Thanks so much, Michael, for hosting the Take Two video tour! Throughout the tour, I'll be taking you on video stops of one of my favorite places at the North Carolina coast and the location for Take Two— Bald Head Island.
Take Two is a second chance at love story set during a movie
shoot. It's a sweet and sometimes funny story about love that won't quit, and
includes anachronistic pirates, silly dialogue, and general mayhem as action
star Sander Carson, a.k.a. Sam Carr, tries to woo back his estranged husband,
pirate expert and history professor Wesley Coolidge. You can find all the
videos after they're posted on my YouTube channel.
I hope you’ll enjoy this lighthearted romp and that you end
up believing in second chances! The book is now available for preorder at
Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, and all the usual suspects.
Blurb: Shiver me timbers! When Professor Wesley Coolidge
accepts a summer job as a historical consultant to a pirate movie being filmed
in North Carolina, the last person he expects to bump into is his soon-to-be
ex, movie star Sander Carson. Just like the flamboyant pirate he's playing,
Sander, aka Sam Carr, is used to getting what he wants, and he makes it clear
he wants Wesley back in his life.
Sam acknowledges it's his fault they split up. He lost
Wesley when he left their life in New York City behind for a career in
Hollywood. But Wesley has finally managed to put the pieces of his heart back
together, and he isn't interested in Sam and Wesley: The Sequel. Sam soon
realizes that convincing Wesley to give their relationship a second chance will
take much more than apologies and reminders of good times past. If he wants
Wesley back, Sam will have to show Wesley that they really can sail into the
sunset together--a real-life happily-ever-after that won't end once the final
credits roll.
Excerpt from Chapter Two:
The entire scene was surreal: Gorgeous boat, beautiful
scenery, good wine, and me by my lonesome. In the grand scheme of life, it
certainly wasn’t the worst outcome. Still, he wished he wasn’t alone.
He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and tapped the
preset for Carl. If they couldn’t be together, at least Wes could describe the
alternate universe he’d just stepped into for him. It took a few seconds for
the call to connect, and Wes imagined the signal snaking its way down through
Florida, then skimming the waves to the southwest, across the Gulf of Mexico,
and over to Guatemala.
“This is Carl Stephens. I’m unavailable to take your
call at the moment. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as
I’m able.”
Figures. Wes shook his head and disconnected the call.
He’d catch Carl another time. He didn’t want Carl to feel guilty about the
change in plans. It wasn’t as if he was suffering here in North Carolina
anyhow. He replaced the phone in his pocket and glanced up at the fly bridge
again. Why not? He’d never been particularly shy, and he figured he’d feel more
comfortable hanging out with the crew instead of pretending to be some pampered
Hollywood celebrity. He refilled his glass and headed up the stairs.
The fly bridge was every bit as Wes had expected.
Sleek, with the newest instrumentation, radio, and radar. The seats and console
were white, as was the rest of the yacht, and the panoramic view was
impressive. The captain sat facing the console, only the top of his head
visible over the high-backed leather chair.
“Impressive.”
“We aim to please,” the captain responded without
turning around. His clipped British accent reminded Wes of a young Peter
O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia. “Are the accommodations to your liking?”
“You mean the presidential suite? I only wish I could
spend a month or two sailing the Caribbean in accommodations like that.” He
sighed.
“I might be able to arrange that.” The captain spun
his chair around so he faced Wes. Except he wasn’t a captain, and he wasn’t
British at all—
“Sam?” Wes knew his jaw had just dropped to the deck.
Sam Carr—no, Sander Carson, Wes reminded
himself—grinned back at him. It was too easy for forget that the Sam he’d
married no longer existed. “That would be me.” The British accent was gone,
replaced by a hint of a soft southern drawl. Well, at least that was authentic.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Wes demanded.
Sam appeared entirely nonplussed. “Is that any way to
say hello to your husband?”
“Ex-husband,” Wes corrected.
“Not for another 46 days and seven hours.” Sam leaned
back in the captain’s chair, causing the thin fabric of his T-shirt to stretch
tight over the muscles of his chest. He looked better than Wes remembered. No
doubt he had some expensive fitness coach he worked with every day to manage
pecs like that. His bright blue eyes were as disarming as they’d always been,
the hint of stubble on his strong jaw only made him look more attractive. Like
a movie star. Which, of course, Sam—or Sander—was.
“You haven’t answered my question,” Wes said, trying
to ignore the jab to his gut at the reminder that their divorce would soon be
final. “Why are you here?”
“I had a few days off from shooting, and I thought I’d
take her out for a spin. They delivered her last week, and I haven’t had a
chance to—”
“Wait a minute. You mean she… this is your boat?”
“Yep. Bought and paid for,” Sam said with pride.
The pieces began to fall into place. Marv leaving
suddenly. The shoot in North Carolina. Sam wouldn’t have had anything to do
with Carl’s boss’s change in plans, but he’d have known whom to call to find
out about Wes’s plans. And Jeffrey. Shit, he remembered where he’d heard that
name before: Sam’s personal assistant.
Total setup.
Wes made a mental note to read his secretary, Viv, the
riot act when he got back to New York. Which would be very soon, if he had
anything to say about it. She didn’t
usually handle the details of his personal life, but she had access to his
Outlook calendar. Come to think of it, she’d been asking him a lot of questions
about his personal life lately. And she’d always loved Sam.
Everyone loves Sam.
“This isn’t going to happen, Sammy,” he told Sam. “I’m
outta here.”
“Contract?” Sam said as Wes turned to head downstairs.
“Contracts can be broken.”
“You never read the fine print, do you?” Sam was
clearly enjoying this.
“What have you done?” Wes glared at Sam.
“I didn’t do anything. The studio’s attorneys,
though….”
“You set me up.” Stating the obvious. Sam was a hell
of a lot smarter than he appeared. And way more devious. “What do you want from
me, Sam?”
Sam tilted his head to one side and rubbed his chin as
if he were considering the question. “You haven’t figured that out yet?” he
asked.
Wes wouldn’t dignify the question with a response.
“I want you, Wesley Warren Coolidge. What else?”
If you are unfamiliar with Bald Head Island, take a tour with me via three brief You Tube videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ7gC6jmeC4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUSBB4taK2o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyOGgrMqxIM
I hope you’ll enjoy this lighthearted romp and that you end
up believing in second chances! The book is now available for preorder at
Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, and all the usual suspects. -Shira
Blurb: Shiver me timbers! When Professor Wesley Coolidge accepts a summer job as a historical consultant to a pirate movie being filmed in North Carolina, the last person he expects to bump into is his soon-to-be-ex, movie star Sander Carson. Just like the flamboyant pirate he’s playing, Sander, aka Sam Carr, is used to getting what he wants, and he makes it clear he wants Wesley back in his life. Sam acknowledges it’s his fault they split up. He lost Wesley when he left their life in New York City behind for a career in Hollywood. But Wesley has finally managed to put the pieces of his heart back together, and he isn’t interested in Sam and Wesley: The Sequel. Sam soon realizes that convincing Wesley to give their relationship a second chance will take much more than apologies and reminders of good times past. If he wants Wesley back, Sam will have to show Wesley that they really can sail into the sunset together—a real-life happily-ever-after that won’t end once the final credits roll.
Buy Links:
Where to find Shira:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shira.anthony
Twitter: @WriterShira
Website: www.shiraanthony.com
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