What I Learned Resurrecting Old Books by Alison Henderson

I'm sure you all know I spent most of August preparing my first three published books for re-release. Harvest of Dreams was originally published in 2010, and A Man Like That followed in 2011. Both were substantially written in the early-to-mid 90's and were only lightly edited by the original small press. My novella The Treasure of Como Bluff was written and published in 2012, so it was much more current. However, all had languished at the bottom of the sales charts for several years. The publisher never did much to promote them, and after I moved on to writing contemporary suspense, I didn't either. I hoped if I spruced them up a bit, enrolled them in KU, and did a little advertising, I might be able to introduce them to a new cadre of readers.

First came the covers. I always loved the original cover for Harvest of Dreams, but the other two left me cold. I decided to stick to the same concepts and color schemes--I didn't want anyone who had already read the books to feel tricked into thinking these were new titles. I'm please with all three covers now.

Next, I re-edited and formatted the books for Kindle simultaneously. This was more of a challenge than I'd expected. I had saved files of each manuscript, but not in the most useful format. For Harvest of Dreams, I had a Word document (very old version) with the final edits, but it was also formatted for print instead of ebook. The final version of A Man Like That existed only in PDF. I had to convert it to Word, then find and correct all the formatting errors. Unless you've done that before, you have no idea. The Treasure of Como Bluff was easier, which was a good thing, because I'd nearly lost my mind by that point.

The most interesting part of the process was re-reading the books after so many years. I was surprised and delighted to discover how much I still loved the stories and characters. Maybe because they were historicals, they stood the test of time remarkably well. As is true of most writers, my writing style has changed over the years. I did some updating in terms of removing semi-colons and dialogue tags and toning down the sex scenes so as not to shock any of my current readers who might pick these up, but I didn't have to make any substantive changes. 

The biggest problem with re-issuing old titles is all the previous reviews disappear. I put both Harvest of Dreams and A Man Like That up free during Labor Day weekend in hopes of stirring up a few reviews. We'll see how that works out. 

As for me, I'm glad to have accomplished my goal for the summer and ready to move on to new projects. First up: my ROP Christmas short story. I've written the first section, and I think it's going to be a cute one. My next project is going to be a new series about three artist sisters living in the Carmel area. I'm still working on the overall concept and tone for that. 

Onward and upward! 

Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com

A Patchwork Summer and a Re-release by Alison Henderson

This summer has been a patchwork affair for me. Since Undercover Nanny released Memorial Day weekend, I haven't written a single new word. I have, however, flown to Chicago twice to help my daughter house-hunt and then work on her new place once she bought it. I stayed for a week, toting, scrubbing, buying, etc. before flying home. OG, bless him, stayed for a second week. He replaced all the outlets and switches, installed a new kitchen faucet and garbage disposal, rehabbed a gigantic pair of old bookcases, and painted, painted, painted. 

AND we're going back in a couple of months to try to finish everything he didn't manage to accomplish on the last visit. He may never be the same, but by golly, his baby is going to live in a palace!

I have spent a little time mulling over the first book in my next series, and made a few preliminary decisions, but most of my spare time has been devoted to re-editing and formatting my first three books in preparation for re-launching them.

I first started writing Harvest of Dreams and A Man Like That in the early 'nineties, when Western historical and prairie romance were going strong. The popularity of those genres has waned, but these stories remained close to my heart. The books had long since stopped selling with the original small press, but with what I've learned in five years as an indie author, I hoped I could bring them to a new set of readers. As I worked my way through the re-edits, I was thrilled to discover I love the characters and stories just as much as when I first wrote them.

I'm delighted to announce I re-released the first book, Harvest of Dreams, last Friday! As of Monday afternoon, I'd had two sales and four KU downloads with complete reads. That's more people reading this book than during the entire past couple of years, so I'm happy. This book is more serious, more emotional, more romantic, and sexier than anything I've written recently, but I hope it will strike a chord with readers who are looking for that type of read. 

Here's the blurb:

Alone on her farm in the middle of a blizzard, young widow Lisa McAllister labors to give birth to her first child.  Help arrives in the strong hands of a stranger wearing a six-gun.  Lisa has no reason to trust this man who makes a living by violence, even if he is on the right side of the law.  Men and their guns have already claimed the lives of her father, brother, and husband, and she’s determined to protect her son at any cost. 

Jared Tanner, a security agent for the stagecoach, has been on his own since he was twelve.  Against his better judgment, his feelings of protectiveness toward Lisa and her baby turn to something deeper, and he is tempted by the possibility of a family of his own. Can their tender new love survive when an act of ultimate violence threatens to tear them apart?

I'm half-way through the re-edits of A Man Like That, so if I keep my nose to the grindstone, I might be able to get it out there by the weekend. Wish me luck!

Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com

New Life in Old Books? by Alison Henderson

I've just sent a request to the publisher of my first three books, requesting reversion of my rights. They're lovely people, and I'll always be grateful for the first magical contract that set me on the road to being a published author. I learned a great deal about writing and the publishing business, but it's time to say goodbye. It's probably costing the publisher more to keep theses titles on their records than they're making in profit.

The books are classic, old-school, historical Americana romances--a sub-genre I no longer write--and haven't sold many copies in the last few years. The publisher never did any real promotion or marketing, and I haven't paid any attention to them since I switched writing gears. I've focused my efforts on my humorous romantic suspense novels instead.

However, I think there may be life left in these earlier titles. I've recently finished editing and formatting the first book, Harvest of Dreams, and was thrilled to discover it was in pretty good shape. Better yet, I loved it! The only real editing I did was to tone down the love scenes a a bit. They're still much spicier than what I write now, but they fit the characters and story, so they're staying. I hope to find the second book, A Man Like That, in similar condition. The third book is a cute, short novella that should require very little work.

The main upside to owning the rights, besides retaining the lion's share of the royalties, is the ability to advertise with AMS, offer occasional free promotions, etc. I believe there is still an audience for Western historical romance, albeit a smaller one than for other sub-genres. All I have to do is figure out which authors are popular and target my ads to their readers. With luck, I'll sell a few copies from time to time.

After finishing the formatting, I took a little time to design new covers. I wanted them to be eye-catching but resemble the original covers closely enough not to confuse readers into thinking they're new releases. (I'll also make it clear they're re-releases on the copyright page and in the book description.) Since the sub-genre was never particularly clear, I decided to add the text "Historical Romance from the Heartland" to the covers. It will also appear on the Amazon page as the series title.

What do you think?


Look for them sometime later this summer!

Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com 

Every Rebel Needs a Cause by Alison Henderson

In the movie Rebel Without a Cause, James Dean played the quintessential, disaffected, bad boy anti-hero. This worked for a lot of women, but it didn’t work for me. To me, a rebel without a cause seems small and sad. He’s angry, but without focus or a plan. Every hero needs a cause. He needs something beyond himself that he believes in strongly enough to fight for, whether it’s saving the galaxy, catching the bad guys, or protecting his family.

I understand scarred characters and heroes in need of redemption. But even though they may lick their wounds in private, they should strive to overcome them in order to carry on the fight—whatever it may be. In fiction, as in real life, I don’t have much patience with whiners. I’ve read romances with heroes so dark they bordered on psychopathic. That does not turn me on. I like heroes who are essentially positive. They may be wounded and discouraged, but they never give up. They have a cause.

The heroes in my books tend to be protectors, because that’s a trait I like in a man. Jared Tanner in Harvest of Dreams is a security agent for a stagecoach line – a classic Western lawman. Morgan Bingham in A Man Like That is just the opposite, but he’s still a protector. A former member of Quantrill’s Raiders, he’s an outlaw on the run, yet he’s still willing to sacrifice everything, including the life he wants with the heroine, to take care of his family. In Unwritten Rules, Carter Devlin is a retired CIA agent who will face any enemy when his mother and grandmother are threatened.

Protectors can be found on both sides of the law. They don’t have to follow external societal rules, but they must follow their own internal rules. Rogues and rebels make wonderful heroes, but like all heroes, they need a cause.

What’s your favorite type of hero?

Alison

www.alisonhenderson.com

http://alisonhenderson.blogspot.com

We All Need a Friend

Is anyone else old enough to remember the lyrics of Carole King’s brilliant song “You’ve Got a Friend”? Here’s the first verse:

When you're down and troubled
And you need some loving care
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night

The song is a deeply-felt tribute to the kind of friendship we all need—supportive, unquestioning, and enduring. The final verse sums it up perfectly:

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be thereYou've got a friend

Are you one of those people who seem to make friends everywhere they go? If so, rejoice in your gift. I’m a classic introvert, so I’m more comfortable with fewer, deeper friendships. My college roommate is that kind of friend. We can tell each other anything, and even if we don’t see each other for years, we can pick up where we left off without missing a beat.

In a remarkable twist of fate, her son and my daughter ended up attending the same university five years apart. Last quarter, her son unwittingly signed up for a course my daughter was teaching. Talk about serendipity. (I knew he would be a stellar student because his mother would kill him if he tried to goof off!) The most gratifying consequence of this coincidence was  the opportunity to spend time with my roommate and her husband several times during the past four years while we visited our children. Since we live on opposite coasts and she hates to fly, our times together are precious.

I believe women’s friendships are very special. We support each other in ways men can’t always understand. So it was only natural for me to give Lisa McAllister, the heroine of my book Harvest of Dreams, the best kind of friend. Jessamine Randall is one of those characters who storm into a story and grab it by the horns. She’s feisty, determined, and fiercely loyal. She refuses to allow her friend to settle for less than she deserves. And by the end of Harvest of Dreams, I knew she had to have her own story. I hadn’t planned to write a sequel, but Jessy, the daughter of the town judge, had fallen in love with an outlaw, and I couldn’t simply leave her to her own devices. She needed help to tame A Man Like That.

Have you ever had a secondary character demand his or her own book? Do you enjoy reading about friendships? Do you like to include them in your own stories?

Alison Henderson

www.alisonhenderson.com

http://alisonhenderson.blogspot.com

Fatherhood in Romance Fiction by Alison Henderson

Tomorrow is Father's Day, and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. This will be my first Father's Day without my own father, who passed away in February at the age of 85. I miss him every day and expect tomorrow to be bittersweet, at best. However, I will also be celebrating my husband's fatherhood, which has been an ongoing source of joy to me.

The upcoming holiday has also got me thinking about the place of fatherhood in romance fiction. According to anthropologists, women are genetically predisposed to select mates with characteristics that will make them good providers and fathers (i.e. a strong, healthy male will be more likely to produce strong, healthy children, as well as being better able to provide for and protect them). Apparently, potential fatherhood is always on our minds, consciously or sub-consciously.

We may not like it, but we haven't come very far from our prehistoric ancestors in that regard. Look at some of the most popular tropes in romance novels today: secret babies, divorced or widowed mothers, ticking biological clocks. All involve choosing a mate who will also be a good father. And how many traditional historical romances end with an epilogue announcing the birth of the couple's first child?

Fatherhood was a major theme in my first book, Harvest of Dreams. Here's the blurb:

Alone on her farm in the middle of a blizzard, young widow Lisa McAllister labors to give birth to her first child.  Help arrives in the strong hands of a stranger wearing a six-gun.  Lisa has no reason to trust this man who makes a living by violence, even if he is on the right side of the law.  Men and their guns have already claimed the lives of her father, brother, and husband, and she’s determined to protect her son at any cost. 

Jared Tanner, a security agent for the stagecoach, has been on his own since he was twelve.  Against his better judgment, his feelings of protectiveness toward Lisa and her baby turn to something deeper, and he is tempted by the possibility of a family of his own. Can their tender new love survive when an act of ultimate violence threatens to tear them apart?

Their mutual attachment to Lisa's son is part of the glue that ultimately binds Jared and Lisa together. Their first kiss occurs after they've been up all night caring for the sick baby.

She heard the bed ropes creak and sensed Jared’s presence behind her, but she didn’t turn. His arms came around her from behind and crossed loosely against her ribs, cradling her in an undemanding embrace. She went still for a moment, then relaxed against him, and his arms tightened to hold her there.

“He’s better,” he said in a low voice over the top of her head.

“Yes.” She turned in his arms and leaned back to look up into his face. “He’s better, because of you. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” He stroked her cheek with rough fingers, continuing to hold her close with the other hand. “I care about him, too.”

“I know.”

For a long moment, they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Lisa.” The word was so low and deep it sounded more like a rumble in his chest than her name. “There’s something I want, badly.”

Her eyes asked the question, but she already sensed the answer.

“I want to kiss you. I’ve wanted to all day...for weeks really. Please don’t pull away.”

The plea in his voice tore at her. That a man like Jared, who could take whatever he wanted, was asking for permission touched her. He was giving her the power to grant or refuse. He would never force her. But she couldn’t deny his need. It mirrored

her own. She couldn’t help herself; she nodded without looking away.

Fierce satisfaction swept across his face before he lowered his mouth to hers. His lips were firm and deliberate as he worked to coax a response from her.

Lisa moved her mouth, but she wasn’t sure exactly what she was supposed to do. Before he’d left for war, Dan’s kisses had been the tentative caresses of

a teenage boy. This was completely different. Jared was a man, and beyond her experience.

“Open for me. Please.” He nudged at her lips to show her what he wanted.

She was dizzy with the new sensations and did what he asked without hesitation. Immediately, his grip tightened and one hand slid up her back and buried itself in her unbound hair. He used that hand to hold her head steady as he slid his tongue into her

mouth.

The action shocked her, and she started to draw back, but his hand tightened.

“No,” he murmured raggedly.

She was overcome by a longing to give this man what he needed. She stopped struggling and forced herself to relax in his embrace. Soon the novelty of the kiss wore off, and a fire began to burn deep inside her. She discovered her arms had wound

themselves around his broad, bare back and her hands were every bit as busy as his. Her tongue refused to remain passive and wove itself around his in an ancient mating dance.

Jared made a low noise deep in his throat and slid his right hand slowly down her back. Then, as if he could stand it no longer, he pulled her hard against him. A breathless excitement gripped her. The sensations were so thrilling and so new she lost herself in the pleasure of it. Finally, he dragged his mouth away. She collapsed

against his chest, and they stood, holding each other until their heartbeats slowed and their breathing returned to normal.

Jared was the first to speak. “I’m not sorry.”

She remained silent.

“This doesn’t change anything,” he said.

Lisa pulled back and looked up, shaking her head. “It changes everything.”

“No, it doesn’t. The feelings were there before, and they’ll still be there whether we act on them or not.”

She didn’t try to deny it. “But we can’t, and it will be so much harder now.”

“That’s true. Now you know how much I want you, and I know you want me, too. I don’t know where this is going, but we have to find out.”

“I don’t want to find out.” But a small voice inside denied the words. Part of her had to know.

“I think you do, and I know I do. I’m not going to offer to leave, even though it might make some things easier, not unless you can convince me you really want me to go.” He cupped her face in both hands and searched her eyes. “Do you?”

Lisa knew she should say yes and remove the unbearable temptation of his presence, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak the lie. She shook her

head. “No.”

Jared’s lips moved in a tiny smile, then his serious expression returned. “I can’t tell you I’ll never kiss you again, or touch you, or that I won’t want to get even closer to you, but I promise I won’t press you for anything you don’t want to give. I’d never do anything to hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“Good. Now it’s time for you to get some sleep.”

He led her to the bed and tucked her in, his hands lingering as he smoothed the quilt across her. Then he leaned over her, his expression rigid and deadly serious. “I want you to know leaving you tonight is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But I want

more from you than one night in your bed.”

He closed the remaining gap between them and captured Lisa’s lips in a kiss filled with frustrated desire and a promise of things to come.

Then he was gone. 

How do you feel about fatherhood in romance novels? Do you like stories that show the hero to be good potential father material, or do you prefer the dashing, unattached, alpha heroes? Maybe your choice depends on your mood. One of the best things about our genre is the variety. We have stories to suit every time and every taste.

Alison Henderson
www.alisonhenderson.com
http://alisonhenderson.blogspot.com

The Magic of Falling in Love by Alison Henderson

All this month, the Roses of Prose are celebrating the wonder of love, so I thought I'd share an excerpt from my first historical romance, Harvest of Dreams, that captures the moment my hero and heroine experience that first, magical spark. 

Setup: The heroine, a young widow, the hero have been up all night caring for her sick baby.

She heard the bed ropes creak and sensed Jared’s presence behind her, but she didn’t turn. His arms came around her from behind and crossed loosely against her ribs, cradling her in an undemanding embrace. She went still for a moment, then relaxed against him, and his arms tightened to hold her there.

“He’s better,” he said in a low voice over the top of her head.

“Yes.” She turned in his arms and leaned back to look up into his face. “He’s better, because of you. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” He stroked her cheek with rough fingers, continuing to hold her close with the other hand. “I care about him, too.”

“I know.”

For a long moment, they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Lisa.” The word was so low and deep it sounded more like a rumble in his chest than her name. “There’s something I want, badly.”

Her eyes asked the question, but she already sensed the answer.

“I want to kiss you. I’ve wanted to all day...for weeks really. Please don’t pull away.”

The plea in his voice tore at her. That a man like Jared, who could take whatever he wanted, was asking for permission touched her. He was giving her the power to grant or refuse. He would never force her. But she couldn’t deny his need. It mirrored her own. She couldn’t help herself; she nodded without looking away.

Fierce satisfaction swept across his face before he lowered his mouth to hers. His lips were firm and deliberate as he worked to coax a response from her.

Lisa moved her mouth, but she wasn’t sure exactly what she was supposed to do. Before he’d left for war, Dan’s kisses had been the tentative caresses of a teenage boy. This was completely different. Jared was a man, and beyond her experience.

“Open for me. Please.” He nudged at her lips to show her what he wanted.

She was dizzy with the new sensations and did what he asked without hesitation. Immediately, his grip tightened and one hand slid up her back and buried itself in her unbound hair. He used that hand to hold her head steady as he slid his tongue into her mouth.

The action shocked her, and she started to draw back, but his hand tightened.

“No,” he murmured raggedly.

She was overcome by a longing to give this man what he needed. She stopped struggling and forced herself to relax in his embrace. Soon the novelty of the kiss wore off, and a fire began to burn deep inside her. She discovered her arms had wound themselves around his broad, bare back and her hands were every bit as busy as his. Her tongue refused to remain passive and wove itself around his in an ancient mating dance.

Jared made a low noise deep in his throat and slid his right hand slowly down her back. Then, as if he could stand it no longer, he pulled her hard against him. A breathless excitement gripped her. The sensations were so thrilling and so new she lost herself in the pleasure of it. Finally, he dragged his mouth away. She collapsed against his chest, and they stood, holding each other until their heartbeats slowed and their breathing returned to normal.

Jared was the first to speak. “I’m not sorry.”

She remained silent.

“This doesn’t change anything,” he said.

Lisa pulled back and looked up, shaking her head. “It changes everything.”

“No, it doesn’t. The feelings were there before, and they’ll still be there whether we act on them or not.”

She didn’t try to deny it. “But we can’t, and it will be so much harder now.”

“That’s true. Now you know how much I want you, and I know you want me, too. I don’t know where this is going, but we have to find out.”

“I don’t want to find out.” But a small voice inside denied the words. Part of her had to know.

“I think you do, and I know I do. I’m not going to offer to leave, even though it might make some things easier, not unless you can convince me you really want me to go.” He cupped her face in both hands and searched her eyes. “Do you?”

Lisa knew she should say yes and remove the unbearable temptation of his presence, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak the lie. She shook her head. “No.”

Jared’s lips moved in a tiny smile, then his serious expression returned. “I can’t tell you I’ll never kiss you again, or touch you, or that I won’t want to get even closer to you, but I promise I won’t press you for anything you don’t want to give. I’d never do anything to hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“Good. Now it’s time for you to get some sleep.”

He led her to the bed and tucked her in, his hands lingering as he smoothed the quilt across her. Then he leaned over her, his expression rigid and deadly serious. “I want you to know leaving you tonight is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But I want more from you than one night in your bed.”

He closed the remaining gap between them and captured Lisa’s lips in a kiss filled with frustrated desire and a promise of things to come.

           Then he was gone.

Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com
http://alisonhenderson.blogspot.com

The MOST Romantic scene from Harvest of Dreams by Alison Henderson

I love first kisses, don't you? The power, the excitement, the overwhelming newness of the experience.  I also think one of the sexiest attributes a hero can have--better than bedroom eyes or washboard abs--is iron-clad self control.  There's no better test of the strength of a man's character than his willingness to deny himself for the sake of someone he cares about.

In the excerpt below, from my western historical, Harvest of Dreams, lawman Jared and young widow Lisa share their first kiss after staying up all night to care for her sick baby:

She heard the bed ropes creak and sensed Jared’s presence behind her, but she didn’t turn. His arms came around her from behind and crossed loosely against her ribs, cradling her in an undemanding embrace. She went still for a moment, then relaxed against him, and his arms tightened to hold her there.

“He’s better,” he said in a low voice over the top of her head.

“Yes.” She turned in his arms and leaned back to look up into his face. “He’s better, because of you. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” He stroked her cheek with rough fingers, continuing to hold her close with the other hand. “I care about him, too.”

“I know.”

For a long moment, they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Lisa.” The word was so low and deep it sounded more like a rumble in his chest than her name. “There’s something I want, badly.”

Her eyes asked the question, but she already sensed the answer.

“I want to kiss you. I’ve wanted to all day...for weeks really. Please don’t pull away.”

The plea in his voice tore at her. That a man like Jared, who could take whatever he wanted, was asking for permission touched her. He was giving her the power to grant or refuse. He would never force her. But she couldn’t deny his need. It mirrored

her own. She couldn’t help herself; she nodded without looking away.

Fierce satisfaction swept across his face before he lowered his mouth to hers. His lips were firm and deliberate as he worked to coax a response from her.

Lisa moved her mouth, but she wasn’t sure exactly what she was supposed to do. Before he’d left for war, Dan’s kisses had been the tentative caresses of

a teenage boy. This was completely different. Jared was a man, and beyond her experience.

“Open for me. Please.” He nudged at her lips to show her what he wanted.

She was dizzy with the new sensations and did what he asked without hesitation. Immediately, his grip tightened and one hand slid up her back and buried itself in her unbound hair. He used that hand to hold her head steady as he slid his tongue into her

mouth.

The action shocked her, and she started to draw back, but his hand tightened.

“No,” he murmured raggedly.

She was overcome by a longing to give this man what he needed. She stopped struggling and forced herself to relax in his embrace. Soon the novelty of the kiss wore off, and a fire began to burn deep inside her. She discovered her arms had wound

themselves around his broad, bare back and her hands were every bit as busy as his. Her tongue refused to remain passive and wove itself around his in an ancient mating dance.

Jared made a low noise deep in his throat and slid his right hand slowly down her back. Then, as if he could stand it no longer, he pulled her hard against him. A breathless excitement gripped her. The sensations were so thrilling and so new she lost herself in the pleasure of it. Finally, he dragged his mouth away. She collapsed

against his chest, and they stood, holding each other until their heartbeats slowed and their breathing returned to normal.

Jared was the first to speak. “I’m not sorry.”

She remained silent.

“This doesn’t change anything,” he said.

Lisa pulled back and looked up, shaking her head. “It changes everything.”

“No, it doesn’t. The feelings were there before, and they’ll still be there whether we act on them or not.”

She didn’t try to deny it. “But we can’t, and it will be so much harder now.”

“That’s true. Now you know how much I want you, and I know you want me, too. I don’t know where this is going, but we have to find out.”

“I don’t want to find out.” But a small voice inside denied the words. Part of her had to know.

“I think you do, and I know I do. I’m not going to offer to leave, even though it might make some things easier, not unless you can convince me you really want me to go.” He cupped her face in both hands and searched her eyes. “Do you?”

Lisa knew she should say yes and remove the unbearable temptation of his presence, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak the lie. She shook her

head. “No.”

Jared’s lips moved in a tiny smile, then his serious expression returned. “I can’t tell you I’ll never kiss you again, or touch you, or that I won’t want to get even closer to you, but I promise I won’t press you for anything you don’t want to give. I’d never do anything to hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“Good. Now it’s time for you to get some sleep.”

He led her to the bed and tucked her in, his hands lingering as he smoothed the quilt across her. Then he leaned over her, his expression rigid and deadly serious. “I want you to know leaving you tonight is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But I want

more from you than one night in your bed.”

He closed the remaining gap between them and captured Lisa’s lips in a kiss filled with frustrated desire and a promise of things to come.

Then he was gone.

What do you think? Romantic, huh?

Alison

www.alisonhenderson.com

Where Did You Get an Idea Like That? by Alison Henderson

Like most fiction writers, I get my ideas from a variety of sources: interesting people I’ve known, a fascinating bit of research, an unforgettable setting, or even a dream. The characters and plot for my first book, Harvest of Dreams, were born of a combination of these factors. The story is set in the small northwest Missouri river town of Weston just after the end of the Civil War and features a pregnant young widow and a security agent for the Overland Stage Company.

I grew up in Kansas City, just south of the real town of Weston, and my lifelong love of history made this setting a natural fit for me.  Weston is a charming town with antebellum buildings still dotting the landscape, so I was able to soak up inspiration walking the streets my characters walked, past the houses they might have lived in.  Local farmers still grow tobacco as they have since 1840 and operate apple orchards, like my heroine, Lisa McAllister.

I based the character of Lisa on a woman with whom I once worked.  She was young, barely twenty-one, full of hope, and in love.  While she was in the hospital after the birth of her first child, her husband came to visit and announced he was leaving her for another woman.  I can’t imagine a more devastating blow, but she picked herself up, dusted herself off, and forged ahead.  We lost touch, but I always wanted to write a happy ending for her.  I altered the circumstances of the heroine of my book but pursued the theme of a young mother who, after suffering a series of losses, is determined to focus all her energies on creating a safe and stable life for her child.

The hero of Harvest of Dreams was more a creature of my imagination.  The book is a Western historical, so I was looking for a cowboy.  My visual image of Jared Tanner was based on Robert Urich’s character in the TV mini-series Lonesome Dove, but his personality is pure fantasy.  One of the things I love most about writing romance is that I can make the men do and say anything I want.  (What woman wouldn’t love that?)  Jared is strong and a protector by nature, but he’s also extremely patient.  I never realized how strong that trait was until several readers pointed it out.   Even my (straight) male hairdresser commented on it.  I guess we writers reveal more of ourselves in our work than we think.

Here’s a blurb about the story:

Alone on her farm in the middle of a blizzard, young widow Lisa McAllister labors to give birth to her first child.  Help arrives in the strong hands of a stranger wearing a six-gun.  Lisa has no reason to trust this man who makes a living by violence, even if he is on the right side of the law.  Men and their guns have already claimed the lives of her father, brother, and husband, and she’s determined to protect her son at any cost. 

Jared Tanner, a security agent for the stagecoach, has been on his own since he was twelve.  Against his better judgment, his feelings of protectiveness toward Lisa and her baby turn to something deeper, and he is tempted by the possibility of a family of his own. Can their tender new love survive when an act of ultimate violence threatens to tear them apart?

Do you see the seeds of stories all around you? What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

I’m offering a print copy of Harvest of Dreams to one lucky commenter, so if you’re interested, please leave your email address in your comment.

Alison Henderson

www.alisonhenderson.com

A Victorian Valentine's Day by Alison Henderson

Well, it’s the morning after. Sigh. Did you celebrate Valentine’s Day yesterday? Perhaps, like many of us, you’re saving your celebration for the weekend.
As we munch our strawberries and chocolate and sip champagne while gazing at the sparkling diamonds bestowed upon us by adoring admirers, it’s fun to spend a moment thinking about how we got to this point.

The tradition of celebrating St. Valentine’s Day in England goes back over four centuries and is even mentioned by Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but modern valentines are largely a creation of the early Victorians. The reduction in postal rates in England in the early nineteenth century made paper valentines so popular they started being assembled in factories. Fancy ones included real ribbon and lace.

As with so many other fashionable Victorian customs, the celebration of Valentine’s Day quickly jumped the pond. The first commercial valentines in the U.S. were produced by Esther Howland in Massachusetts in 1847, and by 1849, a writer in Graham’s American Monthly wrote “St. Valentine’s Day…is becoming, nay it has become, a national holyday.”

Unfortunately for the heroine of my Western historical, Harvest of Dreams, Valentine’s Day is pretty much like every other day. On February 14, 1866, young widow Lisa McAllister is cooped up inside her farmhouse in snowy western Missouri with a man who drives her crazy. No valentines. No candy. No champagne. How sad.

I invite you to stop by my website at http://www.alisonhenderson.com/ for more details about these two lovebirds, and have a Happy Valentine’s Day whenever you celebrate!

Alison

What's Most Important to You? by Alison Henderson

As the holidays approach, we’re often drawn to reflect on what we value most. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how this applies to both my life and my writing. In writing, an author’s values are expressed through theme. These days theme is a hot topic; writing-related articles and blogs on the subject seem to pop up wherever you look. Because I write in multiple genres, I’ve been wondering how my stories connect—why I write what I write.

A writer’s theme is different from her subject matter or author brand. Theme is not whether you write about highlanders or cowboys, dukes or detectives. My first two published books are western historical romances set in Missouri just after the end of the Civil War. That tells you something about the setting and subject matter but nothing about the theme. It also might brand me as an author if I let it (although brand encompasses an author’s style and voice as well). Because my newest manuscript and current WIP are both snappy contemporaries I wanted to figure out what they have in common with my historicals.

My first book, Harvest of Dreams, tells the story of a young widow who has just given birth to her first child. She has a close relationship with her mother, but her son quickly becomes the center of her world and the focus of her future. The hero is a lawman who’s been on his own since the age of twelve and never expected to be a part of any family.

My second book, A Man Like That, follows two of the secondary characters from Harvest of Dreams: the fiery schoolteacher who’s the only child of the town judge and an ex-outlaw whose family has suffered from decades of poverty as well as the privations of war. The heroine does everything in her power to convince the hero and his family they’re worthy of love.

My first contemporary, Unwritten Rules, involves an ex-FBI agent who owns her own all-female bodyguard agency and signs on to protect a former CIA agent-turned-bestselling-author on a book tour. In addition to challenges created by the hero and the villain, she is dealing with unresolved issues related to the recent deaths of her parents in a terrorist attack (sounds like heavy stuff, but actually this is the lightest and funniest book of the three).

So what do these stories have in common? What made me write them the way I did? It didn’t take long to figure out that I write about the importance of family—cherishing the family you have or creating a new one if necessary. My books always include the main characters’ family members as prominent secondary characters. In Harvest of Dreams, it’s the heroine’s mother. As the mother of a grown daughter, I loved writing that character. A Man Like That was all about the hero’s family, their trials and tribulations and a longstanding feud. In Unwritten Rules, I had a fabulous time writing the hero’s feisty grandmother.

For me, the theme of family is much more than a coincidence or plot device. It is the universal, overriding influence in my writing. It represents my most important core value and, therefore, will be present in every story I write whether I think about it or not. That’s rather comforting. There are so many aspects to consider and decisions to make when you’re writing it’s a relief not to have to actively think about your theme.

Think about your favorite books. What common themes resonate with you?

I’m offering a pdf of Harvest of Dreams to one lucky commenter, so be sure to include your email address in your comment if you’d like to be entered in the contest. I won’t be around today because I’m out of town visiting my own daughter, but rest assured I’ll read every comment and select a winner as soon as I get home tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by today! To learn more about me and my books, I invite you to visit me at http://www.alisonhenderson.com/.

Clara Barton - Founder of the American Red Cross

My twenty-something daughter and her friends may consider me an old feminist, but as women in the 21st century we owe a tremendous debt to the pioneering women who came before us and took the first steps that led to the freedoms, choices, opportunities and comforts we enjoy today. In September, we celebrate Women of Achievement Month with profiles of some of those women.

When I considered the topic in the context of my writing, I immediately thought of Clara Barton. My books, Harvest of Dreams and A Man Like That, are set just after the end of the Civil War, at a time when conflict had destroyed the lives of millions of Americans. However, some lasting good did rise from those ashes. It was during the war that Clara Barton developed the interest in nursing and commitment to easing the suffering of others that ultimately led her to found the American Red Cross.

Clara Barton was born in 1821 in Oxford, MA. As a young woman, she went to work as the first female clerk in the US Patent Office in 1854. In April of 1861, just days after the firing on Fort Sumter, she volunteered to help tend soldiers from the Sixth Massachusetts Infantry who were quartered in the U.S. Senate chambers. She helped provide food, clothing and supplies to “her boys”, many of whom she knew from home.

In August of 1862, she received permission to travel to the front lines to provide desperately needed supplies to the field hospitals and became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield” after serving during such famous battles as Harpers Ferry, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Charleston. After the war, while visiting friends in Switzerland, she was introduced to the international Red Cross. She remained involved in various humanitarian activities through the 1870’s and in 1881, founded the American Association of the Red Cross with a group of supporters. The Red Cross flag was officially flown in this country for the first time in 1881, when they went to the aid of victims of a devastating forest fire in Michigan.

During the twenty-three years Clara Barton served as president, the Red Cross aided victims of war and natural disasters across the globe from Texas to Turkey. She resigned her post at the age of 83 and lived to the ripe old age of 90.

Think of some of the disasters that have occurred just in the past year: the Japanese Tsunami, Joplin tornado, and most recently hurricane Irene. The Red Cross has responded immediately with food, money and medical supplies to aid and comfort the victims. Our world today is a safer, more humane place today because of the work of Clara Barton, definitely a Woman of Achievement.

Can Reading Romance Improve Your Love Life?

As we say in Minnesota, you betcha! This is not news to most avid romance readers, but you might not have stopped to examine the connection.

It’s Romance Awareness month, so let’s consider the reasons we read romance. While every reader has her own reasons, common ones include: love of a good story, to-die-for heroes, the satisfaction of happily-ever-after endings, and, let’s face it, the love scenes. Regardless of the heat level, in most romance novels (aside from Inspirationals), physical intimacy is at least implied. In many, it is exuberantly portrayed in vivid detail.

So how does this translate to the bedroom? Unlike men, most women are not hard wired to spontaneously think about sex a couple dozen times a day. We just plain have too much to do. Whether we work outside the home or not, have small children or not, we all have a thousand duties, tasks, and interruptions that demand our immediate attention. When we finally find time to breathe, our first thought may not be about romance.

Enter the magic of romance novels. You can sit and watch TV in the evening, but TV doesn’t engage the imagination the way reading does. A good romance novel allows the reader the vicarious pleasure of falling in love all over again. The hero may not remind her of her own significant other dozing in his recliner across the room, but if the story is well written, the heroine’s emotions will resonate and remind the reader of the excitement and wonder of new love. She’ll remember the reasons she fell in love in the first place. And when she gets to the love scenes, her face will flush and her pulse will rise, and she’ll remember all the good stuff that happens next.

Just before Valentine’s Day, I gave a talk and book signing for my first book, Harvest of Dreams, at the historic home that served as the inspiration for the setting. A couple of days later, I received an email from the Director who had set up the event. She’s a historian and not a regular reader of romance, but she wrote that she’d just finished my book and her husband was REALLY happy. I had to laugh, but I knew what she said was true. Reading romance can definitely put you in the mood!

So remember, if you want a little more spice in your love life, look for a good romance novel. You (and your lover) won’t be disappointed.

Alison Henderson

www.alisonhenderson.com