SPOTLIGHT and EXTRACT: Summer on the Italian Lakes by Lucy Coleman @aria_fiction @lucycolemanauth
Summer on the Italian Lakes
by Lucy Coleman
Thank you to Aria Fiction for this spotlight - continue to read an extract and head to my Instagram Page and look for the photo to enter and win 1 of 2 e-copies!
Publisher: Aria
Publish Date: February 5, 2019
Kindle Edition
404 Pages
Standlone
Genre: Romance
Bestselling Brianna Middleton has won the hearts of millions of readers with her sweeping - and steamy - love stories. But the girl behind the typewriter is struggling... Not only does she have writer's block, but she's a world-famous romance author with zero romance in her own life.
So the opportunity to spend the summer teaching at a writer's retreat in an idyllic villa on the shores of Lake Garda - owned by superstar author Arran Jamieson - could this be just the thing to fire up Brie's writing - and romantic - mojo?
Brie's sun-drenched Italian summer could be the beginning of this writer's very own happy-ever-after...
EXTRACT
‘Paul Turner looked the
part and he seemed genuine enough, but he’s a marketable commodity and he knows
that. Falling in love is a luxury he can’t afford, even if he wanted to. He has
to make money while he can and that means as much red carpet, tabloid and TV
exposure as he can get. Everyone he dates is scrutinised and I should have
warned you what you were getting yourself into. He’s so charming, though, and I
don’t for one minute think his attraction to you was fake. But his business
head dictates his decisions, because no one knows how long fame and public
favour lasts. You mustn’t confuse that type of existence with real life. It’s
about putting on a show.’
I look at her, shame-faced;
she’s trying so hard to make me feel better.
‘He thought I was… boring,
Mel. That bit was real. And I am. Look at me – I’m thirty-one years old and I
live in my PJs most of the time. I seldom go out these days and I’ve lost touch
with the world out there. All the posh frocks, facials and professionally
applied make-up couldn’t disguise the me underneath it all.’
‘Look, Paul was one smooth
guy in public, but in private even he was using drink and a few choice
recreational drugs to cope with the pressure. That alone would have been tough
to handle in a relationship, but the personal attacks you suffered were beyond
belief. Now, well, you’re just going through a bit of a rough patch in the
aftermath of it all.’
‘And some. Every time I
look at myself, I fear the trolls have won. I don’t go out any more because
none of my clothes fit me and I don’t feel like me. I’ve let myself down by allowing the trolls to erode my
confidence and that’s a horrible feeling. They’ve stolen my sense of… worth.
The truth is that I’ve done this to myself and now I feel like I’m a prisoner
in someone else’s body.’ Mel sidles up to give me a hug as the tears begin to
roll down my cheeks.
‘Hey, it’s not that bad. We
can fix this. You’re one strong lady, Brie, and now you’ve come to your senses
you will turn this around. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t occasionally get
a bit lost. Personally, I think we learn more from our mistakes than we do from
our successes, but it’s a painful process. First of all, we have to sort out
that hair. I mean, it looks like you’re wearing a stuffed cat.’
I look at her and laugh.
‘It’s a bit matted, I’m afraid.’
She looks around the room.
‘How about we do a makeover
of the house and you at the same time? I’ll get on the phone and call in the
cleaners to spruce this beautiful cottage up a bit. You and I can then head off
to a spa at the weekend to kick start your programme. What do you think?’
That gives me two days to
get my act together, ready to face the world outside my door. My brain might
have stopped functioning but at least I still have a sense of pride.
‘I think you’re a life
saver, Mel. You’re the one person who really understands me. So yes, let’s do
it.’
‘Your problem is, Brie,
that you spend too much time talking to your characters rather than talking to
the people who love you. And that includes Carrie. She isn’t just your agent,
she’s a good friend and she’s concerned about you. This was her idea,
actually.’
I smile. ‘That doesn’t mean
she still doesn’t scare me at times. She’s ballsy and I wish I had a fraction
of her energy and bubbly personality. When she enters a room, everyone is well
aware of her presence whereas I slink in and hide in the corner.’
Mel stands back, giving me
a stern look.
‘Don’t you ever apologise
for being you! We wouldn’t be friends if you were some over the top, conceited
author who was constantly seeking the spotlight. That’s why I should have
realised Paul was wrong for you, from the start. You aren’t an attention
seeker, Brie. But you wear your heart on your sleeve and maybe you need to
toughen up a little. Let’s get the old, confident Brie back. The one who was
content and optimistic about finding her Mr Right one day soon.’
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