It’s lovely to have Amanda Cabot return to Relz Reviewz to chat about her final Cimarron Creek novel, A Tender Hope, especially as it ties up a subplot running through the series. Amanda has been writing sweet and tender historical romance novels for many years now and her books are a great addition to any library. Enjoy reading about the inspiration for this book, some interesting research Amanda uncovered about Texas Ranger badges, and what readers can expect next from her pen!

Thanks to the wonderful folk at Revell, we have a copy of A Tender Hope to giveaway. Be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Now, it’s over to Amanda…

Bookchat

Thea Michener is ready for a new start in life. With her husband murdered and her much-anticipated baby stillborn, there is nothing left for her in Ladreville. She accepts the position as Cimarron Creek’s midwife and has no intention of remarrying and trying for another child. So when a handsome Texas Ranger appears on her doorstep with an abandoned baby, Thea isn’t sure her heart can take it.

Ranger Jackson Guthrie comes to town on a mission to capture his brother’s killers. He is convinced that Thea’s late husband was involved in the murder—and that Thea knows more than she is admitting. But it soon becomes clear that the situation is far more complicated than he anticipated. Jackson finds more than he expected in Cimarron Creek—including a young midwife who not only warms his heart but may also hold the key to the justice he seeks.

Please share a little about your characters, Thea and Jackson

Thea and Jackson are among my favorite characters, in part because they both have deep wounds that need healing. Admittedly, I love telling stories of healing, but sometimes I wind up in tears, thinking about my characters’ pasts. That was the case with A Tender Hope.

As the story begins, Thea has yet to reconcile herself to her husband’s murder and the death of their much-anticipated baby, while Jackson blames himself for his younger brother’s death and the career-ending injuries his partner sustained while they were trying to capture the Gang of Four. Because I write romances, you know there’ll be a happy ending, but it’s not easy getting there.

What inspired this story?

Short answer: my readers. After Paper Roses was published (can it be ten years ago?), readers kept sending me emails, asking when Thea, the precocious little sister from that book, would have her own story. It’s taken longer than they might have liked, but they’ve been patiently waiting for Thea to grow up and for me to tell them what happened to her.

As I wrote A Tender Hope, I agonized over the story, wondering if readers would like it. You can imagine how delighted I am that the early reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. But – and this is a big ‘but’ – readers have already started asking for more stories about the people they grew to love in that very first series. Now I have to find the time to tell those stories.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives

Romantic, suspenseful, emotional, heartfelt, complex

What interesting fact did you learn in your research for A Tender Hope?

Since Jackson is a Texas Ranger, much of my research centered around the life of Rangers in the 1880s. I uncovered a host of fascinating facts, but the one that made the greatest impression was the fact that the State of Texas did not issue badges to Rangers until much later. I’d always envisioned Rangers as “the men who wore the star,” but that wasn’t accurate. If they wanted badges, they had to either buy or make them. I don’t want to give away the story, but I will say that the one Jackson carries has a very special meaning for him.

Even though I spend a lot of time – make that a LOT of time – at my computer, my most creative work is done using paper and pencil (yes, pencil, not pen). And when I’m searching for the right word or am worried that a book might not meet readers’ expectations, I look at the wall where I’ve hung framed cover flats. That always boosts my spirits.

How did you immerse yourself in the time period you are writing about?

Since both the Westward Winds trilogy and the first two books in the Cimarron Creek series were set in the 1880s, the era is now almost as familiar to me as the 21^st century. When I first started exploring that period, though, I did a lot of research and even made myself a gown similar to the one on the cover of Waiting for Spring. It was designed to be worn at booksignings, but simply wearing it around the house and trying to sit with that not-so-lovely bustle in the back gave me new appreciation for the women who lived in what some would call “the good old days.”

Which character did you enjoy writing most?

Without a doubt, Thea. It was so much fun to spend time with her now that she’s fully grown, and though I shuddered at some of the trauma I put her through, it was deeply rewarding to give her the happily-ever-after she deserved.

Which character gave you the most grief?

I wouldn’t say that she gave me grief, but Aimee was the most difficult character to write. That’s because, while she was born in Texas, she’s spent most of her life in France. I wanted her to have French sensibilities but not seem too foreign to the residents of Cimarron Creek. Further complicating Aimee is the fact that she’s still dealing with the revelation that she was adopted. I had to dig deep into my imagination to understand how she would have reacted when she learned the truth of her birth.

How do you think you would fare if you lived in Thea’s Cimarron Creek?

Other than enjoying the wonderful chocolates Lydia sells at Cimarron Sweets, I suspect that I wouldn’t fare very well. As much as I might have relished the close-knit nature of the town and the way that most of the residents looked out for others, I would miss my modern conveniences. Cooking on a wood stove is a far cry from popping something into the microwave, and the thought of living without air conditioning, particularly during a Texas summer, does not thrill me.

What emotions did you experience while writing this story?

Heartbreak over some of the situations I created, laughter over some of the other scenes, relief when Thea and Jackson found their happy ending, regret that this is the last of the Cimarron Creek books … at least for now.

What can we anticipate next from you?

I just finished the first round of edits on Out of the Embers, which will be released next March. This is the first of the Mesquite Springs trilogy and, like so many of my books, it takes place in the Texas Hill Country. Unlike the Cimarron Creek stories, these stories take place before the Civil War in what some historians call Texas’s golden age. But, I assure you, everything is not perfect for my characters. Here’s the short blurb I wrote for Out of the Embers: “With her home destroyed and a killer after her, a young woman flees to the Texas Hill Country with an orphaned girl, never dreaming that a handsome horse rancher will hold the key to her past and her future.” See what I mean about not perfect?

Thanks Amanda!

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of A Stolen Heart and A Borrowed Dream, as well as the Texas Crossroads, Texas Dreams, and Westward Winds series. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming. Learn more at www.amandacabot.com.

Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Cabot @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Amanda’s website
Buy at Amazon: A Tender Hope or Koorong

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