AN UNLIKELY HERO (THE PONY EXPRESS ROMANCE COLLECTION) - Mary Davis - One Free Book

Welcome, Mary. How did this collection come about?

One of our authors, Debby Lee, had the idea to set a novella collection around the Pony Express. This idea went through many proposal variations with some authors coming and going over the course of a few years. We had a hard time getting a publisher to say yes. I revamped the proposal—again—and I had my agent resubmit it to Barbour. A few more authors were added, and the collection was contracted. Even though this started with Debby, I loved this idea and knew it would make a great collection, so I kept persisting.

Are these stories connected in some way?

They’re connected by a series of roads and trails used by the Pony Express riders. Each novella tells a little bit different aspect of the Pony Express at a different station along the almost 2,000 miles. We hope that readers will get an overarching picture of this brief point in history. The collection is called The Pony Express Romance Collection.

How does your story fit in with the others?

My novella is called AN UNLIKELY HERO. Each story is a stand-alone. In my story, BethAnn is running from a mistake and finds security at a Pony Express station and love in the quiet affection of a shy Pony Express rider known as the “Fox.”

Who chose the setting for this collection?

We each chose our individual setting for our own story, but the over all setting—the Pony Express—was Debby’s idea. The route of the Pony Express spanned from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, and lasted for only eighteen months. So we each chose a different station along the way. Mine is set at the Head of Echo Canyon station.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story?

To not be too fast to judge people by outward appearances but seek to discover their heart. I found it a welcome challenge to create a hero out of a man who was small in stature. We think of a “hero”—and especially a Wild West hero—as a big, strong, strapping man. So to make my jockey-sized rider a hero, I gave him a large dose of bravery.

I like to do that, tell the story from a perspective the reader isn’t expecting. Readers want to get to know the authors they read. Can you tell us three things my readers probably don’t know about you?

~~ I have three children. My oldest is married and has given me my first grandchild. She is sooo cute. I love being a grandma. My baby girl got married last month and had a picture perfect medieval wedding. And my middle son is rocking with the angels.

~~ I’m dyslexic. I didn’t discover I was until I had my oldest son diagnosed and started researching. As I read books on dyslexia, it was like looking in a mirror, and suddenly, so much of my challenges in school made sense.

~~ I’m a Scottish lass. My great-great-grandfather emigrated from Anstruther, Scotland.

Very interesting. Please give us the first page of your story.

June 1861

No one would likely be following them tonight. BethAnn White tightened her hold around her twelve-year-old sister as the eastbound stagecoach came to a lurching stop.

The driver called out, “Head of Echo Canyon Stagecoach and Pony Express Station.”

BethAnn accepted the offered hand and stepped down from the stage, then turned to help Molly. She gazed in the direction they’d come from. The sun was just dipping behind the western ridge.

She heard rapidly approaching hoofbeats but couldn’t tell which direction they were coming from in the dimming evening light. The sound bounced off the canyon walls, making the sound appear to be coming from everywhere.

“Rider coming in!” someone yelled. That, too, bounced around and came from everywhere.

This could be exciting to see a Pony Express rider exchange. She searched the area around her. Where was Molly?

The hoofbeats grew louder, and station personnel scurried around.

Molly would not want to miss this. Where was she? BethAnn stepped out in front of the stagecoach team and saw the outline of the rider racing in from the east.

Then she saw her.

Her baby sister.

Her only family.

In the path of a several-hundred-pound charging animal.

Way to take our breath away, Mary. Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

Web Site: http://marydavisbooks.com

FB links: https://www.facebook.com/mary.davis.73932

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Pony-Express-Romance-Collection-Inspiring/dp/1683221176/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488336109&sr=1-1&keywords=Pony+Express+romance+collection 

Blog: http://marydavis1.blogspot.com/ ---Earlier this month, I ran a Pony Express series on my blog. A post from each of the other authors. We chose a theme of “This date in history,” where we picked something that happened in another year on April 3—since that was the day in 1860 that the first Pony Express run took place. It starts on March 31st with a brief history of the Pony Express.

Thank you, Mary, for sharing this book with us. I’m eager to read it. I know my readers will be, too.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

The Pony Express Romance Collection - Christianbook.com
The Pony Express Romance Collection: Historic Express Mail Route Delivers Nine Inspiring Romances - Amazon
The Pony Express Romance Collection: Historic Express Mail Route Delivers Nine Inspiring Romances - Kindle

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