The Book
Trust: Betrayed
by Cristiane Serruya
Series: Trust Trilogy, Book Two
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Number of pages: 551
Cover Artist: Renata Fontanive
Book Description
Alistair and Sophia have found each other. Their hearts are opening to love again and they are set to have their 'happily ever after'. Or so it seems.
BETRAYED, the second installment of the Trust series, journeys back into the past to reveal their secrets and dark deeds.
Sophia, the ravishing owner of Leibowitz Oil, is determined to have a relationship with Alistair, but a dark and terrible secret lurks beneath the surface she presents to the world. Will she be able to find peace within herself?
Alistair, a powerful banker, is in love with Sophia but has difficulties overcoming his guilt over his daughter's death and his BDSM proclivities. Certain that he doesn't deserve to be loved, he will do everything to push Sophia away, despite his love for her. Will he be able to find redemption?
Ethan, a steel tycoon, no less haunted by his secrets and lies, is still in love with Sophia after their short lived relationship. He now lives in an alternate reality he has created, because the loss of Sophia is too unbearable to face. He will pay any price to have her. Will he have her back in his arms or will he overcome his loss and move on?
Sophia, Ethan and Alistair will need to overcome their guilt, fear and pain and learn to see themselves through forgiving eyes.
Or will they succumb to their misery?
Excerpt
Lodes’s Clinic.
5.47 p.m.
“Hello, Doctor Ben. How are you?” Alistair hugged the doctor and entered his office.
“How are Aunt Elizabeth and Mark?”
“Everyone’s fine, son. Everyone’s fine,” Doctor Lodes repeated as if to assure himself that what he said was true. He motioned for Alistair to sit on the sofa at the end of his office.
Alistair frowned at the strange behavior but complied, sitting on the comfortable gray sofa and stretching his legs. He was tired. He had been working like a mad man lately. “I haven’t seen Mark for a long time. He’s disappeared.”
Doctor Lodes scratched his bald head and sat next to Alistair on the sofa. “You have
been too busy to see your friends, Alistair Connor. Mark got married last week. We missed you at the wedding.”
“What?” Alistair sat up on the sofa. Mark was one of his best friends. “I didn’t get the
invitation.”
“We sent it to your apartment. Heather rang us and talked to Beth. It seems you had a trip planned.”
“We did travel, but I would have postponed it if I had known that Mark was getting
married. It wasn’t that important. We went to Saint Barths for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary which was in February.”
“Well, too late now, son.” Doctor Lodes shrugged. “See that you don’t miss Johansson’s wedding in two weeks. His father told me that Heather has declined as well.”
What? Alistair’s mouth fell open. What’s going on?
“Did you receive the last results from Heather’s exams?” Doctor Lodes continued.
Oh, damn. I forgot Heather’s exams. I don’t even know if she did them after the treatment. Alistair looked sheepishly at the older man and shook his head.
The doctor’s face showed no surprise. “Well then. Alistair Connor, I don’t want you to become nervous with what I’m going to tell you.”
“Too late for that, Doctor Ben. I’ve been freaked out since our appointment in
December.” Alistair almost laughed. But his doctor and friend had such a stern expression on his face that he knew this was no time for humor.
“My boy, I received the confirmation that the moxifloxacin was effective and that the bacteria were eliminated. Nonetheless... It took too long to diagnose and the damage… Treatments are evolving and maybe in the future they can reverse what’s happened-”
“You’re scaring me, Doctor Ben,” Alistair shifted on the sofa and leaned toward the doctor to better look at his soft brown eyes.
The doctor thinned his lips and looked away for an instant.
When he looked back, his face showed a piercing sadness. “I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, Alistair Connor. I’ve known you all your life and I love you as if you were my own son.” He shook his bald head and a cold dreariness sifted through Alistair’s bones. “But the test results arrived this morning. I still had hope…” He inhaled deep, rested his hand over Alistair’s and blurted, “Son, I’m sorry, but the disease has made you infertile.”
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The First Book
Trust : A New Beginning
by Cristiane Serruya
Series: Trust Trilogy, Book One
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Number of pages: 464
Book Description
They are beautiful. They are rich. They are strong willed and successful. They have everything, but love. And each one of them has a dark secret looming in their past.
Sophia is a 25 year old Brazilian widow. Intelligent and ravishing, she flees from her own country after a tragic incident. Hiding from everyone and everything, she remains alone, torn between the love for a dead man, the torment of living without part of her memory and the fear of moving on.
Ethan is one of the most important tycoons in the steel industry. As the memory of an awful evening in his adolescence haunts him night and day, he keeps looking for an elusive woman whom he could love - and who would love him - as he never has in all his 35 years... Until he finds Sophia.
Alistair is a 34 year old powerful banker, searching for one–night stands with women who will warm his bed. And that he can punish physically to abate his anger for his late wife's black deeds and his own guilt for being such a debauched man for so many years. Any woman will do, and he has many to choose from, as they all fall instantly for his manly, devilish charming ways.
In Europe, in the months after October 2009, their paths will cross and clash. Who will win the prize of love?
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Guest Post
Q & A
Hello, Krystal, it’s a great pleasure to be hosted at your enchanting and amazing blog!
It’s a great opportunity to be hosted by you.
- Tell us about yourself—outside the world of writing.
I live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with my husband and two tenage daughters. I'm a lawyer, who specializes in cases of sexual abuse and violence against children and women. I also have a Masters in Business Law and a BA in Fine Arts.
I've always loved to read, write, paint and listen to music. I lived and studied in England, France, Italy and Switzerland. And, of course, Brazil. Traveling is one of my passions - as is keeping fit and healthy.
After twenty-two years of practicing law, I decided to give writing a go. And - amazingly - it was just the piece that was missing in my life.
- What does writing mean to you?
A new passion that complements my life and turned it on a happiest one.
- How long have you been writing?
Since I was a teenager. Small poems, short stories, even kid’s stories for my daughters, these kind of things. But I never had the courage to published them. After all, who would read them? As my eldest daughter said, after a few minutes of open mouthed when I tld her i was starting to write. So much for family support… ;)
- Please tell us about the first thing you wrote for publication. Do you find that your work fits easily into a particular genre?
Oh, yes. the TRUST Trilogy is a contemporary adult romance and THE MODERN MnS is a short poetic philosophical story.
- To what extent do you draw on your own experiences and personality to create your worlds and characters?
I rely heavily on my experience as a lawyer and in my observations of the world. Besides, my family and my friends have such a full life that is easy to drawn creative characters and situations from their experiences.
- What are your greatest joys in writing? And your greatest struggles?
Oh, this is such and easy question to answer. The editing part is the most gruesome. Polishing my book is hard. And the marketing part gives me a headache!
- Do you self-publish, and why or why not?
I started as self-published. It’s nice but as I am a beginner I’m looking for a publishing house that can help me promote my trilogy.
- What are today’s greatest challenges facing authors in general and you in particular?
There are too many books in the market that shouldn’t be there. It detracts from the good work of serious writers.
- Please share your most recently published work with us…
As I said, I have recently published a short poetic philosophical story, THE MODERN MAN and the sequel of Trust: A New Beginning, TRSUT: BETRAYED. The next one is called Trust: Pandora’s Box. In the oven for autumn 2013.
- Where can readers purchase it and in which formats is it available?
It’s available on ebook and paperback on my website, Amazon, CreateSpace.com, Barnes & Noble, on many blogs, sites and bookstores almost over the world.
- What have been your most successful marketing techniques?
Sharing my book with the amazingly kind reviewers who showed interested in reading it.
- What’s next for you?
The Readers’ Favorite Award, where the three book are finalists. I’m anxious. Also, the third book of the trilogy, Pandora’s Box.
After that, I’m going to write another love story. May be a stand along connect with the TRUST Trilogy or even another trilogy. It depends on what my characters demand of me. They are quite domineering, you know?! :)
Krystal, thank you for the opportunity to share my work and thoughts with your readers. I love to answers to comments and questions. I’ll be available these days for those who are interested in posting or asking questions on your amazing blog or also on my website (http://cristianeserruya.com.br) where there is always news about reviews, London restaurants, hotels and tearooms, scrumptious recipes and much more about the books, including a soundtrack for the characters and videos.
About the Author
Cristiane Serruya
I live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with my husband and two daughters. I'm a lawyer, who specializes in cases of sexual abuse and violence against children and women. I also have a Masters in Business Law and a BA in Fine Arts.
I've always loved to read, write and listen to music. I lived and studied in England, France, Italy and Switzerland. Traveling is one of my passions - as is keeping fit and healthy.
After twenty-two years of practicing law, I decided to give writing a go. And - amazingly - it was just the piece that was missing in my life.
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