Meet My Character Blog Tour

Author Laura Walker, a new author to the scene of YA LDS romance wrote, Pierced By Love, has tagged me as part of a character blog tour. She has been an unexpected gift in my writing life. When I found out she liked to write I invited her to be a part of American Night Writers Association (ANWA). Well, in a few months (not even being to a meeting yet) she literally wrote a whole manuscript, had it submitted, and accepted. All it took was to put a little bug in her ear that she should write and she took off…like a rocket. Now she has several other manuscripts in various stages of development. I’m grateful to have her to experience the writing world with.

Where does your story take place?

Haley’s Song is a YA historical western romance that takes place in my neck of the woods of Southeast Arizona in the cotton fields and eventually to the pines of the mountains in a place called Eagle Creek. They say write about what you know… I know cotton and cattle thanks to my awesome hubster.

What is the name of your character? Is he/she historical or fictional?

Haley is a fictional character but her problems of abuse and feeling like an outcast are very real for some individuals. I think many people can relate to her on some level. Although she is purely fictional some of the other characters may or may not be modeled after people I know. Word of advice…Don’t ever tick off a writer because they may kill you off in their next book. ;)

What should we know about her?

Haley comes from a home of an abusive father so she has trust issues when it comes to men. She is a scrapper of sorts. You can throw her into horrible situations (liked locked inside a burning barn) and she seems to come out of them a little beaten up but still swinging for all she’s worth. She has fire in her. She can kill a rattlesnake one moment and sing a lullaby the next. Her trust issue and past scars are eventually healed by the kind men she works for on a cattle ranch—it sort of turned into a western version of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. In the end her prince charming in cowboy boots wins her trust and love.

What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?

Escaping an arranged marriage to an old drunk, letting go of past hurts, and putting your trust into complete strangers who happen to be all men can be quite conflicting. When the main villan finds Haley she has to decide whether or not to face her fears or run. She decides end her problems once and for all. Everything is on the line; her budding romance with a particular cowboy, the safety of her new family, and ultimately her life.

What is the personal goal of the character?

In the beginning Haley’s main and only goal was survival. Lets face it, she has it rough—living on a barely surviving cotton farm and being abused almost daily is no walk in the park. Things get even scarier when she almost is burned alive in a barn fire. But she evolves as the story does. She works on learning that not all men are bad and letting go of the past opens up her heart to accept love.

When can we expect the book to be published?

Haley’s Song will be released in December 2014.  It will be available in trade paperback, e-books, and audio.  You can also view Haley’s Song in e-books at Amazon, Nook, All Romance, Kobo, and Overdrive.  The audio will be available at Audible. The paperback version is available through major online outlets and independent bookstores.

The author I highly suggest checking out is Debra Efert, author of Relative Evil.  It is a romantic suspense released July 25, 2014. http://debraerfert.blogspot.com