Read Your Writes Book Reviews: Author Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway ~ THE STARLIGHT MOTEL by Amy Craig

The Starlight Motel
by: Amy Craig
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 24, 2024
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

Experienced muralist Kada took charge of her family's Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art. Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada's emotions about leaving the desert oasis. Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year's Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course?

What can you tell me about The Starlight Motel?
This book is a fun, contemporary romance between an artist and farmer in Palm Springs, CA. New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, and so are big choices for Kada and Dane.

Muralist Kada took charge of her family's Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art.

Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada's emotions about leaving the desert oasis.

Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year's Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course?

What attracts Kada and Dane to one another? And is the attraction instant?
The pair definitely experience instant attraction, but the romance has workplace and forced proximity vibes. If Kada leaves the valley, she hasn’t known Dane long enough to return to a relationship, but she wants to know him.

What inspired the story?
When my husband and I relocated from California to Louisiana with our black lab/shepherd mix, we drove through Palm Springs, and the agricultural influences amazed me. I always thought of Palm Springs as a 1950s Hollywood resort, but its character goes deeper than Sinatra and desert sands. Don’t get me wrong, those aspects are part of its identity, too, but I wanted to explore the farms and single-story motels dotting the windswept highways.

Also, Kada has more than one identity. She’s a devoted daughter, a artist who needs to regroup, and a caring, compassionate woman who walks the line between responsibility and self-sacrifice. Dane’s not about to let anyone push him around, but what has he missed by being so hardcore?

What was your favorite part of the book to write and why?

Kada and Dane find themselves in a prickly situation. Literally. Dane falls on a cholla cactus.

Locals know the teddy bear cactus for its needle-like spines that seem to jump off the cactus and lodge themselves in unsuspecting victims. A writing friend assures me Dane would never encounter this type of cactus in an municipal environment (locals know better than to plant it), but I couldn’t resist laying low our tough-as-nails hero.

“She walked around him and gasped. Blood dripped down his neck from a small cut, cactus spines protruded from his back, and a bevy of helpful onlookers stood in front of the café digging through their purses. They looked ready to charge across the road and render assistance with wadded up tissues and antiseptic wipes, but she feared Dane needed more than a lollipop and an adhesive bandage.”

Can you tell me about one of your favorite scenes and why it is your favorite?
Farming and motherhood are big themes in THE STARLIGHT MOTEL.

The themes go together because farming requires patience and care, much like raising a family. Dane’s mother, Mariah, is an educator and a mentor to Kada. Kada’s own mother is also an artist, but to run a motel, she also has be the pragmatic. Kada’s not sure that can happen.

“Mom leaned close. ‘Don’t pay Dad any mind. He’s testing Dane because he loves you. When I first met Bobby, I knew I’d found a man with passion. Maybe he and Dane share different interests, but they’re passionate about what they do. We’re the artists, Kada, my love. We create. They analyze. Without each other, we’re all lost.’”

We even see a vocalist inspired by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Our contemporary Inés may not be a biological mother, but she nurtures her nieces and Kada through tough moments.

“The vocalist’s lined face looked as soft and as smooth as a coffee-stained paper filter. She wore a flowing, embroidered dress, a large, wooden necklace, and sensible, black shoes. Kada felt a little underdressed in her presence, and she marveled at the things Inés pulled from her deep pockets.”

Kada has a menu of inspirational mentors to choose from. The question is, where will she turn for guidance? I loved the idea of seeing a revolving door of guests influencing Kada, but the tension from beloved family members is much more authentic.

I know The Starlight Motel just came out, but what’s next for you?
The third book in a mafia series, THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, comes out September 3, 2024.

Working with two publishers, The Wild Rose Press and Totally Bound, means release dates occasionally overlap! In THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, a corporate bodyguard finds himself protecting a stubborn cowgirl and untangling windswept politics in Patagonia, Argentina. Every time I read it, I want to go back to Patagonia and ride along the windswept pampas! You can read the series on Kindle Unlimited or read each book as a standalone novel.

Her skin warmed from the heat of his palms. “I can’t afford to sit around the laundry room and gossip with the guests.”

“Trust me, Kada, I’m not here to gossip.”

“You’re ready to pitch in on odd jobs? You’re such a good neighbor.” She swallowed past the dryness in her throat. She had a three-date rule, but if she never started the first date, did the rule apply? “Thanks for helping with Lucky.”

“Any time.” He tipped up her chin. “Are you sure that’s where you want to stop? You brought me your number and rode out into the desert with me, but now you’re skittish?” 

Her throat felt parched, but she wanted to lean forward and test his intent. Instead, she kicked her feet against the machine’s vibrating drum. “I’m not skittish, but I’m not into quick romps on a washing machine.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I wasn’t suggesting a quick romp.”

She wanted to test the innuendo behind his offer, but the sequence felt out of order. Before she considered kissing the handsome farmer, she needed dinner, candlelight, and time to breathe.

Her body offered a different opinion. Clearing her throat, she hopped off the washing machine, ducked under his arm, and ran her tongue along her teeth. In the tiny room, his skin smelled like fresh lime, warm spices, and a hint of honey, but his shirt held the leathery undertones of a hard day’s work. He looked handsome, and she wanted to taste his kiss, but she needed a different setup. “Or long romps.”

Purchase The Starlight Motel from:

Amazon | Paperback | Goodreads

(Affiliated Links used)

Amy Craig lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romances featuring intelligent heroines. She can't always vouch for the men. In her spare time, she plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list. Before pursuing writing, she worked as an engineer, project manager, and incompetent waitress.

Places to find Amy Craig:

You can follow The Starlight Motel Book Tour here.