DAWN COMES EARLY - Margaret Brownley - Free Book

Welcome, Margaret. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

First, thank you for letting me hang out here today. Being on your blog is always a treat.

To answer your question: My favorite theme is forgiveness because that’s what I personally struggle with the most. The heroine in Dawn Comes Early struggles with forgiving her mother. But unless she makes peace with the past, she can never find happiness.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Dawn Comes Early is the first book in my Brides of Last Chance Ranch series. The second book Waiting for Morning will be out December of this year and the third book tentatively titled Afternoon Tea will be out 2013.

In July my nonfiction book Grieving God’s Way: The Path to Hope and Healing will be published. Readers have been asking for my backlist and I’m happy to say that we’re working on bringing out some of my early titles.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I’d rather have dinner with family and friends, but if I had to choose a stranger I would have to say Queen Elizabeth. She has known something like eleven or twelve prime ministers and twelve U.S. presidents. That makes her pretty special.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

A handsome Pinkerton detective is the hero in my next book so having dinner with one would certainly be inspirational—or at the very least allow me to ask questions.

That sounds like fun. How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

I’ve learned through the years that rejections can often turn out to be blessings in disguise. One of my books was rejected 17 times before it was picked up by a major publisher as a launch title for a new line. I’ve had other similar experiences. A rejection can be God’s way of giving you another chance to find a more suitable publisher or to improve the work. A rejection isn’t the end of a story; sometimes it’s only the beginning.

That is so true. Both of my present 3-book series had been rejected, but God had a specific place in mind for them. Tell us about the featured book?

The idea for Brides of Last Chance Ranch series came to me after reading an old newspaper article in the New York Times dated 1891. A group of fifty ladies of the First Church of Milford formed a society of old maids in 1861. Each member vowed she would not marry. Each woman paid five dollars on admission with the principal going to the one who remained unmarried the longest. Thirty years later all but fifteen of the original had married. I was never able to find out who won the prize—and sincerely hope no one had—but the concept intrigued me and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Dawn Comes Early is the first book in the series. So what does a disgraced dime novelist know about cattle? According to the hero, “Not a dern thing—and that ain’t all she don’t know.”

This sounds like it’s just my cup of tea. Please give us the first page of the book.

Heir Wanted

Looking for hard-working, professional woman

of good character and pleasant disposition

willing to learn the ranching business in Arizona Territory.

Must be single and prepared to remain so now and forever more.

CHAPTER 1

Arizona Territory 1895

“Cactus Paaaaaaaaaatch!”

            Whistle piercing the air, the wheels of the Southern Pacific ground against the metal rails, jerking passengers back and forth before coming to a screeching stop.

            Kate Tenney was the only traveler to rise from her seat. Ignoring the curious gazes of the mostly male passengers, she walked along the narrow aisle and down the steps to the deserted open-air station. Steam puffed across the wooden platform like a hissing dragon.

            She clutched at her skirt with one damp hand and shaded her brow against the bright noon sun with the other.

            The steamer trunk filled with her precious belongings landed with a thud by her side. It had been delivered by the dark-skinned uniformed porter who then grabbed hold of the handrail and swung his bulky frame back onto the train. He leaned out just far enough to signal the engineer with a wave of his hand and to afford Kate one last pitying look before vanishing inside. He wasn’t the first to take pity on her but if things worked out as she hoped, he would most certainly be the last.

            The train slithered away, picking up speed until all that remained of the Tucson-bound express was the sound of a distant whistle and a line of black curling smoke.

           

            Hands on her waist, Kate glanced around with a growing sense of dismay. This couldn’t be Cactus Patch. Please don’t let it be so. Never in all her twenty-nine years had she imagined such a desolate place.

I love it. Can’t wait to get my copy. How can readers find you on the Internet?

If I’m not hanging out at Facebook or Twitter readers can find me at www.margaretbrownley.com

Thank you, Margaret, for the interesting interview.


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Dawn Comes Early (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series) - paperback
DAWN COMES EARLY (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series) - Kindle


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