Chasing Shadows by Cat Jameson

              The sexy stranger from the one-night-stand she can’t forget turns out to be the key witness against her client … and somebody wants him dead.

Annie O’Toole, a St. Louis Public Defender, is passionate about fighting for the underdog and determined to prove herself as the badass trial lawyer she knows she can be.  Getting assigned to defend the kid charged with shooting billionaire businessman, Michael Grayson, is a big step up for her career.

Until the hot guy she seduced at the Justice for All Ball shows up at her office in response to her deposition subpoena. Turns out the sexy stranger who introduced himself only as ‘Mick’, the guy she’s been fantasizing about since slipping away while he slept — is none other than Michael Grayson.

She’s horrified. He’s furious. He thinks she set him up. She thinks he’s an arrogant ass in a snazzy suit. Intrigue and bullets fly in a mix of swoon and sparks as Annie and Michael battle each other, the bad guys, and an off-limits attraction neither can ignore.

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature author Cat Jameson and Chasing Shadows, her debut novel of romantic suspense out of the Wild Rose Press. Up first is businessman Michael Grayson.

Good morning, Michael. Let’s begin with where are you from. I grew up about an hour south of St. Louis in Ste. Genevieve, MO. Just follow the Mississippi River and you can’t miss it. It’s a beautiful little river town of around 5,000 people. It also happens to be Missouri’s oldest permanent European settlement. A lot of the original colonial settlement from the 1700’s is still in use. It’s pretty cool. My folks still live there in the same house I grew up in. I was ready to get out and spread my wings as soon as I hit eighteen, but it was a good place to grow up. After the Navy and college, I settled in St. Louis – close enough to easily visit the folks but in a city with the infrastructure to support the company I planned to build.

What did you think the first time you saw Annie O’Toole?  She was gorgeous and sexy as hell, with the greenest eyes I’d ever seen. I’d been bored out of my mind at that fundraiser, ready to throw in the towel and call it a night when this bombshell of a redhead dumps bourbon all over my tux and I was anything but bored.

And your second thought was? She didn’t pussyfoot around or suck up to me. She wasn’t trying to impress me, like the rest of the world. That was … intoxicating. I couldn’t remember the last time somebody — anybody, much less a beautiful woman — treated me like a normal person. Money like mine opens a lot of doors, you know?  But Annie was REAL, with this quick wit and smart mouth. That’s what I wanted to keep when I suggested our ‘let’s-keep-things-anonymous’ game. I was afraid if she knew who I was, it would screw everything up.

Was it love at first sight? Well, that first sight definitely got my attention, but I’d say it was more ‘love that first night.’ See, we agreed to have this out-of-character, bold and crazy, first-names-only one-night stand, after which we’d both ride off into the sunrise with great memories and zero complications. Bit of a story as to how we got there, but basically, I think we’d both been burned enough that a night like that sounded pretty fabulous. Only she blew me away that night in so many ways. When I woke up and realized she was gone, I knew I wanted her back. I just had no idea where to find her or what a debacle the whole thing would turn into once I did. But you know? If I hadn’t gotten shot, I never would have met her. I used to think the expression ‘I’d take a bullet for you’ was just that — an expression. But it was taking that bullet that brought me to Annie, so yeah. If I had it to do over, I’d take that bullet for her all over again. Crazy, huh?

What do you like most about her?  Her spirit. She’s this wonderful concoction of contradictions. She’s one of the most principled people I know. It’s never about what’s convenient or easy with Annie. It’s about what’s right. I’m a better person with her than I was without her, that’s for sure. She’s passionate about things she believes in and the people she cares about, but she also doesn’t take life too seriously. She can laugh at herself and helps the rest of us do the same. And she’s one of the bravest people I know. How many people can walk away from everything and everyone they’ve ever known because it’s just toxic – as a college kid, with nothing to fall back on? Just cutting all the nets and taking that leap to build a life you can love. She awes me.

How would you describe her?  Fiery. Funny. Determined. Passionate. Smart. Loyal — if you’ve earned it. Dangerous if you haven’t. Sexy. Sensual. Adventurous. Curious. Disorganized. Stubborn. Impulsive. Infuriating. The love of my life.

Okay, but how would she describe you?  At times, she’s described me as a self-absorbed ass and a man who would ruin her life if she stayed with me. I think I’ve finally convinced her she was wrong about that last one. Let’s see, loyal, protective, smart, creative, impatient, easily bored if I’m not challenging myself. A little too daring for her taste.

What made you choose aeronautics for a career?  Have you ever seen the Blue Angels perform— you know that squadron of Navy pilots who do that precision flying with all those amazing acrobatic maneuvers? My dad took me to see them at an air show when I was like ten. I had never seen anything as cool as that. I wanted to be them. After, I’d watch the jets from Scott Air Force Base across the river fly overhead and make up these elaborate stories about all the heroic stuff those pilots did. I had a pretty good imagination as a kid. By the time I was old enough to enlist, I had a little more realistic idea of what it meant to be a fighter pilot, but the dream still held. So, I became a Navy pilot. And yes, I loved it as much as I’d thought I would. When I got a chance to be a test pilot on some new designs, I began to get interested in not just flying, but designing, fighter planes. Thinking about things that would make the planes I was flying perform better. From there it was a natural progression. The GI bill paid for me to get my degree in aeronautical engineering. I managed to sell a few design upgrade ideas for enough money to start my own company. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What is your biggest fear? I’d have to say irrelevance. Well, if you don’t count losing Annie. That would definitely be my biggest fear.

How do you relax? I can’t say there’s just one go-to way. I enjoy sharing a drink or dinner with friends — something that had pretty much dropped by the wayside when I was running Grayson Aeronautics, so I’ve made a point to get back to that. I like just hanging out at home.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Maverick from Top Gun. Who else?

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? “You don’t like the territory, change it.”

Thanks for taking time out for us, Michael. Now we’d like to chat with Cat.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? The Noras! I love all things Nora Ephron: When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle… Her characters are so multi-dimensional — funny and poignant, conflicted, both disillusioned and hopeful — like most of us. And I’ve long loved Nora Roberts books. She introduced me to the genre of romantic suspense, which is what I now write. So both hugely influential.

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? Chasing Shadows is set in the same courthouse and public defender office in which I used to practice, so all of the descriptions of that place are completely accurate, as are a number of the experiences Annie and Jonathan banter about visiting clients in different jails. I really did have a guard tell me to either sit on the toilet in my client’s cell or on the bed to conduct an attorney-client interview. When I flat out refused, he finally brought me a big bucket I could turn over and use as a seat. Such a glamorous life. 

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them?  I went to The Ozark Creative Writer’s Conference in Eureka Springs, AR and Rhonda Penders from The Wild Rose Press was there, both doing a presentation and also taking pitches. I made my pitch. She told me to send her the first chapter. Then a week or so later emailed and asked me to send the full manuscript. And a month or so after that, I got the e-mail offering me a contract!

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Oh my god, I have an entire bookcase of TBR’s. Right this moment, I’m binging Lexi Blake’s Masters and Mercenaries while waiting for Elodie Hart’s Duplicity to be released. Ditto with the next book in Marie Force’s First Family series.

Last, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? Next up is Chasing Secrets (tentative title), which picks up the story of Jax who we met in Chasing Shadows as Streeter’s smartass assistant. Unfortunately, it’s still in first draft stage.

 

Cat Jameson can be found at: www.catjameson.com

 

To purchase Chasing Shadows, go to: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Books.A.Million, Bookshop.org, Kobo.com, Walmart, and The Wild Rose Press.