Guest Author Day with Shawna Delacorte : Changing the Past

 

I have a new release (Wednesday, May 22, 2024) I'd like to share with you—CHANGING THE PAST by USA Today Bestselling author Shawna Delacorte, a contemporary romance published by The Wild Rose Press available in both ebook and print.

CHANGING THE PAST is a journey through shattered emotions, trying to rebuild anew from the past. It's about Meg Wainright's deep pain from the betrayal of her love, her broken heart, and her shattered trust over a relationship she thought would last a lifetime. It's about Blaine Reeves and his major regret over a horrible decision he made ten years ago, a decision made out of fear, one that has lived inside him every day since then. The story of whether two people can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to change the past and find a second chance at happiness for the future.

 

It's also the story of Crista Franklin, Blaine's older sister, and Dennis Mallory, managing editor at Blaine's publishing company—two people who have been platonic friends for several years. Crista's recent divorce after 25 years of marriage suddenly opens the door to a new level of their friendship, one that draws them closer but also leaves each of them frightened about where it seems to be going and the emotional impact.

 

The story is about overcoming the past to discover a future that will last a lifetime—undoing the old in order to embrace the new, where true love can overcome devastating obstacles.

 

Synopsis:

Prologue (in Los Angeles, California):  Meg Wainwright was head over heels in love with Blaine Reeves and thought he felt the same. She was devastated when he suddenly walked out of her life without any warning.

 

Story (in London, England):  Ten years later, successful photographer-writer Meg arrives in London to photograph and write the first in a series of travel book for a British publishing company. She meets with Dennis Mallory, the Managing Editor. He's handsome and charming, and makes no effort to hide his lusty desires towards Meg.

 

The next day she discovers the publishing company is owned by Blaine who manipulated circumstances to get her to London. He tells her he has missed her and wants her back in his life. He offers his explanation of what happened ten years ago, why he really walked out on her.

 

Hearing the truth is as shocking and hurtful as the original breakup. All the old wounds are ripped open. Meg angrily tells Blaine she wants nothing to do with him but knows she is legally bound to the contract she signed to do the travel book. She reluctantly admits to herself that she never stopped loving him but knows she'll never be able to trust him again.

 

His plans to win Meg back are complicated by Dennis who has no knowledge of the history between Meg and Blaine and is seriously pursuing her. Blaine tries to warn Meg about Dennis, but this only adds to Meg's anger as she attributes Blaine's warning to jealousy and possessiveness. She informs him that he has no right to tell her who she can and cannot see. He forfeited that privilege ten years ago when he walked out on her.

 

Blaine needs someone he can trust to help protect Meg from Dennis' very successful track record with women. He calls Crista, his sister who is eight years older, and asks her to come to London right away, telling her a change of scenery will help her adjust following her recent divorce from her husband of twenty-five years. Blaine explains to Crista about Dennis wanting to add Meg to his collection of women. Crista is surprised to hear of the way Blaine has manipulated the circumstances that brought Meg to London.

 

Crista and Dennis have been good friends for eight years [a subplot], ever since Dennis came to work for Blaine. A close platonic friendship with a woman is a situation totally out of character for Dennis. At the age of forty-four, Dennis has been doing a little bit of soul searching about his lifestyle. The little twinges of dissatisfaction are brought to the forefront by his meeting Meg. She has class, intelligence and style, quite unlike the long string of shallow women who usually  occupy his time and bed.

 

Meg has a couple of dinner dates with Dennis and finds him charming and witty, a pleasant diversion from the tension filled days spent with Blaine. One night Dennis finds Meg in a vulnerable moment from her most recent confrontation with Blaine and becomes too aggressive. She slaps his face and tells him to leave. Dennis is shocked at the realization of his own actions and distraught by how he has unintentionally treated Meg. He has two rules—he doesn't sleep with married women and both parties are totally willing or it doesn't happen.

 

Crista arrives in London. She tells Blaine he hurt Meg very deeply and totally betrayed her trust. He might have to accept making love to her knowing she will never allow any more than that. He will never be able to win back the trust he destroyed.

 

He also tells Crista about his belief that Dennis has seduced Meg. If it had been anyone other than Dennis he would have punched him out and fired him on the spot. Dennis is the best Managing Editor in the business. He came to work for Blaine's company in the early days of start-up at a greatly reduced salary, never takes advantage of his expense account and is a very important factor in Blaine's company becoming so successful so quickly. He knows he owes Dennis a great deal, a situation that leaves Blaine with difficult conflicting emotions.

 

Crista and Dennis have dinner, as they always do when Crista is in town, only this time it is not the same. With Crista's divorce removing the obstacle of her being a married woman, she and Dennis find there is much more between them than the platonic friendship they have always enjoyed. Crista is exactly the type of woman Dennis has always wanted. Crista finds Dennis to be the perfect person to help restore her sense of self-worth and help her feel like a desirable woman—things that marital discord and a philandering husband have stolen from her.

 

Dennis and Crista go away together for the weekend, a situation that leaves Blaine very unhappy. Dennis is not the smooth, devil-may-care type of person everyone thinks he is. Crista has always suspected this and is the first to see through his façade.

 

Their weekend together is a time in which even Dennis is experiencing nervous apprehension over the change in his relationship with Crista. He tells her he does not want to make any mistakes with her, does not want to destroy the eight years of friendship they have enjoyed. He opens up to her, voicing his own insecurities and fears of the future. For her part, Crista is nervous about making love with Dennis. She fears that someone of his experience and reputation will find her woefully inadequate. Each find their fears and concerns quickly disappear as they get to know each on a new, intimate level that for Dennis is an emergence into the world of caring and closeness rather than sex for its own sake. Crista feels alive and desirable for the first time in many years.

 

Crista pointedly asks Dennis about whether he and Meg have made love. Dennis is reluctant to talk about what happened, still ashamed of his own actions. He finally tells her the truth and she persuades him to Blaine. Dennis and Blaine talk about Dennis' new relationship with Crista and he puts Blaine's mind at ease about Meg.

 

Blaine wants to make a commitment to Meg but doesn't know what she wants. She is afraid of where this renewed situation will lead. He hasn't offered her a commitment for the future and she is still afraid to again trust him with her emotions.

 

Crista is the catalyst that prompts Meg to finally put her fears aside, accept Blaine's sincere words of love and tell him how she feels. Blaine is ecstatic and asks Meg to marry him.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Past-Shawna-Delacorte-ebook/dp/B0CTHSZFST

Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/changing-the-past-shawna-delacorte/1145014722?ean=9781509254798

 

Blurb:

Successful freelance photojournalist Meg Wainwright is offered the assignment of her dreams—photographing and writing a new line of travel books for a publisher in the UK. But when she arrives, she learns she’ll be working for the man who walked out on her ten years ago without an explanation and left her heartbroken.

 

Blaine Reeves regrets leaving the only woman he ever loved. Luring her to London without revealing his involvement might not be his best plan. He can only hope it’s not too late to change the past.

 

Shawna Delacorte Biography:

USA TODAY Best Selling Author Shawna Delacorte lived most of her life in Los Angeles and worked in television production. She combined her avocation of photography and interest in writing to do magazine articles featuring her photographs. Her friends said she should utilize her television contacts and write scripts. She enrolled in a screen writing class at UCLA.  By the close of class, she knew screen writing was not for her but she did want to try writing a novel. Her first sale was to Harlequin followed by 20 more Harlequin novels for their Desire and Intrigue lines.

www.shawnadelacorte.com     https://shawnadelacorte.blogspot.com