Charli: Hi Piper! Dylan and I were so excited to be seeing
you again. We feel we know you almost as well as we know Sara.
Dylan: (Chuckles) Yeah, but we didn’t invade your dreams
like we did Sara’s.
Charli: Hush! Let the poor woman ask us some questions. I
think we probably tormented her enough when she edited our book.
When you two met, did you
feel an instant attraction?
Charli: Lord knows I did and it was the very last
thing I wanted.
Dylan: I honestly don’t remember. I was a little
drunk when I went to the interview. But I remember thinking she had the longest
legs and I still don’t know how she walked around on those sky-high heels. (He
shrugs) Yeah, I thought she was hot—and scared probably of me.
Please compare/contrast your
current squeeze to your “first love”. How is he/she different, and the same?
Charli: How do you
compare an honest, loyal man with a drug dealer? Or my second love who was my
abusive pimp, to a man like Dylan? You can’t. I never knew anyone like him.
After meeting Dylan, I’m not even sure I’ve ever felt like this for anyone
else.
Dylan: (Smiles at
Charli and squeezes her hand) I met my first love who became my wife in ninth
grade, after moving to Colton from Germany when Dad went off to fight in the
Gulf War. She’s never been anything like Charli. Now looking back, I don’t know
what I ever saw in Brenda. She was popular, the head cheerleader and
self-absorbed. Charli is the most caring person I know. There’s no way to
compare them.
If your town had a betting
pool, which of you would have been given the best odds for staying single for
life?
Charli: (snorts) I think the good people of Colton
figured I’d marry Leon Ferguson.
Dylan: That’s because the town is
full of damned fools who bought his bullshit without ever thinking about it.
Anyway, I’m pretty certain, the Colton Grapevine had me dead by the end of
summer. After all, I was the town drunk.
Which of you first knew you
two would be a lasting item?
Charli: I’m not sure either of us figured that out
until the end. But I think I was the first. (Looks over at Dylan)
Dylan: (Shrugs and rubs a hand over the back of his
neck) I probably figured it out when she came to me after Leon caught us
on the porch. But if I tell you more, I’ll give too much of the story away. And
then I’ll be in trouble—again.
Charli: (Smiles) He’s learning.
Who is the better dancer?
Cook? Singer?
Dylan: Emm... She’s got all three over me. Since she
was a stripper she has some moves that make me...(He grins and looks at
Charli) You get the idea. As for cooking... Although my mother is a world-class
chef, I was too busy messing around with carpentry and horses to learn much
from her. And Charli’s even got me beat when it comes to singing... It’s in her
blood. Her half-brother is a famous country singer.
Charli: Well, I can’t rebuild a house... and a
barn and... Well, we had to rebuild about everything on the ranch. I could
never do that without you.
Who is the better driver
(and yes, I like stirring up trouble!)?
Dylan: And I like getting into it. Hell, I am.
Charli: (Narrows her eyes at him and crosses her
arms in front of her) You can only say that because YOU never let me drive.
Dylan: Do you honestly think I’d ever be caught dead
in that sissy car of yours?
Charli: There’s nothing wrong with my Lexus.
Dylan: (Raises a brow) I told you there’s nothing
wrong with your car, just I don’t like it.
Charli: It’s better than that bucket of rust and
bolts you drive.
Dylan: My truck would out-run that—
Sara: (Scowls at both of them as they glare at each
other) See what you started. It think I need to take these two home. You should
have known better than asking this.
Charli: I’m not fighting about this now. People will
think that’s all we do.
Charli: (Slaps his hand, but gives him a small pout
that cause him to chuckle) This argument is not over. You wait until we get
home. Piper, it was a lot of fun coming to your blog. Thank you so much for
having us.
When Charli
bets everything on a secret, will she find the deck stacked against her?
CONTENT WARNING: Details abuse of a minor, drug abuse,
alcoholism, swearing, spicy sex, murder.
When Charli
bets everything on a secret, will she find the deck stacked against her?
Former runaway-turned heiress Charli Monroe is hiding her
sordid past and planning a future in Colton, Texas. Attending the local college for a degree in social
work, she intends to raise cattle on her newly purchased ranch, which she plans
to open as a home for troubled teens. Only a few glitches—the Victorian mansion
is crumbling, the barn needs a roof, and her oilman neighbor wants more than
friendship. When she meets Dylan Quinn, Charli is willing to take a chance on
the town drunk to help her rebuild the rundown ranch.
Dylan
has his demons, too. The former Special Forces commander can’t get past his
ex-wife’s betrayal and the botched mission that left him with much more than a
bad limp. Certain the greedy oilman next door to Charli wants much more than
just her heart, Dylan’s even willing to stop drinking in order to protect her.
When
things get dangerous and secrets of the past are revealed, is he only looking
out for his new employer, or is she the new start he so desperately needs?
COVER QUOTE: “Full of
intrigue, tangled pasts, and raw emotions, this one is guaranteed to keep you
turning pages from start to finish and then wishing for one more chapter!”
Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Just a Cowboy and His Baby.
Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Just a Cowboy and His Baby.
Ms. Brown also named Gambling
On A Secret as one of her favorite romance reads in 2012 in the Happy
Ever After Blog on USA Today.
Excerpt:
“Ferguson, what are you doing here?” Dylan barked.
Leon ambled toward them on the stone path. “I’m saving a
young maiden from torment. What are you doing here, playing the part of the
devil?”
“I’m Miss Monroe’s new manager.” The deadly edge of his
voice matched the flintiness of his eyes. “If there’s anyone to save the young
maiden from, it’s you.”
“Mr. Quinn, please.” She turned to Leon. “Leon, is there
something I can do for you?”
He smiled, showing off perfect white teeth in a face
handsome enough to belong to an actor. “I was just passing by on my way home
and decided to stop. How are the boys working out?”
Dylan’s stance widened and his hands flexed at his slides.
“What boys?”
“Charli and I have entered into a business arrangement.”
She lost the battle with the urge to wrap her arms around
herself. As much as she appreciated Leon’s kindness, respected him, and was
even a little attracted to him, something about him didn’t sit right with her.
He represented her peers in the community. According to Mrs. Pratt, besides the
Cartwrights, she and Leon were undoubtedly the wealthiest residents in the
county. No one in Colton could learn about her past. It would ruin her, and
Leon, no doubt, had the means to dig up the dirt.
“Really?” Dylan stepped closer to her in a protective
manner. Whiskey tainted his breath as the warmth of the exhalations tickled her
cheek. “What kind of business arrangement?”
She could protect herself. Dylan Quinn wasn’t any safer than
Leon Ferguson. Stepping away from him, she forced her arms to her sides. “Mr.
Quinn, I can handle this.”
She faced Leon. “I’m amazed by how much the men got done
since starting on Monday. The foreman told me last evening they’d be reseeding
another fifty acres for hay this morning. And they have the corrals fixed and
started on the fencing in the north pasture.”
“Good, good.” He glanced at Dylan. “I’ll be going, unless
you need a more reliable exterminator. I couldn’t help but overhear about your
snake infestation. I can give you the name of the company that has gotten rid
of the snakes in our lakes over on Oak Springs for years.”
Although he presented the perfect solution, she didn’t the
like way Leon had looked at Dylan as he said the word exterminator. “No,
Mr. Quinn is quite capable of getting rid of the snake.”
“Oh, I’m sure he is.” Leon tipped his hat. “Let me know if
there’s anything else I can do for you, Charli.” Dylan’s jaw tightened as his
uncle glanced at him. “It’s good to see you up among the living again.”
Leon headed back to his Porsche. With no pretense of
lowering his voice, Dylan said, “Now, there’s a snake no one wants in their
garden.”
Upon hearing the jibe, Leon’s shoulders jerked in
mid-stride.
Rattled by Leon’s attention and the snake fiasco, she turned
on Dylan. “You aren’t off the hook. I want those snakes gone.”
“We’ll see.”
“I hate snakes.” She shuddered and put her hands on her
hips. “Maybe I should have asked him who the exterminator is.”
Bio:
Bio:
Sara
Walter Ellwood is an award winning author whose novel Gambling On A Secret
was named by bestselling author Carolyn Brown in the Happy
Ever After Blog on USA Today as one of her
favorite romances of 2012. Although Sara has long ago left the farm for the
glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small
hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her stories. She’s been
married to her college sweetheart for nearly 20 years, and they have two teenagers
and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she
writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia.
She also
writes paranormal romantic suspense under the pen name of Cera duBois.
Buy Links:
Lyrical Press: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=574
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gambling-on-a-secret-sara-walter-ellwood/1114062294?ean=2940016153667
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/gambling-on-a-secret
Giveaway:
**PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE
GIVEAWAY**
~First Grand Prize is a SWAG
PACK, including a signed copy of Carolyn Brown’s Just
a Cowboy
and
His Baby. Also included is a copy of D’Ann Lindun’s Shot
Through the Heart, a pen, a notebook, a
horse themed mini calendar, a patriotic themed day planner, and more all tucked
away in a reusable tote bag at the end of my blog tour.
~Second Grand Prize is a $10
Gift Card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. If you follow
the tour and comment as often as possible, you increase your chances of
winning!
(The winners of the Swag Pack and
Gift Card will be announced on March 1, 2013.)
(Swag Pack is only eligible for US
residents to win.)
7 comments:
Thank you for having the three of us over today.... We had a blast!
Love the interview and the excerpt, Sara. These two characters are so much fun to read about.
Fabulous interview! Character interviews are my favorite to read! Adore Dylan and Charli! Congrats on the release, Sara!! Wishing you many, many sales!!!
jennyrlowery(at)yahoo(dot)com
love this - what a fun interview! Sara, Gambling in on my TBR, can't wait for a little downtime and reading!
Great Interview. Fantastic excerpt -and I'm with her - I hate snakes.
Great interview! Great book! Great author!
Ladies, you are awesome! Thanks so much for visiting with me, Dylan and Charli today. Piper's a great hostess!
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