My fabulous friend Mary, who writes as MJ Fredrick, has a new release out, a fun story with a hunky cowboy hero. So I decided to do a little interview with her about her new offering, Bull by the Horns.
Q. You write wonderful heroes, but Taylor in Bull by the Horns is your first cowboy hero. What made you decide to write about a cowboy?
A. My critique partner, Linda, challenged me to write a novella. I’ve never written anything short, and she thought it would help me with plotting. She challenged each of us to write a story for the Wayback Texas series at The Wild Rose Press. I got the idea and ran with it, including a character from Linda’s story, and I’m the only of the three of us who completed the story! Linda’s is sooo good, too. If only she’d have time to write it!
Q. Why do you think cowboys are such a popular hero type in romance novels?
A. I think it’s because they’re untamed. They travel from place to place, and women like to imagine they’ll be the one to settle a cowboy down. And they live by their own code. They treat women with respect, are forthright and hardworking. That’s what drew Taylor to this life, anyway. Also, they seem to long for a simpler time, and I know that’s been my own feeling lately.
Q. Who are some of your favorite fictional cowboys — in books, on TV or in films?
A. When I was growing up, I spent Saturday afternoons watching Roy Rogers and El Chapparel and Gunsmoke. I kind of grew away from the genre until the 1980s, when Young Guns brought them back for a bit. Paden from Silverado is my all-time favorite cowboy. I love that movie, I love how stoic he was, how determined to do the right thing.
Q. If they made a movie of Bull by the Horns, who would you like to see cast as the leads?
A. Taylor is absolutely Taylor Kitsch from Friday Night Lights. I actually had real person in mind for Lavender. Maybe a heavier Christina Applegate.
Q. What are you working on now?
A. I’m writing my very first historical for Nano. I got the idea three days before Nano started, after having plotted a romantic suspense to write during November. I was teaching my class about Jane Long, who defended a fort all winter long with just her servant and babies for company, and I thought that was amazing. I pictured a man riding up to the fort and falling out of the saddle, and she has to nurse him back to health. I’m having the best time with it, but it certainly is challenging, trying to avoid modern sensibilities in a historical novel. I’m having to learn so much!
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I know I for one can’t wait to read the historical, which was my first love as a romance reader.
Okay, readers, you can get your virtual little hands on Bull by the Horns by downloading it at the Wild Rose Press site here.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Hey, Mary/MJ! Hey, Trish!
Mary, I loved reading about your writing a cowboy hero for the first time. I still remember writing mine… Embarked on it because I thought I needed to write a cowboy to sell (and I guess I did!), but wound up fall in love. Ain’t it always the way?
Okay, I’m off to buy Bull By the Horns (which is a great title!).
November 14th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Very cool, MJ/Mary! Thanks for the great interview, Trish! I do love cowboys–can’t wait to read this one!
November 14th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Norah, yes! The hero in Lauren’s Eyes was a cowboy! Hey, it worked! What I loved about that was that it was set in Canada, not your traditional cowboy story! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks, Fedora! I hope you enjoy it!