Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 90

Inspiration for the Book: Creating Sandy (Heroine in His Abducted Bride)

When I wrote Suddenly a Bride, Caitlyn’s best friend who worked at the diner with her just popped up in the book.  Usually, I’ll have the main characters in mind but their family and friends develop as I’m writing.  I start a book with basically main plot points that involve the hero and heroine.  I don’t give thought to their family or friends because the focus on the romance novel is the two main characters.  Now, if I am writing a book that is already part of a series, then I already know the family and friends of the secondary characters because I’ve already established the world the characters belong to.

I know a lot of authors outline.  A lot of authors do character sketches and map out the worlds they create before writing a single world.  Well, not me.  I write the first sentence and things just develop from there.  It’s only when I’m writing that I finally learn the setting, about the characters, and everything else that I need in order to write the book.

© Moori | Dreamstime.com

So when I introduced Caitlyn, she was a waitress in a diner, and the other waitress happened to be her best friend, Sandy.  Caitlyn quickly developed into this woman who was easygoing, fun to be around, and accepting of changes–even the dramatic ones.  Sandy, on the other hand, was the character who balanced her out.  I like to pair up friends who complement each other, which means they are going to get along well but also present an opposite way of seeing the world.  Sandy is cautious, not easily won over by anyone, has a harder time getting past her insecurities, is more likely to keep emotions to herself, and has a tendency to hold on to past hurts.

This was why Sandy was never paired up with Chris or Mark.  Her personality wouldn’t have gone along well with them.  Chris wouldn’t have been able to get past her wall (because she does have one due to some things that she won’t tell even Caitlyn), and Mark wouldn’t have had the patience to wait for her to become vulnerable enough to open herself to him.  How do I know all this?  It just came to me as I started His Abducted Bride.  I mean, from the beginning of Suddenly a Bride, it seems that Sandy would automatically fit with Mark, but when the scene developed where Sandy told Caitlyn that she didn’t believe Chris was from another planet and that Caitlyn should have had him arrested, I knew Sandy wasn’t right for him.  Then when I introduced Lexie at the BBQ lunch, I had that “ah ha” moment where I knew Mark and Lexie would somehow end up together.  As I’m writing Runaway Bride, it occurred to me that Mark is the only person who can pave the way for Caitlyn to finally have a good relationship with her mom.  (That hasn’t happened yet in Runaway Bride, but I sense it’s coming as I finish the last three chapters of the book.)

© Vladimirs Poplavskis | Dreamstime.com

So anyway, at the end of Suddenly a Bride, I realized what Sandy needed was a hero who doesn’t mind pursuing her.  He needed to be someone who could handle her attempts to push him away because that is what she’s been doing ever since he pulled her out of our world and placed her into the story she’s writing.  He comes off as rather demanding (though fair and patient–both traits he’ll need in order to break through her wall).  He’s not intimidated by any of her threats, and when he finds out her secret, he won’t be devastated.  (Chris and Mark would have been devastated, another reason why they weren’t paired up with her.)

This hero was created by her when she wrote a fantasy, intended to be the first of a trilogy.  She gave him the name King Blackheart and pinned him as the villain of her tale.  As soon as he realized her plan was to kill him in the final battle of the book, he erased all of her story up until the first scene where she created the world in which he and the other characters lived.  Neither Chris nor Mark would have thought to change the course of her book, but King Blackheart doesn’t mind taking matters into his own hands in order to be the character he was meant to be–the hero instead of the villain.  :)  So he’s perfect for her.

Story Sample Sunday: Runaway Bride (Setting Up Sandy’s Backstory)

Today I thought I’d give a glimpse into Sandy, the heroine in His Abducted Bride.  I will explain tomorrow why I included this scene in Runaway Bride.  Today, I’ll let you get a better look at Sandy from her point of view.  :D  (This is in first draft form.)

(By the way, I do have more to add for Kent’s backstory, but with finishing Mitch’s Win, I didn’t have a chance to write another scene.  I pretty much focused in on Mitch’s Win for the past couple days to get it done.)

Sandy took another look in the mirror and groaned.  She yanked off the headband.  It wasn’t working with her long blonde hair today.  No matter what hairstyle she tried, her hair didn’t seem to want to stay in place.

How she hated being fixed up with someone!  She never knew what to say or how to act.  There seemed to be nothing but a bunch of expectations—from her end and her date’s—that they didn’t know and couldn’t share.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  After she held it for thirty seconds, she slowly released it.  The simple step allowed her to restlessness to calm to the point where she could think clearly.

Opening her eyes, she examined her reflection.  Usually, her wavy hair fell nicely over her shoulders.  Usually, when she added hair mousse to it, she had no trouble styling it.  Today, however, her hair didn’t want to cooperate with her, no matter what she did.  And of course, it had to be a day when Caitlyn was trying to fix her up with Mark.  Why did this kind of thing only happen when there was a man involved?

Tapping her fingernails on the bathroom counter, she finally decided to put her hair up in a ponytail.  She retrieved a green scrunchie that matched her dress and pulled her hair back.  Afterwards, she examined her ponytail and decided it was her best option.  At least, her hair didn’t look as if she hadn’t just gotten out of bed.

The doorbell rang and she checked her watch.  Great.  In addition to having a bad hair day, she was also running late.  This didn’t bode well at all for her date.  It was going to end badly.  She didn’t know how, but this wasn’t going to be good.

She turned off her bathroom light and grabbed her purse before she made a beeline for the door of her apartment.  As soon as she opened the door, she took in Caitlyn’s immaculate appearance and shook her head.

“Why is it that you always look perfect?” she asked as she stepped over the threshold and shut the door.

Caitlyn laughed.  “Come on, Sandy.  You look awesome.”

She locked the door and grunted.  “Yeah, for a garbage bag.”

“You’re too hard on yourself.  You look fine.  Stop thinking negative.  You need to think positive if you’re going to enjoy yourself.”

“Easy for you to say.  Your prince dropped out of the sky and married you.”

Crossing her arms, Caitlyn smiled in amusement.  “If memory serves, you thought Chris needed to be hauled off to prison when I first told you he was an alien.”

“Come on, Caitlyn.  Anyone with common sense wouldn’t believe he came from a planet with no women.”

“And yet, he did, and you’ve seen how happy he’s made me.”

“That’s true, but I still think you’re nuts for having sex with him right away and then taking him home.”

“It was a bonding ceremony that made me have sex with him.  I didn’t leave the diner with the intention of doing all that.  Whatever hormone men from his planet have, it’s powerful.”

“Somehow I find it hard to believe you had to have sex with him.”

“Well, if things with Mark work out as I hope they will, you’ll find out soon enough.”

Sandy glanced at Caitlyn’s minivan.  She saw Chris in the passenger seat but couldn’t tell if Mark was in the back.  “He’s not going to try doing a bonding thing with me, is he?  Because if that’s the plan, you can count me out.  You might be okay with a stranger doing that to you, but I’m not.”

“Of course, he’s not going to do that.  And the thing with Chris was different.  He was assigned to me.  Mark has a choice.  He’s being careful, checking all his options.”

Though wary, she nodded.  “Alright.  But if he emits any hormones, I’ll use my pepper spray.  I need to know more about him before I commit to anything.”

“He won’t do anything you aren’t ready for.  I promise.  Now, let’s go to my sister’s engagement party before my mother calls to make sure I didn’t forget.”

Noting the way Caitlyn rolled her eyes, she grinned and joined her friend as she headed for the minivan.  “At least you won’t be the focus of the party.”

“Yeah, but I expect her to give me ‘the look’ since I appear further along in my pregnancy than I actually am, and I can’t tell her that babies on Chris’ world progress faster in the womb than they do here on Earth.”

“If she gives you that look, tell her you think the decorations on a certain table are crooked, and she’ll go running off to fix them.”

Caitlyn giggled.  “That’s a good idea.  I’ll keep that in mind.”

They reached the minivan, and Sandy saw that Mark was, in fact, in the car.  Since he was sitting behind the driver’s seat, she got in on the other side.  She tried to ignore the nervous pounding of her heart.  If nothing else could be said about him, he was good looking.

“Mark,” Caitlyn said after she slipped into her seat, “you remember Sandy from my wedding, don’t you?”

“Sure.” Mark offered her a polite smile.  “You were Caitlyn’s maid of honor.”

“And you were Chris’ best man,” Sandy replied.

“I am the best, but I try to not let it get to my head,” he joked.

“What does being the best man have to do with your head?” Chris asked.

“It’s an expression, sweetie,” Caitlyn told him as she pulled out of the parking spot.  “And he’s not serious.  He’s just kidding.” Glancing at Sandy, she added, “He’s not an egomaniac.”

“I’ll never learn all the strange phrases you have on this planet,” Chris muttered while Caitlyn drove onto the street.

“You should watch more TV,” Mark advised.  “They use idioms all the time, especially in sitcoms.”

“I have better things to do with my life than to watch a lot of TV,” Chris replied and gave Caitlyn a wide smile.

Sandy sighed.  What was it like to be loved to the point where the man practically worshipped the ground you walked on?  No doubt, Chris would give up anything to be with her.  Sandy didn’t often envy others, but in this case, she couldn’t deny the slight twinge of jealousy over Caitlyn’s good fortune.  True, Chris’ method of securing the marriage to Caitlyn left a lot to be desired, but he loved her above everything else.  Sandy thought of how easily Josh ended their engagement twelve years ago and wondered why he hadn’t been willing to give up more to be with her.  Because his love wasn’t unconditional.  Even though she knew the truth, it still stung.

 

Mitch’s Win’s First Draft is Done, Cover for Kent Ashton’s Romance and Answering Some Questions I’ve Received

I finished the first draft of Mitch’s Win last night!

I’m currently getting it ready for my wonderful team of editors and proofreaders.  I hope to have it published by the end of March. (I plan to use PubIt.  I tried Smashwords last time, and honestly, there are still too many issues that pop up, and it’s easier to use PubIt at this point.  So Nook owners shouldn’t have to wait an extra month this time.)

I got the cover to Kent Ashton’s upcoming romance:

Thanks to Toni Whitmire who left a comment under my post when I thought I was going to change the name of Runaway Bride.  :D  Her suggestion was Lassoing His Bride, but I tweaked it to Lassoing Her Groom.  I love the “Lassoing” part of the title since it conveys western and hints at comedy.  (Not sure if it will be a comedy, but I expect there to be some comedic elements to it.)  So I wanted to keep that part of the title.

I knew Kent was not going to pursue anyone after his miserable failure in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  After Kent serves his penance for trying to abduct Ann from Todd, he’s the one who will need to be lassoed into marriage.  And there’s no one better than Rose Larson (Dave and Mary Larson’s daughter) to do it.  She’s outgoing, got a great sense of humor, and sets out to get what she wants.  Kent will need someone like her to get his second chance at a happy ending.

To Answer Some Questions/Concerns I’ve Gotten Recently…

1. Should you read Todd’s Bride and/or Ann’s Groom?

No.  I wholeheartedly encourage you to avoid both books.  Read Falling In Love With Her Husband instead.  Falling In Love With Her Husband is the combination of Todd’s Bride and Ann’s Groom.  I published Todd’s Bride and Ann’s Groom with a vanity publisher, and they are not letting me out of that contract.  (That means I have no control over those books anymore.)  Since I maintained the copyright to those books, I made put them together into Falling In Love With Her Husband and published it myself (at a cheaper price).  I have made a note in Falling In Love With Her Husband that it’s the combination of Todd’s Bride and Ann’s Groom, but I’m beginning to understand most people don’t read the Author’s Note that is presented in the beginning of a book.

2.  What books will I write this year?

I’ve finally figured out the ones that I’ll be working on.  At the moment, I’m editing Mitch’s Win.  I’m about 2-3 weeks away from finishing the first draft of Runaway Bride, which hopefully puts me at late April for the publishing date on it.

I’m going to continue working on Kent Ashton’s Backstory, His Abducted Bride, Just Good Friends, and His Reluctant Lady.

I will add Lassoing Her Groom, Boaz’s Wager (book 2 in the Montana Series; sequel to Mitch’s Win), and The Earl’s Scandalous Wife to the list.  The reason is because what I’m currently working on is closely tied in with these three books.  (Just like His Abducted Bride is closely linked to Runaway Bride.  It’s easiest to get books done that are closely linked together if I’m fresh with the timeline and events in the books.  I’ve been having a terrible time with Runaway Bride since I forgot certain things that happened in Suddenly a Bride.  Needless to say, I’ve learned my lesson.)

This doesn’t mean I’ll be writing in every book every day.  What is means is that I see a necessity for writing these books at this point in time and have made them a priority to get to in 2013.  I might not be able to write any other books this year.  My average is seven full-length novels a year.

That’s all I got at the moment.  Any other questions?  I’ll be happy to answer them.  :D

Mitch’s Win, Upcoming Giveaways, and Finally Got the Cover for The Earl’s Scandalous Wife

I’m really excited by how everything is progressing!

1.  I’m now on the final chapter for Mitch’s Win.

I expect to finish the first draft this weekend.  :D  This will make Mitch’s Win my 30th romance!  There’s a good chance this book could be published at the end of March, but if it’s going to be around early April instead, then  that’s when it’ll be out.  I’ll keep you updated in the weeks ahead.

2.  To celebrate my 30th romance, I have an idea for a giveaway.  I plan to run the giveaway after Mitch’s Win is published.

To enter, you’ll have to fill out a trivia form where I’ll ask questions about stuff that have happened in some of my romances.  If you get all the answers right, you’ll be entered for a chance to win all of my romances (in paperback form).  More details will come after Mitch’s Win is out.

3.  Soon I’ll be doing a giveaway with Janet Syas Nitsick themed “Smell the Roses”

We will be offering gifts for three winners.   The first place winner will get six roses, her early 20th century romance Lockets and Lanterns, and my romances Eye of the Beholder, Bid for a Bride and The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife.  The second place winner will get a rose bath set, Lockets and Lanterns, and the same three books written by yours truly that I just mentioned.  The third place winner will get the four books (one by Janet and three by me).   These will all be signed paperbacks.

4.  I’ll also be running a giveaway soon with Melanie Nilles.

This giveaway will celebrate the upcoming release of her contemporary romance novella, Beneath the Crashing Waves, which is the second one in her Adronis three-part series.  I’m thinking some of my contemporaries will be added to the list of books in this giveaway since hers are contemporaries.  More details on that giveaway will be coming soon.

5.  I finally got a cover for The Earl’s Scandalous Wife!

I decided to toss out my earlier attempts because I wasn’t completely satisfied with them.    This one fits perfectly.  :D

 

Another Kent Post

I wrote some more for Kent’s Backstory.  The plot for his romance is slowly forming in my mind, and I think Rose Larson (one of Dave and Mary’s daughters) will be the heroine.  After examining the Nebraska Timeline, Rose will be old enough to get married at the time the book takes place.  Rose is actually a twin.  Harriett is the other one.  When I decided to give Dave and Mary twins in the timeline, I already knew Rose and Harriett would be opposites.  Rose will be outgoing and have men falling over their feet to be with while Harriett won’t be.  I’ve always loved the twins being opposites dynamic, so I’m going to have fun with it.  :D

And as I was typing the above paragraph, I got the idea that Harriett is going to end up marrying a man who had wanted to be with Rose.  (That is how most of my ideas come to me.  They come while I’m writing either a post or another story.  LOL)  I’m not sure what the details of that story will be, but I know a bit of the plot.  I’d like to have it where he thinks he’s marrying Rose, and Harriett believes he wants to marry her.  So both will be in for a huge shock when they find out the truth, but I have to let that idea sit for a while before I settle on it.

I changed the cover.  The wine he’s holding becomes significant to why things turned out the way they did for him in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  It’s still no excuse for what he did to Ann toward the end of the book, so he’ll still have to redeem himself in that incidence.

 

“I specifically told you to take care of your pants,” Kent’s father grumbled.  “But I come home and I find them soiled.”

Kent glanced up from the settee as his father paced the parlor.  The closed doors gave them privacy from the servants, something he was thankful for.  It was bad enough having his father upset with him, but if anyone else saw it, it would be much worse.  “I didn’t do it on purpose.  Alex Dawson threw a frog on me, and it startled me.  If it weren’t for him, my pants would be fine.”

Pausing, he faced Kent.  “Dawson?  As in Peter Dawson’s son?”

He shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Maybe.  I don’t care who his father is.”

For sure, Kent had no desire to associate with Alex, whether at school or elsewhere.  Alex had no manners at all.  The fact that he was allowed to remain in the school was something he couldn’t understand.  It seemed that a young man who behaved the way he did would be thrown out.

“It might behoove you to care who Alex’s father is,” his father reprimanded, his hands behind his back.  “If he’s Peter Dawson, this could be to our advantage.”

Before Kent could ask him to explain, his father hurried out of the parlor.  Kent sighed and rose from the settee, glad he could go to his bedroom so he didn’t have to wear one of his clean pants that barely reached his ankles.  The servants had to suspect his parents’ financial standing wasn’t secure.  Even as much as his parents tried to hide it, there had to have been things that made them wonder.  He didn’t think the servants were as daft as his parents assumed.

Oh well.  There wasn’t much he could do about any of it, at least for now.  At some point, he’d fixed the situation, but he wasn’t going to do it today.  Once he shut his bedroom door, he sat in the chair by his large window and stared outside, lost in his thoughts of the past he couldn’t change and future his parents would control.

***

“I assure you my son won’t ruin Kent’s trousers ever again,” Mr. Dawson told Mr. Ashton as the tailor recorded Kent’s measurements into his book.

Kent, Alex, their fathers, and the tailor were in Mr. Ashton’s parlor, and Kent remained still as the tailor measured the length from his waist to just past his ankle.  As soon as Kent’s father sent word to Mr. Dawson about the incident during lunch, Mr. Dawson insisted on coming over to their house to make amends.  While Alex’s prank still upset him, Kent thought his father was taking advantage of Mr. Dawson’s generosity in agreeing to let Mr. Dawson purchase three new suits.  One would have sufficed, and Kent’s father knew it.  But Kent’s father saw an opportunity and wasn’t about to waste it.

At the moment, Mr. Ashton was smiling in his most charming fashion at Mr. Dawson.  “I appreciate how quickly you came to take care of the matter.”

“Of course,” Mr. Dawson replied.  “I don’t condone Alex’s behavior one bit.  Alex, you owe Kent and his father an apology.”

Alex, who had his hat in his hands, dutifully voiced the apology, but Kent didn’t believe he was sorry.  He’d made no hint of being remotely repentant earlier that day.

“I expect these pranks to stop at once,” Mr. Dawson told his son.

Though Alex nodded, Kent had his doubts Alex would actually obey the command.  But his father was satisfied, and that was all that mattered as far as this conversation was concerned.

The tailor stood up and closed his book.  “Mr. Dawson, I have finished.  I will have Kent’s first suit tomorrow morning before classes start and the other two suits before the week is done.”

Mr. Dawson relaxed.  “Good.” He turned back to Mr. Ashton.  “I hope that will suffice.”

“It more than suffices,” Kent’s father replied.  “Kent and I thank you for handling everything in such a timely manner.”

“It’s the least I can do.” His gaze went to Kent.  “I hope you won’t hold this against Alex.”

Before Kent could respond, his father laughed and shook Mr. Dawson’s hand.  “Of course, he won’t.  I’m sure despite their shaky beginning, our sons will be good friends.”

Not if I can help it, Kent thought.

“We’ll take our leave,” Mr. Dawson said and motioned for Alex to follow him and the tailor out of the parlor.

Mr. Ashton followed them to the front door, once again commending Mr. Dawson and Alex for their kindness and generosity.  Kent resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  His father was only nice to them because of their wealth.

After they left, his father returned to the parlor, his eyes lit up with excitement.  “Do you know who Mr. Dawson is?”

Kent shrugged as he poured himself some water from the pitcher on the table in the corner of the room.  “Alex’s father?”

“Oh, he’s much more than that.” His father approached him and took the glass out of his hand before he could take a drink.  “Mr. Dawson donates significant funds to the school you attend.”

“That’s why Alex is allowed to get away with his pranks,” he muttered.

“Don’t begrudge a young man the need to laugh.”

Kent couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  “Are you defending what Alex did to my pants?”

“There was no actual harm in it.  His father made amends, and you’re gaining three new suits.”

“You weren’t so happy when I came home in soiled clothes.”

His father drank the water and set the empty glass on the table.  “That was before I knew how influential Mr. Dawson is.  Now that I know, we must act accordingly.  You will be friends with Alex.”

He grimaced.

“You must do this for me, Kent.  You are here to build connections and establish yourself in this community.  You will do whatever it takes to do that.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” he forced out.

“Good.  Now, I will tell your mother the good news.  The strain we’ve been under hasn’t been good for her health.”

With a shake of his head, he picked up another glass and poured water into it.  His mother with her endless headaches…  Headaches that could only be cured with money.  He drank the water and sighed.  He didn’t care what his father wanted in regards to Alex.  He wouldn’t stoop to the level of pretending to like someone as childish as he.  There was no way he was going to be like his father.

Tentative First Draft Done Dates for Mitch’s Win and Runaway Bride

At the moment, I am close to finishing both Mitch’s Win and Runaway Bride.  This is thanks to the great writing weekend I just enjoyed.  :D

I’m currently at chapter 19 in this one.  I expect to have one more chapter before this is finished.  It’s realistic to say that I can finish the first draft for this book by the end of this month, which is awesome since it puts me a half month ahead of schedule.

I’m currently at chapter 19 in this one, too, but I expect it to be longer than Mitch’s Win.  Mark and Lexie are now married, and there’s a couple of loose ends to tie up before I can give them their happily ever after.  :D  At the moment, I don’t know how many chapters I expect this book to be, but I think it’ll be either 22 or 23 chapters long when it’s done.  It’s possible I might finish this one by the end of the this month or early next month if I can keep up the pace I’ve been going at.

***

As for when these will be published, I’m hoping one will be out at the end of March and the other sometime in April.  *fingers crossed*  I don’t know which one will be out when, though.  Part of it depends on when I finish the first draft and how quickly my editing and proofreading team will get through them.

I’ll Be Offline for A While

One of my kids threw up this morning.  There’s a virus going around the area, and it looks like it’s our turn to get it.  I’m going to put all emails, posts, and replying to comments on hold until this thing clears up.  So if you don’t hear from me for a while, you know why.  I hope everyone else is faring better than we are.  :D

More On Kent Ashton (Villain in Falling In Love With Her Husband)

For Monday’s “Inspiration Behind the Book” post, I thought I’d write another post that goes into Kent’s backstory.  It’s amazing how strong his point of view is now that I’ve started writing his story.  The story is pretty much writing itself since his voice is so strong.  It’s also awesome to see what develops as I continue to give him a “voice” in everything that happened from his perspective in Falling In Love With Her Husband.

I have decided that I will write his romance.  This morning when I woke up, I “just knew” that he is meant to marry one of Dave and Mary’s daughters.  The details have to be worked out, but he’ll be on his way to California when he’s attacked outside the train station in Omaha and in such bad shape that Dave brings him home to help him heal.  I’m going to browse through my Nebraska Timeline to see who the heroine will be.  :D

Without further ado, I present two scenes that go together.  These scenes occur before Kent meets Ann.  It is during the time when she’s sick at home and Todd was bringing her the homework.   In Falling In Love With Her Husband, Todd tells Ann about the new student (Kent) and that Alex welcomed Kent to school by playing a prank on him.  This post shows what that prank was and why Kent didn’t like Alex.

I hope to get the next scene up here before Friday.  *fingers crossed*

Please note: this is first draft.  There will be errors.

“Make sure you don’t do anything to ruin that suit,” his father said as he entered Kent’s bedroom the next morning.  “You’re too tall to wear the your other pair of pants, and I can’t afford to buy you a new pair.”

Kent looked away from the mirror on his wall and finished adjusting his tie.  “I won’t let anything happen to these pants.”

His father approached him and lowered his voice.  “I did a lot of thinking last night, and marriage would be prudent.  It would resolve our situation much faster.  You need a good job, of course, but two sources of wealth are better than one.  Keep that in mind when you attend your classes today.”

“I understand.” So while he was pursuing his education, he also needed to pursue a suitable lady.  Hopefully, there would be someone there who would make him and his parents happy.  “It doesn’t have to be Mr. Johnson’s daughter, does it?”

“No.  I don’t care who she is as long as she comes from a good family.”

Kent breathed a sigh of relief.  At least, he’d have a choice.

“Now, this particular school I’m sending you to is one of the best Virginia has to offer,” his father continued.  “I had to use the last of my wealth to secure a position for you there.  All the ladies will bring a good amount of money into this house.  If you could secure a marriage by spring, we won’t have to let any of the servants go and no one will know our shame.”

Kent glanced at the calendar.  It was October.  Seven months.  Ordinarily, that would seem like a sufficient amount of time, but today, it seemed like it wasn’t enough.  How was he going to pick a lady who both appealed to him and had money in that short time?

His father patted him on the shoulder.  “Your mother and I are counting on you, son.  Don’t disappoint us.”

“I won’t.”

“Come along.” He stepped toward the door.  “You’ll ride with me in the carriage.  We’ll stop by your school before I go to work.”

Kent gave one last look at his reflection.  He could do this.  And he would do it because he had to.  Straightening his suit jacket, he followed his father out of his bedroom.  After their servant handed them their coats, they bid Kent’s mother a good day and went to the carriage.

The ride to his new school was an awkward one.  He never knew what to say to his father, and he learned long ago that silence was better than inadvertently saying something wrong.  He stared out the window and noted his surroundings.  This was his new home.  New York was a long ways off, and all the things that happened there were in the past.

The carriage came a stop and he took a moment to examine the brick school on a well-manicured lawn.  All of the pupils entering it appeared to come from rich homes.  And better yet, there seemed to be a good number of young ladies who were of courting age.  The carriage door opened, and he stepped out of it, not bothering to look back at his father.  Only time would tell what the future would bring.

***

The day had gone better than Kent expected.  He wasn’t sure if the other students would welcome him since he was new, but they had greeted him willingly enough.  Perhaps living here wouldn’t be so bad after all.

During lunch, he kept his distance so he could watch the others, especially the young ladies who were of courting age.  He wanted to see how they acted around others, thinking doing so would give him insight into who would make a pleasant wife.  A couple of his peers glanced in his direction.  They were probably wondering why he didn’t join any of them, even though a couple had invited him to sit with them.  But his heart wasn’t in it.  His father would have prompted him to start building relationships with the young men which might lead to successful business prospects later on, but he didn’t feel like it.  Not today.  Maybe tomorrow.  Today, he wanted to be alone and rest.

After he finished eating, he had some time to go for a walk outside so stepped into the sun, ignoring the slight chill in the air.  He’d forgotten his coat, but that was of little consequence.  The walk would be brief.  Putting his hands in his pockets, he strolled the area in front of the school.  A few others were also outside to enjoy the day.  Some offered a smile, which he returned.  But still, he kept his distance.  Tomorrow.  Tomorrow, he would be the person his father expected him to be.  Tomorrow, he would engage them and talk to them.

As he passed under a group of trees, something fell on him.  Startled, he jerked to the side, tripped on a tree branch and fell in the mud beside the walkway.  It took him a moment to realize a frog had fallen from the tree.  Someone laughed above him, and he looked up at the young man—Alex Dawson—who enjoyed his misfortune way too much.

Angry, Kent rose to his feet, and noticing the mud on his hands, he looked down and saw mud was also on his pants.  The same pair of pants his father warned him to keep clean.  He turned his gaze back up, his jaw clenched.  “What do you think you’re doing?” he yelled.

To his irritation, Alex swung from the tree branch overhead and landed in front of him, a broad smile on his face.  “Ahoy, Kent.  I wanted to welcome you to this here fine school.”

“Welcome me?” he snapped, pointing to his pants.  “You think this is a proper welcome?”

“It’s just a pair of pants.  Just put on a new pair when you get home.”

He bit his tongue before he screamed at him that he didn’t have another pair he could “just put on”.  Grunting, he glared at Alex who was still laughing.  “This isn’t funny!”

“You’d think it was if you saw the look on your face when you landed on your behind.”

“Where did you get your manners from?  An asylum?”

“You needn’t be so stiff,” Alex replied with a nonchalant shrug.

“Stiff?  You ruined my pants, and you have the nerve to call me—”

“Alex meant you no harm,” someone called out.

Kent turned his attention as another one of his classmates, Todd Brothers if he recalled the name right, approached them.  “He did mean me harm.  He waited up in that tree,” Kent pointed up to the branch Alex had been on, “and threw a frog on me.”

“A harmless prank,” Alex said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.  “I merely wanted to welcome him to our school.”

“If you wanted to welcome me properly, you would have shook my hand like any normal person would,” he insisted before turning to Todd.  “Can you believe him?”

Todd offered an apologetic grin.  “Well, he happens to be my friend.  He didn’t intend for you to ruin your pants.  He only dropped a frog on you.”

“Exactly,” Alex agreed with an exaggerated nod of his head.  “I did no harm.  None at all.  You were the one who lost your balance and fell into the mud.”

Unable to believe that Alex was blaming him for ruining his own pants, Kent’s hands clenched.  “Only because you dropped that frog on me!”

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but the bell rang, signaling that classes were about to resume.

“Maybe we can find you a towel to clean up with,” Todd offered.

He glanced from Alex to Todd and threw his hands up in the air.  Neither one of them understood the seriousness of the situation.  To them, pants were disposable.  They never had to worry about their father’s displeasure if they came home with soiled clothes.  “Don’t bother,” he finally muttered and shook the mud off his hands the best he could.  “I’ll do it myself.  Just stay away from me.” He hurried away from them before they could do any more damage to his clothes.

Story Sample Sunday: Setting the Background for Kent Ashton (Villain in Falling In Love With Her Husband)

Today, I decided to write a brand new scene.  This takes place before Kent Ashton met Ann Statesman in Falling In Love With Her Husband.

I am trying to get into Kent’s mind to figure out why he did what he did in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  Below is a scene I just wrote in first draft form for your (and my ) enjoyment.  I plan to write more in the weeks ahead because Kent is turning into a very sympathetic character….now that I’m beginning to see what was going on in his life.  So we’ll see how things progress as I go along.  :)

“Do I have to be go?” Kent Ashton asked his parents as the horse carriage swayed gently from side to side.

His father grumbled in irritation.  ”We’ve already been over this.  The Johnsons are a good family, the kind of family you’d do well to associate with.  After the grief you caused us in New York, the least you can do is show us enough respect to please this family.  Mr. Johnson is a shrewd businessman.  He owns a thriving group of hotels.  If you make a good impression, he might hire you when you’re done with your schooling.  Then you’ll never lack for anything.”

“And after learning that your grandparents have left us next to nothing in their will, we need you to be wealthy,” his mother added.

His father’s jaw clenched.  ”My father was a fool with money.  I can’t believe he squandered all of it on bad investments.  If he wasn’t dead, I’d…” He glanced at Kent and cleared his throat.  ”Never mind all that.  We’re here for a new start.  We have a little wealth remaining, but it won’t last long.  I mean it, Kent.  Don’t tell anyone we’re one year away from poverty unless you marry a wealthy lady or get an excellent job.”

“Preferably, both,” she whispered, opening her fan and waving it.  ”You can’t have us living as paupers, Kent.  That’s no way to honor your parents.  It’s best Wilma is back in New York.”

“So you’re saying I can’t marry someone I love?” Kent asked, hiding the bitterness in his tone as much as he could.

“Wilma came from a family of few means,” his father barked, his eyebrows furrowed.  ”If you want to marry for love, then choose a lady who happens to come from wealth.  One lady is just like any other, and there’s plenty of wealthy ones to choose from right here in Virginia.”

No, every lady wasn’t the same as any other.  Wilma had been the only one who’d loved him for himself.  She’d seen past the riches his family had enjoyed.  She’d been like a breath of fresh air.  And now she was married to someone else, thanks to the way his parents manipulated things.  Kent looked out the carriage window, not really seeing the houses as the driver directed the horses down the street.  He couldn’t bear to make eye contact with his parents right now.  Not when he might give away his resentment.  Nothing would make a difference at this point.  He couldn’t go back and change the past.  Wilma was still married to someone else and always would be.  All he could do was continue on with his life and make the best of it.

The carriage came to a stop, and the driver opened the door for them.   His parents left the carriage first, his father shooting him a warning look.  When the driver turned his expectant gaze to him, he reluctantly stepped out of the carriage.  Before him stood one of the finest houses he’d ever seen.  Mr. Johnson was definitely a wealthy man.

“Let’s not keep him waiting,” his father said and took his mother by the arm.

Kent straightened his hat and suit jacket and followed them.  They climbed the steps to the porch, and he clasped his hands in front of him as his father knocked on the door.  He closed his eyes, hoping tonight would go well.  As the butler answered the door, he opened his eyes and forced a smile he’d been instructed to wear.

“Good evening,” the butler greeted, his tone solemn.  ”May I ask your name, sir?”

“We are the Ashtons,” his father replied.  ”Mr. Johnson has invited us to dinner.”

“Please enter.” The butler moved aside and waited until they stepped into the entryway before leading them to two french closed doors and opened them.  ”You may wait here while I notify Mr. Johnson that you are here.”

Kent joined his parents and entered the large parlor.

“My goodness,” his mother whispered in excitement.  ”Look at the fine furniture.  This chair alone must have cost a fortune!” She ran her hand along the velvet pink fabric on the arm of the chair.  ”I’ve only dreamed of owning such a luxurious item.”

Kent rolled his eyes and sat in another chair.  He tuned his parents out as they gushed over the other expensive items in the room and made plans on what they would buy once he secured their financial standing.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the butler returned, bringing Mr. Johnson, his wife and two daughters with him.  As the butler left, Kent rose to his feet and waited to be introduced the man his father assured him would be the most important person in his life.  Mr. Johnson introduced his wife, and Kent made sure to compliment her on her dress as his parents had instructed.  If he could get into her good graces, his parents were sure that it would be easier to win Mr. Johnson over.

“This is my eldest daughter, Rebecca,” Mr. Johnson continued, “and my youngest, Joan.”

Kent ignored the way his father’s eyebrows rose.  He knew what his father was thinking.  Rebecca was his age, or at least close to it, and if Kent could be Mr. Johnson’s son-in-law, then the plan would be a sure thing.  Kent made eye contact with is father and gave a slight shake of his head.  His father shrugged and turned his attention back to Mr. Johnson.  Kent placed his hands behind his back and clasped them, squeezing as hard as he could so he wouldn’t give away his irritation.  He would never court Rebecca.  It wasn’t that she was homely.  On the contrary, she was very pretty.  But within a few seconds of meeting her, he could tell she had no substance.  When he chose a wife, she’d be someone he could at least maintain a decent conversation with.

“Dinner is ready,” the butler announced, approaching them.

“Good,” Mr. Johnson said with a wide smile.  ”I hope you like lobster.  We had them brought in fresh this morning.”

“We love lobster,” his father replied.  ”But you shouldn’t have gone through all that trouble on our account.  Lobster’s not cheap.”

“Nonsense.  We do nothing but the best for our guests.”

“We’re humbled by your generosity.” He shot Kent a meaningful look.  ”We’re fortunate to be here tonight.”

“That we are,” Kent’s mother added, appearing way too happy about the evening.

“Good,” Mr. Johnson said.  ”Then let’s eat.”

Kent waited until the others were heading to the dining room before he followed, thinking this was going to be a long and tiring evening.

What About Kent Ashton? (Villain in Falling In Love With Her Husband)

For those of you who’ve read Falling In Love With Her Husband (the first romance I ever wrote), you’ll recognize the name Kent Ashton.  He was the man Ann Statesman was in love with.  She wanted to marry him, but when the scandal of his relationship with Rebecca was exposed (Rebecca was pregnant with his child), he had to end things with Ann.  From there, he did some shady things that made him the villain of the book.

Well, the other day, someone asked me if he ever changed his life for the better.  The answer is yes.  After Kent went to Ireland, his uncle showed him tough love, and because of this, Kent did change his life around.  I always saw a happy ending for him, though I hadn’t figured out the specifics on what happened to him.  I’m thinking his time in Ireland led him to a conversion experience, and when he returned to the United States, he decided to become a missionary.  Given his tainted past along the East Coast, he opted to go as far west as possible, California.

So I was thinking, as he’d be going to California, he’d probably pass through Omaha since Omaha was a big central hub for travel back in the early 1900s.  And who happens to be in Omaha but the Larsons?  And considering the time period he’d be making his trip, it’s possible that one of Dave and Mary’s daughters could be old enough to marry him.

I’m thinking of bringing him into the Nebraska Romance Collection.  Nothing is definite yet.  But it’s something to consider.

Anyway, as I was driving on a country road this morning, I was thinking of Kent and why he did what he did in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  In that book, we’re only given Ann and Todd’s point of view.  We really don’t know why Kent did what he did.  We can only guess.  Honestly, I never got in his head, so I didn’t know his point of view.  (Some characters speak to me and some don’t.  Kent was one of those quiet ones.) I only knew he changed his life around after he got to Ireland.

What I’d like to do is explore his point of view in Falling In Love With Her Husband to get a better feel for him.  I’ll be doing this on this blog, but I’ll do it as the inspiration strikes.  I can’t force his point of view.  It has to come to me.  We’ll see how things go in the upcoming weeks.  :D