This Saturday, I'd like to welcome Susan Spence, who's written a western love story.
Remember, you can send your posts for Readers Write to me at jamidavenport@att.net. I thought we migth add another fun twist to this, perhaps to be posted on another day. How about a Internet barn tour with pictures of the exterior, interior, especially stalls, and tack room? It can be your barn or a barn in your area that you like. I can start with my barn as soon as I get time to take some pictures. I designed it myself, and I can tell you what I love about it and what I wouldn't do over.
Anyway, welcome, Susan!
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My book doesn't have an equestrian theme specifically, but the hero's horse is, well, a hero's horse. It takes place mainly in Montana in the open range ranching days of the 1880s. It's a western, but also a love story. It is historically accurate and since I have ridden most of my life and also driven horses, I can describe these things. My attempt was to portray life during these times, as well as create an exciting read.
The feedback I've been getting from both men and women has been incredible. The hard part for me has been getting it out there, not only because I'm somewhat of an introvert, but because it is self-published on a shoe string budget. Anyway, here's an excerpt:
Theodore Lavold had always wanted to go west... One day he made up his mind. A wealthy businessman came into his store and began talking about what he believed was the future of the town. He thought the way to make money was to start selling the newly manufactured luxuries people seemed more able to afford. Theodore offered to sell him the store on the spot.
...Elizabeth was as shocked as Lavina was thrilled. She looked around her comfortable home, wondering why on earth her husband and daughter would want to leave it. In the end she agreed to take her family west mainly because her husband once again had the fire in his eyes she had seen when she met him twenty-five years earlier.
Rinsing the mud out of her sons' clothing using a basin on the washstand in a hotel room in a frontier town, Elizabeth Lavold realized why her daughter had never been interested in her suitors back east. None of them had that fire in their eyes, no real passion for living. That was what Matt Daly had. Suddenly she was proud of her daughter.
A Story of the West is available through bookstores, from Amazon, or if you want a signed copy contact me.at storyofwest@itstriangle.com. It's also available as an ebook. Contact me to order one of those also.
I am currently at work on a sequel (ride in the summer, write in the winter, what a life!).
Susan, I totally empathise with how hard it is to push your book when you're an introvert. I turned down several opportunities to do book tours with my more famous author friends...I just found it too stressful. The internet is proving to be a great publicity tool for a writer like me who would rather stay home with her family and horses--hope it works for you, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading Susan's book and let me tell you... I can't wait to get back to it and pick up where I left off with Matt Daly!
ReplyDeleteI thought our "20 miles to town in any direction" made life a bit more difficult, but Susan's book has reminded me how much longer it took to get to town with a team of horses back in the ole western days. I'm learning to appreciate my 20 miles, driven in my car!
Time on the couch is hard to come by here. Always a chore to do ... or is it me?? I'm rather self-driven and find it hard to relax!