Please Welcome: Ginger Hanson author of Lady Runaway

Rogues Angels welcomes Ginger Hanson and we hope you will feel at home here at out blog.  You have a beautiful cover. I personally favor the purples.

Ginger will be giving away a $10 Barnes and Noble GC and the choice of either a print copy of How I Wrote My First Book: The Story Behind the Story which includes “Ten Lessons I Learned from Writing Quest for Vengeance" by Ginger Hanson -or- a new paperback copy of Ransom’s Bride by Ginger Hanson to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.


So don't forget to leave a comment! 

First let's learn a little more abut Ginger:

Ginger Hanson is a former college history teacher who found writing historical romance a natural outlet for her love of history. While Lady Runaway is her first foray into the Regency period, her two award-winning Civil War era historical romantic adventures were published in 2004. Ransom's Bride scored success as the winner of the 2005 Gayle Wilson Award Of Excellence and was a finalist in the 2005 Holt Medallion Contest. Tennessee Waltz was a finalist in the 2005 Maggie as well as the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in the Historical category.

Ginger also has two published contemporary romance novels set in the fictional small town of Tassanoxie, Alabama. The series slid into ebook only format with a 2011 Christmas short story, A Christmas Diamond for Merry.

Links:

http://www.gingerhanson.com

More insight into the Ginger and how she writes:

1.  What or who inspired you to start writing?

I wrote my first short story, “The Magic Tea Tray,” when I was eight years old. That’s about the time I learned how to write in cursive and I’ve always said the joy of writing curly letters was my inspiration to become a writer.

2.  Would you explain the details that make a story a Regency Adventure Romance.

Good question! What makes a story such as Lady Runaway a Regency romantic adventure? Webster’s 9th New Collegiate Dictionary defines an adventure as an undertaking that involves danger and unknown risk. Lady Runaway is set in the Regency era, it involves the heroine and hero in danger and unknown risk, and they fall in love. This gives us the three key ingredients for a Regency adventure romance!

3.  How did you come up with your idea for Lady Runaway?

Lady Runaway originated in a dream scene that lodged itself firmly in my brain. I couldn’t forget it. The scene involved a young woman hiding in a 19th century London alley. She is pulling her hand, sticky with her own blood, away from her chest.

4.  What expertise did you bring to your writing?

For my historical romances, the greatest expertise I bring to my writing is my love of history. I have been reading historical novels and nonfiction since my teen years. My interest led me to spend many hours in a classroom setting either learning or teaching history. Although 19th century US history formed the core of my college years, as a college instructor I ended up teaching Western Civilization! Talk about broadening one’s historical repertoire.

I’m a bookalcoholic who has spent years working with library book sales, toting home countless books on every subject. I've amassed an eclectic selection of history books that range through all historical eras and topics. I love finding out-of-print memoirs that chronicle the life of little-known people from a first-person point of view. Incorporating tidbits from these writings into my stories is a lot of fun.

5.  What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I'm an advocate of pet adoption rather than purchase. If a person desires a pedigreed dog, I strongly support adoption from a breed rescue program. If it has to be puppy, then buy only from breeders who show their animals. A reputable kennel owner has invested a lot of time and money in the offspring of their dogs. There are too many homeless dogs of every breed to encourage backyard breeders to continue breeding more dogs by buying their puppies.

On a personal note, we’ve enjoyed learning about several breeds when rescuing dogs. In the past, we've adopted a West Highland White Terrier, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, a Great Dane and now have a Beagle. We've also given a home to a shepherd mix and a cocker mix. A few months ago we added a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard hound mix (according to our recycle guy who has some!) to the family.

It’ll be a great day in this country when we don’t have to euthanize loving pets simply because there is no home for them.

6.  As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

Right now, I’m at a crossroads in my career. I recently received the reversion of rights for my first two historical romances (post-Civil War era) and hope to self-publish them as e-books. A window for change (stay where I am, change publisher, or self-publish) for my small town contemporary Tassanoxie series opened recently and I‘m wrestling with that decision.

I also have a more traditional Regency romance on the back burner I’d like to finish writing this year. And I’d love to write some stories about pioneer female aviators! So many stories to write, so little time…

7.  If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

I’d want to be Lady Riana Travisock, of course, because she’s a feisty and fun heroine! She’s got gumption and she’s smart, witty, and working hard to be independent within the constraints of her society.

8.  Can you give us a sneak peak into this book?

Dorking, England

1811

The heavy brass doorknocker banged against the front door, startling Lady Riana Travistock into dropping the two portmanteaus. They thumped to the bare wood floor at her feet while she frowned at the door. Since the last of the household servants had left yesterday, she would have to answer the summons. Stalking across the foyer, she paused long enough to curve her mouth into a polite smile before opening the door.

"My dear Lady Riana!"

The smile froze on her face. Sir Hector Stalkings was supposed to be in London, not Dorking. An unladylike expletive exploded in her brain. She tried to soften her smile, but her mouth felt as starched as the cravat around Sir Hector's thick neck. "Sir Hector, what a... pleasant surprise."

Peering beyond her into the shadowed hallway, his brown gaze swept the room, stopping at the bags bunched on the inlaid oak floor. "What I hear is true? You're leaving us?"

Gossamer wings of panic unfurled in her breast. She had hoped to escape Dorking without seeing her father's friend. "You heard correctly. Pennywise and I are booked on this afternoon's stagecoach."

"Thank goodness I returned from London before you left," he said.

Good manners forced her backward when he started through the door. The scent of the late June roses blooming along the front portico wafted into the hall behind cloying waves of his Canterbury violet perfume.

"Stricken," he said, "absolutely stricken to hear you and Mrs. Pennywise have been forced to leave your home."

The wings of distress flapped against her ribs with the power of a kestrel fighting to be airborne as he stepped into the foyer. Only years of deportment lessons kept its drumming beat out of her voice.

"Thank you for your sentiments, but Mrs. Pennywise and I quite look forward to this change in our lives."

"Look forward to the change! How can you? I hear Pennywise is to retire to her sister's home in Woking. And you have secured a teaching position in London. What a brave face you have put on this disaster." Sir Hector shook his head as he closed the front door. "'Tis a sad day when Lady Riana Travistock is reduced to teaching someone else's brats."

He hadn't heard the complete truth, but no one in Dorking knew about the jewels except her and Pennywise.

9.  Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?

While I have been in several critique groups over the years, I am no longer in one. I discovered it’s difficult to find the right fit. Critique groups can run the gamut from those who give you too much feedback, trying to mold your work into their idea of how the story should be told, to those who just gush and tell you what a wonderful writer you are.

What works for me are beta readers. I have certain trusted family (especially my daughter) and friends read my stories. Their comments and suggestions help me tighten, clarify, and strengthen the story.

10.    When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

To paraphrase Harrison Ford from “Six Days Seven Nights,” I have been writing for “a long, long, long, long, long, long time” which means I’ve been submitting work for a long, long, long, long, long, long time! I won first place in a national children’s writing contest and received a pen set when I was 12. That early good fortune hooked me and I was submitting short stories to national magazines by the time I was in high school. Not with any positive results, but that didn’t stop me!

By my 30s, I decided I needed a bigger canvas for my writing and plunged into novel writing. The saga of writing my first book was published last year in the anthology, “How I Wrote My First Book: The Story Behind the Story.” That was a fun walk down memory lane.

11.    What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

Best advice: They’re only words, you have more! (For the writer who thinks every word she writes should never be touched, cut, or changed.)

Worst advice: Write what you know. (Would any historical/futurist/scifi novel/etc. ever have been written if writers followed this advice?)

12.   Do you outline your books or just start writing?

Generally, I write scenes, bits of dialogue, descriptions, etc. to get a feel for the characters and plot. I need to be around my characters for a while to get acquainted because I’m not good at filling out lists or making up background lives. Well, I’m great at making the lists, but for some reason I never look at the lists again. I found I’m better at free writing about the characters’ core personality and trying to figure out what motivates them than worrying about the schools they attended or their eye color.

I like to plop characters into a situation and see how they react, get to know them gradually, just as you do any acquaintance. But I also like to have a story outline because I like to have a general idea of where I’m going. I have often used the analogy of taking a trip to explain how I use an outline. Most of us plan to go from point A to point B when we take a trip. How we get to point B and how long it takes depends on the time we’ve allotted for the trip and our personal interests. Thus, how and when we reach a point B can vary widely, just as book plots vary widely.

For example, some people like to travel via the Interstate highway system. They take no time for side trips other than time to use bathroom, gas up the car, and feed themselves. Some people like to stick to the back roads and stop whenever the whim strikes. And there are those who use the Interstate, yet like to take side trips off the beaten path. These travelers will all reach point B, but there is a great difference in the trips they experience.

My story outline roughly guides me from the beginning to the end, but I like to be open for what happens during the trip. If it’s a historical, I do my basic historical research, but I continue doing research while I write because who knows what fun tidbit I may find to weave into the story!

All in all, I need an idea of where I want to go with the story, but the route I take may not match my original outline because of the characters and events that end up in the story. 

13.   How do you maintain your creativity?

Daydreaming is my mainstay, which I fear is becoming a lost art. So many people are connected electronically to the right now, that it’s difficult for them to turn everything off and let their brain think about the “what if” side of life.

14.   Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?

Oddly enough, if I were to be a character in this book, I’d want to be Lady Riana, but Sir Hector Stalking ranks as a favorite character because he was so difficult for me to create. In an early version, one of the criticisms I received from an editor cited him as a stereotypical bad guy. He lacked depth, according to her.

Let’s face it, I live in a small rural town and never encounter evil. I’m also what is known as a supersensitive type of person, who loses sleep over homeless dogs. I don’t watch horror movies or anything really scary if I want to sleep...ever...which is why I don’t write serial killer books!

But I wanted to create a villain worthy of Riana and Dev. It became a writing challenge and I decided to rework Sir Hector. To accomplish this goal, I read articles on how to create villains. To my delight, I actually received a rejection letter that said Sir Hector was “too dark!” My agent wasn’t happy at the rejection, but I was ecstatic because I had created a worthy villain.

15.    Are your plotting bunnies angels or demons?

I’m going to make a confession, I’d never heard the term “plotting bunny” prior to reading this question. Naturally, I went straight to the Internet. And guess what I found? One of Rogue’s Angels (wave your hand, Christine) blogged about this term last December! She heard it for the first time recently, did some research, and wrote about it. Very convenient for me! Thank you, Christine.

On to the question of whether my plotting bunnies are angels or demons. I’d have to say plotting bunny angels sit on my shoulders throughout the process since I love to plot. The plot of Lady Runaway gave me much fewer headaches than writing a believable romance for Riana and Dev. Instant attraction works for me, but romance readers tend to want more!

16.     Anything else you might want to add?

I’d like to thank Rogue’s Angels for inviting me to blog today and the readers for sharing their time. I’d also like to invite everyone to visit my website at www(DOT)gingerhanson(DOT)com. I also write sweet contemporary romances that features an ongoing character named Miss Mabel, who blogs sporadically at Miss Mabel Talks Tassanoxie.blogspot.com. She keeps up with what’s happening in Tassanoxie as well as my writing. 

Here are some of my links in case you need them!

www.gingerhanson.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ginger-Hanson/224336647585059

http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/LadyRunaway_ch1.html (Twilight Times Books)

http://ginger-hanson.blogspot.com/

http://missmabeltalkstassanoxie.blogspot.com/

Blurb

                  Fleeing arrest by a spurned suitor, Lady Riana Travistock heads for London where she is knifed in a street brawl when she helps a man attacked by footpads. Luckily for Lady Riana, the victim of the attack is army surgeon Captain Devlin Carrington who takes her home to tend her injury.

                  When Dev cuts off her blood-soaked chemise to stitch the knife wound, a fortune in jewels spill out. Has he saved a lovely jewel thief only to watch her hang? 

Excerpt

London, 1811

Dev ran the damp cloth along a pert nose, then spread cooling relief along the dark auburn eyebrows.

In the still hour before dawn, the fever broke.

Looking down at the woman, satisfaction rippled through Dev’s tired body. He had saved a life.

“Nicky?”

At the name, his satisfaction diminished and Dev silently damned the man for the hundredth time that night. Leaning down, he whispered the lie. “I am here.”

Her tongue slipped out to lick at lips cracked from the heat of the fever. He dipped his finger into the water pitcher and ran his damp finger over parted lips that beckoned him as no others had ever done.

“Hold me. I am frightened.”

Without another word, he took her in his arms and nestled her head against his chest. When her rich brown eyes finally opened, they stared through him and saw Nicky.

His mystery woman from the alley gazed up at him, the soft love in her eyes pulling him into the fantasy of being a man who had every right to lean over and kiss the waiting mouth. Once again, the response warming the pit of his stomach caught him by surprise. He could not figure out why she evoked these feelings of passion mingled with protectiveness even as he damned Nicky to hell for having captured such a prize only to let her go.

Yet who was the true scoundrel? Nicky? Or himself for lusting after a wounded, delirious woman who thought he was her lover–or husband.

Before you say good bye today don't forget two things:

1. leave a comment please.

2. I'm sure Ginger would love to have you hop on over to her publisher's sight and buy Lady Runaway!