Meet My Character
Matt Johanssen
Mail-Order Ruckus
the second book in
Mail-Order Tangle
I introduced you to Laura Dickerson two weeks ago, and Caroline Clemmons introduced you to Ellie Dickerson last week. They're sisters, and Ellie has come to Texas as a mail-order bride. Laura, who's older, comes along.
Now I’ll introduce you to the hero of Mail-Order Ruckus, a short western historical romance that is the second book in a duet with Caroline Clemmons, Mail-Order Tangle, to be released in September.
1) What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?
Matt Johanssen. He’s definitely fictional, a combination of many men I've known and admired. Matt is a year older than the hero of the first book, Kage Johanssen, his cousin.
2) When and where is the story set?
1880-1881, first in Texas and then in Owyhee County, Idaho Territory.
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| This is what Matt's ranch looks like in the spring when it's all nice and green. |
3) What should we know about him/her?
Matt admires his Grandpa Bert (Adelbert Johanssen) and wants to achieve what his grandpa did—build a ranch despite the elements and other issues a ranchman faced. His word is his honor, and he holds to it. In Mail-Order Ruckus, Laura Dickerson shows up as a mail-order bride and unless he marries her, a man on the grooms roster will.
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| Matt's prize bull. |
4) What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?
Matt is focused on his ranch and determined to make it a going concern. To do that, he’s invested every penny he has into it—he bought a blooded bull and after a harsh winter, 400 head of breeding cows. What money he makes has to go for wages, bills, and feed for both animals and crew. He has no money and no time to spend on a wife. Problem is, Laura, who he met and admired in Texas, comes to Silver City with a group of mail-order brides for a week of courting by men who’ve paid for the privilege of courting them. She has a week to pick a groom. And it can’t be him.
5) What is the personal goal of the character?
Matt’s all about building the ranch to a self-sustaining operation just as his grandfather did in Texas.
6) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
The title of the duet is Mail-Order Tangle. You can read more about both books in the duet at
We don’t have much on the site yet, but the cover’s posted and there’s a blurb for each book.
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| Caroline Clemmons |
7) When can we expect the book to be published?
We’re aiming for September 10. It’s an ambitious schedule and we have lots to do, but both Caroline and I are extremely excited for this release. It’s our first time working together, although we’ve been online friends for quite a while, and I’ve been a fangirl of Caroline’s long before that. So I’m tickled to be included in this book with her!
Caroline will be writing about her hero, Kage Johanssen, so check her blog on the 21st!
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Hearts of Owyhee series
