Shannon here: Rebecca Carey Lyles shares insight into her character’s romance from her Romantic Suspense novel, Shattered Dream. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for a copy. Winner’s choice of print or digital. Deadline: Jan 2nd, 2021, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Rebecca:
Shattered Dream is the first book in the PRISONERS OF HOPE trilogy, a continued account of Cassie True, a young woman struggling to recover from her husband’s death and a downward spiral into alcoholism—and to survive a controlling religious cult.
- What’s the most romantic thing your husband ever did for you?
Cassie: The most romantic thing my husband ever did for me was buy me a pair of hiking boots. That might seem silly, but we spent a lot of time outdoors hiking and camping, and he noticed before I did that my old boots had worn out.
- Where is the most romantic place you’ve been?
Cassie: We had a favorite lake in Montana’s mountains called Fairy Lake, a beautiful, relaxing setting with emerald waters and a hidden camping spot we claimed as our own.
- Did you and your husband have a favorite romantic restaurant?
Cassie: Our favorite place was the coffee shop where I performed on weekends and where we met. We made a ritual of celebrating the monthly anniversary of our meeting in that same coffee shop, always a sweet occasion.
- Do you and your husband have a favorite song?
Cassie: We both loved music (I played the guitar and he played the ukulele) and had so many favorites, but we entertained ourselves by making up songs in the grocery store.
Prime rib…ooh, baby… You are my prime rib, my prime rib. Buh-bum-pah… Ooh, baby… At twenty-five dollars a pound, I’m leavin’ you for a cel-er-y rib, a cel-er-y rib. Buh-bum-pah… Prime rib…ooh, baby…
We giggled like preschoolers, nearly falling on the floor. Occasionally, others would laugh along with us, but mostly they just quietly slipped into another aisle, which made us laugh even harder. We were never asked to leave the store. But then, it was a college town.
- What is your favorite romantic vacation destination?
Cassie: As college students, we couldn’t afford a vacation, but both Eric and I loved being outdoors. And we loved living in picturesque Montana with its abundant opportunities for fresh air and exercise. We biked and hiked, kayaked the river and glided over Fairy Lake in Eric’s old canoe. In the winter, we threw snowballs at each other. In the spring, we splashed through rain puddles. And in the summer, we played frisbee golf, had watermelon-seed spitting contests and skipped rocks across the lake to see whose rock bounced the farthest.
- How soon after meeting your husband, did you know he was the one?
Cassie: I moved to Bozeman ten years ago to attend Montana State University on a music scholarship. Music was everything to me, until my sophomore year. That’s when a friend introduced me to Eric True. Then my life became music and Eric. He was an amazingly talented art major, also a sophomore. I still remember how our artistic souls connected that night, like two ends of a seatbelt clicking firmly into place. We were married as soon as we finished finals the following spring. At least, that’s how my dad tells the story. I was twenty and Eric was twenty-one, and we were beyond-the-stars thrilled to say I do and take off on our honeymoon.
Rebecca here: Author Mary Demuth https://www.marydemuth.com/ provided this tasty recipe in a recent newsletter. (Due to the semi-arid climate where I live, I find I need to add more liquid.)
GLUTEN-FREE CREPES
- 1 overripe banana
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup milk (or almond milk)
- dash salt
- 2 Tbs. melted butter
Pulverize all this in a blender. Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray, turn the heat up to medium, then pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. Tilt the pan in a circular motion until the batter spreads to the edges of the pan. (Be cautious about the heat because the banana in the batter can make it burn easily). Once the wetness of the crepe is gone, flip quickly to the other side and cook through.
Because of the banana, this crepe is sweet, so you don’t need to add sweet things to it. I like to roll raspberries in it and eat as is. (Of course, no one is going to blame you if you add some Nutella).
About Rebecca: Rebecca Carey Lyles grew up in Wyoming, the setting for her Kate Neilson novels. She currently lives in Idaho, where she serves as an editor and a mentor for aspiring authors. She’s also written two Colorado-based nonfiction books, “It’s a God Thing!” and “On a Wing and a Prayer,” and compiled a short-story collection with other Idaho authors titled “Passageways.” Her latest fiction series, “Prisoners of Hope,” features a heroine in the clutches of a controlling religious cult. She and her husband, Steve, host a podcast called “Let Me Tell You a Story” beckylyles.com/podcast. Learn more about Becky and her books at beckylyles.com.
About the book – Shattered Dream:
Singer/songwriter Cassie True enters a rehab program that promises to change her life. And it does…in ways she never expected. Caught in a religious cult’s ever-constricting web, she fights not only for her sanity but for the freedom to form real friendships. She longs to put alcoholism behind her, finish the program and return to her music career. But when her friend is forcibly separated from her husband by the cult leader and a young boy is abused at the cult’s elementary school, she can’t stand by and do nothing.
Bucking the system is dangerous and could result in dismissal from the program—and a return to jail. Can Cassie and her coworker, Corban Dahlstrom, “toe the party line” on the surface yet work together behind the scenes to help others escape the cult’s grip? Will they be able to withstand the fiery backlash that’s sure to come? Does their budding romance have a chance in a world where an iron-fisted leader controls all relationships?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Rebecca’s other titles?
Get your copies now! Shattered Dream – Amazon Shattered Dream – Ebook
Question for Readers: Have you had experience with a religious cult or cults?
Come back Dec 29th for Leeann Betts!
Yes, I was involved with a type of cult. Their focus was Jesus, but they believed all other “Christian” groups were deceived as so they were going to hell. I was at a very vulnerable time in my life and to be controlled in this way seemed right. Fortunately I met a man, who eventually became my husband and I started go to his church. And then I saw the group as it was, and it wasn’t good.
The group was called Potters House and I guess it was exposed as a cult.
Very interesting, Linda – so glad you were able to leave the group! Oftentimes, that’s almost impossible to do. Happy New Year!
No, I haven’t had any experience with a religious cult.
Good to hear, Diana! Happy New Year!
I’ve heard about several but haven’t experienced it personally….
Thank you for the interview and Merry Christmas!
Thank God you haven’t been sucked into a cult, Natalya! I love your name. 🙂 Have a wonderful 2021!
I haven’t had any personal experience with a cult. However, a friend of mine has a sister who joined one and the sister has cut off contact with the rest of her family and they do not even know where she is.
No I haven’t unless you count Jehovah Witnesses
I have a winner! Winnie Thomas won the drawing. I appreciate Rebecca for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.