Page 20 of Country Winds (King Creek Cowboys #9)

C lose to a month after the gamer con, Ellie found herself on the set of a popular late-night program, Lee Daniels Live!

, based in L.A. Her limbs trembled from nerves, and she bit the inside of her cheek as if that would help to steady her.

She watched from the wings as Lee Daniels gave his nightly monologue.

It had been a whirlwind month, during which Ellie had been bombarded with interview requests.

She’d done a couple of entertainment podcasts and fluff pieces for various digital news outlets.

This was her first TV experience with a live audience, and she wondered if she’d made the right decision to accept the invitation.

To say the least, she’d been overwhelmed by it all.

Tucker had been her rock through everything. He would be in the front row of the audience. She wished he was with her now, but they’d already seated him. It surprised her how alone and exposed she felt without him. No doubt, she depended on him too much, but she was grateful for him.

She forced herself to focus on Lee as the audience laughed at one of his jokes. He was a handsome man with an engaging personality. He seemed like a guy you could sit down and drink with as if you’d known each other for ages.

Onstage, Lee bantered with his straight man, Jeff Bodé, who was a grumpy character, and Lee frequently made jokes at his expense.

The audience laughed and applauded as Lee finished his monologue.

Ellie held her hand to her belly, as if that could stop the butterflies from bouncing around like hyper little bats.

She wore a stylish sapphire blue jumpsuit that felt silky beneath her palm.

Her huge rose-gold heels added a touch of sparkle, and she wore her chocolate diamond necklace and earrings she’d purchased at the Arabian horse show she attended with Tucker.

Midnight Riff, the show’s band, played a catchy tune while the show went to commercial. When the music ended, Lee was sitting at his desk by the chairs, and made a few jokes before introducing his first guest, comedian Jerry Price.

Ellie wished it were her turn so she could get her appearance over with. Waiting was torture. Maybe she should have stayed in her dressing room, but she was curious about everything, and they’d allowed her to watch from the wings.

Another commercial break, another session by Midnight Riff, and then it was Ellie’s turn. Jerry Price walked in her direction, stopped, and squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll do great, kid. Don’t worry.”

She turned to watch him leave. “Thank you,” she said to his retreating backside, and he turned, smiled, and winked before heading toward the dressing rooms.

Ellie shook off her nerves, and she was ushered into place. Her knees felt weak as she waited for her introduction.

Lee stood between his desk and where Ellie waited. “My next guest is a new sensation in the gaming world, who comes to us from Arizona. Please welcome Ellie McLeod.”

The audience cheered enthusiastically, making Ellie feel like a star, even if there was probably some rule that you had to cheer like a maniac when you came to Lee’s show.

Ellie raised her chin, smiled, and walked onstage to where Lee waited. The handsome talk show host took her hands in greeting and kissed her on each cheek. “It’s great to have you on the show, Ellie,” he said as the audience cheered, then escorted her to the seat closest to his desk.

The lights were bright and hot, and Ellie felt a million eyes on her. She wanted to find Tucker in the audience, but forced herself to relax, be herself, and smile at Lee.

I can do this.

Lee focused on Ellie. “Wow, that's quite a welcome. But you deserve it.” He turned to the camera. “For anyone living under a rock, Ellie is the star voice actor behind Nyx Cox in the massive video game, Myth Hunter, that everyone is obsessed with right now. Thanks for joining us tonight.”

“I appreciate you having me here, Lee.” Ellie shook her head at the wonder of it all. “I'm still processing all of this. Two years ago, I was recording in a booth, wondering if anyone would ever hear my voice.”

“For those who don't know, Myth Hunter has sold what, 15 million copies in just a few weeks?” He looked at Ellie for confirmation.

Ellie nodded, still in disbelief. “Something ridiculous like that.” She rubbed her palms on her thighs, her hands sliding on the silky fabric of her jumpsuit. “The developers keep sending me sales updates, and I'm sitting in my tiny townhouse thinking, ‘That can't be right. This is all a dream.”

“I thought you might come dressed as the heroine in Myth Hunter .” Lee held up a picture of the character in skin-tight shorts and a crop top, with a gun and a dagger strapped to her hips.

Ellie laughed and shifted in her seat. “I left the outfit in my closet and my weapons in my hidden cache.”

“Maybe next time.” Lee chuckled. “I might need you to kick some ass for me.”

Ellie smirked. “I’m your girl.” She picked up the cup from a small table beside her seat, hoping it would be filled with water, which it was.

Lee settled back in his seat as she set the cup down. “I understand you come from a ranch outside the small town of King Creek, Arizona. How did a country girl end up as the voice of a kickass badass game heroine?”

“I’ve been doing voices since I was a small child.” Ellie brushed her hair away from her cheek. “A couple of years ago, a friend suggested I audition as a voice actor for an animated series she worked on. They were looking for new voices and talent and signed me on.”

He leaned in. “Now, I have to ask, because everyone wants to know—how did you come up with that voice for Nyx? She's tough but vulnerable, kickass but heartbreaking. It's amazing.”

Ellie gave him what she hoped was a sexy look as she shifted her voice to Nyx’s husky, authoritative tone.

“Well, Lee, Nyx isn’t just a warrior—she’s a survivor.

” Ellie shifted back to her normal voice.

“I based her on one of my cousins, who has this natural leadership quality, but also carries around so much heart. Plus, I spent a lot of time playing with different vocal registers until it felt right.”

Lee looked genuinely interested in everything Ellie told him. “That’s beautiful. Family inspiration. Has your cousin played the game?”

Ellie thought about Leeann’s reaction. “She called me sobbing after the scene where Nyx has to choose between saving her brother or the colony. She demanded I tell her which option was the ‘right’ one.”

Lee set down his cup. She wondered if he had something like vodka in it. “And did you tell her?”

“Nope.” Ellie shook her head. “No spoilers, even for family. She threatened to reveal my most embarrassing childhood stories on social media if I didn't tell her.”

Lee raised his brows. “Ooh, speaking of embarrassing stories, care to share one with us?”

Ellie had stories that would mortify her if they got out. “Ah, no. Those stories stay buried unless my cousin follows through on her threats.”

Lee picked up a pen and held it poised over a notecard. “What’s her name and number?”

Ellie laughed. “Uh-uh.”

Lee tapped the pen on the cards. “So, I hear you recorded over 15,000 lines of dialogue for this game. That's insane.”

“It was.” Ellie nodded at the memories. “There were days I literally couldn't speak afterward. I'd just come home and communicate with my cat, Hailee, through elaborate hand gestures. She was not impressed.”

Ellie shifted the attention away from herself for a moment. “I want to shout out to all the talented voice actors in the game. Myth Hunter wouldn’t be what it is now if it weren’t for them.”

He cocked his head. “Isn’t there something like 40,000 lines of dialogue in the game? Seems like a lot.”

Ellie nodded. “There are games with as much as 80,000 lines of dialogue.”

“Backing up—so, you're a cat person.” Lee flashed a grin at the audience. “See, we're learning things, people.”

“Yes.” Ellie crossed her legs at the knees. “Hailee has been my only roommate through this whole journey. She’s completely unimpressed by my newfound fame, but she’s a sweetheart and keeps me company, so I can’t complain.”

The handsome host gave her a flirtatious look. “So, it's just you and Hailee at home? No special someone who's enjoying this ride with you? Or are you accepting applications?”

“Must love cats and be okay with me occasionally speaking in Nyx’s voice during arguments.” Ellie gave a mysterious smile. “In truth, there is a special someone, but that’s all I’m saying.”

“Ah. Maybe we can find your cousin, and she will tell us.” Lee tapped a pen on the desktop. “How are you enjoying your newfound fame?”

Ellie shook her head at the enormity of it all. “I'm still expecting someone to tell me this was all an elaborate prank.”

Lee settled back in his chair. “Well, it's definitely not a prank. We've got a surprise for you. We asked fans to send videos of their reaction to one of Nyx’s biggest moments in the game.” He turned away from her. “Can we roll that?”

A montage played on a monitor, showing gamers experiencing emotional reactions to a powerful scene in the game, with many of them tearing up.

When it was over, Ellie was fighting back tears of her own. “Oh wow. I didn't expect that.”

Lee focused on her. “That's the impact you're having. How does it feel?”

Ellie worked to control her emotions. “Honestly?

Terrifying and amazing all at once. When you're in the booth, it's just you and the microphone.

You never really think about millions of people connecting with what you're doing.” She smiled.

“But it's what every actor dreams of, right? Making people feel something real.”

“Well, you've done that.” Lee leaned in, as if he were discussing a top-secret subject. “Now, I hear a little rumor that there might already be talks about a sequel?”