Interview with Carolyn Brown

I’d like to welcome our guest again today, Carolyn Brown. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for inviting me back to MCTT where I can always depend on chocolate with no calories or fat grams and a good lounge chair.

I understand you have a new release out called Red’s Hot Cowboy. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Oh, yes, ma’am. I could talk all day about Red’s Hot Cowboy. Pearl and Wil sat behind me on the loveseat in my office for a good many weeks and told me just how to write their story so I got to know them really well. They were two stubborn and determined characters who were bound and determined not to fall in love.

Wil wasn’t looking for trouble but when the lights went out in Henrietta and he didn’t have a bit of electricity he went hunting for a room so he could have a shower and a lamp to read by. And he couldn’t leave his Catahoula hound at home to freeze in the winter storm, could he? He should’ve known trouble had found him when he walked into a cat and dog fight in the Longhorn Inn and the spicy red head with an attitude bowed right up to him. Then to add more trouble to his woes, the next morning the cops were knocking on his door. It could be a big mistake but suddenly Wil needs that red haired piece of brassy baggage to alibi him out of a murder charge.

Poor Pearl Richland had left a party girl life in the city to move to Henrietta, Texas. Her Aunt Pearlita left her the Longhorn Inn, an old vintage motel and Pearl quit her job to run the motel. She was questioning her crazy decision when this hot cowboy came walking into her motel. Next thing she knows she’s thinking thoughts that steam up the lobby window.

Red’s Hot Cowboy is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

Well, now Wil is one hot cowboy. Check the cover at this time! And because Pearl has red hair, he keeps calling her Red which makes her angry.

Excerpt time:
The cowboy took two steps and pushed through the swinging doors at the end of the counter. “All I want is a room, Red.”
“You call me Red again, Mister, and you won’t need one. What you’ll need is a pine box and a preacher to read about you lyin’ down in green pastures,” she said.

(love it! KW)

What made you decide to write in this genre?

Red’s Hot Cowboy is my ninth cowboy book. Even when I was writing sweet romance my stories tended to lean toward ranching, cowboys and country life.

Are you a plotter or a pantser and how did it affect the writing of this book?

I don’t think I’m either one. I start out with an outline but it doesn’t usually last long. Somehow my characters decide that they are going to tell me what to write instead of me telling them what to do. It’s so much more fun to let them lead me through the plot and the adventures are so awesome that I don’t argue.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

I had already done some massive research for Love Drunk Cowboy and Henrietta is only a few miles from there. It’s on the Texas side of the Red River and Terral (Love Drunk Cowboy) is on the Oklahoma side. The next book is set in Ringgold which is between the two towns. This one required a bit of research about just how many shots a body could stand before passing plumb out! LOL

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

Pearl was Austin’s friend (Love Drunk Cowboy) and from the very beginning of the series, she insisted I tell her story. I’m not going to argue with a red head that’s got a temper like hers.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I really liked Pearl. She and I bonded over this book. But then Lucy stole my heart as a secondary character. She grew from a battered woman who was afraid of her shadow into a confident lady. In the next couple of books she gets even spicier.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

None of the above. My characters come to me full grown with all the baggage of life’s experiences. Together we unfold the story. It’s like meeting a person in a coffee shop, striking up a conversation and becoming friends. The information about their past, their hopes, their fears all comes about with the passage of time and friendship.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

In one way or another I think every author I have read or am reading inspires me. I learn something new with every book.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

Word of mouth is the greatest. I love it when someone drops me a note and says, “my neighbor told me I just had to read your books and now I’m hooked.” That’s simply great! But blog tours are pretty effective also. I’ve gotten lots of wonderful feedback from my blog tours (Thank you, MCTT!!!!)

What do we have to look forward next?

Next up is Darn Good Cowboy Christmas (October) which is Raylen and Liz’s story; One Hot Cowboy Wedding (Jasmine and Ace’s); and then there will be a Christmas book in 2012 which is Gemma’s story. After that Dewar will get his turn; and then Creed (Ace’s younger brother who can’t seem to find a HEA). From there we’ll see what happens next!

Thanks, Carolyn!

And again, I thank y’all for inviting me to come for some therapy today. Happy reading everyone!

To celebrate her book release, Carolyn is offering a free copy of Red’s Hot Cowboy to two lucky folks who comment on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.
Check out author’s website at www.carolynlbrown.com

Carolyn is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and Red’s Hot Cowboy is her 52nd published book. She’s been writing for fourteen years and now writes full time. She and her retired English teacher husband live in southern Oklahoma. They have three grown children and too many grandchildren to list!