Living the life of a celebrity isn’t always as perfect as it seems.
Katherine Dawson was born into a life of privilege as the heiress to an apparel dynasty. Between judging a reality TV competition for budding fashion designers and having been the face of her family’s clothing line for most of her life, she’s one of the biggest celebrities in her field.
When she becomes engaged to up-and-coming television producer Nathan Taylor, she appears to have it all. To any outsider, she has a picture-perfect life, so when Katherine leaves her groom-to-be at the altar and disappears, the tabloids are full of speculation over her sudden departure.
Fleeing New York to hide out in Seattle, she quickly finds that living the life of an heiress in hiding isn’t as easy as she thought, especially after she meets a magnetic writer named Royce Reynolds. In her new life on the West Coast, she struggles to keep her anonymity, and experiences a relationship with a man who wants her for the person she is, not the celebrity she used to be.
General Release Date: 8th May 2015
“Daddy?”
Katherine Dawson’s voice echoed off the stone walls of St. Patrick’s cathedral. As one of New York City’s oldest churches, the structure had enough prestige and beauty to hold Sunday service, memorials, and it provided the perfect setting for storybook weddings.
When her father didn’t answer right away, Katherine gathered the heavy material of her wedding gown in her hand and walked the few steps to reach her dad. She looked down at the enormous bouquet of flowers in her hand and almost lost her nerve. Yet the longer she stared at the arrangement of white roses, calla lilies and orchids, the more it reinforced her gut reaction to this day. Like the stunning flowers arranged so perfectly in the bundle, she was also trussed up and made to look pristine. She too was arranged at her peak, the moment in her life when she was likely most attractive. She knew if she went through with this decision that just like the flowers, soon she would wither and lose her beautiful essence. Through the heavy wooden doors, she heard the faint strains coming from the fifteen-piece orchestra. They were preparing to play the wedding march. It was now or never. If she had any chance at escaping the glamorous affair, it was in this moment.
“Daddy.” She stood in front of her father and knew she must look as panicked and frightened as a wounded animal. “I have to get out of here. I can’t go through with this.”
Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked fast to push them away. Once the waterworks started, she didn’t know when they might stop. She dropped her hold on the dress and reached for her father’s hand.
“I’m leaving. If you want to stay and deal with mother’s temper tantrums when she finds out I left Nathan at the altar, so be it. Daddy, I just can’t do this. Well, won’t you say something?”
Her father cleared his throat and it was then she noticed the tears that had formed in his eyes. She hated that she’d let him down, but she couldn’t go through life with such a momentous lie hanging over her head. She stood on tiptoe, wrapping her arms around him for a quick hug. “I’m sorry I’ve hurt you. I don’t want to be a disappointment to you, but I have to stay true to myself. You won’t see me for a while. I’m going away, but I don’t know where yet. I’ve got to go find out who I really am without all the pressures of being Katherine Dawson hanging over my head.”
“Kitty Kat,” he whispered, using her childhood nickname, “I could never be disappointed in you. I’m crying because you’ve made me happy. Go find yourself. Follow your dreams. That’s what I’ve always wanted for you. I love you.”
“Daddy, I love you, too.”
She turned her head toward the heavy wooden doors again. The wedding march was playing. She had to go now. Preparing for the sprint she knew she’d have to do to make it to the limousine that waited outside, she kicked off her silver-sequined Louboutin heels. Dropping her bouquet on the ground and gathering her skirt in her hands, she hurried out of the front door and down the church steps.
In her haste to escape the wedding, she’d forgotten about the crowd of reporters and spectators gathered along the sidewalk and in the street. At least fifty black cameras took aim at her and several eager members of the paparazzi stood right in her path, their camera flashes going off. She refused to look into their lenses, even as they called out to her by name. Her gaze was locked in on the back door of the limousine. Once she got there, she’d be home free.
“Katherine! Katherine! Why are you running?”
“Have cold feet, Katherine?”
“Where’s the groom?”
Ignoring the inane questions from the media, she opened the door to the back seat of the car. Franklin, her family’s driver, jumped from the front seat, prepared to help her into the vehicle. Katherine met his gaze and she shook her head. He took her unspoken command and hopped back behind the wheel. She could handle the paparazzi. After all, she’d been dodging the vultures since she’d been a teen. Pulling the door closed behind her provided a moment of peace. However, her relief was cut short as half of the camera-wielding men formed a semi-circle around the limousine while the rest scattered to nearby cabs. The car had to move before they got trapped—or worse—were followed by the bloodthirsty press.
“Where to?”
Her mind raced while she tried to think of someplace safe the driver could take her.
“Take me to my penthouse. No, wait!” She knew that would be the next place the paparazzi looked for her. It wouldn’t do if the press followed them to her apartment. Arriving in the sleek, black town car was a dead giveaway. She wished for the anonymity of a taxi.
“Take me up a few blocks, then I can hop out, hail a cab and have the driver drop me off around back.”
She glanced down at the ivory wedding dress. She needed to get out of the itchy, Godforsaken gown. It was starting to feel like a vise, squeezing the life from her body, not to mention she was barefoot. If she stepped out onto the street corner in her current state of dress the media would descend upon her within seconds. Damn, so much for arriving in an anonymous yellow cab. She gave him the go-ahead to go to her house anyway, and to her relief, Franklin floored the vehicle, giving no consideration to the assholes with cameras standing around in the street.
While they peeled out from in front of the church, Franklin assured her that he would drop her off at the private back entrance of her building. Provided they could lose the press between here and the short drive to her place, the car could pull into the restricted garage where she could slip into the private elevator to her house. Being carted around Manhattan in a town car was more her mother’s style. Katherine couldn’t remember the last time she’d had Franklin pick her up or drop her off at her penthouse. Under normal circumstances she preferred to walk or drive herself. As the limo weaved in and out of the mid-town traffic, she felt a surge of relief. She’d pulled off something that had previously seemed impossible and had saved herself from a huge mistake.
Now, what to do next?
Looking around the interior of the limousine, she noticed the chilled bottles of Dom Pérignon and twin champagne flutes. A drink sounded heavenly. God knew she needed something to soothe her nerves. Even though she’d gotten away from the church, the stickiest parts were yet to come. After popping the cork on the bubbly, she put the bottle to her mouth and took a long pull. Letting the exquisite liquid dance upon her tongue, she thought about the coming aftershocks of leaving Nathan at the altar.
Her wedding had been touted as one of the biggest social events of the year. Hell, there had been more media parked out front of the church than there had been the last time the president had been in town. She took another swig of Dom and scratched at the bobby pins nestled in her mane. Pulling the veil from her head, she tugged hard enough to rip a few strands of hair out. Her elaborate updo was wrecked, but she didn’t give a damn. No one was going to see her.
Amanda Bretz is a contemporary romance author. She holds a degree in communication from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida and has worked as a journalist in both print and online news media.
When not writing, Amanda can be found whipping up something delectable in her kitchen, spending time in nature or getting lost in a good book. She resides in historic Saint Charles, Missouri, with her husband, Brandon.
Amanda Bretz - Exclusive feature
What can we expect from Life of Privilege?
A story that shows there’s another side to being a celebrity beyond what the public sees. At times it’s an emotional tale with a lot of inner turmoil from Katherine, the heroine in this story, who suffers from anxiety. It’s a bit of a journey of self-discovery and reinvention. Of course readers can also expect wonderful chemistry between the hero and heroine along with steamy sex scenes!
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Amanda Bretz - USA Today feature
Three of my favorite celebrities:
• Madonna. She's remarkable in that she's stayed true to her controversial nature. I think her risqué personality is partially what helped catapult her into stardom, but it's also kept her relevant in the entertainment industry for three decades and counting.
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