Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“Still sounds like a non-emergency.” I underline a clause. “Get out.”
“The series is taking off and it looks like it’ll be just as popular or even more popular than the office romance series.”
“Did you lose your hearing in the last twenty seconds?”
“I’m sure other publishers will be reaching out to her about it.” She keeps talking. “I think we should beat them to the punch while we can.”
“Maybe we’ll make enough back to cover what she owes us on the first advance,” I say, relenting somewhat. “Look into securing the rights from her agent.”
“Even if we did, it would create an entirely different problem.” She moves closer to my desk. “Hence, the emergency.”
I set down my pen and look up.
“What could possibly be the problem, Theresa?”
“She never actually finished the series,” she says. “There are two books left, and the last one ends on a really brutal cliffhanger.”
“So, you want me to consider signing one of our most unreliable authors to a competitive two-book deal without any sense of a release date?” I arch a brow. “While we still don’t have a release date for the other book she owes us?”
She nods, shifting on her feet.
“The books have been sitting at number seven and number eight in the Kindle store for two weeks…” she says softly. “I think it’s worth the investment…”
“On a scale of one to ten, how brutal is the cliffhanger?”
“One hundred.”
THE AUTHOR
HEATHER
“Oh my god, you will never believe this!” Joanna bursts into my place Sunday night like she owns it. “I have some major book tea to share with you.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“It’s about you.” She smiles. “It’s amazing!”
“Can you just…save it for later, please?”
Her smile fades. “Even if it’s the best news in the world?”
“Yeah.” I let out a breath. “I can’t handle any author news or anything for a while.”
“Why?”
“Because after working at Grey Wolf, I’m really starting to see how I fell short of every deadline, every promise—everything,” I say. “I just…I just don’t want to talk about my career, okay?”
Joanna’s lips part like she wants to argue, but she catches herself. Slowly nodding, she lets out a soft sigh. “Okay.”
“Want to help me with some work I had to bring home?”
“Depends on how bad it is.”
“Stuffing envelopes from fans who think threatening the publisher will make certain authors faster.” I hold up one. “This person threatened to bomb the parking lot.”
“I’m totally down for that.”
“Thank you.”
THE CEO
ADRIAN
“Ipretend to be invested in the thriller in my hands, but my eyes betray me every time Heather drifts through my office. I should start one of her books—the ones readers won’t shut up about—but separating her fiction from the reality in front of me feels impossible.”
A knock sounds at my door when the killer is about to be revealed, so I ignore it.
It comes again, and I flip the page in my book.
“Sir?” The door opens without an invitation, and George waves his security badge before stepping inside. “We have a situation in the lobby. A very, uh, crucial situation.”
“Don’t I pay you to handle those things?”
“This one requires your attention—unless you’d like to get the police involved.”
“Fine.” I stand and follow him into the hallway, boarding the open elevator.
As the car descends, I brace myself for the possibilities: a tourist falling into our book-inspired fountain, a staff member sneaking out early copies of an anticipated release (that’s usually what this is about), or…my parents demanding to see me for a lunch date instead of picking up the phone.
When the doors open, the scene in front of me obliterates all of my assumptions.
Pink and purple tents crowd the floor, amidst sleeping bags and glitter-covered picket signs.
Release the book! Give us the Date! Satisfy the Cliffhanger Haters!
What the hell? I move closer to George. “What is this?”
“Sir, I think they’re—”
“We don’t need him to speak for us!” A redhead with a “Fuck Wolf Publishing” sign moves closer. “We are camping out here until you release Allyson Harmony’s books!”
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t stutter, sir.” She looks like she hasn’t slept in days. “She hasn’t posted on TikTok in a month, hasn’t shared any updates, and I’ve been around book publishing long enough to know that something suspicious is going on between you and her.”
There’s no way she knows anything…
Her fellow crazies start moving closer, angling to hear our conversation, hoisting their sparkling signs like they’re storming a castle.
“Don’t look at me like I’m stupid.” She picks up a coffee and takes a long sip before narrowing her eyes at me. “I. Know. The. Signs.”
“The signs of what?”
“The publisher isn’t treating her right or you’re doing something shady behind the scenes, so you’re not publishing her books.” She crosses her arms. “Who in their right mind wouldn’t give the fans something after all her success?”
“That’s a very good question.”