Hit the Trail with Harlequin American author, Heidi Hormel!

Join me in welcoming Heidi Hormel back to the blog with her latest release, The Accidental Cowboy!

COWBOY IN A KILT

When former bronc rider Lavonda Leigh is asked to guide a Scottish archaeologist through the Arizona desert, she’s expecting a fussy egghead. But then she discovers tall, strong Jones Kincaid competing at the local Highland games. She can't help her interest in him—and that's before he puts on his cowboy hat and hits the trail like a pro.

Jones is after more than he's letting on. His quest could clear a past scandal and let him live his dream—studying the old West. But as he spends time with Lavonda in this rugged landscape, he realizes that what he wants isn't just academic—he yearns for a life with her on the ranch. If she discovers his deception, this professor-turned-cowboy will lose his reputation…and Lavonda, too.

Read an excerpt HERE or BUY the book

A former innkeeper and radio talk show host, Heidi Hormel has always been a writer. She spent years as a small-town newspaper reporter and as a PR flunky before settling happily into penning romances with a wink and a wiggle.

While living in the Snack Food Capital of the World, Heidi has trotted around the globe from forays into Death Valley to stops at Loch Ness in Scotland.

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Jan Schliesman: How often do you Get Lost In A Story?

Heidi Hormel: Just this morning. I am working on a proposal for more books set in Angel Crossing, Arizona. As part of that, I am writing the first three chapters and this morning I got to typing and I was right there with my characters. I love when that happens.

Jan: What’s the best part of being a Harlequin author?

Heidi: The community of readers, fellow authors, and editors are awesome. I don’t know where else I would have found such a supportive environment to start and grow my career. (There’s also a Harlequin party that made my whole 2015!)

Jan: How much research do you do?

Heidi: It depends on the book. I usually do internet research as I hit snags or have questions but, boy, can that eat up a lot of time. I often write about careers, places, etc. that I have passing knowledge of so I only need to do research on the nitty gritty details. Take THE ACCIDENTAL COWBOY. I took an archaeology course in college, visited the Tucson area and even had a chance to see petroglyphs in the “wild.” I took all of that first-hand knowledge then did research as needed.

Jan: What do you love most about The Accidental Cowboy?

Heidi: That’s like asking me which is my favorite knitting pattern. I’m going with the magic number three and listing three favorite things: the animals (Reese the miniature burro and Cat the cat); the kilt; and Lavonda, the heroine who has helped everyone around her and finally gets to find happiness for herself.

Jan: What’s your favorite sports team?

Heidi: Sports? You mean like competitive reading and shopping? Seriously, I don’t follow sports, except my great-niece and great-nephew’s lacrosse teams. Go Ox!

Jan: Any writing rituals you follow? Celebrate a certain way when it’s completed?

Heidi: My ritual is to get up early (3 a.m. is not unheard of), make coffee, feed the cat, and sit down and write. Celebrating when the book is done?! Sleeping doesn’t count does it? I need to come up with a better way to jump and down with excitement. Any ideas? Anyone?

Jan: I know you were a journalist in your previous life. If you could go back and pick a different career, what would it be?

Heidi: Hmm … Radio Talk Show Host. I did for just a little while and always wished that had been my full-time career.

Jan: Best vacation you’ve ever taken?

Heidi: Wow, that is a toughie. I took a once-in-a-lifetime vacation with my mom to Hawaii; there was a drive from Phoenix to Northern California and back that’s stuck with me…I’ve been fortunate to travel quite a bit so it’s hard to say one vacation. I would say the three spots that still fascinate me and to which I’d return in a heartbeat are: Iceland, the Orkney Islands and Death Valley. Now, that’s a range of places, isn’t it!

Jan’s GOTTA ASK: What is your unhealthiest habit?

Heidi’s GOTTA ANSWER: Unhealthiest habit? There are so many…coffee (I would drink it by the gallon if I could); any processed sugar product; and obsessing over commas!

FIND HEIDI HORMEL:

 Contact, Website, Facebook, Twitter

 Goodreads, Pinterest

UP NEXT: THE KENTUCKY COWBOY’S BABY (Angel Crossing, Arizona), out in August 2016.

HUGE THANKS TO HEIDI for sharing her writing world with us!  She's giving away an autographed copy of  THE ACCIDENTAL COWBOY to a U.S. reader!  Please scroll down to the Rafflecopter for ways to enter and thanks for visiting Get Lost In A Story.

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