14 Days of Romance; Jannine Gallant

Welcome, readers, to Day 6 of 14 Days of Romance! Today we host author and friend, Jannine Gallant, whose latest romance, Bittersweet, is available now from Whiskey Creek Press. Take it away, Jannine… 

The Most Battered Books on my Keeper Shelf: Amber asked me to choose my all time favorite romance to talk about – wow, not an easy task! I went to my keeper shelf and stared at the rows of books. LaVyrle Spencer makes a good showing, as does Nora Roberts. But there were two books far more battered than the rest with taped spines and loose pages from reading them over and over again. Both were written years and years ago and are probably out of print, but maybe you could pick them up in a used book store—that’s where I found them.

The first is Don’t Forget To Smile by Kathleen Gilles Seidel. This is the story of Tory Duncan, a runner-up in the Miss America pageant from South Carolina, who ran away from a too perfect, plastic life to tend her own bar in Oregon. Joe Brigham is a logger from a long line of timbermen, trying to break out of his lower middle class life. These two unlikely characters share a common bond as they quietly struggle against everything that is expected of them. I love the flavor of this book; the working class families portrayed so accurately, the family dynamics that have such a profound hold on these characters. If you enjoy small towns and atypical heroes, you’ll love this book.

The Rainbow Season by Lisa Gregory is another book with an unusual hero. This one is a historical set on a farm in Texas. Luke Turner is a bad boy from a tarpaper shack who has spent time in jail. He’s younger than the heroine, Sarah McGowan, who was raised in a respectable family. The two are thrown together when Sarah’s parents are killed, but the whole town is against their union. The largest obstacle to their happiness, however, is Luke’s own lack of self-worth. Emotions run deep in this story.

My most recent release is Bittersweet, available now through Whiskey Creek Press. Of all my heroes, Daniel Moran is my favorite. His personal struggle between staying true to his values and the woman he loves makes him an unusual hero in a class with Joe and Luke.

Here’s a closer peek into Jannine’s latest novel, Bittersweet! Enjoy….

Eight months after her husband is killed in a train robbery, Tess Moran knows she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and build a future for herself and her infant daughter. Daniel Moran’s love for Tess is bittersweet. Acting on his feelings for his sister-in-law will betray his dead brother’s memory. Watching her search for love elsewhere may very well destroy him.

In 1880, life in rural Colorado is filled with hard work and simple pleasures, but trouble looms on the horizon. Together Tess and Daniel battle drought and the outlaw who killed the man they both loved, but the greatest challenge of all is finding solace for their battered hearts.

 

Thank you so much, Amber, for having me on your blog. It was terrific fun, and I hope I’ve introduced your readers to two great new authors!

Thank you, Jannine, for taking the time to share your favorite romances with us today! Readers, you can find out more about Jannine and her books at her website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Bittersweet is available now at Whiskey Creek Press! (And join both Jannine and I at our group blog, The Roses of Prose!)