TBR: Welcome to TBR, Amanda. Will
you share a little bit about yourself?
Amanda: I’m still working on the process of the
whole, but I’m a mother of four, live in the rural Midwest. I began writing
after the birth of my last two children-twins, when I needed to stay home. I
wrote a weekly newspaper column for seven years on the vital importance of the
fine arts education in schools and then crossed over into reviewing and finally
took the step to fiction writing about eleven years ago. I view writing as any
other creative endeavor-I’m not interested in the art of the storytelling, in
painting a picture in your mind with words. To evoke emotions from my readers.
TBR: Tell us about RUGGED HEARTS and
where it's available.
Amanda: Rugged Hearts is the first in my Kinnison
Legacy Contemporary romance series. Set in End of the Line, Montana it tells
the stories of three formidable men-Wyatt, Rein and Dalton--and the women who
will tame them. Though the story is a holiday set, the E-book was released in a
special launch for the RT Booklovers E-Expo with the print to follow in late
summer at the authors request. It is available at Amazon, where its enjoyed
staying in the top 100 bestsellers in western romance since its release two
weeks ago. It’s available also at all e-book distributors, including Decadent
Publishing, All Romance E-books and Smashwords.
TBR: Please tantalize us with a
story blurb or excerpt.
Amanda: Excerpt from RUGGED HEARTS: (**Set-up; Wyatt after a long time of not
stepping foot in a bar, decides to go to Dustys where Aimee is heading up a
karaoke fundraiser for the food bank in town and an unruly admirer gets too
friendly with her and Wyatt’s patience with the guy snaps causing a ruckus that
carries out to the parking lot.)
Show’s
over, folks. Back inside.” Dusty stood at the top of the steps with his arms
folded across his chest. He blocked the way of the troublemakers. “Where do you
think you boys are going?”
“Inside
for a drink.” One of the men punched his fist into the air.
“You
all right, Wyatt?” Dusty called to him.
“I’m
fine and sorry about the table, Dusty. I’ll replace it.”
“Damn
right, you will. You want to press charges? Sheriff’s just a phone call away.”
“Nope,
I suppose in a way I had it comin’,” Wyatt responded.
“And
you, dumb ass?” Dusty spoke directly to the bloodied man. He shook his head.
Dusty nodded. “Good. Now you boys get on out of here. The rest of you, let’s
get back inside and remember the real reason we came here tonight.”
Aimee
brushed the snow from her coat.
“Do
me a favor, you two,” Wyatt spoke to his brothers. “Could you take care of the
cleanup and help Aimee when it’s over?”
“And
just where do you think you’re going?” Aimee asked in surprise.
“Home.
Where I should have stayed.”
“Hell,
no.” Aimee turned and called to Dalton. “Tell Sally I had to leave.”
Dalton
waved in response, but tossed a smile at Rein.
She
faced Wyatt. “You and I are going to have this out come hell or high water
tonight. My place is closer. Take me home.” She breezed past him and climbed
into the cab of his truck.
Wyatt
drove through town and neither spoke. Aimee wanted to thank him for coming, but
she was thinking more about what she was going to say to him when they got
alone.
“Do
you have some ibuprofen?” he asked, his eyes on the road. He hadn’t looked at
her once since getting in the truck.
“Probably,”
she remarked and considered she might need it herself before the night was
over.
They
rode for another few moments in silence.
“I’ll
replace your coat,” he offered.
Aimee
snorted. “You’ve been gunning for my coat since the first time we met.”
He
sighed.
“Take
a right, there in the parking lot. I’m the spot on the end.” Only then did
Aimee realize and thankfully she’d slipped her phone and keys in her coat
pocket. She’d have to call Dusty’s and have Sally get the book bag she’d left
behind the bar. She felt his eyes on her as he followed her up the stairs. She
hoped to find a gentle way of approaching the subject of Jessie, this woman
who’d apparently left a deep scar when she betrayed him and let him know she
wasn’t like her. Aimee let herself in, dropped her keys on the counter, and
turned to face him as he came through the door. “You can hang your hat over
there.”
He
took off his hat, tossed it the counter, and grabbed her shoulders, planting a firm
kiss on her lips.
“We
need to talk,” she cautioned, though the next kiss, gentle this time on the
side of her neck, caused her to rethink the idea. She accepted his mouth on
hers and released a soft groan. She’d missed the taste of him, but they had things
to discuss. Maybe after just one more kiss….
“We
can talk later.” He nuzzled the sweet spot beneath her ear and unzipped her
coat. It fell to the floor. “When you sang tonight….” His cool hands snaked
under the hem of her shirt and she shivered with anticipation. “Was it only
Sarah you thought of? Because I burn for you, Aimee. It started the night you
showed up on my doorstep, and it’s been building ever since. I can’t get you
out of my mind.”
TBR: What inspired you to write
about the theme?
Amanda: No matter what genre I write, my passion
is to take ordinary people and place them in extraordinary circumstances. To
see the evolution of their personas when challenged beyond their comfort
zone—and what rewards and sacrifices result from their decisions. This series
idea started with the combination of a short story I wrote once called
“Stranded with Children” and a Christmas story I’d written for a newspaper
column called the Cowboys Christmas. Together, it inspired the idea for the
series of three unlikely brothers and the obstacles –both personal and
professional—they meet while attempting to live out the legacy of the man who
raised them.
TBR: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Amanda: Both and I prefer to write first draft in
longhand.
TBR: How do you develop your
characters?
Amanda: I research pictures, movies, listen to
music to develop specific details, but I love to take ordinary people and place
them in extraordinary situations. That’s really, I think when a characters
persona shines brightest. At the moment when doing what is right, becomes a
hero or a heroine, in the making.
TBR: Do you have a favorite quote
you’d like to share?
Amanda: I am a quote fanatic. Seriously. But the
one I’ve had taped to my computer for the length of my career is an anonymous
quote that sums up writing and romance in a nutshell, IMO. “The Greatest Risk
Is Not Taking One.”
TBR: Did any music inspire your
book? Do you have a playlist?
Amanda: I do use music. No particular playlist as
I use a variety of music or sometimes silence as inspiration for a particular
scene.
TBR: While creating your books, what
was one of the most surprising things you learned?
Amanda: How alike creating a painting is to
telling a story.
TBR: Tease us with one little thing
about your fictional world that makes it different from others.
Amanda: I don’t know necessarily that its
different from others, but I like to think that I paint pictures, feelings with
words. Many authors will tell you that they can see a movie playing through
their head as they write. And that’s happened to me as well, but mostly I want
my characters to linger long after the book is over. Like a beautiful painting
or piece of art work that sticks with you. Lofty goal and one I may never
really know if I’ve accomplished, but I figure if I’ve fallen in love with my
hero by the end of the book, chances are others will.
TBR: What's next for you?
Amanda: I’m currently at work writing the second
Kinnison Legacy book. I’m always plotting ideas, and some of those include the
release of an historical erotic thriller-possible series and some a rural
romance series that I’m collaborating with a friend on.
TBR: Any other published works?
Amanda: I have a number of historicals and paranormal/celtic
lore books out with Harlequin(HQN and Spice Briefs) I have a time-travel series
called tales fo the Sweet Magnolia (Wild and Unruly and Fallen Angel) as well
as a few novellas at Decadent. I have a WWII set Faery duet with talented Isabo
Kelly over at Crescent Moon Press and an erotic twist on Cupid & Psyche. I
also just recently self-published Unfinished Dreams, which was the
award-winning first full length novel I ever wrote. There seems to be a term
going around called a hybrid. Seems fitting for a gal who is in her
contemporary western romance period.;)
TBR: What’s the most interesting
comment you have received about your books?
Amanda: I’m always humbled and amazed when I
receive emails from readers who tell me how a book affected them. I think the
best one so far involves a reader who literally sat in the parking lot of her
grocery store intending to finish one chapter and wound up reading so long that
the light began to wane. I think she got her groceries finally. LOL To think my
storytelling touches people’s emotions is why I do what I do. It’s terrifying
and at the same time, inspiring.
TBR: Who are some of your favorite
authors and books? What are you reading now?
Amanda : I have far too many fav authors to
name-and some of them I’ve read. ;) My book tastes are eclectic as is my music,
so I read everything-literally. News columns, non-fiction, research, historical
, contemporary, paranormal, erotic romance, western romance, and more…Just a
few books on MY keeper shelf: Pink Moon, By Stef Ann Holms (which I am
currently reading for about the umpteenth time) Christmas Knight (Christina
Skye) At Your Command By Donna Kauffman, Colony, by Anne River Siddons, The Shining
by Stephen King, Roan by Jennifer Blake.
TBR: Where can readers find you on
the web?
Website: www.amandamcintyresbooks.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaMcIntyre1
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-McIntyre/e/B002C1KH2Q
TBR: Is there anything you’d like to
ask our readers?
Amanda: I would! I’d love to know what your
readers enjoy reading and what would they like to see more of. Also, how many
now own some type of e-reader?
TBR: Readers, Amanda will give away an
ebook copy of Rugged Hearts to one lucky
commenter. She'll pick a winner on May 24, 2013 and
announce the winner here. Be sure to leave your email address so she can
contact you.
Thanks for visiting TBR, Amanda. All
the best to you.
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