Linda Lael Miller: Excerpt, Guest Post & Giveaway of Big Sky Mountain

It's my pleasure to have Romance author Linda Lael Miller back again today with another guest post, and an excerpt from her newest book, "Big Sky Mountain", part of her Swoon-Worthy Cowboys series.

Photo from author website

As the daughter of a town marshal, Linda has come home to the western lifestyle that gave birth to one of today’s most successful authors. She left Washington years ago and pursued her wanderlust, living in Arizona and London and traveling the world. Now the author of more than 100 novels, the “First Lady of the West” is glad to be back home, writing contemporary and historical stories that have earned her awards and placements on all the national bestsellers lists.

Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold FLETCHER’S WOMAN in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Linda’s 2011 contemporary Creed Cowboy trilogy—A CREED IN STONE CREEK, CREED’S HONOR and THE CREED LEGACY, released in March, June and July, respectively—each debuted in the number one position on the New York Times bestseller list.

First up is Linda's guest post, then a brief excerpt and book info at the end. Enjoy!
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When brainstorming your next storyline, do you know whether it will be a trilogy or a stand-alone book? Can you discuss the differences between writing a trilogy or a stand-alone?

I usually think in terms of a series—there are actually six books in the Parable/Big Sky group. I’ve tried many times to write a stand-alone book—I meant “The Man from Stone Creek” to be one—but I seem to be wired for trilogies. J Some engaging secondary character always appears, with a story to be told, and the next thing I know, I’m off and running. Some of my early books—“Fletcher’s Woman” and “Willow” come to mind—were intended as single stories and stayed that way, but the series thing goes back a long way. My first series was the Corbin books—there were brothers, and an interesting sister, too. So the first book turned into four. It’s organic with me—I guess I just think in terms of big, sweeping stories with casts of thousands!

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Excerpt

Hutch’s head reeled, but he quickly reminded himself, silently of course, that he had to live in this town—his ranch was just a few miles outside of it. If he passed out cold at his own wedding, he’d still be getting ribbed about it when he was ninety.

While the next bridesmaid started forward, he did his distracted best to avoid so much as glancing toward Brylee Parrish, his wife to be, who was standing at the back of the church beside her brother, Walker. He knew all too well how good she looked in that heirloom wedding gown of hers, with its billowing veil and dazzling sprinkle of rhinestones.

Brylee was beautiful, with cascades of red-brown hair that tumbled to her waist when she let it down. Her wide-set hazel eyes revealed passion, as well as formidable intelligence, humor and a country girl’s in-born practicality.

He was a lucky man.

Brylee, on the other hand, was not so fortunate, having hooked up with the likes of him. She deserved a husband who loved her.

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Book Blurb (from goodreads): 

With his rugged good looks, vast wealth and family name, hell-raiser Hutch Carmody is still the golden boy of Parable, Montana. But he's done some growing up-making peace with his illegitimate half brother and inheriting half of Whisper Creek Ranch, which should have been all his. These days, Hutch knows there are some things money can't buy: like the heart of loving, ladylike divorcé e Kendra Shepherd.  

Kendra's quiet mansion reminds her of what she wants most-a devoted husband and the pitter-patter of little feet. She can't get Hutch Carmody out of her mind. But a rough-and-tumble cowboy like Hutch, coming home for family dinner? Seems crazy! Then again, crazier dreams have become reality under the vast Montana sky. 

BIG SKY MOUNTAIN
By: Linda Lael Miller
Publisher: HQN Books
ISBN: 9780373776610
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, CONTEMPORARY
Format: EBOOK, PAPERBACK
Length: 384 pages
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Website & Blog
Twitter
facebook
Buying Links:   Amazon   Barnes & Noble  The Book Depository 
Follow her blog tour: http://booktrib.com/booktrib-blog-tour-nyt-bestselling-author-linda-lael-millers-big-sky-mountain/

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, I have one paperback copy for a reader in the US or Canada. Comment below, telling me why this book appeals to you. Please leave a way for me to contact you - email, twitter handle, etc.

Please read my Giveaway Policy.

You do not need to be a follower to enter.

Giveaway ends Saturday August 11th, at 11:59PM EST.

Good luck!

ETA 8/12/12: Using random.org, a winner has been chosen.

ETA 8/15/12: I didn't hear back from the first winner so I've drawn a new name and emailed that person. When I hear back, I'll announce their name.

Using Personal Stories In Writing: A Guest Post by Linda Lael Miller & A "Big Sky Country" Excerpt

 
I'm sure you've wondered, as I sometimes do, when reading whether the author has used anything from their personal life, real events, in their writing. Have you ever thought about whether or not an author should use personal events? Romance author Linda Lael Miller offers up her opinion today.

Photo from author website

As the daughter of a town marshal, Linda has come home to the western lifestyle that gave birth to one of today’s most successful authors. She left Washington years ago and pursued her wanderlust, living in Arizona and London and traveling the world. Now the author of more than 100 novels, the “First Lady of the West” is glad to be back home, writing contemporary and historical stories that have earned her awards and placements on all the national bestsellers lists.

Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold FLETCHER’S WOMAN in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Linda’s 2011 contemporary Creed Cowboy trilogy—A CREED IN STONE CREEK, CREED’S HONOR and THE CREED LEGACY, released in March, June and July, respectively—each debuted in the number one position on the New York Times bestseller list.

First up is Linda's guest post, then a brief excerpt and book info at the end. Enjoy!
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 Using personal stories in writing: do or don’t?

Yes, I use personal stories in writing, but they’re usually heavily disguised or simply a jumping-off point for working out the plot.  For example, my dad told me lots of stories about his youth, and many of them served to inspire story ideas—especially the ones about old-time ranchers and the rodeo circuit.  A particular favorite concerned one of his employers, a bachelor farmer whose hay crop was ruined by a sudden hard rain, with some hail mixed in for good measure.  This man was outside his cabin when Dad saw him from a wisely-chosen hiding place nearby, stark naked except for work boots and socks, shaking his fist at the heavens and challenging God to “come down and fight, you so-and-so.” Modified, this became the opening scene in my historical romance, “Memory’s Embrace”, in which the hero is arguing with God.  In Keith Corbin’s case, though, his anger was tied in with a deep spiritual belief, since he was a minister.  Another favorite came from my mother, who was raised in Choteau, Montana.  It seems there was an elderly bar-fly who rode his horse to town every day of his life and tied him up in front of the saloon.  The old man eventually died, but the horse came to town anyway, for days on end, and stood there patiently waiting.  I used that one, too, in “The Man from Stone Creek”.  Any writings about story-telling and its effect on my writing would be incomplete without the fabulous tales my honorary grandmother, Florence Wiley, told about her childhood outside of Coffeyville, Kansas.  She actually remembered hearing the shots the day the Dalton brothers tried to rob the bank in town.  Later, the dead outlaws were strapped to boards and displayed along main street, to show the wages of sin is death.  Fortunately, grandma’s parents were forward-thinking people for their time and didn’t take the kids in from the farm to see the grim exhibition, but plenty of others did.  On another occasion, a man rode up to the gate and stood talking with Grandma’s pa, who was working in the field.   The man slept in the family barn that night, and his name was Jesse James.

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Excerpt

Practically everybody I knew said I ought to put you up for adoption, once I knew John had intended to marry someone else all along, but I just couldn’t do it. I guess it was selfish of me, but you were my boy and I wanted to see you grow up.”

“I know,” Slade said, as he stooped to kiss her forehead. He’d heard all of it before, after all, and while he understood Callie’s personal regrets, the fact of the matter was, he was glad she’d kept him. She’d sacrificed a lot, working long hours to build the business that had supported them both, though just barely sometimes, passing up more than one chance to get married, move away from Parable and finally enjoy a degree of respectability.

Instead, she’d stuck it out, right there in the old hometown, where she believed she had every right to be, as did her son, whether John Carmody, his high-society bride or the snootier locals had liked it or not.

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Book Blurb (from author website):

The illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher, Sheriff Slade Barlow grew up in a trailer hitched to the Curly-Burly hair salon his mother runs. He was never acknowledged by his father…until now. Suddenly, Slade has inherited half of Whisper Creek Ranch, one of the most prosperous in Parable, Montana. That doesn’t sit well with his half brother, Hutch, who grew up with all the rights of a Carmody—including the affections of Joslyn Kirk, homecoming queen, rodeo queen, beauty queen, whom Slade has never forgotten.

But Joslyn is barely holding her head up these days as she works to pay back everyone her crooked stepfather cheated. With a town to protect, plus a rebellious teenage stepdaughter, Slade has his hands full. But someone has to convince Joslyn that she’s responsible only for her own actions—such as her effect on this lawman’s guarded heart.

BIG SKY COUNTRY
By: Linda Lael Miller
Publisher: HQN Books
ISBN: 9780373776436
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, CONTEMPORARY
Format: EBOOK, PAPERBACK
Length: 248 pages
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Website & Blog
Twitter
facebook
Buying Links:   Amazon   Barnes & Noble  Harlequin

Chat with Linda Lael Miller

Harlequin Books is hosting a chat with #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller. She will answer your questions before her LIVE chat with you from Las Vegas! What are you dying to find out about Linda, the woman who’s brought you some of the hunkiest cowboys in America?

On Tuesday, December 6th at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET, Linda will be answering her readers’ questions during a live chat streaming from the Paris Las Vegas hotel to Harlequin’s Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/#!/HarlequinBooks.  From her latest books to her three #1 New York Times bestselling cowboys, The Creeds, Linda wants to fill you in on everything you’d like to know about her books, your favorite characters and even life on her ranch.

BookTrib and Harlequin are collecting all of her readers’ questions before the chat, so send an e-mail  to myopinion@booktrib.com with your questions, as well as your first name and the city and state where you live–your query just might end up being answered in front of a LIVE audience of thousands.

Don't miss this chance to chat with Linda Lael Miller! Mark your calendar now.

Review of "A Lawman's Christmas" by Linda Lael Miller

Publisher: Harlequin
Release date: September 20, 2011
Series: McKettricks of Texas
Buying Links:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

The sudden death of the town marshal leaves Blue River, Texas, without a lawman…and twenty-five-year-old Dara Rose Nolan without a husband. As winter approaches and her meager seamstress income dwindles, she has three options. Yet she won't give up her two young daughters, refuses to join the fallen women of the Bitter Gulch Saloon and can't fathom condemning herself to another loveless marriage. Unfortunately she must decide—soon—because there's a new marshal in town, and she's living under his roof.

With the heart of a cowboy, Clay McKettrick plans to start a ranch and finally settle down. He isn't interested in uprooting Dara Rose and her children, but he is interested in giving her protection, friendship—and passion. And when they say "I do" to a marriage of convenience, the temporary lawman's Christmas wish is to make Dara Rose his permanent wife….

Teaser: 


It was tremendously difficult sometimes, she thought glumly, to be the sort of person she wanted her daughters to be, when they grew up. And she'd fallen far short of that standard tonight.

Unexpectedly, Clay reached over and gently squeezed her hand, just once and very briefly, but the gesture raised Dara Rose's flagging spirits.

It also sent something sharp and hot racing through her, a fiery ache she had to work very hard to ignore. 
  
My Thoughts:

Back in the summer, I read a contemporary romance by Miller, Creed's Honor, that I didn't like very much. I decided to give her another try, this time with an historical romance. I enjoyed it a lot more. It was saccharine at times, and predictable but the romance was sweet, the setting nicely detailed, and the characters were, mostly, nicely fleshed out.

Clay McKettrick loves his family but needed to leave and strike out on his own. He accepts a job in Blue Creek Montana as the marshall, but it's a temporary job. What he really wants is to start his own ranch, get married and raise a family. He bought land in Blue Creek and he plans to start building his house while he works as the marshall. He's filling in temporarily while the town looks for a long term marshall. One of the perks of his job is use of a small house in town. However, the previous marshall's widow and young children are still living there. He moves into the jail while the widow, Dara Rose Parnell, tries to find a new place for her and her children.

Dara has been married twice and widowed twice, and she's only twenty-five years old. She also has two young daughters. She's been struggling to survive since her second husband, the former marshall, died. She had a marriage offer of sorts, but it was less than desirable. She is a proud woman, occasionally stern, but kind and gentle.She wants to provide a good life for her daughters but a woman's options in the early twentieth century, in the American west, were few.

Dara and Clay come together, and even knowing that it was a romance, and one pretty much guaranteed to have an HEA, I was cheering for things to work out with them. A few of the minor characters were cardboard, but the main characters are well developed and likable, except for the obligatory bad guy, who was also one of the cardboard characters. The romance, as mentioned, was sweet, and slow moving, though the marriage, due to circumstances, happens fairly quickly. It wasn't a wildly passionate romance, but it was believable. Both are attracted to each other from the beginning, but they take their time and let things develop without rushing. The children were overly precocious but they didn't take over the story as sometimes happens in romances. 

Reading "A Lawman's Christmas" was like curling up in front of a fire with a cup of rich, hot cocoa - sweet, comforting and cozy.

I received this hardcover from the publisher.

Bake a Cookie, Go to Vegas!

Do you like to bake cookies? Do you have an original recipe? Now, how about Las Vegas? Want to go? BookTrib is willing to send you. Want the details? Keep reading.

"The Best of the West" Original Holiday Cookie Contest!!!

 

 Is a ticket to Vegas sitting in your recipe box? Serve up your best original holiday cookie recipe for a chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas this December. In celebration of #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller’s latest novel, A Lawman’s Christmas, Caesars Entertainment and Harlequin have teamed up to give one talented baker the best holiday season ever–and it could be you. Reveal your favorite original holiday cookie recipe from September 21 through October 26—it could be an old tradition or a new invention—then be sure to attach a photo of the baked cookies and enter to win a trip to Las Vegas, complete with a four-day, three-night stay at the Paris Las Vegas resort; $250 in food; $300 for spa treatments; and two tickets to a National Rodeo Finals event. 

BookTrib will choose the top five original recipes and a panel of judges will name this year’s Best of the West Original Holiday Cookie. The runners-up, as well as 16 randomly chosen contestants, will receive free gift cards to help with this year’s holiday shopping. Be a part of the biggest baking event of the season—don’t miss this delicious opportunity!

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Another Creed's Honor Giveaway!!!

The winner of my Creed's Honor giveaway is now offering it as a giveaway!! bookwormfamily decided it wasn't the right book for her so she's doing a giveaway over on her blog. Head on over for another chance to win. It's open to US and Canadian residents through Saturday July 23rd.

                                                            Good luck!

Winner of Creed's Honor!

 

 The winner of "Creed's Honor" by Linda Lael Miller is....bookwormfamily!! Congratulations. I hope you will enjoy it.

If you want another chance to win, BookHounds Blog is giving away all three books in the Creed Cowboys trilogy. It ends on the 12th so don't wait. Giveaway. Thanks to bookwormfamily for letting me know. :)

Giveaway & Review of Creed's Honor by Linda Lael Miller

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: May 31, 2011

Series: #2 in The Creed Cowboys

More Info:  Amazon    The Book Depository

Book Blurb:

Conner Creed knows exactly who he is: a hardworking rancher carrying on his uncle's legacy in Lonesome Bend, Colorado. Maybe a small-town cowboy's life isn't his dream, but he owes the man who took him in as a kid. Until the identical twin brother he's been estranged from for years reenters his life.

Conner struggles with identity issues as he gets to know his wilder brother. And then he meets Tricia McCall, a beautiful woman who knows a thing or two about living someone else's dreams. Together, they just might find their own dreams right here in Lonesome Bend…. 

My Thoughts:

 I've seen and heard about Linda Lael Miller's books for years and I think I may have read a book or two of hers when I was in college (probably borrowed from my stepmother). I know several people who like her books, though one feels that her westerns aren't her books. Based on this story, I'm inclined to agree.

The book is marketed as a romance but the romance, what there was of it, felt like it was actually secondary to the story. Most of the story is taken up with Conner's relationship with his twin brother and Tricia's relationships with her matchmaking grandmother, Natty, and her best friends ten year old daughter and Tricia's god-daughter, Sasha.

Conner and his twin have been estranged for about 10 years though we are not given much detail about why. There are hints and accusations but it was frustratingly vague. I didn't read the first book in this trilogy, "A Creed in Stone Creek", so possibly there was more information in there; this trilogy, The Creed Cowboys, is a spin off of an earlier trilogy, The Montana Creeds.

Conner is bitter about the event that drove them apart, and bitter and angry about Brody, his twin, being gone for so long and leaving all the work of running the ranch in Conner's hands. He doesn't trust Brody, doesn't understand why he's back, and spends most of his time arguing with him. He wants Brody gone again, despite the extra work that means for him, while simultaneously there's a part of him that's glad not to be alone any more. He feels lonely and is bitter about being stuck on the ranch while Brody is out playing on the rodeo circuit. 

Meanwhile Tricia shares a house with her grandmother Natty, her late father's mother, while she runs his businesses until she can sell them and move back to Seattle. She left Seattle approximately eighteen months earlier to deal with his estate and live with Natty. Her parents divorced when she was little and she spent every summer while growing up in Lonesome Bend with her father. She's not quite a local but not quite an outsider. She doesn't have any friends locally and few connections; we are told repeatedly how shy she is but it doesn't really come across. She chats, she volunteers to help with the local fundraising event, etc. She comes off at times as a bit of a loner, which is different from being shy.

Tricia and Conner bump into each other while Natty is away visiting her sister in Denver. They were acquainted as children but apparently haven't seen each other around since Tricia's been back. He smirks, she's awkward, we're told that they are attracted to each other but I never felt it. They bump into each off and throughout the story, he bullies her into eating lunch with him a few times,  smirks at her often, she ruminates about how honorable he is, he wonders why she's still single and gets angry because she, *gasp*, wants to go back to Seattle and follow her dreams.

Natty thinks that Conner and Tricia are perfect for each other and plots to bring them together but there's actually not a lot of time in the story devoted to them as a couple. Mostly they are off doing their own thing and when the pace finally picks up, then Miller shifts gears and it happens so quickly it's like being hit by a truck. The ending was rushed and only mildly believable.

Miller also spends a fair amount of time setting up the next story, laying the groundwork for Brody and his HEA. That's not unusual in a series and I don't mind as long the focus is on the main romantic couple but in this case, it detracted from the main story.

I wanted to like "Creed's Honor"; I like romances, and Miller has a good reputation, but this book just didn't do it for me.


I received this paperback from the publisher for review. 

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Thanks to Tricia (yes, really, that's her name :D) at Meryl L. Moss Media Relations I have one paperback copy of "Creed's Honor" to give away to one commenter. Just leave a comment about the review or book to enter; make sure I have a way to contact you - twitter name, Blogger profile, email, etc.

The giveaway will run through 11:59PM EST of Friday, July 8th, 2011. I will use random.org to choose a winner.  I'm sorry but this is only open within the US and Canada.   

See giveaway policy here. 

Thanks and good luck!