Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 87
April 26, 2013
A Gift of Cookies and An Interview With Mark and Lexie (Hero and Heroine in Runaway Bride)
In Runaway Bride, Mark makes Lexie chocolate marshmallow cookies. These cookies were inspired by Shelley and Ed. Ed had offered to make me these cookies if I’d write Runaway Bride. That was a year ago, and at the time, the book wasn’t ready to be written. Some of you will remember that I even contemplated dropping the idea and giving the basic plot (an engaged woman who runs off with another man) to a Regency novel instead.
Then I realized the story would only work as a contemporary, and it pretty much had to be Mark and Lexie from the Across the Stars Series. So I decided to go back to the original cast of characters. This was actually an important lesson for me. Once I set an idea with the characters it’s intended for, I can’t switch that idea to other characters. This is why Mitch’s Win had to be a Montana book instead of a Nebraska one. I don’t know what it is about certain characters making a particular plot work, but it’s pretty much set in stone or the story will never be as satisfying to write.
Anyway, as I was writing Runaway Bride and there was this big thing about Mark wanting to make Lexie something sweet to eat, I knew there was only one kind of dessert that would fit: chocolate marshmallow cookies. That’s how they ended up in the book. To be honest, I hadn’t heard of these cookies before Shelley and Ed mentioned them.
And guess what? They sent me the cookies so I could taste them for myself. :D I took some pictures to share.
Here I am holding the cookies. I hadn’t taken them out of the box yet.
The kids ate them before I could get a picture of them with the cookies. (My fourth kid was on his way home from school. He’s deaf so he goes to a different school. Don’t worry, he got some cookies at dinner.)
The cookies were good, by the way. They didn’t last past dinner in my house. LOL
In addition to posting these pictures, I thought it’d be fun to bring Mark and Lexie in for an interview.
Ruth: Hey, guys. Got anything you’d like to say?
Mark: Yes. I would like to thank Shelley and Ed for giving Ruth the swift kick in the behind that she needed in order to write my book. Had it not been for you, I’d probably still be this lonely and sad Pandoran male who was doing an endless search for a life mate.
Ruth: To be fair, you already picked your life mate out, even if she didn’t know you had plans to break up her engagement in order to marry her.
Mark: Gee, you make what I did sound so…so…conniving.
Ruth: Well, you were. You schemed a way to get Lexie to dump Nick.
Mark: I call that rescuing her. You wrote the book. You know she wouldn’t have been happy with him.
Ruth: I could have made her happy with Nick.
Mark: If you had, the story would have bombed. No one would have wanted to read it.
Mark and Lexie
Lexie: Come on, you two. I thought we were here to talk about how nice it was that Shelley and Ed sent cookies out, not to mention how delicious they were when Mark made some for me.
Mark: See? Nick never would have done that. In fact, he wasn’t going to let Lexie have any desserts because he had to make sure she always “looked good enough” for him so he could impress other people. Send Nick to Pandoran where he can get a clue. There’s more to a woman than how she looks. There’s her ability to maintain an intelligent conversation and her kindness. Though I will say Lexie is a total babe.
Ruth: Yeah, I recall how you were drooling over her in Suddenly a Bride.
Lexie: He was?
Ruth: He couldn’t stop staring at you, especially your legs and breasts. He wasn’t exactly interested in your mind or personality at the time.
Mark: That’s not fair. I thought we had a good conversation that day.
Ruth: Here’s a quote from the book: “Mark’s eyes traced the curve of her tanned legs until they settled on her feet which were in sandals. She was hot.”
Lexie: He thought that about me?
Mark: That’s not fair. You didn’t include the sentence after that: ”He was finding the more he talked and looked at Lexie, the more excited he got about spending time with her.” And I don’t see any reference to her breasts up in the passage you quoted.
Ruth: “Lexie took a deep breath—something Mark enjoyed more than he thought he should..” That’s an indirect reference to her breasts.
Mark: And yet, I was thinking the more I talked to her, the more I wanted to spend time with her. I was looking at the whole package, not just her body. I know better than to base my decision on choosing a life mate solely on looks.
Lexie: Well, I’m flattered. Maybe I should go read Suddenly a Bride.
Mark: There’s nothing else interesting in it. Just a bunch of stuff about your sister and Chris. Ours is a lot better.
Ruth: I’m sure Caitlyn and Chris would argue that one.
Mark: Since they’re not here, it doesn’t matter what their opinion, does it?
Ruth: I had no idea you were so difficult, Mark. You remind me a lot of Dave Larson. Easy to write on paper but hard to deal with in an interview. And ironically, both of you are married to women who are peacemakers.
Mark: You need to quit writing while you’re ahead. You’re using the same character types over and over. Your writing will go stale. Time to move on to something more productive like lint collecting.
King Blackheart
King Blackheart: Mark, speak such nonsense again, and we’ll have a duel. I’ll have you know Ruth’s currently writing her best book yet. She’s writing my story, His Abducted Bride, and I happen to be way better than you.
Mark: Way better? Just because you’re holding… Wait what is that?
King Blackheart: It’s a sword.
Mark: Big whoop. So you play with toys.
King Blackheart: A sword is not a toy. I am a skilled warrior. I have an entire kingdom and army at my beck and call. That’s much more impressive than some whiny “I’m bored on this planet” hero who needs to break up someone else’s engagement in order to get a wife.
Mark: *snorts* And you have to what? Kidnap Sandy in order to secure your wife? Yeah, like that marriage is going to work out.
King Blackheart: I’ll have you know I kidnapped her for a very good reason.
Mark: Because you’re a brute?
King Blackheart: A brute? I’m not a brute. I’m an alpha hero. I see what I want, and I take it.
Mark: So? I did the same thing.
King Blackheart: Well, I’m more alpha than you are. In fact, I am the most alpha Ruth’s ever written.
Mark: That’s debatable.
Ruth: Look, you two can argue this all you want, but this post is getting too long. I need to end it here.
**Mark and King Blackheart continue arguing while the rest of us leave**
***
Picture credits:
picture of Mark and Lexie: © Msphotographic | Dreamstime.com
picture of King Blackheart: © Vladimirs Poplavskis | Dreamstime.com
April 23, 2013
Another Scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory
For today’s Inspiration for the Book (which I’ve been doing for Monday), I thought I’d post another scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory. For those of you who read An Inconvenient Marriage, you might remember the brief conversation Jake Mitchell (hero in An Inconvenient Marriage) overheard while at a bank.
(Jake Mitchell) went over to a desk in the lobby to fill out the necessary paperwork. The boy named Kent sat in a couch close to him. Though Jake had his back turned to him, he could hear Kent talk to the young lady sitting next to him. The girl in Todd’s picture wasn’t the same girl who was talking to Kent.
“Why do you insist on marrying Ann Statesman instead of me?” the girl asked.
Jake rolled his eyes. It was one of those discussions.
“Ann Statesman comes from one of the wealthiest families in town,” the boy replied. “She has a considerable dowry.”
Jake focused his attention on the conversation. It sounded oddly familiar to what he overheard from someone in his past.
“But I thought your affections were for me,” she argued.
“They are, Rebecca.”
“So why don’t you court me? Who cares about the money?”
“It’s a lot of money we’re talking about. I want to do some traveling and entertaining. Her money will provide for that and more.”
Jake quickly finished signing the contract after he read through it and walked by Todd’s desk.
That was the conversation between Kent and Rebecca, and it took place before Kent ended his courtship with Ann in Falling In Love With Her Husband. At the time, I thought it was so neat to give a glimpse into what was happening with Kent and Rebecca that no one got to see in Falling In Love With Her Husband. However, when I started writing Kent Ashton’s Backstory, I forgot all about that scene until someone asked me why Ann’s father refused to let Kent propose to her. I hit a roadblock on this for about two weeks and couldn’t write anything until I figured out what to do with that one pesky little conversation.
I finally got it smoothed out and am ready to post it. :-)
The next day, Kent shifted in the carriage in an effort to get as far from his father as possible. His father was in a sickeningly good mood. The only thing that made his father this happy was when he was about to come into a lot of money.
“These investments will make us both wealthy in a year,” his father said, fidgeting in excitement. “We’re very fortunate to had made friends with Mister Johnson.”
“Then I don’t need to marry his daughter,” Kent replied, hoping his father would relent.
“Rebecca will serve you much better. She might not come with a dowry as much as Ann’s, but you can’t deny Mister Johnson has better connections than Mister Statesman does. Why, to have anything to do with Mister Statesman is laughable. What benefit can he give you?”
“I don’t care what benefits he can give me? I just want to marry Ann.”
His father shook his head. “Foolishness. That’s all this is. You will marry Rebecca.”
“No, I won’t, and there’s nothing you can say or do to make me.”
The carriage pulled up to the bank and the driver opened the door, but Kent refused to look away from his father. His father finally left the carriage.
As Kent joined him, he whispered, “We’ll see about that.”
He glared at his father, but his father’s back was turned to him as he approached the bank. If Kent didn’t need the money as badly as he did, he would have headed straight home. But he did need the money if he hoped to be with Ann.
When he entered the bank, his gaze fell on Todd who was at one of the desks. He grimaced. He forgot Todd worked here. It was because of Todd that Ann’s father wouldn’t let him marry her. What was so great about Todd?
“Kent, come over here.”
Kent headed over to his father, his steps slowing when he realized Mr. Johnson had brought Rebecca with him. She smiled at him in a way that made his stomach churn. Noting his father’s silent message to return Rebecca’s smile, he did, but only because they were in a public place.
“Rebecca, my dear, why don’t you wait for me over there?” Mr. Johnson gestured to the couch in the center of the room. “We don’t want to bore you while we discuss business.”
“Alright, Father,” she replied, offering Kent another smile before she left them.
Kent hardly paid attention while his father and Mr. Johnson went over the details of the investments, but soon enough, he followed his father to the teller. Feeling the heat of someone’s gaze on him, he scanned the room and saw that Rebecca was watching him. His face warmed from a mixture of aggravation and embarrassment. Todd wasn’t that far away and he’d probably assume more was going on than actually was.
“Excellent,” Kent’s father told the teller, interrupting Kent’s thoughts. He turned to Kent. “We’ll arrange things with Mister Wilcombe.”
The two men went to the office and filled out the necessary paperback to open the investments. When they were done, his father said, “I want to talk to Mister Johnson. Sit over there and wait for me.”
Kent looked at the couch where Rebecca was still sitting and sighed. The chairs were already taken, so there was nowhere else he could wait. “I’m not marrying her,” he whispered.
His father ignored him and walked over to Mr. Johnson.
Gritting his teeth, he stumped over to the couch and sat down, choosing a section that wasn’t right next to her.
She chuckled and scooted closer to him. “There’s no need to be shy,” she softly said. “My father explained everything.”
“What did he explain?” He saw the two men leave the chairs and cursed his poor timing. If he’d only waited a couple more seconds, he could have been sitting across from her.
She fiddled with her gloves. “Oh, about how you want to you secretly want to be with me but was too afraid to ask my father if you could court me. I had no idea you entertained romantic feelings for me all this time. If you’d only asked me, I would have accepted your suit.”
Is that what Kent’s father told Mr. Johnson? He couldn’t believe it. Settling a little further from her, he said, “Rebecca, I don’t know how to tell you what’s really going on.”
“You don’t have to. I already know. Our times together have been magical.”
“I can’t marry you.” There. He came out and said it. “I’m going to marry Miss Statesman.”
“I don’t understand. There’s nothing stopping us from being together. My father heartily approves the match.” She frowned, her lower lip jutting out. “Why do you insist on marrying Ann Statesman instead of me?”
“Ann Statesman comes from one of the wealthiest families in town.” Then before she could argue that she also came from wealth, he added, “She has a considerable dowry.” And that was true. Ann’s dowry was significantly larger than Rebecca’s.
“But I thought your affections were for me.”
He glanced at his father and Mr. Johnson. Neither would be pleased if he admitted that he had no desire to be with her at all, and quite frankly, it didn’t seem fair to let her know that he never found her attractive. “They are, Rebecca,” he finally hedged.
“So why don’t you court me? Who cares about the money?”
“It’s a lot of money we’re talking about. I want to do some traveling and entertaining. Her money will provide for that and more.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “So you’re giving up love for money?”
He inwardly groaned. What was he supposed to say to that?
His father approached them. “It’s time to go. You may see Rebecca when we attend our next dinner party at the Johnsons’.”
As he stood up, he happened to catch the way Todd was staring at him. Narrowing his eyes, he waited for a moment. Todd refused to break eye contact with him. What had he ever done to Todd? Just because Ann didn’t want to marry him, Todd hated him? Well, it was her choice who she ended up with, not Todd or even her father’s.
He considered going over to Todd and asking him if he had something to say to him, but his father cleared his throat. “Kent, time is of the essence.”
Reluctant, Kent looked away from Todd and left the bank.
April 21, 2013
More Questions I’ve Gotten
Edited after this posted: I posted this by mistake. LOL I mean to post it on Wednesday or Thursday, but before I could schedule it, I hit “publish” and so here we are. Because of this, I’m going to reschedule the post I meant to do tomorrow for Tuesday instead. Next post will be the next scene for Kent Ashton’s Backstory.
***
I just want to say thanks to those of you asking questions because it helps me know if there’s anything worth discussing on my blog. :-)
Here are a couple I’ve received recently:
Will you write backstories for other characters?
I’d like to. However, when I can depends on how much I have going on with other stories. I can’t handle more than four works in progress at a time. Two can be about 1,000 words a day, one can be at 500 words a day, but book four has to be 200-300 words a day. After that, my brain is fried and I can’t do any more.
The other thing it depends on is what I’m in the mood to write. I can’t force a story until it’s ready, even if it’s a backstory about a character. I’ve found if I force something that isn’t ready to be written, it doesn’t turn out right and I’ll have to spend significant time rewriting it or have to stop and come back to it later. Life is easier when I go with the characters and stories that are nagging at me to write.
At the moment, Kent is the only character who wants a backstory, and I’m writing his as we speak. :-)
Do you write every story idea that you have?
Sadly, there is not enough time in the day (or years in my life) to write all of my ideas. I’ll have more ideas than I’ll ever use. This is a major bummer for me because I would love to get all of my ideas down.
Where’s a list of all the books you’ve done?
I put a list of all of my books on this blog and on my website. Since I now have 31 romances published, I’ve found it easier to divide them up according to series: Regencies, Nebraska Historicals, South Dakota Historicals, Montana Historicals, Native American Romances (which are historicals), Virginia Historicals, Other Historicals, Across the Stars Series (contemporary with a slight sci-fi/fantasy bit), Omaha Contemporaries, and Florida Contemporaries. I realize I have some updating to do.
I also include a list of all of my books with each book I publish. The more recent my book, the more current my list. So if you got my latest release, you have the most current list.
But for easy reference, I’m writing the list of published romances that is current as of April 21, 2013. (In July I plan to add four more books–three full-length and one novella–to the list.)
Regencies
The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife
Her Counterfeit Husband
A Most Unsuitable Earl
Nebraska Historical Romances
Her Heart’s Desire
A Bride for Tom
A Husband for Margaret
Eye of the Beholder
The Wrong Husband
Shotgun Groom
To Have and To Hold
His Redeeming Bride
Isaac’s Decision
South Dakota Historical Romances
Loving Eliza
Bid for a Bride
Bride of Second Chances
Montana Historical Romances
Mitch’s Win
Native American Romances (Historical)
Restoring Hope
A Chance In Time
Brave Beginnings
Bound by Honor Bound by Love
Other Historical Romances
Falling In Love With Her Husband
Meant To Be
Virginia Historical Romances
An Unlikely Place for Love
The Cold Wife
An Inconvenient Marriage
Romancing Adrienne
Across the Stars Series
Suddenly a Bride
Runaway Bride
Omaha Contemporary Romances
With This Ring I Thee Dread
What Nathan Wants
Florida Contemporary Romances
Substitute Bride
***
Any other questions? I’d be happy to answer them. :-)
Another Scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory
For today’s Sunday Story Sample, I wanted to post a scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory. 
As Kent entered his house, his father hurried into the entryway and beckoned for him to enter the parlor. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
“We?” Kent asked as he shrugged out of his coat and handed it to the butler.
“Yes. Now, come. Don’t keep Mister Johnson waiting.”
Hesitant, he headed for the parlor, wondering what business Mr. Johnson wanted with him. Knowing his father, this would probably be an unpleasant surprise. He took a deep breath as he approached him.
Mr. Johnson set down his glass of sherry and motioned for the chair across from him. “Kent! Good, you’re here. Sit down and have a glass. We have much to celebrate.”
“We do?” Kent asked, glancing at his father who shut the parlor door.
“Now, don’t tell me you aren’t a little suspicious of what your father and I have been doing.” Mr. Johnson chuckled as he poured Kent a glass and held it to him. “Though, I’ll admit I’m not at all surprised to hear you changed your mind about Miss Statesman. No one could deny the way you and my daughter got along so amiably while you entertained us with your music.”
He turned his gaze to his father who gestured for him to accept the glass Mr. Johnson was handing him. With a tentative smile, he took the glass. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”
His father laughed and settled beside Mr. Johnson. “Even now, he’s too shy to tell you. Kent, my son, I took the liberty of seeking courtship for Rebecca on your behalf.”
Kent almost dropped his glass. “You what?”
“There’s no need to be embarrassed,” Mr. Johnson quickly assured him. “I heartily approve of the match. You and Rebecca will make a splendid couple. I understand you need to end your courtship with Miss Statesman and give a small space of time before you ask Rebecca to court her. These things needn’t be rushed.”
Kent swallowed and looked at his father. How could his father do this to him?
His father drank some sherry. “You ought to tell him the other good news.”
“Oh, yes!” Mr. Johnson set his glass down and rubbed his hands together. “I have decided to sign you and your father up as partners with me in a couple of investments. You’ll need to keep the details to yourself since we don’t want everyone jumping on them, but they’re guaranteed to be fruitful in as little as a year.”
“And we’ll go to the bank tomorrow to work on purchasing them,” Kent’s father added. “I’ll pick you up in the carriage after school so we can head straight over there.”
“But… I…” Kent struggled to find a way to tell Mr. Johnson he couldn’t court Rebecca, but his father shot him a piercing look and turned to him.
“You’ll have to forgive my son,” his father told Mr. Johnson. “I think our news has left him speechless.”
“It’s to be expected, given his age,” Mr. Johnson replied. “I’ll never forget how uncertain I was when I was seventeen. It’ll be alright, Kent. As you get older, you’ll be more confident.”
His father chuckled and motioned to the door. “You may be excused.”
He placed the glass on the table. He had to think of something and he had to think of something quick because if he didn’t, his future would be unpleasant. With a polite good-bye to Mr. Johnson and his father, he left the room.
April 16, 2013
A Scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory
Ever wonder where Kent got the idea that he needed to get money in order to take Ann from Todd in Falling In Love With Her Husband? This is the scene I wrote to answer that question. :-)
The next day, he waited until Ann left the school before he asked her to sit with him under the trees.
“Oh Kent,” she began, her face flushed with pleasure, “I saw the most beautiful wedding gown the other day. Agnes says it’ll be perfect for our wedding, but I want you to see it and tell me what you think.”
Surprised, he asked, “Didn’t your father talk to you?”
“About what?”
He studied her face and realized she had no idea he’d gone to talk to her father about marrying her. He wasn’t sure what to say to that. Was it a good sign? Did it mean her father might relent? Was her father trying to gauge how serious he was about marrying her? Whatever the reason, he had to plan for the possibility that her father would never agree to let him marry her. Making sure no one was in hearing distance, he said, “Ann, how important is it that you have money after we get married?”
She laughed. “I don’t understand the question.”
No, she couldn’t. Not really. And he didn’t know if he should explain why he was asking it. If her father never approved of the marriage, then she’d have to give up the lifestyle she was accustomed to. But he couldn’t tell her this without exposing his parents’ lack of wealth. “What if,” he ventured, “your father refuses to let me marry you?”
“He wouldn’t. He knows how much I love you.”
He sighed. She really had no idea what was going on. “Let’s say he refused to let us marry.” When she shook her head, he added, “He didn’t want me to court you. It’s not unlikely he’d say no to marriage.”
“He has to understand that I don’t want to be with Todd. I don’t care what my father thinks. I’ll never be happy with him. Todd isn’t you. You’re the only one I want.”
“Is that why he didn’t want me to court you?”
“I think so.”
And maybe that was why he refused to let her marry him. He was hoping for her to change her mind and choose Todd. What was it that made Todd so important to the man?
“But it doesn’t matter,” Ann said, offering him a smile that made him believe anything was possible. “I’ll always love you, and nothing will change that.”
“Do you love me enough to go somewhere else and live off a working man’s income?” If he had to leave Virginia to be with her, he would gladly do so, no matter what the cost. He wasn’t afraid of hard work. After all, what good did it do to have servants at his beck and call when he wasn’t happy?
“That’s silly, Kent,” Ann replied. “We both come from wealth. Do you not know how substantial my dowry is?”
Yes, but would her father give him that dowry if he didn’t approve of the marriage?
“I’ll go anywhere with you, Kent,” she continued, “but you have no need of worry about money. There’s plenty of it. Even if my father prefers Todd, he’ll honor his promise to give my dowry to you, and your parents will leave you a sizable inheritance since you’re their only son.”
He stared at her for a moment as he considered her words. So she loved him but she’d need money, too. She wouldn’t be happy if she had to be the wife of a man who had no money to his name except for what he could earn at a job. He wasn’t sure how he was going to secure her father’s permission to marry her. Maybe he’d consent because Ann would speak on his behalf. It worked before. He got to court her because she pleaded his case. It shouldn’t be that way. Her father should have agreed based on his merits, but apparently, his merits weren’t enough.
And maybe he would be able to establish financially beneficial business connections without Mr. Johnson’s help. Mr. Dawson was almost as influential as Mr. Johnson. His father was impressed with Mr. Dawson. Maybe it was time to become friends with Alex Dawson, even if he was Todd’s friend and pulled senseless pranks.
“Would you like to walk me home today?” Ann asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.
“Um… Actually, I have a few errands to run,” he replied. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He stood as she rose to her feet. As she walked down the winding path, he returned his seat and considered how he was going to make everything work.
April 15, 2013
Announcing the Winners of My Latest Giveaway
I know I had promised winners 1, 2, and 3 paperbacks, but winner #3 wanted an ebook (as did those who won slots 4-6) so there are going to be two paperbacks and four ebooks. (This giveaway was mentioned in this post.)
Here are the winners:
Jennifer Kominczak
Anna Larsson
Bertha Ortiz
Carol Lawhun
Diana Culpepper
Natalija
I’ll be sending you an email soon and thanks for entering! :-)
***
I’m planning to run my next giveaway next month, and it’ll feature a “beach” theme, so it’ll involve Suddenly a Bride, Runaway Bride, Substitute Bride and two of Melanie Nilles’ Adronis novellas (At the Water’s Edge and Beneath the Crashing Waves).
April 13, 2013
Saturday Sample Scene
Yes, I realize I usually do the story samples on Sunday, but I also follow it up with a Monday post which is usually has an “inspiration for the book” theme. This Monday, I am announcing the winners for the giveaway I’m doing. So this means I can’t make an inspiration post on Monday. What I’ll do is make the inspiration post on Monday and do a sample scene today.
Sunday Saturday Story Sample
Today I thought I’d shift gears a bit from Kent Ashton’s Backstory to Lassoing Her Groom.
Quick background in Lassoing Her Groom:
The story takes place in 1907. (Kent Ashton’s Backstory takes place in 1899 – 1901.)
Rose Larson is 18. Kent Ashton is 25. Kent has just returned from Ireland and is heading west on a train when two men steal his things and leave him, beaten and helpless, in an alley. Dave Larson happens to find him and brings him home to help him recover. Rose has taken an instant liking to Kent (and when I “instant”, I mean she’s decided they’ll get married before they’ve said more than a couple words to each other).
So in this scene below, Kent doesn’t know anything about her except that she’s Dave Larson’s daughter. This is why he reacts to her the way he does. But Rose isn’t one to be dissuaded easily. :-) Hence the title, Lassoing Her Groom. She won’t stop until she gets him, and since this is a romance, we all know that they end up together. The fun is seeing how.
This scene takes place in Chapter 5 and is in Rose’s point of view. Oh, Adam is Rose’s 25-year-old brother. I mention him in the chapter and don’t want people to be like, “Who the heck is Adam?” LOL Emily is the one who married Isaac in Isaac’s Decision.
(This is the first draft.)
“‘The tempest surrounded them as they made their way to the abandoned house that sat on the hill,’” Rose read from a dime novel the next day.
She shifted, adjusting her skirt. She wasn’t used to wearing them except for church and special occasions, but she thought she’d start wearing them more now that she had someone to impress.
Turning her attention back to Kent who was asleep, she smiled and continued reading, “‘Though they’d been warned never to go there, they did, unaware that they were being watched, unaware that they had sealed their fate. If only they had known the consequence of their decision, they never would have stepped foot through the front door.’” She released an anxious breath. “My sister-in-law Emily is right. These dime novels are hard to put down. They’re much more entertaining than those books.”
She glanced at the books on the table by his bed then turned her attention to him. If Emily hadn’t come by that morning and shared a couple of her dime novels with her, she’d be missing out on some very entertaining stories. As soon as she finished cleaning the downstairs, she’d hurried upstairs in hopes of reading to Kent. Unfortunately, he was sleeping, but even so, she pulled up the chair and started in on a horror story that sounded intriguing. She kept hoping he’d wake up but so far that hadn’t happened.
She marked the page in the dime novel and closed it. Learning forward, she took the time to study his face. He’d shaved that morning. Biting her lower lip, she glanced at the partly open door. No one was upstairs. Before she lost her nerve, she touched his cheek then his chin, noting how smooth he felt. He had a strong jaw, a very masculine one. Bringing her hand up to his hair, she gently ran her fingers through it. If she guessed right, Adam had helped him wash his hair. It was softer than before and the dried blood was gone.
Her gaze lowered to his lips. Emily said there were some romance stories in the dime novels where the hero kissed the heroine. She wondered what a kiss felt like. Emily said kisses were one of the best experiences in the world. Rose traced Kent’s lips, noting how soft they were. Her heart raced. Did she dare kiss him? Just to see what it was like? She looked at the door again. Still no one else upstairs.
She took a deep breath and lowered her head. She closed her eyes just because it seemed more romantic than if she was staring at him. Plus, since his eyes were closed, she could pretend he wanted to kiss her. Maybe she could even pretend he asked if he could kiss her. Yes, that seemed like a good way to think about it. Her lips touched his and a thrill of delight raced up and down her spine.
He jerked away from her and she straightened up in surprise. “You’re awake,” she said.
“What are you doing?” He struggled to sit up but winced and grabbed his ribs.
“Don’t hurt yourself.”
She hurried to help him, but he shoved her away. “What’s wrong with you?”
Startled by his tone, she stopped and stared at him. “There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m trying to help you.”
He shook his head. “You’re not helping.”
“What do you need?” She picked up a glass of water. “Are you thirsty?”
“Leave me alone.”
She watched as he struggled to sit.
When he finally managed to settle with his back against the pillow, he was out of breath and holding his ribs. He was obviously in no condition to do much on his own and yet insisted on it.
“I don’t understand you,” she said, placing the glass back on the table. “You shouldn’t be pushing yourself so hard.”
“And you shouldn’t come into a bedroom without a chaperone to kiss a man you don’t know,” he snapped and grimaced.
“You’re in pain.” She picked up the medicine her uncle had left and poured him a spoonful. She held it up to his lips.
“What are doing?”
“I’m giving you something for the pain. This will make you feel better.”
“Why do you insist on treating me like a child?” He gingerly lifted his arm and took the spoon. Once he swallowed the medicine, he gave it back to her. “Where’s your mother? Where’s your father? Where are the others?”
“They’re busy. I’m done with my chores, so I came to read to you.” Recalling the dime novel, she found it on the floor by her feet and picked it up. “There it is. My sister-in-law dropped a couple of these off earlier. I was reading to you. It was the beginning of a wonderful tale. There is this old curse placed on a house out in the middle of nowhere and—”
“I don’t care what it’s about.” Grunting, he shifted and released his breath.
“Oh, but you should,” she protested as she sat back in the chair and flipped the dime novel open. “You’re the main character. Let’s see…” She scanned the opening paragraph. “Leonard, that’s his name. But it’s alright because I’m pretending he’s you, and he’s with his wife. Her name is…um… Here it is. Fannie. But we’ll pretend she’s me.” Ignoring the way he rolled his eyes, she continued, “Anyway, they got stranded at a train station that’s run by a really creepy old man who refuses to give them a ticket until the next day, and they need somewhere to stay. They try the inn but it’s full. Oh, wait. I forgot to tell you that they’ve been warned about the old house on the hill while on the train.”
“I don’t care,” he said.
“But don’t you want to find out what happens to us?”
“No. And there’s no ‘us’.”
“Not yet, but there will be.”
He blinked several times and shook his head. “You’re behavior is scandalous. Are your parents aware that you do this to men you don’t know?”
“All I’ve done is read to you.” Really, she didn’t see what was so scandalous about that.
“And when I woke up you were kissing me.”
“Oh, that. Well, that’s alright because we’ll get married. I won’t do anything else until we’re married, so don’t get any ideas. But there’s nothing wrong with a little old kiss.”
“How many men do you go around kissing?”
“None. You’re the first.”
He rubbed his head and groaned.
“Are you in pain?” she asked, leaning forward.
“Please tell me I’m stuck in a bad dream.”
Amused, she laughed and closed the dime novel. “You have a wonderful sense of humor, Kent. I just know we’re going to have a lot of fun together.”
Lowering his hand, he glared at her. “We aren’t going to have fun together because there is no ‘together’ like you’re saying. As soon as I’m well enough, I’m getting on the first train out of here.”
“Then you’ll take me with you?”
“No!”
“But you have to if you marry me.”
“I’m not going to—” He winced and pressed his hand against his ribs. “Never mind. I’m not up for the fight.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?” she asked, reaching out to touch his arm.
He shook her off of him and yelled out, “Someone! Anyone! I need help!”
Surprised, she stared at him. Why didn’t he accept her offer of help?
Footsteps hurrying up the stairs alerted her that someone decided to answer him. Disappointed, she rose to her feet and reached the door just in time for her mother to arrive. Her mother glanced from her to Kent and sighed. “Rose,” she began in a low voice, “I told you to leave him alone. He needs time to heal.”
“I gave him some medicine. He was in pain, Ma,” she replied. “I couldn’t let him sit there clutching his sides like that, could I?” she gestured to Kent who was taking deep breaths and holding his ribs.
“Clean up the downstairs.”
“I did.”
“Then go help your pa clean out the stalls.”
She frowned. “But I’ll smell like the barn.”
“That never bothered you before,” her mother replied.
“Well, I know but…” She glanced at Kent then returned her gaze to her mother. She couldn’t get out of doing some kind of chore, and she might as well be with the horses. It was better than being stuck in the kitchen. “Alright. Mind if I slip into my pants first?”
“Of course not.”
Resigned to leaving Kent for the moment, she went to her bedroom to change clothes.
April 12, 2013
Runaway Bride is Now Available and Announcing a Giveaway
Here are the links if interested:
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/runaway-bride-ruth-ann-nordin/1046467429?ean=2940016402420
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/305383
I had some trouble sending out this information to people on my email list (it’s a long story but I think I got it resolved). If anyone did not get an email announcing that Runaway Bride is up, please let me know.
Now for the Giveaway!
I am way behind in announcing this, so forgive me. It’s been one of those weeks where everything is happening at the same time.
Naida over at …the bookworm… has graciously allowed me to do a guest post on her blog (Here’s the blog post. ) where I discuss why I love romance novels. Naida took a chance on me a couple years back when I was just starting out. I had asked her if she’d read and review one or two of my earlier books (it’s been so long ago I don’t remember if it was just An Inconvenient Marriage, but I know she read that one and that was my second romance novel). Anyway, she’s a really sweet person, so I suggest checking out her blog if you have the time.
As for the giveaway, I have information about it at the bottom of my guest post on …the bookworm… but will restate the information over here.
Giveaway information:
I’d like to offer three paperbacks and three ebooks. The total will be six winners. Winners 1, 2, and 3 will get one signed paperback of their choice. Winners 4, 5, and 6 will get one ebook of their choice. (The ebooks will be gifted from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.) I’ll also announce the winners on this blog on the 15th.
How to enter:
You can enter over there on Naida’s blog in the comments section or here using my form. Either way will get you into the giveaway.
Below is the form if you prefer to enter this way:
[contact-form]
April 11, 2013
Anyone Going to the RT Booklovers Convention?
Quick update on Runaway Bride: I just uploaded Runaway Bride to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords this afternoon. I will email everyone on the “email contact list” when the book is live on all three sites. (I’ll be checking them every couple hours to see if they’re up.) After I send out the email, I will post the links over here.
Now for today’s post. :D
I am going to the RT Booklovers Convention from May 1 – 5 in Kansas City, Missouri.
1. I was wondering if any of you will be there.
If so, let me know you’ll be there and tell me which of my books you love most so I can give you a signed paperback copy. (I am going to order a couple of books soon and would like to know which ones to bring with me. I’m not going to bring any to sell. They’re just going to be ones to give to people who enjoy my work, so it helps me to know if there are any specific copies I should bring with me.)
2. Rose Gordon will be there. Anyone want to have dinner with us?
This will be the first time I’ll meet her in person. We are planning on meeting for dinner and would like to invite those of you who’d be interested in dining with us. I’ll get more details on this later. So far, it sounds like it’ll be Wednesday night, but there’s an anniversary ball at some point during the convention, and I’m too lazy to do a search to see which night the ball is. (My kids just got home from school and it’s time to get dinner ready and for some reason. This is the slowest part of the day for me, probably because I hate to cook.)
April 9, 2013
Whose Backstory Would You Like To Read?
I’m finding it’s fun to create backstories for the characters in my books. Some will be longer than others, naturally. It kind of depends on the characters the situations they’re in (and how those situations line up with books they’re featured in).
Kent Ashton’s is turning into a novella. I can’t say the same would happen for other characters. Some might be a scene; some might be short stories. But I was wondering if there are any characters you ever wondered more about?
One such character I’d like to do a backstory on is Mark Tanner (hero in Runaway Bride). I’d like to cover some of what his life had been like on Pandoran and when he decided to come to Earth. I’d also cover him meeting Chris in space and again on Earth. I already gave Mark’s point of view when he met Lexie, so I wouldn’t go that far in his backstory. I expect Mark’s backstory would be around 10,000 words (about a couple chapters long).
I had another character in mind earlier today, but I can’t think of who it was now that I’m making the post. LOL
So anyone got any ideas? I can’t promise I’ll be able to write the character you choose. It depends on whether or not a story is there to tell, but I’m open to suggestions.
