Book: Apple of My Eye
Author: Liz Botts
Additional Book Information

**The following character interview contains spoilers for my book, Apple of my Eye.**

Liz: Thanks so much for talking to us today, Carissa.

Carissa: No problem. I’m happy to be here.

Liz: Tell us a little about yourself.

Carissa: Well, I was raised in an apple orchard in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I have always loved the Hills. No other place in the world could ever be home. The last few years have been a roller coaster ride, but now I’m married to the love of my life. We have two little boys, Gavin and Jaxon.

Liz: Your little boys are twins, right?

Carissa: Kind of. It’s complicated. They have the same birthday and the same father. But biologically Jaxon has a different mother.

Liz: Um…?

Carissa: Right, I know. We get that reaction a lot. Caleb, my husband, had broken up with his girlfriend when we met. He didn’t know she was pregnant. Then we met and Gavin was the result of that. Like I said, it got complicated. Caleb ended up marrying Jaxon’s mother. He didn’t even know about Gavin until just before the boys’ second birthday.

Jaxon was born a week late and Gavin came five weeks early. Just a weird coincidence.

Follow up:

Liz: So how does Jaxon’s mother feel about all this?

Carissa: Oh. Well, she left Caleb a few months after Jaxon was born. She passed away in a motorcycle accident.

Liz: That’s incredibly sad.

Carissa: [Nods.] It really is. I wish she had been able to know Jaxon. He’s an incredible little boy. I try to make up for his loss the best I can.

Liz: That’s wonderful. Do the boys enjoy ranch life?

Carissa: Absolutely. Horses, dogs, cattle, buffalo. Lots of time to be outside. It’s a great life for little boys. I enjoy it too.

Liz: You own an apple orchard as well, correct?

Carissa: We do. My grandparents started the orchard when they first got married. The trees are well acclimated to the short growing season in the Black Hills, but the fact of the matter is the orchard is a gamble every year. We’re currently exploring ways to grow the orchard as a business.

Liz: Tell us a little about Caleb.

Carissa: He’s the love of my life. He’s an amazing husband and father. We didn’t meet under ideal circumstances, but our connection was soul deep. I think we’ve overcome a lot to get where we are today. One thing I really admire about Caleb is the way he shows how much he cares. He lets me know he loves me in hundreds of different ways every day.

Liz: What’s the most important thing you have learned from all the challenges you have overcome?

Carissa: That if you persevere, things will work out. Sometimes your reality will be bigger and better than anything you could have imagined.

 

I’d like to thank Carissa for chatting with us today. If you want to know more about her story pick up a copy of Apple of my Eye now available from Musa Publishing.