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
I grew up in Kansas City , just south of the real town of Weston
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
