Backcountry Brides -- Secondary Characters

May is the release month for The Backcountry Brides Novella Collection from Barbour Publishers and we're celebrating! All month long, the authors from the collection will be hosting one another on their blogs to share about different aspects of their stories.

My blog will be devoted to the Secondary Characters from each novella and to kick off this fun topic, my first guest is Shannon McNear, author of The Counterfeit Tory.

Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter Below for a chance to win a fabulous grand prize!

Before we get to Shannon's post, here's a little more about the collection:

Love on Colonial America’s Frontier

Travel into Colonial America where nine women seek love, but they each know a future husband requires the necessary skills to survive in the backcountry. Living in areas exposed to nature’s ferocity, prone to Indian attack, and cut off from regular supplies, can hearts overcome the dangers to find lasting love?

The Counterfeit Tory by Shannon McNear – Backcountry Brides

The main secondary characters in The Counterfeit Tory fall clearly into two categories, heroic and villainous. Among the latter are Lizzy’s father, Charles Cunningham, and her brothers, Robert and Richard (Robbie and Dickie), fictional uncle and cousins of the infamous Bloody Bill Cunningham. Ideally a writer should strive to create almost-villains who are more than cardboard cut-outs, to give redeeming qualities even to men guilty of neglect and abuse. I tried with Lizzy’s father and utterly failed. The brothers I painted with a little more sympathy. All three are quite steeped in pride and self-interest, and the father may qualify as a true narcissist. When they fade from the scene near the end of the story, there’s little to miss.

The heroic Zacharias Elliot, on the other hand, may someday demand his own story. Elliot serves as Jed Wheeler’s contact with the Continental forces while he’s undercover with Cunningham’s company, and readers of my first novella, Defending Truth, may recognize him as the older brother of Micah Elliot, who had turned coat long before the Battle of Kings Mountain and figured so heavily in Micah’s reluctance to return home while questioning his own loyalties. (The son of “good loyalists” choosing to go rebel was no light matter at the time.) It was fun to pull in a briefly mentioned character from one story and give him actual screen time in another.

Other secondary characters—the townfolk, for instance, and Jed’s fellow company members—are more ambiguous in their honor. Many loyalists served as they did because their sense of justice or religious duty demanded it; so it was with those on the patriot side. Many loyalists chose to extend mercy when the occasion demanded it, while many patriots exacted vengeance nearly as chilling as that of William Cunningham himself. I hope I’ve captured a little of history’s complexities in these brief portraits, but it’s probably more than a little ironic that the more prominent secondary characters are less evenly shaded.

Click to purchase Backcountry Brides 

And the prequel, The Highwayman, which is now available as a standalone.

About the Author:

 

After more than two decades in the South, Shannon McNear now makes her home on the windy northern plains with her husband, four of their eight children, two German Shepherds, four cats, several chickens, and a noisy flock of guinea fowl. She serves in worship and youth ministry, and has been writing novel-length fiction since age 15. Her first novella, Defending Truth, from A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA® nominee. When not sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the Dakota prairies.


shannonmcnear.com

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Colonial Quills

Question for you: What kind of secondary characters do you enjoy in a story? The villain? The comic relief? The overbearing friend? The confidante? Is there a secondary character from a story that stands out to you?
 

 

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Guest Post by Michelle Ule

I've been looking forward to today's post for a long time! It's my pleasure to welcome author Michelle Ule to my blog. Michelle is a fellow author with Books & Such Literary Agency, as well as an assistant at the agency. Last year, when Dave and I traveled to San Francisco before the Books & Such retreat in Monterey, Michelle and her husband spent the day showing us around town. We had so much fun, and were so thankful for their time and expertise on the city. Please join me in welcoming Michelle!

Michelle, Agent Mary Keeley, and me with the Golden Gate
Bridge in the background last October.

~ ~ ~ ~

Writing to tell truth and wisdom, while fun and romance lead the way!

Like many writers, I’ve been writing and dreaming a long time. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to see stories as more than just an avenue to entertain—they’re a vehicle for portraying truth and “turning the prism,” of circumstance to look at life from a slightly different angle.

I’ve been writing Christian historical novellas since my first novella, The Dogtrot Christmas, was published in A Log Cabin Christmas Collection in 2011.
I’ve enjoyed the challenge of writing within the limitations of a shorter novel for the opportunity it’s given me to hone my skills while providing a spiritual message within a full story.

That means that while I write historical romances, I’ve also examined other issues in my five published novellas and one novel. (Books and descriptions can be found here.)

In particular, I’m interested in how God works in someone’s life to His glory, often in unexpected ways.

I believe readers deserve a full experience—that there should be more to my novellas besides boy meets girl, crisis intervenes, girl finds boy and they all live happily ever after.

That sweet life may happen to some people but in my experience as a Bible study leader and a lay counselor, life is far messier and as Oswald Chambers said in the July 28 My Utmost for His Highest: “What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself."

It’s been exciting to think through additional themes besides love and marriage as I’ve plotted my books. In The Dogtrot Christmas, a Mexican landowner in 1836 Texas is confronted by Anglos moving into his neighborhood and building their own log cabin. God has to work in his heart to show him the need to forgive in spite of his own rights, while a young woman must learn to stand on her own two feet despite her overbearing brother.

I use the dogtrot cabin as a metaphor: the two small cabins under one roof with a breezeway in between represent the two cultures in which the couple find themselves, bound together with the love/roof of Christ. It was fun to write and I included one of my ancestors as a character.

The Goldrush Christmas, part of A Pioneer Christmas Collection, which rereleases in September 2015, posed another challenging, yet exhilarating task in the writing. Midway through the research of this story of brother and sister twins hunting for their missionary father missing in Alaska, along with the bumbling preacher-wanna-be boy next door, I stumbled on a fantastic true story that had to go into my book.

I tell the whole adventure here, but suffice it to say that owing to that bungling preacher-wanna-be, the girl twin (who is masquerading as a boy to protect herself in 1897 Skagway) breaks free of an overbearing brother and 80% of the town prostitutes escape the brothels.

Hmm. The overbearing brother seems to appear in more than one of my stories . . .

My most recent projects are part of The 12 Brides of Christmas and its sequel The 12 Brides of Summer Collections. Set in the same 1870’s Nebraska town and featuring many of the same characters, The Yuletide Bride examines what it means for Kate to be a helpmeet and how God works in unexpected ways to provide the finances Ewan needed to earn his bride.

It also features bagpipes, which were beyond fun to learn to play!

The sequel, The Sunbonnet Bride, tells of Kate’s brother’s efforts to win the heart of a local seamstress, Sally, set against how the town responds to a tornado destroying the neighborhood.

Sally wants to own her own business, but is confused by the difference between profit and cash flow. I’ve seen many women start up small businesses with the same hopes, only to be dashed when it was time to actually manage the money. The Sunbonnet Bride touches on that, while at the same time asking an interesting question about the best way to use your gifts to the good of others, particularly in a crisis.

Story themes should not be obvious when a writer constructs their tale. Themes should work seamlessly to show truth while not hitting the reader over the head. I’ve worked hard to do that in my books.

The aim, of course, is to tell a story saturated with wisdom, truth, good humor and love.

Because no matter what kind of reader you are, those are the ingredients of a good book.

About Michelle

A retired Navy wife, Michelle has a terrific husband, four brilliant children, two perfect daughter-in-laws and five adorable grandchildren. She and her family have lived in all four corners of the United States and Hawai’i. They currently reside in northern California.

Michelle teaches Bible study to a group of precocious women, counsels women in crisis at a local pregnancy counseling center, and works at a landmark literary agency. She’s led retreats, served on a short-term eyeglass mission project in Nicaragua, and plays clarinet in a small musical ensemble. In her free time, she travels, writes and reads–all extensively. You can learn more about her at www.michelleule.com.

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Gabrielle here: Thank you, Michelle! I enjoyed learning more about your stories and the themes and questions behind them.

Michelle has graciously agreed to give away one copy of A Log Cabin Christmas, or Pioneer Christmas (winner's choice). Please fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win.

Your Turn Reader: Do you read novella collections? Do you enjoy books that are written with specific themes? Do you read romances specifically for the love story, or do you enjoy when a plot goes deeper than boys-meets-girl?

**We have a winner from Kim Fredrickson's visit to my blog. The winner of Give Yourself a Break is Abby Breuklander!**

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Novella Edits

I started blogging about my writing journey almost three years ago. It hardly seems possible! The past few years have been truly incredible and I've so enjoyed sharing the journey with you.

This week I took another step down the path toward publication. I received edits for my second novella, A Groom for Josette, releasing July 1, 2015 with Barbour Publishers. It's thrilling to see the editor's email come through!

I've been blessed to work with an incredible editor at Barbour. She's been so kind and complimentary, yet she isn't afraid to tell me what needs to be changed or addressed in my stories. I eagerly welcome her feedback. I love making my story better and the best way to do that is through editing.

When I write something, and read it over and over again until I can almost recite it from memory, I tend to stop seeing the obvious. An editor comes to the story with fresh eyes and can help me identify areas that need a bit of work. It's not her job to change the story, but to strengthen it.

It's also fun to get back edits, because they come a few months after I've finished the story. This helps me to go back into my manuscript with my own fresh set of eyes. It's a blast to revisit the hero and heroine--like chatting with old friends.

I will send my revised story back to the editor and she'll go through it one more time, then send it back to me for any last minute changes. After that, I won't see it again until it's printed!

I can't wait to share this story with you. I hope you enjoy reading A Groom for Josette as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Your Turn: If you're a reader, do you have any questions about the editing process? If you're a writer, what is your favorite stage in the story-making process?

ACFW, Writing, & More

It occurred to me that I haven't written a blog post in two weeks! I've been trying to stay consistent, and post on Thursdays, but the month of October has been a busy one.

I returned from the ACFW Conference in St. Louis at the end of September with so many amazing memories tucked away in my heart. I learned from some of the best in the industry, strengthened old friendships, and created new ones. I attended my first author reception with Barbour Publishers, went to my agency's reception in the hotel lobby restaurant, and pitched my story ideas to a handful of editors. I laughed until I cried, I talked about writing for hours and hours, and I watched some dear friends win important awards. I was encouraged by wonderful people who I respect and admire, I was inspired by writers who have paved the trail, and I was humbled by people who went out of their way to help me on my writing journey.

With my GLAM Girls: Lindsay, Alena, & Melissa.



Jeanne Takenaka receiving the MBT Frasier Award.

Two of my favorite historical romance authors (and teachers)!
 Jody Hedlund and Karen Witemeyer.

With Barbour Editor, Annie Tipton, at the Barbour Reception.

With my editor, Becky Germany, at the Barbour Reception.

With my writing Fairy Godmother, Sarah Forgrave. :)

With Susan May Warren, my amazing writing mentor.

The 2014 ACFW Conference was one of the very best. I truly feel as if it could not have gone better.

Upon returning home, I saw my first cover, which was an amazing dream come true. I worked on my second novella, A Groom for Josette, which is due to my editor by November 1st. I also wrote two story synopses to submit for possible future projects, and I started brainstorming my next full length novel. Amidst all of that, I began revising my last full length novel, as well. At one point, I had five different stories bouncing around in my head, demanding attention!

Right now, I'm only working on one of them. All the other things have either been accomplished, or put on the back burner until later. This next week will be dedicated to preparing for my agency retreat in Monterey, California.

When I return from the retreat, I will be prepping to teach my first writing workshops! My good friend Melissa Tagg will be joining me in Minnesota on November 15th to present the workshops. The first is titled: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Publishing World and the second is: 10 Ways to Hook a Reader. I'll share more as the date approaches.

After that, it will be time to start my next full length novel! The one I plan to write has been on my heart for the past couple years. I have great hope for this story. It's unlike any other story I've written, or read. We'll see what God has planned.

Your Turn: What have you been doing this month? What season of the year tends to be busier for you?

First Novella

Two weeks ago I shared some big news here on my blog. I will have two novellas release with Barbour Publishers in 2015. The first, tentatively titled Four Brides and a Bachelor, will release in May.

 

I thought it would be fun to give you a sneak peek into the story. 



Belle Prairie, Minnesota

Four Brides and a Bachelor is set on Belle Prairie, about four miles north of my hometown in central Minnesota. The prairies around here are not like the prairies in southwestern Minnesota or the Dakotas. Our prairies are much smaller, with trees rimming the edges. The photo above is actually taken at Belle Prairie just a few weeks ago. It's now a county park, but in 1852 it was a Manual Labor Mission School operated by Frederick and Elizabeth Ayer.

 

Belle Prairie Cemetery

None of the buildings exist any longer, but there is a cemetery still at the park. We know the mission consisted of a large house (similar to the one below), a New England style barn, and a "commodious" school, which also served as a church on Sundays. About twenty students attended the school in 1852. Some were Indian children, and others were children of fur traders. About half of the students boarded at the mission, helping with farm chores, while the other half lived close enough to walk.

 

1850's House

Along with Mr. and Mrs. Ayer, and their teenage son Lyman, a few married couples lived at the mission. Some were only wintering there in 1852, or stopping over for a short visit on their way further north to other missions.

 

The Ayers employed a young female teacher from Cincinnati to help establish the school. But in early 1852, Mrs. Ayer went east to secure more funding, and to find more teachers willing to come to Minnesota Territory. Three young ladies returned with her.

 

These ladies were a rarity in Minnesota Territory! At a time when immigration into the territory (which didn't become a state until 1858) had just begun, there were very few single ladies to speak of.

 

Thus, the stage is set for a great story.

 

Four Brides and a Bachelor is inspired by a real event that took place on Belle Prairie in 1852. Miss Harriet Nichols, one of the teachers who had just arrived with Mrs. Ayer, wrote a letter to her brother soon after her arrival and said: "There was romance enough acted here to write as good a story as you will find in any novel."

 

The Mississippi near Belle Prairie, MN

She was referring to the week a missionary named Mr. Lafferty arrived at Belle Prairie. He had heard a single lady had come from Cincinnati the year before, so he traveled one hundred and fifty miles down the Mississippi River with the intent to propose to her. He was desirous to find a wife for his mission work at Red Lake. If she was willing, he would marry her and take her back to Red Lake within the week.

 

Little did he know that Mrs. Ayer had just arrived back at the mission with the three other teachers! When he stepped off the canoe, there were four single ladies--and all of them were desirous to go back with him as his wife!

 

I've taken this fun story and created four brides and a bachelor from my own imagination. Little is known about that eventful week, so I had fun filling in the gaps. Can you imagine the tension between these Mission Sisters as they tried to catch the bachelor's attention? And can you imagine the bachelor's delight?

 

Pins from my Pinterest Board Four Brides and a Bachelor

My story is a work of fiction, though I tried to stay true to the history of the mission, with a few minor exceptions where needed. 1852 in Minnesota Territory was an exciting, dangerous time. It was fun to recreate the location and place the players on the "stage" of my story.

 

As a historian, I love to share facts about real people, places, and events...but as a writer, I love to share a good fictional story, with all the drama and tension needed to turn the page.

 

My novella is finished and I've received wonderful feedback from some of my early readers. I have a few tweaks to make, but then it will be off to the publisher for the October 1st deadline. I'm excited for May when everyone will have a chance to read it.

 

Your Turn: Would you have been brave enough to travel 1,500 miles to teach at a mission school on the frontier? Could you have married a stranger, after only knowing him or her for a week?