BLOG TOUR: Revenge in Rio by Samantha Darling INTERVIEW+GIVEAWAY

Revenge in Rio

by

Samantha Darling

Calculated revenge, unexpected passion…

Business magnate Luca Venancio is returning to Rio to pay his respects to his late brother, and to seduce his once fiancée, Daniella, back into his bed. Five years ago she left him without so much as a word, shunning him and the rich life he could offer in exchange for his younger, reckless brother. Now Luca wants revenge—seduce her and dump her, that's all he intends to do.

 

Blackmailed into a violent farce of a marriage, Daniella had no choice but to comply to protect Luca's life, even though it meant never being able to see him again. Years later, a twist of fate reunites them, throwing her plans of fleeing Rio out of the window and the love of her life straight back in.

Luca's flawless plan soon becomes complicated when he discovers Daniella is expecting his brother's child. It becomes even more complicated when old passions return. Can he actually go through with seducing her, bedding her, and then discarding her?

 "I will get out here," Daniella said, reaching for the door handle.

"No, keep driving," Luca ordered, glaring at the chauffeur and pressing the central lock button.

Although he hadn't been back to the house, he clearly remembered where his brother had lived. It had been his parents' home and he'd grown up there. He would never forget the decrepit building that had desperately needed restoring. Paint had chipped and flaked off of the dreary walls, and the rooms were so small they felt claustrophobic. He'd spent many nights sitting on the roof listening to faint arguments between his parents, whilst he dreamed of a better life.

"You don't think I at least deserve an explanation? Some minor clarification as to why you just left me in the dark?" Luca stared at her intently, and she opened and then quickly closed her mouth again, biting down on her bottom lip until it darkened to a deeper tone of pink.

He kept his eyes on her, not even blinking, as he looked her up and down. She was a shadow of the vibrant girl he remembered; the Daniella he had known five years ago. Sitting beside him now she was scared, the fear was wild in her eyes, and she was clearly malnourished, evident from the black sack of a dress, which hung off her delicate frame.

"When did you last eat something?" It was more of a demand than a question.

"Excuse me?" He finally had her attention.

"You heard me. When did you last eat something?"

"That's none of your business." She pulled the cardigan tighter around her midriff and turned away from him.

"I'm concerned. You look ill."

"Well, I'm not. I'm…I'm…" He watched as she stumbled for her words. "I'm just grieving, okay?"

Fair enough, she may have been grieving for the last twenty-four hours. It was bound to have been a grueling short space of time for her to comprehend Miguel's death and have the customary quick funeral. But what about before Miguel's death? The circles under her eyes and fading blue marks across her jaw were old; her skin and hair were dull and lifeless and told a story.

They sat in silence as the chauffeur strategically maneuvered the Bentley through the favela's never-ending maze of winding roads, passing makeshift house upon house, small street markets, and gangs on each corner. Luca's eyes fixed on the house in front of them when the car eased to a halt a few meters away from their destination, and he recognized it instantly as his childhood home.

Reaching for the door, Daniella pulled on it a couple of times before he pressed the central locking release.

She looked over her shoulder and whispered, "You really have to go now."

He had given in far too easily years ago, this time he was a different man; a man who always got what he wanted, however cruel and ruthless he had to be. He had to remember that. Love had left him weak and feeble. It had taken time to gather himself and learn to never let emotions take over. Work was his haven, a place for him to focus and throw himself and his energy into. He would prove to Daniella that she had made the wrong choice.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Luca's fingers brushed against her dark curls and the nape of her neck. "I'm not going anywhere this time." He leaned closer, his gaze fixed on her mouth. "I've come for something and I intend to get it."

 Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

Sure. I’m 27, star sign Capricorn, favourite food chocolate, I live with my husband of 8 years in the UK with our identical twin boys and two Bedlington terriers.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Yep, from a young age I knew I wanted to write.

Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?

I don’t really have a typical day due to my shift work and the children and the husband and then….yeah the list goes on. LOL. But generally I try to write in the evenings once the children are bathed and in bed, the dinner has been cooked and the house is quieter. Nothing in particular needed apart from laptop.

What would you say is the most challenging or rewarding part of writing?

Rewarding part – most definitely the awesome reviews and when a reader contacts you directly to say they like your work. A very special moment.

Can you please tell us about your latest book?

Sure. It’s called Revenge in Rio and is a contemporary romance published by Beachwalk Press. Love, reunion and revenge all mixed into one hot and emotional cocktail! Luca and Daniella were once an item but she called it off when Luca’s brother blackmailed her to do so. Luca is completely unaware of this and thinks he has simply been ditched in replacement for his younger brother. Fast forward five years and they are reunited when Luca’s brother dies. He sees this as an opportunity to have his revenge on Daniella, to have her in his bed, use her and then ‘ditch’ her as she did so easily to him. Throw in an unplanned pregnancy, some hot sexy scenes and some tenderness and THAT is Revenge in Rio (well, in a nutshell).

How did you come with the idea for this story?

After watching Fast and Furious 5 where some parts are based in Rio, it caught my attention and got my creative juices flowing. Then I just googled and used Pinterest  (which I love!) to get some ideas going, along with brain storming some character traits. And voila! The rest is history.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

They’re secrets. Shhh. But if you promise not to tell….I have a couple of the back burner, simmering away. One is a paranormal and the other is very special and dear to my heart. It’s a romance but not in the conventional form, includes a LOT of heart ache. That’s all I’m sharing LOL, watch this space!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Aimee Duffy, Doris O’Connor, Jane Porter, Martina Cole.

Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?

I wouldn’t say my style. I write from the heart and not a particular style as such. But yes they have inspired me to write after reading their awesome books it definitely spurs me on.

Open your book to a random page and please reads us a few lines.

 “How dare you!” She slapped him hard across the jaw and left a fiery sting. Luca opened his mouth and moved his jaw from side to side a couple of times. She glared at him whilst he massaged his cheek and pride.
“Don’t you patronize me about role models and gang allegiance.” Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. “And don’t you dare think you are better than me just because you’ve had your tattoos removed and run a fancy business. You can’t change who you are inside. This–” She waved her hands up and down in his direction. “—is all a show. A cover up. You haven’t changed one bit.”

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

I’m really looking forward to Blood Torn by Lyndsay Pryor in Autumn 2013.

Have you ever used anyone from your real life encounters in any of your books?

Not in Revenge in Rio. I have a work in progress on the go at the moment (not quite sure when I’ll finish it as I keep flitting to and from it but there are elements in there that are based upon real situations a relative of mine has gone through.

What was the most surprising thing you learned about yourself while you were writing?

To be more confident and believe in myself. 

I live in Essex, not too far from London, with my very understanding husband, our identical twin boys, and two Bedlington Terriers. We're crammed into our rather cozy two-up two-down terrace and we can barely swing a cat, but hey, we love it. I work part-time as a nurse, but when I'm off duty, you will find me either chasing the toddlers around like a headless chicken, head buried in a book, or tapping away at my stories.

I have always loved to read and romance is by far my favorite genre! You can easily escape into such promising worlds, where sexy Alpha males lead the way and strong heroines often can't help but fall head over heels in love. I adore a Happy Ever After, as I'm sure we all do if we're honest, right?

Reading and writing go hand in hand, and from the day I could read, I enjoyed writing. To put pen to paper and conjure up weird and wonderful little stories was what I thrived on! English was my favorite class at school right throughout to secondary, and I will always be thankful for the teachers who gave me the opportunities to develop and be creative! If I remember rightly, one of my first stories was called The Turkey Who Could Talk…but I'll tell you more about that some other day.

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