Tuesday, August 16, 2022

What to do with those minds-of-their own Secondary Characters By Kathleen Lawless @kathleenlawless

It’s always a thrill to me as a writer when, out of the blue, a secondary character suddenly demands their story be told. I wrote a proxy bride story a while back. A Bride for Shane introduced Lacey, a rich-girl horse breeder in Maryland who heads West as a proxy bride to save the life of her brother’s best friend. I had no idea when Lacey’s former jockey showed up mid-book with some of her horses that he would hang around and fall in love with Lacey’s housekeeper.

Suddenly, right behind my back, offstage as it were, (because I was busy sorting out Lacey and Shane and their HEA at the time) Tom and Kate embarked on their own Later-In-Life love story. The story’s epilogue included the older couple getting married while Shane and Lacey discuss renewing their vows, which eventually takes place in a subsequent Mail Order Bride book.

Meanwhile Tom and Kate really felt that just because they were older, with her twice widowed, didn’t mean they couldn’t experience the passionate ups and downs, the he-loves me-he loves me-not stuff that fuels an angst-filled romance before it culminates in a happy-ever-after.



A thus was born, A Bride for Tom. If you enjoy a shorter read with a few surprises along the way, I’m making this story available free next month for subscribers to my Newsletter. Sign up here: http://eepurl.com/bV0sb1 to receive a free Western romance as a thank you right away, plus the link to claim A Bride for Tom next month. I hope to see a few new names on my subscriber list. 

And if you're a fan of audiobooks, Shane will soon be available in that format. It was pretty exciting to hear my words come to life through the voice of a narrator.

All the best for the remainder of August and the cooler days and nights of September. I know some of you have experienced extreme heat where you live, so please take care and stay safe.

 Kathleen         

USA Today Bestselling Author Kathleen Lawless blames a misspent youth watching Rawhide, Maverick and Bonanza for her fascination with cowboys, which doesn’t stop her from creating a wide variety of interests and occupations for her many alpha male heroes.   

With nearly 50 published novels to her credit, she enjoys pushing the boundaries of traditional romance into historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense and women’s fiction.     

She makes her home in the Pacific Northwest and loves to hear from her readers.  www.kathleenlawless.com

Sign up for Kathleen’s VIP Reader Newsletter to receive a free book, updates, special giveaways and fan-priced offers.    http://eepurl.com/bV0sb1

 

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2 comments:

Julie Lence said...

Hi Kathleen:
Secondary characters are fun when they take over and demand a story of their own, especially when, as the author, that comes as a surprise. Thanks for sharing Kathleen, and BTW, I loved A Bride for Shane!

kathleen Lawless said...

Aw thanks, Julie! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Kathleen