The Write Way Café welcomes Allison B. Collins, who dreamed a little dream and brought her Cowboys to Grooms stories to life.When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book?
Not too long ago, I found a little booklet we had done in first grade. One of the questions was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My answer? A writer!
What was your path to getting The Montana Cowboy’s Triplets written and published? What type of research did you do?
This is the third book in my Cowboys to Grooms series. I wrote the first book about a wounded veteran returning home from war to his family ranch, pitched the idea to a Harlequin editor at the Romance Writers of America conference. The editor liked the pitch, asked for the manuscript, and I submitted the synopses for the next two books as well, and sold all three! As for research, my husband and I have vacationed a couple of times in Montana, and I fell in love with the area, so it was easy to picture the stories unfolding there. Pinterest is also my best friend. I’ve got boards for each book set up, with who I think the characters look like, what the ranch looks like, the horses, etc.
Where did the idea for the Cowboys to Grooms series come from?
A couple of years ago I had a dream about five brothers who owned a guest ranch in Montana. It was so vivid – I saw the wounded brother coming home from the war, the veterinarian, the charmer, the rebel, and the brother who runs it all. Their future wives were in the dream as well!
Why did you pick the setting you did?
I love Montana, with the wide-open spaces, the majestic mountains, the crystal-clear water. I knew I wanted the ranch to be a luxury guest ranch, with a main lodge, large cabins surrounding the lake, plenty of room for several barns, and most of all, peace and quiet.
Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
The characters are imaginary, but I had inspiration for what each one looks like. I’m a very visual person, so it helps if I can look at a picture to describe facial features, the way they move, and so on. Here’s a little secret: the youngest brother, Hunter Sullivan, looks like Jensen Ackles! And like the character Jensen plays on Supernatural - Dean, Hunter loves pies. Especially the pies his brother Wyatt makes! I think every writer has some part of him/herself in their characters, even if we don’t see it. My heroines all have aspects that I’d like to have. For instance, MacKenzie in book three is a stuntwoman. She’s fearless, brave, and has no qualms doing stunts that I’d never even dream of doing!
Did you face any blocks while writing The Montana Cowboy’s Triplets and other books in the series, and if so, how did you handle them?
I was at a weekend retreat last summer, working on the edits for this book, when my mother suddenly passed away. Everything went on hold while we drove out to El Paso to handle everything. My wonderful editor agreed we could push my due date back, so I was able to get them done at a later date. The realization that I was the only one left of my immediate family was difficult, so I threw myself into the world of a big family. I had to put books four and five on hold as it’s taken almost a year to settle the estate, then pack up and move her household to ours. Now comes the sorting!
What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about cowboys, guest ranches, and stuntwomen?
I learned how much I really like writing about large families—the dynamics, the relationships each brother has with the others, how they feel about their own position in the family. For the writing process, since I’m writing a series of five books, it’s important to keep minor details handy. I created an Excel spreadsheet that includes each character and all their details so I have an easy reference to look back on if I get stuck on someone’s eye or hair color. For research, growing up in Texas, I’ve always had a thing for cowboys, so it was a real chore doing research on them (LOL). I took a workshop at RWA last year about cowboys and picked up a lot of great ideas from the panelists. While I wanted a luxury guest ranch so I could write about fabulous cabins, I wanted to convey it’s the people, the land, their work that these men care about the most, and I hope that comes through in my stories. When I created the character of MacKenzie Campbell, my stuntwoman, I had to read a lot about the job. She’s the complete opposite of the type of woman Hunter usually likes—she can outride and outshoot a lot of men. She’s also a great story teller, and she tells the Triples stories about her homeland of Scotland, including castles, ghosts and the Loch Ness Monster!
Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
I’ve got a wonderful writing space set up in my craft room. Alas, it’s overrun with boxes of books and crafts from my mother’s house. So for now I write in my huge recliner in the den, with all my writing paraphernalia on the bench next to me. I set my laptop on a pillow so it’s easier on my arms, and our Momma Kitty usually joins me to nap on half the pillow. She tends to shift and scoot around until she’s got the whole pillow and I’ve got the laptop sitting on the arm of the chair, with the mouse hanging off the side!
What are some of your favorite books and why?
Most favorite of all is “What Happens in London” by Julia Quinn. I love the characters, the dialogue. The first glance at Olivia Belestoke, and you think she’s a prim and proper girl of Society. Then you find out she’s snarky, and funny, and doesn’t think twice about spying on the bachelor neighbor who is rumored to have killed his fiancée. Another beloved book is “Little Women”. I still have the book my grandmother had growing up! Magical (and Magickal) stories are among my favorites as well. Nora Roberts’ trilogies are the best: The Key Trilogy, Sign of Seven Trilogy, The Guardians Trilogy are all ones I’ve reread twice so far this year.
What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
Conflict. I don’t like conflict in my own life so it’s hard to throw bad stuff at my characters!
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the fourth book in the Cowboys to Grooms series, as well as another book about a billionaire and his assistant.
Who is your favorite hero/heroine?
Sir Harry Valentine and Lady Olivia Bevelstoke. They can’t stand each other upon first meeting, then their snark comes out. Their dialogue and banter is amazing. From my own writing, it’s always the current hero and heroine that I’m working on.
Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre? Which one and why?
Yes! I have a Paranormal Romance about witches that is on the back burner. I also have an idea for a Cozy Mystery series. I love Cozies because they aren’t deep and dark, and there’s usually a theme to them, such as knitting, glass-blowing, crafting, cooking.
If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
Nature photographer or book store owner.
Triple threatStuntwoman Mackenzie Campbell is at the Sullivan Guest Ranch to film a movie, not swoon over smooth-talking rancher Hunter Sullivan. The rugged cowboy is everything her mother warned her about in a man. But when a mix-up leaves Mackenzie without a room, she finds herself bunking with Hunter and his rambunctious six-year-old triplet sons.
Devoted single father is not a side of Hunter that Mackenzie expected—it’s completely at odds with his flirty, charming personality. Mackenzie has fallen for Hunter and his boys, but that doesn’t change the fact that once filming is over, she’s moving on to wherever her next job takes her. Although her heart may not be coming with her...
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Award winning author Allison B. Collins believes everyone deserves their happily ever after. Her main love is writing Contemporary Romance, but she has Paranormal Romance and Romantic Suspense projects in the works. While her current heroes are the rugged, handsome cowboys of Montana, she's planning to write happily ever afters in settings all over the world.
Allison and her husband of thirty years reside in Dallas with four lovable, rambunctious cats.
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