Devil's Advocate
- Liz Flaherty
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
by M.J. Schiller
Thank you, Liz, for having me on the Window! It’s an honor being on the blog that I enjoy reading so much!
People often ask where an author gets their ideas for their books. Mine come from a number of sources. One book, it was the first line that came to my mind, and the story revolved around that. (Ironically, the line ended up being in the middle of the book.) Sometimes it’s a dream, sometimes it develops out of a song, and sometimes, like with my newest release, it comes from a title. This release is part of my Devilish Desires Series and with that series I came up with a number of titles with a “devilish” theme.
Book One in the series is the culprit; because of it, I decided the rest needed to be in the same vain. TO HELL IN A COACH BAG is the title of Book One and that one came from a conversation I had with friends. One friend said my friend Kelly was “going to Hell in a handbag” and I joked that with Kelly it would be a Coach bag. Someone said that would make a great book title, and here we are. (Never say that around an author unless you wish for it to come true.) So, after TO HELL IN A COACH BAG was Book Two, DAMNED IF I DO, and Book Three, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, etc., etc.
After the first book, I remember I was on a plane, and I came up with a list of possible titles that followed the theme. One of those titles was DEVIL’S ADVOCATE. Naturally the tagline for this book is, “The verdict’s in. He’s guilty of falling for opposing counsel.” A book about two lawyers, so I immediately knew it had to be about Nick Adams.
I’m going to be straight up with you; Nick is kind of a weasel in the earlier books. Even in the start of this book. But DEVIL’S ADVOCATE was his chance to redeem himself. I hope you’ll read it and see how he does it. Besides, where else can you read about a lawyer/welder with three names?
Thank you for reading!
The verdict’s in. He’s guilty of falling for the opposing counsel.
Nick Adams doesn’t have time for the existential crisis he’s having.
But when I wind up being charged with contempt of court and discover her at the shelter where I’m serving community service, she brings out a side of me I’ve never seen. Could this be the true Nick?
B.J. McCaffrey doesn’t form attachments with anyone.
And playboy counselor Nick Adams would be the last person on the list if I did. But, then again, this isn’t exactly the Nick Adams that people have made him out to be.
Could he heal his broken heart by discovering that, despite outward appearances, she has one? One thing’s for sure. It’s hell being the DEVIL’S ADVOCATE!
Excerpt:
Nick
I have it all, and it means absolutely nothing to me.
I can still feel the punch to the gut that was Zack’s returning to claim Zoe, just as I was about to seal the deal and make her mine. I can still smell the exact fragrance of the air when I stepped out onto the balcony, still hear my voice as I told her, “I can be whoever you want me to be, Zoe.”
What the hell was I thinking? I wasted eight years of my life on one woman.
A woman not unlike B.J. McCaffrey, who was sitting across from me now, acting as opposing counsel. I looked at her. As drop-dead gorgeous as she was, she was just another woman.
“Mr. Adams? Are we boring you?”
I could hear him somewhere on the edges of my thought, but it didn’t matter to me.
Change myself. For a woman. Where was my pride? Where is my pride?
“Earth to Mr. Adams.”
I turned my head slowly to face the judge.
He was a prick.
“Does the accused need another lawyer? Or are you going to continue to sit there and let him destroy himself on the stand?”
I looked at my client. He didn’t even wear a tie.
“Yeah. I think I am.” At first, I couldn’t believe the words came out of my mouth. But they felt good. Felt right, somehow. “I’m sick of working my ass off on cases and having my clients ignore everything I tell them about their demeanor on the stand.”
Judge Walters looked at my rival, B.J. McCaffrey. She shrugged. “Mr. Adams. Your job is to defend this man. Are you incapable of doing that?”
“I don’t know.”
Again, the judge and my opponent exchanged a look.
Pull it together, Nick. Find that damn pride of yours.
“Wait.” My eyes ricochetted around the desk in front of me and finally fell on the yellow legal pad with my scribbled notes for the case. “I apologize, Your Honor. It’s been a rough—”
Eight years? Two months? Life?
“—day. My apologies to the court.”
“I repeat, your job is to defend this man. Are you capable of doing that?”
Damn. I just apologized. Can’t you let it go?
I didn’t have the time or patience for the existential crisis I was going through, but it would have none of it. It was bound to torture me all the same. Of course, the reason for it was undoubtedly her. The woman I loved—or thought I loved—was on her honeymoon with my best friend. And I was beginning to see how crazy it had been for me to wait around eight years for her. As a result, I was approaching thirty and still didn’t know who I was. I straightened my back. This is what Zoe had brought me to.
“Yes, Your Honor. It won’t happen again.”
“It better not, Mr. Adams, or you won’t see the inside of my courtroom again.”
Yeah, yeah. You’re in charge, big boy. We all get it.
“Now I’m going to do you a solid, Mr. Adams. It’s late. I’m—”
He likes to use slang. He thinks it makes him look cool.
I managed to roll my eyes inwardly this time.
“—going to adjourn this court until one. I suggest you take the time to pull yourself together.” He looked at my client. The rail-thin, gray-haired, unshaven man sat with his mouth hanging open like a guppy. “You can get down now.” The man nodded and Walters pounded his gavel. He glared at me. “The court is adjourned.”
I gathered my things, cursing quietly.
Coming on Friday, April 10!
Buy links:
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/DevilsAdvocateSchiller
M.J. Schiller is a retired lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer (She has a great writing voice as well as being really funny. There may be a little jealousy involved in what I say. - Liz) She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. She is the mother of a twenty-eight-year-old and three twenty-six-year-olds. That's right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon.
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