THE NEXT BIG THING TAG POST

Jacquie Rogers, one of my favorite western authors, tagged me with this Next Big Thing post. I can't refuse to post request from a nice person like Jacquie. Besides, what a great opportunity to tell you about my soon-to-be published next book, which I hope will be a big thing. Here ate the ten questions and my answers.

1. What is the working title of you book?

The title is HIGH STAKES BRIDE and it's the second of the Men of Stone Mountain trilogy. In fact, the book is finished and I am waiting for changes suggested by my readers and critique partners. My husband already has the cover prepared. The title of the third book is BLUEBONNET BRIDE and I've started writing on it while I wait for suggestions on HIGH STAKES BRIDE.

Tentative Cover

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

When Hero and I toured a historic ranch in a neighboring county, I fell in love with the locale. I could see it becoming the setting for a series of books. The first, BRAZOS BRIDE, has already been published in print and e-book. For HIGH STAKES BRIDE, I saw this movie in my head (occupational hazard) of a woman running from her step-brothers and another man. I saw her clearly as having long blonde hair and desperate to escape. I worked with it and came up with an outline. The story includes a little boy, Seth, who is named after a boy in our church who is now a teen. Seth is handsome and nice now, but he was such a cute kid and said funny things that embarrassed his mom but endeared him to others. In the story, Seth has a dog, a mutt, who is his best friend. Every boy should have a dog, right?

3. What genre does your book fall under?

HIGH STAKES BRIDE is a western historical romance. You have noticed, I'm sure, that all of my books except for the novella LONG WAY HOME are set in Texas. Can't help it. I love writing about my home state. I also write contemporary romance and mysteries, but they're all set in Texas. I still have to do research, though.

4. What actor would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Mary Alice Price, on the run

This is really hard for me because these people live in my head and are not like any living people. If I had to choose, I guess maybe Reese Witherspoon for Alice Price and Hugh Jackman for Zach Stone. They wouldn't be exactly right though, even though both of them are great actors. And I guess the kid Ron Howard as he was on "Mayberry" would be great.

Seth at his 7th birthday party

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Alice Price needs a place to hide from her step-brothers while she recovers from pneumonia and Zach Taylor needs a mail-order bride.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I will self-publish this as I have others. HIGH STAKES BRIDE will be available in print and e-book. I love self-publishing. I enjoy choosing my own cover material, the speed with which I can publish, and the larger royalties. It's a win/win for authors.

Harry, Seth's loyal dog

7. How long did it take you to write this book?

About four months. I write long hours, though, and usually about 70 or more hours a week unless life interferes. I'm lucky enough to have good critique partners who offer wonderful constructive suggestions.

8. What other books would you compare it to in your genre?

My spring book BRAZOS BRIDE, GALLAGHER'S PRIDE by MK McClintock, ANGEL IN THE MAIL by Callie Hutton, and many others. .Many of my friends are western romance writers. We each write in a different style, but with the same love for the West.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I pretty much answered this in question 2 when I mentioned the historical tour of a ranch. I have set several novels in Central Texas ranch country, and this is the first western historical series I've set in North Central Texas. The Brazos River runs nearby, and is a lovely river and the longest river in Texas.

Zachariah Greenberry Stone

10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

I hope all of my books do that. ☺ The Men of Stone Mountain trilogy features the three Stone brothers, Micah, Zach, and Joel. In addition, each book deals with a type of natural poison. Those of us who watch TV are used to the ME recognizing poison in an autopsy. In the 1900's, poison was more difficult to detect. Not all was deadly, but it could be. Anyone who's studied natural herbs knows that too much of a good thing--or the right thing given to the wrong person--can be fatal.

Now I have to tag five friends to post on September 11th
:
Tammie Clarke Gibbs
Mary Alice Adair
MK McClintock
Beth Trissel
Carra Copelin

The rules are to answer the 10 questions about your current work in progress. Tag five other people and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Thanks for stopping by!