No More Yesterdays
The Heirs Book 3
Catherine Bybee
Montlake Pub
No More Yesterdays by Catherine Bybee once again shows why she is a must-read author. This
is a romance with suspense that has intrigue, mystery, and action-packed scenes.
Alexandra (Alex) Stone is the CEO at Stone Enterprises. She is a high-powered billionaire
woman, a workaholic with little time for romance. She works relentlessly to ensure the success
of her inherited hotel empire. She does have daddy issues with her late father being a much
better businessman than a dad.
Because she is the face of the company, Alex is convinced by one of the VPs to accept an
invitation for a reception by Sheik Ashraf Bakshai. Once there she realizes that she was set up
by the VP because Bakshai wants nothing more than to get her in his bed. She decides to leave
the reception and is accosted by one of Bakshai’s men. Enter Hawk Bronson, a paid security
operative for the event. He helps her get out of a dicey situation.
But things go from bad to worse when Alex receives threats. There is her attempted
kidnapping, a bomb threat, and other threats. Her brothers decide to hire Hawk for her
protection and to upgrade their security system. Through the investigation they discover a lot
of deeply held secrets concerning her father that include many fake passports, cash, and guns.
The romance is a slow burn since Alex is used to running her own life and resents having
someone shadow her. Even though sparks start to fly between her and Hawk, she believes that
there is no time in her life for a romance. But things change when she decides to go on a
vacation to Aspen and he goes to protect her.
There are multiple twists that make for a page turner. The character development was off the
charts, and the mystery was captivating.
Elise Cooper: You still have some suspense in your novels. In this one it was
with the Muslim Bakshai?
Catherine Bybee: Through him I was able to bring in suspense. I cannot just do
emotional stuff; I must do some suspense. I put it in my books, or I would go crazy as a
writer not to have some tension. He tries to intimidate her in many ways, a bad person.
His role was to have readers question if the father was doing what he did for the correct
reasons. Because of him, Hawk and her brothers had an element of concern for her
safety, especially after the bomb threats. Because of Bakshai’s actions in the beginning of the book where Hawk came to her rescue it became apparent that he should be hired
as her bodyguard.
EC: Alex finally gets her story. How would describe her?
CB: Alex struggles to find romance and love while exceling at her job. She feels she
has something to prove. She battles inner demons. She can be strong, but vulnerable.
To some she is aggressive and assertive. Alex is dedicated to the company and is a
workaholic.
EC: Does she have a daddy complex?
CB: Yes, all the children have a daddy complex. Deep down she always wanted the
love and respect from her farther. She concludes that it will never happen. Now that he
is dead there will never be anything uncovered that will show he respected the children.
She is more like him as the CEO parallel to her father. Her whole life has been a big f–
you to her father. Yet now she must step into his shoes.
EC: How would you describe Hawk?
CB: He is trying to handle his PTSD. He is resilient, protective, and caring.
EC: What about the relationship?
CB: She is a little flawed in relationships except for her siblings and her best friend.
Hawk must overcome his own obstacles to love her. He is not intimidated by her in the
least. He accepts her for what she is. Alex is a bit defensive, a mechanism to survive.
She knows she can be sarcastic to Hawk as much as she is to her brothers and best
friend, because she feels “safe” with all of them. He is cautious in moving forward with
the relationship. She has doubts with trust issues because she questions if she will ever
find someone, something she talks about a lot in the first two books.
EC: Can you explain the scene where Hawk and Alex have a snowball fight, a la
the movie “Beauty and the Beast”?
CB: I did not even know there was a scene in the movie. I just thought it was a great
way to get them out of the house, stop talking, and start playing. I like scenes where
there is laughter as part of the relationship. I also have a similar scene by the pool. I
want things to happen organically.
EC: Why puzzles?
CB: I enjoy puzzles. When working on them it helps to clear my mind, like meditation.
Alex needs to have a do-nothing thing. As a writer I want scenes to have everyday little
things to connect her to the reader as she bounces up and down, eager to find where
the pieces fit, releasing her brain energy, something I do.
EC: Next books?
CB: The next book that will come out will be the D’ Angelo’s family matriarch mother, Mari. I
enjoy writing an older romance story. Life is not over because someone is in their fifties. Mari’s
children are her world, but it is her turn to have a romance considering she has an empty nest.
The title is Maybe One Day coming out in November.
I am in the process of writing the first book in a new series that takes place in a house in Seattle
with three siblings. They will have some mommy issues. It will be published in June next year.
THANK YOU!!
