Ava Miles | A Match Made in Heaven: A Country Singer and a Poker Player

So, hi there. I’m Ava Miles, a contemporary romance writer of the Christmas story, THE HOLIDAY SERENADE. I’d like to thank Fresh Fiction for hosting me so I can talk about the new release in my Dare Valley series.

Well, I have to say it. I love to write about male friendships. Perhaps it’s because I have two brothers and a whole host of male friends, but there’s just something special about two men coming together. Sure, they don’t do the whole mani and pedi thing. They go out for beers. They play video games. They sometimes get into scuffles. But under it all is this truly sweet affection they have for each other. At least I think so.

Men support their friends in such different ways. And that’s how my hero, professional poker player Rhett Butler Blaylock (yes, you heard that right; I had to do it) ends up serenading the love of his life, single mom, Abbie Maven. Rhett has come to Dare Valley, Colorado with the hopes of winning back the woman that got away. He understands his bad-boy image isn’t what Abbie—or most women for that matter—consider husband and father material. They had a secret affair a while back, which she broke off, and he’d agreed to stay friends. But it broke his heart. Which was a shock.

Rhett Butler Blaylock (like the iconic one in Gone With The Wind) is not the marrying kind—or at least until that moment. Still he fights it and heads off to play poker overseas, hoping to get her out of his system.

But he can’t. So he changes tactics and decides to win her back. And because she’s a romantic down to her bones, he’s going to serenade her.

That’s where his best friend, country singer Rye Crenshaw comes in. Rhett enlists Rye’s help in writing a song. Rhett comes up with the lyrics, and then asks Rye to put it to music. Here’s a snippet of what he comes up with:

Let your heart be filled with cheer,
Darlin’, your Holiday Serenade is here.
It lets me tell you that I want you,
That you’re my Christmas dream come true,
That I don’t see anyone now but you.

Oh, isn’t that romantic? And that’s not even all of it. Rhett decides to throw a magical Christmas-themed party for Abbie, something straight out of a fairy tale with him as her prince.

He asks Rye to come and make a special performance of the song they’ve created, hoping this will win Abbie over.

The men banter back and forth about the whole plan, Rye teasing Rhett because the poor guy can’t carry a tune. I can see Rye telling Rhett that his girl just might fall for him after he sings the song. But of course, he doesn’t mean it. He’s just joshing with him.

And so, both execute the plan. Will Abbie be persuaded to be with Rhett after hearing her song? Check out THE HOLIDAY SERENADE and find out.

In the meantime, I need to hear from you girls. If you had to be in a walk-in closet with two men, wouldn’t you pick a poker player named after Rhett Butler and a steamy country singer? I know I would.