Guest Post: Heading to the Wild West again by Liz Harris

First of all, I’d like to say a massive thank you to lovely Sharon for inviting me to be her guest today, and giving me a chance to chat about my latest historical novel. Asking an author if she’d like to talk about her novel is about the nicest question imaginable, so thank you, Shaz.

The Lost Girl, which was written under the working title Golden Tiger, is set in Wyoming.

As you know, it’s the third time I’ve set a novel in the American West. This is because it’s the most romantic of periods, and so interesting in terms of its history, that as soon as I finish one story set there, I have the inspiration for another. 

But let me say quickly that although I’ve now set three novels in Wyoming, the story for each takes place in a different location and has a different historical focus. I wouldn’t want to repeat a background that I used in an earlier novel as I enjoy describing different sorts of scenery.

A Bargain Struck, set in 1887, tells the story of a second generation homesteading family who live on agricultural land south of the railroad. A Western Heart, set in 1880, is located in ranching country north of the railroad. And The Lost Girl is located in the 1870s and 1880s in SW Wyoming, which is an arid, non-agricultural region, but one that is rich in coal.

Author Interview: Liz Harris

This morning it's my pleasure to welcome author Liz Harris back to the blog, Liz has been a regular supporter of the blog over the last 3.5 years and it's always a pleasure to chat to her about her latest book Evie Undercover, leading men and her writing process.

Your eBook Evie Undercover has just been published in paperback format.  Can you tell us a little bit about it?  
I think most of my friends on twitter know that I love Italy. And who wouldn’t?  It’s the land of romance, music, fabulous food, wine and song. Oh, yes, and dishy men with dark brooding eyes. 

I have one of those in Evie Undercover, but he’s not the hero. The hero is hunky Libel lawyer, Tom Hadleigh, from London. On a whim, Tom bought a 14th century farmhouse in Italy, which has been restored, and now needs furniture.

Simple, you might think, but there’s a problem – Tom doesn’t speak a word of Italian; his surveyor doesn’t speak a word of English, and Tom’s regular interpreter isn’t available to go to Italy with him.

Enter Evie Shaw, the newest reporter on the gossip magazine Pure Dirt.  Evie, half-Italian, has been sent by her manipulative editor to do an exposé on Tom. It she fails, she’ll lose the only magazine job she’d been able to find after months of searching. But failure’s not in Evie’s vocabulary, and she’s determined to get her story. 

Alas, though, the path of the investigative journalist is seldom smooth, as Evie is about to find out.

Evie Undercover is completely different to your previous historical novels, how did writing this come about?
I love reading rom coms so I’d long had it in the back of my mind that it’d be fun to write one, especially as I think a sense of humour is the sexiest characteristic for a man and writing a rom com would allow me to create such a man. 

I was in Italy, having just finished writing one of my historical novels, spending the day by the pool, walking through olive groves or strolling through one of the little medieval towns that stand atop the hills, eating in the evening in one of the little local restaurants, when it suddenly hit me that there could be no better location for a rom com, and no better time to write it. 

Since I was staying in a 14th century Umbrian house on the side of a mountain, I had the perfect location. And then lawyer Tom walked into my head, a smile on his lips, and I had the perfect hero. 

Fictional Characters in Panto: Liz Harris likens A Western Heart to Cinderella

When I was trying to think up ideas for this year's blog festive feature, I eventually decided to try and do something a little different and emailed authors asking whether they'd like to do a guest post based around pantomimes and I'm pleased to say that a few were up for the challenge...

The first Fictional Characters in Panto feature is brought to you by Liz Harris.

Christmas is the time of goodwill, so I’m relying on you being good-willing enough to let me take liberties when likening my novella, A WESTERN HEART, with the pantomime CINDERELLA.

Why Cinderella? Well, it’s that a moral of the Cinderella story is that while it’s an advantage to have intelligence, breeding and common sense, even these may fail to bring you success without the intervention of a fairy godmother. I think we can include fairy godfather in that, too. Yes, first liberty!

Author Interview: Liz Harris

Today I'm delighted to welcome back to my blog Liz Harris to talk about her latest novella A Western Heart which has just been published.

Liz was born in London and now lives in South Oxfordshire with her husband. After graduating from university with a Law degree, she moved to California where she led a varied life, trying her hand at everything from cocktail waitressing on Sunset Strip to working as secretary to the CEO of a large Japanese trading company, not to mention a stint as ‘resident starlet’ at MGM. On returning to England, Liz completed a degree in English and taught for a number of years before developing her writing career.

Liz’s debut novel, The Road Back, won a 2012 Book of the Year Award from Coffee Time Romance in the USA and her second novel A Bargain Struck was shortlisted for the 2014 Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Can you tell us a little bit about your novella A Western Heart?
This is the first novella that I’ve written. With my other Choc Lit Lite books, Evie Undercover was a contemporary full-length novel of 80,000 words, and The Art of Deception 50,000 words. With A Western Heart, I set myself the limit of 30,000 words, which I understand is the ideal length for a novella – long enough for a satisfying story with fully rounded characters, but able to be read fairly quickly.

A Western Heart is set in Wyoming 1880. It’s the story of Will Hyde and Rose McKinley, who live on successful neighbouring ranches, have always been very good friends and have grown up knowing that one day they’ll marry and thereby unite their two ranches.

Their families and friends know this, too, and they’re starting to wonder aloud why Will and Rose's engagement hasn’t yet been announced.

Rose, too, has started to wonder why. She knows Will loves her and she knows she loves him, so there’s nothing to stop him proposing to her.

But Will has other thoughts on the subject, thoughts he hasn’t shared with Rose.

And she’s reckoned without her sister, Cora. At seventeen, Cora’s sick of being treated like a child who doesn’t understand ‘womanly feelings’. She has plenty of womanly feelings – and she has them for Will. 

Furthermore, Rose could never have foreseen that a lean, handsome stranger, Nate Galloway, would ride into the McKinley Ranch and into their lives …

Books Read: Liz Harris - A Bargain Struck

Does a good deal make a marriage?

Widower Connor Maguire advertises for a wife to raise his young daughter, Bridget, work the homestead and bear him a son.

Ellen O'Sullivan longs for a home, a husband and a family. On paper, she is everything Connor needs in a wife. However, it soon becomes clear that Ellen has not been entirely truthful.

Will Connor be able to overlook Ellen's dishonesty and keep to his side of the bargain? Or will Bridget's resentment, the attentions of the beautiful Miss Quinn, and the arrival of an unwelcome visitor, combine to prevent the couple from starting anew?

As their personal feelings blur the boundaries of their deal, they begin to wonder if a bargain struck makes a marriage worth keeping.

Set in Wyoming in 1887, a story of a man and a woman brought together through need, not love...

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Countdown to Christmas Day 20: My Favourite Christmas Book(s) by Liz Harris

Something a little different for you tonight as part of an extra Countdown to Christmas feature, author Liz Harris is here to talk about Christmas books.

When I told Shaz that I’d like to write about a Christmas book for her blog I’d intended to write about that definite Christmas novella, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, published 1843 (useful quiz knowledge!). But when it came to it, I had second thoughts. I decided that most people already knew the story of Scrooge, and it would be much more fun to find a novel that was new to me, and perhaps to Shaz’s readers, too.

So, interpreting ‘Christmas book’ to mean book set at Christmas, I began to search for a contemporary novel with a story line that was tied up with Christmas.

What I wanted: a romance; a Christmas setting; a fairly modern tone; strong characters; a 
story line that made me want to turn the page.

Valentine Feature Week Guest Post: Liz Harris talks about her most memorable Valentine's Day gift

Today I'm delighted to welcome Liz Harris to the blog to talk about her most memorable Valentine's gift from her husband... I bet you won't be able to guess what it was ;-)

With the 14th February fast approaching, and with hearts racing at the thought of cards and gifts, I thought I'd pick a memorable St. Valentine's Day present from the past, and tell you about it.

Next August, I'll have been married to the same man for 35 years. I can hardly believe it's that long, but it is. It was going to be extremely difficult to choose just one of the many St. Valentine's Day presents I've received over the years , I thought.

But it wasn't. One present stood out above all the others, despite it having been given to me some 31 years ago. 

Christmas Shorts with... Liz Harris

My special guest today for the Christmas Shorts feature is author Liz Harris, 2012 has certainly been a good year for Liz with the publication of her debut novel, The Road Back, as well as her romantic comedy ebook Evie Undercover.

What is your earliest Christmas memory?  
When my sister and I were very young, our father popped out on Christmas Eve to see a friend who lived in our block of flats.  A few moments later, Father Christmas arrived.  Despite our excitement at actually meeting Father Christmas and being able to tell him how good we'd been all year, I can still remember the anxiety we felt that our father might miss seeing him.  We kept opening the front door and calling to him, but it was no good - Father Christmas had other children to see and couldn't hang on.  Sadly, our dad never did get to see him. 
     
What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
My favourite is the one started by my mother before I was born - we never open a Christmas present until after the Christmas dinner has been eaten and cleared away.   We get to open our stocking presents in the morning, and whoever is hostess puts a small wrapped gift in front of each place-setting for the meal, which we open, but the main present-opening takes place when every dish is in the dishwasher and we can all relax together.

I like leaving present-opening till later - our focus is on being together, which is the best thing about Christmas.