Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 101

Giveaway from Janet Syas Nitsick: A Chance to Win Paperbacks from Her and Me!

My friend Janet Syas Nitsick is doing a giveaway where you can win a paperback copy of her newest release, Lockets and Lanterns, and a copy of either Eye of the Beholder or Shotgun Groom.  Here’s her post that I copied from her blog:

Love is in the Air

 

On Aug. 1 decades ago, a mother cradles an infant in her arms, the father smiles down at his newly-born daughter. Her foot is wrapped in bandages since it got twisted during labor.

Time marches on and with that the child grows up and stands beside her betrothed. They exchange their marriage vows on Aug. 2, 1980.

In honor of these two loving events - my birth and wedding anniversary - I am giving away two copies of my recently-released, inspiring-historical romance, Lockets and Lanterns. . . .

As Edith marches down the aisle to marry the man of her  dreams, she doesn’t know he is hiding a secret. Eighteen years later her husband, Red, must confront his past and reveal a deep family secret before it’s too late.

Edith needs answers about her husband’s past, but will he put his children and career in danger to keep his secret? As tragedy occurs and the couple drifts apart, they must find their love for one another again before they lose each other. Lockets and Lanterns, a gripping tale of love, loss, and forgiveness, takes readers back to the 1900s when life was simpler, but sustaining love was just as difficult.

*This book is rated PG.  It is a clean Christian romance.

And a winner could receive an autographed copy of Ruth Ann Nordin’s books, Eye of the Beholder OR Shotgun Groom. 

 

Mary Peters despairs that she will never get married.  At nineteen, she has no prospects of finding a husband, so she takes matters into her own hands and becomes a mail-order bride.  When she arrives in Omaha, Nebraska to meet the man she’s due to marry, he takes one look at her homely appearance and rejects her.

But fate has other plans for Mary.  Dave Larson happens to be nearby and thinks she will make a good wife.  Though she is stunned that someone as handsome and as kind as Dave would ask her to marry him, she accepts.  She knows that this marriage will not bear the fruits of love.  Love, after all, is for beautiful women.  Isn’t it?

Warning: This is rated R due to sexual situations after marriage.

April Edwards, a young widow, is content to manage a farm with her fourteen-year-old brother and a one-year-old daughter. Nothing, after all, could be worse than being married to her deceased husband. Nothing, that is, until her unscrupulous brother-in-law decides to marry her. With no other recourse, April and her brother concoct a plan–one that involves the unsuspecting doctor’s assistant, Joel Larson.

Joel Larson doesn’t want to be married. In fact, he’s perfectly happy with things the way they are, but when he’s sent to check on April’s sick child, things take an unexpected turn for the worse. In one instant, he finds a gun and a mandate to marry April staring him in the face. Can a marriage that begins with a shotgun be just the thing Joel needs or has April just confined herself to another miserable marriage?

Warning: This book is rated R due to sexual situations after marriage between the hero and heroine.  Prior to marriage, there is an attempted rape by the villain.  (The rape is prevented.)  There is also reference to past violent situations to the heroine’s brother by the heroine’s deceased husband.

How to enter:

It is easy. You NEED TO FOLLOW ME on either my WORDPRESS: http://janetsyasnitsick.wordpress.com/ OR BLOGSPOT: http://janetsinnerramblings.blogspot.com/ blogs. In the comment section, state your first and last name and that you are following one of my blogs.

There will be TWO WINNERS:

One winner will receive a signed copy of Lockets and Lanterns by Janet Syas Nitsick and a signed copy of Eye of the Beholder by Ruth Ann Nordin.

Another winner will receive a signed copy of Lockets and Lanterns by Janet Syas Nitsick and a signed copy of Shotgun Groom by Ruth Ann Nordin.

When the two winners will be announced:

I will announce the TWO WINNERS on my AUG. 7 blog post at http://janetsyasnitsick.wordpress.com/ and http://janetsinnerramblings.blogspot.com/.  Ruth Ann Nordin will also announce the winners on her blog on August 7 at http://ruthannnordinauthorblog.wordpr....

At that time, the two winners will be instructed to visit www.JanetSyasNitsick.com to leave their email and snail-mail addresses. God bless and good luck.

Please note:

*If a winner does not contact me within seven days of my Aug. 7 post, I will select another winner on Aug. 15 and post their name in that day’s blog post.

 

Bound by Honor, Bound by Love (Finally Nearing the End of the First Draft)

Anticipated publishing date of this book

After what’s seemed like forever, I am finally nearing the end of this book!  Now I can say with confidence that this book will be available around the end of August or early September.  I’ll be sure to keep updates on it as I get closer to publishing it.

I just finished up the part where Onawa and Citlali worked through everything, so now it’s a matter of tying up the remaining loose ends and to do that, Citlali has to assume the role as the primary chief of the tribe.  I need to resolve a matter with Cole and Penelope and a resolution that Citlali has to face in knowing the Mandan tribe won’t be able to continue as it had in the past.

Quick history of the Mandans

The 19th and 20th centuries marked significant changes for the Mandans.  You see, the Smallpox epidemic in 1837-38 hit them so hard that it’s estimated that only 125 full-blooded Mandans remained.  In the meantime, Christian missionaries were coming to evangelize and the Mandans (who were a peaceful group of people) had a lot of dealings with the white man.  At the turn of the 20th century, some moved into cabins, leaving the tribe, and more and more Mandans had left behind their old belief systems in favor of the white man’s.

A lot of changes were going on, and though I can’t effectively portray it all in the series, I’ve picked out parts that I believe has enhanced the stories as they affected the four couples featured (Woape and Gary, Chogan and Julia, Citlali and Onawa, and — to a small degree — Cole and Penelope who adopted two orphaned Mandan children off an orphan train).    With any story, the focus must always stay with the characters and their points of view.  The Native American Romance Series is not meant to take the place of historical research into the era where the Mandans thrived and eventually dwindled in numbers.

The resources I used in research include (but are not limited to) the following:

The North American Indian (volume 5) written and published by Edward S. Curtis (1909).  (book)

Mandan Social and Ceremonial Organization  (book)

Alfred W. Bowers

foreword by Gerard Baker

2004 University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska

original 1950 by The University of Chicago

A trip to Bismarck, North Dakota in 2011 to see Mandan artifacts and read on their traditions and myths at the Heritage Center and a visit to the On-A-Slant Indian Village (south of Mandan, North Dakota) where the earthen lodges, drying platforms, and historical items kept in one of their lodges is available for touring.   For anyone interested, I did take pictures and videos while there that I put into two videos via Animoto.

It’s not the best video in the world, but my area of expertise isn’t making videos.  :D

I also did some Internet research, but when in doubt, I referred to the books since I’m old school enough (thanks to my college degree) to believe that the most authentic resources are the oldest ones and those published with a reputable publisher.  I take Internet research with a grain of salt.

Anyway, it is from this that the of the dying number of full-blooded Mandans and the white man’s intrusion into their world that Bound by Honor, Bound by Love is established.  However, this is primarily the romance between Citlali and Onawa, so 90% of the stuff I learned never made it into the book.  LOL

But I will admit that every time I look at the video I made and think of how history has played out (the last full-blooded Mandan died in 1971), I tear up.  The bulk of the series has been the struggle for the Mandans to preserve their way of life.  But inevitably the tides of change was too powerful for them to fight, and that’s the ultimate conclusion that is reached at the end of the book.  So I consider the ending of Bound by Honor, Bound by Love to be a bittersweet one.  For Citlali and Onawa, it’s a happy ending, but for the tribe, it means accepting that they would never recapture their past glory.

Story excerpt from Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

One thing I wanted to put in this book was a Mandan wedding.  Below is the scene I wrote for it.  Please note that this has not been proofread or edited yet.  It is the first draft…

Onawa’s father entered the lodge with the white buffalo robe, and Onawa’s heartbeat picked up.  It was time for the ceremony.  Taking a deep breath, she tucked away the pouch full of herbs with her belongings and approached her father.

“Are you ready?” her father asked her.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“Good.  I’ll tell Citlali it’s time,” he replied with a kind smile before he left.

Gulping, she returned his smile.  She took a deep breath and placed her hands over her stomach in an effort to settle her stomach.  She couldn’t eat anything that morning.  Her aunts whispered their congratulations to her and Woape wished her luck in a tone that indicated her uncertainty, but Onawa didn’t give it much thought.  Outside the lodge, she heard her father talking to Citlali.  She wiped her clammy hands on her dress and waited by the fire pit as the other women departed from the lodge.

This was it.

Her father entered the lodge, still holding the white robe, but her gaze fell to Citlali who followed close behind.  Would she ever get over the initial thrill of seeing him?  He removed his brown buffalo robe and set it to the side of the fire pit.  She took in his silky black hair that fell down his back and his slender frame which was covered with a deerskin tunic shirt and leggings.  He wasn’t a hunter, so he lacked the muscles of some tribal members—a thing some women preferred.  But she liked him just the way he was.

Her father set aside the white buffalo robe so he could lay out a brown robe on the ground.  After he welcomed Citlali and Onawa to sit, he took the white robe and draped it over their shoulders, giving Onawa’s shoulder a squeeze to let her know he was proud of her.  She would have enjoyed her father’s praise had she not been preoccupied with Citlali.  They sat so close to each other that their legs touched, and her body flushed with pleasure at the physical contact.

They’d be touching each other for the rest of their lives.  For a moment, she recalled what Woape had told her of the wedding night.  Woape said she wanted Onawa to know what to expect so she wouldn’t be nervous, but in some ways, knowing how and where Citlali would be touching her that evening created a greater surge of anxiety.  She hadn’t even kissed him.

Her brother entered the lodge with four horses, and Onawa noted the strength in the stallion and three mares.  They were good horses, some of the best she’d ever seen, and they were a gift from Citlali to her family’s lodge.  The others watching the ceremony murmured their approval at the fine gift before they sat around her and Citlali to share a meal with them.

Around her, their families enjoyed the food.  She managed to eat some of it, but her thoughts kept going back to Citlali who seemed intent on listening to the chief who sat on his other side.  She didn’t pay much attention to what the chief was saying until he said her name.  Startled, she looked up from the corn she was eating and looked over at him.

The chief smiled.  “It is a good day when two of our people who understand our ways and appreciate our tradition join their lives.  May you and Citlali have good health and many children.”

“It is a good day,” Citlali told her, his lips turning up, ever so slightly.

It was the most emotion she’d ever seen from him, and knowing his smile was for her made her heart beat with excitement.  She returned the sentiment and turned her attention back to the corn.  He must care for her to some degree.  Even if they didn’t really know each other, they were forming a foundation for a solid marriage.  She was sure of it.

When the meal ended, Citlali took the white buffalo robe, careful as he carried it to the top of her lodge.  Onawa’s aunts excitedly surrounded her while Citlali addressed her father’s sacred bundle, announcing that the white robe was her father’s gift to the gods.  As expected, one of Citlali’s aunts went to the greet Citlali who gave her the white robe.

Citlali returned to Onawa so they could collect robes and other items.  Her brother, the members of their age-grade societies, and the younger people of the Waxik Ena clan joined them for this task.  Once they were finished with this task, they went to the Okipa lodge where they hung all the items they collected so everyone else could see them.  The white robe hung in the center of the items, proudly on display for all to admire, and this was where Onawa and Citlali stood while the members of the tribe who held the singing rites sang the first sacred song.

During the music, she dared a glance at Citlali.  When he turned his gaze to her, she noted the gentleness in his eyes and offered a nervous smile.  His fingers brushed her hand before he wrapped his hand around hers.  Her heart sped up as a thrill shot straight through her.  Everything would be alright.  This marriage would be a good one.  Reassured, she relaxed and turned her attention back to the singers as they finished the first song.

Citlali let go of her hand so he could retrieve one of the items hanging up.  He picked one of the glass-beaded necklaces and gave it as a gift to his mother.  His mother accepted it, squeezed Onawa’s hand, and whispered, “Thank you for agreeing to live in our lodge so Citlali can continue to provide for us.”

“I’m happy to leave my lodge to go to yours,” Onawa softly replied.

His mother nodded her thanks and went to the white buffalo robe to pray for the success in all of Citlali and Onawa’s endeavors.

The singers sang the next song, and afterwards, they gave more gifts to the wedding guests.  The process continued in an orderly fashion.  The singers would present one of the sacred songs and more people would receive gifts.  In return for giving their gifts, people would offer them an item from their sacred bundles.

Afterwards, the guests who had rights to the corn ceremonies took turns painting the white robe, some choosing simple pictures and others employing more elaborate decorations.  For each thing they added to the robe, they received a gift for their contribution.

When the robe was finished, Citlali turned to Onawa and said, “I’d like to dedicate this ceremony to the Lone Man.”

She expected as much since he was second to the chief, so she nodded her agreement, not that he needed it but she was pleased he thought to get her opinion on the matter.

Citlali carried the robe out of the lodge, and the others followed him so they could watch as he draped it over the sacred cedar which stood in the center of the tribe.  “The white robe now belongs to the WaxiEna Clan,” he told the group.

And with that announcement, the ceremony was complete, and Citlali was now her husband.  Onawa couldn’t stop the smile that lit up her face.  She turned back to her aunts and friends who congratulated her.  When her sister hugged her, she whispered, “I hope he’s good to you.”

Onawa studied her sister’s worried face and asked, “Why wouldn’t he be?”

Woape shrugged.  “I don’t know, Onawa.  When it comes to Citlali, I never knew what he was thinking or feeling.  I hope it won’t be the same for you.”

As Julia came over to hug Onawa, Onawa refused to let Woape’s apprehension affect her.  Citlali was a good man.  He’d be good to her.  She was certain of it.

***

And of course, there will be some obstacles the two newlyweds will face in the book or else there would be no plot.  :D

Like I said, I should have this book published at the end of August or early September.  I’ll announce when it’s ready on this blog.

Revised List of Winners from my Last Giveaway

I just found out one of the winners of the giveaway I just ran had entered twice under different identities.  I won’t disclose how I found out, but I did.  This person will not be getting a copy of Her Counterfeit Husband when it’s released, and I have apologized to the other authors for not being more careful when I was picking winners.  Apparently, I can’t use random.org to select winners.  An honest person who entered my contest was denied a couple of good books because of this.  By entering a giveaway more than once under different identities, this person has been denied someone else an honest chance to win the book(s).  Unfortunately, I can’t ungift the book(s) already sent to this person, but what I can do is make sure to cross check every person who enters one of my giveaways in the future.

So here is the revised list of people who will get Her Counterfeit Husband:

Anusha S

Jeani Widish

Kesia Saenz

Toyette Hazzard

Ann Ferrell

Anya Kelleye

Gail Palmere

Nayda Torres

Karen (the one who didn’t leave a last name)

Diane Letourneau

Lori Weatherwax

Karen Mandina

Shayna Engel

So that is the new list.  I’m sorry, but I can’t reward people who are dishonest.  I’d like to keep things clean and honest around here.

I apologize to the other authors who were in the giveaway with me and to the honest people who only entered once.  In the future, I’ll be more careful when choosing who wins my giveaways.

The next giveaway is coming up soon.  Janet Syas Nitsick will be hosting the next one with a copy of her newest paperback release (Lockets and Lanterns) and a copy of one of my signed books (Shotgun Groom or Eye of the Beholder).  More details are coming soon.

Also, I have good news about Bound by Honor, Bound by Love that I will share in a post this week.  :D

Updates

I sent out the ebooks to the winners yesterday (except for Her Counterfeit Husband because it isn’t out yet).  If anyone on the winners’ list didn’t get their copy, let me know.  :D

Now for updates on what I’m doing…

1.  Her Counterfeit Husband

I’m at chapter 8 in the preliminary edits (which is what I call a run through before I send it off to the editor).  I’m going slower than the pace I usually do, but summer is a hard time to do much when it’s too hot to get outside so the kids can play at the park.  The last couple of years, I got spoiled because the highs were only in the 80s and low 90s around here.  Now it’s 100-degree weather, and when it’s that hot, there’s no way I can go outside with a computer.

So the book is coming along, just at a slower pace than what I normally do.

2.  Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

I’m almost at 40,000 words, which is getting close to the end.  I now realize my block on that book is that I’ve been trying to make it longer than it’s supposed to be.  As soon as I adjusted the word count goal to 50,000 (which is still a full-length novel), a lot of pressure was lifted off my shoulders.  I can’t force a word count.  Some books are longer than others, and Citlali and Onawa’s story isn’t that complicated where 65,000-70,000 words (my usual novel length) is necessary.

As a reader, I hate sagging middles.  I believe the story should compel me to keep reading.  If I force this book to be longer that it’s supposed to be, it’ll drag.  I don’t want to write books that people skim over when they read it.  I’ve read enough books that I skimmed through to find out where the action picks up again.  Since I make it a habit of reading my books (I got into writing so I’d have books I wanted to read), I make my books the way I want to read them.  So while the story is going to be shorter than normal, it’s going to keep me (as a reader) interested.  That’s how I judge the pacing and action in a book.  If I lose interest, I toss it out.  :)

***

Right now that’s all I’m working on.   I’m off to see if I can get some writing and editing done today.  Wish me luck.

Summer Giveaway Winners Announced!

It took me longer to get this posted because my kids have been bouncing off the walls for the past week.  It’s been so hot, we’ve spent most of our time inside.  Usually in the summer, I take them to the park every day unless it’s raining.

Anyway after going through random.org, I ended up with a list of winners, which I went through in order of the list until I got 10 winners for Rose Gordon’s Her Sudden Groom, 10 winners for one of Lauralynn Elliott’s books, and 14 winners for my upcoming Her Counterfeit Husband.  Some people wanted a copy of Rose Gordon’s book and mine while others wanted a copy of Lauralynn Elliott’s book and mine.  So I ran through the list until I could get 10 for Rose Gordon and 10 for Lauralynn Elliott.  As it turned out, there was some overlap with my upcoming book, which is why 14 people won Her Counterfeit Husband.

Hopefully that all made sense.

Since it’s almost 10pm my time, I’m going to gift these books out tomorrow.  Her Counterfeit Husband, of course, will be gifted when it’s published next month.  :D

Here’s the list of winners:

Anusha S – Her Counterfeit Husband by me and A Rocky Path by Lauralynn Elliott

Jeani Widish – Her Counterfeit Husband by me, Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon, and A Rocky Path by Lauralynn Elliott

Kesia Saenz – Her Counterfeit Husband by me and Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon

Toyette Hazzard – Her Counterfeit Husband by me, Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon, and Starfane by Lauralynn Elliott

Ann Ferrell – Her Counterfeit Husband by me, Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon, and Guardian Vampire by Lauralynn Elliott

Anya Kelleye – Her Counterfeit Husband by me and Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon

Zanza – Her Counterfeit Husband by me and Starfane by Lauralynn Elliott

Gail Palmere – Her Counterfeit Husband by me, Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon, and Guardian Vampire by Lauralynn Elliott

Nayda Torres – Her Counterfeit Husband by me and Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon

Karen (the one who didn’t leave a last name) – Her Counterfeit Husband by me and Haunted Lake by Lauralynn Elliott

Diane Letourneau – Her Counterfeit Husband by me, Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon, and A Rocky Path by Lauralynn Elliott

Lori Weatherwax – Her Counterfeit Husband by me and Guardian Vampire by Lauralynn Elliott

Karen Mandina – Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon

Shayna Engel – Her Counterfeit Husband by me, Her Sudden Groom by Rose Gordon, and Guardian Vampire by Lauralynn Elliott

****

To the winners: if I made a mistake in the books you said you wanted to win, please let me know in the comments below and I’ll make sure to gift the correct one(s).  :D

Updates: Her Counterfeit Husband, Mitch’s Win/Clayton’s Win, Bound by Honor Bound by Love, and A Most Unsuitable Husband

1.  Her Counterfeit Husband is finished!

Firs of all, no matter how many times I tried to interview the heroine (Anna) and the butler (Appleton), my mind went blank, so I give up on trying to do one.

I plan to work on smoothing out the first draft the rest of this week and onto the weekend.  With any luck, it’ll be off to the editor on Monday.  *fingers crossed*

I’m really happened with how the story turned out, and I can honestly say I had no idea it would end the way it did.  Well, obviously there was the happy ending.  We all know the hero and heroine end up together with the happily ever after, but how they got there was the part I didn’t know until I was writing it.  :D

It’s always scary and exciting to write when I don’t know what will happen next.  That’s why writing is mostly by instinct and the characters need to take the lead.  Fortunately, Anna and Jason are two very easy characters to work with because they led me right along.

2.  Clayton’s Win is back to Mitch’s Win but will Remain a Nebraska Book

Yes, I realize this is terribly confusing, but as I was reading through Isaac’s Decision to figure out Clayton’s background, I realized putting him as the hero would require a significant rewrite.  Clayton’s father worked at the paper, and Clayton had a job he was happy with there.  To remove him from that to plop him in a farm wouldn’t work well for his character.  Wiley was the friend who worked on a farm, but I already have him paired up for a young pregnant widow I briefly mentioned in Isaac’s Decision.  I’m thinking Clayton might end up with Eva Connealy.  And I can already see that this will pose a problem between Isaac and Clayton since Emily and Eva can’t stand each other.  :P

So I’m going to have to stay with Mitch.  But all I need to do is transfer it to Nebraska, and I can have Isaac befriend Mitch after Isaac’s Decision.  I can see how Emily and her little sister Lizzie (aka Elizabeth) can add some fun to the book, but they will be mostly in the heroine’s (Heather’s) point of view.

So long story short, I’m changing the title back to Mitch’s Win.  I know.  It’s confusing, but the solution doesn’t always present itself right away.

I already know, however, that Mitch’s brother will end up with one of Dave and Mary’s daughters, and Lizzie Craftsman will end up with Greg Wilson (who is introduced in Mitch’s Win).

3. Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

It’s coming slowly.  It might not end up as long as the books I’m used to writing, but I’ve never been a fan of reading a book that drags in the middle, and I refuse to write one that drags.  So if I can’t make a full-length novel, then so be it.  And that might be why it’s taking me so long to write it.  I’m already at 34,600, and the pacing is excellent up to this point, but I don’t have too much more to go in all honesty.  So I’m going to adjust the new word count goal to 50,000 words.  I know I have at least 15,000 words to go.  Any more than that is up to the characters.

4. A Most Unsuitable Husband

I’ll state upfront that Her Counterfeit Husband is not a comedy.  There might be a few humorous parts, but it’s more of a drama (similar to Shotgun Groom, Bid for a Bride, etc in tone).  I presented some harder issues in Her Counterfeit Husband, and without those harder issues, the book wouldn’t have turned out as well as it did.  But each story is different and some are more serious than others.

A Most Unsuitable Husband, however, is definitely a comedy.  It will be spicier on some levels because the storyline requires it and it’s fitting for a lady known as being a total wallflower to have a more sensually playful side to herself in order to fully develop as a character.  And honestly, who better than an uptight “librarian” type of character to bring some fun to a “rake’s” life, esp. when that “rake” is secretly afraid she’ll discover he has no idea how to please a woman in bed.  (Remember that jesting Lord Edon was doing with Lord Roderick in The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife?)  That’s why I enjoyed that scene so much.  I just knew he was the one who was really inept in the bedroom.  But don’t worry.  The heroine in A Most Unsuitable Husband (Lady Catherine from The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife) will help him in this area.  I’m looking forward to it.  :D

5.  The next post I’ll do will be to announce the winners of the Summer Reading Giveaway.  :D

 

 

Will I Write Short Stories…Ever?

Someone asked me about doing a short story, and while I answered her, I thought other people probably have the same question so I’ll answer it in this post.

I have no plans to write short stories.  Far too many people are dissatisfied with short stories.  They want the stories to be longer.  I don’t know if this is true for all authors or just me, but in my experience, most people want me to write a full-length novel.  I see this based on sales, comments, reviews, and emails.  Plus, when I write a short story, I can also see many ways for it to expand.  There are some authors out there who specialize in short stories.  Writing a short story is an art.  It’s an art I don’t have a knack for.  I admire authors who can successfully pull off a short story.  I know they’re out there because I’ve seen them.  :D

I do best will full-length stories between 60,000 to 80,000 words.  Now, that range can vary.  I did write 114,000 words for Brave Beginnings, but that happened to be one of those books that never wanted to end and since the characters were guiding me, I went along with what they wanted.  But my average is 70,000 words, which is why I put my word count goal for every book I start at 70,000.  As I write the book, I get a better idea of whether it’ll be less or more than the 70,000-word goal.

So that’s why I don’t write short stories or novellas anymore.  Writing is an evolving process.  The more authors do it, the more they learn what works and what doesn’t.  This is why I’m constantly accessing my strengths and weaknesses and trying to focus on my strengths.  My strengths are full-length stand-alone historical western or Regency novels.  I also need to let my characters guide me as I go.  I can’t work with outlines until I’m about three chapters away from being done with a book, and that outline is basically keywords that remind me what comes next and keeps me on track to clean up loose ends. I’ve also learned that I can avoid rewriting if I take a break from a story if it stalls as I’m writing it.  I can’t write scenes ahead because they rarely work out because the characters often steer me in direction I never saw coming.  I have finally come to the point where I trust the characters to guide me, even if I worry (in the back of my mind) that they are screwing everything up.  Every time I’ve done it they’re way, it works out great.  Every time I didn’t, the story either needed to be rewritten or thrown out.

So basically, writing is not a one-size-fits-all venture, and not all books are the same because the characters have their own personalities.  And even though I’ve been writing romances since very late 2007, I am still learning something new every time I write a book.  This is why it seems like I’m changing my mind a lot.  I’m always going through and figuring out how to make my current story better than the last one I wrote, and part of that is figuring out what I write best and how I write it best.

Hope that all makes sense.  :D

Summer Reading Giveaway (Featuring Rose Gordon, Lauralynn Elliott, and My Next Book-Her Counterfeit Husband)

To celebrate summer reading, I thought it’d be fun to offer a couple of giveaways.  These will be ebook giveaways, and I’m only going to gift the ebooks from Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords.

What I’m Giving Away  - 1-3 books per winner

First is Rose Gordon.  For the month of July, she is going to donate the money she makes off of Her Sudden Groom to MS research.  I’d like to giveaway 10 ebook copies as a way to help her reach her $5000 goal.  For more information about why she’s doing this, go here.

Second is Lauralynn Elliott.  I’d like to offer 10 winners any one ebook she’s written.   So whichever one of her books you like, I’d like to gift you that particular one.  She’s written a few, so be sure to check her site to find the one you’d like to read most.  Click here to see her list of books.

Third is my upcoming book Her Counterfeit Husband.  I’m giving away this ebook to 10 people.  This won’t be out until next month.  I’m not sure when it’ll be out yet.  I was hoping to get it out by August 1, but I still haven’t finished it.  I’m close though.  I figure I have four scenes to go, but a couple of those scenes are long ones.  If I can manage it, I should be done before next weekend.  *fingers crossed*  Then it goes off to editing, etc.  So I’m giving a tentative date of mid-to-late August.

How This Giveaway Works

I am opening this giveaway up to 10 or more winners.  There are some people reading this blog who have already read Rose Gordon’s Her Sudden Groom, but they haven’t read one of Lauralynn Elliott’s books or read Her Counterfeit Husband.  So they will want to choose 1 Lauralynn Elloitt book and Her Counterfeit Husband.  Another person might not have read Her Sudden Groom and pick that one along with Her Counterfeit Husband.  Another person might want to pick Her Sudden Groom, one of Lauralynn Elliott’s books, and Her Counterfeit Husband.

So you can win one book per author listed.  Or you can choose one book from one author and one book from another author.  Or you can choose one book from only one author.  Hopefully all of that makes sense.

I have included everything I need to know in the form below.  If you are having trouble filling out the form, leave the information in a comment below.  If I don’t have an email, I can’t gift the ebook, so the email is a must.  Note: I do not collect emails.  I hate spam in my inbox, so I won’t use your email for anything other than gifting you the ebook(s).

How and when the winners will be picked:

To enter, just fill out the form.  I will use random.org to pick 10 winners per author.  The winners will be announced in one week, so be looking back here around July 22-23.  Good luck!

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Will There Be a Sequel to Suddenly a Bride? (Short Answer No and This is Why; Warning: This Is A Very Long Post)

This will end up on the FAQ section of this blog, but I thought I’d address it as a blog post so that I can link to it in the future in case someone who doesn’t read my blog asks the question.

The short answer: I’m not planning on it.

The (really, really) long answer:

I’m focusing on historical westerns and Regencies now.

Quick Update on Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

With Bound by Honor, Bound by Love, I am ending the Native American Romance Series.   If I ever get the urge to write another book to go with it, I’m open to it, but at the moment, nothing is happening there.  I’ll be doing good to finish Bound by Honor, Bound by Love because it’s been a very difficult book for me to write, mainly because the characters are taking forever to tell me what they want me to write next.  I feel like they keep writing me into a dead end, so I’ll stop writing that story and suddenly they’ll tell me where to go.  So it wasn’t really a dead end but the lack of ideas blocked me.  I’m currently going through my eighth dead end with that book, and I’m only halfway through it.  I like the story and how it’s going, but it is very slow.  If every book was as slow to write as this one, I’d publish one book a year.  Thank God most stories are easier to write.

Anyway, when Bound by Honor, Bound by Love is done, it will allow me to focus on the two series I love most: the Nebraska books and the Regencies.

Explaining the Nebraska Collection

These books are not written chronologically.  They’re written as the characters call to me write them, which is why every Nebraska book can be read as a stand-alone book.  I keep saying it, but I still get this question the most.  People want to know if they have to read the books in order.  The answer is no.  You don’t need to wait for me to write and publish Wagon Trail Bride before you start reading the other books.  If you do plan to do that, you’ll be waiting for 20 or so years to start the series because I expect to keep working on these books and writing them out of order since I don’t know which character will want their book written next.  My writing is all character driven.  I don’t know that makes sense, but it’s how I work.

I currently have 20 plot ideas for the Nebraska Collection.  That number keeps increasing every year because the more I write in the Nebraska world, the more ideas I keep getting.  At the moment, there are 9 books completed, and it was only supposed to be 1 book when I started (Eye of the Beholder).  But when I wrote that one, I got three other ideas (Tom and Jessica, Neil Craftsman, and Jenny’s books).

From those books, I got more ideas.  I can’t stop the ideas from coming.  Most of the time, they come at me while I’m writing.  Like when I was writing Her Heart’s Desire, I got the idea for Vivian and Hugh’s book.  I’m sure when I write their book, another character will pop up who’ll inspire another book.  Sometimes I get ideas while I’m asleep.  Bride of Second Chances was a dream I had one night.  I woke up and wrote it out.  And yes, sometimes I get ideas when I read another book or watch a movie and think, “What if it ended up differently?”

To sum up the characters I want to write for in the Nebraska Collection, here’s the list (I do get these questions from time to time so I figure I’ll include it here while I’m talking about the Nebraska books):

Amanda and Richard
Dave and Mary’s third book (I don’t plan to write any more books featuring Dave and Mary once I write their third book; since they started the whole Nebraska Collection, I feel a strong attachment to them)
Vivian and Hugh
Mark (Richard and Amanda’s twin son)
Anthony (Richard and Amanda’s twin son)
Annabelle (Richard and Amanda’s daughter)
Greg (Sally and Rick’s son) and Charlotte Connealy (Joseph and Margaret’s daughter)
Laura (Sally and Rick’s daughter)
Nelly (Tom and Jessica’s daughter)
Patricia  (Tom and Jessica’s daughter)
Erin  (Tom and Jessica’s daughter)
Daisy  (Tom and Jessica’s daughter)
Adam  (Mary and Dave’s son)
Rachel (Mary and Dave’s daughter)
Jacob  (Mary and Dave’s son)
Harriett (Mary and Dave’s daughter)
Rose (Mary and Dave’s daughter)
Eli  (Mary and Dave’s son)
Jeremy (Jenny’s son)
Carl  (Jenny and Owen’s son)
Emma (Jenny and Owen’s daughter)
Sepp (April’s brother in Shotgun Groom)
Nora (April’s daughter)
Hannah  (April and Joel’s daughter)
Levi  (April and Joel’s son)
Lilly  (April and Joel’s daughter)
Doug  (Joseph Connealy’s son)
Bob   (Joseph Connealy’s son)
Charles   (Joseph Connealy’s son)
Ben   (Joseph Connealy’s son)
Eva  (Joseph and Margaret Connealy’s daughter)
Clayton  (friend of Isaac Larson)
Wiley (friend of Isaac Larson)
Boaz and one of Dave and Mary’s daughters (Boaz is Clayton’s brother)
Luke  (Sarah Craftsman’s son)
Elizabeth  (Neil and Sarah Craftsman’s daughter) and Greg Wilson (the rewrite of The Keeping of Greg Wilson now titled Lizzie’s Gamble)
Stanley (Sarah and Neil Craftsman’s son)

I plan to match some of these characters up, which is why I say 20 ideas.  For example, Bob and Doug will be vying for one of Tom and Jessica’s daughters.  So there’s some overlap.  I’m not sure about Ma and Pa Larson.  That one is very iffy.

The Regency Collection

For the Regency series, I am working on Her Counterfeit Husband (with new characters) and just started A Most Unsuitable Husband (Lord Edon’s book).  From Her Counterfeit Husband, I introduce Candace who later goes on to marry Perry (Lord Clement from The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife).  I do have plans to write a book for Mister Robinson (from The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife) and Lady Richfield (from A Most Unsuitable Groom).  I am sure other characters will pop up, which will expand this series.  So I already have one Regency out and am working on two (one of which will be done in a week).  After that I have two other ideas.  I suspect this is one of those series where I’ll keep getting more and more ideas for as I go along and write the books.

So what does all of this have to do with Suddenly a Bride?

Given everything I want to do for the Nebraska and Regency Collections, I need to focus my energy and time there.  I have at least 25 stories between those two collections.  I average seven full-length novels a year.  That average is based off of four years of writing romances.  In that time, I have rewritten a couple of romances (Falling In Love With Her Husband, With This Ring, I Thee Dread, Romancing Adrienne) and experimented with converting the Virginia series (An Unlikely Place for Love, The Cold Wife, and An Inconvenient Marriage) to contemporary but realized it didn’t work and made them historicals again.  Doing all of that slowed me down.  I currently have 23 full-length romance novels and 3 (A Bride for Tom, A Husband for Margaret and A Chance in Time) novellas out (at the time of writing this post).

This is my fifth year of writing romances, so I have a pretty good handle on how many full-length novels I can write in a year.  So far this year, I have published four romances (Isaac’s Decision, Her Heart’s Desire, The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife, and To Have and To Hold).  I am almost finished with the first draft of my fifth novel, and I think it’s safe to say two more (hopefully A Most Unsuitable Husband and Bound by Honor, Bound by Love, though Bound is more on the iffy side) is very doable before the year ends.

So if you consider I have 25 ideas between the Nebraska books and the Regencies, we’re looking at 3.5 years for me to write them.  Since I keep getting new ideas for those collections, I know the number is going to end up higher than that.  And there might be a freakish year where I can get very little writing done.  You just never know what the future will bring.

But I keep asking myself if I were to die next year, what books would I want to write this year, and that’s how I decide which books to write.  They have to be the ones that interest me the most.  At this point in time, contemporaries aren’t anywhere on the list.  I can’t say they’ll never ever be, but I tried to write two contemporaries earlier this year and my heart wasn’t in it.  That’s why I modified Suddenly a Bride so that there was no lead in for Mark and Lexi’s story.

However, I have a plan for the plot ideas

The two contemporaries I had unsuccessfully started were Runaway Bride and Just Good Friends.  The two plots were basically along these lines:

Runaway Bride – a heroine is supposed to marry someone but the hero snatches her away and marries her instead

Just Good Friends – two longtime friends pretend to be a couple due to the pressure from the heroine’s family to “settle down”

What I’m going to do is transfer those plot ideas to my historicals.  

Runaway Bride will work great as a historical western.  The heroine will be ready to marry a shady character when the hero (who loves her) kidnaps her and marries her instead.  I’m thinking it has the potential to be a comedy.

As for Just Good Friends, this will also probably become a historical western.  Take a woman who everyone thinks of as a spinster with a younger sister who is getting married and her family feels sorry for her because she’s never going to get married convincing a friend (who is planning to move somewhere else) to act like they’re going to get married (and she is planning to move out of Nebraska to homestead somewhere else–women back then could homestead without a husband, Laura Ingalls-Wilder’s relative did).  But she comes up with the scheme so her family won’t talk her out of homesteading and will finally leave her alone.  My younger sister got married before I did, so I know what a pain it is to hear, “Don’t you have anyone yet, Ruth?”  So I could see why the heroine would come up with such a plan.  For the record, I didn’t make anyone up.  I was tempted to, just to get relatives to back off, but I was good and stayed honest–and went to college away from home so I could have my own life.  This is another book which would make a great comedy.

Who knows what the future holds?

If (and that’s a very tentative “if”) I ever write the contemporaries, it’s going to be off in an unspecified time in the future.  I can’t predict when or if I’ll want to write Mark and Lexie’s story.  I have no idea.  All I know is that the desire to write it today isn’t there.  I tried; I failed.  If I forced it, the book would suck and who wants to read a book that sucks?  It’s not the right time, and maybe it never will be.  I have stories in my head that I’m not writing.  Some examples of books I have up in my head that I’m not writing is a sequel to Return of the Aliens; a prequel to Return of the Aliens, a couple of erotic romances, more fantasy books in the Queens of Raz series, fairy tale adaptations like the idea I have for how I wished Snow White would have gone, and more.  There are more ideas in my head than I will ever be able to write in a lifetime.  All I can do is pick the stories I want to write the most right now and focus on them.  Time is a finite resource, so all I can do is make the most of the time I got.

Winner of the Giveaway Announcement

Congratulations to Dawn Munday who won the giveaway!  I’ll be sending you an email in a few minutes to get your address so I can send you the books.  :D