Austin: Second Chance Cowboy

 

Austin: Second Chance Cowboy

October 2012

BUY!

 

When I started work on the Harts of the Rodeo continuity series, I knew I was in for a treat. What a joy it was to work with so many fine authors! And, since writing is very much a solitary activity, it was great fun for me to get a chance to see how Cathy, Roz, CJ, Marin, and Linda plotted, researched, and approached their novels. For a few months, I was part of their club, and avid student of theirs, too.

I soon learned that I was not nearly as organized or as much of a plotter as I had previously thought! When other authors would ask me specifics about Austin’s western wear shop or Dinah’s apartment, I realized that I needed to become more detail oriented. Fast.

As I said, I learned a lot from them.

When I began Second Chance Cowboy, I was sure I’d feel closest to Dinah, but in many ways I connected with Austin the most.  I’ve always enjoyed writing about imperfect people, and Austin certainly had some imperfections. However, he also had some wonderful qualities. I liked how he looked after Dinah and bought coloring books for his nieces. I loved how he was just a little bit flirty, and just a little bit better than most folks realized.  In the end, I thought he was a perfect counterpart to Dinah Hart, Roundup’s sheriff.

One of my favorite characters of my book was Austin’s father, Buddy. He didn’t have a big part in the novel, but he did have a huge role in Austin’s character and motivations.  Thinking about Buddy, making him appealing yet real was a wonderful challenge for me. When I finished the book, I felt like I had done his character justice, and I was thankful for that.

 So, I hope y’all will enjoy Second Chance Cowboy.  It was a privilege to be a part of such a super series. And I have to say, I, for one, am already looking forward to Marin Thomas’s and Linda Warren’s books.

 

Who in the World Is Luke Song?

Imagine working at a job you love and doing it well. Many people don’t get to experience that satisfaction, so those of us who do are very lucky.

But now imagine that you suddenly and unexpectedly receive international recognition for what you already love doing. It’s something many of us dream of, and it’s wonderful to hear about it actually happening to someone. After all, if it can happen for them, then maybe it can happen for us.

Take Luke Song, a Detroit milliner/hat designer. For him, this Monday was probably just like most days in the life of a hat designer. On Tuesday, when Aretha Franklin took her place at the inaugural podium, the eyes of the world were riveted, not on her but on her hat. Whether you love it or not, there’s no denying the hat is an attention grabber.

That creation was designed by Luke Song, whose family business, Mr. Song Millinery, has been making hats for several decades. This week, thanks to Ms. Franklin, everything came together at just the right time and place, and he became fashion industry icon.

According to the Detroit Free Press, “By Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Song had sold hundreds of hats. A store in Dallas had sold 500 more, and the material was running out. ‘People are calling from England, asking for the hat,’ said Luke Song, who designed Franklin's chapeau. ‘I'm shocked. I had no idea. We did not expect this.’ ”

Wow.

And then there’s the US Airways pilot who landed his disabled aircraft in the Hudson River last week. I’m guessing that Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III has always been an outstanding pilot, admired and respected by his family, friends and colleagues, but most of his passengers would only have known his voice as he welcomed them aboard and hoped they had a pleasant flight. Now he’s a hero—the pilot we all want in the cockpit the next time we fasten our seatbelts and ensure that our seatbacks are in the upright position.

How does a person handle being catapulted into the limelight after working in relative obscurity?

If you’re Luke Song, you immediately get to work on an entire line of bow-inspired hats and plan to display them at the Women’s Wear in Nevada trade show in Las Vegas next month.

If you’re Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III (isn’t that an absolutely perfect name?), I imagine the talk show hosts are clamoring for a chance to interview you, and I’ll bet there’s a good chance there’ll be a book deal, and maybe even a movie.

The stuff dreams are made of, right? So here’s a question. If your dream comes true tomorrow, are you ready to make the most of it?

~~~

Switching topics, Winter Peck, an aspiring Christian romantic suspense author, is holding a Valentine’s book giveaway on her blog. Among the prizes are four Harlequin American Romances:

The Good Mother by Shelley Galloway
Marriage on Her Mind by Cindi Myers
Temporarily Texan by Victoria Chancellor
The Man for Maggie by Lee McKenzie

For a chance to win, drop by her blog and post a comment. Then check back on February 14 when she announces the winners!

Happy reading, and keep on dreaming!

Lee
Lee’s blog
Lee’s website