Getting to Know Caroline Clemmons

The Write Way Café welcomes author Caroline Clemmons, whose understanding of what a hero is comes from personal experience.

Tell us a little about your McClintock series.
So glad you asked. ☺ The McClintock’s are a close-knit, loving, ranching family that live in the Texas Hill Country near Bandera and Medina. The first in the series was Dallas McClintock in THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE. That book is perma-free at most online vendors. Dallas is injured saving the life of beautiful Cenora O’Neill and ends up trapped in marriage to her to save her from the bully head of a band of Irish Travelers. The second is Cenora’s brother, Finn O’Neill, in O’NEILL’S TEXAS BRIDE. To earn his chance at a ranch, he agrees to work undercover at a coal mine to ferret out a saboteur and clears Stella Clayton’s father of suspicion before he marries Stella. Book three is McCLINTOCK’S RELUCTANT BRIDE and features Josh McClintock and his reluctant bride, Nettie Clayton. In that book, Daniel’s horse is shot and he is pinned with his back on a sharp rock, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. We join Daniel two years later in the current book, DANIEL McCLINTOCK. Clara Van Hoosan comes to the McClintock ranch from Amsterdam as a mechanotherapist, the early name for physical therapist.

If Daniel McClintock was made into a movie, who would play your main characters, and why?
Chris Hemsworth or Hunter Parrish. Actually, no actor matches the vision in my head, but these are the closest I can name.

What or who has been instrumental in or to your writing journey?
My biggest influence has been my husband who I call Hero. I couldn’t accomplish nearly as much without him. My entire family has been supportive, but Hero is my greatest support.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve been given?  What’s your best writing advice for others?
Advice to me: Don’t let someone else steal your dream.
To others: Keep learning and honing your skill—persevere.

What “keepers” are in your home library?
With so many wonderful books available, choosing is difficult. Here are three on which I rely: PRINCE CHARMING by Julie Garwood, LORD PERFECT by Loretta Chase, and FALLON by Louis L’Amour (actually all of his westerns). I reread those about once a year. I love the way Loretta Chase phrases descriptions. Julie Garwood also has a definite way with words and this book includes both English Victorian and American West scenes.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? 
Criticism: A reader said the hero in THE MOST UNSUITABLE HUSBAND was unredeemable. He wasn’t and redeemed himself by the end of the book. As it turns out, all her other reviews were for sweet inspirational.
Compliment: A fan wrote that with my writing she could “see” the characters and places in the book as if she were there.

We’re adding books to our Café menu.  Would your book be a drink, an appetizer, an entrée or a dessert?  What would you call it? 
The entrée because there’s meat in it and it gives food for thought as well as entertaining the reader.

What is your favorite social media?  Why?
Facebook because one sees the photo of the person and can interact with many from one comment.

Do you have any compulsions you must do for no particular reason?
To accomplish my best writing, I must be in my office alone at my desktop. That’s where I write faster and where I prefer to spend my time. I’m happy there in what my family calls my “pink writing cave”. When writing, I listen to classical music on Pandora.

Tell us about the book in your closet.
I have a 4-part series of women’s fiction I may get around to one of these days in the not-too-distant future.

And now for the fun stuff! 

What is your biggest shopping downfall?
Books, of course! Books, books, and more books—both paper and e-books. Most of my paper books are for reference for writing. When purchasing a book to read, I choose an e-book unless the cost is the same as the paper book.

Are you a glass half empty or glass half full personality? 
I’m a glass half full person, also keeping in mind the glass can be refilled.

What is something you do that people would be surprised at?
I enjoy genealogy. I’ve contributed to several genealogical journals and have written family books for my mother-in-law’s family and my mom’s family. In addition, my brother and I collected material, anecdotes, and photos for a book on my father’s family.

Are you a dog/cat/other person?
Both.  Hero and I have three cats. Our little shih tzu passed away a year ago and we are just now ready to adopt another. All our pets have been rescues.

What is your favorite season and why?
Spring is my favorite. Spring is such a hopeful time of year.

A compassionate woman…
Clara Van Hoosan entered training when she finished school at sixteen. Now, at twenty-two, she is one of the best heilgymnast in the new field of mechanotherapy. When her supervisor receives a request for someone to travel to Texas in America and help a paralytic patient, Clara is pleased to accept. On her arrival in McClintock Falls, she is surprised that the patient she thought would be a teenage boy is a very handsome man her age.

A desperate man…
Two years ago Daniel McClintock was paralyzed from the waist down. He is deeply discouraged and wonders if he is bound to live his life an invalid. Each week he becomes more depressed although not idle. He keeps books for the ranch and paints landscapes with sales donated to the church. The local doctor learns of a new type of treatment developed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Daniel can’t go there, so his family writes for a therapist trained in the new treatment to come to them.

A surprise arrives…
Everyone is expecting a man when Clara Van Hoosan arrives. As she and Daniel work together, they become attracted. She believes his is the normal attachment a patient feels toward a therapist and will fade once he’s healed. She tries to hide her feelings for him. Daniel knows she’s The One if only he can convince her to remain in McClintock Falls.

Amazon

About Caroline:
     Through a crazy twist of fate, Caroline Clemmons was not born on a Texas ranch. To make up for this tragic error, she writes about handsome cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains in a small office her family calls her pink cave. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas cowboy country where they ride herd on their rescued cats and dogs. The books she creates there have made her an Amazon bestselling author and won several awards. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest.
     Click on her Amazon Author Page for a complete list of her books and follow her there.
Follow her on BookBub.
     Subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter here to receive a FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE, a humorous historical wedding disaster that ends happily—but you knew it would, didn’t you?
     She loves to hear from readers at caroline@carolineclemmons.com.

The Bride Brigade: Rachel by Caroline Clemmons

Don't give up. Don't let anyone steal your dream. The Write Way Café welcomes Caroline Clemmons, who shares this advice and interesting information about her book, Rachel.

Tell us a little about your RACHEL and the Bride Brigade Series.
     Mail-order brides are popular in western historical romances and I’ve written several. For this series, I wanted to twist the idea and had a wealthy young widow go East to recruit suitable young women to bring back to her town of Tarnation, Texas. Many of the bachelors there need wives but hate to take a chance on a mail-order bride. A couple have even moved to larger towns with a more diverse population. The women who come to Tarnation are (in the order of their books) JOSEPHINE, ANGELINE, CASSANDRA, OPHELIA, RACHEL, LORRAINE, and PRUDENCE.
     RACHEL has just been released from three years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, embezzling from the firm for whom she is bookkeeper. Only her older brother and his fiancée believe in her innocence. She needs a fresh start and applies to the young widow and her friend to go west. Once there, she is interested in the owner of the freight company and agrees to keep his books. She worries about what would happen if he learned of her past. He’s a former Pinkerton agent and that complicates her fears.

If RACHEL was made into a movie, who would play the main characters in your book, and why?
     Chris Hemsworth as the hero, Zane Evans, and Jessica Alba as Rachel. They are closest to the images in my head. However, the characters in my head are unique and not like any movie or television stars. That fact makes this a hard question. ☺

What or who has been instrumental in or to your writing journey?
     A lot of people have helped me along the way. However, my husband has been my greatest supporter. He has encouraged me every step of my journey and did his best to ensure I have a good computer, comfortable desk chair, and other writing aids. Now that I’m self-publishing, he is my formatter and uploader as well as assisting me any way he can. Since he retired, he does the cooking and his laundry so I have more time to write. You can see why I call him Hero.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve been given?  What’s your best writing advice for others?
     Don’t compare yourself to other writers.
     To other writers I advise: Hone your craft. Find good critique partners who are strong in your areas of weakness. Don’t give up. Don’t let anyone steal your dream.

What “keepers” are in your home library?
     Keepers are books that I reread plus all the books by Louis L’Amour, Jayne Ann Krentz (all 3 writing names), Nora Roberts, and Agatha Christie. Those I reread include PRINCE CHARMING by Julie Garwood, LORD PERFECT by Loretta Chase, THE PROMISE OF JENNY JONES by Maggie Osbourne, and FALLON by Louis L’Amour.  Of course, I have my critique partner, Geri Foster’s, WOMEN OF COURAGE and her Falcon series.

If you could be a character in any book you’ve read (or written), which character would you be and why?
     Taylor Stapleton in Julie Garwood’s PRINCE CHARMING. She was an elegant woman who adapted to every situation. She had compassion and skills she needed to achieve her goals.

What book do you wish you could have written?
     There are so many that fall into that category! Any of those that are my keepers plus many of my current favorites, which include Linda Lael Miller. There are so many good authors.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
     I try not to react to bad reviews because we all have our preferences but one was hard not to answer. A person who (from her profile) usually only reads Christian books gave me a 1 star review on a book that was a top pick by Romantic Times. Her reason—it had sex. Since the description online states “sensual”, I had to sit on my hands not to reply to her.
     Best compliments are emails from fans telling me how much they enjoy my books or a book in particular. Fans are the best!

We’re adding books to our Café menu.  Would your book be a drink, an appetizer, an entrée or a dessert?  What would you call it?  
     RACHEL has enough meat to be an entrée, but since it’s under 50K words, I think it should be labeled an appetizer.

What is your favorite social media?  Why?
     I guess I’m a Facebook junkie. I love connecting with readers and other writers who live across the country/globe. Through Facebook, I can interact with people with whom I’ll never meet in person and keep up with those I see only occasionally.

And now for the fun stuff!  

What is your biggest shopping downfall?
     Books are my Achilles heel. I have tons of research books (which I like in paper) and the fiction that I reread. This is in addition those I have on my Kindle.

Are you a glass half empty or glass half full personality?
     I’m a glass half full person. I have a Pollyanna-ish outlook and always expect things to get better/turn out well.

Are you a dog/cat/other person?
     I guess other because I love cats and dogs. We have three cats, but our little dog died this week, so we’re missing him a lot and are sad now.

What is your favorite season and why?
     Definitely fall. Weather is cooling off and we have the holidays to look forward to. Also, we have the lovely fall leaves. And, we know we have months before the weather turns hot again.

Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
     Although I wake up about seven, I’m pretty much on autopilot until ten or eleven mornings. I enjoy writing until about two or three when the world is quiet.  While this seems strange to my early-to-rise husband and eldest daughter, I know many other writers who work late at night.

A shameful past…

Rachel Ross secret haunts her. She joins other women leaving Virginia for Texas, object matrimony. Vowing never to trust again, she is rebuilding her life. She likes the dusty little town of Tarnation and is attracted to Zane Evans. Her past has made her cautious, but she allows him to court her.

Zane Evans is a former Pinkerton agent who wants to forget all he saw in that profession and the war and found a good life in Tarnation, Texas. He has carefully planned his future. When he meets Rachel, he is instantly attracted.

One event reveals her past in a spectacular way. Will Zane forgive her silence?

Amazon


About Caroline:

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling and award winning author of historical and contemporary western romances. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys family, reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, and getting together with friends. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, WattPad, Shelfari, and Pinterest. Subscribe to her newsletter here to receive a FREE copy of the novella Happy Is The Bride.

Caroline Clemmons Releases Kindle World Novel

The Write Way Café welcomes author Caroline Clemmons. She shares her experience stretching her skills in writing a Kindle World novel.

MY NEW RELEASE, AMANDA’S RANCHER, A KINDLE WORLD NOVEL

This is my first experience with writing for a Kindle World. The one I’m part of is Debra Holland’s Montana Sky Series. I am a fan of Debra’s books and am thrilled to have been included in her Montana Sky Series.

Another first for me is writing a book set in Montana. Most of my books are set in Texas except for one novella in Georgia, Long Way Home, and a novel in Colorado, The Surprise Brides: Jamie.

Writers have to keep stretching and engaging in new forms of their craft so they don’t go stale.  I’m freely admitting that this book about ate my lunch. While I had read Debra Holland’s books, I had to reread her Mail-Order Brides of the West to jot down all the names and descriptions. I believe I have portrayed them true to her books.

When the world is one I’ve created, I have the setting and characters firmly in my mind. While I remembered the characters from Debra’s books, that didn’t mean I could describe them. I also had to visualize the setting she’d laid out. Fortunately, one of the other authors in the world, Lou Nelson, worked with Debra and created a map. What a help!

Believe me, I did stretch myself with Amanda's Rancher! I worried so much writing this book that I about made myself sick. However, my beta readers told me it’s a great book. Readers have received it well and my Amazon rating is great so far. You can imagine my relief! I always want my books to be great reads, but I never know how they will affect other readers.

My story in this world is Amanda's Rancher. Here’s the blurb:

One desperate young woman.
A chance meeting.
A life-changing outcome.

Growing up in a brothel, Mara O'Sullivan battled public disdain and contempt, but always remained kind-hearted and gracious. After testifying against vicious bank robbers, her life is threatened and Mara must find sanctuary far from everything she knows.

One train ride changes her life as she fatefully meets a half-sister and a niece she never knew existed. But when circumstances end her sister's life, Mara makes a promise that she'll raise her niece as her own and take her sister's place as Preston Kincaid's mail-order-bride. As Mara and Preston grow closer, their marriage no longer seems like a ruse, but a relationship of love, passion, and desire.

Mara's past comes back to haunt her and she finds herself in danger—will her new husband forgive Mara's deceit and protect her as his own?

Here’s an excerpt of Amanda's Rancher:

They reached the church and Preston jumped down from the wagon and came around to help her alight. With a smile, he lifted Iris high over his head before he set her on the ground. Her giggle brought tears to Amanda’s eyes.

That was the first time she’d ever heard her daughter make the girlish sound. Iris had smiled, spoken, but never laughed until she met Preston Kincaid. For that alone, Amanda would be the best wife she knew how to be.

Inside the church, Mrs. Norton handed Amanda a bouquet of daisies secured with a white ribbon. The interior was plain with wooden benches and an altar raised one step above the rest of the floor. Although there were several windows, none had stained-glass as did the churches she’d seen in Georgia.

The minister was waiting at the front of the church and wore a black frock coat and matching string tie. His brown hair and beard were thickly streaked with gray. He stood at a simple lectern with what looked like a Bible in one hand while he conversed with another man.

Amanda was surprised only one other person besides Reverend and Mrs. Norton were in the sanctuary. She’d supposed Preston had many friends in the area and thought at least his ranch hands would attend. The second man turned and proved to be an older version of her groom who came forward to greet her.

Preston cupped her elbow. “Amanda and Iris, this is my father. Most folks call him Tom, but I call him Papa.”

Amanda smiled at the handsome man who must be around fifty. He was tall, but maybe an inch shorter than his son. Silver sprinkled the same dark hair. “May I call you Papa, too?”

He beamed his pleasure and his blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “I’d be honored. And in the absence of your father, may I walk you down the aisle?”

“Would you? I’d be ever so grateful.” She laid her hand on his arm. Nerves had set in and she needed his support or her knees might give way.

Preston said, “Iris, why don’t you stand with me while my papa walks Mama to meet us?”

Iris shook her head. “Mommy, not my old mama?”

Preston frowned. “Old mama?”

Panic sent bile into her throat that threatened to choke her. Don’t throw up on your wedding dress. “Perhaps you remember my mother recently died.”

Sympathy shone from his blue eyes. “Of course.” He took Iris’ hand in his and strode to the front.
Mrs. Norton began playing the piano. She nodded toward Amanda. Papa Kincaid gently led her up the aisle.

Walking toward her husband, Amanda was conscious of Preston’s stare, as if he could see into her mind and knew her for an impostor. Although he held Iris’ hand, the intensity of his blue gaze unnerved her. She wondered if he was disappointed or if he were as numb as she.

Thankful for the presence of her future father-in-law beside her, she tightened her hold on Mr. Kincaid’s arm.

In response, he patted her hand her where it laid on his sleeve. Without looking at her, he whispered. “Steady as you go. We’re almost there.”

Iris gave a tiny wave and Amanda couldn’t resist smiling at the child. The little girl truly was a blessing. Focusing on Iris gave Amanda a target she could face.

When they reached the front, Mrs. Norton ceased playing. Preston took the bouquet from Amanda’s hands. “Iris, would you hold this for Mommy so she and I can be married?”

Iris looked at him adoringly and reached to receive the flowers. Reverend Norton opened his Bible and began the ceremony. Preston took Amanda’s hands in his. She was conscious of his calluses, but also of the size and strength of his palms dwarfing hers.

When the minister indicated, Preston slipped a ring onto her finger. This new one belongs to me, even if my groom doesn’t know my true name.

After the ceremony, Preston brushed his lips gently against hers.

Iris clapped a hand across her mouth in surprise then said, “Mommy? That man kissed you.”

Preston knelt eye-to-eye with her. “I’m your new Daddy, remember? Mommy and I were just married and now I can kiss her whenever she says it’s okay. Do you think you can call me Daddy?”

Iris nodded. “Are you gonna kiss me too?”

He smiled broadly. “I certainly am.” He leaned forward and gave her a loud smack on the cheek.

The child giggled. Twice in one day this kind man had made Iris happy. Amanda owed Preston all her wifely devotion.

Amazon

I hope you’ll give Amanda's Rancher a try and let me know how you like it. If you like it, please leave a review on Amazon! Positive reviews are so helpful to authors. Many venues won’t let us promote unless we have a certain number of 4 and 5 star reviews.

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About Caroline:

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling and award winning author of historical and contemporary western romances. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys family, reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, and getting together with friends. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, WattPad, Shelfari, and Pinterest. Subscribe to her newsletter here to receive a FREE copy of the novella Happy Is The Bride.

An Interview with Caroline Clemmons

The Write Way Café welcomes author Caroline Clemmons. Caroline writes from the heart and people and experiences in her life may show up in her stories.

When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book? Was that first thought related to writing romance?
I always enjoyed making up adventures but hadn’t written them down until my mother-in-law suggested I write a book. Since she never really approved of me, I was surprised. My husband also encouraged me and still does. The first book I wrote was pretty lame. Until I joined RWA and attended a local chapter, I didn’t understand sexual tension, character arc, and all the other components of a good story.

What was your path to getting this book written and published? What type of research did you do?
Gabe Kincaid required unique research because it involves a traveling circus—not one like P. T. Barnum but a small, less exotic show. The nineteenth-century circus was a bit different from those we see today. That’s especially true of those that relied on horse-drawn wagons rather than railroad cars.  As for publishing, I’ve been with a traditional New York publisher, a small press, and self-published. I am only self-publishing now. The control and rapid process empowers an author. Of course, I still have an editor check my book before I publish. Kim Killion did the cover for the Kincaid books and I really love them. 

Where did the idea for your story come from? 
I wanted Gabe to be the hero, but he was far too serious a young man. To liven up his life, he needed a heroine who could incite all his emotions. She initially appears in her home, and we next meet her in Kincaid Springs. For a hero who takes life much too seriously, what could be better than a circus fortune teller as his heroine? Of course, she is only masquerading in the circus to escape the two men determined to kill her, but Gabe doesn’t know that when he meets her and is assigned to represent her after a brawl at the circus.

Why did you pick the setting you did?
The town of Kincaid Springs was established in the first of the Kincaid series, so I only had to bring the characters together there. As I mentioned above, the circus was just to mix up Gabe. Kincaid Springs is fictitious, but supposedly thirty miles from Austin, Texas in the central hill country. The first book in the series was set in 1878 but now we’re up to 1887 and more books are planned for this series.

Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
My family say we are each the sum of all our experiences. I believe all my characters are a reflection of myself and people I’ve known or read about throughout my life. However, each is entirely fictional and in general, no character represents an actual person. The possible exception is that the first Kincaid novel, The Most Unsuitable Wife, was based on a brief anecdote my grandmother shared with me about a girl from her tiny Tennessee hometown. She didn’t know what happened to the girl, so I decided she deserved a happy ending. In addition, I named a character in Save Your Heart For Me after my mom, but the character is really not like her. Two characters sort of patterned after my mom and her sister are the aunts, Maggie Jo and Lizzie Mae, in the Stone Mountain series. When they were together, my mom and aunt could be such fun. Either one would have done anything for her children. Even though they are secondary characters,  those two are among my favorites.

Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
I do have a laptop, but prefer to use my desktop PC. My office is small, but I love my “pink cave” and enjoy writing there. The space includes a wall of book cases, my corner computer desk with shelves, a large desk for my printer and my cat, and glassed-door shelves over the desk for my mementos. My desk chair is comfy, and I can happily spend most of each day sitting there. The rest of the walls are covered with prints, family photos, and other objects that give me pleasure.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m completing a Christmas novella titled Stone Mountain Christmas, which will be released in a few weeks. The Stone Mountain series is set earlier than the Kincaid books. The Christmas novella is set in North Central Texas in 1874 in the Palo Pinto Mountains. Although geologically they’re mountains, for the most part  they resemble large hills.

Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre?  Which one and why? 
I’ve dabbled with contemporary romance and mysteries and have a women’s fiction plotted. The problem (although it’s hardly a problem) is that I enjoy writing western historical romance more than anything else. For now, why change? We do have to keep stretching and growing, though, and I’ve recently been involved writing one of a linked duet with Jaquie Rogers titled Mail-Order Tangle. That was a fun project and we are pleased with the way our books turned out. Mine is first and set in Texas (where I set all my books), Mail-Order Promise.  Her Mail-Order Ruckus is set in Owyhee County, Idaho and takes up where mine stopped—and we think she does so seamlessly. The heroes of the two books are cousins and the heroines are sisters.

If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
I can’t imagine not writing, but I suppose an antique dealer. My youngest daughter and I used to have antique booths in a couple of malls and enjoyed ourselves even though we weren’t the best at it.  We wanted to keep all the neat stuff we found instead of selling the items. ☺  She’s still in the business in addition to her job as a school librarian, but I concentrate on writing.

What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
Social media and marketing. I just want to write, but the aforementioned is time consuming. Basically, I’m introverted and not great on social media, appearances, etc. They’re a part of the business, though.

About Caroline:  Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary western romances whose books have garnered numerous awards. Her latest release is Gabe Kincaid, book four of her popular Kincaid series. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.
     Caroline is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Romance Writers chapters of Yellow Rose, From The Heart, and Hearts Through History. Her latest publications include the acclaimed historical Men of Stone Mountain series:  Brazos Bride, High Stakes Bride, and Bluebonnet Bride and the audio books of Brazos Bride and High Stakes Bride.
     Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. Prior to writing full time, her jobs included stay-at-home mom (her favorite), secretary, newspaper reporter and featured columnist, assistant to the managing editor of a psychology journal, bookkeeper for the local tax assessor and—for a short and fun time—an  antique dealer. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, painting, and getting together with family and friends. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, WattPad, Shelfari, and Pinterest.



Gabe Kincaid buy links:

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