Macmillan has kindly offered ten hardcovers of The Ashford Affair to give away – though I am limited to US and Canadian readers (my apologies). I'm offering five digital copies open to anyone worldwide – so if you'd like to read The Ashford Affair (and I hope you do!) come share… it's secret time!
To enter, tell us about a secret you've heard or kept — though feel free to change some details if the secret is STILL a secret.
Since The Ashford Affair is all about unraveling family secrets, I thought this was entirely appropriate! Please specify which you'd like – hardcover or digital.
Standard disclaimers apply: I'm not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Hardcover giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Digital giveaway open to international residents to the extent permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and pretending to smoke with one of those badass cigarette holders to enter. Keep out of reach of children. Contact with moving or stationary objects can cause injury. Close cover before striking. Objects in mirror may be younger than they appear.
Comments will close 4pm ET Friday 26 April, and I'll determine the winners by random selection.
I'm still thinking about this book, and I would love to give you the opportunity to read it. Will you share a little secret with us? We won't tell!
I was at a restaurant out of town when I saw an elected official from my town having dinner with someone other than his wife. I knew the other woman and it wasn’t a platonic meeting.
I’ve been privy to some real humdingers over the years, both in my personal and professional life. Can’t share those, so I’ll share one where the statute of limitations (and the people) expired decades ago, and it really wasn’t much of a secret anyway…
My Aunt Mary Jane, as a young secretary, had an affair with her married boss. He divorced his wife and married my Aunt Mary Jane. A few years later, Uncle Leo came to her and wanted a divorce, in order to marry—you guessed it—his new secretary. Apparently he made a habit of exchanging wives and secretaries, and she either hadn’t realized it at the time, or naively thought she could ‘change’ him. She refused to divorce him, because she didn’t want anyone else to go through that.
They lived together for over 50 years. Uncle Leo went through a secretary every few years, but he never married another one.
Ten years ago this month a close family member’s fiance was transferred to Australia 4 months before the wedding. Family member couldn’t travel with him until married and didn’t want to live apart for four months so secretly married in a civil ceremony with me and another witness. The participants never discussed it and it’s generally forgotten. Beautiful wedding took place later and 10th anniversary will be celebrated a few months from now.
BFF leaving DH and moving to France
Lets see, secrets (none of these people overlap):
1)A friend of mine is in the military and he’s gay. At the time I was one of the few people who knew, not even his parents. Now his parents know but I think he still keeps it from his co-workers.
2)My gf took clomid to get pregnant a second time, her husband (now ex) was unaware, he thought they were done having kids even though she told him she never wanted just one. He found out later on that year when the medical claims came in.
3)Another friend in the military found out his wife was cheating on him, but in order to ensure she didn’t put up a fight going back home between moving from one duty station to another he told her that they would work through it out somehow however that was never his intention.
4)A friend (use that term loosely) was dating a guy at the USCGA (US Coast Guard Academy) and sleeping with almost every guy on campus because she felt bad turning them down. What’s worse is the guy she was dating was (I hope he still is) a wonderful guy and someone she was wanting to marry and have kids with.
I am a “good girl”… but I have my nipples pierced. Hardcover or digital, please.
wow the secret’s here are amazing. I am really enjoying this post. Here are secrets of mine
1) My parents tried to keep it from me and my younger sister that my father’s younger sister was murdered during a home invasion/attempted rape. I found out when my grandmother’s sister-in-law blurted it out accidently. My younger sister found out.
2) Now my secret is that a lot of romances contain rapes in them. My parents would not be happy. (Not about the romance, but about they are anti-rape for obvious reasons (and other ones that I haven’t mentioned)
3) We knew this family where there was alcohol and abuse. I recently found out the abuse was worse than I knew…
4) When my cousin died my parents kept it a secret for two days until they could tell me in person.
5)I am bisexual. I would tell people, but I don’t want to tell them. It’s none of their business. I have always been very boy-crazy so no one knows. If I meet a nice girl and want to settle down with her, I will tell them. Until then it’s my business.
working at a banking job a long time ago (entry level), my coworker and I would see how many things we could take home without getting caught. it was during the summer, with a skeleton staff on Saturdays… we needed something to keep us awake 🙂 Our department went through so much office supplies.
on a side note, I’m from Canada, so one of the hardcovers up for grabs would be great (leaving the digital versions for our int’l friends 🙂
in high school, a friend told me she was was seriously sick but didn’t want anyone else to know. I kept that secret.
My secret is that I hate staying at people’s houses more than 2 days. I grew up with the old adage that “guests, like fish, smell after 3 days”. It’s always made me paranoid about overstaying my welcome.
God, I love this thread. As a lawyer, I am privy to many secrets, which I can’t share here or anywhere. But, oh, the stories…
I do have a secret about my best friend’s husband. When they started dating, she thought he was lying to her about his previous marriage (I assumed he was lying about EVERYTHING ELSE HE EVER TOLD HER). She asked me to go to the courthouse and look up his divorce file. It took me a while to do it, and she was right (we were both right). But before I could tell her what I found, she found out she was pregnant and they were getting married and she was so happy that she asked me not to go look at his divorce file. So I didn’t tell her that her beloved did not go to college, did not get a degree in engineering, was not a Navy SEAL, was not current on his child support, etc… She’s still happy, so I’m keeping mum.
I’m very good at keeping secrets, so no telling here.
THE ASHFORD AFFAIR looks fabulous.
I don’t have anything real juicy. I did find out that a single coworker was pregnant really soon… heard her talking on the phone about it. She didn’t even know I knew. I kept it quiet until she wanted to tell people.
Wow! This world is so full of secrets!
Currently, I’m having to keep quiet on three pregnancies (until they pass the three month mark), a secret engagement and a planned move overseas. Nothing particularly juicy, but all potentially happy events when the news gets out.
Normally, I’d pick print over digital any day, but living outside the US and Canada, I’d be happy to have a digital copy if I’m lucky enough to win.
PS: SB Sarah, thank you so much for opening the competition up for us non-North-Americans as well 🙂
I discovered that my step-brother used to be a girl. Jake (not his real name) was actually born a girl with complications, and they decided to raise him as a boy.
I’ve known him for 14 years, and I just find out about this now.
I’d prefer the paper copy (if you’re asking) but digital is just fine too.
When I was 9, I found out that I was adopted by my biological grandmother. Also, that my sister was really my mother. The entire family—even the extended members—had conspired to keep it from me. So, I did the logical thing. I locked me and my pet chicken, Henrietta, into my room and told them, “You’re all lying rat bastards! Get me a preacher—I can trust him.” My Pastor had to talk me out. It’s an old secret, but it’s repercussions are still felt today.
I am usually the last to know anything but there are some interesting family secrets (that I was the last to know). My aunt got pregnant while she was in the Navy during WWII and had the baby out in the West Coast. Her parents were very religious and she was terrified to let anyone know. It only came out when the child she put up for adoption reached out to her after her parents died.
My grandmother and several sisters immigrated from Ireland probably around 100 years ago. One never married and had the reputation in the family as the wild aunt. I found out many years after she died that she had lived with a black man for decades but never married him because “she did not think it would last”. It caused a scism among the sisters but luckily my grandmother kept up contact. For the time, that was pretty bold.
My particular favorite secret (but only from our parents) is that my sister pushed my brother out the second floor window of her bedroom when they were kids.
My new step-sister is a fairly famous person. Now that I’ve met her and been inside her very posh house I can tell you that she’s kind of odd and doesn’t let people wear shoes inside her house. Even for her father and my mother’s very formal wedding. 0.o (My mother rebelled and retained daintily shod in her gorgeous wedding sandals, but the rest of us were too scared to cross her. I amused myself by taking photos of us guests and relatives comparing pedicures, unshaven legs, and men’s socks. Step-sis took it in pretty good humor.)
Hard copy please.