luckypinebooks - Tumblr blog

[luckypinebooks]

Oh to have this be home. What do you think? Rolling fields? Distant mountains? Rustic ranch house? Is it a yes?

[luckypinebooks]

One of the cornerstone songs on my playlist for this book, a simple, beautiful question: “If I needed you, would you come to me? If you needed me, I would swim the sea to ease your pain.” Doesn’t hurt that it’s written by Townes Van Zandt and recorded by Emmylou Harris and Don Williams for a perfect classic country feel, but most of all it touches on the main theme of my story: sometimes the truest form of love is being there for someone. Being with them, whatever it takes. Through thick and thin. Through health scares and financial talks, through career drama and family issues. We all long to be loved. We’re all asking: If I needed you, would you come to me? For Wyatt and Olivia the answer is yes, long before they admit their love is real. 

[luckypinebooks]

Why do women always have to choose?

One of the biggest problems with thinking of my story in typical trope-y, Hallmark movie terms is that women are always having to choose between one version of themselves and another, or worse, the choice is made for them by the power of magical love (I’m a romance author but I think that’s bullshirt, as they would say in the Good Place). Maybe the city girl is an overworked shrew of a woman who’s too dumb to have a work life balance on her own, and she needs a handsome farmer to teach her to slow down and find the meaning of life. Maybe she’s never prioritized family but she decides to give up her job to get married and have babies and maybe, just maybe start a local cupcake shop or the like. As long as it doesn’t take too much time away from wearing fuzzy sweaters and drinking coffee with her soulmate in a house with a perfect amount of throw pillows and natural light.

At first, my female MC Olivia was going to be a similar soulless corporate drone. An unhappy, overworked, ice queen CEO with an army of personal assistants and a shiny image built up like thick armor to protect her from the opinions of the press and her rich family’s expectations. The crisis point in the book was going to be that her board voted her out of her position, which would force her hand - ahem - I mean, allow her to stay in the country and realize her fake marriage was real and worth pursuing. 

But it wasn’t going to be very fun to write a character like that. Where’s the heart? And more importantly, where is her sense of agency? In my original conception of the story, Olivia is forced into every single choice she makes. She’s forced to go to the country to inherit her ailing uncle’s ranch because no one else in the family will deal with it. She’s forced into a green card marriage so she can stay in the States instead of getting sent back to Canada where her company is. And at the crisis point, she’s forced out of her own company and chooses not to fight, realizing that she feels relieved when everything she’s ever worked for is taken out of her hands. 

Feedback from a trusted (and sometimes annoyingly honest) source revealed to me that was a huge problem. Of course it is. Who wants to read another story about a woman who’s forced into a life less beautiful and free than what she wants and deserves? In my opinion, we should be writing and reading fiction (especially romance) for a more optimistic view of life - the world as it should or could be, rather than how it is. 

So in my draft now, Olivia has already gone through some soul-searching and difficult life pivots. She’s wrestled with her family’s expectations and chosen to disappoint them. She’s turned down a promotion that would give her money and prestige, but she doesn’t shy away from her own ambition and drive. She finds a new cause she’s proud to devote her energy to. She likes her life in the city. And if she decides to move to the country? It’s going to be because it’s her decision, even if it feels like a hard, weighty, confusing one. 

And the change that’s perhaps my favorite: her “fake” husband doesn’t try to turn her into a country girl. He doesn’t misunderstand her ambition and passion for everything she’s built. He sees and supports the contradictory facets of who she is - whether she’s riding along on a cattle drive, mucking out stalls, or leading a board meeting and networking like nobody’s business. Because in a world where women are invariably told who to be, with contradictory results (be skinny! but not in an unhealthy way! be beautiful! but not vain! devote your life to mothering and caretaking! but don’t give up your career! but don’t drop any balls!) it’s a beautiful thing to have the support of a partner who says - f**k all that noise. You be you. Because I like - I love who you are.

[luckypinebooks]

What the book has shaped up to be (so far)

The original list of tropes gave a pretty good framework: fake marriage, city versus country. And those two have survived, among others. But it’s grown to have a bit more depth than that in my mind. Behold the shiny summary I wrote up for my author friends! 

At the age of thirty, Olivia St. Clair has already gone through the crucible of transformation - from heiress of Canada’s most famous billionaire family under her father’s thumb, to self-made entrepreneur and director of a non-profit that stands for everything her family’s corporation doesn’t. But when a fateful phone call takes her back to her Uncle Henry’s cattle ranch in Wyoming, Olivia goes from her busy but predictable life in the city to a whirlwind of endless open sky, oncologist appointments, dates with manure, and a green card marriage so she can stay in the US during her uncle’s final months.

Wyatt Henderson already knows his calling in life - to work the land at Lucky Pine Ranch and care for his small inner circle of trusted people until he dies. It’s a small list and a simple life, until Henry’s long-lost niece comes barreling back into Wyatt’s life and makes him question if his future is as figured out as he thought. They’re different in many ways, yet he finds himself offering to drive down to the county courthouse as soon as there’s a question of Olivia having to leave the country. As they navigate grief, impending loss, business decisions, and family entanglements together, Wyatt and Olivia have to question: what, exactly, makes a marriage real?

[luckypinebooks]

Why write a book about cowboys?

Well, why not? I can’t come up with many reasons I wouldn’t want to live in a world of fringed chaps, fragrant hay, ever present hats, beautiful horses, and wide open landscapes bordered by mountains. But then again, I’m biased. 

No, but for real, why write a book about cowboys? I’ll admit, it never crossed my mind until late last year. It all started out as a joke: my cousin and favorite author I adore has developed a habit (which is my favorite) of going into the romance section and snapping pictures of the craziest covers she can find. At the time, I was writing a Scottish historical romance set in the 1500s in which my MC was frequently compared to a wolf. So, she sent me the cover to Wild Cowboy Wolf. We had a good chuckle but started talking - if I were to write the most Hallmark movie, stereotypical cowboy romance next, what tropes would it need to include? 

Our list (as far as I can remember) was:

- morally grey man who would burn down the world for the woman he loves

- a “THAT’S MY WIFE” scene

- city vs. country

- fake marriage

- one character gets injured and the other has to carry them bridal style

It was so laughable yet so vivid all of a sudden that I scratched out a prologue (now unusable) of a very disgruntled cowboy named Wyatt stuck doing paperwork, cooped up in a dusty study when he would rather be out on the range. I assumed he would be archenemies at first with the city slicker, whiz with numbers girl who comes to inherit his ranch, and I wrote a few scenes with some enjoyable banter. The characters kept living in my mind, but I didn’t write down much of my daydreams until months later. Something was blocking me.

Turns out, the block was coming from the fact that I was still viewing the story as a joke - and on one Sunday morning, I had a breathless realization: this story could actually be heartfelt. It could be about two very different people brought together by their love for the most important mentor in their life. A story about love and loss and impossible decisions. About home finding us in the most unexpected of places. And Wyatt and Olivia started to leap off the page.

[luckypinebooks]

Introductions (or as we say in Lucky Pine, howdy pardners)

Hello hello! I’m an author who (so far) writes for the audience of her cousin and ridiculously supportive online writing group. But each story I write gets a little more developed and closer to being shared with a wider audience. Trying a new thing here and making a blog specifically for my book (or maybe someday, books? don’t wanna jinx myself) because sometimes Pinterest and random Google docs aren’t enough. So here you’ll find a diary of me clarifying my thoughts, maybe highlighting my favorite snippets, blogging inspirational pics and playlists, and just enjoying the journey of writing in general. If you happen to stumble upon this blog and stay - welcome, and hang onto your hats!