I am so excited to be welcoming Barbara White Daille today! Not only is she Multi-published and award winning, Barbara is one of the nicest people in the world. (And she has a great "THE CALL" story! Maybe if you ask her real nice, she'll share it. There's a giveaway list at the end so be sure to read down!
A little about Barbara: Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the dry heat and have taken up square dancing.
From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found herself fascinated by those things her mom called "books." Once she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she wanted to see her words in print so she could weave that spell for others.
Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories and will find your own storytelling magic in them!
Anyway, without further ado, please give Barbara a warm welecome to Quinn's Essentials!
___________________________
Hi, Erin and readers!
Erin, thanks so much for hosting me at your blog today. And thank you for asking me to talk about the hero of my latest book.
Sam Robertson, from my Harlequin American Romance, A RANCHER’S PRIDE (May 2011), has to be one of my all-time favorites. I’ll explain why in a minute. But first, here’s a bit about his story:
Sam Robertson's life just changed. In one short day, he found out that he's a daddy; that his beautiful little girl, Becky, is deaf; and that her aunt, sign language teacher Kayla Ward, intends to fight him for custody.
There are plenty of reasons Sam shouldn't fall for Kayla. A city girl like her has no place on his ranch, particularly when she's his ex-wife's gorgeous sister. But thanks to the judge's orders, Sam's spending a lot of time with Kayla, trying to give Becky the stable home she's never known.
Despite their ongoing custody battle, Sam and Kayla's love for Becky brings them closer than they ever expected, and Sam knows that no matter who wins in court, he could still lose—Kayla or his daughter.
~~~
From the moment I first saw Sam, I knew he’d be a challenge. He’d experienced hard times and a lot of negativity in his life based on issues with his ex. As a result, he’d become a shade bitter, somewhat reclusive, and...well, really, a prime candidate for a tortured hero.
So, I’m afraid I tortured him.
I did what authors are supposed to do to keep readers interested in their characters: Hit ’em while they’re down. Pile on the conflict. Make things worse.
What hooked me about this story was the idea of taking a well-loved plot twist—having a hero suddenly “inherit” a child, one he had never known he’d fathered—and make his conflict even more heart-wrenching by having the child speak a language he can’t understand.
I have to tell you, how Sam would react to all this really worried me!
He might have had the weaker case—and the weaker determination—because he’d never had a relationship with his daughter. To up the ante, I whispered in his ear that this could be the only child he would ever have. And to my relief, the challenge made him fight harder—of course! After all, he’s real hero material.
Not one twist in the story comes easily to him, though.
The title of the book, A RANCHER’S PRIDE, fits the story perfectly and describes Sam’s entire dilemma:
First, he’s a very proud man who doesn’t want to accept help from anyone—especially not from the heroine. Having to rely on her at times during the story only adds to the conflict between them.
In addition, his pride has been battered from actions his ex-wife had taken in the past and that affect him even today.
Finally, though he struggles along the way, he soon comes to love his daughter, and she becomes his pride and joy.
Sam learns. He changes. And he grows.
The scene in the book when he first attempts to make a connection with Becky—when he waits, heart in his throat, to see how she will respond—made me cry. I recently re-read the book and cried again.
Okay, I’ll confess! I’m tearing up just thinking about it.
All of the above is what makes me love Sam Robertson. I hope readers love him, too.
~~~
Barbara’s question to you:
I’ve had lots of great feedback about the picture of Sam on the cover! He’s a real hottie, isn’t he? His looks are what attract Kayla to him instantly, and I’ll admit I wasn’t immune to them, either.
But let’s go beyond a hero’s soulful eyes, chiseled jaw, and six-pack abs—just for a few minutes, I promise. Please tell me, what non-physical aspects of a hero attract you most?
~~~
A RANCHER’S PRIDE (May 2011) was just released and has received wonderful reviews, including a 4-1/2 star Top Pick rating from RT Book Reviews.
You can find Barbara online at her web site and blog: www.barbarawhitedaille.com where you can check out her Virtual Book Tour schedule for A RANCHER’S PRIDE!
Barbara’s looking forward to chatting, so please feel free to take a look at her question to you and to leave comments or questions for her!
Leave Barbara a comment or ask a question and be entered for the giveaway of one of The Sheriff’s Son, Court Me, Cowboy or Family Matters--Reader's Choice of one!
