Ron’s day is off to a bad start. Blinded by frustration after another argument with his wife, and heartbroken that his marriage may be over, he accidentally crashes his car on his way to work. Dazed, he takes the train the rest of the way, where he is quickly delighted by the presence of another rider, Courtney, whose smoldering smile makes him remember what it feels like to be wanted.
What seems like a new friendship quickly turns into temptation, leaving Ron torn with internal conflict and guilt. But when his new friend starts to seem a little off, he begins to question her motives. As one seemingly harmless favor leads to another, Ron soon finds himself wondering if Courtney really is who she says she is, or if she's actually part of an elaborate setup.
Luke P. Narlee is an American author from Maryland. He grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, where he loved to watch movies, play in the woods, and spend time with his friends and family. But his favorite hobby was writing. In 2012, Luke finally decided to write with the purpose of becoming a published author. He spent four years working on a new book; the first of a planned dystopian trilogy, titled "The Appointment." In 2016, Luke took a break from The Appointment, and began working on Guest Bed instead, a much more personal story about the daily struggles of adulthood, particularly marriage and raising children, while also serving as an entertaining mystery, full of suspense, twists and romance. In October of 2016, Guest bed was published, and became what is now Luke’s debut novel. When writing Guest Bed, Luke wanted to realistically capture the frustrations of being an adult, working too much, and trying to stay compatible with your spouse year after year. Luke hopes that Guest Bed will motivate readers to come to terms with some of their own frustrations, spark conversations, and help people feel a little less alone in the process.
In the midst of an intense, verbal battle between two people, it can be difficult to express yourself properly without coming off as mean or disrespectful, especially when you're frustrated and emotional. It's difficult to communicate your frustrations without placing blame on the other person, especially when it's someone you love and adore. Blame will only cloud the their ability to sympathize. It will cause further resentment. Blame makes people defensive, which leads to words or phrases you will later regret saying. Even in the heat of the moment, it's so important to resist the urge to blame one another, so you can reach a mutual understanding, and remember why you love each other so much. Once you do that, almost anything can be forgiven.
Book Excerpt
Guest Bed
She closes her eyes, squeezing her eyelids together so tight that I can only assume she’s trying to push my words back out of her ears. “I need more time with you, Ron.” She opens her eyes, and I sense a pleading note in her voice that I hadn’t noticed before. “That’s all I’m saying. And I never get it during the week because you’re either away from home or burnt out from work and your commute. Which is fine. I get it. I have to. But I also have my limits.” She gazes at me with desperate, bloodshot eyes, searching for something I can only assume I lack. With her cheeks now pink and swollen, she appears younger and more vulnerable, like she did in the early years of our marriage, when every disagreement served to remind us just how much we loved each other, when they led to actual resolutions instead of lingering trails of resentment.
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