Stranded in Oasis by Verna Clay

Felicia:  Well she's done it again folks. Verna has written another novel I know you're going to love!  I'd like to welcome guest blogger, Verna Clay, to my website.

Verna:  Thank you, Felicia. I appreciate your hospitality in asking me to visit your blog.

Felicia:  I see you've just released another book and that it's also the beginning of a new series. Please tell us about the series and what your inspiration was.

Verna:  The new series is title Oasis, and I received my inspiration after traveling throughout Arizona. I love the Grand Canyon State! Anyway, hubby and I stayed in many RV and trailer parks and met some wonderful people who were unique and real and so much fun to be around. For the quirky characters in my series, I used an amalgam of those people. The first book is titled Stranded in Oasis. The second and third books, coming out later this year, are Branded in Oasis and Landed in Oasis.

Felicia:  Please share what the series is about.

Verna:  The series started in my mind about a year ago when I began asking myself some "what if," scenarios. I wondered what would happen if a young, good looking, corporate magnate, suddenly found himself ordered to the backside of the desert to manage a trailer and RV park. And I wondered what would be the catalyst to send him there. As my hero coalesced in my mind, he became Maximilian Rutherford III and the reason he ended up in the desert was because his grandfather gave him an ultimatum, do it or lose his inheritance. I also created a mystery as to the reason his grandfather gave the order. Next, I asked myself what kind of heroine would be best for my hero. I wanted someone completely opposite of him, and that's when Pilar Armstrong came into being. She's a divorced mom who loves living in the desert. She's also feisty and stands up to "Max" when she thinks he's out of line--something he's not accustomed to. As for books two and three, the characters are introduced in book one. Book two is the love story between Max's sister and Pilar's cousin. As for book three, the details are still being mulled over, but it will be a romance that involves a hunt for treasure. And there you have everything in a nutshell.

Felicia: Verna, thank you for stopping by. Please give us the setup for this excerpt.

Verna:  Felicia, it's been my pleasure visiting with you and I thank you for this opportunity to share. As for the excerpt, it's when Max visits "Desert Princess Diner" where Pilar works as a waitress.

Except: 
For five minutes Max studied the waitress-with-attitude prancing around the room as if she owned it. She was short and a little overweight by maybe fifteen or twenty pounds. However, she was shapely as hell with a nipped waist, generous hips, and a stacked topside—not his type at all, especially with her attitude. The women he dated were tall, sleek legged, physically fit, with breasts that fit the symmetry of their bodies. Most of all, though, they loved being around him and played to his every whim. In reality, however, he knew his money and power had a lot to do with their attitudes. If Ms. Testy knew my true identity, she wouldn't act so smart ass. Maybe someday I can throw it in her face.

One of the criteria emphasized by his grandfather during his "trial by fire" was that he couldn't flaunt his money or connections. He supposed he'd maybe broken the money rule by showing up in an RV that cost as much as a condo in Vail.

The gal returned for his order. Without a pad in hand, she said, "Are you ready to order?"

Max decided to have a little fun. "Sure am. I'd like a burger, medium rare, salted, not peppered, with mustard and ketchup, no mayo, one tomato slice, two pickles, one lettuce leaf, one half of the bun toasted, the other not, and peppered fries, not salted. Oh, and a coffee refill with cream from the fridge, not this peel-the-paper-off-a-tiny-carton-fake-stuff. Think you can remember that?"

Ms. Prissy Pants replied, "If I don't, I'm sure you'll remind me." She gave him a phony smile and acted like she received orders like that every day. The other waitress, within earshot, and a couple of nearby patrons, gaped at them.

Verna's website: http://www.vernaclay.com
Email:  [email protected]

Stranded in Oasis
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Thanks Verna for stopping by. We wish you much success!