This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Amy Craig will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I live in Louisiana, but I’m a Northern California girl at heart. I frequently read Bay Area online news sites for restaurant trends, wildfire updates, and changes to the cities where I lived. Maybe I’ll go back one day for more than a visit!
A few years ago, a news story about a San Francisco mural caught my eye. The 455 Hyde Street murals, collectively known as Le Papillon, tell the story of San Francisco’s urban beauties. On two walls, monarchs fly toward the state flower, the California Poppy. I almost bought a plane ticket to see the vibrant murals while their colors were sharpest, but economic realities prevailed.
Disclaimer… My social posts feature a lot of monarch butterflies and weary children tired of planting tropical milkweed and relocating rogue chrysalises. Did you know butterfly wings fade as the insect ages? Just to be clear, my social media posts have plenty of sexy abs, but you can see how a butterfly mural caught my eye!
As I learned more about Le Papillon, Kada, the main character in THE STARLIGHT MOTEL, came into focus. Kada’s a muralist with a brilliant career. When a crowdfunding stalls her career, she helps her family run a Palm Springs motel. The question is, why does she love it?
One answer might lie in her art and the reasons she paints. In THE STARLIGHT MOTEL, and in other literature, muralists are integral members of their communities. They collaborate with local residents, incorporate community stories into art, and use murals to foster belonging and unity. This portrayal highlights art’s communal nature and its potential to bring people together. Running a motel is a lot like being the mayor of a small community, but most constituents don’t ring their elected officials and ask for additional toilet paper. If she can’t find a way to paint, she’s still a caregiver.
Muralists make great fictional characters (“The Murals” by William Bayer, “The Lacuna” by Barbara Kingsolver, or “Shadowshaper” by Daniel José Older) because they often undergo significant personal growth. As they create their murals, they confront personal challenges, heal from past traumas, or discover new facets of themselves. This process of creation and self-discovery makes their journeys deeply relatable and inspiring. Unfortunately, painting a mural takes longer than we have in contemporary romances. Baby, we’re falling in love in a week, not eighteen months!
Experienced muralist Kada took charge of her family’s Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art. Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada’s emotions about leaving the desert oasis. Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year’s Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course?
Enjoy an Excerpt
“I’m Dane Palmer,” the man on the chestnut horse said. “My family owns the land next door.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” She shaded her gaze. “I’ve heard about you.”
For as long as her family owned the motel, the Palmer family owned the surrounding farmland. Once or twice, the Palmer patriarch offered to buy the Starlight Motel, but Pops resisted and counted the family as friends. They produced the area’s top vegetable crops, cultivated table grapes, and managed fields of fruit trees. Every once in a while, Dane’s mother, Mariah, came by the motel to visit and give her business advice, but Dane and his younger brother remained enigmas. She exhaled. “I’ve met your mother.”
“I’m sure,” Dane said. “She gets around.”
The second man laughed like a rusted pail swinging in the wind.
Dane glanced at the seated cowboy. “This is Walter. He’s the farm’s crew manager.”
Tipping his hat, Walter nodded.
She tented her gaze. “Could you two get down? Between the horses and the low sun, I can’t see you to save my life.”
Hanging his hat on the saddle horn, Dane handed his horse’s reins to Walter. He threw his leg over the horse’s saddle and slid down its side with an easy, athletic grace.
Standing, he was six feet tall, long, rangy, and reserved. He wore boots, jeans, a dark shirt, and a fleece-lined leather jacket that beat back the wind. A hat had smashed his sun-kissed brown hair against his forehead, but he wiped away the mess, cocked his head, and held out his hand.
“Pleasure to meet you,” he said.
About the Author: 
Amy Craig lives in Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense featuring intelligent heroines. In her spare time, she plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list. Before writing, she worked as an oilfield engineer, project manager, and incompetent waitress. For more information and giveaways, visit www.amy-craig.com or follow her on social media channels.
Buy the book at Amazon.
Thank you for hosting and giving your readers a sneak peak at THE STARLIGHT MOTEL! I hope you all enjoy the warm, holiday vibes headed your way. What a fun cast of characters!
This should be an entertaining read. Thanks for sharing.
Do you have a favorite travel destination?