Unbreakable Hostage is the story of Lareina Oliveira; an Hispanic woman studying for her Ph. D. in algebra. Not only is she smart, she is stunning. One of her classmates, Tony Covelli, instantly becomes infatuated with her and eventually kidnaps her. He holds her hostage for 15 days while he rapes and tortures her. Lareina uses her wit and knowledge of algebra to help lead the LAPD and her family to her rescue. In a last minute twist, this damsel in distress has to save her knight in shining armor in order to save herself.
This was my first attempt at a suspense novel. A nerdy, historical non-fiction writer, this was quite the stretch for me. At first, I thought my publisher was insane for pushing me to do this. That night, though, I lay in bed with the plot line coming together in my mind. Thus, Unbreakable Hostage was born.
When I began writing it, I didn’t have specific people or events in mind, but the more I wrote, the more fiction began to resemble reality.
I’ve been quite candid about the fact that Tony Covelli is based off of my ex-husband. Bad press, I know. I’m sorry. But in thinking about the whole story, this is almost a fictionalized version of my marriage. I’m Hispanic, so that part is truthful. I’m not an algebraic genius, nor stunning, but I can pretend, right? Isn’t that what fiction is really all about?
Now, my marriage was nowhere near as horrific as Lareina’s experience in Tony’s captivity, but the parallel is fairly strong. I had to struggle and find what resources were available to me at the time, in order to get out safely. It wasn’t always easy, but like Lareina, I never gave up. Nine months after we were married, I was driving back home to safety. Here I am years later, having written this book not even considering my past! I find it ironic that I only just figured all of that out now!
If nothing else, I think Unbreakable Hostage was not only a way for me to release the demons of my first marriage, but also to show that women aren’t weak. Lareina is small and she is not trained in any martial arts, but she is a fighter. She’s determined, she’s sharp. Lareina is constantly thinking. Even when she has given up, she keeps fighting. No matter what your ethnicity is, that is a lesson we can all take with us. No matter who you are; no matter what your background is; regardless of your situation, if you keep fighting, you, too, can become an Unbreakable Hostage. 
Lareina Oliveira; high school math teacher, wants to share her passion for math. So it is back to school for Lareina...a tough Ph. D. program. A classmate is captivated by Lareina's beauty and intelligence, and despite her repeated refusals to his attentions, he kidnaps her! Only her determination and wits can save her... Will her family, roommate, and a wily detective from Missing Persons get to her before it is too late?
Comments (2)
Ahem, lol. When the author wrote ‘At first, I thought my publisher was insane for pushing me to do this.', what she meant was 'encouraging her to expand her awesome talents to a new and exciting full length suspense novel'. GRINS