Covered Wagon Women – The True Heroes of the West

Tonight, please welcome Becky Lower as my guest blogger.  Becky will be sharing more on the true heroes of the west and on love…

When I began to write Basil’s story, I asked myself what type of woman would be able to go toe to toe with him. After all, Basil had a track record already. That’s what series writing is all about. The secondary characters from one story become the leads in another book. And what works as a foil in one book becomes a character flaw that needs to be dealt with in another. Basil played a secondary role in The Reluctant Debutante, where he was adamantly opposed to the marriage of Ginger and Joseph. Even though Joseph was his good friend, he was also part Indian, and therefore unsuitable as a partner to his sister.

 

After reading The Reluctant Debutante, I had a reviewer write me privately to tell me she hoped I wrote about Basil soon because he needed a strong woman to straighten out his uptight ass. How could I resist? So the debate of who that woman would be began. I thought about St. Louis in 1856 and the types of women who were in town. Then, I remembered a series of books I had read years ago, the private journals and diaries of the women who crossed the country as part of the wagon trains.  Once again, luck was on my side, as most of the wagon trains left from either St. Louis or St. Joseph, MO. Any of these women would be strong enough to take on Basil. Hence the birth of Temperance, a young woman who was migrating with her family to Oregon, but had to lay over in St. Louis for the winter. And whose name is an oxymoron.

 

If you get a chance to read some of these journals, I encourage you to do so. There were, at last count, eleven editions, but some have been compiled into the “Best Of” series, which I would recommend. Some of them are bleak, not recording much except the number of graves they passed by each day. That in itself is very telling of the kind of journey these hardy pioneers were embarking on. It just doesn’t make for very good reading. But there are some entries that are absolutely riveting. These women had true mettle. They delivered babies while in the back of a rolling wagon; they cooked meals over an open fire each morning and evening; they took care of children and livestock with equal aplomb; they were terrorized by Indians, they survived vicious storms; they endured outbreaks of smallpox and cholera that ripped through the wagons. And most of them made it to an unknown land, where they set up housekeeping, carved out farms alongside their husbands, created schools and churches and civilized the wild west. We are all in their debt.

 

Blurb for Banking On Temperance—Book Three in the Cotillion Ball Series

 

Basil Fitzpatrick was born into a life of privilege. In 1856, at 23 years of age, he is the owner of the St. Louis branch of the family banking business. He has his pick of the ladies and life by the horns. Temperance Jones and her family are far from privileged. Her father is a circuit-riding preacher from Pennsylvania. But the rumblings of a war between the North and the South force the preacher to move his family to Oregon rather than to take up arms against his fellow man. However, hardship and sickness have slowed their pace, and they are forced to spend the winter in St. Louis, waiting for the next wagon trains to leave in the spring.

 

Basil is drawn to the large family the moment they roll into town, partly because they remind him of his own big family in New York. But also because of the eldest daughter, Temperance. She is a tiny, no-nonsense spitfire who is bent on fulfilling her father’s wish to get the family safely to Oregon. Basil is only interested in finding a mistress, not a wife. He knows if he allows Temperance into his heart, he is accepting the obligation of her entire family and their quest to settle in Oregon. He wants Temperance like he has wanted no other, but the burden of her family may be too much for him. And he can’t have one without the other.

 

Becky

 

Thank you, Becky, for a lovely look at the true heroes of the west!  I bet your hero, Basil, must be thanking your private reviewer in bringing him the love of his life

 

Kay

 

 

Triangle Variety Radio

 I am excited to be interviewed, along with many other wonderful authors, by our wonderful hostess, Elaine Raco Chase, at Authors Corner www.trianglevarietyradio.com tonight (May 9th)…Interviews start at 8 PM EDT…My interview will run 8:20 – 8:40 pm EDT and we will be discussing my romantic suspense, ‘Sweet Revenge’ and my recently published paranormal romance, ‘Full Circle’.

Following my interview, the first 5 people to post a comment and email me with their email address at hipwadersvsheels@yahoo.com will receive a free Kindle copy of my newly released ‘Full Circle’.  Those who post after the first five postings tonight will be put in a drawing for a free Kindle copy of ‘Full Circle’.

Hope you enjoy more interviews tonight by these fabulous mystery authors: Anne R. Allen, Mike Meyer, Vicki Williams, Eleanor Cawood Jones Author…Elaine will be serving Gatsby’s favorite drink – mint juleps at 8 PM EDT tonight and an Encore on Saturday

Thank you, Elaine!!

Kay

‘Love is Worth Fighting For’

 Tara Mills is a ‘lifelong wordaholic, contemporary romance writer, pampered wife, and proud mom’.  If you like fun and flirty, saucy and sexy, exciting thrills and suspense, or simply a good chuckle, sit for a moment while you enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.  I promise, she will sweep you away with her heroes and heroines, not to mention, she is a sweetheart of a lady…

 

Congratulations on your 3 releases, Tara, on ’In Love and War’, ‘Friends and Lovers’ and ‘Accidents Make the Heart Grow Fonder’ – Each is a wonderful happily-ever-after! 

 

Thank you! It’s so nice to visit with you today.  

 

When your muse takes you into different territories from suspense to fun and flirty, does she throw you for a loop? And how do you handle your muse at those times?

 

My muse is a well-rounded chick. There’s nothing she likes more than shaking things up. Stories are like recipes to her. It’s like she’s standing over a pot, wooden spoon in hand, tasting and tinkering, reaching for this and that to get the right balance and blend in whatever we’re creating. She just never gives me the recipe in advance, so I sometimes find myself racing around, digging for things in cabinets, the fridge, and pantry when she barks out what she wants next. She’s crazy about surprises and loves to keep me on my toes. 

  

I recently read on your pages, ‘Love really is worth fighting for, but picking your battles isn’t so easy…especially when lives are at stake.’  I love the way it reads, Tara   How do you, or your muse, choose your battles, black moments? 

 

I love that line, too!  As far as choosing the battles goes, the story and the subject matter generally dictate the trials and black moments the characters will face.  I like my stories to have substance, even my ridiculous slapstick comedy, Accidents Make the Heart Grow Fonder, as entertaining as it is, still touches on some important themes.  I have to admit that I’m crazy about research. The bibliography for In Love and War is over four pages long — for a romance!  But I wanted it to ring true. Yes, there’s tenderness, humor, and steamy love scenes, but Dylan’s working in an unstable war zone. It was only natural that he should find himself in real danger. That’s a pretty tense and exciting part of the book. Friends and Lovers is another story that offsets the warm and wonderful love story with another relationship that’s gone horribly bad and how, when these two very different relationships intersect, all hell breaks loose.  Yet, even then, I managed to infuse the pages with lighter moments.  I think it’s great that so many people have absolutely loved Dylan’s golden retriever, Max, in In Love and War.  He’s the comic relief.      

 

Would you say falling in love is just as much a battle of the heart and mind when it comes to the heroes and heroes who have been hurt in the past? 

 

Absolutely. I think people guard their hearts and mask their feelings far more than they do their own bodies. It’s as if they can take the pain of a broken arm, but a broken heart? That would be excruciating.  Stories like this resonate with everyone because we’ve all been afraid of being hurt. Opening yourself up to another person is both brave and terrifying. No one enjoys feeling vulnerable.  Love is a leap, a gamble, and ultimately, a force to be reckoned with.      

 

How do you pick and choose each battle and the resolutions to creating the perfect happily-ever-after to make it special for each hero and heroine? 

 

I love to leave my couples on a high note and make the ending very personal for them.  Naturally they need to resolve, or at least come to terms with the issue(s) between them, but even I don’t see everything until I’m writing it.  Sometimes, not even then. I actually changed a great deal of, In Love and War, during edits and added some emotionally moving things at the end that really touched my heart.  It was perfectly fine as originally submitted, but I was on a roll and kept on going.  I’m so glad I did. I really love it now. 

 

Some writers choose to focus publishing with one particular source and others branch out to more than one.  I see you write for different publishers…If I may ask, as one writer to another, and for those working to break in out there, what are the benefits to writing for more than one publisher?

 

I chose to submit to several publishers because it’s never a good idea to put all of your eggs in one basket. Not only did I want to compare how various publishers work and what kinds of support they offer their authors, but we’ve all heard of publishers who’ve closed their doors. I didn’t want to find all of my books affected by something like that, so I split them up.    

 

What 5 tools or marketing strategies would you suggest to focus on once breaking into the publishing industry?

 

Put up a webpage! That’s very important. So is blogging, even occasionally. Create an author presence on the web and make connections with readers and other writers. Join things, network, leave comments and write guest blogs or do interviews. All of these things will start showing up on searches of your name and titles. People will eventually find you. It just takes a little time. Patience isn’t just a virtue in writing, it’s a must. Annoying, but true. 

 

Any chance we can have a taste of the next happily-ever-after coming our way? 

 

Sure!  My next release, coming from Beachwalk Press June 17th, is called Grading on Curves. Here’s the blurb.

 

One-on-one instruction never felt so right—or so wrong.There’s nothing unusual about Mia Page’s attraction to the young science teacher at the middle school. After all, she’s not the only one who finds him enticing. But when he pulls her son aside to ask for her phone number, she knows she’s in serious trouble. Since her divorce four years earlier, she’s been out of circulation, choosing to focus on parenting instead, and she’s not entirely sure she can handle an entanglement with the sexy Mr. Walden.There are also other reasons why getting involved with Curt would be a bad idea. He’s two years shy of thirty, and she’s on the downside of that unmentionable number. He’s adamant about never having kids, and she has a son. Even the guy’s romantic gifts are suspect. Energy saving light bulbs? He has to be kidding.On the other hand, he’s fun, sweet, and smart. He stimulates her intellectually, emotionally, and Lord help her, physically, opening her eyes to life outside her comfortable world. Yet their differences quietly gnaw at Mia even while she succumbs to their undeniable chemistry.As their romance deepens, so do Mia’s fears that Curt will eventually hurt her. On edge, all it takes is an innocent comment to provoke her into drawing first blood. Mia recklessly wounds Curt, learning only too late that this blade cuts both ways. Frantic to make amends, she fears it might be too late to admit the feelings she’s tried so hard to suppress.

 

Here’s an excerpt.

 

     Casey was almost to the Explorer, but Mia barely noticed. Her entire focus was centered on the sexy teacher instead.

     She could feel the beads of perspiration popping out all over her at the way his lightweight shirt caught the breeze, billowing out of the back of his sexy-assed pants. Was that linen? It couldn’t be. It draped like rayon but without the wrinkles. Whatever it was, he wasn’t exactly dressed to roam school hallways or stand with his back to a class while he wrote on a chalkboard. She envied and pitied the poor adolescent girls who had to look at that supremely scrumptious derriere every day then suffer each night in a private torture all their own.

     No, this guy belonged on a beach, seated at an umbrella shaded table with his long masculine fingers curled around a glass of wine.

     Okay, putting Curt on a beach was probably a mistake. In a flash she had him bounding out of the surf in low slung swim trunks as water ran down his sun-kissed body. She moaned softly at the damp line of glittering hair bisecting his chest. It tapered away across his solid abs then picked up again at his navel as a solid arrow plunging inside his waistband. Mia’s fingers twitched as she did a virtual walkthrough, quite willing to follow that trail wherever it led. Exploration was highly underrated these days.

     “Mom! Are you coming?”

     Casey’s call jolted her back to reality. Well, one thing she could say for certain, this fantasy was galaxies better than the usual gloom and doom.

Hurrying to the SUV, Mia climbed in and drew her seatbelt across her lap. “Did I hear Mr. Walden say he teaches science?” Silence followed her question. Looking up, she caught Casey giving her a strange look. “What?”

“Don’t even think about asking me to pass him a note at school,” he said flatly.

     Mia broke into a startled laugh. “Are you kidding?”

     The boy shook his head slowly. “I know that look, Mom. I’ve seen it a hundred times this year, and I’m not doing it. Don’t even ask.”

 

Thanks Kay. This has been fun!

 

You are welcome.  Thank you for sweeping me away.  I always have fun with you, Tara! 

 

The Wicked Ways of a Muse

Sheba has wicked tricks to get what she wants…

The Wicked Ways of a Muse

All Aboard!

Serena Clarke’s charming writing creates a thirst for more stories of her interesting travels and those she meets along the way…  

About Serena Clarke

Serena grew up in a family of itchy-footed readers and dreamers – not concentrating, reading the atlas and Narnia books, and planning to escape somewhere magical as soon as she could. When she was 16, she went from New Zealand to live in Sweden for a year. It was the beginning of many travels and adventures – and quite a few disasters! She didn’t know it at the time, but eventually she’d be grateful for all the downs as well as the ups. As writers say in the face of adversity: “I can use that.” She’s now living back in New Zealand, where she writes stories reflecting her determined belief in magic, possibility and second chances – and happy endings!

Serena, it is a pleasure to have you here.  Congratulations on your February release of ’All Over the Place’, a Crimson Romance!  Your fiction writing is sweet, smart and sassy.  What draws you to this genre?

It’s exactly what I like to read – and when I sit down to write, that’s what turns up! I like a story with plenty of interesting characters, snappy dialogue, and a wry kind of sensibility. I’m not a fan of dark stories – a book can still make you really think, even if it’s light in tone. Give me a sense of magic and possibility – and definitely a happy ending!

I read you have lived in 39 houses and traveled extensively…Can you describe some of the places you loved and not so loved during these times?

I loved hiking in summer snow in Swedish Lapland – despite the million-gazillion mosquitos! Riding a camel up the sand dunes as the sun rose in the Moroccan Sahara. Peering through the fence outside the White House, trying to imagine what momentous decisions were being made inside. Meeting my latest rock star crush before a gig at an underground club in London. And every single thing about Paris! Obviously there’s been a lot I didn’t love – but it’s all good material…

 What do you miss the most?

Most of all, I miss the people! There are lots of amazing places to visit, but it’s people who make them really special. I have a trip planned to England and Sweden later this year, and I’m looking forward to catching up with lots of friends. I do miss being close enough to travel to other countries, and being able to experience other cultures. But New Zealand is an incredibly beautiful, peaceful place to live, and I feel really lucky to call it home.

You are very lucky to have your own happily-ever-after and hero in your life. In your book, ‘All Over the Place,’ there is a ‘family in disarray, a determined Swede, a crazed Australian and a childhood friend’. What was your inspiration in creating these marvelous characters?

You know, everyone you meet has a little something about them that’s tempting to borrow for a character! Just a snippet here, a sprinkle there… For a writer, every experience counts as ‘research’ in a way, and inspiration is everywhere. (If you meet a writer at a dinner party, just back away slowly!) I’ve been lucky to have met all kinds of people – some charming, some challenging – from all over the world, and it makes life so interesting! I enjoyed creating the same feeling in All Over the Place. 

Each writer has a reason why they wrote a particular story such as children in slavery or women’s rights, good versus evil.  What did your muse-heart want to bring out with these fabulous characters?

I’m really interested in the idea of what home means, especially in these international times – that it’s not just about where, but also about who. We all have so many more options these days, which in some ways makes it harder to know where or who we should be – or be with! I wanted to throw everything wide open for Livi, give her some challenges, and see where her heart took her.

When is your next book out?  Are you able to give us a sneak peek inside?

The next one is a work in progress – that I’m enjoying very much! It’s set between England and California, and involves matchmaking, loss and acceptance, secrets and sandcastles, people power in a hyper-connected world, true love, and the trials and joys of sisterhood. It feels a bit dangerous to say too much though. Anne Tyler summed it up: “The secret of writing is to pretend to yourself that no one will see it, ever, an illusion which is shattered by talking about it.” Well said, as always!

Thanks for having me on Hipwaders vs Heels Kay – it was a lot of fun!

 You are very welcome, Serena.  I had an amazing time!

About All Over the Place – contemporary romantic fiction with a chick lit feel.

Livi Callaway has fled back to London after a reality TV disaster in New Zealand. Safely anonymous in the big city, she’s determined to stay under the radar from now on. But her attempts to build a new life are complicated by unexpected visitors from her old one, and new dangers and temptations lie in wait.

 Late one night, she meets a mysteriously sexy American on the Underground – and the events that follow take her from Pooh Bear to the golden lights of Paris, via a trail of rock stars dead and alive. A family in disarray, a determined Swede, a crazed Australian and a childhood friend (who might yet be more than that) have her all over the place as she tries to discover the American’s secret – while keeping her own.

With help – and occasional hindrance – from her friends, what she eventually finds is something unexpected…sometimes, running away can lead you to exactly what you didn’t know you needed.

All Over the Place is available at all major e-book retailers, including:

www.amazon.com/Over-Place-Crimson-Romance-ebook/dp/B00B2B0X9E/

www.amazon.co.uk/Over-Place-Crimson-Romance-ebook/dp/B00B2B0X9E/

itunes.apple.com/us/book/all-over-the-place/id594641901

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-over-the-place-serena-clarke/1114286511

Find Serena here – she’d love to hear from you!

http://www.serenaclarke.com

https://www.facebook.com/SerenaClarkeAuthor

https://twitter.com/Serena_Clarke

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6893136.Serena_Clarke

The Wings of a Child

The moment our children come into this world, we count our blessings, guide them, hoping they will be safe forever, knowing one day, they will strike out on their own. 

To experience life’s dreams and milestones. 

To spread their wings and fly. 

Yet, some children are not given the chance.  Many hands reach out to protect a child, but when certain adult individuals in a position of power can help the child, who is bullied, present barriers by extending themself as little as possible in the investigation or not holding individuals accountable for their bullying – that individual becomes just as guilty as the person inflicting the pain and should be held accountable.

It takes one person, then another, and another, to stand strong against obstacles in adding safety nets to protect a child’s right to be free from mental, physical, ethnic, financial and spiritual bullying.

Hearts go out to these and other children whose wings never received the opportunity to fly…Every child deserves to be remembered everyday and I would like to take a moment in remembering, my intent is not to exclude a name, hoping you will add more children to this list…

Bailey O’Neill, Megan Meier, Alexis Pilkington, Ryan Halligan, Phoebe Prince, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover,Sladjana Vidovic, Eric Mohat, Meredith Rezak, Justin Rezak, Matthew Rezak, Jennifer Eyring, Tyler Clementi, Seth Walsh, Asher Brown, Billy Lucas, Nicholas Kelo Jr., Hope Witsell, Hailey Petee, Rachel Ehmke,

Cougar Alert!

I am normally not a reader who will pick up a book written in first person – until I came across her ’Whisper on a Scream’.  

Have you ever been sucked into a moment against your will, but you love it at the same time and go after more?  

Cree is one of those authors – she writes with humor, attitude and has a way of delivering to all of my senses.

‘Taming the Cougar’ is a delicious teaser… 

Lynn’s senses can’t ignore her attraction for the mason, John, putting the foundation under her home.  The only catch, in her mind, after being caught staring out the window, assessing her *assets* in the mirror and the way he checks her out, she’s a little older than him.  John is hot, sexy and makes every move so she can’t ignore him or the heat between them.  John doesn’t care about age – it runs in his family.  In fact, he believes it is a proven fact being with an older woman only enhances the relationship, making it stronger.  He is not about to let a little barrier of age stop them from falling in love and exploring the heat.

The fact that Cree has John doing the ‘hunting’ is a plus for me, but that’s my personal preference.  Cree’s other characters add a touch of real life - from her wild child friend, Samantha, who does whatever she wants in life and accidentally drops a box of *toys* in front of the house and Lynn dives to scoop them up before her mother’s friend from church doesn’t see them; John’s dog, Oreo, later finds one of Samantha’s toys and runs with it; Lynn takes it away, realizing it’s too late and her mother’s friend sees what’s in her hand,   

I know reviews should be very real to be fair to other readers, and I never schmooze, the only disappointments I have is not having enough time with John and Lynn and being impatient until her next book comes out.

‘Taming the Cougar’ is a 5 in my book.

Kay

And the Winner is…

The secretary at my office drew the winning name for the $10 Amazon gift card…

The lucky winner of the ‘HFO’ contest is….

Congratulations, Harley!

Thank you, everyone, for joining in the fun!!

Kay

Drum Roll, Please…

Last week I posted my ‘HFO’s’ in what I refuse to give up in life and a chance to enter a drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card by guessing what ‘HFO’ stood for in my blog…

I would like to thank everyone for these awesome lmao answers…

-Hands Free Orgasm

-Holy F#*king Ouch!

-Hands F’ing Off

-Hell Freezing Over

Drum Roll, Please…

Laurie, Tara, Virginia, Mary Jean and Harley, you girls, guessed it right – Hell Freezing over!  Your names will be entered in tonight’s drawing for the $10 Amazon gift card. 

Kay

What is Your HFO Moment?

What does HFO stand for?  <grin> Read on!

For those who email me with the correct answer on what ‘HFO’ stands for to hipwadersvsheels@yahoo.com, beginning 2/6/13 and ending midnight on 2/12/13, your name will be entered for a drawing of a $10 Amazon gift card.  The winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day and a list of those entered for the drawing will appear on my blog on 2/13/13.

There comes a day when we have all said ’HFO’.  These are some of my HFO’s on what I refuse to give up in life…

-Reading

-Sell a human being out

-My lace <grin> for me to know

-Bold coffee that kicks my ass (and tastebuds) in gear each morning 

-Eye candy now and then (Shhh…this is my little secret as my son already has a problem with me shopping at VS and other stores – how does he know? lol He does laundry now and then.)

-Fighting for what I believe in

-My portable soapbox on human rights and advocating for others 

-Girl time

-Family/friends time

-Writing

-Being me

-Laughter

Hope your HFO’s are fun and steadfast! 

Kay Rogal