Monday, August 6, 2012

Welcome Charlotte Stout - Seattle Delight - Virtual Book Tour



Today, Charlotte Stout is with us to talk about her new book, Seattle Delight.


Charly’s life was simple and uncomplicated, just like she wanted it.  Or so she thought!  One chance encounter with a devilishly handsome stranger in her local coffee shop would turn her world, and her heart, upside down.  She would be thrown into a realm of privilege and romance, and more than just a little danger.  

How will she handle the dark gorgeous man who has inserted himself into her domain?  When danger threatens those she loves, will she have the strength of heart and spirit to do whatever it takes to save them?  Share Charly’s adventures as she navigates through the quickly changing landscape that has become her life.


Welcome, Charlotte!!  In Seattle Delight, your characters meet in a coffee shop.  We’ve all had our interesting encounters in unlikely places.  Tell us yours.  Where was it?  What happened? Who did you meet/see/bump in to?

   Two days ago my husband and I were relaxing in lounge chairs in front of the Buckey O’Neill cabin chatting about the three days we had just completed as visitors to the Grand Canyon.  We were staying in this magnificent historical structure, The Buckey Cabin, which sits about ten feet off the pedestrian walkway along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

We were both engrossed in a good book in our respective chairs when we heard high pitched animated voices.  We looked up from our books to see a small group of teenagers stopped in front of the cabin reading the placard describing who Buckey O’Neill was and the origin of the cabin. 

A blond teenage boy, who looked to be about sixteen, stepped beyond the placard and looked at me and my husband, he nodded toward the cabin.  “Are y’all staying there?”  His voice was youthful, filled with energy, wonder and a southern accent.

“Yes, we are,” we both replied simultaneously.

“Wow that is so cool.”   He looked toward three of his friends and waved his hands animatedly.  “Hey guys, they’re staying here.  Hey, take my picture with them okay!”  The young man handed his camera to one of his female friends and almost danced toward us.

He bubbled with excitement at the prospect of having his picture taken with two strangers who were old enough to be his grandparents.  He squatted between our lounge chairs resting his forearms on the arms of the two chairs to steady his slight frame.  My husband and I just looked at each other, unable to speak.  We were being carried forward by the momentum of this young person’s tidal wave of enthusiasm.

The young girl holding the boys’ camera looked a little confused but she lifted the camera and started to line up the shot.   “Don’t mind him, he’s crazy.” She tried to explain obviously seeing the perplexed look on our faces.

The young man who prior to this young girl’s comment was oblivious to our potential discomfort took his cue from his female classmate.  He looked at each of us from his squatting position.  “I’m sorry, do y’all mind?”

How could we say no to that sweet yet slightly high pitched southern voice?  This teenager was a force to be reckoned with.  Energy sizzled around him.  He shared with us that he was part of a Christian teen group from North Carolina.  They were on a twenty-three day adventure traveling from North Carolina to California and back. 

He talked about how they were beating statistical odds that said the group would tire of traveling together and petty jealousies would start to be exhibited after five days.  He was proud as he announced that everyone in his group got along and he doubted there would be any issues throughout the rest of their travels, because they were special.

He told us he had to get up at 3:30 a.m. so he could hike the canyon before the heat hit; that he loved everyone on the trip; that this was an adventure of a lifetime; and they were sleeping under the stars because money was tight. 

When the young man and his troupe left, my husband and I looked at each other and smiled.  We both agreed that the encounter with this young man and his friends was a great way to finish this trip to the Grand Canyon.  These young people were so full of joy and optimism it was hard not to let those same feelings infect us.  We were happy and felt lightness in our hearts as we thought about how special the world is and will be with these dynamic young people being groomed to lead our country.

Thank you again for hosting this stop on the tour.

Bonne Journée
Charlotte


Wow! That's quite a story, Charlotte! I love hearing stories like this. You never know who life will throw in your path. It's refreshing to know he was so interested in the wonders he was seeing that he wanted to document every minute of his trip. I'm sure he'll look back on that photo years from now and remember the wonderfully kind couple who took the time to visit with him.

Now, here's an excerpt from Seattle Delight.


“Hey, watch it,” Charly said as someone bumped her table and precious drops of the caffeine laced fuel danced across the table.  She couldn’t afford to lose a microgram of caffeine. Not today – well not any day!  Considering she’d written two lines and a finished first draft of her book was due in two months, she knew she was in a world of hurt.

Charly turned to see who had been so rude.  Okay, as a romance writer it was Charly’s job to write about hunks but what she saw before her left her breathless.  Looking at her with Caribbean Sea blue eyes, copper skin, and dark hair falling in waves to the top of his shoulders was a God.

“Pardon, I am so sorry,” he said in a deep, richly accented voice bowing his head in her direction. 
His eyes – those incredible blue eyes were intently focused on Charly making her feel self-conscious.  Charly regretted that she hadn’t taken more care with her appearance this morning.  Her damp hair was a mass of unruly curls, her face devoid of makeup with the exception of a dab of lip-gloss.  Charly rested her chin in her right hand appreciating the view before her until she laid a finger on her upper lip.  Panic rose within her; she felt it and if he noticed it she would be mortified.  Damn, why hadn’t she waxed her mustache last night?   Why did women get mustaches in the first place? It’s not like we don’t have enough to worry about.  

Meet the author - 

Charlotte lives in Arizona with her hunky husband Warren, and her spoiled Silky Terrier, Tess. Her life has been filled with serious endeavors, including earning a Master's degree, owning her own business, consulting and working in the corporate world as a human resources executive. Before penning her first novel, Charlotte had written several practical guides for business applications, not exactly steamy stuff. Luckily, she never lost sight of her dream to write a novel that would encompass her passion for gorgeous men, adventure and a love of life. Enjoy

Connect with Charlotte Stout -

Blog:   http://www.charlotteastout.com/blog

Buy - SEATTLE DELIGHT-

Amazon

Have you had a memorable chance encounter?? Share it in the comment section below for a chance to win a $75 Amazon Gift Card to be awarded at the end of Charlotte's book tour. Follow the tour here





12 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing. A great story. I would love to visit The Grand Canyon one day.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  2. Good Morning Roz;
    Thank you for hosting this stop on the tour. Yes, we never know who will enter our lives and the impact their presence will have. We still talk about that young man and his zest for life.

    Charlotte

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    1. So happy to have you visit! Best of luck with the book!

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  3. Great story and it is a joy of life that we have these chance encounters that enrich our lives.

    Great book - I laughed out loud reading it and thought the character development was first rate.

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  4. What a heartwarming story. It seems rare that teenagers today have a polite bone in their bodies so it must have been a delight to meet that group of teens. Being a northerner transplanted to North Carolina, I can attest to the fact that I have met very few rude teens. People here make eye contact with you while walking down the sidewalk, nod, smile and say 'Hey' as they walk on by!

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  5. What a wonderful story.
    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  6. Such a sweet story! I once ran into one of my favorite musicians in the poetry section of a bookstore before his band's show...so, I guess it wasn't TOTALLY unexpected, but still a cool surprise.

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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  7. Sounds like it could be a very enjoyable read. :)

    Becky01x(at)gmail(dot)com

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  8. I second what Karen said. I'm also a North Carolina resident and work at a community college. I've met so many awesome teens and young adults. I'm glad you were able to meet some on your adventure.
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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  9. I love unexpected encounters like this. They put a smile on my face, add a bit of sparkle to the day, and give hope for the future.
    I hope this blog tour is going well. Best of luck with the release.

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  10. Wow, how absolutely lovely! That had to have been something. People are so exceptional. You can't help but read this and hope he gets everything he wants out of life :-)

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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