Please join me today in welcoming Peggy L. Henderson, author of the Yellowstone Romance Series, and we're here to talk about the first book in her new Teton Romance Trilogy. Welcome Peggy!
Teton Sunrise
Evelyn Lewis' secret dream
of marrying her brother’s best friend is shattered when he leaves their home
town to seek his fortune elsewhere. For six long years, she’s waited and
wondered if he would return. After the shocking murder of her parents, her
brother is the only family she has left. Refusing to accept a betrothal to a
man she doesn’t love, she decides to take control of her destiny and confront
her parents’ killer.
Growing up, Alexander
Walker has known only violence at the hands of his cruel
father. After the death of his mother, he embarks on a journey into
the uncharted wilderness to test his resolve as a fur trapper and mountain man.
When an impulsive decision leads him back to his childhood home, he finds more
than he bargained for.
Amid the rugged Teton
wilderness, fate suddenly throws Alex and Evelyn together. The quiet protective
boy she remembers is now as strange
to her as the world she’s been forced into. Wary
of the hardened man he has become, Evelyn must put her trust in him in order to
survive. Alex’s memories of Evelyn are of a pesky little girl, but he can’t
deny his growing feelings for the beautiful and spirited woman she is now. His
biggest obstacle in winning her heart may not be her uncertainty of him, but a
fear that has haunted him all his life. In a primitive and brutal world,
can Alex and Evelyn forge a love as solid as the mountains, or will the past
come back to haunt them both?
Amazon
| Apple
| Barnes&Noble
An Interview with Peggy Henderson
Did you plan to be a writer or did it
just happen?
Writing just sort of happened to me. I’ve
always been a fan of historical romances set in America, and western romance.
I’ve been fascinated with the mountain men and fur trappers, and their history
in the Rocky Mountains. When the story idea for my first book, Yellowstone
Heart Song, came to mind, I searched for similar books as the one that was in
my mind, but everything I found fell short. So, I finally decided to write the
story myself.
What is your favorite non-writing
pastime?
I love to go hiking and camping with my
family. I love to read (which I hardly have time for anymore), and I just hang
out with my two ponies.
When did you decide to take that step
that made you a published author?
After I wrote the fourth book in my
Yellowstone Romance Series, my critique partner told me to stop writing if I
wasn’t going to publish something. January 1, 2012, I took the plunge into
self-publishing.
What has been your greatest challenge as
a writer? Have you been able to overcome it?
My greatest challenge is time, and the
lack of it. With a full time career, and a family, my time is stretched very
thin.
Is writing a full-time career for you? If
not, how else do you spend your work day?
I would love to make writing my full-time
career. I’m hoping it will happen someday. Until then, my work days, or rather
nights, are spent as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist.
If you had to sum up Teton Sunrise
in 30 or less words, what would you say?
Teton Sunrise is a grittier romance than Yellowstone
Heart Song. While it is still a feel-good romance, in order to more
accurately portray the era of the fur trapper, the characters had to be more
hardened due to their upbringing and environment.
What inspired the idea behind your book?
The Teton Trilogy came about as a
spin-off sort of, of the Yellowstone Romance Series. I was in the Tetons last
summer when the idea for this trilogy struck me.
What has been your greatest challenge in
writing Teton Sunrise?
This book is the first in a trilogy and
closely related to the Yellowstone Series. My greatest challenge was to make
this trilogy NOT like the Yellowstone books. My hero, Alex Walker, had to be
completely different from my hero, Daniel Osborne, and that was a challenge.
What is your favorite scene in Teton
Sunrise?
My favorite scene is when Alex Walker
chases after the Indians who abducted his wife, Evelyn, and he loses control of
his horse. My critique partner said to me that this makes the hero seem weak.
He’s an experienced rider, he shouldn’t lose control of his horse. First of
all, I am an experienced rider, and anyone who is will tell you that it’s very
possible to lose control of your horse. Second, I took that scene right out of
the pages of the history books. This exact scenario happened to famous mountain
man Joe Meeks.
Which character in Teton Sunrise
will be the most difficult to part with?
Laurent Berard. Although he came across
as gruff at first, he is such a likable and kind-hearted character, but he had
to go at the end.
What kind of research was involved for Teton
Sunrise?
A lot of my research was on location, if
it’s even called research. Hiking in Grand Teton National Park gave me the feel
for the location. I spent a lot of time reading books on mountain men and fur
trappers, and while my books “romanticize” them, these men were the toughest of
the tough.
Do you have to be alone or have quiet to
write?
Absolute quiet.
Of the books you’ve written, which is
your favorite?
Of all the books I’ve written, Yellowstone
Redemption (Book 2 in the Yellowstone Romance Series) is hands-down my
favorite book to date.
What kind of research was involved for
the series? Did you find it became easier with each book?
The research for the Yellowstone Romance
Series and the Teton Romance Trilogy was pretty much the same, and I didn’t
need to research a whole lot, because I was very familiar already with most of
my subject material. For my Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series, I’m
having to do a lot of research because the setting in each book is different.
Do you have plans for a new
book? Is this book part of a series?
My current plans involve writing the
final book in the Teton Romance Trilogy, titled Teton Sunset, and the second in
the Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series. I also have readers asking for
more books in the Yellowstone Romance Series. While I do not plan to write any
more full-length novels in the series, since it is complete, I have a few
novellas in mind.
What has been your greatest pleasure or
personal success as an author?
My greatest pleasure is interacting with
my readers. And I have so many tell me that, after reading the Yellowstone
books, they now want to go visit Yellowstone. It thrills me to hear that.
Did you have a favorite character or hero
as a child? Do you have a literary hero as an adult?
My favorite character(s) when I grew up
were Winnetou and Old Shatterhand. They were larger-than-life characters from a
German author, Karl May, who wrote westerns (sort of an equivalent of Louis
L’Amor). Those books got me hooked on “the west”, and growing up in Germany,
the American west was just fascinating.
What’s the one book you wish someone else
would write?
The one book I wish someone else would
have written is the one I ended up writing - Yellowstone Heart Song.
Do you write your friends or family
members into your books? If so, did they figure it out?
I modeled my best friend after my
heroine, Aimee Donovan in Yellowstone Heart Song. Whether she figured it
out or not, she hasn’t said.
What is your greatest weakness as a
writer? Your greatest strength?
My greatest weakness is writing dialogue
and action scenes. My greatest strength is narrative.
Why did you choose to be an Indie writer
and would you choose to self-publish again?
I love the freedom of being an indie
writer. I like having control of my own story.
What is the best piece of writing advice
you’ve received?
“Find a critique partner”
Does where you live or have places you’ve
been influenced your work?
I don’t live anywhere near there, but
Yellowstone is certainly the greatest influence on my books.
How long did it take to get this book
from idea to being published? What was the most grueling process?
Two years. The most grueling process was
rewriting the entire book.
When did you write your first book and
how old were you?
I wrote a full-length novel in seventh
grade about a racehorse that came from outer space. It will never see the light
of day.
Laptop, desktop or notebook and
pen/pencil for writing?
Laptop
Do you believe in writer’s block? Has it
ever happened to you?
Yes, and it happens all the time, usually
around 2/3rds of the way into the book I’m working on.
Is there a book you’ve ever read more
than five times? Which book and what drew you back to it? Dorothy Garlock’s River of Tomorrow.
Loved the romance and the characters. (I named my first hero Daniel because
that was the name of the hero in that book)
Have you ever literally deleted or thrown
away a book you’ve written?
No, but I’ve come real close several
times.
Favorite place?
Yellowstone
Best Christmas present?
A clock my husband made me using wood
from Yellowstone
Favorite author?
Dorothy Garlock
Favorite smell?
Horse
Favorite series?
Harry Potter
Wabash River Trilogy
Favorite color?
Royal blue
Favorite quote?
Wag more, bark less
Giveaway
Comment for a chance to win an e-book edition of Teton Sunrise!
Meet the Author
I never thought I'd be a
writer, much less publish a book some day. I always wanted to be a
veterinarian. I guess life just had other plans for me. When my husband and I
decided to start a family, vet school pretty much went out the window. I used
to work with a vet who had three children while going through vet school. To
this day, she is my hero.
I live with my husband and two
teenage sons in southern California. I have a Welsh pony and a miniature horse
(down-sized from a barn of six horses). A crazy Labrador retriever who is a
food vacuum, three cats, a Holland Lop bunny, two parakeets, three bearded
dragons (my compromise with my sons when they wanted a snake), and a small
flock of chickens complete our menagerie of critters. I can’t imagine my life
without my animals. My dream is to live in Montana some day.
Three years ago, I began
writing a story that, for whatever reason, was stuck in my head for almost a
year. I have been an avid romance reader for a long time, and the idea took
hold to - why not? - write my own! What a simple idea, right?
It has been a long and
difficult journey from my first sentence to a completed, and hopefully
polished, manuscript. Today, I have a completed series of 5 books and a novella
in what I called The Yellowstone Romance Series, a first book in my new Second
Chances Time Travel Romance Series, and I am currently working on a trilogy set
in the Grand Tetons.
Enjoy an Excerpt
“Where are you
going?” Laurent shouted, running at him, his eyes wide.
Alex circled
his excited mount. The animal’s muscles bunched up underneath him while it
pranced in place, as if sensing Alex’s urgency.
“To get my
wife back,” Alex retorted between clenched teeth.
“Don’t be a
fool. Wait for us to come with you,” Laurent implored frantically. “It is
suicide to give chase by yourself.”
“They’ll kill
her, and you know it. I don’t have time to waste.” Alex glared at Laurent, who
had no response. He eased up on the reins and kneed his horse in the sides. The
gelding sprang forward. Alex raced his mount toward the creek, and the animal
plunged through the water, sending up jets of cold spray. He gave his horse its
head and leaned low over its neck, racing in the direction the warrior had
taken. His heart pounded fiercely in tune with his horse’s hoof beats. Visions
of the terrified look in Evie’s eyes as the warrior slung her over his shoulder
spurred him on.
The setting
sun cast a golden glow in the western horizon, the last of the light
disappearing quickly behind the mountains. It would be completely dark soon.
Alex pressed his thighs against his gelding’s sides, urging the horse to go
faster. If he lost the trail in the impending darkness, he’d never get Evie
back alive. Clenching his jaw as the cool evening air whipped around his face,
Alex was well aware of the fate a white captive encountered among the
Blackfoot. No man had ever escaped with his life. The Blackfoot enjoyed toying
with and slowly torturing their captives. What would they do to a white woman?
Blinding fury
tore through his heart. Had it really only been minutes since he told Evie that
she was better off in St. Louis so she’d be safe from him? If he hadn’t walked
away from her by the creek, her life wouldn’t be in danger at this very second.
Alex growled in frustration.
The trail the
Indians left behind cut through a small swath of forest, only to return to more
open terrain of sagebrush and willow. The freshly trampled grasses made for an
easy trail to follow.
The fresh
tracks once again entered a section of forest that wasn’t very dense, but would
certainly hinder his pursuit. Alex pulled back on his horse’s reins to slow his
mount’s speed. The animal beneath him apparently had other ideas. The horse
grabbed hold of the bit, and tossed its head forward, refusing to alter its
pace. Racing amongst the trees, the gelding leapt over downed logs as if it’s
hooves had taken on wings. All Alex could do was grab hold of the animal’s mane
and guide its head in the right direction.
When the
forest opened up to another clearing, excited shouts ahead alerted him that he
had caught up with his enemies. In the dim light, he saw six riders stopped at
the far end of the clearing, their horses dancing nervously beneath them. One
horse carried two riders, one of whom was struggling wildly. He spotted the
warrior who had taunted him earlier, the white stripe of warpaint across his
face distinguishing his from the others. Alex didn’t hesitate. Images of the man
striking Evie merged with images of his father hitting his mother. He pointed
his rifle between his mount’s ears, then took aim and fired.
A shot rang
out, and the warrior dropped from his horse. Loud war cries hung in the air.
Alex yanked his tomahawk from his belt. His horse galloped wildly toward the
small group, its ears pinned back as if it knew what the stakes were. Alex
fumbled with the flapping reins, and by the time he regained control of his
charging mount, his horse had reached the raiding party. Among loud whoops and
surprised hollers from the Indians, Evelyn’s high-pitched voice screamed his
name. The sound of her pleas drove him into the midst of the group of warriors.
“No one steals
Shadow Walker’s woman,” he roared in the language of the Blackfoot. He raised
his ax, and charged among the startled Indians, close to another rider. He
swung his arm back and to the side, and knocked the warrior from his horse with
a well-aimed blow to the man’s abdomen. Quickly, he yanked his horse’s neck around,
and kicked the gelding forward. The smell of blood and sweaty horses hung in
the air. Again, he raised his tomahawk, ready for an attack. Gunshots rang out
behind him, and Alex recognized Laurent’s whoops and hollers. Three of the four
remaining wide-eyed Blackfeet wheeled their horses away from him and kicked
their mounts into a run. The final warrior dropped Evelyn to the ground just
before his horse bolted forward in pursuit of his kinsmen.
