July 25, 2013

Chewing the Fat with...Deatri King-Bey

Deatri King-Bey has been a published author since 2006. She’s one of the hardest-working women in publishing, being on the organizing committee for the Romance Slam Jam annual conference for at least the last five years, moderating several Facebook groups, operating an editing service, and somehow finding time to write those books readers love!

Deatri's newest release (available in both print and eBook formats) is The Only Option. In the words of the review of author Angelia Vernon Menchan, The Only Option is “an interesting, entertaining look at arranged marriage, family ties and secrets.” Now, if that's not intriguing, I don't know what is! (of course, novels about family secrets are one of my favorite themes…) So check out what Deatri has to say, and show her some love by leaving her a comment!

 

Tell us a little about The Only Option.

Deatri says:  Sane, upwardly-mobile women don’t agree to enter into arranged marriages…or do they?

Control freak Jonah Tazi comes from a long line of arranged marriages, but the thought of his parents picking his bride never sat well with him. Time is working against Jonah, so he reluctantly agrees to allow his father to find him a proper bride. Then he meets Isis and becomes infatuated with the vibrant, funny, and talented woman. A powerful man used to getting exactly what he wants, exactly when he wants it, he is unprepared when Isis doesn’t agree to his proposal immediately. Now he is determined to convince her (and everyone else) that he and Isis belong together. Jonah intends to be her only option.

Isis Michaels has always been sheltered by her father. The tables have turned, and now she must shelter him. Isis rearranges her life and will do whatever it takes to please her father during the time he has left—almost anything. It becomes clear that he wants to see her settled before he passes. Is marrying Jonah, a man she’s emotionally and physically attracted to but just met, her only option?

Please share with us your inspiration to write this story. 

Deatri says: I’m a tad bit psycho (as most authors are). I have voices in my head. It’s kind of like multiple personality disorder. Anywho, there is usually a triggering event that brings a new voice forward. For example, when I saw my grandson playing with the puppy, Gloria from my Write Brothers Series, popped into my head and started telling me about her family. The first book started off with her grandson playing with a puppy.

For The Only Option, there was no triggering event. The opening of the first scene just appeared in my mind’s eye and plagued me like a bad dream for years. I say bad because it was driving me crazy. I only saw the opening of the first scene and no dialogue. I knew what the profession of the hero and heroine were and I knew her name, but that was it. Then a few months ago, Isis demanded I get to writing their book. So, without knowing where the characters would lead, I just started writing and the result was The Only Option.

What romance subgenre would you say this book is, or does it defy classification other than contemporary romance? 

Deatri says: It’s a contemporary romance.

Will this be a series, or will there be future books featuring other characters introduced in this story? If yes to either, any approximate timeframe for the next book? 

Deatri says: This book will not be a series, but I will be writing the stories of some of the secondary characters.

Do you happen to have an excerpt with you that you can share with us?  

Deatri says: I surely do. Here is the opening of the first scene, the one that plagued me for years. For me it was like a silent movie that they forgot to put the captions on. Don’t worry, I’ve given you the dialogue. 

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Chapter One

“Dad, you’re not choosing my wife.” Adjusting his earpiece, Jonah exited the elevator. Fifteen minutes early for an acquisition meeting, he considered himself late.

“You’re a lot closer to forty than thirty. People are starting to talk.”

“I don’t care.” Artwork lined either side of the hallway. The priceless collection had taken Jonah years to build and there were more pieces to acquire.

“Well, I do. Three years. Three years ago you promised to dedicate time to finding a wife.”

“I’ve been busy running a multibillion-dollar corporation.”

“I was just as busy as my father and his father before him. We’ve always had arranged marriages. That didn’t change when my father moved to this country. He did an excellent job of choosing my wife.”

“You’re divorced.” Jonah’s grandfather had moved his wife from Morocco to the United States shortly after their marriage. The majority of the family remained in Morocco and Spain along with many of their traditions. Jonah’s selection of a wife went beyond tradition. As the only son, Jonah believed it was his duty to produce at least one heir to carry on the Tazi name. Time had slipped by too quickly for him to find a wife. A control freak, he hated the idea of his father choosing his wife, but he didn’t see an alternative.

Attracted to the maturity of women his own age, if he waited much longer, the type of woman Jonah wanted wouldn’t be of childbearing age. “Fine, I’ll get married. I take it you have suitable options in mind?”

“Of course I do. I’ll have your assistant set up the meetings.”

“Speaking of meetings, I have one in thirteen minutes. We can talk later.” Jonah disconnected and continued along the hallway. Originally, he’d tried to acquire D. M. Solutions two years ago, but the owner wouldn’t consider his offer.

He rounded the corner, then stopped in his tracks. Few people had access to his private floor, so seeing a woman standing dangerously close to his Auguste Rodin sculpture shocked him. What drew him even more than her presence were her legs. Quite tall himself, he rarely met a woman who reached his shoulders. He’d give his Rembrandt to have her legs wrapped around him as he pushed into her.

Soon he’d be selecting a wife and other women would be off-limits. Currently a free man, Jonah had no intention of allowing the long-legged lovely to pass him by.

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How can readers purchase The Only Option?

Deatri says: Print, Kindle, and Nook/ePub (via Barnes & Noble) formats.

Thanks for the continued support, everyone. I hope you enjoy Isis and Jonah’s story.  And please help spread the word.

You can find me online at: http://www.DeatriKingBey.com, https://www.facebook.com/deatri, http://www.Twitter.com/DeatriKingBey my dangerously-sexy suspense is written as L. L. Reaper http://www.LLReaper.com

Bettye, thank you so much for the continued support. I appreciate all you do.