Character Interview – Tasha Pike from Summer with a Star

Today I’m continuing my series of interviews with characters from my books. Older characters, newer characters, I’ve got them all here, ready to get to know you! Today I’m talking to Tasha Pike, the heroine of Summer with a Star, the first book in my Second Chances trilogy-for-now and the first contemporary novel I published.

Merry: Hi Tasha! Thanks for coming around to be interviewed.

Tasha: Thanks for interviewing me! It’s nice to be seen again, although I’ve been getting a lot of press lately.

Merry: That’s certainly true. Ever since I made Summer with a Star free, you’ve been being read by a lot more people. Why do you think that is?

Tasha: Well, a lot of people love Contemporary Romance. They love to read about heroes and heroines that are not so far removed from the lives that they themselves live. And it’s nice to be able to read people speaking in modern language about stuff we’ve all been through.

Merry: So why do you think it was important that the first contemporary heroine I wrote be a teacher?

Tasha: (laughs) Well, I know that you know a lot of teachers in your life. We all do. Everyone encounters a teacher at some point, whether it’s as a student, as the parent of a student, or, well, if that’s the job they do. Teachers are the Everywoman of modern society. They’re someone that we can all relate to, and whose struggles we can all imagine easily.

Merry: Exactly. And how do you feel about your story being set at the beach?

Tasha: The beach is wonderful! Everybody loves the beach in some way. And even if they don’t, the whole idea of summer vacation, taking time off, relaxing and setting aside our normal cares is appealing.

Merry: But you don’t really get to set aside your normal cares in Summer with a Star, do you?

Tasha: Well, no, not at first. I dreamed of renting Sand Dollar Point for more than a decade, and I saved up for it through all those years too, but being the mean writer that you are, as soon as I was about to achieve my dream, you went and threw a wrench in it.

Merry: Yeah, but you have to admit, Spencer Ellis is a cute wrench.

Tasha: He is cute, that’s for sure. He’s got that movie star charm and those good looks that any woman would die for. But did you have to go and have him crash my dream by occupying my beach house at the same time that I was supposed to.

Merry: Of course! What’s a good story without a little complication. And things with Spence got very complicated, didn’t they.

Tasha: They sure did. I mean, I was just trying to enjoy my summer vacation as best I could, but how was I supposed to be content lounging around reading romance novels with that luscious hunk of a man parading around.

Merry: Yeah, but Spence is actually a really sweet, considerate guy.

Tasha: He is, but it took me forever to see that. At first I was just too angry that my summer had been spoiled to give him a fair chance.

Merry: So what changed all that?

Tasha: You said it. He’s actually a profoundly decent guy. Although it was a little disconcerting when I realized he had his eye on me.

Merry: Disconcerting? Why?

Tasha: Well, because of everything I’d been through with my ex-boyfriend. Because I was just a plain old teacher and Spence was a big-time movie star. We all dream of ending up in our Hollywood crush’s arms, but, come on. How realistic is it? I was just trying to be a realist.

Merry: Some people would argue that you had low self-esteem.

Tasha: I suppose I did. But can you blame me? After everything that my ex put me through? I think we all have those moments of self-doubt, especially when something as mind-boggling as a movie star being interested in us comes along. Everyone has low self-esteem now and then, it’s how we get out of those funks that matter.

Merry: Too true! So, as a normal, boring teacher person, how did you feel about all that hot sex?

Tasha: (gasps and laughs) I can’t believe you’re asking me that! I can’t believe you wrote all those steamy scenes for me either. But man, I’m sure glad you did. Spence and I really enjoyed ourselves. I was determined to live the fantasy, if only for the summer.

Merry: And how did that work out for you? How did you handle things when the end of the summer finally came?

Tasha: Do you really want me to answer that? Or wouldn’t you rather have your readers read about it themselves?

Merry: Good point!

 

You can find out more about Tasha and about Hollywood star Spencer Ellis and the amazing summer they spent together in Summer with a Star! It’s free right now on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, and Kobo!