Author Hannah Downing, that is. Today is Hannah Downing’s Pieces of Us Anniversary Blog Tour! I loved this novel and gave it a 4 star review HERE.
Congratulations to Hannah Downing on the one year anniversary of the publication of her contemporary romance Pieces of Us! To celebrate, I get to interview the sexy hero of the novel: Cameron Harper. *bounces up and down*
Jennifer Lane (JL): Welcome, Cameron *bats eyelashes* Please tell us about yourself.
Cameron Harper (CH): Hello Jennifer, thanks for having me on your blog. I’m a tall, dark and handsome Capricorn who loves long walks on the beach… *winks* But seriously, everything I can tell you about myself is wound up with my ex-wife, Charlotte. I grew up in a normal family, one of three children with happy parents in the northeast. In my junior year of college I met Charlotte and that was when my life really began. I was so happy, until our relationship started to break down and then everything changed. Since our divorce, I’ve tried to put my life back together, so I can be a better man for Charlotte; I finished college and work as a dentist in a medical practice in town. I love my family, even my annoying younger sister who meddles in my life, and still hold a very strong flame for my ex.
JL: Back when you were teenagers, how did you and Charlotte meet?
CH: We met in one of those fluke occurrences. My family had moved to a new town about an hour outside of Hartford and I had to drive back and forth every day for classes because I was living with my parents, not on campus. After a difficult day of class and the long drive home, I was in desperate need of a caffeine hit and stopped off at a local café. When I got inside it was packed. Every table was full and there was a long line at the counter, I was almost going to go back to my car and go home but the smell of roasting coffee beans held me in place in the queue. Once I had my coffee I couldn’t find anywhere to sit. I scanned the café for anyone who looked like they might be leaving soon so I could swoop in and take their table but everywhere I looked were people in the middle of conversations, sipping their drinks happily. Then, near the door I spotted a small table with a brunette girl, sitting alone. There was a spare seat at her table so I walked over and asked if I could share. She looked up at me with these big, brown eyes and nodded, giving me a smile. We chatted for a while and when she found out that my family had recently moved to town, she offered me a tour. We became friends and started hanging out whenever I didn’t have class. I liked her and I thought she was beautiful but she always acted so cool around me that I didn’t think she liked me back. One night, I couldn’t get to sleep; I’d been tossing and turning for hours, thinking about Charlotte and a sudden burst of courage overcame me. I dressed quickly, pulled as many roses from my mother’s rose bushes as I could, on the way to my car (which I got in huge trouble for the next day) and drove to her house. I left a single rose on the ground, below her window and hid behind a tree. I felt a bit of a fool, throwing pebbles up against her window, like I was in an old cheesy movie or something, but when she pulled the curtain back and her hair was all messed up from sleep I knew it was worth the embarrassment of the grand gesture. She met me at the front door and that was the first time I ever told her I loved her.
JL: Very sweet. Shifting gears here, what on earth attracted you to that skank ho, Lucy?
CH: Ahhhh, Lucy; the biggest mistake of my life. Looking back, I don’t think I was ever attracted to Lucy. She gave me something that was missing in my relationship with Charlotte – Lucy wanted me while Charlotte was pulling away. It’s not an excuse, I was an ass and I wish it had never happened. My mother would be so ashamed of me for saying this, but Lucy was ‘just there’ and I used her.
JL: What’s the first thing that went through your mind when you saw Charlotte with Owen?
CH: That was one of the lowest points of my life. Seeing Charlotte with Owen was hard enough, but seeing them in my parent’s home was all too much. I admit that I may have over reacted. I just wasn’t expecting to see them when I visit my family and then he was touching her and even though we’ve been divorced for years, when I look at Charlotte, I still feel like she’s mine. I was furious. My parents and my Charlotte all sitting around having dinner what HIM? I was not okay with that. My jealousy took over. Seeing them together after that was easier, but not much.
JL: It seems like Charlotte learned a lot about communication through this ordeal. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned?
CH: TALK. You have to talk. I knew something was wrong with Charlotte but I let her push me away. I could have fought so much harder to be there for her, to find out what was wrong and instead I went to another woman for comfort, feeling sorry for myself.
JL: What advice would you give to married couples?
CH: It’s a well-known one but I think it’s true. Never go to bed angry. Charlotte and I spent so many nights in the same bed, refusing to speak to each other, being passive aggressive. Talk it out, stay up til 3am if you have to but get to the root of your issues and move past them. Burying problems does not work! Now I have to deal with Owen, which was never part of my life plan, and he wouldn’t be a part of Charlotte’s life at all if I could have communicated better in my relationship.
JL: Without giving away spoilers, what’s next in your life?
CH: I’m focusing on my career now. I’ve recently moved to a bigger city so I’m trying to establish my dental practice and get a steady client base. As for my love life, you’ll just have to read Pieces of Us to find out.
JL: Cameron, thanks for visiting my blog. You’re welcome back anytime. *winks and somehow refrains from giving him my phone number*
CH: Thanks, Jennifer. You’ve been a great host. You know, if I hadn’t have met Charlotte in that coffee house, I really think we could have had something.
~*~
Hannah has some great prizes on her blog that you can win by unscrambling the secret word. Here’s the letter you need to know:
Jennifer Lane Books 