THE STARLIGHT MOTEL by Amy Craig

THE STARLIGHT MOTEL

Amy Craig

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Experienced muralist Kada took charge of her family's Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art. Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada's emotions about leaving the desert oasis. Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year's Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course?

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EXCERPT

“I’m Dane Palmer,” the man on the chestnut horse said. “My family owns the land next door.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” She shaded her gaze. “I’ve heard about you.”

For as long as her family owned the motel, the Palmer family owned the surrounding farmland. Once or twice, the Palmer patriarch offered to buy the Starlight Motel, but Pops resisted and counted the family as friends. They produced the area’s top vegetable crops, cultivated table grapes, and managed fields of fruit trees. Every once in a while, Dane’s mother, Mariah, came by the motel to visit and give her business advice, but Dane and his younger brother remained enigmas. She exhaled. “I’ve met your mother.”

“I’m sure,” Dane said. “She gets around.”

The second man laughed like a rusted pail swinging in the wind.

Dane glanced at the seated cowboy. “This is Walter. He’s the farm’s crew manager.”

Tipping his hat, Walter nodded.

She tented her gaze. “Could you two get down? Between the horses and the low sun, I can’t see you to save my life.”

Hanging his hat on the saddle horn, Dane handed his horse’s reins to Walter. He threw his leg over the horse’s saddle and slid down its side with an easy, athletic grace.

Standing, he was six feet tall, long, rangy, and reserved. He wore boots, jeans, a dark shirt, and a fleece-lined leather jacket that beat back the wind. A hat had smashed his sun-kissed brown hair against his forehead, but he wiped away the mess, cocked his head, and held out his hand.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said.

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1. Author name: Amy Craig
2. Website (and any other links you’d like included: Facebook, Twitter, buy pages, etc.):
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/amycraig
Website: https://www.amy-craig.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmyCraig/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_amy_craig/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoramycraig
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18011214
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-craig
3. Title of the book we’re promoting: The Starlight Motel
4. Genre of the book: Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Animal-Lover Romance
5. Bio: Amy Craig lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romances featuring intelligent heroines. She can't always vouch for the men. She plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list in her spare time. Before pursuing writing, she worked as an engineer, project manager, and incompetent waitress.
Please tell us about your current release.
Muralist Kada took charge of her family's Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art.
Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada's emotions about leaving the desert oasis.
Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year's Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course?
Did you have a minor character who insisted on playing a larger role in the story? If so, please tell us about it. And if not, please tell me how you get the characters in your head to behave.
When a Minor Character Insists on a Bigger Role

As a writer, it's not uncommon to have a character intended for a minor role suddenly demand more attention. In my latest story, Randi, the motel’s best and least predictable employee, is one such character.

Randi's Intriguing Personality

Originally, Randi was meant to be a background character, someone who added flavor but didn't draw much focus. However, her unique traits quickly pushed her into the spotlight. A statuesque woman with coiled braids, Randi is obsessed with the placement of microgreens, recites jazz album tracklists by heart, and wears killer heels. Her intricate personality made her impossible to ignore.

Randi's Impact on the Story

Randi's detailed knowledge of local parties and events, coupled with her unpredictable work habits, made her an invaluable foil that balanced secondary characters Chef Benito and Stephanie, a hazard-prone server. Randi's eccentricity and expertise brought a vibrant energy to scenes that would otherwise be too sweet.

Balancing Character Development

Incorporating Randi more prominently required some balancing. I had to ensure she didn't overshadow the main plot while still allowing her to shine. She humoured Chef Benito, Stephanie, and Kada, but she only showed up for half of her cantina shifts, adding an element of unpredictability to the narrative. Her presence enriched the story, providing depth and a touch of humour.

Getting Characters to Behave

Managing character behaviour is a blend of structured planning and creative freedom. Here are a few tips for writers and things readers might notice:

Character Backstories: Develop detailed backstories for each character, even minor ones. This gives them depth and helps you understand their motivations.

Scene Purpose: Ensure every scene has a clear purpose. Characters should drive the plot forward or reveal something new about the story.

Dialogue and Actions: Pay attention to how characters speak and act. Their dialogue and actions should be consistent with their personalities and backgrounds.

Flexibility: Be open to change. Sometimes characters evolve in unexpected ways, and that can lead to richer storytelling.

Conclusion

Randi's insistence on a larger role turned out to be a blessing. She added layers to the narrative and became a character readers could look forward to. Embrace these moments of character rebellion—they often lead to the most memorable parts of your story.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Amy Craig lives in Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense featuring intelligent heroines. In her spare time, she plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list. Before writing, she worked as an oilfield engineer, project manager, and incompetent waitress. For more information and giveaways, visit www.amy-craig.com or follow her on social media channels.