Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 88

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.

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).

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.

Runaway Bride is Now Available and Announcing a Giveaway

Runaway Bride is now up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords!

Here are the links if interested:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Bride-Across-Stars-ebook/dp/B00CBL4F2U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1365774384&sr=8-2&keywords=runaway+bride+by+ruth+nordin

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]

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.)

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.

Monday Post: Two More Scenes from Kent Ashton’s Backstory

Instead of doing an “inspiration for the book” post, I thought I’d do another scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory.  It’s in first draft form.

The events in these two scenes happen right before Kent ends his courtship with Ann in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  I’ll explain why he does this the next time I post a scene from this book.  So stay tuned.  :-)

Kent gripped the hat in his hands and stared out the parlor window in the Statesmans’ house.  Her father had to say yes.  Whatever he had to do, he’d make sure he didn’t leave until her father agreed to his request.

“You wish to see me?” Mr. Stateman asked as he entered the room.

Turning from the window, Kent swallowed the lump in his throat.  “Yes, sir.”

He gestured for the servant to leave them alone, and after the servant closed the door to ensure their privacy, he sat down.  “Have a seat.”

Kent obeyed but sat on the edge of the chair.

“What is it you wish to discuss?”

He took a deep breath, his hold on the hat loosening only a little.  “Sir, I hope you don’t think I’m out of line, but want to let you know that I love your daughter.” When her father didn’t respond, he added, “I came here to seek your permission to marry her.”

Her father released his breath.  “I thought that’s what you might wish to discuss.” He rose from his chair and stepped to the picture of Ann when she was younger.  “Ann is my only child.  Even if another was responsible for her birth, I promised her mother as she was dying that my wife and I would give her the best in life.”

Sensing this wasn’t going the way he hoped, Kent slowly stood from the chair but didn’t move forward.  “Sir, I assure you that my intentions are honorable.  There will never be anyone but her.  If you worry I’ll take a mistress, I can put your mind at ease.  I’ll be faithful to her until the day I die.”

“I believe you mean well, but…” He turned to face Kent and shook his head.  “I can’t explain my reasons to your satisfaction.  I might not have be born into money, but I didn’t get to where I’m at by taking undo risks.  Ann is the more important than money, and I’d give up all of my wealth for her happiness.” He glanced at her picture.  “I can’t give you my permission.”

Kent strode over to him, his hold on the hat tightening.  “Is it because I’ll take her to New York?” Maybe Ann told her father about the plans they’d made.  Maybe he wanted to make sure his daughter would be nearby so he could visit her.  “I can keep her here.”

“Where she lives into a concern.  I can afford to travel.”

“Then what is it?  Surely, whatever is an issue can be resolved.  I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“There are some things you can’t change.”

His eyebrows furrowed.  “Maybe not, but I don’t see what can be so pressing that two people who love each other can’t overcome it.”

“I’m sorry, but the answer is no.  I have to trust my instincts.”

“You think I’ll do something to hurt her?  Sir, I assure you that you couldn’t be more wrong.”

After a long moment, he shook his head.  “It’s not you.  At first, I thought it was, but it’s not.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m not sure.”

Kent let out a bewildered chuckled.  “You’re not sure?”

“I told you I can’t explain it to you to your satisfaction.  I’m just old enough to know that I need to trust my instincts.”

“If you had no intention of letting me marry her, then why did you agree to let me court her at all?”

“I thought I was wrong.  I wanted to wait and see if I was hasty in telling you no.  But my instincts are screaming louder than ever.” He walked to the parlor door and opened it.  “I’m sorry.  I really am.”

A strained silence passed between them as Kent thought of what he might say—what he could say—to convince her father that he was wrong, that Ann would be happy married to him.  But how could he argue against something as intangible and vague as a father’s ‘instinct’?  Shoulders slumped, he placed his hat on his head and mumbled the obligatory ‘thank you’ before leaving the house.

***

When Kent entered his house, he tried to pass his father without speaking to him, but his father called out to him.  Sighing, he entered the parlor.

His father set down the newspaper and rose to his feet.  He motioned for the butler to leave them alone.  Once the door was shut, his father turned his gaze to him.  “What did Ann’s father say?”

“I’ll ask him in another month,” Kent replied.

“So he said no.”

Kent gritted his teeth, not liking the way his father seemed pleased by the situation.

“Rebecca father is impressed with you.  He says you’re an honorable man, one he can see hiring in his company.” His father gave him a pointed look.  “I don’t need to remind you what kind of money you’d get if you agreed to work for him.”

Kent avoided eye contact with him.  “No, you don’t need to remind me.”

“Son, sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do in order to get what you want.  You’re young and inexperienced.  When you get older, you’ll understand that you have to sacrifice things you want in order to succeed.  I think it’s time you considered courting Rebecca.”

“Never.”

“Kent,” he snapped, drawing Kent’s attention back to him, “you will not fail me and your mother in this.  We’ve come too far with the Johnsons to lose now.  You will court Rebecca, and in due time, you will marry her.”

“The only reason you associate with the Johnsons is because of their money.  You don’t even like them.”

“My reasons for dealing with them aren’t your concern.  Your concern is in what you will do.  It’s your duty to honor your parents.

“So by honoring you, I have to lie?”

His father stared at him and though his eyes pierced right through him, Kent refused to break eye contact with him.  If he was going to make his stand, he needed to do it.

“You will do whatever it takes to secure the financial standing of this house,” his father hissed.

“And if I don’t?”

A tense moment of silence passed between them before his father said, “You don’t have a choice.” His father strode out of the room, his footsteps echoing off the hardwood floors.

Kent released his breath.  No, he wouldn’t marry Rebecca.  He’d take the job if Mr. Johnson offered it, but he wouldn’t marry her.  And he’d ask Ann’s father for her hand in another month.  Perhaps by then, her father would agree.  He’d denied Kent permission to court her twice before he relented.  Surely, he could find a way to convince him that he’d be good to Ann.  Whatever his instincts were telling him, his fears were unfounded.  Kent would never do anything to hurt Ann, and he’d defy his parents if he had to make sure they didn’t hurt her.  One way or another, he’d marry her.

Sunday Story Sample: Two Scenes from Kent Ashton’s Backstory

I figure we’re hovering around the halfway point in this novella.  This is where things start to take a bad turn for Kent.  The only thing that makes writing the worsening of Kent’s situation is knowing he gets a second chance in Lassoing Her Groom.

As a disclaimer, this is in first draft form.

January 1900

“Your uncle sent another letter,” Kent’s father told him during dinner.

“What does he want?  Money?” his mother asked, glancing up from her plate.

“Probably.” He glanced at the butler who remained close by in case they needed anything.  Clearing his throat, he said, “He also wants Kent to visit him.”

“Me?” Kent asked, surprised.

“Don’t worry.  I have no intention of sending you to Ireland,” his father replied then sipped his wine.  “Your uncle could probably use help on his farm.  He has no children.”

“Did he have a wife?” This was the most he’d heard of his uncle’s life.

“He did but she died in childbirth.”

His mother pressed her hand on her heart.  “That’s most unfortunate.”

“Well, living in poverty, it’s hard to expect a thriving family,” his father said and cut into his steak.

“A lady doesn’t have to be in poverty to die in childbirth,” Kent argued.  “This isn’t something restricted to a person’s station in life.”

“Given Miss Stateman’s situation, it’s no wonder you feel that way,” he murmured, his voice low enough to go undetected by the butler.

Kent’s face warmed and he tightened his hold on his fork.  Ann had nothing to be ashamed of.  So what if her real mother had been a runaway who happened to cross paths with Mrs. Statesman.  Mr. and Mrs. Statesman were kind in providing shelter and food for the young woman who ended up dying while giving birth to Ann.  And besides, the Statemans actually had money, unlike his parents who only pretended to.

“There’s no sense in dwelling on the past,” Kent’s mother said and shot his father a meaningful look.  “Miss Stateman comes from one of the richest families in town.  You can’t deny how successful they’ve been.” With a glance at Kent, she smiled.  “A good match, if I do say so myself.”

Kent returned her smile.  He couldn’t agree more.  Ann was perfect, the ideal wife.  Now that her father had consented to let him court her, there was nothing stopping him from marrying her.  He’d marry the woman he loved and secure his parents’ future as soon as school was over.

“Rebecca would have been a better match,” his father said.  “The Johnsons would make better in-laws.”

“That’s not your choice,” his mother replied in a firm tone that gave a slight edge to her smile.  “We’ve been hoping our son will find a suitable lady and he has.  That’s all that matters.”

His father shrugged but didn’t argue with her.

Releasing his breath, Kent turned his attention back to the meal.  Thankfully, his father wouldn’t hinder his plan to marry Ann.

***

April

“Another splendid evening,” Kevin’s father told Mr. Johnson as he rose from the chair in the Johnsons’ parlor.

“Yes,” Mr. Johnson agreed.  “Our children make a good match.”

“Indeed they do.”

Kent turned away from the two men and rolled his eyes.  He didn’t care much for the dinner engagements his parents insisted he go to at the Johnsons’ but he had no choice.  At least not yet.  Once he married Ann and secured the generous dowry her father offered, he would be free from his parents’ demands.  Better yet, he’d get his own piano and play every day after he came home from work.  He ran his hands over the Johnsons’ piano, admiring the sleek surface.  Besides Ann, few things were as wonderful as the music this instrument produced.

Rebecca sat next to him on the bench.  “You seem preoccupied this evening.”

He scooted away from her.  He hated it when she intentionally got close to him.  He thought she’d stop once his courtship with Ann was official, but she only seemed to get worse.

She brushed her hand against his, and he pulled back.  With a chuckle, she said, “There’s no need to be shy.  We’re friends, aren’t we?”

He struggled with knowing how to answer her.  His parents were fond of her.  There was no doubt they would prefer to marry her because doing so would secure him a notable position in Mr. Johnson’s company, thus increasing their wealth.  But the decision wasn’t theirs to make.  Ultimately, it was his and he couldn’t imagine sharing his life with anyone but Ann.  Even so, he dare not upset Rebecca by revealing the simple that he would never love her, that his heart would always belong to another.  As it was, Kent’s father was hopeful Mr. Johnson might consider a financial partnership with him, and it would require half of Ann’s dowry to make it happen so Mr. Johnson wouldn’t learn the truth about his financial standing.  But if he could manage it, then Kent would truly be free from his father’s demands.  So no, he dare not do anything to upset Rebecca because her father would, in turn, undoubtedly be upset too.

Kent cleared his throat, ignoring the way she smiled at him with more romantic interest than she should.  “Of course we’re friends.” He made sure to emphasize the ‘friends’ part of the sentence, but he wasn’t sure she noticed, especially since her smile widened.

“We have so much in common,” she replied.  “Our love of music, for one.  Our parents get along infamously well.  We come from old money.  We’re both attractive and refined, which isn’t the case with everyone in our social standing.  Those are just a few things we have in common.  I’m sure in time we’ll discover more.”

Her shoulder brushed his, and he bolted to his feet.  When her eyebrows furrowed, he said, “I just remembered something I need to tell my mother.  If you’ll excuse me.”

She inclined her head to excuse him, so he went over to his parents.  Since his mother was only listening as Mr. and Mrs. Johnson talked to his father, he whispered, “Mother, is it time to leave yet?”

“Almost,” she replied.  Glancing at Rebecca who was putting the songbook away, she asked, “Are you not enjoying yourself?”

“You know my intentions are for Ann.”

With a sigh, she nodded.  “As long as her father lets you marry her, then there won’t be a problem.”

“He will.”

She hesitated for a moment then said, “It won’t hurt to entertain thoughts of Rebecca, just in case.”

He clasped his hands behind his back.  “I thought you supported me in marrying Ann.”

“As long as the lady you marry comes from money, I don’t care who she is.”

Kent’s father looked in his direction.  “Is everything alright?”

Kent and his mother turned their gazes to him and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.  His mother smiled.  “Everything is fine.  Kent was just telling me how much he enjoys playing the piano while Rebecca sings.”

Kent forced aside the urge to grimace when he saw the pleased expression on everyone’s faces.  If he didn’t act, and act quick, he might not be able to marry Ann as he hoped.  It was becoming clear his father, Rebecca, and her parents were all in agreement that he should marry Rebecca.

 

 

Updates on What I’m Working On

Runaway Bride is right on Track for April 15

I’m happy to say that things are going along smoothly for this title.  I’ve scheduled a couple chapters to go through in the final reading phase.  At the moment, I’m ahead of schedule by a three chapters.  I might give it another read through.  I use my Kindle’s text-t0-speech feature for the final read through.  It’s amazing what you pick up when you listen to a book versus reading it.  :D  The “listen to” phase is the one I do after the everyone else is done going through my book.

His Abducted Bride is at the Halfway Point

Fortunately, the halfway point is where ideas start coming again.  Usually, I’ll start books off strong (meaning, I know exactly where I’m going with the story).  Then around the 20,000 word mark, I start to slow down because I’m not sure how to get from Point A (my beginning) to Point C (my middle).  Once I get to Point C, the rest is usually about finding a way to get to the climax of the book (which is where everything comes together so all plot points can be resolved).  I don’t know how else to explain it than that.  Now that I’ve hurdled the Point B phase (which is getting Sandy to fall in love with the hero), I can push forward more easily.  In this case, the two will soon find themselves against a villain neither one expected when the story started.  :D

Kent Ashton’s Backstory is Going to be Longer Than I Planned

At first, I expected Kent’s story to be a couple of scenes.  It was going to be a short story.  Then I knew I’d have to add more to it, given the way his parents are (wanting to use him to secure their financial future).  Then I realized Rebecca was the real villain in the story (more on this coming in future posts).  I’m close to 10,000 words and am just now approaching the scene where Rebecca makes her move.  I had my anticipated goal word count at 20,000 for this story, but today I upped the story to an anticipated 25,000 words (making it a novella).  I still have to explain how Kent finds out he’s been duped and why he goes after Ann.  I need to explain his actions in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  That’s why I started this story to begin with.

Kent has turned into one of the most intriguing (and emotionally hurt) characters I’ve ever written.  There are so many layers to him.  These are layers I’ll get to fully enjoy as I go more into Lassoing Her Groom.  Rose Larson (the heroine in Lassoing Her Groom) will have to fight hard to get him to open up to her, but having started Lassoing Her Groom, I already know she’s up to the challenge.  But anyway, all these layers begin in Kent Ashton’s Backstory, which is why I’m excited about writing it.

I am, however, conflicted on how I label this novella.  It’s not a romance.  There is romance in it.  The whole plot is Kent’s struggle to find happiness with the woman he loves, but he loses her.  This is a book where the hero loses the girl, and I’ve never done one of those.  So what in the order do I label it?

If I ended Kent’s story here, I’d be majorly depressed.  The ending is one where he cries.  I already know he’s going to cry.  It’s depressing, even though there’s a happy ending (in a way) for him.  He doesn’t get the girl, but he gets saved from the situation his parents bound him in.  But if I didn’t write Lassoing Her Groom to continue his story, I would be depressed.  LOL  I need to give this poor guy a happy ending.

So what Kent Ashton’s Backstory has become is a Prelude to Lassoing Her Groom, and I’ll make that clear in the description when I publish it.  I can’t make it part of Lassoing Her Groom because the focus of Lassoing Her Groom needs to be on Rose and Kent’s romance, not his past.

While I’m speaking of Lassoing Her Groom, I’m Only In Chapter Two

And Rose is already intrigued with Kent.  The time period of this book is 1907.  Dave and Mary Larson (Rose’s parents) are in their 50s (it’s hard to think of them in their 50s).  Rose and her twin sister Harriett are 18.  Kent is now 25.  (Kent was 17 when Kent Ashton’s Backstory begins.)  Neil Craftsman’s son, Stan, is in love with Rose.  Harriett is in love with Stan.  (And yes, I plan to pair up Stan and Harriett in another book.)

A thought just occurred to me.  I can’t remember for sure, but I think I said I wasn’t going to write a Nebraska series book this year.  I don’t remember where or when I said it.  But I was thinking of Richard and Amanda’s book and Dave and Mary’s third book when I said it.  Sorry for any confusion.  Rose Larson is part of the Nebraska series.  She’s just the second generation.

It gets more confusing as the series continues to evolve.  This is why I need timelines on this blog.  I refer to them a lot to figure out where I’m at and how old people are.

I’ll discuss Her Lassoing Groom in future posts.  (I’m at 900 words and want to wrap this up soon.)

His Reluctant Lady

I’m glad I’m doing this before The Earl’s Scandalous Wife because I realized that Lord Clement will be jilted at the altar in this book.  I know.  Poor Lord Clement.  The guy just can’t get a break.  My gut was telling me I needed to write more for Lord Clement before I wrote his book.  Now I know why.

I’ve just started chapter six in His Reluctant Lady and finally know where it’s going.  Mister Robinson (aka Christopher) from The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife is just as fun and willing to do whatever he wants (except he won’t push the limits to the point where he’ll have to clean out Lord Roderick’s stalls again).  ;)  He does, however, use his connection to Lord Clement (his guardian) to his advantage, and yes, this ends up leading poor Lord Clement to being left without a bride, but to be fair, Christopher is going to sincerely try to marry off his guardian.  Not that Christopher is being ultra-nice or anything.  He just wants Lord Clement to be too busy to watch everything he’s doing.

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That’s it for today’s post.  Tomorrow and Monday, I’ll post up more scenes from Kent Ashton’s Backstory.

Answering Some Questions From My Inbox

I figure if I’m getting a question, then others have the same question.  So I thought I’d answer them today.  If you have additional questions, don’t be shy about commenting below.  :-)

1.  Will you write about any of the secondary characters in Substitute Bride?

Yes, I do, though not this year.  I don’t know when I’ll get to my next Florida Contemporary Romance.  I plan to include Nick Hammond (Lexie’s fiance in Runaway Bride) and Blake Rogers (Lexie and Caitlyn’s brother) in that series.  So you’ll see Caitlyn and Lexie and their children in Blake’s book.  I don’t know if they’ll make an appearance in Nick’s story, but since Blake is their brother, they’re guaranteed to show up at some point.

At the moment, I have plans for five more books in the Florida series.  (The Florida series takes place in the same area of Florida–the panhandle along Fort Walton Beach–that the Across the Stars Series takes place.)  In Substitute Bride, I introduced Nita (Alexandra’s best friend), Camden (the guy who was skinny as a rail but ate all the time), and Greg (Kevin’s best friend).  Nita does not end up marrying the guy she was dating in Substitute Bride, which is why I never gave him more than a simple mention.  I’m not sure who she ends up with.  It could be Greg or Camden or someone else, like Blake or Nick.

What I do know is that Tammy (the evil girl in Substitute Bride) and Troy (the guy who was there to make Kevin jealous by flirting with Alex) end up together.  And I’m going to pair them up in a very implausible, totally unrealistic, BUT extremely fun plotline.  Sorry guys.  Sometimes fun and laughter trump realism when I write books.

Needless to say, I have years to go before I finish with this series, just as I have years before I finish with the Larsons in Nebraska.  I’m just taking a break from the Larsons at the moment, though I’m hoping Kent will get his chance to be with Rose Larson before the year is up.

I really enjoy putting characters in one series into another series, and now that I have enough series out, I can easily do this.  So start looking for some secondary characters in one series being featured in a different one.  :-)

2.  I want to wait until you’re done with the Nebraska series so I can read all the books in order.  When will you be done with it?

I have no idea.  I have about 30 more books to write, and honestly, I suspect I’ll die before I finish the series.  I’ll probably be typing one of the books when it’s my time to go.  Not to be morbid or anything.  :-)  I just came to accept that the more I write, the more ideas I get.  What was supposed to be one book (Eye of the Beholder) before I turned my attention back to the characters in the Virginia series pretty much turned into a lifelong project.

Believe it or not, I originally had plans to write about Agnes Brothers and Alex Dawson (from Falling In Love With Her Husband).  I also wanted to write about Kate Tanner (aka Kate Walker)’s brother Billy, but that never panned out.  Billy, however, might eventually find his way out west with a Larson or Craftsman girl.  ;-)

I also can’t guarantee when I’ll be completely done with any other series I’ve started.  I never know when a character is going to pop up and want their own story.

3.  Do you really think it’s necessary to put sex in your books?  

Yes, I do.  If you’d rather avoid sex scenes, I suggest another author.

4.  Did women ever go to Pandoran (Mark and Chris’ world in the Across the Stars series) to help populate the world with female offspring?

Yes.  I envision a group of women from Alaris who will agree to go there.  In fact, it might be a situation where males on Alaris become unable to have children.  But I don’t know if or when I’ll get around to writing it.  The focus would be on romance, rather than the sci-fi part, something that would probably upset the sci-fi fans but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.  As fun as it is to mix genres up, I don’t like to get techy in the sci-fi thing.

5.  What?  Mixing genres?  What are you talking about?

I thought I’d answer this before someone asks.  :-)  I love a variety of genres and I read a variety of genres.  I have blended them into some of my romances, though the focus always remains in the romance area.

For example, Brave Beginnings, Her Counterfeit Husband, and Shotgun Groom were romance mixed with thriller elements.

Though it probably seems morbid, my favorite scene in Brave Beginnings (besides the scene where Gary takes Julia to meet Chogan in the middle of the night) is when Ernest grips the wine glass in his hand and cuts his hand so blood drips to the floor.  Ernest had a surprising dark side, and that was the scene where I realized just how dark he truly was.  Originally, he was supposed to end up with Millicent.  But there was no redeeming him.  I especially enjoyed the comparison between the “refined white gentleman” who was really a savage versus the “savage redskin” who was really a gentleman.  I love to throw in comparisons like that.  Just like when I compared true beauty that is often overlooked to the superficial beauty that is often praised in Eye of the Beholder (Mary vs. Cassie).

I could go on, but this post is getting long.

Other mixing of genres is romance and fantasy (His Abducted Bride), romance and science fiction (Suddenly a Bride, I especially enjoy the discussion about how Pandoran ended up without women in that book), romance and humor (I have too many of these to count but I probably enjoyed A Most Unsuitable Earl and An Inconvenient Marriage the most).

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Since I’m at the 1000 word mark for this post, I’ll end it here.  If any more questions come to mind, I’ll put them in another post.  And like I said earlier, if you have any, feel free to comment.  :-)