Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Today's Special - - Victoria Vane


I'm delighted to welcome Victoria Vane to The Romance Dish. Victoria has brought along a special surprise for our readers today - the hero of her new book, SLOW HAND, Wade Knowlton!  

Victoria Vane is an award-winning author of smart and sexy romance. Her works range from historical to contemporary settings and include everything from wild comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Her books have received more than twenty reviewer awards and nominations to include the 2014 RONE Award for Treacherous Temptations and Library Journal Best E-Book romance of 2012 for The Devil DeVere series. She lives the beautiful upstate of South Carolina with her husband, two sons, a little black dog, and an Arabian horse.


Contact info:
Email: victoria.vane@hotmail.com           Website: www.victoriavane.com
Blog: www.embracingromance.com         Facebook: http://on.fb.me/YVeXrf
Twitter: @authorvictoriav                       Pinterest: http://bit.ly/1vONQZh
Amazon: http://amzn.to/10QMKT5                   Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1sccsM4




Hi Wade! May I call you Wade? Welcome to our little corner of the world. That’s a mighty fine looking Stetson you have there.  Gorgeous crystal-blue eyes too. Oh, and that adorable chin dimple. ::Sigh:: *whisper whisper* “Huh? I’m what?” *whisper whisper* “Oh. Yeah. Guess I got a little off track there. Sorry, Wade. Okay! On to the first question!”

So Wade, cowboys are known for rescuing damsels in distress and you sure did that the other night at the Denver airport. Please tell us about giving up your seat to the woman having an emotional meltdown at the gate and the unexpected results of that kindness.

“Nice to meet you, M’am.” (He doffs his hat).  “Now about Denver. It was a real mess that night with the foul weather and all. There were people piled up all over that airport. I was just sittin’ back bidin’ my time with my iPod when I looked up and saw this beautiful…er…girl talking to the gate agent. I couldn’t hear what she was sayin’ but it was evident she wasn’t getting on the flight.  When she turned around with tears streaming down her face, that just about did me in. I had a court date in the mornin’ but figured I could still make it back if I drove through the night, so I gave up my seat and rented a car. A few hours later I got a phone call from another damsel in distress who’d come all the way from Georgia to Montana to bury her father and lost her I.D.  I was headed to Bozeman anyhow so I told her I’d pick her up. You can imagine my surprise to find the very same woman from the night before!”

I imagine she was pretty surprised too! At first glance, a Georgia peach seems an odd choice for a man firmly entrenched in the wide open spaces of Montana. What is it about Nicole that caused you to take a second look?

He grins. “Couldn’t help looking. Nicole Powell is mighty easy on the eyes. But she’s a lot more than that too. Smart and sassy and just plain easy to be with. Something between us really clicked.”

Sometimes it just happens that way...if you're lucky.

You grew up in a ranching family but chose to leave the range for a legal career in town. Why?

“Ranching is a damned hard life with little reward. Hell, most people are barely scraping by these days. I wanted more than that from my life, but I still can’t bail out on my family, so now I find myself burning the candle at both ends. Don’t know how long I can keep on. Selling seems the smartest thing. I’d like to see my parents comfortable in their retirement not still working themselves to death but my brother and I don’t see eye to eye on this. It’s a major point of contention that almost always brings us close to blows.”

You up for a fast five?

Sure thing!

Boxers or briefs? Boxers. Easier to breathe.

Hugs or kisses? Long slow kisses.

Dinner or breakfast? Breakfast…in bed.
 Mmmm...I like the way you think! 

Sassy or sweet? Sassy. Love a woman who can hold her own.

Tux or jeans? Jeans and boots fit most every occasion.

So Wade, are there any more at home like you?

“No M’am.” (He flashes his dimples)  “I’m one of a kind.”

::Sigh:: Then let me just say Nicole is one very lucky woman. 

Victoria, we sure appreciate you bringing Wade along to visit with us today. If he’s an example of the men in Montana, I’m booking the next flight out! Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions also?

Absolutely!

What is it about Montana that enticed you to set Slow Hand there? Will all of the books in the series be set in Montana?

Many elements of this story are somewhat biographical. Like Nikki, I was estranged from my father. He had moved to Montana with plans of retiring but shortly after was diagnosed with lung cancer. This whole experience inspired my story. He passed away in 2008 and his ashes are scattered on a river near the Beartooth Pass. I went to Montana in 2013 to research my book but also to say my final good bye.

ROUGH RIDER, featuring Wade’s brother Dirk, also takes place in Montana but the third book in which my hero is a marine scout sniper from Wyoming has several settings (Southern California, Iraq, Alaska and Wyoming). The fourth book mainly takes place in the Nevada desert where they are gathering wild horses and then the story moves back to Montana. All of the characters are connected in some way which allows old characters to make cameo appearances which I think readers love.

You have a fascinating cast of secondary characters I’m hoping we’ll see again. Are you able to tell us about any of the future books you have planned and who the lead characters may be?

ROUGH RIDER features Wade’s bitter and antagonistic brother Dirk, and a minor secondary character named Janice. This is a character-driven story with a lot of emotional intensity as I also pick it up in the present when Dirk is struggling to get his life back on track after some serious war injuries. Janice has some scars of her own but she’s exactly what he needs.  Here’s the blurb:

Two wary hearts ... Janice Combes has two loves, bucking bulls and Dirk Knowlton. But Dirk only has eyes for a dazzling rodeo queen. How can Janice ever compete while mired ankle-deep in manure? Exchanging playful banter with Dirk is all Janice can expect-until the stormy night he knocks on her door dripping wet and needing a place to crash.

Different Dreams... Dirk Knowlton is living the cowboy dream. Life should be good-roping, branding, backing broncs, riding bulls, but there's a void he can't seem to fill. After getting hung up by a bull, he wonders if this is really the life he wants. Restless and rebellious, he bolts...but there's a certain cowgirl he can't forget.

When a battle-scarred Dirk returns to his Montana ranch he's determined to hang on at any cost. Janice has come back home to lick her own wounds. When old dreams turn to dust, can two wary hearts take another chance on love? 

SHARP SHOOTER, the third book in the series, features a hero introduced in book #2. Reid Everett is a marine scout sniper from Wyoming and one of Dirk’s old rodeo buddies.

SILVER TONGUE also features an interesting character, a Native American horse whisperer who is mentioned in book #2 and book #3 but the reader doesn’t actually meet until #4.

Readers might be seeing Allie again as I am working on a potential storyline, and I also have plans for Nikki’s sister Shelby but this will probably be a spin off book.

Thanks so much for visiting with us today. Would you or Wade like to ask our readers a question? 

In this series, I used several settings for the sake of variety. What is your favorite setting for a romance novel?



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21 comments:

  1. I got Slow Hand earlier but haven't had a chance to read it. I will very soon tho. Right now am reading a Carolyn Brown book. Good luck with your new book.

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  2. I'd love to read more about Wade. Enjoyed the exjcerpt. Thanks for sharing. I love reading about cowboys. They say Gentlemen loud and clear. :) I can't think of just one specific cowboy because I seemyo love them all. Lol
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. Hi Carol! Yes. Wade is absolutely true blue gentleman.. in jeans, boots and cowboy hat!

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  3. My favorite cowboy was Roy Rogers. I used to watch the Western everyday after school and loved the show, his principles and the horse, Trigger.

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    1. I've always loved cowboys too! Grew up on old westerns and used to borrow my Grandpa's Louis L'amour novels. Thanks for commenting!

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  4. I love character interviews! Thank you for bringing Wade with you today, Victoria.
    I don't think I have a specific setting for a romance. To me, the most important thing is how the couple interacts, how they "click" and the plot that supplies the build up and tension :)

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  5. Hi MsAwesome! Thanks for your comments. I have another contemporary cowboy series coming that is set in Las Vegas. Obviously, it's got a completely different tone form this one! Victoria

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  6. Kevin Costner in Silverado is a great cowboy

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  7. Hi, everyone! Welcome, Victoria! Thanks for bringing Wade alone today. I sure did enjoy reading his and Nicole's story!

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    1. Thank you PJ! It was a lot of fun for me but I admit I have a major soft spot for his cantankerous brother, Dirk! ROUGH RIDER is the only book I have written to date that made me cry. LOL!

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  8. John Wayne has always been my fav cowboy.

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  9. Best setting for a romance novel, anywhere that suits the characters. I have 2 favorites. I love the West and like reading books set there. The area produces strong, resilient individuals which make good heroes and heroines. The same can be said of Scotland which is my second favorite. These locales work equally well for both contemporary and historical books

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  10. My favorite cowboy, it depended on my age. Had a crush on Rowdy Yates of Rawhide (Clint Eastwood), then had a crush on Little Joe Cartwright of Bonanza (I had no idea it ran from 1959 to 1973). Now in my later years, I like Tom Selleck in any western role he wants to play.

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  11. There are so many that could qualify but today I'm thinking my favorite is James Garner as Brett Maverick!

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