When asked who their favorite character is from all the books they’re written, most writers will hesitate to commit to one above all others. But me, naw! I know who my favorite is—one I enjoyed so much, I wrote a five-book series just so I could bring him back again and again in a strong secondary role. Harmon Bass is a half-Apache tracker from the unforgiving wilds of West Texas – a dime novel legend who makes Eastern heiress, Amanda Duncan’s imagination (and heart!) run wild. Until she discovers the man she’s hired to find her missing brother, falls “short” of her expectations. Until, unexpectedly, they find a kindred soul in one another. Amanda knows she’s found her forever love. Harm needs more convincing . . .
He didn’t owe her anything else. Once she paid up, there was no reason for him to stick around, no reason for him to care one way or another what she did. Let her pretend her brother was some saint who couldn’t be tempted by the greed that was a part of every man’s soul. That wasn’t his problem. It wasn’t up to him to help her grow up. The man was dead. Now she could go home and get on with her fancy life and brush him off like the dust of Texas.So why couldn’t he shake off her look of desolation?Because he knew all about being lonely and alone, and he couldn’t bear the thought of Amanda being adrift like that.(…and a bit more)There were so few people who could touch upon what little softness was left inside him. Somehow, the silly little eastern girl had become one of them. He’d seen the look in her eyes back at the stream, that look that promised heart and soul, and it quite plainly had scared him to death. He couldn’t come close to giving her what she wanted from him. He had nothing left to give. He’d turned away from those things fourteen years ago, forging his future in sweat and pain in the way of the Apache. He’d been taught that a display of gentleness was unmanly, that to hunger for a woman showed a lack of self-discipline, which was a despised flaw. A man went about with men and did not crave the company of a female.The way he craved Amanda’s.
All five books – TEMPTATION’S TRAIL, TEXAS DESTINY, WILD TEXAS BRIDE, TEXAS RENEGADE and SWEET TEXAS DREAMS, books that earned me a Career Achievement award – have been long out of print. Good news is – I have the rights back and can get them back into readers’ hands . . . after I send them off to be torn down, rescanned, and formatted into usable files (I typed the originals from handwritten drafts in the early 1990s to submit the manuscripts!). Good thing there are companies that anticipate the need for such work. Now, to decide which I want to go with . . . and while I wait, it’ll be NEW cover time!! But then there’s nothing like visiting the Wild West while it’s 9-degrees outside and the car is an ice-encased igloo!
What’s up with you in your writing? Can’t wait to find out . . .
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
Oh, he's definitely got it bad for her! I wonder what it will take to get him to admit it out loud. Fabulous snippet!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite characters are usually the ones I'm writing at that moment. Or, the ones who keep invading my head, wanting me to hurry and finish so I can write their story next.
That push is about to come . . . from an unexpected source.
DeleteThe way he craved Amanda's - he's got it bad!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteTweeted.
Why are they always the last to know that what they want and need is right in front of them?
DeleteHe needs to satisfy that 'craving' lol
ReplyDeleteI won't make him suffer . . . for too long!
DeleteAww, he's tormented all right! Love it, beautifully written as always. Can't wait for more.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean!
DeleteAnd it seems he's met his match. He knows it (you've written it so wonderfully that the reader is certain of him before he's certain of it himself) but is so resistent. I do love to see heroes fall, though. :) I too know my favorite character i've written--Katarina Fitzwilliams form Only Scandal Will Do. I think of her as my alter-ego, the fiery woman I would want to be. And I brought her back as well in all five books of the House of Pleasure series. (Spoiler--I've got a sequel series about her children brewing where I can bring her and Duncan back again!) Can't wait for your books to be out in print again!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that series!! Compliments right back atcha!!!
DeleteI love the build up of what he should be's then the punchline of what he is. Great writing, Nancy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeff!!
DeleteHow wonderful that they'll soon be available again. You'll have to let us know so we can get one.
ReplyDeleteI certainly will!
DeleteAs I've said before, I'm so glad your older books are going to be available again. Love this guy. Thanks for sharing him with us.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for your encouragement!!
DeleteI like him. You have me wondering what caused his
ReplyDeletepain and turned him back to the way of the Apache.