Some Books Mean More Than Others

By the time this book is published, I will have waited for it an entire year. Why? To be certain that my heart was ready to release it. While, of course, it is fiction, it is loosely based on what happened to me when I first set foot in Türkiye.1

The cover of The Expedient Wife, a woman in shadow running up a street toward Galata Tower, was created by Nick Castle through Reedsy.com.

This book is the first in an international series that begins in Izmir, Türkiye, and extends to Istanbul and other cities along the country's western coast. The main character has done much of what I did on that first trip, but the story expands, and she continually gets herself into much deeper trouble than I did.

Much. Deeper.

It started as a romance. I found my future husband in Izmir, and maybe one day I’ll write that story. But this one is not that, and, as with all my books, it got darker and then darker still. There are themes of corruption and espionage without the typical CIA, MI6, Mossad, and Russian (etc.) influences found in most spy books.

I believe that all authors include some of themselves in their work, whether it is an emotional aspect of a character, a physical trait, or a quirk. In this series, Quinn is my alter ego. She is much prettier, smarter, and more athletic, and will take a risk faster than you can say “go.” Quinn hated her job and her hometown and was dying to get out of the United States and find a different life.

So she did. But not without great physical and emotional risk.

It’s time to release Quinn Durand into the wild. I want others to understand that when dropped into a foreign country with no family or friends, deserted by your spouse, and trapped in ridiculous circumstances you could never have imagined in your wildest dreams, your determination and perseverance will make you triumphant.

Do Not Give Up.

The Expedient Wife can be found at rshamptonbooks.com (always 50% off!) or wherever you buy your books. Happy reading.

This book is one reason I no longer use online critique groups. A gentleman read my early draft and pointed out numerous places where he found the story unbelievable. Each of those places was an exact description of what I had experienced on my first trip to the country.