Happy Thursday everyone! Today I have an interview I did with Carré White about her series involving this hot cowboys, the Carson Brothers of Kansas, and the Mail Order Bride series. Take a couple minutes, gaze at those covers, and then check out our interview!
Hello Carré! Come on in, have a seat!
Hi, Liz.
It’s great to be here.
So you have a new
series about some brothers. Can you tell
us a bit about them and the series?
I decided to write about four wild and roguish brothers who live
in Kansas. Their mother, Maggie, is desperate for grandbabies, and she concocts
a scheme to impersonate them in letters sent back east for mail order brides. Sparks
fly after the men meet these women, but each love story presents its own challenges.
The first mail order bride, Rebecca, is intended for Grant, but Charlie falls
for her instead, and then Charlotte arrives, but she has several secrets. Wyatt
is enamored of his bosses’ mail order bride on the Chisholm Trail, and yet,
letting Eugenia go after arriving in Abilene will be nearly impossible for him.
Grant, who is the last to succumb, will meet his future wife in jail, of all
places. Eva is a bit of an outlaw herself, and she gives Grant a run for his
money—only after she steals his billfold.
Each book is a standalone novella, and told from an alternating,
first-person perspective.
Where did the
inspiration for this series come from?
I love
historical romance, and I wanted to explore what would happen if several hunky,
rough-riding men met women under less than ideal circumstances and fell in love
with them. The notion that stubborn, rebellious men could change their wild
ways through the love of a good woman appealed to me.
What would you say is
your favorite genre of Romance to write in?
I am
particularly fond of historical romance. I used to devour these types of books,
sometimes reading five or six in a week. It’s the fantasy of damsels in
distress and sexy alpha males, who rescue them, that make these books exciting,
no matter how many times I read the same plot.
Do you have a
favorite author, a “go to” or “auto buy”?
I just
read the “Butterfly Garden” by Annette Blair, and I really enjoyed her take on
Amish life. My reading list is varied; I’ve read everything from EL James to
the biography, “Growing up Amish” by Ira Wagler. I’m planning a three-part
Amish series for late spring, so most of my current reading will be on that
topic for research.
What’s a typical day
like for you?
I check
my email, have coffee, and then waste far too much time on a writer’s forum. If
I’m writing, the sooner I start, the better, because I’m freshest first thing
in the morning. If I want to get anything done at all, I have to avoid social
media, which is really, really hard.
If you could
transport yourself into any of your books, which book would you choose and why?
I have a
sentimental favorite in the first Colorado Brides book, “An Unexpected Widow”.
I could see myself married to Nathan and living quite happily with him in that
lovely little farmhouse.
Do you have any other
new releases coming up soon that you can share with us?
I am
working on another Colorado Brides book, “An Unexpected Kiss”. I hope to have
that published in February. This is Susanna’s adventure in finding the man of
her dreams, but he’s not at all what she expected. He will be a hard-living
saloon owner in Denver City, who is struggling to raise two children after his
wife left him. There will be twists and turns and surprises, but when it’s all
said and done, two people, who truly belong together, will find themselves
happily situated.
Do you like to listen
to music or munch on anything while writing, or is it straight to business with
no distractions?
I need
silence when writing. There is enough noise in my head, that even birds outside
the window drive me crazy. I try not to eat while working. Not only does the
keyboard get all messed up, but the pounds pile on that way. I know this from
experience. It took forever to lose those thirteen pounds of munching and
nibbling.
Alright, let me set
this scene… you are stuck in a room (kind of like being stuck on an island, but
probably less bugs) and you are allowed to eat only one thing for….let’s say
for a week. What’s it going to be?
Eat one
thing for a week? If I said Village Inn coconut pie, I’d gain twenty pounds. How
about gumbo? That way I could have vegetables and protein, while enjoying every
bite.
Ok, last one… let’s
see… If you were not an author, and you could have any job you wished, what
would it be?
I would
be a tour guide at Petit Trianon. I’ve been to France before, but not to the
Palace of Versailles. I can only imagine how gorgeous that “little” chateau is
and how beautiful the gardens are. It would be amazing to live and work there.
This is total fantasy, of course. I don’t speak a word of French.
Thanks so much for
joining me today!
Thank
you for inviting me!
Desperate for grandbabies and cursed with four wayward sons, Maggie Carson concocts a scheme to impersonate them in letters sent back east for mail order brides.
Rebecca Hart is the first ensnared, romanced by sweet words, poetry, and the promise of a new life. When she arrives in Topeka, she is eager to marry the man she thought she had come to admire, but the groom, Grant Carson, is nowhere to be found. It is his younger brother, Charlie, who greets her at the train station.
Charlie is appalled after discovering his mother’s deception, yet jealous that Rebecca is meant for his older brother, who, in his estimation, does not deserve her. Grant reluctantly makes an effort to romance Rebecca, but his heart is elsewhere, as he is involved with a married woman in town. Rebecca and Charlie find themselves thrown together often, and a friendship emerges. An unexpected kiss confuses Rebecca, and she questions if it is Grant she really wants.
Amazon - Goodreads
Fleeing from an abusive marriage, Charlotte Mills and her five-year-old son, Dudley, travel to Kansas in the hope of securing a better future. While on the train to Topeka, the passengers are robbed by a band of outlaws. In the midst of the chaos, one of the bandits, a tall, rugged man in a bandana, shamelessly steals her last ten dollars.
Injured after a robbery, Bronson Carson is forced to return to the Carson Ranch to recuperate. His mother has once again schemed to find a wife for his younger brother, Grant, having brought in a woman from back east. But there is something about Charlotte that catches his eye, as she nurses him to health. Falling in love was the last thing he expected or wanted, preferring to live wild and unencumbered. As the blonde with the sweet smile softens his heart, he finds himself in a quandary. His lifestyle as a hardened criminal is hardly appropriate for a woman and her son, but his feelings will not be denied.
The past is never far behind, and Charlotte’s day of reckoning is at hand. Her husband has found her, and he is not a forgiving sort of man.
Amazon - Goodreads
Hired for a cattle drive, Wyatt Carson is surprised when his boss, Mr. Hardin, expects him to transport his mail order bride, Sofia Parker, from San Antonio, Texas to Abilene, Kansas. Little does Wyatt know that the real Sofia Parker has just passed away from blood poisoning. Her roommate, Eugenia Madsen, has taken her place, determined to escape poverty by marrying a rich cattle baron.
While on the Chisholm Trail, Eugenia’s drawn to the handsome trail boss, but Wyatt Carson, oldest of the Carson brothers, has no plans to settle down just yet or anytime soon, preferring his freedom. Eugenia is a raven-haired beauty with big, dark eyes. Her fun and flirty manner begin to wear him down, especially after she dons a pair of men’s denim pants and learns to ride and shoot.
Two months on the trail is a long time—far too long to be spent with a woman like Eugenia and not touch her. The flirtatious vixen tempts him like no other, and his good intentions begin to evaporate.
As the cowboys pull into Abilene, Wyatt must let Eugenia go. This could be the biggest challenge of his life.
Amazon - Goodreads
Eva Caldwell is on the hunt for the gunslinger who attacked her sister, Cora, vowing to kill the man when she sees him again. The orphaned sisters have never had an easy life, struggling to fend for themselves by any means possible. A pickpocket by profession, Eva brazenly robs several men on the train to Topeka. However, her luck seems to have run out after she’s apprehended and sent to jail, where she meets Grant Carson, who has been arrested for public indecency.
Grant Carson’s stubborn refusal to settle down and marry has exasperated his long-suffering mother, Maggie. He has been involved with a married woman for years now, but being shot at by an angry husband has forced him to rethink his choices. Grant is intrigued by Eva’s innocent vulnerability, wanting more than anything to help her. Yet the plucky blonde is illusive and vexing, having a plan of her own.
Upon hearing that a new bordello was offering up its virgin madam—for a price—Grant is shocked to learn that it is none other than Eva. He steps up to take what is his, outbidding everyone, knowing he is a fool, risking it all, yet not caring in the least.
But a threat looms, as the one man Eva’s been waiting for arrives at her establishment.
Amazon - Goodreads
