Admit it, you’re humming the old Bette Midler song. You’ve got to have friends, the feeling’s oh so strong. You’ve got to have friends, to make the day last long.
Those lyrics were definitely running through my mind as I wrote BILLIONAIRE IN HER BED, my first book for Entangled’s Indulgence line. Writing can be a pretty solitary profession, and finding your tribe is essential to maintaining your sanity. I’m lucky to have found a great group of writer friends in the MTBs, my plot group. (No, I’m not telling what that stands for LOL.) They’re the ones who cheer my successes and buck me up when I’m struggling.
Brooke Worthington, the heroine in BILLIONAIRE IN HER BED, is lucky, too. She’s found her tribe in the other residents of Candy Court, the chocolate-factory-turned-apartment-building where she lives. There’s the Feinbergs, the elderly couple who lives on the first floor; partners David and Chris, a concert pianist and a ballet dancer; and single mom Charise and her infant son. And when hero Eli Ward shows up, he’s warmly welcomed into the fold. But what they don’t know about Eli may come back to hurt them . . .
Some of my favorite scenes in BILLIONAIRE IN HER BED are the ones that feature this eclectic cast of characters. Like this one, when Eli walks in on his first tenants’ meeting:
Brooke cleared her throat for attention. “Okay, people. As exciting as our new addition is, we’re still in the middle of a meeting here.”
“We can deal with the garden later. I want to hear more about Eli.” An older woman eyed him appraisingly from the sofa. The gray-haired man next to her blew a loud raspberry, but she continued, undeterred. “I don’t see a ring on your finger. Tell me, young man, do you have a girlfriend?”
“Or a boyfriend?” asked David, the arm around Chris tightening.
“I’m straight,” Eli assured him, then directed his gaze at Brooke. “And single.”
She ignored him and started in on the bean dip.
“Oh, what a pity.” The older woman tsked her disapproval. “A handsome young man like you should have someone to come home to.”
“Get a dog,” the man next to her suggested. “Less expensive than a woman, and they never talk back.”
“Or cook dinner,” said the woman next to him, who Eli had figured out must be his wife. “Or do your laundry. Or…”
“See what I mean about talking back?” Her husband pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Dog’s definitely the way to go.
“About the garden…” Brooke tried again.
“Is it true, what Chris said?” Charise piped up. “Do you and Eli really know each other?”
“Were you two an item?” David asked, jumping on the way-too-personal bandwagon
“Despite what you all seem to think, this is not Melrose Place.” Brooke adopted a Wonder Woman power pose, hands balled into fists on her hips and feet planted firmly apart. “And I am not sharing the details of my private life at a tenants’ meeting.”
“How about you, Eli?” Chris needled. “Care to enlighten us?”
Not in a trillion years. A gentleman didn’t kiss and tell. Or fuck and tell, as the case may be. He looked to Brooke, his eyes pleading for assistance.
With an exasperated sigh, she took a piece of paper from the drafting table, crumpled it up and tossed it over her shoulder. “Since no one seems interested in discussing anything on the agenda, I declare this meeting adjourned.”
See what I mean about this crew? They jab and pick at each other, but underneath it all there’s a deep current of love, affection, and concern. Just like me and the MTBs. Like the best of friendships everywhere.
And here’s a fun fact: David and Chris are based on two of my favorite people. And yes, they’re really a pianist and a ballet dancer. They gave me permission to use their names and professions, and the book is dedicated to them.
I hope you have as much fun reading about Brooke, Eli, David, Chris, and the rest of the Candy Court crew as I did writing about them.
BILLIONAIRE IN HER BED by Regina Kyle
Real estate mogul Eli Ward needs to keep a low profile on his new project. He’s expecting a fight from the somewhat eclectic folks currently living there. What he doesn’t expect is for that fight to be led by Brooke Worthington, the woman who rocked his world one unforgettable night. The one woman who doesn’t know who he is, which is a good thing. She just sees him as a regular guy. It’s refreshing.
Graphic designer and part-time bartender Brooke Worthington refuses to follow her family’s plan for her. She’s too busy building her artistic career. She doesn’t have time for relationships, either, especially with the super hot Eli, because she has to save the building she lives in with people she thinks of as her real family from some greedy real estate billionaire.
These two have secrets and chemistry that is nothing short of explosive.
Romance Contemporary [Entangled Indulgence, On Sale: September 4, 2017, e-Book, ISBN: 9781640631946 / eISBN: 9781640631946]
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About Regina Kyle
Regina Kyle knew she was destined to be an author when she won a writing contest at age ten with a touching tale about a squirrel and a nut pie. By day, she writes dry legal briefs, representing the state in criminal appeals. At night, she writes steamy romance with heart and humor.
A lover of all things theatrical, Regina lives on the Connecticut coast with her husband, teenage daughter and two melodramatic cats. When she’s not writing, she’s most likely singing, reading, cooking or watching bad reality television. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and of her local RWA chapter. Her book Triple Dare was a 2016 Booksellers’ Best award winner.
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