Blurb:
A gripping romantic suspense of betrayal, hope and love.
Jessie Hilton is tough. Since the age of fifteen, she has dreamed of being a principal dancer with the Australia Ballet Company. Now at twenty-four, she stands on the brink of fulfilling her dream unaware of a secret buried deep within her.
Ex-military officer, Brad Jordan is rebuilding his life with the help of his boisterous Border collie, Whiskey. After helping Jessie out of a tight spot, he discovers a kindred spirit in the ambitious ballerina.
But with the sudden attention of an unwanted admirer, Jessie’s life begins to spin out of control. Called back to her family home in country New South Wales due to her father’s unforeseen illness, she is torn between career and family. As her dream of being principal dancer fades, her stalker edges ever closer. But there is more to overcome than a lurking psychopath. Can Jessie and Brad confront their own past demons and finally be free?
Award winning author, Diane Demetre writes genre-busting stories which delve deep into the human psyche, and Retribution is no exception. Winner of Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Pro Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript, Retribution is her first romantic suspense. If you love a cast of complex characters, a slow simmering romance and an intriguing plot, don’t miss this page-turning romantic suspense with a twist.
Excerpt:
“But I did find this.” He held up a sealed pink envelope that he’d skewered on the tip of one of Jessie’s kitchen forks. The wary expression on his face kindled a spark of fear in her.
She eyed it with suspicion. “What is it?”
“I’m not sure, but it was propped up on the pillows on your bed and it’s addressed to you. I haven’t touched it.” His flinty gaze riveted her to the spot. An icy shiver skidded down her spine, leaving a path of cold, clammy apprehension.
“You open it.” She rubbed her arms a little too fiercely.
“Do you have any gloves? If this has got fingerprints on it, I don’t want to contaminate evidence.”
“Yes. Under the sink in my bathroom. There’re disposable gloves in a box.” She cocked her head in the direction, indicating he should go and find them. Her legs felt like jelly, and she feared that if she tried to go and get the gloves herself, she’d fall flat on her face.
Within a minute or two, he returned with a pair of gloves that he offered to her. “You’ll have to put them on. They’re too small for me.”
Jessie rubbed her hands, stalling for time. She reached for the gloves and braced herself as if expecting them to send an electric shock up her arms. Doing her best to remain calm, she pushed her hands into the gloves, finishing each with a snap.
He stared at her with an expression of grim determination. “You have to open it, Jessie. If you don’t want to read it, leave it on the table and walk away. I’ll read it if you like.”
Her hands trembled as she plucked the envelope from the fork. The back of it peeled up effortlessly, and she imagined the person who had left it licking it with their vile tongue and sealing it with just enough of their wetness, but not so much as to stick it tight. She swallowed down her revulsion before she gagged on it. Reluctantly, she opened the envelope and eased out an innocent piece of squarely folded pink paper. Flattening it out, she wrenched her gaze away, before she accidentally read its contents.
Diane, thanks so much for stopping by. How did you get started writing?
I finally succumbed to reading Fifty Shades of Grey and became incensed by the premise of a young woman giving away her power to a damaged abuser, I decided to write a counter book about 42year old woman who has sex on her terms…This became Dancing Queen and was the first book in my erotic romance series, The Dance of Love.
What was the inspiration for your book?
The inspiration for my current book, Retribution which is a romantic suspense was to pay tribute to people who have suffered more than most and to explore how some of them find their way out of their trauma while others get caught in a cycle of acting out.
What’s a genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?
Nothing at the moment. Mystery and suspense seem a good fit for me.
Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?
I won’t read or write erotica. It’s too graphic. The sexual relationship has little to do with the story. It’s sex for sex sake.
What are you up to now? Do you have any releases planned, or are you still writing?
On 14th September this year, I’ll be releasing my next romantic suspense, Island of Secrets, a sweeping multi-generational story set on a private island off the coast of Maui. It spans forty years and poses the question of choosing between love or money.
Currently, I’m writing the first in my mystery series which features a recently-widowed female protagonist who finds herself in all sorts of trouble onboard the Silver Galapagos expedition ship. It’s very Agatha Christie.
Alright, now for some random, fun questions. Favorite color?
Can’t choose because all of them have their own wonderful energy.
Favorite movie?
Too hard, too many. One of them would be the classic all-time great musical, American in Paris.
Book that inspired you to become an author?
As I said, FSOG pushed me to write.
You have one superpower. What is it?
Being Iam that Iam.
You can have dinner with any 3 people, dead, alive, fictitious, etc. Who are they?
Jesus, because I want to hear the greatest story ever told from his viewpoint, my mother who died a few years ago and Oprah. I think we’d do a fabulous interview together with JC.
Last question: Which of your characters are you most like and how/why?
Michele Johnston from Dancing Queen
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Author Bio and Links:
Being a passionate woman who’s always done things a little differently, Diane’s diverse career began as a school teacher before she moved into a full-time career as a professional choreographer, director and dancer, strutting her stuff on many stages throughout Australia. She was responsible for the original multi-million dollar extravaganzas at Conrad Jupiter’s Casino, Gold Coast—Starz & Galaxies.
Following her onstage career, Diane’s thirst for knowledge led her into the field of self-development. Using her highly developed communication skills and love of people, she spent many years as a stress & life skills therapist and life coach, teaching individuals, couples and groups the methodologies of personal success and fulfillment.
With her business acumen, Diane launched into the corporate arena, working in a variety of positions as a consultant in marketing, special events, tourism, business strategies, quality management and human resource management. Combining her entertainment and business backgrounds, she returned to the stage as a keynote speaker and corporate facilitator, educating business leaders in the ‘new mindset’ for business and relationship building in the 21st century.
Assuming the pseudonym of the Goddess of Love, she appeared as a guest presenter on Gold FM radio, Gold Coast, a national radio program broadcast to 1.4million listeners. Her weekly program proved popular with Diane providing empowering advice on life, love, sex and relationships, sprinkled with a good dose of humour. Her passion for life and compulsive sharing nature made her a great inspiration to her listeners. As the Goddess of Love she also appeared as a regular guest on the national television program Beauty & the Beast, where her practical insights were televised to viewers across Australia.
When she launched into a writing career, Diane’s debut erotic romance series, the Dance of Love was voted Luminosity Publishing Readers’ Choice Best Books and Best Covers for 2015 and 2016.
Her romantic suspense, Retribution won the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Pro Award 2017 for Best Unpublished Manuscript. Diane loves to write genre-busting stories with a twist. Her works are packed with emotional punch and feature empowered heroines who live life to the fullest, much like the author herself.
