Fall 2008

My latest book, The Moneyman's Seduction, has at last hit the store shelves at my semi-local book retailers. For those of you who keep track of your reading acquisitions by number, it's Silhouette Desire #1898 and is the second book in the Gifts from a Billionaire series.

It was such a delight to work on this book. My dear friends -- Joan Hohl, Kasey Michaels, and Mary McBride -- and I were asked to each pen a story based on an intriguing premise... A reclusive and secretive billionaire discovers a person attempting to do good in the world and gifts them something to further their efforts. Watching from afar, he notes what they do with the unexpected largesse and if they act selflessly, then.... Well, you'll just have to read all four of books in the series to see what happens.

Of course the recipients finding the love of their lives in the process isn't part of the billionaire's motives. But then discovering true love is seldom the result of careful plotting and planning. It usually happens when you're not looking, not even hoping for it.

And so it is for Emily Raines and Cole Preston of the Moneyman's Seduction. She's committed to developing a Fine Arts Center for the rural elderly. He's committed to keeping his beloved grandmother from becoming a victim of what looks, to him, a great deal like a con game. Two people in passionate pursuit their goals and beliefs and dreams... Two people locked in conflict over those goals, dreams and beliefs... To me, it's the perfect recipe for a delightful romance.

I so hope you enjoy reading Emily's and Cole's contest of wills and their ultimate surrender to the undeniable power of love.

Now for the update on the personal side ...

Life has certainly been interesting of late. When last I updated everyone, we were in the beginning phases of gutting another portion of our historic building, referred to locally as The Turkey Red. We'd just discovered old pine paneling behind the drywall in one section and had salvaged what we could.

Shortly after that, the dear husband decided that he couldn't live with the noticeable slanting of the floor in the mid-section of the space. So he started pulling up floor boards, looking for the problem. Three layers of floorboards and trusses later... When the last floor board on the bottom layer came up, the original floor trusses rolled over and fell into the basement. It appears that 126 years was their natural life span.

Basically, we've rebuilt the entire center section of the building--literally from the ground up. The dear husband is something of a perfectionist and so I'm willing to bet that the floor is now sound for another 126 years. At least. I might even be willing to bet on 150. But having to address this rather necessary issue set the rehabbing time table back significantly. As we've learned, though, it's always the building that determines what's going to get done and when.

That we still have another 15,000 square feet to rip out and redo... I understand completely Scarlett O'Hara's "I'll think about that tomorrow" approach to surviving the onslaught.

On other fronts in the life of Leslie LaFoy.... In a moment of extreme weakness I agreed to fill and finish the term of a resigning member of the local City Council. Having once upon a time been a high school teacher of history and government, I sincerely feel a responsibility to do my civic duty. I hope I'm doing good through my service to the community, heaven knows I'm trying.

But to those who have asked me to run for mayor next spring.... Bwahahahaha. Not in a million years. In the honored tradition of public servants who have gone before me, I intend to leave office when my term is up in April of 2009 to "spend more time with my family and work on a book."

And speaking of the family... The son didn't go to college. Yes, we toured campuses. Yes, we filled out all the forms and paperwork. (What Paper Reduction Act?) Yes, everything was lined up, and I was down to planning dorm room decor and the logistics of getting him and all of his toys moved. It was at that point that he announced that what he really, really wanted to do was join the United States Navy.

Oooookay. Our family has a long history of military service to our country. We consider it an honor and a privilege to serve. And so it was that his father and I accepted and supported his decision. I bought a Navy Mom coffee mug and threatened the recruiter with dire consequences if anything happened to my one and only baby.

The son was to go to Basic Training last October. In September, however, he rolled his car out on the highway. The good news: Seat belts do indeed save lives and he was wearing his. The other good news: The car came to rest just far enough off the railroad tracks that the oncoming train was able to clear the wreckage. The best very news of all: The son was not seriously injured.

The semi-bad news: The US Navy will not let you go to Basic Training with a broken elbow and icky skin abrasions. Personally, I consider this a point in their "good judgment" column.

The son is now fully healed and has graduated not only Navy Basic, but also their Hospital Corpsman School. He's a medic, stationed stateside for now. So far he seems pleased with the choices he's made and we're very proud of him for all he's accomplished.

I hope that your lives have been interesting of late, too, and that my latest release, the Moneyman's Seduction, adds some pleasure to the other joys of your life.

I am so looking forward to next spring and being able to get back to writing full time again. I've missed it. I'll keep you posted on the my progress to that end.

Until then... Take care, wear your seat belts, and think twice before you buy any huge historic buildings in need of repair.

All the best, always,

Leslie

Past newsletters
Spring 2007
Fall 2006
Spring/Summer 2006
Summer 2005

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