. . . His voice always had been her undoing—especially in the dark . . .

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature Diana Stout, author of Shattered Dreams a contemporary novella-length romance, book one in the Laurel Ridge series. First up is Mason Baylock.

Where are you from? Laurel Ridge, Georgia.

Tell us a bit about Shattered Dreams. Here's how it's described on the book jacket: Mason Baylock returns to his hometown as a newly appointed judge. He wants to reconnect with his high school sweetheart, Shelley Willis, but she's not interested. To keep him foremost in her mind, he frequents the diner, located across from the courthouse and where Shelley works. Once a week for the past three months, he's been asking her out, and she's been turning him down, every time.

Then one evening by accident, they become locked up in the kitchen's cooler. Because there's no escaping. the real conversation begins and the heat gets turned on. She can't deny she isn't attracted to him, but she won't date someone who shattered her dreams years ago, either.

And then, she discovers there is more to the earth-shattering consequences than even she imagined, which threatens to fracture and splinter life as they know it. Will both of their dreams be shattered forever, or does enough of a spark remain that they can rekindle the love they once shared?

What did you think the first time you saw Shelley Willis? We grew up together in Laurel Ridge, so the first time I saw her was in kindergarten. I played with the boys. She usually played with the dolls and the kitchen area—you know with the dishes, the toy stove and refrigerator, sometimes with other girls but often by herself. She was just a girl, but I did notice the way she would sweep the hair off her face with the back of her hand.

What was your second thought? It wasn't until I became interested in girls, 13 I think, that I really noticed her. I thought she was incredibly cute.

Was love at first sight? At 13, oh yeah. Anytime I see her, it's like love at first sight all over again. Even now.

What do you like most about Shelley? Her compassion, her sweet gentle nature. Her smile—but she doesn't smile much these days. Her eyes, her beautiful eyes.

How would you describe her? Cute when she was younger. Beautiful now. She's a natural blonde with the biggest brown eyes, and she has a nice figure.

How would she describe you? Probably too serious. Determined. Thoughtful. Very tall. I have to duck down coming through the diner door.

What made you choose becoming a judge as a career? I didn't intend on being a judge. I was a lawyer, going to school in Atlanta and clerking with a lawyer one of my teachers had set up. I joined that firm after passing the bar, and a couple years ago became a circuit judge there. When I learned there was a circuit court judge opening in my home town, I went for it.

What is your biggest fear? Not being able to get Shelley back. We were high school sweethearts and had a horrible breakup immediately after graduation. She was the main reason why I returned to Laurel Ridge. I was eager for a simplier lifestyle, too. I eat several nights a week at the downtown diner where she works. It's the only way I can get her to talk to me right now.

How do you relax? I work with wood, making carvings and furniture.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Atticus Finch

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? If you really want something, go after it with all your heart and don't give up easily. That advice came from Connie, a life-long waitress at the diner. She's a mother to everyone in town even though she never married or had kids. That woman knows everything as in everyone's business, but she never reveals a confidence. Connie's definitely on my side in my trying to get Shelley back.

Thanks for taking time away from your court schedule, Mason. We'd now like to chat with Diana.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Reading Janet Daily's early romances where she did the states series—a romance set in every state—was when I began to think about writing books. While Syd Field's Screenplay and then The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler impacted my career because I started writing screenplays after a decade of writing romance novels, it was Michael Hauge's screenwriting weekend workshop—the first one I attended and I've attended several now—that really impacted my career as a writer. I realized I need to apply screenwriting techniques to my novel writing; thus, it changed my writing completely.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Probably the memory of what it was like to be in love in high school, in having a high school sweetheart and the extreme hurt of the breakup a year after graduation.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I'm an indie publisher. My decision to published independently was based on my not fitting neatly into any agent's niche because I prefer to write in multiple genres. I had two agents early on in my career, but the relationships didn't work out for any of us.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? With so many, here are three of them: The Soul of Life, which is Book Three of The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The Discovery of Witches was the first book. Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell, and The Recollection of Trees by Sadie Francis Skyheart, which I helped mentor the author when it was half finished. I couldn't wait to read the rest of it back then, so I expect it to be a fun read.

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? Shattered Dreams is the first of seven novellas with seven couples, seven conflicts, seven romances. Nine of the fourteen characters were raised in Laurel Ridge and went to school together. Three of the outsiders are friends and live in Atlanta. Another is a college roommate. It's been an interesting collaboration as these couples come and go with each other's stories. Because of that complexity, I decided to write the first drafts of the remaining six all together so that I can't write myself into a corner where I can't get out. I'm working on the first drafts of the last two novellas right now. I'm hoping to publish Burning Desire #2 in the fall, and then publishing them in quick succession after that. Each novella is a stand-alone eBook. Once the eBooks are all published, I'll be creating a print volume that contains all seven novellas.

Diana brought an excerpt from Shattered Dreams for us:

(They're locked in the diner's freezer, the diner where Shelley works.)

Shelley heard him moving around. “Where are you?”

“Smile so I can see you.”

Shelley chuckled, unable to help herself. So like Mason to joke when there was a problem.

She heard him moving. “What are you doing?”

“Let’s pretend we’re blind, and we’ll talk with our hands.”

“We are blind. It’s dark, remember? Besides, I can’t see your hands.”

“That’s the point. We can use the braille method.”

Silence filled the room. No way was she responding to that innuendo.

Shelley frowned. He sounded closer. “Where are you?”

“Here.”

She jumped hearing his voice next to her. She hadn't even heard him move. Just like the old days.

She took a step back. Shelves dug into her back. She felt him move too. Toward her.

“Why are you running from me, Shelley?”

“I'm not.”

“If the lights were on, we'd both see that your nose is getting longer. You've been running from me ever since I came back to Laurel Ridge. And, I want to know why.”

“You're imagining things.”

“I'm not. The only reason we're having a discussion here at all is because the door shut.”

“We have discussions all the time.”

“Yeah, like what I want to eat.”

She wished he'd stopped talking. The more he talked, the more she wanted to melt into a puddle, despite the frigid air. That voice....

His voice always had been her undoing. Especially in the dark. It was as if the years had melted away and they were out in the middle of nowhere again, far removed from anyone or anything. At their secret place in the country with no lights around them except the stars. Necking in the car. She could have sworn she was seeing stars now. She shivered.

She felt his breath on her neck. “Cold?” he asked. “I bet you didn't know that the best way to create heat is to rub two people together. Remember?”

She was trying hard to forget. “You mean sticks.”

“You do it your way, I'll do it mine. Let me show you.”

To learn more about Diana Stout, go to:

https://www.facebook.com/writerDianaStout

https://twitter.com/ScreenWryter13

https://www.pinterest.com/drdianastout

https://goodreads.com/user/show/43124185-diana-stout

https://www.instagram.com/authordianastout/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/diana-stout