Mike wasn’t amused.
Neither was Riley.
“What I am trying to say is that Tom agreed to steer clear of any specific questions about what we’d be doing at this camp since I have no idea what activities the owner has planned. So I don’t want this new guy asking questions I can’t answer. Has he been given the questions Tom was going to ask me?”
“Yeah, yeah, we’re all good,” Mike said as he waved a producer over to them.
Anything else she wanted to say was cut off when a producer and audio tech surrounded her and started getting her mic’d up for her interview.
“We’re sticking to the topics Tom and I went over, right?” Riley asked the producer now. “My writing process, how my life as a TV reporter has inspired my writing, and then the basics of this Christmas Boot C— I mean Camp, Christmas Camp, that I’m doing?”
But instead of answering, the stressed-out looking producer took Riley’s arm and practically ran her over to where she’d be doing the interview. “We need to get you set up. Now,” he said. “Sit here.” The producer sat her down on in a director-style chair next to the host’s empty one.
The set looked like a living room that was decorated for Christmas. There was a beautiful Christmas tree with gold and white lights surrounded by lots of colorfully wrapped presents.
“Don’t worry,” a man said as he walked over to Riley and sat down in the host’s chair next to her. “You just need to answer the questions.”
The fact that he was shuffling through his note cards and never once made eye contact made Riley worry even more. She also didn’t like his tone. It was dismissive, not welcoming.
She sat up straight and spoke a little louder. “And you are?” Her own tone had bite to it.
It didn’t faze him. He glanced up at her like it was a bother. “I’m Joe Bramson. I’m taking Tom’s place today, and we’re on in two minutes.”
Riley instantly held out her hand. “Riley Reynolds. Nice to meet you.”
But Joe was already back to going over his notes and didn’t see her outstretched hand.
Riley quickly withdrew it. “Okay, then,” she said under her breath as she studied him. Nothing about Joe surprised her. He was your typical on-air guy with polished good looks. When she self-consciously tried to smooth down her own hair, she was relieved to see a hair-and-makeup person hurry over to her.
While they only had time to brush her hair, spray down the flyaways, and do a final powder, it made her feel a little more confident that she wasn’t going to look like a total hot mess on national TV.
“You’re going to do great,” the makeup artist whispered in Riley’s ear as she dusted her nose one more time with translucent powder. “I love your books. You’re one of my favorite authors.”
Riley smiled and touched her heart. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“I haven’t had the chance to read your latest summer novel, but I will,” the makeup artist said.
Riley fought to keep smiling. All she could think about was that she hoped she didn’t let down another fan with her latest novel.
“There,” the makeup artist said with a satisfied smile. “Much better. Good luck! I’ll be watching.” She gave Riley a thumbs-up as she hurried off the set.
Riley smiled back at her, thankful for her kind words. She loved her readers. Her loyal following had made her the author she was today, and she never took that for granted. Since her first novel, she had gotten hundreds of thoughtful e-mails from readers saying how her books and love stories had positively impacted their lives. Whenever she started a new novel, she always felt like she was writing for them, and she never wanted to disappoint them.
That’s why she felt she needed to do whatever it took to get back on track, even if that meant going way out of her comfort zone by hosting this Christmas Camp Mike had come up with and then writing a Christmas love story.
She rubbed her hands together to calm her nerves. They felt cold and clammy. She usually didn’t get nervous before an interview, but then she also didn’t usually do a live TV interview talking about Christmas, a topic she’d spent her whole adult life successfully avoiding.
Plus, she’d spent more than a decade in front of the camera as a TV reporter herself. Her college education and determination had paid off when, after climbing her way up the ladder, working in one small market after another, she’d landed a national correspondent position in Washington DC. The difference was, as a reporter, she was always the one in control, asking the questions. Getting interviewed and having someone ask her questions was a whole different ball game.
As she glanced over at Joe, who was now smoothing down his hair and adjusting his tie, she made the snap judgement that he wasn’t going to be a very good host. When she’d worked as a journalist, she’d hosted countless live shows, and she knew the number-one rule was to make sure your guest was comfortable before the show started. That was how you always got your best interviews. Watching Joe ignore her, and how he only seemed concerned about how he was going to look on camera, made her thankful she didn’t have to work with guys like him anymore.
When she looked over to Mike for his support, she found him talking to a cute production assistant who seemed charmed by him.
Clearly, she was one-hundred-percent on her own here.
As she sat up straighter and ran her hand over her hair, trying to tame the stubborn flyaways, she gave herself a little pep talk.
The interview was only a few minutes. The time would go fast. Her goal was to focus on promoting her first Christmas novel, and getting her fans excited to follow along online and send in their suggestions and ideas. She already had the
