Love Inspired Historicals discussion

Welcome to our Q&A with the authors who have books out in July 2012 - Noelle Marchand, Regina Scott, Dorothy Clark and Patty Smith Hall!

Thanks to Noelle for kicking things off! Her July book is The Runaway Bride.

This is your second book for LIH, right, Noelle? Is this one connected with your debut novel Unlawfully Wedded Bride or are they completely separate? Were there any things you learned while writing and publishing your first book that you were able to apply to this book?

Hi Noelle - Loved your 1st book Unlawfully Wedded Bride & really enjoyed the hero & heroine Nathan & Kate, but also Sean, Ellie & Lawson. I know this one is about Sean. Will Lawson get a story of his own or is his tied up in The Runaway Bride?

I also meant to mention that all four of our authors will be giving away books this week - Yay!! And, because the 4th of July falls on Wednesday, we won't have a Q&A that day, but will be back Thursday and Friday.

Now back to your regularly scheduled Q&A... :)

i don't have any questions for the authors, but would love to win any (actually all) of them!

I am happy to be here and am excited to answer all of yall's questions. (Pardon my Texan.) ;)

Deborah, thanks so much for coordinating this each month! You are fabulous at your job. You're right, this is my second book for LIH. It is connected to my debut release, because the hero in The Runaway Bride, Sean O'Brein, is the little brother of the heroine in Unlawfully Wedded Bride. To learn more about Sean, you can stop by my friend Nancy Kimball's blog. She is featuring him today. http://www.nancykimball.blogspot.com/...

I learned so much from publishing my first book! Going through the editorial process that first time was an enlightening experience. I'd never really allowed my work to be critiqued or even read by anyone outside of my family until that point. I was too afraid. The second time around, I was much more confident in my writing ability and was able to challenge myself and improve my writing.

Wendy, I am so glad you love the O'Brien family and Lawson as much as I do. Lawson plays an important role in Sean's story but that's just a teaser for his big moment. His story comes out March 2013 and he is paired up with a very special young lady who is near and dear to the hearts of my readers. Can you guess who that might be? :)

Marianne, thanks for stopping by!

Is it Ellie? (Oh I do hope so!)

Good Morning Deb and Noelle, I love to read the historical love inspired and yours looks like a great story, Noelle Did you get to roam around doing research for these books, sounds like you live in Texas or grew up there-I have family living near the Houston-Galveston area. thanks for sharing your thoughts and books today.

Wendy, is certainly is! Great guess. :D

Thanks, Paula! You're right on both counts. I do live in Texas and grew up here. Houston, Texas to be exact. I have been to Galveston several times.

By the way, here's a little blurb about the book for those who may not be familiar with it...

The only husband Lorelei Wilkins ever wanted was Sean O'Brien, but she's wasted too much time waiting for him to love her back. When another man proposes, she accepts—until she stands at the altar…and realizes she can't marry without love. Bolting out of town toward a fresh start, she never suspected her parents would send Sheriff O'Brien to bring her home!

After an innocent mistake leaves Lorelei and her reluctant rescuer with compromised reputations, marriage is their only option. But first they must triumph over suspicious locals, shady characters, an inconvenient groom and the bride's own stubborn heart. Will it take putting their lives on the line for Sean and Lorelei to realize that only love can conquer all?

:) Yes!!!

Whoops! I just realized I didn't answer your question, Wendy. Thankfully, I didn't have to do that much research on the region and could just focus on researching the era. Did you know that you could wire money via Western Union even back in 1887? Well, you could. Those were the types of things I ended up having to find out. :)

Hi everyone. I'm hard at work on the proposal for my next book but thought I'd stop by and see what is going on.

That's interesting about wiring money via Western Union in 1887, Noelle. It's amazing the things we find out when we start researching a book isn't it? It's one of the reaasons I love writing historicals. And the wonderful people who love to read historicals is another.

Okay, I'm off to work on that proposal...

Hi Noelle! Your books sound exciting, but also FUN!

How do you live in Houston??? The humidity even in March nearly KILLED me. :-)

Noelle!!! (in case you know a billion other Karens I'm the one from Banbury) I donated a whole afternoon to getting lost in your first novel! I can't wait for this next one :) it is so exciting following your adventures as a published author! I am glad you enjoy all the researching for period details. I think one of the reasons why I love historical fiction is all of the tidbits I learn about their lifestyles.

Hey, Dorothy! Thanks for stopping by. I love seeking out those random little golden nuggets of history. Here's another one. The "Happy Birthday" song will not appear in my March release because it wasn't created until a decade or so after my book takes place.

Lyn, thank you! Hmm. AC. That is the ONLY way to survive in Houston during the summer. We crank the AC in the car, in our houses, and every public place we can manage it. lol. After a while, you get used to it. However, anything below 50 degrees in the fall/winter is considered FREEZING. lol.

Karen!!! I am so glad you enjoyed my first book. I hope you enjoy the second one even more. Thanks for all the support. It means so much that my friends are invested in my work. Let me know what you think of this one when you finish it. ;)

Noelle, I have one of your books on my to be read shelf, and Im so anxious to read it! Ive heard so many great things about your books! =)

Its nice knowing more about the books, thank you!

Thanks for sharing Noelle! I haven't read either of your books which is something I must change really quickly. I don't have any questions but just wanted to pop in and say Hi and I like the sound of your book!

Hey, Melissa and Laura! Thanks for stopping by. I would love for yall to read my books. I hope you enjoy them.

Thanks for telling us about The Runaway Bride, Noelle! It sounds really good and how great that you're writing connected books!

Today's featured author is Regina Scott and her July book is The Captain's Courtship. I always enjoyed the traditional Regencies Regina used to write for Zebra, so I delighted to hear she was now writing for LIH! Regina lives a lot further west than I do, so she'll be dropping in later.

I love the sound of your story, Regina! It remind me of my favorite Jane Austen book - Persuasion" with a nice twist to bring the hero and heroine back together. Were you inspired by Austen when writing this story?

Regina - What started your interest in the Regency era, (Jane Austen is entirely to blame for mine!) & how did this series come about? (I've not read your 1st book in this series, The Rogue's Reform, but my sister has recently received it for her birthday so I will be borrowing it from her soon!)

Deborah - my favourite Jane Austen is also "Persuasion" (closely followed by "Pride & Prejudice") - I do so love the "love reunited" stories, so Regina's story sounds like a good one!

Hi Regina! I too love the Regency era and am so happy to see that the LIH line is starting to have a Regency book each month. I have The Rogue's Reform on my TBR pile and plan on picking up The Captain's Courtship soon.

Also Deborah since I won a book during the Q&A in May please don't enter me for this month's giveaway. I am sure that there are people commenting that haven't won yet.

Will do, Laura! But if everyone else has won books too, all bets are off!

Wendy, if you enjoy "love reunited" stories, you might like the free on-line read I did for Harlequin Historical,
Mistress of His Heart. http://www.harlequin.com/articlepage.... It's a secular historical but just one mild love scene at the very end.

I'm here! Couldn't believe I woke up this morning to no internet access! After 20 minutes online with my cable provider, I'm back in business, thank the Lord! And thank you Deborah for putting this together! You are the hostess with the mostest!

To answer your question, while I adore Jane Austen, she wasn't the inspiration for this one. I'm not sure what was, except perhaps the site of Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker dressed as a Napoleonic era naval officer. :-)

Wendy, I've always loved history, but I admit to having a strong American slant, particularly the Old West and the history of my Pacific Northwest. Then in college I read a Regency romance, and I was hooked! I loved the language, the sense of community, the witty banter between the hero and heroine. And the more I delved into the history--from architecture to the Industrial Revolution to the wars with Napoleon, the more I fell in love.

I hope you enjoy The Rogue's Reform!

Hi, Laura! Always enjoy hearing from you. I don't often post on the group, but I read it every day, so I see your name a lot. :-)

I'm the shy one in this group, so it takes either a topic I can't refuse or the encouragement of someone like Deborah to draw me out. You all are both!

Late today - Hi Regina I have been known to read a regency or two and this one sounds like it will be a good story. Courtships are all about getting to know one another and a Captain -men in uniform always get a second look from me. thanks for sharing with the grp today..

Thanks, Paula-O! I appreciate you stopping by! I was afraid everyone had headed out for Independence Day celebrations. Oh, and men in uniform get a second look from me too. :-)

welcome Noelle sorry i am late. I have your first to books to read and this book on order actually I think its on its way.


Deborah wrote: "Welcome to our Q&A with the authors who have books out in July 2012 - Noelle Marchand, Regina Scott, Dorothy Clark and Patty Smith Hall!

Thanks to Noelle for kicking things off! Her July book is T..."

welcome Regina, I feel so behind. you book also sounds interesting.
sorry to tired to write more right now brain dead.

You just take it easy, Ausjenny -- know we're thinking of you and praying for you. You're our dear Sister.

Jenny, you are too sweet. I hope you enjoy The Runaway Bride and that you're able to get some rest.

Ausjenny wrote: "welcome Noelle sorry i am late. I have your first to books to read and this book on order actually I think its on its way.


Deborah wrote: "Welcome to our Q&A with the authors who have books out i..."

Ausjenny, don't you worry! Always love hearing from you too! I'm so sorry to hear what happened to you, but glad you're on the road to recovery. My prayers are with you.

Noelle wrote: "Wendy, is certainly is! Great guess. :D

Thanks, Paula! You're right on both counts. I do live in Texas and grew up here. Houston, Texas to be exact. I have been to Galveston several times.

By th..."Noelle! I'm a LIH author who lives in the Houston area. Why don't I know you? Are you not a member of Romance Writers of America? I belong to the West Houston RWA and the Houston Bay Area RWA. In fact, I'm on the board of both. BTW, my full name is Cheryl Bolen. Like Regina and Doborah (both awesome authors), I write English settings.

Noelle, I loved your latest book! It was a great follow up to your first! Can't wait for Lawson's book but is there another book before that or is that your next book? I always enjoy visiting Peppin! I hope Sean's baby makes an appearance in this one :)

I hope all our American friends had a wonderful 4th of July, yesterday! Now we're back to our July Q & A and today our featured author is Dorothy Clark and her July book is Wooing the Schoolmarm.

Welcome, Dorothy! I really like the sound of this story where the hero is able to see the heroine's caring side, in the way she interacts with the children, even when she's giving him the cold shoulder. I see that Wooing the Schoolmarm is the first book in a new series called Pinewood Weddings. Did you sow the seeds for future stories in this one?

Good morning, Deborah. You are "up and at 'em" early, as my mom used to say. Thank you for doing this. And thanks for your comment about my July book. I used to teach in a Christian school and I called upon that experience while writing Wooing the Schoolmarm. I LOVE children and they sneak into quite a few of my books.

To answer your question...Yes, I did sow the seeds for the future stories in this first book of the sseries. The stories connecting threads are the heroines, who have been lifelong friends, and the small village nestled among the foothills of the Allegheny Mts. in western New York state where they lived. The friends stay in touch through letters which hint at the stories to come.

Good morning everyone! I thought I would start off today's Q & A by posting a short blurb about my July book Wooing the Schoolmarm. It's rather difficult to discuss a book that hasn't been released. : ) Here's the blurb, short and sweet:

Spinster school teacher Willa Wright, deserted by two men who professed to love her, is determined that Reverend Matthew Calvert will never get close enough to her heart to hurt her. But Matthew Calvert knows "all things are possible in God" and the challenge that is Willa, is one he is determined to meet and overcome.

Okay, time for some breakfast. I'll be back shortly...

Hmm, where is everyone? Hiding from the heat? I am. I'm sure there are a lot of heat lovers in the group, but I'm not numbered among you. The temp here in WNY is too hot for my liking (mid-high 90s with high humidity) so I'm staying inside and sipping smoothies while I work. How hot is it where you are? I hope you're able to stay cool.

I live in NW Oregon and it's very nice here. Of course it's only 8:15 am now but yesterday it was 72! That's actually warm for us lately! It has been in the 60's! I moved here from Arizona and those 100+ temps were killing me!

Good morning Dorothy, I always like to read about the early schools and see how different things were for the children then compared to what school is now and of course the interest of a man in the community always makes the book very interesting. thanks for sharing your talant with us.

Ooh, I envy you, Valri. Our youngest son lives in Washington state and I called the other day and told him I was going to come for a visit and not leave until the heat here subsided. I only wish I could! He used to live in Dallas and the heat there just made me hug ac's our entire visit. LOL The northwest is beautiful. But WNY is also.

Hi Dorothy I am up for a few mins cos I over heated in bed and just needed to get up for a few mins to calm my self down.

I love this book and look forward to more in the series. Willa is wonderful. When I started reading and saw where its located I thought of Ruthy (ruth logan herne) here contemporary LI series is set in the same region.

How did the series come about?

Hi Ausjenny. I'm happy to know you are strong enough to get up if only for a little while. Don't overdo!

I'm so glad you loved the book and found Willa wonderful. (Willa is the heroine for those who haven't yet had opportunity to read Wooing the Schoolmarm.)

I had to chuckle when you said the location of the story made you think of Ruthy's LI series. Before she began writing the books, Ruthy came to visit and I took her on a tour and filled her in on some of the history of the area. It was a fun day. Ruthy's a hoot!

My Pinewood Weddings series came about because this area is so rich in history I thought it would be fun to write about the founding of my own hometown--disguised by invented names, of course. I know the basics of the 1840s here, but there's always more to learn. I had a wonderful time getting together with my friend who heads the village historical society and going over old school records, etc. One of the country schools from that era sits at the end of my road. We pass it everytime we go to town.

Do you remember the scene where Willa is lighting the oil lamp chandelier? There is a beautiful "Kerolier" (kerosene chandelier)from one of the country schools at the historical building. Kerosene is too late for my 1840 setting so I turned it into an oil one. Writer's can do that. : )

Hmm, something is going wrong here. I answered Paula's comment at the same time I answered Ausjenny's and it hasn't posted.

Is this site having difficulities? Or is it on my end?

Is this site having difficulities? Or is it on my end?

I'm not sure, Dorothy. I know there were problems with communications in Europe because of solar flares, but I haven't heard about North America.

I like the chandelier story! I've sometimes done that too, when a really neat fact or artifact doesn't quite fit the time period.

I've got another question. Did you feel extra responsibility to get all the history stuff right because the story is set in your area?

Yea! It seems to be working again, but I still don't see my answer to Paula. Or a comment I was told Christine had made.

I actually feel easier writing these books set in my hometown because I know a lot of the history, and I have the book the historical society comiled and had published for reference. Having most of the early homes still being lived in--a lot of them by the descendents of the original owners helps also. I'm truly enjoying writing this series.

One truly unexpected blessing was discovering the daily journals of the daughter of one of the founders of the town in the public library. It gives all the details of her daily life over a four year period. FASCINATING.

Yea! It seems to be working again, but I still don't see my answer to Paula. Or a comment I was told Christine had made.

I actually feel easier writing these books set in my hometown because I know a lot of the history, and I have the book the historical society comiled and had published for reference. Having most of the early homes still being lived in--a lot of them by the descendents of the original owners helps also. I'm truly enjoying writing this series.

One truly unexpected blessing was discovering the daily journals of the daughter of one of the founders of the town in the public library. It gives all the details of her daily life over a four year period. FASCINATING.

Paula, I'm trying again to answer your post.

You're right--school was very different back in 1840. During research I learned that the sessions were only 3 months long. And, of course, the scholars (they didn't call them students then)attended when they didn't have to help at home. They brought such things as a cooked potato for lunch, and during the cold months they put them on the wood heating stove to warm. The teacher was paid $12 a month and "boarded around".

Be back shortly. I'm going to hop out to the kitchen and make spaghetti salad for dinner. It's one of my favorite hot day dishes. How about the rest of you? What are your favorite things to cook/eat on hot days?

How do you make spaghetti into a salad, I like both but didnt know they went together, now I have had a taco salad and liked that...

Paula-O wrote: "How do you make spaghetti into a salad, I like both but didnt know they went together, now I have had a taco salad and liked that..."

Here's the recipe:

Cook/rinse and cool 1/2 pound of spagetti
Dice and add:
1/2 of a fresh green pepper
3 sweet pickles
1 small onion (I use chives instead)
1/4 cucumber
Cheese to equal 2 Tablespoons

Dressing:
Whisk together and pour over spaghetti and veggie mix
1/2 cup oil (I use light olive oil)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice

That's it. The thing I really like about this salad is that there is no mayonaise. You can take it to picnics, reunions, etc. and not have to worry about the heat of the sun. Everyone I know really likes it. I'm always asked for the recipe.