It’s a delight today to be joining the blog tour for In Too Deep by Elly Redding: published on 3rd February by SilverWood Books, it’s now available in paperback and for kindle from Amazon in the UK and US. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support.
I broke ranks a little on this one – I just couldn’t wait for the tour! Elly was kind enough to sort me out a really early copy so that I could share my review on publication day, and you’ll find that review again here. I’m really looking forward to seeing what other bloggers thought of it, and whether they enjoyed it as much as I did.
Set in the rolling countryside of Devon, In Too Deep is the emotional story of a woman’s determination to win the trust of the man she’s adored since they were thrown together as children, by forcing him to confront the darkness of his long-lost past.
One little lie. A guilty secret. And the man she mustn’t love…
It’s been six years since Isy Forrester left home. In that time, she’s strived to forge a new life for herself in London, away from Jack Mancini, her father’s adopted son, and his devastating betrayal of everything she thought they had.
Only now her father’s in hospital, and the house that’s been in her family for generations is at risk. Forced to return to Devon, she finds Jack as infuriating and stubborn as ever, and just as irresistible. Soon she realises the bright lights of London can’t hold a candle to him.
But Jack has a past, one which he refuses to share with her. And until he can trust her with these deepest secrets, how can she risk her heart? How can she even begin to help him, when he won’t tell her what happened all those years ago – before her father brought him home to Hambledon Hall?
Today, I have an extract to share. In Isy’s quest to help Jack confront the darkness of his long-lost past, she goes into his bedroom whilst he’s away, to see if there’s anything there that might give her a clue as to what it is he fears. Only he returns a little earlier than expected and she is forced to dive under his bed to escape discovery…
Seconds later, she could hear his door open, and footsteps coming towards her. Something heavy was thrown onto the bed, probably his jacket. Then, she guessed, a belt was being undone as a pair of jeans came jangling to a crash on the floor beside her, covering his boots.
You’re meant to take them off downstairs, she wanted to say, the boots not the jeans. Those you’re meant to keep on.
As though he’d read her mind, she could see the action being carried out in reverse. The jeans were definitely being pulled back on.
‘Isy, I know you’re here. I can smell your perfume.’
She could see the boots move away, with more purpose than style. Hear the wardrobe door being opened and shut. And then they returned.
‘You do realise that no one’s swept under there since Mrs White left five years ago, don’t you? And I’m not even sure she did.’
Tell me about it, she wanted to say, trying desperately not to sneeze.
‘And that you will eventually have to come out?’
Not until you’re gone.
‘Alternatively, I could just bend over and drag you out…’
‘Don’t you dare.’ Damn, she’d said that out loud. She heard him burst out laughing. Quickly whipping her hand to her ear, she removed a silver hoop. ‘Found you,’ she declared with a flash of divine inspiration, as she scrambled headfirst into full view, her clothes covered in more dust than a vacuum cleaner bag. ‘You were saying?’
‘I was wondering what you’re doing in my room? If you wanted a tour of the highlights, you only had to ask?’
‘I was looking for you.’
‘What – under my bed?’
‘I lost an earring,’ she retorted, restoring the piece of silver to her ear. ‘And, by the way, you really do need to vacuum under there,’ she added with a couple of well-timed sneezes. ‘Enough dust to start an allergy.’
‘I’ll remember that for the next time you decide to lose an earring.’ He handed her a box of tissues from the top of his chest of drawers.
‘Thanks,’ she said pulling out a few. ‘So glad you retrieved your jeans, else this could have been so much more awkward.’
Like it? So did I…!
Giveaway
With thanks to Elly and Rachel, I’m delighted to offer the chance to win a signed copy of In Too Deep and a box of chocolates (open to UK only) . Here’s the rafflecopter for entry:
Terms and Conditions UK entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
About the author
Elly Redding is an award-winning romance writer. Having originally written screenplays, her first novel, True Colours, won the Festival of Romance’s New Talent Award, and third prize in the Independent Author Book Award Words for the Wounded, as well as being voted Chill with a Book Readers’ Book of the Month Award and receiving a B.R.A.G. Medallion. Born in London, she now divides her time with her husband between Bedfordshire and Devon, where she loves art, dancing and watching the waves.
Elly is a member of the Society of Authors and Alliance of Independent Authors, and would love to hear from you. She can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. To find out more about Elly, you can also visit her website.
A Great read Anne, this has reminded me, I need to write a review x