The Only Option. . . Deatri King-Bey drops by with her new novel

Last week I received an email from a reader who said she loved my latest title, The Only Option and wondered where I got the idea from. I explained to the reader that an event usually occurs that sparks an idea for the plot, but that didn’t happen with The Only Option. It just came to me organically. I explained this on my blog also, but now I really want to know where the idea came from.

I often say I have voices in my head, and if I don’t write their stories, they will drive me crazy, so I put my psychosis to work. But something has always happened that woke the voice up.  A triggering event. Yeah, I know I sound crazy, but you’ll find many authors are a little touched in the head.

The best I could come up with was fifteen years ago I had several friends whose marriages had been arranged. Back then I had been fascinated by the topic so asked a gazillion questions. That must have planted the seed. Then a few years ago, the opening of the novel popped into my head. It played out in my mind like a movie on the big screen. That’s all I had. I knew nothing more about the plot. Since I didn’t have a full novel in my head, I carried on writing, but a few months ago, Jonah and Isis said, “It’s our turn!”

Did I tell you I’m a little touched in the head? LOL. So I began writing without knowing where the story would go. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

The Only Option features a new cast of characters I hope you all enjoy. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Sane upwardly-mobile women don’t agree to enter into arranged marriages… Or do they?

Control freak Jonah Tazi comes from a long line of arranged marriages, but the thought of his parents picking his bride never sat well with him. Time is working against Jonah, so he reluctantly agrees to allow his father to find him a proper bride. Then he meets Isis and becomes infatuated with the vibrant, funny, and talented woman. A powerful man used to getting exactly what he wants, exactly when he wants it, he is unprepared when Isis doesn’t agree to his proposal immediately. Now he is determined to convince her (and everyone else) that he and Isis belong together. Jonah intends to be her only option.

Isis Michaels has always been sheltered by her father. The tables have turned, and now she must shelter him. Isis rearranges her life and will do whatever it takes to please her father during the time he has left—almost anything. It becomes clear that he wants to see her settled before he passes. Is marrying Jonah, a man she’s emotionally and physically attracted to but just met, her only option?

Here’s the portion that was in my mind all of those years.

                                                               Chapter One

“Dad, you’re not choosing my wife.” Adjusting his earpiece, Jonah exited the elevator. Fifteen minutes early for an acquisition meeting, he considered himself late.

“You’re a lot closer to forty than thirty. People are starting to talk.”

“I don’t care.” Artwork lined either side of the hallway. The priceless collection had taken Jonah years to build and there were more pieces to acquire.

“Well, I do. Three years. Three years ago you promised to dedicate time to finding a wife.”

“I’ve been busy running a multibillion-dollar corporation.”

“I was just as busy as my father and his father before him. We’ve always had arranged marriages. That didn’t change when my father moved to this country. He did an excellent job of choosing my wife.”

“You’re divorced.” Jonah’s grandfather had moved his wife from Morocco to the United States shortly after their marriage. The majority of the family remained in Morocco and Spain along with many of their traditions. Jonah’s selection of a wife went beyond tradition. As the only son, Jonah believed it was his duty to produce at least one heir to carry on the Tazi name. Time had slipped by too quickly for him to find a wife. A control freak, he hated the idea of his father choosing his wife, but he didn’t see an alternative.

Attracted to the maturity of women his own age, if he waited much longer, the type of woman Jonah wanted wouldn’t be of childbearing age. “Fine, I’ll get married. I take it you have suitable options in mind?”

“Of course I do. I’ll have your assistant set up the meetings.”

“Speaking of meetings, I have one in thirteen minutes. We can talk later.” Jonah disconnected and continued along the hallway. Originally, he’d tried to acquire D. M. Solutions two years ago, but the owner wouldn’t consider his offer.

He rounded the corner, then stopped in his tracks. Few people had access to his private floor, so seeing a woman standing dangerously close to his Auguste Rodin sculpture shocked him. What drew him even more than her presence were her legs. Quite tall himself, he rarely met a woman who reached his shoulders. He’d give his Rembrandt to have her legs wrapped around him as he pushed into her.

Soon he’d be selecting a wife and other women would be off-limits. Currently a free man, Jonah had no intention of allowing the long-legged lovely to pass him by.

I hope you give The Only Option a chance. It’s available in Print, Kindle, and Nook/ePub (via Barnes & Noble) formats.

Thanks for the continued support everyone. I hope you enjoy Isis and Jonah’s story.  And please help spread the word.

You can find me online at: http://www.DeatriKingBey.com,  https://www.facebook.com/deatri, http://www.Twitter.com/DeatriKingBey my dangerously-sexy suspense is written as L. L. Reaper http://www.LLReaper.com

Cheris, thank you so for the continued support. I appreciate all you do.