Hunting the Egret by Bryn Colvin

What's her name?
Verity

Why did you pick that name?
It means truth. There are quite a few issues in ‘Hunting The Egret’ about what is true, and real. Giving a paranormal character a name with this meaning rather appealed to me.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.
Verity has blond hair and brown eyes. She’s quite tall and strong – a bit of an Amazon, but otherwise at first glance not that remarkable. Her clothes are old, faded and worn.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance? Hidden under her hair, are ears that are far too small in proportion to her face.

Who does she love? Why? Verity loves the river and the hills. She adores her father. Conventional romantic relationships have not worked for her thus far – she finds it hard to give of herself, or to trust people with how she really is.

Does this person love her? Being a prickly, difficult person Verity does not attract affection. Her family love her, in their own odd ways, and she does inspire strong feelings in others – although she finds this hard to see.

Tell us about her family. Verity’s father lives on a narrowboat, sharing his daughter’s need to be close to the water. Her mother is a traveller, who comes and goes and is somewhat crazy. Verity’s grandmother was a witch and crops up as a ghost on a few occasions, along with a few other ancestors.

Where is she from?
Verity has spent her life on the side of the Severn, in a small village called Arlode. She seldom travels further than she can walk, and considers a sixty mile round trip to be a huge journey. Rejecting much of the modern world, she’s intune with the landscape but at odds with human culture.

Does her hometown affect her behaviour, thoughts and attitude? Verity wouldn’t survive in a city, and would probably struggle in a town. She needs wild places and the river. However, she finds the people around her difficult – in a village the chances of finding a kindred spirit are that much lower.

What does she want out of life? One of Verity’s problems is that she really doesn’t know. There are gaps in her life, but she has little sense of how to fill them.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.) I don’t think I can say!

Did you write more than one story about her?
There’s just the one, and it seems like a complete tale to me. She may crop up in the background of another book sometime – I love doing that – but she won’t be the central character in any other stories.

How would she describe you? I come from the other side of the river. Would Verity look twice at me if I walked into the bakery she works in? Probably not. I’m just another person, and she doesn’t do well with people, so I fear she wouldn’t remember me well enough to bother trying to describe me. Perhaps if we met on the riverside and shared a few words about the wildlife she would consider me tolerable.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.
One of Verity’s concerns is the threat of a tidal barrier being built across the Severn and harming this unique habitat. I did not invent this threat – I wish it was just a piece of fiction, because the river is beautiful and could be ruined by this.

Please provide your website link. http://brynneth.org.uk/

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.loveyoudivine.com/index.php?main_page=document_product_info&cPath=28&products_id=337&zenid=e8fb5f33a911b999e381b72512589bd7

Heroine From The Girl Who Fell

What's her name?

Jehanne

Why did you pick that name?

I was inspired be a singer songwriter – also called Jehanne, she told me that her name was probably closer to how Joan of Arc would have identified herself in French than the anglicised ‘Joan’ we have today. It seemed like the perfect name for my heroine.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.

Jehanne’s most striking feature is that she has hooves rather than feet. In Estraguil, there are all kinds of anatomical quirks amongst the kith, but even so hooves are unusual. Otherwise, she is lithe, strong, agile and a touch self conscious in her movements.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance?

Aside from the hooves? There is more age in her eyes than you might expect of someone her age, and an impression of otherness.

Who does she love? Why?

Jehanne adores her younger sister Flower. She still loves and mourns for the child she lost. From the moment she sees them, she is absolutely smitten with the trio of musicians who visit her tref. Tirol, Guile and Luthian are exceptional musicians and compelling individuals.

Does this person love her?

Although she doesn’t see it herself, Jehanne is loved by many of the people around her.

Tell us about her family.

Jehanne and her sister are marcher children – no one is entirely sure who their fathers are. While most women do not choose to have numerous children by numerous men, their mother settled on that way of life. Escaping from a crowded household, the two sisters joined a new tref downriver, where Flower’s skills as a dyer could be put to good use and Jehanne honed her talents for hunting.

Where is she from?

Jehanne belongs to the Tolthian kith – an old tribe within the Forests of Estraguil. She lives alongside a river, in a tref built in the treetops.

Does her hometown affect her behaviour, thoughts and attitude?

Jehanne considers herself something of an outsider – with her hooves she’s not well adapted for life in the treetops. Still, she values her community and heritage, it gives her many of her values and ideals.

What does she want out of life?

Jehanne is a lost soul, she has no real idea of what she wants, and in her heart believes that the best part of her life has already been lived.

What's her biggest secret?

Jehanne keeps no secrets and has no aptitude for lying. She seldom bothers to speak of herself, but will answer truthfully if anyone asks anything of her.

Did you write more than one story about her?

No, nor do i intend to.

How would she describe you?

Too soft, too plump and not fast enough!

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Jehanne has a passion for dancing, and a rare magic in her soul

Please provide your website link. http://www.myspace.com/brynneth_n_colvin

What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/chapters/TheGirlWhoFell_BrynnethColvin.shtml

Chesapeake Harvest by Terry L. White

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.: The heroine in Chesapeake Harvest is a woman named Mary Charles. The daughter of privilege, Mary follows her heart to the streets of London where she is abandoned by her seducer, and must make her way through the highways and byways by selling first her clothing, then her person. Starving, Mary steals a bite of bread and lands in gaol, where she learns the true meaning of misery. When she thinks all is lost, Mary is brought before a judge and sentenced to deportation to the New World and Maryland colony. Her passage across the Atlantic is another chapter written in misery and it is only by chance that she escapes the sickness that breaks out during the voyage and lives to be sold on the block to a man willing to pay the price of her indenture in return for her services.

What's her name? Mary Charles.

Why did you pick that name? I find that my characters come to me with their stories – and their names -- in their pockets. Mary is representative of hundreds of victims of poverty who were transported to the colonies in order to empty the jails of petty criminals who cost the crown more than their worth to support, even in great privation. Those transported were charged with their own passage, which they had to work off in a state of enslavement for five years on what is now Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Mary seems to be a common name in most epochs of English history, and Charles sounded like a name given to members of the gentry.

Give us a brief description of how she looks. Mary once wore silk dresses and shoes of the finest leather, but her fall from the world of ease leaves her dressed in her mistress’s cast off clothing and garments of rough linen or wool that are more serviceable, but hardly alluring. Her hair is scraped back in a rough knot or braid and her hands are red and calloused from work.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance? Mary is the servant of a man who has connections to royalty, but in the colony even those born with status wear plain clothing that will stand up to the hard work of a frontier farm.

Who does she love? Mary loves Tom, a fellow indentured servant, but she is married to her Master William Baron, who chooses her as a wife when his dear spouse dies of marsh fever. Mary is grateful for the match, for she was raped earlier by the farm’s first male indenture, and she feels that her daughter will be safe if she marries her master. This change in status does not mean her work is lightened, only that she has traded one form of enslavement for another.

Does this person love her? William does not love Mary, although he honors her worth by offering her marriage, a custom of the time when there were fewer marriageable women than men due to the hard work and unattended childbirths they must endure. Tom does love Mary, but she turns him away when he finishes his time of indenture because she is carrying William’s child. In her heart, she would like to put aside her loveless marriage to follow Tom to the mountains of Virginia, but her sense of duty keeps her tied to William and the management of his farm. William leaves the farm often to dabble in politics, and eventually is killed when he is on the way to London to pursue business matters and his ship is caught in a violent storm..

Tell us about her family. Mary has her daughter, fruit of the rape, and several of William’s children, all of whom she loves dearly. She is responsible for raising these offspring and for the management of the plantation in her husband’s absence. After Tom leaves, William presents Mary with a family of slaves, a husband with wife and children. With so many mouths to feed, Mary works very hard to maintain her family.

Where is she from? Mary is from London, but her indenture brings her to the area that is now known as Somerset County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude? Mary is responsible for a great deal as the wife of a plantation owner, however, she is grateful for Sir Williams, whose wife Sallie adopted and legitimized her bastard child. Mary is also mindful of her luck in being transported rather than being left to rot in a London gaol. While her marriage has elevated her to a similar status as that of her birth, the circumstances of life in the colony leave her with a great deal of responsibility, especially when her husband is killed. Mary lives in a world where women are secondary to men, but she is not unmindful of the good fortune that has followed her to the New World.

What does she want out of life? Mary would like very much to be loved, but she is dedicated to her children and the land, which she discovers is very important to her as she grows from the abused daughter of privileged to the manager of a large plantation in the New World. Mary is not a woman to feel sorry for herself and she often counts her blessings as she tells her story.

What's her biggest secret? Mary loves Tom for his kindness, even when he leaves the farm when she says she cannot come with him. That said, she puts the love aside and does not pine for what might have been.

Did you write more than one story about her? No. I have told Mary’s story, or rather Mary has sent her story through me for others to enjoy. I believe Mary had an eventful life, but that she took the events as they came and was aware that she was blessed as those events shook her world.

How would she describe you? I believe Mary would see me as a sister, a woman who had similar experiences and who is grateful for the good things life has given her.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share. I think it is important for the reader to understand that Mary is a responsible person who understands what is important in life. I do not know how her story came to me, but I believe there is a channel that opens and allows me to know the women in my stories and to tell their stories. I believe that women have suffered greatly in the past and that their stories hold the seeds of love for the women of today who may live in misery – then read a book and see that there is a clear path for them to the future.

Please provide your website link. http://www.terrylwhite.com

You can find Terry L. White's books at www.ebooksonthe.net, Fictionwise, Mobipocket, Kindle and Amazon.com by typing her name in the search engines. Look for Runaway Hearts, Mystick Moon, Ancient Memories, The Last Priestess, Mustard Seed, Crazy Quilt, Hang Your Head Over, Imagine, Hell or High Water and Chesapeake Harvest and more. Terry is also a bead artist and musician.

Meet Contessa Morena Monterossa of Portovenere of Bloodstone Castle

What’s her name?

Contessa Morena Monterossa of Portovenere

Why did you pick that name?

The name Morena is an authentic Italian medieval name. I wanted my heroine to have a title, one level of nobility lower than the ducal status of the hero and villain. This made her more vulnerable to both powerful men.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.

Morena is of average build, innocent looking and vulnerable, youthful, but mature. A true beauty with an upturned nose and rose colored cheeks. Originally, she had chestnut hair, but when the cover for the book was chosen, I decided to amend the hair color so she looks like the woman on the cover.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance?

There is nothing unusual about her appearance except for the fact that she wears a beautiful, ancient bloodstone pendant given to her by her mother. She never takes it off.

Who does she love? Why?

Morena does not love any man, however, with time Duke Amoro of Genoa begins to win her heart even though he is a life-long enemy of her family. But she is betrothed to Duke Ernesto of Savona and feels duty bound to marry him.

Does this person love her?

Duke Amoro does not love her at first. His only interest is because he is bound by an oath to marry her. But within a very short time, he grows to love her, long before his love is reciprocated.

Tell us about her family.

Morena is the only daughter of Count Umberto Monterossa and his wife Vittoria who died giving birth to Morena. The Count never remarried. He rescued a young orphan boy named Massimo who he raised like a son and with whom Morena has a very strong bond with.

Where is she from?

Morena was born in Bloodstone Castle in Portovenere.

Does her hometown affect her behaviour, thoughts, and attitude?

Morena feels the duty of her title and loves her home and the people who live and work in the vicinity of Bloodstone Castle.

What does she want out of life?

Morena wants to ensure she takes good care of the many serfs and vassals who serve her family. She wants to be loved. Morena is prepared to do her duty and will sacrifice her own personal love and happiness to do so.

What’s her biggest secret?

Morena knows about the existence of the ancient Roman treasure rumoured to be buried beneath Bloodstone Castle and the bloodstone pendant she wears is proof, however, she does not know its location and is suspicious of her suitors because of it.

Did you write more than one story about her?

No, and at this time I have no plans for a sequel. However, I did leave that door open because I think the minor character of Massimo makes an intriguing hero and perhaps there will be a novel about him with Morena as a minor character in the future.

How would she describe you?

Morena would describe me as a dedicated, obsessed author with a love to create and a passion for stories about Italy and medieval times.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know?

Morena is not afraid to stand up and fight. She understands the duty that comes with her title and is ready to fulfill those requirements regardless of her own wishes or happiness

Please provide your website link.

http://www.mirellapatzer.com

What is the link to buy your book?

You can purchase my book at my websites:

http://www.mirellapatzer.com

http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com

http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com

http://mirellapatzer.blogspot.com

Or you can purchase it from Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Bloodstone-Castle-Mirella-Patzer/dp/0978486528/

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

We encourage you to post a comment or ask a question. One person who comments during the tour will win an autographed copy of Bloodstone Castle. Will you win??

Heroine From Outlaw in Petticoats

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.

What's her name? Maeve Loman

Why did you pick that name? While doing the background on her father, I needed him to be Irish. So I looked up Irish names and after going back and forth with several, I decided Maeve fit the best with the hero's name, Zeke.

Give us a brief description of how she looks. Straight black hair worn in a bun while teaching and in a braid down her back while traveling the trails searching for her father. She's slender, blue eyes, and has the Irish temper.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance? When traveling, she dresses in an old shirt, worn riding skirt and has a six shooter holstered on one hip.

Who does she love? Why? She slowly falls for the hero, but fights the attraction kicking and screaming. Her father whom she adored left her and her mother when Maeve was ten. She's always felt if she loves someone too much, they will leave her and she refuses to go through that pain again.

Does this person love her? Zeke loves her to obsession. And has a hard time courting and romancing her to bring her around to his way of thinking.

Tell us about her family. Her father who adored her and she adored him, taught her how to handle a pistol then disappeared. The book is about Maeve and Zeke looking for answers to his disappearance. Her mother is an invalid who holds bitter feelings toward both Maeve and her father.

Where is she from? Maeve's family traveled around a lot due to her father's work.

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude? No, as I said, she has traveled a lot as a child and doesn't really call any one place home.

What does she want out of life? She wants to be independent and not fall in love. ;) But of course Zeke has other plans.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.) Her biggest secret is she really dreams of a life with a husband and children, but fears the hurt of being rejected again.

Did you write more than one story about her? Yes, and no. She is the heroine in the second Halsey brother book and has small roles the books following this one.

How would she describe you? A busybody. LOL Because I've dug into her and made her realize what she really wants.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share. Maeve finds a strength in herself that helps her find the happiness she deep down was looking for.

Please provide your website link. http://www.patyjager.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.thewildrosepress.com

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

Thank you for letting me share Maeve. You can read about another feisty heroine in the first Halsey Brother book, Marshal in Petticoats.

Only Moments by Nick Oliva

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.

What's her name?Angela Vander

Why did you pick that name?She is named aptly because she acts as an angel in the climax of the book. Her last name was originally Vanderhausen of royal Dutch descent, but was shortened to "Americanize" the family name.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.
She was a Scorpio-Virgo-rising, of Dutch stock, and her ancestors were of royal origin. Two hundred and seventy-five years ago, they had become more than wealthy, being one of the first families to begin plying the business of slave trading in the original colonies. There was very little of the Vanderhausen’s fortune remaining by the time she was born.

I gave her a light complexion, which amplified the freckles on her face and body. She used to go through liquid sun shield like water, due to the human-induced ozone depletion, and the added moisturizing elements of the shield kept her skin smooth and wrinkle-free. She barely looked in her thirties, when she was actually in her mid-forties. Of course, her physical aging had a lot to do with her gene history more than anything else, but the shield certainly helped.


Is there anything unusual about her appearance?She has beautiful red hair and green eyes that captured you immediately when you were in her presence. It gave her the aura of a goddess.

What is her drive, her motivation?She is a virtuoso violinist driven to perfection by forces deep within her subconscious. Her brother died at an early age and another secret in her past causes her to seek love from the outside as she is very insecure and difficult to get along with anyone including Chris her lover, husband, best friend, and musical partner. She hides behind her talent in her own world of fantasy to shield herself from reality. Chris touches her soul as he is so down to earth and naturally tolerant of her moodiness and spurts of anger and she falls madly in love with him, as he her.

Does Chris really love her?Unconditionally without question. They love each other for different reasons and as Chris reveals later in the novel, they loved each other for what "they were not."
To quote Chris:
........Angela, don’t you think I’ve known who you are and who you are not? In all the years we’ve been together, don’t you realize that I’ve always counted on you being the person that you aren’t?” She cleared her nose and wiped off the tears.

“I don’t understand,” she replied. “The person that I’m not?”

“Think about it. We have struggled for years and not always been happy with each other. We’ve each had common goals and relied upon each other to achieve them. We pushed each other, we’ve insulted each other, and we’ve been through very difficult times. We never once faced the fact that alone we were incapable of doing it. We treasured each other because of the things we were not. We imagined. We took the chance, regardless of our fears. You are not the perfect wife, and I am not the perfect husband, musician, or person; but we loved each other for things that we could never quantify. We believed. We had blind faith in each other. I have let you down and you have let me down. The issue today is whether you want to be afraid with me or without me. If you love me, I don’t think you have to contemplate for long.”

Tell us about her family.
Her mother and father are both musicians. Her mother is a pianist and teacher, her father is a high school teacher and gave up being a trumpeter many years earlier to support the family. They are both proud of their daughter but Angela and her father have a natural competitiveness that drives them to argue constantly. Her father is envious of her ability to be able to take her art to levels he could have only dreamed for, but he loves her unconditionally. Her mother constantly intervenes and becomes a referee between them at times.

Where is she from?Venice Beach, California

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?It is the late sixties, the height of the hippie age and women's movement and she is independent and a dominant force. She embodies the emergence of females from that era and will not be told that she is to be a child-bearer and housewife, and takes her own path to capture success on her terms.

What does she want out of life?She seeks perfection in her music, and doesn't realize that it is not attainable. She spends her entire life pursuing it, only to fall short of her expections. She discounts her successes and doesn't realize how great she really is and that is due to the things that happened to her in her childhood that have driven her to greatness and ultimately brings her downfall. It is her denial of human imperfection that causes the conflicts within.

How would she describe you?A neurotic driving determined force that seeks perfection while knowing there is no such thing. LOL! Everyone thinks that I modeled Chris the male lead after me, and although Angela is a fictional character based in fantasy, I relate more to her than to Chris.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.
First and foremost this a love story that shows unlimited devotion even after one mate dies. When we open up the first chapter, we already know Chris' wife is long gone and he has suffered greatly. The depression he allows himself to stay in for so long, changes as he begins to recount the past-though involuntary. The setting of the future, it's technology and the human nature that rarely changes though the ages is exposed during the exposition. The real fun begins when we go back to his youth.

One of the messages of this book was to show that regardless of the age, future, past, or present-the needs and wants of the human heart can never be replaced by technology. The other aspect was to show that regardless that these two people were together twenty-four hours a day and experiencing everything together, they grew apart because of the flaws that each had and those flaws prove to be what made them great as well. Great art comes from imperfection and like the ying and yang, there is always danger in beauty be it the cliffs of Big Sur and rocks below, the infatuation of human beauty, or the spiritual dogma entrenched by centuries of emotional manipulation.

"They believed without question, without doubt."

That is quite a lot to write into a romance novel, but it is what life is all about if one wants to take the time to understand it's meaning and one's place in it.

Chris is every woman's dream. A man so incredibly devoted that no other woman could ever take the place of his wife and soul mate Angela. A man so patient and understanding, gifted and tolerant of her mood swings and temper. He understood her every move and motivation and their music echoed the love that they both shared. They both gave each other confidence and the ability to dream their dream together. Angela's pure determination is what makes them the best they can be, and at the same time causes all of the heartache.

There are many other obvious and hidden messages within this "road of life" novel but it's main message is live life to it's fullest everyday! Don't expect life to treat you kindly and the "road" will be bumpy with potholes and dangerous curves, but it will take you places you have never been as long as you stay on it and that is the important part. Stay on it! Don't give up no matter what. Death is over-rated and the other side is an eternity. I know. I was there. Stay awhile and let time heal and be good to yourself and as the love of Chris' life tells him to remember that "Love is all there is. Never lose that gift."

Please provide your website link.www.onlymomentsbook.com

What is the link to buy your book?
Amazon or go to www.onlymomentsbook.com

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

Runaway Hearts by Terry L. White

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.: The heroine in my book is a real historical figure, a woman who was born a slave, helped take her family and friends North to freedom, a nurse and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War.

What's her name? Harriet Tubman, also known as Hat or Hattie, and Araminta as a child.

Why did you pick that name? Harriet Tubman was her real name.

Give us a brief description of how she looks. Harriet was a frail, wiry black woman.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance? No.

Who does she love? Why? Harriet loves Freedom. She had a husband but he stole her money and ran around with other women. His name was Tubman, but that is all he gave her.

Does this person love her? No.

Tell us about her family. Harriet’s family are all slaves. Her father runs a sawmill and she helps him.

Where is she from? Bucktown, in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude? Her home town is part of a state divided on the question of slavery. Itinerant preachers tell the slaves that running away is stealing the master’s property, but the slaves know the Quakers and others will help them if they can get away from their home farm and avoid the patrollers.

What does she want out of life? Freedom.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

Did you write more than one story about her? No.

How would she describe you? Harriet would call me an old white woman. I don’t know if she would like me.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share. Harriet stopped at nothing to achieve freedom for her people and herself. Harriet Tubman founded what historians call the Underground Railroad.

Please provide your website link. http://www.terrylwhite.com

What is the link to buy your book? www.ebooksonthe.net or Amazon.com

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

Feel free to email your answers to nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com and I'll add your information. They will be posted, but not all at once. That will give everyone an opportunity to get plenty of exposure.


You can find Terry L. White's books at www.ebooksonthe.net and amazon.com by typing her name in the search engines. Look for Runaway Hearts, Mystick Moon, Ancient Memories, The Last Priestess, Mustard Seed, Crazy Quilt, Hang Your Head Over, Imagine, Hell or High Water and more. Terry is also a bead artist and musician.

Cobweb on the Soul - Nadene Carter

What’s her name?

Abigail (Abby) Carlson is the heroine in my novel, A Cobweb on the Soul

Why did you pick that name?

I went to several baby name sites and pulled up names that mothers gave their daughter back in 1977 when my heroine was born. I already had the bare bones of my story plotted out. The name, Abigail, was on that list, and it fit this character of this story.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.

Abby stands 5 ft. 8 inches, has shoulder-length auburn hair, and gold-flecked brown eyes.

Where does she work? Does her work add anything to the story?

Abby is an architect with the McNeil Clark architectural firm in Park City, Utah, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Her work allows the reader to see another side of Abby’s personality as well shows how she reacts in this setting.

How would a friend or co-worker describe Abby?

Positive traits: Type A personality, can do attitude, dependable … almost to her detriment, kind, patient but with a breaking point.

Negative traits: Impulsive, so hard working that people sometimes take advantage of her, sometimes over-thinks things, lets old memories gnaw on her.

Who does she love? Why?

Jared Norton is Abby’s love interest, but … he is a cop, and she has long-standing issues with cops in general. She thinks she has put all that behind her until she discovers the body of a teenage girl who resembles her sister, Lianne, who disappeared nine years ago.

[A clip from the novel]
Abby studied the contour of the face she’d come to love. What was he thinking? Usually she didn’t care for a mustache, but the way Jared wore his neatly trimmed and not at all ostentatious gave him a classic look. A most handsome thirty-two-year-old man, and the contrast between his soft hazel eyes and strong square jaw often got him an admiring glance from the casual passerby. He took some good-natured ribbing from the guys because of the unsolicited attention that came his way.

How did they meet?

[A clip from the novel]
(Abby) smiled at the memory of the first day she met him last fall when she moved to town. She had sped along Kearns Boulevard to catch up with the mover’s van before it reached her condo, and a policeman had pulled her over. She turned on the charm and talked her way out of a ticket.

While the officer wrote up a warning, someone stopped to talk to him, obviously someone from the department, because he had a portable red light on the dashboard of his car. He was so strikingly handsome, in a rugged sort of way, it was difficult not to stare. He met her gaze with an equally appraising look of his own. It made her think of that old song . . . I was looking back to see if he was looking back at me . . . something or other.

Does this person love her?

Yes, but … he so mourns the past that he misses the joy in the present. Even after all these years, he still grieves for Cindy (his first wife who was killed inside their apartment in a robbery gone bad). How can (Abby) possibly compete with that image of perfection?

Tell us about her family and where she is from.

Frank and Birdie still own the ranch outside Greeley, Colorado where Abby grew up.

[A clip from the novel]
She thought of her father’s words: ‘One acre or a hundred takes ’bout the same machinery to run. Remember that, Ab, when you get rich enough to buy a place of your own’. Her eyes refocused from mental images of the Colorado ranch where she grew up back to the Bradford Estate.

Does where she grew up affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?

She has retained the work ethic and dependability she learned while growing up and working with her father on the family farm.

What does she want out of life?

Abby is to the age where she would like to be married, but she is hesitant to go there until she is very sure of the man she loves.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

[A clip from the novel]
As a child, Abby never tired of hearing her mother tell the story about the day they brought ten-day-old Abby home. Frank and Birdie had waited such a long time to adopt, and they accepted the likelihood that Abby would be their only child. Then Lianne had come along.

Lianne. Abby still remembered the day they brought her home to live with them. At first, five-year-old Abby had been so excited to have a little sister, but her enthusiasm quickly cooled. Lianne was tiny for being almost three years old and so pretty, long blond curls and a smile that melted everyone’s heart, and they all made such a fuss over her. Abby recalled feeling ugly by comparison. With a stab of guilt, she also remembered wishing Lianne hadn’t come to live with them, a regret buried deep in her soul, one that she had never shared with anyone.

What does Abby do that makes her a heroine in your story?

Abby unwittingly becomes a target for a serial killer. He kidnaps Megan, Abby’s best friend’s three-year-old daughter, and uses the child to try to control Abby. Abby uses her brains, spunk, and courage to defeat this killer.

Did you write more than one story about her?

I have a sequel planned for Abby, but it is still in the simmering stage.

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

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