Ada Brownell shares insight into her characters’ romance from her latest historical romance, The Lady Fugitive. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing for an e-book copy Deadline: Oct 11th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Ada:
Falling in love with Jenny Louise Parks of The Lady Fugitive
1. What’s the most romantic thing your hero ever did for your heroine?
Snappy eyes the color of a blackbird’s feather and the pretty little pink mouth of Jennifer Louise Parks catches William O’Casey in the heart as she stands in her long burgundy velvet dress and quotes her hilarious version of Old Mother Hubbard. Then she sings a bubbly little song she wrote, “Rocky Mountain Columbine.”
As the popular elocutionist speaks in her trained manner and bounces a little with the rhythm as she plays the piano on stage at the Peachville Opera House, he wonders how he could meet her. He never dreamed she would run into him. The next day she burst out of the horse barn as William attempted to enter. William hoped to sell Judge Danforth Schuster some tools or household goods from his peddling business.
Jenny crashes into him, racing away from trouble. She almost loses her balance and he keeps her from falling. Staying long enough to be introduced, she then runs for the house. He doesn’t know until later her uncle, the judge, had looked at her with lust, then tried to take a razor strap to her backside and nearly hit her in the face with his fist when she escaped his clutches.
That night. Jenny flees Peachville on her horse searching for a place to go where the judge won’t find her. The next morning hunting for a place to sleep, she encounters a rattlesnake in an abandoned building. William hears her screams as he travels on a nearby road in his peddler wagon. A bullet from the gun in his holster makes quick work of the snake. Then he holds her and helps her out of the rickety structure until she recovers from her fright. Since she’d ridden all night, despite her protests, he ties her horse on the back of his wagon and takes her to Dandelion Corners where she can get a decent place to sleep.
But in the days ahead, William goes to great lengths in between his travels to protect Jenny from the bounty hunters. Does he go too far?
2. What’s the most romantic thing your heroine ever did for your hero?
William hadn’t really grieved after his father’s tragic death. When William returns from Iowa, he finds her and they greet with a little hug. He tells Jenny about the severe beating his pa suffered, then unexpectedly weeps and weeps in her arms. Since she lost both her parents, she understands.
Although they have many ups and downs in their relationship and William keeps wondering if she is too young for him, especially because of the girl back home, Jenny’s mind is consumed with him so when he asks her to sing at his Passion of the Christ picture show, she accepts.
Eventually, the most romantic thing she does is forgive him for what looked like the worst thing he could have possibly done.
3. Where is the most romantic place your hero and heroine have ever been?
Out in a farm yard discussing the antics of a goat while Jenny is disguised as a man and William loves her anyway.
4. What’s the most romantic present your hero ever bought your heroine?
When the judge recognizes her horse and finds Jenny in Yucca Blossom, he grabs her. She fights and her shirt rips and is left in his hands. Free, she runs through the crowded street in only her camisole above the waist, spies the Peddler Wagon and jumps in, thinking William is elsewhere. In the wagon preparing for the show, he finds a new shirt among his merchandise and gives it to her.
5. What’s the most romantic present your heroine ever bought your hero?
Actually, Aunt Betsy comes from Minneapolis to meet Jenny’s beau, and bought the beautiful lingerie, hidden by an embarrassed Jenny, for the wedding night.
6. What simple gesture does your hero do that melts your heroine every time?
She decides to have nothing to do with William because she doesn’t think she can trust him. Having him close muddles her mind. She wants him to hold her hand and be near. Yet she tells herself to stay away from him.
The final straw is when his old girlfriend from Iowa shows up at the Passion Show.
About Ada: Ada Brownell, a devoted Bible student, has written for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a reporter for The Pueblo Chieftain in Colo. She also is a veteran youth Christian education teacher. After moving to Missouri in her retirement, she continues to write books, free lance for Sunday school papers, Christian magazines, write op-ed pieces for newspapers and blogs with stick-to-your-soul encouragement. She is critique group leader of Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
Among her books: The Lady Fugitive, released July 18, 2014, Imagine the Future You, a youth Bible study (November 2013). Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult, (Jan. 15, 2013); Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, (Dec. 6, 2011); and Confessions of a Pentecostal, out of print but released in 2012 for Kindle; All the books are available in paper or for Kindle.
Imagine the Future You audiobook is available at www.Audible.com Free book with new Audible membership. Learn more or connect:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries
Twitter: @adellerella Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1654534.Ada_Brownell
http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AdaBrownell/posts
About the book – The Lady Fugitive: How does a respected elocutionist become a face on a wanted poster?
Jenny Louise Parks escapes from the coal bin, and her abusive uncle offers a handsome reward for her return. Because he is a judge, he will find her or he won’t inherit her parents’ ranch.
Determination to remain free grips Jenny, especially after she meets William and there’s a hint of romance. But while peddling household goods and showing a Passion of the Christ moving picture, he discovers his father’s brutal murder.
Will Jenny avoid the bounty hunters? Can she forgive the person who turns her in? Will she find peace, joy and love?
Purchase Links:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LYDWAIW http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06
BarnesandNoble.com http://ow.ly/rFSW3
Question: What is the most thoughtful gift you ever received from someone?
Come back Oct 1st for Kimberly Rose Johnson!
would love to win.
Most thoughtful gift I received was on my 45th birthday, my daughter wrote me a poem and framed it with rose petals from a bouquet she gave me for Mother’s Day! Really touched my heart
Keeping my fingers crossed on this one!!!!! My husband gifted me with a new car one Christmas.
melback at cebridge dot net
My most thoughtful gift was my first laptop. I’d been wanting one for a few years and I wasn’t published yet, so it wasn’t a necessity. Christmas season came and nothing under the tree looked like a laptop. I swallowed my disappointment and told myself I didn’t really need one. I just wanted one.
Christmas morning, my parents brought our gifts from their house. My final gift was a laptop. I cried and was thanking my parents. My mom laughed and said it wasn’t from them, but from my husband. They’d only kept it hidden at their house, so I’d be surprised.
I loved that laptop because it was affirmation to me, that my husband believed in my writing and expected me to be published someday.
I have a winner! Shelia Hall won the drawing. I appreciate Ada for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.