Shannon here: Donna Schlachter shares the inspiration for her latest Historical Romance, Juliette, The Switchboard Sisterhood (book 6). Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for an e-book copy. Deadline: Feb 4th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Donna:
When I first heard about this multi-author project, I was excited from the get-go. I’d recently read an article in the Smithsonian Magazine about women adventurers, and several had flown over the ocean, the North Pole, the Arctic Circle, and more. I was convinced that my gal would be like them.
Except, when I sat down to write about Juliette, that wasn’t who she was. So I had to restructure my story. Juliette is a recent widow who wants to start her life over again without her mother-in-law looking over her shoulder every moment. Having worked as a switchboard operator before her marriage, she reads an advertisement to travel to and work in Anchorage Alaska. Her goal is to earn enough money to move into her own house.
Which still makes her an adventurer in my books.
My hero is Patrick Bruder, a banker in Anchorage. He’s the town’s most eligible bachelor, but he isn’t looking for a woman because he’s too busy planning to expand his bank into the continental US. And he is supportive of local artists, so he’s hoping to combine both interests to make his trips to San Francisco and other cities in the US more profitable.
When Juliette literally runs into Patrick, they are both knocked back on their—uh, heels. Already having their plans in place, neither seriously pursues the other—until a mystery crops up. Nothing huge or nasty—just enough to make them think about working together.
Oh, a cute kitten makes an appearance, leading to cuddly moments of adorability.
Question for Readers: Have you ever moved somewhere, or thought about moving somewhere, that was totally off the wall?
I’ll go first: I sold my condo, my car, and my accounting business, and moved to Colorado to meet my future husband, having met on a Christian online dating group 6 months prior. We have been married 23 ½ years!
About Donna: A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter.
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About the book – Juliette, The Switchboard Sisterhood (book 6):
Juliette Hart—or J.K. Hartling as her readers know her by—leaves Colorado to strike out on her own following the accidental death of her husband two years prior, after answering an advertisement in a ladies magazine for switchboard operators in Anchorage, Alaska. She knows nothing of the territory or its largest city—simply that she must get away from the suffocating grief of her mother-in-law. Once firmly ensconced in the Lawrence Boarding House for Single Ladies, she determines to use her off-time wisely and continue writing her romance novels. Someday, she hopes to write full-time and move into her own home. And get a cat.
Patrick Bruder lives and works in the social elite of Anchorage, Alaska, and should have the pick of any woman in town. Instead, his physical and emotional scars keep him in the background, spending spare time with married couples. As assistant manager of the Anchorage Citizens and Miners Bank, which his father founded after striking it rich in the gold fields, Patrick’s future has already been decided for him. Smallpox scars remind him of how precious life is, and following his fiancee’s betrayal many years before, he carries a broken heart and a strong resolve to avoid women. At all costs. He supports the local art scene, traveling to San Francisco and beyond often, but still finds evenings lonely. He needs a pet. Not a dog, as his father is allergic. Maybe a cat.
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in the rest of the series? Interested in Donna’s other titles? Get your copy/copies now!
Juliette, The Switchboard Sisterhood (book 6)
The Switchboard Sisterhood Series Donna’s Books
Come back Jan 31st for Jenny Carlisle!
When my family moved to Arkansas, it wasn’t totally off the wall. We had visited a few times. But when you factor in the timing- the summer before my senior year in high school- it was quite a change! So many good things came out of this move. My sister and I became best friends, and I met my future husband in my new senior class. It is a perfect example of Romans 8:28. All things Did work together for good.
Interesting.
My parents left Arkansas to follow gas pipeline jobs to Michigan when I was a baby, then to Illinois when I was 2. When I was 7, the pipeline jobs dried up but there was a housing boom in Atlanta. We packed up and headed to Atlanta with cno job and nowhere to live. We landed in a boarding house for a few months that summer. Every weekend, we’d drive around looking for houses to rent. We found one and moved into it in time for school to start then bought a house down the road a few months later. We stayed there until I was 12, then returned to Arkansas.
I can’t imagine taking off like that with nothing solid on a job or place to live. Especially with a child.
I lived my first 15 years in a city in WNY. My father owned a drug store in a neighborhood where crime was becoming more frequent. After a storeowner across the street was murdered in a robbery my father closed the store and accepted a job in a pharmacy in a small town an hour or so away. It was sudden and very different than city life. At first it was a shock but we learned to love it. Almost 60 years later my brother still lives there and we love to visit.
I can’t say that I have ever moved spur of the moment but the older I get, I think about moving somewhere without cold weather! The only times I have moved has only been about 6 miles from where I grew up. I now live in the house where I grew up. Juliette sounds like she is much braver than I.
I had thought about moving to FL but got to thinking about all the hurricanes and said forget it lol
I have a winner! Carol Alscheff won the drawing. I appreciate Donna for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.