The Ridges Go Audible

The latest news off The Wild Rose Press news reel is that the Wayback Ridge Trilogy will be published as audio books by Audio Lark! On September 7, Blackest Heart (1st Place More Than Magic Novella) will debut as an audible, followed by Bluest Heart on September 14, and Bet It On My Heart on September 21.

I love audio books and can't wait until September! In fact, this feels like a good excuse to bring out my fun interview with the Ridges, originally posted over at The Roses of Prose. Enjoy!

ALW: Hi readers! We’re super-excited to be conducting our first character interview from my most recent release, Bet It On My Heart, here this week. Right, Keefe?

Keefe: *props booted feet on tabletop and crosses arms over chest, making himself cozy* You bet. It’s nice to sit down with pretty ladies after a hard day’s work on the ranch. *winks*

Calli: Ahem!

Keefe: *jerks, straightens* Hey, baby! When did you get here?

Calli: *sweeps his boots off the table* Just stopped by to remind you to behave yourself, cowpoke. *leans down to kiss him, fighting a smile* Sorry, I can’t stay, readers. I did bring reinforcements, though.

Casey: *cracks open a beer, sits next to Keefe* Hey, big brother!

Keefe: Ah, hell.

Stella: *smirks, takes off her Stetson* We so weren’t gonna miss this. It’s not everyday the playboy of Wayback gets a good grillin’

Keefe: *looks beseechingly to Calli* Where are you going? Can I come?

Calli: *laughs* I’ll be back later. If you’re good, I’ll give you a treat.

Casey: *cough, cough*

Stella: TMI!

Keefe: *grins* Carry on.

ALW: Alrighty then. Your story is the third in the Ridge family trilogy, which some found surprising, considering that you are the oldest of the bunch.

Stella: Mine and Judd’s story came first because we all know I’m the most mature.

Keefe & Casey: Yeah, right!

Casey: I would’ve settled down first if Josie hadn’t dug in her heels.

Josie: *from another room* I HEARD THAT!

Casey: YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY!

Keefe: *cough* Whipped! *cough, cough*

Stella: *intervenes as Casey makes a swipe for Keefe* Thank you for proving my point, boys.

ALW: Ahem. Anyway. In Stella and Casey’s stories, you made it clear, Keefe, that you weren’t the marrying kind of man. What changed?

Casey: A Yankee.

Keefe: *glares at his brother* Hey, I think her accent’s sexy as hell.

ALW: Stella, Calli is a longtime friend of yours. What do you think attracted Keefe to her?

Stella: I’d just like to say, for the record, I knew all along that these two were going to end up together.

Keefe & Casey: Yeah, right!

Stella: *rolls her eyes* It’s like two parrots. And I was the one who dared Calli to stay in Wayback for two weeks. She and Keefe hit it off right away.

Keefe: You said it: two weeks. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a temporary fling.

Calli: *from another room* Hey, cowpoke, I haven’t left yet!

Keefe: *cringes* I LOVE YOU!

Casey: *makes whipping motion* WHA-POW!

ALW: *raises her hands before Keefe and Casey have a chance to throw down* All right, already! I think we saw enough brawling in Stella’s story.

Casey: I had nothing to do with that.

Keefe: Because Judd and I are the only ones man enough to take a fist in the face.

Stella: If by man you mean caveman, then for once you’d be right.

ALW: Here’s a thought: how ‘bout I ask questions and you answer them like civilized adults.

Keefe, Casey, Stella: *look dubiously at one another* Nah.

ALW: *sighs* See what I have to deal with, readers? Stella, would it be too much for you to succinctly answer my previous question?

Stella: *flips long, blonde hair over her shoulder* Well, for starters, Calli’s a real ball-buster.

Keefe: *chokes on a swallow of beer*

Calli: *laughs uproariously from the other room* Thanks, Stell!

Keefe: *frowns* Seriously, when is she leaving?

Stella: Notice he doesn’t deny it.

Casey: *nods* Keefe was all about brainless bombshells before Calli knocked him on his ass. He’d never come across a woman of substance before.

Calli: Aw, Case! I could kiss you!

Casey: Anytime, honey.

Keefe: *glares* [CENSORED]

ALW: I apologize, ladies. I am now considering killing him off in an unforeseen sequel.

Keefe: *sets down his beer* Ah, come on, sweetheart. You know you love me.

ALW: No comment.

Casey: Hey, by the way, which one of us is your favorite?

Stella: *leans forward* It’s me, right? I was first.

Casey: Nah, it’s me. She told all those interviewers I was the charming one.

Keefe: *winks* And she told them I’m…what was it? “The quintessential cowboy?” And she loves her cowboys.

ALW: I will NOT answer that question.

Judd: *enters, grins at ALW* Hey. Sorry I’m late.

ALW: *blushes red, simpers* Glad you could join us!

Keefe & Casey: *faces falling* HIM?

Judd: *loops thumbs in belt loops, leans back against the wall, looks smug*

Casey: Don’t you love me anymore?

ALW: I love all of you!

Keefe: What’s so great about Judd?

ALW: *shrugs* Perhaps because he doesn’t talk back or interrupt. And everybody loves a silent cowboy. *flutters her lashes*

Keefe & Casey: *groan, mutter*

Stella: *meets Judd’s smoldering gaze, props her chin in hand and smiles* I’m the one who gets to take him home.

Casey: Er, ew.

Keefe: Now wait a minute. Judd may not know how to dish it out—

Judd: Hey, cowpoke. Eat me.

Stella: Oh, I love it when you talk dirty.

ALW: Yes. Please keep going.

Casey: This must be what an embolism feels like.

Keefe: Ahem. As I was saying, all the ladies might think Judd’s the cute, cuddly one—

Judd: 1st Place More Than Magic Novella.

Keefe: Best Book of the Week at LASR. Voted by the readers, my man.

ALW: Get to the point.

Keefe: Yeah, Judd, aren’t you supposed to be silent?

Casey: I don’t think he has a point.

Keefe: I’m getting to it. Judd may be loveable and Casey may be the charming do-gooder boy or whatever, but I’m the only hero who made the big, sweeping, romantic gesture. I got down on my knees and begged.

Stella: And you think that’s good for your image?

Keefe: It makes me more a hero than either of them.

Calli: He has a point!

ALW: Yes, surprisingly, he does.

Judd & Casey: Hey!

ALW: *gulps* I think we’ve taken up enough of the readers' time. Thanks again for having us. And so sorry about the expletives.

Keefe: *smirks* I’ll make sure Calli gives me a good whippin’.

Calli: *cackles* Yeah, you bet, readers!

Casey: Oh, for crying out loud!

ALW: *raises voice to cut them off* If you’d like to find out more about the Ridge family saga, visit them on the web! You can purchase all three novellas now at The Wild Rose Press: Blackest Heart (Stella & Judd’s story) for $3.00; Bluest Heart (Casey & Josie’s story) for $3.75; and Bet It On My Heart (Keefe & Calli’s story) for $4.00! You can get the whole trilogy for just $10.75! And you can also now own Blackest Heart in paperback in the Wayback anthology The Way Back Home!