Character Interview with Melody Bennett from Lightning Over Bennett Ranch
Hi,
Melody. Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with me. Let’s jump into the
questions. First of all, what do you look like?
I’m about
5-8 with blue eyes and long blonde hair that I always wear in a ponytail. I
really should cut off the curly locks since it’s a pain in the butt to deal
with, but I just can’t grab up the scissors. I’m curvy and my—um—bosom is a tad
larger than I like, so I wear oversized shirts and flannel a lot. A bunch of
the workers on my dad’s ranch can’t seem to keep their dang eyes to themselves
whenever I wear tighter-fitting clothing.
Where and when does your story take place?
Willow Creek,
Montana. Modern day.
What did you think the first time you saw Max?
Oh, Lord. My emotions were all over the place that day. I was seventeen
and trying to wrangle a wild horse under control. I was all cool and calm on
the outside, but inside I was jittery. After I finally managed to stop the
runaway mare, I spotted Max by the stable. He was a new worker on the ranch,
and the most gorgeous cowboy I’d ever seen. I was smitten, all right. His
sweaty blond hair lay tousled over his head, and his brown eyes lit like wicked
fire when our gazes met. It was kismet.
What is your family like?
Aargh. Controlling. My father knows I need my privacy, but he doesn’t
think any man is good enough for me. My mother keeps trying to marry me off to
the wealthy cattle rancher I dated and dumped a few years back. Neither of my
parents approved of Max, nor did my brothers, but they’re finally coming
around. As the only daughter in the family, I’m used to hardheaded men.
What is your occupation? Are you any good at it?
I train and breed
horses, and yeah, I’m excellent at it. I’ve had Lightning, my beloved Rocky
Mountain horse, since he was colt. He’s won several ribbons and has sired quite
a few colts and fillies that have themselves won races and begot their own
offspring.
What's the most terrible thing that ever happened to you?
Max and I planned to runaway together when we were younger, but when I
showed up at the motel, he was already gone. He broke my heart that night. I
never expected to see him again, so when he finally returned, he threw my life
out of whack.
What conflicts are you facing?
The biggest conflict was dealing with Max’s return. He acted
like we could pick up where we left off, which shot my temper through the roof.
After ten years of no contact, I had to summon a lot of courage to give him a
second chance. And there was my family. Max and I had to sneak around a bit,
but I soon put a stop to that.
What is people’s
first impression of you?
That I’m cold and a tomboy. Sometimes they see the
pain simmering just below the surface, but I’m pretty good at hiding my
emotions.
Anything else
you’d like to add?
Not really. I’m a reserved person, but I’m trying to
break out of my shell. Thank you, though, for inviting me to talk. It feels
good to get this stuff off my chest.
Synopsis:
Melody Bennett’s parents trampled on her teenage romance
with a drifter ten years earlier. After he disappeared without a word of
goodbyes on the night they had planned to run away together, she casts aside
her foolish notions of happily ever after and works hard on her family’s ranch.
Max Fortaine returns with a heart guarded by secrets and
a sizable bank account that took blood, prayers, and tears to fund. The cowboy
disrupts Melody’s peaceful life with stolen kisses and a promise for more.
After a lifetime of running, mistakes and regrets, he vows to reclaim the only
woman he’s ever loved…if only her overprotective father didn’t stand in his
way.
Excerpt:
“Did you
ever love me? At least tell me that.”
He drew
back, his eyes widening. “Yes, I did. I’m sorry you doubted it.”
Could she
trust him? A tear slid down her cheek. Where was her control? God, please. Keep
her strong. She dug her nails against her palms. “You owe me the truth.”
“Yeah, I
do.” He forced his fingers through his spiky, dark-blond hair. “You’ll hate me
more than you already do.”
“I don’t
hate you. I did long ago, but I forgave you.” She inhaled his musky scent
through her nose, then stepped back for breathing room. “I’m happy, Max. My
life is good. To answer your earlier question, no, I don’t have a boyfriend.
I’ve dated men after you, of course, but I’m single now. That’s my choice.”
She couldn’t
tell him about her list of must-haves,
her criterion for potential love interests. How could she? If he knew how much
his betrayal had hurt her and how it affected her view on men and love, would
he think her weak and immature? Maybe she was.
“Besides,
I’m sure you moved on to other women.” She cast her gaze down his body. Despite
the desire tingling in her veins, her heart and her mind were in accord. He
wouldn’t fool her again. “I doubt a handsome man like you would have trouble
finding a new bedmate.” After all, that’s all she had been to him. Right?
He glanced
away and shifted his feet.
Oh, yes.
He’d slept with other women after her. How many had he lied to and seduced? How
many fell in love with him?
Her stomach roiled. She wrapped her arms around her
middle and walked to a window. She peered through the slats of the blinds, but
the great expanse of land blurred into one giant brown-and-green mass. She
faced him. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to feel not good enough? Why
did you leave Willow Creek without me? I don’t care what the answer is. I just
want to know. I won’t hate you for it.”
Goodreads:
Buy Links:
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Audio Links:
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Audible – https://adbl.co/2PmF7gU
iTunes – https://apple.co/2EavsZT
Montana Ranch series:
Universal link – https://books2read.com/u/mYooyw
About the Author:
She lives in
North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats. Feel free to visit her at http://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com.
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1 comment:
Thank you for the great feature!!
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