• Non-Fiction,  Two Tips

    Pick up cool tips from Cheryl StJohn author of Writing With Emotion Tension and Conflict @_cherylstjohn_ #RLFblog #NonFiction #WritingTips #WritingCommunity

    Pick up cool tips from Cheryl StJohn author of Writing With Emotion Tension and Conflict @_cherylstjohn_ #RLFblog #NonFiction #WritingTips #WritingCommunityFor years Cheryl StJohn gave workshops and wrote articles on the importance of inherent conflict in a novel. One day she decided to put all she’d learned and taught into book form and proposed it to her dream publisher.

    Cheryl, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Thanks for sharing two tips with us today, but first, please tell us about Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict.

    Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Cheryl StJohn

    Genre non-fiction, writing

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): G

    Today’s highly competitive fiction market requires writers to imbue their novels with that special something – an element that captures readers’ hearts and minds. In Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict, writers will learn vital techniques for writing emotion into their characters, plots and dialogue in order to instill that special something into every page.

    “A must-have compilation of rock-sound advice from a writer who knows what she’s talking about. A book you’ll want to inhale whole and then return to time and time again to improve your craft and go deeper in order to write YOUR story. Not only does this book embrace some of the most complex elements of story construction in a clear, easy to digest format, it acts as inspiration for the writer. Sentence upon sentence of outstanding advice!”

    – Mary Buckham, author of the Amazon best-selling Writing Active Settings series for writers.

    Tips for Writing Conflict

    Create characters with built-in conflict.

    Build it in as you personify them and give them diversity. Use their past, their needs and their fears. Use their strengths and their weaknesses against them.

    Their backstory, combined with characterization, will be motivation for everything they do. It will shape their goals and define the way they react to situations. Weak superficial motivations lead to weak superficial conflict, resulting in weak superficial characters.

    Knowing who they are and what experiences they’ve had makes your character’s goals and reactions motivated and believable. It is imperative to keep your character’s history in mind as you unfold the story. You can do this by method writing. Become the character and feel what he would feel, react the way he would if you had experienced the same things.

    Conflict must be personalized to the character. If you don’t know your story people and motivate them, you won’t have a strong conflict. A vague or general motivating force produces a vague and general plot. Being specific will increase the emotional intensity of your story.

    TIPS:

    When plotting or editing, ask yourself these questions to make sure you’ve built a solid story:

    What is at stake and is it important to the character?

    How could this situation get worse?

    Could this conflict be easily resolved if the characters talked it over?

    Did you come up with unpredictable circumstances?

    Does your character react according to his background/motivation?

    What could happen to make the character change?

    Did the conflict create tension for one or more characters?

    Does the conflict force the character into action?

    Did you use scenes and viewpoint changes for tension and pacing?

    Are your characters a cast of diversified personalities who react to each other?

    What does the conflict make your character learn about himself?

    Where to buy Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict

    Publisher https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/633914/writing-with-emotion-tension-and-conflict-by-cheryl-stjohn/
    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599637588
    Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/writing-with-emotion-tension-and-conflict-cheryl-st-john/1114185427?ean=9781599637587
    Walmart https://www.walmart.com/ip/Writing-with-Emotion-Tension-and-Conflict-Techniques-for-Crafting-an-Expressive-and-Compelling-Novel-Paperback-9781599637587/23076241
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/writing-with-emotion-tension-and-conflict-1
    Target https://www.target.com/p/writing-with-emotion-tension-and-conflict-by-cheryl-st-john-paperback/-/A-85136970

    Cheryl St John on Social Media

    Cheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous awards and are published in over a dozen languages. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.” Her bestselling non-fiction books, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict and Write Smart, Write Happy by Writers Digest Books are available in print and digital.
    Website http://www.cherylstjohn.net/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/_CherylStJohn_
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CherylStJ
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cheryl_stjohn/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cherylstjohn/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24516.Cheryl_St_John
    BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cheryl-st-john
    Amazon Author Page https://tinyurl.com/y6js92y8
    Get to know Cheryl St John better by signing up for her email newsletter.
    http://eepurl.com/bqCji9
    Aspen Gold Series Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/n9n7p3

     

  • Contemporary,  Fiction Furbaby

    Fiction Furbaby: Meet Abby, Goliath and Daughtry from Rescue Me in the Yesterday’s Promise anthology by Cheryl St john @_cherylstjohn_ @RobsRescues #RLFblog #Pets

    Fiction Furbaby: Meet Abby, Goliath and Daughtry from Rescue Me in the Yesterday's Promise anthology by Cheryl St john @_cherylstjohn_ @RobsRescues #RLFblog #PetsI just finished a short story for a new anthology releasing September 1st, and I’m really excited to share a bit about it.

    Cheryl, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! We support all furbabies, real life or fictional. We want to know all about your Fiction Furbaby, but first, please tell us about your short story Rescue Me.

    Yesterday’s Promise by Cheryl St John and the Aspen Gold Series Authors

    Genre Contemporary Romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): G

    Natalie Jordan was a disappointment to her father, though she acquired the degrees he wanted her to earn and married the man he chose. She was a disappointment to her husband too, but when he dies and she inherits land in Colorado, it’s the perfect time to create her vision of a canine rescue center.

    Avery Sawyer is surprising in more ways than one. He’s driven and determined. Natalie needs his help, and he’s willing to give it as long as she forms a partnership for a project so big, she’s hesitant to agree. Natalie has to face her self-doubts in this story of love at first sight.

    Fiction Furbaby: Meet Abby, Goliath and Daughtry from Rescue Me in the Yesterday's Promise anthology by Cheryl St john @_cherylstjohn_ @RobsRescues #RLFblog #Pets

    Meet Abby, Goliath and Daughtry from Rescue Me in the Yesterday’s Promise Anthology

    Abby was Natalie Jordan’s first adoption. Shortly after moving to the farm, she took in the skittish White Swiss Shepherd found running loose with a collar imbedded in her neck. Three years later Abby’s bark is still hoarse and she doesn’t use it much. Jackson the vet said her vocal cords were damaged, and it was a miracle she hadn’t starved or suffered permanent damage to her throat and esophagus. Abby is Natalie’s gentle giant, a calm, loving companion.

    Goliath, a half-Chihuahua, half-toy poodle that looks like something from a Muppet movie and barely weighs four pounds with a full belly had been her next project. General consensus is that Goliath’s combination of salt and pepper hair mixed with tufts of gray, combined with his pointy ears make him too ugly to be adoptable, but to her he’s adorable. It took weeks of patience to correct his bad habit of lifting his leg wherever he smelled an interesting scent. Now he spends his time watering the entire outdoors.

    Natalie’s third house dog is a brown and white Russell terrier she lovingly named Daughtry. Rollie Weston discovered the canine tied to a trash can behind the gas station. Malnourished and filthy, Daughtry had lost his fur due to a skin disease.

    Fiction Furbaby: Meet Abby, Goliath and Daughtry from Rescue Me in the Yesterday's Promise anthology by Cheryl St john @_cherylstjohn_ @RobsRescues #RLFblog #Pets

    With medication and adequate diet, his coat filled in, and he’s now an alert and friendly fellow, though he has an awkward gait and isn’t very fast due to a past leg injury. He loves carrots as treats.

    Do you have any working or service animals in your stories? Tell us about them.

    Pax, short for Paxton is Avery Sawyer’s service dog. He’s a golden retriever, trained to assist a paraplegic and pull his person in a wheelchair if needed.

    Yesterday’s Promise will be available soon at all your favorite book retailers.

    Cheryl StJohn Social Media

    Cheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous awards and are published in over a dozen languages. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.” Her bestselling non-fiction books, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict and Write Smart, Write Happy by Writers Digest Books are available in print and digital.
    Website https://www.aspengoldseries.com/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/aspengoldseries
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AspenGoldSeries
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cheryl_stjohn/aspen-gold-the-series/
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081YPJ5V8
    Get to know the Aspen Gold Series Authors better by signing up for an email newsletter https://www.subscribepage.com/n9n7p3

    Shout out to Rob’s Rescues – founded by a 9-year-old animal activist

    Fiction Furbaby: Meet Abby, Goliath and Daughtry from Rescue Me in the Yesterday's Promise anthology by Cheryl St john @_cherylstjohn_ @RobsRescues #RLFblog #PetsRob’s Rescues is a non-profit organization in Georgia helping people in need care for and feed their pets. It was founded in 2014 by a then nine-year-old boy. Rob’s Rescues is dedicated to collecting pet food for people in need to reduce shelter surrenders, and to advocating for the adoption of shelter pets. Rob writes monthly articles advocating for shelter animals in the Around About Local Media magazine publications. His column was first published in 2014. He also has pet food collection sites for people in need in the community and interviews amazing people. His interviews appear online once they are published in his column.

    Rob volunteers for Pet Buddies Food Pantry, the Cherokee County Animal Shelter and Cobb County Animal Control and collects pet food for these organizations and the communities they serve. He also wants to bring attention to smaller, rural shelters. Mostly he wants to get kids to be Rob’s Rangers to teach kids that they can help shelter animals. Rob has also talked to kids in a classroom setting.
    Rob’s Rescues is a Non-Profit Corporation and all donations are tax deductible.
    Website http://www.robsrescues.com/
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/robsrescues/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/RobsRescues

    Image credits: Depositphotos, final image by Cheryl St.John

  • 5 Easy Questions,  Contemporary

    Read the new Hometown Girl, a sweet novella by Cheryl St John @_cherylstjohn_ #RLFblog #Contemporary #Romance

    Read the new Hometown Girl, a sweet novella by Cheryl St.John @_cherylstjohn_ #RLFblog #Contemporary #RomanceRodeo champion Justin Cooper’s reappearance reminds Stevie Marshall of how her life could have been in this sweet contemporary novella by USA Today bestselling author, Cheryl St.John. It is worth the risk of losing him again to capture a few weeks of happiness?

    Cheryl, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your book.

    Hometown Girl by Cheryl St.John

    Genre contemporary romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): sweet (G)

    Small-town life was never enough for rodeo champion, Justin Cooper, but when he returns to Oklahoma to recover from an injury, Stevie Marshall is still rooted to the community, still doesn’t share his passion for adventure and still takes his breath away.

    Resistant to change, Stevie has never fallen in love with another, and she’s not about to fall for this handsome cowboy all over again. Her heart has taken too much of a beating to make the same mistake twice. This life wasn’t good enough for him last time.

    Justin thought he’d rather fall off a bucking bull than face his feelings, but their close proximity challenges his thinking. Prize money and belt buckles won’t stack up to a life with the hometown girl he loves. This go-round the cowboy will hang on tight.

    Tell us about your favorite toy as a child.

    My Barbies were my favorite toys, and I played with them until I was twelve years old. Barbie, Ken and Midge were a family, and they even had children. I saved up my allowance to buy them clothes and furniture. When my cousin came from out of town, she brought her dolls, and we covered my grandma’s entire bedroom with their rooms and played out adventures.

    I still collect Barbies, Disney characters and other fashion-size dolls, in fact I recently thinned out the curio in my office, dressed them properly, fixed their hair and placed them on stands where I enjoy seeing them.

    What are your hobbies?

    I enjoy reading, of course. I’ve always loved antique and flea-market shopping. I enjoy painting and decorating, and my husband and I upcycle furniture. We both shop for the pieces, I choose and buy the paint, etc., and he does the work. We recently traveled 200 miles of garage and yard sales in Nebraska with my daughter and son-in-law. Now that’s fun!

    When you read for pleasure, what kind of books do you choose?

    I fall back on Americana or western historicals, which are among my favorites, but I also enjoy westerns, Stephen King, biographies and research books.

    What kinds of things do you read when you’re researching a new book?

    I’ve read a good many journals over the years, research papers, books on whatever subject I’m writing about.

    If the hero of your latest book called you on the phone, what would be a perfect ringtone for him?

    I create a playlist for each of my books, so I had to choose only one:

    Good as You by Kane Brown

    Where to buy Hometown Girl.

    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Girl-novella-Cheryl-St-John-ebook/dp/B0931SNN6D

    Cheryl St John on Social Media

    Cheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous awards and are published in over a dozen languages. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.” Her bestselling non-fiction books, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict and Write Smart, Write Happy by Writers Digest Books are available in print and digital.
    Website http://www.cherylstjohn.net/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/_CherylStJohn_
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CherylStJ
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cheryl_stjohn/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cherylstjohn/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24516.Cheryl_St_John
    BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cheryl-st-john
    Amazon Author Page https://tinyurl.com/y6js92y8
    Get to know Cheryl St John better by signing up for her email newsletter.
    http://eepurl.com/bqCji9
    Aspen Gold Series Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/n9n7p3

     

  • Contemporary

    Dancing in the Dark, a new romance by Cheryl St John @_cherylstjohn_ #RLFblog #romance

    Read the new Dancing in the Dark by Cheryl St John @_cherylstjohn_ #RLFblog #romanceCheryl, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your book.

    Dancing in the Dark by Cheryl St John

    Genre: Contemporary Romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG

    He’d had his own baby. Without her.

    Dusty Cavanaugh has loved Kendra Price since she walked into the school cafeteria and captured a dozen boyish hearts with the sweep of her stormy gray-green gaze and the lift of her chin. College, marriage, and children had been the plan. But then Dusty made a mistake.

    Kendra Price had never wanted to be rich, but she’d wanted to be comfortable, which she was. She’d never wanted to be famous, but to live her passion to the fullest and dance, which she did. She’d wanted to marry Dusty, have babies and live happily ever after. It would never happen.

    She’d wanted to dance, get married and have babies…all she had left was dance.
    He had everything a man could want–except her forgiveness…

    There had been no road map for life apart. Will love be enough to guide them back?

    Where to buy Dancing in the Dark

    Publisher: Aspen Gold Books
    Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/4XZxe9
    Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dancing-in-the-dark-cheryl-st-john/1133927035
    iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/dancing-in-the-dark/id1482159995
    Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dancing-in-the-dark-63

    Cheryl St John on Social Media

    Cheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous awards and are published in over a dozen languages. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.” Her bestselling non-fiction books, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict and Write Smart, Write Happy by Writers Digest Books are available in print and digital.
    Website http://www.cherylstjohn.net/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/_CherylStJohn_
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CherylStJ
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cheryl_stjohn/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cherylstjohn/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24516.Cheryl_St_John
    BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cheryl-st-john
    Amazon Author Page https://tinyurl.com/y6js92y8
    Get to know Cheryl St John better by signing up for her email newsletter.
    http://eepurl.com/bqCji9
    Aspen Gold Series Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/n9n7p3

     

  • Contemporary,  Series Feature

    Read the Aspen Gold Series: Whisper My Name by Cheryl St John @_cherylstjohn_ @Gold_Aspen #RLFblog #sweet #ContemporaryRomance

    Read the series: Whisper My Name: Aspen Gold Series by Cheryl St John @_cherylstjohn_ @Gold_Aspen #RLFblog #sweet #ContemporaryRomanceRipped from the headlines…

    Laurel Whitaker has spent her entire life burying her infamous past and becoming a normal person.

    Joe Cavanaugh suspects she’s in trouble. His job demands honesty, and it’s his nature is to protect.

    Will Laurel’s truth be her undoing…or his?

    Cheryl St John, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your series.

    Whisper My Name in the Aspen Gold Series

    Genre: Contemporary Romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): G

    She was the girl behind the headlines

    Laurel Whitaker has been her name for fifteen years. Anyone hearing her true identity would know who she was, and she’s had enough of cameras, questions and stares. Spencer, Colorado is a great place to blend in among the tourists. But unwanted attention comes in the worst possible form—a tough, perceptive, and all too determined lawman.

    Sheriff Joe Cavanaugh looks out for people—his large loving family, his teenage daughter, anyone in his county who needs him. But the mistrustful young woman staying in the lake house beside his property goes out of her way to avoid his help, and that’s suspicious. Instinct tells him she’s hiding something…and attraction motivates him to uncover her secrets.

    Which book is this in the series?

    Whisper My Name is book #13 in the Aspen Gold Series.

    How many books do you plan for the series?

    This is my second in a multi-author series, and I have at least five more stories plotted. I’m sure many more ideas will come to me. I’m enjoying the freedom of writing what I love.

    How many books are completed?

    Personally, I’ve completed two. There are thirteen books published so far, however, including those of my co-authors.

    What characters are the main stars in your series?

    I’ve written the stories of two Cavanaugh brothers so far: Dusty Cavanaugh and Kendra Price, as well as Joe Cavanaugh and Laurel Whitaker. My current work in progress is about Deputy Jericho Tanner and the woman he still loves. Audrey Knox left Spencer and made it big as a pop-country singer, but she returns in hopes of giving her daughter a normal childhood.

    What is the overall theme in this series?

    Spencer, Colorado is a thriving tourist town, its main draw an exclusive high-security hotel where celebrities and well-known personalities can vacation in seclusion.

    Please list the series titles below, in any order you prefer.

    ASPEN GOLD BOOKS AVAILABLE
    Dancing in the Dark – Cheryl St John
    Call Me Mandy – Debra Hines
    Ryder’s Heart – Lizzie Starr
    For Keeps – Barbara Gwen &Lizzie Starr
    Second Chances – Donna Kaye
    Sleepin’ Alone – Bernadette Jones
    Stay a Little Longer – Bernadette Jones
    Speechless – Lizzie Starr
    Close to the Heart – Debra Hines
    Finding Hope – Donna Kaye
    Fortunate Cookie – Lizzie Starr
    Lonely Eyes – Bernadette Jones
    Whisper My Name – Cheryl St John

    What did you like best about writing this series?

    I was under contract with a major publisher for 25 years. Writing the Aspen Gold Series has given me the freedom to write the characters and storylines with complete freedom and with all the energy I have for the stories.

    What other books (not in this series, have you written?)

    My other most recent releases are American westerns, Tanner (Bachelors and Babies series) and Joe’s Wife.

    Where can we find links for all your books?

    Amazon Author Page: https://tinyurl.com/y6js92y8

    Where to buy Whisper My Name

    Publisher Aspen Gold Books
    Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/u/brWz97
    Amazon https://amzn.to/3hl5a5g

    Cheryl St John Social Media

    Cheryl is the author of more than fifty books, both historical and contemporary. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards and are published in over a dozen languages. One thing all reviewers and readers agree on regarding Cheryl’s work is the degree of emotion and believability. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
    Amazon and Goodreads reviews show her popularity with readers. With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, Cheryl’s bestselling non-fiction books, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict and Write Smart, Write Happy by Writers Digest Books are available in print and digital.
    Website http://www.cherylstjohn.net/
    Blog https://cherylstjohn.blogspot.com/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/_CherylStJohn_
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CherylStJ
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cheryl_stjohn/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/cherylstjohn
    BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cheryl-st-john
    Amazon Author Page https://tinyurl.com/y6js92y8
    Get to know the Aspen Gold authors better by signing up for an email newsletter https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/k8k2i8

     

  • Historical,  Western

    Know the Hero from Tanner by Cheryl St John @_cherylstjohn_ #RLFblog #westernromance #kindleunlimited

    Tanner, by Cheryl St John, introduces you to a determined Southern belle and a no-nonsense ex-Union army captain making peace to save a baby they both love.

    Know the Hero from Tanner by Cheryl St.John @_cherylstjohn_ #RLFblog #westernromance #kindleunlimitedCheryl, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! We’re excited to find out more about your hero, but first, tell us about the book.

    Tanner by Cheryl St John

    Genre historical western

    Book heat level PG:

    He’s focused on the future…

    The past is all she knows…

    Together they’re forced to face today…

    His months in Salisbury prison taught Union Captain Tanner Bell to detest a southern drawl, and Widow Cranford’s exaggerated Dixie twang has him gritting his teeth. His plans for a ranch are threatened when his orphaned newborn niece is delivered to him, and he desperately needs the landlady’s help.

    Raylene Cranford survived a Georgia winter living on acorns and scrawny rabbits before traveling sixteen-hundred miles to carve out a life in Colorado. She lost everything–except her dignity and hope. Her feminine Southern graces are her armor, but maintaining appearances could cost her love.

    Can a Southern belle and a Union soldier change deeply-ingrained misconceptions about themselves for the sake of a child?

    Know the Hero from Tanner

    Here are some fun questions to help us know your hero.

    It’s late, he’s bored. What does he do?

    Tanner is seldom bored, but when his animals are cared for, the baby is sleeping and he has time to himself, he enjoys reading.

    What kind of food would he impulse buy if hungry?

    He’s a meat and potatoes guy, but if he needed to eat on the road, he would probably buy sandwiches.

    Describe the kind of clothes he prefers to wear.

    Tanner is usually found working in his trousers or denims and a loose cotton shirt. He likes nice clothing, however, and wears a white shirt, vest and tie to church. He adds a coat when weather permits.

    Does he know how to fix things?

    He knows how to do everything from shoeing horses to putting up fences and repairing porch floors and stairs.

    He tried to do something and it went badly. Tell us about it.

    His attempts to do nice things for his landlady are rebuffed, and he’s puzzled. She doesn’t want his help. He attempted to supply wood for the stove and fireplaces, but Raylene assured him she could take care of it herself. He fixed her front porch and she was offended that one of her tenants was working on her property.

    How does he act around children he doesn’t know?

    When his sister died and left him with a newborn, he didn’t know what to do, but he asked for help and figured it out. Feeling out of his element swiftly transitioned to adoring his infant niece and planning a future with her.

    What is he like first thing in the morning?

    He’s an early riser, waking to care for his infant niece, and then go feed and water horses at his livery. He enjoys coffee with his breakfast. He cooked simple meals for himself or ate at the hotel restaurant until moving into Raylene Cranford’s boarding house and enjoying her cooking.

    How does he handle things when in a “proper” social situation?

    Tanner was a captain in the Union Army, and early in the war, he attended dinners and parties at the commanding officer’s homes. He’s well-schooled in social graces.

    Valet or takes care of himself?

    In 1868 American west, he takes care of himself.

    Sleeves buttoned or rolled up?

    Or no shirt when the sun is radiating and he’s working iron on the forge.

    Carriage or horseback?

    This hero owns and operates a livery, so he’s around horses all day every day. He has a favorite strawberry roan he rides, but for taking others on outings, he outfits a buggy.

    Thanks for helping us get to know your hero!

    Where to buy Tanner

    Publisher: Alexandrite Press

    Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/ya3r25kt

    Cheryl StJohn Social Media

    Cheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards and are published in over a dozen languages. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.” Her bestselling non-fiction books, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict and Write Smart, Write Happy by Writers Digest Books are available in print and digital.
    Website http://www.cherylstjohn.net/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/_CherylStJohn_
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CherylStJ
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cheryl_stjohn/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cherylstjohn/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24516.Cheryl_St_John
    BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cheryl-st-john
    Amazon Author Page https://tinyurl.com/y6js92y8
    Get to know Cheryl St John better by signing up for an email newsletter http://eepurl.com/bqCji9