Today, I'm super excited to be hosting author
Loni Lynne, whose paranormal romance,
Distilled Spirits, has just been released. Here is this lovely piece of writing, an interview of the lead character Millie Taylor from Old Town tavern of Kings Mill for you. Also find a promo on
Distilled Spirits along with an excerpt. Hope you enjoy it as much as it did!
If you're interested in my review of Distilled Spirits, you can read it by clicking HERE!
“Millie Taylor—Modern Day Millie”
Character Interview from Millie Taylor of Distilled Spirits by Loni Lynne
Having interviewed many characters for my sequel to Wanted: One Ghost, Distilled Spirits, I wasn’t looking to do anything with April Branford’s unique family of fun females just yet. So one day, Millie Taylor showed up in my office as I was working on another project. She sat down in my winged back chair in her ethereal state and gave me a look of interest and asked me why I hadn’t considered her story.
Millie: Are ye afraid I might be too saucy for your readers?
Me: No of course not. But you did have a relationship with the hero in my first book. How would people react to you coming back to haunt him?
Millie: I’ve read and seen your news from the Telly-vision and the Kings Mill Gazette, people are more acceptable to women and our lifestyles, so why not mine? (She shrugged.)
Me: How can I in all honesty have my readers enjoy your character if you are wanting to steal James Addison from April?
Millie: (snorting) Ye think I want James? Well, I do still have feelings for him but…I’m ready to move on. I’m not necessarily looking for a man. I’ve been takin’ care of meself for quite a while and even before me death. I’m not sayin’ I don’t enjoy a man’s company but they can be bloody fools, keepin’ us women all caged in corsets and slavin’ us to hostin’ their taverns and tendin’ their young.
Me: So you don’t approve of the woman’s roll in your previous society?
Millie: We were at best coddled. At worst we were no better than the cows given milk in the fields. (She stood and danced around my office, stopping to look at my various books on my shelves.) I want to read, did you know James helped me to read? But I also want to run the tavern. I’ve learned so much seein’ everything takin’ place over the years. I know it still belongs to Dave Rogers but I want to be an important member of the team.
Me: You are, Millie. You are the ghost, the legend that keeps people fascinated about the tavern.
Millie: No, I am a fascination because of my past with James Addison, Kings Mill’s founding father. (Her shoulders slump.) But I am so much more but no one really cares.
Me: That’s not true…or I wouldn’t have mentioned you at all in Wanted: One Ghost. But I understand. I haven’t painted you into very polite society.
Millie: Pshaw! I ain’t no lady! In fact, I wish I could wear those pants like you are wearing…
Me: Blue Jeans? Really?
Millie: I want to wear pants, drive an automobile, have an equal partnership in the business…James always told me I could cipher numbers really good! I had a head for business. He was one of the few who would listen to me and my dreams…but then… (She becomes sad.)
Me: I know. He was cruelly murdered. But Fate had plans for him…
Millie: And what if Fate has plans for me? What if I could be alive again? Could I do the things I’ve dreamed of?
Me: (Deep in thought.) You know, I think you could. I just don’t know how I could tell your story. (Reaching for my yellow legal pad to take notes.) First off, I’d need to know how you died.
Millie: I don’t know. I don’t remember. Am I supposed to remember though?
Me: I can’t answer that for you anymore than you can. (I put my pencil down but pick it up again as I begin to do a character sketch of Millie…blonde hair, wildly put up in a loose knot, tendrils hanging around her face, sassy with a body to match…colonial tavern serving wench clothes…) But maybe together we can figure things out. Tell me as much as you can remember and we’ll go from there.
Millie: Okay…but I have to be back soon.
Me: Where? Where are you going?
Millie: I usually just hang around the tavern. I’ll sit in the rafters and watch the goings-on, do a few things to see if anyone will notice. I used to steal Dave’s wife’s stapler and hide it from her. (She giggles, playfully.) But lately…
Me: Lately, what?
Millie: I can’t figure it out? I feel like something is about to happen to me, Kings Mill, I don’t know…something important, though.
(I nod, taking in her look of worry and consternation. She begins to fade.)
Me: Wait! Don’t go…
Millie: I can’t stop meself…but do me a favor. Write a story for me…”
Me: I’m a paranormal romance writer. It has to have romance and a Happily Ever After or at least a Happily for Now.
Millie: So pair me up with a handsome man…and make us happy. Only you can do that.
Me: I’ll try. Take care, Millie—and thanks for the inspiration.
Millie: Don’t thank me, yet. I can be quite a handful. (She winks.)
Me: (Laughing) Looking forward to finding out just how much of a handful you can be. You sound like a lot of fun. (Millie fades completely from my office.) Yeah, this is going to be a lot of fun.
Hope you all enjoy Millie Taylor’s story, Distilled Spirits, as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Remember…Believe in Fate!
Loni Lynne
Juliette Fletcher’s life has been full of surprises ever since she began dating NFL superstar Evan “Big Mac” McGuire. He’s everything she could ever have wished for – strong and tender, and wrapped up in an exquisite package. She has experienced more happiness than she ever dreamed of, but she’s also survived enough pain and anguish to last a lifetime.
