A new cast is introduced, while journeys already taken start to merge with the present, leading you down the old Red Dirt Road.
Death has always seemed just one step behind Layla Hill, taking almost everyone she’s ever loved. After she loses the love of her life, Layla vows to never love again—how could she, when she’s a death magnet?
Trying to outrun fate traveling with her uncle Willie and his band, Layla meets Michael Roberts, a beautiful Irish boxer as gentle on the piano as he is brutal in the ring. He proves as relentless in life, fighting for a place in her world even as she pushes him away, trying to protect him from her killer tendencies.
But neither foresees the sinister presence waiting for Layla at the end of the Red Dirt Road.
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1) What is your favorite line/scene from your series and why?
I don’t really have a favorite. But, this scene really stands out to me. I am just…. in love with it. I feel it really portrays that feeling of first falling in love—the uncertainty of it all, the butterflies, the mystery, the passion and heat. This is from the third book in the Saving Angels series, Lotus Blossom Lane.
A soft lullaby of a tune started to play. The sound of it made Eliska feel as if she was enclosed in a music box. It was a solo on the piano, but it was so whimsical and captivating, tears slid down Eliska’s cheeks. The music moved her. She watched as the dancers moved closer, falling into a beautiful tempo, their strides becoming slow and lighter. She titled her head, closed one eye, and used her pointer finger to make circles above their heads, as if she was the one twirling them.
A heavy thump knocked her off balance, but before she stumbled, an arm reached out and saved her. The arm belonged to a him. He steadied her with a secure but tender embrace. She was almost afraid to look at him, afraid of who it could be. After a few moments of standing the way they were, her looking away, him waiting for her to look at him, she finally moved her eyes.
His face was partially hidden behind a mask. It made him look as though his face had been seared in half. It was black, cream, and gold, with fancy scrolls and music notes painted across, making his blue eyes glow bright with concern.
When her eyes met his, he dropped his hold, nodding to her. She acknowledged the stranger’s silent apology by nodding back.
He held out his arm to the dance floor, wordlessly asking her to dance with him. She was terrified, but she nodded yes. He made no move to take her hand or guide her; he just watched her as he walked backward, never wanting to remove his eyes from hers. Then he stumbled over another dancer, falling to the floor.
He couldn’t see her face, but something about her had knocked the wind from his lungs. This is why he hadn’t spoken a word to her.
Eliska had to hide the amusement in her eyes by blinking rapidly. She looked away, giving him a minute to recover, to gain his bearings. Their eyes met again, and a wide grin had set on his face; he didn’t take himself too seriously.
In his opinion, there was nothing he could do to redeem himself. He had, in a moment that was supposed to be completely swept away by romance, made a fool of himself. He was trying to impress her by walking backwards. Instead, he wobbled over his own flattery.
Eliska didn’t think an ounce less of him. She just wanted to dance. She had never danced before, not with anyone other than Hagatha. And she was entranced by the easy sound. In the same fashion the children were rapt by the Pied Piper’s magical pipe, she was pipered by the tinkling, by the gentleness of the rhythm and the mysteriousness of the musical rhyme.
They met on the dance floor, attempting to stay clear of the other dancers as they continued their steady beats around them. They stared a moment at each other before Eliska gave him her hand. He took it, and then he glided her around the floor. He was easy on his feet, sweeping her off of hers.
As he twirled her, she felt as though she was ballooning away to the faraway lands she had hidden in. She closed her eyes, allowing him to carry her, even though she was steady on her feet. The faint light of the burning candles flickered in the darkness of her hooded eyes, almost like the meteorite shower against the sky.
He watched her with curiosity and wonder. He had never danced with a woman who closed her eyes. It was intimate to stare into the eyes of another, but he felt this was more so. It was as though they were kissing for the first time, but there was a hundred miles of separation between her lips and his. His hand trembled around hers; he was besieged by something wild, something unadulterated and pure, but not as innocent as a friendly stroll around the dance floor. Alive between the two heartbeats, the contradiction of love pounded in its most concentrated form.
He whirled her once more, than dipped her body back. And she flowed with him, easily relaxing into his embrace. When he guided her back to him, this time he pulled her a little closer, moved a little slower, savoring the moments.
As the last remnants of the song played, the twirling stopped. Eliska opened her eyes to see him staring at her, while a woman in a satin black gown stared at him from underneath her mask. Even so, he continued the dance while the woman watched on, her eyes as sharp as steal arrows. When the song was over, he bowed to Eliska and smiled.
He watched her walk away, never moving from the spot where their dance had ended. The woman in black interceded, claiming what she so clearly wanted. Him.
There should only ever be one him in a woman’s life, Eliska thought as she proceeded to get lost in the thick crowd of guests. The high of the dance was still surging, and she closed her eyes, basking in the afterglow, retreating back to the honeyed spaces in her mind. Knowing now how the true transcendental felt, she vowed to always remember. This, she thought, is how people who are suffering get by. On just one memory. One memory as great as this one can sustain them for the rest of their days. She smiled, a true genuine smile, as she relived the short moments in his arms. He made her feel like she was flying.
2) Which came first: the story, the characters, or the setting?
The characters. They tell the stories. I am just the scribe. The characters are to me, like the melody to the song. I hear the melody before the lyrics come forward, and together they create something beautiful.
3) You were just given a yacht. What would you name it?
Mama Roux.
4) If you had to be a flower, which one would you be and why?
The Café Au Lait Dahlia. It is beautiful beyond words. The color. The
shape. It’s gorgeous, but not in the ordinary way.
5) What is the best vacation you have had?
Gatlinburg, Tennessee/ Nashville, Tennessee. I absolutely love it there. It is peaceful, but there’s so much to do! And Los Angeles, California. We met up with family there once, and we had the time of our lives! We did so many crazy- fun things. One of the things that stands out the most—hanging out with a bunch of Twilight fans who were waiting for the New Moon premiere! It was unforgettable!
6) What is the wallpaper on your computer?
One of my favorites. The lion. Roaar!
7) You are planning the most awesome dinner party of your life. Which 3 celebrities/historical figures (past or present) would you add to your guest list to keep the dinner talk interesting?
Betty White, Jim Croce (if he was still alive), and Elizabeth Gilbert. Maybe Bonnie & Clyde, too.
8) Do you have anything specific you want to say to your readers?
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your support is immeasurable to me. I appreciate every review, every kind word, every email and message. I feel blessed to have met so many beautiful people along this journey; it’s just been unbelievable. I know I mentioned this above, but I feel it is worth mentioning again. Thank you!
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