My special guest today is best-selling author Kirsten Osbourne. I had the pleasure of meeting Kirsten at a recent authors retreat and I can tell you she is a very dedicated writer as well as a fun lady. She also co-hosts the Pioneer Hearts group on Facebook, popular with readers and authors. As a change of pace today, I’m skipping the usual interview and headlining Kirsten’s new book. If you like this streamlined format, please let me know.
About the author: Kirsten Osbourne hails from the state of Wisconsin, but has lived in Texas for almost thirty years. She is a mother, a writer, and a wife. Married to the love of her life for fifteen years, she knows that true love exists and wants to share her vision of love with the world. Writing is something she has always loved and plans on doing for a long time into the future. As Kirsten Osbourne, she writes contemporary romance as well as historical. As Morganna Mayfair, she ventures into the realm of paranormal romance. She invites you to join her in her world of fantasy and make believe where there is always a happily ever after at the end.
Welcome Kirsten! I’m delighted to spotlight your latest release: Violet
At the age of twenty, Violet Sullivan is on her way to having everything she’s ever wanted. Her first art show was a success, and despite a slight altercation with the gallery owner, she knows that she is going to go places. A husband and children aren’t on her horizon. She can’t have a career and a family, can she?
The only thing Jonas Smith can concentrate on is justice. His sister and brother-in-law have been murdered, and he won’t be able to rest until he sees their killer brought to justice. He only wishes he could stop thinking about Violet Sullivan. Will the two of them be able to see past their differences to find the passion lurking inside? Will they find love before it’s too late?
The woman that entered the room left them both speechless. Her hair was pure white, and she couldn’t have been a day under seventy. She practically bounced into the room and sat down beside Violet. “I’m here to apply for the job of traveling companion.”
Violet looked at the other woman and immediately noticed the twinkle in her eyes behind her huge spectacles. “Why do you want to be a traveling companion, Miss Blue?”
“Oh, honey, you can call me Edna. I’m old. I think you can see that if you have eyes in your head, and you do appear to have eyes. I’m old, and I’ve been making hats for fifty years. Do you know what it’s like to do the same thing day in and day out for fifty years? Of course you don’t. You’re young.” She reached into the pocket of her dress and took out a silver flask, taking a deep swig of whatever was in it before tucking it back into her pocket. “Well, now that I’m old, I realize that I haven’t done some of the things I put on my list when I was a girl.” She turned to Violet. “Do you have a list? All of my friends and I, when we were very young, made lists of what we wanted to do before we died. I wanted to marry, and I almost did, but poor Harry died before we had a chance to reach that pinnacle of love that’s expressed in a physical way.” She shook her head. “Anyway, on my list was to ride on a train and to see New York City.” She looked over at Jonas. “So will you have me?”
Jonas blinked a few times, not sure he’d caught exactly what she was talking about, and what on earth was in her flask? “Do you like children?”
“Of course I like children. What kind of question is that?” She looked at Violet. “Are you with child? Is that why we’re going to New York? I’ll either help you take care of it, or we’ll find a nice family who will adopt it. Either way, my lips will be sworn to secrecy about your bastard child!”
Violet bit her lip to control her urge to giggle. “I’m not having a bastard child, Miss Blue…I mean Edna, but I thank you for being willing to protect my reputation. I’d love to have you go with me.” Suddenly she could see herself sitting beside this woman on a train bound for New York. She would be laughing the entire time.
Jonas stared at the woman for a moment. “The child is my nephew. He’s three, and he’ll be traveling with us. While we’re there, I need to pack up my sister’s house and decide what to keep and what to donate. She died a few months ago.”
“Oh, Mr. Smith! I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ll be happy to help with your sister’s child too. He’s not a bastard, is he?” She peered at Jonas expectantly as she waited for his answer.
“No, he’s not a bastard. Does that matter?”
“Oh no, sir. I love bastard children just as much as the regular legitimate tots. More probably. They need more love, don’t you think?”
Jonas didn’t feel at all qualified to answer her question about whether bastard children needed more love, and he still wanted to know what was in her flask. “What’s in the flask, Miss Blue?”
She pulled the container out of her pocket again and took another swig after unscrewing the lid. “Oh this? This is my cough tonic.” She put it back in her pocket and looked at Jonas expectantly.
“Cough tonic? I haven’t heard you cough even once.”
“See? My tonic works! Would you like some?” She pulled it out of her pocket to offer him a drink.
Jonas held one hand up to refuse the tonic, but couldn’t help but notice that Violet was giggling uncontrollably. Why…Violet was turning violet she was laughing so hard. “No, thank you.” He looked between the two women, wondering if Edna Blue was really the kind of woman they needed on their trip. After a moment he shrugged. “If you’ll excuse us for a moment, I’ll let you know our decision.”
Jonas turned to Violet wishing that Edna had closed the door behind her. “Do you think that Edna would be a good companion for you?”
Violet grinned. “Oh yes. She will keep me entertained when nothing else possibly could. Please, may we take her with us?” Now that she’d met Edna, she wanted no one else to go on their trip with them. Edna was the only choice as far as she was concerned.
Jonas sighed heavily. “Do I have a choice?”
“No, I don’t believe you do.” She was thrilled to have the option of taking the sweet old woman who was just a bit off her rocker with her. “I love her, Mr. Smith!”
Jonas shook his head. “I can see you do. All right. And please, call me Jonas. We’re going to be spending a great deal of time together. There’s no need to continue to be so formal.”
“All right, Jonas. I think Edna is the perfect solution to our dilemma.”
Jonas decided to hold his tongue over the kind of solution he thought Edna was. “Miss Blue?” he called out loudly.
Edna popped back into the room, her frizzy white hair bobbing wildly. “Yes?”
“We’d like you to go to New York with us, if you’re willing to accept the job.” Jonas knew as soon as he said the words they were a mistake. He felt a huge sense of foreboding, but it was too late. He’d made the offer, and he was a man of his word.
Jonas shook his head, wondering what he’d gotten himself into. Edna was definitely not the type of woman he’d wanted to take with him to New York. She was going to be a handful. There was no doubt about it.
Edna smiled radiantly at Violet, her face lighting up at the girl’s words. “I won’t let you do anything you oughtn’t do. I promise! When do we leave? I need to pack my things!”
“We’ll leave one week from today. I’ll send word after I buy the tickets about what time we’ll need to go.”
Edna nodded. “That will be wonderful. I will see you then.” She rushed from the room mumbling about all the things that she needed to do to be ready for the big adventure.
Jonas watched her go and leaned back in his chair. “Did that really just happen? Is that crazy woman going to New York with us?”
Monday couldn’t come soon enough.
Visit Kirsten on these sites: