Contemporary romance author Christy Hayes is chatting with me today about The Last Lap.
Bio:
Christy Hayes is a USA Today Bestselling author. She grew up along the southeastern seaboard and received two degrees from the University of Georgia. An avid reader, she writes romance and women’s fiction. Christy and her husband have two grown children and live with a houseful of dogs in the foothills of north Georgia.
Welcome, Christy. Please tell us about your current release.
A man seeking closure after the death of his estranged brother. A woman grieving her sister and best friend. A connection they never saw coming.
Megan Holloway has learned a few hard truths in her twenty-eight-years. Life isn’t fair. People she loves always leave. And she’ll be stuck on Key West running her parents’ gift store and raising her twelve-year-old niece for the rest of her life.
Thirty-year-old Bryan Westfall has come to Key West to clean out his dead brother’s apartment and search for answers about the woman who died with his estranged older brother. Bryan didn’t know the woman had a daughter and he sure didn’t expect her sister to floor him with her beauty and biting brashness.
Bryan’s persistent need to help and Meg’s bumbling business skills create an unlikely union. The more time they spend together, the more their feelings become too powerful to deny. Meg knows Bryan is leaving at the end of the summer and Bryan knows Meg is holding back to spare herself needless heartache. When a hurricane forces them to evacuate, Meg mentally prepares to let Bryan go while Bryan wonders if home is where he came from or is with the woman who stole his heart.
What inspired you to write this book?
I got the idea after a long weekend spent in Key West with my husband and another couple. It’s such an interesting mix of tourists and full-time residents all from different backgrounds and cultures. I challenge any writer to visit and not be inspired.
Excerpt from The Last Lap:
Thehumid air smelled like a party. Base notes of spilled alcohol and cooking grease mixed with cologne and coconut sunscreen. Cigarette smoke and pot hovered like a cherry over the top. With the bass drum vibrating through her skull and colored lights pulsing overhead, Meg shouldered her way through the heat-sticky crowd, cursing Eva and her insistence that Meg “go out and have fun.”
Despite a few minutes of joy in dancing to the music with friends, there was nothing fun about cruising between stinky armpits and soggy, sweat-soaked hair, desperate for a place to sit and catch her breath.
Barb had been working with Lily, filling orders, and teaching her the ropes, when Meg stopped by to retrieve her. Eva intercepted her at the door, insisting that Meg take a night to herself.
“What am I going to do by myself?”
“What do you like to do?”
Eva’s question had stumped her. Meg couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something fun just for herself. “I don’t know.” She’d wracked her brain, tried to think of something, and blurted the first idea that came to mind. “Read.”
Eva had the nerve to roll her eyes. “No reading. Go out, meet people, talk to a stranger or two.”
“Where?”
“Westies is having a band. You’ve got the poster in your window.”
“That’s for tourists.”
“A band is for everyone. Besides, if fun was reserved for tourists, Key West wouldn’t have any permanent residents.”
Eva and her quick comebacks had boxed Meg into a corner. “Fine. I’ll go see the band.” She liked to support local businesses, and Tim was a friend. “But I’m not staying long.”
“Why not?”
Meg had dipped her head sideways and gestured behind Eva where Lily worked with Barb at the counter. “Lily.”
What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m working on Dustin’s story from The Last Lap. He’s Bryan’s best friend and his marriage is in big trouble. I left his thread unfinished and because I’m not wired to leave things hanging, he gets his own book.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I majored in journalism in college and went to work for a non-profit where I didn’t get enough opportunity to write. Once I had kids, I was fortunate enough to become a stay-at-home mom and discovered a love of reading. I read a book and thought I could do better. After many years and lots of training, I’m still not able to make that claim. My point isn’t to disparage my writing, but to emphasize how difficult it is to create what some consider light and fluffy happy ever after books.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I try to write every day but some days it doesn’t work out. My everyday life is filled with being a wife and caregiver for our two dogs, two horses, and a flock of chickens. I don’t like myself or my work very much when I spend all day every day in front of a computer.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I typically write on my recumbent exercise bike or walking on my treadmill. I find this practice a healthier alternative to sitting behind a computer and any form of movement gets the creative juices flowing.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Honestly, I wanted to run a stray dog farm. We are down to only two dogs now, but with the added animals, I think I’m doing what I love.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I hope they enjoy reading as much as I do. It’s such a joy to escape into another world and learn and grow through other (imaginary) people’s issues. I hope my stories bring a respite to others.
Links:
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Thanks for having me, Lisa!