Spotlight & Giveaway: Starlight and the Single Dad by Michelle Major

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

Hi Michelle Major and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Starlight and the Single Dad!

 
It’s so nice to be with you today!
 

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

#Starlight is the perfect place to reinvent herself until the #singledad and his #adorabledaughter change her plans
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

Tessa Reynolds drew in a deep breath of the steaming air surrounding her then tried to bite back a coughing fit. She concentrated on pulling oxygen in and out of her lungs and reminded herself that this was normal. Nothing more than a little cough. Healthy people did it all the time. It didn’t mean anything.
Still, her heart hammered in her chest because Tessa wasn’t healthy.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The hero’s single-engine plane crashes, which happens to be one of my greatest fears in real life
• The character of Tessa was based on Sarah Hyland from Modern Family and her real-life health issues.
• The friends in this book belong to a cooking club and I try to make every recipe they do!
• Tessa is a redhead and I’ve always wanted to be a redhead – total Anne of Green Gables vibes.
• Carson’s daughter, Lauren, shares a name with my baby sister.

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

In addition to the physical spark, Tessa and Carson recognize each other at a soul-deep level. They may not want to admit that they’re a perfect match, but each of them has been hurt by the past. They desperately want a fresh start and to find a place they can truly call home – what they don’t know is that place is together.
 

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

sweet, spicy, tender, fun and feisty.
 

The First Kiss…

He steadied her easily, but the assistance ended with her plastered against the front of him. To her surprise, he didn’t immediately release her. His arm tightened around her waist like he didn’t want to let her go.
“Your coordination leaves something to be desired,” he told her, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Maybe I did it on purpose so we’d end up like this.”
“Devious,” he murmured. “Good to know.”
She almost laughed at the absurdity of that, but all thoughts of humor faded with the way he was looking at her. “Yeah,” she agreed. “I’m devious.”
She expected him to call her out on the obvious lie. By now he had to know her well enough to understand that wasn’t true. Instead, he leaned in until his mouth was a whisper away from hers. The spicy male scent of him enveloped her, and his warm breath on her face made goose bumps erupt along her skin.
“I like it,” he told her then pressed his mouth to hers.
Tessa might be inexperienced, but she’d at least been kissed. Although never like this. Carson didn’t shove his tongue down her throat or taste like corn chips. She got the barest hint of the tang of juice mixed with minty gum. Some cologne manufacturer needed to hear about the combination because it was a heck of an appealing turn-on. His full lips were soft and searching like he wanted to memorize the feel of her lips against his. He nipped at the corner of her mouth and she let out a soft groan.
The heat swirling through her body was like nothing she’d ever experienced.
No wonder all of the girls in her high school had spent so much time in the locker room before and after gym class rating the boys who kissed well in their class. Tessa imagined that Carson would have been at the top of the list.

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

It’s the scene when Tessa is taking Carson’s daughter to a tea in town, and they are both dressed up. I love when the big, strong hero shows his vulnerable side.

He heard whispers from the back hall, and then Tessa called out, “Presenting Miss Lauren Nicole Campbell.”
Carson quickly stood and wiped his palms off on the denim of his jeans. He turned as his daughter made her way slowly around the corner and into the room. She looked nearly as nervous as he felt. A dull ache settled in his chest at the thought of how much time he’d lost with her and whether he’d ever truly be able to regain her trust and love. But mainly his heart throbbed at the sight of her beauty and the pride she obviously felt at being dressed up for the occasion.
The dress she’d chosen was pale yellow with a frilly lace overlay and a bow at the collar. Her hair was up in some kind of intricate knot with tendrils curling around her face. She was the perfect mix of his sweet baby and the gorgeous young woman she was no doubt going to grow into.
“Do the twirl,” Tessa stage-whispered from the hallway.
Lauren giggled and took two steps forward then reached out her arms to either side and executed two fast circles, her dress spinning around her.
“You are beautiful.” He walked toward her then remembered to grab the box of flowers Tessa had instructed him to retrieve from the refrigerator when he’d arrived at the house. “You are beautiful every day, baby girl, but that dress is exquisite.”
She grinned so hard. “I’m like a princess.”
Carson didn’t have any experience with princesses or understand why young girls were so fascinated by them, but he nodded in agreement.
“What’s that, Daddy?” She pointed to the box.
“A corsage to go with your dress.” He opened the box and took out the wristlet. “If you want to wear it.”
“I do. I feel so happy. I wish Mommy was here to see me. She likes dressing up.”
The ache returned. “We’ll take lots of pictures and text them to your mom. Maybe next year she’ll be able to go to the event with you.”
Lauren inclined her head. “Do you think Mommy will come back and move to Starlight with us?”
Wow. There was a conversation he didn’t expect to have when his emotions were already pinging around like a ball shot into a pinball machine. “We’ll have to see, but right now let’s focus on you having a great time at the tea.”
“I hope they have lots of little pastries,” Tessa said.
Carson glanced up and his breath whooshed out of his lungs.
He wasn’t sure what he’d expected Tessa to wear for her stand-in role at the mother-daughter tea, especially after she’d seemed to take so much joy in giving Nancy the business.
Mentally, Carson had prepared himself for anything. Leopard print miniskirt or a tank top with leather fringe. One thing he did not count on was Tessa wearing a demure floral-print dress with a sash at the waist and a tiny ruffle around the hem, her red curls smoothed into tame waves that fell around her shoulders.
Instead of the dark makeup she normally favored, she wore a soft pink gloss on her lips and maybe a little blush. Or maybe she had a full face of makeup on but had applied it so subtly that he couldn’t tell. She looked like she would fit in at the snobbiest society event. She would turn the mothers of Starlight inside out with jealousy.
It was ridiculous but Carson felt jealous of whatever man would end up with a woman like her. A bundle of contradictions but a person with enough class and generosity of spirit to put aside her personal feelings and make it the perfect day for a girl who’d been through too much uncertainty in her life.
“You look nice,” he said then quickly added, “Beautiful. You both look beautiful.”
“Did you get Tessa flowers, too?” Lauren was still admiring her corsage and oblivious to the awareness rippling between the two adults in the room.

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

Tessa and Carson have a bit of a difficult time and then see each other at a wedding. The connection between them is clear, and I think it would a gorgeous scene in a movie.

Lauren ran up to the two of them at that moment. “Tessa, you look so pretty.”
Tessa bent and hugged the girl. “Not nearly as pretty as you, sweetheart. You are a vision.”
“Like a real princess.”
“Even better,” Tessa agreed.
“Daddy did my hair,” Lauren told her. She turned her head so Tessa could admire her curls.
“He did a great job. You’ve got a fantastic daddy.”
Lauren smiled at Carson almost shyly. “Yeah, he’s pretty great.” One of the other kids attending the reception called her name. “I’ve gotta go `cause me and my friends are gonna dance. This is so much fun.”
She skipped away to join a group of kids at the far end of the reception hall. “Who knew the way to a kid’s heart was through a curling iron and ribbons?” Carson asked, massaging a hand over the back of his neck.
“You did good, Dad.” Tessa smiled.
“But not with you.”
“I’m not important.”
He took her hand as the music changed to a ballad. “You’re important to me. I’m sorry that I made you feel differently. Dance with me?”
Tessa glanced over his shoulder to see both Ella and Madison giving her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
When she laughed softly, Carson turned then shifted his attention back to her. “Is it weird that I feel a huge sense of accomplishment that they were giving a thumbs-up instead of another kind of gesture?”
“It’s a big deal,” she confirmed then squeezed his fingers. “I’d like to dance with you.”
Awareness tingled along her skin as he led her to the dance floor. The reception was being held in a converted barn on the outskirts of town. Under the twinkling lights that made up a canopy overhead, Tessa felt a bit like a princess herself.
“So have you really forgiven me?” he asked as he placed a hand on her waist.
Tessa smiled. “There’s nothing to forgive. I don’t hold grudges. That’s one thing I learned from a lifetime of being sick. Cherish all of the moments you have and don’t let what came before dictate the present. I’m not going to let the past control my future. I’ve done that for far too long.”
“Am I part of your future, Tessa?”

Readers should read this book …

If they love an emotional story about healing and redemption – with some lighthearted laughs thrown in.

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

I have an exciting release schedule for 2023. In April, my next HQN release, Wedding Season, hits shelves, followed closely in June by the next book in the Welcome to Starlight series, A Starlight Summer.

Then I’ll finish the year with two holiday releases, The Wish List from HQN and an as yet untitled Special Edition.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: I’d love to give away 3 signed print copies of Starlight and the Single Dad  (US only).

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done? Mine is moving on my own at 22 to Colorado. Best brave move ever!

 
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Excerpt from Starlight and the Single Dad:

Tessa figured her luck would be about the same but she didn’t say that out loud. She loved Cory, but her sweet-tempered friend was nearly as sheltered as Tessa. Madison and Ella both had more experience and a lot more audacity. That’s what Tessa wanted for herself.
“I’m going to learn,” she said as she placed the cherry stem on her tongue. “I bet I could find YouTube tutorial videos on it.” Her voice was slightly garbled as she tried to manipulate the stem.
“Is this another notch on your good-girl-gone-bad bedpost?” Madison asked, sounding amused. “When are you going to learn that you don’t have anything to prove, Pollyanna?”
“Don’t call me that,” Tessa said then went back to chewing on the cherry stem. So much for her friends believing her to be the wild woman she wanted to become. But she wasn’t a Pollyanna. She’d had plenty to deal with in her life and didn’t always have the sunniest disposition, although her natural tendency was toward optimism.
Cory and Ella went back to discussing details of the upcoming wedding while Madison looked on with a sneer. Every once in a while she would offer a suggestion, most of them thoughtful and romantic which made Tessa know that they were all hopeless romantics at heart.
“Hey, Mad, can I talk to you about the problem with today’s order? I think I have an idea how to fix it.”
Tessa gulped in a breath at the sound of the familiar deep voice behind her.
Of course, that meant she also choked on the cherry stem. She felt a firm thwack between her shoulder blades as she choked and sputtered with the offending stem lodged in her throat.
Her friends expressed concern and swayed closer, but it was Carson’s touch she couldn’t seem to shy away from. After what felt like embarrassing hours of public humiliation, the cherry stem popped out of her mouth onto the table.
“Are you okay?” Cory asked.
“Fine,” Tessa said with as much cheer as she could muster, taking a long drink of water. “I’m fine,” she repeated when Carson continued to rub her back. The touch was far more comforting than it should have been.
“You know you’re not supposed to eat the stem,” he pointed out, none too helpfully.
“She was tying it in a knot with her tongue,” Madison offered, and Tessa wanted to kill her friend.
“That’s a dumb trick,” Carson muttered.
“Exactly,” Cory agreed. “And clearly dangerous.”
“I’m fine.” Tessa gritted her teeth.
Madison took a step closer to Carson. “I’m going to have trouble with fish taco Friday when I don’t have any fresh fish. I can’t believe the supplier in Seattle didn’t have it ready to go this morning.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here.” He cleared his throat. “The other pilot is booked this afternoon, but I cleared my schedule and arranged for Lauren to stay at the aftercare program at school. I’m doing another run to Seattle and should be back by four.”
“Really?” Tessa was shocked when Madison offered Carson a wide grin then threw her arms around his neck for a quick hug. “You are my hero.”
Tessa couldn’t help the snort of disbelief that escaped her lips.
“Hero, my foot,” she said under her breath.
“Did you say you scraped your foot on the trail?” he asked, his tone irritatingly innocent. “You should be more careful out in the woods.”
Madison looked between the two of them, her delicate brows raising. “You two know each other?”
Tessa would have denied it. But Carson took a step around the table and nodded. “We’re neighbors. I found her skinny-dipping in the hot springs the other night.”
“Oh, Tessa.” Ella clapped her hands together. “That was on your bucket list, right?”
“I’m not talking about that.” Tessa managed to keep her voice neutral. “With any of you.” She settled her glare on Carson, who couldn’t seem to hide his smirk. “Especially not you.”
He shrugged. “I told you it was a bad idea.”
“Because you are a pushy, judgmental jerk.”
Both Ella and Cory looked shocked and Madison laughed. “No, offense, Tessa, but your man radar is way off. Carson here is one of the good guys.”
“Not one of my good guys,” Tessa answered, wondering why she was being so contrary. The guy hadn’t done anything to her and she should like that he thought she was somebody different than she knew herself to be. That’s what she wanted. Total reinvention in this town. But she couldn’t let him get under her skin any more than he already had. That was way too much already.
“Ladies, I’ll catch you later. Turns out I’ve lost my appetite for lunch.” She purposely did not make eye contact with Carson. “Who knows? I might take a quick dip in the hot springs tonight before I start my big weekend plans.” She wondered if one of her friends would call her out on the lie. As far as they knew, she spent most weekend nights watching her favorite movies or reading. And that had been true until recently, but she still wasn’t ready to share those details.
Somehow she knew they wouldn’t approve of her new side hustle.
“That’s right.” Madison looked like she was trying to contain a smile. “Big wild weekend plans.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Tessa saw Carson’s mouth pull down at the sides. For all he knew, Madison was telling the truth, and Tessa did have big weekend plans. She certainly wasn’t going to be the one to disabuse him of that notion.
She took a long last drink of her Shirley Temple then started for the door.
“What about our Chop It Like It’s Hot lunch?” Ella called.
“Rain check,” Tessa said with a wave of her hand. She hated that she was allowing Carson Campbell to chase her from her lunch date with her friends. But there was no doubt that despite all of her bluster and a bone-deep commitment to being someone different, at her core Tessa remained a coward.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Relocating to the Cascade Mountains is the first step in Tessa Reynolds’s plan to reinvent herself in a brand-new place. Former military pilot Carson Campbell sees only the bold and beautiful redhead wreaking havoc with his own plan to be the father his young daughter needs. And as her feelings for Carson deepen, Tessa finally knows who she wants to be—the woman who walks off with the sexy single father’s heart…
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Meet the Author:

Michelle Major is the USA Today best-selling, RITA award-winning author of over thirty sexy and sweet contemporary romances. She loves second-chances love stories, smart heroines and strong heroes. A Midwesterner at heart, she’s made the Rocky Mountains her home for nearly half her life and is thrilled to share her books with readers. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.
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