Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 83
July 29, 2013
Hero Swap: A Scene from His Abducted Bride (with Dave Larson taking King Gavin Blackheart’s Place)
I’m taking one scene from His Reluctant Lady, His Abducted Bride, and Eye of the Beholder and I’m going to swap heroes. I’ll be using their personalities to see how things would be different. I’ll be doing this for a couple weeks. During or after that time, I’ll give Dave Larson, Christopher Robinson, and Gavin Blackheart a chance to give their thoughts on this swap. While the men wanted to keep their heroines, I decided to make it much more interesting. The men will have to interact with the other guy’s heroine.
This week, we’re going to look at a scene from His Abducted Bride. I’ll use Dave Larson in today’s post. The scene I’m doing today is based off this one I posted on Sunday.
Dave, confident that this will be easy.
His Abducted Bride: Starring Dave Larson and Sandy Davis
Dave strode into the castle, a little uncomfortable as servants bowed as he passed by. He guessed Gavin was used to this and didn’t think anything of it, but he didn’t care for it. But he held a missive in his hand that needed to be opened so he went to the planning room where he read through the message.
King Blackheart,
I couldn’t help but notice everything I’ve worked hard to build over the past year has been wiped away in a single instant. I don’t know why or how you changed the course of the author’s story, but I demand you put things back to the way they were at once. Send the author back to where she belongs. If you don’t, I will. And you won’t like what I’ll do to you if I have to take matters into my own hands.
King Petros of Reinhold
Dave shook his head. How many time had he wished he could have trapped Ruth Ann Nordin into Isaac’s Decision so she wouldn’t marry Isaac to Emily? (Check here for a post on how upset he was at the time if you didn’t read it while I wrote Isaac’s Decision.) If he only knew Gavin’s secret at the time.
A sudden banging on the door grabbed his attention. Before he could ask who it was, Sandy yelled, “Open this door!”
“I didn’t lock it,” he called out.
“Oh.” She opened the door and peered into the room. ”Aren’t you going to follow the script? Gavin locked it.”
He shrugged. ”You want to go back out there so I can lock it?”
“No, not really.”
“So why are you complaining?”
“I’m not complaining,” she insisted as she smoothed her dress. ”I’m surprised, that’s all. I mean, Gavin never made anything easy for me.” Clearing her throat, she made eye contact with him. “I saw the messenger come here. Who sent you word and where is the missive?”
“I’ll tell you if you tell me how Gavin trapped you in this book.”
“I don’t know how he trapped me here. That’s part of my problem. If I knew, I could escape.”
“Why do you authors have to be so difficult? Can’t you just do what we want?”
She groaned and crossed her arms. ”We’re supposed to be doing this scene as if you just received a threat. The conversation you want to have is irrelevant.”
“Ruth put a lot of herself into your character. You sound a lot like her.”
“No, she didn’t. I mean, there might be some similarities because we’re authors who have to tolerate difficult characters. That reminds me, I owe her a sympathy card, especially since you tried to frame her for kidnapping you.”
“And it didn’t work.”
“And you tried to get people to boycott her books.”
“Good grief. His Abducted Bride wasn’t even around back then which means you weren’t around for all of this. So how can you know this stuff?”
“I went through the archives in this blog to see who I was going to be up against in this immature hero swap idea because three egotistical male characters are having a ridiculous contest to find out who’s the best one.”
He hated the Internet. All the documentation was still on this blog for people to sort through at their leisure. With a sigh, he said, “Let’s move on. You want to know what this letter says, right?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m here.”
He nodded and made a move toward her but pretended to slip and threw it out the window.
She ran over to it in time to see a dog eating it.
“Oops,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes at him. ”You did this because I wouldn’t let Gavin get his way, didn’t you?”
“I’d be justified in doing it for that reason, but the truth is, Gavin gave me specific instructions to make sure you don’t read that letter.” As he left the room, he added, “And I believe in doing what the character wants.”
July 28, 2013
Sunday Story Sample: His Abducted Bride
This upcoming week, I’ll take this scene from His Abducted Bride and swap heroes to see how they would react in Gavin’s shoes. :D
Here is the original scene from His Abducted Bride (It takes place before Gavin forces Sandy to marry him):
Gavin strode into the castle, giving a curt nod to the servants who bowed as he passed by. As much as he wanted to tear the seal off the missive and read it right away, he needed to wait until he was alone. He went straight to his planning room and bolted the door shut. Finally! He stopped by the round table in the middle of the room and peeled the seal off and rolled the parchment open.
King Blackheart,
I couldn’t help but notice everything I’ve worked hard to build over the past year has been wiped away in a single instant. I don’t know why or how you changed the course of the author’s story, but I demand you put things back to the way they were at once. Send the author back to where she belongs. If you don’t, I will. And you won’t like what I’ll do to you if I have to take matters into my own hands.
King Petros of Reinhold
Undaunted by the man’s threat, Gavin snorted. Did King Petros really believe a threat would work? Gavin was a dead man if he returned Sandy to her world and King Petros knew it. Even if he wasn’t a main character in the story, Petros knew enough about the plot to figure out Gavin’s end.
A sudden banging on the door grabbed his attention. Before he could ask who it was, Sandy yelled, “Open this door!”
He rolled his eyes. Leave it to the author to want to know what was going on right under her nose. It was good that she wasn’t privy to everything that happened in this world anymore. It gave him an advantage. He shoved the parchment into his pocket and strode to the door. He removed the bolt and opened the door, slightly amused when she almost fell into the room.
“You wish to speak with me?” he asked, making sure to keep his tone light in case she sensed his unease about King Petros.
She straightened up and smoothed her dress. Clearing her throat, she made eye contact with him. “You know very well why I’m here.”
He crossed his arms and walked back to the table. “Maybe I want to hear you say it.”
She grunted and headed over to him. “I saw the messenger come here. Who sent you word and where is the missive?”
Raising his eyebrow, he turned to her and leaned against the table. “You mean to tell me you didn’t recognize the messenger?” Interesting. He thought she would know who the messenger was since she created him.
“Don’t be cute. I’m not in the mood to play games. What did the message say and who sent it?”
“It was a message to congratulate us on our upcoming marriage.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t believe you.”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe or don’t believe. I’m telling you that’s what it said.”
“Must you continue to be difficult?”
“Do you still want to kill me off?”
“Do you mean, do I want to go back to my world and write this story the way it’s supposed to be? The answer is yes.”
“Fine. Then yes, I must be difficult.”
She stared at him for a moment then gritted her teeth. “I hate you.”
“Your feelings for me are of little concern to me,” he replied, refusing to let her know she could upset him. With a smirk, he added, “All I want is results. If you can’t give me what I want, you’ll be chained to me for life, figuratively speaking of course. Though I think it might be fun to try it for real, especially if we don’t wear anything.”
She frowned and turned to the window which overlooked the land. “You are aptly named Blackheart. You will do whatever you want to get your way, no matter who you hurt.”
“That’s not fair,” he argued. “I haven’t hurt you in the time you’ve been here. In fact, I’ve seen to your every need. You have everything befitting a queen.”
“Everything but my freedom.” She turned around and glared at him. “I’m nothing but a glorified slave.”
“A slave? I assure you that if you were a slave, you wouldn’t be wearing the finest dresses in all the land or eating in my banquet hall. I have given you the best position a woman can have in this kingdom. And what’s more, I fully intend to keep you alive, which is much better than you would do for me.”
“How many times do I have to remind you that you’re a character in a story? You aren’t real.”
“I guess you’ll have to remind me every day since I’m too stupid to realize it.”
She stared at him, her mouth forming a thin line and hands clenched at her sides.
He honestly didn’t know how to get through to her. There had to be a way to get through her wall, but she had no intention of listening—really listen—to him. She was bound and determined to kill him off. He questioned the sanity of marrying a woman who could very easily slip a knife under her pillow and kill him while he slept, but he assured himself that he wouldn’t dare get that close to her. The least of his concerns was getting an heir. What he most needed was to secure his standing in the novel.
Releasing his breath, he pulled out his sword, satisfied when he noted the flicker of apprehension cross her face. He didn’t think he could kill her since she didn’t originate in this world, but maybe if she questioned her mortality here, she’d get a better appreciation for his predicament. “I need to practice in the courtyard,” he finally told her and lifted the sword. “It wouldn’t do well to go lax on my skills in case you decide to try to come after me.”
“You know very well that I couldn’t find any weapons.”
His eyebrows rose. “I didn’t realize you tried to find them.” He couldn’t read her expression, and that both intrigued and alarmed him. As much as he wanted to know what she was plotting, he knew he’d have to wait and see what stunts she’d pull to get back to her world. Forcing a smile, he added, “You’re welcome to watch me practice.”
“Can I have a sword?”
He chuckled. “Do you really think I’m so foolish? I wouldn’t dare give you the skills you need in order to get rid of me.”
“And what if you had to go into battle? Wouldn’t you want someone who is qualified to fight with you?”
“A queen’s job is to have children, not engage in battle. Besides the fact that you intend to kill me, my biggest criticism of your story is that you would go into battle without an heir to take your place. What if you died? Who would rule your kingdom?”
She crossed her arms and turned back to the window. “I’m the author. I control each and every battle, and,” she glanced over her shoulder and made eye contact with him, “I never die. There’s no danger that my kingdom would be without a ruler.”
“There wasn’t that danger when you were in your world. You’re here now. And that means you’re just as vulnerable as the rest of us.” At least that was a possibility. There was the other possibility that she was invincible, but he’d never give her that idea. It was better to let her think she could die here. “Since I have no heir yet, you will do what good queens do and stay out of battle.”
“I’ll never give you an heir,” she snapped.
He thought he detected a hint of regret underlying the anger in her tone but quickly dismissed it. She was being difficult, as usual. “Not today of course.” He walked over to the door. “I have more pressing things to tend to than getting under your dress.”
She gasped. “You needn’t be so crude.”
“I’m merely stating a fact. I have a possible issue to deal with, and I’ve wasted enough time talking to you. We have a library here. Why don’t you read a book so you can learn how to be submissive to your king like a good queen is supposed to do?”
She gasped again, but this time she didn’t remain still. She ran to the wall and picked up a sword. He hurried out of the room before she could pursue him.
July 25, 2013
Updates on What I’m Doing
His Abducted Bride will be due out next week.
I sent this book in for pre-order at the Apple iBookstore and Smashwords so I can’t publish it to Amazon or Barnes and Noble until July 30, but it usually takes a day or two for the book to go up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. So expect this to be up on August 1 or 2 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, providing I don’t run into any glitches. *fingers crossed*
For those of you who have signed up for my email list to be notified when new releases are out….
I will wait until the book is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble before sending the email out. I will include the links to the US Apple iBookstore and Smashwords. Usually, I don’t include Apple iBookstore in with the email list because I use Smashwords to go up to iBookstore and it can take a couple weeks or so before it’s on the iBookstore. This time is the exception (same for His Reluctant Lady when it’s out August 6) because of the pre-order process.
I hope that makes sense. If not, feel free to comment and I’ll try to explain it better.
And of course, I’ll post the links on this blog and announce them on the newsletter blog (so I will delay posting the newsletter until this book is available).
I finished the first draft to Kent Ashton’s Backstory!
But since I’m in the pre-order phase of His Abducted Bride and His Reluctant Lady, I haven’t been posting any scenes for this story. After His Reluctant Lady is released, I expect to pick up on posting the scenes again.
Here are the links to all the Kent posts. I have done some light revision already in the book but it’s pretty much the same in the plot to what I have below. This way you can catch up on the old posts. I expect to start posting more about Kent in about 2-3 weeks.
Like I said, I’ll resume posting his backstory in 2-3 weeks. :-)
The Stagecoach Bride estimated for later this year/early next.
Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.
Stephannie and I have talked about publishing this around December or January. I didn’t want anyone to think I’d forgotten about this book. :-)
Bride by Arrangement has a tentative release month of December.
The Anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I Are Working On
Jan and I have worked out the kinks with this anthology and are proceeding forward. Hopefully, we can get it out in December. *fingers crossed* The word count bar on the right side lets you know how far I am in my novella. It doesn’t include Jan’s novella, but I will be posting a sample from her novella in a month or two.
And I did change the title of my novella. It’s no longer “Pete’s Wife”. Now it’s “The Purchased Bride”.
**********
Other Works In Progress
I’m happy to say I’m over the halfway point in this one. I plan to publish this at the same time I publish Kent Ashton’s Backstory because the two go together.
At this time, I am estimating the end of September for the publishing month for both Kent Ashton’s Backstory and Catching Kent.
This is still in the beginning stages. I am only in chapter three, but at the moment, Christopher has succeeded in helping Paula (the heroine) corner Perry into a scandal that forces him to marry her.
This is also in the beginning stages (chapter two), but I can already tell that Eva Connealy (the heroine) is no coward. She’s not one to take stupid risks, but she’s got a surprising amount of underlying courage. I’m not sure how Boaz will respond to her, but it’ll be interesting to find out.
Possible Books in the Near Future
When I publish Kent Ashton’s Backstory and Catching Kent, I plan to be done with the first draft of The Purchased Bride (the novella I’m doing for Bride by Arrangement). This will free me up for two books to begin writing.
The novels I am thinking of writing are Wagon Trail Bride (Richard Larson and Amanda’s romance) and Patty’s Gamble. I’m finally getting a firm grasp of why Richard took Amanda out of New York. That’s been the hold up on that book. I had to know what made him marry her when he was in love with someone else at the time. But in a couple months, I might be in the mood to write something else instead. We’ll see what happens when I get to October.
I do want to do a romance based on the children in the South Dakota books (Loving Eliza, Bid for a Bride, and Bride of Second Chances), but I haven’t come up with a plot I can get excited about yet. I need to be super excited about a plot in order to write it. :-) But I just wanted to let everyone know I am planning on it. I probably won’t be writing any of them though for a while.
July 24, 2013
Hero Swap: A Scene from His Reluctant Lady (with King Gavin Blackheart taking Christopher Robinson’s Place)
Ever wonder, “What would that book be like if someone else was the hero?” Well, that’s what I’m doing in this post. :-)
I’m taking one scene from His Reluctant Lady, His Abducted Bride, and Eye of the Beholder and I’m going to swap heroes. I’ll be using their personalities to see how things would be different. I’ll be doing this for a couple weeks. During or after that time, I’ll give Dave Larson, Christopher Robinson, and Gavin Blackheart a chance to give their thoughts on this swap. While the men wanted to keep their heroines, I decided to make it much more interesting. The men will have to interact with the other guy’s heroine.
This week, we’re going to look at a scene from His Reluctant Lady. I’ll use Gavin (King Blackheart) in today’s post. The scene I’m doing today is based off this one I posted on Sunday. Ready to have some fun and see how Gavin handles the Regency time period?
King Gavin Blackheart tackles the Regency time period….
Without further ado, I give you…
His Reluctant Lady: Starring King Gavin Blackheart and Agatha Lyons
Seeing that Lady Richfield hadn’t moved from her spot, Gavin made his way over to her and cleared his throat. She inclined her head in his direction but maintained eye contact with the gentleman talking to her and her sister.
“Oh yes,” Lord Thomas said, “I’ve been on an elephant and a camel.”
“But isn’t that dangerous?” her sister asked, her eyes wide and excitement in her voice.
“Of course it is, but I don’t see the point in playing it safe all the time. A person has to enjoy life to truly live it,” he replied.
“I suspect you’re not the only person who shares that philosophy,” Lady Richfield said, glancing at Gavin.
Gavin nodded. “Exactly. Being safe all the time can be boring. I can’t say I’ve ridden an elephant or a camel, but I did ride a dragon once and that was an experience I’ll never forget.”
“A dragon?” her sister asked in excitement. “That’s the most impressive thing I’ve ever heard.”
“And dangerous,” Lady Richfield muttered under her breath.
“And absurd,” Lord Thomas replied with a chuckle. ”Dragons don’t even exist.” He turned to her sister. ”Care to dance?”
Despite the slight shake of Agatha’s head, her sister accepted and hurried off to dance with him.
Before Lady Richfield could step away from him, Gavin extended his arm and said in a tone loud enough for those around them to overhear, “I am here to answer all your prayers, my lady. Light on my feet and graceful, I promise to be. Stepping on your feet is something you’ll never have to fear from me.”
She stared at him for a moment as if she couldn’t believe he’d offer such a ridiculous rhyme but sighed and placed her hand on his arm and let him escort her to the dancing area. “The sooner we do this, the sooner it’ll be over.”
“You haven’t danced until you’ve been with a king or a warrior, and I happen to be both.”
She pretended to yawn.
“The lady is not easily impressed. Interesting.”
She released a loud sigh. “Is there something you want from me?”
“Yes. I want you to tell Mister Robinson and Mister Larson that I am the most desirable hero you’ve ever been with.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I don’t enjoy the company of any gentleman, and that includes a king and warrior. You gentlemen are all the same. You think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to the heroine when the truth is, you’d be nowhere if it weren’t for her.”
“That’s not true. We wouldn’t be anywhere if it hadn’t been for our mothers. They’re the ones who gave birth to us.”
“Not in your case. You were created by the heroine in your story.”
“I stand corrected. I am the exception.” He turned with her and grinned. ”I hear Mister Robinson is relentless in his pursuit of you.”
“Yes. He wants to marry me so he can be miserable.”
“No. He wants to marry you so he can have you in his bed.”
“You are much too bold.”
“Not as bold as some of the stuff you all do in the Regency era. Gentlemen taking mistresses, ladies taking lovers after the heir is born, and other things that I’d rather not say in this scene. Think what you will of my boldness, but at least I will take one queen and be faithful to her.”
“Not all of us do those things. Besides, isn’t it customary for a king to have a mistress or two on the side when the mood suits.”
“Good point.” He laughed and turned with her. ”Now I see why Mister Robinson is so enchanted with you. You won’t let him get away with anything. As soon as he steps out of line, you’ll let him know it.”
“Mister Robinson knows exactly when he steps out of line. In fact, the further he steps out of it, the more he delights in it.”
“Sounds like something a child would do. A mature adult, on the other hand, strategizes and wins the heart of his lady.”
“And you think a strategy works for all ladies?”
“Yes, it does as long as the gentleman picks the right one.” The music came to an end and he bowed. “Good luck on staying single.”
July 22, 2013
Hero Swap: A Scene from His Reluctant Lady (with Dave Larson taking Christopher Robinson’s Place)
Ever wonder, “What would that book be like if someone else was the hero?” Well, that’s what I’m doing in this post. :-)
I’m taking one scene from His Reluctant Lady, His Abducted Bride, and Eye of the Beholder and I’m going to swap heroes. I’ll be using their personalities to see how things would be different. I’ll be doing this for a couple weeks. During or after that time, I’ll give Dave Larson, Christopher Robinson, and Gavin Blackheart a chance to give their thoughts on this swap. While the men wanted to keep their heroines, I decided to make it much more interesting. The men will have to interact with the other guy’s heroine.
This week, we’re going to look at a scene from His Reluctant Lady. I’ll use Dave in today’s post. In the next post, I’ll let Gavin take Christopher’s place. The scene I’m doing today is based off this one I posted on Sunday. Ready to have some fun and see how Dave handles the Regency time period?
Let’s see how easy it is for him to be in Christopher’s shoes…
Without further ado, I give you…
His Reluctant Lady: Starring Dave Larson and Agatha Lyons
Seeing that Lady Richfield hadn’t moved from her spot, Dave Larson made his way over to her and was very disappointed that Ruth Ann Nordin hadn’t listened to him–once again. Instead of allowing Mary, his perfect wife, to be the heroine in this scene, Ruth had fixed him up with a woman who should have had the decency to cover more of herself up in a public setting. Looking around the ballroom, he decided that all the women should have used higher necklines with their dresses, especially since the only woman he wanted to see any cleavage on was Mary.
But he had to go through this dreadful scene, so he reluctantly poked Agatha in the arm. She inclined her head in his direction but maintained eye contact with the gentleman talking to her and her sister.
Well, that’s rude. Dave crossed his arms and wondered if Agatha was as shallow as Cassie who married Neil Craftsman.
“Oh yes,” Lord Thomas said, “I’ve been on an elephant and a camel.”
“But isn’t that dangerous?” Agatha’s sister asked, her eyes wide and excitement in her voice.
“Of course it is, but I don’t see the point in playing it safe all the time. A person has to enjoy life to truly live it,” he replied.
“I suspect you’re not the only person who shares that philosophy,” Agatha said, glancing at Dave.
Dave shrugged. “I have no use for a camel or elephant. Horses are much more practical for the work I do. As for enjoying life, it helps if you can surround yourself with people you care about.”
“Hear, hear!” Lord Thomas nodded in approval. “Good company is ideal. However, you ought to try riding an elephant or camel sometime. They’re magnificent creatures.”
“That’s alright. I’m quite happy on my farm.”
Agatha shot him a pointed look. ”You’re not a farmer in this story.”
“What am I?” Dave asked.
“The ward of an earl.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Don’t I have a job?”
“No, you don’t,” Lord Thomas said. ”In fact, none of us do.”
“You don’t?” Dave tried not to show his horror at the thought but without a job, what purpose did he have?
“We are wealthy,” Agatha told him. ”We don’t need to work in the sense you’re thinking of work.”
“Then what do you do?” Dave asked.
“Go to balls, museums, dinner parties,” Agatha began.
“Circuses!” her sister added. ”I do so love a circus. They have elephants there!”
Agatha shook her head at her sister then turned her attention back to Dave. ”You might think of it as one party after another. We have servants to do everything for us.”
“Even your cooking?” Dave wondered, thinking that no one could fix meals as good as Mary did. Even if he had to work from sunup to sundown, it was worth it to have her meals waiting for him when he came into the house.
“Of course,” Agatha replied. ”I don’t see why that’s so upsetting. It’s the way things are.”
He grimaced. All Christopher did was prance around from one ball to another? No wonder he whined about actual labor.
“Care to dance?” Lord Thomas asked Agatha’s sister, successfully bringing the scene back to where it should be.
Despite the slight shake of Agatha’s head, her sister accepted and hurried off to dance with him.
Before Agatha could step away from him, Dave said, “I’m supposed to dance with you.”
She opened her mouth to speak but glanced at those who looked in their direction. With a sigh, she placed her hand on his arm and let him escort her to the dancing area. “The other day, it was Mister Robinson. Today it’s you. Then it’ll be King Blackheart,” she said, frowning at him. ”This whole contest of wills between you and them is hindering my time to write.”
“It would help if Christopher wasn’t such a blowhard.”
“You can’t refer to him as Christopher in a public setting. We’re in the Regency time period. You should address him as Mister Robinson.”
“Well, back where I come from, it’s Christopher, and that’s only because I’m being nice. I could call him other things.”
“While I might agree with you on other names to call him, it’s still proper to refer to him as Mister Robinson. We are very strict about such things.”
“And yet so many of you go around showing off parts of you that ought to stay covered,” he pointed out, struggling to keep up with her as they continued to dance. It was ridiculous, but he couldn’t understand why no one could enjoy a simple waltz or square dance. Those were much easier to do.
She released a loud sigh. “This is proper attire for this time period. You can’t restrict your thinking to the historical old west in America. You need to be flexible and adapt.”
“I’m only here for one scene then I can move on to King Blackheart’s world and do one of his scenes. I don’t know when I’m supposed to do that, but I suspect it won’t be as good as the historical old west. You haven’t experienced real contentment until you’ve been out in the country and seen land as far as the eye can see.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I can go anywhere I want to by lifting my quill and writing a story down. I don’t want to simply be content. I want to live and enjoy the most life has to offer. I want to embrace it and venture out there, taking risks that would make my loved ones faint.”
“I have no complaints about my life,” he replied.l
“And I don’t either. In fact, I like my life exactly as it is, and the last thing I need is for a gentleman to come into my life to change it.”
“That’s fine with me because I’m not the kind who chases after a woman who doesn’t want to be caught.”
She seemed disappointed. ”Oh.”
“Oh what?”
With a shrug, she said, “I don’t know. I suppose it’s nice to be pursued, especially if the gentleman in question possesses some charm and wit.”
“I don’t have the time or desire to play games. I state it like it is and she can take it or leave it.”
“Then it seems Ruth was wise to pair you up with someone else.”
Dave nodded. ”I won’t argue that. There’ll never be anyone for me but Mary.”
The music came to an end and she curtsied. “At least you can return to her soon.” Then she headed off.
***
Dave picture credit: © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com
July 21, 2013
Sunday Story Sample: His Reluctant Lady
Tomorrow, I’m going to do a fun swap. :-) Today we have this scene from Christopher’s point of view. Tomorrow, I’m going to put Dave Larson in Christopher’s place. But, I am not going to let him have Mary take Agatha’s place as he wishes. He’s going to have to deal with Agatha. hehe In a couple more days, I’ll have Dave do a scene from His Abducted Bride, too.
Then I’ll let Gavin and Christopher take a scene from Eye of the Beholder. This way all three men will get a chance to live in the others’ shoes and I’ll bring them on for an interview to see what they’ll have to say about their “other life”. I expect this to be a lot of fun.
Seeing that Lady Richfield hadn’t moved from her spot, Christopher made his way over to her and lightly touched her arm, ensuring that no one else noticed. She inclined her head in his direction but maintained eye contact with the gentleman talking to her and her sister.
“Oh yes,” Lord Thomas said, “I’ve been on an elephant and a camel.”
“But isn’t that dangerous?” her sister asked, her eyes wide and excitement in her voice.
“Of course it is, but I don’t see the point in playing it safe all the time. A person has to enjoy life to truly live it,” he replied.
“I suspect you’re not the only person who shares that philosophy,” Lady Richfield said, glancing at Christopher.
Christopher’s eyebrows rose. “I can’t say I’ve ridden an elephant or a camel, but I don’t mind a challenge when it presents itself.”
“Hear, hear!” Lord Thomas nodded in approval. “Though you ought to try riding them sometime. They’re magnificent creatures.”
“It sounds like it,” her sister said. “And impressive.”
“And dangerous,” Lady Richfield muttered under her breath.
“Care to dance?” Lord Thomas asked her sister.
Despite the slight shake of Agatha’s head, her sister accepted and hurried off to dance with him.
Before Lady Richfield could step away from him, Christopher extended his arm and said in a tone loud enough for those around them to overhear, “Thank you for accepting my invitation to dance, my lady.”
She opened her mouth to speak but glanced at those who looked in their direction. With a sigh, she placed her hand on his arm and let him escort her to the dancing area. “You have a way of working things to your advantage,” she said, frowning at him.
“You wouldn’t have danced with me otherwise.”
“There are many things I’d say about you, Mister Robinson, but being dull isn’t one of them.”
“I appreciate the compliment.”
She released a loud sigh. “Is there something you want from me?”
“Yes. I want you to marry me.”
“I fail to understand you. I insulted you in front of your friends at Lord Edon’s dinner party. Do you really enjoy such treatment?”
“It’s no secret that your first marriage left a lot to be desired.”
“Lord Richfield died within twenty-four hours of marrying me. He did me a favor.”
“Some ladies don’t want their husbands dead,” he teased.
“So you want to marry me so you can be miserable? Is that the point to all of this?”
“No. I want to marry you because you’re the most exciting lady I’ve ever met. You have great passion. Imagine if you were to turn that passion in my favor? I sense the heat of your kisses would set the room on fire.”
“You are much too bold.”
“I’m not bold enough.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “If you wish to be a rake, you’re free to do so, but you’ll be a gentleman when you’re with me.”
Lowering his voice, he said, “But you don’t need a gentleman. You don’t even want a gentleman. You want to be pursued. You need to be won.”
“Are you comparing me to some animal you need to hunt?”
He laughed and turned with her. “Hardly. I don’t desire to make love to an animal.”
“I’m surprised, considering the fact that you’re acting like one.”
“And which one would that be?”
“A wolf.”
“A wolf? Not a bad choice. Quick, smart, territorial. They mate for life, you know?” When she groaned, he grinned. “I love your quick wit. I also love your beauty. You’ll make a marvelous wife once you decide to love your husband.”
She shook her head. “I will never remarry.”
“Why don’t we go outside?” he said in a soft voice. “Take a nice stroll, maybe even share a kiss?”
“You may add ‘intelligent’ to the list of things you claim to admire about me, Mister Robinson. You think I don’t know what a scandal that would be?”
“You can’t blame a gentleman for trying. We’ll be married either way, but if you insist on prolonging my torture, then so be it.”
“I know I’m going to be sorry I asked, but ‘torture’?”
“My heart won’t be complete until I make you my bride.”
She rolled her eyes. “I was right. I’m sorry I asked.” The music came to an end and she curtsied. “It’s a pleasure to end this dance.”
“Maybe next time we dance, it’ll be between the sheets,” he whispered, knowing it would bother her to no end that he said it.
And he was right. Her jaw dropped then she narrowed her eyes at him. What a lady of passion! He had a feeling that once she fell in love with him, she’d make his life very much worth living.
July 17, 2013
Updates on What I’m Working On
In case you haven’t seen it, I do have release dates now for His Abducted Bride and His Reluctant Lady.
His Abducted Bride is due out July 30. If you’d like to pre-order it, you can do so at Apple iBookstore or Smashwords using the links below:
His Reluctant Lady is due out August 6. If you’d like to pre-order it, you can do so at Apple iBookstore or Smashwords using the links below:
Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.
At the moment, Stephannie and I are on the last chapter of this book. It’s been a hectic and busy summer for both of us. Summers are harder to write during since the kids are home and since we both have them, we end up doing family activities more often than writing, which is as it should be since children are only young for a short time. Got to enjoy the moments while you can. :-)
I’m not sure when this one will be out. Since this is a co-authored book, both of our schedules have to be clear to work on it. I’ll update on this book when I have more information on it.
The Anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I Are Working On
I was talking to Jan today, and we might end up splitting this up so it’s not an anthology but in the same series. What I mean by that is her novella, “She Came By Train”, would be book 1 in the series. Then mine (which I’m thinking of retitling) will be book 2. I know this is confusing. We’re still trying to figure out what we want to do and the best way to proceed. The anthology idea is a neat one, but it might be more complicated than it’s worth. If we do split the books up so they are separate stories (instead of part of one book), then she’ll keep the cover with the name change “She Came By Train” and I will get a new cover with (probably) something like “Pete’s Mail-Order Bride”. I’ll keep you posted as we iron out the details.
We are both hoping to have our stories done by Christmas. *fingers crossed* That might change, of course, depending on unforeseen circumstances.
This novella keeps getting longer and longer, but I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This was supposed to be 10,000 words when I started it. It’s now past 28,000 words long. I should be posting up more scenes soon. The thing is, I had to jump ahead to the scenes recorded in Falling In Love With Her Husband so I could figure out what Kent’s point of view really was.
That made it easier to go back and connect all the dots on how he got to the point where he was chasing Ann to the barn and why she felt threatened. All I can say is that it was not easy, but it was worth it because it’s helped me figure out where I need to go to continue with Catching Kent since the two books are connected. Kent’s past plays into his resistance to being with Rose Larson.
I’m finally over the halfway point of this book. I suspect Kent’s father is going to play a part to how this book ends. There was a scene I wrote today where Kent pretty much promised his father that he’d reap what he’d sown (you’ll see what I mean when I get to posting more scenes from that novella again). The one thing I’ll say about Rose Larson is that she’s not as gullible and frightened as Rebecca was in Kent Ashton’s Backstory. I’m not sure where Catching Kent is going, though. The characters are guiding me along chapter by chapter. It’s both scary and exciting at the same time. LOL
If all goes according to plan, I am estimated to finish the first drafts for Kent Ashton’s Backstory and Catching Kent in mid-September. This puts me down for a late October release for both.
I finally got the scandal established so I was able to get past chapter 1 in this book. I’m in chapter 2. LOL Yeah, not a huge distance, but at least I’m at the point where Perry has is being scandalized, much to his shock. Christopher Robinson (his lovable but wayward ward) has a hand in the scandal and will probably be an ally to the heroine, Paula, as the book continues. I really enjoy Christopher. He’s one of my favorite Regency characters because he loves to irk Perry just to get a reaction out of him. I also loved how he was with Agatha in His Reluctant Lady. He’s just a fun guy to be around.
I’m hoping to have the first draft to this done in December which puts me in line for publishing it around January, probably late January.
Finally, the last current story is Boaz’s Wager. I’m going to go light on this one until I finish up a couple of the others. I was anxious to get started so I did. But I’ll be writing only a little bit here and there in it. The above stories are a priority.
***
As a side note, Eva Connealy (heroine in Boaz’s Wager) does not travel to Montana alone. She is with Rachel Larson (Dave and Mary Larson’s oldest daughter) when their stagecoach is taken over by outlaws who then take them to Lewistown where they’ll be sold to men to marry. Rachel was on her way to be a mail-order bride to a rancher in Jordan, but she’ll end up being someone else’s wife in Lewistown instead. So this means the Montana Romance Collection will have 4 books in it instead of the 3 I originally planned. More information will be coming on Rachel’s story as I figure out more to the plot.
This is why I continue to self-publish my books. I can do whatever I want with my characters. I am enjoying putting characters from one series into another series. The flexibility is what makes writing a lot of fun. 
July 15, 2013
Dave Larson, Gavin (King Blackheart) and Christopher Robinson Debate Again
Gavin
Gavin (King Blackheart): Wow, Christopher. I just read the sample from your book where you and Agatha bet each other on who can hold off on sex the longest, and all I have to say is “pathetic”. Never in a million years would Sandy suggest that it’s her “duty” to be in my bed.
Christopher Robinson: Agatha doesn’t really think it’s a “duty”.
Dave Larson: Really? Then why did she call it that?
Christopher: Because she is too proud to admit she wants to be with me.
Gavin: *smirks* Sure.
Christopher: It’s true. And I’m going to win the bet. Before the story is done, she’s going to coming to my bed with the intent of having her way with me.
Dave: I think it’s sad that you even have to make such a bet. If you were truly a hero, you wouldn’t have to resort to a bet to get her to admit it.
Christopher: I am a hero. A fun one, too, if I say so myself, unlike you who ended up being so serious all the time. The problem doesn’t lie with me. It’s her deceased husband, Lord Richfield. I don’t know the details of their brief marriage, but apparently, he wasn’t a good husband.
Dave: I think you’re stretching.
Christopher: No, I’m not. If her first husband was alive, I’d challenge him to a duel.
Gavin: For goodness’ sakes. Think with your head. A duel would get someone weak like you killed.
Christopher: Weak?
Gavin: Yes, weak. You haven’t fought a day in your life, have you?
Christopher: I have so. I got into a fist fight when I was seventeen.
Dave: And lost?
Christopher: Hey, if I hadn’t been drinking, I would have won.
Gavin: So you’re not only weak and inexperienced, but you’re stupid. I bet you didn’t even get into a fight over something worth fighting about.
Christopher: The gentleman in question happened to be cheating at a card game and I called him on it.
Gavin: Let me guess. You just spouted this off without taking the time to form a strategy first.
Dave: He said he was drinking. Of course, he didn’t form a strategy.
Christopher
Christopher: What does it matter? That’s all in the past. I don’t do that anymore. And it has nothing to do with my book. I don’t know why you two are even here. Does it annoy you to no end that my book was featured yesterday? Did I make a big stink and make fun of Gavin after reading his sample last Sunday when we all saw he used magic to force Sandy into marrying him? No. I was very mature about it and didn’t stoop to his level. Oh sure, I could have said something like, “Gavin is such a great warrior that he needs a magician’s help to get him a wife.” But I didn’t do that. And you know why?
Dave: Because you weren’t smart enough?
Christopher: No.
Gavin: Because Dave was too fast and challenged our books against his before you could?
Christopher: No. It’s because I am a gentleman. A real gentleman. I am the cousin of an earl–
Gavin: Big whoop. I’m a king.
Dave: I don’t care what either of you thinks. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is sexier than a cowboy. I don’t need some lame title or an association to someone with a title to prove that.
Christopher: Yeah, well, we’re not running the poll yet so I wouldn’t get so smug if I were you.
Dave: I don’t need a poll. Men who work hard and know the value of a good woman will always be sexy.
Gavin: You think being a warrior isn’t hard work?
Christopher: I work hard, too. You think it’s easy to be as charming as I am while fending off a stuffy guardian who is trying to make me as boring as he is?
Gavin: Oh brother. You wouldn’t last one day on the battlefield.
Dave
Dave: Or one day doing hard labor.
Christopher: That just shows how much you know. I’ve had to clean out stalls and empty chamber pots.
Dave: Stuff we do out west in the late 1800s, and we don’t whine about it.
Christopher: Seriously?
Dave: Yes.
Christopher: Well, it sucks to be you then, doesn’t it?
Dave: I guess it depends on your wimp factor. I’ve helped my family build houses and barns, and some of those were made of sod. At times, we’ve had to keep warm by burning cow pies. That’s cow poop, Christopher. We didn’t always have a well nearby and have had to go down a stream to retrieve enough to put in buckets or barrels. Sometimes we bathed in cold water–
Christopher: Like I said, it sucks to be you.
Gavin: Yeah, it does. Thank goodness I didn’t get stuck in a historical western.
Dave: Ruth leaves out the nitty gritty of the time period.
Christopher: Even so, I bet you all go around stinking, especially burning all those cow pies in your house.
Dave: We didn’t always use cow pies. They were used as a last resort. Living out west was about survival, not prancing about at balls or playing with swords in a courtyard.
Gavin: Hey, I don’t play with swords. I practice fighting so I can defend my kingdom. You think it’s so easy to be me, you should try it sometime.
Christopher: And you should try putting up with my overbearing cousin.
Dave: Gavin, I do know how to use a gun and a knife. I doubt the sword thing would be that difficult. As for you Christopher, I don’t see how dealing with a concerned guardian is a big deal. If you weren’t going around drinking and accusing people of cheating, you probably wouldn’t need to be coddled so much.
Christopher: Fine. If you think it’s so easy, take a day to be in my shoes.
Gavin: And mine.
Dave: Fine, I will. But there’s one condition.
Christopher: Oh?
Dave: You two have to take a day in my shoes, too. Except, I get to bring Mary with me. There’s no way I’ll let you two be in the role of her husband, even if it’s fiction.
Gavin: So we take our wives with us.
Christopher: Without their approval first?
Gavin: If we asked for their approval, they would never give it. They’re far too sensible to do this because we all know we’re going to discover that we’re better off in the stories we were created in.
Christopher: I know I’m better off in the Regency time period. I just want Dave to get an appreciation for how demanding my life is.
Gavin: Then it’s agreed. We all swap stories for one day and see what we learn.
***
Christopher picture credit: © Vanessa Van Rensburg | Dreamstime.com
Gavin picture credit: © Vladimirs Poplavskis | Dreamstime.com
Dave picture credit: © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com
July 14, 2013
Sunday Story Sample: The Bet (A Brief Scene from His Reluctant Lady)
Last week, I went to the 1880s Town which is just west of Murdo, South Dakota, and I took some awesome pictures which I’ll be posting on this blog in the month or two to come. Ever wonder what it was really like back in the late 1800s in western America? They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, and there’s nothing like seeing it to get an appreciation for the time period. I figure I’ll do at least one post a week (maybe around Wednesday or Thursday) until I’m done showing them all.
***
In the meantime, I have today’s sample from His Reluctant Lady. :-)
“As your wife,” Agatha said. ”I have to make sure you get your pleasure. Apparently, that means wherever you want to receive it.”
Christopher caressed her bottom. “Be honest, my love. Weren’t you a bit anxious to be with me as well?”
“Ladies aren’t like gentlemen. They can do very well without it.”
“Oh?”
“It’s true. You don’t see me groping you, do you?”
He chuckled. “You might be hiding your desire for me, but I recall the way you responded to me just now. You were very willing to do this.” Grinning, he added, “And in the drawing room during the day. Even though we made love four times last night and then again this morning. I don’t think you can get enough of me.”
“Before you get smug, may I remind you that the more we do it, the better your chances are of getting a child?”
“That’s not why you were moaning in pleasure.”
Sensing the challenge in his statement, she countered, “Well, I thought I’d be polite. A male’s sensibility is a delicate thing.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “My dear Agatha, I’m afraid you are the one who has delicate sensibilities if you can’t admit how much you enjoy making love to me.”
“You wish it was so but it’s not. A lady could do very well without it. All she really requires is for her husband to talk to her as he would a friend and grace her with hugs and kisses. If he did that and nothing else, she’d be content.”
“If it’s a challenge you want, then it’s a challenge you shall get.” He kissed her, his tongue briefly touching hers, and shot her a triumphant grin, something she thought rather foolish since he hadn’t won the challenge yet. “I’m going to prove you wrong. You will end up coming to my bed to satisfy your carnal cravings.”
Appalled he’d even suggest such a thing, she gasped. “Never.”
He gave her a chaste kiss. “It’ll be my pleasure to prove you wrong.”
She didn’t hide her amusement. “Considering how you can’t control yourself whether we’re in this room or the bedchamber, I wouldn’t boast too much if I were you.”
He winked. “You’ll see.”
She made sure he saw her shake her head before she headed out of the room.
July 8, 2013
Dave Larson States His Case With Interruptions from Christopher Robinson and Gavin Blackheart
Since it’s Monday, I thought I’d discuss the inspiration behind His Abducted Bride–
Dave Larson
Dave Larson: Hold on there, Ruth. I reserved Monday to give a rebuttal to Christopher Robinson’s claim that he’s better than me. This is in response to what he wrote in May 26, 2013′s post when he said “….His Reluctant Lady which happens to be the very best book Ruth has ever written…and I’m not just saying that because I’m the main character. Well, all right, I am, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. This is way better than anything else she’s ever done. Dave Larson, eat your heart out. *smirks* His Reluctant Lady is going to be better than Eye of the Beholder.”
Christopher Robinson: It took you this long to make a rebuttal?
Ruth: To be fair, this did have to travel back to the late 1800s.
Dave: That’s not what made me take so long to form a rebuttal. I happened to be planting at the time.
Christopher: Planting.
Dave: Yeah, crops. Perhaps you’ve heard of them. They end up being food you eat.
Christopher: I know what crops are. I just can’t understand why you couldn’t take an hour of your day to come on this blog to argue with me.
Dave: Well, unlike you, I work from sunrise to sunset. I’m not frolicking about on a ballroom floor or taking a leisurely ride on Rotten Row while listening to gossip. I actually have a purpose in life.
Christopher: *gasps* I have a purpose. You think all I do is goof off? I’ll have you know that Ruth is currently at the beginning of The Earl’s Scandalous Wife, and it’s up to me to find a wife for my cousin, Lord Clement. If you think that’s easy, then maybe we should trade roles because no one turns ladies off faster than Lord Clement, especially when he whines about that blasted cane of his.
Dave: If it takes you a long time to figure out how to fix him up, then you aren’t doing it right.
Christopher: I’ll have you know my cousin has a very telling nickname. Want to hear it?
Dave: Not really.
Christopher: It’s “The Earl Who Can’t Get a Wife”. He’s been engaged but she ran off with someone else. That was the closest he ever got. I just know I’m going to have to help create a scandal to make it happen because there’s no other way he’ll get married.
Dave: You can’t be serious. Playing matchmaker isn’t the same as growing food and taking care of animals. You’re still playing around. I’m actually working. That in itself proves my book, Eye of the Beholder is better than yours, His Reluctant Lady. It’s about a hard working farmer who meets the most wonderful young woman who came as someone else’s mail-order bride at a train station.
Christopher: Sounds like a winner already. So you stole someone else’s intended bride. Just the kind of thing heroes are made of. *rolls eyes*
Dave: You didn’t let me finish. The man she was supposed to marry rejects her. It was his loss. She ended up with me instead, making me the luckiest man who ever lived.
Christopher Robinson
Christopher: Doesn’t sound like much of a plot. It sounds like the happy little village with the happy little people. Next thing I know, you’re going to be sitting around a campfire singing songs about love and harmony.
Dave: Not quite. As it turns out, the man who rejected her gets married to another woman whose beauty is only on the surface. My book is about what truly makes a woman beautiful.
Christopher: *yawns* I can do better than that. My book is about making a beautiful woman embrace the passion she’s been suppressing for years. Mine has excitement and witty banter. I’ll have Ruth post a sample of such witty banter this upcoming Sunday. Then you can just how much more interesting my story is than a weak “it’s what’s inside that counts” thing that’s been overdone.
Dave: It’s not the theme of a story that counts so much as in how it’s told. Even an interesting plot can become boring if the storyteller doesn’t know what she’s doing.
Christopher: Ah, so you admit my book is better than yours!
Dave: I did not.
Christopher: Sounds like you did to me. You just said my book has an interesting plot.
Dave: No, I was saying that since I have a good storyteller, my story was a memorable and exciting book.
Christopher: I don’t recall you saying those exact words.
Dave: It was my meaning.
Christopher: Dave, you are a sad, sad, sad little person. Your glory days are over. It’s time to move on and fade into obscurity where no one will remember your book.
Dave: My book will not fade into obscurity because it delves deeper than the shallow back and forth talking you claim is so good in yours.
Christopher: You can have deep and meaningful while providing humor in witty banter.
Gavin
Gavin: Thank you both for hijacking what was supposed to be a post about my book, His Abducted Bride.
Christopher: You’re welcome.
Gavin: I was being sarcastic. And both of you have plots that are done way too much. Dave Larson has the rejected bride who becomes well loved by all. Christopher Robinson has the reluctant bride who ends up being glad she got married. Big whoop. Those books are a dime a dozen. But when is the last time you read a book where the character of a story pulled the author into it? I don’t recall seeing a bunch of those all over the place.
Christopher: Because no one wants to read that kind of book. If they did, others like it would be written.
Gavin: That’s not true.
Christopher: Yes, it is.
Dave: It doesn’t matter what you two think. Mine is the book will always be the best one Ruth ever wrote. Sure, you two might have somewhat amusing plots. Maybe you’ll even entertain some people. But when it all comes down to it, mine will be the one that is the favorite.
Christopher: That’s big talk from someone who already has the book out while the rest of us are still waiting for August so we can finally see our books published.
Gavin: No kidding. It feels like August will never get here, though technically mine comes out July 30.
Christopher: Close enough.
Dave: Fine. Then after your books come out, we’ll come back to this blog and put it to a vote.
Ruth: There you have it. In August, we’ll have a vote on this blog so you can settle this debate among three characters who all think their book is better than the others’.
