~A beautiful young Shoshone woman enters. Dressed in a corset and bustle, she sits properly on the chair and folds her hands in her lap~

Welcome to SSLY. Please introduce yourself. What book are you from? Are you the hero, heroine, villain?

My name is Minnie Woodward. I am what they call the heroine of Masked Hearts. I don’t see it that way, myself. There are no such things as heroes or heroines. We are all just people.

How did you come to your author’s attention?

*Her lips twist to hide the hint of a smile*
Because she’s addicted to tragedy. I have had some tragedy in my life.

Did you give your author a hard time when she was writing your story?

*the author snorts, coughing when Minnie glares at her*
Of course not. *Minnie jumps at Sarah’s loud guffaw* Oh, all right, fine. I was not easy to get to know. It took her some time to see me for what I was.

What do you do for a living?

I’m an actress in Mister’s travelling Wild West show. I play every female role he decides suits me, even if I have to pale my skin and put on the blond wig he provides.
When we are not performing, I do all of the chores in the camp. The sewing, cleaning, and cooking for all of us.

Who is the love of your life?

*a deep blush spreads across her cheeks and she looks down*
I didn’t know love was possible until Roy.
What was the first thing you noticed about him/her?
That unlike the actors before him, he didn’t disgust me. I thought there was something familiar about him…

What’s your greatest fear?

I’ve lived my greatest fear. There is nothing left to fear – not even the future Mister plans for me can compare to Bear River.
*she lifts her chin proudly*

What’s your motto in life?

I have no room for mottos. I just survive the best way I know how.

How do the other characters in your book view you?

John and Carl despise me as I do them. Max refuses to join them, I believe the old man has gone soft.
Roy is…different. *the blush returns*
Mister…*her smile fades and her eyes tighten, a deep pain echoing out of their dark brown depths* He sees me as little more than a way to turn a profit. I believe he despises me for the promises he made to Missus. It is the way things are, though.

What do you think reader will find interesting about you?

I am a survivor. That’s all that should matter.
*Sarah whispers in Minnie’s ear for a minute. Minnie frowns, but nods*
It is my past – and my connection to Roy – that really bring about the true depth of who I am. My resistance to remembering, and what happens when I do, that is what changes everything in this story.

Will we be seeing you in future books?

I’m afraid not. Miss Cass has thought about writing one with John, Carl, and Hattie; however there are no set plans to do so.

What makes you happy?

Peace makes me happy.

Blurb:
Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.

Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.

As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.

Buy Links:
Sweet Cravings Website – http://bit.ly/12z5EuC
Amazon – http://amzn.to/ZYH9CP
Barnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/18a4Gr7
All Romance Ebooks – http://bit.ly/12MaZ0K

BIO:

Sarah Cass’s world is regularly turned upside down by her three special-needs kids and loving mate, so she breaks genre barriers, dabbling in horror, straight fiction, and urban fantasy. An ADD tendency leaves her with a variety of interests that include singing, dancing, crafting, cooking, and being a photographer. She fights through the struggles of the day, knowing the battles are her crucible and though she may emerge scarred, she’s also stronger. Now officially multi-published, she’s still working on bringing new stories to fill out her year and your reading lists. While busy creating worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active online life with her blog, Redefining Perfect, which gives a real and sometimes raw glimpses into her life and art.

Where to find me:
Redefining Perfect – http://redefiningperfect.com
Sarah’s StoryLines – http://authorsarahcass.com
Twitter – http://twitter.com/sadiecass
Facebook – http://facebook.com/SarahCass.Author

Excerpt:

Her finger jabbed into his chest, bringing his attention right back to her flashing brown eyes. The fire she directed at him might have cowed another man. For him it brought back memories of sunshine. It also lit a blaze under her touch that spread like wildfire. “You leave me alone.”
“No.” Roy grinned at how fast her anger melted across her features. It would be suicide to yank her close and kiss her, though at the moment he wasn’t sure if he cared. He leaned closer. “I have been trying to get you to talk to me every day for the past year. I think you’re running out of excuses not to.”
“Don’t bet on it.”
“I don’t bet anymore.” He caught her finger when she jabbed at him again. The moment her hand opened to pull free he flattened it to his chest.
She tugged against his hold. “I do well not speaking to anyone. You’re the only one that seems to have an issue with it. Even the Mister prefers me silent.”
“You don’t want me talking to the braves. You won’t talk to me. I suppose you just want me to be silent too?” He held onto her hand a moment longer before setting it free. “Why do you hate them so much?”
“They’re weak.”
“That so?”
“They stay.” Her chin lifted. Like a lifeline she held the tomahawk in a white-knuckled grip. “They say they owe the Mister more, but they don’t. They choose this. Weak little men.”
“How does that make them weak?” Roy furrowed his brow.
“They prefer this disgusting display to life on the reservation. They are afraid to live on a reservation. They are afraid to try to escape and go be free out on the land that was once ours—because there are so many of you white men to catch or kill them.”
“You stay.”
“I have no choice.” Her jaw worked. A glimmer of a tear shimmered at the corner of her eye before a rapid blink carried it away.
“And Max?”
“There’s a price on his head, and he’s old. He has no choice.”
“And me?”
“You don’t matter.” She tossed aside the tomahawk, and then turned to leave. “You’re one of them.”
“Minnie, wait.” Roy followed her to the supply wagon. Even though she ignored him, he crouched beside the chair. “Please, I only ask because it’s important.”
“I told you. You don’t matter.” She picked up her needle and the canvas. Quick stitches repaired the holes he’d shot in the tent.
“Not that. What tribe are you from?”
“I don’t remember.”
“You lie.”
“Newe.” She kept stitching.
“Newe. The people,” he whispered.
A small yelp escaped. A drop of blood appeared on her thumb before she shoved it in her mouth. With wide eyes, she stared at him.
With a gentle touch he pulled out her thumb. “What?”
“How did you know that?”
“I don’t know. I think…I think I remembered it.”