Thank you, Paty, for having me here
today and giving me a chance to talk about Rawhide ‘n Roses, and my short
story, Marrying Jenna.
I love the title of this western
romance anthology. Rawhide denotes so well the masculinity of our male
characters, while what could be more feminine than a rose? In my story, Marrying
Jenna, to present my hero and heroine with these qualities. Branch
McCauley is tough, rough, and downright deadly, when he needs to be, but inside
there’s a softness that is what ensnares Jenna’s heart. He’s a caring, giving
man, a perfect match for Jenna’s gentle female emotions. Yet their relationship
does not exactly proceed perfectly.
Marrying Jenna is a sequel to my
book, released in January, Taming Jenna, in which the readers first meets Jenna and Branch. Jenna is a
Pinkerton, Branch a bounty hunter, and they are both after the same outlaw. In
the book, Jenna mistakes Branch as her quarry, and he doesn’t take too well to
having a woman get the drop on him. After all, he has a huge reputation he must
do justice to, and this interfering woman sure doesn’t help. His efforts to get
even with her go awry and she simply walks away.
And so the story goes, with Jenna
one-upping Branch, and him doing his best to teach her a lesson and tame her at
the same time. He finally succeeds, sort of, by the end of the book, and wins
her heart. He’d lost his to her long ago.
Marrying Jenna is about their
wedding day, which, like so many of the events in the book, does not go
according to plan. It begins with Branch looking out the window and
anticipating his wedding night, only to see Jenna tearing out of town on her
horse in her wedding gown, gun belt, boots and Stetson.
You’ll have to read the story to
find out where she’s going and why, and whether the wedding takes place or not.
On a different topic, many people
have asked me about creating the cover for Rawhide ‘n Roses. Was it a chore,
with fifteen other authors putting in their two cents worth and wanting the
cover done their way? Yes, but it was also a huge amount of fun. I love
creating covers almost as much as I love writing. To those who have known me
all my life, this wouldn’t be much of a surprise. My major in college was fine
arts, and I was always doing something creative in a variety of mediums. I’m
sure the thing that would drive me crazy, should I be locked up in a prison,
would be the inability to be creative. Above the door to my office at home is a
sign a friend gave me that says, “I will live badly if I do not write”, but it
could as easily say “I will live badly if I am not creative.”
After growing up in Southern
California, I moved to Utah dreaming the of watercolor landscapes I could
create here, an exciting prospect for a woman who was used to seeing little
more than concrete, houses, businesses and the ocean. Seascapes were not my
thing. I never dreamed I would end up doing my painting with words rather than
paint. But I’ve never regretted that little zigzag in my road. So many authors
I meet grew up dreaming of writing. Not me. What about you? Has life taken you
down a road you never imagined?
| You can learn more about Charlene at: www.charleneraddon.com |
Purchase links for Rawhide 'N Roses anthology.
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