SPECIAL GUESTS: LAUREN (the woman who brought Geoff and Shannon together) and ZACH (the man who wants to keep them apart)

Interviewed by Genene Valleau, author of SONGS OF THE HEART

LAUREN: I told you we'd be late.

ZACH: I'm not even awake yet. How can I be late if I don't know where I am?

LAUREN: My apologies for running late.

AUTHOR: Glad you could make it. Are you ready to get started?

ZACH: She wouldn't even stop for coffee. I hope the dog made some coffee and didn't drink it all.

AUTHOR: I think we can come up with something, then we'll get started with the interview.

ZACH: Ahh. Give me a minute and I'll be almost human.

AUTHOR: Then we'll start with a question for Lauren. You brought Geoff and Shannon together, didn’t you?

LAUREN: Well, I got Shannon into a party after one of Geoff’s concerts fifteen years ago.

ZACH: I should have known you started this mess.

LAUREN: I think it’s very romantic to work things out with your first love, even after a lot of years.

ZACH: Shannon was just after Geoff’s money.

LAUREN: Shannon was totally infatuated with Geoff, just like hundreds of other teenaged girls.

ZACH: Other teenaged girls didn’t paint themselves up to look years older and sneak into Geoff’s room to seduce him.

LAUREN: You were furious because Shannon wasn’t one of your hand-picked hussies.

ZACH: Our band didn’t use groupies like that.

LAUREN: So you’re telling me that you never took advantage of a fan who threw herself into your bed?

AUTHOR: Let’s get back to Geoff and Shannon’s first meeting. Zach, why didn’t you like Shannon?

ZACH: Like I said, it was obvious she was after Geoff’s money. Some fans just wanted to say they got to kiss a star, but Shannon’s old man went straight for the bank account.

LAUREN: Shannon didn’t know her father demanded money from you.

ZACH: That’s a matter of opinion.

LAUREN: When she found out, she mortgaged her house to pay back the money.

ZACH: Fifteen years later.

LAUREN: Exactly. She didn’t even tell her parents she was pregnant. They found out when Shannon almost died from the miscarriage.

AUTHOR: Zach, when did you change your opinion of Shannon?

ZACH: Well, it really looked like she wanted more of Geoff’s money, you know?

LAUREN: Is it so hard to say you were wrong, Zach?

ZACH: I reconsidered my opinion for Amelia. That little girl loved Shannon, and even I could see Shannon adored the kid. When Amelia decided Geoff should be her daddy -- well, the little girl had already been through enough pain. I wasn’t going to cause her any more.

LAUREN: You really can be a good guy, Zach.

ZACH: Don’t let that get around -- it would ruin my reputation.

AUTHOR: Zach and Lauren, thanks for being with us today. And if you would please draw the winner of our Beauty & Bath Basket.