The First Page: Beckham 101 by Suzanne Eglington





Title: Beckham 101: The Kate and Robert Chronicles
Author: Suzanne Eglington
Publisher: Xlibris
Pages: 280
Genre: Romantic Suspense

BECKHAM 101 is the third installment in the Kate and Robert Chronicles by author Suzanne Eglington. Eglington invites readers into the intimate inner world of the newly wedded duo as they learn to navigate life as a committed couple. Settling down brings new perspectives and people into Kate’s and Robert’s lives, along with the exposure of more of Robert’s mysterious past. For Kate, being married to a top cop means managing both desire and reality.
Following a one-week courtship, Kate submits to her love for Robert, an intense super cop who has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to seize the one women he truly desires. Their quick marriage means frequent amorous entanglements, but it also means that Kate’s knowledge of her new husband’s personal history is limited. Kate must steady herself to cope with the slow unveiling of her husband’s past.
Being the wife of an influential and respected police officer means a change in lifestyle for Kate. Robert is fiercely protective of his wife and enjoys spending as much of his free time with her as possible. Marriage to Robert means Kate has inherited a family of high-performing cops who not only open their hearts for her but also provide protection when ghosts from Robert’s past threaten to harm her.         
In BECKHAM 101, the author introduces new characters into the series, including Robert’s best friend, Jimmy and Kate’s wise and skilled Uncle Jack. As with the two previous books in the Kate and Robert Chronicles, Eglington’s mission is to offer readers a respite from their daily lives. “First and foremost,” Eglington says she wants her readers to feel “I have entertained you with my characters and possibly left a lasting enjoyable impression that fed the passion and intensity of the love between Kate and Robert. Second, that I was able to take you away from your everyday routine to enjoy some downtime with a story you are falling in love with.” Beyond the steamy intimacy and the thread of danger embedded in her stories, Eglington’s books also highlight the lives of cops. “My stories are about the lives cops lead away from the police department. I want readers to think of the men behind the badge and the people who could be in their lives.”
By gradually revealing some elements of Robert’s past in BECKHAM 101, Eglington is priming readers for the fourth book in this sexy and suspense-filled series.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 The First Page:

Everything Robert had said to me was playing over and over in my head.
“Don’t open the door for anyone. Liam and Kevin have a key. They will call first.”
     They will call first. . .  they will call first . . .
    Why would they break protocol? They were under Robert’s orders.
                  Liam phoned to tell me he had to go out on a call. “Don’t open the door for anyone. . .” And stupid, stupid me, here was “anyone” forcing her way into our home, radiating with conflict. She had caught me off guard, and as my brain started taking in what was happening, I had two choices because this was going to end badly. I could run downstairs, which would be another bad decision on my part. She knew the setup very well because that is where my husband used to take her and all the women he slept with. Talk about feeling used—he never let them sleep over or spend time with him. Hell, he didn’t even let them touch him. It was just sex and then they left.
                  This bitch in front of me—Ms. Fellow officers Christine Foss—was one of his regulars. I hated her so much. And I still hadn’t paid much attention to how the bottom floor was laid out. There was the gym, the bathroom, and a bedroom with a big storage area in the back. Did it have a door? Where was it located? Damn it! I do not like being vulnerable. Everything I needed was located upstairs. Outside of cleaning down there a few times, it was pretty much forgotten that it was part of the house.
                  Survival mode began to erupt. My dad’s poker face slipped on just like he and Uncle Jack taught me to show no emotion in a conflict. Uncle Jack said once they read fear, it’s all over. You just gave    

Interview:

Welcome Suzanne Eglington. Can you tell us what your book is about? 

Beckham 101 is the 3rd  installment of the Kate and Robert Chronicles. It starts off by resolving a cliff hanger ending from the previous 2nd installment titled You and I: The Kate and Robert Chronicles. In Beckham 101 is just as the title suggests. You learn more about Kate and Robert especially through the eyes of close family and friend. It acts as a bridge of information to my readers and prepares them for what they are going to find out about the couple in the 4th book titled She’s Got The Jack. The Kate and Robert Chronicles is a six book series.  

The first page is perhaps one of the most important pages in the whole book. It’s what draws the reader into the story. Why did you choose to begin your book this way? 

I had to resolve the cliff hanger ending from the book before You and I: The Kate and Robert Chronicles

In the course of writing your book, how many times would you say that first page changed and for what reasons?

 In Beckham 101 the first page never changed. This is the third installment from a continuing story line of Kate and Robert Beckham. Each book reveals more of a piece of the puzzle with both main characters. The 6th and final book will piece everything together with what is going to be the final shocker and outcome to this world wind relationship.

Was there ever a time after the book was published that you wished you had changed something on the first page? 

No never.. I have loved each of my first pages and there is nothing I would have changed except a better editing team.. I had to re-edit the first book because of so many grammar mistakes and you can only re read your story so many times  in a short timeframe that you are just on auto pilot with the book..

What advice can you give to aspiring authors to stress how important the first page is?

The first page is what draws your reader in. I have picked up books and just opened to the first page and if they have not made me interested I won’t bother.. Write the first page on what you think would catch your attention since it is your style and story line think like a reader..

About the Author

Suzanne Eglington is the author of the Kate and Robert Chronicles series. The three-book series follows the unfolding romance of top cop Robert Beckham and the ravishing Kate Quinn. The titles in the series are Inceptions, You and I, and the recently released Beckham 101. A fourth book in the Kate and Robert Chronicles series is forthcoming.

Suzanne currently resides in Central Massachusetts with her family.

WEBSITE | TWITTER

No comments:

Post a Comment