Bad Choices Can Be Deadly
by Monica Lynne Foster
A Chanelle Series Novel – Book 1
Even beautiful, professional, successful women can have relationship drama. And that's Chanelle Slate. First she catches her boyfriend of 12 years in a compromising position. In their bed. And she makes it clear to him and his new lover how she feels about his betrayal. Then, against heavenly advice, she seeks comfort in the arms of her married colleague... until he decides to work on his marriage and moves out of state with his wife. By the time the love she's wanted all of her adult life is finally in front of her, the mistakes, and sins, of her past come back to haunt her. And she quickly learns that it will be impossible for everyone to make it out alive.
Book Review
Monica Lynne Foster is an excellent writer. Just excellent. In her novel, Bad Choices Can Be Deadly, she had my heart racing, trying to figure out who was stalking. It was well-written, fast-paced, a true page-turner. --Victoria Christopher Murray - Author, Stand Your Ground
Excerpt from Bad Choices Can Be Deadly
Prologue
I dropped the handle of my suitcase. “What are you doing?” I screamed to my boyfriend of 12 years as he scrambled to cover himself and I picked up my emergency baseball bat by the side of my bed.
“Chanelle! Chanelle! I can explain.”
I swung the bat and lucky for him he ducked, because the whack of the bat put a nice size dent in my headboard. “You can’t possibly explain this!” My eyes had to be betraying me. There was no way I’d just come home from a business trip and found the love of my life in our bed with his personal trainer. His male personal trainer.
“Honest to God, Chanelle, this isn’t what it looks like!” He held his arms out in front of him, in a futile attempt to block the inevitable future swing of my get-even tool.
“Don’t you dare bring God into your sordid mess! It’s exactly what it looks like! How could I have been so stupid to trust you and give you 12 years of my life! 12! Ugh!” I said, as I swung again, missing him, but connecting with my lamp. Then I turned my fury on Rocco. “And you! I welcomed you into my home!”
“It’s not my fault you can’t give him what I can,” the home wrecker taunted me.
“Not now, Rocco,” Michael yelled.
We’d been together long enough for Michael to know what I was capable of doing, and at this moment, I was thinking I could handle a 20-year bid at the state prison. “Get out! Both of you get out!”
They jumped out of the bed without a stitch of clothing and bent down to pick up their pants.
“No! You don’t get to put on clothes,” I continued shouting, while brandishing my bat.
“Chanelle, it’s winter and it’s freezing outside,” my now ex pleaded.
“You say that like I care! You have exactly one second to be out of my house or I swear to God, I’m gonna catch a case. Now go!”
I chased them down the steps and out my front door. Watching them run butt naked and barefoot down the snowy street of my posh subdivision was suddenly comical. And I began laughing. I sat on the porch and laughed until I cried. But the tears of humor quickly turned to tears of pain as the betrayal set in. Pain that what I thought was a solid relationship was really a sham. Pain that I’d wasted years of my life with a man who could never be committed to me. Pain that I was now… alone.
Chapter 1
One Month Later
“Michael, what are you doing here?” I said when I opened my door and saw my ex standing on my porch…with his new lover.
“We’re here to give you this,” he said, handing me a piece of paper.
I looked at it trying to make out what I was reading. “What is it?”
“You’ve been served.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“You’re suing me?”
“He’s not,” his lover chimed in, while holding Michael’s hand. “I am.”
“This must be a joke.”
“It’s no joke, missy. I’ll see you in court,” the man stealer said, whipping his neck around as though he had long hair instead of a bald head.
I turned on Michael. “And you’re just going to stand here and let him do this to me? Like I never meant anything to you?” I screamed, waving the paper that cemented his betrayal.
“Chanelle, you burned all of my stuff. Everything I owned. So yeah, I’m behind Rocco on this.”
I thought about the bonfire I’d had right after his breach of trust. He was right. I set everything he had ablaze. Even got a fine from the city because of the fire. But it was worth it when he showed up with the moving truck the following day and I handed him pictures of ashes. It would make more sense if he was suing me. But Rocco? What did I do to him?
I watched Rocco and the man I once loved with everything in me walk down my steps and get into their car. Then I groaned and shut the door on a chapter of my life that was closed forever.
( Continued... )
© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Monica Lynne Foster. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.
Intimate Conversation with Monica Lynne Foster
Monica Lynne Foster is an international selling author of Fiction novels and Non-Fiction inspiration. Her novels focus on the lives of relatable characters who continually find themselves at a crossroads. Sometimes they make the right decisions…and sometimes they don’t.
In addition to being an author, Monica and her husband own American Gas Works, a gas contracting company in Michigan. She’s also the co-founder of Women Who Run Their World, a women’s organization whose purpose is to Encourage, Inspire, and Support our Sisters in Our Pursuit to Live Our Lives on Our Terms.
BPM: When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing?
MLF: I started writing when I was 7. I wrote a 4- page story titled Charlie and the Dunce. I remember reading it to my family and receiving applause. Only God knows if it was actually any good. Interestingly enough, my aunt kept it and showed it to me recently. I re-read it and it was pretty good, if I do say so myself. LOL. But it was the beginning of the 2000’s when I read Temptation by Victoria Christopher Murray that the desire to write novels was truly sparked within me. I remember reading her novel and it was the first time I’d read a novel that I enjoyed and didn’t blush my way through it! In 2003, I began working on Bad Choices Can Be Deadly and, because of my corporate career, it took me over 11 years to finally bring it to life.
BPM: Tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you?
MLF: I write because I love it. It gives me life. I write both novels and inspirational non-fiction. With my novels, I enjoy the feeling of freedom that I experience when my mind gets to break away from reality and enter the realm of fantasy. I can be as outrageous or as tame as I want to be. My characters can say and do things that Monica would never say or do. And I always hope and pray that my readers get to take that same mental escape when they’re enjoying my work. When I write my inspirational pieces, I share my life story and how I transitioned from being a corporate executive to an entrepreneur and author. And I write a blog that is a by-product of my quiet time with God.
BPM: How did you initially break into the publishing industry? Did you ever self-publish? Why or why not?
MLF: I am a self-published author and I love it. If I’m being honest, I’ll say that when I first published, I had a negative view of self-publishing. As though self-publishing was inferior to traditional publishing. But what I’ve learned through several bumps in the road is that being a self-published author, with the right team, can be very lucrative and rewarding.
BPM: Do you ever let the book stew – leave it for months and then come back to it?
MLF: Absolutely! I let my first book stew for 11 years! LOL. But seriously, I do put books on pause for various reasons. The books and the characters tell me when they’re ready to be written. I give myself target dates to complete my work, but I’m gentle with myself and if it takes a little longer than I’d anticipated, then I just flow with it.
BPM: Are there any areas of your writing career that you wish you could go back and change?
MLF: Not at all. Because every step we take, even the steps that hurt, lead us to where we are. And I’m very happy with where I am and where I’m going.
BPM: What’s the most important quality a writer should have in your opinion?
MLF: There’s more than one that rank side by side at the top of the list. Writers need to be observant. A great idea for a storyline can come from anywhere. Writers need to have thick skin. Everyone has an opinion and some will have opinions about our work that are complimentary, and others may have negative views. And the same Internet and social media worlds that we need to support us, are the exact same worlds that can crush our bubble. Give everyone the space to have their own thoughts about our work and be okay when it’s less than flattering. Understand that writing is only part of the journey. If we want people to read our work, then we have to be ambassadors for our brand and let people know what we have to offer. And finally, keep the joy. It can be tough at times, dealing with the ancillary parts of the business and the industry. But it’s necessary. Just remember how great you feel when you’re creating. And when you have a particularly tough day, go write something. You’ll feel better!
BPM: Can you share a little of your current work with us? Introduce us to your book and the characters.
MLF: My current novel, Bad Choices Can Be Deadly is about a woman, Chanelle, who appears to have an enviable life. She’s beautiful. She’s a rising star in her company. She has family and friends who love her. She has a man. And then she discovers early in the book that her relationship of 12 years isn’t what she thought it was. After being out of the dating world for years, she finds herself trying to figure it all out and she makes some big mistakes. By the time she finally has true love in front of her, the love that many women desire, the mistakes and sins of her past come back to haunt her. Read Excerpt of Bad Choices Can Be Deadly, go here today.
BPM: What genre is this book? Do you write all of your books in this category? Why?
MLF: The Chanelle Series is Fiction. My novels are all written in this genre. My non-fiction work is Christian motivation/inspiration. I write in the genres that I enjoy reading.
BPM: Do you set out to educate or inspire, entertain or illuminate a particular subject?
MLF: In my novels I like to explore the imperfections in people who have good hearts and mostly good intentions, but who make costly mistakes. And I do that in an entertaining fashion. With my inspiration, I hope that by being transparent with my life, my shortcomings and challenges, as well as my triumphs, I can inspire others to go after what they want out of their own lives.
BPM: What should readers DO after reading this book?
MLF: Review it! Tell others about it if they enjoyed it. And hopefully, they’ll want to read the next in the series, Hands Off My Man, which is currently back on the potter’s wheel and will be re-released soon.
BPM: What are you the most thankful for now?
MLF: I remain thankful and grateful for what’s most important in my life. My God. My family. My relationships. My peace and joy.
BPM: Do you have any advice for people seeking to publish a book?
MLF: Just do it! Seriously. Every author I’ve listened to, interviewed, been coached by, all of them will tell you that they cringe when they think about their first book. You write your first book because everyone has to have a first. As you continue writing, you will continue growing. And improving. In today’s world of self-publishing, you don’t have to wait for some publisher to believe in you. Believe in yourself. Produce a quality product and get to work! I’d also suggest that you find a book coach. Someone with experience can help guide you through the process and save you from making costly mistakes.
BPM: We are here to shine the spotlight on your new book, but what's next?
MLF: I have a few projects in the hopper. Hands Off My Man, is the second in the Chanelle series and that should be out by the end of 2015/ early 2016. I also have Blogging with Monica: 31 Days to Help You Live Your Best Life. It’s a devotional and is coming out for the holidays. And I am accepting submissions for my Mustard Seed Faith project. It’s a collection of short stories and poems by women in specific areas where they have overcome challenges to live their best lives.
BPM: How may our readers follow you online? Please share your social media links and your website address.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mlfoster5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/booksbymlfoster
Website: http://www.monicalynnefoster.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/MonicaLynneFoster
FB: https://www.facebook.com/BooksbyMonicaLynneFoster
Purchase Bad Choices Can Be Deadly – A Chanelle Series Novel – Book 1
EBOOK: http://astore.amazon.com/wwwmonicalynn-20/detail/B0125U3EFK
PAPERBACK: http://astore.amazon.com/wwwmonicalynn-20/detail/0996582517
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