Henry's story coming to Harlequin Online Reads

Catch up on Henry’s journey through the Filthy Rich series before the 11/23 release!

After the release of Lush Money, I started regularly getting one question that I couldn’t answer:

“When is Henry getting a book?”

Eep! I hadn't realized how much readers would fall in love with billionaire Roxanne Medina’s sunny Texas bodyguard, Henry Walker. As far as I was concerned, he was just a good ol’ boy good man who made the other men green with envy!

Fortunately, my editors at Carina Press/Harlequin are wiser than I am!

On Nov. 23, Henry’s 20-chapter short love story, Dream Girl, will be available for free on Harlequin Online Reads. The story will be released over 20 days, from 11/23-12/20. The story is a sexy little number about Henry’s one-night stand that becomes so much more! Newsletter subscribers have already gotten to read the first chapter (sign up now and you’ll always gets stuff free and early!).

If you’d like to get caught up on Henry’s journey through the Filthy Rich series, I’ve provided excerpts and page numbers below. Re-visit all of Henry’s cocky grins, sweet care for the ladies he protects, and moments when he makes the guys in the ladies’ lives crazy!!!

Lush Money, pg. 98 (Loc 1166)

Lush Money, pg. 347 (Loc 4204)

Lush Money, pg. 359 (Loc 4354)

Hate Crush, pg. 45 (Loc 500)

Hate Crush, pg. 114 (Loc 1362)

Hate Crush, pg. 210 (Loc 2546)

Hate Crush, pg. 239 (Loc 2889)

Read Henry’s love story, Dream Girl, beginning Monday, Nov. 23!

The last five years and the conclusion of the Filthy Rich series

Last night I “finished” Serving Sin, the third book in the Filthy Rich series. Finished gets quote marks because there are a couple of revisions with my editor and copyedits to look forward to. But I emailed it to my editor, Carina Press’s amazing Kerri Buckley. 

And then I cried.

I cried because the conclusion of this series marks an amazing, awful, dream-fulfilling, endurance-test-running time in my life. I can’t believe what the last five years have involved.

Five years ago today, my father died in a truly awful highway accident. I put aside the book I’d been working on because of my father’s death and at Christmas of that year, came up with the idea for The Billionaire’s Prince, which later became Lush Money.

After twenty years of writing and a lifetime spent wanting to be a fiction writer, Lush Money became the book that got me my agent and my very first three-book publishing contract.

I can’t believe my dad has missed all of it. He would have gotten such a kick out of my publishing journey. Although I would have been very specific about what pages he needed to skip reading.

“I cried because the conclusion of this series marks an amazing, awful, dream-fulfilling, endurance-test-running time in my life. I can’t believe what the last five years have involved.”

Four years ago, The Billionaire’s Prince was humming along. But my husband’s job was sputtering. And we knew our oldest son, a just-graduated senior, was unhappy. But we didn’t have the experience or vocabulary to help him understand why.

Three years ago, my husband was unemployed for a year and our incredible awesome-sauce of a son came home from his freshman year in college, diagnosed with a life-stopping social anxiety disorder.

Over the last three years, our whole family has learned to be different. More understanding. Less judgmental. With a broader view of how people in the world work. My sadly narrow view of mental health has grown exponentially. 

I wrote Lush Money and Hate Crush while we were learning to support our son and help him understand how his brain ticks. Lush Money debuted to the world during one of the most harrowing times of his mental health journey.

Two years ago, I signed with my incredible agent, Sara Megibow.

A year ago, I signed a three-book deal with Carina Press. 

When the writing organization I’d relied on for 20 years, the Romance Writers of America, imploded right after my book debuted, I thought that was the worst thing that was going to happen in 2020.

Heh.

But while I wrote Serving Sin, the last book in the series, during a pandemic I:

• Sold a house (during a pandemic)

• Promoted the release of the second book in the series, Hate Crush, while defying the sophomore curse with good reviews (during a pandemic)

• Kept my family balanced and emotionally healthy (during a pandemic)

• Moved halfway across the country (during a pandemic)

Did I mention that all that happened during a pandemic?

So, yeah, yesterday as I sent Serving Sin off to my editor, there were a tears. A decent level of ugly crying. The book is going to be dedicated to my dad. And to my son. Next week, he returns to Rice University to continue pursuing his physics degree.

What an incredible five years it’s been.

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Serving Sin is now available for preorder!

A RELUCTANT WARRIOR PRINCE MUST AGAIN PROTECT THE MEXICAN-HEIRESS-TURNED-CEO HE RESCUED WHEN SHE WAS A TEEN.

HATE CRUSH available now!

Ebook available today! Paperback and audiobook available 6/30.

I’m so thrilled —at long last — to announce the release of Hate Crush, my second book in the Filthy Rich series, and a continuation of the story of the royal siblings of the Monte del Vino Real.

Hate Crush is Sofia’s story, our proud winemaking princesa from Lush Money. Five years later, Princesa Sofia is now a millionaire hoping to launch a winery that will improve the future of our still-struggling kingdom in the mountains of Northern Spain.

Sofia’s former reputation as the party-girl princesa is affecting her ability to be taken seriously. Making matters worse is a drunken video from scandal-ridden rockstar Aish Salinger declaring that his sexy breakout hit is about her.

Ten years ago, the two fell desperately in love during a California harvest season. Now, a fake relationship between the two of them could draw desperately needed attention to Sofia’s winery and could salvage Aish’s career.

Only problem: Sofia hates him more than any other person on the planet.

You can purchase Hate Crush right now in ebook. And you can purchase it in paperback and audiobook tomorrow, June 30.

Some super fun news: Hate Crush audiobook hit the #5 spot in “Royalty Romance” on Audible. I totally credit the brilliant, emotive, and HAWT!! narration from Scarletter Hayes, who also narrated Lush Money (which occupies the #11 spot!).

I’ll be celebrating the release of Hate Crush this week and all summer. Come join me!!

Announcing next book in Filthy Rich series...

In Lush Money, book 1 of my Filthy Rich series — about powerful, wealthy women who get what they want because they’ve earned it — we met self-made Mexican-American billionaire, Roxanne Medina.

In book 2, Hate Crush, coming June 29, you’ll get to read about millionaire winemaking princesa, Sofia de Esperanza y Santos.

Now, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Mexican heiress-turned-CEO, Cenobia “Cen” Trujillo, in book 3, Serving Sin. Serving Sin will be available early 2021.

Serving Sin is about Roman Sheppard, the half-brother of the royal family of the Monte del Vino Real, who we met in Lush Money and Hate Crush. He’s a decorated ex-Army Ranger raised in a Texas trailer park. Thirteen years ago, he became internationally famous for rescuing a kidnapped Mexican teenage heiress. Now, he's the head of a successful security firm and, although he's been named advisor to his kingly brother, he's known in the media as the "reluctant prince," unwilling to fully accept his place in his family and the small wine-growing kingdom in Northern Spain.

The teen heiress, Cenobia Trujillo, is now a 30-year-old CEO of the largest automobile manufacturer in Mexico who needs Roman's help again. There have been serious threats against her, and with a month until the launch of her car that will change the Mexican auto industry for the better, she doesn’t have the time to be distracted. She asks him to come to Mexico to protect her.

Protection isn’t the only reason Cenobia – who asks people to call her “Cen” – wants Roman around. She’s ready to dispel the teenage fantasy notion that he’s her “one” with some womanly real-life pleasure. And there’s a reason Roman has stayed a continent away. He’d been a 26-year-old soldier who knew better than to be fascinated by the girl on the cusp of 18. He’ll go and protect her. But the last thing he’s ever going to call her is “Cen.”

Serving Sin will be available from Carina Press early 2021.

Inspiration for Roman Sheppard and Cenobia Trujillo. To see more inspiration, check out my Pinterest board

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HATE CRUSH Cover Reveal and Exclusive Excerpt on Frolic

FINALLY!! After waiting FOREVER, I can finally share with you the cover of Hate Crush, which is getting a big reveal along with an exclusive excerpt over on Frolic.

Hate Crush, is the second book in the “Filthy Rich” series and follow-up to Lush Money. But you might notice some intense design changes between the two covers in the same series. Why? Well, I have to be coy for now. But there will be some exciting new things happening with Lush Money, so the awesome powers-at-be at Carina Press decided that a new cover theme would be appropriate. I can’t wait to tell you more!

But why are you still here?

Also, if you’re a book reviewer or blogger, Hate Crush is available now over on NetGalley. Early reviews are super helpful for just-starting-out authors like myself!

The digital edition of Hate Crush will be available on June 29 and the mass market paperback copy will be available on June 30. You can preorder now. And thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for your excitement about this second book in the series!

HATE CRUSH cover reveal coming WEDNESDAY!

Preorder now!

Join me on Frolic Wednesday, April 8 for the cover reveal and exclusive excerpt of Hate Crush, my second book in the “Filthy Rich” series and follow-up to Lush Money.

You know what’s better than an enemies-to-lovers story? When the enemies were lovers FIRST (I guess that makes it a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story).

As a reference point for those of you who read Lush Money, Hate Crush is Mateo's sister's story. You might remember the hot-headed, long-haired Princesa Sofia? Ten years ago, when she was a 19-year-old wild child, she fell in love crazy fast with bad boy Aish Salinger during one California harvest season. Three months later, he broke her heart and she's sworn to never fall in love again.

Now she's a millionaire, and the future of her kingdom, the Monte del Vino Real, rests on the success of her about-to-launch winery. Faking a relationship with her heartbreaking ex, now a world-famous rock star, would ensure her winery's success and a future for her people. Only problem: She hates him more than any other person in the world.

Trying to recover from scandal, fallen superstar Aish Salinger jumps at the chance to be near Sofia again. Leaving her was the biggest mistake he's ever made, and he's waited ten years to win her back. He never counted on finding a woman who despised him so much she didn't want to be anywhere near him.

Folks, there is so much groveling in this story. So. Much. Groveling. And sex. And wine. And deep, intense feels. And groveling.

Sound good?

You can preorder Hate Crush now!

And don’t forget to check in Wednesday, April 8 on Frolic to check out the cover and an exclusive excerpt!

If you’re a book blogger, reviewer, or fan, Hate Crush will be available on NetGalley.com on Wednesday after the cover launch. Don’t forget to request it!

A Lifelong Dream Came True at LUSH MONEY Book Launch Party

We all have dreams. When we see someone living our dream, we put ourselves in their shoes. We reflect on the things we would say, improvise the speeches we would give, practice the signature we would sign with a flourish.

Or was that just me?

On Friday, Nov. 8, I was blessed to realize this dream when I celebrated the launch of Lush Money with family, friends, author pals, fellow Hillwood docents, neighbors, and readers at my local independent book store, One More Page Books. It was the fruition of a lifelong dream coming true, and I was so glad to share it with so many people who helped to make the dream possible!

The celebration began with a bang Thursday morning when I looked through my peephole after a knock at the front door and saw my brother on the other side! While my parents were expected, my brother was not!! He was an amazing surprise guest!

For the event, my mom provided $100-dollar-bill napkins, chocolate coins, greenback mints to honor the “money” and together we made Spanish tapas — gazpacho, albondigas (meatballs), and tortilla — to honor the “lush.” One More Page Books provides wine tastings and poured delicious Spanish wines for the event.

What made this incredible event spectacular was the presence of my dear friend, Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Colleen McCain Nelson. Colleen and her husband moved away a couple of years ago, and I thought asking her to come interview me for the “author chat” portion of the event would be a good lure to get them to come back for a visit. Colleen covered the Obama White House for the Wall Street Journal; I knew interviewing me would be a cake walk. Colleen asked the most AMAZING questions, made me feel much smarter than I actually am, and did such a wonderful job of keeping the event interesting for everyone.

The event eventually had to end because WE SOLD OUT OF BOOKS!!! My little author soul had never been prouder. I am blessed to have so many cheerleaders on the journey to this dream.

See more pics…

Mingling before the author chat

Being introduced by One More Page's awesome bookseller, Lelia

Angelina and friend Colleen McCain Nelson during author chat

The audience was the best!!!

At the book signing with author and fan, Glori

Angelina's brother, husband, and son. The handsome trifecta.

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Didn’t make it to the book launch event?

No worries! See Angelina:

• 11/14 at Loyalty Books Petworth with Andie J. Christopher

• 11/20 at Aurora Hills Branch Library in Arlington

Go to the Events page to learn more

Hate Crush: Follow Up to Lush Money Coming June 2020

Hate Crush coming June 2020. Cover coming soon.

When I came up with the title for my first book, The Billionaire’s Prince, I loved it. But it became harder to love as a precedent for the other two books in the series. The second book is about a winemaking millionaire princess and a rock star. So, the Princess’s Rock Star? Ugh. The Millionaire’s Rock Star? It doesn’t really roll off the tongue.

The third book is about a CEO and an ex-Army Ranger. The CEO’s Bodyguard? The CEO’s Warrior? God awful!!

There’s a reason I’m not indie publishing.

The fine people at Carina Press actually know how to name book. After the brilliance of Lush Money (formally The Billionaire’s Prince), they’ve come up with another winner for the second book in the “Filthy Rich” series: Hate Crush. SO, so, so, so much better than my title.

Hate Crush is about Princesa Sofia de Esperanza y Santos, my Príncipe’s little sister, and the rock star who broke her heart ten years before. He’s sworn to get her back. She’s sworn to never fall in love again. Go here to learn more about Hate Crush.

The first draft of Hate Crush is with my editor and people who purchase Lush Money can read an excerpt at the back of the book. It’s the second in the “Filthy Rich” series, a three-part series about powerful, wealthy woman who get what they want because they’ve earned it.

Don’t you just love it!

Be the first to know all the Hate Crush news: Sign up for my newsletter!

Lush Money Available in Audiobook

Order your audiobook now

I’m thrilled to announce that Lush Money — as well as the other two books in the “Filthy Rich” series — will be available in audiobook! Dreamscape Media, who produced audiobook versions of Helen Hoang’s The Bride Test, Veronica Roth’s Divergent, and Candace Bushnell’s Is There Still Sex in the City?, will be producing all three books in the series.

Scarlette Hayes will be reading Lush Money. Scarlette Hayes has over six years of voiceover experience and specializes in stories that are sassy, sophisticated, and sexy. Passionate about bringing characters to life, she has narrated titles in both English and Spanish as well as some in Greek.

You can order the book on Audible or CD now! And listen to an excerpt below.

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Great Early Reviews for LUSH MONEY

The first reviews are coming in for Lush Money and I’m completely knocked out by them.

Publishers Weekly said: “Fans of fake-relationship romances will delight in this fresh spin on the trope.”

And Aarya of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books said: “This book is a shining jewel.... The initial animosity is delicious, the authorial voice is magnetic, and I just want to slap these two idiots and make them swear their undying love for each other (this is a compliment!).”

Blurbs

The blurbs from published authors I deeply admire are phenomenal gifts.

I discovered Sierra Simone last year and her book Priest is one of the most incredible romance stories I’ve ever read. It’s incredibly hot, loving, dirty, and sacred all at the same time. I don’t think I’ll ever write with Sierra’s bravery, but I do hope to one day to write with her depth. So when it came to be “blurb” time, she’s one of the first authors I asked.

Her blurb was so fantastic that I’ve put it at the top of all of my book pages: “Sweeping, sensual, and rawly emotional, Angelina M. Lopez crafts a debut that matches a strong, complicated heroine to a beautiful, tortured prince, and spins a swoon-worthy fairy tale for the 2019 reader. Lush Money is a gorgeous story full of heat and feels—and tons of sexy, royal fun!”

Naima Simone is also an author I deeply admire. Naima is able to maintain a tremendous output while writing books that have deep-felt heart, humor and heat. As a book-every-nine-months writer, I have no idea how she does it!

Naima gave me THREE blurbs to choose from (because that’s the kind of awesome person she is!!) and we chose this one: “Lush Money was nothing I expected and everything I needed. It took the billionaire and marriage of convenience tropes and flipped them on their heads. A bold, millionaire heroine, a sexy prince of a hero, an exhilarating power struggle and off-the-charts chemistry and passion that had my Kindle smoking. It's the perfect dirty fairy tale."

She also wrote the most hilarious post in our shared reader group, the Racy Reads Party Room on Facebook. You should join Racy Reads just for Naima’s hilarious posts. She’s the most joyous person!

Goodreads

The Goodreads reviews have also been fantastic. Right now, 120 people have marked it to-read, which blows my mind! It’s hard to imagine all this stuff when you’re writing a book, alone, in yoga pants, at the quiet of your desk. What was created in private has become VERY public.

These reviews — on Goodreads and Amazon — make a huge difference in how Amazon promotes the book and how people discover it. This is my first of many requests that if you read the book and enjoy it, please review it.

Fellow Carina Press author Felicia Grossman (who writes gorgeous historical romances!!) said: “I just adored Roxanne and Mateo. Watching two people who started partially as enemies fall in love through friendship and understanding despite the fact that each fought it so hard was just wonderful to read. Both were complex and stubborn and proud and self-protective (They had wounds that matched each other really well as well as strengths), but also loyal and kind and caring, and just electrifying together (like so very hot and passionate and sexy but yet still very poignant somehow).”

Elizabeth said: “Old skool romance for the twenty-first century! I cried three times. The sexy times are fire. The writing is beautiful. I don't have anything else coherent to say because I'm still basking in book afterglow.”

And b.andherbooks said: “What follows is an absolutely delicious, soapy, and over the top clash of the titans romance for the ages, and the start of what will sure be a stunning career for debut novelist Angelina M. Lopez.”

Want to add Lush Money to Goodreads, request it on NetGalley, or preorder it?

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