Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 81

Updates

Everything is on track for Kent Ashton’s Backstory and Catching Kent.  I’m estimating that both will be published on October 7.  They will go up on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords first. Then they will go up on the other sites (Kobo, Sony, Apple, and other channels Smashwords distributes to) within a month or two after that.

I’m in the process of making very light (and I mean “very light”) modifications to Falling In Love With Her Husband.  For example, I deleted chapter 1.  Honestly, I think the first chapter was boring.  The book is much better off starting at chapter 2 instead.  Another example, as one of my editors pointed out, I had Rebecca reported at having a miscarriage in a two-month period.  That didn’t work out in Kent Ashton’s Backstory.  So I removed the two months from Falling In Love With Her Husband and just put that Rebecca “had” a miscarriage.  I put “had” in quotes because things are not quite as they were reported to Ann and Todd.  You’ll see what I mean as I continue to post his book on this blog.

While I’m doing these light changes, I decided to hire a cover artist (Stephannie Beman) to do a new cover for me.  I want this cover to better match Catching Kent, and given my tight deadline with Kent Ashton’s Backstory and Catching Kent, I just don’t want to take the time to worry about making the cover myself.  Stephannie does awesome work.  She made the header on this blog.   I’ll post the new cover when it comes in.

My other works in progress are temporarily on hold

I probably won’t get back to writing in The Purchased Bride, Boaz’s Wager, and The Earl’s Scandalous Wife until October 8.  I might be able to write some here and there, but right now all of my energy is going into the three books I’m working on.

Belated Sunday Story Sample: Kent Ashton’s Backstory

Yes, this is a day late.  I was supposed to schedule the post in advance and forgot.  :-(  I’m sorry.  But at least I remembered today and am doing it.  :-)  Hopefully, I’ll do a better job of watching the calendar next week.

“Rebecca, I…” Kent shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.  He glanced around her formal parlor, his gaze unwittingly going to the piano that had been the focal point of the dinner parties their parents subjected them to in the past.  Forcing his mind off the piano, he turned to face her, still too ashamed to make eye contact with her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to sit?” Rebecca asked, gesturing to the chair next to where she sat.

How could she sound so casual about everything?  True, she knew he’d come here to make things right, but after the way he’d taken advantage of her…  His stomach tightened and he felt sick.  He couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror.  Of all the things he thought he was capable of, treating a lady as one would a common whore wasn’t one of them.  He rubbed his stomach and decided he’d better sit down.  If he didn’t, he might lose his breakfast.

Once he was settled in the chair next to her, he closed his eyes and regained his composure.  Opening them, he turned his gaze to Rebecca, trying not to wince.  “I don’t understand how you can stand to look at me after…after…” He gulped.  God help him but he couldn’t say it.

“Kent, it’s alright,” she softly replied.

“How can you say that?” he asked in a low voice, his gaze going to the door to make sure no one would overhear them.

“Because you were drunk.”

“That’s no excuse.  I shouldn’t have been drinking to begin with.” He rubbed the back of his neck.  “I don’t even remember it.  The last thing I remember is standing up in the parlor so I could take you to the door.  Then my father is waking me and I-I’m in bed with…with…”

“Kent, I understand.” She placed her hand over his in a gesture he knew was intended to be comforting, but it only added to his guilt.  “I don’t blame you for it.”

“You should.”

“But I don’t.”

“I’m stronger than you.  I…” He took a deep breath and braced himself for the answer.  “Rebecca, please tell me the truth.  I need to know.  Did I,” he winced, “force you to do it?”

After an agonizing moment passed, she released his hand and shook her head.  “No,” she whispered.  “I willingly went to your bed.”

He thought that should have made him feel better, and yet it didn’t.

“It was a moment of weakness.” She averted his gaze and fiddled with the lace on her dress.  “You were going to walk me to the door and then you started kissing me.  I’m afraid I let my desire to be with you override good judgment.  I wasn’t the one who was drinking.  I knew better.  I should have left.”

“I would have let you leave?” He hesitated to ask the question, but he had to know.

“Yes.  You might have asked me to go to your bed, but you didn’t make me go there.  After your father caught us, I was ashamed of what I’d allowed.  You’re not the one who should be apologizing.  I am.”

“No, it’s my fault.  If I hadn’t gotten drunk, none of it would have happened.” With a sigh, he studied the hat in his hands then continued, “I came here to make things right.  I stole your virtue and because of that, it’s only proper I marry you.  My father says I need to court you for a year first then make it official with a wedding.  But I…”

“You want to be with Ann.”

“That’s not what I was going to say.” Though it was the truth and they both knew it.  But this wasn’t about what he wanted.  He glanced at the doorway to make sure no one was listening to them.  “I worry there might be a child.  My father thinks there won’t be, but how can we be sure?  I know he said we can do a secret elopement and go to New York to avoid scandal if that’s the case, but even so, your parents will learn the truth and that won’t be good.”

She tapped her fingers together and slowly nodded.  “Well, I suppose that might happen.”

“I wonder if we should marry now, just in case?  It’s bad enough I’ve done this to you.  The last thing I want to do is ruin your reputation.”

“I…I think your father’s advice should be followed.  We’ll wait and see.”

His gut clenched.  “Are you sure you want to take that kind of a chance?”

She nodded.  “Yes.  I’m aware of the possibilities and am willing to handle the consequences of this decision.  We’ll court for a year then marry.”

“Unless you’re with child.  I insist we marry before the child is born.”

“Of course.”

Well, if she was determined to be courted first and take the risk that their sin would be discovered, then there was nothing he could do to stop her.  “Alright.  Then we’ll wait and see what happens.  In the meantime, will you let me court you?”

“Yes.”

He rose to his feet and forced himself to smile.  “I’ll tell my father we’re courting.”

“And I’ll tell my father the same.”

With a nod, he told her he’d be by later in the week to pay her a visit and left her house.

Updates: What Will Be Published From Now to New Year’s

The first draft of Catching Kent is done!

I’m happy to say that this book is now finished.  I did tie up something that needed resolving from Kent Ashton’s Backstory, but I had to do it at the very end and in a way that you don’t have to read Kent Ashton’s Backstory in order to understand what is going on.  It was the only way Catching Kent could end.  I brainstormed other endings, but nothing else fit.  I think Kent had to have it happen in order for his life to be complete.  My characters run the plot.  I’ve learned long ago that if I don’t do it the way they want, then the story won’t be as good as it could be.  So suffice it to say that Kent is very happy.

I’ve started the process of getting my editing team and beta readers together.  It’s pretty much last minute for them, but I want to get this book out around the first week of October.  I don’t usually cram through a book like this, but I want to get it out well before The Stagecoach Bride and Bride by Arrangement are due out.

I will publish Kent Ashton’s Backstory when I publish Catching Kent.

Both books can be read as standalones, but in case anyone wants to read both, I wanted them to be out together so there is no waiting time.  I am a terribly impatient person.  I don’t like to sit and wait for another book to come out so I know how things ended.

And while Kent Ashton’s Backstory only tells his view of things that transpired in Falling In Love With Her Husband, I couldn’t give him a happy ending.  Ann ended up happy with Todd.  Kent loses the girl.   I gave him “hope” at the end but I couldn’t give him the happily ever after.  And that was really depressing for me.  So I was in a hurry to get Catching Kent done I could give him the ending he really deserved.  I’m a sucker for a happy ending.  :-)

I’ve decided to forget the serial/episode idea (at least for now).

I hesitate to say anything for 100% sure because I never know what will happen, but for the time being, I’ve decided not to do a serial/episode type of thing with books.  The big reason is I have a terrible time keeping stories under 25,000 words.  Kent Ashton’s Backstory was supposed to be 10,000 words but it’s a little over 30,000 words (and that was only telling a backstory).   I think any serial I’ll start will end up being a full-length novel anyway, so I might as well just focus on writing full-length novels.

The Stagecoach Bride is due out before the end of the year.

Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.

I have no official release date on this one yet, but Stephannie Beman is done with her part, and I’ll dive in on my part soon.  At this point in time, we’re looking at December as possibly being the month it comes out.

And yes, this is the first book in a series.  It can be read as a standalone.  We’re looking at doing the next book in the series based off the hero’s sister (Abby) in this book.  In this book, I took the heroine’s point of view and Stephannie took the hero’s point of view.  In the next book, Stephannie will be taking the heroine’s point of view, and I’ll take the hero’s.  I can already tell with Abby’s outgoing and risk taking personality that the hero isn’t going to know what to do with her.  :D

Bride by Arrangement is due out around New Year’s.

The Anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I Are Working On

I’m about 9,000 words (or about two to three weeks) away from finishing the first draft for my novella, The Purchased Bride.  I don’t know where Janet Syas Nitsick is at in her novella, She Came By Train.  But we’ve signed the contract with the publisher, so everything’s in order.

***

That’s it for the immediate future.  In the meantime, I’ll continue working on Boaz’s Wager and The Earl’s Scandalous Wife.  I still haven’t decided for sure what I’ll be working on after Kent Ashton’s Backstory and Catching Kent are out, but I’m thinking Wagon Trail Bride is a good possibility.  We’ll see what happens in a few weeks.  :D

Catching Up on Kent Ashton’s Backstory

As I’m getting organized (at long last), I figure it’s time to start posting the rest of Kent Ashton’s Backstory.  Before I dive into it, I thought I’d post the links to the previous posts I already made so everyone can get caught up.  The plan is to start posting the scenes starting next Sunday so I can resume my Sunday Story Sample posts.  :D

Here’s the list of previous posts for easy reference.  If this list is off, please let me know.  I had two kids buzzing around me while I was hunting the old posts down so I might have missed something.

post 1

post 2

post 3

post 4

post 5

post 6

post 7

post 8

post 9

post 10

post 11

post 12

post 13

post 14

post 15

post 16

post 17

Updates on What I’m Doing

I figured this is long overdue, so I better do a “what I’ve been working on” post.  :-)

Catching Kent

I’m happy to say I’m getting close to the end of this book.  I hesitated to go in a direction that the book kept leading me, but I figure it’s the only way it can end so I have to do it.  I won’t say more than that because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

I should be done with the first draft by the end of this month.  I’m hoping to publish this and Kent Ashton’s Backstory by the end of October.  I won’t be doing a pre-release for those books.

I do plan to get the rest of Kent Ashton’s Backstory posted on this blog.  It’s taken me a while to get back into the swing of things, but I think I’m finally back into a routine so I feel comfortable posting the rest of the scenes.

The Stagecoach Bride

Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.

The estimated publishing month on this one is December.  This one is with a beta reader on Stephannie Beman’s side.  After that, it comes over to me where I’ll go through the initial proofing then send it out to my team of people to look over.

Bride by Arrangement

The Anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I Are Working On

My novella, The Purchased Bride, is over the halfway point.  I’m very pleased by this story and am enjoying it immensely.  It has the same tenderness found in Eye of the Beholder and all of the books in the South Dakota Series.  Of all the books I’ve done, I’d have to say those are my top four favorites.  This will be added in the top fifth.

Anyway, I expect to have this done by either the end of this month or in the middle of October.  During November, it will be time to polish it up then submit it to the publisher.  Janet Syas Nitsick is working on her part of the anthology with her novella and from what I read so far, it’s really good.  I can’t wait to find out what happens.  :-)

We’re looking around the end of December/early January for a release date, but I’ll let you know for sure as we get closer to the date.

Boaz’s Wager

I’m in chapter six and surprised by a few unexpected reactions from the hero and heroine.   Just when I think Boaz or Eva will react a certain way, they turn the table on me and do the opposite.  I can’t tell what is going to happen in this book.  All that’s gone as planned is the first three chapters.  After that, it’s been up in the air.  This is why I never outline a book before I write it.  There’s no telling what can happen.

The Earl’s Scandalous Wife

I’ve gotten Perry married in haste, but at the moment, something is “off”.  Everything up to where I’m at now is fine.  It’s just a matter of what to do next, and since I don’t know what that something is, this book has been unofficially on hold.  I can’t proceed forward until the missing piece falls in place.  In the meantime, the other books will get more of my attention.

Episodes/Serials (Not for TV but for Stories?)

Recently, I’ve noticed that some authors have been doing episodes/serials.  I’m new to the whole concept.  It sounds like you tell a story in anywhere from 5,000-30,000 words.  Then they write a series of these stories so it completes a whole “season”.  I’m thinking of it in terms of TV shows because it’s the best way I can think about them.  I’m sure there are variations to this stuff and each author doing it has to find their own slant on how they want to pursue this idea.

Some authors like to have a cliffhanger (of sorts) from one “episode” to another.  Other authors prefer to tell complete stories but have an overriding arc over the whole “season”.  I’m guessing a version of this could be complete stories that center in on one family, couple, or town with no major overriding arc at all but one story has the potential to build on a previous one somehow.

It seems there’s a lot of flexibility in an idea like this, but it’s probably not as easy or simple as it sounds either.  Naturally, some people like to read these types of stories.  (I’m one of them and I like them only because with my busy schedule, it’s nice to get something short and quick in during the day when I have some spare time.)  But I understand other people don’t like these.  They would rather read a longer story in one sitting that gets them fully invested in the characters.  So I get both sides of the coin.

I’ve been debating whether or not to do one.  If I did, it would be 12 episodes for 1 season.   I’m thinking one story a month and there’s twelve months in a year.  As for word count, I’d aim it around 15-25K.  It’s hard to know how long the average story would be since I’ve never attempted this before.  But (and my friend Stephannie Beman made an excellent point on this), it would have to be something where I did all stories ahead of time before I even published the first one.  The reason being that real life kicks in and set backs occur.  With a novel, you can set it aside and come back to it later.  There is no strict routine of publishing it like there would be in a monthly episode.

So I’m bouncing this idea around and will continue to do so for a while.  My biggest obstacle is what format I’d want the episodes to be.  Do I focus in on one couple, one family, or a whole town?  Do I go with brand new characters I’ve never written before or delve more into a set of characters I already wrote about?  The easy decision is genre.  I’m thinking historical western.  I have fun doing contemporaries and Regencies, but I think my first love will always be historical westerns.

Anyway, I wanted to get this off my chest so I can hopefully move on and post about other things because as much as I wanted to post about other stuff, this one kept bugging me.  :D  Maybe now I can get back to some kind of routine with my blogging.

Dave Larson: The Most Loved Hero of All Time

I guess it doesn’t come as a surprise that Dave Larson won the poll I ran a long time ago.  At least it seems like it’s been forever since I ran the poll back on August 11.  I can’t believe it was almost a month ago.  Anyway, 80% of the votes went to Dave.  He also won when he was in a poll I ran way back when between him and the other heroes in the Nebraska Historical Romance Collection.

I think it’s safe to say that of all the heroes I’ve written, Dave will always be the favorite.

Dave Larson: Now Officially The Best Hero of All Time

While his ego was big before, I’m afraid now it might explode.

Dave Larson: Don’t be ridiculous.  My ego won’t explode.  However, now I have an even better reason to come to you with a letter–

Ruth: Of your demands?

Dave: No.  It’s a letter to acknowledge my status as the best hero you’ve ever written.

Ruth: I fail to see the difference since there’s bound to be a demand or two in it.

Dave:  *rollls eyes* Ha ha ha.  I suppose you think you’re clever?

Ruth: Well, sometimes I do manage to make people laugh.

Dave: I hate to say it, Ruth, but this isn’t one of those times.  However, this isn’t why I’m here.  I came here to read my letter.

Ruth: Okay.  Go ahead.

Dave: To everyone who voted for me, I extend my deepest thanks.  To those of you who didn’t, I’ll assume you really did but there was a glitch in the system that made it seem as if you voted for someone else.

Ruth: *snorts* You wish.  Maybe the glitch made it seem as if people voted for you when they didn’t.

Dave: Anyway, as I was reading…  I think this historic moment–

Ruth: One would hardly call a poll voting on heroes historic, Dave.

Dave: When you are a character, it’s all you have.  Now let me continue.  I think this historic moment should send the author a clear message, and that is that people want to see more of me–

Ruth: What did I say about the ego, guys?

Dave: You didn’t let me finish.  I was going to say “people want to see more of me and Mary” to the end of that sentence.  We all know without Mary, I would not have been the kind of hero I am.  She brings out the best in me.

Ruth: I won’t argue that one.

Dave: Why do I sense a subtle putdown in that comment?

Ruth: *widen eyes innocently* I was only agreeing with you.

Dave: *not looking convinced but turns back to his letter* That all being said, I can’t help but wonder if there will ever be a third book.  Will Forever Yours ever be written?

Ruth: That all depends on you, Dave.

Dave: Me?  I’ve been wanting you to write this book ever since you finished To Have and To Hold.

Ruth: That might be true, but you’ve never told me what the first chapter of the book should be.  I can’t write anything if I don’t have at least the first scene in place.  As it is, my mind is blank.

Dave: But you have other scenes in mind.

Ruth: True, but I don’t have the very first scene, Dave, and that’s the most crucial scene there is when it comes to starting a book.

Dave: Can’t you start the book at chapter two and go back to chapter one?

Ruth: No because chapter one might change the rest of the book.

Dave: What?

Ruth: I can’t explain it, but as soon as I start the first scene, the story takes on a life of its own.  I’ve tried outlining, plotting, and writing ahead.  None of those work for me.  I have to start the book and let it evolve.  Did you think you were the original hero I intended for Eye of the Beholder?  Nope.  In the beginning, it was supposed to be Neil Craftsman.

Dave: No way!

Ruth: Way, Dave.  Way.

Dave: But that would have been horrible.

Ruth: Well, not really.  Originally, Neil was supposed to be a good guy.  But as I was writing the story, I thought it would make more of an impact if the man Mary came to marry rejected her.  So I needed the man who would marry her instead and you were created.

Dave: Even if Neil was the good guy, he wouldn’t have appreciated her as much as I do.

Ruth: We’ll never know because it didn’t happen.  So you need to tell me what’s in the first scene before I can write Forever Yours.  The ball is in your court, Dave.  :)

Some Pictures of a Family Home in the 1880s Town

These were taken at the 1880s Town in South Dakota.  I said I was going to post them and am finally doing it.

A Family Home

A Closer Look

This house only had a bedroom/parlor and a kitchen/laundry room.  So there were two rooms total, and those rooms weren’t very big.  We are spoiled in today’s homes.  :-)

Here is the bedroom side of one room.

This is the other side of the bedroom.  This part is the parlor (of sorts).   You can see the edge of the bed in the lower left corner of the picture.

Next to the bed was the crib.

This is in the kitchen/laundry room.

This is taken further back to get a better look at the room.  You can see the table where they ate and to the left are the laundry supplies.

Next to the table was the cookstove.  They people who run this town had potatoes boiling in the pot, which I thought was a neat touch.

More laundry items along the wall.

This is another angle of the kitchen/laundry room.

Eva Connealy is Not What I Expected

Next post will be about Dave Larson who won the poll I ran weeks ago.  (I feel so out of the loop with everything and am still trying to get organized.)

But today, I wanted to talk about Boaz’s Wager, so here we go…

This isn’t the first time I’ve had this happen.  I start a book, fully expecting the character to be one way but then the character completely changes on me without warning.  The changes are always good.  They always make the stories better.  I have learned to trust my characters, even when I have no idea where they’re going.  (This is why I don’t outline.  The changes can come at any moment and until I’m writing them, I have no idea when they’ll happen or what they’ll be.)

So anyway, I introduced Eva Connealy in Isaac’s Decision.  She had the crush on Isaac Lason, and Dave really wanted to see her marry him.  Except he ended up with Emily Craftsman instead.  You know, the more books I write, the more this all is beginning to sound like a soap opera.  LOL

Anyway, after writing Isaac’s Decision, I had this image of Eva as being pretty desperate for a man.  I figured if I placed her in Boaz’s Wager, then she’d be so relieved she wouldn’t have to confine herself to a teaching contract (and thereby admitting she’d be a spinster forever) that she would be glad that she was sold to Boaz.

I knew she might be a little miffed.  Maybe even shocked.  I mean, she was sold against her will while men bid on her. But I was not prepared for how angry she got.  She felt humiliated and used, as if she was property to be sold instead of a human being with feelings.  At least Boaz is aware of it so he won’t be stunned to find out his new bride isn’t happy at all.

And this brings me to something off-topic (but still relating to the book).  I’ve decided to send Eva to Montana with Rachel Larson (Dave and Mary Larson’s second child) because she and Eva were close in age, and I thought it would be nice to have Eva know someone from “back home” as she settles into her new life.  Eva will befriend Heather (from Mitch’s Win) and Patty (who was introduced in Mitch’s Win and is the heroine in Patty’s Gamble).  But I think Rachel will be her best friend.  And as it turns out, Rachel is actually happy.  Rachel was on her way to be a mail-order bride to some rancher in Jordan, Montana but ended up with Eva in Lewistown, Montana instead being sold to Boaz’s good friend, Herb.  (Again, it has the feel of a soap opera when I map out how everyone knows someone else.  But that’s why it’s fun to do series and to even mix up characters from one series into another.)

I’m not sure how everything will play out yet.  I only know Boaz is only marrying Eva to get a mother for his children and that (for him) this is going to be strictly a marriage of convenience.  That’s his intent anyway.  Who’s to say how it’ll pan out?  I have scenes in my mind between Boaz and Eva, but scenes have changed before based on what happens leading up to them, which is why I don’t like to write scenes out ahead of time.  After going through some of these scenes in recent books, I have decided I will hold out on continuing in a book until I know what comes immediately after the scene I just finished. I will no longer try to write ahead.  This method works for some authors but not for me, probably because outlining doesn’t work for me.  :D

It’ll be interesting to see how things play out, and that is why writing is so much fun.  Characters aren’t always predictable.

I’m Back :-)

Things are slow going, but I’m back to writing.

Before I forget…  About Unsubscribing to my New Release List

To the person who wanted to unsubscribe to my list, I looked for the email address you gave me and I didn’t find it anywhere.  I’m not sure if you meant a different email address or maybe confused me with another author.  Either one would be easy to do.  :-)  Here’s a link to the post I made if you want to give me another email address that might be on my list.

And if someone didn’t see the post I made on unsubscribing to my new release list, here’s the link to the post.  I don’t want to be a nuisance.  I’ve signed up on some email lists in the past and had a terrible time unsubscribing so I want to make it as easy as I can.  :-)

On For Other Stuff

My husband is back home and doing well.  I still have some loose ends to tie up on his behalf, but these will be easy.

I haven’t answered some emails yet.  I am caught up on blog comments but not on Facebook messages and some inbox emails.  I hope to get to those this week.

My big priority right now is getting back into a writing routine, and I’m trying to figure out my daily word count goal so if you look at my widgets to the right where I post the progress on my books and my daily word count goals, you might notice the word count goals changing as I figure out which books are easier to write than others.  The exception is Bride By Arrangement which I’m co-authoring with Janet Syas Nitsick.  We found a publisher to do that book, so that one is going to be tied to a deadline.  But the others are flexible.

That’s it.  In the next post, I figure I’ll let Dave Larson gloat over the fact that he won the best hero poll between him, Gavin, and Christopher.  :-)