Thanks for having me here, Paty!
When I first started writing with the hope of
publication, I wrote the ‘book of my heart’ which was inspired by the Pt. Loma
lighthouse and stories I had read of San Diego’s whaling industry. Growing up
in San Diego, I had always been fascinated by its history. Much of that
research ended up in the book. It came as a surprise when Harlequin wanted to
publish the story as a western! The marketing department even put a covered
wagon on the cover, although none appear in the story.
I had other stories I wanted to write—one set in NYC
and set in WWII. Harlequin wasn’t interested in looking at those. They wanted
me to write two more westerns, wanting me to stay in the same genre so that I
could build my audience. As a newbie in publishing, this marketing concept was
new to me. I see now, how wise it was.
Well, I had visited the Alamo in San Antonio the year
before and been captivated by the history there, especially with the Mexican
government’s opening of their archives to the public a year or two earlier.
That became my next setting. Lots of research and history went into those next
two books. As the reviews came back I was happy to see that readers appreciated
of that.
Some publishers leaned toward the ‘wall-paper’
historical where there is little historical detail and the setting is a light backdrop
to what is happening in the romance. I have always enjoyed stories with a bit
more fact and detail so that I can learn history as I read, and that is how I
wrote those first books—always keeping in mind that the main story in a
romance, had to be the romance!
I thought I had gotten the hang of this writing gig. I
was still working full-time at my day job, and although Harlequin wanted me to
write faster, with family obligations, I was only able to finish one book every
eight months. Out of necessity—make that lack of time to do in-depth research—I
returned to southern California as a setting for my next three books in The Heroes
of San Diego Series. Christmas Kiss from
the Sheriff, the last book in the series which has just been released,
takes place in San Diego’s back country after the discovery of gold there.
The process of writing, over the years has gotten both
easier and harder at the same time. Easier, because I can do much of my research
over the internet, and harder, because with such access, I easily get bogged
down in too much information. I’m one of those writers who get lost in my
research. I wonder…do authors of contemporary stories have this problem?
Blurb ~ Christmas Kiss from the Sheriff
A Christmas to Remember!
Clear Springs’ new schoolteacher,
Gemma Starling, feels as if she’s been given a fresh start. So long as no one
discovers her dark secret.—she once shot a man in self-defense!
Sheriff Craig Parker has forsworn
love, but delightful Miss Starling intrigues him. And when events at the school
turn dangerous, Craig won’t let her face it alone. Gemma might just be the one
woman he could ever love, but will the secret she’s hiding tear them apart or
bring them together by Christmas?
Excerpt ~ First Touch from Christmas Kiss from the Sheriff.
(Up to this
point Gemma has successfully kept up her guard against the sheriff. They are
both riding horseback on their own mounts.)
He breathed
hard trying to catch his breath while looking back and listening to make sure
they weren’t being followed. With any luck on their side, the cougar had been
protecting its kill. When they left, it would have settled down to eat. He
turned back to attend to Miss Starling. “I think we’re oka—”
She gripped his
vest hard, and tucked her face into his chest, breathing hard. Her small
shoulders shook.
Surprised by
the sudden change in her, he didn’t know what to do at first. “It’s okay,
Gemma.” He looked down on the straight part in her brown hair. Her hat had
fallen off during her wild ride and now hung by its ribbons on her back. “We’re
safe. You’re fine.”
Her breaths
came in disjointed gasps.
He didn’t know
what the heck to do with his arms, flummoxed as he was by her sudden move to
cling to him.
“Is it gone?”
“I think so.”
Her hair knot was half out of its coil and falling down her back. He breathed
in her jasmine scent. What had happened to Miss “I can do it myself”? He was
beginning to realize there was a lot more to Miss Starling than she cared to
admit.
“Wha…what
happened?” She spoke into his chest, her breaths still coming in gasps.
“Not sure.
Probably the cat was being protective of its kill.”
“Are we safe?”
“Yeah.” He said
it but he wasn’t all that sure. He listened for the big cat, which was foolish
since cats hunted quieter than any other large animal. It would be on them
before they knew it wanted them.
Finally, he
slipped his arms around her shoulders and simply held her. It was awkward at first.
He felt stiff. She hadn’t wanted to close the gap to call him Craig, but here
she was in his arms. He didn’t know what to make of it. Then she shifted on her
saddle, moving closer. He tightened his hold. “Take a big breath and let it out
slow.”
She did as he
said, her breathing still unsteady, her body still shaking. She was a tiny
thing. The only other woman he’d held in his arms was Charlotte who was a good
five inches taller than Miss Starling. Bigger frame too. Feeling Miss
Starling’s shoulders heave with every small gasp made him want to hold her
tighter and ease her fear. He brushed the tendrils of hair off her cheek. Her
skin felt even smoother than it looked. His fingertips tingled and the urge to
repeat his stroke tugged at him.
After a while her
breathing evened out. She pushed away from him, breaking the moment of comfort.
“I’m all right now.”
He studied her,
liking the way she looked all disheveled with her cheeks flushed and her brown
eyes soft and self-conscious.
She pushed a
hairpin back into place.
He snorted
softly. “Don’t think that’ll do it.”
Her cheeks
pinked up more.
She was
embarrassed. He found it rather fetching.
“If I may just
take a moment…” She then proceeded to comb out her hair with her fingers.
The sight of
all that rich brown hair flowing loose, the sunlight glinting on it did odd
things to his gut. This was a most intimate part of her day and he was suddenly
privy to it. He would have liked to reach out and stop her. He would have liked
to do the combing with his own fingers and touch those silky waves. Instead, he
gripped his reins tight and simply stared, fascinated.
She rewound the
thick strand with a practiced hand and coiled it again upon her head. She
repinned it and then set her hat just so to cover the slightly mussed-up
appearance of her hair knot. Her gaze skittered to him as she tied the ribbons
under her chin. “I hope my horse was running the right way.”
It took him a
moment to pull out of the spell she’d cast over him. He pointed with his chin
to the small cross section of road ahead of them. “Smart horse. Knows the way
home.”
Kathryn’s Bio:
Kathryn Albright
writes sweet western historical romance. Her stories celebrate courage and hope
with a dash of adventure. Kathryn’s stories have been finalists in the distinguished
RWA Golden Heart® and the HOLT Medallion as well
as several other industry awards. She enjoys hiking and road trips with
her husband (when he drives) and
being caught up in a good story. She lives with her family in the rural
Midwest.
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