Trusting Ingrid
by
Libby Campbell
Release date: June 14, 2018 by Blushing Books
Genre / keywords: addiction, alcoholism, broken, alpha
hero, romance, second chance, erotica
Length: 82,000 words – 280 pages
Artwork attached separately
·
Warning sirens scream in Ingrid’s head. She
silences them.
·
Ingrid
Nickel doesn’t want to go into rehab. Again. She tried it once but it didn’t
work.
When
she meets Lachlan Morrison, the connection is electric. She sees a handsome
man, directing and challenging, who won’t be intimidated by a powerful woman
like her. He sees a woman whose bluster and sarcasm is a cover for something
deep inside her that is badly broken.
The
daughter of a grifter, Ingrid has grown up street-wise and lawless. Lachlan has
rescued more than one creature whose bark was worse than its bite.
Will
his stern, loving magic work on Ingrid?
Publishers note: Although loosely part of a series, this spicy romance can be read
as a stand alone story. It includes scenes of domestic discipline and power
exchanges.
Excerpt:
Ingrid balked. “I think I’ve been pretty
productive the past few years. I’ve been the top salesperson in the province.
Do you have any idea how much real estate I’ve sold?”
“No and I don’t particularly care either.
I’m talking about you learning to develop a moral code, to be the type of
person that Glyn and Rachel can invite into their house without having to count
the silver before you leave.”
A guilty blush crept over Ingrid at that
suggestion. She had already decided not to slip one of their antique silver
spoons into her suitcase, but how had Lachlan known she’d even thought about
it?
“I’m speaking metaphorically,” he said.
“What I mean is that I’d like to be with the sort of woman I can take anywhere
and not have to watch what she does when she thinks no one is looking.”
“I don’t know if I can be that woman.”
“I’m sure you can or I wouldn’t be here
now. I’ve known someone like you in my past. She was much younger when we got
together so she had fewer, less ingrained bad habits to correct. I was also
younger and a lot less experienced then. I think I can straighten you out much
faster, now.”
“Straighten me out?” Ingrid pursed her lips
for a second. “What does that look, taste, and feel like?”
“It looks like you, bare-bottomed,
stretched over my knee. It tastes like you eating humble pie when you go back
to that cinema tomorrow and apologize for spoiling one of their seats and offer
to pay for the cost of cleaning. It feels like my hand falling hard and fast on
your upturned derrière.”
Ingrid’s throat turned desert dry, as
feelings pinballed through her. She’d have to try to be honest, something she’d
never done before. Sure, she was trying to move her life in that direction
anyway but now Lachlan would be watching her. He would spank her if she failed.
He might give up on her entirely if she wasn’t willing to try.
“So you want to punish me like I’m a
recalcitrant child?” she asked.
“To put it plainly yes, if you agree. From
where I’m sitting, from everything I know about you, your life was a train
wreck last year. Until you’ve got a much stronger moral compass, you obviously
need help.” He patted her two clasped hands with his one free one before
letting them go.
She sat back, savoring the lingering
strength of his touch. Heat rose from her clenching pussy. This was it, the
dangerous, exciting aspect of love that she’d been so curious about. It was too
late to discuss it with Rachel, to get an overview. She could either jump in
and learn firsthand or she could turn her back on the most terrifying, alluring
offer anyone had ever made her.
Don’t miss these
other great books from Libby Campbell and Blushing Books:
The Romancing the Coast Series
A Time For Will
Simon in Charge – 3 book boxset
More about Libby
Campbell:
Libby Campbell’s stories celebrate romance
with a spicy power exchange. Her women are strong and challenge the powerful
men who love them.
Libby has lived all over Canada, but the
best decision of her life was when she moved to Australia to marry her leading
man. After many years there, they moved back to the Pacific Northwest. They now
live in a leafy neighborhood close to the sea.
Libby’s passions are reading and writing.
She also loves hiking and an occasional night of dancing.
Connect with Libby
Campbell on social media:
Visit her website and blog here: Libby Campbell
Follow her on Twitter: @LibbyC26
Author Q&A,
please use no more than 4 or 5 of the following questions:
Where did Ingrid
come from?
Those who have
read the Simon in Charge series may remember her as the realtor who sold Simon
and Sadie their Vancouver mansion. When she waltzed into that book, sassy and
confronting, I had to know more about her. The only way to do that was to write
her story.
Was there a
particular reason to choose the subject of addiction?
It seemed clear to
me from Ingrid’s behaviour in Sadie Says
I Do, that she had some deep problems, definitely some that involved
alcohol. Plus so many families these days have been touched by the destructive
force of substance abuse, I wanted to tell at least one such story with a happy
ending.
Ingrid is a
lawless sort of character. Is she based on your own experiences?
You mean have I
ever broken the law? Hm. I plead the 5th. Can a Canadian do that?
I remember my
first speeding ticket though. I was driving home from a friend’s late at night.
Dolly Parton’s Joelene, one of my
favorite songs, was playing on the radio. The car behind me was driving really
close so I sped up. The faster I went, the faster that car went. Right until
they put on their lights and sirens.
As to any other
breaches of the law, I’m taking the advice of the late, great Ingrid Bergman
and reminding myself that happiness is good health and a bad memory.
Trusting Ingrid is longer than any of your other books,
isn’t it?
True. Almost twice
as long. In fact when I was writing it, I tried to think of ways to shorten it
but I couldn’t because Ingrid is a complex, troubled woman from a difficult
background. Some stories take longer than others.
Are there any
other way that writing this book was different from your others?
Other than the
sheer length of it, the editing process was quite unusual. I was on an extended
road trip with my Leading Man when my editor’s comments reached me. We were in
Jackson Wyoming in a small, dark motel room with last century wiring. I was
feeling physical cramped at the tiny built in desk and wrenched the extension
cord to try to get more elbow room. I knocked my water glass which spilled over
my computer.
My reflexes were
fast and I dried it with a towel and continued to work. Or tried to work.
Ha. Within minutes
my keyboard and mouse were useless. My motherboard was fried.
Coincidentally
many years ago when the Leading Man was hitchhiking around America, he drowned
his camera in the Snake River, not far from where we were staying that night.
If we ever go back there, we’re going to be very cautious with all electronics.
How did you
recover from that?
Luckily my SSD
(solid state drive) was fine. My Leading Man is a computer whiz and I had good
back up. He gave me his laptop to continue and I was able to turn this part of
the project around fast. That was a good thing. The following three nights we
were in Yellowstone National Park. There is very little WiFi there. What’s
available is only in the lobby of the buildings and it’s expensive.
Any comments on
the title?
Like all the books
in this series, it’s meant to have a number of interpretations. Ingrid has to
trust herself. Lachlan has to trust her. Ingrid has to learn to trust Lachlan,
to trust other people. She’s been a lone wolf her entire life until she meets
Lachlan. What he wants from her is a big ask.
We see a lot of what makes your female
leads clench. What makes you clench?
Easy – the Leading
Man. His voice. His laugh. Looking at his hands when we’re in public and
thinking about what they do to me in private. A whispered word to me in public.
After all these years, I still like his Australian accent and his often unusual
turn of phrase.
But I’m not blind.
When a gracious, well-mannered man pays attention to me, I still feel a
flirtatious rush, a physical thrill. But it stops there. Attractive R/L men are
like the hot male protagonists in a sexy book: things to enjoy in the
imagination.
What was your
first kiss like?
Disappointing!
I was 15 at a Christmas party. Someone had hung mistletoe over the stereo. I
forgot it was there and went to adjust the volume of the music. A guy I didn’t
like at all came over, wrapped me in a bear hug and kissed me. I remember
thinking, ‘Well that’s ruined then. That is now and forever my first kiss.’
At
that age, everything was very dramatic to me. I realize now that one
disappointment doesn’t spoil what life brings next.
What
was your best kiss?
That’s
easy: on our first date my husband threated to spank me. That threat made me flush
with desire down to my toes, although I tried to act cool.
When
we were walking home after that dinner, I was primed and ready for him. He’s a
strong lead on the dance floor and as we walked through a park, spun me into
his arms and kissed me. I never wanted it to end. So far it hasn’t.
Anita
www.anitaphilmar.com
