Can You Keep An Eye On These Guys?

by Suzanne

As you know the annual Romance Writer's of America National Conference is taking place this week in New York City. I'm really excited to be going this year. It's only my second trip to New York. I get to see many of the Romance Bandits, some of our Bandit Buddies who hang out with us here, my critique partner Sandy Blair who no long lives near me, and this year I get to meet my editor, Jillian Bell, of Ellora's Cave Publishing. How cool is this?


This will be my second year there as a published author and my first as a PAN member. (That stands for Published Author's Network.) So I'll get to learn the secret handshake (Kate Carlisle PROMISED me there was one) and hear all the publishing news at special workshops, (do they have those at the bar?).

But while I'm gone I'm hoping y'all can give me a hand with something. See, I have these guys on my website who have a tendency to get a bit out of hand in a naughty, very sexy sort of way... Well, here, let me show you...

Quinn Halliday, the Dominant hero in my book, The Surrender of Lacy Morgan

Dakota O'Keefe, the second hero in The Surrender of Lacy Morgan

Will Danville, the hero of my second book, which is in the works right now

and soon to come

Ian Smith aka Ian Smythe, Lord Brookstone

And

Nicco DeCosta, the fiery Italian brother

LIKE?

Yeah, I do too! My friend, Kat Baldwin,  www.katbaldwin.com 
did the designs and I'm proud to give her a shout out. You should see the backs.

Oh wait, I didn't tell you, did I? (Can you blame a girl for getting distracted by all this lovely maleness?)

These are the fronts of my new Romance Trading Cards!!! The backs are way cool and give you a feel for what these guys are all about. If you e-mail me @ suzanne@suzanneferrell.com and send me your snail mail addy, I'll happily send you a set! Or if you're at the conference this week, you might pick up a set at the goody room! Supplies will be limited...intentionally!! hehehe

Going WILD with Stacey Kayne

by Beth Andrews

Yay! Stacey Kayne is back in the Lair! Please join us in giving her a rowdy Bandit welcome!

Your new release, Mountain Wild, is the third book in your Wild Trilogy for Harlequin Historicals. Could you tell us a bit about Mountain Wild and give us some background on this fabulous series?

Garret Daines first appeared in Mustang Wild at the tender age of thirteen and did his best to defend his older sister Skylar from hired killers and drunken, randy cowboys. Garret is thrilled when Skylar ultimately marries Tucker Morgan and they settle on a horse ranch in Wyoming, along with Tucker’s twin brother Chance.

Maverick Wild kicks off three years later and Garret has packed on some muscle. He develops a serious crush on Chance Morgan’s heroine, Cora Mae, which causes him some heartache, hurting his friendship with Chance and prompting his decision to buy his own cattle ranch in a neighboring valley at the age of sixteen. Garret's to-be-heroine makes her first appearance in Maverick Wild, as the infamous Mad Mag who drops in to save Chance Morgan's hide a time or two. It wasn't until I'd reached the end of Maverick Wild that I knew Maggie would be coming back for her own book. She captivated me with her harsh exterior and subtle kindness, and I wanted her to find love and healing. I knew tender Garret, whom I'd watched grow up, could become just the man to reach beneath that hard exterior.

The whole cast returns in Mountain Wild, picking up six years later and follows the cattle wars of 1889, prompted by a natural disaster during the winter of 1886-87. A freak winter blizzard nearly wiped out the cattle trade in Montana, freezing cowboys and cattle alike. In the years that followed, ranchers struggled to rebuild and hold onto their land as new money came into the area looking to capitalize on their tragedy, and as often happens, desperation and greed turned to violence. Garret and Maggie find themselves caught up the turmoil, fighting for their lives, and Maggie finds herself facing trouble from her own violent past.

Mad Mag is one of my favourite heroines ever (no, I’m not biased). She is such a wonderful, unusual heroine. How did you create her?

Aw, thanks! And wow, good question. Where did Mad Mag come from...funny thing about Maggie is that she was actually a stray character running around in my mind for a long while — I don’t get many of those. But if a visual is strong enough, I’ll sketch a character out on paper, writing the scene in my mind, which was her meeting with Ira, the trapper who saved her. At the time, I didn’t know what book she’d go in or how she’d be used. When I started writing Maverick Wild I saw an opportunity to give Chance an ally and gave Mag some brief ties to Chance’s history. I knew from the start that Mad Mag wasn’t what she appeared, but I didn’t realize how large Mad Mag’s role would grow in my mind. Anyone who reads my work knows I have a penchant for odd, feisty female characters, and by the end of Maverick Wild I was left with two hurting characters, brave as their faces may have been, and I wanted to see them healed — I couldn’t abandon my mountain woman.

How hard was it to write a romance featuring such an atypical heroine? What were some of the issues you faced?

First off, I had to convince my editors that I could pull it off. Their first reaction was NO WAY! I took them by surprise — think I scared them *g*. Maggie was an unexpected and odd choice of heroine in their view and I had to really plead my case and play stubborn. Once I sent them some sample chapters I got the go ahead to send the book ASAP. I knew Maggie inside and out and didn’t have any doubt I could reveal her inner heroine, but I did have my some worries about her reception by readers. I mean, just because I’m partial to wild, raving heroines doesn’t mean readers agree. Here’s hoping my mountain woman will win everyone over!

I’ve adored Garret since the beginning. What makes him the perfect hero for Maggie? And her, the perfect heroine for him?

For me, there was no question that Garret, with his easy smiles and gentle touch, was the only man who could reach beneath Maggie’s gruff exterior to the tender woman beneath. Not only because of his disarming and gentle nature, but also his experience of living with feisty, headstrong women. He was raised by Skylar Daines Morgan (Mustang Wild), after all, an unconventional headstrong heroine if there ever was. He loves and admires his older sister more than anyone - until he finds his own wild woman to cherish. His upbringing gave him a strong understanding of how circumstance plays a part in dictating behaviour. He knows what it’s like to live on the edge of survival. Part of Maggie will always be Mad Mag, and not only can Garret understand her, he can respect and accept her differences.

What was your favorite part about writing this book? What was the most difficult part for you?

The best part was getting to play with recurring characters - characters I already knew and loved. The hardest part, hands down, was letting Garret grow up. It was a huge hang up in the beginning - I wrote eight different starts to this book before I finally found the right one that revealed Garret as the man he needed to be. He’s my baby, the first character I’ve really brought up from such a youngen’ to a full-fledge hero.

What's your favorite thing Garret said to Mag in Mountain Wild?

Oh gosh, a favorite? Garret never failed to make my heart flutter, hard to choose just one — here’s a snippet shortly after he learns the women who saved is life is none other than Mad Mag:
“Maggie?”
She looked up at Garret’s handsome face. His smile gentle, his hazel eyes seeming so disarming, she wondered where taking his hand would lead. The fact that he could still look at her with affection in his eyes truly amazed her.
“Why aren’t you put off by me?”
“Why should I be?”
She could only glance down.
“A bit of buckskin don’t hide the fact that you’re pretty as a magpie. I’ve also seen you wearing nothing but a smile while I kissed every inch of soft skin hidden beneath those clothes.”
Heat rushed to her face. “How improper of you to say so.”
Garret chuckled. “Propriety has never carried much weight in the Daines family. Hard work and honesty, now those are qualities to live by.”
She’d noticed that about him.
“I can also be a gentleman,” he said, stepping close and capturing her hand in his. “If I try real hard.”
Her skin tingled at the sudden contact, the jolt of sensation taking the air from her lungs, but she didn’t pull away.

Stacey, if you were stranded in a mountain cabin during a winter storm, which of your heroes would you pick to be stranded with you and why?

Tucker Morgan from Mustang Wild, because I know I’d be laughing the whole time. Tucker charmed me the first time I saw him in my mind, lounging at a poker table, a slanted grin on those lips. Sexy, playful, strong and loyal...he is still my favorite of all my heroes. I loved his outlook on life, a man who’s out to have a good time and still get the job done. He can be a total beta, but if he’s threatened, look out - he has serious alpha overtones.

If you had to pick one characteristic to describe Garret, what would it be? How about Mag?

Garret, loyal. Maggie, resilient.

Can you give us a taste of what we’ll enjoy in Mountain Wild?

In the midst of a range war, Garret Daines is dead-set on keeping his ranch from greedy local cattle barons. An attempt on his life during a winter storm lands him in the healing hands of a mountain recluse. He can hardly believe the youthful beauty he discovers hidden beneath her mountain woman attire or the passion unleashed by her tender touch.

When "Mad Mag" pulls the handsome rancher from the snow she has no idea he'll be the man to thaw her wounded heart. But Maggie is hiding a mess of secrets in her mountain sanctuary, none of which she’s willing to share. Murderous cattlemen threaten their fragile bond and Maggie has to face the fears of her past or risk losing her hope for the future. Garret will defend his wild woman at any cost, but can he convince her their love is worth the risk?

Here’s my first book video!



You’ve also got an anthology out at the moment – Stetsons, Spring and Wedding Rings. Can you tell us about your novella, Courted By the Cowboy?

Stetsons, Spring & Wedding Rings was just released in June. My contribution, Courted By the Cowboy is a continuation of my ‘Bride’ series. The hero, Kyle Darby is another who first appeared in the first ‘Bride’ book, Bride of Shadow Canyon. He plays a large in The Gunslinger’s Untamed Bride as a US Marshall helping his cousin bring in the bad guys...and flirting with Juniper’s heroine. Juniper gets him back in Courted By the Cowboy, not taking it easy on him when a woman Kyle had saved from a house fire shows up in their new town of Pine Ridge as the newly hired schoolteacher. Here’s a quick blurb:

Constance Pauley becomes enamored with the man who once saved her life — then discovers the dashing Kyle Darby had inadvertently caused her injuries all those years ago. Now she can’t forgive the way he has stolen her heart, and how easily she wants to become his bride...
Read Excerpt

What can we expect next from Stacey Kayne?

I’m working on a new western series. I was sad to let go of the Morgans, but I’ve been having a blast whipping up a whole new cast of characters, this time venturing into the wilds of Montana in 1867, at the onset of the Sioux wars. I’ve been working on the first two books in the series and am hoping it will be out in 2010...providing I can get my can in gear and get this baby finished and turned in...soon.

You'd better hurry - all your readers can't wait for the next Stacey Kayne masterpiece ;-) Visit Stacey's website for more information on all her books: www.staceykayne.com

Thanks for being with us today, Stacey! And now a few questions for our readers: If you were stranded in a mountain cabin during a winter storm, who would you want with you? What three items would you want to have with you?

Jodi Thomas Talks Texas, Then and Now.

by Suzanne

One day I was pushing a cart full of groceries through the store, ignoring my three children argue about which items they could add to the cart, feeling very mommish and worn out. As per my usual habit, I cruised through the book/magazine section looking for something new to read. There was this Western Historical Romance by an author I'd never heard of before, Jodi Thomas. Thinking, "why not?" I threw the book into my cart.

That began my love affair with Jodi's books. (I've read them all!)

So imagine my thrill at meeting her at an RWA conference. Then seeing her again at the Richardson, Texas annual "Buns And Roses Tea" last fall. And to top it off, get to invite her to join us on today's blog!

Suzanne: Jodi, thank you for taking the time to visit with us. You are the Writer In Residence at West Texas A&M University campus. What does that position entail and how are you enjoying it?

Jodi: I enjoy being writer-in-residence. Once a teacher, always a teacher, I guess. I have an office in the library and most afternoons you'll find students visiting and reading their work to me. I teach one short class each year for the continuing education program and am very excited to be teaching in the West Texas A&M Writing Academy from June 8-12 www.wtamu.edu/oce. or phone for information: 806-651-2037. I feel like if I'd had a working writer to talk to I might have saved a few years struggling, so in June four multi-published writers plan to meet in Canyon, Texas on the campus of WTA&M and spend a week working with people who want to be published in fiction. So please tell any future novelist to pack their lap tops and book a room in the dorm for a week. They'll love the workshop and they'll experience a taste of my beloved Texas.

Suzanne: I'd like to do this virtual interview either in your campus office or your favorite spot on campus. If you could describe it to me, we'll try to give your readers a casual glimpse into that spot.

Jodi: I'll do better then that, I'll take you on a walk in my world. My office is on the second floor of Cornette library. My window overlooks a small campus. Last Thursday I sat out in snowy weather and watched a rodeo, today I plan to drop by the baseball game. Walking across campus I see students who look like they just climbed out of bed and headed to class. (I swear they still have their pj's on) and I see cowboys in their hats and boots climbing out of their pickups. (Some drive a hundred miles round trip a day from their farm or ranch to attend here.) I live in a place where men still hold doors and tip their hats in hello. If the wind is blowing over 30 mph. we think it's a calm day. I work among librarians, who I've decided are the kindest people in the world. My favorite spot on campus is the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum where I often walk and think.

Suzanne: What a fascinating place to visit. As a RWA Hall Of Fame Author for you Western Historicals, you've taken your readers into the world of the Texas cowboy. What do you find so romantic and enduring about these characters?

Jodi: I love setting my stories in Texas History. Between 1830-1890 Texas was a wild place where strong people carved out lives. I like to write men who are strong and try to do the right thing. They live by a code of doing what is right. I like to write characters like this because I know men who live by such a code.

Suzanne: Your most recent western historicals were the anthology, GIVE ME A TEXAN and the single title, TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN. Can you tell us about those stories?


Jodi: GIVE ME A TEXAN was about a man who'd always thought he was ugly, but he had a gift for listening. When he offers marriage to the prettiest girl he's ever seen, he does so after hearing what she truly wants. After one meeting, they board the train and head to Amarillo. GIVE ME A COWBOY-a story about early rodeo days, followed TEXAN in February 09. Check out the short look at a video of GIVE ME A TEXAN AND GIVE ME A COWBOY on my website, http://www.jodithomas.com/

TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN is a Whispering Mountain story about a man, Teagen McMurray, who had to grow up at 12. He takes over the family ranch, holds it in turmoil and raises his little brother and sister. In so doing, he hardens by 30 to a man who doesn't know how to talk to anyone. He has one friend he corresponds with by mail-a bookstore owner in Chicago. The book opens when the friend wills Teagen his wife and three daughters. And, Teagen, who has feared nothing in his life suddenly finds himself afraid of a little widow and her daughters.

I loved writing this story. I think it's one of the most tender love stories I've ever written. The reader will laugh and cry with my characters in this touching love story about a hard man who learns to be tender.

Suzanne: A few years back you stepped out of the past to write contemporaries set in West Texas, the first of which was The WIDOWS OF WICHITA COUNTY How did it feel to work in a new genre after being so successful in the historical market?

Jodi: I love historical fiction, but every now and then a story came to mind that didn't fit in the past. WIDOWS OF WICHITA COUNTY was like that because it's based on an oil rig accident. My husband tried to get me to make it fit in a historical, like change it to a stage coach accident, but I couldn't. The learning curve was huge on that book. When I finished, I told him to shoot me if I ever wrote another multi-viewpoint book again because it was far too hard. About six months later I called his office and told him to go home and lock up the guns, I was starting another one. I'm now working on my sixth contemporary, (and by the way, we have no guns in the house). I have to admit that I love writing in both styles and when I'm working in one time period, I'm thinking about what I'll do when I get back to the other. For a list of all my books click
http://www.jodithomas.com/
Suzanne: TWISTED CREEK was one of my favorite books last year. Can you tell our readers a little bit about it?

Jodi: TWISTED CREEK is about a woman who believes bad luck follows her and when good things start to happen, she doesn't think any of them can be true. She loves one person, her Nana and her grandmother is growing old and forgetful. This book is a journey into seeing people through someone else's eyes and learning to love. Readers will fall in love, not only with a place, but with the nesters, the people who stay at the lake after everyone else leaves at summer's end.

Suzanne: Your newest release is REWRITING MONDAY. It takes place near TWISTED CREEK, doesn't it?

Jodi: It does take place near TWISTED CREEK. I plan on writing a series of books set around a cluster of small towns.

Suzanne: At first glance your hero and heroine are ordinary people. What twist do you give them?

Jodi: I enjoy taking ordinary people and showing how they, just like all of us, sometimes stand as silent heroes in our lives. Pepper is a type A personality who never slows down, never backs down, and never commits in a relationship. Mike is a shy man who does his job as editor of a small town paper, not because it's the life he would have chosen, but because it's where he's needed. When they meet, she's on the run from a mistake she made that may end her career as a reporter. He feels her come into his life like a breath of fresh air, unaware that his past is about to destroy all the peace he's known.

For me this story also came to life with the secondary characters, a couple who loved one another and was separated by so much time they weren't sure they could ever get back to where they once were. REWRITING MONDAY is a story about last chances, first loves, and the longing we all have from time to time to rewrite a moment in our lives.

Suzanne: What is in store next for your fans? A historical or contemporary western?

Jodi: My next story will be set in the historical time period. THE LONE TEXAN will be the next book set in Whispering Mountain. It will be out in October. The hero was a wild kid with no one to care for him, the heroine was a cherished sister with three big brothers. Sage is a doctor returning to Texas after being widowed and Drummond, a young gunfighter who's loved her since he was a boy, is the last person she wants to run into. Their love story is as wild as Texas in 1859.

Suz: Thanks for being with us today, Jodi! It's been a great pleasure to chat with you. So, readers, which are you? A contemporary or a historical fan? And if you could go back to any time period, what and where would you go? Me? Definitely western america.

Jodi has agreed to give away an autographed book and a tote bag as a prize package to two lucky winners.

**don't forget, click on any book cover to order Jodi's books, or any on the sidebar to order the Bandit's newest releases!**

Writing Westerns, Two by Two…

by Tawny

I'm SO excited to welcome my dear friend and a fabulous writer, the awesome Stacey Kayne to the Lair. I've know Stacey since the dawn of time... or way back when she, I and Beth started writing *g*. Stacey is one of the most intriguing writers I know and I'm so excited she agreed to come by and visit. And - check it out!! Two of Stacey's western releases for this year are up for Best Western of 2008 over at http://www.lovewesternromances.com/ .

BANDITAS!!!! I’m excited to be back in the lair. Thanks for having me over! Anna C., I’m still hoping you’ll record my Stacey Kayne theme song—with that Rawhide whip crack in the background *g*—so I can post it on my My Space music! I can’t look at my books without hearing your voice :-)

I’ve been doing some celebrating in the past couple weeks…I turned in the third and final books for both my WILD and BRIDE series— MOUNTAIN WILD and COURTED BY THE COWBOY (don’t let the title fool ya—it’s part of an anthology, and also an addition to my BRIDE series!). Both books will be in bookstores this summer. Excerpts on my website!

Has anyone else noticed more and more westerns on the bookstore shelves lately? In the recent RT I saw new westerns by Dorothy Garlock, Georgia Gentry, Cheryl St. John, Linda Lael Miller, Bobbie Smith and more! Here’s hoping this is a western trend that will keep on booming!!

While I was thrilled to turn in my latest books, I have to admit, I’m a tad sad to see the end of my first two series. I had a lot of fun with the Morgan brothers and the Doulan family. I have always been a huge fan of those western family sagas, and as a writer I have this habit of falling in love with my secondary characters—everyone needs a book! This last book in my Wild Trilogy was extra special, since the hero Garret Daines first appeared on the page as a twelve year old boy in MUSTANG WILD. In MAVERICK WILD a few years have pack some muscle onto his wiry frame and his teenage heart is subjected to some serious bruising when he crushes on a woman who only has eyes for Chance Morgan. My critique partners would tell you I had a hard time accepting sweet, protective Garret as the rugged cowboy he needed to become…and though it took my brain a while let go, Garret is all grown up in MOUNTAIN WILD and has found a wild woman all his own. Those who’ve followed the series might recognize her *g*.

While initially writing Kyle Darby’s story in COURTED BY THE COWBOY, I had similar troubles. Kyle also made his first published appearance as a twelve-year-old boy at the end of BRIDE OF SHADOW CANYON. But while writing THE GUNSLINGER’S UNTAMED BRIDE, Kyle stomped onto the page with a force that shocked me, shattering any lingering boyish image. He wasn’t about to be upstaged by his gunfighter cousin and reminded me he had a book waiting to be finished. I was smitten all over again and couldn’t wait to pair him up with Miss Constance Pauley…who’s not as docile as her name might indicate!

But for every door that closes, a window opens – opening just wide enough to launch a new western series for 2010! This new series will be revolve around the founding and expansion of a Montana boomtown shortly following the Civil War. The heroes of the first two books are talking to me…these two rugged wounded souls were childhood friends, fought on opposite sides in the war and still have some reckoning with each other while trying to find their place in a scarred world. That place will be established by the end of the first book in the series, and each book will introduce another couple to become a vital addition to their growing community.

I’m really excited to write one consecutive series---even better, one that will be packaged with the series title. The Powers That Be have asked for a series title that will reflect the setting…Something River, Something Mountain, Something Spring…Something that says RUGGED WILD WESTERN SERIES….only problem, I stink at titles. So…today I’ll be randomly tossing out beaded dragonfly clips to those who post a title suggestion—Help!!!!

And at the end of the day I’ll give away a western ornament and a signed copy of THE GUNSLINGER’S UNTAMED BRIDE. Big thanks to my Play Pals Tawny and Beth for being such gracious hostesses!

Western Historical Author, Tracy Garrett

Interview by Suzanne Welsh

Kensington Debut western author, Tracy Garrett is in the Bandit lair to talk about her first book, Touch of Texas, which is on bookshelves now. While being a writer was not initially the burning desire in her life, creativity has always been core to Tracy. She is an accomplished musician with a bachelor and masters degree in flute performance, as well as post-graduate study in vocal performance, who continues to perform and teach. In recent years her need for creativity and her passion for reading began to merge, and with her love of romance, writing historical romance was a natural for her. She loves a “happily ever after!”

Suz: Congratulations on your debut book, Touch of Texas, Tracy. We Bandits love a good “call” story. Care to share yours?

Tracy: Thanks for inviting me to be a Bandit for a day. I’m so excited to see Touch of Texas on the bookstore shelves!

My call story is a bit unusual, I think. The phone didn’t ring – my email dinged! On July 19, 2006 at 8:09am, as I was wrapping up my writing session for the morning to head off to my day job, an email popped up from Hilary Sares of Kensington with five words that instantly changed me from writer to author: “…want to make a deal?...”

Suz: In Touch of Texas your hero, Jake McCain is a Texas Ranger, can you tell us a little bit about him?

Tracy: Jake – my favorite wounded hero (so far). He is of mixed heritage, which at that time in history ostracized you from anyone who considered themselves “civilized.” He saw his father murdered when he was four. He was buried alive with the body of his mother. Jake was discovered by a Texas Ranger, who took him home and raised him as his son. He feels he should have saved his father, though he was barely more than a baby, and he’s haunted by every man, woman and child he failed to save as a Ranger. He takes on this one last assignment before he disappears, and he doesn’t care if he lives or dies, as long as he brings the vicious outlaw W.M. Harrison to justice. Jake is fiercely loyal, bound by his word, dedicated to his job, worries about those weaker than he is, and truly believes he has no right to a happily ever after. MMMM, love those tortured heores!

Suz: Rachel Hudson is a woman alone and in trouble, how does she feel about helping your hero?

Tracy: Rachel never thought twice about helping a man in need. It was how she was raised, but even more, it is who she is.

Born to an El Paso light-skirt, or prostitute, she was raised in the tiny shack where her mother plied her trade. Because of Rachel, and later her brother Nathan, Rachel’s mother could only work when one of the other prostitute’s was done for the evening and could care for the children; hence, she had the dregs of the customers, the drunks who’d been tossed out of every saloon in town, or those who were so violent no other woman would service them.

When one of those customers tried to grab Rachel, her mother interfered, and the man killed her. In terror, Rachel grabbed her infant brother and ran away. She ended up being raised by a missionary couple, Reverend & Mrs. Hudson, who wanted the baby and kept Rachel around to do the work. When Mrs. Hudson died, and Rachel refused the Reverend’s demand that she become his wife, she and Nathan were dumped in the tiny gold mining town of Lucinda, Texas.

Despite the traumas in her young life, Rachel held onto the lessons she was taught, and grew into a loving, generous, glass-half-full kind of woman. She would never turn away someone needing help. Her only reservation was how the local gossips would view her actions, which proves to be a valid concern as the story progresses.

Suz: Touch of Texas is a western historical, a genre that has had a decline over the past decade or so. Do you think they are starting to make a comeback? And what authors have influenced your writing?

Tracy: I do believe westerns are making a comeback. Not only are we seeing more on the shelves of our local bookstores, but the release of 3:10 to Yuma suggests Hollywood thinks so, as well.

Some of the authors who have influenced my writing: Kathleen Woodiwiss, Lorraine Heath, Elizabeth Lowell, Madeleine L’Engle and Ray Bradbury.

Suz: Have you always loved historicals and westerns? What other genres pique your interest?

Tracy: My favorite movies are old westerns. John Wayne is my hero! I read almost everything. Contemporary, humor, paranormal... As long as there are printed pages between two covers, I’m happy. I hope to write westerns for a long time, but I have a few contemporary story ideas and a time-travel or two lurking in the back of my mind, too.

Suz asks, knowing her friend's favorite sport: Any other hobbies or interest our readers might like to know about you?

Tracy, grinning: If you’ve read my bio, you know I’m a musician, but I have a couple of interests most people don’t know about: trap shooting and car racing. Trap shooting grew out of my research into old west weapons, but NASCAR is pure entertainment. Over the last ten years, my husband and a dear friend of ours have converted me into a fan. Not a fanatic--at least, not yet--but I’ve learned more about cars, tire pressure and track surfaces than I ever thought possible. They started off my education with NASCAR, then moved on into open wheel and Formula 1.

I must admit, I love open wheel racing. Going two hundred miles an hour with your hind-end five inches off the concrete--way cool! For my fiftieth birthday, I want to ride in an Indy car. And who know, maybe a few racecar drivers will appear in future writing projects, when I run out of cowboys--which won’t be soon, I promise.

Now it’s my turn to ask the questions. Do any of you harbor a secret desire to try something new? If there were no limitations, what would you do?

Tracy will be giving away an autographed copy of Touch of Texas to one lucky commentor.