Hi, I’m Carla Roma and welcome to Bandit Creek, a small town with a mountain of secrets. It’s no secret that I love mountains and when I was last in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, I was about to hike the beautiful Larch Valley when I came across romance novelist C.J. Carmichael. Before I could whip out my copy of “Perfect Partners” (which I always carry with me) for an autograph, CJ was warning me that a grizzly momma and her cubs were ahead on the trail and I’d better turn back. CJ, I guess you saved my life that day.

CJ: Not at all Carla. Grizzly bears rarely attack hikers. But it’s better to give them a wide berth if possible. Especially when they have young ones to protect. You know how ornery mothers can get if they think their babies are in danger.

Carla: Hm, I think you’ve just maneuvered our conversation to the subject of the short story you wrote for Bandit Creek.

CJ: That wasn’t really my intention, but you’re right. The maternal instinct is a central theme of THE GIFT. My main character, Amy Gold, has loads of it. That’s part of the reason she makes such an excellent kindergarten teacher. Her house is full of art projects and gifts her students have given her over the years.

Carla: She sounds like a real sweetie. But maybe a little dull, too?

CJ: Actually, she’s pretty complicated, which makes her an interesting character. Also, she has a secret she’s been keeping from her boyfriend, Gray Cassidy. He’s a rancher and part-time deputy in Bandit Creek. Amy never expected their relationship to be a serious one, but now that it’s turning out that way, her big secret is causing a serious problem.

Carla: Your tag line for THE GIFT is: “when is the wrong thing, the right thing to do?” This has to be a trick question, right? I mean, it’s never right to do the wrong thing.

CJ:  I have to disagree. Real life is full of challenging dilemmas where no right answer is obvious. I always feel these moral dilemmas make for the most interesting fiction. Take the subject of euthanasia for instance. I sure understand the arguments for not making this legal. The potential for abuse is really scary. On the other hand, if I was suffering terribly, with no hope of recovery, I’d be pretty grateful if someone released me from my pain. Then again, if I were actually in this situation, maybe I’d feel differently. This is what I mean by no right or wrong answers. I could probably argue this topic (with myself!) for a long time without landing on the “right” answer.

Carla:  So THE GIFT is a story about euthanasia?

CJ: No! That was just an example.

Carla: So what is the moral dilemma your characters face in THE GIFT?

CJ: I don’t want to give away too much. Let’s just say that Amanda finds herself in a situation where the law requires her to do one thing, but her heart tells her to do the opposite. If you remember, her boyfriend is a deputy, so the pressure to follow the laws of the land are going to be pretty high.

Carla:  So you would characterize this as a pretty intense dramatic story?

CJ: Yes. But it’s also heartwarming and sweet. I wanted to give my readers the sort of Christmas story that leaves them feeling all warm and happy inside when they’re done. Tis the season, right?

Carla:  That it is. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, CJ.

CJ: Same to you, Carla! And to all our Bandit Creek readers!

Carla:  Thanks for coming by today, CJ.  You can find out more about CJ Carmichael at www.cjcarmichael.com/. Her short story, THE GIFT will be available from Amazon.com and Smashwords.com on December 15, 2011. If you have questions or comments for me or for CJ, please leave a response and we’d be happy to reply!