Wild Women Focus on Take A Chance On Me

Who do you turn to when the chips are down?

Leaving the Midwest to follow her boyfriend to Victory, New York was a mistake.

When he gambles away her college savings, and is caught with a prostitute, it is clear that Harper gave her heart—and ATM card—to the wrong man. Embarrassed, and having no means to get home, she tries to pick up the pieces of her life in Victory. But when she witnesses her friend’s murder, her luck turns even colder, and the stakes are raised.

He wants to rid his little part of the world of crime.

But a certain red-headed dealer at La Bonne Chance casino is a distraction he can’t turn away from…and he’s not sure he wants to. When Harper is hunted by mobsters, Cash will do anything to keep her safe, even if it means going all in and putting his heart on the table.

Will Cash find Harper before the mob can?

And even if he does, will he be able to convince her to take a chance on him when everything around her is a lie? Harper is on the biggest losing streak of her life. But with the bad guys hot on her trail, is Cash a winning bet? If she makes another mistake, it could be her final wager.

Will they be lucky in love, or are they running out of chips?

Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome back our pal, M.J. Schiller, with her latest release, Take A Chance On Me, and hero Cash Delmonaco. As is our practice, Cash will take the lead.

Where are you from? Originally from Syracuse, but have lived longer in Victory, New York, up near the Buffalo area.

Tell us a bit about Take A Chance On Me. It’s the story of how Harper and I met. In a world of hurt, she’d just witnessed her best friend’s murder and the mob was after her. I’m a police officer and some bad cops were messed up with the case. Because of that, and a number of other lies she was told, getting her to trust me was no easy feat.

What did you think the first time you saw Harper? What any guy would think—she’s gorgeous.

Works for us. And your second thought? I sensed a vulnerability about her that drew me in. Harper would say it’s my Superman complex. I want to save everybody. As far as shortcomings go, that’s not too bad? Right?

Was it was love at first sight? Lust at first sight, love about a half-hour after I started talking to her. We just seemed to…connect.

What do you like most about her? With all of her vulnerability, she’s brave. And tough. But stubborn with a capital “S” at times. …And even that I find as irresistible as it is infuriating.

How would you describe Harper? Well, before I learned her name I called her Five-Foot-Two (which is, ironically, her height). And talk about eyes of blue—hers are the bluest ever. When she fixes me with those eyes, it’s a total turn-on. She’s got this super-hot red hair that sets off flawless skin. But those are just her physical attributes. You know, the things I would put down for a suspect’s description. The rest of her you can’t put down on paper. She’s warm, sympathetic, funny, crazy-sexy…I love how she can be defenseless, but strong at the same time. The paradox drives me wild. She’s got a huge heart.

How would she describe you? I think she thinks I’m an okay guy. She trusts me now, and that’s the most important part.

What made you choose police work for a career? Well, as it turns out, Harper and I have more than a few things in common. I witnessed my parents’ murders. Law enforcement just seemed to be a natural path after that. I want to do the best I can to make sure no one else gets into the position I found myself in when I was a kid.

What is your biggest fear? Wow. I’ve never thought about that. Failure, I guess. Letting down the people I love.

How do you relax? Like 90% of guys—pop open a beer and turn on a game. Any game.

We won't get into taking bets on the series, so we'll ask who is your favorite fictional character? Well, I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t do much fiction. I read a ton of sports articles and I like autobiographies. I just finished one on the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, that was excellent. It’s called Red, with some long subtitle which I can’t remember at the moment. But very good.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? I don’t know. Stop, drop, and roll? [Cash chuckles, then stares off. When he speaks next, his voice is softer] My dad once told me to write my own eulogy. Then never stop revising it. That really made me think. Then, and later, when I was writing his.

Great way to end any interview, Cash. Thanks for giving us a look into your life and times. It's time we chatted with M.J.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Stephen King’s On Writing and anything that Nora Roberts has ever written.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? The drunk scene. No, I’m just kidding. A friend of ours organizes a trip to Vegas each October, which we affectionately call Vegaspalooza. Since Take A Chance On Me is written about a casino, I was able to use my Vegas experiences. But I don’t gamble, so I had to query my husband and his boys to make sure the various card scenarios were accurate.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? This was self-published, but I have a new chick lit series with ePublishing Works!, a publisher out of Shewsbury, PA. Several of my friends had books published with them and had great success. I felt it would extend my reach.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Oh, my gosh. So many good ones! The next one, though, is a dear friend’s book about his uncle called, Our

Forgotten Uncle Duane Reuben Blair, 1925-1949. Allen Leroy Blair, or, as we like to call him, Al, inherited a wallet that ended up being his uncle’s. Curious, he delved into the past and tells the interesting stories he discovered about his uncle.

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? Next up is The Devil You Know, the third in my Devilish Divas series, which is that chick lit work I talked about earlier. I’m almost done with my end, in final edits, but I don’t know how long it will take the publisher to get it up. I’ll admit I’m impatient. I want everyone to hear Zoe and Zack’s story, or this part of their story.

M.J. brought along an excerpt for us:

Cash slowly pulled his keys out of the door, examining the pair. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Right, Ian?”

“Nothing. Like she said.”

Cash closed the door and set his keys on the end table. “Uh-huh.” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “What’s behind your back?”

“You’re on your own.” Ian ducked into the kitchen.

“Coward,” she mumbled out of the side of her mouth.

Cash moved forward and she took a step back. He lunged, catching her, and she screamed. He wrestled the bottle out of her hand and brought it out where he could see it. Ian ran in, then stopped when he saw everything was fine and put a hand over his heart, leaning against the side of the archway between the two rooms.

“Hmm.” He tilted the bottle. “Is this my Jäger?”

They looked at each other with open mouths, but neither spoke. Cash ambled over to the coffee table and clinked the bottle against the shot glasses as he set it down. “So—and correct me if I’m wrong—it looks like, while I’ve been out working my ass off, the two of you were busy getting snockered.”

“Oh, no. We were working hard, right, Ian?”

Ian made an attempt to stand straight, but swayed comically. “We were working hard.” He nodded his head, but turned to Harper. “What were we working hard at again?”

“Looking at the mug shots.”

“Oh. Yeah. That’s right. We were looking at the mug shots.” He faced Cash. “And doing shots.”

“Sh-sh-sh. It’s a secret.” Harper laughed.

Ian chuckled along with her. “Oh, yeah.”

Cash put his hands on his hips. “Well, I hate to tell you, friends, but the cat’s out of the bag now.”

“Cat? What cat?” Harper cracked up again.

“He has a cat?” Ian seemed genuinely confused, looking around for the feline. “You never told me you had a cat.”

For some reason she still thought this was hysterical.

Cash put his feet on the coffee table, spreading his arms out along the top of the couch. “Whose idea was this anyhow?”

They both pointed at each other.

“It was mine?” Harper asked. Ian nodded. “Oh. It was mine.” She smiled and didn’t try to hide her pride.

Cash shook his head and pulled out his phone. “Okay, Ian. I’m calling you an Uber.” He punched some buttons. “Chrissy’s gonna kick your butt. And the next time she sees me, she’s gonna kick my butt.” He looked at his screen. “Two minutes away.” Coming over to put his arm around Ian, Cash steered him to the door.

“I’m leaving?”

Cash grabbed his jacket off a recliner. “Yes, you are. Maybe the night air will sober you up some.”

“I doubt it.”

Cash laughed. “I doubt it, too. And you, little missie—” he swung around to point to her.

She looked about, then put a finger on her chest and mouthed “Me?”

“Yes, you. Don’t think you’re off the hook. I’ll deal with you when I get back.”

To learn more about M.J. Schiller, go to:

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To purchase Take A Chance On Me, go to:

Amazon: myBook.to/TakeAChanceOnMeSchiller

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1939274214?ref_=pe_870760_150889320

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/take-a-chance-on-me-alicia-dean/1127085530?ean=2940159003843

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/take-a-chance-on-me-28

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1281704177