Spotlight & Giveaway: A Starlight Summer by Michelle Major

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Michelle Major to HJ!

Hi Michelle and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, A Starlight Summer!

 
Thank you so much for having me!
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

Two people who don’t believe in love need the charm of summer camp and one determined girl to show them exactly how to form an unexpected family.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

It was a brilliant day in Starlight, Washington, the sky a singular blue that marked a perfect summer afternoon. Dazzling and intense without a wisp of a cloud marring the meteorological perfection. Ella Samuelson was in the mood to hit something.
She thought it a benefit that she wanted to take out her temper on a poor, unsuspecting inanimate object and not an actual living person.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• When I started this series, I had planned for Ella to be with a different hero, but it became clear Ella and Josh would be perfect for each other.
• The song of this book is In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel.
• Josh bakes a pie for Ella and I might have done some real research in the kitchen for that scene!
• I based the summer camp on one I attend as a girl (Camp Marydale in Kentucky)

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Josh and Ella are classic opposites attract but what first brings them together is his daughter, Anna. She allows Josh to see a softer side of Ella and she shows Ella that Josh is a perfect catch in many respects.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

Opposites attract in heart matters.
 

The First Kiss…

Ella hadn’t expected the kiss, but she wasn’t going to lie and claim she didn’t want it. She’d thought about kissing Josh but chalked that up to his full mouth and the way he smelled like leather and spice as if he were a cozy chair she wanted to curl up in.
But as his tongue traced the seam of her lips before melding with hers, it was Ella’s toes that were curling. Josh Johnson kissed her like he already knew exactly what she wanted. He was firm but not too demanding and seemed willing to take his time and savor her.
The last time Ella had been with a man was back in her traveling days. Everything moved quicker then, furtive and fast because they never knew when they’d be interrupted.
She’d gotten used to that pace. It felt normal. Like it was fine to get to and through the main event without much extra fanfare.
She’d forgotten how amazing simply kissing someone could be. Had it ever been this amazing?
“Relax, Samuelson,” he whispered against her mouth, then nipped at the corner of it. “I can hear you thinking. We don’t have to think right now. This is practice.”
Ella breathed out a little sigh that quickly turned into a moan of pleasure. She didn’t think it was possible to turn off her brain, but somehow Josh’s words enabled her to do just that.
At the heart of the array of emotions she felt at the moment was a sense of safety. She trusted Josh in a way she couldn’t explain and preferred not to consider because of what it might mean. So she just allowed herself to be swept away by the kiss.
By the time he finally pulled away, she’d gone well past tingling. Her body felt like it was on fire. The flames of desire licked at her very core. This man was going to be dangerous for more reasons than Ella had even anticipated.
“How’d I do?” His playful smirk told her he knew exactly how he’d done.
“Passable,” she said, smoothing a hand through her hair.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

I love the banter between Josh and Ella. Here’s a bit of one of those.

The start of each school year was Josh’s favorite time because those were the only hours when he felt truly safe. The dock creaked as he approached, but Ella’s posture didn’t change.
He sat down next to her and unfolded his legs over the edge. His feet dangled inches above the lake’s surface. For a few minutes, they sat in a comfortable silence looking out over the clear water.
“Anna said you make better mac and cheese than me,” he told her eventually. “I want you to know that’s high praise coming from my daughter.”
Ella offered a whisper of a smile. “That’s funny because the whole time I was making it, she sat at the counter and critiqued my effort. She’s going to be a handful when she’s a teenager.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“Is that part of your girlfriend criteria—somebody who will be able to manage Anna?”
He rolled his shoulders. “Hell, no.”
Ella scoffed. “You mean to tell me you aren’t considering the relationship your potential love interest will have with your daughter? Come on. The whole reason you’re doing this is for Anna, or part of the reason at least. Maybe you’re also doing it because you’re finally ready to end the dry spell after your dumb wife left you.”
“My dumb ex-wife,” he corrected. “And, of course, I’m thinking about Anna. It’s important to me that any woman I date get along with her. But I’m not looking for someone to manage her. I want a person who can encourage her and be a role model for her and celebrate her feisty spirit. Nobody is going to manage my kid.”
Ella nudged him with her arm. “You never cease to impress. You should write that little speech down and give it to any woman you meet. Who wouldn’t want a guy who respects his daughter at that level?”
“As a matter of fact, my most recent date had some very interesting thoughts about the difference in raising girls and boys.”
“Tell me you mean that in a good way.”
“I mean she’s a big believer that boys should be boys and girls should be seen and not heard.”
“How is that possible? She’s a single mom.”
“Of a boy who lost what she deemed an unfair class election to his female counterpart at his last school.”
“You are joking.” Ella’s eyes narrowed. “Did that woman say one negative word about Anna?”
“Not exactly. She might have mentioned something about the importance of teaching kids self-control so they don’t have accidents.”
“I will take her out,” Ella told him.
The offer was said with such vehemence, it made him smile. “Pump the brakes, wild woman. I let her know that I would parent my child as I see fit and keep encouraging Anna to be brave.”
“I’m still going to have words with her. Trust me, my mom got all kinds of well-meaning advice when I was a kid about how to rein me in. After she was gone, all those women stopped being helpful and outright gossiped about me. I’m not saying that Anna is going to follow in my footsteps. I was way out of control. But don’t let anyone make you feel like your kid isn’t perfect.”
“Nobody’s perfect, and I don’t expect that of Anna. I want to give her the space to fail and learn from her mistakes.”
“Seriously, if you aren’t using your philosophy on raising a daughter as a pickup line, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity. It’s sexy as heck.”
He leaned closer. “Women’s empowerment,” he said in a low voice. “Beyoncé forever. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is my idol.”
Ella burst out laughing. “Now you’re laying it on too thick.”
“Come on. RBG is hot. All the cool cats think so.”
“You should never say the phrase ‘cool cats’ again.”
“This is why I need your guidance.” Josh glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone, then cupped a hand on Ella’s cheek and kissed her. “And more practice,” he said against her soft lips.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

I think this scene shows their chemistry but how that emotional connection can also be full of fun.

Ella Samuelson ate like an NFL linebacker, and Josh loved every second of it. Not that he was fool enough to point it out to her, and the football reference might be an exaggeration.
But during the couple of dates he’d been on recently, it had almost pained him how the women across the table picked at their food like tiny birds, as if there was some adult-dating manual that advised eating was unattractive.
He couldn’t think of anything more appealing than the way Ella’s face had softened when she’d taken the first bite of the steak he’d grilled. She’d closed her eyes and moaned in approval, swaying slightly like his effort was worthy of a Michelin star.
Josh had gone speechless, although his body had been silently shouting at him to step up to the plate.
“Are you kidding me with this?” Ella pointed her fork between him and the piece of strawberry freezer pie she was halfway through eating. “I don’t like pie and this is amazing. Did Mara teach you everything she knows or what?”
He shrugged, although he couldn’t hide his proud smile at her compliment. “Anna and I watch The Great British Baking Show. I’ve picked up a couple of pointers over the last several seasons.”
He resisted the urge to squirm when she stared at him, her full lips parted slightly.
“Does that make me sound like too much of a wimp? Because I know all about toxic masculinity, and I’m not interested in it. That was my dad’s deal. I’m not looking for a woman who can’t handle a man knowing the difference between baking soda and baking powder.”
Ella still didn’t answer but pushed away from the table and rose from her chair. For a moment, he thought she was going to walk out. Then she came around to him, placed her hands on either side of his face and leaned down to kiss him.
“Say the words baking powder again,” she commanded with a teasing lift to one corner of her mouth. “It’s a real turn-on.”
He adjusted his chair to face her, opened his legs and drew her between his knees. “Baking powder,” he said, grinning. “Active dry yeast. All-purpose flour.”
She moaned softly and climbed into his lap. Josh would have continued with the strange sexy-times talk but couldn’t formulate a thought with Ella pressed against him.
She was soft in the places he wasn’t and all his brain could think was that he wanted more.
Their tongues mingled, and he moved his hands up and down her back, cursing the thin layer of fabric that separated the two of them.
He wanted more. He needed more. He needed—
“It’s practice,” she said as if reading his thoughts. “You should be ready for what comes next.”

Readers should read this book …

If they are looking for a fun romp and tender emotional read to help them enjoy the lazy (or busy) days of summer.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m excited to have two more releases this year. The Wish List releases in October from HQN and the next Starlight release, A Starlight Christmas Dare, comes out in November. I’m excited for readers to enjoy both of them!

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: I’d love to give away 3 signed copies of A Starlight Summer (US only)

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What’s your favorite summer activity? Mine is finding a shady spot to read a book!

 
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Excerpt from A Starlight Summer:

It was a brilliant day in Starlight, Washington, the sky a singular blue that marked a perfect summer afternoon. Dazzling and intense without a wisp of a cloud marring the meteorological perfection.
Ella Samuelson was in the mood to hit something.
She thought it a benefit that she wanted to take out her temper on a poor, unsuspecting inanimate object and not an actual living person.
That showed a surfeit of maturity and self-control, right?
Too bad she couldn’t get a handle on her emotions as quickly as she could control her urges.
She stood at the edge of the crowd at the weekend festival that paid tribute—in large part—to her late mother’s devotion to supporting the arts in the picturesque town nestled at the base of the Cascade Mountains. Ella should feel happy.
At least she should be able to muster satisfaction and pride.
She’d just announced the recipients of the artist stipend funded by her family’s bank. Her father had begun supporting the creative community in Starlight, and specifically this summer art festival, shortly after his wife’s death to honor her memory.
It was a noble endeavor, but noble hadn’t mattered to a teenage Ella, who’d lost her gentle and patient mother in a tragic car accident. Ella and her older brother, Finn, who’d been in the car with their mom at the time of the wreck, had been devastated. Their father, Jack, was gutted by grief and emotionally walled himself off from his kids for years just at the time when they needed him the most.
Ella had felt deserted, heartbroken and angry. She’d rebelled in the usual ways of angsty teenage girls, embarrassed now that she hadn’t even been able to find a creative outlet for her feelings. Instead, she’d anesthetized herself and shoved them down and run from her emotions. Run from everything that reminded her of home.
At least she’d parlayed the running into a successful career as a traveling nurse. But she’d managed to bungle that, as well, when the pressure of facing illness, death and trauma in remote and war-torn regions of the world had become too much.
When her emotions refused to be pushed down any longer, she’d ended up weeping and eventually nearly catatonic on the floor of a mud hut in a speck of a village on the outskirts of a South American jungle.
She’d returned to her hometown under the guise of taking a break and reconnecting with her dad and brother after finding out about her father’s cancer diagnosis. The big C had been an excuse to run once more .
Two months of a planned break had turned into nearly two years in Starlight. She still hadn’t been able to return to the nursing profession that had once been her calling. At the moment, she worked odd jobs around town and barely scraped together enough money to afford rent now that she’d moved out of her dad’s guesthouse. Her pride remained easier to deal with than emotions, and Ella had pride in spades.
She’d made a deal with one of her high school friends for reduced rent on a short-term lease if she helped to fix up the guy’s ramshackle duplex so he could sell it once she left town. She was leaving town and had finally given herself a deadline.
The end of the summer.
She’d agreed to return to the traveling nurses’ agency she previously worked for, although she hadn’t yet signed the official contract. Still, they were expecting her to report for duty on the first of September.
The thought of getting on a plane and flying to someplace where they urgently needed medical staff made Ella’s chest knot so tightly it was a wonder she could breathe.
The alternative, which her new friends suggested on a regular basis, was staying in Starlight. Put down roots and admit she wanted the kind of steady life her parents had before her mother’s death. But Ella didn’t trust it. She knew from experience that stable didn’t equate to safe. Why not push the envelope and tempt the adventure gods as much as she could?
What was the worst that could happen?
“You’re scaring the small children with that frown,” a deep voice said near her ear.
She resisted the immediate urge to offer a one-fingered salute in response. There were families with young kids milling about as they’d reached the point in the festival when the committee was giving out the youth awards.
She cocked her head ever so slightly to see Josh Johnson at her side, wearing one of his trademark faded flannels despite the warm temperature. The muted pattern seemed to accentuate skin burnished by the sun and the scruffy five- o’clock shadow that roughened his strong jaw.
“If it keeps the little ankle-biters at bay, then I’m doing something right,” she told him as she returned her attention to the speaker. “Shouldn’t you be off impressing adoring moms with your juggling or leaping tall buildings in a single bound or whatever it is Superdads do on the weekend?”
Josh chuckled—a deep rumble that had a surprising bite to it. An edge Ella found appealing even though she knew there was nothing for her when it came to this particular man.
She’d lapsed into quite a dry spell since returning to Starlight. If she were going to pick a guy to break it, Josh would be at the bottom of that list. He would be on a different pad of paper entirely. A completely foreign language to the one Ella spoke.
She’d known Josh in high school, but they hadn’t run in the same circles. He was far too pleasant for her. Ella hadn’t been a fan of nice guys back in the day. Not much had changed in that respect. Josh’s inherent kindness, open smile and willingness to pitch in whenever someone needed help around town made him genuinely beloved in the close-knit Starlight community. And a man who wasn’t for her. Josh was the very picture of steady and stable, and Ella was a runner at heart.
Which did not account for the awareness that sizzled along her skin as he playfully nudged her elbow.
Okay, the guy was cute enough—even she could admit that. With his dark hair and big soulful brown eyes, he was like a warm hug personified.
Ella reminded herself that she didn’t like cuddling.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

“Do you know any women not like you? You know, smart and pretty but nice?”

When Anna Johnson asked Ella Samuelson for help in fixing her father up with a new wife, Ella only agreed because she knew the child and her father had been through the wringer.

The only woman Josh Johnson wanted was his matchmaker, Ella. But his little girl had to be his first priority. He and Starlight were the only stability Anna had ever had. And the only interest Ella had in Starlight was seeing it in her rearview mirror…
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers, and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.
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