Cover designed by Najla Qamber Designs
Release Date September 14th, 2015
A journey through time.
A scarlet letter.
A soul crushing betrayal.
The thrilling Legends Saga concludes in a mash-up of literary all-stars. The works of Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, HG Wells, and Nathaniel Hawthorne come to life in an intricately weaved backstory of love, lies, and deception. The driving force of all involved? Passion. But when that passion is cloaked in darkness, madness reigns.
MB's INTERVIEW
1. From „The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1820) to „The Legend Saga” – Why such subject and what does your series bring to the Ichabod Crane fame?
Since I was a little girl I have been fascinated by Sleepy Hollow and all things Horseman! This project is an act of love that sheds a new light not just on Sleepy Hollow but also other legendary literary works from such authors as; Edgar Allen Poe, HG Wells, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
2. The cover of Steam is in the same tones with the first two, but still it seems to be a bit more... mundane... in a steampunk way... Tell us about the correlation between the covers and the stories and how difficult it is to find „the cover”.
This particular book twists the works of HG Wells and Nathaniel Hawthorne into an intricate back story. I need a cover that has hints of Steampunk for Wells, as well as intrigue for Hawthorne. Thanks to my brilliant cover designer, Najla Qamber Designs, she made that come together beautifully!
3. And, please, tell us about the verses that we’ll find in the stories. Kind of in the E.A. Poe style, what is their role?
The main characters are cursed by some of literatures greatest hits! What it means to have the curse of Poe? Well, it’s dark and twisted … and you’ll have to read the series to find out!
4. You said about yourself that you write to get the crazy out just enough so you can function. How crazy are your stories and why did you write them in a YA note?
I really enjoy tales of the dark and twisted. While I didn’t target YA with The Legends Saga as I did with The Gryphon Series, the “fade to black” sexy moments to give parents the peace of mind that they don’t have to worry about their teens reading this series for THAT reason. However, there is violent content. But with the Headless Horseman involved that’s pretty much mandatory.
5. What do you think about today’s YA Paranormal /Paranormal horror literature and what do you want to achieve with “The Legend Saga” and in particular with “Steam”?
I really love reading YA! That’s my automatic “go to” section in the book store because there aren’t the rules there are with adult fiction. In YA anything goes and I LOVE that!
Goodreads ** Amazon ** Barnes&Noble
About the author:
RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series NovelYoung Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012
Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013
Stacey Rourke lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. Mark your calendars! Her latest literary adventure, Crane, will release May 26, 2014. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of this thrilling Legends Saga, as well as other literary projects.
With her criminal record, sixteen-year-old Char is never going to get a place on an Ark, one of the five massive bioships designed to protect Earth’s survivors. The Arks are reserved for the real goody-goodies, like Char’s mom, dad, and brother, all of whom have long since turned their backs on her.
Publication date: March 26th, 2015
There’s a meteor headed for Earth, and there is only one way to survive.
With her criminal record, sixteen-year-old Char is never going to get a place on an Ark, one of the five massive bioships designed to protect Earth’s survivors. The Arks are reserved for the real goody-goodies, like Char’s mom, dad, and brother, all of whom have long since turned their backs on her.
With Earth on the brink of destruction, Char must use all her tricks of the trade to swindle her way into outer space, where she hopes to reunite with her family, regardless of whether they want to see her or not.
Once she arrives on the North American Ark, Char discovers that the remnants of humanity haven’t achieved the egalitarian utopia they’d planned for. For starters, the “Officers of the Peace” are anything but peaceful, especially since stealing a spot on an Ark is a crime punishable by death…
Thank you so much for having me! I’m a fan of your site.
1. We all know about the biblical Ark of Noah and its significance. What made you choose this starting point for your story?
It’s a story about survival and redemption, so it felt like the perfect fit for the character I wanted to write- someone who is struggling to find herself. I’m also fascinated with the idea that certain things were able to be salvaged in the flood/meteor, along with people, and I had a lot of fun thinking through what things we would save from modern-day earth, and at what cost. It’s the idea that humanity can start over again, just like Char wants to do, but are we just going to make the same mistakes the next time around?
2. Tell us about Char’s family relationship and why did you constructed such a premise?
Char is trying to find herself. Because of the bad decisions she’s made, she struggles with some anger that she doesn’t entirely understand. As she explains in the book, a lot of it comes from trying– and failing– to meet her parents’ unrealistic and superficial expectations for her life. Char is fiercely independent, but not as much as she thinks she is, and because of Char’s resentment, her parents’ influence over her life is probably going to be more apparent to the reader than to Char herself.
When I wrote the book, I was pregnant with my first child, a girl, and I thought, here’s this person I’ve never met, and I love her so much it hurts. I would do anything for her. What if that’s not enough? What if she can’t find her way in the world despite my dead-level best efforts?
So I created Char, another girl I fell in love with, and gave her all the “flaws” I’m most afraid of. She doesn’t see the world in black and white. She doesn’t follow rules she can’t make sense of. These are fantastic qualities, and if Char uses her considerable talents for good, they will serve her well. Eventually.
3. From what I read, in Ark we will find some blurred lines between good and bad (persons). What bring these grey areas to the story and how hard is to keep them “under control”?
I’m so glad you noticed! I wanted my characters to be a mix of good and bad because that’s how people are. Of course, some are much more good than bad! It’s easiest to do this when you really think about things from a particular character’s point of view- what does the Commander truly want, for example? That’s a question I get into in the next book, and it goes a long way toward explaining his extreme behavior.
4. What a girl author could do to write a SF “readeable” by boys? Where Ark stands from this point of view?
Great question.
You have to tell the story in the way that makes the most sense for that particular story. All this worry about gender is just going to sidetrack you and potentially add to any self-doubts you might already be facing. So what if you have a romance in an action novel? Or a chase scene in a romance? There are male and female fans of books that feature both.
As to where The Ark fits in with all this, I tried to tell the most exciting, realistic story I possibly could, given the wildness of the premise. That meant making my characters as well-rounded as possible in spite of my love of action and adventure. I don’t think there’s a single meaningful rule you can follow that will earn you male readers. If you look at the best and most popular sci-fi novels of all time, they don’t have a lot in common as far as content. It’s one of the things that make this genre so exciting. Many, but not all, feature a problematic romance, like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Hunger Games, and 1984. Those books have tons of male readers. It’s the same with action scenes. So if it makes your story stronger, go for it.
5. What are the negative and positive aspects of using a cliffhanger and can you, please, tell us if and/or when to expect a next book?
The negative: Welp, this is an easy one. People do not respond super well to cliffhangers. That’s just a quick warning to any aspiring writers out there, as well as my future self. I love my readers SO MUCH, and the thought of letting them down in any way is really hard on me. So I can say that you should not expect another cliffhanger from me anytime soon.
That being said, I honestly didn’t think I was ending The Ark on a true cliffhanger when I wrote it. At the time, I really believed that the most important part of the story- Char’s internal journey, her fight with herself- was resolved, so it would be fine to leave an external plot thread dangling.
All this to say, I’m doubly excited to pick up where I left off! I can’t wait for Char to go back into battle.
As far as what’s next for the series: The Ark is a planned trilogy. My amazing editor at HarperVoyager has since changed the title on Amazon to make this clear. She’s the best! The next book will be out in 2016, and I can’t wait to share its title with you soon.
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful questions! This has been really fun.
MB's INTERVIEW
Thank you so much for having me! I’m a fan of your site.
1. We all know about the biblical Ark of Noah and its significance. What made you choose this starting point for your story?
It’s a story about survival and redemption, so it felt like the perfect fit for the character I wanted to write- someone who is struggling to find herself. I’m also fascinated with the idea that certain things were able to be salvaged in the flood/meteor, along with people, and I had a lot of fun thinking through what things we would save from modern-day earth, and at what cost. It’s the idea that humanity can start over again, just like Char wants to do, but are we just going to make the same mistakes the next time around?
2. Tell us about Char’s family relationship and why did you constructed such a premise?Char is trying to find herself. Because of the bad decisions she’s made, she struggles with some anger that she doesn’t entirely understand. As she explains in the book, a lot of it comes from trying– and failing– to meet her parents’ unrealistic and superficial expectations for her life. Char is fiercely independent, but not as much as she thinks she is, and because of Char’s resentment, her parents’ influence over her life is probably going to be more apparent to the reader than to Char herself.
When I wrote the book, I was pregnant with my first child, a girl, and I thought, here’s this person I’ve never met, and I love her so much it hurts. I would do anything for her. What if that’s not enough? What if she can’t find her way in the world despite my dead-level best efforts?
So I created Char, another girl I fell in love with, and gave her all the “flaws” I’m most afraid of. She doesn’t see the world in black and white. She doesn’t follow rules she can’t make sense of. These are fantastic qualities, and if Char uses her considerable talents for good, they will serve her well. Eventually.
I’m so glad you noticed! I wanted my characters to be a mix of good and bad because that’s how people are. Of course, some are much more good than bad! It’s easiest to do this when you really think about things from a particular character’s point of view- what does the Commander truly want, for example? That’s a question I get into in the next book, and it goes a long way toward explaining his extreme behavior.
4. What a girl author could do to write a SF “readeable” by boys? Where Ark stands from this point of view?
Great question.
You have to tell the story in the way that makes the most sense for that particular story. All this worry about gender is just going to sidetrack you and potentially add to any self-doubts you might already be facing. So what if you have a romance in an action novel? Or a chase scene in a romance? There are male and female fans of books that feature both.
As to where The Ark fits in with all this, I tried to tell the most exciting, realistic story I possibly could, given the wildness of the premise. That meant making my characters as well-rounded as possible in spite of my love of action and adventure. I don’t think there’s a single meaningful rule you can follow that will earn you male readers. If you look at the best and most popular sci-fi novels of all time, they don’t have a lot in common as far as content. It’s one of the things that make this genre so exciting. Many, but not all, feature a problematic romance, like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Hunger Games, and 1984. Those books have tons of male readers. It’s the same with action scenes. So if it makes your story stronger, go for it.
5. What are the negative and positive aspects of using a cliffhanger and can you, please, tell us if and/or when to expect a next book?
The negative: Welp, this is an easy one. People do not respond super well to cliffhangers. That’s just a quick warning to any aspiring writers out there, as well as my future self. I love my readers SO MUCH, and the thought of letting them down in any way is really hard on me. So I can say that you should not expect another cliffhanger from me anytime soon.
That being said, I honestly didn’t think I was ending The Ark on a true cliffhanger when I wrote it. At the time, I really believed that the most important part of the story- Char’s internal journey, her fight with herself- was resolved, so it would be fine to leave an external plot thread dangling. All this to say, I’m doubly excited to pick up where I left off! I can’t wait for Char to go back into battle.
As far as what’s next for the series: The Ark is a planned trilogy. My amazing editor at HarperVoyager has since changed the title on Amazon to make this clear. She’s the best! The next book will be out in 2016, and I can’t wait to share its title with you soon.
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful questions! This has been really fun.
EXCERPT
On the last day of Earth, I couldn’t find my hairbrush. That probably seems like a silly thing to worry about, what with the imminent destruction of, well, everything, but my mom was always after me about my usual ratty ponytail. Normally, I’d ignore her. Or, if I were having a really bad day, I’d tell her what she could do with her hairbrush. But like I said, it was the last day of Earth. And I figured, since it was the last time she’d ever see me, I wanted it to go smoothly. I wanted her to remember me, if not fondly, then at least without anger.
A girl can dream.
I slipped out of my cell as soon as the door swung open. I’d done the same every day for the past month, and my family had yet to show up. Their OPT—Off-Planet Transport—took off in eighteen hours, so they still had time. Barely. I couldn’t blame them if they didn’t come. It wasn’t hard to imagine that they’d rather escape to the stars without so much as a backward glance at me, their big disappointment. Even my father’s influence couldn’t persuade the government to give me a spot on an OPT.
Turns out, when humankind is deciding which of its children to save, the last place it looks is in prison.
But I was pretty sure they’d come. West had said as much in his last transmission. The thought of my younger brother actually halted me mid-step, like one of those punches in the gut where you can’t breathe for a few seconds.
“Looking for something?” The lazy drawl floated out of the nearest cell.
Against my better instincts, I turned to see Cassa lying on her bunk, her arm draped across Kip. My Kip. Or at least, my ex-Kip. Whatever. In twenty-two hours, I wouldn’t have to think about him anymore.
See? Silver lining. And they called me a perpetual pessimist at my last psych workup.
They barely fit next to each other on the flimsy mattress, but that wasn’t the weird part. The guys’ ward was separated by a substantial metal wall. We were kept apart during evening hours, for obvious reasons. Not that anyone cared anymore. The med staff had been the first to go, followed by the cleaning crew, followed by the kitchen crew. To show you where girls like me fell on the government’s list of priorities, there was still a skeleton crew of guards lurking around, despite the fact that I hadn’t had a real meal for going on a week. The guards would be gone soon, too, and then there’d be no one in here but us chickens.
I figured either Kip had a key, or the guards had left already. A key could be useful. My curiosity got the best of me. “How’d he get in here before the first bell?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I got some tricks you ain’t seen, babe. Why don’t you join us? End of the world and all.”
The guards were gone, then. I felt a small trill of anxiety deep in my chest. If the guards were gone, my family was even less likely to show. But it was never smart to show fear. “The Pinball could be headed straight for this building, and I still wouldn’t be desperate enough to touch you. Oh, wait. Guess you don’t have to take my word for it.”
I turned to leave, but he continued. “Now is that any way to treat your dear ole partners? Be nice or I won’t give you back your stuff.”
“Ugh, you were in my room?” I flexed my shoulder blades, making sure my gun was still tightly secured between them.
“Don’t worry, Char. I didn’t handle the merchandise. Didn’t want to wake you up. Just lifted me a few keepsakes.” He pronounced my name the way I like: Char, as in charred. Something that got burned.
I wasn’t sure what Kip and Cassa were planning, but I knew I wouldn’t like it. They were thieves and liars. I would know. I used to be one of them. That was before the last job, when Cassa had attacked an elderly man in the home we were robbing. She’d kicked him until he stopped fighting back. Kip had called her off after a few licks, but I just stood there, staring. The old man looked at me, like right at me, while we made our getaway, and my stomach twisted into a knot so tight that I tasted bile. That was the moment I knew I wanted out.
But by then, no one believed me. Or, if they did, no one cared. Except for Kip and Cassa, of course. They’d taken the news pretty hard, to put it lightly.
If I lunged for the box, I could probably grab my hairbrush and get out of there. I wouldn’t have time for more than that. Then again, I’d be doing exactly what they expected, and I didn’t have time for delays. My family could be in the commissary any second now.
“Ahem. Seeing as it’s your last day of life, I might let you have one thing back,” said Kip.
“In exchange for what?”
“I’m hurt. All our time together, and you still don’t believe in my inherent generosity. But now that you mention it, I’ve got a hankering for some peanut butter crackers.”
“Sorry, Kip. I’m fresh out of food. Kinda like everyone else.”
“Nice try, Charrr.” He drew my name out, as though tasting it. “I saw them yesterday. Figured you were hiding them under your pillow when I couldn’t find them last night.”
“You figured wrong.”
All I could think about was my brother’s face. And how I had this one last chance to apologize to my parents, for everything. I shrugged and turned to leave.
That was probably a mistakeGoodreads ** Amazon ** Barnes&Noble
About the author:Laura grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she spent an excellent childhood playing make-believe with her two younger brothers.
The Ark is the direct result of those stories and a lifelong devotion to space-themed television.
It received a Work in Progress Grant from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Laura has a degree in French and a license to practice law, but both are frozen in carbonite at present. She lives in Texas with her family.
While Geneva and her friends embark on a dangerous mission to fulfill her destiny, the dark forces that seek her powers are closing in, putting everyone she cares about at risk.
Can you live a life of lies?
That’s exactly what Geneva finds herself doing to protect everyone she loves. While Geneva and her friends embark on a dangerous mission to fulfill her destiny, the dark forces that seek her powers are closing in, putting everyone she cares about at risk. Geneva must lie about who she is, what she knows and her true feelings. Are all these lies worth it or will she go too far and lose everything she’s been fighting for?
MB' INTERVIEW
1. Interesting choice for the order of the titles: Truth, Secrets, Lies – usually they are in reverse order. How did you build the series and there will be a next volume?
Lol, very true. But it’s so fitting of me because I feel like I do everything a bit backwards. It works well with the series as well because they become the themes that my main character is dealing with and basically the driving force of her existence. In the first book, she really was seeking her true identity (since she was orphaned by a disaster). Then in the second book, when she finds out the truth, it reveals secrets that she never expected. I love that idea because in life sometimes we are driven to find out the meaning of things or the root of a problem and we don’t look past that. Sometimes the truth can rock your world and that’s exactly what happens to my main character. Then in the third book, Lies, she’s trying to decide how to deal with the fall out of all this knowledge. Who can she trust with it, who must she lie to in order to protect them from who she really is. And yes! I’m working on book four now, which will be the final in the series. It will deal with big decisions as the main character tries to fulfil her destiny .2. Geneva – being for Europe, the name has special connotations for me. What is the significance of heroine’s name and what were the other options?
There were no other options for me. The first words I typed were “My name is Geneva Sommers.” I said, “Well, that’s settled, I guess the voice in my head has a name!” ha-ha. I do like to think that all names have a deeper meaning though. I research them a lot before assigning them to my characters and want them to be well rounded, (ie their personality and features and magic powers all link to their names.) Names are an important theme in my series. Most of the characters don’t even have names in the first book. They’re numbers, so I play with what it’s like to be a nameless being in society and how that can create loss of identity. Geneva is the chosen one, and that is referred to as the Eva in my books, so it’s taken from part of her name.
3. What are the difficulties when you put together elements of magic, SF and dystopia? Oh wow good question. Magic is really fun to write, because in most instances it can explain away anything and get you out of any corner you may write your characters into. But the problems arise because magic isn’t standard. Every series approaches it differently, so you need to set up hard rules for your magic and stick to them. Remembering them all through a long series can be tricky.
4. Can we live a life of lies? What Geneva could teach us – without spoiler, please?
Sure. It’s really about what can you sacrifice for the ones you love? Even though my books are fantasy, the characters deal with real life problems. We all tell little white lies to protect people we care about. Geneva just happens to have some major secrets that she needs to keep hidden from the dark forces closing in on her. The best way she can find to do so it so lie to everyone. But telling a lie is one thing. Living it is a whole different story.
5. What do you think today’s YA literature lacks and what are the reasons?
Sometimes I think authors forget to tap into that nostalgic time of adolescence. That’s what readers relate to and what makes them identify and love certain characters. That was a vivid time in my life and I have fun reliving those memories with my characters.
6. Tell us about Pass It On organization. What it is, why did you associate with them and what they do? What can we do?
Yes! I actually co-founded Pass It On with my husband. Giving back has always been really important to us. We love reading and want to share it with as many people as possible. The idea started simply as “pass on the book after you’ve read it.” Why let it sit on a shelf to collect dust? We also thought the idea of a book traveling from reader to reader was pretty fantastic. That creates it’s own life or story! For 2015 I took Pass It On to another level by creating a One-for-One campaign to attach to it. It’s like Tom’s shoes, but for books. With the One-for-One, I match the sale of every paperback I sell through my website or at an event. The goal is to donate 1000 books to schools, libraries and literacy programs in need. So far I have over 300 books to donate. I’ve also set up a few book drive donation sites where people can donate new or gently used children’s and YA books. They’ll all be donated at the end of the year along with the 1000 books I’ve matched to the list I’ve been compiling through the year. You can help by purchasing a book from my site or if you know of a program, school or library in need of these types of books email me so I can add them to my list.
About the author:
Christina Benjamin is the Award-Winning Author of the Young Adult series The Geneva Project.Her debut novel, Truth, has won multiple awards, including the 2014 FAPA Gold Medal for YA fiction.
Benjamin’s writing hooks fans of mega-hit YA fiction like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, and offers them a new series to obsess over. She paints a vivid world, where magic and imagination run wild in her epic tale of adventure, courage and friendship.
Benjamin studied English at the University of Central Florida. She’s dedicated to giving back to the community and speaking at schools to inspire creativity in young writers.
Website ** TheGenevaProject ** Goodreads ** Quizzes ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Instagram ** Tumblr ** Google+ ** Linkedin ** YouTube
Author's Giveaway
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Laney Secord is an attractive, 32-year-old single mother suffering from the recent loss of her husband. She blames herself for his death, and has been in a state of emotional paralysis ever since. One day, she meets Christopher, a striking 16-year-old boy in the prime of adolescence. He avidly pursues her, yet she knows the attraction she feels for him is wrong. He’s just a teenager after all – what could they have in common?
Laney tries to push him away, becoming more paranoid, feeling that everyone in tiny Plainview, Colorado is watching her, mocking her. She begins a relationship with the boy’s father, Bill, who is more age-appropriate. But he isn't quite the right match.
The week-long romantic triangle that develops culminates on Sunday, Mother’s Day, changing their lives in ways that none of them could have imagined.
In this beautifully written and compelling novel, author Fenton Grace explores the consequences of flawed choices, the nature of betrayal and forgiveness, and the boundaries of sexual attraction.
MB's INTERVIEW
1. First of all, why such a subject? Is this type(s) of relationship still taboo?
When I wrote the first draft, I didn’t explicitly set out to explore the relationship between a thirtysomething woman and a teenager. The story evolved over time. As I delved into Laney and Christopher’s relationship, it felt like fertile, rich material to explore.
Given some readers’ reactions to the novel, this kind of relationship is quite taboo. Some have been disgusted. I think some women in particular can’t bring themselves to pick up a book with this theme. I think many of them are perhaps unwilling to explore those feelings within themselves, so the main theme of Monday, Sunday makes them uncomfortable. I think it takes a strong woman, one who knows who she is and what she wants, that isn’t afraid to delve into this plot. It’s fiction, after all. I didn’t expect that a reader would want to live vicariously Laney’s experiences with Christopher and Bill. I thought they would identify with Laney but feel distance from her at times because of her predicament and the actions she takes in confronting them.
2. Without spoiling the readers’ pleasure to discover for themselves, can you tell us something about the title?
I always planned on calling the novel Monday, Sunday because it is ultimately the journey of a woman over six days’ time, and on the seventh day – well, I won’t give anything away, but let’s just say that Laney could definitely use a rest at that point. I liked the juxtaposition of the two days, as we normally think of “Sunday, Monday” in that order, rather than the reverse. The title suggests to the reader that there will be a challenge to the status quo, and that the natural order of things will be tested. I also liked that the story ends on Sunday, in the early hours of Mother’s Day. This is a story about a mother, after all, one who is ordinary in many ways but who has a significant amount of emotional turmoil in her life. The upheaval that takes place over the course of the week is a testament to Laney’s fortitude and resolve.
3. What kind of research did you do for Monday, Sunday?
I think like many of us, I had heard many news accounts of women who were caught in an affair with teens and pre-teens. The Mary Kay Letourneau drama is one of the most notorious, as her victim was twelve years old at the time and she was impregnated by the child and also imprisoned. In Monday, Sunday the boy, Christopher, is not a child. He is sixteen, going on twenty-one in some respects, trying to be older than he really is, as teen boys often do. I was also familiar with several other cases of women, particularly teachers, who had inappropriate relationships with their students. I wasn’t interested in replicating or writing about any of these instances. What I did find, though, was a commonality in terms of how the women viewed the relationships. They also seemed to be at a similar level of emotional growth, a level of self-involvement perhaps, of selfishness and vanity, also of innocence, and of course, denial. “How could I be doing anything wrong? You don’t understand,” many of them seemed to be saying. Laney doesn’t have this same view on her attraction to Chris. As a matter of fact, she’s perplexed and though not repulsed physically, psychologically she is in great anguish. She has more self-reflection than the usual kind of woman who is in this situation.
4. One reviewer said that she had a problem with the “politically incorrect comments” met in your story, even if they were necessary. How far the “political correctness” should or shouldn’t go in art? Or better, how does this “behavior” influence the stories?
I think there’s no room for political correctness in art. Art should be true, and an accurate reflection or portrayal of an artist’s or character’s thoughts and feelings. Some people are monsters, and if it’s important to know that a character has these negative qualities, they should be depicted in an accurate way. “Go Set a Watchman” is making waves today because of the racist attitudes of Atticus Finch. Should we really be surprised? People evolve over time, and it shouldn’t shock us that someone who becomes an ardent defender of civil rights was once a racist. The same could hold true of someone who is a staunch supporter of women’s rights. Perhaps the character badly mistreated women in his life over and again – then he realizes the errors of his ways, and voila, he’s now an advocate for equal rights for women. The same could be said of someone who starts as incredibly homophobic. In his growth, he becomes a passionate supporter of LGBT equality.
The important thing to realize is that viewpoints of a character do not necessarily reflect the author’s own views. Personally, I was appalled at the racist attitude of Laney’s best friend Erin when I read them. But they are who she is. We’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t realize that there are thousands of people in our country who hold beliefs that are much further “incorrect” than Erin’s.
5. After such a story, what will be the subject of your next story?
I’m often asked what I’m writing and the question always makes me uncomfortable. I’m very superstitious about not talking about works in progress. I don’t feel they should be spoken about until they are finished. Of course, they can and should be discussed among fellow workshop writers or a critique group. I find that talking about the work before it’s done actually serves as a detriment to the writer. The impetus in writing the work becomes diminished. If you tell the story to others, the passion is going to dissipate and you won’t spend the time actually writing it because you’ve found you’ve already told it. I’ve seen this happen with beginning writers quite a bit. They want to talk and talk about the story, but they don’t do the important part: putting words on the page.
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Fenton Grace was born and raised in New England. She graduated from Brown University with a degree in French. She enjoys playing piano, tennis, and keeping in shape with Pilates. She’s worked in the entertainment industry at several television and movie studios in a variety of business services roles. Happily married for 17 years, she is the proud mother of two kids and currently lives in beautiful Southern California. Monday, Sunday is her first novel.
Shannon McMurphy travels to Asherville, Texas as a mail order bride expecting to marry a rancher. Instead, her intended is a saloonkeeper. Her refusal to marry enrages John Hardy and he slices her cheek with a knife so no other man would want her. She runs into the street and no one helps her until Cinders comes along.
Description:
Cover Artist: Aria Tan
Shannon McMurphy travels to Asherville, Texas as a mail order bride expecting to marry a rancher. Instead, her intended is a saloonkeeper. Her refusal to marry enrages John Hardy and he slices her cheek with a knife so no other man would want her. She runs into the street and no one helps her until Cinders comes along.
Sexy, Rancher Cinders saves Shannon and offers her a job. To protect her reputation he marries her. They both agree it's a marriage of convenience. He admires her spunk and willingness to learn everything about surviving the Texas frontier. He waits for her to ask to go home but she never does.
They learn a lot about each other through, stolen horses, Indian troubles, a cattle drive and the busybodies of the town. Their attraction for each other grows, but can they learn to trust enough to love?
MB's INTERVIEW
1.What research did you do for Cinder’s Bride and what was the worst thing you did learn?
It’s a western Historical romance so everything had to be researched from the plumbing to how to cook on a wood stove. The language and sayings. The worst was the torture from the Indians.
2. Why do you think people are still attracted by westerns?
Cowboys make great heros. They are strong, loyal, respectful and they have a code of integrity they love by.
3. What are the features of the “ideal” cowboy and how Cinder is in relation with these?
Handsome with big shoulders. He steps in to rescue Shannon without thought. He stands up for what is right. Cinders' rescues Shannon but he also teaches her how to shoot and ride so she can protect herself if needed. He's tough when he needs to be but he is also gentle with Shannon.
4. What makes a love story to be remembered?
One that makes the reader cry through the trials of enduring love.
5. How fair is the reviewer in you when you “read” your own works?
There are times I'm my worst critique and other times I read something I wrote and I'm amazed I wrote it.
It’s a western Historical romance so everything had to be researched from the plumbing to how to cook on a wood stove. The language and sayings. The worst was the torture from the Indians.
2. Why do you think people are still attracted by westerns?
Cowboys make great heros. They are strong, loyal, respectful and they have a code of integrity they love by.
3. What are the features of the “ideal” cowboy and how Cinder is in relation with these?
Handsome with big shoulders. He steps in to rescue Shannon without thought. He stands up for what is right. Cinders' rescues Shannon but he also teaches her how to shoot and ride so she can protect herself if needed. He's tough when he needs to be but he is also gentle with Shannon.
4. What makes a love story to be remembered?
One that makes the reader cry through the trials of enduring love.
5. How fair is the reviewer in you when you “read” your own works?
There are times I'm my worst critique and other times I read something I wrote and I'm amazed I wrote it.
EXCERPT
The world seemed eerily quiet as she pushed herself up from the hard packed dirt, only to fall back down. Her ankle hurt. Tears filled her eyes, as she glanced around. There stood the women from the mercantile, staring, and their eyes full of terror. She’d get no assistance from them.
John Hardy strutted into the street and laughed while he gestured for two of his men to pick her up. “Come on, honey, it’s time for our honeymoon.”
She heard the clomping of hooves and the turn of wagon wheels behind her but the wagon didn’t stop to help her either. By this time, a crowd had gathered and now there were men standing with the group of women. She tried to plead for help with her eyes but they glanced away.
Two men grabbed at her to haul her back into the saloon when a loud cocking of a gun erupted from behind.
“Put her down.” A man's voice threatened.
John stepped forward, thrusting out his chest. “Listen, Cinders, this is none of your business. It’d be in your best interest to leave things be.”
The world began to dim and spin, the smell of blood was the last straw. She fainted.
About the author:
Sexy Cowboys and the women who love them...Finalist in the 2012 RONE Awards.
Top Pick, Five Star Series from the Romance Review.
Kathleen Ball writes contemporary western romance with great emotion and memorable
characters. Her books are award winners and have appeared on best sellers lists including
Amazon's Best Sellers List, All Romance Ebooks, Bookstrand, Desert Breeze Publishing and
Secret Cravings Publishing Best Sellers list. She is the recipient of eight Editor's Choice
Awards, and The Readers' Choice Award for Ryelee's Cowboy.
There's something about a cowboy....
