Stella hoped to be able to finally relax after retiring from 30 years with the CIA in Her Last Resort, a romantic suspense novel by Fiona McGier. But people are being sent to try to kill her. When her daughter wants to spend time with her at a resort in northern Minnesota, she hopes that will be remote enough to be safe. If not, she will have to show them what this older woman is capable of doing!

Let's meet Stella Taylor from Her Last Resort. Welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I'm Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about Her Last Resort.

Her Last Resort by Fiona McGier

Genre Romantic suspense

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R rated

She's ex-CIA, a hunted woman used to relying only on herself. He's ex-KGB--with connections to those who can help her. Will she let him? Can glasnost (openness) lead to rapprochement (a bringing together), and maybe even to love as west meets east? And what about her daughter? Can she salvage any kind of relationship with the adult her child has become?

Her Last Resort has a heroine and a hero both in their 50s. She's retired after 30 years as an agent for the CIA--he's ex-KGB. Her daughter from a failed marriage wants to have a relationship with her, so she agrees to spend a week in a cabin at a resort owned by the ex-KGB agent. It's the tale of two love stories, because love can happen at any age, even 25 years after you first saw each other. But also the love between a mother and child is a powerful love story too. The only problem is that someone is trying to kill the heroine, and she's never asked for help from anyone before. Can she accept the help of her ex-"enemy"? Or will one of her attackers be successful?

When someone dies, we say they "kicked the bucket." Therefore, a list of things that a person wants to accomplish, places to go, situations to experience, and so on have become known as a "Bucket List."

Age: 52

Gender: Female

Birthplace: A small town in Virginia

Profession: Retired after 30 years with the CIA.

Ethnicity: Italian-American

Please provide a physical description of yourself.

I'm a medium height woman, about 5'7", with light brown hair that is starting to gray. I have an olive complexion, due to my Italian heritage, and light brown eyes. I like to wear sundresses in the summer, to show off my toned arms. Being an agent for so long means that my body has been my most reliable weapon for a long time, so I've had to keep it in the best of shape.

Please tell us a little about yourself.

When I was a young agent, I was sure that I'd made the best possible choice for my future. I loved doing things all over the world, that helped further the cause of freedom and democracy. But I met a man, fell in love, and ended up pregnant. I had to confess to him what my job was, and he wanted me to quit. But the agency doesn't let you go that easily--we're too expensive to train. So I switched to a desk job for as long as I could, which allowed for us to get married and have our daughter, then a son . Then I had to choose between my career, and my marriage, since my husband gave me an ultimatum. That led to our divorce. I've been estranged from my family for a very long time, and now that I'm retired, I'm hoping I can get to know my adult kids.

Who is the significant other in your life?

I never expected to meet another man who would be so right for me. But Ivan, the owner of the resort I stayed at with my daughter, is ex-KGB. What could be more perfect, for both of us, than falling for someone else who used to be in the business?

He's taller than me, with clear blue eyes. He's a couple of years younger, but by our age, who cares? And he adores me. I haven't shared myself with anyone for so long. I can't help but return his love.

If you haven't made a bucket list before, perhaps now would be a good time. Who knows? It might inspire another book. While you're at it, how about telling us about some of your other favorite things? Here are the questions.

What is your birth order?

I have a younger sister, but I haven't seen her for years. We're not allowed to stay in touch with family when we're live agents.

Tell us about your favorite toy as a child.

This is so embarrassing! I loved to play with Barbie dolls, and they were always jet-setters, traveling all over the world, doing exciting things.

Describe your favorite food and how it's prepared.

Are you kidding? I'm Italian. Pasta all the way! I especially love manicotti and stuffed shells, but pasta with mushrooms, peas, prociutto and a cream sauce is very good. And wine--a good meal is made great by the wine served with it.

Tell us about your best friend.

<smiles shyly> That would be my man, Ivan. But also my daughter Kelly, who has become an Oscar winning actress. I missed both of my kids for so many years. I feel so lucky that she wanted to reconnect with me--which led to my meeting Ivan. <sigh>

What are two places you would like to visit before you die, and why?

I've traveled to many countries all over the planet. I'd like to return to the village in Italy that my Nonna was from--she taught me Italian when I was a child, which helped me to learn many more languages over the years. And if Ivan ever wants to return to his native Russia, I'd be glad to go with him, since I'm fluent in Russian as well.

Where is a place you would never like to return, and why?

I hope to never have to return to Washington DC ever again. I spent too many years as a puppet whose strings were pulled from there. Now I'm free, I'm staying away.

Who is someone you would like to meet, and why?

I really hope that my son, David, will someday want to get to know me, as his sister Kelly has. He was only a toddler the last time I saw him.

Who is someone you would like to avoid, and why?

My old handler at the agency. I don't respect him anymore.

If you could time travel to any date, what would it be, and what would you do there?

I'd love to bring Ivan with me to meet my parents when they were young and healthy. I miss them so much! They were the ones to teach me that I could do anything I wanted to do, despite being female. I owe them so much.

Meet Fiona McGier

Why did you choose this character for the interview today?

I chose Stella because there are very few romances written with a heroine that is in her 50's. Just because people get older, doesn't mean that they stop wanting romance in their lives. It's not just a thing for twenty-somethings. Heroes are often older, but heroines are usually much younger. Stella is a kick-ass heroine! Even though Ivan is two years younger than her, he's one lucky man!

When writing the book, what did you discover about this character that surprised you?

I didn't realize at the start that Stella has another name--or that she's got very personal religious beliefs. Both of those things revealed themselves to me, literally, as I wrote the words.

Are any sequels planned for this book?

This is the third book in my Minnesota Romances series. After I'd written the fourth book, No More Secrets. I thought I was done. But there's another story bubbling around in my head, so maybe there will be a fifth book?

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I used to agonize over being an at-home mom who had 4 kids in 5 years. I wondered if it was possible to be a feminist if you were an at-home, nurturing mom. The answer is yes, since all four of my kids are feminists--though the boys might not agree with the term. I based Stella's relationship with Kelly on my relationship with my daughter, who I also call Golden Girl.

Why should readers who haven't picked up one of your books before give this one a try?

My books always have steamy, open-door sex scenes. Some readers might not like to read about an older couple who still like to have fun in the bedroom. But I hope that other readers might be pleasantly surprised to read about a new love happening to an older couple.

Is there anything you'd like to say to your readers?

If you ever get a chance to get up to Grand Marais, Minnesota, don't be surprised if a lot of the town seems familiar. I've enjoyed camping up there along the Gunflint Trail, for many years. I love it so much up there that I had to set a series there, so I could imagine myself there when I'm not. The setting is almost another character in these books.

Where to buy Her Last Resort

Publisher https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1014550?ref=draft2digital
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-last-resort-fiona-mcgier/1121258306
iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/her-last-resort/id1507852116?at=1010l9S2&uo=4&mt=11
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/her-last-resort
Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/u/banQ2y

Fiona McGier Social Media

I sub in high schools during the school year. Otherwise I'm writing and blogging about my books--and reading and writing reviews. Not only do I write erotic romance, I love to read it too. I often read while camping with my long-time HEA. Our four adult kids sometimes join us. I also enjoy sewing--mostly masks these days-- crocheting afghans to keep my loved ones warm, and baking--cookies, muffins, and especially pies. I'm known for my never-fail pie crust, so I put the recipe on my website under the pies tab, along with some of my family's favorites, that I featured in one of my books that had a heroine who baked lots of pies.
Website www.fionamcgier.com
Blog www.fionamcgier.com
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Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fiona.mcgier/
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Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Fiona-McGier/e/B003J8QJGE
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Authors Den--https://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=122551
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