I'm so pleased Amanda Cabot is with us again. She's written...well...a lot of books, you'll find out how many in her post below. And I love how she chooses her character's names. Read on.
From the time I was seven, I dreamt of being a writer. You know how dreams are – not all of them come true, but that one did. At current count I have more than thirty novels, eight novellas, four technical books, and dozens of technical articles that I describe as cures for insomnia to my credit.
For more years than I’m going to admit I was a director of Information Technology for a major multinational corporation, a job that included collecting a gazillion – well, maybe a few less than that – frequent flyer miles, spending countless nights in hotels, and eating so many restaurant meals that fine dining quickly lost its appeal. Now I’m a fulltime writer of Christian romances, living happily ever after with my husband in Wyoming.
Hi, Amanda, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about A Borrowed Dream but will after today!
1) A Borrowed Dream was not my working title for this book. I’d called it Stolen Dreams, but after the titling committee decided that the first book in the series should be named A Stolen Heart, it was obvious there would be no more stealing in this trilogy. Instead, we’re borrowing.
2) When one of my writer friends saw the draft of the cover art, she pointed out that the books looked like antiques, not ones that a schoolteacher would be using for her classes. I agreed and added a couple paragraphs here and there in the book to explain why Catherine was carrying those particular books.
3) Do you ever wonder how an author chooses characters’ names? The villain in A Borrowed Dream, Sherman Enright, got his name from two distinctly not villainous characters in old TV shows. Sherman was a secondary character in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, and Enright was the amiable sergeant in McMillan and Wife.
4) A music box plays a small but key role in this story. Why a music box? Why not? After all, who doesn’t love music boxes?
5) A Borrowed Dream is my thirty-fifth novel.
There is no such thing as an impossible dream . . .
Catherine Whitfield is sure that she will never again be able to trust anyone in the medical profession after the local doctor’s treatments killed her mother. Despite her loneliness and her broken heart, she carries bravely on as Cimarron Creek’s dutiful schoolteacher, resigned to a life where dreams rarely come true.
Austin Goddard is a newcomer to Cimarron Creek. Posing as a rancher, he fled to Texas to protect his daughter from a dangerous criminal. He’s managed to keep his past as a surgeon a secret. But when Catherine Whitfield captures his heart, he wonders how long he will be able to keep up the charade.
With a deft hand, Amanda Cabot teases out the strands of love, deception, and redemption in this charming tale of dreams deferred and hopes becoming reality.
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I love your secret about how you named your characters! I wish you much success with this book and the series. It’s richly deserved, you paint vividly with words.
ReplyDeleteHugs, L. A.
L.A. -- Thanks so much for inviting me to be part of your blog. Will you be sharing five secrets about Prince of Granola soon? I hope so!
DeleteOh Amanda, what a great idea. I've never thought of that. I will certainly do that. Glad you're here today.
DeleteHugs,
L
Hi Amanda, I love all of your 5 secrets :) I Can't wait to read the book. Thirty-five novels-Wow!
ReplyDeleteI know, isn't that incredible. I wonder if I'll ever catch up with that number, I doubt it, b/c she'll still be writing :)
DeleteHugs,
L.A.
Amanda, thanks for your five secrets. Thirty-four books to your credit, and your publisher still changes the title if they see fit. Well, I suppose they wouldn't be in the business if they didn't know a keen title. The cover art's fantastic. I've got the book and looking forward to the story. Cheers
ReplyDeleteAmanda, loved the article. You are to be congratulated on managing multiple years worth of IT staff. IT folks can be some of the most brilliant, yet frustrating people I know.
ReplyDeleteQuery - do borrowed dreams have to be returned? Are there fines if they come back late and how many can you check out at a time? Anyway, congrats on 35 books!!
Amanda, it was fun to hear your five secrets. I particularly liked how Sherman Enright got his name. I loved McMillan and Wife, which I will not admit to how many years ago that was :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou are a true writer with great perseverance. You've kept publishing through—and despite—huge shifts in the publishing industry. This alone shouts that you capture readers' hearts. The title Borrowed Dreams is powerful. Sometimes life shatters dreams, but others gather around us and offer new dreams. Keep writing and inspiring!
ReplyDelete