Today we have fellow The Wild Rose Press author Dawn Luedecke and her Blazing The West book tour, featuring her latest release, To Tame a Montana Heart. She's discussing using personal experiences in her books. For additional tour dates, events and more, visit: Dawn Luedecke's Website.
~Mia.
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Writing your personal experiences
by
Dawn Luedecke
With each book I write, I leave a little piece of myself. I believe this is true for all authors, but just how much does an author reveal in his/her books? For me, I use personal experiences as inspiration for subplots. I’ve even used events from my sisters life in my book.
In ‘To Tame a Montana Heart’, the inspiration for my heroine Dusty comes from my youngest sister. I have watched her throughout our lives and realized how she makes a perfect heroine for a fictional romance, and I ran with it. Many of the things that happen to my heroine, have in fact happened to my sister.
In other books, I often use events that have happened in my life, or things I have seen. For instance, in book 2 of my Montana Girl series, Big Sky Brazen, I fashioned a character in my book after a guy I saw at the gym. I did not meet or speak to the guy, and didn’t use his likeness, but the character traits I saw in him made for the perfect character.
There are many other experiences of mine in my stories, but I’ll let you guess at which scenes those are. In the meantime, would you like to see a sneak peek into just one of those scenes? Can you guess what in this scene is from personal experience?
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Blurb for To Tame a Montana Heart...
Running from a past of privilege, deceit, and danger, Travis Simms is ready to settle down. What better place to forget all he left behind than the quiet little Montana town of Lolo Hot Springs? His goal is clear — build a hotel and his own destiny without complications —until one of the town’s most troublesome women captures his attention.
Dusty Larson is hell bent on independence, helping her sister run the Triple D Ranch. She can do anything a man can, and do it better, so she certainly doesn’t need one in her life. The only problem is she seems to attract bad luck and danger...and Travis. Can he tame her wild ways and keep his bachelor status intact — or does he risk losing his heart?
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Excerpt of To Tame a Montana Heart...
The riders loaded up and mounted their horses. Travis called out to warn of an approaching rider just when DeEtte swung her leg over the pommel. The crowd looked around and saw the puff of dust as it plumed, just above the tree line. They waited in anticipation as a buggy came barreling into view.
The prim driver raised her chin in a blatant show of defiance against the shocked stares of the by-standers. The carriage wheels ground over the rocks as it rolled near the barn and stopped. With all the regal bearing of the Queen of England, Justine exited her carriage and walked with determination toward the crowd that now stared at her in open-mouthed confusion.
Travis watched her pull off her gloves and approach the crowd.
“Oh, close your mouth, Cousin. You didn’t think I could hear about this and not come to help did you?” Justine looked at Johnny and turn to scan the rest of the group. “I assume Dusty and Travis will hold down the ranch…congratulations by the way.” She nodded in their direction.
“I will stay in DeEtte’s room and watch over your house.” Justine eyed the little building with apparent speculation. “Is this it?” She glanced at DeEtte and back to the front door. “Charming. Some flower beds out front would make it look better, I think.”
The heel of her shoes echoed off the porch roof when she climbed the steps. Travis looked from one person to another. Each one had a look of bewilderment.
“Do be a good boy and get my luggage from the buggy, Jackson,” she threw over her shoulder and disappeared into the house.
“Odd,” DeEtte said.
Dusty looked from the door in which Justine had disappeared to DeEtte. “Yes it is…but if you think about it, she has always been there for us when we needed her. I just never imagined she would actually come and live on the ranch. Do you think she knows she’ll have to use an outhouse?”
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More about Dawn Luedecke...
A country girl born and bred, Dawn Luedecke has spent most of her life surrounded by horses, country folk, and the wild terrain of Nevada, Idaho and Montana. As a child she would spend many afternoons reading books, watching western classics, and Rogers and Hammerstein movies. When she grew up she decided to leave the quiet country life for a chance to find adventure by serving a successful tour in the United States Coast Guard. During that time she found her soul mate (and alpha male) and started a family and writing career. She enjoys writing historical and paranormal romance and spends as much time as she can working on her current manuscript. For more information visit www.dawnluedecke.com.
Social media links
Website: www.dawnluedecke.com
Twitter: @d_luedecke
To see about prizes and events, go to www.dawnluedecke.com
