Please welcome Laura Drake to Book Reviews & More by Kathy!
Kathy: Can you tell us a little about your new release, The Last True Cowboy ?
Ms. Drake: It’s a together/breakup/reunion story, full of country, laughs and awwwwws. I love Carly and Austin. I think we all have a part of us who wanted to be them!
Kathy: Carly Beauchamp and Austin Davis are the lead characters in The Last True Cowboy. Which one of them did you find the easiest to develop? What is each characters best and worst traits?
Ms. Drake: Carly came to me first, but she was the hardest to write. Such a long road to her HEA, even though she knew what she wanted, from page one! Austin was easy at first, but harder as he changed. Tough to write a hard man’s soft side and keep him real!
Carly is an open-hearted girl-next-door with simple, old fashioned dreams. But she needs to get over ‘good girl syndrome’ and find out who she is, underneath. What she finds shocks her, along with everyone who knows her. Turns out, she’s human.
Austin is true blue, fun-loving and all man. But he’s also immature and needs to learn his way isn’t the way.
Kathy: What was your biggest challenge while The Last True Cowboy? What was your greatest pleasure and/or reward?
Ms. Drake: Wow. I lost my way in this book. What little plotting I do is done on my bicycle. I broke my leg if a freak fly fishing accident, only a short way into writing the book. A metal plate, thirteen screws and pins later, the bicycle was out. it was like I forgot how to write! Luckily, my brain found its way through, but it was a scary time!
My greatest pleasure is always taking an impossible situation to an HEA. The reward? Readers who liked it. As an author, there’s nothing better than reading a review by someone who was touched by your book – it’s why I write.
Kathy: Can you describe your process for developing your characters? Do you base your characters (or their characteristics) from people you know or are they created completely from your imagination?
Ms. Drake: Completely from my imagination…although I’ll admit, every one of my heroes have a bit of my husband in them! Some character traits come from things I’m fascinated by and want to explore more. In this one, I wanted to write about that mysterious process of maturing; how you start clueless, and end up, changed. I do admit to using friend’s names, and people I’ve met over the years for secondary characters. I hope that when they read the book, they’re delighted to see their names on the pages!
Kathy: What inspired your Chestnut Creek series? What draws you to writing Western romances?
Ms. Drake: I’m a city girl, who grew up in a Detroit suburb. My husband is totally country. He grew up on a farm/ranch in West Texas. I was drawn to his old-world ways, morals, and his drawl. When he took me home, I fell in love with the lifestyle and the people. We’ve moved back to that small town he grew up in, and I’m so happy!
I fell in love with the west from a motorcycle seat! I’ve traveled 200,000 miles (behind him, or on my own) exploring the west. One of my favorite states is New Mexico, it’s distinctive and beautiful, and not many books are set there. That’s why I chose it for Unforgiven, the small town in the series.
Kathy: Do you work from an outline while writing your novels? How closely do the finished novels fit your original vision of the characters and storyline before you begin writing
Ms. Drake: Ha! I wish. I am one of those hyper-organized people-before I married the Chaos of the Universe, I could find anything I owned in the dark. I just knew when I started writing, I’d make a pretty, concise outline, suitable for framing. SO not. Turns out, I write by the seat of my pants. I start with a character, and I know what they want and why they can’t have it. Then I have to find things for them to do. I know how it ends (HEA, right?) but everything in between is a mystery to me. I love being surprised by what I discover, but it’s scary, too. If you can’t control the process, it could leave, and then where would you be? Writer’s nightmare.
Kathy: What project(s) are you currently working on
Ms. Drake: I’m writing the third book in the series and planning a new series – three ex-bull riders buy a bison ranch. What could go wrong?
Kathy: Since it is the holiday season, would you share with us what holiday traditions hold the most meaning for you?
Ms. Drake: My favorite tradition is putting up the tree. I have all the ornaments from our trees when I was a kid, and every year when I take out the Styrofoam Rudolph my brother made in kindergarten, or my grandmother’s hand blown one, it’s like visiting the house I grew up in. It’s like my past, visiting over the holidays. I cherish it.
Kathy: Thank you so much for chatting with us today. Congratulations on your new release. I am very excited to follow the Chestnut Creek series.
Ms. Drake: This was fun – thank you so much for having me! Happy Holidays, everyone!
Title: The Last True Cowboy by Laura Drake
Chestnut Creek Series Book One
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 336 pages
Summary:
This cowboy’s got one last chance to prove himself.
Carly Beauchamp has loved cowboy Austin Davis since first grade. Ask anyone in their dusty, backwater New Mexico town of Unforgiven, and they’ll say “Carly and Austin” the way some say “big trucks and country boys.” But after years of waiting for a wedding ring, Carly’s done with being a rodeo widow . . .
Austin never meant to put his career on the circuit before Carly. She’s always been his future, his one and only. But now that she’s moved on, he’s beginning to see where he went wrong, and he’ll do anything to win her back. The only thing is, Carly’s suddenly acting differently, and she’s definitely hiding a secret-one that will test the depth of their love and open up a whole new world of possibilities.
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Author Bio
Laura Drake grew up in the suburbs outside Detroit. She’s always loved the outdoors and adventure and in 1980, she and her sister packed everything they owned into Pintos and moved to California. There she met and married a motorcycling, bleed-maroon Texas Aggie and her love affair with the West began. She gave up the corporate CFO gig to write full time. She’s a wife, grandmother, and motorcycle chick in the remaining waking hours. For more on Laura and her books, visit lauradrakebooks.com.
Author Links: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads
Giveaway
I am giving away ONE PRINT copy of The Last True Cowboy (US Addresses ONLY). To enter today’s contest, fill out the form below. PLEASE NOTE: Contest is open to US mailing address ONLY. Contest ends 5 PM mountain time Thursday December 28th.
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The book for this giveaway has been generously provided by Forever Publishing. Winner will be selected by random.org. Forever will mail the prize to the winners. Not responsible for lost or misdirected packages.
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