This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M.H. Cali will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC plus a special edition paperback copy of the book (which includes a physical copy of the novel, an exclusive signed and numbered bookplate, an original sketch inside the book by Laurie Ya, the artist who made the cover, and drew the interior illustrations, and assorted merchandise including coasters, stickers, a tote bag, and more) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY). Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
When life catches up with young and brilliant investment banker Lucas Blake in the form of anonymous threats, his existence is exactly what he always wished it could be.
Or is it really?
He can barely remember what his true aspirations looked like a decade ago. All he knows now is that everything he worked so hard to build could crash down in a split second if whoever is blackmailing him decides to act on it.
To make matters more complicated, the team he ends up hiring to silently find the culprit of those menaces includes Raven Collins. A woman Lucas lost touch with, but who he still can’t get out of his head completely even years after having met her.
As the race to keep him out of harm’s ways unfolds, he enters a journey of self-discovery that might very well make him question the core of his life choices.
When greed, power, and old ideals pair together within a perfect storm is it possible to come out of it unscathed?
Can one’s principles thrive in a system that seems to bend even the strongest minded to its will?
Lucas and Raven are about to find out for themselves.
Enjoy an Excerpt
“Some people do tend to become other versions of themselves when they are away from home.” He presses their foreheads together while dropping his tone to a murmur. “I don’t do that. What you saw is all me.”
She doesn’t miss a beat. “Likewise.”
“We could’ve been a phenomenal match, Rae.”
A breath catches in her throat. His voice is laced with sincerity. It sends her mind spinning.
He dangerously feels as if he could fit in her routine. His personality is magnificently complex, and strangely both fits with and complements her own. She hasn’t had that sentiment toward anyone in her life up to this point.
But she’s only in her early twenties. She has her whole life in front of her. Her future is actively being written. Whatever happened between them here was definitely a fling.
A beautifully intense, and delightfully intoxicating fling.
She has to remember their pledge. This is insignificant.
She relishes in the cool seaside breeze and Lucas’ applying entrancing pressure on her lower back vertebrae for a moment.
Existence is full of fleeting instants and inconsequential events while some others open doors to infinite possibilities. She willingly classified this hook up in the former category as soon as they first kissed.
They’ll go back to their occupations, to their social circles, and to constructing their destinies. This ephemeral liaison will become a distant memory. It was solely a bridge between phases of their respective purposes.
This is what counts.
This is what she has to keep in mind.
However, she still can’t shake the thought that they could’ve been legendary together totally out of her brain, so she offers him the closest truth she can think of.
“Maybe in another life, Luke,” she whispers against his lips.
About the Author:
M.H. Cali is my pen name. From as long as I can remember, writing has been my biggest creative outlet. There are tales that take hold in my brain, and I have to write them. Which means that when it happens, I sit down and do just that.
The world is complex and flawed, and so are the characters inhabiting the universes I build. In my fiction novels, I thrive fleshing out stories that explore multiple themes within. If you ever read any of my works, you’ll notice that I love writing layered characters, having a diverse cast, and that to me quiet moments are just as important—if not more—than action-packed ones.
Storytelling is all about balance in the emotions and events throughout the narrative. It’s my motto.
If I manage to make you feel what the characters are going through, live the events with them, and wonder what is going to happen, then I succeeded.
If you ever give my stories a chance, I hope you enjoy!
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40661999.M_H_Cali
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C9LB1FC7/about
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mhcaliwrites/
Twitter (mostly inactive nowadays): https://www.twitter.com/mhcaliwrites
Bluesky handle (for those over there): mhcaliwrites.bsky.social
Link to buy the book on all platforms (ebook or paperback available): https://books2read.com/BalancingEntropy