Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 96

Inspiration for the Book: A Most Unsuitable Earl

This post is taken from Ethan and Catherine’s wedding night in A Most Unsuitable Earl.  I posted a sample yesterday.

It seems the necessity for a timid virgin in all romance novels is overdone.  Granted, it’s more realistic.  I know I got cold feet on my wedding night and was happy to delay the event for as long as possible, even encouraging a few family members to linger around after the wedding ceremony was over.

However, I thought it would be fun to get Catherine so upset with Ethan that she would forget her wedding night jitters.  I wanted to do something different.  I wanted a wedding night that would make me laugh as I wrote it.  And Catherine and Ethan have the kind of chemistry that makes it possible for me to write romantic scene which is far more humor than actual romance.  The whole thing turns out to be something of a disaster, but I won’t spoil the book by saying how.

What I will say (and this is a big hint) is that for once I wanted a heroine who was stronger than the hero in her persistence to explore the physical side of their relationship.  If a hero comes after the heroine, it’s expected.  If the heroine comes after the hero, it isn’t.  And when you mix it up with a heroine’s father (who has pretty much threatened an unofficial duel to the hero because the hero isn’t good enough for his delicate daughter) and a hero’s mother (who goes on and on about the importance of the duty in getting an heir), the book begs for comedy.

So what we have in this book, at least on the wedding night and the day after, is a reversal of roles in the male-female stereotypes.  Though Catherine seems the wallflower The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife and early on in this book, there’s a lot of passion and enthusiasm beneath the surface, but only those close to her will ever discover this part of her.  I knew when I wrote The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife that she wasn’t as boring as Lord Roderick assumed her to be, but I also knew it would take Lord Edon (a gentlemen desperately wanting everyone to believe he’s a rake) to spark something inside of her where she can be the person she truly is.  And it is only her who could make Lord Edon appreciate the value in not trying to be a rake–so he can also be who he truly is.

In this case, opposites really do attract.  :D

Sunday Story Sample: A Most Unsuitable Earl

This scene comes from the wedding night.  Catherine (our heroine) has waited for Ethan (our hero) to come to her bed.  However, he doesn’t come, and this makes our heroine rather…miffed (to put it nicely).

Here’s a sample from the scene:

She was sure he would come to her bed before midnight.  But when the clock chimed one, she let out a huff and threw the covers off of her so she could cross the room and go to the door connecting their bedchambers.  He better not be out with someone else tonight!  It was bad enough she had to marry him, but to be deserted on her wedding night in favor of another bed partner made her blood boil with rage.  Of all nights, this was the one reserved for her.  Her resolve strengthened, she flung the door open and entered his room.

To her surprise, he’d been asleep.  He bolted up in his bed, his hair ruffled and his eyes wide.  “I don’t want to fence!” He blinked in the moonlight and rubbed his eyes.  “Where am I?”

Seeing that as her cue, she rushed forward and stood by his bed.  “Not with me, which is where you’re supposed to be.  Do I have to tell you what you’re supposed to do on your wedding night?”

“I…uh…” He blinked several more times and stared at her.  “I didn’t think you’d want me to be with you tonight.”

What did her wants have to do with anything?  Her duty was to give him an heir.  Exasperated, she sighed. “When were you planning on coming to my bed?”

He shrugged.  “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know!”

She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him, but the effect was probably lost on him since it was dark and he couldn’t see much of her.  Inspired, she went to his table and lit a candle.  There.  Now that he could properly see her disgust, she hurried back over to him and glared at him once more.

He rolled his eyes.  “I was doing it for you.  I thought you wouldn’t want me in your bed, given how much you loathe me.”

“This has nothing to do with how I feel about you.”

“It doesn’t?”

“No, it doesn’t.  We have a duty to the crown.”

He groaned and placed his head in his hands.  “You sound just like my mother.”

Too annoyed to be nervous, she grunted and pulled her shift off.  “I don’t care if I sound like her or not.  We’re going to get this over with.” She picked up his covers and nudged him in the side.  “Move over so I can get in.  I’ll go back to my bed once you’re done.”

Substitute Bride is Available and Other Busy Stuff

Substitute Bride is now up!

Here are the links if interested:

Amazon

B&N

Smashwords

Remember, this is the same book I wrote under my pen name Kate Page.  Since I decided to get rid of Kate Page, I figured I would modify the book (slightly) and republish it.

If anyone is interested, here’s the description:

Kevin Edwards stands to inherit one million dollars. The catch? He must get married by Valentine’s Day. With only a month to spare, he seeks out the first woman who catches his interest: Tammy. But his best friend, Alexandra (Alex) Dixon is convinced he’s making the biggest mistake of his life. So she decides she will take Tammy’s place and be his bride instead. Can she convince him that things will be much better if they become more than friends or will he say “I do” to the wrong woman?

The Busy Stuff

I’m not getting much writing done.  I do it when I can, but it’s more like 100 words here or there as time permits.  It’s not for lack of ideas.  It’s just that life has become extremely busy and will continue to be that way for a while.

Here’s what I got going on…

1. Moving

This is from Nebraska to Minnesota, so I’m also dealing with getting the kids’ school records, etc in order.  We’ll be cleaning up the Minnesota place before we move our things up (in a couple of weeks), and after that it’s waiting until the end of the year to officially move out.  We want to make it a clean break for the kids.  Finish the semester in one school and start in the new school at the beginning of the new semester.  (Some people call it quarter, but I tend to think in terms of semesters thanks to my college days. ) And of course, we’re doing everything we can get our house sold so there are fix-it projects going on in the meantime.

2.  Conference in Kansas City

Believe it or not, it’s coming up quickly.  I looked at my calendar today and realized I’m leaving next Thursday (the 8th) and won’t come back until Sunday (the 11th).  I already know I won’t get any writing done during this time.  When I went to this thing in 2009, my friend and I shared a hotel room and when we weren’t attending workshops or talking to agents/publishers/editors/other writers, we were laughing and having a great time in the hotel.  The result?  Absolutely no writing done whatsoever.  I plan to schedule a post or two ahead of time, but I won’t actually be writing posts either.  I love the schedule posts feature on Word Press.

3.  I’m still hoping to get A Most Unsuitable Earl out soon.

No promises, though.  I only have about 10,000 words left to go, and usually that would mean I’d be done with the first draft in under two weeks.  However, given all that is going on, I’ll be doing good to finish this up in three to four weeks.  I’d love to have this out around the first of December.  But if that doesn’t happen, it just doesn’t happen.  Sometimes real life takes precedence.  I already plan to mark out mid-May to mid-August for family vacations, so I don’t plan to be doing much of anything during that time either.  You have to take time to enjoy the kids while they’re young and still think you’re cool enough to be seen in public with.  :D

Inspiration For the Book: Loving Eliza’s Ending

As promised, I’m going to discuss why I went with the ending I did for Loving Eliza.

I decided not to give John and Eliza a biological child because someone I know struggled with infertility.  The truth is, not every couple can have children.  While most couples will conceive, there are some who won’t.  It’s heartbreaking for them.  I wanted to give them a heroine and hero who also couldn’t have a child.  I got some criticism for not allowing them to have the child, but really, it worked out best that way.

I knew when I ended the book without a biological child, I would have them adopt a boy who was abandoned.  But the question was, who was this child going to be.  Given the fact that John was mute, I wanted a child who also had a disability, something that would compel his parents to abandon him.  I chose a blind boy, and this boy became Brian who was the hero in Bid for a Bride.

The initial challenge was how Brian and John would communicate since Brian wouldn’t be able to see the signs John used, but then I remembered the movie I watched about Helen Keller’s life.  Helen was blind and deaf.  In the movie, she learned how to sign by feeling her instructor’s hands.  That’s what gave me the idea to have Brian and John communicate through touch.

Sunday Sample Scene: Alternate Ending for Loving Eliza

I originally wrote a different scene for Loving Eliza than I decided to go with.  In the original, I let Eliza and John have a baby, but because of someone I knew, I decided to drop that idea and go with the scene where they go to Charity’s Christmas party instead.  Looking back, I’m glad they didn’t have a biological child.  Bid for a Bride wouldn’t have been as powerful if Brian hadn’t been their only (and adopted) child.

I’ll explain why I didn’t go with this ending tomorrow.  :D

Chapter Twenty-Two

One year later

Eliza pulled the picture of her son off the shelf of the fireplace mantle and bit her lower lip.  How many times had she wished she could have held him just one time?  As soon as he was born, the prostitute who delivered him quietly took him to the couple who waited outside the door.  Eliza never even got to look at him.  She heard him cry and that was it.

She only had this picture to know what he looked like.  She often imagined what it would have been like to hold him just one time.  Her hands shook as she put the picture next to the one of her and John.  Taking a deep breath, she took a step back.  Dare she hope after all these years that old wounds might be fully healed—that what was once taken from her might be given back?

The front door opened and she glanced at John who stood in the doorway.  He brought his hands up to ask if she was ready.

She absentmindedly rested her hand on her flat stomach.  There was no way she was going to tell him just in case she was wrong.  She could very well be wrong.  Her cycle had been irregular before.  Just because she missed a couple of months, it didn’t mean anything.  The feeling of nausea could easily be due to her swirling emotions.  The fatigue could be due to the heat.  Slowly exhaling, she cleared her throat and walked over to him.

He pointed to her and then used his hands to ask if she was alright.

She decided to hedge her answer.  What good would it be to tell him anything if she was wrong?  “I miss Addy.  She did return from visiting her daughter, right?”

He nodded.

She didn’t know if he believed her or not but decided it didn’t matter.  She was much too nervous to care.  If she was right…if it was really happening for her…  She didn’t dare hope!

After John helped her into the wagon, she watched him as he climbed into his side.  Once he picked up the reins, she leaned against him, taking comfort in his silent strength.  She took his free hand into hers and caressed his skin.  For the most part it was smooth.  He didn’t work in the fields.  She liked that though.  When she needed him to help her around the house, he could stop whatever he was doing and assist her.  Usually, his assistance involved in him retrieving anything that was too high for her to reach.  But sometimes she just wanted to be with him.

She liked knowing she was no longer alone in the world, and she knew that no matter what happened, he’d love her.  He looked at her but she avoided the question in his eyes.  He knew her well enough to understand when something was troubling her.  But to his credit, he squeezed her hand and returned his attention to the path before them.

When they arrived in town, he parked on the outskirts, like he did when she first met him.  He still liked to be there, even though he no longer had to.  She’d asked him about it one time, and he wrote that it was easier to leave when he wanted.  She figured that some habits never went away.  But she didn’t mind.

The walk through town was nice.  It helped settle her nerves because she could focus on saying hello to the people that greeted them on their way to Addy’s.  John seemed happier as well.  His shoulders no longer slouched and he made eye contact with people as they passed by.  She was glad for him.

Once they reached Addy’s house, she asked, “Will you be working on Willy and Daphne’s roof?”

He nodded.  Then he held up two fingers.

“You’ll be back for me in two hours.”

He nodded again and kissed her.

She forced a smile.  Now that she was about to make the trip to the doctor’s, her stomach was twisting back into its crazy knots.  Or was it morning sickness?  No.  She wouldn’t think about it until she was at the doctor’s office.  She waited for John to disappear around the corner of the next street before she knocked on Addy’s door.

After a few seconds, Addy threw the door open and hugged her.  “Eliza!  Oh, how I missed you.  It’s been a long two months, hasn’t it?”

“It sure has.” A feeling of warmth washed over her.  She didn’t realize how much Addy meant to her until that moment.  “How is your daughter doing?”

“Wonderfully.  She had a boy.” She pulled back, held onto Eliza’s hands, and scanned her from head to toe.  “Why, there’s something different about you.  You look like you’re glowing.”

“Oh, I don’t know about glowing.” She cleared her throat, unsure if she even wanted to say it aloud.  For some reason, it seemed safer not to say anything.

“Marriage certainly agrees with you.” She turned to the house.  “Will you come in?”

Eliza knew that it was now or never.  “Addy, can I ask a favor of you?”

Addy’s face grew serious.  “Of course, you can.  Is something wrong?”

“No.  Nothing’s wrong.  I’m just nervous.” She wiped her hands on her skirt but they remained sweaty.  It was hot for September.  Either that or her anxiety was getting the best of her.  “I need to see the doctor.”

“What?  Why?” Addy touched her shoulder and looked at her with caring eyes.  “You can tell me.  I can handle it.”

Despite the situation, Eliza laughed.  “There’s nothing to be concerned about.  I mean it.  I…” Here it came.  She took a deep breath.  “I think I’m expecting.  But I can’t be sure.  I mean, not really.  You know at the saloon, the doctor wanted to make sure I never had another child and for all those years, I didn’t and I’ve only been married to John for one year and suddenly I think I might have a chance to be a mother.  Not that I’m not one.  I mean, I do have a son, but I’ve never seen him.  And now I wonder if I might get a second chance at this whole thing.  But I won’t know until I see the doctor and I can’t go alone but I don’t want to go with John either.  I don’t want him to be disappointed.  You see, I’m afraid the doctor will tell me I’m wrong and it’s just my cycle acting up again because I never was quite right after I gave birth and…” She stopped when she realized she was rambling on like an idiot and gave a shaky laugh.  “So, I was wondering if you’d come with me.”

Addy smiled.  “Of course.” She grabbed her shawl off the hook in the entryway and shut the door.

Eliza’s legs felt wobbly as she joined Addy in walking down the road.  “I knew it was cool outside.” She wiped the sweat off her brow.  Maybe she was sick.  She pressed her hand to her forehead.  She didn’t think she was feverish, but she wasn’t thinking straight, so who knew?

“You mind if I ask how far along you think you might be?”

She shrugged.  “I have no idea.  The last time I had my monthly flow was three months ago.  But that doesn’t mean anything.  I’ve gone that long without it before.”

“So what makes you think this time might be different?”

“I’m not sure.  I just have a suspicion.”

“Maybe God’s telling you something.”

“I thought of that.  But I told Him I didn’t have the courage to see for sure unless I went with you.”

She chuckled.  “Well, that’s what friends are for, to help each other through the valleys of life.”

As they got closer to the doctor’s, Eliza realized her steps were slowing.

Addy wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  “My mother always told me that a woman knows when she’s expecting a child.”

“Really?” Eliza tried to recall if she knew when she was carrying her son.  It had happened so long ago that she couldn’t remember.  All she remembered was being scared.  “Sometimes a woman can be wrong, can’t she?”

“I suppose it’s possible.  But I have yet to meet one.”

The words gave her hope and she managed the last block to the office.

Addy opened the door and called for the doctor who came out of the backroom.

“How may I help you ladies?” he asked as he placed his ledger on the table by the door.

“Eliza thinks she might be expecting, but her cycles aren’t regular so she came here to be sure.”

Eliza was glad she spoke on her behalf.  Her tongue didn’t seem to want to cooperate with her.  She could only manage a nod.  Being there was surreal.  Though the doctor asked her questions and she answered him, the pounding in her chest dominated her attention.  What if he confirmed her worst fear?  She went through the process of giving him her urine to test.  The waiting was hard.  She never thought she’d be seeing a doctor for this reason, but here she was and no matter what she did, she couldn’t relax.  Addy talked to her, but she couldn’t focus on anything she said.

When the doctor returned, she tried to guess the answer before he spoke.  His face was pleasant, but that was no indicator.  It was just her luck that she ended up with a doctor who could mask his emotions.

“Well, Mrs. Evans, I’d say that by the beginning of March, you’ll be holding a baby girl or boy,” he said.

It wasn’t until Addy cheered that his meaning dawned on Eliza.  Tears fell down her cheeks before she was able to speak.  “I-I’m going to have a baby?” She never thought she’d say those words.

He broke into a wide grin.  “Yes.  And be sure to tell John that he needs to go easy on you.  Let him cook some meals while you relax for a change.  This is the only time a woman gets an excuse to rest.  Once that child comes, you won’t have a moment to yourself until he’s out of the house.”

“Oh, shoo,” Addy told him in a playful tone.  “You’re a proud father.  You have how many in your house?”

“Six and one on the way.” He glanced at Eliza.  “There’s no quiet unless they’re all asleep.  Poor John doesn’t know what he’s getting.”

Addy rolled her eyes.  “You just wait until I tell your wife what you said.”

His eyes grew wide in feigned horror.  “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Give your wife an extra kiss tonight and I may relent.”

“You drive a hard bargain, ma’am.  Alright.  You win.  But I warn you that it was the extra kiss that got her into this mess.”

“You need to watch yourself, doctor.  There are ladies in the room.”

He chuckled.  “Go on and tell John the good news.”

Despite the fact that tears continued to fall down her cheeks, Eliza laughed.  Now she couldn’t wait to see her husband!  “Addy, let’s go to Willy and Daphne’s place.  He’s over there and I can’t wait.”

Addy nodded and Eliza followed her out the door.

Eliza practically ran the whole way there and eagerly knocked on the door.

Gasping, Addy caught up to her.  “When you get excited, there’s no stopping you.”

“I’m sorry.  Did I wear you out?”

Addy giggled.  “A little.  I’m not as young as I used to be.  But it’s for a good reason.”

Daphne opened the door.  “Hello there, Eliza and Addy.  Come on in.”

“Where’s John?” Eliza was too impatient to engage in pleasantries.  She wanted to tell John right away.

As if to answer her question, there was a pounding on the roof.

Daphne pointed to the ceiling.  “Up there.  Do you want me to get him?”

“No.  I can find him.”

“Eliza,” Addy quickly admonished, “are you sure that’s wise in your condition?”

“I won’t get on the roof.  I’ll just call him down.” Before Addy could stop her, she rushed out of the kitchen and found Willy weeding the garden in the backyard.  She peered up, squinting in the sun, and called out to John.

“Is something wrong?” Willy asked, turning to her from where he knelt in the middle of the garden.

“No.  I’m fine.  Don’t bother getting up.” She sighed.  What was taking John so long?  She found the ladder on the side of the house and started to climb up it when John looked at her from the edge of the roof.  “I have something to tell you.  Can you come down?”

He nodded and obeyed.

The time it took for him to set his feet on the ground seemed to take forever.  When he was finally in front of her, she blurted out, “I’m expecting!”

His eyebrows furrowed as he looked around.

“Not that kind of expecting, silly.  I mean, I’m with child.”

His knowing grin and the twinkle in his eyes told her that he’d been joking with her.  She playfully slapped his arm.  “You have a real mean streak in you, John.” Then she studied his amused expression.  “You suspected, didn’t you?”

He nodded.  He pointed to her and put his hand over his stomach and pretended to be sick.  Then he gave her the sign for ‘my mother’.

“You remember your mother being the same way when she was expecting Shawn?” she guessed.

He nodded again.

“So, what do you think about being a father?”

He yawned and shrugged.

Just as she gasped, his smile widened and he swung her around in his arms and kissed her.  Laughing, she said, “I ought to make you go without supper for teasing me that way.”

He set her down, knelt in front of her and kissed her hand.  Then he beseeched her with his repentant eyes to forgive him.

“Oh, get up.  I’ll feed you.”

Appearing content, he did as she bid and gave her another kiss.  He patted her stomach and squeezed her hand.

He really was happy.  She hoped he’d be, though she didn’t realize she was transparent enough for him to suspect that she was pregnant.  But what did it matter?  The point was, he was hers and, together, they would have a child.

***

            January came and with it the wind howled and snow covered the ground.  Eliza found that she loved winters in the southern Dakota territory.  There was something magical about watching snowflakes fall down, so when she woke up early that morning because her baby insisted on kicking like crazy, she decided to add more wood to the fireplace in the small parlor.

Dawn had passed a good hour ago, so she could see the snow whirling in the wind.  Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she stood in front of the window and smiled.  The world contained simple joys that she’d long ago forgotten to savor.  The movement in her womb reminded her that miracles still happened.  First there was John and now his child.  She rubbed her belly, recalling her first child.  She vowed she would tell this one about him someday, when the time was right.  It would be painful to explain the past to her son or daughter, but it was her life and she had come to accept the good with the bad and appreciate how both had brought her to this place—in this moment in time.  She wouldn’t be where she was now had it not been for where she’d been.

She heard John come into the room before she saw him.  “It’s a beautiful morning, don’t you think?”

He walked over to her and kissed her.  Then he pointed to the bedroom.

She laughed.  “Don’t you ever think of anything else?”

He crossed his arms and pretended he was shivering.

“Oh.  You got cold without me next to you.”

He nodded.

“We should get up anyway.  It’s morning.  Farmers have been up for hours by now.”

Grimacing, he shook his head and motioned to the bedroom.  Then, before she could say anything else, he picked her up and carried her back to bed.

“You are the most persistent man I’ve ever met.  You do know that you’re persistent, don’t you?”

He shrugged as he slipped under the covers, snuggled up to her, and closed his eyes.

She seriously doubted that he wanted to go back to sleep, and when she felt his hand lightly stroke her breast, a wry grin crossed her face.  “So you had an ulterior motive for bringing me in here.  I should be cooking breakfast instead.  Aren’t you hungry?  You used up a lot of energy last night.”

His response was to kiss her.

She wondered if he did that to shut her up, but if that was his intent, she didn’t mind.  It was a wonderful way to be told to quit talking.   She closed her eyes and melted in his arms.  He proceeded to make love to her, taking his time in bringing them both pleasure.  And when they were satisfied, he drifted off to sleep.

She was too excited to doze off with him, even if she woke up earlier than she usually did.  She knew that once the baby was born, she wouldn’t get much sleep, but she was eager to know what it was like to cradle her child in her arms.  Two more months and she would find out.  As she imagined that day, she remained in John’s arms and watched the snow as it fell softly outside the bedroom window.

***

            In the first week of March, John waited outside while the doctor and Addy tended to Eliza during her labor.  When he couldn’t take the screaming anymore, he went to work on a highchair.  He’d already made the bassinet and crib.  He knew it would be months before his child would need a highchair, but he couldn’t handle listening to his wife in all that pain.

He remembered how excited she’d been when she told him she was with child.  He’d been happy too, but he’d been happier for her because he knew how much it meant to her.  Right now, he wasn’t sure a child was worth the agony of labor.  It was hard to concentrate on his work.  He’d start chipping into the wood only to get up and open the door, wondering if it was over yet.  But Addy said she’d come for him when the time was right.

He rubbed his eyes before he pulled out his pocket watch.  It’d been about three hours since the doctor came out, and about twelve hours since Eliza started getting labor pains.  How long did this usually last?  He knew practically nothing about this, and when he asked Aaron what to expect, Aaron just patted him on the shoulder and said, “When the time comes, stay out of the way.  There’s nothing a man can do but wait.”

And so he waited…and waited…and waited…  When he finally saw Addy emerge from the house, he dropped his tools and ran to meet her.

“Eliza’s doing fine,” she said, out of breath and smiling.  “You have a girl.  She’s doing fine too.  Are you ready to see them?”

He nodded.  Of course, he was!  He’d been waiting all day for this moment.

“Well, then come on.  I warn you that it’s pretty loud in there.  That daughter of yours has a good pair of lungs on her.”

His heart leapt with joy.  He hadn’t realized how much it would mean to him that his little girl would be able to speak.  He wanted to hear her voice, especially so he could hear her say ‘Pa’.  He didn’t know why that was so important to him, but it was.

As soon as he stepped into the house, he heard Eliza talking.  The doctor was in the kitchen collecting his things, so he knew Eliza was talking to their baby.

The doctor looked up at him.  “Congratulations.  Mother and child are both healthy.”

John couldn’t help but grin like a fool.  Now that the screaming was over, he could relax, and hearing the momentary cry from his baby in the other room assured him that the ordeal of waiting had been worth it.

“Now, don’t worry about the bill.  The furniture you made for my family is enough,” the doctor stated before he shook John’s hand and left.

Addy turned to him.  “I’ll make something for you and Eliza to drink and eat.  Why don’t you go in there?  Eliza’s anxious to see you.”

Without gesturing to her, he rushed to the bedroom.  He wanted to see the girl.  Did she have her mother’s reddish blond hair?  He thought it would be nice if she did.  He liked that color.  But as he approached the bed where Eliza held her, he saw a bunch of dark brown curls framing her face.

Even though Eliza looked tired, she glanced up at him and gave him the widest smile he’d ever seen on a person.  “I can’t believe she’s here.  I can’t believe I’m holding her.” She wiped away a tear and laughed.  “It’s silly to cry when I’m filled with so much joy I think my heart might burst.”

He knew that feeling.  He’d felt it when she finally agreed to marry him.  She sure had put up a struggle, but she’d been worth it.  He sat next to her at the edge of the bed, trying to be careful not to disturb the sleeping child.

“You want to meet your pa?” she softly asked the child.

The girl squirmed for a moment and yawned.

He chuckled.  She was a pretty little thing, and in a lot of ways, she reminded him of Eliza.  So she didn’t have her mother’s wild hair color.  His hair color worked just as well, though she didn’t get the curls from him.  She must have gotten them from his mother.  It was nice to see a part of his mother in her.

Eliza handed him the child.  “I was thinking of a name for her.  What do you think of Miracle?”

He gingerly held the baby.  She seemed fragile, as if she might break if he wasn’t careful.

His daughter stared up at him.  She was probably trying to figure out who he was.  She waved her hand in the air and he caught it.  Her hand wrapped around his finger, and he marveled that someone so tiny could steal his heart.  He knew he’d love his child, but he hadn’t expected the pride he felt.  One look at Eliza’s glowing face told him that all the pain she’d been through was worth this moment.  And he agreed, though he was glad it was over.

“I tried thinking of other names for her, but none of the others fit.  Not really.  I mean, she is a miracle.  It’s the only way to explain her birth, don’t you think?”

He thought it was cute that Eliza felt the need to explain why she chose Miracle for their baby’s name.  He just smiled at her and nodded his consent.  Miracle was a good name, in more ways than one.  He considered Eliza his miracle.  He’d longed for a wife who could look beyond his handicap and love him.  And now as he looked into his daughter’s open eyes, he realized she was as much a miracle as her mother had been.

Yes.  Miracle.  He couldn’t think of a more perfect name than that.

 

Random Stuff

1.  Moving

I’ll be busier than usual through the New Year because (after much debate), we decided to move.  We’ll be officially moving during December.  We’ve started the process (contacting a realtor, telling the schools, etc).  That is why I am going to push to have A Most Unsuitable Earl out before or around December 1.  After that, I’ll probably slow down with writing and probably won’t pick it back up until the kids are settled in their new schools (so some time in January).

2.  Substitute Bride is still set for around November 1. 

I’m currently listening to it on my Kindle (thanks to text-to-speech) to hear it.  I’m about 1/3 of the way through with that.  I am having a couple of people looking it over (one is already done).  It’s light work because this was a book that was already published.  Any errors that popped up on this round was where I made changes.

What surprised me more than anything else is how much happier I am with this version.  :D

3.  November Newsletter Blog

I will make my November newsletter post when I publish Substitute Bride so I only have to give the links one time on that blog.  I also want to update the header since I put Wagon Trail Bride on hold (I have no idea when I’ll get back to it, but there’s a missing element to the book I need to resolve anyway so it’s best it’s not tackled yet).

4.  A Most Unsuitable Earl is almost done.

I am very close to finishing this book.  I have between 10,000 to 15,000 words left.  This book has been so much fun to write.  I’ve laughed through most scenes.  This is another book you can’t take too seriously.  It’s light and fun.  :D

New Cover and Information for Substitute Bride

I wanted something playful and light since the book is supposed to be a fun read.  So while I found some great pictures to use for the cover, I finally picked the one that I believed represented the tone of the book the best.  Without further ado, here it is:

Why did I write the book?

I wanted to do a romance about two people who were best friends since “forever” and in this case, forever is since kindergarten.  :D

What is it about?

Kevin Edwards stands to inherit one million dollars.  The catch?  He must get married by Valentine’s Day.  With only a month to spare, he seeks out the first woman who catches his interest: Tammy.  But his best friend, Alexandra (Alex) Dixon is convinced he’s making the biggest mistake of his life.  So she decides she will take Tammy’s place and be his bride instead.  Can she convince him that things will be much better if they become more than friends or will he say “I do” to the wrong woman?

Is it deep and meaningful?

Nope.  It’s just supposed to be a cute and fun romance.  Nothing serious takes place.  It won’t change your life or give you deep insights into anything.  It’s only there for entertainment, and yes, this would be called “brain candy” or mere fluff.  But sometimes a fun, quick read is what I’m in the mood for.  :D

When will it be available?

It will be out soon.  I am done with touching it up since it was very light work I had to do to it.  Look for it around November 1st.

For those of you on my email list, I’ll send you the links when the book is up on Amazon, Smashwords, and B&N.  I’ll also make an announcement on this blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and my newsletter blog.

How long is it?

It’s just a little over 36,000 words long, so this is a novella.

And a disclaimer

In case you didn’t read my previous post about this book, it used to be Substitute Bride under Kate Page.  I dropped the pen name because I don’t have time to juggle that when I have books under Ruth Ann Nordin and a family (and all that goes with being a mom).  So if you read the Kate Page version, you’ve already read the book.  I have added a couple of scenes to it and deleted a couple of sexual scenes.  But otherwise, it is the same story.  I’ll add this disclaimer when I publish the book.  I don’t want anyone to say I didn’t warn them.  ;)

Inspiration for the Book: Loving Eliza and the Mute Hero

Of all the heroes I’ve done, none stood out as strong as John.  He might have been mute, but he was very “outspoken” in other ways.  And more than that, he came alive from the very first sentence I wrote to introduce him.

Originally, I intended to write a historical romance based in Alaska where a hero with a disability would be given a wife from a group of brothers who thought he was stupid.  They did it as a joke because they were mean.  Some day I might write that story, but John was nobody’s fool and he was much too strong of a character to have a wife dumped on him.  As soon as I introduced him, he wanted to marry Eliza, and nothing was going to change his mind.  So even though John never spoke, he was able to change the entire book to suit what he wanted it to be.  :D

I have a deaf son who is named John (named after my dad).  My son is profoundly deaf in both ears and has a cochlear implant.  In preschool, his teachers suspected he was either autistic or mentally retarded.  Though I knew neither was the case and testing cleared him of this, there was a stigma during that time that he was not as smart as the other kids.

This part from my real life led into a lot of the town’s people thinking the hero, John, wasn’t smart.  It was a stigma (and a frustration) the hero had to deal with.  A couple of people came around to realizing he had normal intelligence and treated him as such, but there were always a couple who didn’t.

(For anyone who is wondering, my son is now in the second grade, and his teacher realizes he’s smart.  In fact, last year when he was in the first grade, he ended up getting into second grade math because he’d already mastered first grade math.  Thankfully, he doesn’t let his disability hold him back.)

I could have chosen a hero who was deaf, seeing as how my own son is deaf, but I wanted to do something slightly different.  I wanted a hero could hear so he was aware of what people were saying.  But I also wanted a disability that would require facial expressions and hand gestures, things that are similar to someone who is deaf.  My goal was to get a better perspective of what my son goes through, what is it like for him to try to communicate to people without speaking?  So I chose for him to be mute.

I thought it would be hard to write a mute hero, but it was surprisingly easy.  Like I said, he was such a strong character that it didn’t require any effort on my part.  His facial expressions and gestures came without any effort.  I don’t know if it’s because I got used to picking up on what my own son was telling me during that time or what, but John’s actions were easy to write.

Sunday Story Sample: Loving Eliza (Introducing a Mute Hero)

 

Today’s Sunday Story Sample is from Loving Eliza where I introduce John, my mute hero.     I didn’t explain that he was mute until a little later, but from the moment he came into the story, he was very real with a strong personality, and he wasn’t about to let Eliza go.  :D

A strong hand caught Eliza by the arm and steadied her so she didn’t end up on the ground.

She quickly regained her composure and looked into the greenest eyes she’d ever seen.  She blinked in surprise, for they were beautiful.  The man in front of her stood a foot taller than her and had dark brown hair with bangs that fell neatly over his forehead.  The man had dressed in a clean blue shirt and black slacks.  He even wore a tie and a nice black vest.

Considering that he was better dressed than the other men she’d seen in town, she found him to be a strange curiosity.  “You look pretty fancy.  Are you getting hitched?” As soon as she said the words, she wished she hadn’t.  She needed to learn to bite her tongue.  “Sorry, Mister.  I meant no disrespect.”

She tried to move around him but he blocked her.  She frowned and gave him a good look.  She’d had her share of difficult men in her time.  She placed a hand on her hip.  She didn’t care if he was built like a tower.  He wouldn’t intimidate her.

“What do you want with me?” she demanded.

He motioned to the letter in his hand.

She rolled her eyes.  Great.  The strong silent type.  “Look, I don’t have time for this, Mister.  I came to find Melissa Peters.”

When she took another step to the side, he moved with her.

She took a deep breath.  “You are annoying me.”

He winced.

Her face softened.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to be harsh.  What is it you want me to do?  Read that letter?”

He nodded and handed it to her.

“You could just tell me what’s in it.”

He shook his head and pointed to his throat.

“Oh.  You’re sick.  I see.” Not that she believed him.  He didn’t look ill.  “It’s a good thing I know how to read.”

He smiled.

She hesitantly returned his smile before she read the letter.  As she did, it became clear to her that he thought she was the woman who had agreed to come out west to marry him.  No wonder he wouldn’t let her go around him.  He assumed that she was his mail-order bride.  Well, now that was easy enough.  She’d set him straight.  “I hate to break this to you, Mister, but I’m not Daphne O’Conner.  My name is Eliza.” She paused.  She couldn’t recall her last name.  It’d been so long ago since she used it.  “I’m not your bride.”

He frowned as she handed the paper back to him.

“I’m sorry.  I realize she was due to come in on the same stagecoach that I did, but my only traveling companions are over there.” She motioned to a very happy looking Charity and her aunt.  The marshal looked just as pleased.  As well they should, she reckoned.  They all seemed nice enough.  Turning back to him, she shrugged.  “I’m sorry.  Maybe she’ll come in on the next ride.”

He folded the paper in slow, methodical motions.

There didn’t seem to be anything else to say, so she took a step around him and headed for the houses lining the next road.  Wilkins Pike was the name of it, and that was the name of the road she needed.

To her surprise, he tapped her on the shoulder.

She stopped and stared at him, wondering what in the world he could possibly want now.

Works in Progress: Part 2

Other Books I’m Working On

I hesitate to mention the other stories I’ve got going.  I’ve been focusing on A Most Unsuitable Earl and Mitch’s Win, but there have been others I’ve been doing 100-200 words a day (more if the words are just flying from my brain).  These have been my backup stories for when I hit rough patches in the main two.  (I should add that I tend to focus on two stories at one time and the others are the “as time permits” ones.)

Please be aware that this is the tentative list of what I’m currently working on (as in 100-500 words a day so no real progress)…

1. The Write Husband

I’m thinking this might be a novella, but it’s too early to tell.  It’s a Regency and is the romance for Mister Robinson (the mischievous ward of Lord Clement who had to empty chamberpots for Lord Roderick).  Well, he’s just as mischievous as ever, except he’s no longer in danger of getting into a fight with another gentleman.  This time, he’s using his mischievous ways for good, and he’s pretty much bound and determined to marry a widow (Lady Richfield who is Ethan’s good friend in A Most Unsuitable Earl).  Lady Richfield is just as determined to remain single as Mister Robinson is to marry her, at least that’s the case at this point.  I’m almost at chapter 4 in the book.

As a side note: If this is a novella, I will price it lower than I would a full-length novel.

2.  Runaway Bride

It’s taking time to get back into the world I built up for Suddenly a Bride, so I’m only doing a little at a time.  I’m at chapter 2.  I’m finally getting to know the “doctor” (aka Lexie’s fiance Nick).  I honestly had no idea what the guy was like when I wrote Suddenly a Bride.  I just knew she’d end up with Mark instead.  Part of the fun of writing is finding out what the characters are like.  (I will add here that Catherine in A Most Unsuitable Earl is nothing like I thought she’d be.  :P)

3.  His Abducted Bride

I’m really excited about this one and have wanted to do this whole author-gets-sucked-into-her-story for about two years now, so this has been easier to get going than Runaway Bride since more of this story has been outlined in my head.  Also, the original idea for this book actually came when I was in college back in 1998, but back then it was a fantasy I had intended to write.

In 1998, I got my BA in Psychology and ditched the idea of writing the book.  (Well, that’s not true.  I did write the first chapter but didn’t go any further.)  In fact, I did no writing until 2002 after my first child was born and my father-in-law (who read my past books) encouraged me to pick up writing again.  Back then I did sci-fi, fantasies and a couple of YA thrillers.

Then I stumbled upon an old historical romance (which eventually became Falling In Love With Her Husband) that I had only written half of in 1998.  Why did I stop?  Well, I graduated college and moved to North Dakota.  (I was in Florida at the time.)  Anyway, I tucked it away in a bin.  I didn’t open that bin until the summer of 2007.  Sometimes it takes a while to get to where you’re supposed to be.  :D

Anyway, this book is now a romance, but the heroine is writing a fantasy.  So I’ve kept elements from the original idea that stemmed back from 1998.

Oh, and in case anyone wonders why the hero is faded, it’s because he comes from the story (as a work of fiction so he doesn’t really “exist”).  As for her, when I originally had her without any fade into the cover, it didn’t look natural so I had to fade her a little bit to better complement him and the background.  Otherwise, the white was a little overpowering.

***

But I have one more that I wrote and would like to bring back as a “Ruth” book.  Anyone remember my pen name, Kate Page and the book Substitute Bride?  Maybe the cover will get the memory going in case your mind is drawing a blank:

Well, I took it down from Smashwords and Amazon a while back because I was thinking of converting it to a “Ruth” romance.  It was an erotic romance under Kate Page.  I plan to tame it down to a regular romance.

I am going to change the cover and the name on the cover.  But I want to keep the title because when I try to think of a better title, nothing comes to mind.  

I will put in the description of the book that it used to be under the pen name “Kate Page” so those of you who’ve read the Kate Page version will know this is the same story.

I want to do light modifications to the actual story.  I’d like to put more in from Kevin’s (the hero’s) point of view, especially when he’s dating Tammy (not the heroine).  This story is a novella.  I’m sure it’ll stay a novella.  I’ll see how things go.  I’m going to work on this a little at a time as time permits.  I don’t expect much of it to change, so it could be done before the end of the year, but if it doesn’t come out until next year, then that’s how it goes.

I’m currently looking into possible new cover ideas, too, which I hope to post in the next couple of weeks.

And if anyone is wondering, I can’t handle having a pen name.  I’ve gotten a couple of questions about Kate Page and doing more under her, but the truth is, I can’t.  I’m swamped with work as it is, plus the husband, kids, household chores, and other stuff that goes on with real life.  While the idea of a pen name is fun, I only have enough time to be Ruth.  If I have an inkling to do something a little different, I’m just going to attach my name to it and put it out there like I did with Return of the Aliens.