Rosanne Bittner's Blog, page 7

Sometimes “lonely” means need and desire come before love.
        RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME , the first of my three Men of the Outlaw Trail books, is still over a month away, but I am getting some fantastic advance reviews!  I'll include some of them at the end of this post, but first -- a couple of excerpts!
* * * * *Excerpt #1:        "The fact remains, you're in outlaw country now, and you won't find much help among the kind of men who live out here. They call this part of the country the Outlaw Trail." He fanned the flames with his hat. "You've likely figured out that men come here to hide from the law. No lawman will show his face in this country."          Kate knew it to be true, but her heart fell a little more at hearing it. "Are YOU an outlaw, Mister Bowden?"
        Luke managed a light laugh. "Depends on what you consider an outlaw."
* * * * *Excerpt #2:        Kate awoke to the crackling sound of a fire, her head on something soft, two blankets covering her. She thought she smelled coffee, and the smell reminded her she was hungry. She opened her eyes to a dimly lit room. Except it wasn't a room. The walls were made of rock. The only light was that of the fire.
        A horse whinnied, and now she saw a man wearing a gray wool jacket sitting on the floor of the cave and leaning against the rock wall only about five feet away. He appeared to be sleeping. She lay still, thinking. She remembered falling .. someone telling her she was bleeding .. something about a cave .. lying facedown over a horse. Her head hurt.          She put a hand to her forehead and realized it was bandaged. The fall! A snowstorm! She gasped and sat straight up. The blankets fell away, and she looked down to realize she wore only her camisole and ruffled pantaloons. Where was her dress? And where was SHE?
        A man's voice spoke up. "So, you finally woke up."

* * * * *"Touching, passionate romance between two wounded souls amid the beautiful landscapes of the West make this a page-turner sure to please fans of western historicals." -- Publisher's Weekly (Click here for full review!)
“This slow-burn romance is true to Bittner’s signature focus on the emotional connection between the hero and heroine.” -- Patricia Smith, Booklist (Click here for full review!)

And from my advance readers:

"Rosanne Bittner is a master at creating lasting storylines, picturesque sceneries, and heroic couples who envelope her reader’s heart and soul, forever." -- Tonya Lucas 

"Rosanne Bittner has done it again and in breathtakingly beautiful Rosanne Bittner style. I could not put this book down until I finished it." -- Glenda Kinard

"Rosanne Bittner has written yet another epic novel about the wild untamed west. This book will grab your attention in the first few pages and keep you needing to know more." -- Stephanie Jenkins Ortiz-Cerrillo 



Pre-Order from Amazon.com!

      Most of you probably aren’t old enough to remember that old TV show called TO TELL THE TRUTH, with Tom Poston and Kitty Carlyle and various other celebrities, who sat on a panel to judge 3 contestants who all claimed to be the same person. The panel’s job was to ask questions and guess which of the 3 contestants was who he said he was. Usually they had a very unusual secret or occupation, like being a stunt man who’d suffered 25 broken bones in his career.
       My theme here is “to tell the truth” when writing my stories. I have been told by some (mentioning no names or names of publishers) that because of today’s political correctness I should go easy on how I depict certain classes of people in my books so as not to risk “offending” someone. Sorry, but I write REAL history, and if something happened, it happened. If a certain class of people were responsible, then that’s the way it was.
       I am part Potawatomi, Irish, English and ½ Sicilian. Let’s see … the Potawatomi once attacked old Fort Dearborn (now Chicago) and killed just about every person there. The Irish drank a lot and in this country many of them ran ruthless gangs in NYC. The English ran an empire that once spanned almost all of Europe, North Africa, China, India and of course, ruled America’s original Colonies (often ruthlessly) for many years. They were arrogant tyrants and they owned slaves. The Sicilian … well … everybody knows what went on in Chicago and other places during Prohibition in the 1920’s. Does the name Mafia sound familiar?
       I have watched movies and read books and magazine articles about every one of these incidences and more that involve my own ancestry. Am I offended? OF COURSE NOT!! Why should I take offense at something my ancestors might or might not have done a hundred or two hundred years ago? So what? History is history. It wasn’t me who did those things. Were my ancestors discriminated against? You bet! The Potawatomi, the Irish, the “Red Coats,” and the Sicilians all suffered insults and forms of banishment in history. Am I offended by that? OF COURSE NOT! It happened. Why should I leave out or try to hide those facts? And that is what they are. FACTS. They aren’t my personal beliefs or practices. They are simply facts from the past. I could name dozens more about other nationalities who committed acts we would find horrifying today.
          I strive to tell the truth in my stories, ugly as that truth might sometimes be. Sorry about that, but it makes for exciting, page-turning reading. It gives readers something or someone to root for – or against. And in my stories, I always set up my characters to be believable and in a way that the readers understand the WHY of what my characters do and say. How can anyone be offended by the TRUTH? And I do extensive research to make sure I’m not exaggerating or embellishing on what really happened. If I’m not sure, I don’t use it in a book. And I try to never portray any one class of people as always the ones who were right or wrong. There is good and bad in ALL of us, no matter our race or beliefs. That’s just human nature, and it’s wrong to “brand” any one type of people as always the “bad guys” or “good guys.” I’ve even had preachers in my stories who were despicable characters, and outlaws who would stand in front of a train to save a woman’s or a child’s life. That’s life. NO ONE is all right or all wrong.
       99% of the time I use real history in my stories, real people and locations, real events. Real history means telling the Truth. And that sometimes means not being politically correct. Being politically correct can take away from the reality and excitement of a story. And very often, the TRUTH surprises my readers – like reading about Native American abuse by the soldiers and the government (and as far as the government, it’s still going on today). I get so many comments from readers wanting to know if this or that really happened, because they didn’t learn it in school.                My characters often lie and cheat and kill. They tell it like it is, use verbiage that was common at the time. I write “cowboys and Indians,” soldiers, gold miners, prostitutes, school teachers, drunks, murderers, Irish, Chinese, the rich and the poor, outlaws and lawmen, men who deal out justice with knives and guns, slavery and those who were against it, buffalo hunters and fancy gamblers, clergy and those who won’t step foot in a church, and half-breeds. I write real politics of the time, the good and the bad, corruption and law-abiding citizens. I leave nothing out as long as it is the truth of the times. And the truth is always more entertaining than fiction. Most of all I write strong, strong women, whether Native American or Spanish or white – women to match my brave, able and strong heroes, who also might be any race. I make no excuses and follow no rules because that makes for boring, formulated stories. All I do is start out with a man or woman, no matter their ethnicity, and I write their story, a story that follows the TRUTH of the times.       
       The Truth Shall Set You Free (John 8:32). Not following writing rules or P. C. guidelines frees up a writer to just tell a story with total reality. Most of all I tell a good love story every time, and sometimes that love is shared by two different races. Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes cultural difference are the theme of my love story. Culture clash creates conflict and challenges that make a story more exciting. My books have no fainting flowers and no heroes who back down from a fight. My main characters seldom have biased ideas on race, politics or religion. They are usually too bent on simply surviving the dangers of the era in which they lived, and in that era people needed each other and helped each other, no matter their differences.

       I try never to put my personal beliefs about any of the above into my stories. I simply rely on TRUTH IN HISTORY. In other words, what I write is not a reflection so much on me as it is on what really happened and what was practiced and believed during the era of my stories. I hope to never be judged by my characters and their actions and beliefs; but rather, I want to be judged on my story-telling, and my hard work regarding historical research. Sometimes I disagree with what my characters might say or believe, or their actions, but I remind myself that this is a story based on truth and not on my personal likes or dislikes. I remind myself to just tell the story and stay true to the times.
       So far, over my 36 years of writing, I have had 99% great, five-star comments about my stories – on Amazon and through reviews and letters and e-mails. Readers seem to understand that the surrounding events, actions, attitudes and history in my books is simply “the way it was,” and through it all, it’s a powerful love story between two people that shines through – two people who fight for what’s right and against what’s wrong, according to how it was during the time they lived. Real events (like the Civil War, the Indian wars, the growth of a nation) can have a very strong affect on how people behave and what they believe at the particular time of my stories.
              In a sense, writers are also reporters when it comes to including real history wrapped into the lives of our fictitious characters. We are “teaching” history to our readers. Famous TV reporter Walter Cronkite usually signed off by saying, “And that’s the way it was.” Everyone today should look this man up on the internet, along with Edward R. Murrow, who made some astounding and blatantly true remarks about the times in which he reported – mostly during WWII and the fifties. He was an extremely wise man and a totally honest reporter who expressed no bias. He simply told viewers what was really happening at the time – no personal opinions – no worries about being politically correct – no “fake news.” Read his many quotes about reporting. They slap you right in the face with truth and fact, like having cold water thrown at you. What an honest, devoted reporter he was, and he stuck to facts. One of his quotes about reporting on events from World War II – “If I’ve offended you … I’m not in the least sorry.” Why? Because he simply reported the TRUTH – and the beliefs and attitudes that existed during that horrible time in our history.

Coming 24 September:  CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE!Pre-order from Amazon.com
Coming 26 November!Pre-order from Amazon.com

"I need a hero. I’m holding out for a hero till the end of the night."
       These words are from the Bonnie Tyler song, Holding Out For A Hero, sung in the 1980’s and used as a theme song in the movie “Footloose.” I have the song in my playlist, and I play it almost every day to put me in the mood for writing my own heroes. We need more heroes today, and not just the fictitious Marvel Comics heroes in kids’ movies.
"He’s gotta’ be strong and he’s gotta’ be fast"
       Women are just naturally drawn to a man of strength and sureness. And yes, we are drawn to brawn and power. I mean no disrespect to today’s smart and independent women, many of whom are also heroes as EMT’s, police women, those who work for a fire department, doctors, nurses, women in sports, women in the armed forces, caregivers – even mothers should be considered heroes. But for this blog, I am talking about the male heroes of romance novels – the flawed, yet in so many ways perfect man, who is tough as nails but knows how to be gentle with a woman and who adores the heroine.
"And he’s gotta’ be fresh from the fight."
When the men in my stories walk into a room, heads turn. People immediately know this man is bigger than life. This man is in complete control and knows no fear. Jake Harkner, in my Outlaw Hearts series, is definitely that kind of man. After writing Jake, I had trouble getting interested in new characters and new heroes. Jake is simply one of a kind, so bold and so memorable that it was very hard for me to leave him after four books and go on to other stories. Those who have read this series know exactly what I mean.
"He's gotta’ be bigger than life."
       Another unforgettable hero I wrote is Zeke Monroe (Lone Eagle) in my Savage Destiny series. Zeke is another character that leaves everyone else frozen in their seats when he walks into a room. Some characters just have that aura of power about them, men who command respect and attention the minute you lay eyes on them. Nick de Santos, the hero in the book I just finished writing – THE LAWLESS BREED – is another hero who commands full attention. When he rides into the story at the end of the first chapter, readers will have an OMG! moment and will immediately want to know more about this man.
"He’s gotta’ be sure."      
       I write heroes, and I will ALWAYS write heroes. Why? Because I write about women’s deepest passions and deepest desires. Romance readers want a hero, a man with skills that were needed in a time of wild danger, a time of settling untamed country where there was no law. And my heroines match my heroes in bravery and that special independence that was once rare for women. I love writing heroines who only make the men in their lives even stronger and more able to defend home and hearth, able to hunt, to fight, and to lead.  "Where have all the good men gone?"
       Ya’ gotta’ love that bad man with a good heart, and the fact that a true hero is willing to admit he couldn’t get by without the woman in his life. As my hero Jake puts it, his wife is “the air I breathe.” He fully admits he couldn’t survive without her. His wife Miranda keeps Jake focused and keeps her ex-outlaw husband on the straight and narrow. She taught him what love is all about, and that love is his lifeline. At the same time, Miranda realizes she needs and wants Jake’s protection and his sureness as a man who knows how to handle himself in dangerous situations. Miranda knows in her heart that she needs all that is “man” about Jake, and that only compliments her as the heroine.
"I need a hero."
              Writing strong heroines only helps enhance the hero’s role in a story. In the opening chapter of RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME (coming November 2019), the hero is about to be hanged. It’s the heroine who saves his life, but not because she is Wonder Woman. She needs the guy for his food and supplies and to help her find her way out of a wild, dangerous land in which she is lost and stranded. So, I have a brave, smart heroine helping a complete stranger who turns out to be very brave and capable himself. These two totally compliment each other in heroism and survival instincts, yet there is a femininityabout the heroine that brings out the protective instincts in the hero and makes him more “manly” just by being himself. Throughout the story these two recognize what each needs from the other and each totally respects what the other can contribute to their survival. The writer of romance doesn’t need to make the heroine weepy and shivering just so the hero seems more heroic. My heroes absolutely admire a strong, brave woman who in many ways is his match, but who, when it comes to true love and makinglove, is soft and inviting and a woman in every sense of the word. The heroine in turn wants the hero to be a man in every way in the romance department, but she also expects respect and adoration. That’s what women get from my heroes.
       Through all the changes in what is popular today, romance remains at the top of most women’s reading list, and yes, men, too. How else are they going to find exciting, action-packed reading, while at the same time learning “what women want?”         Most romance writers have adapted to today’s social changes, and they understand that even though our heroines have to be much braver and more independent than in those old, original romance novels of the 80’s, these adjustments do not have to take away from the natural attraction a woman feels for a brawny, able hero. That deep, innate need for a man’s man in our lives is what keeps readers turning to romance novels for reading entertainment. So, I don’t know about you, but …
"I need a hero."         And heroes are what I write.
~   *   ~   *   ~   *  ~
Coming 24 September:
Pre-order from Amazon.com
Coming 26 November:   Pre-order from Amazon.com

     I remember when, many years ago, my former agent told me I should have a blog. I had no clue what she was talking about. I’d never even heard the word “blog,” let alone knowing what it meant. She tried to explain, and to this old dog it sounded intimidating, difficult, a stealer of writing time, and something I couldn’t begin to know how to set up, let alone keep it updated.   
        Today I still wouldn’t know how to set up a blog site. If it wasn’t for my former publicity gal who originally set up blogging for me, I still wouldn’t even have a blog page. And I still don’t even know how to enter new blogs! My current publicity gal does that for me. I write the blog in Word and send it to her, and she posts the blog. How’s that for a “duh” situation?
        Then, of course, I have to come up with a new subject for each new blog, but after 36 years and 70 books I can usually think of something. I have blogged about nearly every subject one could bring up about writing, but I hope to continue finding new subjects and ideas for you. And now that I understand what this blogging thing is all about, I’m happy to have yet another outlet for talking to my faithful readers about my thoughts when it comes to writing and to my genre of western historical romance.
        American history is a vital subject that in my opinion is no longer properly and thoroughly covered in public schools, so I try to show and teach readers some of the things they might have never learned about this country’s rich, exciting and adventurous history in school. Yes, we have made huge mistakes. It’s human nature. And yes, we have also done a lot of things right. Learning our own history can teach so many lessons about what NOT to do wrong the next time. As we age, we realize that what we thought was so important at 20 becomes totally UNimportant at 50. And by 60 and 70 it’s too late to go back and change what we missed as being most important of all. There are no “do-overs” in life, so I tell my grandsons to please, please never do anything that their common sense tells them they could regret later in life.
        Seems I’m wandering here, and none of this has anything to do with writing, except in the case of a story that covers 20-40 years, and I’ve written many such stories. I really enjoy delving into a hero or heroine’s past and showing how they have grown from there. A good example is Jake Harkner in my Outlaw Hearts books, a man so pitifully broken in spirit and pride at a very young age that he never quite recovers. His childhood turned him into what he became as a man, an outlaw who on the inside is struggling to learn what love is all about and who forever feels unworthy of that love even when he finds it. I have often wondered what his eulogy would be like, and one thing I thought of was that Jake Harkner, though unaware, was one of God’s avenging angels, like Michael, appearing to be mean and bad, yet doing what God appointed him to do without even knowing it. Jake is so sure in his early years that God would never want anything to do with him, yet he is always finding ways to help someone. His technique is usually questionable, but he means well, and people love him in spite of himself. What a great epitaph for his tombstone – “Here lies Jake Harkner, an avenging angel.”
        Meantime, I hope ALL of you like my STORIES. That’s far more important than my own thoughts. I think you can tell from my books that I love a great love story of devotion and sacrifice, and I love American history. And just think if our pioneers could have had these methods of instant communication! Once, we wrote long, long letters. Now we blog.

 Coming 26 November 2019!Pre-order from Amazon.com

                     It’s the Fourth of July, 2019, and I sometimes wonder how many people give thought to what the Fourth is really about. Yes, it’s the day we celebrate the Declaration of Independence, which originally was independence from rule under the thumb of the King of England. But many of us just think of it as a day, sometimes two days, off work – a day to go camping or boating, watch parades and fireworks, get sunburns and eat hot dogs. We forget what our ancestors suffered to reach the freedom too many people take for granted today.
          Our original settlers came here to get away from totalitarian rule, and they eventually built their own Nation, wrote their own laws, and planned their own form of government, which, above all, established individual freedoms one could never enjoy under a dictatorship.
          “Of the People, By the People, For the People.” Our government is supposed to represent all of that, and we therefore get to vote for those who will run the government with the PEOPLE in mind. Sometimes it seems things don’t always turn out that way, but for the most part, we are still the greatest, the richest, most free Nation in the world, where the PEOPLE run things, and where entrepreneurs who work hard can realize their dreams.
          Few people today think about what it took to build this Nation. They don’t think about the lives and fortunes that were sacrificed so they could live with today’s freedoms. For me, the Fourth of July brings to mind early settlers who risked their lives on ships that originally came here over a dangerous ocean, who risked their lives associating with America’s original natives, who risked their lives fighting a very powerful King’s rule, who risked their lives against the elements of weather, disease, wild animals, torrential rivers, unsurmountable mountains, blazing hot deserts, the lack of doctors and the conveniences we have today.            It brings to mind people who walked across this nation without the kind of shoes and clothing we have today, people who faced mosquitos and flash-flooded canyons, stampeding buffalo and warring Indians who didn’t care for our intrusion, grassland with sod so thick that the common plow could not turn it, prairie fires or dense wooded areas where it was next to impossible to create a roadway, mountains so high that wagons and horses and oxen had to be lowered by rope to the other side. Women left children buried behind them, graves never to be visited again.            I have no doubt that the average person today, including me, could never withstand the rugged sacrifices made by the early pilgrims and the emigrants who came after them and dared to search for their dreams farther and farther west. There were no fast cars, no highways, no 7-11’s, no doctors or dentists, no pain shots or pills, and often no water. There was no suntan lotion, no treatments for snakebite, no soft beds, no showers and baths, no cold beer at the end of a long, hot day.
          Today we can do what we want, speak what we want, realize our own dreams and travel any place in the country, completely free to do those things without the worry of some dictator throwing us in prison without a trial. Today we take all these things for granted, but our ancestors did not. We should remember them, honor them, thank them, and make sure we never fall back into a type of government that rules our lives to the point where we need to fight all over again for our individual freedoms.
          Enjoy 2019’s INDEPENDENCE DAY, and pray for the souls of those who made such a celebration possible.

Only about two weeks until 26 March and the release of LOGAN'S LADY !   Advance readers are loving this book, and I hope you do, too!  While we wait, here's the last excerpt from the book, and a reminder of my upcoming contest!  
      "You're late," she told him.

      Logan hardened a little at her snippy attitude. "What?"

      "I asked you to come right away, Mr. Best."

      Logan glanced at the sheriff, who shrugged. "I told you to hurry it up," White said.

      Logan looked back at Elizabeth. "Ma'am, I'm not a man who takes orders. And I was on the trail several days before I came here and - I might remind you - helped you. I was damn tired last night, so I slept in."

      "You probably drank too much and slept with one of those awful painted women. I know about men like you. I've read about them in penny dreadfuls."

      Logan could hardly keep from bursting out laughing. "In WHAT?"

      "Penny dreadfuls. I've learned here in America they are called dime novels."

      Logan couldn't control a little gasp of laughter. "You BELIEVE those things?"
      "Was I wrong about where you were last night?"

      Never in his life had Logan struggled so hard to stifle a true guffaw. "No, Ma'am, you were not wrong, but life out here isn't always like what you read in those little books. I've heard about them and they're food for a lot of jokes among men like us. Believe me, there aren't many heroic cowboys or lawmen out here."

      "Have YOU ever read one of those little books?"

      "No, Ma'am."

      "DO you read, Mister Best?"

     Logan still felt sorry for this poor young lady, but already he wasn't fond of her as a person. The "princess" from London had an air about her he did not like at all.

        NOTE: Be sure to watch for my contest March 26th, sponsored by Get Lost In A Story (GLIAS), to celebrate the debut of LOGAN'S LADY ! Lots of prizes:

     *1 reader will receive an autographed (print) copy of LOGAN'S LADY plus goodies.

     *1 reader will received autographed (print) copies of all 4 of my "Outlaw Hearts" books PLUS an autographed (print) copy of LOGAN'S LADY plus goodies.  

     *1 reader will received an autographed (print) copy of "Logan's Lady" PLUS autographed (print) copies of my next TWO books when they are ready - CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE in September and RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME in November - PLUS a secret gift!


  Pre-orderLOGAN'S LADY (release date 26 March 2019)

Only about a month  now until 26 March and the release of LOGAN'S LADY !   Advance readers are loving this book, and I hope you do, too!  While we wait, here's another excerpt from the book, and a reminder of my upcoming contest!
Thump!
        Sheriff Jack Teller awoke with a start when cold air rushed over him from an open door and something heavy hit the floor of his office. His first reaction was to reach for his gun.       “Leave it!” a deep voice told him. “It’s just me.” The intruder slammed the door shut. “Jesus, Teller, somebody could have come in here and helped a prisoner escape and you would have slept right through it.”        Teller looked up at the tall man with long, sandy-colored hair that stuck out from under a wide-brimmed hat. His sheepskin jacket made his six-foot frame and broad shoulders appear even larger. And he was in bad need of a shave. It took a minute for Teller to realize who it was. “Logan?”       “I brought Sol Weber to you.”       Teller turned to look beyond the end of his desk to see a man lying on the floor, still wearing a wool jacket, his frozen eyes staring up at the ceiling. An ugly hole in his forehead made Teller shake his head as he looked at Logan Best. “Is it possible that someday you’ll bring one of these men back alive?”       Logan shrugged. “If the poster says dead or alive, I might as well keep things safe and kill him. Then I don’t have to worry about feeding him and staying awake half the night watching him so he doesn’t try to put a bullet in me and escape.” He glanced at the dead body of Sol Weber. “Besides, when he robbed that bank in Sheridan, he killed two kids as he was trying to get away. He doesn’t deserve to live.”       “Says a judge and jury, in most cases,” Sheriff Teller answered. He hoisted his too-heavy body out of his chair with a grunt. “Need I remind you yet again that your only job is to get wanted men back here? Let the right people decide if they should live or die.”       Logan took a thin cigar from his pocket, then struck a match and lit it. “Why bother, with a man like that?”        NOTE: Be sure to watch for my contest March 26th, sponsored by Get Lost In AStory (GLIAS), to celebrate LOGAN'S LADY ! Lots of prizes:       *  1 reader will receive an autographed (print) copy of LOGAN'S LADY plus goodies.       *  1 reader will received autographed (print) copies of all 4 of my "Outlaw Hearts" books PLUS an autographed (print) copy of LOGAN'S LADY plus goodies        *  1 reader will received an autographed (print) copy of LOGAN'S LADY PLUS autographed (print) copies of my next TWO books when they are ready - CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE in Septemer and RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME in November - PLUS a secret gift!


    Pre-order LOGAN'S LADY (release date 26 March 2019)

       I am currently writing my 71st book – part of a series of stories involving the old Outlaw Trail, which runs north and south along the Rocky Mountains. After writing so many books, it can sometimes become a struggle to come up with a story line that is different from anything used in all my other stories. Just using different historical events and locations helps form new situations, but creating brand new ideas can still be difficult when you write from one to three books a year for nearly forty years. Still, it’s not always coming up with a new story idea that is the problem. Sometimes it is the characterswho are the problem, most notably the kind of characters you, as a writer, prefer creating (and the kind your readers expect you to write). Narrowing it down even more, do you prefer writing the hero, or the heroine? I began to realize that was my problem when I started this new book, which will be called THE LAWLESS BREED.
        I don’t use outlines. Ever. They bore me, and I never follow them anyway. I just start a book based on one tiny idea, time period and location – then I study some of the things that were going on in this country at the time to see how I can weave that in – and off I go, or, I should say, off my characters go. However, I truly struggled at the starting gate when I sat down to write THE LAWLESS BREED. I wrote the whole first chapter – didn’t like it – tossed it out. I re-wrote the first chapter – didn’t like it – tossed it out. I re-wrote it again – felt I was onto something but still wasn’t entirely happy with it. I didn’t toss out the third version, but once I knew what I really needed to do, I re-wrote it yet again, brought in the hero then and there, and now I’m happy with where this story is going and am on Chapter Five.
        As I re-wrote the third draft, I realized that I was concentrating on just the heroine and her plight. She comes home from picking blackberries in a distant field to find her mother lying dead inside the house. She has been murdered. I didn’t know who murdered her or why, and I still don’t! (That’s how I write. I’ll figure it out as the story unfolds.)
        Deciding on the murderer and his motive was not my problem. My problem was the HERO, or lack thereof. I didn’t have one yet! It struck me then that I have never once had a problem fleshing out a story as long as I had a hero I really, really liked and knew his background and why he was important to the story. I almost always base my stories on the HERO, not the heroine. Even though I might not have any kind of outline and I let the story just “happen” for me, I can’t write that story until the HERO and his part in the story is completely clear to me.
        In all the books I have written, and after all these years of writing, I realized that for a book to come together for me, I have to be in love with the hero, and I need to know his story. For some reason I can’t identify with the heroine until the hero is completely in place. Once that happens, then I can more easily flesh out the heroine and her feelings and where she is coming from as it relates to the hero. If I start a book based solely on the heroine, it’s hard for me to even like her or to care about her.
        When I look back at all those other books I have written, I realize that I almost always bring the hero into the story within the first to third chapter, and sometimes I start the book with the man instead of the woman. It all boils down to … I LOVE WRITING MEN! And I only love writing the women in their lives if those women are strong and brave enough to love and put up with the men. In my Outlaw Hearts series, hero Jake Harkner is the ultimate bad man with a good heart. No man is brave enough to challenge Jake, but his wife Miranda can bring him right to his knees. As he puts it in one of the books, “She’s the air I breathe.” Now that’s the kind of heroine I enjoy writing. Her actions, emotions and decisions are nearly always based on her love for the hero.
        In this current book, I couldn’t bring myself to care about the heroine because in that first chapter, the hero was not mentioned or even thought of. So, I decided to bring him into the story right away. At the very end of the first chapter, in the midst of the heroine’s terrible plight, the hero shows up – very unexpectedly! The heroine is alone at her country house - has found her mother murdered - is scared and confused. She doesn’t know if the killer might still be around and she might be in danger herself. She is devastated over her mother’s violent death and can’t imagine who could have done such a thing. She runs outside to saddle a horse to ride into town and report the murder – and - low and behold - she sees someone riding up the path to her house.
        The heroine freezes in place, realizing she doesn’t have any kind of weapon with her. Is the man riding toward her the murderer? When he gets closer, she realizes, in near shock, that the rider is a man she hasn’t seen for five years – a man she once loved but who rode out of her life after a terrible tragedy that tore them apart. She’s heard that after taking part in the Civil War, this man turned to an outlaw life. He might even be wanted. She thought she would never see him again, yet here he is, riding right back into her life at this devastating, confusing moment.
        Last line of the first chapter reads: Ashley’s already-confused emotions took a dive, stabbing right through her heart like a sword. Nick!
        The minute I wrote that last line, I was “into” the story and in love with the mysterious “Nick,” even though I still didn’t know anything about him. I even liked the heroine more. I could feel her emotions. And I know that the readers will immediately sense there is a strong, mysterious connection between Nick and the heroine. They will want to hurry into Chapter Two to see what this man is all about because even I want to know !! This relationship will be revealed slowly – teasingly – as the story unfolds, which will keep readers turning the pages.
        I can’t write a book unless I am so excited about it, and especially about the hero, that I can’t wait to get back to the computer and – literally – see what happens next, because I DON’T EVEN KNOW MYSELF until I start writing each “next” chapter. All I know is that I want to find out more about this guy who rode into the first chapter, and about his relationship to the heroine.
        Through all of this, and looking back on all my other books, I realize I have always loved writing the hero. I loved Louis L’Amour’s books. I devoured them when I was younger. Yet most of them were 90% about MEN and their exciting and dangerous lives. There was very little romance of any kind in his stories, yet they were romantic because the MEN were romantic just in their bravery and sureness. What woman wouldn’t love L’Amour’s men, no matter how difficult they might be to live with. In times of old, a woman needed a man who was strong and brave and able – yet in our stories that man must have a deep respect for a good woman. And when I write, I “become” that woman. I remember wishing L’Amour had more romance in his stories, and that’s how I ended up writing men similar to his, but I always bring a woman into the hero’s life. I have had many reviews that compare my writing to L’Amour’s. Some of my westerns have even been called “gritty.” That’s fine with me, because that means I am also writing very strong heroines, women who know how to love their men and how to survive the perils and dangers of the American West.
        I think I love writing men because I envy the power men usually have in decision-making, in body strength, in their protective nature. Of course, it’s not so much that way today. Women are far more equal in most ways today, but even though my books are written in a time when the woman was more submissive to the man, my heroines always find ways to slyly lead the heroes around by the nose without them even knowing it. That is so much more fun to write than the bossy, domineering, “I can live without a man” attitude of some modern-day women.
        Today’s women think the “me, too” movement is something new. I beg to differ. Women have been “in charge” in clever, subtle ways since the beginning of time. It is so much fun to write the brave and dangerous hero who “thinks” he is in control but who can be very submissive when it comes to pleasing the woman in his life. When I write that kind of woman, I totally love and identify with her.
        I have always fought with my own desire to write just men. I had to learn to write heroines who were as strong and important as the hero and with whom my readers could identify. I came to like writing the heroine only when she could match the hero in strength and bravery, and when she loved the hero so deeply (and visa-versa) that they literally lived off each other’s love. They share a bond strong enough to be able to face danger and adversity together and be able to forgive each other’s mistakes and weaknesses. They might disagree. They might even leave each other or be torn apart in some way. But they always come back together. Their love is their strength.
        If I was forced to make a choice of writing a story that is completely about a man – or completely about a woman – I would pick the man every time, even if it was a contemporary. Why? I guess it’s a mixture of having that kind of power, combined with the fact that most men don’t have a clue about what women really want. When we write our heroes, we can create the almost-perfect man – brave and strong and able, yet a man who totally respects the woman in his life.
        RESPECT FOR THE HEROINE. That is the NUMBER ONE key to writing a hero with whom our readers fall in love. He is the strong one, but it is her love that gives him that strength. He is the decision-maker, but those decisions are based on her advice and wishes. He does the grunt work, but she feeds him so he has the strength for it. He might want children, but only she can give him those children. He is able with guns and fists, but she is right behind him, maybe even ready with her own gun or whatever she can find to back him up. He teaches his son survival, but she teaches kindness and wisdom, as well as does the schooling. He thinks he is in charge in bed, but she is slyly letting him know what she likes and how she likes it. He is the angry one, but she knows how to calm him. He might think something from his past makes him worthless, but she teaches him his worth. He’s the macho man who practically worships his woman and darn well knows how to treat her … while all the time not even realizing SHE is the one in control. I love this type of relationship. I love the control a man THINKS he has, and I love controlling him.
Pre-order LOGAN'S LADY (coming 26 March 2019) 

         YAY! Only a little over a month before LOGAN'S LADY becomes available!  Today, I'm posting another excerpt to whet your appetite, but first, I'd like to share two fantastic reviews that I have received this week: 
      Now, I can't wait to hear what you, my readers, have to say about this book!  Meanwhile, read on for excerpt #2:
“Is there law now in Denver City?” she asked aloud.
“Of course.”
“I’ve been warned so often about how wild and untamed America’s West can be,” Elizabeth told him. “I’ve read so many stories about it in those penny dreadfuls.”
Alexander laughed richly. “Well, I suppose there is a hint of truth in some of those dime novels, but the West is becoming quite tame, I assure you. There are lawmen and U.S. Marshals who do their best, although some of the cow towns along the railway can get pretty wild when drovers come in with herds of cattle. They even have men who hunt outlaws for bounty. I suppose that, too, is a form of law and order, although some bounty hunters are hardly more than outlaws themselves.”
“Oh, how dreadful! I can’t imagine killing a man for money.”
“To each his own,” Alexander told her.
“Well, I hope I never run into such a man.”
 
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I am sitting in my warm, small house today watching a blizzard outside my window. It is bitterly cold and getting colder. High of MINUS 4 degrees by tomorrow and even lower Wednesday. My beautiful back-yard rose garden has disappeared beneath the snow, my rose bushes trimmed and in a complete sleep for the winter. It is snowing so hard I can’t even see across the street at times. Thank God we have our electricity, including a heated throw on the couch and an electric blanket on my bed.
I usually blog about writing advice, but today I am thinking about the small, odd things that comfort us at times. Things like appreciating being inside a warm house and looking out the window at snow … and thinking about how nice it will be to walk outside and enjoy a cup of coffee in my rose garden come spring … how pretty things will be when the snow is gone and the grass is green and the roses are red and birds are making a lot of noise in our pine trees and will flit past me and perch on the bird bath or flutter around the bird feeders. I’ll watch the baby bunnies hop around in my garden and nibble at the petunias I will set out just for them.  I appreciate the hot cup of coffee or cocoa I sip on while watching blizzard winds outside my kitchen window. I appreciate my health and the fact that I am still physically and mentally healthy enough to sit here and work on my 71stbook (which is the second book in my “Outlaw Trail” series). I appreciate that my freezer and a cabinet in the garage are filled with plenty of food. I could be stuck here for two weeks and never go hungry. I can connect with friends via the internet and cell phone, and I can call 9-1-1 if I have an emergency. We do have wonderful ways of staying alive and healthy nowadays … and the TV still works, so I can watch my westerns!
Hubby is home and safe with me, and that’s something to be grateful for … and if we absolutely must go out in the blizzard beyond the window, we both have 4 WD vehicles – hubby a Ram truck, and me a Jeep Grand Cherokee – so we can get out if we have no choice. I call this “Jeep Challenge” weather, and it is actually a lot of fun barreling through deep snow in my Jeep and not worrying about getting stuck.
Oddly enough, I even take comfort in thinking about some of my books, and how the pioneers struggled in times like these, with no communication to the outside world and no medical help in an emergency. They tied ropes from the house to the sheds and barn and even to the out-house so a “white-out” blizzard wouldn’t keep them from finding a certain building or from getting lost on a return from the barn. I think about the strong, sure men I write about, who knew how to survive and how to protect their families from the weather or from outlaws and Indians and grizzlies.  And there is always my music. I can put on my ear phones and listen to my “mood music,” which I use for my writing. My music can take me right to where I want to be – out West on the wild prairie, the grassy plains, the Rocky Mountains, where the wind whistles through canyons or where water splashes down those mountains into wild rapids that rush through high-walled canyons.  Hubby is home today, so we have each other in case of an emergency … as well as having each other to cuddle with against the weather. After 53 years of marriage, we know each other’s every thought and need, and that’s a comfort, too.
My biggest comfort is knowing I have so many fans out there beyond this Michigan snowstorm who might be hunkering down against their own bad weather with one of my books – something to keep them busy and to remove them from what’s going on outside and help them while away the time until better weather gives them reason to get up and go outside and enjoy the sun again.
I hope everybody stays warm and comfortable the rest of the winter. By spring (March 26thto be exact), you will have a brand-new Bittner book to read – LOGAN’S LADY! (Sourcebooks) It’s already available for pre-order on Amazon, so that gives you even more to look forward to as trees begin to bud again and the grass begins to get greener again. Check my web site for more new books coming in 2019! www.rosannebittner.com. A “cozy” winter to all of you! 
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