Amanda McIntyre's Heart of the Story Spotlight

As an author, my passion is telling a story that transports the reader into my world. With an eclectic taste in books, music, and movies--I love delving into the 'HEART OF THE STORY'  As the new kid on the block here at GLIAS, I love to find the authors and artists who transcend the craft of writing to the level of storytelling. Fern Michaels once told me, "I would much rather be called a storyteller than an author."  I agree, and so my segment #HeartoftheStory will feature some of the best in storytelling!~Amanda McIntyre #StorytelleratHeart

My first interview my new feature I call-- "Heart of the Story " --is with the multi-genre author, KIRSTEN OSBOURNE. I fist met Kirsten at a conference after chatting with her online. Ever since, I have marveled at her energy, her humor, her kindness, and most especially--her ability to tell a story! Please welcome to GLIAS, USA bestselling author, KIRSTEN OSBOURNE!

USA Today bestselling author Kirsten Osbourne knows how to write romance. Each book is an experience that transplants the reader, indulging them in decadence, intense emotion and sweeping love.
Hailing from the state of Wisconsin, she has lived in Texas for over thirty years as a mother, writer, and wife. Married to the love of her life for more than fifteen years, she knows that true love exists and shares that vision with the world. 

She writes contemporary and historical romance as well and also ventures into the realm of paranormal romance. She invites you to join her in her world of fantasy, love, and make believe, no matter the location, where there is always a happily ever after at the end

WEBSITE  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  TWITTER

Amanda: You recently made a trip to British Columbia. Can you tell us where you visited and why it was so exciting?

Kirsten: I was in Vancouver and a little town called Langley at the Jamestown Movie Set. In Vancouver, I met the cast of the show When Calls the Heart, my favorite television show. In Langley, I toured the set of the show. It was absolutely an amazing experience!

Amanda: That sounds absolutely amazing!! You are well known for your historical work and have recently added contemporary western to your writing. How do you find it similar /different to write?

Kirsten: I didn’t think I’d ever want to write a contemporary when I first started out, because I don’t much like the morals of our generation. When I realized I could put the old fashioned morals into modern works, it made it a lot more fun for me. I enjoy writing the historicals, but they’re harder, because of the research involved. I try very hard to stay true to the period I’m writing in. The contemporaries are more fun (at the moment…these things change for me) because I love adding in TV shows and cell phones and Twitter addictions. They are just fun!

Amanda: What’s coming up next for readers?

Kirsten: I’m currently working on my third book in the River’s End Ranch series I’m writing with four close friends. It’s a contemporary series set on a destination ranch in Idaho, and the people there are amazing! I love the series, and I especially love writing it with my friends.

Amanda: What is your latest release, and would you mind sharing an excerpt?

Kirsten: My latest release is called Penny-and it is the sixth book in my Orlan Orphans series--here's a little overview of the story...

Penny Sanders is happy with her life in Nowhere, Texas. She’s been adopted by a wonderful elderly couple who are determined to be good parents for her and her sisters, and she has a good job doing what she loves best. When a handsome stranger wanders into the mercantile where she works, she is immediately attracted to him, but she’s unsure if she can trust him beyond a business relationship. While his eyes make her heart beat faster, she is cautious, not wanting to ruin the good life she has.

Tom McClain is a man who believes very strongly in fate. The youngest of seven brothers, he has always known where he was going, if not when he’d arrive there. When he sees Penny sitting at her work table, he knows she’s the woman who will complete him, and he immediately sets to the task of convincing her. Will he be able to make her understand that they’re meant to be together? Or will her overwhelming family get the better of him?

Excerpt:
They all went over to Sarah Jane’s, because the parsonage was the perfect place for a bride to prepare herself. Once she was completely ready, and her hair up, Edna Petunia hurried in with a hat box. “This is my real gift to you, Penny.”

Penny took the box, praying the hat didn’t have a dead bird on it, because no matter what it looked like, she was going to wear it. Edna Petunia was decked out in her finest clothes, a hat with what looked like a decapitated squirrel atop her head. “Thank you, Edna Petunia,” Penny said sincerely. She opened the box to find a hat decorated with bluebonnets. “It’s beautiful!”

“The flowers are silk, so if you take care of it, it’ll last a very long time. I ordered them as soon as I knew you were marrying, because I knew you’d want bluebonnets.”

“I want to thank you for all the work you put into planning my wedding. I’m going to feel like a princess walking down that aisle today, and it’s thanks to you and the hard work you put in.”

Edna Petunia beamed, sticking her chest out. It was only then that Penny caught a glimpse of the peppermint stick she’d expected to see. “I love you, Penny, and I’d do it all again. I would grumble a lot more, but I’d do it.”

Snag a copy of PENNY at: AMAZON KINDLE UNLIMITED

Amanda: Okay, last but not least, a few questions just for fun...ready? What’s the first book you remember reading?

KIRSTEN: The Monster at the End of this Book. I still have it memorized and will read imaginary copies of it to children.

Amanda: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

KIRSTEN: Beauty and the Beast, hands down. I cannot wait for the live action coming out in March. Emma Watson as Belle should be amazing!

Amanda: I KNOW! I have been waiting almost a year for that live-action movie!! The music alone gives me chill-bumps!! Another question--What sound or noise do you most love?

KIRSTEN: I love to hear water. I think that’s why I go on so many cruises!

Amanda: What’s your favorite movie of all time? 

KIRSTEN: Princess Bride. I saw it at least ten times at the dollar movie, and can still quote most of it.

 My sincere thanks to Kirsten for stopping by today! We have a special giveaway today to make it possible to #feedyourkindle!! 

Leave a comment here, then sign into the rafflecopter to be entered to win a $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD!! WOOHOO!!

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Get Lost in a new Contemporary Western series: Welcome to River's End Ranch

Today, we're heading up to Idaho to a very special place called River's End Ranch. This fictional dude ranch is the brainchild of USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kirsten Osbourne, Pamela Kelley and Cindy Caldwell. Add Caroline Lee and Amelia Adams and you have a fun new series of sweet Contemporary romances coming out this fall.

Here's a peek at the first in the series, Short-Order Sheriff from Kirsten Osbourne. 

Kelsi Weston, the youngest of six siblings, loves life. She has a job she adores, is surrounded by people she loves, and gets to work with people she cares about. If only she could keep cooks in the café she manages, life would be perfect. When her long-time boyfriend announces he’s leaving town for a new job on the same day her cook leaves with no notice, she does what she always does. She handles it.

Sheriff Shane Clapper has loved Kelsi for years, going to her café for lunch every day simply so he can see her. When he hears she’s broken up with her boyfriend, he immediately goes to the café to make his move. Why let grass grow under his feet? He knows what he wants, and he plans to get it! Will the sheriff be able to convince Kelsi she would be happier with him? Or will she give into her mother’s demands to date the man picked out for her?

Here's an excerpt:

Sheriff Shane Clapper, the chief of all law enforcement in Riston, Idaho, sat down at his desk and looked at the paperwork that had been piled there while he was out on patrol that morning. He was already looking forward to going down to Kelsey’s Kafé for lunch. He loved to watch Kelsi Weston in action. She could charm an entire café full of ranchers and cops and guests in five minutes flat. It was the highlight of his day, most days.

One of the three deputies that worked under him, Bartholomew Bigelow, wandered in from the kitchen, a donut in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. “Hey, Sheriff.”

“Must you be so stereotypical?” Shane mumbled under his breath. “Anything going on in town?”

Bart sat on the edge of his own desk to answer. “No crimes or anything to report. But rumor has it that Donn Samuels left town pulling a U-Haul trailer behind his truck.”

Shane felt his breath catch for a moment. “Really? Any idea where he’s going?” Did that mean Kelsi was finally free of the idiot?

Bart shook his head. “Nope, but I bet you aim to find out.”

Most people in town knew how Shane felt about little Kelsi Weston, except maybe the woman herself. “I think I may have to go over there and get myself a cup of coffee right now. Paperwork can wait.” He wasn’t sure he’d have been able to remain at a crime scene with the news he’d just been given. It was like a giant magnet was pulling him toward the River’s End Ranch and Kelsey’s Kafé.

He stood and put his hat on his head, striding toward the door. If Kelsi was available, he wasn’t going to wait for her to find someone else. No, this was his chance with the sweet woman, and she was going to be his.

Once he was in his car, he seriously considered turning his lights on to get to the café as quickly as he could, but he was sure someone would spot him and follow him. People in Riston didn’t have the kind of respect for the law he would like to see, because they were just a bit too curious about whatever crime could be taking place. It was different where he’d come from. He loved the town too much to complain about it a lot, but he did frequently warn its citizens to wait in their cars if he was approaching with his siren blaring. Of course, sirens were usually only used for traffic stops in Riston.

Ten minutes later, without the use of his lights and sirens, he pulled up in front of the café and went inside, nabbing one of the corner booths. It was after eleven, so he could order his lunch and take his time with it.

He didn’t have to wait long for Kelsi to come and see about him. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a bright pink top under her apron. Her hips swayed as she walked to the booth and sat down across from him instead of standing to take his order. “You’re early today, Sheriff. Did you forget to eat your Frosted Flakes before heading to work?”

Shane grinned. “Nope. I heard tell of a certain idiot leaving town pulling a U-Haul, and I thought I’d come find out for myself what the story is.” He was never one to beat around the bush. After ten years of law enforcement, there didn’t seem to be a reason.

Kelsi shrugged one slender shoulder, her ice blue eyes meeting his. “If you’re talking about my idiot ex-boyfriend, Donn, he decided he was going to give up his job here at the ranch, with no notice, to go and make cotton candy at Disneyland. He’s going to get discovered by some big Hollywood producer there, or maybe he’ll be one of the Disney princes. He’s not sure yet.”

Shane looked at her carefully. “You don’t seem too broken up about it.”

“I’m not. We should have broken up years ago.” She pushed her blond hair out of her eyes. “He wasn’t right for me. Never has been.”

“Why did you date him for so long then?”

She shrugged again, her eyes intense. “Habit, I guess. He asked me out in our junior year of high school, and it seemed like more effort than it was worth to break up with him. Besides, it was always good to have a date for weddings.”

“So how long do you think a man should wait after a girl he’s had his eye on breaks up with her boyfriend of eight years? Is there a set amount of time that’s best?”

Kelsi looked at Shane, with his dark brown hair and eyes of chocolate brown. She hadn’t thought of him as potential boyfriend material, because she’d been part of a couple for so long, but now that she considered it, the idea seemed like a good one. “Oh, I don’t know. Depends on the man who’s wanting to know.”

“What if it’s me who wants to know?”

“Let me think about it.” She tilted her head to one side, tapping her index finger on one cheek. “I think maybe ten minutes is a long enough wait.” She had little butterflies in her belly at the idea of going out with him, but she’d play it cool. It was never good to give a man too much power in a relationship from what she’d read.

“That does seem sufficient, doesn’t it?”

“Well, it’s not like you’re asking me to marry you.” Although that idea was intriguing as well. She wondered if a child of theirs would have his dark looks or her eyes like blue ice?

“Well, I considered it, but thought it might be better if I took you to a movie first.” He winked at her, doing his best not to let on just what he was feeling. Kelsi was his dream girl, and everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. He needed to take things nice and slow so she wouldn’t be scared away.

Let's meet Kirsten
  

USA Today bestselling author Kirsten Osbourne knows how to write romance. Each book is an experience that transplants the reader, indulging them in decadence, intense emotion and sweeping love.

Hailing from the state of Wisconsin, she has lived in Texas for over thirty years as a mother, writer and wife. Married to the love of her life for more than fifteen years, she knows that true love exists and shares that vision with the world. 

She writes contemporary and historical romance and also ventures into the realm of paranormal romance. She invites you to join her in her world of fantasy, love, and make-believe, no matter the location, where there is always a happily ever after at the end.

Find out more about Kirsten's books at her website and her Amazon author page:  https://www.amazon.com/Kirsten-Osbourne/e/B005G995IS

Where did this series idea come from and who is involved?  

Pamela Kelley, Cindy Caldwell, and I were in Chicago together in May for a conference. We decided we needed to write something together. Our first day there, we were hungry, and followed some street signs to this pizza place. Our waitress was named Kelsi.  Little does she know that her name was used to create an entire series of books. We brought in Caroline Lee and Amelia Adams to round out our group.  I'm very very excited to write in this world. It's the adult equivalent to playing with my favorite friends in the sandbox!

What about your heroine drives your hero nuts, and visa versa? 

Her obsession with finding Bigfoot amuses him. Not sure anything drives him nuts. He is a bit too worried about her safety for her tastes, but he's a sheriff!

What other books are coming up and when? 

Pamela Kelley, Veterinarian’s Vacation, Oct. 17, 
Amelia Adams, Accidental, Oct. 24, 
Caroline Lee, Whitewater Wooing, Oct. 31, 
Cindy Caldwell, Honest Horseman, on Nov. 7

Today, Kirsten is giving away an eBook of Short Order-Sheriff and a print copy of Wyoming Wedding. Just comment and enter the drawing. 

Have you ever been to a dude ranch? If so, what was your favorite activity? If not, would you like to visit one and what do you think you'd enjoy most?

E.E. Burke's Best Of The West with The Culpepper Cowboys

Today for Best of the West, we have a real treat! An interview with two bestselling authors who've collaborated on a contemporary Western series featuring--in their own words--"hot, sexy cowboys."

Let's meet two of the Culpepper Cowboys, and then we'll interview the authors, Kirsten Osbourne and Merry Farmer.

KARLAN

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Karlan Culpepper has worked his entire adult life, and most of his youth, to build up the ranch he knew he would someday inherit. When his grandfather dies, and the terms of his inheritance include he and his three brothers marrying within six months, and at least one of them having a baby on the way within the year, things get trickier. Contacting Dr. Lachele Simpson, a professional matchmaker, seemed the only way to go! 

Hope, the oldest of the Quinlan Quadruplets needs nothing more than to get out from under her parents’ roof, and take her sisters with her. She feels stifled, and she wants more than anything to marry. After a long weekend of testing, the four sisters embark on a road trip that would change their lives. Hope quickly agrees to marry Karlan, one of the four brothers waiting for her and her sisters in Wyoming. Will they be able to make their marriage work? Or should they have waited to get to know one another a little better like all their siblings had? 

Here's an excerpt

    Of course, that led to thoughts about where kissing him silly could lead, and she started shaking.  By the time she was at Karlan’s side, she was shaking like a leaf, and having to force her breathing to stay calm.  Why was this so hard for her?

    Brother Anthony smiled at Hope.  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two people, Karlan and—” He looked over at his wife.  “Lovie?  What’s the bride’s name again?”

   “Oh, you should be able to remember that, dear! It’s Hope!  I hope you’ll get it right!” Lovanne giggled behind a white handkerchief.

    “That’s right.  Hope.  We’re gathered here to join Karlan and Hope in the state of holy matrimony.  Of course, they’ll still be in the state of Wyoming when they’re in the state of holy matrimony.  Why do they call matrimony a state?  Do you know, Lovie?”

    “No, but the bride is nervous, so you just keep going with the wedding, Tony!”

    “Yes, dear.”  He faced the couple again.  “Do you, Karlan, take this sweet woman to be your wife?”

    It was obvious to Hope he’d forgotten her name again.  Who was this man?  She couldn’t wait to go to a Sunday service if he was the one preaching.  He was going to be a lot more entertaining than Pastor Rick back home. Pastor Rick talked about hellfire and damnation for sixty percent of his sermons.  The other forty percent was spent picking apart the flaws of everyone in the congregation. 

    “I do.” Karlan smiled at her as he said the words.  He squeezed the hand he was holding as well.  She wondered if he could tell how nervous she was and was trying to help.

    “Do you, insert bride’s name here, take Karlan to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

    Karlan leaned toward the pastor.  “Her name is Hope.”

    “That’s what I said,” Brother Anthony retorted.

    “I do,” Hope replied, biting her lip to stifle her laughter. 

    “I don’t think you need to repeat anything after me, since you both said, ‘I do.’  So you’re man and wife now.  Kiss her, you fool!”

COOPER

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Faith Quinlan agreed to marry Cooper Culpepper as part of the deal she and her sisters signed to help the Culpepper boys fulfill the terms of their Granddaddy’s will so they could keep the family ranch. But what Cooper doesn’t know might hurt him. Faith is more than willing to help Cooper out—as he discovers, to his delight, on their wedding night—the trouble is, she thinks she’s not able.

But Faith has more than one secret. Her lifelike doll-making hobby is more than just a little fun, her baby dolls have become a nationwide phenomenon. When a reporter shows up to do a story about Faith, Cooper gets all the wrong ideas…and those wrong ideas could spell disaster for their brand-new marriage. Can Faith face her fears and tell Cooper the truth…before Cooper carts her off to the loony bin or jail?

    “Yes, I apologize for the delay,” Faith was saying to whoever was on the call. “It couldn’t be avoided. We…we had to relocate the entire operation because of…well, if I’m being honest, because we were about to be found out.”

    Cooper frowned and crossed the kitchen tile in his sock feet. He peeked around the corner into the den. Faith sat at the desk, a spreadsheet up on his computer, a photo of a baby in a pop-up window on the screen.

    “No, it’s nothing like that,” she laughed into the phone. “Everything is just fine now, and we’ll be back on schedule with the deliveries by the end of the month.”

    Deliveries? What was that all about.

    “So, I understand you’re looking for a baby boy?” Faith asked her caller. “Mmm hmm. Mmm hmm.” She wrote something down on the pad next to her. “Oh, that’s so sweet. I’m sure your daughter will love it. I’m so sorry for her loss, though.” She sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek.

    Cooper fought the urge to rush into the room, take her in his arms, and ask her what was wrong.

A second later, that instinct froze into prickles down his back.

   “I know that a baby can never truly be replaced, but I hope she’ll find some comfort in what I can come up with for her. Of course, it’s next to impossible to get the exact same features, but with these photos you’ve sent me, I’ll do my best.”

   Cooper swallowed hard. What did Faith mean, she couldn’t replace some woman’s baby exactly, but she would do her best? He inched back into the kitchen, twisting to press his back against the wall just on the other side of the doorway.

Let's meet Kirsten Osbourne

USA Today bestselling author Kirsten Osbourne knows how to write romance. Each book is an experience that transplants the reader, indulging them in decadence, intense emotion and sweeping love. Hailing from the state of Wisconsin, she has lived in Texas for over thirty years as a mother, writer, and wife. Married to the love of her life for more than fifteen years, she knows that true love exists and shares that vision with the world. She writes contemporary and historical romance as well and also ventures into the realm of paranormal romance. She invites you to join her in her world of fantasy, love, and make believe, no matter the location, where there is always a happily ever after at the end.

Where you'll find more about Kirsten:

Website: kirstenandmorganna.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kirsten.Os/    

Twitter: @authorkosbourne   

E.E. How did you come up with the idea for your book?  

Kirsten: I thought it would be fun to have my matchmaker from my At the Altar series branch out and introduce several vetted women to several vetted men.  I asked Merry to join me in writing them, because I knew I couldn’t add another series into my schedule by myself, and I like the way she writes. I also already knew we work well together.

E.E.: How often to you get lost in a story?  

Kirsten: Constantly.  I lose myself in the stories I’m reading and writing. I obsess about both.

E.E.: What’s the first book you remember reading?  

Kirsten: The Monster at the End of This Book.  I’ve had it memorized since I was four.  I read imaginary copies to children often.  I should record myself doing that and force the masses to watch. Don’t you think?

E.E.: What’s your favorite fairy tale? 

Kirsten: Hands down Beauty and the Beast. I love Belle, because she’s a reader like me. I love the Beast, because he’s so beastly, but really there’s a handsome prince inside.  I’m also a huge Cinderella fan. 

E.E.: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?  

Kirsten: Fairy Tale!  Give me a happily ever after with no violence along the way any day, and you’ll have a happy camper on your hands!

Today, Kirsten is giving away a copy of Wyoming Wedding and a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Just leave a comment and enter the raffle.

Here's Merry Farmer

Merry Farmer is a bestselling, award-winning novelist who lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Butterfly and Torpedo. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn't have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always have something to write about. Her books have topped the Amazon and iBooks charts, and been named as finalists in the prestigious RONE and Rom Com Reader’s Crown awards.

Contact info: Website: http://merryfarmer.net

Twitter: @merryfarmer20

Facebook: www.facebook.com/merryfarmerauthor

Newsletter sign-up URL: http://eepurl.com/RQ-KX

E.E.: What has been the most challenging part of this unprecedented effort?

Merry: It’s always a challenge when you have two writers with different styles attempting to coordinate stories. Kirsten has a much different sense of humor than I do, for example. It’s been a fun challenge for me to write up to her level of comedy, because I usually write more emotionally intense stories about characters with deep, heartfelt emotional tangles to resolve. But Kirsten tells me I’ve done pretty good at putting my Culpepper heroes and heroines in silly positions.

E.E.: How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Merry: Kirsten had the basic plot of the series already in mind when she approached me. From that point, we decided that each of the girls would have crafty hobbies, and from that point we were each able to spin that into subplots and structure for each story. It’s been a heck of a lot of fun spinning out new ways to get these great people into all sorts of trouble with each other based on their skills and personalities…and also that pesky will!

E.E.: What turns you off like nothing else?

Merry: Ignorance. Willful ignorance. Not just not knowing things or lack of education (some of the wisest people I’ve known never finished school), but being presented with the truth and supporting facts and blatantly disregarding it to cling to preconceived notions. Ha! It’s probably my greatest weakness too, because I get way, way too disdainful when I’m faced with ignorance. But I claim it’s in my genes. I come from a long, long line of teachers and academics. It’s normal in my family to get a master’s degree or PhD.

E.E.: What would you say is your most interesting quirk?

Merry: These days I think it’s probably my gypsy soul. Some people want to buy a house and settle down as they get older, I just want to travel and move from place to place and NOT settle. In fact, Kirsten had better watch out! I might just show up on her doorstep someday unannounced! But I’ll bring cookies.

E.E.: What is your hero’s “kryptonite” – in other words, what will bring him instantly to his knees?

Merry: For my first book in this series, Rancher’s Remorse, Cooper’s weak spot is that he’s incredibly OCD about time. Everything has to be done on schedule, down to the minute. But he’s got a good reason for being that way. ;) For my second contribution to the series, book four, Teacher’s Troublemaker, Chris’s biggest downfall is that he’s spent his whole life trying to live up to his older brothers, but feels he’s never succeeded in their eyes. He needs to stop with the comparisons and just be proud of what he’s good at…which is something I think all of us can relate to!

This contemporary series has sisters heading off to be "matched up" in a marriage, sight unseen. Can you imagine doing that in this day and age?

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