Guest Blogger Margaret Brownley and Waiting for Morning

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARGARET BROWNLEY, a New York Times bestselling author, has penned more than twenty-five historical and contemporary novels. Her books have won numerous awards, including Reader’s Choice. She has published the Rocky Creek series, and A Lady like Sarah was a Romance Writers of America RITA© finalist. Happily married to her real life hero, Margaret and her husband have three grown children and live in Southern California.

WAITING FOR MORNING
by Margaret Brownley
Published by Thomas Nelson

DAWN COMES EARLY
by Margaret Brownley
Published by Thomas Nelson

ABOUT THE BOOKS

More Love and Laughter from N.Y. Times Bestselling Author, Margaret Brownley

Waiting for Morning

Molly Hatfield comes to Arizona Territory seeking stability and security. But living in Cactus Patch provides her with more than she ever dreamed of.

There is nothing Molly wouldn’t do for her teenaged brother, Donny. Blaming herself for the accident that left him wheel-chair bound, Molly has dedicated her life to his care. But in 1896, gainful employment for a woman is hard to come by. So when Molly learns that an eccentric rancher in Cactus Patch, Arizona, is looking for an heiress--someone to take over management of the ranch in exchange for future ownership--she jumps at the chance to provide a real home for her brother.

If she proves to have a knack for ranching and agrees to remain single for life, the ranch can be hers. Neither stipulation worries Molly. She’s resourceful and hardworking. And she gave up dreams of marriage long ago when she dedicated her life to her brother’s well-being.

However, Molly didn’t bank on meeting Dr. Caleb Fairbanks, the town’s handsome and charismatic young doctor. Caleb has a way with Molly that makes her nervous. But it’s how he is with her brother that really alarms her. Caleb sees past the wheelchair and genuinely likes Donny, but Molly fears he’s putting unrealistic ideas into her brother’s head. Falling in love with Caleb would threaten everything she’s worked for, even her brother’s future happiness.

But it could be the very reason God brought her to Last Chance Ranch.

Readers, buy your copy of Waiting for Morning today!

Dawn Comes Early

Looking for a woman of good character and pleasant disposition willing to learn the ranching business in Arizona territory. Must be SINGLE and prepared to remain so now and forever more. Will be given ownership of ranch. —Eleanor Walker

Disgraced dime novelist Kate Tenney fled the city that banned her latest book for a fresh start at a cattle ranch in the Arizona Territory. She hopes ranching turns out to be as romantic as she portrayed it in her novels.

But what awaits her is a much harder life. There is no room for mistakes on a working cattle ranch in 1895, and Kate is ill-prepared for her new life. She quickly learns that dawn comes early . . . every day. But she is tenacious.

Having been abandoned by a string of men, Kate has no intention of ever marrying. But she didn’t expect to meet Luke Adams either. Luke awakens feelings inside Kate she doesn’t recognize, and his steady presence is a constant distraction. She has only written about love in the past, never known it herself. But her feelings for Luke stand in the way of all she has to gain if she is chosen as the heir.

Perhaps God brought Kate to the barrenness of the desert to give new life to her jaded heart.

Readers, buy your copy of Dawn Comes Early today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Kate Whittaker will never get a husband
as long as she keeps shocking
the town with her newfangled inventions.

The recent eBook release of one of my earlier books, Head Over Heels, brought back a lot of memories: some good; some bad.

While I was madly trying to meet my deadline, the Northridge earthquake struck and my house was practically destroyed. Even worse, my son's apartment slid off its foundation and he and his wife and baby barely got out alive. Though many roads were closed, they were able to make it safely to us.

We set up a crib on the front lawn and that's where we lived while waiting for the city inspector to tell us if the house was safe enough to enter. One thing worked in our favor; though the earthquake struck in January the weather was sunny and warm. I don't know what we would have done otherwise.

If having your roof practically cave in while on deadline isn't bad enough, the earthquake occurred five days before my daughter's wedding. Out of town guests who had already arrived pretty much had to fend for themselves. I was too busy trying to find an open store so we could purchase diapers.

When phone service resumed, we tried rescheduling the wedding, but reception halls were booked for a year and my daughter didn't want to wait that long. So, we set up "wedding central" on the front lawn next to the baby crib and got busy.

People bent over backward to help us. The church had suffered damages but we were assured it would be ready to go by that Saturday. Same for the country club where the reception was scheduled.

The news wasn't so good for the severly damaged mall where the wedding rings waited to be sized. Fortunately, management worked with us and we were able to retrieve the rings just in the nick of time. The photographer had set up shop on a sidewalk, but he assured as he was good to go. Ditto for the caterers and musicians. Many roads and freeways were closed and one of the hardest chores was rerouting guests.

On the third day of living on the lawn, the UPS man drove up to deliver a wedding gift, and we were able to toast our good fortune with the only unbroken drinking glasses for miles around.

With the help of friends and family, the wedding went off without a hitch, I wish I could say the same about the house renovations. I called my editor and got a two week extension on my deadline (which made me wonder what would have to happen to get, say, a month.) All local hotels were filled, so we had to stay in the house while workers sawed, drilled and hammered. I lived in a dust cloud for weeks.

While in the middle of writing a scene, I looked down to find a man under my desk pouring silicone into foundation cracks. The smell alone nearly knocked me out, but it was the aftershocks that bothered me the most.

When my heroine Kate in Head Over Heels blows up something in the book with one of her inventions, you can be sure that this writer was a-rocking and a-rolling when she wrote it. Now you know the story behind the story.

* * * * *

Thank you, Margaret, for sharing with us today.

Reader Question: Anyone have a disaster story to share? You might win a copy of Dawn Comes Early if you do.

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name [at] domainname [dot] com) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a free autographed copy of Dawn Comes Early. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the drawing is open to US/Canada residents only.

Welcome Margaret Brownley and A Vision of Lucy

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. Your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARGARET BROWNLEY: Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this—except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

So that’s what Margaret did. She now has more than 25 novels and novellas to her credit and has been published in 15 languages. The first book in her Rocky Creek series A Lady Like Sarah was a 2010 Women of Faith selection, and Romance Writers of American RITA finalist. Her next book A Vision of Lucy released in June.

Happily married to her real life hero, Margaret and her husband live in Southern California, and have three grown children.

A VISION OF LUCY
by Margaret Brownley
Published by Thomas Nelson

ABOUT THE BOOK

More Love and Laughter in the Old West

From Bestselling Author Margaret Brownley

Trouble may follow Lucy wherever she goes, but with the help of God and the rugged, reclusive David Wolf, she'll never face adversity alone.

Lucy Fairbanks dreams of working as a photographer at the Rocky Creek newspaper. If she can earn money making photographs, then maybe her father will see that what she does is worthy, more than just a distraction. And her deepest hope is that he'll see her as an artist, the way he thought of her deceased mother, a painter. But trouble follows Lucy on every photo shoot: a mess of petticoats and ribbons, an accidental shooting, even a fire.

When Lucy meets David Wolf, a quiet, rustic man who lives on the outskirts of town, she thinks she can catch the attention of the town with his photograph. She doesn't count on her feelings stirring whenever she's near him.

Two things happen next that forever change the course of her life: Lucy meets someone who sees her as no one else has-as the compassionate, creative young woman that God made in His image. And Lucy helps David uncover a secret that forces him to change his perspective on an event that left him deeply-scarred.

God's arms are around this unlikely couple as they discover the truth about long-held assumptions and the importance of forgiveness.

Readers, buy your copy of A Vision of Lucy (A Rocky Creek Romance) today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Sage Advice for Photographers from A VISION OF LUCY

• When photographing stampeding cattle, charging bulls or blazing shoot-outs, use a fast shutter speed.
• Brides, take pity on your photographer. Matthew S. Brady and his helpers were able to record the entire War Between the States with little more than 1100 photographs. Half that number should satisfy most brides.
• Doctors, do not look at the camera like it’s a patient needing help through death’s door. Such a pose will speak ill of you, and it won’t do much for your practice, either.
• A man imagines himself more handsome than his photograph; a woman believes herself more homely.
• While posing for a photograph spinsters should avoid looking desperate or deprived. A serene smile will show that your circumstances are by choice and not for lack of beauty or character.

SAY CABBAGE

In 1850, Julia Shannon of San Francisco took the family portrait to new heights when she shockingly advertised herself as a daguerreotypist and midwife. After reading about her I just had to write about a lady photographer. Of course, the heroine of A Vision of Lucy doesn’t deliver babies but she still finds plenty of ways to get into trouble.

I loved writing about old time photography and have nothing but awe for the brave souls who first took camera in hand. Not only did they contend with unwieldy equipment but also dangerous chemicals and exploding labs.

Women had an advantage over male photographers who were often confounded by female dress. This explains why one photographer advertised in 1861 for an assistant, “Who Understands the Hairdressing Business.” Women also had a few tricks up their leg of mutton sleeves—or rather their skirts. Elizabeth Withington invented a “dark thick dress skirt” to use as a developing tent when she traveled.

Those cheerless faces in early photographs were partly due to vices that held heads still for long periods of time. Photographers used all sorts of devices to hold a client’s interest. One even had a trained monkey. Another photographer had a canary that sang on command. Mechanical birds were a favorite gimmick and “Watch the birdie” became a familiar refrain in studios across the country.

Magazines and newspaper ran ample advice for posing. An 1877 edition of The Chicago Inter-Ocean advised women with large mouths to say the word “Flip,” although one photographer preferred the word “Prunes.” If a small mouth was the problem the word “Cabbage” would make it appear larger.

Not everyone was enamored with cameras. One dog owner put up a sign warning “photographers and other tramps to stay away” after his dog had an unfortunate run-in with a tripod.

Did photography have a bearing on the suffragette movement? Indeed, it did, but it appeared to be more of a detriment than a help. The photographs of militant suffragettes or women dressed in bloomers did more harm than good.

If you think America was tough on suffragettes, think again. The women’s rights movement was considered the biggest threat to the British Empire. According to the National Archives the votes-for-women movement became the first "terrorist" organization subjected to secret surveillance photography in the world.

Photography has come a long way since those early daguerreotype days. One can only imagine what the brave souls of yesteryear would think of today’s “aim and click” cameras. Nowadays you can’t even drive down the street without having your picture taken. But as Lucy would say, Never leave the house unless you’re ready for your close up.

~ ~ ~

Before I ride off into the sunset I want to tell you that I’m looking for a reader’s dog to feature in one of my upcoming books. The dog will belong to Lucy’s brother Caleb. I liked him so much I decided to give him his very own book. So if you think your dog has what it takes to be a furry sidekick for a doctor in the Old West Go to my website for details: www.margaretbrownley.com

* * * * *

Thank you, Margaret, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Having your photograph taken in the 19th and early 20th centuries was serious business. A person might have only one photograph taken in a lifetime. How has the ease of taking pictures today changed your view of picture taking? Do you think we place more or less value on photographs today? Was there ever a time that you felt a camera was intrusive?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Margaret Brownley and A Lady Like Sarah

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARGARET BROWNLEY - Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this—except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

So that’s what Margaret did. She now has more than 20 novels to her credit. In addition, she's written many Christian articles and a non-fiction book. Still, it took a long time before Margaret tried her hand at writing inspirational fiction which led to her Rocky Creek series.

"I love writing about characters at different stages of faith," she says of the new direction her writing career has taken, "and I'm here to stay."

Happily married to her real life hero, Margaret and her husband live in Southern California.

A Lady Like Sarah
by Margaret Brownley
Published by Thomas Nelson

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Preacher Justin Wells promises an injured lawman to help him take his prisoner to Texas, Justin has no idea the trouble that lies ahead. The slightly-built prisoner turns out to be a Sarah Prescott—sister of the notorious Prescott brothers--and she’s determined to miss the hanging party waiting for her in Texas.

But escaping proves to be tougher than she thought. The poor man doesn’t own a gun and hasn’t the foggiest idea how to survive the wilderness. How can she leave him alone with the injured marshal?

Nothing is more sacred to Justin than a promise made to a dying man. But can he really bring himself to turn the blue-eyed beauty over to the hangmen? She’s tough as leather, but there’s something about her that is pure and good.

When she rides into a trap, he blames himself. Now, she faces the gallows and nothing short of a miracle will save her.

He can’t bear to lose her, but how can a simple preacher fight an entire town? And how can either one of them know that miracles come in many guises—including love?

Margaret's book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prY2q9Oasp4

Readers, buy your copy of A Lady Like Sarah today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your debut inspirational novel after 20 novels for the secular market. Congratulations! What gave you the inspiration for this story?

You never know when inspiration is going to hit. It’s different for every book. It can be something someone says or an item in the newspaper. Years ago I read an article in the National Enquirer about an Avon lady in the Amazon. She sold cosmetics to the natives who preferred buying their war paint than making it. From that article sprang my book Touch of Lace.

A Lady Like Sarah was inspired by Pearl Hart who robbed a stagecoach to pay her mother’s medical bills (Health care was highway robbery even in the 1800s). Her story got me thinking about how far we would go to protect or save a loved one.
My next book A Suitor for Jenny (September 2010) was inspired by an organization that really existed: The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Male Independence. What fun the heroine has breaking through that society!

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

My experiences are, as one might expect, very different than what my characters experienced in 1879. However, human emotions haven’t changed and that’s the heart of my story. As for traits, Sarah and I are both survivors. The trait that is most hers is that she acts before she thinks. I try to think before I act and sometimes I even succeed.

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Sarah would be Rocky Road. It’s got hard nuts and soft marshallow. She’s a tough gal—had to be, it was the only way she could survive. But the hero sees a softness in her that others don’t see. Justin would be Napoleon. He doesn’t know what God expects of him just as Napoleon ice cream doesn’t know what flavor it’s meant to be.

4. Are there any themes in Wild West Christmas that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

I hope that one of the themes that readers see is that it’s still possible today as it was more than a hundred years ago for goodness to triumph against all odds. An overt theme that developed during the writing of the book was that God always sends the right people in our lives when we most need them.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

One of the things I feel is missing from many inspirational romances is sexual tension. I don’t want to read what happened beneath the covers or behind the bedroom door, but I do want to see and feel their growing attraction and love for each other. Sarah and Justin were alone together for most of the story. The hardest part was to show their growing desire for one another without crossing the line. Though he was a preacher, God made him all man and he was greatly tempted. My favorite part was writing Sarah’s dialogue. She kept waking me up at night to tell me her odd though humorous take on life and I’d have to jump out of bed to jot it down. I loved every moment I spent with her.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

The 2nd book in my Rocky Creek series is A Suitor For Jenny. The book is scheduled for publication September 2010. A little preview:

When seeking a husband, it is best to go where the odds are in your favor. That would be Rainbow Creek, Texas, with the highest number of eligible bachelors per capita of any other town in the west due to the and fulfill the promise made to her dying father.

Soon after arriving, she posts a sign that reads:

Wanted: Husbands
Must be clean, well-mannered and generous
Interested parties are to meet at the hotel
10 a.m. to 4.p.m.
Must provide proof of financial security

Her plan hits a snag when the enthusiastic applicants, including the handsome marshal, RICK ARMSTRONG, fail to meet her stringent requirements. Rejecting her sisters' poor choices for mates and riding herd on her own growing feelings for the marshal, Jenny doggedly continues the search. But she is about to learn that a man's faith is more important than his bank account and choosing a husband is a job best left to the heart.

Thank you all!

* * * * *

Thank you, Margaret, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of A Lady Like Sarah.

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This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.