Today I have Tanya Stowe with me, talking about her new release from WRP - Tender TouchCR - How did you come up with your premise? Is there a story behind your book? How did the story evolve?
TS - Years ago when my children were young, my husband discovered that he needed to return to school to complete some of his studies. His classes were intense and I found myself acting as a single parent to four young, rambunctious children. To help me out, my sister organized a long summer vacation touring the California Gold Country.
One sunny morning we set off in her motorhome, my four children, my sister and I. We visited Sutter’s Mill, Columbia, Angel’s Camp, most of the major gold camps of the past. I was struck by the beaut y of the gold country, the mountains, caverns and rivers, so different from the deserts of Southern California where I lived.
We parked in many remote spots. During the day, we let the kids romp and play but at night, we locked the camper door, shut the blinds and put on a video for the kids. Yes, this was pre-DVD days! As the kids settled down and the night grew quiet, I wondered what it must have been like for those early pioneers alone, in this rugged land, filled with gold fever and determination. But mostly I wondered how these lovely little towns survived after all the gold fever passed. That’s where Lacy’s story started … twenty years ago on a more than memorable trip through California’s back country!
CR - For those who are not familiar with this story, would you please give us the blurb?
TS - Lacy Butler is graced with the gift of healing. She can save strangers…even those undeserving…yet fails to save her mother. Rejecting her gift, God, and society, she's content to live alone high above the mining town of Harperville. But her solitude is shattered when Royce Darnell builds a water flume through the middle of her mountain. To protect her sanctuary, Lacy sabotages his efforts. Little does she expect Royce to track her through a blizzard and end up half frozen to death on her doorstep. She can heal him, but why should she when he threatens to steal her peace...and her heart?
With the livelihood of the miners and their families depending on his project, Royce refuses to stop building, no matter how good the reason or how lovely the masked saboteur turns out to be. Besides, he's convinced God wants Lacy to use her gift for good and not to hole up in her cabin like a reticent recluse afraid of human contact. But first, she must learn to trust, and Lacy doesn't trust anyone, not Royce and especially not God. Soon Royce finds himself in a battle to save the two things he loves the most…Harperville and Lacy. Is his faith strong enough to save them both?
CR - When will it be released?
TS - November 19, 2010
CR - Where were you born?
TS - I was born in small ranching/farming community called Alamosa, Colorado. I moved to Southern California when I was 11 and I’ve been there … until now.
CR - If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
TS - Well, I’m pretty excited about our move to Oman. It’s not the perfect location or best spot in the world, but I’m excited to live on the beach again. I’m even more excited to learn about the customs, history and culture of the country. I can see sooo many books coming out of this time.
CR - What are you most passionate about, other than writing?
TS - My faith and my family.
CR - Name some of your most favourite things.
TS - I have a lovely oak antique secretary/side board that looks like it was made to match my dining room set. I have a grandmother’s clock and another mahogany clock. Oh also, my wedding ring, the same one I had when we married and a diamond necklace my husband gave me on our 10th anniversary. I never take them off.
CR - What got you interested in writing?
TS - I’ve created stories in my head for as long as I can remember.
CR - Why did you begin writing? How long have you been writing?
TS - I started writing at 11. I didn’t like the endings to my favourite TV shows so I decided to write my own.
CR - What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
TS - Persevere and be true to yourself. Take good advice and improve, but hang on to your unique voice.
CR - Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
TS - Yes. I had 15 year break between my books. I was working pretty much full time at a performing arts center. It was a creative atmosphere and it drained me. When I would sit down after work I didn’t have any desire to write. Then we took a long vacation and travelled all over the Southwest and seeing all the historical places and beauty set my imagination on fire. When I came home, I couldn’t stop writing! But mostly when I can’t seem to get passed a spot in my story, it’s because I’ve taken a wrong turn, made the characters go in the wrong direction. Usually when that happens, I take a break, then I go back to see where I got off track. Margaret Brownley, a well-known So CA romance writer once said, writer’s block is usually just a characterization problem and I think she’s right. Or a health issue. If you don’t take care of yourself, the well runs dry.
CR - How do you develop your plots and characters?
TS - I use a process called Discovering Story Magic by Laura Baker and Robin Perrini. In my early days I found that I understood my secondary characters better than my main characters so I had to go back and find ways to get to know them better. This process helps me do that.
CR - When you write do you start with a plot outline, a character sketch, how do you begin? How do you stay on course?
TS - I’m a plotter. But usually, my characters don’t follow my guidelines!
CR - Are you working on anything at the present you’d like to share with us?
TS -I’m working on a 2nd in the series called Tender Trust. It’s Lacy’s best friend, Penny’s story and picks up where Tender Touch leaves off.
CR - Do you really, really want a dog?
TS - I have a great big, German shepherd, Husky mix.
CR - Do you hate how you look in pictures?
TS - I liked the pictures better when I was younger! :-)
CR - Have you ever cried during a movie?
TS - The question is when do I not cry in a movie?? My children and now my grandchildren just get up in the middle of the movie and get me the box of tissue because they know what’s coming. Fortunately, my daughter and some of my daughter-in-laws are the same way. Now it’s a family thing!
CR - Do you sleep with the light on?
TS - No.
CR - What is your favourite pizza?
TS - I prefer spaghetti but if I have to have pizza, I want everything on it. Lots of veggies.
CR - Are you a morning person or a night person?
TS - I’ve learned to be both because I was a night person but my husband is a morning person so I’m up with him and now I love sunrises!
CR - If you could go anywhere to tomorrow, where would you go?
TS - Home to spend the day with my grandbabies and then I’d come back to continue our new adventure!
TS - Years ago when my children were young, my husband discovered that he needed to return to school to complete some of his studies. His classes were intense and I found myself acting as a single parent to four young, rambunctious children. To help me out, my sister organized a long summer vacation touring the California Gold Country.
One sunny morning we set off in her motorhome, my four children, my sister and I. We visited Sutter’s Mill, Columbia, Angel’s Camp, most of the major gold camps of the past. I was struck by the beaut y of the gold country, the mountains, caverns and rivers, so different from the deserts of Southern California where I lived.
We parked in many remote spots. During the day, we let the kids romp and play but at night, we locked the camper door, shut the blinds and put on a video for the kids. Yes, this was pre-DVD days! As the kids settled down and the night grew quiet, I wondered what it must have been like for those early pioneers alone, in this rugged land, filled with gold fever and determination. But mostly I wondered how these lovely little towns survived after all the gold fever passed. That’s where Lacy’s story started … twenty years ago on a more than memorable trip through California’s back country!
CR - For those who are not familiar with this story, would you please give us the blurb?
TS - Lacy Butler is graced with the gift of healing. She can save strangers…even those undeserving…yet fails to save her mother. Rejecting her gift, God, and society, she's content to live alone high above the mining town of Harperville. But her solitude is shattered when Royce Darnell builds a water flume through the middle of her mountain. To protect her sanctuary, Lacy sabotages his efforts. Little does she expect Royce to track her through a blizzard and end up half frozen to death on her doorstep. She can heal him, but why should she when he threatens to steal her peace...and her heart?
With the livelihood of the miners and their families depending on his project, Royce refuses to stop building, no matter how good the reason or how lovely the masked saboteur turns out to be. Besides, he's convinced God wants Lacy to use her gift for good and not to hole up in her cabin like a reticent recluse afraid of human contact. But first, she must learn to trust, and Lacy doesn't trust anyone, not Royce and especially not God. Soon Royce finds himself in a battle to save the two things he loves the most…Harperville and Lacy. Is his faith strong enough to save them both?
CR - When will it be released?
TS - November 19, 2010
CR - Where were you born?
TS - I was born in small ranching/farming community called Alamosa, Colorado. I moved to Southern California when I was 11 and I’ve been there … until now.
CR - If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
TS - Well, I’m pretty excited about our move to Oman. It’s not the perfect location or best spot in the world, but I’m excited to live on the beach again. I’m even more excited to learn about the customs, history and culture of the country. I can see sooo many books coming out of this time.
CR - What are you most passionate about, other than writing?
TS - My faith and my family.
CR - Name some of your most favourite things.
TS - I have a lovely oak antique secretary/side board that looks like it was made to match my dining room set. I have a grandmother’s clock and another mahogany clock. Oh also, my wedding ring, the same one I had when we married and a diamond necklace my husband gave me on our 10th anniversary. I never take them off.
CR - What got you interested in writing?
TS - I’ve created stories in my head for as long as I can remember.
CR - Why did you begin writing? How long have you been writing?
TS - I started writing at 11. I didn’t like the endings to my favourite TV shows so I decided to write my own.
CR - What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
TS - Persevere and be true to yourself. Take good advice and improve, but hang on to your unique voice.
CR - Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
TS - Yes. I had 15 year break between my books. I was working pretty much full time at a performing arts center. It was a creative atmosphere and it drained me. When I would sit down after work I didn’t have any desire to write. Then we took a long vacation and travelled all over the Southwest and seeing all the historical places and beauty set my imagination on fire. When I came home, I couldn’t stop writing! But mostly when I can’t seem to get passed a spot in my story, it’s because I’ve taken a wrong turn, made the characters go in the wrong direction. Usually when that happens, I take a break, then I go back to see where I got off track. Margaret Brownley, a well-known So CA romance writer once said, writer’s block is usually just a characterization problem and I think she’s right. Or a health issue. If you don’t take care of yourself, the well runs dry.
CR - How do you develop your plots and characters?
TS - I use a process called Discovering Story Magic by Laura Baker and Robin Perrini. In my early days I found that I understood my secondary characters better than my main characters so I had to go back and find ways to get to know them better. This process helps me do that.
CR - When you write do you start with a plot outline, a character sketch, how do you begin? How do you stay on course?
TS - I’m a plotter. But usually, my characters don’t follow my guidelines!
CR - Are you working on anything at the present you’d like to share with us?
TS -I’m working on a 2nd in the series called Tender Trust. It’s Lacy’s best friend, Penny’s story and picks up where Tender Touch leaves off.
CR - Do you really, really want a dog?
TS - I have a great big, German shepherd, Husky mix.
CR - Do you hate how you look in pictures?
TS - I liked the pictures better when I was younger! :-)
CR - Have you ever cried during a movie?
TS - The question is when do I not cry in a movie?? My children and now my grandchildren just get up in the middle of the movie and get me the box of tissue because they know what’s coming. Fortunately, my daughter and some of my daughter-in-laws are the same way. Now it’s a family thing!
CR - Do you sleep with the light on?
TS - No.
CR - What is your favourite pizza?
TS - I prefer spaghetti but if I have to have pizza, I want everything on it. Lots of veggies.
CR - Are you a morning person or a night person?
TS - I’ve learned to be both because I was a night person but my husband is a morning person so I’m up with him and now I love sunrises!
CR - If you could go anywhere to tomorrow, where would you go?
TS - Home to spend the day with my grandbabies and then I’d come back to continue our new adventure!
Thanks so much Tanya. You can pick up a copy of Tender Touch HERE
And if you'd only seen me adding the CR's and TS's to that you'd have creased up. I had CS, TA, TR...course it doesn't help that until I got married my initals were CS, so that one is excusable, but the rest?
Comments
I've said it before and I'll say it again: This book sounds SOOO good!
Thanks, Delia! I hope you enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's actually one of the first manuscripts I wrote 15 years ago. It went to many editors and was almost bought twice but something wasn't quite right. The story didn't really come together until I changed it to an Inspirational. Then Lacy came alive.
Can't wait to read it, again!