Gail Pallotta – Fictional Romantic Interview & Excerpts – Part 2 of 2

Shannon here: Romance author, Gail Pallotta shares insight into her fictional characters from Love Turns the Tide. Comment on any post dated April 25 – 29th for a chance to win an e-book download. Deadline: April 30th, 11:59 PM central time. Here’s Gail:

1. Where is the most romantic place your hero and heroine have ever been?
Since they’re in Destin, Florida, anytime they’re on the beach or looking at the sea it’s pretty romantic. But I chose their dinner cruise on The Shrimp Boat. Here’s an excerpt:
Suddenly Cammie noticed that the bright red sun sat on the surface of the water melting into the sea like butter. Soon the boat turned, probably to head back to dock. But Cammie didn’t want the cruise to end. She wondered if the other passengers were thinking the same thing, because the deck grew so quiet she could hear the sea sloshing as a boat pulled alongside them. It was a gondola with a young couple and a gondolier, who wore black pants, a white shirt with blousy sleeves, and a big red cummerbund. Cammie got up and rushed to the side of The Shrimp Boat. “Oh my, look at that,” she said. The boy and girl seated at the end of the boat underneath the soft glow of a lantern anchored above them waved at her. When she threw up her hand to return the gesture, she leaned across the rail, sliding forward. But Vic pulled her back with his strong arms. For a few moments he held her close to him. “Whoa, take it easy.”
2. Do your hero and heroine have a favorite romantic restaurant?
Most definitely, The Wharf. Here’s a scene there:
“When they got to The Wharf, Vic made sure the hostess seated them at a table lit by a small lantern with a soft golden glow at the very end of the deck away from the other diners. As soon as Cammie sat down, gentle gusts of wind from the ocean caressed her like the delicate touch of caring fingertips, and she felt tension leaving her like air escaping a balloon.”
3. What simple pleasure does your hero do that melts your heroine every time?
Cammie loves it when Vic does simple things like go to church, feed the ducks, or cook dinner for her. After they have their last business appointment Vic wants to continue seeing Cammie. He asks what else they can do? Taken off guard, Cammie suggests they feed  the ducks. Excerpt:
      Cammie opened up the food and called out, “Here ducky, ducky, ducky,” into the still, quiet night. She and Vic tore six slices of the ducks’ treats into small bites, throwing them over the rail without talking.
     Immediately Cammie heard, “Quack, quack, honk, honk.”
     “I believe there are Canadian geese out there,” Vic said.
     “Oh yes, you know how those snow birds like to come south. I think they got here, loved Destin as much as I do, and didn’t want to go home.” She couldn’t believe her own words. Had she hidden her true feelings about Destin somewhere in her heart only to have them surface suddenly when she wasn’t expecting it?
     Vic took hold of her shoulders with both of his strong hands, gently turned her toward him. “Do you really like it, Cammie?” His eyes looked wistful, his face bathed in the fountain’s pink, blue, and yellow colors.
     “Yes, I’m enjoying living here much more than I thought I would.” Cammie pulled free, tore up several more slices of bread, and tossed them over the gray weathered rail. “I had to move to Destin on such short notice. I’d never even visited here and had no time to find out anything about the place before I arrived.” She almost told him she’d had to hurry down here to interview him, but she thought better of that. “Needless to say, I begrudged the change at first, but not now.”
     “I hope I’m part of the reason you like it here.”
     Cammie stumbled for the right words. “Uh yes, I’m sure you are.”
     “What kind of statement is that? Am I, or am I not, part of the reason you like Destin?” Small angry furrows creased Vic’s handsome brow.
     Cammie stopped tearing up the bread slice she held in her right hand. “Do you want an honest answer?”
     “Please.”
     “Sometimes you are, but other times you aren’t.”
     “That’s not much better. Would you mind giving me a ‘yes’ or a ‘no?’”
     “Yes, I mind. Listen to the quacking. The ducks are hungry.”
     “They’re going to explode. You’ve fed them nearly a whole loaf of bread.”
4. How soon after meeting the hero did the heroine know she was the one?
Since my heroine has been so hurt she doesn’t admit that Vic can genuinely care about her or vice versa. But she had to suspect from the second time she saw him.
5. If your hero and heroine end up married, where will they go on their honeymoon?
St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands.
About the book: In Love Turns the Tide Cammie O’Shea faces a traumatic split-up with her fiancé and has to leave her family and friends to take a new job in Destin, Florida. Heartbroken and alone, she needs God more now than she ever has. But for some reason she can’t explain she feels more estranged from him. A feature writer, she dreads meeting her new boss, the editor of The Sun Dial, a new newspaper. However, her real source of angst turns out to be Vic Deleona, the influential real estate tycoon she must write about to help get the paper off its feet. While she refuses to open herself to another painful relationship he attempts to court her. Trying to get over her heartache, she continues to read her Bible and say her prayers. One day she reads Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…” Afterward she ponders how living in Destin possibly could be good for her. Then, break-ins occur at her and her friend’s condos and make her doubt the wisdom of living in Destin even more. However, Vic comes to their rescue. He even launches his own investigation into the crimes. Just when Cammie sees a different side of him she gets an offer to return home to her old job. Will Vic solve the crimes and win Cammie’s heart or will she leave?
About Gail: Love Turns the Tide is Gail’s first romance, but she’s been writing for as long as she can remember. Her first story appeared in a grammar school newspaper. Much later, she worked as an editor and copywriter. After she married she helped her husband with his business, but continued to write. Between the feature stories she wrote at work and the freelance pieces she placed, she published several hundred articles. After some of them were selected for anthologies and two ended up in museums, friends and family nudged her to “do more.” Then, she undertook a lifelong dream and wrote a novel. In 2004, the year she published her first book, Now Is the Time, the American Christian Writers Association named her a regional writer of the year. This past November an excerpt from Love Turns the Tide won the Clash of the Titles Challenge in the best nature / weather scene category.
Come back April 29th for Jennifer Johnson’s romantic interview and a chance to win her book: Betting on Love.