doctor to take some time off and get his blood pressure under
control. You would think buying a cabin in the natural splendor known
as Gray Horse Lake, Idaho, would do the trick. All that mountain
greenery, crystal blue lakes and rivers, and nature-run-amok had to
be exactly what the doctor had ordered.
opening an equestrian camp for children with handicaps.
the reader but unknown to him, Sarah mistakenly believes that Lucas
Rockworth is a shy, sensitive man. After having to deal a lifetime
with a dominating older brother and controlling father, she finds
these traits very appealing.
has Sarah longing for a kinder, gentler man in her life.
contractor, he has the hands-on experience to make himself into
anything Miss Sarah Burke is looking for.
kind of guy, should it? She wants Mr. Rogers… Well, darn, he can
manage that for the short time he’s in Idaho.
Rogers. But, the reader knows its Rambo who’s come
a’courting.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
My characters begin as two-dimensional people. I know their physical appearance, and I know what they most want out of life. Achieving their goals is the genesis for the conflict they must face and overcome.
Then, I look into their pasts. What events have shaped their core beliefs about themselves and the world? Why are their goals so important to them? What view of themselves will be crushed if they fail to accomplish their goals?
At this point, I write in-depth biographies that include their early childhoods and the pivotal events they experienced when they were twelve years of age. That’s an important benchmark for all of us.
I know who their parents and grandparents are. I know the landscape in which they grew up. I know their parents’ weaknesses with which my characters had to grapple. I know who their greatest nemesis is or what chronic obstacle they must overcome to achieve happiness.
This is my starting point. If you’re a beginning writer, my advice is to filter this information into the first three chapters of your novel without dumping it all at once. I do this by weaving their backstory throughout the beginning scenes to give texture to their characterizations while keeping the action going.
As the novel progresses, I often go back and add significant details to their pasts that I didn’t realize at the beginning of my story. The really cool part of writing is this: At this point, my characters are talking to me. They speak for themselves, telling me why they are the way they are. I can ask them questions, and (if they’re feeling cooperative) they will answer me.
For me, this is the best and most rewarding part of being a writer.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I visualize a warrior woman who protects her clan.
Describe your writing style.
My style is fairly direct. Sometimes, though, my characters are astonished by the natural beauty of their home planet. My style is to let my characters tell their own story. I try to disappear as the author and allow their thoughts and feelings to take center stage. My purpose is for my reader to be my heroine and experience her world through her eyes, mind, and skin. The reader has the advantage over her of being able to access the hero’s viewpoint. Inevitably his thoughts are in direct opposition to my heroine’s interpretation of events. My heroes are such “guys”. This results in the often poignant and humorous battle of the sexes.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Kind. Loyal. Funny. Creative. Determined.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I’m currently working on Book II of my Guardsmen Trilogy. “Youngblood’s Rules”. As I’ve been working on this novel, I discovered that its core theme is: People can change. Some of the characters in this novel are considered by society to be significantly flawed. By the end of the story, transformation has taken place, and they are more than they ever thought they could be.
If my characters can change and grow, than so can I. Nothing I’ve done is unforgivable. I am alive and capable of becoming the person I want to be.
What was the very first story you ever told? Was it a romance?
As an older sister to a younger brother and sister, I use to make up stories for them. We would go on evening walks through the neighborhood, and I would let them choose if they wanted to hear a mystery, monster story, fairy tale, shoot-em,-up western, or a dinosaur story. Sometimes I would mix things up. Mermaids and space aliens… Cowboys and dinosaurs… A police detective who was tracking a for-real monster.
My actual first, written-down story was the sequel I wrote for Gone with the Wind. I was thirteen, and I just couldn’t believe that Rhett couldn’t fall in love again with Scarlet. I didn’t understand about borderline personalities. As for Rhett, good grief. How shallow could he be not to give the woman he’d so passionately loved one more chance? In my story, Scarlet became Jane Eyre. Rhett had no choice but to lose his heart to her again.
California. Here is a partial list of some of the cities in which she
lived: Pasadena, South Pasadena, Duarte, El Monte, Arcadia La Puente,
Lomita, West Covina, Pacifica, Santa Monica, Palmdale, and Hacienda
Heights. In some of those cities, she lived at six different
addresses. In the city of La Puente, River’s family lived in four
different houses on the same street. The non-glamorous reason for all
the moves was habitual eviction necessitated for non-payment of rent.
It was an interesting way to grow up.
junior high schools and four different high schools. In one
elementary school, she was a student for only three days.
the pattern of River being an observer instead of a participant in
the interactions going on around her seemed a logical fit for her
personality.
skipped three days of school in order to finish the book in one
sitting. Disappointed in Rhett for “not giving a damn,”
River wrote her own sequel–in long hand, on three-hole punch,
notebook paper. The opening line? “Tomorrow dawned bright and
fair.” In less than fifty pages, Scarlett had been transformed
into Jane Eyre and Rhett had fallen in love with her all over again.
in the semi-rural town of Idaho Falls, Idaho. She is a graduate of
Idaho State University, majoring in Health Education Sciences and
Addiction Counseling. She’s worked the past ten years at a Behavioral
Health Center where she assisted children, teenagers, and adults
committed in a 24/7 secured facility because of mental health
challenges they are experiencing.
of our human predicaments. The conflicts are significant, yet it is
her characters and their quirky (yet somehow universally relatable)
thoughts, words, and choices that reflect a light-hearted peek into a
world we wish was real. The amazing thing is that these worlds are
real to readers for the time they visit there.
loud, and the next I have a lump in my throat.”
This three-part novel is Book I in a three volume western series set
in the Colorado Territory.
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19 Comments
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The cover looks colorful, relaxing, and fun. I love the scenery and the happy looking couple.
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The book cover looks great!
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It is a beautiful cover.
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The cover looks very wholesome.
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I really like the cover. It def draws me in. Thank you
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Looks like they are looking at their kids playing in the field.
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The cover is very peaceful looking.
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Very nice cheerful book cover.
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Sounds like an enjoyable romance. The cover is nice.
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Very nice cover!+
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It sounds like an interesting read.
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Nice cover.
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Pretty cover
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The cover is very nice. Looks like a place I’d visit. The story sounds interesting.
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Sounds like a great read.
Marilyn -
Although the book cover is idyllic, Lucas starts out on his best behavior. But that’s not his true nature. Will he be tamed by the big heart of Sarah? I can’t wait to find out which side of the fence he’s standing on.
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I like the cover!
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this cover looks like something my wife would enjoy
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The cover is very refreshing and romantic.
