Selfish Ambition
Donna B. Comeaux
Author Bio
Donna has wanted to be a writer since she was 14. Life got in the way, but she never gave up her dream. She’s an avid reader and a sponge for anything concerning the art of writing. She’s an inspirational writer, novelist, essayist, political commentator, and poet. She found success as a freelance writer and contributes to Ezinearticles.com, Ruby for Women, her website , and Hope-full Living .
She is editing her first completed family saga, White Castle, working on a second short story, drafting an inspirational series entitled “Impact,” and still hopes to write a collection of short stories, and publish a memoir. One of her favorite things to do is write about different bible characters and apply their teachings to our everyday life.
Though her romance stories lack the heat of most, they are written with the intensity of every day life. She loves to pull her readers in with a sense of adventure and she does everything possible to keep her readers planted in their seat to read one chapter after the other.
Her first book, Selfish Ambition, published in digital format is FREE. No sign-ups.
Donna is a native Texan, but resides in Oklahoma with her husband, Glenn.
Description
Shortly after Sherelle Lindsey transmits her dissertation to the Journalism Department heads at the American University in Cairo (“AUC”), a bomb blasts through her classroom. When she wakes, she’s tied to a chair and wonders if she’s been captured by the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Police, or student protesters. To her surprise, she’s been rescued by Army Special Forces and Major Laurence “Lennie” Williams. And how does she thank this wounded soldier who almost died for her? Betrayal. When she and her staff are pressured to come up with fresh stories for The Nation’s News Newspaper, she’s tempted to expose secrets she thinks she’s found in Major Williams’ apartment of an assassination attempt on a European target. Twisted by her strong need to become managing editor and her growing love for Major Williams, Sherelle struggles to come clean. Will she choose to ruin Major Williams’ career a second time or will she choose truth and love?
For Major Williams, rescuing someone from the throes of danger was not only his patriotic duty, but the adrenaline rush he needed to survive a broken engagement. Ever since the breakup Major Williams has found it hard to put his life back together. It only seemed logical that he stay in theater and rescue another poor soul from peril. After being wounded while rescuing Sherelle Lindsey, his doctor informs him that he can no longer go on covert missions. With few options, he takes a job as a counterintelligence supervisor in Washington, D.C. Life has no real meaning for him until he sees Sherelle Lindsey on a train. It doesn’t take Lennie long to know he’s in love. Though he can’t explain it, Lennie is certain God put them together. Matter of fact, he believes unequivocally that Sherelle saved him instead of the other way around. But can he convince her of that? Or has Lennie misinterpreted God’s message?
Book excerpt
Sherelle Lindsey was anxious. Like many foreigners at AUC, she wanted to get as far away from Egypt as possible. She never thought she’d say it, or think it, but she missed Seattle’s rainy days. Once she made it home, she promised to stand in the middle of the street until rain drenched her clothes. To fulfill that promise, she had to remain calm and get through the next fifteen minutes.
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As Sherelle walked all three aisles of her classroom, she tromped her heels onto AUC’s linoleum flooring. Though she kept keen eyes on the clock, her sharp ears stayed attuned to the escalating riots in Tahrir Square. She pressed praying hands to her lips and said another prayer as someone yelled for help. Then she waited. With steel patience, she waited.
All eighteen of her graduate students shared her concerns. Their writing utensils tapped desktops and gravitated through test papers at rapid speed. They heard feet scurry through hallways. Shadows flickered under the door. Periodically, someone twisted the door handle before letting go, inflaming fear on everyone inside. They almost jumped out of their seats when someone opened the door then slammed it shut.
Until a half hour ago, it seemed as though most might escape without incident. But protesters’ scuffle with government authorities rose to incredible levels. Yelling intensified. Pipe bombs exploded. Bottles broke. Shots fired. People screamed.
“Stay focused. We’ve gone through this before. It’ll all be over in . . .” Sherelle checked the clock, “. . . ten minutes,” she said in a calm voice, a striking contrast to her frayed nerves.
Sherelle squeezed her biceps until they burned and radiated pain to her shoulders. That did nothing to extinguish her growing anguish. Why hadn’t she heeded the United States’ warning six months ago and boarded a flight home? What excuse would she use for ignoring another warning last week?
With nine minutes left, Tahrir Square erupted and brought the semester to an abrupt halt. Sherelle rushed to the window and pulled on Venetian blinds. She saw relentless young protesters fight with the aggression of full-armored soldiers. Someone screamed “Fire!” Ignited in flames, an Egyptian soldier fell to the ground. Sherelle clamped one hand on her mouth then jerked when she heard thumps of tear gas expel in the air.
Books hit the floor as her students tried to exit the classroom all at once. Sounds of the mass exodus pulled her away from the window. “Be careful! Please be careful! Go straight home,” she warned. She feared many wouldn’t make it. She pondered her own safety, but had to suck it up. She’d made the conscientious choice to stay and finish her dissertation. If she got hurt, she had no one to blame but herself.
Sherelle slipped her purse strap on her shoulder then leaned on the wall and stared at the door. Should she make a run for it? Should she stay? She wanted to go home in the worse way. It’d be nice to smell bacon and hear fluttered activity coming from the kitchen. With eyes shut tight, she imagined her mother setting the table; her father gnawing on his fireless pipe while reading the morning paper.
Author Website
http://www.awriterfirst.wordpress.com
Where to Buy the Book
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/selfish-ambition?store=nookstore&keyword=selfish+ambition
https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=selfish+ambition
http://issuu.com/ruby4women/docs/selfish_ambition_by_donna_b._comeau/9?e=2065160/10674531