Oliver...the man of my dreams

I've been looking forward to today since I first contacted Sharon and asked her and Oliver to come for a visit.  If you haven't ever visited Sharon's blog and met her sexy butler, you're in for a real treat.  He sure makes my heart go pitter patter :-).  

*'Oliver'©SDonovan2010   Picture©iStockphoto.com/Nikada

[Anne] Welcome, Oliver!  I see where you have your own fan club now. Any special fan mail you’d care to share?

[Oliver] First of all, Annie love, thank y’all for interviewing me today. Here’s a bouquet of wild flowers I picked in the garden this morning, just for you. Bright Morning Glories, pretty pink tulips, red roses, Blue Bells and dazzling daffodils. But, might I be so bold to say, as fresh and lovely as they are, not a bloom in the blossom can match the sparkle in your eyes, sweet thing. About that fan mail, a true gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell. Wink.

[Anne] Now aren't you the sweetest thing that ever walked the earth.  Oliver, I saw in a recent interview that you were born in Tuscany, but raised in Hawaii. Have you traveled to either place lately?

[Oliver] Well, hot lips, as y’all know, Charade of Hearts is set in the exotic tropical isles, and we had a release party in a gorgeous plantation manor overlooking the peaceful waves of the Pacific Ocean. Although I live in Pennsylvania with the boss lady, I go home to Hawaii every chance I get. The warm summer breeze is in my blood every bit as much as the hibiscus scented nights. And no sound is sweeter than waking up to the peaceful cooing of love doves, just outside my window. But nothing can compare to a refreshing hike through a rain forest, the wildlife is incredible, the gushing sound of a waterfall cascading over rocks, music to my ears.

Tuscany is beautiful, sweet home of my heart. I’m tellin’ you, Annie, my pet, y’all haven’t lived til you’ve seen the vineyards sparkling like jewels in the brilliant sunshine. Deep purple, sizzling crimson, and glossy amber cover the landscape. Wild roses and honeysuckle bloom abundantly on a hillside bordered by fragrant lemon trees, and age-old olive trees sit on hilltops, gnarled branches reaching upward as if in prayer. No wonder Italy had some of the most legendary artists, it’s a painter’s dream.

[Anne] Oliver, you keep making me blush and we're never going to get through this interview.  *Anne clears her throat and smiles at her handsome guest* So once your day is done, meeting Sharon’s every need, how do you spend your evenings?

[Oliver] Between my detective job and waiting on Sharon hand and foot, talk about high maintenance, there isn’t all that much spare time. But I do enjoy a decent jazz band that can play the blues with a snappy deliverance, reminiscent of the Big Easy, a favorite vacation spot for me. Sitting in a cool, dimly lit jazz bar with a shaken not stirred James Bond martini and a pretty woman like you, sweet thing, is my idea of heaven on earth. Wink.

*Anne bats her eyes at Oliver, wishing she was just a few years younger*  What made you choose to be a private investigator?

[Oliver] It’s in my blood. I grew up watching all the top detective shows. Hawaii 5-0, Barnaby Jones, Magnum PI, now those were some real role models, real men, heroes to be looked up to and admired. But y’all know my idol was, is and always will be James Bond. I have his entire collection of movies on DVD in my library and openly admit to copying a few of his moves. Oliver pumps his biceps and grins. So, naturally, love, with JB as my mentor and being born with the living on the edge of danger gene, what else could I want to be but a secret agent man. Wink

[Anne] Any interesting cases you can share with us?

[Oliver] With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Oliver kisses Anne. Annie, sweet thing, that’s why I’m a G man, a secret agent man, because everything is top secret and will not pass my hot lips.

[Anne] Whew!  You are quite the charmer, my G man.  Besides being a handsome devil, word is you love to cook. What is your favorite dish to make?

Oliver grins. Pasta, my own sweet mama’s recipe, God rest her soul. As you know, I was born in Tuscany and lived on a farm. I grew up on peasant cooking, food that was home grown or gathered in the wild. I’m telling you, Annie, you haven’t lived until you’ve had a meal prepared with farm grown meats and fresh greens and vegetables from the good earth. Italian women add an extra ingredient, love. Mama certainly did. We had pigs and chickens in our villa, and nobody in the land grew sweeter or plumper tomatoes than Mama. And her spaghetti sauce, he kisses his fingertips. Mama made the best and passed her recipe to me.

[Anne] Now I’m sure all the ladies out there have wondered this, what traits do you find most attractive in a woman?

[Oliver] That’s simple, love. I’m attracted to a woman whose inner beauty is as radiant as her smile, a woman who is compassionate as well as passionate, a woman who isn’t afraid to live life to the fullest and make every day count. A woman just like you, Annie..

[Anne] Don't tease me, Oliver, if I could find a man as sexy as you who loves to cook I might just settle down and get hitched.  *Grinning* Okay, say you’ve picked up that special lady in your life and are going to treat her to a night on the town. Where would you take her?

[Oliver] First, I’d appear at her door with a fresh bouquet of her favorite flowers. I’m a man with old fashioned virtues and believe in treating a woman like a lady. Then, her choice in cuisine, I’d sweep her off to a nice eatery slightly off the beaten path, specializing in home cooking that takes more than five minutes to prepare. We’d sit in a secluded booth in the back of the bistro where we could quietly talk and get to know each other without being disturbed every few minutes. It would be a candlelit dinner, of course, so that I could gaze into her eyes. We’d order a nicely aged bottle of wine to start things out, white if she preferred, although I enjoy a Tuscan red myself. And definitely a basket of warm crusty bread with some of that whipped garlic butter that melts in your mouth. Oh, you asked earlier what kind of woman I’m attracted to. Did I mention one with a healthy appetite that isn’t afraid to eat and isn’t forever on a diet counting calories. It does my heart good to see a woman dig into food with gusto. In Tuscany, folks enjoy long, leisurely meals, seven course meals that aren’t rushed, an admirable custom might I add. So when I take a woman out to dinner, I like to indulge in the same. After dinner, a nice romantic stroll under the light of the silvery moon. We would end the evening with a nightcap at a quaint little piano bar where we could dance cheek to cheek, followed by a kiss is just a kiss. .

[Anne] I picture you in a sporty, red, muscle car. Am I wrong?

[Oliver] Absolutely right on the money, Annie, my sweet, only it’s black. Wink

[Anne] Will there be a sequel to Charade of Hearts?

COH is a single title, but the boss lady’s been burning the midnight oil lately working on another romantic suspense featuring a hot Cajon French detective. Wink

Oliver kisses Anne and casts her a wicked wink. Annie, love, you are a gift. Thank y’all for inviting me into your heart and home for an exclusive. You are most hospitable and ask the best questions Drop into Oliver’s bar anytime, and I’ll mix your favorite cocktail with a wink and a smile. Cheers!


Dear Reader,

If you would like to be a guest on the Dear Oliver Show to vent about your favorite pet peeve, please contact Sharon at Sharonad@comcast.net

Dear Oliver can be seen every Wednesday here: http://sharondonovan.blogspot.com

Wow! No offense to any of my other guests who've appeared on my blog, but this had to be my favorite post. Isn't Oliver the most romantic devil you ever came across. *Letting out a long sigh* Man what I wouldn't give to be a few years younger.