Wednesday Spotlight with Kathleen O'Connor

Hello and welcome to Wednesday Spotlight! My featured guest today is friend and fellow Wild Rose author Kathleen O’Connor.Kathleen and I are chatting about her book, Men of Paradise. So what happens when two strangers inherit joint custody of an un trainable Westie named Dudley? Let’s ask Kathleen. But before we do, here is a sneak preview of Men of Paradise.

“What was Ina thinking?” Lauren said to the equally outraged dog. “This isn’t good
for you; it’s terrible for David, and uncomfortable for me.” She eased into a plastic
lawn chair and
had just stretched out when a grey Chevy Blazer breezed into the driveway.

“You can bite him,” she whispered to Dud as an
athletic looking man in jeans, faded blue shirt, and black sport coat approached the porch. His skin was bronze and his hair long and silky. Lauren was sure she had seen someone this good looking before - maybe on the big screen in a chilly movie theater. In her experience guys with GQ looks
like his were always morons.

He opened the screen door and crooned, “Hey, baby! How are you doing?”

“Doing all right,” Lauren answered before realizing he was talking to the dog. She blushed and folded her hands behind her back.

Dudley, the traitor, inched forward to sniff the stranger’s cowboy boots. Yuma Hawk
whipped out a bone as big as a bow tie. The dog snared it, then gulped it down.
Already he is outspending me on dog treats. Lauren stood frozen while Hawk
switched the high-beam smile from the dog to her, and advanced with an extended hand.

“Good to finally meet you, Lauren. You’re a bit younger than I expected.”

Over the loud ruckus of the jets performing acrobatic skills in the sky, the blast off of rockets ships as they soar into space, and the deafening roar of propellers as helicopters make their landings, a shrill whistle rises. Why, it’s our very own Kathleen O’Connor trying in vain to catch her un trainable dog, Dudley! She shouts out commands like a woman possessed, but Dudley, on a roll, ears slicked back, barrels full steam ahead, coming to a screeching halt when he skids onto the poolside terrace. Turning to the audience, he sits, pretty as you please, gracing them with a high beam doggie grin. Kathleen, dragging her feet, still shouting commands to her charge, falls into a canary yellow lawn chair with a heavy sigh.

Sharon: Let’s have a warm welcome for Kathleen O’Connor and her adorable Westie Dudley!

Thunderous applause explodes through cyberspace, followed by hoots and whistles.

Sharon: Well, Kathleen, you look a bit parched after your wild chase. Allow me to call my butler. Sharon rings sterling silver bell…Oh, Oliver, we’re ready for refreshments please.

Oliver appears, silver tray poised above his head, a roguish grin on his face. He presents two ice cold cokes and a plate of wheat thins with Dubliner cheese. Unwrapping a straw, he puts it in one of the cokes and holds it to Kathleen’s lips. Then he feeds her a few crackers…and when she has her eyes closed in ecstasy, tosses a huge t-bone to Dudley. Dudley gulps it down, staring at Oliver like he’s the King of Sheeba. Oliver places a pan of water on the ground and saunters off.

Sharon: That’s some spirited dog you have there, Kathleen. And this is your creation from Men of Paradise. Tell us where you got the idea for two strangers to inherit custody of this rather rambunctious dog?

Kathleen: I love dogs and inheriting joint custody of a dog by two strangers had romantic and comic possibilities.

Sharon: And tell us about the title. How does it fit into the storyline of two strangers and a dog?

Kathleen: The story is about three men who flee to Florida (Paradise) in search of a second act.

Sharon: And can you share with us a bit about your two main characters, the hero and heroine?

Kathleen: I have three heroes and heroines but the main ones are Yuma Hawk and Lauren Pierce. Yuma (or yummy Yuma as my editor Kathy Cottrell says) has come to Florida and taken the job as director of security for a private community where Lauren Pierce is illegally (no children allowed in bylaws) raising her nephew. She would avoid Yuma except that they are raising this dog together.

Sharon: Is or was the character of Dudley inspired by one of your own spirited dogs?

Kathleen: My Bichon Frishe Wooster was like Dudley. He could be very badly behaved but then smile at you and melt your heart.

Sharon: Why a Westie? Do they hold a special place in your heart?

Kathleen: My neighbor has a Westie named Bonnie who is very cute.

Sharon: Oh, here comes Oliver with dessert. Oliver breezes onto the terrace, shoving a silver caddy. Parking it in front of Kathleen, he unveils her favorite, Stella D’Oror Breakfast Treats. Choosing one, he feeds it to her, sneaking one to Dudley.

Sharon: That will be all, Oliver. Stop showing off so we can finish up our interview. Maybe you can take Dudley for a walk about town.

Dudley, hearing the word “Walk”, leaps into action. Oliver gives chase around the pool three times. Taking a nasty skid, Oliver plunges into the pool, doing a rather impressive belly smacker. Water splashes, getting Sharon and Kathleen drenched to the bone. Oliver emerges, sputtering, gulping for air like a fish out of water. Dudley grins his high beam grin and takes off to parts unknown, Oliver hot on his heels.

Sharon: Hands plush towel to her guest. Grabs another and pats her face dry before waving her hand. That’ll keep Oliver occupied whilst we finish up our interview. So Kathleen, what’s next for you?

Kathleen: I’ve just finished a short story.

Sharon: And what genre is Men of Paradise?

Kathleen: It’s pure romance – a Debbie Macomber kind of story where you really get to know all the characters in a small town.

Sharon: What other genres would you like to explore if any?

Kathleen: I write mysteries and have one coming out in December by Whiskey Creek Press. It’s the edgiest of my books and is called A Private Matter.

Sharon: Oh, here comes Dudley. Dudley skids onto the terrace, ball in his mouth, Oliver behind him, all befuddled and out of sorts.

Sharon: Oliver, what a mess you are. Isn’t he priceless?

Oliver just grins his roguish grin and swaggers away…

Sharon: And finally, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? If you could star in any literary fiction, which would it be and why? And who would you want playing your romantic hero?

Kathleen: I like Florida (where I am) and I guess I’d like to star in Debbie Macomber’s Twenty Wishes with Colin Firth as the hero and Sandra Bullock playing the heroine

Sharon: Thank you so much, Kathleen. Where can readers buy your books and get in touch with you?

Kathleen: Amazon, Fictionwise, Whiskey Creek and Wild Rose press.

Just then, Come Way With Me by Norah Jones blasts on the radio. Oliver, donned in a new butler’s outfit, grabs Kathleen in his arms and pulls her close, gazing into her eyes as they dance, their feet never touching the ground.

Kathleen is a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop, recipient of a James Michener
fellowship and the Connecticut writing Awards. Her short stories have appeared in
Woman's World, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Seventeen Magazine, St Anthony's Messenger
and Liguorian.

Her novels are: A Private Matter (a Whiskey Creek Press Dec. 09 release), Men
of Paradise, (The Wild Rose Press) and
No Doubt,
(Whiskey Creek Press).