Craftie Ladies - Love Inspired Historical Cowboy Creek Continuity Series/Giveaway!

April is here, and that means that the new Love Inspired Historical three-book Cowboy Creek continuity series is making its debut. Leave a comment to win a copy of the series!

Craftie Lady Sherri Shackelford is the author of the second book in the series. She's here to tell us about how the series came to be and what it's like to work on a continuity. Take it away, Sherri...

The Cowboy Creek series is about three friends who served together in the Civil War. After the war, instead of returning to their hometowns, they start a new town in Kansas--Cowboy Creek. The three men soon realize the town needs more ladies, and they send for mail order brides. The arrival of the first 'bride train' in Cowboy Creek kicks off the series.

Cheryl was asked to launch the series, and once she accepted, Karen Kirst and I were brought on board. For a continuity, the editors cook up a story and write down the particulars in a document referred to as the 'bible'. The editors provide an overview for the story arc, although the authors are given leeway with their individual books. For example, in the original bible for Special Delivery Baby, my character, Tomasina Stone, was supposed to wave to her man as he rode off to do man's work at the end of the story. Which, of course, would never happen! My feisty heroine would be front and center in the action. I decided on a much lighter, happier ending that was more in tune with the character and the tone of my book.

I hope you enjoy the stories of these three heroes who share  friendships forged by the bonds of war.

Thanks, Sherri. We wish you well on the upcoming launch of Special Delivery Baby. And now for the books...

Want Ad Wedding

Book 1 in the Cowboy Creek continuity series
April 2016 release

by Cheryl St.John

Second Chance Bride 

When Daniel Gardner convinced the residents of his Kansas boomtown to advertise for mail-order brides, he never expected the woman he once loved to respond. But Leah Swann steps off the bride train…pregnant and widowed and in need of a husband. Drawn to protect his fragile childhood friend, Daniel proposes a marriage of convenience.

Seeing her onetime best friend waiting to meet the bride train is a wonderful shock for Leah. After her first rocky marriage, a practical partnership with Daniel sounds perfect—as long as her heart doesn't get involved. But when she starts to fall for her husband, will her plans of a fresh start be ruined…or is a real marriage to Daniel exactly what she needs? 

Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.

Special Delivery Baby

Book 2 in the Cowboy Creek continuity series
May 2016 release

by Craftie Lady Sherri Shackelford

Instant Daddy

An abandoned baby is the last thing town founder Will Canfield expects on his doorstep. He's not the father—and the mother's unknown. But the precious little girl needs a protector. And Will never backs down from a challenge, even if it means caring for a newborn…or dealing with spitfire cattle driver Tomasina Stone.
With her father gone, Tomasina's trail life has ended. Yet becoming a polished city lady feels far out of her reach. All she wants is a place where she'll be appreciated, respected…maybe loved. And the more time she spends helping Will care for the baby, the more she wonders if she's found it. She's never wanted to settle down…but Cowboy Creek—by Will's side—might finally give her heart a lasting home.
Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.

Bride by Arrangement

Book 3 in the Cowboy Creek continuity series
June 2016 release

by Karen Kirst
 
Mail-Order Matchmaking 
Newly minted Cowboy Creek sheriff Noah Burgess doesn't want a wife—despite his friends insisting that he needs one. So when they send for a big-city single mother to be his mail-order bride, he's fit to be tied. Even if vivacious Grace Longstreet might just be the only person who can see past Noah's scars…and help him heal.

Grace needs a husband to keep her and her twin daughters out of her brother-in-law's grasp. And she'll do anything—including taking on her cousin's identity—to find one. But as the attraction between Grace and the lawman sparks higher, she begins hoping for a real marriage. So she needs to tell the truth…or a mail-order match that's meant to be could crumble.Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.

A follow-up Cowboy Creek anthology, Cowboy Creek Christmas, will be released in October with two more stories for readers to enjoy, written by Cheryl St.John and Craftie Lady Sherri Shackelford.

Linda Goodnight on Cover Art

Linda Goodnight here.

I just couldn’t resist showing you this photo of my son and his family. Now, look below at the cover of THE NANNY’S HOMECOMING, my July release and the first in the Rocky Mountain Heirs continuity Elnora mentioned on Friday. Usually Love Inspired’s art department pays no mind to my suggestions, but I think my photo may have inspired a cover. Do you agree?

 

And while we're on the topic of covers:  What kind of cover art attracts you? A cover with kids? dogs? people? a beautiful scene? Art that evokes a feeling? Certain colors? A combination of things?

Writers know covers sell books, but the question of what makes good cover art evades me. I'd really love to have your input.

Ask Elnora--about continuities???Lenora Worth

It's a continuing saga, darlings. Those pesky but adorable continuities we love to write. Heavens, it took Elnora forever to learn to spell that, let along pronounce it. But now I'm a veteran at writing continuities. Last count, I've been a part of seven now, some for Love Inspired and some for Love Inspired Suspense. So I thought it would be nice to talk about little know facts about continuities.

First, dear readers, a continuity is a series of six books written by six different authors that contain a common plot thread that moves through each book. They usually involve big families (six children, or six cousins, or six friends). And there is usually a mystery or a conflict that starts in book one and continues until book six.

Elnora has written book number one, two book number twos, book number three, book number five, and two book number sixes. Confused yet? That's a little know fact about continuities--we all stay confused. When you get six writers together with six different plots that our dear editors come up with, you get confusion. But I'm happy to say (and I've worked with a lot of different writers) after much hashing and a few hissy fits, we all seem to get along famously! Writing a continuity teaches one to play nice with others. We learn compromise and diplomacy and it is fun to brainstorm. (Odd, word that--brainstorm!!)

But one other thing about continuities--They also drive the readers a bit crazy. Our readers love them, of course. But we get letters of confusion all the time. Sometimes the readers don't understand that the thread is continued in the next book or that there is even going to be a next book. Some get a tad angry and some jump up and down and go and order all six books. I have one friend who buys each book but refuses to read any of them until she has all six. Then she gets into the story and keeps reading until she's finished. She says she likes reading them all together. Right now we have the Rocky Mountain Heirs continuity in Love Inspired. It began in July with Linda Goodnight's "The Nanny's Homecoming". There's your starting point!

So let's discuss--Do you know what a continutiy is? Do you like reading them? Is there something you don't like about them? And would you help us spread the word that there is one LI continuity and one LIS continuity out each year (nice that we have twelve months since that's twelve books) (so far) and I do believe LIH has ventured into continuity territory. We don't want confused readers. We want happy readers. But we don't mind clarifying things for all of you either. You can usually find the books in a series listed in the front of each of the six books.)If you're not sure, just check there. So what do you love about continuities and do you have any favorites???

To be continued......