Hi BJ,
Thank you for taking the time to talk about your Montana Mystique series. I’ve
always been a fan of western romance and this series delivers.
You
had a bit of a break between Dana and Hud’s story in CRIME SCENE AT CARDWELL
RANCH (as well as KEEPING CHRISTMAS and BIG SKY STANDOFF) and
your latest in this series, JUSTICE AT CARDWELL RANCH. Now that we have
Jordan’s story, do you see the other siblings having their story as well?
That could definitely happen. J
I don’t
want to give away a twist in a story so let me ask you this way – I really
liked Reba in BIG SKY STANDOFF, what was it like to write such a great
character and have her end up where she did?
I’m
getting a bit ahead of myself here so let me slow down and give our readers a
chance to get to know you a bit before digging into the stories themselves.
How
long have you been writing?
I started writing when I was about
eight. That’s when I decided I was going to be a writer. I’d never met a writer
nor did I know anything about writing. I just knew I wanted to tell stories. I
didn’t get serious about writing though until I was thirty.
What
inspired you to pick up the pen (or sit down at the computer) one day and
create characters that capture the imagination?
They had always been living in my
head. J
I thought everyone had characters living in their head and stories running all
the time. I was shocked to find out that everyone didn’t. I began writing them
down one summer when I was camping with my cousins. They would sit in the tent
at night and listen to the stories I wrote. (A captive audience)
You
have a personal note to your readers in the beginning JUSTICE AT CARDWELL
RANCH about some of the locations in the story. Did you write them from
memory or did you have the chance to go back and revisit those places?
I had been back recently to the cabin
my father built in the Gallatin Canyon. But a lot of it was from memory. The
canyon is beautiful with wild country. It’s an interesting place for the
characters to live.
Do you
have any special technique to keep track of the characters throughout a series,
especially one like this that had a few years in between?
I remember most of my characters,
especially those who were dysfunctional. J The more fun they are, the more I
enjoy them.
Do you
see any chance of moving the series into a historical perspective and going
back to the early days of the Justice and Cardwell families?
That would be fun, but I think I’ll
stay in the current time. I’m more familiar with it.
Most
people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on
this?
LOL, thanks for the laugh. I love what
I do so I don’t mind spending long hours alone in a room in front of a
computer. I don’t work in my PJs, but I know writers who do. Writers spend a
lot of time along with pretend people. It makes some of us odd. J
What
is the most glamorous thing you’ve done as an author?
I do get out occasionally and go to a
conference or get to fly to New York City to see my editor. I get to wear my
better clothes and go to dinner and be treated like I am a glamorous author.
But then I go home, back to my real life, where I get back into my jeans and go
to work. J
If you
could be a character in any of the Cardwell books, who would it be and why?
Oh, I think I would like to be Dana
Cardwell. She is really strong and determined like me. But she has four
children under six. I’m not sure I could handle that. J
Looking
over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing
career?
Wow, that would have to be the chance
to write a single-title book for HQN. I was blown over when Harlequin asked me
to write for the line.
What
do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time?
I love to go out in the boat. I love
being on water. I also love to quilt, play tennis with my husband, travel,
snowboard, waterski and read.
If you
could invite any famous person, dead or alive, for lunch, who would it be and
what would you eat?
Stephen King. I would love to have
lunch with him. I’m thinking cheeseburgers and fries. Maybe a milk shake. J
You’ve
gotten the call, a Hollywood producer is going to turn JUSTICE AT CARDWELLL
RANCH into a movie. Who do you cast
in the major roles?
Sam
Elliot and Ali McGraw when they were younger
What
are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?
Right now there will be
four more Cardwell Ranch books after Justice at Cardwell Ranch. A favorite,
CARDWELL RANCH TRESPASSER, comes out in February. I had a ball writing that
book because the villain is so wonderful. She just kept surprising me. I am
finishing up CARDWELL RANCH CHRISTMAS that comes out in 2013. There is nothing
like as snowy Christmas in Big Sky!! Except if you are out Christmas tree
hunting and stumble across a body.
Then my first
single-title UNFORGIVEN comes out in December, followed by REDEMPTION in February. Both are part of my
new single-title on-going series for HQN. They are set in the fictional town of
Beartooth, Montana in the shadow of the Crazy Mountains. I always wondered
about the people who live in such remote and wild country. The land shapes them
and the isolation causes them to have all kinds of secrets. J
I fell in love with these characters, some of them ongoing in the continuing
series.
I am
now working on the third book in this series. It will be out next fall.
So I
have a lot going on.
Is
there anything you’d like to add?
I love sharing Montana with my
readers. I’m delighted that I will have both Harlequin Intrigues and the
single-title HQNs coming out. I invite readers to pick up a book and come to
Montana for a few hours. J
Thank
you for taking some time with us today!
Thank you so much for having me!!
You can learn more about BJ at http://www.bjdaniels.com
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