20 Questions with a Hot-Mess Panther

I was tagged by author Sarah McNeal to answer 20 questions about me and my work as an author. Read on at your own peril .

 

1.) What is your Author name? 

Tanya Hanson, and for YA, Anya Novikov.

2.) First book: The Outlaw's Woman. (It's awful. I'm much better now.)

3. What is your publiversary? 

2003. (The publisher is now defunct, but hey, they made me a real NYC published author. Thanks, Dorchester!)

4.) What is your favorite book you've written thus far:  No can do. That's like asking a mom who's your favorite child lol! 

5.) What book took you the longest to write? 

I actually write very fast. Under pressure--possibly my latest, Outlaw Heart.

6.) How long did it take me...Three months but I was beset with a family crisis during it.

7.) What kind of music (If any) do you listen to you when writing. None.

8.) Who is you favorite character from any of your books?  Not fair lol. But maybe Ahab Perkins. He's the hottie yet damaged leader of the outlaw gang that rides roughshod through a bunch of my historical westerns. I decided he needed a story of redemption all his own. In "Outlaw in Love" he finds his soul. And the love of a good woman. A nun! (Not really--she's in disguise.)

9.) What are you currently working on? 

Something very different for me--a love story set in World War 2. I'm kinda using my parents as inspiration. As yet, it's untitled--there's an angel...

10.) Do you have anything you snack on while you write? No. A cup of coffee, though. Or three or four...

11.) What is your favorite quote or line from one of your books? 

"Pop, don't turn your back on me." (Okay, not really but the only thing I could think of because I wrote it just yesterday.)

12.) Are you a self-published or traditional published author? Traditional publisher. Like Sarah, I don’t think I’ve got the where-withal to self-publish.

13.) What is your favorite writing inspiration...book, TV, movie etc. Two favorite books-Little Women by LMA, and the oldie but oh-so-goodie Willing Hostage by Marlys Milhiser.

14.) What genre do you write? 

Western romance generally. Some Salem time travel. 

15.) Do you have any writing rituals? No. I'm not just a pantser, I'm a hot mess of a pantser. (Auto correct first had that as "Panther." Now, that would be soooo cool!).

16.) Do you have a specific place you write or time?  Yes. My very own office that used to be my son's bedroom. As soon as he graduated from college, I told him he couldn't come back home lol.

17.) Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? 

Yes. Read Little Women twenty thousand times and Google your pen name. I did not, and now share cyberspace with a porn star. Seriously-join RWA.

18.) What are your writing goals? 

Someday I'd like to write the Great American Horror Story and base it on whack job relatives. Oh, there are so many.

19.) What authors inspire you and your writing?  

I mentioned the two biggies before...I love too many western romance authors to list but for a true-life novel, I am in love with "Doc" by Mary Doria Russell. (Kinda in love with John Henry Holliday himself...)

20.) What will be you next release? 

Witchy Woman, which is part of Octoberfest at Cobblestone Press. It's more New Adult than anything, fun and sensitive at the same time.

 

My short story Her Holiday Husband will release soon. Is t she lovely? 

 

Outlaw Heart

Well, it's undiscovered country...loading a big list from my phone! Yup...been without my laptop for a month. It was God'sxeill that I fi shed a book and met a very precarious deadline just two days before! My neighbor geek, gone for Morger's Day, took the offending computer back to college where he is majoring in computer science, and he's spiffing everything up and bringing 'er back when he comes gone for summer break.

Inbetween time, I've doenloads the Word app into my iPad so I can continue to write and edit. And I spent $4 on this app so I can get into blogger. We will see.

My new release: Outlaw Heart.

More soon...if you like an outlaw turning good, a widow unable to give her heart, and Doc Holliday himself...this book is for you!

I'll try to get a link listed , and try to copy-paste a blurb and excerpt. Uh, baby steps!

 

Tanya Writes about The Pink Moment and Pick Me

As I write this, it actually and literally is the fifth anniversary of my volunteerism at the local horse rescue. To the day!

Here's Cheyenne. Because the name sounds so "girly", our president (his sponsor) has nicknamed him Fang. He's a gorgeous paint/Warmblood cross who's finally regained trust in humans.

To make things more wonderful, the horse rescue inspired fictional High Hill Horse Rescue, the setting for my soon-to-be-released Valentine story, Pick Me.  (part of the multi-author Candy Hearts series and available for pre-order.)

Like I wrote in the dedication, I thank these horses for making me a better person. Just like my heroine Kelsey Hunter does, I find peace and advice there. Yes, the horses and I converse. And Johnny, below, is my grandson's favorite! He's part pony and just the right size for a nine year old.

Although our horses all have sad stories to tell, they get happy endings. We hope each will find a forever home, but if they don’t, they stay in our wonderful valley until the time comes to cross the Rainbow Bridge.

One of the reasons the valley is so wonderful is its “pink moment.” I always thought it an urban legend--a glorious sunset in the east?-- until I saw it. It lands on you with a hush all its own.

This is Bridge. Can you see the hills blushing in the background?

Here’s the geography behind the pink moment, which also plays a big part in Pick Me.

About twelve miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, the small, 10 mile-by-3-mile, east-west Ojai Valley is found between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, and bordered by the northern ridge of the TopaTopa Mountains, elevation 6,000 feet. Sulfur Mountain at 3,000 feet is the southern barrier.

Here's my grandson admiring the moment with Cheyenne, foreground, and Jasper. See Bridge way in the background to the left?

The mountains and valley are thickly forested with oak trees, and commercial avocado and citrus groves. Our rescue is a ten-acre former orange grove donated to us. We have 15 horses.

So...while sunset usually turns the western sky rosy and spectacular, this area is one of the few in the world where the sunset comes from the east.

Bridge and Jasper. Four years ago, Jasper's pregnant mom was rescued from a slaughter lot in Nevada. Both ave happily adopted...he by our ranch manager's family.

The TopaTopas, like a mirror, reflect the sun from the west and the mountains seem to blush. The sunlight diffuses across the mountains in gorgeous shades of pink for a few breathless minutes.

The “pink moment” doesn’t happen with every sunset, but I’ve been lucky this winter to be feeding the horses at just the right time.

Thankfully, my nine year old grandson/helper got to see it, too.

And of course heroine Kelsey and hero Landry experience it. Over a glass of blush wine.

Cheyenne, foreground, with D'Artagnan in the back.

Two weeks ago, after the “sunset in the east” faded”, the clouds over the ocean a dozen miles to the west did their dance.

A breathtaking two-for-one.

How about you? Have you ever experienced a sunset that you wanted to hold forever?

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Here's the blurb for Pick Me. Watch for it January 27!

Volunteering at a horse rescue has helped heal schoolteacher Kelsey Hunter after her celebrity ex's betrayal. Life in the rural California community suits her better than the bling of Hollywood. When she seeks help for a classroom project, she's thrown into the sphere of a down-to-earth organic farmer and horseman who could really steal her heart... 

However....Landry Mills is really the successful mega-spokesmodel for a famed Westernwear line, He’s returned to his hometown to regroup and reconsider signing the next contract. Meeting Kelsey explodes feelings in him he wants to make real. But finding out a fancy director's son recently crushed her spirit has him take things slow. What will Kelsey do when she finds out he's a celebrity in his own right? He might not be able to bear it

Advent and Anthologies!

Part of this year’s Thanksgiving fun was the two days our eight-year old grandson spent with us. While running last -minute errands with him, he proclaimed, “Gramma, we need an Advent Calendar.” I promptly told him to select one. You know, the ones with a tiny chocolate for each day, when he also proclaimed: “No, I have one. This one’s for Grampa and you.”

 Awwwww.

 Here's what he picked for us. 

 Advent, based on the Latin word for “coming,” is the religious preparation for the birth of Christ. Technically it begins on the Sunday closest to the birth of Saint Andrew (November 30) and proceeds through the next three Sundays. The observance often includes a wreath of purple candles, and devotions for hope and peace. For any kid, though, “Advent” marks the 24 days before Christmas Day, and they keep track with a calendar. There’s usually a little door to open, and a treat involved. Often, a piece of candy lurks behind that closed door, sometimes a tiny toy. And calendars appear in many shapes and forms.

In the early 1900’s, Gerhard Lang of Germany printed the first paper advent calendars, based on the ones his mother made for him in his childhood when she pasted 24 pictures on a piece of cardboard. Later, he added little doors. A picture or Bible verse would appear.

 In America, the advent calendar became commonplace when President Eisenhower was photographed opening one with his grandchildren. Today there are even Advent calendars for computer geeks, featuring 24 hints and helps on web design and coding. I’ve even seen a savoury advent calendar with 24 daily bits of beef jerky! In my little world, two Advent calendars stand out. In my first grade at a Lutheran day school eons ago, our room mother made a chain of walnuts. Inside each empty shell was a tiny treat that varied day to day. We each got a turn. I clearly remember a scarf being pulled out of a shell like a magician. And the horrified little boy who pulled out a tiny pink rubber baby doll. Then...a few years ago, we visited a large Christmas shop in New Hampshire during a leaf-peeper expedition, and I found the best Advent Calendar ever, especially considering I also collect nativity sets. It was win-win. It stands up but I photographed it lying down so you maybe see all the tiny pieces.

 The Fontanini set has 24 tiny figures representing the Nativity, from shepherds to animals to the Holy Family. Each has its own little numbered hook. By Christmas Eve, the 24th piece is Baby Jesus.  
I've got three Christmas anthologies going on!  Wow. When it rains, it pours. And please, God, let it. We’re sick of drought here in California.

 My story Canticle appears in the anthology, One Christmas Knight, my very first medieval. Set in the time of King John, Alisoun dreads her upcoming marriage to an old lord when her heart is stolen by a handsome mystery man. I've always wanted to write about a "monk" falling in love, and Prairie Rose Publications gave me the chance. Sigh.

To save  her family’s fortunes, Lady Alisoun must wed an elderly earl the day after Christmas. But in the chapel on Christmas Eve, her heart collides with that of an elegant, mysterious stranger. Is he…one of King John’s spies…? Raised in a monastery, Lord Kitt has no experience with love, but finds his heart lost to the lovely lady. Yet he cannot succumb, for  he is scheduled to marry the day after Christmas. To a woman he has never met.  

Her Holiday Husband  (completes the trilogy of my recent SISTERS) comes to life in the A Mail Order Christmas Bride anthology that also features stories by 8 other fine authors including our very own Kathleen Rice Adams and Cheryl Pierson. Secrets and surprises explode when families meddle with a beautiful single mother and an outlaw-turned-respectable...I had a blast with the characters of fictional "East Slope, Colorado." I named my town after my daughter's horrible little "East Slope" dormitory when she did her Study Abroad in Sussex, England. Many of her breezy, I-don-t-have-much-time emails mistyped the place East Slop. I just  couldn't resist. Now a respectable rancher, the outlaw formerly known as Black Ankles doubts any decent woman would wed him…hence  a mail order bride set up by his well- meaning brother.  Indeed,  Ronnie Heisler’s whole family expects him to speak vows with an unknown woman come Christmas Eve. Set up by her meddling sister, Phoebe Pierce has fallen in love with the tintype of her intended’s twin brother. But has she too many secrets of her own?

 My memoir, Christmas Magic, is my first published non-fiction, and appears in the homespun anthology, Memories from Maple Street U.S.A. The Best Christmas Ever. For me, as a kid, Christmas was magic and sparkles. As a grown up, Christmas is miracles and memories.

When I was a little girl, the glorious Barbie doll I saw one Summer became my Christmas miracle. Other magic moments and  grown up miracles happened forever after, but Barbie came to life again, one Christmas a half-century later…

Book three, Sanctuary, featuring ranch foreman and oldest brother Hooper, also has a cancer theme. My soul told me I needed to put on paper a man’s survival, doubts, pain, and heroicism upon suffering with and surviving testicular cancer. Poignant is Hooper’s recovery from this horrible disease, him a single father of a little girl, doubting any woman would want him now.

But more poignancy entered this story. During Kenn and Christy's wedding at Hearts Crossing ranch, Hooper meets a beautiful guest, Mallie, herself battling brain cancer. Her inspiration came from my daughter’s dear friend and sorority sister, Jackie, who battled GBM for four years.

Writing this difficult story, I found out more about this killer than I cared to know. Hooper would live; Mallie would not. 

Yet...I was unprepared for Jackie’s death three years ago. Since I had five more books to write after Sanctuary, I had to handle Mallie with care because..I could not, emotionally, write her death. Not while Jackie lived. Yet...by the time Book Eight is released in 2016, Mallie has returned to the Lord. I’m so glad she got to have a small measure of happiness with Hooper.

I was stunned when this book won the CTRR Award at Coffee Time Romance. I don’t enter contests now than I’m published, and this one I didn’t have to. It was an editorial award, making it unexpected and extra-thrilling.

http://tinyurl.com/pkhzkhk

     After a loud sigh, Hooper chugged the coffee, kissed Ma’s cheek and headed out, and reminded himself of the chant that had gotten him through chemo. Each day is a gift from God.

    “That’s why they call it the present.” He said out loud and then hurried out of the room so Ma didn’t think he was starting up a new conversation. Grabbed his gray beanie and gloves on the way. ‘Course he’d rather wear his Stetson but the temperature had been chilly lately, and wool felt better against that bald head in breezes off the mountains. As he heaved himself out the big front door, Hooper stumbled against a suitcase on the porch and smacked forward into the arms of a female so tall his chin brushed her nose. He was tall himself so that didn’t happen too often. Besides, she was holding him up!

     “So sorry, ma’am,” he muttered, heat rising. “Please excuse me.”

     “It’s all right. I like a man with a mission.”

     Righting himself, he looked at her, breath tightening in his throat. Beautiful was the only word he needed. Short blond curls tight against her skull, raspberry lipstick he ached to taste, dark blue eyes bright with life.  For a second, he couldn’t talk.

     Still holding him, she leaned back and peered at him like she saw something he didn’t know about. “Hooper?”

     The fact she remembered him from somewhere couldn’t help but flatter him. “Yep. How, who…?”

     “I’d know you anywhere.”

     He narrowed his eyes which only brought her into clearer focus as she continued. “Your eyes. A bit of a haunted look. Like your eyes are too bright, too hot. Tight somehow.”

     “What do you mean?” Without any effort at all, he found himself visualizing her words as she stepped back.

     “I’ve seen the look in my own eyes.”

     “What do you mean?” He repeated.

     “Kenn told me. You’re a survivor.”

     He loved hearing the word, but it still had the power to race his blood. “Yep. T.C. Otherwise known as testicular cancer. Six weeks remission. Long term prognosis good.”

     She held out her hand. “Happy to meet you, T.C. I’m G.B.M. Glioblastoma Multiform.  My particular buddy is astrocytoma glioma. Otherwise, I’m known as Malia Cameron.”

     Despite his numb fingers, her warm hand melted into his, but too many feelings rained on him to pick just one. Cancer? Her?

BEHIND THE BOOK: Redeeming Daisy

I was thrilled in December 2009 to be considered a “runner up” in the Hearts Crossing contest, and even more so when the acquiring editor said she’d like a story about the second brother, Pike, a large animal veterinarian, and bad-girl Daisy. (both have small roles in the first book.)  To be honest, I have no real knowledge of large animal vets, so I stuck with what I did know: losing a black Labrador to inoperable cancer. Yup. Eight months after my own hero’s battle...and thus, Redeeming Daisy, the second book in the series, was born.

Pike nodded into Daisy’s dark imploring gaze as she knelt on the floor to grapple the black Labrador close. Her childish gesture and panicked eyes stoked emotions he’d just buried.

While he waited for her to get to her feet, Pike grabbed hold of every professional mannerism he could. Somewhat stiffly Mrs. Densmore reached out to comfort her daughter, but Daisy shoved away the embrace.

Pike took a deep breath. Well, he had offered to tell Daisy himself. “Daisy, between his kidneys, Elway’s got an inoperable malignant tumor. It’s called hemangiosarcoma.”

Wild-eyed, she grabbed Pike’s hand, and the touch scorched him. “What?”

He repeated the unhappy news.

“Inoperable? Why can’t you operate?”

The question stunned him. Did she really think he had some other choice? “It’s positioned too dangerously between the kidneys. And worse.” He sighed. “Worse, it’s metastasized. Spread. Trust me on this.

”

She bristled. “You think he’s going to die?”

Pike knew the odds and told Daisy what he hadn’t been able to tell her mother.

“I’m sorry. Yes.”

Her squeal of pain sliced into his brain like an earache. And he understood. The last innocent, uncomplicated part of her life would be gone too soon. He didn’t think he wanted it, but when she flung herself toward him, he gathered her in his arms, close enough to feel her pounding heart and smell her garden of long black hair.

****

Elway. Her Elway. The only living creature left who loved her unconditionally. Who never pointed fingers.

Who never yammered What have you done now?

Almost past control, Daisy sobbed against Pike Martin’s strong sculpted shoulders, drinking in his warm, manly aura. Ever the rancher, he wore the outdoors like a second skin even here in the sterile confines of the animal hospital, clad in white lab coat over Wranglers. It rang in her ears again, his soft, nonjudgmental voice last week when he helped her escape from herself.

That was something. Something he hadn’t had to do. But what did he know? He didn’t know Elway was all she had left.

No way could she bear losing this precious creature. She’d already lost her self-respect, her job, her faith. Her half-baked marriage. Oh, she’d married for love, but in such haste she’d regretted it every day since. But divorce was cruel, too. And everybody in Mountain Cove knew everything because she had no place else to go.

She wasn’t about to lose her best friend.

Before her mom could nag her yet again, Daisy pushed herself from Pike’s embrace. She’d liked it, but she didn’t want to, didn’t need it, didn’t need him or any man. Not after Tony. All she needed now was an experienced vet.

Still, part of her wanted to stay in Pike’s arms, and s

he didn’t like her reaction at all. It was a dangerous place to be.

BEHIND THE BOOK: Hearts Crossing Ranch

Well, I gotta say, my husband’s cancer battle took me down a long, winding road into inspirational romance. Not long after he got well, I found out about the "Hearts Crossing" contest at a small publishing start-up. There were specifics you had to have in your entry.

A heroine, an only child, who was a landscape architect. A hero who taught American literature and had seven siblings. The standard stuff for inspy had to apply...somebody losing/finding faith, becoming Christian etc.

Since my faith had been stretched pretty thin by my helplessness as a cancer-caregiver, I thought I could write a story about faith challenges. And well, Hearts Crossing was absolutely the Best Name for a ranch. Hubs and I had just signed up to go on a city-slicker wagon train trip so...

...Heroine Christy, a California landscape architect, takes a similar wild-west adventure, where she meets Colorado wagon master Kenn, a high school teacher during the academic year. Both need God...Christy to survive the morass of her father’s tragic death. Kenn, overcoming guilt at leading his younger brother Bragg astray...

(The novella got accepted and so did stories about Kenn’s siblings, all working and running the Hearts Crossing Ranch.)

    The boat slid through the silver lake, and Christy felt calm at last. The coffee warmed her through and through, but nothing like the heat of Kenn’s presence across from her. His muscles moved again like magic and music, a sight she’d never tire of whether she stayed on at Hearts Crossing Ranch  for Cowboy College after the wagon train, or returned home.

     Both possibilities confused her.

     “Have you thought about staying on?” Kenn asked casually as if reading her thoughts, “Cowboy College?”

     She fought for the correct reply, not wanting to sound eager. Or reluctant. Both emotions scrambled together in her heart. “I can’t deny I’m intrigued. But there’s my job. And my mom.”

     “Do you think she’s worried about you? Our no-cell phone rule, I mean.”

     “Sure.” Christy shrugged, not liking the thought. Not liking the guilt she felt as not having really thought about Mom for a while. “She worries about everything. And it confuses me so much. She’s supposed to be this strong Christian woman, yet she can’t seem to trust God’s will at all.”

     Kenn sighed, long and loud before he replied. “I think I’ve learned faith isn’t some pinnacle you reach where you get to stay forever,” he said finally. “There’s hills and valleys all over the place.”

     He gave her a quick, heart-stopping glance before he looked away, as if ready to bare his soul. For a flash, she wondered if he was about to reveal to her the load Kelley had hinted at.

     Christy’s voice was soft. “You think you ever reach the pinnacle again? Once you land in a valley?” For some reason, today had her feeling the valley of the shadows might be a thing of the past. Or at least she was on her way upward. It wasn’t mere coincidence or habit, was it, which had her beseech God at the moment she needed Him?

     “I don’t know.” Kenn’s forlorn voice touched her heart as both their gazes traveled the shoreline to land on Bragg, busy showing Mitchell how to cast a fly rod. Maybe God had led her here to Hearts Crossing to find her own peace and to help Kennedy Martin regain his faith.

BEHIND THE BOOK...Midnight Bride

The blog’s taking a new direction. Behind the Book.

Each Tuesday, I’ll tell you a bit about one of my books. Then on January 5, 2016, I’ll be holding a big giveaway, following the sweepstakesrules I share with my group blog, Petticoats and Pistols. I hope by then you’ll be a regular visitor.

We didn’t know what would kill my husband first--the testicular cancer or the chemo. During that bleak winter of 2008, I had to cowgirl-up fast and real.

The dreadful, deathly diagnosis happened the same day as Release Day for my second western romance, Midnight Bride.

After a very long, very dispiriting sophomore slump.

The term means a lengthy period between a first book and the second and authors hate it. Yet feeling joy was the last on my list of emotions, knowing how much suffering was ahead for the one I love.

But God heard our pleas, After a three-month grueling battle, my personal hero went into remission. And five years later, we got to start using the “cured word”.

Interestingly, Midnight Bride was re-released right then again, under a new cover, by my new publisher, The Wild Rose Press.

We had gone full circle.

(Nonetheless, the first cover is my favorite of all my covers Ever. Carrie and Jed turned out just like they looked inside my head.)

I hope you enjoy the excerpt about two strangers who must marry by midnight or lose a ranch. Sigh.

    

     He stood in the doorway, hatless just like he’d been in the mercantile. And just as breathtaking. In one hand he held a bunch of iceberg roses tied with a lavender bow.

     From the other hand hung a hatbox from Gosling’s Mercantile. The lilac shawl Carrie had admired was draped over his forearm.

     Without a word, he walked over to her and laid the shawl gently across her shoulders. She had stopped breathing. His eyes locked with hers, and while she couldn’t read the message in his gaze, she found she couldn’t turn her own away. When he held the flowers to her determinedly, she had no choice but to take them.

     “Take off that mourning bonnet,” he told her in such a way that it didn’t seem like an order. While she did so, he opened the hatbox.

     Within a half minute, the beautiful purple chapeau she had fingered lovingly not fifteen minutes ago rested on her head. He tied the bow jauntily under her chin, then all but snapped his heels together as he stood in front of her. 

     “I’m Jed Jones,” he announced. “Your bridegroom.” 

     Carrie’s lips opened but no words came out. Not knowing what to say or what else to do, she untied the bonnet’s bow.  He never stopped looking at her. From the corner of her eye, she could see the older men in half-standing postures like they hoped to escape any second. However, she knew them well, knew they wouldn’t leave her all alone.

     Suddenly she found her voice, willing it not to tremble.      

     “My bridegroom? I beg your pardon. What on earth are you saying?” She turned toward the judge. “Is this about that ‘notorious’ authentic document?

     Judge Jacobson was nodding, somewhat defeated, while the sheriff pulled at his scrawny beard.

     When neither spoke, her supposed bridegroom took up the call.

     “It’s true, Miss Zacaria Smith. If you don’t marry me by midnight tonight, the Lazy J-Z will be deeded to the Mother of Mercy Orphanage outside San Antone.”

     Then he took her hand, placing his lips against the inside of her wrist.

Tanya Writes About Sisters...one more time.

Sorry to get here late. Life is exploding around me. And I gotta say, here we go again. A reprise of my current release. Two stories in one, and all for only two dollars. Quite a bargain.

http://tinyurl.com/q2zb3bq

And to make all of this even better, Sisters already gained me a Best Selling status.  Be still, my heart, and thank you, God.

Anyway...Her Hurry-up Husband was released in a Mail-Order-Bride anthology a while back, and features Omaha  debutante Elspeth Maroney who needs a husband just for one month, after leaving her rat of a bridegroom at the altar. With good reason.. So off she goes to Miss Mamie's Hearts and Hands Club to find a mail-order one. Only handsome Colorado rancher Hezekiah Steller wants a wife for life... and won't have it any other way. Sigh.

Upon acquisition of HHUH,  my editor said, wow, we gotta get Ellie's sister Judith away from their awful mama. So...Her Thief of Hearts was born in time for last February's Valentine collection. Indeed, we have socialite Judy, an adorable orphan, her sister Elspeth's rat of a spurned bridegroom, the sisters' former governess...all stuck together on a speeding train in a Nebraska blizzard that gets held up by bad boy outlaw, Black Ankles...only it's not Black Ankles at all,  but the Colorado cowboy 

In conclusion, Black Ankles himself finds love and redemption in Her Holiday Husband, my contribution to PRP's 2015 Christmas anthology. Which yes, involves both a Mail Order Bride AND a Mail Order Groom. So stay tuned...

Find me at

www.tanyahanson.com 

www.petticoatsandpistols.com

   

Tanya Writes About Sisters...

Howdy, I'm a bit late getting here today...yesterday was busy and fun, fun, FUN. A "fandango" all day on Facebook along with twenty other Prairie Rose authors to celebrate Christmas and our new releases.

Yup, Christmas in July, that is. And even though my duo, SISTERS, is not a Yuletide tale, the bargain price of two dollars for two stories is pretty much a holiday bargain in my book.

http://tinyurl.com/q2zb3bq

And to make all of this even better, Sisters has gained me a Best Selling status...right now, it's #75 in short western tales at AZ.  Be still, my heart, and thank you, God.

Anyway...Her Hurry-up Husband was released in a Mail-Order-Bride anthology a while back, and features Omaha  debutante Elspeth Maroney who needs a husband just for one month, after leaving her rat of a bridegroom at the altar. With good reason.. So off she goes to Miss Mamie's Hearts and Hands Club to find a mail-order one. Only handsome Colorado rancher Hezekiah Steller wants a wife for life... and won't have it any other way. Sigh.

Upon acquisition of HHUH,  my editor said, wow, we gotta get Ellie's sister Judith away from their awful mama. So...Her Thief of Hearts was born in time for last February's Valentine collection. Indeed, we have socialite Judy, an adorable orphan, her sister Elspeth's rat of a spurned bridegroom, the sisters' former governess...all stuck together on a speeding train in a Nebraska blizzard that gets held up by bad boy outlaw, Black Ankles...only it's not Black Ankles at all,  but the Colorado cowboy who stole Judy's heart the last visit to Colorado. Oh, sighing again.

What better than combine the two stories now into one volume?

In conclusion, Black Ankles himself finds love and redemption in Her Holiday Husband, my contribution to PRP's 2015 Christmas anthology. Which yes, involves both a Mail Order Bride AND a Mail Order Groom. So stay tuned...

Find me at

www.tanyahanson.com 

www.petticoatsandpistols.com

   

Check out my new book trailer!

Hope you check out my new trailer, encapsulating the first three books in the Hearts Crossing Ranch series.

CAPA AWARDS...Favorite Author Nominee: ME

Humbled, honored, freaked. What alternate reality is this when I'm nom'd for Favorite Author along with Nora Roberts, Christine Feehan, and Philippa Gregory?


Thanks, Romance Studio!

Meet Anne Greene, inspirational romance author

inspirational romance author, Anne Creene

I’d like to welcome my friend and fellow White Rose author, Anne Greene, to my blog for a few days! I know you’ll enjoy the interview as much as I do. Don't forget to leave a comment for the name-draw for a copy of Anne's book!

Anne, tell us about yourself.

Thanks so much for the interview, Tanya. I’m not sure what readers want to know about me, but here’s a sampling. In my early years I lived in a small farm town in Ohio, and have lived in San Diego, Chicago, and now live in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. I have four grown children, and just recently returned from spending a year in Seoul, Korea where my husband served in the Military. He is a Special Forces Colonel (Green Beret). I love to play sports, sail in the ocean, and travel. I’ve visited twenty-five foreign countries and every State in the US except Alaska. I also enjoy horseback riding, though I haven’t ridden English for several years. And I enjoy swimming. But writing is my passion.

How long have you been writing?

Masquerade Marriage is my second published book. I’ve been writing about ten years. Reading was my escape in my growing up years, and I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I graduated from the University of Texas cum laude with a degree in Literary Studies, but worked as a photographer and as a Real Estate Agent before diving in full-time to write. When I joined American Christian Romance Writers, the journey to writing got much easier. I have a wonderful critique group, and because of their annual conference, I’ve met many editors and agents. Finalling in writing contests gave me excellent feedback, plus got me my latest contract with White Rose Publishing. So, I recommend both contests and conferences.

What genre do you write and why?

I write in the Historical, Historical Romance, and Romantic Suspense genres. As a girl, I didn’t like history—until I read my first Historical. Then I was hooked. So, I know many people today don’t enjoy history, and my goal is to open up the glories of the past to them. History was modern life lived with all its heartache, joy, and excitement in a world very different from our own. I bring these different worlds into vivid, living color, and give a painless dose of history along the way. I write Romantic Suspense because I like to see good win over evil with fast action, surprises, and some who did it and why.

Masquerade Marriage is a book of my heart. My paternal ancestors are Scotch of Clan Gunn, which was located in the far north of Scotland in the Cathness area where Vikings intermarried with the Scots. I visited Scotland with the purpose of setting one or more historicals there, and fell in love with the country. The final battle between the English and the Scottish Highlanders changed the Highlands forever. A way of life ended. The drama in this story appealed to me, and so I wrote Masquerade Marriage. I love this time in history and so enjoyed living it as I wrote the book. I hope the reader finds a new world to love as he reads my book. The following is a blurb and an excerpt.

A SECRET LIST

To protect his loved ones and escape the dark fate of his brothers, a noted warrior abandons his identity. Hiding from relentless soldiers who want him dead, Brody MacCaulay vows to protect the woman he loves more than life, more than freedom, more than Scotland. But his presence throws her into danger.

A VOW HONORED

To escape an arranged marriage to an abusive noble, a Lowland Lady weds a stranger to save his life. But vows spoken do not make a marriage, especially when Megan MacMurry holds a different love inside her heart.

A SACRIFICE MADE

Outlawed, and with a price on his head, Brody condemns himself to a life of heartbreak without Megan. Wanting her desperately, knowing he can't have her, he heads alone to certain death...

EXCERPT FROM MASQUERADE MARRIAGE

Like a determined hero, the fugitive warrior strode through the door at the far end of the tiny stone kirk.


Megan’s eyes widened. Her clenched jaw relaxed. Some of her dread dissolved.


“Impressive.” Molly, Megan’s Irish maid, whispered from where they stood together in the vestibule.


He stopped in front of the hand-carved altar and half-turned toward her. Megan pulled in an uneven breath. This Highlander, wearing formal kilts, was no scrawny lad grown older, nor was he a big, hairy Scot with a bushy beard. The tall, strapping soldier stood with legs braced as if about to do battle.


Her heart skipped. Though she’d known Brody when she wore short skirts, this blond warrior was far more than she expected. Her pulse throbbed in her temples. Doubt niggled her brain. Brody was too tall, too obviously a Highlander. How could she hope to pass him off as a Lowland Laird? He appeared to have too big a chip on his shoulder to let her command him.


Brody’s thick sandy hair swept the collar of his linen shirt. Lace-trimmed cuffs matched the white jabot at his muscular throat. A silver broach clasped his crimson and black tartan to his wide right shoulder. His claymore, dirk, and thick sword belt startled her.


Megan suppressed a shudder. The English outlawed kilts. With his dress, Brody spat in the face of the English and further imperiled his life. Why?


His intense sapphire stare blazed a trail across the empty wooden pews toward her. His eyes made her feel dizzy as if she just danced a fast reel with a lively partner.


Molly grinned and handed Megan the bridal flowers.


What had she gotten herself into?

Do you plot your books before you write them?

I am a pantser. I have tried plotting out a book in advance, including storyboarding, and that just doesn’t work for me. I start with a general idea, a setting, and a general idea of what characters I’m using. But very soon into the first draft the characters take over and direct the book. It’s a bit like watching a movie and just writing down what is happening. It’s quite exciting to see where the book will go.

Do you do much research?

I do a great deal of research for all my books, including the contemporary ones. I always visit the setting and get some good pictures. Then I find books about the history and time. Small details I research on the internet, but the important ones come from non-fiction books. I am extremely careful in my research because if a reader discovers one error, then I lose credibility. If I’m writing detective, I have a detective look over the manuscript before I send it out. If I’m writing WW11 stories, I find someone who has been there. I always find a person who has done the job I’m writing about to look over the finished manuscript. Of course, when I go further back into history I have to rely solely on the non-fiction books. But I enjoy research and often do far more than I ever use in any one book.

The character I love writing about the most—is the one I’m currently working on. I love all my characters. However, I do think I like being in the male point of view slightly more than the female. I like being macho and looking at life from a different perspective. I like being strong enough to handle a couple of thugs. Of course my detective knows martial arts, but she doesn’t use her fists. I like looking at a woman I’m interested in and being totally confused as to what makes her do the crazy things she does. But, on the other hand, I love having a woman use her wiles and smarts when that’s all she has going for her. But Megan and Brody from Masquerade Marriage are probably closest to my heart.

I don’t think I can NOT include faith in my writing. I am a new creation in Christ. I have a Christian worldview. I have deep beliefs and a few boundaries that cannot be crossed. I want my books to have meaning and take-away value. I want my readers to take a deep delicious breath and say—Oh, now I understand. How beautiful God’s way is.

I have a website, http://www.annegreeneauthor.com//. My books can be purchased at WhiteRosePublishing.com and on Amazon. My blog is also on my website.


I’d love to share my email, but I’ve been told that is not a good thing to do. So, readers can reach me through WhiteRosePublishing. I’d love to hear from them. If readers join my website, they can leave comments. I’m also on Facebook where comments are welcomes.


Anne, thanks for spending time with us today. This is an awesome interview. It's truly an honor to be part of White Rose Publishing, isn't it? I am so happy there. God bless you with much success and many more books! oxoxox

FIVE SPurs for Marrying Mattie at Love Western Romance

One of the most venerable review sites of all, Love Western Romance, has awarded Marrying Mattie FIVE Spurs! I am over the moon!

"This book is a sweeping tale with a plot that kept me glued to the edge of my seat. More than once I imagined how this story would plan out on the big screen...the author treats the reader with a great deal of respect, tearing you with little snippets of information...but leaving you to try to figure out the whu's and how's along the way in this wonderful tale."

To check out the whole review, please visit this wonderful site! Love Western Romance rocks!

Something nice...

A four and a half star review from Novel Editions--yee haw, and thank you, God!

This was truly a book that forced the characters to dig deep within themselves and to confront the things that may have shaken their walk with the Lord. Both Kenn and Christy were raised to be a child of great faith. However, in both of their lives one event --Kenn's guilt over "letting down" his brother Bragg, and Christy's unexpected loss of her father-- seemed to have them turning their backs on God.


Ms. Hanson's ability to paint a picture and tell a compelling story kept me interested until the last page. I also loved her clever references to things that relevant to everyday of an average person's life -Michael Phelps, a horse named Joe Montana, etc.
My biggest hope is that Ms.Hanson will continue to tell the Martin Family story by using the other Martin siblings in future books!

Check out my 4/12-star review for Hearts Crossing Ranch at Novel Editions.

Novel Editions a book review site featuring reviews of books rated G or PG.

Redeeming Daisy and Faithful Danger

I'm excited that the first round edits for Redeeming Daisy are in the can. Editors simply make one's writing better...noticing a word order or sentence structure that a second set of eyes knows can be slightly improved. Redeeming Daisy is the second story set at Hearts Crossing Ranch and features Pike Martin, large animal vet and brother to Kenn.

I'm grateful for such a talented editor, Nicola Martinez, who has a nose for the details...or is it eyes LOL? As well as one who calls Redeeming Daisy a "lovely story." Sigh.

I'll keep you informed as to the progress. I've also submitted to her TV Guide-like blurbies about what happens to the entire Martin clan!
Right now, though, I'm finishing up what I call March 9 Prompt, aka Faithful Danger. White Rose Publishing selected random details and posted them on March 9 to see what kind of story a writer can come up with in 10,000-20,000 words.

The SITUATION:
Two puppies, a woman in hiding, a mysterious man, and a pair of pink polka dot pumps.

The PHRASE:

“Dead guys don’t usually show up for breakfast,” she said, staring at the very-much-alive man who stood in front of the pastry counter.

I'm in the closing stretch of Faithful Danger...I'll let you know how it turns out. Yeah, my mysterious man is a cowboy turned private investigator. And our heroine falls for him spur, lariat and Stetson even though she's in hiding in a small Central California ranch town from very bad Soprano-esque people...

Happy Father's Day

The fathers in my life have totally rocked.

My own precious dad died in a tragic car accident when my son, his first grandchild, was four months old. I'll never forget seeing both spectrums of life--birth and death--so close together, but his influence and love made me the woman I am. I'm married to my own personal hero who successfully fought wildfires for his career and successfully fought cancer two years ago and gave me the two greatest children ever.

My son is now a daddy himself, and his little boy is the latest love of my life. And my brother-in-law Tim, who stood by my side during those terrible testicular cancer days has given me two amazing nieces.

God bless you, all, everyone!

SPECIAL EDITION: Hearts Crossing Ranch RELEASE DAY

Yeah, things have been a tad nutso. But HCR is here, here, HERE!

And featured today at White Rose Publishing.

The cover design is to-die-for, my editor Nicola Martinez absolutely the best. I thank her again for taking this chance with me--my first contemporary and my first inspirational. I hope you enjoy Christy and Kenn's journey of faith and path to love.

Visit my Hearts Crossing Ranch blog once in a while for summer contests going on. I'm trying to get things updated at my website....wish days were 25 hours long. Yesterday I had the great pleasure of being invited to The Romance Studio June release party, and my "behind the book" blog at Petticoats and Pistols last Wednesday was a ton of fun.

The Write Stuff: Win a copy of Hearts Crossing Ranch

Join me at Petticoatsandpistols
today, Wednesday, June 2, and The Romance Studio tomorrow, Thursday, June 3...

I'll be drawing some winners for copies of Hearts Crossing Ranch.

Yee-haw. See you there!

P.s. Please visit Hearts Crossing Ranch and leave a comment once in a while...summer contests going on!

Saddle up and Write: Bandera, Texas

Howdy! I sure hope you'll scoot on over to Petticoats and Pistols today, the all-Western romance site, where I'm blogging about my experiences as a cowgirl at the Silver Spur Ranch in Bandera, Texas. Hey, I found out I'm not too fat and old to learn to ride a horse...or too dumb shoot a gun! The "Saddle up and Write" retreat sponsored by my publisher The Wild Rose Press totally rocked from beginning to end...

...and those days as a Texan will live forever in my heart and memory.

Sigh.