I began my writing
career back in the early 90’s. Judith McNaught and Johanna Lindsey were, and
still are, my inspirations for putting words onto paper. Ms. McNaught has a
flawless voice and Ms. Lindsey’s novels fed on my fascination and addiction to nighttime
soaps involving rich families. Dallas was my favorite. With his devotion to his
parents and the family company, and his knack for scheming and coming out on
top, J.R. was and still is the best villain. And Bobby and Pam were the couple found
in romance novels. I wanted to create a family as entertaining and endearing as
the Ewings, who had a lot of background angst and heartache, who were rough
around the edges and physically strong, who were tender-hearted. My first two
attempts were contemporary stories with a mob theme (another favorite of mine).
Both went nowhere and I quickly realized I was more geared toward writing about
cowboys and the old west (this is where my love for John Wayne’s cowboy persona
came into play).
In developing Luck
of the Draw, the 1st book for the Weston Family Series, I knew I
wanted a cowboy hero as handsome as Bobby Ewing, physically fit with lots of
muscles, who wasn’t afraid to throw a punch or fight for what was right, and
someone who, when he found the right girl, would love her forever and
wholeheartedly. Thus Royce was born, and with him came a family of cowboys with
their own drama. I also wanted the family to be wealthy and own a sprawling
ranch. There had to be a town nearby, a barn dance, and a villain worthy enough
to step into J.R.’s shoes, and a heroine who suffered from amnesia. (I’m not
sure where that detail came from, but it worked.) But, who was Royce’s heroine? Where did she
come from? And why did she have amnesia? All good questions, and hopefully
Paige Morgan will enlighten you in this interview.
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Likeness of Paige; Google
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Hi Paige. Thank
you for joining us today. Can you tell us a little about your childhood?
Hello, and thank
you for having me as your guest. I grew up on a farm. There was Ma and Pa, my younger
brother, Adam, and my older sister Michelle. We called her Missy. She helped Ma
with the chores and kept Adam and me entertained. Pa worked hard in the fields
and kissed us goodnight. But then, Ma died suddenly and Pa changed. He went to
town often and stayed there for days. When he came home, his speech was
slurred, he stumbled often and he was mean. If not for Missy feeding the
animals and taking care of Adam and me, I don’t think we would’ve survived. Then
one day, Pa came home and announced he sold the farm and bought a wagon, that
we were leaving the only home we’d known. Part of me was a little excited. I
hoped we were moving to town. But that proved untrue. While we journeyed to
different towns, we camped on the outskirts of town instead of mingling with
society. Pa taught Missy this game played with cards, and many nights, he
dressed her in a strange dress and took her with him. Adam and I weren’t
allowed to accompany them. We stayed in the wagon, and when they came back, Pa either
crowed in triumph or whacked Missy on her bottom.
One night, Missy
took ill and had to stay with a doctor. Pa said she’d be all right, but the
next day, to my horror and wailing, he loaded Adam and me into the wagon and left
Missy behind. That’s when I learned why he dressed Missy in a gown that
revealed more of her skin than the dresses she and I normally wore, and why he
took her to town. I was expected to step into her shoes and steal from men
playing poker inside dingy, smoke-filled saloons. And as Adam grew, Pa figured
a way for him to help with the charade he perfected with Missy. Not fun, but I
didn’t have a choice. Pa hit hard when he was angry.
What did you think
the first time you saw Royce?
I thought he was
handsome, with the prettiest blue eyes I’d ever seen. But then, the way he kept
watching Pa and me while we ran our charade to cheat him at the poker table, I
knew he knew we were trying to best him.
What was your 2nd
thought?
To keep him safe.
He won me in an ante and took me upstairs to a room above the saloon, like he
was supposed to. Adam and Pa were to find me, conk Royce on the head and steal
the night’s winnings from him. But when I was alone in the room with Royce, with
him demanding answers to his questions or he’d hurt me, something in the depths
of eyes suggested he wasn’t a dangerous man. He was a man who had cared deeply.
In that moment, I knew I couldn’t steal from him and spilled the truth, and
sighed in relief when he left.
Pa wasn’t happy,
and I felt the full effects of his anger. Adam suffered, too, and died by Pa’s
hand. Days later, I woke up in a bed with male faces staring down at me. I had
no idea where I was, who they were or how I’d gotten there. Worse, I didn’t
know my own name or who I was. Royce stepped in and saddled me with the name
Paige. Luckily, that was my name, and over the course of several weeks, he
tried to get me to leave his family home. But when I remembered who I was and
what happened to me, he stepped up to help me… and gave me his heart.
How would you describe
Royce?
Formidable.
Intimidating. Temperamental. Menacing. Honest to a fault. But when his arms envelop
me and hold me close, and his hand caresses my hair, I know I’m loved and cherished
for all of eternity.
How would Royce
describe you?
Sassy. Gutsy. Loyal.
Patient and caring. The latter two are what helped me break down the barriers
he erected around his heart and carve out a niche for myself.
How do you relax?
On a ranch the
size of Wooded Acres, there is always something that needs to be done, but
Royce and I find time to sneak off to the hayloft. Snuggled in his arms and
staring out at the stars is the best way to end the day.
Best piece of
advice you can give?
Always watch your
back and trust your instincts. I thought Royce was right about loving me and Pa
not being a threat to me anymore. He was right about one and wrong about the
other.
Sounds intriguing.
Thank you for joining us Paige. Hopefully, you’ll tame your cowboy.
Thank you!
Luck of the Draw
is available at: www.amazon.com/dp/B0063VOS4E
Weston Family
Series:
Lady Luck
No Luck At All
Bring Me Luck
Weston Family
Christmas Stories:
Christmas Miracles
Christmas Hearts
Christmas Wishes
