Shannon here: Erica Vetsch shares insight into her characters’ romance from her latest Historical Romance, The Bounty Hunter’s Baby. Comment or answer the question at the end of this post to enter the drawing for a copy – ebook or print – reader’s choice, U.S. only. Deadline: Feb 11th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Erica:
Questions with Esther Jensen
- You’re a laundress now, but I imagine that wasn’t your life’s goal. If you could be anything, what would it be?
“You’re right. Laundress was nowhere on my list. When I was a little girl, I suppose I dreamed of being a wife and mother, though that possibility seems far out of reach now. After all, I’m twenty-four, a spinster. My options are few, hence the laundry business, but if I could be anything in the world, I guess I would be a teacher. I like children, and I like books and learning. But if I’m truthful, being a wife and mother is really all I ever wanted to be.”
- Who is your best friend?
“Sarah Granville. She’s the sheriff’s wife, and more than a friend, she’s been like a mother to me. When I need advice, encouragement, or just some old-fashioned coddling, I can count on Sarah.”
- What is your most closely-held secret?
“That’s getting a bit personal, isn’t it? I suppose the secret I’ve kept the closest is that I was once in love with Thomas Beaufort. Not that anything came from it. He rode away without so much as a backward glance.”
- What is something that has surprised you about yourself?
“I think I have discovered that I’m stronger than I thought I was. Growing up, I didn’t know how to cook or clean or take care of myself very well. I had people who did those things. But when I lost everything, my father, my money, my standing in the community, I had to do something to support myself. And I had to learn to do things by myself. And I’ve done that. I don’t need anybody…at least I don’t as long as I can earn enough to pay the taxes on the ranch.”
- What is something precious that belongs to you?
“The ranch. My father left it to me, begging me to do everything I could to hold onto it. And that’s what I’m going to do.”
Questions with Thomas Beaufort
- Why bounty hunting?
“Because I’m good at it. I try to think like my quarry, try to anticipate their next move, and I keep coming. Relentlessness and persistence are necessary to be a good bounty hunter, and I have those in spades.
- Tell me about your family.
“No family. None that I know of, anyway. I was pitched into an orphanage when I was a baby. I don’t even know my real last name. The nurses at the orphanage named me.
- Introduce us to your sidekick.
“This is Rip. He’s half-Catahoula, and half mystery-mutt. And he’s a great tracker. I wouldn’t want to take on an outlaw without him. For all that, he’s a friendly dog, loves kids. He’s named after a famous Texas Ranger, Rip Ford.”
- Where do you call home?
“Nowhere. Home is wherever I happen to be, I guess. The orphanage certainly wasn’t home, and I’ve kicked around a lot since I left there. I ‘spose the only place that ever really felt like home was the Double J. I was there for a couple months a few years ago. I had to leave though.”
- Why leave the one place you felt at home?
“I went and fell in love with the boss’s daughter, Esther. She was something. Pretty, kind, smart. But the boss got an inkling of how I felt and he ran me off. Said I wasn’t good enough for his girl. He was right, a no-account drifter like me, but it still stings, you know?”
I hope you’ll read The Bounty Hunter’s Baby to see how an outlaw’s baby does his best to bring Thomas and Esther together to make them all a family.
About Erica: Multi-published, best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and college basketball. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!
About the book – The Bounty Hunter’s Baby:
Brought Together by a Baby
Bounty hunter Thomas Beaufort has no problem handling outlaws, but when he’s left with a criminal’s baby to care for, he’s in over his head. And the only person he can think of to ask for help is Esther Jensen, the woman whose heart he broke when he left town. But can he convince her to put aside the past until he tracks down the baby’s outlaw father?
Esther is ready to run Thomas off her Texas ranch—until she spies the abandoned newborn in his arms. Soon, working together to care for the precious babe stirs old hopes of a family. With trouble heading to their door, they could overcome it together—if she’ll entrust her wary heart to this sweet, second-chance family…
Question for Readers: Esther Jensen is a laundress, and of all the household chores, I’d rather do laundry than any other (Though not the way Esther has to, hauling water and wringing by hand and hanging clothes out to dry.) What household chore is your favorite and what chore do you procrastinate doing?
Come back Feb 7th for Gayla K. Hiss!
I actually don’t mind hand washing dishes. Something about the warm water and bubbles is calming.
love to cook but hate to mop!
Gina, washing dishes is one of my least favorites. I would rather clean bathrooms!
Shelia, I like vacuuming more than mopping, but mopping is better than sweeping! 🙂
What an interesting question! I would rather do the laundry and wash dishes than cook.
I’d say laundry since the machines duo the work. I don’t like doing dishes even though I have a dishwasher, I don’t like having to put them up either, lol.
It would have to be laundry and vacuuming over bathrooms!
Since I have a good washer and drier in my home, I don’t mind doing laundry. I don’t really like cleaning the house: sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning toilets, etc.
I really enjoy reading Erica’s books. This was a fun interview with her characters. I certainly want to read the book. Thanks for the giveaway.
I hate to dust… but don’t mind running the vacuum cleaner
marcus802001(at)yahoo(dot)com
I Hate Cooking and doind dishes Even loading the dishwasher I’d rather scrub Toilets Not that scrubbing Toilets is My Favorite Chore LOL. It would probably have to be vacuuming. Thanks 🙂
I don’t mind laundry. The rest of it equally horrible from cooking to cleaning bathrooms. I need a maid.
I have a winner! Gina Johnson won the drawing. I appreciate Erica for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.