by: Bella Mason
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 27, 2022
Publisher: Harlequin Presents
A chance meeting...leads to an extraordinary encounter.
Colliding with a masked stranger at a glamorous Melbourne ball sends shy Emma Brown’s pulse skyrocketing. And that’s before he introduces himself as Alexander Hastings, the ultra-rich CEO with a wild side that puts him way out of her league!
Only Alex’s focus is all on Emma. And just this once, she steps out of her family’s shadow and into the billionaire’s penthouse. Their unrivaled connection awakens in Emma a longing for the one thing she’s never allowed herself to want, and the one thing Alex can’t offer her... Forever!
I’m great, thanks!
Congratulations on your first Harlequin Presents release, Awakened by the Wild Billionaire. What can readers respect from it?
Thank you. I think what they can expect is an emotional rollercoaster of a romance. It’s pretty much love at first sight (even though they firmly think it’s just lust or fun) between these two people that carry deep hurts which make them reluctant to believe in love at all.
It’s the story of two souls that have been dealt emotionally unfair hands finding their way to happiness through each other while constantly fighting their connection because it was only ever meant to be a temporary romance. But one night turned into one weekend which turns into however long it takes to work out their attraction. All the while they are falling more and more in love with each other.
I think that’s a very accurate description of what readers will get. Tell me about Emma Brown and Alexander Hastings.
Alex is a young billionaire CEO and if he could help it, that’s all he would be; but his father is an Earl and one day that title will pass down to him. The problem is that he wants to have nothing to do with it. His mother abandoned him and his father and the way Alex sees it is that having a noble title did nothing to keep his family together. If his father hadn’t been expected to marry for duty’s sake then he wouldn’t have married the wrong woman. Because of that, he rebels against it choosing to have no strings affairs instead. Until Emma comes along.
She is the middle daughter. The forgotten one who is disliked by her father and always seen to be lacking. So she’s reserved. Emma puts her dreams on hold for the benefit of her family though they don’t particularly care.
Alex and Emma meet at a charity masquerade when she literally runs into him, and from that moment on all he sees is her. They have this intense chemistry from the start that she gives into for once. From that very first night Alex brings her out of her shell. He helps her be bolder and she in turn offers him an emotional connection that he tries his hardest to fight.
Alex is rather caring and generous but doesn’t think he knows how to love. It’s Emma that shows him that he does.
I'm always curious how authors decide to name their characters. How did you come up with the characters' names?
I always make this a way more complicated process than it needs to be lol.
For Alex I looked up aristocratic names and then cross checked that against names popular in the late eighties/early nineties. Alexander fit the bill and it’s a name I have always loved so it was perfect!
With Emma (just like Alex), I looked up popular names in Australia in the early nineties and loved the name “Emma”. It felt like the only name for the character I was creating in my head so I knew that was it.
I like that. What was your favorite part of Awakened by the Wild Billionaire to write and why?
I think probably when they meet and he asks her to dance and also later in the book when she takes him to her favourite part of the city.
With the dance it felt like everything was starting at this point. Alex was choosing Emma over her sister, we get to see how attracted they are to each other. Get that first taste of their chemistry. It was exciting to write.
With the city scene, I think it’s because that’s one of my favourite spots in Melbourne. On my first night walk through the city something about it just made me stop. I might have taken a picture but I remember standing there for a few minutes and wished I could share this with everyone. Getting to write Alex and Emma there felt like I was making that happen.
I really liked Alex’s reaction to the whole asking Emma to dance scene. It showed that he’s very observant. Can you tell me about one of your favorite scenes from the book, and why is it a favorite?
I think I have a few but the one that stands out to me is when Alex attends the society dinner in his father’s stead and Emma arrives. It’s been a few days of panic and heartache and worry and then she arrives and he realises how much he missed her. At this point, you can see that what they have is love even though Alex isn’t ready to come to that realisation.
That was a really good scene! Just my opinion…Getting notified that you're going to be a Harlequin author has to be beyond amazing. When you got that phone call or email what was the first thing you did?
I first got an email from my editor arranging a time for us to call and immediately I woke my husband up and practically shoved my phone in his face lol. That evening immediately after the call I video-called my parents to give them the news. I didn’t even check the time difference!
What can readers look forward to from you next?
I’m currently working on my second book which is a second chance, secret pregnancy romance. I’ve been busy with revisions on that so watch this space!
You have me intrigued. Bella, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me.
Thank you for having me. ☺️
You’re welcome.
‘I think a dance is a lovely idea,’ Alex replied. ‘Emma, would you like to join me?’ He fixed her with his penetrating stare, his hand outstretched, waiting.
Appearing to be completely shocked, she placed her hand in his. ‘I would love to.’
Emma linked her arm with his as he led her to the dance floor. The last thing she noticed was the very sour look on her sister’s face. There was nothing Emma could want that Lauren wouldn’t have first.
She had no idea what music played as he swept her into his arms—she still could not believe that anyone would choose her over Lauren. That was definitely a first.
As his warm hand came to rest on her back she couldn’t hold back the shiver that ran through her body. She moved effortlessly with him, almost as if she was magnetised to move with him. This was certainly an attraction she had never experienced before.
‘I’m Alexander Hastings, by the way,’ he said softly.
‘I know. I think everyone in Melbourne knows. You’ve caused quite a stir.’
‘Have I?’
He had. And it wasn’t just because of his company. There were many pages and groups on social media dedicated to the appreciation of the thirty-two-year-old playboy billionaire, the son of an English Earl, and his good looks. In almost every picture he appeared with a different date. Every one of them tall, leggy. Polished. Now, being so close to him, she could see why.
She wanted to run her fingers over the stubble on his face, to kiss the sharpness of his jaw, to tug on the soft black hair cut in a short quiff. The look in the sky-blue eyes rimmed by thick dark lashes could set her aflame. It was both intense and predatory.
‘I think you know you have.’ She smiled.
‘I do like the attention.’
He smirked, sliding his hand down to rest on the small of her back, pulling her closer and trapping her in his gaze. Never in her life had she wanted to be kissed so badly.
Alex watched as Emma bit her lip, and it made him want to take her right there in the middle of this ballroom. He valued control and she was making that slip.
‘I think we should get a drink,’ he said, breaking the spell.
Even to his own ears he could hear how low his voice had become. He plucked two flutes of champagne off a tray as a waiter walked by and led Emma out onto the pool terrace. She made a beeline for the railing, looking out at the city bathed in light against an inky sky.
‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ There was a faraway look in her eyes.
‘Unbelievably,’ he said, looking down at her, and handed her a glass of the golden liquid.
Appearing to be completely shocked, she placed her hand in his. ‘I would love to.’
Emma linked her arm with his as he led her to the dance floor. The last thing she noticed was the very sour look on her sister’s face. There was nothing Emma could want that Lauren wouldn’t have first.
She had no idea what music played as he swept her into his arms—she still could not believe that anyone would choose her over Lauren. That was definitely a first.
As his warm hand came to rest on her back she couldn’t hold back the shiver that ran through her body. She moved effortlessly with him, almost as if she was magnetised to move with him. This was certainly an attraction she had never experienced before.
‘I’m Alexander Hastings, by the way,’ he said softly.
‘I know. I think everyone in Melbourne knows. You’ve caused quite a stir.’
‘Have I?’
He had. And it wasn’t just because of his company. There were many pages and groups on social media dedicated to the appreciation of the thirty-two-year-old playboy billionaire, the son of an English Earl, and his good looks. In almost every picture he appeared with a different date. Every one of them tall, leggy. Polished. Now, being so close to him, she could see why.
She wanted to run her fingers over the stubble on his face, to kiss the sharpness of his jaw, to tug on the soft black hair cut in a short quiff. The look in the sky-blue eyes rimmed by thick dark lashes could set her aflame. It was both intense and predatory.
‘I think you know you have.’ She smiled.
‘I do like the attention.’
He smirked, sliding his hand down to rest on the small of her back, pulling her closer and trapping her in his gaze. Never in her life had she wanted to be kissed so badly.
*
Alex watched as Emma bit her lip, and it made him want to take her right there in the middle of this ballroom. He valued control and she was making that slip.
‘I think we should get a drink,’ he said, breaking the spell.
Even to his own ears he could hear how low his voice had become. He plucked two flutes of champagne off a tray as a waiter walked by and led Emma out onto the pool terrace. She made a beeline for the railing, looking out at the city bathed in light against an inky sky.
‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ There was a faraway look in her eyes.
‘Unbelievably,’ he said, looking down at her, and handed her a glass of the golden liquid.
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