FEATURED BOOK AND INTERVIEW: Make-Believe Beau by Keli Gwyn

Interview:

How exciting to have Jessica Sinclair, the heroine from Make-Believe Beau by Keli Gwyn, an August 2016 release from Love Inspired Historical, pay us a visit.

1. Jessie, tell us the most interesting thing about you.

I’m a draftswoman. There aren’t many women working in this field, so I tend to draw attention. I don’t mean to. I’m just trying to do my job, but when a woman walks into an all-male engineering office, heads turn. That fact has caused some problems at my current position. The manager has forced me to feign a relationship with my boss—or lose my job. Although Flynt Kavanaugh is a handsome, talented engineer, I’m not happy about this arrangement.

2. What do you do for fun?

I love to sing. I don’t do it as much as I used to, though because— No. I prefer not to talk about that time in my life. Suffice it to say that I limit myself to singing hymns in church these days.

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

I dread anyone asking about my past and having to answer their questions. I’ve done things I’d rather no one found out about, especially Flynt.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

I’m afraid that if people were to learn what I did, they wouldn’t understand and I would lose their trust.

5. What do you want out of life?

I want to be a successful draftswoman who can hold her head high.

6. What is the most important thing to you?

Respect. I want people to see me for who I am today and accept me.

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

I’m not sure I could change anything. Circumstances forced me to make certain decisions when I was young. I hadn’t found my way to the Lord yet, so I didn’t know He was there for me. But He is now, and I seek His guidance when I have choices to make.

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

I don’t have a pet. I wish I could, but as a single woman who must support herself, I don’t feel it would be fair to leave an animal alone all day.

9. Can you tell us an interesting tidbit about the time period you live in?

I’m fascinated by the many advancements being made. I’m helping design the El Dorado Canal, which will bring much-needed water from lakes high in the Sierras to the Foothills below. It’s one of California’s most ambitious undertakings, and I’m privileged to be part of it.

Horse Sense

Keli Gwyn here with a confession. I might write historical romances set in the days before motorized vehicles, but my knowledge of horses, the major mode of transportation at the time, is sadly lacking.

Horses are magnificent creatures. I admire those who ride, train, groom, enjoy and love them.

I rode a horse a few times when I was young. My sister had a little Welsh mare. Rainbow was gray and looked somewhat like the Welsh pony pictured.

Rainbow was quite docile, but that horse had a sneaky side. She had a habit of holding her breath when she was being saddled so the cinch wouldn’t be too snug, which I found out on a chilly fall day.

If I’d had more horse sense, I would have checked the cinch one more time before mounting Rainbow. My sister had told me I needed to do that. I thought everything was fine, but I hadn’t pushed hard enough on Rainbow’s underside to cause her to expel the air.

Rainbow had a surprise in store for me. We’d just set out across our back field at a walk when the saddle began slipping sideways. The world slowly tilted, and I ended up on the ground, stunned but uninjured.

I looked up at Rainbow, who had come to a stop. She’d turned her head to look at me, as the Welsh pony pictured is doing. I’d heard about horse laughs, but that day I witnessed one for myself. Rainbow was laughing at me, I’m sure of it. She’d bested me, and the silly girl knew it.

The rest of the memory is fuzzy, due to the fact that the incident took place 40 years ago. I’m fairly sure I tightened that cinch and got back on, knowing that’s what we’re supposed to do after falling off, but I’ll be honest. I haven’t had a desire to ride a horse since.

My limited experience with horses became woefully apparent when I started writing my stories. I’ll admit to having performed Google searches on “standard horse gaits,” “parts of a horse” and “how to groom a horse.”

I was able to fake it for a few books using what I’d leaned online, but when I set out to write Make-Believe Beau, a story with a horse-racing hero, I needed solid information. I’m blessed to have a young friend who is an avid horsewoman. Rachael answered all my questions, no matter how basic, and she didn’t laugh at me once.

With Rachael's help, I chose a beautiful black quarter horse similar to the one in the photo. Sid, short for Obsidian, is hero Flynt Kavanaugh's pride and joy. Together, they enter the race at the Fourth of July festivities, a real event that took place in my hometown of Placerville, California in 1874, the year the story takes place. To find out what happened next, you'll just have to read Make-Believe Beau. :-)

 (All three images above are from Wikimedia Commons. Photo 1. Photo 2. Photo 3.)

Questions for You

Have you ever ridden a horse?
If so, what was your experience like?

Off all the horses you’ve seen—in real life
or in movies—which is your favorite?

The Courtship Charade 

As a draftswoman in a man’s world, Jessica Sinclair causes a stir as her new male colleagues vie for her attention. And the company manager has an ultimatum: fake a courtship with her boss, Flynt Kavanaugh…or lose her job. But pretending to be smitten with the handsome engineer unleashes a real, complicated attraction—and could reveal the past she hoped to keep hidden.

Jessica is certainly the best person for the job. But as their make-believe romance escalates, Flynt knows that’s not the only reason he wants her on his team. However, with his past shrouded by a shameful secret, Flynt has always focused his ambitions on building a career, not a family. Now he has designs on Jessica’s heart, but can they trust each other with the truth?

Copyright © 2016 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Cover and cover copy text used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited.
® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Craftie Ladies - Love Inspired Historical August 2016 Releases

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

A Family for the Rancher

by Louise M. Gouge

From Neighbor to Daddy

Rancher Edmund McKay likes his life simple and quiet—everything feisty neighbor Lula May Barlow is not! But with a cattle rustler on the loose, he's duty-bound to protect the widowed mother, even without her approval. Yet he never expected to enjoy her company. And he certainly never thought her crowded, bustling house would be the first place he'd ever feel at home…

After a harsh childhood, Lula May knows how to stand on her own two feet. She doesn't need Edmund's help—but she's starting to want it, all the same. So are her children, who clearly have matchmaking in mind. And when a threat from the past resurfaces, she realizes all that's at stake…including her chance for a lifetime of love.

This is the second book in the latest Love Inspired Historical continuity series, Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years.

• • •

Make-Believe Beau

by Keli Gwyn
The Courtship Charade

As a draftswoman in a man's world, Jessica Sinclair causes a stir as her new male colleagues vie for her attention. And the company manager has an ultimatum: fake a courtship with her boss, Flynt Kavanaugh…or lose her job. But pretending to be smitten with the handsome engineer unleashes a real, complicated attraction—and could reveal the past she hoped to keep hidden.

Jessica is certainly the best person for the job. But as their make-believe romance escalates, Flynt knows that's not the only reason he wants her on his team. However, with his past shrouded by a shameful secret, Flynt has always focused his ambitions on building a career, not a family. Now he has designs on Jessica's heart, but can they trust each other with the truth?