Adult Women’s Fiction/Romance
This is not your typical love story. It’s not so black and white. Lines are crossed. Walls are smashed. Good becomes bad. Bad becomes very, very good.
Shayda Hijazi—the perfect daughter, the perfect wife, the perfect mother. For thirty-three years she has played by the rules, swallowing secrets, burying dreams, and doing whatever it takes to anchor her family. Shayda Hijazi is about to come face to face with the one thing that can rip it all apart, the one thing her heart has always been denied: love.
Troy Heathgate—untamed, exhilarating, dangerous—a man who does exactly as he pleases. Life bends to his will. Until he comes across the one thing he would give it all up for, but can never have.
Born on the same day in opposite corners of the world, their lives collide. And nothing is ever the same again. Now Shayda is flying free and Troy has found the one thing that centers his soul, but even as they beat the odds, a cancer diagnosis puts Shayda in a painful dilemma. On the one hand is the man who makes her feel gloriously alive and on the other, her children, and a husband ravaged by the past.
Spanning three decades, 53 Letters for My Lover is a fiercely sensual, emotional ride to the heart of an epic, forbidden love that defies it all—an intimate exploration of love, loyalty, passion, betrayal, and the human yearning for hope, happiness and redemption.
AUTHOR WARNING: This book is a blend of women’s fiction and romance. It involves infidelity and an attempted rape. If you are not comfortable with these subjects, this may not be the best book for you.
FROM HIS LIPS (A 53 Letters Short Story) – FREE
Troy Heathgate has it all – brains, brawn and the kind of smile that just begs a ribbon. Everything but the woman he loves. But now he’s back and determined to possess her. There’s just one catch – she’s married to another man.
This short teaser story (9,500 words, 38 pages) is a re-telling of select scenes from ‘ 53 Letters For My Lover’. It is narrated from the male point of view – raw and uncut.
***This is a companion to the full length novel. Although you can read it on its own, the recommended order is after the full length novel, as an extra glimpse into the hero’s perspective.****
About the Author:
Leylah Attar writes stories about love—shaken, stirred and served with a twist. When she’s not writing, she can be found pursuing her other passions: photography, food, family and travel. Sometimes she disappears into the black hole of the internet, but can usually be enticed out with chocolate.
Author’s Social Media Links
http://www.leylahattar.com/
https://www.facebook.com/leylah.attar
https://twitter.com/leylahattar
http://www.pinterest.com/leylahattar/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8126161.Leylah_Attar
EXCERPT
The doorbell rings. Repeatedly. Followed by loud thumping on the door.
“Coming, coming! Now what did you what forget?” I swing the door open.
My heart screeches to a slamming halt. “Troy.” I turn pale. “You…you shouldn’t be here.”
“No?” He storms past me into the house. “Where should I be, Shayda? Waiting by the phone? Staking out your office? Checking my email? Where the fuck, Shayda?” His fist slams into the console table, so ‘fuck’ is an obscure, jarring thud, like some censored song on the radio.
“I changed my mind.”
“You changed your mind. Just like that?” He starts pacing the hallway. “And when were you were planning to tell me exactly? When, Shayda?”
“I made a mistake.” My voice quivers. “I got caught up in the moment. We were alone, we were away. It was…it was all an illusion.”
“An illusion?” He pulls me hard against him. Our bodies collide, knocking the breath out of me. “Is this an illusion?”
His lips assault mine.
“And this?” His hand slides under my dress, claiming my thigh.
“What about this, Shayda?” He pushes my panties aside and slides two fingers inside.
“Tell me, Shayda. Tell me this is all in my head.” He shoves me against the door and deepens his strokes. “Tell me this is nothing.” He rubs his fingers on my neck, leaving the unmistakable trail of my reaction.
“This is you, Shayda.” His finger slips inside my mouth. “Your taste, your smell, your skin, your touch.” He grabs me by the hair and pulls my head back. “Tell me you’re not real, Shayda. Tell me!”
I feel the gathump gathump of his heart. Our breath comes in short, shallow gasps. His eyes darken, black holes pushing sky blue irises to the edges of raw emotion. Hunger. Anger. Love. Pain.
onceuponabookblog.com 