Title:  Stronger Than the Rest

Author:  Shirleen Davies

Published:  January 13th, 2014

Word Count:  approx. 68,000

Genre:  Western Historical Romance

Content Warning:   Mild Sexual Content

Recommended Age:  18+

Synopsis: “Smart, tough, and capable, the MacLarens protect their own no matter the odds. Set against America’s rugged frontier, the stories of the men from Fire Mountain are complex, fast-paced, and a must read for anyone who enjoys non-stop action and romance.”

Drew MacLaren is focused and strong. He has achieved all of his goals except one—to return to the MacLaren ranch and build the best horse breeding program in the west. His successful career as an attorney is about to give way to his ranching roots when a bullet changes everything.

Tess Taylor is the quiet, serious daughter of a Colorado ranch family with dreams of her own. Her shy nature keeps her from developing friendships outside of her close-knit family until Drew enters her life. Their relationship grows. Then a bullet, meant for another, leaves him paralyzed and determined to distance himself from the one woman he’s come to love.

Convinced he is no longer the man Tess needs, Drew focuses on regaining the use of his legs and recapturing a life he thought lost. But danger of another kind threatens those he cares about—including Tess—forcing him to rethink his future.

Can Drew overcome the barriers that stand between him, the safety of his friends and family, and a life with the woman he loves? To do it all, he has to be strong. Stronger than the Rest.

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 Excerpt:

“Hello, Drew.” She walked forward to stand a few feet away. “I hope it’s all right that I’ve come.” Her voice was unsteady, her nervousness apparent.

No, it’s not all right. “Of course. I’m glad to see you.” You look beautiful. He cleared his throat. “Did you have a safe trip?”

“Oh, yes, it was wonderful—so majestic and breathtaking. Sometimes we forget how beautiful some things are when we haven’t seen them in a while.”

Drew drank in the sight of her. “Yes we do, Tess. We certainly do.”

About the Author:

Shirleen Davies began her new series, MacLarens of Fire Mountain, with Tougher than the Rest, the story of the oldest brother, Niall MacLaren. During the day she provides consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses. But her real passion is writing emotionally charged stories of flawed people who find redemption through love and acceptance. She grew up in Southern California and now lives with her husband in a beautiful town in northern Arizona. Between them they are the proud parents of five grown sons.

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How to Research Your Story Before Writing Your Book

(Guest Post by the Author)

First of all I want to say that I love history. For years I thought I’d become a history teacher. Life happened and I ended up going another route but never lost my love of history. Now that I write historical as well as contemporary romance, I find my research is constant, starting well before the first word is put to paper and continuing until the last page.

Unlike the research I did for papers in college, which required complete accuracy, I am now able to take some liberties within my fictional stories.

As I see it, there are three sub-headings to good research.

1. How to Research
2. Research Tips
3. Learning to Know when You Have Done Too Much or Too Little Research.

How to Research – Author Resources

Internet: Google, Bing, specialty sites for your subject such as WritersWrite.com, VictorianResearch.org, WildWestMercantile.com, APBOnline.com, CrimesAndClues.com, etc.

Libraries: City, school, historical—there many types of libraries that offer resources not available online. Plus the people who work for libraries are often well-versed in many subjects. And, don’t forget to visit libraries when you travel on book research.

Travel: My favorite. This is a great time to take a first-hand look at the locations you plan for upcoming books.

Personal Interviews: Most people love to talk, especially about what transpired in the past or their knowledge of difficult to understand topics.

Researching Tips

1. Use multiple sources and record each source you use. Document primary and secondary sources to provide a 360 degree view of your subject.
2. Collect both large and small details. Sometimes the way to draw a reader in is through some minor item that others would ignore. Use your research to improve your book.
3. Contemporary authors need to research as much as historical authors. Thinking you know a subject because you lived during the same time period isn’t always true. Check your personal perception against other sources.
4. Don’t rely on television news sources—do your own research using multiple sources, and double-check everything.
5. Watch movies for getting a sense of the time-frame of your story. Oftentimes dress and speech will provide insights for your book, but be careful as directors take liberties the same as fiction writers.
6. Record all contact information for each person you interview.

What is Too Much or Too Little Research?

I’ve always felt that too much research is apparent when it infringes upon my writing time. Research enough to get the basic facts you need but not so much that you could write a Master’s thesis. You can always seek more information but it’s impossible to reclaim hours that should have been spent writing.

If you are writing and find you’re stuck on a detail, that’s when you may have done too little research. Easy enough—just jump back in and find what you need.

Giveaway Details:

There is an international tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• $25 Amazon Gift Card
• $10 Amazon Gift Card
• 2 eCopies of Tougher Than the Rest
• eCopy of Harder Than the Rest
• eCopy of Faster Than the Rest

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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