Chatting it Up with Samantha Lakin

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Character Interview: Samantha Lakin



I'm very excited about our guest today on My Book Bag! I know you'll enjoy listening in on my chat with Samantha Lakin. Sam is the heroine in Mary Manners' short novella, Starfire . The story released May 27th through White Rose Publishing. My thanks to Mary and Sam for joining us today.

Tomorrow I'll post my review . Don't forget to come back...same time, same place! :) Now, let's go greet our guest...

Hi, Samantha! It's so good to chat with you today. Thanks for joining us.

Oh (waggles her fingers). Please, call me Sam.

OK, Sam…I guess that's why Austin McGill was surprised to find you're a beautiful woman…(laughs) when he was expecting the Sam at Starfire Ranch to be a big, burly guy.

You can say that again, and thanks for the compliment! Wow, he was hot under the collar the first time we met—the first week, actually. He had a chip on his shoulder big as the Montana sky.

Tell us about that…your first meeting.

Well, it wasn't love-at-first-sight, that's for sure! Austin might have slain me with those ice-blue eyes if I wasn't so determined to make things work out. And I have to say, Austin's easy on the eyes…that dark brown hair and electric-blue eyes. (Sighs…) Oh, sorry…I got a bit distracted there for a moment.

So, what was your goal?

Well, to save Starfire Ranch, of course. But Austin, well, he was just as determined to see it go under. He certainly didn't like the stipulations of his father's will—the terms that said he had to stick it out at the ranch for at least three months and try to make things work. Austin wanted to return to his construction business in Chicago. You see, he'd left his business partner in a lurch, and money from the sale of Starfire Ranch would have really helped the business flourish.

So why didn't you just let Starfire Ranch go?

Let it go? No way! The kids depend on it—especially Jenny.

The kids…Jenny?

My foster daughter. She and the other kids with special needs love the horses, and the programs really help them cope.

What kind of needs are you talking about?

Oh, for example, Jenny has Asberger's, a form of autism, so she's not very comfortable around strangers at first. But she took to Austin immediately—surprisingly enough.

Did Austin take to Jenny, as well?

(Laughs) Kids are so innocent…and loving. It was much easier for Jenny than it was for Austin. But she had her ways…that's all I can say for now.

And you lived at the ranch?

That's right—in the guest house. John McGill, Austin's father, was so kind to Jenny and me before he died. He knew we wanted to be a family, and that I was trying to adopt Jenny.

But Austin didn't have any family?

No. (Sighs). And I'm not sure he wanted to—at least at first. You see, his parents divorced when he was young, and his Dad left them. Austin was bitter about that. They never had a chance to patch things up before John died, and Austin carried the guilt.

How did you and Jenny bring healing?

Oh, it wasn't Jenny and me. It was God, pure and simple. He has His ways!

So, you mentioned you wanted to adopt Jenny. How did that go?

Touch and go. I'm really not at liberty to say at this time.

And Starfire Ranch…will the kids enjoy another season of programs, or did Austin head back to Chicago with a pocketful of cash?

Oh…that's highly confidential information. (Shrugs, grins). You'll have to ask Austin.

Well, I guess that closes us out for today. Thank you so much for sharing.

My pleasure. Happy summer reading, all!