When I had the initial idea for “A Reason to Live“, the first Forrester brothers story, I had no intention of it becoming a trilogy. However, as often happens when I’m writing, my characters took control. As I came up with Creede’s background, I realized he had two younger brothers whom he lost contact with after they were orphaned. Once I named these two brothers, they got downright ornery and insisted on having their own stories.
The younger brother Rye’s story is told in “A Reason to Believe.” When I began to ponder his past, I recalled an old tv show called “Branded.” I remembered Chuck Connors’ character being tossed out of the fort and the doors swinging shut behind him, leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back. I was fairly young when it was on but it must’ve made a big impression on me to remember the scene so clearly. Sooo, what if Rye was kicked out of the army and “branded” a deserter? Which led me to the next question, how could Rye remain a hero yet be drummed out of the army in disgrace? When I finally figured out how to do that the story came together.
Coming up with the heroine in “A Reason to Believe,” I did what I did with Laurel in “A Reason to Live.” I took a contemporary issue (post traumatic stress disorder with Laurel) and put it into the context of the past. With Dulcie, I considered women who get involved with the wrong type of men. Dulcie, anxious to escape an alcoholic father, gets pregnant by a soldier, who also has a drinking problem. She marries the soldier but finds herself in the same type of situation she thought she’d escaped. When she’s suddenly widowed, she again uses her body, this time to get her and her young daughter back home. Dulcie is a heroine with many different layers–a daughter who loved her father, but didn’t respect him; a mother determined to safeguard and raise her daughter alone; and a passionate woman who sees her desire as an evil thing she must learn to control.
When sexy Rye Forrester comes to work for Dulcie, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf and resist temptation. However, Rye’s innate decency and compassion prove to be even more seductive than his body. And since I don’t like to make it too easy on my characters, there are still secrets that have to be bared and forgiveness that needs to be granted before Rye and Dulcie can find their happily-ever-after. And Rye, of course, is reunited with his brother Creede.
I’m dying over here. I have the book in my hot little hands. I’m going to start reading it on my lunch break today – but I’m AT WORK! Ugh! Why again do I have to work for a living? Why can’t I find someone willing to pay me a living wage to sit on my butt at home all day reading books?
I’m sorry – sometimes I’m such a juvenile. I keep giggling at that Rifleman cover. It’s such a hoot. It’s so WRONG.
Don’t get me wrong. Chuck Connors was one of my early crushes as a kid. He was always so alpha!
I know what you mean, Gwen! It is a hoot, isn’t it? I have to admit I never had any Rifleman fantasies… CC was a little older but still very buff when he did “Branded.” And he didn’t have a son. 🙂
Bummer, Wendy! Hope you can find some time to read later.
I may not have had Chuck Connor’s Rifleman fantasies – but I did have Rowdy Yates from Rawhide fantasies :). I even spent a very pleasant couple of hours trying to track down the theme song one evening from Rawhide – and I found it.
Now onto what I wanted to say. I’m a big fan of Westerns and though they are harder to find these days – the good ones make them even more special. And Reason to Live was one of those special ones. I ordered Reason to Believe just last week and will be eagerly checking the mail ’til it gets here.
Kristie: Who wouldn’t have Rowdy Yates fantasies? A young Clint Eastwood, hubba hubba.
LOL – it’s that pulled down cowboy hat that did it!
Finally got my hands on REASON TO BELIEVE today and am already about half way through it. You know when Rye talks about being branded the first thing I thought about was the old TV series with Chuck Connors. Even the song popped into my head. Great imagery for me because CC was wrongly accused and so it made Rye instantly sympathetic to me. I’m really enjoying the book.
I had to go to the back and read the excerpt for REASON TO SIN which will be Slater Forrester’s story. It looks good too.
Ah, yes, the old small screen westerns! Those definitely contributed to my love of the western romances (and cowboys).
Glad you’re enjoying the book, Rosie! Yep, CC was unjustly accused and condemned, although in A REASON TO BELIEVE, Rye does bear some guilt on his part…but, of course, he has a good reason.
Both of these books sound great. I’ll be on the lookout for them at the store!
Ever since reading Cheryl St. John I came to love the Western genre. I am totally new to it (except for a few books like Elizabeth Lowell’s Only series), so go on Sybil, more recs please 🙂 Ms. McKade’s books I have already put down on my list.
Both books sound wonderful. Love the cover to A Reason to Believe.
Both books sound great.
Maureen, with these titles, did you too come up with them for the trilogy?
Recently I was skimming through the channels and saw Gunsmoke listed on TV Land. I remember back then ‘watching’ the show, but not being able to understand it because it wasn’t close captioned for the deaf like it is now. So I decided to watch the cowboys anyways. To my surprise, it was close captioned! I’ve since been hooked to watching it on the weekends! A couple others i’m gonna watch out for is The Big Valley and Bonanza. Hopefully they will be captioned too. But its so nice to find out whats being said.
That I never had to worry about with my books. I could always ‘feel and see so much with reading the books! I remember dearly TO FIND YOU AGAIN! I’m getting goosebumps thinking about Emma and Ridge! Its been a while since I read it, but I can still feel them! I loved her strength and determination. Too Ridge’s love for her and him finding so much with her and the baby. Its here on the keepers shelf!
I’ve never read your contemps yet, but I hope to change that soon!
Did you have to push to have this western trilogy accepted to be written? I’ve heard that some reject westerns outright often and I thank you for putting your story down that so well sold them, and me.
I love westerns and your trilogy sounds fantastic. I’ll be adding several more books to my list. Thanks!
The books sound amazing, Maureen! Thanks so much for being here. Dulcie sounds like a complex and wonderful heroine. I’m looking forward to her and Rye’s story.
Hugs, Zara
Welcome, Katharina, to the cowboys and heroines who lived and loved in the wild west! Great to have you among us! 🙂
Cathie, that is just so fantastic! I’m thrilled that you’re able to enjoy the old western shows even more now. In reply to your question about the titles, I have to admit that this series wasn’t sold as a series. As I wrote “A Reason to Live” I thought it would be sooo cool to write the other brothers’ stories. And when I signed a contract for two more western romances, I was thrilled that my editor approved and encouraged Rye and Slater’s stories. I wanted the titles to show a connection to the books, so I used “A Reason to” as my connecting point. And they came together beautifully!
Katharina, katharina, katharina… I still don’t understand how you can resist the power of Only His.
LOL I KNOW I have a post here somewhere that I tried to find and move that is a great western post. Sadly I got sidetracked cleaning up posts and tagging stuff. I will find it or just have to repost western recs…
I am sure I can come up with one or two *g*.