Adult Contemporary Romance Novel.
Warning: 18+
Contains sex scenes and explicit language.
Second chances? Twisted love triangle? Hot steamy sex? Hell YES!
Shattered and
disillusioned after separating from her domineering husband, all Natalie wants,
is a peaceful Christmas vacation in New York City, with her 21 year old
daughter, Olivia. Uncomplicated. No pressure. Fun.
What she
didn’t expect, was meeting a dangerously handsome stranger in an art gallery.
He is charming, sexy as hell, and does funny things to her insides. Her frozen
heart slowly melts as he seduces her, awakening her deepest desires, showing
her that the kind of love she craves is very possible. She wants him as much as
he wants her.
Battling his
demons from the past, famous photographer Nicholas Gallagher has successfully
evaded serious relationships, earning him the title of the world’s most
eligible bachelor. But from the moment he lays eyes on Natalie, she stirs something
in him. Compelled to chase the sadness from her vivid blue eyes, Nick is
captivated by the spirited Australian beauty.
Hot romance.
Steamy sex.
Absolute perfection.
Until Natalie gets a call
from home – one she can’t ignore. In a
fateful moment the game changes and throws her life into chaos. Gabriel, her
jealous ex, wants her back. Two powerful men want her. She is forced to make a
choice that will tear her apart.
Will Natalie make the right
choice? Will she finally find her soul mate, the one person who can look into
her eyes and see deep into her soul, everything she is and everything she
desires… will she finally open her eyes?
A
Stand-alone Novel.
AMAZON REVIEWS
Holy
Crap!!
~ 5 Stars ~ K. Greer
“What a book! Let me just say
the epilogue blew me away!!!!! Blows my mind!
Sit Down, Strap In And Hold
On Tight - Truly An Emotional Ride! ~ 5 Stars ~Lacstines
Amazing, hard to put down
story. This was an excellent read which had you on an emotional rollercoaster.
The epilogue truly did me in. A love story if I ever read one.
Heartbreaking
Love Story. ~ 5 Stars ~ M. Gerena
“Open your Eyes was an
amazing good read from the beginning to the end! I was so emotionally and
mentally invested in the storyline that I experienced sleep deprivation.”
Seriously…Open
Your Eyes & Read It! ~ 5 Stars ~ Torrie
“I am SOOOOO glad that I took
the time to read this book. I loved the story and I loved, loved, loved the
ending. I would recommend this to anyone who asks!!”
Truly,
Madly, Deeply ! ~ 5 Stars ~ R. Brannon
The ups and downs of the book
had me screaming and turning the pages quicker and quicker. Absolutely loved
this read and I think a lot of woman can relate to Natalie. Great read, it will
not disappoint.
Touching!! ~ 5
Stars ~ S. Bachovin
“Loved this book. So
touching. Made me cry. Can't wait to read more from this author.”
Jani has
been married for a long time to a special man, and her two children and their
partners are the sunshine in her life. She is a voracious reader and would
spend her last dollar on a book - always fascinated that for the mere price of
a book, she can escape her world for a while and see through someone else's
eyes.
Besides reading, her favorite 'thing' is traveling - she has traveled the
world, learning about the ways people live and has come to the realization that
no matter where we live, we all ultimately want the same things. Her hobby -
Scrapbooking - keeps her up till way after midnight and her usual subjects are
her family and her travels.
Ever since
she can remember, Jani wanted to write stories about people, about their lives
and loves. Relationships and Happiness - arguably the most difficult things to
master in life and yet exactly what everyone ultimately desires (in her humble
opinion).
Check out her website and blog: http://janikaybooks.blogspot.com.au
Contact Details
Social Media:
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/janikaybooks
Twitter
https://twitter.com/janikaybooks
Blog
Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18272377-open-your-eyes
Purchase Details:
Amazon
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Interview
with Jani Kay – author of ‘Open Your Eyes’
What is it
that you enjoy about writing fiction?
When I write I go into a different world. It is the
purest form of escape. Time stands still. All my senses are engaged. I am fully
alive, but in an alternative universe. It is a feeling unlike any other.
Addictive.
I love peeling back the layers and discovering all
that is hidden beneath the surface of the book characters. I want to keep
digging till I get to the very core of them – of what makes them tick, their
inner desires, their conflicts and fears - searching into their very soul.
I am an observer of people and their behaviours; you
will always find me in the back corner of a café, sipping a latte, watching
people, imagining what goes on in their lives.
When did you
first know you wanted to become a writer?
My childhood dream was to be a writer - I wrote
elaborate stories with well-developed plots and characters. I told my younger
brothers stories I made up as I went, every night before bed. I have a VERY
active imagination... My writing style is the same – I am what is known as a
‘pantser’ - weaving stories by the seat of my pants, making it up as I go,
letting the characters speak for themselves. I merely record the story they
show me in a movie in my head.
As a teenager I spent school vacations reading. I
would start a book in the morning and only close my eyes when done at around 3
am, sleep a bit, wake and start the next book... I have always been a voracious
reader...
I would spend my last dollar on a book. Reading gives
insight into another human being’s thoughts, expands your mind - all for the
small price of a book – often less than the cost of a coffee. Amazing!
What made
you write your first book?
Fear of failure is the biggest stumbling block to
realising our dreams. All my life up until last year, I waited, thinking I had
to write something really profound. Then one day I had an AHA moment - I
realised I didn’t need to, I could simply write what I enjoyed and connected
with - steamy adult romance... seems there are an awful lot of people who like
reading it...
I realised that time is fleeting, that I had do it
NOW - not waiting any longer to realise my dreams. I had to open my eyes to the
possibilities. I didn’t want to die with regrets of never having the courage to
follow my passion of writing.
Tell us
about ‘Open Your Eyes’ – your début novel.
I started writing Open Your Eyes in the air, flying
between Australia and New York in January 2013. It's a very long flight…
I’d just been to New York for New Year – to see the
ball drop in Times Square with my daughter – something on our ‘bucket list’. So
a big part of the story plays off in New York.
In Open Your Eyes, Natalie is a
disillusioned forty year old woman who is in search of inner peace and
tranquillity; she wants to escape her problems by having a fun and relaxing
vacation in NYC with her feisty daughter, Olivia. No pressure, no worries, no
complications…
Natalie believes in second chances in spite of her
demons. Separated from domineering Gabriel – whose cruel and jealous ways hurt
her deeply – she still hopes for reconciliation for her family’s sake.
However, her world is turned upside down when she
unexpectedly meets a charming, seductive bachelor – the famous photographer
Nicholas Gallagher - who awakens her latent desires and sweeps her off her feet
in a delicious holiday romance.
Just as Natalie starts falling for Nick, Fate steps
in. Caught up in a heart wrenching love triangle, she is forced to make a
difficult choice. Gabriel is her first love, the man whose name and children
she bears. Nick truly sees her, deep into her soul. Both men want her. Who will
she choose? Because above all, Natalie wants a second chance at love and
happiness.
So one of the issues we explore in ‘Open Your Eyes’
is how she deals with her search for her true soul mate. Is it ever too late;
are we ever too old to stop yearning for that special connection?
Why is ‘Open
Your Eyes’ based on mature adults?
As a voracious ‘more mature’ reader, I have read a
lot of contemporary romances, particularly all the latest best-selling
romances. And although I enjoyed reading them, I sometimes couldn’t quite
connect as much with the very young heroines. I wanted to read about someone I
could identify with myself, a heroine who had a bit of life experience, who had
been through ups and downs over a few decades of life.
Natalie is forty, experienced and mature, but she
still has a LOT of living left in her. So we follow her journey in ‘Open Your
Eyes’. And yes, sex is still very hot and steamy at that age!! Probably even
better, as she is in the prime of her life...
Extract
from ‘Open Your Eyes’
~Jani
Kay~
…from Chapter 7
Nick
must have sensed that I was awake. He slowly opened his eyes, confused for a
few seconds before remembering where he was. He caught me in the act of staring
at him, drawing in a short sharp breath when he looked down at me, straight
into my eyes. A wicked grin spread over his face as he turned onto his side and
hauled me even closer, encaging me with both his arms.
“What a lovely way to wake up,” he whispered
as he planted a kiss in my hair. His big hand rubbed up my back leisurely, as
if he was savoring the moment, his palm applying just the right amount of
pressure to my spine to make me want to purr. In spite of trying to suppress
it, a small moan escaped my lips as he reached my neck and gently traced up it
with his fingers, till his hand disappeared into my hair. Very gently, he
massaged the base of my scalp till I dug my forehead into his chest, the simple
touch sending ripples of pleasure through my already aroused body.
Good
God! I barely knew the man, but his touch alone could ignite a fire in my belly
of a magnitude I had never experienced before. If he could get this kind of
toe-curling reaction from me by merely massaging my neck, what would making
love with him do to me?
He
gently tugged a fist full of my hair, raising my face up to his. I had closed
my eyes, not wanting him to see the desire burning deep within me. My heart
pounded in my chest as I tried desperately to keep my breathing even.
“Open
your eyes. Look at me,” he whispered. I obeyed, even though it would expose my
deepest feelings, slowly meeting his intense gaze. I gasped at the yearning in
his eyes. My eyes melted into his as he searched my soul, seeing deeper than
anyone ever had.
“Natalie,”
he groaned softly as his head dipped and his lips covered mine. The kiss was
gentle at first, a meeting of mouths and tasting one another. “So sweet,” he
murmured against my mouth, then let his tongue slide along my lips, till I
parted my mouth to let him slip in. He tasted of cheesecake and sleep…and
passion and fire. His silky tongue glided along mine, a mingling of breaths and
raw desire.
His
hand moved down my back to cup my bottom and pull me against his body, closing
the gap between us. So far I had carefully avoided touching in intimate places,
much like a virgin in denial of the awakening of her body.
His
arousal pushed into my belly, and I let out a gasp that he swallowed quickly
with his mouth. My pulse quickened at the feel of his hard length throbbing
against me, only the fabric of our clothing between us. The warm liquid pooling
between my legs begged for more of him, but I lay there, unable to move,
stunned that this man so obviously wanted me. I was getting more and more out
of my depth with every passing moment. I wanted him, yet I wasn’t sure how to
respond.
I’d
never been a one-night stand type of girl. And I definitely didn’t do sex on a
first date. Hell, this wasn’t even supposed to be a date. And he was virtually
a stranger. Yet the want – the longing – in my belly overwhelmed my senses. I
wanted to rub up against his erection; I wanted to kiss him till I was
breathless. But I just lay there, dumbstruck.
“Natalie?”
I
screwed my eyes shut.
“I want you, Natalie. God, how I want you…” He
thrust his pelvis against my stomach, grinding his steel hard length into me to
affirm his words. “But I would never take you now. Not like this.”
His
words had a strange effect on me – calming and evoking feelings of deep trust.
“I
sense your fear, my little one, why are you so afraid?” His husky voice soothed
me over. How could I tell him? Words weren’t enough.
“Open
your eyes so I can see what you’re feeling. It's OK, I won’t hurt you.” Concern
laced his voice. His hand cupped my chin, his thumb gently caressing my lips. I
could drown in his touch alone.
My lids
were heavy. Heavy with desire and pain and fear.
“Open,
Natalie,” he coaxed so gently I couldn’t refuse.
I
forced my eyes to open, my lids lifting slowly, trying to force my gaze to be
neutral. But the moment I looked into his – soft and gentle – all the emotions
came rushing back. This man could look deep into my soul without me uttering a
word.
A sigh
of relief escaped his lips. “You want me too…” he breathed as a wicked, wicked
grin spread over his lips.
He must
have read the confusion in my eyes. “For a moment there I thought you didn’t
want me, little one. But your eyes tell me everything I need to know.”
The
pressure from his thumb increased on my lips, and as a small gasp escaped, he
pushed his thumb into my mouth. I sucked his thumb hungrily, my groin throbbing
with want.
“Ahh,
God,” he groaned. “What you do to me…” He took my hand in his and slipped it
between us, resting my palm on his erection, which had grown even harder and
longer as I touched it. “I want you.” I stroked his length lovingly, my thumb
rubbing over the tip roughly, sucking his thumb harder and harder.
He
pulled his thumb from my mouth and instantly replaced it with a warm wet kiss,
his tongue wild, stroking, teasing, hot and wet.
His
hands slipped under my top, finding my breasts like missiles, pushing my bra
cups up. “You feel so good,” he moaned softly, “a perfect handful,” as his
thumbs rolled and pinched my aching nipples. His words turned me on even more,
the heat between my legs rising, my panties wet with want.
I slung
my leg over his, pressing my body as close to his as I could get it, rubbing my
mound against his throbbing erection, desperate for the friction, pushing him
closer with my leg on his ass. It was driving me wild, in spite of the barrier
of clothing between us.
