Saying Good Bye Ain't Easy and a Giveaway by Charlene Sands

As I write the final book in a four book series about the Worth Men, I find myself feeling extremely sentimental and a little bit saddened. After all, I’ve lived with these four cowboys for almost two years. I sort of fell in love with each one of them too. And isn’t that the way? If the author doesn’t fall in love with a hero of her making, then what’s the point? With each hunky man, I’ve matched a woman that has thrown them for a loop, rejected, loved to distraction and angered the hero. But what our heroines had above all else was enough grit to stick it out to the end for their own personal happily ever after.



Taggart Worth in CARRYING THE RANCHER’S HEIR was my wounded hero. He was a loner, a recluse who never wanted to love again. That story flew off my fingertips, because I knew him so well and I knew Callie too. She had a girlhood crush on Tagg as a teen that he didn’t know about. All he knew was that Callie was his enemy’s daughter.

Clayton’s story didn’t exactly fly off my fingertips, though. In THE COWBOY’S PRIDE, I had a pretty complex conflict – two people bent on divorce only to find love again with the help of adorable baby Meggie. SHE was fun to write, and I used my knowledge not only as a mother, but as a childbirth and parenting instructor to keep my facts straight about all things BABY.


In March/April, A COWBOY WORTH CLAIMING comes out with Harlequin Historical (The Cover on this blog) Set in early Red Ridge, we find out how Chance Worth met Lizzie Mitchell and how the Worth legacy began. It seemed like the right thing to do – to go back in time to see how the legend of the ruby necklace and Elizabeth Lake came to be. Chance is a reluctant hero with a deep sense of honor, and Lizzie tests that honor time and time again.

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN ADVANCED COPY GO HERE: http://bit.ly/wZEAzA


Both Chance and Jackson Worth’s story lure us in with “forbidden love.” Jackson, in WORTH THE RISK coming in October, is the most charming, best-looking Worth brother, a confirmed bachelor who is good-natured but used to getting what he wants. I’m working out the kinks in this story to give my readers a very satisfying ending to the series. So I write Jackson’s story with a heavy heart. I will miss these guys, Tagg, Clay, Jackson and Chance. I’ll miss Red Ridge too along with the characters I’ve created. Saying good-bye surely won’t be easy. I have only four chapters left in Red Ridge and then I’ll be moving on to launch Harlequin’s Rich Rugged Rancher series in 2013.


Recently I’ve said good-bye to some other series that I’ve loved, though not of my own making. Twilight is one series, I never thought I’d like. But those stories struck a chord and I had to read all of them, gobbling up the entire series in two weeks. I’ve also seen all the movies. Because I don’t get a lot of reading time these days, I watched the Swedish version of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movies by Stieg Larsson. I wish I could have read the books too, but I’d heard the movies were actually excellent and the storyline extremely intense. Then there’s good ole bail bondswoman, Stephanie Plum in the series written by Janet Evanovich. What can I say about the Morelli/Ranger conflict that hasn’t been said before? I’ve read all of the books in the series and am awaiting the movie, One for the Money.

What series are you especially fond of? Do you have favorites? Which characters/stories are hard for you to bid farewell to?  

Here's my inspiration for all my Worth men. Just for fun! 

TAGG

CHANCE

CLAY





JACKSON


BE SURE TO VISIT ON FRIDAY/SATURDAY   http://bit.ly/wZEAzA  
FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN ADVANCED COPY OF "A COWBOY WORTH CLAIMING"



What I'm Reading!

It's June and that means a new Stephanie Plum adventure by Janet Evanovich. It's Fearless Fourteen this year!

I'm hooked. I love the Steph, Cupcake, Babe. I love chuckling out loud every few minutes, but mostly I love her relationships. With Lula -- what a character. Grandma Mazur, I didn't have a grandmom like her, that's for sure!

I love Stephanie's relationship with the ever dangerous Ranger. But mostly, I love a good romance and that means sexy, lovable, gorgeous Joe Morelli! It's always been Joe for me.

Sometimes, after 14 books in a series, the stories can seem redundant, the character's growth might seem mimimal and the relationships can get dull. I've read some negative reviews, but Fearless is #10 on Amazon right now, and that means that LOTS of readers enjoy her books still.

Me included.

I wait patiently each summer, for the release of another installment in the Stephanie Plum chronicles. What about you? Are you a fan and if not, have I sparked your interest?

It's my turn to blog on Friday, June 27th at Petticoats.

I have a fun prize for commentors! I hope to see you there!

Getting Summer Write! What Makes a Memorable Book?

Summer Write!

Characters:


Have you ever asked yourself what makes a memorable book, story or movie? Why did you get into it? What compelled you to keep reading or watching the screen? If you had to label one thing that you remembered most about a story or movie, what would that be?

For me, and for most editors and readers -- it's the characters. Great characterization brings interest and intrigue. It's hard to enjoy a movie or read a book if you can't relate to the main characters. It's even harder if they aren't sympathetic meaning they are someone that you want to learn more about, someone you can sympathize with, someone that will hold your interest. If you don't find them worthy or redeemable in some way, you won't care about them.


So does that mean that you have to make your characters perfect in every way? Do you have to sugar coat them to make them sympathetic? The answer is a big resounding NO. In fact, perfect characters make for boring reads. The reason we root for and cheer on a character, is because they're FLAWED and we can sympathize with them. Or if not, we can certainly understand them even if we don't think much of them in the beginning.


The movies that have stuck with me, have done so because the story told was compelling. And why? Because the hero wasn't such a nice guy. He wasn't a man you'd expect. Same with the heroine. Think of "An Officer and a Gentlemen". Richard Gere's character came with major baggage. He didn't get along with his fellow boot-campers. He was a loner, a man who needed no one. He had issues with his father. Didn't believe in commitment. He was selfish in the beginning, but mostly, HE WAS INTERESTING. And in some ways, we could relate to him, though we didn't necessarily like him.



Think of Patrick Swayze's character, "Johnny" in Dirty Dancing. He thought Baby was a spoiled rich daddy's girl. He wasn't nice to her. He was every mother's nightmare for their daughter. But we saw his layered character, when he comes to the aid of his friend. We saw a softer side of him, and gradually, we came to understand him. Baby on the other hand, never really took risks. She was truly "daddy's little girl." She was the good daughter, the one her parents could always count on. She was the "baby." Until she met Johnny. Then everything in her life changed. She began to take risks, to come of age, to become the woman she was meant to be. WE LIKED HER, because at one time in our lives, maybe, we were just like her. Or maybe, we remember falling for the unattainable dangerous boy who'd never be within our grasp. Whatever the reason, both of these characters STUCK with us. We knew them. We liked them. We rooted for them.



In Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, we see a really ditzy character in our heroine. From way back in the first book, (she's up to #13 now) Stephanie captures our imagination. She gets herself in big trouble every time, finds herself chosing between two hot sexy boyfriends, Joe and Ranger. She's got a nutty grandmother, a pet hamster named Rex who is her best friend, a flamboyant partner, ex-hooker, Lula. With the Plum series, I was a late bloomer, not having read them from the beginning, yet after reading the first paragraph on the first page, I knew I'd read the entire series. Couldn't wait to catch up. AND I turned my sister and best friend onto the series.



Why?



Stephanie Plum was different than any character I've ever read. A female bounty hunter in the heart of New Jersey? She was witty and silly and fun. Being a romantic at heart, I couldn't pass up the chance to see who Stephanie would end up with. Would it be Joe Morelli or Ranger? I still want to know -- but I do have a favorite. Do you?



What character stuck with you for days or weeks or months after you've read the book or seen the movie? Ask yourself why that is.


Tune in on Tuesday for: Characters Don't Exist in a Vacuum/ Layering your Characters.


And be sure to enter my Summer Contest at Romance Junkies:
http://www.romancejunkies.com/summernewsletter2/CharleneSands.html

Good News: Between the CEO'S Sheet's hits #7 on Borders/Waldenbooks list in June! Bunking Down with the Boss is nominated for the National Reader's Choice Award!