Carole Barnes once believed she would make her own way in Hollywood, but those days are long gone, leaving behind only a dark, slimy secret that Carole has never shared with anyone. Now she hides in the bright sunshine of the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. As far away as she can get from Hollywood. But what to do when Hollywood comes knocking in the form of a sexy movie star?
Connor Wallace has everything going for him—looks, talent, a successful career—but what he really wants is to perform magic on stage. His love of magic leads him back to his mentor Walt Bryson. At first, he’s pleased when Walt suggests his assistant Carole produce a documentary of his transformation from movie star to magician. He’s worked with Carole before—but the ambitious girl who had a crush on him is gone now, leaving a beautiful, withdrawn woman.
It’s the perfect arrangement. Carole knows she can make a success of the movie and Connor wants to work with her. But as they grow closer, Connor determines to find out her secret. Can love overcome the boundaries of fear? Or will Carole’s past return to plague them both?
Excerpt
Connor pulled the linking rings back out of their velvet bag and began practicing with the engagement ring on them. “I may need your help, too.”
“With the trick?” She raised her eyebrows. “I’m not sure I’m the one—”
“Nonsense. You know how it works. You just have to catch it correctly.” He tossed the ring to her. She caught it neatly, but the engagement ring went flying.
“Damn.” She cursed softly. “I thought I could do that.”
“No, you weren’t sure. You said so.” He found the engagement ring and replaced it on the linking ring. He fixed her with a stern look. “Be certain.”
“Okay.” She shrugged, but she knew what he was talking about. Every movement in magic—or any showmanship, really—had to be done with certainty. No rethinking yourself or doubts allowed. The audience should never be aware that you might not know what you’re doing. And so she banished any doubts and looked at him expectantly.
“And don’t look at me like that.” He twirled the rings in the air, absently connecting and disconnecting them. She knew how it was done, but he’d gotten so good at it, she couldn’t catch him.
She laughed. “Why not?”
He paused in the act of juggling the rings, caught them and displayed them all connected with the engagement ring dangling at the bottom. “Because you make it hard for me to be certain.”
She tilted her head, wondering what he meant…
Interview
Tell us about your current release.
Becoming Magic is my fifth book in the Sleight of Hand series. I call it “a new kind of romance” because with the #metoo movement, I started wondering what I could do to help. I write in a genre that has become more and more dominated by themes like S&M and alpha heroes who boss women around. I looked back at my own writing and realized that, while I’m not as guilty as some, I still have some questionable themes that some might see as glorifying victimization of women. So I made a vow to wipe those particular fantasies out of my writing. I mean, why do we have themes like rape and sadomasochism in a genre that is mostly read by women when what we really want is men who respect and care about us? If you ask me, that’s what makes a man sexy, and that’s what “a new kind of romance” is about.
How do you react to a bad review of your book?
Ha! This is actually one of my best kept secrets. I never want anyone to know what my first reaction to a bad review is. I mean, first reaction is somewhere between hurt and rejection, like: That guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But then I always calm down and re-read and adjust my attitude. Because there’s something to learn from even the worst reviews. So my public reaction is always: Thank you for your opinion. I love other people’s opinions about my work because it helps me see what it is and isn’t for others.
The best book/s you ever read?
This is tough. I love everything Barbara Kingsolver has ever written. My favorite books that I’ve read over and over are things like Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. But I think the book that made the biggest impression on me was Helen Simonson’s Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. Such a beautiful book and Simonson has a lovely way of capturing a character.
Favorite place to read?
A screened in porch at the beach with the surf pounding on the shore below and the sound of kids in the pool. Not my kids because then I have to be paying attention. But kids, nonetheless.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
To put it simply, I want to write something that matters to someone, even if it’s just brightening their day a little. Recently, I’ve realized I want to make a difference in my chosen genre, too, though. I don’t like some of the normalization of themes like S&M in the romance genre that has been happening. I’m sure there are people who practice this “safely”, but teenagers read romance and while adults can handle and process and throw out the bad, teenagers might not be able to do that. It’s like some authors feel like they have to keep pushing the envelope, but by doing so, they don’t realize they are bringing themes into the mainstream that maybe should be kept on the sidelines. I’m by no means a prude, but my writing, which once would have been considered “hot” is now labeled as “sweet”.
What’s something unusual or fun that most people don’t know about you?
I recently started acting with my daughter in community theater. It’s nothing serious, but I’ve been in two local productions and they’ve been so much fun, I’ll probably do another if I get a chance. In fact, when I was in A Christmas Carol last Christmas, I loved it so much I decided to write a book set in the same theater. Dickens Magic, Book 6 in my Sleight of Hand series, will be out October 31, just in time for Christmas!
Anything else you might want to add?
Nothing, except thank you so much for having me back! I hope your readers will want to try out my new kind of romance and let me know what they think.
Thanks...
Michelle Garren Flye is an award-winning romance author of eleven novels and counting. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com, among others. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library, Butcher Shop Quartet and Tattered Souls. Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina.
Links:
Blog: BREATHE: http://michellegflye.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michellegflye
Giveaway
Michelle Garren Flye will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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