LUNCH
A novel of erotic obsession by Karen Moline

**On Sale April 30, 2013**

For readers of The New York Times bestselling FIFTY SHADES OF GREY trilogy and BARED TO YOU comes this intoxicating novel of passion and ultimate surrender...

"If The Bridges of Madison County had a dark, erotic side, this book would be it. A stunning debut!" –– Sidney Sheldon

"Intense...erotic...compelling...genuine electricity...the characters are magnetic." –– Booklist

"Erotically charged. LUNCH will put you in the mood. A titillating, tasty morsel. Bon appetit!" –– Women's Own

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As a mega–superstar, Nick Muncie is accustomed to having any woman he wants. But lately, he's become disenchanted—until he notices a stunning woman in the trendy London restaurant where he is having LUNCH. Much to his surprise, Nick's charms, which have never failed him before, fall flat with artist Olivia Morgan. But instead of feeling defeated, he becomes consumed in making her desire him. He commissions a portrait, and during the sexually–charged sessions, the seduction begins as Nick engages Olivia in a twisted, erotic game of control. Extremely talented and confident, Olivia believes she's immune to Nick's attentions. But it isn't long before she finds herself fantasizing about him and succumbing to his power to give pleasure yet cruelly deny it. As their lunchtime trysts quickly escalate, another player soon topples the rules and tests how far Olivia and Nick will go in their destructive cycle of submission and obsession. About the Author Karen Moline is the author of two novels, Lunch and Belladonna, and is a coauthor of The New York Times bestseller, the parenting/humor book Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide for the Rest of Us (Abrams Image US, Hodder & Stoughton UK), published in September 2012. She has also ghostwritten/co–authored over two dozen nonfiction books; written hundreds of articles on pop culture, entertainment, and beauty for publication in the US, UK and Australia; and worked as a freelance correspondent for BBC World Service Radio. She lives with her son in NYC. For more information, visit her website at www.karenmoline.com. Truly ahead of its time with its erotic subject matter, racy plot, and scandalous details, LUNCH is now being reissued for the first time since its original publication in 1996

Karen Moline on why she wrote LUNCH: LUNCH was inspired by – what else? – a lunchtime meeting with a friend at Joe Allen's restaurant in London. While she and I were engrossed in conversation, I became aware that someone was staring at me. Not just staring – literally devouring me with his eyes. It was creepy and unnerving to feel as if I were being stalked in such a public place, until my friend told me the man was a fellow actor, and she invited him over for a coffee. He turned out to be a nice guy who'd been a professional boxer, with a very specific physicality in an extremely coiled package. But the unease I'd felt that day struck me as an ideal way to begin a novel, one I'd been thinking about writing while I was working flat–out as an entertainment journalist. I was traveling constantly on assignment, profiling the rich and infamous (and being kicked around by their publicists), and lots of people didn't believe me when I told them that many of these celebrities may have had undeniable talent but very little coherent or interesting things to say about it (yes, I am being circumspect). But one thing those famous faces did have in common was that they got what they wanted, when they wanted it, and they knew they would get it. Being thwarted in their desires–of–the–moment was not an option. Knowing this, I wanted to explore what would happen when a woman who was emotionally centered was chased by a sexually driven superstar to whom no one ever said no anymore. Creating the characters in LUNCH helped me ignore the egomaniacal stars I was interviewing; I was able to fuel my frustration into a productive outlet that resonated with readers around the world. What could be more universal than Sex + Hollywood + More Sex? I'm thrilled that the success of books like Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You has finally opened the doors that were still locked to many mainstream readers in 1994. Many readers have told me that Lunch was sexually confrontational decades ahead of its time—and they were right! LUNCH: A Novel of Erotic Obsession

by Karen Moline
Morrow Avon Mass Market Paperback
On–Sale: April 30, 2013; Price: $7.99
ISBN: 9780062270115; e–Book: 9780062270108