Prepare to fall for Virginia. Even her answers to my questions are artfully written!
I always like to start by having visiting authors describe their stories – you"ll sum up the plot much better than I can! So: What is Carolina Home about?
Thanks, Melanie! So happy to be here!
Carolina Home is the story of charter boat captain Matt Fletcher. He’s a stand up guy, a single dad--quiet, steady, tough, and sexy as hell. Out of the three Fletcher siblings, Matt’s the one who stayed behind, the man who’s put his own dreams on hold in support of his family. He keeps his love life uncomplicated and his heart intact by following two rules: No dating island women. And no serious relationships.
Of course, all that changes when pretty young schoolteacher Allison Carter comes to the island and challenges both his son’s school performance and Matt’s notions of what his own life can be. After escaping her wealthy parents’ well-meaning interference, Allison isn’t planning on compromising her independence or her reputation by getting involved with the hunky dad of one of her students.
But sometimes life doesn’t turn out the way we plan. Sometimes it’s better...
Matt and Allison’s romance is the heart of this story, but you get to meet the whole Fletcher clan. Dare Island is home to three generations of the Fletcher family. Matt’s parents, retired Marine sergeant Tom and his Italian wife, Tess, who run the Pirates’ Rest inn. Then the three Fletcher siblings: Matt, constant as the tides; go-getter New York insurance executive, Meg; and warrior Luke, serving with his Marine unit in Afghanistan. And finally Matt’s teenage son – I love writing boys! – and his ten-year-old niece, Taylor.
I love writing about fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, brothers and sisters. Lovers. Especially lovers, because every relationship is a fresh challenge. Every couple has to negotiate what they want in terms of life and love and sex.
As fans of your previous [amazing] Children of the Sea series know, water plays a big role in your novels. Do you consciously set out to place your stories near the sea and the ocean or is that something that happens without you directly intending it? Why are seaside settings so powerful? And tell us a little about the inspiration for Dare Island (Sorry, Virginia! This is more than one question!)
I know, right? World’s End, Sanctuary, Dare Island...they’ve got a lot in common. Strong, independent people. Tight-knit island communities. Family ties. And, of course, the sea.
When I was growing up, my family always took vacations to the coast of New England(the setting of the Children of the Sea books), so that obviously had a powerful effect on my imagination. While my family was vacationing on Cape Cod, my husband was growing up near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while his dad did jungle training in Panama. After several years of being dragged to the cold and rocky northern coast for vacations with his in-laws, my husband finally persuaded me to try the North Carolina beaches. Just one week, he coaxed. Just this year.
Well, the man certainly knows my weaknesses. “Just this year” became every year. Eventually we moved to North Carolina, in part to be closer to the beach!
Dare Island (named for Virginia Dare, the first child born to English parents in North America) is a fictional island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. But its inspiration is everywhere up and down the Carolina coast. I loved doing the research, talking to people about their lives: the girl behind the counter in the gift shop, the couple running their own bed and breakfast, the teacher in the parking lot, the fisherman coming in with his catch at the end of the day. I hope I’ve captured some of the rhythms of their lives with this series.
Talk a little about Matt Fletcher, why he’s so successful with the ladies, and why he doesn’t want to settle down. And: why are single dads so irresistible?
It’s our ovaries. We can’t help it. We see a guy like Matt – all that testosterone nicely packaged in a pair of blue jeans, kind to his mom, good with his kid – and we want to have his babies.
Of course, Matt had a baby. When he was only twenty. He tried to do what he believed was the right thing, and his wife walked out on him and their infant son. Matt’s not bitter in a my-wife-left-me-so-I-hate-all-women kind of way. But he is busy—running a business, helping out at the inn, raising his son. He doesn’t have time for a relationship, and he doesn’t want to screw things up again by having Josh form an attachment to a woman who isn’t going to stick around.
I love, love, love when female characters have complicated relationships with their mothers! Tell us a little bit about Allison and her struggle to live a fulfilling life, especially in light of the fact that she has no financial need to work.
Thank you! I do, too. We are our mothers. Or we’re not. Either way, it has a powerful influence on our lives. I think orphan heroines (like Jane Eyre) are popular because the heroine is missing such an important role model and support. But a heroine who has a difficult relationship with her mother (like Elizabeth Bennett or like Allison) has to decide who she is despite her mother’s influence and best intentions. Allison can’t just run away from the life her parents want for her. She has to decide what she’s going to embrace in its place. She’s pretty sure it’s teaching. She hopes it’s Dare Island. The one thing she’s not counting on is a man like Matt.
How would you describe the spark/conflict between Allison and Matt?
Here’s Matt, this guy who’s determined not to need anyone, and Allison, who needs to be needed. Even though they’re only ten years apart age, they’re eons apart in experience. Matt is comfortable in his skin, at peace with himself and his choices. But he’s determined not to let his choices limit Allison’s...and she’s just as determined not to be shut out of his life. They were a joy to write because they’re both people you can care about and root for.
I alluded to your previous novels already, but how was writing Carolina Home– or any straightforward contemporary romance – different from creating the Children of the Sea books? Were you ever tempted to have Allison jump into the water, sprout fins, and swim from her problems?
Actually, when I pitched the Dare Island series to my editor, I told her I just wanted to write a book that didn’t have a demon in it. These are tough times. I wanted to write about the ways we help each other through, neighbor to neighbor, families pulling together.
Other than the demon thing, it wasn’t as big a shift as you might think. My focus has always been on the relationships, on the romance. My stories, including the Children of the Sea, have always been grounded in the world I know, which means that neither love nor magic can solve all problems. (Though they sure can help!) If I’m going to ask my readers to believe in a happily-ever-after for my characters, I need to show the steps leading up to that ending: the characters’ growth, the physical sizzle, the slow build of trust, the communication. And that’s always been my favorite stuff to write!
What will be next for the citizens of Dare Island?
Right now, I’m working on Carolina Girl (June2013), about Matt’s sister, ambitious New York insurance executive Meg Fletcher, and sexy hometown builder Sam Grady. The events in Carolina Home force Meg back to the island, but there are too many secrets to make it an easy homecoming. And once she sees Sam again, it’s fireworks!
Then Luke returns from Afghanistan. Settling into island life is a real adjustment for the tough Marine, even without the sudden responsibility of a ten-year-old daughter. Watching his every move is lawyer Kate Dolan, whose big heart is matched by an even bigger chip on her shoulder about men in uniform.
After that...We’ll see! Writing a series can be like speed dating –characters show up, you feel the spark, and then they move on and you’re left wondering, “Are you the one?”
But there’s a new police chief in town and the running-from-trouble owner of Jane’s Sweet Tea House...
I fell in love with Virginia Kantra's book the first time Caleb called Margred "Maggie" in Sea Witch (Children of the Sea Series #1) . If you've read this amazing Children of the Sea series, you know that Virginia has a deft hand with character development and a way of making the steamiest scenes full of emotion.
