Happy release day to S.F. Hayes! The Red Concerto is available everywhere worldwide! Ask for it at your favorite local bookstore, or support local and order it from Bookshop.org here.
Charlie Emerson, media mogul, thrives on control-over his company, his employees, and his life. But his empire is on the brink of collapse and he’s desperate. His solution to drive up ratings and sales: a reality show centered around a fake marriage between a high-powered music mogul-himself-and a struggling artist. All he needs is a bride.
Alexandra “Alex” Weiss is a reclusive coffee vendor and struggling musical prodigy with dreams of producing her Red Concerto. She’s learned that blending in with others’ expectations is the safest way to survive, but when Charlie proposes his deal-a fake marriage in exchange for producing her music-she can’t resist. How hard can it be to fit into his world?
What should be a simple arrangement quickly spirals into something far more complicated. Alex’s music, raw and haunting, shatters Charlie’s tight grip on his carefully curated world, and his obsession with control turns into a dangerous need to uncover Alex’s past. As the show drags them into the ruthless glare of the public eye, old wounds resurface, dangerous betrayals abound, and a real attraction ignites between them. When Charlie’s control slips and Alexandra’s past catches up with her, both are forced to confront their deepest desires-and their darkest fears.
In this taut psychological thriller, two lives collide in a world of manipulation, ambition, and hidden truths. The show may be fake, but the consequences are real.
About the Author
S. F. Hayes has made a living doing many things: sticking electrodes into insect brains, performing surgery on frogs, consulting on railroads, and teaching aerobics. But she was always one of those kids who was endlessly reading and writing, and finally made it back to those passions (after having two kids). These days she can be found writing in New York City cafes, parks, and subway cars.
S. F. holds a Ph.D. in biology from Caltech and undergraduate degrees in molecular biology and philosophy from UC Berkeley. She lives in the city with her husband, two kids, and two cats, Spark (who hates her) and Pineapple (who does not).