Getting Ideas from the Great Outdoors

Anything you eat tastes better if you're in the middle of nowhere
AND
 if your husband cooked it instead of you!
(or, if you're writing a book, you can think about getting lost in the woods,
stumbling across a forest ranger, who shares his meal) 

The best ideas come if you explore every corner of your world.
Don't just people watch.
World watch.
(Maybe it wasn't a forest ranger.
Maybe it was a meteorologist,
who was gathering data concerning a tornado
that rammed through a one mile swatch of forest last year)

Don't just rely on what you can see from where you're standing.
Go ahead, look down, and sometimes you 'll even need to  crawl into a hole.
This is a lava tube near Flagstaff, Arizona.
(At the top of the tube, we met a veteran. This was Memorial Day.  He was alone.
If you write romance, you always know that heroes don't remain alone
in Happily Ever Afters)

Always, always, reach for the sky!
(Most people sit on their quads.  But, there are those who take a different approach.
Remember, not all stories should be the same.
And, when this guy falls and needs a bandage...
There's definitely going to be a heroine around.
LOL, in this case it was me. MOM)

At the end of the research trip, you can rest and plot your next adventure.
(By the way, dogs always work well in romance novels.
This is Lucy, and she's ready to go home.
Hmmm, this might call for a veterianarian hero)

Pamela Tracy not only camps and gets ideas, but she writes stories about those ideas.  Check out her website
Click Here

FEATURED BOOK AND INTERVIEW: Her Christmas Hero by Lorraine Beatty

A Small-Town Christmas 

Gemma Butler has a grand vision to transform the fledgling Christmas celebrations in Dover, Mississippi, and bring visitors to the town. It's also the single mom's last chance to provide for her son and revive her event planning business. But Gemma's not the only one with something to prove. Line Montgomery has the weight of the family business on his shoulders. And he'll go down swinging before he'll let anyone disrupt the traditions he holds dear. Yet when a storm threatens to destroy the holiday, he'll join forces with the beautiful planner and discover she just might be the love he's been searching for. 

Interview:

How exciting to have _Linc Montgomery_ the hero from _Her Christmas Hero written by Lorraine Beatty_ a __November release from Love Inspired Romance .

1.  Linc Montgomery, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

            I’m the oldest of five kids and I take the position seriously. I look out for  them and now that my dad is gone I look out after mom too.

2.  What do you do for fun?

            I used to go fishing in the stream on my property but I’ve been too busy working lately to go.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

            Laundry. Hate it.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

            That I won’t find the right woman. I’ve seen so many marriages fall apart, especially my brother’s. I want to be sure she’s the one but is that even possible these days?

 

5.  What is the most important thing to you?

            Family. Always.

6.  Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

            Sometimes. I listen to audio books when I travel, high adventure stuff mainly.

7.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

            I guess it would be to relax more and learn to go with the flow. I don’t really like change.

8.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

            Not at the moment but I’ll probably get a dog soon. A big brown lab.

9. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

            I’d like to go back to the days when my great-grandfather was settling this land and work alongside him as he built his legacy. It must have been a huge adventure to clear the land, build a home and live off the work of your hands.

Craftie Ladies - Love Inspired March 2015 Releases

Listed below are the upcoming releases from our talented Love Inspired writers here at Craftie Ladies of Romance.  To purchase any of these wonderful books, just click on the book covers.  And to learn more about the authors, click on their names.

The Forest Ranger's Rescue

by Leigh Bale

Forest ranger Brent Knowles has almost given up hope that his daughter, Evie, will recover from the tragedy of her mother’s death.  Then he meets caring special ed teacher Jill Russell.  Jill adores working with Evie and helping her heal.  She’s less sure about the undeniable attraction she feels for Brent.  Because Brent is investigating a timber theft, and Jill’s own brother is a suspect!  Can she reconcile her feelings when Brent has the power to destroy her family?  Brent sure hopes so.  Because Jill holds the key to his daughter’s recovery…and to his heart.

The Cowboy's Forever Family

by Deb Kastner

His best friend's baby.

Widowed and pregnant, Laney Beckett wants nothing to do with stubborn rodeo cowboy Slade McKenna. But avoiding her late husband's best friend is nearly impossible now that Slade thinks Laney and her baby need his protection. Though Slade figures he's too rough a man to settle down, his thrill-seeking ways have already cost him his childhood pal. Looking out for the man's wife and child is the least he can do, especially when headstrong Laney doesn't know the first thing about running the family's ranch. For the sake of baby Beckett, Laney and Slade give friendship a chance…but could they become a true family?  

Cowboy Country: Surprise babies lead to unexpected love in Texas

Lone Star Hero Interview

Interview with Jake Torres from Lone Star Hero by Jolene Navarro, an August Love Inspired romance.

1. Jake Torres, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
1. Uhm…not much really. I’m a Texas State Trooper, do a little roping on the weekends. Some people find it interesting that I build my own home, a cabin in the Texas Hill Country.
2. What do you do for fun?
1.  Rope and play flag football with the youth group.
3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
1. Are you really going to make me answer that?…Ha, yeah I see you are, so it would have to be talking to Vickie. She’s been avoiding me since she came back to town. I could push it, but I know it would end up in a fight. I always hated fighting with her.
4. What are you afraid of most in life?
1. Being like my father

5.  What do you want out of life?

Wow, that’s a good question and thinking about it is one of the things I put off. Next question?

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

Oh, that one’s easy. Mi familia, my mother and sister. We had a rough start, but I’m so proud of them.

7.  Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

                        Yes, I’ve read all of Zane Grey, Elmer Kelton and Victor Villasenor’s books. I also read anything to do with the Texas Rangers. I’ve read One Ranger: A Memoir by Joaquin Jackson a million times.

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

                        Trust. I would trust God more. I mean I trust Him in a lot of things but I don’t trust my temper and I think that goes back to some deep fears I have and of course that just means I’m not trusting God with everything in my life.

9.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I have two quarter horses, Bud and Poncho. I love horse, you become a team and they just do their job. Riding takes me to the old west and gives you freedom from this world.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

                        There was one night when I was nine that I think if I could go back and change it I would, but I don’t know if it would only make it worse. That goes back to trusting God, and I think the past needs to stay there so we can move forward. But then again it would be fun to go way back and ride with the first Texas Rangers. I’d get to be a part of something new, get a new start.

           

The Lawman's Honor Interview

How exciting to have Heath Monroe, the hero from The Lawman’s Honor by Linda Goodnight, a  March, 2014, release from Love Inspired Romance.

1.   Heath, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

For most of my adult life, I’ve worked for the DEA. I’m proud of the work and the number of  bad guys I helped put away, but a man gets tired of that kind of life. Always moving, always keeping relationships at arm’s length for safety’s sake.

2.  What do you do for fun?

I like to kick back and watch some basketball on the tube when I have time, which isn’t often. And when I get down to Houston I have a blast with my brothers and their kids. I have this little niece who has a piece of my heart.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

 Well, you see, I met this woman, or rather, she met me when I crashed my SUV on these crazy, winding, dark, Ozark roads. I like her but I found out something pretty incriminating about her late husband. I want to tell her, but I dread hurting her and besides, what if she’s involved?

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

I’m a former DEA agent. Fear is a four letter word.

5.  What is the most important thing to you?

I promised on my father’s grave I’d that ferret out the bad guys and make a difference on this planet. Holding to that promise means everything. I carry my dad’s badge at all times as a reminder.

6.  Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

I’ve been known to pick up a thriller.

7.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I can be a little intense and suspicious. Both come in handy in my line of work, but in relationships, not so much.

8.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

No pets but I wouldn’t mind owning a one someday. My brother jokes that I’m socially deficient because I’ve never owned a dog.

9. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

Easy one. I’d go back to the morning my dad died and make sure I told him I loved him. And that I was proud to be his son.

Bayou Sweetheart Interview

How exciting to have Callie Moreau from Bayou Sweetheart, a January 2014 release by Lenora Worth from Love Inspired Romance.

1. Callie, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

      I’m not that interesting. I own a nursery and I’m a landscaper. I love being outdoors in my garden or at the nursery. That’s my thing. It brings me closer to God and that comforts me.

2. What do you do for fun?

      Fun? Well, I always enjoy hanging out with my two younger sisters. We’re planning a wedding for one and the other one is going to have a baby. I’m so happy for both of them. I guess I’ll be the divorced older sister with the big dog named Elvis for the rest of my life. I don’t think getting married again is in my future. (Even if my sisters are pestering me about the mysterious owner of Fleur House.)

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Right now, I’m dreading going back to Fleur House to start work on a massive garden design. This is my biggest job yet and Tomas Delacorte (that mysterious man I mentioned earlier) does something to my soul that scares me. But Elvis loves him. J

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

      I’m afraid of falling in love again. I’m kind of worried about that since I had breast cancer and my husband bailed on me. Couldn’t handle it, I guess. I won’t go through that again. Ever.

5.  What is the most important thing to you? My family, my work and my faith. And right now, all three of being tested. Tomas is beginning to be important to me and that just won’t work.

6. Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

      I love books. My favorite—Wuthering Heights. So tragic. Did I tell you that Tomas reminds me of Heathcliff? Oh, yes. Definitely the brooding lord of the manor type.

7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

     My need to heal hurt things. I can save a whole garden from dying and I can bring a mutt named Elvis back to good health. But this need to take hurting people and heal them, well, I should just leave that to God. I want to help Tomas and I try but I should just walk away. Walk away, Callie J

8. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

      Well, I’ve mentioned Elvis already. He showed up at the nursery on a rainy day right after I’d been through so much in my life and I just knew I had to keep him. He was hungry and afraid but now he’s big and clumsy and so lovable. Even Tomas likes Elvis.

9. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why? Oh, that’s a hard one. I don’t travel much but I guess if I could, I’d love to go to Europe and see all the beautiful gardens on the large estates. I love Fleur House and kinda dreamed about living there one day. So it would be nice to see it when it was new and full of love and laughter. Yeah, I’d love some of that for myself. And … I wouldn’t mind traveling forward a bit—to see my sweet mama in heaven. She died of breast cancer a few years ago. It would be nice to get a hug from her right now.