I was asked once on a panel how I come up with a hero and heroine for my books. My answer was something along the lines of: the heroes generally come to me first and then I ask myself what kind of woman would make him cuss and kick his truck tires in frustration. Then I give her a name.
Taken With You was an entirely different story, however. Hailey Genest was first introduced in All He Ever Needed as a friend of the heroine and Whitford’s librarian. She was a fun character to write and, as the series went on, readers started asking me if Hailey would get a happily ever after, too.
So now I had a heroine who needed a guy and Hailey was holding out for a man with a little sophistication and polish. Instead, while out in the woods, she’s rescued by a scruffy guy in flannel who doesn’t smell very good. While he cleans up (very) nicely when his vacation ends and it’s time to put on his game warden’s uniform, Matt Barnett is the total opposite of everything Hailey thinks she wants in a man.
She just needed to find a GQ guy in the land of L.L. Bean.
So tell me, which do YOU prefer: a sharp suit or faded flannel? (I don’t think it’ll be a big surprise I’m a flannel girl.)
About Taken With You:
Hailey Genest has seen most of her friends marry and have babies, and she’s happy for them, but it was a lot easier before she hit forty. She’s spent her entire life in Whitford, Maine, and if she hasn’t found her Prince Charming by now, she has to accept she’s probably not going to. When a new friend suggests they go on an adventure and embrace being single, Hailey agrees.
Surviving in the woods is game warden Matt Barnett’s idea of a relaxing vacation. But when he meets two women in need of help, he leads them back to safety—a task that proves more fun than expected, thanks to a certain hot blonde. He can’t resist pushing her buttons, even though she’s made it clear that the rugged, outdoorsy type just isn’t for her.
Hailey is glad to see the back of her tempting-tour-guide-slash-pain-in-the-ass. When he shows up in her life again, she’s determined to avoid him, no matter how good he looks in his uniform. But that’s easier said than done in Whitford, especially when he’s renting the house right next door…
And about Shannon:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her favorite activities are writing romance and really random tweets when she’s not riding her ATV. She loves mud, books, football & watching way too much TV. She can be found blogging (almost) daily on her website, www.shannonstacey.com and is often spotted running amok on Twitter and Facebook. One of her Pinterest boards is titled Kowalski Stuff of Doom, and her current release, Taken With You, is available now from Carina Press.