Untamed Hearts, Worlds Apart – Santa
Fe, New Mexico 1892
Raised by Santa Fe missionaries,
half-Apache orphan Elena Santiago has vowed to avenge her white, guardians’
murders the Apache way. But first, she must masquerade as a white woman to
deliver a dangerous message across the country into the land of her enemies.
And after one look at the untamed spirit behind Sean O’Grady’s smoky grey eyes,
she realizes that her heart’s response to his body, more like and Apache
warrior than a soft, white “gentleman,” is far more dangerous than the warning
she carries.”
Sean O’Grady has always dreamed of exploring
the Wild West, but at 25 years old, he’s put aside those dreams to wed his
neighbor and run their two Georgia plantations. When Elena arrives looking and
speaking more like a Spanish lady than an Indian mission girl, he wonders if
she's really who she says she is. Is she a virgin or a vixen? The question
taunts him as he struggles with feelings he’s never felt before. Feelings that
could get them both killed.
Stay tuned for a sneak peek into Passion’s Spirit! We go now to our Cozy
correspondent Tink, live from her favorite desert oasis along with a few of her
familiar cowpoke friends. Take it away, Tink…
*banjo music*
Tink: Hello, Cozies! It’s a hot day
here at the WanaLuvaCowb’oy Oasis. The water may not be aplenty, but the boys have
set up a temporary wet bar. Doris, if you were a mixed drink what would you be
and why?
Doris: Maybe it’s my love of the
Southwest, but I’d definitely be a margarita—on the rocks, no salt. No foam, no fruit, no paper umbrella; refreshing,
with a bite that makes you want more. What more could an author want to be?
Tink: We’ll have Keefe, Casey, and Judd bring
us a round of those. *rings bell* Right away, lovelies! Now, Doris, if you were
stranded in the desert and could bring only one of the following…what
would they be? Person? Song? Book?
Doris: It’s got to be a person. And without a doubt it would be my
husband. After four decades together,
we’ve seen poverty and plenty, sickness and health, success and failure, along
with numerous changes in latitude and attitude.
A desert would be a piece of cake.
A song? Can I have two? I’m
told I have NO musical taste, but I’m a word person. I look for lyrics that
speak to me. And one that speaks to me
of love, survival, and hope is The Rose, by Bette Midler. And since I’d be stranded on the desert, I think
“The Impossible Dream” would keep me going.
A book? “How to survive being stranded in the desert”
would certainly be helpful. But since
I’m hooked on history, mystery, and romance, and I love stories about the sins
of the fathers (and mothers) haunting future generations, it would be “Roses”
by Leila Meachum. By the way, the rose theme is purely
coincidental.
Doris: My mind instantly went back to
one of the first real books I ever read,
Black Beauty. So no matter what
color my trusty steed is, I’d choose Beauty—or Fury, from an old TV show. But Fury sounds angry, so I’ll stick with by
first choice. Beauty it is.
“You are almost right, Senor O’Grady,” she answered the challenge in his stormy gray gaze. “I am Elena Santiago, and I am an Indian. Apache, actually.”
Tink: What is your heroine’s idea of
the perfect date?
Tink: What is your favorite thing
about each character?
Doris: Sean’s brashness and
confidence that he can handle anything, including a deadly, crooked politician
with a network of assassins out for his and Elena’s blood; and how he refines
those traits to become a REAL man that a strong woman would want to hold on to.
Elena’s loyalty, courage, and her
ability to “walk in both worlds” while holding true to her own purpose—even if
it means losing her only love.
Tink: More seriously, what was your
biggest challenge crafting this story or these characters?
Tink: Now for a more in-depth look at
the author… *puts on her smart glasses* I will now ask you a round of nosy and
nonsensical questions developed by Bernard Peevo and used by James Lipton on Inside the Actor’s Studio…. Brace
yourself J
What’s your favorite word? Least favorite?
Doris: Favorite word: Hmmm.
“I can”. I know its two words,
but if you say them really fast they can sound like one. Ican, Ican, Ican. Without realizing it, I’ve spent most of my
life living and learning by those words.
From running a business and going out of business, to gaining a formal
education and building a career later in life, and now to writing books, “I
can” has worked for me.
Least Favorite: This time I’ll go with one word. “Can’t”.
Certainly there are things we are all unable to do for a variety of
reasons, but I see “can’t” as a synonym for “won’t”. To me, it represents giving up. It’s a term of helplessness, and whenever I
hear it or have to admit it, it makes me sad.
Tink: What sound or noise do you
love? Hate?
Hate?
Sirens. Besides their shrill,
painful, dissonance, sirens mean danger and tragedy. While the sound of a siren means rescue to
someone in need, whenever I hear one, I think of the suffering that summoned
them.
When Sean pulled away, Elena looked
into his eyes wondering, is this what love feels like, or is it only lust? She
decided that nothing as beautiful as the moment they’d just shared could be
evil. But it could never be love, either. She had felt his passion press
against her and ached for him to fill her. Now she was grateful that he hadn’t.
They were from different worlds that still warred against with each other. He
could never survive in her world and she refused to live in his.
As if he read her thoughts, he leaned
into her, whispering so close to her ear that it could have been a kiss,
"Why can’t you be Mary Louise? And I the Apache brave who will eventually
claim you?” Then he turned to stare at the stream that patiently followed the
course nature had carved out for it.
The question echoed in Elena's mind.
For a moment, his heart had beat to the rhythm of hers. The curves of her body
had melted into the angles of his as they breathed the same breath and tasted
each other’s souls. For a moment, they had truly been one body and one soul.
Now separated, the chilly breeze that
stirred the pine needles at their feet told her that when she was with him,
even angry, she was whole. And though he changed his moods faster than the
mountain gods and was promised to marry a weak and silly white woman, part of
her would always belong to this loco Gringo.
She also turned her gaze toward the
river. "We can only be who we are.”
Thank you to Tink for another great interview! A shout-out to some of my favorite cowboys - Judd and the Ridge brothers - for making a cameo this week! Doris, thank you for answering all of Tink's nosy questions.... And I'm with you and Tink - it's Jimmy for me, too!
Doris Lemcke is a Michigan native who first fell in love with historical fiction in the fourth grade (Black Beauty and The Silver Chalice). Then Gone with the Wind cinched it. She was hooked. Passion's Spirit and the upcoming Passion’s Secret, as parts of the Passion's Legacy series, waited through years and careers (from corporate accounting, to rural store owner, real estate and moving services sales, to Human Resources executive) to come true. Her daughter Mary is a professor at the University of New Hampshire, and Doris and her husband, John, recently relocated to Southwest Florida, where he is “retired” and takes care of EVERYTHING while she holds down the day job and writes. And she wouldn’t be having such a great time on this blog if not for the Southwest Florida Romance Writers’ very true advice that Western Historicals are alive and well at The WildRose Press. Find out more about Doris and her books at her website!
***Cozies, for this week's discussion - name your all-time favorite cowboy, whether from real life, the big screen or the page! I'm biased so I'll definitely go with Judd Black from Blackest Heart!!!
****GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Doris is kind enough to offer a prize for one lucky commenter: Passion's Spirit in either ebook or paperback (winner's choice)! To enter, simply comment to this post today or tomorrow by midnight EST. The winner will be announced Sunday morning here at The Cozy Page so be sure to check back to see if you have won. Good luck!
(You must be 18 years or older to enter; chances of winning depend on the number of entries.)
4 comments:
Doris, thanks again for a wonderful interview! I can't tell you enough how much I love Jimmy Stewart, too! :)
What a wonderful post & interview. Most insightful thank you. I would love to read PASSION'S SPIRIT.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
marybelle, thanks for stopping by!
I am enjoying Passion's Spirit and the history. Thanks , Doris , for the page turner!
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