Marian Tee's Blog, page 10

So...Greek stuff and other updates

It's been some time since I last posted here because, to be honest, I had a hard time figuring out what the best approach should be. And even now, I have NO IDEA what the right way to address this. The thing is, I WAS THE ONE WHO MADE A MESS OF THINGS. I won't bore you with excuses. I messed up. Greek #5 didn't go out as planned. I'm so sorry for that. I'm so sorry for making you guys wait. I'm so sorry for disappointing you. I totally understand if you don't ever buy a book from me again. I will of course keep wooing you. Will always pray and hope you'd give another new book of mine a chance. But if you don't come back, that IS my cross to bear. No hard feelings. I get it. I MESSED UP. I'm sorry. I really am.

Now, I'm going to answer the most frequently asked questions.

WHEN IS GREEK 5 COMING OUT THEN?
I made an announcement about this on my Facebook page. Today - rather, tonight - you will receive a NEWSLETTER. This will be about THE GREEK BILLIONAIRE AND I. It's a spin-off standalone no-cliffhanger story about Velvet (Mairi's friend) and her Greek billionaire. I LOVED writing this story. I don't know why but I really loved writing it. 

THE NEXT NEWSLETTER will be about Greek 5. If you get this newsletter, it means the book is LIVE.

NO RELEASE DATE. You didn't think I'd make the same mistake again, did you? I'm still honestly not done beating myself after disappointing so many of you with the delayed release of Greek 5. I don't think I'll survive another mess of that kind if it happened again. And I know, I'M TO BLAME. I know that. I'm sorry. 

WHEN are BURN and CLICK (Helios and MJ's story) COMING OUT?
After Greek 5. They will be released simultaneously. You will receive a newsletter notifying you the moment they're live. It's SOON. Now, on to more exciting things...I'd love to share with you the blurb of THE GREEK BILLIONAIRE AND I. When the powerful, sexy, and gorgeous Greek billionaire Mykolas Sallis finds a misplaced cellphone and reads its messages, he becomes intrigued with its owner, a woman who seems to possess the rare combination of beauty, wit, and lots of snappy comebacks.

13:15 How about going for a movie tomorrow night?

13:16 Thomas, you’re a good guy, so I’m going to tell you the truth once and for all.

13:17 What is it?

13:18 I’m a lesbian. I want your d*ck – but not for the reasons you’re hoping for.

When curvy 24-yar-old schoolteacher Velvet Lambert speaks with the Greek billionaire the first time, she knows right away she’s out of her league. She does her snarky best to resist, but in the end she still finds herself saying ‘yes’ to a marriage of convenience, pretending she isn’t head over heels with him, and trying not to lose hope even if she knows Mykolas only sees her as a prized possession.

An Excerpt of The Greek Billionaire and I

“Are you done yet?” Mykolas murmured the question two days later over the phone while reading a draft for a shipping contract his secretary had given to him. He was at his Athens office, working overtime, and he couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed himself this much. And it was all, surprisingly enough, because of Velvet.

“Nope,” Velvet answered as she tallied the correct answers and wrote the student’s final score on the top margin of the answer sheet. She was alone in her bedroom – and probably also the only one right now inside the dorm. It was a Saturday after all, and most teachers generally took advantage of the weekend to leave the island and have fun elsewhere.

But here she was, happily checking her students’ tests. She had even turned down Mandy’s invitation to go out, and it was all because of him. “What about you?”

“In an hour, I’ll be finished with the draft and have to meet a business associate over dinner.” They had been talking for over an hour now, a record for him. Mykolas kept waiting to be bored but instead, he had only found himself more and more intrigued. Maybe it was because most of the women he had dated were too self-absorbed, and as such almost everything they had to say was about them.

But Velvet was different. Getting her to talk about herself was like pulling a tooth, but by now, he had talked to her long and often enough to figure things out. And so he asked in a deceptively casual voice, “Why did you choose to become a schoolteacher?”

She answered absently, “Because I wanted to give hope…” Velvet caught herself in time and scowled at her phone. “Ha-ha. Very funny.”

“There’s nothing wrong about me getting to know you better,” he responded even as he mulled her words over. Whenever Velvet lost herself in her work, she was prone to slip and reveal things about herself. And so now he knew she wanted to be a teacher because she wanted to give hope. Was this because her parents were the same – or the opposite? It usually was one or the other.

“There’s no need to get to know me better because we are not meeting, period.”

“You know it’s inevitable that we meet, agape mou. The chemistry between us is too hot and too rare to ignore.”

“You and I,” she said sweetly, “we’re like negative and positive forces. Ne’er shall the two meet.”

“Two words, my soon-to-be-lover: opposites attract.”

Velvet…grinned. She couldn’t help it. Practically every man who had tried to hit on her only had lame comebacks to give whenever she rebuffed them. But Mykolas was…different.

“I can feel you smiling, Velvet. My brain is a turn on, ne? You will find my body even more so, I promise you. And when I fuck you, I will fuck you so good you will wonder why you postponed our meeting for so long.”

“You are so full of it.” She wanted to sound haughty, but all she managed was to sound like she was running out of oxygen. Damn. “From my experience, men who talk big are just that. All talk.”

“How many times must I tell you, lovely Velvet? I am not like most men. I am Mykolas Sallis, and on the first day we fuck, I promise you. You will love my cock.”

Daaaamn. Why was his arrogance such a turn on? “I bet you have a small one.”

“Sometimes, women do wish it’s smaller.”

She rolled her eyes. “You are just really so full of it…”

“It’s true.”

He said it so simply she couldn’t help but challenge him, “How long is it?”

Mykolas shrugged even though Velvet couldn’t see him. “I’ve never tried to measure it.”

An imp inside her made Velvet say naughtily, “Then do it now.”

He snorted.

“No, really. I want to know. Measure it. Now.”

“And what would be my reward if I do?”

She thought about it. “I’ll say something dirty.”

“Done.”

Mykolas had answered so swiftly it made Velvet laugh. She listened to him rummaging, probably going through his drawers.

“I never thought I’d do something like this, agape mou,” Mykolas admitted with a grimace as he finally found a ruler.

She asked curiously, “Would you be able to, umm, measure it if…”

“I don’t have a hard-on?”

Velvet coughed. “Yeah, that.”

He unzipped himself. “Do not worry about that. I’m always hard when talking to you.”

“Mykolas!”

I hope you loved the excerpt and grab a copy once the book's out! :)

As an apology

I'm offering a free bonus novella of Damen and Mairi in June. You'll be able to download it via my newsletter and website. You can read the rest of the post here---

https://www.facebook.com/authormariantee/posts/456424564503973

I am so sorry again!

A Few Days of Your Patience for Greek #5: The Art of Wedding a Greek Billionaire

I posted earlier on Facebook about me needing a few days more of your patience regarding Greek #5. Post by Marian Tee. I can't say exactly when but just a day or so really is all I need. It won't be a week. I just want this to be perfect and a fitting end to Mairi and Damen's journey.
Now, in case you missed the last excerpt I released for the book, here's what I included in my newsletter...

Eight days ago
 
Mairi Tanner was escaping. She knew tonight was the only chance she would ever get. Drake was gone, and only one of his security personnel remained, posted outside the door to her room. But he wasn’t going to be a problem.
Earlier, the nurse had given Mairi sleeping pills, which she promptly pretended to swallow. In reality, though, she had only kept them under her tongue. The moment the nurse had left, she had taken them out of her mouth and crushed them in an iced cold glass of lemonade. It had been served with her dinner, but she had opted to drink straight from the tap, knowing she would need the lemonade for her plan.
Tiptoeing to the door, careful not to make any sound, Mairi pressed her ears to the door. Snores greeted her. Her heart raced in anticipation at the sound, but Mairi suppressed her excitement. The pills had done its job, but her problems weren’t over yet.
Even though it killed her not to do anything, she went back to her bed and tucked herself in. And then she waited. The minutes ticked by. Outside, silence hummed, punctuated by random snores. But Mairi remained in bed, keeping herself still, ready to close her eyes and pretend she was asleep.
The door opened. Her eyes closed. She kept herself still as she felt the nurse move around the room. This would be the last round of checking until tomorrow morning. When Mairi heard the door close behind the nurse, she waited for a full minute before opening her eyes.
She was alone again.
Her gaze went back to the wall clock.
…thirty-five, thirty-four, thirty-three.
…three, two, one.
The minute hand moved to nine. It was time.
She got out of bed quickly, knowing there wasn’t a second to waste. She had practiced her steps over and over in her mind, knowing she couldn’t afford to make a mistake. If she failed and her aunts learned of her attempt to leave, she knew they would make it seem she was a danger to herself. If that happened, there would be no escape. They would do it out of love, she knew, never realizing that doing so would kill her.
She needed to be with Damen Leventis.
She needed him like he was the reason her heart was able to beat for another second.
She needed him, and she no longer cared if he didn’t really need her the way she needed him.
Taking a deep breath, Mairi walked towards the door and placed her hand on the knob. Closing her eyes, she prayed, the kind that didn’t really need words. God would see through her heart. He would know it only beat for Damen now. He would understand.
Her gaze returned to the clock.
…five, four, three, two, one.
It was now three in the morning.
Quietly, Mairi turned the knob and opened the door. Relief hit her as she saw the guard dozing on his chair. As was his wont, he had folded his trench coat over the back of his chair, and Mairi reached for it with not-so-steady hands.
He didn’t stir.
So far, so good, Mairi thought as she shrugged into the trench coat, which she needed to hide the fact that she was wearing a hospital gown. Since she had been admitted into a private posh clinic, the gown was made of the most expensive type of cotton. However, it was still a hospital gown, and she couldn’t leave the place still dressed in it.
After tying the coat’s belt tightly around her waist, Mairi walked straight to the fire exit and raced down the stairs. Her heart beat faster with every step she took. She knew it couldn’t be this easy, but she couldn’t help but hope.
When she reached the door to the ground floor, she took a peek, and another sigh of relief escaped her when she saw no one standing outside. The fire exit led out to the clinic’s lavishly landscaped gardens. It was bordered by eight-foot walls, but she was confident she would be able to scale it.
What she did not count on, however, were the dogs.
Three German Shepherds, salivating and gazing at her with eerily menacing eyes. They were chained to ornamental lamp posts that lined the garden’s pathways. Those were really thin chains, Mairi thought with a swallow.
She took one step out of the door.
The dogs tensed, their tails standing up, their eyes following her every move.
“G-good dog,” she whispered.
Wrong words, as it seemed.
They lunged towards her, snarling, and Mairi ran towards the walls. A second later, she heard the sound of metal snapping. The chains had given out. She tried to run faster at the sound, her heartbeat so loud it eclipsed everything else.
One of the magnolia trees in the garden had a branch drooping close to the top of the walls. Mairi headed over it immediately. As she tried to climb the tree, looking for something for her foot to rest her weight on, one of the dogs finally caught to her.
Bite.
Razor sharp teeth had clamped on her leg, and she bit her lip hard to keep herself from crying out. When her other foot finally found something to step on, Mairi took a deep breath before kicking the dog away. Taken by surprise, the dog released its hold on her leg and she moved immediately, making sure to climb up fast and keep herself out of reach.
The climb was a hundred times harder now, the pain in her leg making her feel woozy, but Mairi didn’t stop moving. Damen, she whispered to herself. She had to get to Damen. He had been calling out for her name the last time. He needed her right now. That was all that mattered.
The world around her blurred. The jump from tree to wall had seemed so easy a while ago. Now, it felt like she was jumping from one end of a cliff to another.
From afar, shouts started to be heard and beams of light from torches began to pierce the darkness.
Below, the dogs barked more noisily, angrily.
Damen, she thought again. Damen was outside, waiting for her.
Mairi jumped.
She went over the wall, landing on all fours. When she looked down, her knees were bleeding, too, and her wrists hurt badly. The pain made her feel woozier, but she forced herself up. She had to get moving before people figured out she was gone. She had memorized the name of the hospital Damen was in when she caught it on TV. Now, she had to find a way to get there, without money, without a phone, without anything. But she would get there. She had to. She needed to get to Damen, no matter what.
Mairi closed her eyes for a moment.
Damen’s face filled her mind. So sinfully handsome, with his wicked silver eyes and---
She choked back a sob, her eyes flying open as the Damen in her mind changed. Now he looked horribly beaten, his eyes swollen, his mouth bleeding.
Oh God, she had to get to him. It didn’t matter what she had to do. Walk, hitchhike, or call for an ambulance and get herself driven there. It didn’t matter. The pain in her leg blazed, but Mairi was numb to the hurt. All she could think of was him.
Damen, I’m coming. She would get to him. She would. She needed him. He needed her. And so for as long as Damen needed her, Mairi would be by his side.

I promise to update you every possible way once it's live. Please be patient! Doing the best I can and I'm sorry again for the delay! Please don't be mad?

Hurrying!

Just dropping by to let you guys know YOU SHOULD NOT WORRY. 

The Art of Wedding a Greek Billionaire will still be out this month.

Secondly, the first part of Helios and MJ's story will go LIVE in a few hours. This will also be part of the Wild Rides boxed set so if you want to wait for that, you could, too. I really like this new biker story of mine, though. It's more angsty (and you should know by now I looooove angst). =D

Okay, that's it - need to dash and work! =D

April Releases

It's been a while since I last posted. Sorry about that! =/

Anyway I'm in the car now with the fam and we're stuck in traffic (what's new?). Thought I could take the time to update you guys about my books...

1.) The Art of Claiming an Alpha - This is a new Moretti trilogy that I'm working on. I need to finish it before anything else since it's going to be a part of a multi-author bundle.

2.) Evren 2 - I asked my publisher an extension for this. I'm now due to turn over the unedited manuscript on April 30. That means you'll see it out in May.

3.) Heart Racer #3 or #4 - Ride to Love, Sabastian's story, is a standalone but I'm not sure I can finish it in time for another biker romance bundle I'm due to join this month. If so, I could end up skipping Sab's story and proceed with Book 1 of Helios and MJ's story first.

4.) The Art of Wedding a Greek Billionaire - you guys didn't really think I forgot about it, did you? As I don't have a death wish of course this will still come out this month. Just not sure of the exact release date yet.

So that's that. Those are my most important to-dos for this month. Believe it or not but I'm also working on other projects but they're classified ones so I can't talk about them.

As you can see, it's going to be a very busy month for me this April. I'm saying sorry in advance if I don't get to answer anyone's message, email, tweet or comment right away. I always do but in this case my reply might be a little delayed because of the amount of writing I have to finish. Sorry about that!!!

The Pressure!

I love chatting with you readers. Totally love it so as much as possible, I make time each day to answer emails, comments, and stuff. I loooove what you guys say about my books, love the fact that they seem as real to you as they are to me. But sometimes... The pressure gets to me so that I... Source: http://readrosemary.files.wordpress.com/ ...CAN'T HELP BUT FREAK OUT! It's because you guys are so awesome, is all. You all say the nicest things that honestly, when I read your reviews, a part of me wonders if you really did read my book or you mistook it for something else. Sometimes, I almost wish I'm not addicted to reading reviews - if I stop reading them, I might stop second-guessing myself and just write with no expectations.
Don't get me wrong - I am super happy about your feedback. But I am also terrified of disappointing readers that sometimes I end up not writing because I'm frozen with fear. I don't think this fear would ever go away, not even if I reach the grand old age of eighty or so and I'd have been writing for fifty years by then.
Well, anyway, just wanted to let you guys know that I'll continue doing my best writing books that I personally love and hope you guys would love, too. I can't say we'll always meet eye to eye - there are things about my writing that I can't and won't change. There may be stories whose twists and turns and endings we might not see eye to eye on. I'm sorry if so - I hope you bear with me for that. I can't dictate how these stories turn out really - I know it sounds like a cliche, but it's true - these stories have a life of its own and I can only write them the way they occurred to me.
Hopefully, though, you won't give up on me or my books - if you don't like what I've written now, then who knows? You might like the next one...or the one after that and so forth. :) Also, be warned: even if you hated my current book so much you just want to kill me, I'm stubbornly optimistic. I'll make sure to woo you back tirelessly until you give my next book a try. :)

Deleted Scene: 6-Year-Old Mairi from the Greek Billionaire Romance serials

I just realized that while I've been pretty active on other social media sites, I've ended up neglecting my blog. Sorry for that. =/

Now, I've received a lot of messages and emails asking about the release dates of X, Y, and Z. My schedule is messy right now, but come Monday I hope to have everything organized and will be giving EXACT release dates UNTIL JULY 2014. Does that work for you guys? :)

Okay then, let's get back to business. So you asked for deleted scenes - here's one that should have made it to The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire - a brief glimpse of how Mairi's dreams of marrying a Greek billionaire began.

The six-year-old girl on the bed sat up and shook her head. “I told you, I know that story already.” She had a patient expression on her face, looking at her two aunts as if questioning their sanity.

With Norah being one of the most respected neurosurgeons in the state and Vilma able to make lawyers twice her age stutter in a courtroom, it was rather impressive the way their niece was capable of making them feel like students who had turned up in class without their homework.

As Norah closed the story-telling application and lowered her iPad on the bedside table, she glanced at the pink plastic clock hanging on the wall - the best thing they could do to prepare the guest room in their apartment and make it suitable for a little girl. It was nearing midnight now, and here they were, still unable to figure out a bedtime story to lull the child to sleep.

At the opposite side of the bed, Vilma looked down on their niece suspiciously. “Are you really telling us the truth, kid? We practically showed you the entire children’s books section of the state library---”

“Mommy and Daddy tell me a looooooot of stories every night.” The little girl’s lower lip wobbled.

Damn, Norah thought, her heart squeezing. She quickly lowered herself on the bed and gathered the little girl to her arms. “Don’t cry, hon. We’ll do it your Mommy and Daddy’s way and tell you new stories.”

“Can’t she just watch TV?” Vilma begged under her breath.

Norah glared at her sister.

Vilma glared back. Seriously, what did two spinster aunts like them knew about raising a little girl? It had been Maricel who had always wanted the whole barefoot and pregnant dream. She had been content to spoil little Mairi the way aunts were meant to, maybe babysit for her once in a while, but now that Maricel and Edward were dead?  

What if they ended up raising Mairi to become spinsters like them?

She shuddered at the thought. Life as a dried-up virgin…hurt. The loneliness, especially at night, was a cold and gnawing kind of emptiness that not even flings with the hottest men could solve. Maybe, maybe if she and Norah had been more forgiving about men, maybe they wouldn’t have unknowingly scared away their Mr. Right.

Or at least that was what she liked to think. It was better than losing a good night’s sleep with stupid what-if questions.

“Aunt Vilma? You’ll tell me a story, too?”

The child was doing her best not to cry. Ironically, it made Vilma want to bawl like a kid. Six years old – and Mairi had seen her parents fall to their death in a climbing accident in the Himalayas. She should be in shock now, should be acting up, but no – all she wanted was a damn story.

Vilma pulled a chair up and sat down, jaw squaring in determination.

Norah hid a smile. Mairi really was irresistible, she thought fondly. She couldn’t think of anyone else capable of melting Vilma’s sub-zero exterior.

How was it that Maricel had never stopped believing in true love while she and Vilma had turned their backs on it, Norah wondered helplessly as she stroked Mairi’s head. And how, dear God, could they make sure that Mairi would follow her mother’s footsteps than theirs?

“What kind of story do you want, kid?” Vilma asked in a voice that Norah knew her sister used when questioning juvenile delinquents whom she secretly had a soft spot for.

“The one where a boy and girl fall in love of course,” Mairi said happily.

Vilma cringed. “You sure you don’t want something more exciting? Like maybe something with monsters, demons, ghosts---”

          Norah coughed, not-so-subtly reminding Vilma that she was already treading on thin ice and putting them in danger with Social Services.

          Vilma sent her older sister a look over their orphaned niece’s head. This is why I don’t want to have kids. Stories with happily-ever-after endings? When she was Hollywood’s favorite divorce lawyer? But then she looked at her niece, saw her wide-eyed look of fright and said hastily, “I’m totally kidding. You know how I am, don’t you, sweetie? Always making jokes?”

          Mairi nodded slowly, even though she didn’t look like she believed a word Vilma said.

          Shit, Vilma thought, her heart breaking at the little’s girl amazing display of loyalty. Maricel – if you’re here, if you’re listening to me – I think you’re goddamn selfish for letting go of that rope when you saw Edward fall. But whatever. Vilma and I are going to do our best to take care of this little one. I promise you that.

           Vilma cleared her throat. “Okay, so, love, huh?”

          Mairi nodded expectantly.

          “Well, once upon a time…” Vilma paused and looked at Norah for support.

          Her sister only gave her another expectant nod.

          What the---

          “This is going to be a really good story,” Norah told Mairi, ignoring the way Vilma glared daggers at her. Of course Vilma had to take the first jab at this storytelling thing. She was a doctor and doctors didn’t really speak that much. She had no training for this. Vilma, though – lawyers never shut up, especially in court. She was meant for this job.

          “There was a prince?”

          “Hell, no.” At Mairi’s look of shock, Vilma quickly said, “I meant, heck no!”

          Mairi frowned. “If there’s no prince then…who’s the boy in the story?”

          A germ of an idea formed inside her brain as Vilma recalled the Harlequin paperbacks she and Norah used to secretly devour when they were teenagers.

          Norah frowned, not liking the little evil gleam in her sister’s eyes. Good Lord! What was she planning?

          Vilma looked down on her niece. “Well, instead of a prince, we have a Greek billionaire. And his name is…” She tried to think of a Greek name. “Well, let’s call him Nik for now.”

          “A…Greek…billionaire?” Mairi was frowning as well. “Like the gods?”

          Vilma was warming to her story. “Yes! Just like the gods! These Greek billionaires are humans, though, but they’re handsome and strong and powerful like the gods. And they’re very rich – they can buy you all the toys in the world!”

          Mairi’s eyes sparkled. “Really?”

          “Yes! Now, all the girls loved them of course, and they wanted to be that one girl to win the Greek billionaire’s heart.”

          When Vilma paused, Norah continued with a smile, “Now, Mairi, the Greek billionaire in this story is like a spoiled prince. He thinks he can get anything he wants! He’ll look at you and say smile. And you must smile or off to the dungeons you go!”

          Mairi gasped. “Just because I didn’t smile?”

          “Yes,” Vilma said seriously.

          “But what if I call 911?”

          Norah choked on a laugh. “Unfortunately, sweetie, there’s no 911 in Greece. You see in Greece, the Greek billionaire is the most powerful man in the land. No one can say no to him and yet, one day he saw a young girl named Mairi…”

          Two hours and three hurriedly summarized versions of Harlequin books later, the two sisters quietly left the room after turning the lights and leaving the bedside lamp on.

          They looked at each other outside Mairi’s room.

          “Going to stock up on Greek billionaire books tomorrow,” Vilma announced.

          Norah grinned. “Exactly what I’m thinking.”

          As they separated in the hallway, heading to their rooms, Vilma paused. “Norah?”

          “Yes?”

          “Do you think we did the right thing?”

          “It’s just a story.”

          The words didn’t make Vilma feel less uneasy. “It’s just…I don’t know.”

          “Vi---stop worrying. Think of it this way. Even if she does grow up thinking a Greek billionaire will one day sweep her off her feet and take her away to his private Greek island – what’s the harm in that? Isn’t that better than being like us?”

          Vilma made herself nod, mumbled a good night to her sister, and prepared for bed. Later, as she closed her eyes to sleep, her sister’s words played again and again in her mind. Norah was right, she told herself. She had to stop worrying. So they substituted a Greek billionaire for the usual fairytale prince. What harm could it do --- right?

For our next entry, I'll see if I can dig out more deleted scenes. Any requests? :)

Open Mic! Any questions?

It's that time of the month again!

I've tried to go as far back as possible, answering blog comments but it's entirely possible as well that I may have missed out on some. If I missed yours, sooooo sorry! =( Blame it on my writing deadlines!

However, that's what this post is all about. If you have a question, now's the time to ask - I'll keep an eye on this!

P.S. If you read this post from Goodreads, it would be very helpful if you can click the link that would take you to the original post on my blog and post your comment there rather than GR so I can quickly answer your questions. Thank you! :)

March 9: Evening for The Art of Forgiving a Greek Billionaire

In case you've been refreshing Amazon and you haven't seen my announcement on my Facebook page, I just want you guys to know that Book 4: The Art of Forgiving a Greek Billionaire will be OUT on MARCH 9, SUNDAY EVENING. 

That's all! :D 

Heart Racer 2: Driven by Love

Just in case you missed my post--- Post by Marian Tee.