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:
To
purchase Take A Chance On Me, go to:
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
