This week, we’d like to
welcome Natasha Morgan, the heroine of Love
on the Nile, by Ellie Gray.
RW: What's your story/back story? Why would
someone come up with a story about YOU?
NM: To tell you the truth, I don’t really know
why someone would come up with a story about me! I’m a fairly normal kind of
girl really but Ellie said she thought I had an interesting story to tell, and
one that people could relate to. My parents died when I was eighteen years-old
and my brother, Nicky was fourteen. He was born with developmental delay and,
at the time, the authorities felt it would be better for Nicky to go into
foster care. I couldn’t let them do that, and I eventually managed to persuade
them that I was perfectly capable of looking after both myself and Nicky. We
muddle along together just fine.
RW: Can you tell us about your hero?
NM: Kyle. Gosh, just thinking about him gives me
butterflies. He’s an archaeologist, and I guess you would say he’s your archetypal
hero—tall, dark and handsome. We sort of got off on the wrong foot a bit really
when we first met—it probably didn’t help that I snapped at him. But when I saw
how good he was with Nicky, well he just melted my heart.
RW: What problems do you have to face and
overcome in your life?
NM: Well, as I explained earlier, when my
parents died, I had to look after Nicky. I was just about to go to university
but, instead, I got a job that meant I could be there for him after school and
in school holidays. It’s been hard work at times, making sure that he got the
support he needed. But I’ve never regretted it for an instant—he now has a job
and his own flat in supported lodgings but he comes to stay with me on a
weekend. I’m so proud of Nicky and feel very lucky to have him as a brother.
My
holiday to Egypt, though, has made me realise that I’m sometimes too
over-protective. I can’t bear to think of Nicky being upset or hurt by other
people’s reactions to his learning difficulties.
RW: Do you expect your hero to help or is he the
problem?
NM: I
don’t expect anyone to help me. I don’t need any help. What I do need to do is learn to let go, to
stop worrying about Nicky; he’s doing fine and can look after himself. But Kyle,
and to a certain extent my Aunt Lucy, have made me realise that maybe it’s time
to concentrate on myself. Maybe it’s time I thought about what I want to do
with my life. It’s quite exciting, really.
RW: Where
do you live?
NM: I
live in the beautiful north Yorkshire city of York, UK. I love the history that
oozes out of the narrow, cobbled streets and the ancient city walls. It’s just
magical at any time of the year, but I especially love Winter.
RW: During
what time period does your story take place?
NM: Modern
day.
RW: How
are you coping with the conflict in your life?
NM: It’s been a struggle—learning to let go and
let Nicky make his own mistakes after fighting so hard for his independence. I
also struggled with my feelings for Kyle—I really fell for him hard, although I
tried desperately not to. A holiday romance was the last thing I was looking
for, but I couldn’t help it. It all got to be a bit of a mess, to be honest,
especially when his ex turned up. And then it turned out that Kyle had his own
problems, his own reasons for pushing me away. That was some holiday—it was the
most wonderful time, but also the worst I’ve felt since my parents died. We got
there in the end, though.
RW: That’s
all the questions we have for you. Thank you for speaking to us.
NM: You’re very welcome. They were really good
questions—quite thought provoking, particularly as I don’t usually like talking
about myself!
Love on the Nile
The Plot:
Natasha embarks upon the holiday of a lifetime
with her brother, looking forward to exploring the ancient sites Egypt has to
offer. What she hasn’t bargained for is spending her holiday cruising along the
Nile with Kyle Richardson, a handsome but moody archaeologist. Despite taking
an instant dislike to Kyle, Natasha finds herself increasingly drawn to the man,
particularly as his interactions with her brother reveal a gentler, more caring
side to his character.
Having lost everyone he has ever loved, Kyle is
a loner, believing himself to be cursed and spending his life moving around
Egypt, ensuring he never lingers anywhere long enough to form meaningful
attachments. Despite his better judgement, he finds himself drawn to this
feisty young woman and her likeable brother but is afraid of the deeper
feelings she stirs in him.
Can his feelings for Natasha convince him that
love is worth taking a risk for?
Excerpt
“Natasha, darling!” The
rather stout woman levered herself from the chair and swiftly crossed the room
to throw her arms around her niece.
Breathing in the
familiar perfume and leaning into the protective embrace of her aunt, Natasha’s
irritation dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, and she closed her eyes
against the sudden and unexpected tears of relief at having finally arrived at
their destination. “Oh, Aunt Lucy, it’s so good to see you.” Her voice was
muffled against Lucy’s shoulder and she took a deep breath before stepping back
and smiling. “It’s been so long. I can’t believe we’re actually here at last.”
“It’s wonderful to see
you, Natasha. I’ve missed you both so much.” Lucy lifted a hand to cup her
niece’s face before turning to Nicky, hands on her ample hips as she
scrutinised him critically.
“Oh, you always were
like two peas in a pod. And, Nicky, you have grown into a very handsome young
man. You have no idea how happy I am that you came.”
“Hello, Aunty Lucy, how
are you?” Nicky briefly returned his aunt’s embrace before securing the
baseball cap a little tighter on his head and asking the question foremost in
his mind. “Can I have something to eat?”
Lucy shook her head
with a smile and glanced at the man, who had so far remained silent throughout.
“Kyle, this is my nephew Nicky, and my niece Natasha. I’m pleased to see that
at least one thing never changes, and that is Nicky’s appetite.”
She caught Nicky’s arm and
led him off to the far side of the room. “Come on, I’ve got some of your
favourite biscuits over here in this cupboard.”
Natasha could see Kyle
watching her younger brother, his eyes narrowed, and she felt the familiar
churning in the pit of her stomach, trying to anticipate at what point he would
realise Nicky had learning difficulties. Automatically, she tried to deflect
that scrutiny, moving further into the room and feeling a sense of relief as
Kyle’s gaze immediately swung towards her.
“Natasha Morgan,” she
introduced herself, and held out her hand.
“So I gather.” His face
was unsmiling and Natasha was uncomfortably aware of her earlier, rather
waspish response to what was probably quite a reasonable conversation he had
been having with her aunt. He pushed himself out of the chair to tower above
her, his hair shining blue-black in the pale moonlight which streamed through
the open window. Tall as she was, Natasha had to tilt her head back to meet his
startlingly blue eyes. He was younger than she had initially thought, probably
in his mid-thirties—just a few years older than herself.
There was a pause
before he replied. “Kyle Richardson.”
He took her hand
briefly, offering a firm cool handshake, before returning to his chair, long
legs stretched out before him and crossed at the ankles.
“I’m sorry you
overheard our conversation; I had no idea you were there.”
His voice was deep and
husky, and his gaze once again followed her movements as she sank into the seat
Lucy had recently vacated.
She nodded and spread
her hands expressively, shrugging her slim shoulders. “I’m sorry if I sounded…
irritated. It’s been a really long day and I hadn’t expected Aunt Lucy to
arrange a personal guide for us. Please, it’s not a problem, we don’t want… we
don’t need a guide, and I’m sure you have better things to do with your time.”
Kyle’s mouth twitched
as if in amusement at the inadvertent slip of the tongue, but whatever he was
about to say was lost as Lucy and Nicky returned, the latter clutching a packet
of chocolate-covered biscuits.
“Oh, you’ve introduced
yourselves. Excellent.” Lucy beamed at them, clapping her hands together. “I’m
sure we’re all going to have a wonderful time together.”
“I was just explaining
that Nicky and I are quite happy to find our own way around Egypt,” Natasha cut
in quickly. “There is no need for Mr. Richardson to trouble himself.”
“Nonsense,” cried Lucy,
fixing Kyle with a rather piercing gaze. “I’m not letting you wriggle out of
this one, Kyle. You owe me rather a lot of favours and I am now calling one of
them in. Heavens, man, I haven’t seen you in close to two years, and I happen
to know for a fact that you haven’t taken a break for longer than that. It’s
high time you did.”
Natasha observed this
outburst with some surprise, having hardly ever heard her aunt speak so
sharply. She risked a glance towards Kyle and saw that he was still reclined in
his chair, arms folded over his chest, and a somewhat amused gleam in his blue
eyes. He remained silent, obviously expecting Lucy to continue her reprimand.
Ellie Gray—Author Bio:
Ellie
lives in the beautiful East Riding of Yorkshire with her partner, David, and
two children, Joe and Abbie. She
is a contemporary romance author, published with the lovely Tirgearr
Publishing, and is a proud member of the Romantic Novelist Association.
Her
debut novel, Beauty and the Recluse,
was published in February 2016 and her second novel, Love on the Nile, is
is available for pre-order
Buy links
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F650ROM
Connect with Ellie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/elliegray58
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/elliegray71/
Thanks for hosting this interview, Rochelle - really enjoyed it. Ellie Gray
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