I'd like to introduce you to a historical western writer I met because she was a fan of my books. She has gone on to write multiple books in the historical western genre. I'm not adding a bio here because she tells you everything you may want to know about her in the answers to my questions.
Paty: Why do you write Historical Western
Romance?
Elissa: I slipped
into the genre sideways. My first novel was for a Kindle World that I had been
invited to participate in by “New
York Times and USA Today bestselling author” Melissa Storm (for whom I had done
some editing). Love’s Odds: A
Hanson Family Saga in the First
Street Church Kindle World, a RomCom, was modern, not historical, but set
in Texas (western). The second story I wrote for that world, Love’s Sweet Memories, which continued my series, within the World, was also
modern. However, in my third Hanson Family tale, Love’s Laird, I had the heroine discover her ancestors’ journals
and letters, and did a series of flashback historical vignettes that brought
the family through history from the 1700s (Battle of Culloden) to the present
day. Each novel was written to stand alone, although characters overlap. I
confess that I got hooked on the research, but then, I’ve always had an
“enquiring mind”!
Obviously,
with First Street Church as the world
for which I was writing, the stories were designed to fit neatly into its
sweet, clean, Christian categories, which (luckily for me!) have a large
following. I have kept my stories within those bounds and can (and have!)
recommend them for ALL ages. In fact, one of my early reviews suggested the
book seemed to have been written for a twelve year old (sorry, don’t remember
which of the three dozen plus I’ve published to date was targeted), because the
bedroom was ignored. That has always been a deliberate choice. I read nearly everything, but choose to write
something the nine-year old me, discovering the library, could safely check out.
(I think that is about when I discovered the Perry Mason books of Erle Stanley Gardner, which, although murder
mysteries, check all the boxes!)
When Amazon
discontinued the Kindle World concept about a year later, I’d already completed
and published those three books, and was working on a fourth, when the first
round of revisions and realignments occurred. My Love’s Odds, was reconfigured a bit to meet the new series
guidelines, and republished, but before I could tweak the next two, that
process was put on hold, and a third reworking of the series occurred. I
ultimately regained rights to all three of my stories, all of which (still) need
further editing to remove any common elements from the original World. Unfortunately
for them, by then I’d gone in a different direction.
Meanwhile,
while working with the First Street
Church series, one of my fellow authors, Jane Lebak, and I penned a short
gothic/horror novel. Still modern, but also set in Texas, the story, Hunger: A Texas Gothic
Romance [Hunger:
A Texas Gothic Romance], received critical acclaim from horror writer Susan May, to our
absolute delight! (Susan’s books compete
fiercely with Stephen King’s!) Hunger was
a “one off,” but I’d be delighted to work with Jane again!
Shortly thereafter
I was honored to be invited to contribute to the first of a number of highly
successful MAPs (Multiple Author Project series) created by Australian author
Cheryl Wright, and then others to whom she introduced me. However, as mentioned
above, I have not had a chance to redo/republish my First Street Church novels. (ON MY TO DO LIST!)
By chance,
Cheryl’s series were all in historical western romance genre. I had discovered,
while penning Love’s Laird, that I
enjoyed doing the research necessary to ensure my settings were relatively accurate,
and was delighted to share my love of the western life style and landscape. Having
grown up with television westerns, Roy Rogers, the Bonanza crew, Gunsmoke, Little
House on the Prairie, and more, and also having spent some time living in the “Wild
West, I was very comfortable with the territory and the genre.
My next three novels were for the Christmas Rescue [Christmas Rescue] series, for
which I ended up writing three books, with overlapping backgrounds and family
members. Again I found myself creating my own sub-series within the larger series
of books that were related only by premise. Although some MAPs do integrate
their stories among the various authors, in most cases it is more a case of
writing to the same theme that unites the series. Thus one can enjoy a
delightful variety of approaches to the same subject matter.
Off and
running, I have now published thirty-seven books (in a number of genre’s, but
all loosely “western”). All are in Kindle Unlimited, two are also available
through Audible) and I have two more in the immediate hopper. Follow me on any
of the sites below to be notified of new releases or sales, or to keep in
touch:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Elissa-Strati/e/B077GLWD94
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elissa-strati
BookSeriesInOrder: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/elissa-strati/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElissaStratiAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17307510.Elissa_Strati
(Note: Although many are interrelated, each of
my books is designed to be read on its own.)
Paty: You have a lot of Mail Order Bride books.
Why do you like to write like to write this type of story?
Elissa: The simple
answer is that I write what I like to read. But I actually read in just about
every genre (and have written in several!).
A number
of the MAPs (Multiple Author Project series) for which I have written have had
specific themes involving Mail-Order Brides (MOBs). I suspect I am not alone in
being able to create a quick outline of elements to include in almost any
concept proffered (witness the burgeoning numbers of authors whose work is
available!), but then I let “the back of my brain”* do the hard work and create
the tale. *(This is not a scientific description of how the brain works, merely
my own concept thereof ;o].)
The fact
that a large number of my titles involve MOBs is pure happenstance, based on
conspicuity. The theme is extremely popular, so a lot of the series designers
“jumped on the bandwagon” to create a concept that would sell! Meanwhile, the
idea of hitching two complete strangers, whatever other parameters are
suggested by the series creator, allows enormous depth and breadth for
storytelling! Oh, what fun!
I have
been exceptionally fortunate in the friends I have made in the author
community, and honored to have been invited to contribute to so many
best-selling series. It is an enormous amount of work to put together a group,
and then “herd the cats” to completion. But the imagination and creativity to
come up with a concept that will garner interest, the “recipe,” if you will, is
the first step.
Paty: Is there a particular era of the old west
that you like to write about?
Elissa: Many of the MAP series for which I write
specify specific locations (generally west of the Mississippi) and time frames
(usually post-Civil War), but I seem to have a talent for slipping outside the
box a bit. My “wagon train” book, written for author Caryl McAdoo’s Prairie Rose series [Helen: Prairie Roses Collection
Book 30], is set primarily in the year 1812, long before wagon trains were
heading across the western plains, and starts in Ireland! I managed to cram a
lot of real history into this one (Yes, the rumor is true—there are
footnotes!—but only for those who enjoy fact-checking. They are totally
unnecessary to the flow of the story.) The fact is that folks were heading west
from the time they left the “old world,” and many continued into open spaces.
In addition to his Mount Vernon plantation, for instance, George Washington
owned large tracts of land well west of the settled areas, where, should his
efforts in the Revolution have failed, he was prepared to decamp.
On the
other end of the spectrum is my World War I novel, Ellen [Ellen: Rescue
Me - (Mail Order Brides) Book 10]. The
“western era,” as portrayed in the movies and on TV, had largely drawn to a
close as train travel and civilization took over, and the country now went from
coast to coast, although a number of the territories had not yet attained
statehood.
So, the short answer to the
question is “no,” despite a significant number of my stories taking place just
after the Civil War (with occasional flashbacks). The fact is, I tend to think
in terms of families and villages, and have often looked at a concept and
thought, for example, “Oh, what a great way to approach Barnabas’s story!” (My
second Christmas Rescue story: [Rescuing Barnabas (Christmas Rescue
Book 11)].) Barnabas was absolutely a secondary character in the first
book, [Rescuing Christmas
(Christmas Rescue Book 4)], but perfect for one Charles’ (the hero of my
first novel in this series) relatives.
Paty: You have been in several “worlds” in
historical western romance. Are those fun to write for?
Elissa: Again a
quick answer! Absolutely! I freelance and not under contract to anyone
(although I do consider an agreement to join a particular group to be a
contract; one hardly likes to let down friends!) I am continually amazed at the
originality of new ideas, as well as the wide variety of author responses to
the challenges.
Paty: How did the plot idea for this book come
to you?
Elissa: As in all the MAPs, I was given the
premise, in this case a Mail-Order Groom
who is rejected by his bride-to-be, a reversal of an earlier series, involving
most of the same authors, featuring Mail-Order Brides. (My contribution to the
first series was [Lina’s Lasting Legacy
(Rejected Mail-Order Brides - Book 5)], which continues to be quite
popular.) But in this case, it was the
book cover that was my biggest influence, when I realized my hero would have to
be the brother of John Henderson, and the son of Mrs. Cornelius (Rachel)
Henderson, a schoolteacherintroduced
in my very first MAP novel. I did not notice initially, but the model is
actually the same as for a [A
Cattleman for Cathleen: Mail-Order Papa].
The model is a rugged, good-looking
cowboy, and, like Fabio in days past (my mother’s favorite!) adorns quite a few
covers. Besides, William has his own interesting story to tell. After all, he
wasn’t always tall and strong. He was once a little boy, and slow to start his
growth spurt, although, with older brothers, he understood that girls could be
pretty important in life. But, clearly the premise of the book means he will
not have an easy time of it, finding true love. However, no spoilers!
Paty: Do you have a favorite character or world
that you’ve written?
Elissa: Well,
obviously, the character about whom I am writing is always the one creeping
into my heart, as s/he whispers hopes, fears and aspirations into my ear. With
that charming grin, William has already joined the cast of favorites. As to
worlds, although when I wrote my first novel, we had been “given” the modern
community in Texas hill country in which to build our tales, when that world
disbanded, I realized Texas has a lot of towns and I could simply move my cast
to their own. I have since created from scratch (using San Antonio’s early
history as a platform) a town in Texas now called Apple Valley for my
Texas-based stories, and another in southeast Kansas, known as Green River.
Both locations showed up in my Christmas
Rescue books and one or the other
features in most of my novels. I’m filling in their history all the time as I
jump back and forth through the decades.
Paty: Who are some of the authors you read who
write this subgenre of romance?
Elissa: Like many
of us, I read across the spectrum, in virtually every genre, and have done for
more than (***ty) decades. Initially, I carefully avoided reading books by other authors with whom I was writing, to steer
clear of any possible inadvertent borrowing of concepts. Also, as you know, I
was a technical editor for many years and cannot stop myself from highlighting
the oversights (that I seem unable to catch in my own manuscripts!) and
occasional typos I may run across. Since I do some reading/reviewing for a few
of the major publishers, as well as individuals, I am used to passing these
errata on to them—or the author. Not everyone is thick-skinned…
You write
modern westerns that happen to be murder mysteries, and, as you know, I adore
them!
Suffice it
to say I have read widely and enjoyed many, many different authors with whom I
write. I cannot guarantee that every book in a multi-author series will appeal
to everyone, but based on the popularity of those in which I’ve been privileged
to write, you will probably enjoy them as much as I!
Paty: Just for fun – Tell us what is your
favorite thing to do besides writing and reading, because we know that’s a
given. 😉
Elissa: Ha, ha! Even
as I am writing this I am accompanied by several of my feline companions, who
ensure my legs remain warm, as I prop myself up in bed on pillows to write.
(This is not due to illness or infirmity, but preference. Sitting at a desk
chair typing is torture. I’m too tall to comfortably read the screen without
hunching over, and my legs seem to lose circulation, pressured by the chair as
I lean forward. With pillows (and cats) conveniently located to position me
optionally, and my legs up and free from swelling, I can relax and focus on
work instead of physical discomfort. I also have a cup of coffee to hand on my
nightstand, and the whole bed on which to spread my other bits and pieces.
So cuddling with the cats is
clearly a favorite pastime. I also enjoy cooking—as long as it doesn’t become a
chore. Fortunately my husband also loves to cook, especially exploring his
mother’s Italian recipes (some of which are featured in [Lasagna by Lucia: Old Timey Holiday
Kitchen Book 15]).
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time
to do handwork for many years. I used to love to knit, crochet, and do
needlework (and always wanted to learn to quilt!). At one time I did a bit of
painting, but TIME is not my friend, and I also run our family businesses (I
can create a mean spreadsheet!), which I also enjoy (when not under pressure).
We like to travel a great deal, as well, although a lot of that is road trips
these days, generally exploring history, human and natural. I take a LOT of
pictures, and bless the continued advance of technology (although I have bad
words and thoughts for those who push products out of the chute that aren’t
ready for prime time!) that allows me to capture the man, rabbit, or woman in
the moon (depending on which culture you learned from) with my telephone. Many
of those I turn into jigsaw puzzles, again taking advantage of online tech.
Hmmm, I also enjoy dancing,
dining, getting together with friends and family—all the usual suspects… (I am
somewhat addicted to ellipses…) And, of course, I spend the requisite amount of
time each morning engaging in Wordle, Dordle, Quordle, Octordle, and Sedecordle
(brand name credit to each of the creators thereof). I mean, WORDS! I am an
author, after all!
Thank you
so much for allowing me to share my thoughts and ideas with you today!
Best,
Elissa
Strati
William's Wandering Ways (Rejected Mail-Order Groom Book 3)
by
Elissa Strati (Author),
Books by Nan (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
Book 3 of 10: Rejected Mail-Order Grooms If they don't want me, then I don't need them! William wasn't even out of grammar school when he received his first rejection. His next two attempts at romance were equally rejected, and he made his mind up that women simply weren't for him, and stopped trying to attract the attention of the opposite gender. Leaving his three brothers to help Pa on the ranch, he signed on as a wrangler to guide his family stock in the upcoming cattle drive and forget about girls. That was his plan and he was sticking to it. Of course, the best laid plans...
This series and its predecessor, Rejected Mail-Order Brides, are the brain-child of author Sarah Lamb (whose books I enjoy immensely). The premise is in the series name! Dealing with the rejection is one of the aspects on which I will be focusing, although each author will have her own approach. Like all of my books, this is sweet and wholesome. A quick shout out to ALL my fellow (sister?) authors in this hugely popular series! I think folks will have a bit of extra fun with the twist on the original set of stories.https://www.amazon.com/Williams-Wandering-Rejected-Mail-Order-Groom-ebook/dp/B0DT5Y8JMJ
1 comment:
Elissa, thank you for sharing so much of your writing life. Fascinating. And although I'm a bit of a history buff I did not know that George Washington owned land west of settled areas where he was prepared to decamp if the Revolution failed! Learn something new every day!
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