by Jennifer Conner
Books To Go Now
Buy links: Amazon, B&N, Android, AllRomance
Romancing The West welcomes Jennifer Conner, columnist for The Seattle Examiner and author of novels and short stories. Check out her bio page to learn more about her.
RTW: Thanks for visiting RTW, Jennifer (and it was good to see you at the Emerald City Writers' Conference!). So give us the set up for Rush of Love, please.
JC: Samuel Cooper just returned to Seattle after hitting it big in the Klondike Gold Rush. After meeting Opal - is money the only thing that makes a man rich, or does he need love too?
RTW: What aspect of life in the Old West intrigues you the most? Did you work that into Rush of Love?
JC: Living in the Seattle area, I love the Alaska Gold Rush era. It must have been a crazy, wild time in Seattle with all the prospectors coming and going to reach Alaska to find fame and fortune. I worked the Klondike into the title: Rush of Love.
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| Jennifer Conner |
RTW: If you lived in 1898, what modern convenience would you miss the most?
JC: Electricity, medicine...Starbucks. We like to romanticize the past, but even a hundred years ago there were still things that we would desperately miss if we traveled back.
RTW: Are there any common errors in western historical romances that bug you? If so, please set us straight.
JC: Many authors touch on this, but times in the past were not easy for women. They had soooo few choices that were accepted in society to survive. My heroine, Opal, works in a bank. When she helps Sam and loses her job because of missing work, she was desperate that she will end up on the street.
RTW: Why is Opal perfect for Samuel?
JC: Opal's father was a prospector who died in the Klondike leaving her mother to die of a broken heart and her on her own. Sam only wants to find wealth in the gold fields, thinking money is everything. They both need to find that love changes everything.
Book video for Rush of Love by Jennifer Conner
RTW: And now we get to read an excerpt!
Seattle 1898
“Gold does not make the man,” Opal argued, as she watched the banker weigh the next nugget on the double pan scale.
The banker shot a disapproving glare at Samuel Cooper.
Samuel ignored him and leaned across the counter to reply, “You’re wrong, Miss Gold is the only thing that a man can rely on in these times of financial recession and bank failures which have swept our fine nation.”
“But what happens when the gold runs out. What will you have then? Do you have a profession other than mining?”
“This money is only the beginning.” A sparkle lit his eyes.
Oh yes. She remembered this devilish man when he blew through town four months ago. But, Opal also knew better than to be sweet talked by a handsome stranger who’d be gone to Alaska in a week’s time. “When I return in six-months, maybe I’ll be a millionaire,” he exclaimed.
She wanted to roll her eyes to the ceiling. Opal heard this story too many times from countless men of all ages. Young, old, it didn’t matter. Since the Klondike Gold Rush hit Alaska, Seattle was a pipeline to the Northern Territory for men like Samuel to seek their fame and fortune. The difference was, from the size of the nuggets on the scale, he found his fortune.
“When I come back, I’ll have more gold. I’ll buy a big house overlooking the water, and court a pretty young woman, like yourself, Miss Grey, to be my wife.”
Opal cheeks heated.
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RTW: Thank you, Jennifer! You have a variety of other projects, so could you tell us a little about what you're planning for us?
JC: I have Historical Romances in my Regimental Heroes series. The Duke and the Lost Night, and The Reluctant Heir. I have a group of fun Christmas stories coming out in the next few weeks: Christmas Chaos, Christmas with Carol and the re-release of The Music of Chrismas, All I want for Christmas is You and Do You Hear What I Hear?
RTW: I love Christmas stories! 'Tis the season, and Books To Go Now has all your stories listed, so RTW readers, please check them out. Anything else you’d like to add, Jennifer?
JC: Thanks for the interview and ask your local libraries to add my stories to their ebook section!
Thank you, Jennifer
Next, RTW will publish Jennifer's article, Are Westerns Trending? So don't touch that dial!
I really enjoyed the video and learning about the story behind the story was fun. You don't often know the author's inspiration for a story.
ReplyDeleteI do like having a latte stand on every corner. Makes life much more enjoyable, and in the olden days, they "boiled" the coffee. It had to have tasted horrible. LOL Then again, they'd probably be appalled that we spend five bucks on a cup of coffee.
ReplyDeleteI've read both of Ms Conner's historical series of short stories and loved them! They're just the ticket for a quick "get away"! I'll be looking for more from this talented writer~!
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