EskieMama & Dragon Lady Reads New Release Spotlight w/Giveaway: One Week in Greece by Demi Alex

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New Release Spotlight!

One Week In Greece

by Demi Alex

Enter below for a chance to win Demi's Favorite Greek Chocolates, 

delivered via Amazon, so One Week in Greece can be savored appropriately!

A thousand reasons why three is the luckiest number . . .

Bethany Michaels is headed to the sun-bleached island of Mykonos on business, not pleasure. But an unexpected face from the past will introduce her to a brand-new desire . . .

Proving her business acumen to her demanding father is Bethany’s only goal as she boards a ferry for Mykonos—and the beautiful resort she’s determined to acquire for her family’s hotel chain. Gorgeous Greek hunk Paul Lallas stands in her way—alongside his lover, Justin Bentley, who broke Bethany’s heart into a million pieces years ago. When the two men make their very personal interest in her clear, mergers and acquisitions are suddenly the last thing on Bethany’s mind. Could the chance to live out every one of her forbidden fantasies lead to a future more blissful than she ever imagined?

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Thank you so much for the invite to be with you on release day! I’m so happy to share One Week in Greece with you and our readers.

Tell us about One Week in Greece.

The one thing I know for certain is One Week in Greece is never enough!

One Week in Greece is an unconventional romance, but very much a romance. This is a sexy love affair that cannot be denied...no matter how Paul, Justin, and Bethany try to deny it.

Paul and Justin are in a committed relationship. Justin and Bethany are first loves. Happenstance, or at least Paul says it’s happenstance, brings them together. While attempting to be friends forever, the threesome challenges traditional ideals and...well, it’s a romance...finds their perfect Happily Ever After!

What initially inspired you to write One Week in Greece?

I’m a total pushover for heartfelt steamy romances with an international twist. I guess because they combine my passions for travel and love, the International Affairs Series makes me super happy to research and write.  But I wanted to try something different this time around. I wanted to add edginess, but saturate it with romance. Making One Week in Greece a menage was my editor’s request. Before I’d typed the first word, he knew two of the three main characters (I introduced Paul and Justin in the first two books in the series) and Greece was a given for this book. I adore the country of my birth, love everything about the culture, the strong family bonds, the delicious food, and all the little quirks that come with being a Greek American. Maybe it’s cheating, but I didn’t need to research the language or traditions. I concentrated my attention on building a unique relationship between the characters.

So what better than to write a PB&J set on the island of Mykonos?

Tell us little about the characters in One Week in Greece.

I fell in love with them!

Paul and Justin are an established couple, very much in love, and very much committed to each other. While both are Alpha males that have no issues with taking the reigns in a relationship, on the surface, Paul is more Alpha--on the traditional surface.

Paul comes from an affluent upbringing, which his parents worked very hard to provide. He is very close to his family, spends his summers in Greece, and is all about protecting the people he loves. He doesn’t shy away from manual labor, so he’s brains and brawn.

Justin is a self-made man, who had a financially difficult childhood. He’s proud and insistent on making his own way, taking nothing for granted, and often refusing to allow others to help. Above everything else, he values and cherishes relationships with the people he loves. He also has a need to protect and care for them. Now that he’s reconnected with his Bethy, he’s determined to keep her in his life...regardless of how.

Bethany may be a privileged daughter of a wealthy internationally businessman, but she’s not spoiled.She’s set on proving her worth to her demanding father, but intends to stay true to herself. Baffled by the abandonment of the man embedded in her heart, she avoids romantic relationships by focusing on her career. Unfortunately, she cannot dismiss her feelings for her first love or his lover...but she’s not willing to be a homewrecker, either.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Since Justin and Paul were already a long-time couple, it was difficult to introduce Bethany as an integral part of a whole. But as the characters developed, so did the relationship. Bethany, Justin, and Paul belong together.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

Really? Do I need to pick just one? That’s difficult because I put so many personal favorites into this story. Can’t give it all away, but if I had to pick one that made me chuckle on each read-thru, it would be when Paul and Justin are watching Bethany on the beach with Paul’s ultra-handsome, womanizing cousin, Christo.

What are your future project(s)?

More stamps in my passport! As the seasons change, so does the setting. Next up is Christmas in Provence, with boisterous Antoine and elegant Martine, characters introduced in 26 Hours in Paris. With snow flurries in the Provencal countryside, love is inevitable.

Then my fingers are taking my keyboard back home to Greece, writing Christos’s story...not saying with who. I’ll leave that for you to figure out. But summer in Greece is always great.

Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers about this book/series?

Did you know that couples who travel together have a better relationship success rate than couples who don’t? Seriously. Google it. It makes sense.

Take your sweetie on an adventure and live the romance!

She lowered the lid on the computer and sneaked a glance back at the

men. Being a woman, she deserved a little dreamy pleasure.

Her breath caught in her throat and her skin flushed.

Justin, her J, stared clear into her soul. Adrenaline shot through

her, and every one of her cells launched a revolution. She considered

how quickly she could escape. But her body wouldn’t cooperate. Her

legs wouldn’t move.

Recognition flashed in his eyes and his mouth turned up in a smile.

He stood, nudged the lighter-haired man’s arm, and motioned for him to

follow. Those well-worn jeans came her way, and Bethany melted into

her pleather seat.

She hadn’t seen Justin in years. She wasn’t sure she could handle

seeing him at all. The man had walked away and broken her heart.

“Bethy,” he said, reaching her and pulling her up onto legs that had

turned to jelly. She fell forward, and he steadied her against his chest as

he tucked her into a full embrace and lowered his face to the curve of her

neck. His breath tickled and his lips heated, causing bumps to rise on her

skin. “I’m happy to see you.”

“Me, too, J,” she rasped, failing miserably at finding her balance while

breathing in his familiar scent. That was the sexy smell that had distracted

her in the first place.

“J? Bethy?” The other man’s surprised voice penetrated the haze and

she somehow found the strength to stand. “Your Bethy?”

“My Bethy,” Justin said, only a slight question in his gaze, maybe

searching for her acceptance of his touch, before he smoothed a finger

down her cheek and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Bethany, this is my

boyfriend, Paul.”

She had no time to process Justin’s words as Paul wrapped his arms

around them, both her and Justin, and pressed his lips to the side of her

temple. “Such a pleasure to finally meet the elusive and beautiful Bethany.”

Stunned, she didn’t know what to do or how to react. She went with a

simple smile. “Hello, Paul.”

Paul, her once-lover’s boyfriend, held her in his embrace like a

cherished friend. Snug against his muscular body, she realized it had been

his scent that had added an edge of sophisticated roughness to her dreamy

olfactory experience. She looked up at Justin, who kept on grinning like

he’d just won the lottery, then over to Paul, who tightened his hold and

squeezed her closer. What was she supposed to do?

“You should sit,” Justin said. “You look a little shell-shocked.”

A little! Was the man crazy? She dropped onto her seat and stared up

at the man who had once shattered her world with a breakup phrase. I

can’t stay here.

Not only had Justin moved on, but he’d moved on with a man. And yes,

they’d discussed love for the sake of love; love not limited to heterosexual

or homosexual love, just love. And yes, the fact that Justin had a boyfriend

was not news to Bethany. But meeting the gorgeous man was.

Paul squatted beside her, placing his large palm on the side of her

thigh. “From all Justin says about you, I feel like we’ve known each other

for years. I know so much about you, but I can honestly say I’m totally

ONE WEEK IN GREECE 5

stunned at how little justice his sweet words did for you. You’re even

more beautiful than I’ve imagined.”

Well she didn’t know anything about him—other than the fact that his

touch did things to her a stranger shouldn’t. That was a lie. She also knew

he was more beautiful than she’d imagined a man could be. If you could

call a handsome man beautiful?

Bethany forced another smile. She gazed at Justin and recalled her last

conversation with him.

“I’m not signing away our life,” he’d said. “I can do it on my

own. Be my own—

“I don’t want to hear anymore. I can’t hear anymore.”

“Give me a chance to explain,” he’d urged. “Staying isn’t the—

“No. It hurts too much,” she’d said, then begged him to stop speaking.

“Just go. This isn’t working anyway. We’re done.”

Over the months that followed the heartbreak, she’d erased all the

messages he’d left on her phone without listening to them. She’d deleted

each unopened email. She’d even transferred schools and had given the

house staff specific instructions not to share her forwarding information

with him. It simply hurt too much.

Shoot, she wasn’t fooling herself trying to be all civilized and calm.

Her world had been royally fucked and turned inside out. She’d been

ready to make a life with Justin and had believed he’d been ready to make

a life with her. They’d gone out of state for school together, but he’d

left only a couple of weeks into the semester. She’d transferred to a new

school in January.

“How long has it been, Bethy?”

She knew exactly how long. To the month. To the day. To the hour.

She checked her phone, then realized she was in a different time zone.

Nope. She wasn’t going there with him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Paul said, coming to her rescue. “We’re just

happy to reconnect. Amazing good fortune to run into you today.

It’s happenstance.”

Happenstance her ass. It was a curse.

“I kept trying to reach you,” Justin said. “You vanished. You

were impossible to find. No one, not even Sheridan, would tell me

where you were.”

Of course her sister wouldn’t tell him. While holding her hand and

telling her to release her anger by slashing his bicycle tires, her sister had

held Bethany’s head in her lap and had played with her hair so she could

actually get some sleep.

“The only thing that helped was that your father said to leave you

alone,” Justin continued. “To me, that meant you were okay. So I reapplied

to my original choice of schools, a university I could afford, and enrolled

the following year. I’ve kept my same phone number, just in case you

ever wanted to contact me. You never did.”

Nothing he said was news to her. He’d never blocked her on any social

network, so lurking had always been an option and the way she’d learned

of Paul’s existence. Taking a deep breath, she kept her smile big as shit

and concentrated on not letting a single tear slip. Those professional poker

players had nothing on her.

“No worries,” Paul said. “You’re together now.”

Traveling to one of the sexiest places on earth, a past lover at her side,

and his current lover at his side, did not mean “no worries.” It showcased

the life of solitude that haunted her existence. No matter how Bethany had

tried to drown her hurt in meaningless physical relationships, she hadn’t

managed to put Justin out of her heart.

“So where are you going?” Paul asked.

That’s right. A tiny bit of hope crept through her as she realized the ship

made more than one port and had a full route. She might not be subject

to hormone-overload for the rest of the week. And it was hormonal…that

was her story.

If she were to be subjected to so much tempting testosterone when

it was off limits, it would be pure torture, and her body and mind

would be in constant turmoil. She couldn’t handle the turmoil already

brewing inside her.

Body: Go for it.

Mind: Are you crazy? Stay away!

Body: Go for it. Orgasms guaranteed.

Mind: Heartbreak guaranteed.

Body: Fantasy come true.

Mind: Shut the fuck up, body. We don’t like him anymore.

Bethany had to stop feeling and start thinking. What was it? The

itinerary hit three different islands before returning to Piraeus. Maybe,

just maybe, the boat would reach Mykonos, she’d disembark, and the

men would continue on.

“Work,” she blurted. “I’m working on Mykonos for the next week.”

“We’re here for a week.” Justin slid into the booth beside her and

draped his arm across the back of the seat. “Sort of for work, too.”`

“Sort of?” Bethany asked.

“No. It’s work.” Justin shrugged, and dark waves of hair fell

across his forehead.

She had to stop herself from reaching up and sweeping them off his

brow. She loved the feel of his hair on her fingers.

“We’d rather it was play, but it doesn’t matter. We have a chance to

spend some time with you. A real chance to put the past behind us and

move ahead.” He met Paul’s gaze. “And you finally get to meet Bethany

and see how amazing she is in person.”

The pit in her stomach swelled, and her insides twisted with dread.

Why did fate mess with her in such an evil way and subject her to two

handsome men, Justin and his boyfriend, when all it would do is remind

her of her current solo status?

Despite her confident and suave reputation, she had limited experience

in honest relationships. Sure she’d had her share of lovers, but she wouldn’t

classify any of them as relationship material. She’d always managed to

leave before the sun came up or they’d wanted to chat. Then their calls

would be diverted to voice mail and they’d eventually stop calling. Guess

the effort wasn’t worth it.

Maybe she wasn’t worth it? Maybe it was her doing that

Justin had gone gay?

Ludicrous. Nobody made anyone any way. They were or they weren’t.

And if she was honest, like she had been when they’d been together, Justin

never defined love by gender. He loved who he loved.

More likely, her real issue was that she was doomed to be

lonely and alone.

“What’s wrong?” Paul sat across from her and placed his arms on

the table. For a split second she thought he’d reach for her hands, so she

tucked them under her thighs. “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head, hiding her emotions. “It’s a work

thing. Conference call.” She inched across the seat and out of the booth.

“I need to go.”

“Where are you staying?” Justin asked.

Straightening, she shrugged, collected her files into a neat pile, and

placed the computer in its case. “Not sure. The info is in my cabin,” she lied.

“A phone number?” Justin persisted, but she just couldn’t do it. She

couldn’t give him her new number, and definitely couldn’t place her heart

and soul on the line to have them blown to smithereens again. But his

gaze wouldn’t waver. “Want my number?”

“I remember it.” Another shrug.

“That’s great,” Paul said, standing beside her and giving her a

reassuring smile. He pulled a card from his back pocket and handed it to

her. “Plus, you now have my info, too. Local and US cell numbers. Both

phones are on. Call either, any time.”

He closed his hand over hers and squeezed as if he understood her

predicament, and her traitorous hand didn’t pull back. She liked it. She

actually wanted to step into his arms, knowing darn well he’d welcome

and comfort her.

Mind: Walk away now.

Body: Just let the man do what he can do.

Mind: I said now!

“Let’s shoot for meeting up before we disembark,” Paul said, the glint

in his amber-colored eyes holding her as much as his touch. “But if the

signal is bad onboard, or we don’t meet up before we dock, we’ll wait for

you on the pier by the Sunset Café.”

“Okay.” She turned and walked away, waving over her shoulder

because she didn’t dare meet Justin’s gaze again. If she did, her resolve to

stay away would crumble.

Demi Alex writes steamy romances, blending emotional fulfillments of the heart and carnal desires in her work. Born in Athens, Greece, and raised in her own version of a big fat Greek life in New York, Demi was infected with book and travel bugs early, and currently admits the only therapy for this condition is to combine the two in fictional stories that allow her characters to let loose and experience all they crave. She attended SUNY at Stony Brook, and after changing her major numerous times, graduated with a degree in Public Policy and International Studies. Her characters are loosely based on people she encounters while she travels or during the time she spends matching homes to owners as a Realtor. She simply has a passion for matchmaking that can’t be put to rest. Readers can visit her online at www.DemiAlex.com .

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