No One Knows Us Here
by Rebecca Kelley
(Lake Union/Amazon Publishing, January 2023)
NO ONE KNOWS US HERE (Lake Union Publishing/Amazon January 2023) is Rebecca Kelley’s second novel. The book is about a woman whose new life as a high-class escort isn’t what she bargained for and poses the question of whether murder is sometimes justified. In our chat, she talks about the challenges as a writer, how she deals with rejection, and the publishing process.
About the Book
Rosemary Rabourne is struggling to overcome the long-term effects of her traumatic childhood and make ends meet in a dead-end job, when her recently orphaned half-sister, Wendy, shows up at her door in hopes of shelter and care with her estranged sibling. Rosemary, determined to make things right after abandoning her little sister in a dangerous home, will do anything to be able to provide for her. So when a long-term and lucrative gig as a high-end escort presents itself, she agrees to take it on.
The client is Leo Glass, the billionaire CEO of a revolutionary social app that allows its members to see each other in real time, almost everywhere. He wants the “girlfriend experience,” and is happy to pay a very attractive young woman to pretend to love him. His proposition has its perks: a luxury apartment and financial security, but it also has steep conditions: constant surveillance and being available for Leo’s every whim. It’s not the life Rosemary wants, but she’s out of other options.
Then she meets her new neighbor, Sam, a musician with whom Rosemary shares an immediate attraction and a genuine intimacy she’s never felt with anyone. Falling in love with him means the chance to live an authentic life, beyond the prying eyes of her client and his company. But Leo Glass doesn’t take no for an answer, and Rosemary is willing to do whatever it takes to secure freedom for herself and her little sister.
ABOUT REBECCA KELLEY
Rebecca Kelley is an author and graphic designer whose first novel, Broken Homes and Gardens, was published in 2015. Her second novel, No One Knows Us Here, will be released by Lake Union Publishing in January 2023.
The current title was sold by Jennifer Chen Tran who served at another agency before joining Folio Literary Management. Rebecca Kelley is currently represented by Laura Bradford Literary Agency.
Rebecca holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing from Portland State University and a BA from Southern Oregon University. She taught writing for 15 years and has written articles for Bustle, The Rumpus, Metro Parent, Scholastic, and Parent and Child.
When Rebecca isn’t writing, she is conducting elaborate baking experiments, designing book covers, and keeping up her thousand-plus-day streak in Duolingo. She lives in northeast Portland with her husband and daughter.
Website: https://rebeccakelleywrites.com/ Twitter: @rkelleywrites
Instagram: @rkelleywrites Facebook: @rkelleywrites
Some questions asked the author in this interview:
How many times did you edit your manuscript?
What has been your publishing experience with Lake Union/Amazon?
Was it tough to find an agent or publisher?
How do you handle a publisher’s rejection?
What advice do you have for writers trying to become published?
