REKINDLING AN OLD FLAME A character interview chat with Skylar and Cameron

REKINDLING AN OLD FLAME by Samantha Gentry is an adult romance novella, my contribution to the Deerbourne Inn series from the Wild Rose Press. The stories cover all sub-genres of romance.  The Deerbourne Inn is a charming bed and breakfast in Willow Springs, Vermont, population approximately three thousand. Scheduled release Monday, September 9, 2019.

Let me introduce you to Skylar Rogers and Cameron Amory. Their story is one of reunion after many years, a relationship that started in college, a couple everyone assumed would always be together. A relationship that suddenly collapsed until fourteen years later with a chance meeting in a small Vermont town.

Good morning, Skylar and Cameron. I know you have very busy schedules. I appreciate you taking the time to be here today.

Sky:  It's our pleasure, Samantha. Thanks for inviting us.

Cam:  I'm always happy to talk with a fellow author.

Let's start there. Cameron—you're an internationally famous, award winning bestselling author. All your books have appeared in the top ten of the New York Times Best Seller list and two of them have been made into movies. That's a very impressive track record. Yet you have chosen to live in Willow Springs, Vermont. A town of a little over three thousand population. Why?

Cam:  Willow Springs is my home town. I lived here until I went away to college. Even though I had achieved far more success than I had envisioned when I embarked on a writing career, I continued to feel unsettled…always searching for something intangible that seemed just out of my reach. Moving back to Willow Springs provided me with a sense of community, a place where I felt I belonged. But I was still missing one very important element in my life. (clasped Skylar's hand in his) That special someone to share my life with, to make my life complete.

What about you, Skylar? Don't you have a long history with Cameron that dates back to your college days?

Sky:  That's where we met. Cam was two years ahead of me and one year away from graduation. We started dating and soon became an inseparable twosome. I had assumed it would always be that way, we would stay together and eventually be married. But shortly before he graduated, things took a totally unexpected turn…at least for me.

That sounds ominous. What happened?

Sky:  He told me of his plan to leave after graduation and spend a year traveling around the country while he worked on his first novel. He had published some short stories and one novella but expressed a need to write a novel that had been forming in his mind for a couple of months. I knew about his drive to become a successful writer, but I was unprepared for this decision. It caught me totally by surprise.

Was this a sudden decision on your part, Cameron, or was it something you had been considering for a while?

Cam:  (pensive look covers his face) To my discredit, it was a plan I had been working on for a while but had not shared with Sky.

Why not?

Cam:  (glances adoringly at Skylar) The answer to that one is in the book.

What about you, Skylar? How did you cope with his sudden departure?

Sky:  Well, I tried to take it in stride, (stares at the floor for a moment as if composing her thoughts), but it changed the entire direction of my life and career.

Changed it in what way?

Sky:  (sly grin) As Cam said, that's in the book.

Okay—let's move forward fourteen years. How does a successful interior decorator from Chicago run into a world famous author in a small town in Vermont?

Cam:  (gestures toward Skylar) Since you're the one who had wandered onto my home turf, why don't you take that one?

Sky:  Gladly. It's a simple answer. My car broke down and was towed to the nearest mechanic which was in Willow Springs. It was Friday morning. The appropriate parts for my foreign sports car weren't available in the small town. Getting authorization for them to do the warranty repairs rather than an authorized dealership and ordering the parts guaranteed that I was stranded there for at least the weekend, maybe even a couple of days longer than that. As to why I had traveled from my home in Chicago to rural Vermont, it was intended as a week long trip with a dual purpose. First was to collect some antiques for my work inventory and second was to do some landscape photography taking in the beautiful New England fall color. The choice of Vermont rather than New Hampshire or upstate New York…I guess you could chalk that one up to fate.

Cam:  Sky was as shocked as I was when we ran into each other in Crandall Barrett's Antiquities and Books shop. I was elated.

Sky:  I was wary and uncertain. I instantly felt Cam's aggressive desire to renew the past, to pick up where we left off. It had been fourteen years and I thought my emotional wounds had long ago healed. Seeing him again, as desirable as ever, I entertained thoughts of an incredible weekend for old time's sake. But caution prevailed. Dredging up the past, I knew I couldn't handle another rejection…(her voice trails off)

Cam:  She's right, I was pushing her. Perhaps too hard and too fast, but I couldn't allow this chance meeting, this quirk of fate, to slip away. I had to somehow convince her to stay.

To convince her to uproot her entire life and career to stay with someone who had previously left her? Well, Cameron, that sound like a very difficult task you set for yourself. How did you finally win her over again? What did you do to convince her to trust you again and make that drastic change in her life? What changes were you willing to make to your life and career?

Cam:  It's all in the book. (mischievous grin) That's all I'm going to say.

What about you, Skylar? How did this impasse get resolved?

Sky:  I'm with Cam. You'll have to read the book to find out about his totally surprising choice of action. What he was willing to do to make this happen.

Well, I guess there's nothing left to say other than to thank you for being here today.

Blurb:

When interior decorator Skylar Rogers' car breaks down in the small town of Willow Springs, she's unprepared for a reunion with the man who once stole her heart and ripped it to shreds. That doesn't stop the erotic desires he ignites. She'll only be in town a few days, though. What could it hurt to take a little tumble down memory lane?

World famous bestselling author Cameron Amory is shocked to discover his college lover in his hometown. He never stopped loving her and has always regretted leaving her behind. Now, he'll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and her love. Has too much time gone by, or can he rekindle an old flame?

G-Excerpt:

Cameron and Skylar occupied a quiet corner table in the Golden Tree Bistro. They had placed their lunch order and were each sipping a glass of wine. She gestured toward his glass. "When did you start drinking wine? As I recall, you were strictly beer and occasionally scotch."

"Those were college days. I'm happy to say I've grown up since then." A slight grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I'm now officially an adult."

"Yes." She stared at her wine glass as she twisted the stem between her thumb and forefinger. "Internationally famous author, each book on the New York Times best seller list, even a couple of them made into movies." She looked up, catching a moment of eye contact with him. "Why did you choose to live in a small town in Vermont with a population of…"

"Three thousand, maybe a little more." He took a sip of his wine. "Since you've apparently followed my career, at least some of it, why didn't you ever get in touch with me?"

Skylar looked away, her gaze traveling around the restaurant in a desperate attempt to find something to change the direction their conversation had taken. It felt too personal, certainly more personal than she was prepared to deal with. Seeing him after so many years had definitely left her unnerved. It had brought up too many memories. And definitely too many emotions, ones she didn't know how to handle. Indulging the physical, making love with him again, was a very appealing possibility. But the emotional…

"You're writing under your real name rather than a pseudonym. It was hard not to be aware of your success, what with all the publicity each time you had a new release."

He covered her hand with his, the intimate gesture igniting an odd combination of emotions—desire mixed with a heavy dose of anxiety.

She managed to remove her hand without jerking it away, but the sense of physical loss instantly engulfed her, making her wish she hadn't done it. "It never occurred to me that you would want to hear from me. After all, you never tried to get in touch with me. I have the same email address as I did in college, or you could have contacted my parents. They would have told you where to find me. Besides, if you recall correctly, I'm not the one who walked away. I'm not the one who needed to go out into the world to find myself."

She tried but hadn't been able to avoid the hint of sarcasm that surrounded her words. That had been fourteen years ago, much too long a time to still be carrying any emotional baggage attached to it. After all, he had never made any promises for their future, never offered a commitment, and had even told her of his plans ahead of time rather than simply leaving without a word. In retrospect, it obviously had been one sided on her part. Her hopes for the future, not his.

He reached for her hand again. "As I said, I've grown up since then. I very much regret that foolish decision."

Available in ebook at:

Amazon   https://www.amazon.com/s?k=B07VJCQ4G2&ref=nb_sb_noss 

Barnes & Noble   https://barnesandnoble.com/w/rekindling-an-old-flame-samantha-gentry/1132607519?ean=2940163121113 

And other online vendors.

Excerpts and other information available on my website:  www.samanthagentry.com