She’s
his one weakness…can he buy her love?
Mitch
Carter's a hard man. He's clawed his way up from Buffalo's gutter
through a combination of ruthlessness and stark loyalty to become the
King of Prospect Avenue. But when he sees lovely Tessa Verdun, a
crack appears in his tough veneer. He wants her for his wife even if
making it happen requires coercion, dirty dealing, and a touch of
blackmail.
Mitch is
the last man Tessa would choose to wed, but he's forced her into
marriage, even though she's ready to give her heart to another man.
Now he tries to win her with lavish gifts and watches her with veiled
passion in his eyes. But when everyone else turns against Tessa, it's
Mitch who's there offering strength. And when vying factions in the
city place Tessa in danger, it's Mitch for whom she longs, though
loving such a man is certainly a tough prospect.
Wild
Women Authors is pleased to welcome back
author Laura Strickland and the latest addition to her very popular
Buffalo Steampunk Adventure series: Tough Prospect, a current release out of the
Wild Rose Press. First up is Mitch Carter.
Where
are you from? I’m from the gutter, quite
literally—found on a street here in Buffalo as an infant, and taken
to Carter’s orphanage. Probably dropped by a whore, don’t you
think? Damned if I know.
Tell
us a bit about Tough Prospect. Well,
you know I’m the kind of man people talk about in whispers, because
they’re half afraid to say my name out loud. I take that as a mark
of respect. It might be a backwards kind of respect, but that’s
better than none. I dragged myself up out of the gutter, and made
good. Now they call me the King of Prospect Avenue, because I own
most the street. People say I’m a tough prospect. They even say I
don’t have a heart. I guess Tessa Verdun proved that wrong.
What
did you think the first time you saw Tessa? I
thought, Damn, she’s beautiful. I want her.
What was your second thought?
I’m gonna have her.
No
fuss, no muss. Was it love at first sight?
Hell, I don’t even know what that means. Love didn’t come into it
between me and Tessa, at least not at the beginning. I know I fell
for her a lot quicker than she fell for me. So no, I guess I’d have
to say I don’t believe in love at first sight. Lust, yeah.
What
do you like most about her? She’s got
class, something I never really acquired, for all my money.
How
would you describe her? She’s smart, and
brave enough to stand up to me. She’s a lot stronger than she
thinks she is.
How
would Tessa describe you? As a right bastard,
I expect.
What
made you choose property ownership as a career? I
didn’t really choose it, did I? I worked hard at crap jobs, and
when I saw an opportunity to invest and maybe make good on something,
I went for it. Buying one house and renting it out led to having the
money to buy up another. I had to make money, because I needed to get
the boys who were in Carter’s orphanage with me out of there. I
wouldn’t leave a mean dog in that place.
What
is your biggest fear? I don’t like the
dark. Nobody who was shut into a dark hole as a kid, for punishment,
would.
How
do you relax? Ha, what’s that?
Who
is your favorite fictional character? I don’t
read well enough to enjoy books.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received?Don’t
take you eyes off your enemy, or he might stab you in the back.
Mitch,
thank you for taking the time to speak with us. We'd like to chat
with Laura.
What movies or books
have had an impact on your career as a writer? I
absolutely love the books of Terry Pratchett. They are infinitely
original and wonderfully off-beat.
What
event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and
how do you feel it impacted the novel? It’s
funny you should ask. This story was actually inspired by a song,
written and performed by one of my favorite artists, Richard
Thompson. The song’s called “Cooksferry Queen”, and I dedicated
Tough Prospect to Mr.
Thompson, in tribute.
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what
influenced your decision to submit to them? Tough
Prospect is my twenty-fifth book with The
Wild Rose Press! They have been immensely supportive of my tendency
to genre-hop, and my editor in particular encourages all my crazy
book ideas. I happened to find them by chance, online, and what a
fortunate day that was for me!
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I’m
trying to find time to read fellow Wild Rose Press author Penny
Burwell Ewing’s Jingle Bells and Krampus
Spells. It looks great.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect
to see it on the shelves? My
next book due up is the third and final book in my Hearts of
Caledonia Trilogy, called Noble
and Blessed. Not sure
when it will be out. I’m hoping for early in the new year.
Laura brought along an excerpt
from Tough Prospect for us:
“No,
Tessa.” He sat up straight and clasped his hands together. “We’re
going to get to the bottom of this, have it out.”
“Have
what out?”
“Don’t
play dumb, you’re not dumb. I’m talking about how you act toward
me, how you feel toward me.”
She gave
a hard laugh. “I should think that would be obvious.”
Yeah, it
was. Real obvious. But it couldn’t go on much longer before Mitch
snapped. He said, trying to sound patient, “We’ve been married
two weeks. You’re gonna have to reconcile yourself to it.”
“Am
I?”
“Well
yeah. We live in the same house. We should be sharing a bed. What’s
it going to take?”
Tessa
bared her teeth in a grimace. Tears filled her eyes. “It will never
happen.”
“What?”
“The
deal was I should marry you. Only that.”
For
an instant, Mitch felt totally helpless, a condition he didn’t
tolerate well. Indeed, he’d worked hard since his days back in the
orphanage to guarantee he’d never feel that way again. And now here
came this woman with her hands on his heartstrings, hating him.
“But…” he began.
She
leaned forward in her chair and lowered her voice even though no one
else in the house could hear. “I know what you are, Mitch Carter. A
tough. A brute, a lowlife. You may have blackmailed me into marriage.
That doesn’t mean I’m ever going to like it.”
To purchase Tough
Prospect, go to:
The Wild
Rose Press:
https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/6350-tough-prospect-a-buffalo-steampunk-adventure.html
To learn more about Laura
Strickland and the books she creates, to to:
Website:
www.laurastricklandbooks.com
Thank you for welcoming me and Mitch here today! Love visiting with you.
ReplyDeleteAww, poor Mitch! LOL Great interview - he's my kind of hero, deeply wounded, strong moral compass, and at the mercy of a woman, hehe.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Luanna. That's what made this story such fun to write! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteOh, he's great! I love him. Best of luck with the book!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jennifer!
DeleteLoved Mitch's Interview. Enjoy reading about wounded heros and the women who stand up to and for them, so as to speak. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Tena! Thanks for visiting!
DeleteMitch is quite a guy :) Adore heroes like him! Wishing you many happy sales, Laura.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barb. Mitch was fun to write!
DeleteOh, my gosh. I seriously loved meeting Mitch. NICE. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKara, I'm glad you enjoyed the interview! He's quite a fellow.
DeleteFascinating interview. Sounds like a great read. Best wishes!
ReplyDelete