Spotlight & Giveaway: Fly By Night by Kelly Cain

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Kelly Cain to HJ!

Hi Kelly and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Fly By Night!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Ambitious airline pilot and eldest child, Margaret Hawthorne, has grown up in the shadow of her family’s airplane legacy, beginning with a couple Tuskegee Airmen ancestors. She adores flying but feels the weight of her birth order and knows she should take over the family business when the time comes, even though her grandfather’s stance on male only heirs has chipped away at her confidence. When a British one-night stand shows up in her small Texas part of the world, sidling up to her brother, she can’t begin to imagine why. It certainly can’t be a coincidence.
Lewis Watson-Grosvenor is as posh as they come, but deep inside he knows people only want him for his family money and connections. A new start – job and country – is just what he needs to put an old hurt in the rearview mirror, but he knows enough to hold all his cards close to his chest. When Lewis discovers the flight school director he’s heavily pursuing is the brother of a recent one-night stand, he’ll need to be especially careful in his tactics to recruit the man.
In this Everything I Never Told You meets The Davenports story, while Margaret figures out if she’s the right one to ensure her family legacy continues, she’s also faced with growing feelings for the ever-present Lewis, who appears just as gobsmacked.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

Of course, there are so many favorites and narrowing down to just one is impossible so here’s the first one I came across and sets up the central issue in Margaret’s mind:

What did Ian Fleming say about coincidence? Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action. Looked like we were in enemy action territory. But why? What reason would Mr. Posh have for hooking up with me, then following me? And halfway around the world, no less?

What inspired this book?

Growing up, I often heard about the Tuskegee Airmen and their service during WWII. My daughter went to vet school at Tuskegee, and I got to visit and explore the deep history there.
I also have family members who live on a family compound and have been fascinated with the dynamics of that many siblings living around a circle with the parents’ house at the front.
For the romance aspect, I face cast Aaron Pierre when I first conceptualized this book (I saw him first!) and wanted to set something in London, at least partially, which is how I ended up with a 6’3” green-eyed English Black man in Lewis Watson-Grosvenor.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

For both main characters, I scrutinize them thoroughly including their backgrounds, family birth order, and what thoughts they have internalized and how they can get past some of the lies they tell themselves.
As I wrote Margaret’s story, I was surprised at her real feelings about taking over as CEO of Hawthorne Family Flying Eagles.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I loved writing the Thanksgiving scene mostly because I enjoy writing food, but also all of the various family members coming into the compound environment and keeping track of everyone and how they interact with one another.

Snippet:
“But we were going to, er, hoop.” He looked at Dominick for confirmation.
My brother laughed but nodded.
“Do you even know how to play basketball?”
Lewis laughed. “Not really, but Dominick promised to teach me.”
I frowned at my brother.
He shrugged. “Maybe another day, Lewis. We are cutting it a little close.”
Two hours later, all the tables in the dining room, kitchen, and even small tables set up in the family room for the kiddos were at capacity. Platters of roasted, smoked, and fried turkey, roast beef, gravy, and cornbread dressing sat before me. I stretched my gaze over to long tables set up with sides of bacon-wrapped green beans, macaroni and cheese, two kinds of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet-potato casserole, cranberry-and-orange rugelach, pampushky, rolls, and another table set up with desserts: my apple and sweet-potato pies, along with pecan pies, 7UP and sock-it-to-me cakes, and peach cobblers.
My stomach grumbled, and I turned to Lewis next to me.
His eyes, wide as saucers, glanced this way and that, finally circling back to me. “I’ve not seen so much food in one place. And that’s saying something with the feasts my grandmother served.”
“Why do you think my brother worked you out so hard this afternoon? He knows the deal.”
The fried turkey’s savory smell wafted to my nose and called my name. But we waited until the table was blessed before making our plates.
Granddaddy stood at the head of the table, supplanting Daddy just this once, as eldest member of our extended family. He’d discarded his cane and stood as straight as I’ve ever seen him, probably motivated by his recent ill-begotten victory.
Anger still floated through my veins, but game recognized game. He won. I lost. This round. We lived to fight another day though. And as long as I had breath in my body, I wouldn’t give in until everyone had equal rights in this family.
And I’d make it my mission to thwart him in his attempt to tarnish my sweet aunt. Of that, I had no doubt.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

The hardest scene to write was the vote to change the Hawthorne charter. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll include a snippet from another scene that was difficult to write, mostly because Margaret plans to be deceptive with her family. And lies to herself as well.

Snippet:
I placed my water on the glass table, no coasters in sight. “Listen, Lewis. I enjoyed what we did in London. And I’d like to do it again, but I think we need some ground rules.”
Surprise registered on his face, and he leaned in closer. “Go on.”
“Until you and Dominick are on solid ground, and I get to know you a little better, let’s keep anything we’re doing under wraps.”
What was surprise before has turned into shock. His face creased into a giant question mark.
“I’m just saying. Dominick invited you to dinner tomorrow. I’m not asking you to pretend like you don’t know me, but don’t go out of your way either. Sit next to my brother, which is usually on the opposite end of the table from me. Get to know others or whatever he has in store for you.” I shrug. “Are you okay with that?”
He blinked. “Sorry? Are you saying you want to have an intimate situation but nothing in the way of a romantic relationship?”
“I suppose that’s one way of putting it. Is that a problem?” If anything, I’d say he was in full agreement but surprised I brought the idea to him packaged this way.
Lewis’s expression was usually schooled, but not this time. Every thought ran across his face. “No, not a problem.” Now the mask was back in place. He sat back and crossed his legs, placing an ankle on top of his other knee, then grinned ever so slightly allowing his eyes to close, then open again at half-mast.
Now that we’d settled on the stipulations, Lewis pulsated with sex appeal.
I took a long drink of my water and rested my back against the couch, my leg brushing his.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

This series goes back to my writing style roots with zippy banter and complex family situations.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

From a romantic aspect, when a situation begins clouded in secrets, intrigue, and family drama, there’s still a way to come out on the other side and establish trust and love.
In terms of overall themes, it’s great to buck the misogynist system but examining your own wants and needs is equally important.

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

I’m currently drafting book 3 in the Texas Hawthorne Legacy series. Book 2 will be released later this year in September. Books 3 and 4 will be released in 2026.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Winner will receive one ebook copy of FLY BY NIGHT by Kelly Cain from Tule Publishing plus one additional ebook of the winner’s choice from Tule Publishing.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Would you ever want to live on a compound with your siblings and/or extended family?

 
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Excerpt from Fly By Night:

CHAPTER ONE
Margaret—Meet-Cute, Bye

I struggled with the age-old question: Do I indulge in what I love or toe the family line and engage with what’s expected of me?

After flying for over a decade and Daddy’s expected retirement from the family business naming me his successor, I still didn’t have an answer.

That question wouldn’t be answered anytime soon, so I reviewed the theater ticket I’d been lucky enough to purchase while I waited on the shepherd’s pie I’d just ordered. This was my treat after a long flight over the Atlantic and simmering anxieties back home in Texas. Okay, maybe avoidance of going home too, but since I didn’t need to be back at work until next week, taking a little holiday sounded like a great idea. All of my family problems could wait until I returned. They’d still be there no matter how many shows I caught in the West End.

I still had a couple of hours before the show started, so I’d stopped in this gastropub near the theater, giving me somewhere to kill the time but also allow the opportunity for me to update the family tree I’d been working on. Somehow—maybe it was simply my birth order as eldest—I inherited the historian moniker for the Hawthorne family from my late grandmother. She’d laid out the basics of the tree, but all handwritten. I’d digitized it and began adding missing pieces. Honestly, I loved our rich history so much, it wasn’t a burden in the least.

After placing my order, I sat my extra-large purse on the chair next to me, relieved to be rid of the heavy bag carrying my laptop, Kindle, and a couple of hardcover backup books just in case my electronics failed me somehow. I pulled out my tablet to pick up where I left off on the tree.

A shadow moved close to me, catching my attention. “Excuse me, sorry—is anyone sitting here?” The Englishman with the velvety voice asking the question moved toward the chair holding my purse like my property wasn’t even there.

I glared at the man. “Um, yes, excuse me. My bag is sitting there actually.” I didn’t care how smooth his brown skin was or sparkly his green eyes appeared. He didn’t actually give the impression of being sorry at all. Matter of fact, he seemed rather rude. I bet he thought those penetrating eyes gave him a free pass.

He tilted his head and knitted his brows. “I beg your pardon.”

Since he didn’t phrase it as a question, I took it as an apology but dragged the chair closer to me, his hand still attached to the chair’s back. That was probably generous because he trained those piercing eyes on me, perhaps to intimidate. Something I was intimately familiar with from a lot of men. Not every man, but too many.

Resisting intimidation was my superpower.

It had to be in both my career choice and my opinionated family.

I set my tablet down and turned my chin up, giving him my full attention—and the intensity of my glare—until he released the back of the chair. He gave me a small grin. One side of his mouth quirked up, but the other side remained turned down. “My mistake.” Then he walked off, presumably to rob another person’s chair.

“Indeed it was,” I mumbled under my breath then went back to my task, adding more details on my two-times great-grandfather, Samuel Hawthorne, who founded our branch of the family, and his Tuskegee Airmen sons, James and Harrison. Together, they established the aviation compound my kinfolk and I called home in Autumn, Texas, a suburb of Houston.

I crossed my legs and shifted in my seat as I scanned the records on the screen, settling on one name in particular. Great-Uncle Harrison was proving to be elusive. I rubbed my temples. A frustrated sigh rushed out.

My research placed him as a founder of the Hawthorne Family Flying Eagles company, but I couldn’t find whether he’d ever been married or had children. There was an Alabama death certificate that put him in his fifties and documentation of his service in the war but little else. My great-uncle was a bit of a mystery. I often wondered why there was a statue at our compound of Great-Granddaddy James but not his brother. Granddaddy Isaac was of no help, which frustrated me to no end, but I’d become accustomed to his indifference. Although sharp as a tack, his memory became very fuzzy when it came to his uncle for some reason.

I sighed and shook my head.

I’d love to find out why.

Frustrated, I tore my gaze away from the tablet and stared straight ahead without truly focusing on the other patrons. Until I noticed a familiar face—the posh man who tried unsuccessfully to steal my chair. My attention lingered, roaming over his facial features. A shadow of stubble. Full lips. And that smooth golden-brown skin. Now that he wasn’t trying to steal my chair, I could appreciate his looks from a distance. He’d settled across from another man, equal in skin color and features from their profiles. If I had to guess, probably his brother. He must have lifted a chair from some other unsuspecting soul.

Rudeness aside, he wasn’t bad to look at, as Mama would say. My gaze lingered on his lips, full even in profile.

A steaming plate of delectable fluffy goodness, browned to perfection, appeared on the table in front of me out of nowhere, hitting my nose with savory meat and potatoes. I’d been so wrapped up in checking out Mr. Posh, I’d somehow missed the waitress coming and going. That was unlike me, to get so distracted by checking out a man.

One more glance couldn’t hurt.

As if pulled by invisible strings, my gaze sought those green eyes once more. And found them staring directly at me.

He drew a bottle of beer to his lips and took a long, deep drag, watching me the entire time. He leaned back, and I noticed how the deep brown button-down he wore really complemented the sultry eyes trained on me.

If he wasn’t dining with someone, I would’ve marched right over there and propositioned him. To meet up after the play, of course. A last-minute ticket had cost me a grip.

He lowered the beer and turned his attention back to his companion as though he hadn’t just stared me down and undressed me with his gaze, and the spell was broken.

I frowned and picked up my fork, disappointed. The play would be my only source of entertainment this evening after all.

CHAPTER TWO
Lewis—Putting London in the rearview

I dragged my gaze back to my brother, unable to read the expression on the face of the beautiful American woman. I thought maybe she checked me out, but then she just stared, not altering her manner.

Charlie smiled knowingly. “Lewis, did you know that woman?” My brother released his Cheshire cat grin. He probably figured the woman was a stranger to me but had also captured my regard. He’d watched me while I watched her.

Not that it seemed like she wanted my attention.

“Cheeky. You know I don’t.”

He raised his brows and glanced back over at the woman across the room. “She sure seems like your type. Rich brown skin, curly, natural hair, light brown eyes…”

“They’re more deep brown actually. Wait, how can you tell her eye color from here?” I gave him the most severe smirk I could manage, pulling one side of my mouth down low.

Charlie burst out with laughter. “So they’re deep brown, are they? Just your type.” Charlie sat back in his chair, grinning. “Ask her out.”

My body leaned as if to get up, unbidden, and I took hold of my involuntary movement. Tempting, but we had a play to get to soon. “What’s the point? Plus she’s American.” Even though I preferred casual, I didn’t make it a habit of hitting on American tourists. They romanticized Europe too much, and I hated to disappoint.

Charlie tilted his head, a sly smile creeping onto his lips. “All the better. You’re moving there temporarily. You can hook up.”

“You realize America is a big country, right?” My little brother had traveled as widely as I, so I knew he was just being cheeky.

Although speaking to my brother, I couldn’t help my gaze sliding back to the American for another eyeful. She’d shifted her concentration to the food in front of her, spooning a mouthful of what looked to be shepherd’s pie, then picking up a small tablet before her eyes flashed my way. I would have missed it had I not been looking so intently.

I removed the hand sanitizer I carried in my trouser pocket and rubbed some onto my hands before forking the steak-and-kidney pie the waitress just sat before me. Then I raised the nibble to my nose to ensure the aroma matched the appearance. It smelled delicious as the warm steam hit my nose.

“You don’t need to worry about picking up anyone the way you smell your food before you taste it every single time. It’s so annoying.” My brother dug into his own meal with relish.

“Leave me alone, Charlie.”

I wasn’t worried about picking up someone. I’d only just finished packing up my flat before heading out to this going-away party of Charlie’s. I’d call my parents from the airport tomorrow whilst I waited on my flight. They didn’t understand nor approve of my choices—it wasn’t every day you turned your back on family money.

Or deep connections.

But that had been the problem, hadn’t it? My mouth settled into a deep frown.

Charlie caught my gaze. “What’s that look for, brother? Having second thoughts?”

“Decidedly no. I’m looking forward to a new start and the exciting job awaiting me.”

“Exciting job away from Dad and Mum, me thinks.”

I couldn’t hold back a grin. He was right. “That too. I’ll look forward to making it on my own. America is a good place to start over where no one knows me. And more importantly, no one has expectations of our family connections.” The last name of Watson-Grosvenor would mean nothing in the States.

My brother’s gaze softened. “Everyone isn’t like Sheila, Lewis.”

The bitter laugh that escaped my throat was loud and unexpected. I glanced around, but thankfully our surroundings were loud enough not to draw attention. “As your older brother, I feel it’s my duty to inform you that everyone has an agenda. Best you find out now, from me, than discover it on your own.”

I’d had a series of one-night stands since I realized what Sheila was really after, and I didn’t expect that to change any time soon. Setting low expectations with a woman up front kept me focused on moving forward because I would not make that mistake again. I would not be used again.

Charlie sighed. “Poor Lewis.”

I leaned in and lowered my voice. “It’s best you find out now—everyone has an agenda.” I pointed my fork at him and raised my brows.

Sheila had used me. And used me well.

He only shook his head. “You’re way too young to be so jaded.”

I sharpened my tone, saying, “And you’re too old not to know better.”

Charlie had been out of university for over a year now, and Dad had gleefully absorbed him into the family business. Unlike me, my little brother relished it. He used our name and connections to do more than only pick up women.

“I’m going to miss you, Lewis.”

My posture relaxed a bit. “Me too, Charlie. Me too.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Can an unforgettable one-night stand in London threaten a 100-year-old family legacy in Texas?

Ambitious airline pilot Margaret Hawthorne grew up shadowed by her family’s legacy, beginning with a couple of Tuskegee Airmen ancestors. She adores flying but feels the weight of being the oldest. She’s poised to succeed her father, though her grandfather stands firm: only male heirs can take the mantel of the company. When her hot English hook-up arrives and befriends her brother, Margaret is suspicious. She doesn’t believe in coincidence.

Posh corporate recruiter Lewis Watson-Grosvenor knows his meteoric rise is related to his English family’s money and connections. Starting out fresh in the states will be a way to prove himself and leave a very public breakup behind. When Lewis discovers the flight-school director he’s been pursuing professionally is the brother of his memorable one-night stand, he knows he must play his cards close to his chest.

As their attraction blooms, so do the secrets and conflicts of interest. Can Margaret and Lewis find a way to trust each other between the ground and thirty-thousand feet?

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Meet the Author:

Kelly Cain is a native Northern Californian but has spent the last couple of decades in Texas. Consequently, most of her books are set somewhere between those two locations. She writes Black, Blewish, and multicultural romance with determined women directing their own fates, and the swoon-worthy men who adore them.

She loves reading most genres but please don’t ask her to pick just one. When she isn’t reading or writing, Kelly is most likely using a genealogy site to research her extended family, where she found out about her own adoption and Jewish roots. Or cooking/baking something delightful. She has two adult daughters and a granddaughter.

Visit her website kellycainauthor.com for more info.
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