Casey Cline: Author Spotlight on Island of Intrigue & a Giveaway

I’m excited to welcome fellow Scrivenings Press author Casey Cline to the blog this week! Casey’s spotlighting her new release, An Island Intrigue, which is the second book in her Bird’s-Eye View series.

Be sure to comment below by September 22 for a chance to win your choice of book one or book two in Casey’s series! (US winner can choose paperback, eBook, or audiobook. If the winner is from the UK, you’ll receive an audiobook)

Welcome, Casey! The floor (or blog) is yours!

I had such fun writing the pretend journal entry below from Georgina Wright, the heroine of my historical romance novel, An Island Intrigue, which takes place in the Hawaiian Islands in 1873. I hope you enjoy it!

January 1873

Georgina Wright’s Guide to the Optimal Spot for a First Kiss

A volcano. Yes, a volcano. I know how my older brother and the other naysayers would object: “That sounds dangerous” or “That’s not a wise course of action” or “That doesn’t sound very romantic.”

Well, cast aside the strictures of reason for a moment (I promise it’s very freeing as I do it all the time) and consider the ways a first kiss beside a volcanic crater is a very, very good idea.

First, the glow. With the sun below the horizon and darkness blanketing the top of the volcano (in my case, Mauna Loa on the Hawaiian Islands), the ethereal glow cast by the active pit of lava will surely present me in a favorable light to the bestower of my first kiss, which in my case, is Dr. Joseph Livingston Jr.

Or at least I hope so. 

Admittedly, it remains to be seen whether the volcanic-inspired radiance will sway him. His feelings toward me on the trip thus far have been rather difficult to discern, other than those bordering on dislike.

But I digress. On to the second point in favor of a kiss atop a volcano—the breathlessness. At nearly 14,000 feet above sea level, the air is already thin. What better way to add to that lightheaded giddiness than with a kiss?

Third, the heat. Towering thousands of feet above the hot and humid tropics, the chill of the mountainous elevation has seeped deep into my bones. Campfires along the crater’s rim add some heat to the volcano’s efforts, but what will surely do an even more thorough job of warding off the cold? Kissing. Especially whilst ensconced in the warmth of the coat of the man doing said kissing.

With all of the above justifications in favor of the action, I’ve wholly made up my mind. I will attempt to kiss Joseph. Tonight. Beside the campfire near the crater’s edge. Wish me luck!

Author Casey Cline here, chiming in again. I suppose you deduced from Georgina’s entry that her personality is, well, headstrong and adventurous. Which clashes with her reserved and rather standoffish traveling companion, Dr. Joseph Livingston Jr.

Both are traveling with (real-life) English explorer, Isabella Bird, the fascinating woman from history who inspired (and appears in) my Bird’s-Eye View novel series. My fictional characters experience a lot of the real people and places Isabella experienced all those years ago, including ascending Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii like this excerpt is about.

My characters also experience pain, heartbreak, and woe. Both have flaws to overcome, feelings about themselves that make them afraid to be their true, imperfect selves. But by being tried and tested by each other, the island landscape, and their shared experiences, hope blooms, as does a beautiful love between them.

You may be wondering, what comes of Georgina’s rather bold plan to kiss Joseph? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. 😉  

Thanks so much for sharing about your new release, Casey. I loved reading your creative excerpt about Georgina’s plan to kiss Joseph. It was such a fun way to introduce your characters to us. The story sounds wonderful, and I wish you great success with this new book!

Join the conversation. Have you read book one, The Wayfaring Widow yet? Does An Island Intrigue sound like a story you’d like to read? Are you a Historical Fiction fan? What questions or comments do you have for Casey?

Be sure to comment below by September 22 for a chance to win your choice of book one or book two in Casey’s series! (US winner can choose paperback, eBook, or audiobook. If the winner is from the UK, you’ll receive an audiobook)

Click here to watch the “An Island Intrigue” book trailer.

Please share Casey’s spotlight post on social media to help spread the word about her books!

If you missed Johanna Rojas Vann’s interview about her new release, Where Wilted Flowers Bloom, FIND IT HERE.