With:  Counterfeit Cowboy

Thank you for coming today, Gail. I’m thrilled to have you and your lovely book with me on the Ranch! 🙂

How did the writer’s journey begin for you?

From my earliest memories, my mother read to me daily.  Perhaps she read to me before I was borne.  I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn she had.  From those early days (I can’t remember when) I longed to make up stories of my own.  As soon as I could write, I began composing tales.  For years I hid them under my bed, too shy to admit my longing to be an author.  One day when I was married with three pre-schoolers,  my husband (who’s become privy to my secret desire), to my great chagrin, enrolled me in the writing course at the local high school.  I couldn’t attend,  I protested.  The others in the class were already writing and publishing. I wouldn’t belong.  But he forced me to attend.

Four months later my first story appeared in print, thanks to the urging of a persistent writing teacher.  Now, with book number 30 recently contracted, I realize how very much I owe to three remarkable people:  my mother, my husband, and a writing teacher named Jackie.

Tell us three things about you-the writer-readers wouldn’t typically know.

1. I’m painfully shy.  Book promotion is the one thing about writing I don’t enjoy.

2. I entered university when my youngest child entered first grade.  Taking a course here and there when time and finances allowed, I completed my degree twelve years later when my eldest completed hers.

3. I started taking riding lessons at age fifty to realize a dream I’d had all my life.  I’ve never become a good rider but I did learn enough to be able to write some humorous scenes concerning novice riders in Counterfeit Cowboy.

It all began when…

The idea for the book and my desire to fulfill my dream of learning to ride arrived together.  “What if a country western singer who couldn’t ride a carousel had to learn to ride to cover a movie contract?  What if  his lessons had to be kept secret from his fans?  What if…”

Coulsn’t ride a carousel horse– As a horse person all my life– Love. It! Where did you get the premise for this book?

Setting the book on the horse farm where I took riding lessons was a start.  Then my riding teacher Shirley slowly became Shelby, the heroine of the book.  I put this together with the non-riding singing sensation and I was off…

Sounds like you use real people for your books in a way. Cool. What stands out about this story that made writing it different for you?

I think I’d have to say a larger cast of characters than I usually deal with in a romance.  As the story progressed,  more and more amazing characters arrived in my imagination, characters who couldn’t be denied their place in the story.  And each one I knew intimately.

So-o-o does that mean a possible series ahead? 🙂 Were there any difficult challenges or special subject matter you came across while writing this book?

Oh, my, the love scenes.  My terrible shyness makes these the most difficult.  I always get the feeling I’m somehow betraying my characters by going beyond the bedroom door. 

Love scenes trip me up too, Gail. My thing is ‘what will people who know me think if I write that?!’ LOL I guess we have to get past those issues, right? What about this book would make us want to read it more than others of similar taste?

Most definitely the characters.  Each stands out vividly in their own way, good and bad.  I’m hoping at least some of them will stay in readers’ minds for some time to come.

I think we all want to write that memorable book. What do you want readers to take away from this book?

Hmmm.  I think I’d most like readers to leave the book with a feeling of contentment and satisfaction…God’s in his heaven and things are mostly right in his world. 

I like that thought. Tell us about the finished book. Is there anything special we might not know after reading it?

I’d like readers to know that the filly Fancy who is featured in the story was a real horse.  She lived on my friend’s ranch in British Columbia. At two years of age, Fancy was killed in a terrible accident.  The book is a tribute to this wonderful little animal who lived so briefly but so beautifully.

Counterfeit Cowboy – Blurb:

“Nothing but a counterfeit cowboy.”  That’s how veterinarian and horse farm owner Dr. Shelby Masters contemptuously describes the number-one male country music singer.  Strapped for cash when her prize stallion is stolen, she is forced to spend six weeks with the man, teaching him enough to do his own riding in the western movie he’s signed for.

Jordan Brooks can sing and play a guitar but he can’t ride a horse.  He has a month and a half in which to learn and he just might give strait-laced and distanced Shelby a few lessons of his own.  For instance, how to make the most of warm summer’s night on a moonlit beach…

Excerpt:

“Hang on, cowboy.” She put her heels to the mare’s sides.

“Hey!” His arms clamped around her as the animal broke into a lope. “Slow down! I haven’t got a saddle underneath me!”

Sensations he’d been fighting burst over him in a fury of desire for the woman in his arms.

It must be true. Death-defying situations intensify sexual awareness. Damn, where did I read that? In one of the porn magazines one of the kids left lying around the bus? Ah, man!

By the time they’d reached the field behind the barn, he’d more or less gotten into the rhythm of the horse’s gait and was able to relax his grip, but that hadn’t helped to alleviate the feelings he’d been experiencing for the past few minutes. He blinked and shook his head. He wanted that woman with a fierceness that startled him.

“You get off first.” She kicked her foot out of the left stirrup as she drew up beside the barn. “I’ll cool Fancy down while you bring Candy out of her stall and put her into the cross ties. Today it will be saddling up and lunging 101.”

“Sure, fine.” He swung his leg over the mare’s rump, ignored the proffered stirrup, and slid to the ground with a grunt.

“You look as if you could do with a bit of cooling off yourself.” She shot him a sly sidewise glance before she clucked to the mare and sent her trotting toward the paddock.

Great. Cool the horse down. You’re lucky I’m a gentleman, Doctor.

***

 I’m adding it to my TBR! Where can readers find you and your books?

My website: http://www.gailmacmillan.ca/ (click the RED button)

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tollerbeagle44

and Facebook

The book is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon. Uk.co

Is there anything else you want to share or add?

I really love hearing from readers who have enjoyed the book.  Your e-mails always make my day.

Huge thanks for braving the shy-bug and hanging out today, Gail. I get that. I’m slowly coming out of my own shyness issues but it’s not easy. Thanks for sharing a great-sounding book.