Debra Parmley on Western fiction

I've had reviewers say my western romance stories are gritty. The genre has allowed me to write about the harsh circumstances women were sometimes under in the wild west. A Desperate Journey is the story of a woman who was married to an abusive man who kidnapped their son. Normally it's one of those taboos to have a married heroine fall in love with the hero, but she learns her husband was a bigamist and their marriage wasn't legal. In Dangerous Ties, the hero finds the heroine strung up over a mine shaft and the rope is breaking. She's been tortured and is branded on one breast. Both women could be viewed as victims and at first they do view themselves that way. But their stories begin from the point of change just after some very bad things have happened and they move on from that point to see themselves as survivors. These stories are about women who adapt to changing circumstances, overcome obstacles, find and fall in love with their soul mates and triumph over their past circumstances to start a new life. I believe most western stories, whether they are straight westerns or western romance show how others face difficulties and through courage and intelligence and self reliance manage to survive and triumph. The stories can inspire readers to believe they too can do that and the stories can inspire while entertaining and paying homage to the history of our American past.

A personal quote you may have read before or heard me speak is this - "It is not the things that are done to us that define us. It is the things that come from inside of us." This is an underlying principle I believe in which carries through all of my writing, but I believe the western romances I've written have allowed me to show that in perhaps a stronger less subtle way than my other fiction.

 

Please comment and let Debra know you are interested in her work. All comments are read and all questions answered!

EXCERPT
Nick's horse made her way carefully down the mountain, his pack horse following along behind.

He wasn't far from town, and looking forward to a warm bath to wash away the dust of the trip and then a good hot meal. Maybe if he were lucky there'd be a warm and willing woman too. He'd been a long time without a woman.

It was then he saw her. Long golden hair, which caught the rays of the setting sun, lighting those tresses up like a flame. Red-gold hair swinging in a gust of wind.

What the hell?

He blinked twice to clear his head, in case he was seeing some fools gold of a dream.

But when he opened his eyes she was still there, bound by her wrists, suspended over a wide mineshaft; her bare feet tied together at the ankles and her long hair blowing in the wind.

Who had strung her up and why?

He pulled his rifle out and rode closer, his senses on alert. The area appeared to have been abandoned, but he knew you could never trust appearances.

The appaloosa lost her footing briefly and rocks rumbled down the mountain. He tensed, waiting for a sound or for the end of a rifle to appear, but all was silent and still.

He slowly rode closer. The only sounds on the mountain were the wind and the steadier footsteps of his horse.

By the time he reached the woman it was clear there was no one else about.

He swallowed hard, shifted in the saddle as his thoughts shifted.

Damn, she's beautiful. The knots are all wrong. Whoever tied her was no cowboy. If she struggled those knots will only tighten more, hurting her worse.

His fist tightened around the reins.

That's no way to treat a woman.

Her long hair blew in the breeze again. He rode around to the other side. He had yet to see her face.

*****

She heard horses through her dizziness, through a haze of pain. The horses' hooves steadily clopped closer and closer, bringing God only knew what. Her heart began to race.

Dear God, not them again. Please don't let it be them. Not again. I can't take much more. I don't want to die here, today.

The horses stopped and the only other sound was the wind. She could feel eyes upon her.

She didn't want to look, didn't want to open her eyes for fear of what she'd see.

But she forced herself to open them, fought the fear and the dizziness and for one brief moment her gaze met his.

Long enough to see his eyes were like summer lightning, intense and flashing with some dark emotion.

Then her world went black.

Dangerous Ties, release Feb 15, 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
A Desperate Journey, March 2009, Samhain
contemporary romance:
Aboard the Wishing Star release Oct 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
http://www.debraparmley.com

 "Spreading love one story at a time."

Buy Dangerous Ties today at http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-299/Dangerous-Ties/Detail.bok

It is Western Week

This week I am hosting some of the great authors from Desert Breeze Publishing who write Western stories - cowboys, horses, contemporary or historical, to tempt those of you who love cowboys!

I have just returned from a trip to Wyoming and was reminded that cowboys have a rich history in the settling of the West in the U.S., and are very much alive and well in rodeo and cattle country.

Here is a preview of the authors and books featured this week:

Baer Truth - Book One, The Three Baers

One of them will be just right.

Abby Clark, vegetarian, punk rock singer gets kicked off the band tour bus in the middle of nowhere. With nothing but a talent for cooking and the singing voice of an angel, she manages to disturb a very cranky, cold-hearted bear, um, Baer.

Joe Baer, a sexy Wyoming beef rancher. He has a ranch mortgage that’s due, and a past that even he never suspected.

Snow, tractors, country superstars, an unforgettable rodeo, and a tornado named Abby, will bring these "baers" out of hibernation.
Sometimes you get to keep your boots,
Sometimes you got nothing left but your spurs,
And sometimes neither one is as important as staying true to your soul.

A Legacy of Lies

Sarah Sanders is so stressed-out at college that she’s having fainting spells. She’s behind on the rent and facing eviction. Dropping out of school feels inevitable. Needing a break, she accepts her boyfriend’s invitation to visit his parents’ ranch out west. But she finds much more in Montana than fresh air and mountain trails.

Ranch hand Jim Anderson has suffered from night terrors for over a year. But despite this secret struggle, his life at the ranch had been a welcomed escape from his past. Until those terrifying dark shadows started coming for him in the middle of the afternoon.

Brought together by an unseen hand, Sarah and Jim must travel across the country to unravel a web of deceit and uncover Jim’s long history of lies before the evidence is sealed away forever.

Place in the Heart Book One

Breaking Point

Mauranie Wells and her sister Tennyson are at odds. Mauranie is content with their Wells Double Bar ranch home and working on the progress of her fledgling horse business. Tennyson wants the town life social scene and pretty new gowns, not a dusty horse ranch. She spends as much time as possible in nearby Mescal Flats, and when she is home at the ranch, cowboys come to call on her.

Cowboy banker Stemson Arroyo Smith needs help. He rides into the Bar W on a day when the sisters are not speaking. He unknowingly escalates the tension by ignoring Tennyson to pull his horse up beside the corral where Mauranie is exercising a black colt.

The Cameron Sisters - Book One

Texas Promise

After two years, Jo King’s life as a widow abruptly ends when her husband returns home to Austin. Unable to understand her angry and bitter husband, she accepts a call from the New Mexico Territory to meet her dying birth father whom she knows nothing about. Her plan to escape her husband goes awry when he demands to travel with her.
Dalton King, believing lies his Texas Ranger partner tells him about Jo, seethes with hatred toward his wife. Now he must protect Jo from his partner’s twisted mind, while sorting out the truth. Jo’s bravery and loyalty convince him she’s innocent. But can they regain the love and respect they once shared?

The Cameron Sisters Book Two
Texas True

At a Governor's Ball in Austin, Texas, True Lee Cameron meets suave Sam Deleon. Before the night is out, she transforms from the coddled and protected younger sister to a woman in love. Reality crashes down when she accidentally learns her new husband has deceived her. Daring to disobey him, she follows Sam to the oilfields and determines to live wherever he does. Has she made a mistake? Will she give up and return home where she can make her own rules?

Dangerous  Ties  
Lillian's fiance convinces the townsfolk to exchange their gold for his worthless bank notes. When he disappears, every eye turns to Lillian. Even her cousin Carl insists she knows where the gold is. Carl is deeply indebted to Kingston, owner of the saloon and small town criminal. When Nick discovers Lillian she's strung up over a mine shaft and the rope is breaking. He saves her, tends to her wounds and teaches her to shoot. When his horse trading deal with Kingston goes bad, Lillian races to save Nick.

A Desperate Journey - American Title II Finalist

Available from Samhain Publishing!

All rights reserved - Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication.

copyright © 2008 Debra Parmley

All other books available at http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-Modern-Cowboy/Categories.bok for Modern titles and http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-Historical--dsh--thru-19th-Century/Categories.bok for Historical titles.

Debra Parmley is interviewing me over on her blog

Go check it out. I am on a virtual book tour! The release party here is continuing, so read through the excerpts below, go to the web site, and comment, join or follow for a chance to win the new book, More Than a Job. And of course download the book and read it this weekend! If you already have it and you win I will give you a choice of another copy to give to your friend or the download of my next book, Animal Instinct. 

Dangerous Ties by Debra Parmer released today

Lynette: Well, Debra, the day is here. Your second book, Dangerous Ties, was released today. Tell us a little about it.
Debra: How about a short exerpt? Here is how the book opens:

Nevada 1860

Pain erased all sense of time. Lillian didn't know how long she'd hung, her muscles exhausted from the strain, her mind full of warnings she was helpless to do anything about.

Her throat was raw from screaming before Grady had gagged her. Now the cloth gag stuck to her dry tongue. She squinted through tired eyes at the pail of water sitting by the edge of the mineshaft. She could look right down into it, the water taunting her with how good it looked, how it would taste cool and refreshing as it slid over her tongue, down her throat. It would soothe her throat if she could just reach it.

But there was no hope of that.

They'd tied her up and left her to die of thirst. Lillian closed her eyes.

No, don't look at it. Don't think of it. Think of something else.

Pain shot from her broken right toe up her ankle and leg. The scent of burnt flesh still filled her nostrils. He'd seared the brand across the top of her breast. Memory lodged in her body where pain radiated along with heat, echoes of his laughter still ringing in her ears.

A single tear slipped out and ran down her cheek.

It hadn't mattered what he did to her or how relentless they were. She still couldn't tell them where the money was. She couldn't tell because she didn't know. And no amount of torture could change that one fact.

Lillian squeezed her eyes tight and prayed her lie had bought enough time to get away. Though how she'd ever get out of this she didn't know.

She had to get away before he returned, angrier than ever because she'd lied.

Mr. Thomas Shelton, her former fiancé, was probably well to California by now, and rich as the cream Lillian used to pour into her tea every afternoon. He'd done more than abandon her along with the promises he'd made to her. He'd left her to face the anger of everyone in town who he had robbed.

Lynette: Oh, WOW,  now I have to go and read it as soon as we are finished today. Sounds very intense.
If you could bring one character to life, who would it be and why?

Debra: My characters feel very real to me, and I love them all.  I think it would be great fun to have a dinner party and have them all show up.  But if I have to choose just one, I’d say the hero in the novel I am working on now.  His dark hair of his is just so touchable and those deep brown eyes… not to mention the way his voice makes my toes want to curl, and that slow smile when he gets that look in his eyes, makes me want to ….Oh,dear. *blush* (Now what were we talking about?  It is so hard to concentrate once he enters the room.)

Lynette: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Debra: I think if we do the things that bring us joy, those things can never be the wrong things to do.  For me, the act of writing brings great joy.  If you, as an aspiring writer, have that joy in your writing, it is one thing you can hold onto when the hurricane winds come. And those winds do come. Beyond that, it takes a certain amount of persistence and drive to be published, along with a belief in yourself.                                                                                  I collect quotes, some of which you can find on my website and this is one of my favorites: “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.  Small people always do that, but the really great make youfeel that you, too can become great.” – Mark Twain

I would add one thing.  Sometimes it is impossible to keep away from such small persons, and if so, you absolutely must ignore them.                       Lynette: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?    Debra: Oh, yes! There are so many things I’m looking forward to!  My first novel, A Desperate Journey, is also available as an ebook   https://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/shop/product.da/a-desperate-journey

Please visit my website.

http://www.debraparmley.com/

Valentine's Day! Check out the February Love Stories

Here are some of my publisher's new releases for February (a few of them tomorrow)! These would make GREAT Valentine's Day gifts for yourself or someone you love. Lots of variety in styles and the time period in which they appear. All are available as e-books. Two are now available in print. As an added bonus, Desert Breeze Publishing clearly indentifies how sweet or racy each book is. Check out their site at http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com  You can get in many electronic formats to fit your personal e-reader.

Bellewood Book One: Give Us This Day

When Jess Colton stops drinking, he replaces alcohol with food, and nothing Holly Harrison does eases the pain of her past mistakes. Can their romance survive the obstacles from their former lives?



New Orleans Detectives Book One: Cherished Witness

Kelly Watson - aka Teresa Pastral - A beautiful protected witness is forced to trust her life to the man who betrayed her to the mob. Can she also trust him with her heart? Now also available in print.

Deadly Triad Book Two: Deadly Revenge

Rich McConnell's past catches up with him when a sniper's bullet shatters the quiet morning... and with it, his illusion of second chance love with Ada Blaine.

Of course you will also want to pick up Book One: Deadly Reflection.

Granite Rose 

In a rare test of love and courage, enemies ignite each other's souls and learn that love really does conquer all.

The Roarin' Twenties Book Two: Mercies in Disguise

Abigail Madison finally finds a man who captures her affections – Ticonderoga's steamboat pilot, Stanley Fisher. But will the tender shoots of love have a chance bloom after a serious illness strikes and threatens their happiness?

No Other

Getting his high school diploma was a necessity if Jakob Wilheimer was going to reclaim his life after the war. The last thing he expected was for Meri Parker, an old schoolmate, to be his teacher – or that reclaiming his life, meant saving hers.  A Desert Breeze best seller, now available in print.


Dangerous Ties

Lillian is just as much a victim as the townsfolk when her fiance runs off with their gold, though none of the townsfolk believe her and the most dangerous man in town is determined to make her talk.

                                      Restored Dreams

In Restored Dreams a struggling homeowner abandons all hope of making further repairs to her Victorian home until she learns to trust and love the contractor who restores her dreams.


Death Cheater

She's always suspected she could somehow cheat death, but Athena Gray has never fully understood why, until now.

Daradawn Book Two: The Emerald Dagger

Kelsey Cafferty returns to Daradawn to again battle the dark mage Dirkk., but this time Dirkk's evil is aided by the emerald dagger and the demon that lives inside of it. Will the magic of the blue flame be powerful enough to conquer both?

And of course Book One is also available at the publisher's site.

Debra Parmley visits February 15

Here is a preview. Tune in February 15 for the rest of this interview with Debra.

Lynette: What is your perfect writing environment?

Debra: I used to write at my PC with my golden retriever, Trixie, by my side and we had a little routine. She would remindme when it was time to eat lunch and let her out. (I sometimes forget to eat, or even to drink the glass of water, which is sitting right next to me if I get wrapped up in the story.) After Trixie died, I was unable to write for almost six months. The environment only reminded me of her and I would get too choked up. So to break out of that grip of sadness and get back to writing again, I actually sat on my bed with a legal pad and told myself “I can write any time, anywhere, in the midst of anything.” And then I started to write that down on the legal pad and after a while I didn’t need to sit at that computer any more and eventually I was able to getback to writing my stories. 

Lynette: Wow, our pets can be a muse, but it sure hurts to lose them. My dog is about two feet from me right now.

Debra: My first book, A Desperate Journey, was dedicated to Trixie, in memory of, and it will always remind me of her.

Dangerous Ties, release Feb 15, 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
A Desperate Journey, available now

Debra was born in Columbus, Ohio and raised in Springfield, OH but has lived in the Memphis, TN area since 1997. She attended Marywood University in Scranton, PA and was the first student to win first place in two categories of the Delta Epsilon Sigma Beta Epsilon Chapter writing competition, in creative prose and in informal expository. Her poetry was published in literary journals while attending college.  She holds a BA in English Literature.
Debra has traveled extensively and worked as an independent travel consultant for several years. She has visited thirteen countries. She has also worked in banking, newspaper advertising, as city recycling co-coordinator, as an office manager, and as a belly dance instructor.
Her first short story, published in the anthology More Monsters From Memphis, was a finalist in the Darrell Awards for best Mid-South short story.

Her first novel, A Desperate Journey, a western historical romance, was a finalist in the Bobbi Smith Creative Writing Challenge.  Not long afterward it was a finalist in the American Title II contest.  For those not familiar with the contest, she describes it as similar to the American Idol contest, but for authors. Readers voted online and the prize was a publishing contract. A Desperate Journey was published a year later by Samhain Publishing. Debra's second book, Dangerous Ties, will be published by Desert Breeze Publishing.

When not writing, Debra enjoys dancing, primitive archery and medieval reenactment, yoga, scrap booking, practicing Reiki, and traveling.

For Debra, writing is about joy. The joy of creation and the joy of connecting with her readers. It is one of her greatest pleasures to hear from her readers.

Coming Events

Interviews for the month of February with these fun and exciting authors:

February 7 - Shawna Williams, Author of The Good Night
February 8 - June Foster, Author of  Give Us This Day
February 11 - K.T. Hall, Author of The Night Life
February 15 - Debra Parmley, Author of Dangerous Ties
February 17 - The Cuffe Sisters, Sadie and Sophie, Authors of Faith in the Shadows
February 27 - Stephanie Burkhart, Author of Twilight Over Moldavia

Then March 15 I start a round of blog visits AND a virtual Book Release Party with my fellow authors whose books are released that same day. Join us!