Hey there Delilah!

Thanks for the chance to appear on your super blog where today I’m talking about

Authors Telling Tales and Characters Making Decisions

Authors are always asked how they get the ideas for their books and like most writers, for me it’s a combination of elements.

When it comes to plot twists and sexy scenes I let my imagination go into free fall and let fantasy take over.

Sometimes a random overheard conversation is gold and my mind races with what ifs and a story pops out of nowhere.

And ever since I was a kid, my vivid dreams and nightmares carry pieces of ideas and feelings that morph into a person caught at the center of an overwhelming crisis.

The idea for A Model Engagement came from a bunch of whys and what ifs in my head as I watched the TV news one night. Yeah I know, TV news- dangerous thing to do, right?

 It was a sexual assault case, involving a powerful, famous, beloved man in media with a sterling reputation accused of sexual misconduct by an unpowerful woman—a relative nobody, well before #metoo and #timesup.

I kept thinking- why don’t people believe her? That thought sparked ideas about why and how this situation could happen and A Model Engagement was born.

 In A Model Engagement, Lacey is an ex-model with a tabloid past. She keeps her sexual assault secret to protect a loved one. Then she realizes she must speak up to have any hope of making the predator pay for his crime and any chance of regaining her piece of mind.

Lacey doesn’t think she’s strong; she blames herself for her predicament, and judges herself harshly for her naiveté. Somehow she finds a courage she didn’t know she had, tells her secret to her best friend, (Sabrina from The Marriage Ultimatum) and fights back.

Where is the romance you say? In the midst this crisis, Lacey meets Connor and man does he fall hard. Connor is used to jumping in and solving everyone’s problems but he’ll do anything to be the man Lacey chooses. And Lacey learns to accept the love of a strong, swoony, teddy bear of a man while reclaiming herself.

There are no graphic scenes of sexual assault in this book.

EXCERPT:

Lacey needed to get it out before she lost her courage. “I’m happy for you, Sabrina, I really am. And I’m not trying to cut you off. It’s just, I’ve got something to say to you, and if I don’t do it real fast, I may lose my nerve.” And my dinner.

“Yeah, of course, Lacey, sure.”

Lacey cleared her throat. “Ok, I’m just going to say it because I don’t know how else to do this. Several months ago I was given a date rape drug and then I was filmed in some sort of, I don’t know, porno, and now I’m paying blackmail.” There she said it. It was sordid, it was horrible and it sounded even worse out loud than it had in her head but she’d finally told another person.

“Wh—at? What! Oh no, Lacey. Oh my God. How did this happen? Who would do such a thing…?”

It was so dark outside that Lacey could see her face reflected in the window. How weird—she didn’t look any different. Outside, beyond the window, beyond the house, nothing was visible. She couldn’t see anything but she could hear the tide beating against the rocks at the bottom of the sandy grass before retreating, then coming back to do it again. The tide grew louder until it roared in her ears like her own blood. She swayed and had to sit on the floor before she fainted. Sabrina was yelling, cursing a blue streak in her ear—who, what, when, where, why.

In contrast, Lacey’s voice when she interrupted her friend’s tirade was unnaturally calm. “Okay, here it is. Remember that photographer who said I was the front runner to be the face for that big Mon Secret campaign?”

“You mean Barry Bixby?”


“You remember.”


“Duh, of course I do. He’s the guy in fashion photography. Since I’ve gotten more into photography, I’ve become more aware of his work. Are you saying he did this? He’s so, so highly…”

“Yeah, highly regarded in the industry. I know.” Lacey put a fist under her chin, pressed her lips together but a small sound escaped.

“Not okay, you’re crying, all right sweetie, don’t make a move,” Sabrina said, “I’m coming over there right now.”

Enter my rafflecopter for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of

A Model Engagement.  Thanks for reading.

Here’s the contest link: a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Model Engagement by Charlotte O’Shay

Lacey Reed jumps at the chance for independence with a career in the big city. But her naivety and ambition blind her to the lure of a blackmailer.

With her savings gone she has nowhere to turn when she literally runs into financier Connor Devlin.

Though dazzled by Lacey, Connor sees the desperation she tries to hide. He hires her as his fake fiancée. Now Lacey has a job and he has a bandage for a family crisis.

When the blackmailer ups the ante, Lacey resolves to face him down— no matter what the consequences.

Does that mean Lacey will lose the only man who’s ever seen who she truly is?

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amazon.com/dp/B074DPCV76/
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-model-engagement-charlotte-oshay/1126899607?ean=2940158616327&st=PLA&sid=NOK_DRS_NOOK+EBooks_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP75008
The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5260-a-model-engagement.html
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-model-engagement
iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-model-engagement/id1267055968?mt=11

About the Author

Charlotte O’Shay was born into a big family and married into another big family.

The drama! The noise! The inspiration!

Negotiating skills honed at the dinner table led her to a career in law. After four beautiful children joined the crowded family tree, Charlotte traded her legal career to write about happily ever afters. She lives on the far westside only 3 subway stops from where she grew up.

When Charlotte isn’t reading or writing steamy contemporaries featuring heroines in crisis and swoony heroes with issues, she’s on the hunt for that perfect pair of sunglasses.

She LOVES to hear from readers.

Sign up to my newsletter to find out about giveaways and new releases: http://eepurl.com/b4lbvn

Web: charlotteoshayauthor.com
Twitter @charlotte_oshay http://twitter.com/charlotte_oshay
Instagram (charlotte_oshay_author)
Facebook (Authorcharlotteoshay)

The City of Dreams series are standalone books linked by the wedding in The Marriage Ultimatum.
Book 1, The Marriage Ultimatum ~ Sabrina & Vlad
Book 2, A Model Engagement ~ Lacey & Connor
Book 3, Their Short Term Affair ~ Honey & Jake
Facebook:  http://facebook.com/charlotteoshayauthor