Author Interview: MAIL ORDER GROOM by Dana Wayne
"...the perfect romance story that will tug at the emotions of readers and have them following the characters till the very end." —Readers' Favorite
FEATURED BOOK
Emma Marshall is tough, capable and about to have her world turned upside down. Her father wants her married and secretly places an ad for a husband. She wants nothing to do with those who show up. A jean-wearing, cattle herding, headstrong woman, she fights for her independence. Tyler Roundtree is about to change all that. Sparks fly on their first meeting and she soon discovers she knows all about running a ranch and nothing about being a woman.
Publisher: Y & R Publishing, LLC | Romance-Western Historical | Heat Level: 5 Hearts
Q&A with Dana Wayne
What is your favorite non-writing pastime?
I am a country girl. I grew up camping and to this day, am an avid tent camper. I also love to fish and cook in dutch ovens. In fact, I actually teach classes on how to cook in them. In case you don’t know, dutch ovens are cast iron pots with three ‘legs’ that you cook in over a campfire like the cowboys used to do. While I have used the coals in a campfire to cook, I typically use charcoal so I can control the heat better. If you can cook it on or in your kitchen stove you can cook it in a dutch oven.
I also enjoy golf and photography and some of my older photos have prizes in our local fair.
Do you use an outline or plot for your writing?
I am what is commonly referred to as a pantser - meaning I write by the seat of my pants, going wherever the story takes me. I have tried to use an outline or plot points but it just doesn’t work for me. I feel like it boxes me in. I get an idea and just start typing and see what happens.
I have snippets for probably a dozen different stories in my to-be-written folder. If I hit a snag on my current work in progress, I pull up that folder, open one of the files and see if anything sparks. If it does, I write till it’s gone, if not, I pick another one.
Where do you get ideas for stories?
An idea can come from a variety of situations. For Mail Order Groom, it came as a result of a conversation with a fellow writer at a workshop. He made the statement that you always hear about mail order brides but never mail order grooms, and wondered why. Immediately, my writers’ brain kicked in, and by the time I got home that evening, I had the basis of the story figured out. I sat down and wrote until midnight.
The thing about a writers is that it is we are either writing or thinking about writing pretty much all the time, so something as simple as a brightly colored scarf can (and has) prompted an idea for a story.
I absolutely love to write and I always knew that one day I would be a writer. I love that whole creative process that starts with an idea and then progresses with each ‘what-if’ until a final product is done, and then you look at it and say “Wow! I did that!”
What do you think about book trailers and do you use them?
I love trailers and yes I use them for my books. I think they are a great way to introduce the story to prospective readers. I see them as being like those previews you see at the movie theater about coming attractions and a great way to entice potential readers.
I make my own trailers as well as making them for several author friends and have them up on my You Tube channel called Dana Diva’s
What is your favorite scene in Mail Order Groom?
There are several but I have to say two of my favorites are when they are discussing getting married – and what Ty expects from it - and when Emma tells Ty she wants him to teach her to kiss. What fun scenes to write!
Emma is very smart and capable of handling and huge ranch alone, but when it comes to the man-woman thing as she calls it, she is clueless…but intrigued.
The fact that she has no idea of just how beautiful and appealing she is makes her all the more charming.
"...filled with suspense, twists and turns, danger, and of course romance with a spicy touch!"
—Books & Benches
THE AUTHOR
Awarding-winning author Dana Wayne is a sixth-generation Texan and resides in Piney Woods with her husband of 39 years (and counting), a Calico cat named Katie, three children, and four grandchildren. She routinely speaks at book clubs, writers groups, and other organizations, as well as coordinating multiple writing events such as conferences and workshops, and appears on numerous writing blogs. Her first novel, Secrets of The Heart, a contemporary romance, was awarded The 2017 Best in Texas for Contemporary Romance by Texas Association of Authors. Her second, a western historical romance, released in April 2017.
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