LET’S WELCOME
OUR GUEST
TRISH MILBURN
AUTHOR OF:
Rad-Reader: How did you come up with this story? Was it just one that came to you or one you had to hunt for?
Trish: A little
bit of both. It’s the second book about five adopted siblings (all from
different families), the first being In the Rancher’s Arms (April 2017). Ben,
the hero, is the second-eldest of the siblings, so I had him already. I just
needed to figure out his conflict and who should be the heroine. I found that
in Mandy, who was the best friend and business partner of Devon Newberry, the
heroine of my October 2016 book, The Cowboy Takes a Wife. They’re all part of
the Blue Falls, Texas series.
Rad-Reader: How did Mandy and Ben Meet?
Trish: They
already knew each other from high school, though they weren’t close friends or
had anything other than a casual acquaintance.
Rad-Reader: How many of the children in the Hartley family are adopted? Are there just the three boys and two girls?
Trish: : All five. There are three sons and two
daughters, all grown now but who were all adopted as children at different
times from different families.
Rad-Reader: Was the town all trying to be matchmakers?
Trish: I
initially started out with one town matchmaker, Verona Charles, but it seems
with each book all the people who are now happily in a relationship are getting
on the matchmaking bandwagon. J
Rad-Reader: Was Greg on the matchmaking mission alone or with the town?
Trish: Oh, Greg. He’s a fun character, and I can’t wait to
write his book. I just have to figure out the right heroine. As I mentioned
above, there is everything from passing comments to gentle nudging to full-on
matchmaking from a variety of people.
Rad-Reader: What is it with Ben? He seems to like Mandy but keeps backing away?
Trish: He has a
hang-up that comes from his past, what he went through as a child that led to
his being adopted. I don’t want to say more because it’ll be a spoiler.
Rad-Reader: Beside Cole being Devon’s husband who is he and what does he do?
Trish: He’s a
retired bull rider who was the hero of The Cowboy Takes a Wife. He’s finding
his way in a new career as a large metal sculpture artist, something he would
have never expected to do but has a talent for.
Rad-Reader: I kept trying to figure that out. So thanks!
Rad-Reader: I kept trying to figure that out. So thanks!
Rad-Reader: If Greg won’t settle down why is he pushing Ben into being with Mandy?
Trish: He likes
to tease people. It’s kind of his thing. And it’s what is going to make it
really fun when he really falls hard for someone.
Rad-Reader: It's going to have to be a strong, snarky, yet funny woman with a loving heart to win him over since he is such a joker. It should be interesting for sure. :)
Rad-Reader: It's going to have to be a strong, snarky, yet funny woman with a loving heart to win him over since he is such a joker. It should be interesting for sure. :)
Rad-Reader: What happened to Angel's spouse?
Trish: He’s…not
in the picture. Readers will find out more about this in her book, which will
be the last of the five about the Hartley siblings. It’s the one I’m writing
now.
Rad-Reader: Ben seemed to avoid a lot of things by retreating to his workshop. Why did he not go to Mandy's and do it face to face? Instead of letting time cause a rift between them?
Trish: Because of
his past. And guys are stubborn. J
Rad-Reader: Do you think being in the fish bowl of the town helped or hindered the relationship?
Trish: You could
argue either way. At times, it would have been nice not to have all those
curious people watching every step. But the town is very much a character
itself as are all the inhabitants. It’s what makes Blue Falls – and, in turn,
the relationships that are built there – memorable.
Rad-Reader: Really what gave Ben his push to come out of his shell.
Rad-Reader: Really what gave Ben his push to come out of his shell.
Rad-Reader: Did this story take long to write?
Trish: Hmm, I
don’t exactly remember, but I can typically write a first draft in 2-3 months.
Rad-Reader: What was the trickiest part of the relationship for Mandy and Ben when writing it?
Trish: Making
Ben’s reactions realistic based on his past and not just stubborn or petty.
Even when characters act in ways that makes the reader want to shake them,
there has to be a strong, understandable reason why they are acting that way.
The reader has to say, “If I were in that situation, I might very well act
similarly.”
Rad-Reader: Did you do research on the tiny homes before you did your story? I had just read anther book about a character who made them.
Trish: I’m fascinated by tiny homes. I’ve read about
them, watched video tours of them, always click on Facebook posts that include
headlines like “You won’t believe how beautiful this tiny home is.” I think
there is an appeal to de-cluttering and making life more simple, less full of
things that studies have shown can actually cause you stress. In most
instances, tiny homes aren’t realistic for families, but for single people who
are okay with living with few positions, it’s an appealing idea.
Rad-Reader: Do you think if you were single you could live in one? Or maybe you are and do?
Trish: I’m
married (25 years this year), so no for both of us. Maybe if I were single.
That or a small RV where I’d live a mobile life of traveling from place to
place, perhaps working seasonally in National Parks. I will say that last year
we sold our house and moved to an apartment. We did a lot of stuff culling
before we moved, and that was a good feeling. It’s amazing how easily we
collect stuff. We live in an apartment now and it’s nice to have less space to
clean, and my husband is loving not having to mow. J And if
something breaks like our microwave recently did, all you have to do is call
maintenance and they come replace it at no cost. Bonus!
Rad-Reader: If your book was made into a movie who would you like to play…
Mandy: Olivia Wilde
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/52635889371850577/
Ben: Mike Vogel
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/757660337280781637/
Trish:
Rad-Reader: Where is the most interesting place in the United States that you drove to that when you got there you went Wow?
Trish: Yellowstone
National Park. I’ve been there a few times now, but the first time I went was
in the mid 1990's when my younger sister was working there. It’s beautiful, you
can find a phenomenal peace there if you get away from the most crowded places
like Old Faithful, and it’s so unlike the landscape in the South where I’ve
lived my whole life. It inspired my passion for National Parks.
Rad-Reader: What are some of your hobbies?
Trish: Reading,
watching TV, walks on the beach (we live a couple of miles from the Gulf of
Mexico), cosplay, county counting (it’s where you try to visit every county in
every state), visiting parks and history museums.
Rad-Reader: What was your favorite TV character growing up?
Trish: I’d say when I was a kid, it was Wonder Woman – both
the Lynda Carter live-action show and the Super Friends cartoon on Saturday
mornings. It was why I was SO excited about the movie this summer, and it was
everything I hoped it would be. So awesome!
Rad-Reader: What character out of a book did you want to be when you read it?
Trish: Laura
Ingalls
Rad-Reader: What is your next project and when is it coming out?
Trish: The newest
in the Blue Falls, Texas series is actually out this month. Her Texas Rodeo
Cowboy is the third of the Hartley family books, and this one shifts to one of
the sisters, Sloane. And the hero is steer wrestler Jason Till, who is making a
run at the national title.
Rad-Reader: Where can our reader buy your books?
Trish: I have a
page devoted to each of my books on my website, and each has buy links to
various vendors – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Apple, Indie
Bound, Kobo, Powell’s, etc. It varies by store, but Walmart's also tend to carry
the books.
Rad-Reader: Where can our reader find you on the Web?
Trish,
Thanks so much for taking the time for being with us. I really enjoyed your book. The dynamics of the blended family of adopted children was interesting as well as how Ben's mom allowed him to find his own way to cope but also gave him a little guide push without him really catching on. Comforts zones are hard no matter what.
So, you too are now a 1 Rad-Reader Misfit so make sure you come back when you have a new book coming out so we can put it on our Shout Out: An Author's Place.
Thanks again,
Char & Pat
No comments:
Post a Comment
We ask that when you are leaving a comment that you are remebering that children may be reading this blog, without the knowledge of a consenting adult. We all put our disclaimers on to get into the sites but kids are smart. Please be aware when posting to use safe language and pics. Thanks :)