Lyn Cote – Real Life Romance & Excerpt – Part 1 of 1

Inpirational romance author, Lyn Cote shares how she met her husband and how her characters meet in her latest Historical Romance, Heartland Courtship. Comment on this post to enter the drawing for a print copy of Heartland Courtship or an e-book copy of Lyn’s contemporary short story collection, Two Seasons of Romance – winner’s choice. Deadline: Feb 22nd, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Lyn:

Lyn Cote and How I Met My Husband & How Miss Rachel Met Her Match

As an author, a compelling MEET for my hero and heroine is a challenge. And in my own life I know I’ll never forget MEETING my husband.

So let’s talk reality first. Initially met my husband at a church singles New Year’s Eve Party. I did not feel drawn to him that night. But a few weeks later, he visited our church again for a Sunday evening service and WHOA! Everywhere I looked in our church’s fellowship hall, it was like a bright light shone behind him. Not anyone else. Just him. I kept blinking and looking around but the bright light was only around him. I took it as a sign. I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since.

Needless to say we connected that night and were secretly engaged a month later and married nine months later. We did it the old fashioned way–fell in love, got engaged and then married within a year. And we’re still together over 35 years later. We recently visited my dh’s friend who invited him to that singles New Year’s Eve Party and who subsequently was our best man. Lovely memories.

Now for fiction–When I write a romance, I try to come up with a unique and also a very personalized MEET.  I want it to showcase their personalities and coming conflict.

In my February Love Inspired Historical, Heartland Courtship, in 1871 my heroine arrives in a WI frontier town via riverboat. She’s come to homestead and start her own business, but then “fate” intervenes.

Here’s their MEET – Excerpt from Heartland Courtship:

At sounds behind Rachel, Rachel’s cousin Noah looked up and frowned. Speaking past her, he asked sharply, “What are you men doing?”

“The captain say bring this man on shore to the doctor,” the black porter said.

Rachel swung around and saw that two porters were carrying an unconscious man, one holding his shoulders and one his ankles. A third porter followed with what looked like a bulging soldier’s knapsack.

“We don’t have a doctor here,” Sunny, Noah’s wife, said, sounding worried.

“Well, then we suppose to leave him anyway,” the porter said, appearing abashed. “We got no one to nurse or doctor him and his fare run out two stops south.”

Rachel’s sense of the right balked. “So thee’s just going to abandon him?”

The porters looked ashamed, helpless. “That’s what the captain order us to do.”

Rachel struggled with herself. She couldn’t take her umbrage out on these innocent men. She would tell the captain what she thought–

The boat whistle squealed. The porters gently laid the shabby man and his travel-worn knapsack down and then hustled onto the boat which was already being cast free.

Within moments the boat was far from shore, heading north, the paddle wheel turning again. Rachel fumed at the departing craft as she dropped to her knees beside the man.

Thin, with a new beard and shaggy chestnut hair, he appeared around Noah’s age in his thirties and would have been handsome if not so haggard-looking. Drawn to help him, she touched his perspiring forehead. Anxiety prodded her. “He’s burning up, Noah.”

Her cousin stood on the man’s other side. “We can’t leave him.”

Rachel rose with new purpose. “I’ll help you carry him, Noah.”

I hope that MEET reveals much about the heroine and the hero–a man with no family-no friends, a nameless drifter.

So how did you MEET your true love? Or do you have a classic MEET in a favorite romance? DO TELL & be entered into the drawing!–Lyn

About Lynn: Since her first Love Inspired romance debuted in 1998, Lyn Cote has written over 40 books. A RITA finalist and a Carol Award winner, Lyn writes contemporary romance and historical. Her brand is “Strong Women, Brave Stories.” Visit her website/blog at http://www.LynCote.net and find her on Facebook, GoodReads and Twitter. Drop by her homepage and sign up for her newsletter and receive a free PDF copy of Old Family Recipes booklet. 15 Love Inspired Historical authors contributed family recipes and the stories to go with it!

About the book – Heartland Coursthip: An Unexpected Partnership 

Quaker Rachel Woolsey dreams of having her own bakery and her own homestead. But the odds are stacked against her—until the handsome ex-soldier she nurses back to health offers to help her. Like Rachel, Brennan Merriday is an outsider. But he’ll be the temporary ally she needs, and her foolish attraction will fade once he’s gone.

At first, the only thing Brennan wants to know about Pepin, Wisconsin, is how fast he can leave it. Perhaps in Canada he’ll find peace after a bloody war. Yet repaying his debt to the pretty baker offers unexpected solace. She saved him once. Now he longs to rescue dreams of family—for both of them.

Wilderness Brides: Finding love—and a fresh start—on the frontier

Purchase Link – Heartland Courtship:

http://www.amazon.com/Heartland-Courtship-Inspired-Historical-Wilderness-Brides/dp/0373282508/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1391608245&sr=1-1

About the book – Two Seasons of Romance: Light, Sweet, Short– 2 Seasons, Summer and Winter–4 Romances about the power of love to transform lives with hope :

“Watermelon Cowboy”–After disappointment, Sarah learns how to find the real thing~

“Diamond in the Rough”–Ellie discovers neither nerds nor handsome men should be judged on looks alone~

“Good Neighbors”–After loss, Kate changes her point of view on loving again~

“Make Believe”–Taking a chance, Amy finds a special gift or two on Christmas Day~

Purchase Link – Two Seasons of Romance:

http://www.amazon.com/Two-Seasons-Romance-Lyn-Cote-ebook/dp/B00HKQHU7I/ref=as_li_tf_ssw?&linkCode=wss&tag=lyco-20

Come back Feb 12th for Kelly Irvin!