Item: The Starlight Motel
Author: Gina

A Fun Guest Post from Amy Craig, Author of The Starlight Motel | #BookReview #ContemporaryRomance #Giveaway $15 @GoddesFish @AuthorAmy Craig @Author_Amy_Craig

A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.

Book Details

The Starlight Motel by Amy Craig
Published by The Wild Rose Press on August 26, 2024
Genres: Fiction, Contempoary Romance
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 398

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?

Source: Goddess Fish Promotions

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Excerpt from The Starlight Motel

Kada’s cry of delight bounced off the casita walls. Looking up from the desert pavers, he watched her launch herself into an older woman’s arms. The pair grinned, and their smiles shone brighter than the swaying patio lights. Staying back, he leaned against an adobe wall and watched Kada and Mrs. Ritchie greet each other. The pair did the hug-shake mother-daughter thing he never understood. In twenty years, Kada would be just as beautiful as her mother. She soaked up her mother’s presence like a drought-stricken plant. He envied their connection. His mother gripped him hard, examined him, and spun him back into the world to do good work.

“Just look at you, runnin’ around the desert like Pops.” Ms. Ritchie gripped Kada’s long, black hair and rubbed it between her fingers. “If I hadn’t seen you for myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. I thought you would stay in Los Angeles, but here you are, the queen of the desert!”

He cocked his head and imagined Kada tearing into a sourdough loaf over drip coffee. She would look at home on the winding streets wearing a wrap-tie dress, but he preferred her stained jeans.

“I thought I would stay in Los Angeles, too, but you needed me.” Reaching to the side, Kada shifted into her father’s arms.

Lean by most standards, he sported the small belly that developed from a desk-bound lifestyle.

“Hi, Daddy.”

He kissed her forehead. “Princess. Good to see you.”

Easing off the wall, Dane figured he could slip back into the cantina, take his salad to go, and sink into one of Walter’s tales. The old cowboy had plenty of stories about what went wrong when a man took his gaze off the land.

Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.

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Purchase Links for The Starlight Motel

The Starlight Motel

Amazon Kindle Edition
Craig, Amy (Author)
English (Publication Language)
348 Pages - 08/26/2024 (Publication Date) - The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (Publisher)

The Starlight Motel

Craig, Amy (Author)
English (Publication Language)
398 Pages - 08/26/2024 (Publication Date) - Wild Rose Press (Publisher)

If the above links do not take you to your country’s Amazon page, please let me know, and I’ll gladly get a link for you.

Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share, and every penny helps support this blog.

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My Thoughts on The Starlight Motel

Quirky, fun characters highlight this tale. Set in the Palm Springs area, the Starlight Motel is reminiscent of the single-story motels that populated the region in the past. Themes of family, love, and careers make this a page-turner.

Whether you are old enough to remember Laguna Beach in its heyday or are only familiar with it through more recent television shows, this story will definitely entertain you. You could think of it as a Hallmark-style story with snappier banter.

Kada and Dane are perfect protagonists. They are each goal-oriented, but family takes precedence. The dialogue is well-written, with vibrant descriptions of the area and a cast of characters that will bring a smile to your face. The light spice to the story adds another dimension. I would call it slow-burn romance in a short time frame. Once you read the book, you will understand what I mean.

This contemporary romance leaves a few unanswered questions that might “possibly” signal a sequel. If one isn’t in the works, it should be!

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!

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About Amy Craig

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 her website or follow her on social media channels.

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Guest Post by my Craig, Author of The Starlight Motel

CONVINCE US WHY YOU FEEL YOUR BOOK IS A MUST-READ

When my husband and I relocated from California to Louisiana with our black lab/shepherd mix, we drove through Palm Springs, and the agricultural influences amazed me. I always thought of Palm Springs as a 1950s Hollywood resort, but its character goes deeper than Sinatra and desert sands. Don’t get me wrong, those aspects are part of its identity, too, but I wanted to explore the farms and single-story motels dotting the windswept highways.

In THE STARLIGHT MOTEL, Kada also has more than one identity. She’s a devoted daughter, an artist who needs to regroup, and a caring, compassionate woman who walks the line between responsibility and self-sacrifice. Dane’s not about to let anyone push him around, but what has he missed by being so hardcore?

Kada certainly know how to speak her mind, and their banter adds layers, enhances their chemistry, and makes their relationship more dynamic and engaging. Also, they always have the perfect comebacks! Don’t we wish we had them, too? Dane keeps offering to buy the Starlight Motel, and Kada keeps shutting him down. The teasing, jokes, and playful arguments between Kada and Dane provide insight into their insecurities, strengths, and growth. When the characters give their friends and relatives a little lip, too, you see where they draw their strength. Kada and Dane find their thrills in random places, but they don’t have much time to dwell on “romance” before life makes them choose their paths forward.

In real-life relationships, banter is a common way people connect and show affection. Incorporating this element into romance stories makes the relationships feel more realistic and relatable. Readers recognize and appreciate the authenticity of characters who communicate in familiar ways. I can’t promise all my jokes will make you laugh, but I’m hoping for a smile!

A few years ago, a news story about a San Francisco mural caught my eye. The 455 Hyde Street murals, collectively known as Le Papillon, tell the story of San Francisco’s urban beauties. Monarchs fly toward the California Poppy, and the artistic process behind creating the mural captured my attention.

As I learned more about the work, Kada, the main character in THE STARLIGHT MOTEL, also came into focus. When crowdfunding fails to lead her toward her next installation, she helps her family run a Palm Springs motel. The question is, why does she love it?

One answer might be, muralists are also more than artists. They are storytellers, activists, and community builders. They bring color and complexity to narratives, just like they bring art to public spaces. Those butterflies on the San Francisco building? One of the most beautiful is the Xerces blue butterfly. It might be the first butterfly species in the United States to go extinct due to human development and habitat loss.

Sometimes, I wonder if Palm Springs might go extinct, too. It’s an agricultural resource, but it’s a man-made wonder. So is art. So, whether you value butterflies, winter lettuce, or vibrant paintings, support the things in your community that make sense.

Me? Every summer, I feed caterpillars to atone for the one I accidentally squished! THE STARLIGHT MOTEL has nothing on “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury, but it’s a light-hearted romp between a talented artist and a stubborn cowboy. I hope you love it!

My DM’s are open. Drop me a line and let me know what you think about my work! As always, leave a review and share your favorites with your book bestie! Happy reading!