Blog Tour: Faster Than the Rest by Shirleen Davies

Western Historical Romance

Date to be Published: 8/27/2013

U. S. Marshal Jamie MacLaren will do whatever he must to find people who have been abducted, then return them to their families. This includes the woman who betrayed him then disappeared from his life.

Victoria Wicklund has endured numerous obstacles since she left Fire Mountain. None as frightening as being the victim of a kidnapping. At least that is what she thought until Jamie MacLaren appeared to rescue her. He was older, just as handsome as she remembered, and as unforgiving as the Arizona sun in summer.

Neither expects the desire they shared many years before to still burn as strong as ever. Nor do they anticipate the accusations upon their return to Fire Mountain. Will Jamie seek revenge, turning his back on the only woman he ever loved? Can Victoria forgive herself enough to trust the one man who can help her?

Interview

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

Perhaps the clearest message is to not give up. No matter what challenges or losses you face, nothing is ever over. There are always other chances to achieve your dreams.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I use many characters and focus much of my work on enabling the reader to get to know something about each one. My goal is not to just introduce characters. I strive to highlight different aspects of the personality and character of each person so that the reader may form a connection. Each book in the series re-visits characters from other books which forms a community for the readers. It is challenging, but I enjoy it.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

This is the second book in my historical western romance series, MacLarens of Fire Mountain.Although I truly like book one, Tougher Than The Rest, the current book, Faster Than The Rest, is my favorite. I enjoy the different southwest locations used as well as the wide diversity of characters. 

If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

Great question. There aren’t many that come to mind as Jamie MacLaren is over 6 feet tall and an imposing, attractive, very manly figure. Alex O'Loughlin, of Hawaii Five-O, is one who I could picture as Jamie, another is Chris Hemsworth who has been in several movies the last three years. 

When did you begin writing? 

I began writing many years ago. I finally came to a point where I could focus enough time on it to consider publishing the western historical and contemporary romances I had penned over several years.

How long did it take to complete your first book?

Six weeks to write, four weeks of professional editing, plus four weeks of final manuscript and promotion preparation. I also started the second book of the series during this time.Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer? Not that I have met, but I enjoy readin many authors and get inspiration from each. Kat Martin, Jill Gregory, Roxanne St. Clair, Robyn Carr, Caroline Fyffe, and many more have inspired me by their stories.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? 

Story and character development. I pen the first draft then go back and dig deeper into each character. This is where I try to give the reader a sense of the real people within the story.

Describe your latest book in 4 words.

Harder than the Rest

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

I am currently writing book three in the MacLarens of Fire Mountain series, Harder Than The Rest. It is the story of Will MacLaren, one of the two younger brothers, and twin to Drew MacLaren. It follows Will over a period of time while he comes to terms with tragedy, vengeance, and the desire to build a new life.

I have been writing most of my life, but only recently began the transition into fiction.  Historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and short stories are  what keep me reading, so that is the focus of my writing.  I was born in California, grew up between a growing beach town and a small town at the  base of the San Bernardino mountains. My mother originally planned to name me Katherine,  but she read an article in the paper about a woman named Shirleen shortly before my birth,  so instead of having a cool nickname, like Kate, I am simply Shirleen. My mainstays  growing up were all the Nancy Drew mystery books; I loved them. Eventually I moved on  to mysteries, suspense stories, crime novels, and romance. Pride and Prejudice will always  be one of my favorites. Besides California, life changes have allowed me to live in Oregon, Colorado, and Arizona.  Everywhere I have lived has been inspirational in one way or another, giving me the opportunity  to meet remarkable people with their own stories to tell. I've sailed, skied, owned horses plus  lots of other animals, and ridden various off-road vehicles. I enjoy dancing, fishing, hunting,  being the back-seater on my husband's Harley, traveling and, of course, reading and writing. Prior to transitioning to writing fiction, I worked for Fortune 500 and many smaller, start-up  companies. Fortunately, I regained my sanity long enough to start my own consulting firm,  which I still maintain today.  My husband and I spend most of our time at our main home in the mountains of Arizona and  our second home in Southern California. Between us we have five boys with growing careers  and families of their own.  So, from my perspective, my life is a success and always an adventure. I wouldn't change a  thing; well, except finding more time to write. I love hearing from readers, so please feel email me at shirleen@shirleendavies.com. Website: http://www.shirleendavies.com Blog - http://www.shirleendavies.com/blog.html Twitter - https://twitter.com/shirleendavies LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleendaviesauthor/ Google Plus - https://plus.google.com/101252295772842023369/about/p/pub Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/17921590-shirleen BUY LINK Amazon Giveaway

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