Authors Interviewing Characters: Andrea Thome
A fresh voice in contemporary romance, Andrea Thome, author of the award-winning Hesse Creek Series, returns with Mine Again, the first book in her new Sunflower Series, set in a fictional small town in western Montana.
Delilah Spencer is a rolling stone. A big city attorney from Chicago on a temporary work assignment in Sunflower, Montana.
Ranger Beckham’s Sunflower roots run deep. Three generations to be exact. The high school band director and single father is adrift, fresh out of a marriage of convenience. He’s all but given up on finding true love.
Until he bumps into Delilah, the fixer with trust issues who has a hard and fast rule: never get attached to the places she visits or the people in them. They strike a deal when the chemistry between them burns too hot to ignore, convincing themselves they’ll be able to part as friends when Delilah’s gig is up, no matter how scorching things get between them.
But the slower pace in tight-knit Sunflower is a balm for Delilah’s restless soul, and it becomes impossible to imagine leaving Ranger or Montana behind.
Will Delilah break her own rules and finally put down roots, or will she cut and run when her contract is up, leaving Ranger and the life she never knew she wanted in the rearview mirror?
I caught up with Delilah mid-morning at Hot Corner, a charming coffee shop in downtown Sunflower. We ordered two Split-Finger Chai Lattes and settled in to chat.
Author: Good morning, Delilah. I know you’re busy, so thanks for taking time to talk with me today. Great recommendation on the drink!
Delilah: I’m glad you like it. This is going to be one of the things I miss most when this job assignment ends. It’s named after a famous retired baseball player who lives in town.
Author: I’m going to take a wild guess that you are referring to Tom Beckham, of the Chicago Pale Hose? I grew up in Chicago and saw him come in earlier for a coffee while I was waiting for you. That big white beard of his is hard to miss!
Delilah: (smiling) I’m a huge fan of his, as a player and a person. The entire Beckham family has been so welcoming to me. The whole town has, really. Sunflower is quickly becoming one of my favorite places.
Author: You have a unique job—always having to be new in town. Tell us about it.
Delilah: I like to say I’m a substitute lawyer—I’m based out of my firm in Chicago, but I travel and spend time at firms all over the country who need help for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s assistance with a big trial, other times it’s to fill in while the principals have to step away for one reason or another. That’s the case here, in Sunflower. I’m substitute lawyering until the first of the year to help out during the lead counsel’s medical treatments.
Author: And you’ve been here for a couple of months now—what is your impression of Sunflower? Coming from Chicago, living in a small town must be a big change for you?
Delilah: I spend a lot of time in small towns, actually, but you’re right; Sunflower is special. First of all—how beautiful is Montana? I’m admittedly not much of an outdoorsy person, but it’s hard not to fall in love with the mountains and the way the sky looks like fine art in the mornings and evenings. And the people here? They’ve made me feel like one of their own. I’m even helping the daughter of a friend form an LLC for her goat soap business. (Delilah frowns.) It’s going to be hard to say goodbye, for sure.
Author: Traveling like you do, it must be hard on your personal life.
She’s distracted, as a tall, bearded man enters the coffee shop and they lock eyes for a moment, smiling at each other before he turns away to order.
Delilah: I’m sorry, what was your question?
Author: I wondered if this nomadic lifestyle of yours is conducive to having a family, or if that’s something that’s a priority for you? Or are you a career-first person?
Delilah: My career is important to me, sure, but I’d love to have a family one day.
Her eyes follow the gentle giant as he moves across the coffee shop to add cream to his cup. Delilah clears her throat and returns her attention to our conversation.
Delilah: Right now? It’s all about the job.
Author: (noticing the way the man turns and lingers, looking like he wants to approach our table.) Do you need a minute?
Delilah: What? No, he’s fine. It’s—I’ll catch up with him later. Ranger wants me to go mountain biking with him but it’s not something I do. I—excuse me one moment.
She picks up her phone and shoots off a quick text, and I hear the man’s phone chime from across the room. He reads the message and his brows knit as he turns away and leaves the coffee shop.
Delilah: Sorry. That’s the peril of working in a small town. There isn’t any anonymity.
Author: Ok—that’s one thing for the con column. Give me two more. Then we’ll talk about what you love about Sunflower.
Delilah: There isn’t much I don’t like, but I guess sometimes I miss being able to stroll through the Chicago Art Museum, or get a meal late at night. Everything closes up pretty early here. Although, with all the sleep I’m getting, my complexion has never been better.
Author: I was going to ask about your skin care routine. You’re glowing.
Delilah: It must be all the fresh air, locally grown food, and I guess—I’m happy here. I’m much too lazy for a complicated skin care routine. I have been using beef tallow from Deep Roots Farm, though, and that has really done wonders for my dark spots.
Author: Forgive me, but there don’t seem to be many things you dislike about Sunflower. Could you ever see yourself settling down in a place like this? Maybe practicing law in a small-town firm instead of traveling? Since you seem so at home here?
Delilah: (an uneasy look on her face.) Oh, gosh—no. I have itchy feet—I’m not ready to settle down, and I’ve got some family commitments back home—I need to be able to be close to my parents if need be. (She looks around, before leaning across the table.) But off the record?
Author: Of course.
Delilah: If I were going to choose a place—it would be hard to find somewhere better than Sunflower. Like I said earlier—it’s going to be hard to say goodbye, when the time comes. I’m glad I still have a couple of more months here.
PREORDER HERE
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Andrea Thome is the author of the award-winning HESSE CREEK SERIES. A former sports and news anchor and occasional emcee, Andrea has two grown children and has been married to Hall of Fame baseball player, Jim Thome, for almost thirty years. The travel-loving couple divides their time between Chicago, Illinois and life on the road, usually with friends and always in search of hiking trails. The mountains are Andrea’s happy place.
MINE AGAIN is the first book in the SUNFLOWER SERIES.
Category: On Writing
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