Today I have Rita Bay visiting with a character interview from her new Liquid Silver release, The Caretaker’s Lady. I love this cover. Just gorgeous!

 

Thanks so much to Kimber for inviting me to interview John Murdock, the caretaker of The Mountain Ridge Resort. He’s the star of The Caretaker’s Lady, a scorching hot new contemporary release from Liquid Silver Books. I caught up with him half-way through the story. As you’ll see, he wasn’t exactly jumping for joy to be interviewed, but I was able to convince him to share a bit of his story.

 

Thank you, John, for taking time out from your busy day to sit down for an interview. 

 

It’s not like I had much of a choice, Rita. You wouldn’t finish our story otherwise. I have other things on my mind.

 

Like a certain lady staying at The Mountain Ridge Resort. I heard someone had caught your attention. Spill it all!

 

I admit it. I picked up Cathy Morrow and her editor Mickie Schaeffer  at the Atlanta airport. I was impressed with Cathy from the moment we met. I would never have pegged her as a famous author of scorching hot romances. She was dressed kinda dowdy in a long skirt and loose blouse, but she was cute as a button. Petite, beautiful like a pixie with huge blue eyes that were a bit sad. She introduced herself, shook my hand, helped me with the bags, then stood with the resort’s luggage cart while I brought around the Land Rover. The two-hour drive was a pleasure. I liked what I saw and heard.

 

And Mickie? You aren’t very friendly with her, are you? 

 

Mickie handed me her baggage claim ticket, gave me her cell number, and then seated herself in the food court with a latte. When she realized I was interested in Cathy, she’s doing everything she can to shut me down. The bitch doesn’t give a damn about her. All Mickie wants is to get the damned book finished and save her job. She made it real clear she wasn’t impressed with me.

 

Probably because you’re the caretaker. But you have a secret and there’s a Mystery, don’t you? 

 

My secret’s none of your damned business, even though you know it. For now, I’m content to be the caretaker. The Mystery, however, is a hell of a story. Seems that Cathy had “lost her Muse,” likely because of her dysfunctional family situation. Her publisher found an old note in her author’s file inviting her to visit here. She called in the reservation on a phone that only a handful of people know about. I’m stumped. No one will ‘fess up to anything. The staff ‘s making bets on what they call “the Mystery.” I admit to being curious—that’s why I picked them up at the airport, but I’m a lot more interested in the lady herself.

 

You haven’t been interested in a woman in a long time, have you? 

 

Since my wife died twenty years ago. I made a mistake a decade or so ago and haven’t looked at a woman since.

 

Until Cathy?

 

Until Cathy. I fell hard for her. I’m happy to say it was mutual. It’s been a while for us both, but I was up for it—no Viagra or nothing. The ladies at the resort, of course, knew everything by the next morning—probably because I sent Cathy flowers and a resort phone.. They decided to take her under their collective wing in the spa. Usually, I’d be pissed, but one look at Cathy ended that. She’d been pretty before, but now she’s drop-dead gorgeous. With her hair colored and nails done and whatever else they did in the spa, she dropped twenty years.

 

Cathy’s becoming really special to you, isn’t she?

 

More than I could imagine in just a couple of days. I took her to a special place that I used to visit with my wife. I even admitted to her that  Julia and I read all her novels together—even played out some of the scenes. I’d never shared that with anyone. I thought it might upset her but she said it was okay. She said people our age have histories. She doesn’t resent Julia—said that being her husband is part of what and who I am. Said no one should take that away from me. She even told me other people role-played her stories. The shell I’d built around my heart to protect myself from being hurt again shattered. Cathy understands me. Understands that Julia will always own a piece of my heart. We even played out one of my favorite scenes from her book, The Forest Queen. Thought I was gonna die, but I believe I have another chance at love, if you’ll finish the damned book.

 

I suppose I should finish your story. I’m sure things will turn out well for you both because I love happily-ever-afters. But not without a bit of angst—things shouldn’t be too easy, you handsome hunk. And the Mystery? I’ll make sure it’s solved. Well, I’d better be off.  

Readers can check out the blurb click those buy links, then check out my webpage. Rita 

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Blurb:

Pass the grits and call me y’all!  Jasmine Bloom, queen of the bodice rippers for three decades, never thought she would become a victim of writer’s block. When family stress causes Cathy Morrow, who writes as Jasmine Bloom, to miss a deadline, Blaylock Publishing accepts a mysterious invitation for Cathy to visit The Mountain Ridge Resort to revive her muse.

Divorced for two decades with three grown children and two grandsons living in her home, Cathy can’t find the inspiration she needs to write the sizzling-hot romances that gained her fame and fortune. At the resort, Cathy meets a hot maintenance worker who warms the cool nights. Will she be content to role-play his favorite scorching-hot love scenes from her novels then return home to her dull routine?

The caretaker’s job at the resort allows billionaire John Murdock to live the life he loves in the Blue Ridge Mountains and keep a centuries-old family vow. When Cathy Morrow arrives at the resort, she lights a fire he’d banked years ago. Will she look beyond his white hair and menial job to appreciate what he offers—passion with the prospect for love?

BUY LINKS: Liquid Silver Books / Amazon 

 

Rita Bay happily writes sizzling contemporary stories (Liquid Silver Books, Secret Cravings Publishing), historical romance sagas (Siren BookStrand), shapeshifter and vampire tales, and humorous mythology-based erotic romps (Champagne Book Group). Her stories are set near her home in Atlanta, along the Gulf Coast, and in picturesque locales across Europe. Her webpage/blog (http://ritabay.com) offers more info about Rita and her stories, as well as risqué, macabre, and  extraordinary posts about the history and culture of Western Europe and the United States.

Rita Bay – WEBPAGE & BLOG / FACEBOOK / PINTEREST / AMAZON