Hi guys, we have Andrew Grey popping in today with his upcoming release Noble Intentions, we have a short guest post and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Noble Intentions
Andrew Grey
Robert Ashton is in for the surprise of a lifetime. His mother, a bit of a rebel, raised him away from the rest of the family, and it’s not until he’s contacted by his lawyer about an inheritance that he learns who he truly is: the new Earl of Hantford. His legacy includes ownership of the historic Ashton Park Estate—which needs repairs Robert cannot afford. He’ll simply do what the nobility has done for centuries when in need of money. He’ll marry it.
Tech wizard Daniel Fabian is wealthy and successful. In fact, he has almost everything—except a title to make him worthy in the eyes of the old-money snobs he went to prep school with. His high school reunion is looming, and he’s determined to attend it as a member of the aristocracy.
That’s where Robert comes in.
Daniel has the money, Robert has the name, and both of them know they can help each other out. But their marriage of convenience has the potential to become a real love match—unless a threat to Daniel’s business ruins everything.
Andrew Grey!
This story had an unusual beginning for me. Usually I come up with an idea and write the story. For Noble Intentions, it began as a request form Elizabeth at DSP for a story about nobility and money. I immediately thought of the million dollar American princesses. These were the daughters of American industrialists and millionaires in the gilded age who married their daughter to English aristocracy. Money for a title. These marriages, though many rocky and miserable, resulted in Winston Churchill and ultimately Princess Diana and Prince William, heir to the throne. So when I created Noble Intentions I thought of a story that started with that same premise, but of course it took a number of twists and turns. I had a great deal of fun writing this story. Things aren’t as simple now as they were when these ladies married their nobles or maybe they are. Even then some of the marriages succeeded because they fell in love. Since this is an Andrew Grey story, of course my guys fall in love… and then the fun really starts.
Excerpt
“It’s your fifteenth class reunion and you’re a real success. Of course you’re going to go.”
Daniel shook his head. “I have no interest.”
She came in and sat in one of the chairs. Daniel had built all of his business teams on the philosophy of openness and communication. So while he had an office because he dealt with private matters, his door was almost always open and his walls were glass. He had nothing to hide from the people on his team, and he expected the same from them. That also meant people tended to offer advice and speak their mind—sometimes whether Daniel wanted it or not.
“I didn’t know you went to Lipton. That must have been exciting.” She looked at him strangely. “I always thought your background was more… humble than that.”
Daniel closed the lid on his laptop. “It is.” He didn’t want to get into that right now. There were some things he felt were private, and Joanne was skating very close to them at the moment. “I was on a scholarship.”
She watched him closely for a minute. “I see.”
Sometimes she scared the hell out of him with the way she could grasp the deeper meaning from just a few words. He should have said nothing at all.
“What does that look mean?”
“Nothing. Just that no matter what happened then, you’re extremely successful and you can hold your own with those people.”
Daniel leaned forward. “Those people…,” he began, and swore at himself for taking the bait, “they only cared about where their parents came from. They were all old money, as though that made them better than everyone else. It wasn’t about what you did or how well you did, but how far back you could trace the money in your family. There was a Vanderbilt relative in my class, for God’s sake. And the parents were just as shallow as their children. Yes, I got a good education that gave me a good start into college and beyond, but it was hell, and the last thing I want to do is—”
Joanne scoffed. “There is only one thing that gets you pissy like this, and that’s when you say you don’t want to do something but you really do. You’d love nothing more than to go to that reunion, sitting at the top of the heap in every way possible. You want to go to this shindig real bad and show them just the kind of success you’ve become.”
“Yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “These guys are not going to be impressed or care that I have a big Internet company. They have more money than you can imagine.”
“Like I was going to say. You’re a success, but you have to go with someone.”
“God, I haven’t had the time to date anyone in, what? Three years?”
“Three years, two months, and twelve days, but who’s counting? The thing is, you need to find someone so you can go to this reunion and hold your head high. Hell, you can take the place by storm.” Joanne came around his desk, opened the lid of his computer, and brought up a web page. “This is exactly what you need.”
“A matchmaker?” Daniel figured he’d finally sent Joanne around the bend. Maybe she needed a vacation.
“Why not? This is a discreet, expensive agency with high-class clientele. Lots of guys like you spend all their time working and building their dream, and they forget about a personal life and have no time to date. So the old-fashioned matchmaker has a modern application. I’ll call them and make an appointment for you. They’ll talk to you and get the ball rolling.” She worked through the website. “They don’t discriminate and work with men and women, gay or straight. They even have aristocrats.” She turned the computer so Daniel could see the screen. “Here’s Count Gregor of Villovia and his new wife, Diana. Think about it. A title would certainly burn their asses at the reunion.”
Daniel groaned. “I suppose you aren’t going to leave me alone until I agree to do this.” He could just see the puppy-dog looks he’d get until he complied—like the one she was giving him now. “Sometimes I really hate you.”
About Andrew
Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.
Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Author Links
Amazon Author Page | Barnes and Noble Page | Dreamspinner Press | Facebook | Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey | Goodreads | Twitter | Website
