AUTHORS INTERVIEWING CHARACTERS: Stacy Gold

Author Stacy gold interviews Jules Martinez and Evan Davenport from her latest steamy, outdoor adventure romance novel, Wild at Heart (May 2, 2022, Onyva). When these two meet, they’re each hiking a part of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) solo in search of themselves. Mother Nature has other plans, though, and keeps shoving Evan and Jules in each other’s paths. Usually naked. When sparks fly, they have to decide if they can find what they’re looking for in life together instead of apart.

Tell me a little about yourselves; what you do for work, your family and where you were raised?

Evan: I was born and raised in Boston. John Davenport III is my father. You might have heard of him…He was running for Governor of Massachusetts recently. *I nod* My older brother and I were born and raised to marry the right woman from the right family and follow in my father’s footsteps in finance. I went to Harvard Business School and my brother went to Stanford. Up until shortly before I left for the PCT, I was working as a financial analyst, and I hated every minute of it.

Jules: My grandparents immigrated from Puerto Rico to Florida when my dad was young, so I was born and raised in Miami. But my grandparents were the last to speak fluent Spanish around the house, and my mother was Cajun, so I heard about as much French as Spanish growing up. I was an only child and trained as a gymnast from the time I was 6 until I missed the landing on a vault and completely blew out my knee. Freshman year I moved to Seattle for school at UW and never left. Nowadays I have my own graphic design firm and coach gymnastics part time. Oh, and in the summer, I volunteer with my best friend as a backpacking trip leader for Inner City Outdoors.

Jules, Evan, this question is for both of you…What made you decide to go backpacking solo? It seems…dangerous.

Evan: I had reached a point in my life where nothing was making me happy. Every direction I turned I felt like I was on the wrong path. I’d been fired my job, which admittedly I hated, so that was no great loss, and I’d split up with my longtime fiancé. Something that should’ve happened years earlier. When all that happened, I realized I hadn’t been in charge of my own fate. My own life. Deciding to speed hike a section of the PCT was my way of trying to discover the right path—as far away from my overbearing parents and ex-fiancé as possible.

Jules: Backpacking, being out in the woods—especially alone—that’s my happy place. So, when both my work life and my personal life felt like they were going down the tubes, I needed a reset and decided to take five weeks off and hike my favorite stretches of the PCT in Washington. And I figured it would be a good way to launch my year of celibacy after a too-long string of bad relationship luck. 

It sounds like you two had a lot in common when you met, despite being from very different backgrounds. 

Jules: We really did, even though on the surface it didn’t seem like it. God knows I didn’t think we had anything in common when we first met. If we’d met off the trail instead of Mother Nature forcing us together over and over, I’m not sure we would’ve ever even gotten to know each other enough to realize it.

Evan: *Smiles and wraps a hand around Jules’s thigh* That would’ve been a real shame. 

Jules: *Places her hand on his and gazes into his eyes* Agreed.

*I clear my throat* I get the distinct impression that vow of celibacy didn’t last a year.

Jules: *Laughs* Not even close.

Evan: *Squeezes Jules’s thigh and his grin grows* It’s because I’m irresistible, isn’t it?

Jules: *Rolls her eyes* Maybe. Maybe not.

Evan: So, you admit you are weak-willed, then? It’s either that or I’m irresistible.

Jules: Maybe I just have moments of weakness. Here and there. Especially when you’re involved.

Evan: Okay. I’ll take it.

Moving on. When did each of you start backpacking? Is it something you’ve done since you were a kid, or did you take it up later in life?

Jules: My parents weren’t particularly outdoorsy, so while I’d done a little hiking and spent plenty of time wandering on the beach, I didn’t start backpacking until I met my best friend in college. She’s the one who really got me into it. The first time we went I fell in love with being out in the woods, away from all the noise and hustle and demands of the world, with everything I needed on my back. Life gets stripped down to the bare minimum out there, but it also lets you access some of the most spectacular places. Often places most other people never get to see.

Evan: I did my first backpacking trips as a kid in Boy Scouts, so I guess you could say I grew up backpacking.

Jules: *snorts* Sure. I guess you could say that. 

Evan: Okay. Fine. Until that trip I hadn’t been camping or backpacking since I was 12 and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

So, Evan, given your lack of experience, what made you decide to go backpacking, of all things, for the first time in almost twenty years?

Evan: The last time I remember feeling happy and at peace was camping in Scouts. It seemed like a good way to get back in touch with myself and maybe find some joy and purpose in my life, without the constant static of other people’s opinions on my life. Since I’d done it as a kid, and I’m in good shape from training for triathlons, I didn’t think it would be too difficult to manage a week on the trail.

Jules: Good thing it was way harder than you expected. Otherwise, we might never have met.

How so?

Evan: Every one of my bad decisions led to Jules coming to my rescue. Something I’m eternally grateful for, though I could’ve done without almost getting hypothermia—twice—and almost drowning, and almost getting lost in the wilderness. However, since the trade-off was getting to know you, and building this incredible life I could never have imagined before, I guess I’m okay with it.

Jules: And I did enjoy getting to see you naked a few times early on.

Evan: *smirks* Ha! I knew you were checking me out—because I’m irresistible. As we’ve previously confirmed.

Jules: *Shrugs* What can I say, you do have a spectacularly nice ass. And it’s important to appreciate the scenery. I also appreciated your willingness to set your ego aside and learn a few things. Not a lot of men can do that. At least not in my experience. It’s a very endearing quality. 

Evan: I’m glad you found something about me endearing at the time, considering I felt like a total idiot. Though I think you enjoyed being my knight in shining armor. 

Jules: Sure beats being the cliché damsel in distress. 

Evan: As long as I made you happy—and can keep making you happy without almost killing myself—I’m happy.

Jules: *Gives Evan moon eyes* Don’t worry. You do a great job of that. 

Evan: *Lifts Jules’s hand and kisses the back of it* And I intend to keep doing so.

—

Award-winning author Stacy Gold gave up her day job as Communications Director of a nonprofit mountain biking organization to write sassy, steamy, contemporary romance novels. Her stories are packed with independent, kick-butt women finding love and adventure in the great outdoors. When Stacy’s not busy reading or writing, you can find her dancing, laughing, or playing hard in the mountains of Colorado with her wonderful hubby and happy dogs. 

Learn more at http://stacygold.com or follow Stacy’s adventures on FB, T, and Insta @AuthorStacyGold

WILD AT HEART

They each hit the trail solo in search of themselves…

Overworked entrepreneur Jules Martinez is sick and tired of men leaving her for their exes. Determined to wipe the giant, scarlet R for rebound off her forehead, she kicks off a yearlong vow of celibacy with five, blissful weeks backpacking her favorite trails through Washington State. Solo.

Out-of-work financial analyst Evan Davenport hasn’t been happy since camping in Scouts as a kid—before his wealthy parents and now ex-fiancé made all his major life decisions. Hoping to find joy and purpose, he buys all the latest ultralight backpacking gear, flies to Washington, and sets off alone on a weeklong speed hike through the wilderness.

Mother Nature has other plans, though, and keeps shoving Evan and Jules in each other’s paths. Usually naked. When sparks fly, can they find what they’re looking for in life together instead of apart?

 

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews, On Writing