Meet the Character
Day: Chatting with Sam Hixton
from Love, Lies and Redemption
By Kelli A.
Wilkins
This “Meet the
Character Day” blog is part of a series examining my romance novels. In each
“Behind the Scenes” blog, I talk about why I wrote the book, share my thoughts
on the plot and/or characters, and reveal what I loved most (or least) about
writing the book. The “Meet the Character Day” blogs are fun chats with the
heroes and heroines from my romances. Warning: blogs may contain spoilers.
Today
we’re chatting with Sam
Hixton, the hero from my historical romance, Love, Lies and Redemption. Let’s
get to know him better…
Q: Greetings, Sam. Before we get started, could you tell
readers about the book?
Sure, I’m glad to. Love, Lies and
Redemption is a full-length novel set on the Nebraska
prairie in 1877 and blends a steamy Western romance with mystery and danger. It
has a little bit of everything: humor, sadness, and more than a few spicy love
scenes. (Grins.)
Here’s the summary and links…
Love, Lies and Redemption
Shot
and left for dead, Sam Hixton stumbles into a general store on the Nebraska
prairie and collapses into the arms of Cassie Wilcox.
Cassie’s
world is turned upside down when the handsome stranger drops into her life. Sam
is another complication she doesn’t need: her business is dying and her trouble
with the townspeople is escalating. Yet she’s determined to keep the store open
— no matter what the cost.
As
Sam recovers from his injuries, he hides the truth about his identity and
convinces Cassie to let him work in the store. He’s attracted to her and
admires her independent nature, but quickly realizes Cassie’s in way over her
head. They fight their growing attraction, and Cassie questions whether she can
trust her fragile heart to a mysterious stranger. Will he accept her once he
knows about her troubled past?
Cassie
resists Sam’s advances and represses her feelings until one fateful night when
they give in to their fiery passion. Together, they work out a plan to save the
store, but find their efforts are thwarted — and their lives endangered — by
the locals.
Sam’s
secret returns to haunt him and pulls him away just when Cassie needs him the
most. Will he regain her trust when she learns the truth?
Cassie
has everything invested in the store — can she save it and find true love with
Sam before it’s too late?
Order Love, Lies and
Redemption here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0849LN73Z
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/mdzL6W
***
Q: Tell us about yourself. How does the story begin for you?
I’m not sure what I did to make Kelli annoyed
at me, but the book begins with me shot and half-dead, stumbling across the
prairie. I’m at the lowest point in my life, and I was ready to fall down and
not bother to get up. I’m not usually like that; I’m known for being resilient
and determined. Once I set my sights on a goal, I go after it. Of course,
that’s how I got into that predicament in the first place—but that’s a long
story.
I made my way to Cassie Wilcox’s store and
she saved my life. Against her better
judgment, Cassie allowed me to stay with her until I recovered. When I was back
on my feet I felt that I had a debt to pay, and that it was my duty to watch
over Cassie. Naturally, this led to lots of conflict between us. And it didn’t
help that the townsfolk (and Luke, the sheriff,) didn’t trust me because I was a
stranger, but I defended Cassie when she needed it.
Cassie brought me back into the land of the
living (in more ways than one), although it wasn’t easy for either of us. We
both had issues with trusting other people, and ourselves.
Q: You have a lot of
emotional and physical struggles in the book. Kelli put you through the wringer
at times. How do you feel about that?
Well,
I realize Kelli knows what she’s doing when it comes to writing a good story,
but really? I had my fair share of heartache, self-doubt, lack of purpose, and
I nearly died over the course of the book.
And, I
was put through the worst emotional trials and tribulations imaginable before
the book started. (I can’t divulge them here, but they were whoppers!) Of
course, the troubles from my past resurfaced just as I was settling in and
making a new life with Cassie.
Our
relationship was nearly destroyed a few times (thanks, Kelli!) due to trust
issues (or rather, “lack of trust” issues), and we almost went our separate ways
toward the end. It was a very emotional time for me, and I’ll admit, I wasn’t
always seen in a good light. But, as in all great romances, Cassie and I do
live happily-ever-after.
Q: What drew you to Cassie? Tell us about her.
Cassie is an amazing woman for our time. When
I met her, she was running a general store that had seen better days. The store
meant everything to her and she was determined to keep it open, no matter what.
Cassie lived in Holloway all her life, and her father used to run the store.
After a tragic incident, Cassie inherited the store, but the puritanical
townspeople didn’t approve of her independent ways and wanted to drive her out.
I admired Cassie’s strength and perseverance, and discovered that under her
seemingly gruff exterior, she was a sensitive woman who longed to be loved. Of
course, she refused to admit that, and we had our fair share of spats from the
moment we met. (Laughs.) That probably made me love her even more.
Q: What is it about Cassie that makes you
crazy in a good way?
Sometimes she’s just so dang headstrong!
She’ll get an idea to do something, and off she goes. Of course I’m able to
settle her, but that’s because she loves and trusts me. In the book, I have to be
the calm voice of reason and tell her to slow down and make a logical plan to
do something. Cassie was on her own and had to rely on herself for everything.
Now she has me to help her, whether she wants the help or not.
Q: Was there an instant
attraction between you?
Oh yes! I was attracted to Cassie from
the moment I first woke up—even though she wasn’t very nice to me. Cassie fell
for me, too, but she had a hard time admitting it. Part of her didn’t want to
get attached because her heart’s been broken before, and she didn’t want to
feel vulnerable again.
Q: Describe yourself in four words.
Loyal.
Dependable. Funny. Mysterious.
Q: What do you do for a living?
Right now
I’m working in a hardware store, and loving it. Why? (Laughs) Nobody’s shooting
at me! A long time ago, I used to be a sheriff, and that got me into a lot of
trouble. That experience came in handy in the book, but I’m glad to put that violent
lifestyle behind me.
Q: What do you fear the most?
I fear
what most people fear—losing the people they love. Before I met Cassie I
suffered a great personal loss and it took me a very long time to get over it.
I nearly lost Cassie a few times in the book, and I was reminded all over again
how short and precious life is.
Q: Anything else you want to add?
Love,
Lies and Redemption is a great book, if
I do say so myself. It’s gotten several excellent reviews and is a perfect way
to lose yourself in another place and time. If you like Westerns, you’ll love
this story. And if you’ve never read one, now’s your chance. It blends
adventure, danger, and wry humor into an anything-but-boring romance.
Kelli has written several other historical
romances, but her other two most recent releases are: The Viking’s Witch and Dangerous
Indenture. From what I heard, they’re pretty good, too. Lots of action,
adventure, mystery, drama, and hot love scenes! I’ve learned that Kelli doesn’t
write boring books. She says that although she writes a lot of historical
romances, they all take place in different time periods and different places.
So, she’s not “just” writing Westerns or “only” writing about a certain
century.
Her romances span all genres (contemporary,
historical/fantasy, gay, paranormal) and range from mild to super-spicy. I
encourage everyone to check out all of her books here: www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins or https://www.books2read.com/ap/nkvddR/Kelli-A-Wilkins and read more about them on
her site: www.KelliWilkins.com.
Thanks for letting me share my thoughts with
readers. This was fun. If readers missed any blog in this series, they can
catch up here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/blog
Best
wishes,
Sam Hixton
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author
who has published more than 100 short stories, 20+ romance novels, 7
non-fiction books, and 5 horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and
settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror stories.
Her latest novel, In Another World, was released in
early 2022. This contemporary mystery/romance is set
in the world of the paranormal.
She also released two horror shorts, More Than I Bargained For
and Silent
Sentinel in 2021.
In 2021, Kelli published Journaling Every Week: 52 Topics
to Get You Writing. This fun and innovative guide to
journaling is filled with hundreds of thought-provoking prompts designed to get
you writing about your feelings and emotions.
Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.
Visit
her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and to find all her social media
links.
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