Shawna Delacorte's Blog: SPARKLE OF GLASS

Today I'm welcoming Darvi Stanton and Rance Coulter to my blog, the main characters from SPARKLE OF GLASS, my new contemporary romance released December 4, 2024, from The Wild Rose Press.

Welcome Darvi and Rance. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to be here with us today.

Darvi: It's our pleasure.

Rance: Thanks for the invitation. What's on your mind? What would you like to know?

Well, let's start with how you first met? Do you want to take that question, Darvi?

Rance: Uh Oh, (smiles and shakes his head) I have a feeling I'm not going to come out of this unscathed.

Why do you say that? Was your first meeting…uh, awkward?

Darvi: Awkward? (laughs) That's putting it mildly. How about full on confrontational?

That sounds like an interesting story. What happened?

Darvi: I was new to the coastal town of Sandy Cove having just moved to Oregon from Laguna Beach, California. I was lucky enough to have been hired to design and construct all the stained glass windows for the renovation of a Victorian style bed and breakfast inn. I was very excited about this new project and looking forward to getting started.

Wasn't there some problem with you being hired by the inn's owner?

Darvi: I was aware that the contractor on the project wanted someone else hired, someone he had previously worked with and whose work he trusted, but the inn's owner overruled the contractor and hired me directly. So, not only did I have a huge project to do, I now had the added task of needing to win over the contractor and convince him I knew what I was doing.

Rance: And that's when I inadvertently stepped into the middle of things, not knowing who this stranger was…(reaches for her hand and gives it a squeeze) or that she would end up being the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life.

What did you do?

Darvi: He verbally accosted me on the main street of town, accusing me of stealing his parking space. I had legally parked in front of the art supply store, which is where I was going, on a street with no parking restrictions. I thought he was not only extremely rude but also very arrogant. His aggressive attitude sparked my anger. Our first face-to-face encounter, before either of us even knew who the other was, resulted in conflict. It was later that day, when I met with the inn's owner and the contractor, that I discovered the identity of this rude obnoxious man. He was the contractor I needed to convince that I was the right person for this job. Definitely not the best start to a new project.

But you got your problems straightened out and everything went smoothly from there?

Darvi and Rance: (laugh simultaneously) Not even close.

Darvi: We managed to settle into a mostly compatible work relationship.

Rance: We accepted and appreciated each other's work on the inn project. But other than that…

Darvi: Our personal interactions were very much up and down. He continued to hide behind his aggressive arrogance…

Rance: And she buried herself behind a wall of anger. But in spite of that, there was an irresistible force pulling us together. Something saying we were meant to be together.

Darvi: Sometimes it was difficult to balance personal time and business. There used to be enough hours in the day for everything, but suddenly time had to be allocated. So much time for work, so much time for us.

Rance: But we managed to get the project finished on time and on budget. Everyone involved was very pleased with the results. The invitation only grand opening was a huge success.

Darvi: The future seemed all sunshine and love, until…(closes eyes as Rance pulls her into his arms)

Sounds as if you each had your own personal issues, emotional baggage from the past.

Rance: (slight frown as thoughtful look crosses his face) Yes. For my part, past issues that I'd been carrying around with me far too long, for too many years. Issues that almost tore us apart until I came to my senses and realized what I was about to lose.

Darvi: I was devastated. I had moved to Oregon to get away from an emotionally destructive situation from my past and suddenly found myself in a repeat pattern. I didn't think I'd be able to survive the turmoil and upheaval a second time.

Obviously everything worked out because here you are. But what kind of emotional baggage were each of you carrying around that could have that much of a negative impact on your individual lives? And how did you manage to work your way through it?

Rance: For the answer to that…

Darvi: You'll need to read the book.

(laughs) Apparently that's as much explanation as I'm going to get from the two of you. Thank you Darvi and Rance for visiting my blog today.

Blurb:

Putting a painful past behind her, Darvi Stanton has a new job in a small coastal town in Oregon. Designing the stained glass windows for a Victorian-style inn under renovation is right up her alley. She’s determined to impress the owner in spite of the obnoxious, know-it-all contractor with gorgeous eyes and a charming smile.

Rance Coulter had another artist in mind for the decorative windows of his new project, someone with more experience, someone less…attractive. When he’s overruled, he gives in grudgingly, but they clash over every decision. The only time she’s not arguing with him is when he’s kissing her.

Will mixing business with pleasure lead to ruin or a happily ever after.

G-Excerpt #5

Before she lost her nerve, Darvi whirled around to face him, offering a tentative smile. “Would you like some coffee or tea? It won’t take but a moment for me to fix it.”

The surprise in his eyes gave way to pleasure. “I’d like that very much. Coffee, if that’s okay.”

“Coffee it is. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”

Darvi busied herself in the kitchen making coffee, gathering cups, and finding a serving tray to carry all of it. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she had let down her guard, allowed Rance into her personal domain for a nonbusiness purpose, had even been the one to suggest he stay for coffee. She knew if she stopped to consider her actions, she would ask Rance to leave, removing all temptation.

She paused for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. Panic stabbed through her as she looked toward the studio where he waited. Temptation—exactly what he represented, an overwhelming temptation to which she must not succumb.

She glanced down at her hands, surprised by the way they trembled. Her eyes misted as she fought back the tears. I can’t become involved with him. I could never tell him about what happened. He would never understand about…

G-Excerpt #6

She took a deep breath, held it for a second, then slowly exhaled. She finally started to speak, her words cloaked in defensiveness. “I had my life under control until I ran into you. I’m taking care of some simple errands and you turn it into a major confrontation over some stupid parking spot on a public street. You’ve been going out of your way to antagonize me at every opportunity. I know you wanted George to hire someone else to do the stained glass, but he hired me in spite of your objections. I have a signed contract. The least you can do is make an effort to be decent about it.”

Her words caught him off guard. “I don’t have any—”

“I’m not a helpless little thing who cries at the drop of a hat. I’ve always been able to take care of myself, handle any situation that came along. You’re pushing me too hard, asking too much…demanding too much, things that have nothing to do with you or with this job. Things that are none of your business.”

The tears welled in her eyes as her veneer began to crumble. “You apparently believe that I should just trust you because you say so even though you’ve done nothing to show me your sincerity or that you can actually be trusted. How do I know what your intentions are? Why should I believe that you will keep anything I say to you in confidence rather than using it to humiliate me? Stop pushing me so hard. It’s very difficult for me…very painful.”

The arrogant Rance persona started to speak, the spontaneous outburst coming out as a harsh sound. “Pushing you? I haven’t—” The rest of the sentence stuck in his throat. His totally inappropriate reaction to what she said meshed with his own unspoken fears. He pulled her into his embrace as a mass of apprehension swirled around inside him. What to think…what to do…he didn’t have any answers. He stroked her hair as he thought over what she had said. He had no idea he had been pushing her that hard. Or that she harbored a secret so frightening for her that even what he thought of as teasing banter had been too painful for her to handle.

And her comment about not trusting him, fearing he would turn her secret against her in such a callous manner… He didn’t like hearing it, knew he would never do such a thing, but quickly realized why she would think it.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Sparkle-Glass-Shawna-Delacorte-ebook/dp/B0DHW7959Q

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sparkle-of-glass-shawna-delacorte/1146283517?ean=2940185712221

and other online vendors

Excerpts and other information available on my website: