assignment of her
dreams—photographing and writing a new line of travel books for a publisher in
the UK. But when she arrives, she learns she’ll be working for the man who
walked out on her ten years ago without an explanation and left her
heartbroken.
Blaine Reeves regrets leaving the only woman he ever loved. Luring her to London without revealing his involvement might not be his best plan. He can only hope it’s not too late to change the past.
G-Excerpt #1:
Meg sat across the desk from Dennis as they engaged in
casual conversation. He suddenly diverted his gaze toward his office door
behind her. “Ah, here comes our intrepid publisher now.”
She turned in her chair, anxious to meet the man responsible for the success of this young but very dynamic company.
Meg’s heart skipped a beat and her breath froze in her lungs as Blaine Reeves strode confidently into the office. It had been ten years. An uncontrollable surge of a too long pent-up desire raced through her body. A barely audible gasp escaped her throat. A feeling of joy danced inside her ever so briefly before being quickly replaced by ten years of pain, anger, and emotional turmoil. She narrowed her eyes on him.
Blaine halted in mid stride, struck breathless by the sight of her. It had been ten years. The beautiful twenty-two-year-old he once knew had blossomed into a stunning, sophisticated woman. He had difficulty comprehending how she could be even more beautiful than the memory he had carried for all these years.
It took all his control to keep from reaching out to touch her, pulling her into his arms, and smothering her with kisses. It took all his willpower to maintain his ground as the scent of her perfume wafted across his nostrils, causing them to flare slightly while evoking memories more profound than any others in his life. It had been a time of blissful contentment and a happiness he thought would never end.
Then he had totally destroyed the best thing that had ever happened to him. Every day since then had been just one more day to endure. And now he had a chance to recapture what he should never have walked away from. Something momentarily flickered in her eyes, but it became lost to her anger before he could read it.
“Meg, luv,” Dennis’ voice intruded into the moment. “I’d like to introduce our publisher—”
“I already know Mr. Reeves.” Her sharp tone cut through the air like a knife. The muscles in her face tightened as her body stiffened.
Her voice contained a hard, cold edge as she hurled angry words at Blaine. “Is this your idea of a joke? Because if it is, it’s definitely a sick one.”
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Past-Shawna-Delacorte-ebook/dp/B0CTHSZFST
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/changing-the-past-shawna-delacorte/1145014722?ean=9781509254798
and other online vendors.
Excerpts and other information available on my website www.shawnadelacorte.com
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