Love Inspired Historicals discussion
Q&A with August LIH authors!
Thought this had gotten lost when I had not seen a mention yet, glad to see a couple of authors that I read here -see ya next week
Paula-O wrote: "Thought this had gotten lost when I had not seen a mention yet, glad to see a couple of authors that I read here -see ya next week"We had a little glitch in the schedule, Paula. Glad we could get it together. :)
I was just thinking about this yesterday and wondering if I missed it! Can't wait!
Sherri's new book got 4.5 stars from RT magazine! Congrats!
Yea! The last of my 5 deadlines in 2 months will be over tomorrow! I will actually be able to relax and take part in the discussion. I can't wait. I've missed visiting with you all.I love the titles and the covers. I'm raring to go! LOL
Dorothy wrote: "Yea! The last of my 5 deadlines in 2 months will be over tomorrow! I will actually be able to relax and take part in the discussion. I can't wait. I've missed visiting with you all.I love the tit..."
Yay, Dorothy! Enjoy your "free" time for a while. :)
Good morning, everyone! Today we have author Lacy Williams chatting about her new release.
Lacy grew up on a farm, which is where her love of cowboys was born. In reality, she's married to a right-brained banker (happily with three kiddos). She gets to express her love of western men by writing historical romance. Her books have finaled in the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards (2012 & 2013), the Golden Quill and the Booksellers Best Award.
MARRIAGE OF INCONVENIENCE
With no family to watch over them, it's up to Fran Morris to take care of her younger sister, even if it means marrying a total stranger. Gruff, strong and silent, her new husband is a cowboy down to the bone. He wed Fran to protect her, not to love her, but her heart has never felt so vulnerable.
Trail boss Edgar White already has all the responsibility he needs at his family's ranch in Bear Creek, Wyoming. He had intended to remain a bachelor forever, but he can't leave Fran and her sister in danger. And as they work on the trail together, Edgar starts to soften toward his unwanted wife. He already gave Fran his name…can he trust her with his heart?
Wyoming Legacy: United by family, destined for love
Lacy is giving away one copy of her book.
This story sounds so exciting, Lacy! Is it the first in a series?
This is the third book in the Wyoming Legacy series. The first 2.5 are: Courted by a Cowboy (ebook only, novella), Roping the Wrangler, and Return of the Cowboy Doctor. Also coming this year is A Cowboy for Christmas (Dec), and two books next year (Davy and Mattie's stories).
I love writing Inconvenient, Edgar's story. He's the brother who doesn't trust women. :)
Lacy wrote: "This is the third book in the Wyoming Legacy series. The first 2.5 are: Courted by a Cowboy (ebook only, novella), Roping the Wrangler, and Return of the Cowboy Doctor. Also coming this year is A..."
I'm going to have to get a copy of this and see how Edgar's heart is conquered! :)
He very stubbornly holds onto it until the last. :)
Lacy wrote: "He very stubbornly holds onto it until the last. :)"That makes for the best romances! ;)
Lacy, you know I love these books! I love this family! Can't wait to read Edgar's story! Ever since I read his father's story, I have enjoyed reading about the boys, individually! I'm sure this one will be fantastic!By the way - I read Kate's Valentine over the weekend while I was on vacation and what a fun concept! It was a really fun and fast read
Good morning Lacy, Cowboys..yes I agree they are a force to be reckoned with. you and Mary Conneally would get along famously. I like the sound of this story. marriages that start out for reasons other then love and possibly change to Love. My question why are some books only done as E-Books? I dont like to read that way. I am sure there are others like me who will miss that first book because we dont read E-Books. thanks for sharing with us today.
Hi Lacy, I have read Courted by a Cowboy and Roping the Wrangler and they were so good! I have Return of the Cowboy Doctor on my nightstand right now and just got approved for this latest one on NetGalley. So, I am definitely going to be immersing myself into this family again soon!One of my favorite concepts are those marriages that start out for reasons other than love and then become so uncomfortable for the couple as one or both begin to have those feelings of love of each other, when they are not reciprocated (or at least they think they aren't). Great tension there!
Hi Lacy! I actually remembered the Q&A this month! I'm so happy! :) I confess that I haven't actually read any of your books, yet. This one sounds great, though - I love marriage of convenience stories! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it. Since this is called a Q&A, I suppose asking a question would make sense . . . .hmm. Okay, I found one: if you could have any job in the world, would you still choose to be an author? Why or why not?
If that's is too odd to answer, here's a slightly more normal one: what inspired this book? Did you go into the series planning it? Or was there a moment where your characters decided for you where it would go?
Thank you for hanging out with us today! And congratulations on your new book! :)
~Sarah
Hi Lacy! I always love your endearing characters, especially your heroes. What do you love most about Edgar? Did he surprise you in any way? I look forward to reading The Wrangler's Inconvenient Wife!
~Britney
Hello Lacy!I have read one of your books and I have the other two in this series. But I haven't gotten to read them yet. This one looks really good and I can't wait to read it! My question is, which book in this series has been your favorite to write so far?
~Katie
Hi, Valri! Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you liked the Choose Your Own Romance, it was a fun book to write (although I had to plot it all out weirdly!)Paula - it was the publisher's choice to do the novella in ebook only. It was released as a promo when this new series started. Who knows, in the future they may do it as a promo read that you sometimes find in the back of the print versions.
Hi, Brittany! Thanks for reading my books. This is actually my second marriage of convenience book (Marrying Miss Marshal is the first). They are very fun to write but the challenge was my publisher didn't want the characters to think about annulment as a choice to get out of the marriage. I can understand that writing from a Christian point of view, but as a person, I think would be looking for a way out! The stories definitely give lots of good tension when the characters are stuck together!
Sarah asked:if you could have any job in the world, would you still choose to be an author? Why or why not?
I would still be an author. Reason: the characters won't leave me alone. I've had different characters "bugging" me since I was a tween. I tried for a period during college not to write and the people in my head still wouldn't shut up. So I don't really think I have a choice. LOL But it is a good fit for me career-wise (I can write around the schedule of my three young kids), so it has definitely been a God-thing!
If that's is too odd to answer, here's a slightly more normal one: what inspired this book? Did you go into the series planning it? Or was there a moment where your characters decided for you where it would go?
I knew at the beginning of the series that Edgar wouldn't trust women. I also knew that with seven brothers in the series, planning "cowboy" books that would be slightly different from each other would be a challenge. I knew I wanted to throw in a cattle drive, but the surprise there was that *trains were already running during the time period of this story*. So of course I had to give the characters a reason to be doing the cattle drive instead of just loading those rangy animals into the train.
My characters always throw me curve-balls during the writing of each book, in this case it was actually Edgar's relationship with Ricky (his brother) that surprised me. I won't spoil the storyline for you, but it was fun writing the brotherly relationship in addition to the romance.
Britney askedWhat do you love most about Edgar? Did he surprise you in any way?
I love Edgar's loyalty to his family. Even though he has serious trust issues with women in general (for good reason!), he loves his brothers so much that he can relate to the heroine's relationship with her sister...and that's where the h/H relationship really starts to bloom. They have one thing in common.
What surprised me the most writing Edgar was that I knew he would distrust women but I didn't realize the lengths he would go to to stay away from Fran! That cowboy would *not* ride alongside the chuck wagon like a good, friendly man. He was staying away!!! So of course I was mean and gave him a reason to stick to the wagon--a snakebite. --insert evil cackle-- Don't worry, he survives. :)
Sarah asked
My question is, which book in this series has been your favorite to write so far?
This is a toss up between The Homesteader's Sweetheart (the book that started it all!) and Return of the Cowboy Doctor. And it's funny because heroes Jonas and Maxwell are a lot alike in their personalities, so maybe that's why. I do love a strong Best Friend type of hero. :)
Thanks to everyone who has commented so far--I love your questions!And here's a question for you all: what is your favorite cowboy book/movie of all time?
That is way too hard for me to answer! I don't have one! Each one is unique in different ways and I love them for different reasons! I love so many authors and the characters they create, I couldn't pick one! I remember when I was younger, I loved John Wayne movies because my parents loved them and we saw so many of them together - a wonderful memory! We still talk about that today. I also love Tom Selleck western movies! I've always been fascinated by the old west and have a wonderful pioneer heritage in my own family!
My Cowboy movie would have to be Sam Elliot playing in "The Sacketts" that man and his voice will make you swoon for sure....this was based on Louis Lamour books.
Paula, I am also a fan of the L'Amour books. My dad used to read them to me and my brother and sister as bedtime stories, one or two chapters at a time (he edited out the cursing and some of the violence!). I still read them today as fond memories. Valri, I know what you mean--I have too many favorites to count. :) I love Mary Coneally's books (her humor!) and Kathleen Y'Barbo had a western series that I also adored.
sounds like you may have another book idea after this series with Fran's sister. Was it fun writing a book set on the trail?
Hi, Jenny! Fran's sister is definitely an idea... Problem is I have sOOOo many! Lol. I would like to finish out the series with Seb's book and Breanna's, but I am only contracted through book three, so we'll have to see how things shake out. I also had an idea for Fran's brother (shows up late in the book) that I may self publish if I can ever catch my breath!!
you need to do a Frans sister marries one of the other brothers keep it in the family.
I have loved these books also and can't wait to read this one. (On a side note, I just read 'With Love, Cowboy' last night and absolutely LOVED it!!! Sealed With a Kiss Boxed Set!)When you wrote The Homesteade'rs Sweetheart did you know you would be writing side stories? Seven boys and a girl are a house full!! Will they each have a separate story or will some be combined?
I was going to ask the same question as June did! I wanted to know if you had planned in the beginning to write more books after the Homesteader's Sweetheart???
Jenny, funny story..... I better not spoil. Ok I will! I had in mind that Emma marries Seb but I'm not sure the editor will go for the idea. ;)
June (thank you for reading SWAK!!!) and Valri--- um, no. I would never name a hero Oscar. I named him as one of the boys, never knowing I would write these stories. I talked to my editor after my contract had ended (Counterfeit Cowboy) and she suggested I write the boys' stories, and that's where it came from. The first few ideas came within a week and it has developed since then. It's been really fun to get to know them and see their sibling interplay. I have two younger siblings and I try to remember back to our teen years for some of the drama!
Funny, Lacy! You could have a hero named Oscar but have him have a NICKNAME for the book and "leave the Oscar name behind"!!!!!! There's always a way around something!!!
Lacy, unfortunately the only stories of yours are the novella's in both Inspy Kisses collections, and I loved them. I will definitely have to read your others! Do you usually end up sticking to the plot you had in mind when you begin writing, or do the characters sometimes have a mind of their own and end up changing things around before you're through?
Valri--I tried to have her call him Wrangler, but she was so proper (schoolteacher) that she always thought of him by his name. I guess it worked out ok!!Barbara--thanks for reading the Inspy Kisses books. Our next one will be out in December. :) I have a very loose plot in mind when I start but sometimes the characters refuse to do what I think they should--for good reason usually! I believe the more organize my writing process, the better the story is. Of course, I have to have some sense of the plot to sell the story to my editor, but like I said, I try to leave it loose and so it can flow as I get into writing it.
Yes, I do remember that now that you mention it!
Lacy, you will regret asking my favorite, because you will end up with a list as long as my arm! lol I am horrible about picking a favorite anything! Someone asks my favorite book, I usually ask "based on genre? Do series count?" and they just roll their eyes at me. :)If I really think about it, I could narrow it down to either one of Karen Kirst's books (I'm leaning toward The Reluctant Outlaw, at the moment) or one of Karen Witemeyer's books (leaning toward Head in the Clouds, or Short-Straw Bride). Wow! That's actually a lot shorter than I expected - it helps that I narrowed several off the list based on not actually including a cowboy. :)
Thanks for answering my questions! I actually understand the characters bugging you part. I had some arguing in my mind a week or so ago - I had to tell them to hush up, so I could focus. I decided I was either insane or an aspiring author! I chose to believe the author idea - doesn't involve straight jackets or padded walls. ;)
Thanks again!
~Sarah
Thanks to Lacy and everyone for the lively discussion!
Today we have author Sherri Shackelford!
A wife and mother of three, Sherri's hobbies include collecting mismatched socks, discovering new ways to avoid cleaning, and standing in the middle of the room while thinking, "Why did I just come in here?" A reformed pessimist and recent hopeful romantic, Sherri has a passion for writing. Her books are fun and fast-paced, with plenty of heart and soul.
GALAHAD IN A STETSON
Cowboy John Elder needs a replacement crew of cattle hands to drive his longhorns to Kansas—he just never figured they'd be wearing petticoats. Traveling with Moira O'Mara and the orphan girls in her care is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Yet despite Moira's declaration of independence, the feisty beauty evokes John's every masculine instinct to protect, defend…marry?
Moira is grateful for John's help when he rescues her—and she can't deny that his calm, in-control manner proves comforting. But she is determined not to let anything get in the way of her plans to search for her long-lost brother at journey's end. However, can John show her a new future—one perfect for them to share?
Sherri is giving away one copy of her book.
Thanks for joining us, Sherri! This story sounds intriguing. I like that the heroine is set on a plan and the hero might interrupt that. How do you go about researching for a book?
Sarah wrote: "Lacy, you will regret asking my favorite, because you will end up with a list as long as my arm! lol I am horrible about picking a favorite anything! Someone asks my favorite book, I usually ask "b..."Sarah! I'm deeply humbled by your response. So happy you enjoy my stories. :D
Karen wrote: "Sherri's new book got 4.5 stars from RT magazine! Congrats!"Thank you!
I had a great time writing this book! I realized since I had a character with seven older brothers, I should saddle him with a bunch of girls. I had a great time thinking of new and inventive ways to torture him :)
Sherri wrote: "I had a great time writing this book! I realized since I had a character with seven older brothers, I should saddle him with a bunch of girls. I had a great time thinking of new and inventive ways ..."Oooh, that must've been fun, Sherri! Torturing characters is a job perk. ;)
Love Inspired Historicals
Books mentioned in this topic
The Homesteader's Sweetheart (other topics)The Cattleman Meets His Match (other topics)
The Homesteader's Sweetheart (other topics)
Return of the Cowboy Doctor (other topics)
The Wrangler's Inconvenient Wife (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Sherri Shackelford (other topics)Lacy Williams (other topics)
Lacy Williams (other topics)
Sherri Shackelford (other topics)
On Monday, August 11th, Lacy Williams will be here talking about her new release, The Wrangler's Inconvenient Wife.
On Tuesday, August 12th, Sherri Shackelford will be discussing her latest release, The Cattleman Meets His Match.
Looking forward to a great Q&A session!