He's an academic archeologist who digs up the past. She's an on-the-road psychic balloonist who lives in the clouds. Can they meet in the middle and shed their walled-up exteriors to expose hidden longings and buried hearts?

When Clint Anderson throws a 50^th wedding anniversary party for his parents, he hires balloonist Gabriella (Gabby) King and is immediately smitten with her husky voice just minutes before he's given the ride of his life. Unexpected emotions flare when he finds his feet off the ground, his head in the clouds, and her footloose, fancy-free lifestyle interesting.

Stuck overnight when her truck won't start and with the part to be delivered late tomorrow, she stays in his guest house. The next day she becomes involved with his restoration project—a VW beetle that's been underwater for a decade and was fished out of a lake. When she finds an expensive bracelet hidden under the floor mat, they uncover part of a mystery that leads to even more questions.

Throughout the day, they become acquainted with each other. Knowing her lifestyle is a relationship handicap, Gabby struggles as long-ago buried emotions rise to the surface. As their emotional walls crumble and their buried hearts are exposed, can these two eccentrics handle their findings of unexpected love and allow the walls to finally fall?

Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome back author Diana Stout who is celebrating the release of Buried Hearts, book 4 in the Laurel Ridge novellas. With Diana is archeologist Clint Anderson who will go first.

Welcome, Clint. Thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with where you are from. Born and raised, right here in Laurel Ridge, Georgia

Tell us a bit about Buried Hearts. It's the fourth installment [of the Laurel Ridge series] where classmates and I are sharing our stories of how we're finding love. What's interesting is how the nine of us who were classmates a decade ago are finally finding love matches almost as a group. Gabby, the girl I meet in Buried Hearts, would say it was all synchronization and matching energies. As an archeologist, well, I don't know what to think.

What did you think the first time you saw Gabby King? I was smitten. Her voice was smooth, yet low. Husky would be an apt description.

Works for us. What was your second thought? How tiny (short) she was.

Do you feel it was love at first sight? For me, most definitely, even if I wasn't admitting it at the time.

What do you like most about Gabby? Her energy, her spirit, the bright colors she wears, and how interesting she is. She's deep. An academic in a lot of ways but a lot more fun than my academic peers.

How would you describe her? As someone who knows what she wants, is determined.

How would she describe you? Originally, as a fuddy-duddy professor. The quintessential absent-minded, stuffy academic. Apparently, she was surprised that I wasn't anything like that.

What made you choose archeology for a career? According to my mother, it's because I always liked to play in the dirt. I enjoy learning about older cultures and making new discoveries.

What is your biggest fear? Hmm, I can't say I have one. Never gave it much thought really. I never gave much thought about whether I'd be married or not, at least not until recently watching all my friends pairing up. It never bothered me being single like it did some of the other guys.

How do you relax? With work, watching baseball, spending time with my friends that I grew up with. We're a close group.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Indiana Jones. Only because my field is never that exciting.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Allow others to have the last word...even if they're wrong, that it doesn't matter who has the last word. I got that advice from Dad. Once I started using it with Mom, I found she didn't harp on me as much. Obviously, she enjoys having the last word.

Thanks, Clint. Good luck with the restorations on the bug. Now we’d like to spend some time with Diana.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? The one book that clued me into the secrets of writing great stories was Christopher Vogler's, The Writers' Journey. Followed by attending several of Michael Hauge's weekend workshops decades ago where he deconstructed a current movie, showing how a character's inner motivation connected to their outer goal, all of which propelled the plot forward. I've been using screenwriting techniques for fiction writing ever since.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Any one event? Not really. In high school, I used to watch different groups and how they interacted with each other. How I wished I could have been more like them, at times. In writing these seven novellas, I've discovered some new friends and feel like I'm one of this group, even if I'm not interacting with them in their stories.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I'm the publisher. I decided to become an indie publisher simply because I didn't want to waste time looking for an agent or publisher. I'd gone down that route back in the 90s and just wasn't willing to do again once I had returned to writing full time. My thinking now is that someone will see my work as a good match for their agency or company and that they'll contact me.

I'm fortunate that throughout my life's crazy-quilt careers that I've picked up lots of skills and then later, received the education necessary to be a publisher. I'm good at editing and plotting and have been asked by other writers if I'd become their editor. While I'd be good at it, I know if I pursue that path, my own writing would suffer. And, right now, I have more projects than I have time.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I'm currently reading Emma Cartwright's 33 book box set, Amish Love Divine; A Split in Time by Melanie Dobson & Morgan Tarpley Smith; Embrace Your Empathy by Kristy Robinett; Our House is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis by Greta Thunberg, Svante Thunberg, Malena Ernman, and Beata Ernman; and, Crazy Little Thing by Tracy Brogan. Yes, I read several books at the same time.

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I'm devoting myself to these last three novellas in the series and have first drafts written for all of them. I've been getting reacquainted with Tangled Passions #5 this past week, getting it ready. My goal is to have the entire series published as eBooks by the end of year.

Diana brought along an excerpt for us:

An hour later, Gabby walked down the backyard terraces to the guest house, knowing that Clint watched her.

He'd been amused when the reading confirmed he'd be married soon. When he had asked who, she couldn't tell him. She wondered who it would be, too. The cards had said a new acquaintance. His gaze had changed for a few seconds, just long enough that she could tell when the curtain came down to cover up whatever it was he was feeling.

She frowned remembering that moment again. His eyes had a warm look of interest as if trying to look within her heart. She felt goosebumps again just as she had then. Even she had wondered in that moment if she was the new acquaintance, but that wasn't possible. Not with her schedule, not where she lived, not with their careers poles apart.

Reaching the cottage door, she grabbed the knob and paused. She looked back at the house. He still stood there, a dark silhouette against the kitchen lights at the slider door. She lifted an arm and waved. He waved back. She smiled and crossed the threshold.

She really liked him. For the first time in a long time, she was reluctant to leave. But, leave she would because that's what she knew to do. It's what she did and always had done.

Was still doing it well.

Too well.

Blame the schedule, she thought. It demanded and dictated her time.

Liar.

Currently, Buried Hearts is available only an eBook through Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGJXZM4S

Once the series is finish, the stories will be compiled into one print book and be available through your favorite bookstore.

To learn more about Diana Stout and the stories she creates, go to:

Website: https://sharpenedpencilsproductions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianaStoutsharpenedpencilsproductions

Twitter: ScreenWryter13 or https://twitter.com/ScreenWryter13

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drdianastout

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/user/show/43124185-diana-stout