In the aftermath of a series of tornadoes, Kyle Mathis just wants to guide his linemen to restore power to the devastated town of Milton. When reinforcements in the form of corporate deskjockeys come to work storm duty, he’s glad for the extra bodies to help serve food and support the crews working eighteen hour days.
But Kyle is not prepared to face one of the latest arrivals, his ex-wife Jenna. Jenna left him years ago, choosing her career over their marriage. However, being back together in their home town brings back memories and desire—for both Kyle and Jenna.
Q) What inspired you to write this story?
“Storm Duty” comes straight out of the experience of living through the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak. Two little towns less than 30 miles from my house were completely destroyed and my hometown was without power for four days because the damage to the power infrastructure was so catastrophic. I work for the local electric utility in my day job and watched the linemen work day and night for a week to put it all back again.
Despite the danger—and it is very dangerous—and the fatigue, they gave themselves day after day because they believe that getting the electricity back on in a community means increased safety, better relief efforts for recovery, and a return to normalcy for everyone involved.
This story is not just a love story between the main characters—a lineman supervisor and his ex-wife—who are putting their relationship back together as they put the town back together. It is really a love letter to all the linemen out there. I think the world of those guys! (And no, my husband is not a lineman but he’s not jealous!)
Q) How long did it take you to write?
I spent a couple of weeks on the story and a couple of months on the editing. This is my second published work at Musa Publishing and I wanted my sophomore effort to be worth submitting. I’ve read the other stuff Musa is putting out and I am in distinguished company!
Q) What is your favorite thing about writing?
I love being able to enter the world my characters inhabit so completely. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know them and watching them grow and love and discover. I write contemporary and spec fic romance as Leigh Daley and fantasy/YA fantasy as Arley Cole, so I get to inhabit some very interesting places!!
Q) What is your least favorite thing about writing?
Making the time to do it. I have a day job and a family, so something has to give. My husband wants me to come sit and watch Cajun Pawn Stars with him right now, but I’ve got more work to do before I can call it a day. It’s always a balancing act. Ultimately, my people come first, but I have to make sure that my writing gets its due or I get really cranky and hard to live with and that’s not good either.
Q) If you could be any famous person for one day, who would you be and why?
Bestselling author Leigh Daley! Or Arley Cole! That would be so great!! But it would stink if it was only for one day. I’d like to get a few years out of it at least. Right this minute for hanging out with a famous person, I’d like to hang out with Kate Bush. I’ve been re-listening to her works and find something new in them every time. She’s an awesome artist.
Q) What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
My fridge has been recently purged, so nothing in it is too bad. However I did throw away some 25 year old caraway seed recently. Still smelled caraway-y too.
Q) What can readers expect from you in the future?
Leigh Daley is hard at work on a paranormal romance for Musa’s super-cool Wiccan Haus line.
