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
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 -
Website: http://www.charlotteastout.com
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.
