About The Story

What do you find interesting about your main characters? 

Emilia is resourceful and stubborn. Although she is living in 1883, a time when women did what they were told, she is determined to do things her way. I think it’s funny how the plans that are made for her are exactly what she would have chosen if she’d been given the opportunity to say what she preferred. But because they were laid out for her, she rebelled mightily by choosing a random cowboy and lying about who he was. She never dreamed one little white lie would snowball and land her in a world of trouble with her parents, her friends, and the handsome cowboy. 

Jasper, too, loves his independence. Although he respects his parents and will not go against their wishes, he obeys their instructions to attend a ball in which he is to meet his bethroathed by doing it his way, dressed as a rugged cowboy. Intrigued by the little vixen who tells him to play along and introduces him as her fiance, he soon learns she is the intended his parents had sent him here to meet. Now, he doesn’t know if he can trust one who lies so easily.

Where does the story take place and why did you choose this setting?

Salida, Colorado in 1883. I love this time frame. Salida is a beautiful town about an hour’s drive from where I live and has a rich history for fodder for a historical story. The railway came through there in this time which helps get characters from their far away ranches to town in less than a day, thus allowing my main male character’s parents to come be with him for his bethrothal. 

Share a little about the story behind the story.

My initial thought was to have my female character be a rebellious young woman. She doesn’t trust her parents to arrange a marriage suitable for her and is looking for a way to get out of the agreement she assumes they have made. When she spies a handsome, rugged, and rather dirty cowboy at her birthday ball, she decides to tell her parents he is her secret courter and they are already engaged to be married. Thinking it will buy her time to get our of her parents’ arrangement and find someone she really can love and live with the rest of her life. But I knew the twist had to be that the dirty cowboy was the man her parents had made the arrangement with and now she wants to set things straight. But the cowboy, while amused by her antics, doesn’t feel he can trust her.

What is the theme or takeaway you want readers to think about?

It’s hard to believe a liar even when they tell the truth.

One little white lie will lead to another and another until you are so entangled it will be difficult to get out of the mess you have made. The only way out is to tell the truth and set the record straight. 

About The Author

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I was in my twenties when I absolutely knew I wanted to be a writer. I took a creative writing class then and loved it, but while my babies were young and I worked full time outside of the home I couldn’t not fit it into my schedule. In truth, looking back over my life, I realize I’ve always been a writer. I was the kid who made up the story that we would act out. We played Mom and Dad, children, Cowboys and indians, etc. I wrote plays and coaxed my friends to act them out. I made hand puppets and entertained my friends with little puppet plays.

When I was 53, my life took a drastic turn and I found myself at home as caregiver to my mother with dementia and my special needs sister. I realized I had copious amount of time on my hands and thought, “Why not try this thing called writing?”

I published my first book the next year and now, 12 years later, have 70+ books published on Amazon. It is a career for me now and I love it!

Favorite animal?

I have 7 dogs, 1 cat, 12 chickens. But I love all animals! I can’t imagine life without some critter in my lap or in my house. The chickens are outside, of course. LOL I’m that person who goes to someone’s home and sits down to visit with the pet(s). 

If you could travel to any spot in the world, where would it be?

My  bucketlist is to go to Europe. I’ve never been. I want to go, not as a tourist, but on the insiders track, visit real people, see how they live in that country and eat what they eat, help work in their garden, etc. My second, and more achievable bucket list item, is to take three weeks and drive from my home in Colorado to the east coast, drive up to Maine, have a lobster dinner, then head back on an interior highway so I can see different things from the way up. I want to take our time, stop when we want to, pull off because we saw something interesting, and get there when we get there. 

What’s next in your writing?

I have a Time Travel Historical Romance I am publishing this year, 2022, and I have a Dachshund Cozy Mystery series I wrote half of last year. I will finish that series this year. I have some Multi-Author Series I will be writing in that will publish this year also. IF I can get everything written that I planned, it could be 20 books. But we’ll see and I’ll do what I am able. Nothing says I can’t push some of them over into 2023. 

Social media links:

You can learn more about Lynn on her blog, follow her on Twitter @MLynnDonovan, Facebook Author page at LynnDonovanFGG and her website, LynnDonovanAuthor.com.

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For more publications by Lynn Donovan go to: Amazon.com/author/ldonovan

About The Story

What do you find interesting about your main characters? 

Both of my characters are honorable to the core. You make a promise, and you keep it. No matter how difficult it may be. Bass Pickett’s word is his bond and Emily Frost finds herself a people pleaser who can’t say no, so she is stuck with her decisions.

Bass is a strong dominant male and has little time for romance. He has a ranch to run and is more interested in expanding his herd than expanding his family. Of course, all it takes is one softly spoken young lass to put him off his game and regret a choice he made, but he feels honor-bound to keep away from Emily. After all, she is supposed to marry his brother. 

Emily Frost is on the bad end of other people’s choices. A people pleaser to the core, she will do anything to keep the peace. After running away from home to escape the scandal caused by her father and brother, she feels compelled to make her new marriage work, no matter what. What she doesn’t expect is that her attraction to Bass grows the more time she spends with him. 

Where does the story take place and why did you choose this setting?

My story takes place in the fictional town of Flat River, Nebraska. Set in the lower center portion of the state in Lincoln County, Flat River is based off North Platte and lies where the Platte River diverges into the North and South Platte Rivers. 

I created this setting when I was crafting The Chapmans series. The need came about when I was writing my Pinkerton Matchmaker Series and needed to craft a backstory for a set of twin sisters. I needed somewhere close, but not too close. I settled on Nebraska, and this corner of the state has been featured in most of my books and series, so it made sense to place The Letter Wife in this location as well.

Share a little about the story behind the story.

I read mail-order bride romances for as long as I can remember. I found it incredibly brave that these women would travel across the United States to marry a stranger. Of course, more happily ever-afters appeared in books, than in real life, but the process must have worked, because the US is quite populated.

Most women would answer an advertisement in the paper, or solicit the services of a matchmaker. My thought was – what if a group of letters, enroute to their destination was lost? All these women who had written, seeking a better future, might never have a chance. So, I made the packet found by our hero, Bass Pickett who runs a ranch with his brother. 

Since Flat River is such a remote town during that time in history, it would make sense that stumbling on a stack of letters like this would be like finding gold. My question was – what if that person who finds the letters realizes that the town needs more Christian women, and starts responding to the women? 

These are the letter wives… 

What is the theme or takeaway you want readers to think about?

My favorite trope is the opposites-attract romances. The tension between two people who are completely different makes for the most entertaining stories. I love the attract and repel dynamic and The Letter Wife certainly has a lot of that! I want people reading this book to understand that although you may think that because things work out a certain way, it could be because God has a bigger plan for you and your plans are not always His plans.

About The Author

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Since I was seven. I would interview people and write their stories – with quite a bit of embellishment. I loved being able to disappear into a story and couldn’t wait to be able to tell stories of my own.

Favorite animal?

My Shih Tzu, Morgan. After that a sloth. Given Morgan likes to lay around all day and do nothing, I figure they are one in the same.

If you could travel to any spot in the world, where would it be?

Greece. Give me warm sand, blue seas and a clear sky any day. 

What’s next in your writing?

I have two series coming out that also take place in Flat River – The Hartmans and The Flat River Matchmaker. I’m also branching out into contemporary romance and hope to reach a new group of readers with my plot-driven stories.

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