Interview with Charlene Whitman, author of Wyoming Tryst

The author of "heart-thumping" Western romance, Charlene Whitman spent many years living on Colorado's Front Range. She grew up riding and raising horses, and loves to read, write, and hike the mountains. She attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins as an English major. She has two daughters and is married to George "Dix" Whitman, her love of thirty years. 

The Front Range series of sweet historical Western romance novels (set in the 1870s) includes Wild Horses, Wild Hearts, set in Laporte and Greeley. Colorado Promise, set in Greeley, Colorado; Colorado Hope, set in Fort Collins; Wild Secret, Wild Longing, which takes readers up into the Rockies, Colorado Dream (Greeley), and Wyoming Tryst, set in Laramie, WY.

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About the Book:

Title: WYOMING TRYST
Author: Charlene Whitman
Publisher: Ubiquitous Press
Pages: 360
Genre: Sweet Historical Western Romance

BOOK BLURB:

Two ranching tycoons. A decades-old feud. A sheriff bent on ridding the town of lawlessness . . .

In the midst of the trouble brewing in Laramie City in 1878, Julia Carson yearns to be free of her parents’ smothering and wonders whether she’ll ever find a man worthy to love in such a violent town rife with outlaws.

But when Robert Morrison sneaks onto her ranch the night of her sixteenth birthday party, Cupid shoots his arrows straight and true. Aware that their courtship would be anathema to their fathers, who are sworn enemies, Robert and Julia arrange a tryst.

Yet, their clandestine dalliance does not go unnoticed, and forces seek to destroy what little hope their romance has to bloom. The star-crossed lovers face heartache and danger as violence erupts. When all hope is lost, Joseph Tuttle, the new doctor at the penitentiary, is given a letter and a glass vial from Cheyenne medicine woman Sarah Banks.

The way of escape poses deadly dangers, but it is the only way for Robert and Julia to be together. It will take the greatest measure of faith and courage to come through unscathed, but love always conquers fear.

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As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books.  Can you tell us what your book is about?

Wyoming Tryst is a very close adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, set in Laramie in 1878. That should tell all!

Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

Robert Morrison and Julia Carson come from feuding families. Just as in Shakespeare’s play, they meet at her party, then, after falling for each other, arrange a tryst . . . and you know the rest of the story. Robert is a cowboy, the heir to one of the biggest cattle ranches in Wyoming, but his father blames him for Robert’s brother’s death, so there is a lot of love lost. Julia, feeling like a caged animal under her father’s thumb, as his only child, wants freedom and is willing to risk all to be with Robert.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

Study novel structure and instead of trying to be different from all other writers, write to genre to please a specific audience.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

I don’t think I have any. Not sure what a writing quirk would look like.

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

I often get fan mail and reviews, and it’s nice to see how many readers love my characters and novels.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

Any negative reviews have been mostly personal taste, and I respect that I’m not going to please all readers.

What has been your best accomplishment?

Raising two beautiful daughters.

Do you Google yourself?

Rarely. I know where to find me.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

None at the moment.

Fun question – if you were princess or prince, what’s one thing you would do to make your kingdom a better place?

I would put Jesus on the throne and let him deal with the world. No kidding.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

I hope you’ll dive into the Front Range series and go on my characters’ journeys with them. I believe you’ll be thrilled and moved by the heart-thumping romance! And if you join my mailing list with THIS LINK, you’ll get the first book, Wild Horses, Wild Hearts, for free!