Doubleday Book Club is a wonderful program that was a staple for many years in the household I grew up in. It's always a thrill to learn that one of my books has been selected, especially as a Main Selection. Here's the online interview I had with Doubleday Rhapsody:
What motivated you to write romance novels?
I’m an accidental romantic. I wrote my first book, Private Treaty (which was a short historical and not the first book I sold), just for fun. I didn’t know it was a Romance until an agent agreed to represent me based on that book. Rather sad, considering I was an English lit major.
How did you come up with the idea behind Mystic Horseman?
Two things: Dillon Black and my love of TV remodeling shows. In Ride a Painted Pony I learned that Dillon had burned his house down. I grew to love him so much, I had to write a book to find out more.
Horses have become prominent figures in many of your books. Why do these beautiful animals fit perfectly into the romance genre? Do you have horses of your own?
The first day I met my cowboy Indian husband, I realized that we shared two passions: reading and horses. (No kidding—he read romance novels before I did. Westerns, of course.) Love at first sight upped it to three. We’ve always owned horses. For the past few years we’ve been raising beautiful Paints.
What is the most important element in Mystic Horseman?
It’s a story about estrangement and the human need to connect, reconnect, and ultimately to open our minds and hearts. The romance, the family stories, the community setting and the makeshift community that develops when Hollywood visits the Reservation all relate to this basic theme.
Dillon Black is being pursued by two very different women—one an ex-wife and the other a television producer. What inspired you to add this dynamic?
We know from Ride a Painted Pony that Dillon has had quite a struggle to rebuild his life since his wife, Monica, left him. Monica and Ella Champion are strong, independent women attracted to Dillon in different ways, different stages in their lives, different perspectives. People generally experience more than one love in their lives, and this story is about those loves rubbing shoulders in a life-changing series of events.
The heroes of your last two novels have been strong men with Native American roots. What draws you toward their culture?
My husband of 37 years is Lakota, so bridging American Indian and mainstream American cultures has been a lifelong pursuit for me. I’ve learned so much about family, community, spirituality and tolerance from the Lakota people, and I hope my books reflect this.
Mystic Horseman is a sequel to Ride A Painted Pony. Can readers expect appearances by Nick and Lauren?
Oh, yes. Nick, Lauren and their children live right across the road. Nick finds Dillon’s predicaments quite amusing.
You have over 40 romance novels under your belt; how do you keep your ideas fresh?
I write from character, and each one is different from the rest. The characters and the situation I conceive for them might dictate a bit of adventure, a little suspense, a family story, the occasional historical aspect—lots of variety. But it starts with falling in love with a set of characters. They keep the work fresh.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
So many! Off the top of my head: Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Louise Erdrich, Eileen Dreyer, Betina Krahn, Connie Brockway, Lorna Landvik, Laura Kinsale, new author Deanna Raybourn.
What are you working on next?
I discovered recently that back in 1918 a group of army officers are reported to have robbed Geronimo’s grave at Fort Sill (OK). They took parts of the skeleton back to their clubhouse—Yale University’s Skull and Bones “Tomb”—where it resides to this day. I decided that it was about time someone stole it back. The working title is Bone Keepers.
Doubleday Rhapsody Book Club
Read Chapter 1 of MYSTIC HORSEMAN
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