Please welcome the best selling author, Lynna Banning !!
We were lucky enough to be able to interview her today :)
Do real
life events find their way into your stories?
Absolutely. My first book (“Western Rose”) was based on
my grandparents’ rather stormy courtship, and a later novella, “Gauchos &
Gumption: My Argentine Honeymoon,” is
based on the true story of Grandmother Banning’s honeymoon on a cattle ranch in
Argentina, where my mother was born
(after a 1,000-mile cattle drive to Buenos
Aires).
Do you
ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?
Yes!
My grandmother and my mother serve as role models for female characters,
and my Grandfather Banning is often reflected in my heroes. Grandma and Mama had smarts and courage in
small, quiet ways; Granddad Banning was “old west” through and though—he always
stood up for what was right.
Do you
find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always
something different?
Yes, I do find myself going back to
characters who intrigue me (admirable but conflicted) and situations that are
interesting—usually the “small person against the crowd” or a
“fish-out-of-water” situation.”
When do
you write? Early morning? During the day
sometime or all day? After the kids go
to bed?
I write mostly at night, propped up in
bed with a notepad on my lap (I start off writing in longhand, then transcribe
it the next morning on the computer, print it out, and make revisions during
the day).
How do
you feel about marketing your book?
Actually, I dislike it, but what I value
highly is the response from and connection with readers. I don’t write for money… readers’ enjoyment
is much more important to me.
What
social sites do you feel work best for marketing?
This blog/book tour is great!
Do you
like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written
the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?
Since I work with an agent, I usually
submit a story idea of about 3 pages to my editor, and if she is interested, I
write the whole story and turn in the completed manuscript through my agent.
Is
there any other genre that you would love to try writing? If so, what is it?
I’d love to try writing my
autobiography… growing up/high school/college in the ’50’s and ’60’s; early
married life; teaching school in the ’70’s, etc. etc.
Do you
always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?
Always.
All my life I admired my mother and try to be like her—I use her
character (and myself) as the basis for my heroines.
Just
for fun, I have a few personal questions,
Favorite
5
1) Favorite Male Actor - Robert
Redford
2) Favorite vehicle - Subaru Forester (what I’m driving now)
3) Favorite way to relax - Reading or practicing music
4) Favorite ice cream - Peppermint stick with chocolate chips
5) Favorite outfit - Jeans and a shirt
And for
a bonus: If you could pick any place in
the world to live,
besides where you are now, where would it be?
(Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or
money needed)
I’d pick Paris, because of its old, old
history and because when I visited there some years ago I didn’t see nearly
enough. (Also it would improve my
French…)
Where can
our readers find you??
Mailing
address: P.O. Box 324, Felton, CA 95018
Email: carowoolston@att.net
Facebook: www.facebook/lynnabanning
website: www.lynnabanning.net
Amazon
author page: https://www.facebook.com/lynna.banning?fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/577280.Lynna_Banning?from_search=true
Is
there an upcoming or current release you would like to share
with us today and
where can we find it?
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon
Blurb:
As if tracking down train robbers isn’t hard enough, now Sheriff Jericho
Silver’s backup arrives and she’s a beautiful, rich, gun-slinging Pinkerton
lady detective who sure spells trouble and won’t take No for an answer.
Excerpt:
None of them looked remotely like a
Pinkerton man. A Pinkerton agent would
no doubt be wearing a proper suit. But
the only male who looked the least bit citified was Ike Bruhn, home from his
honeymoon with his new bride.
Sandy jiggled at his side. “Ya see ’im?”
“Nope,” Jerico grunted.
“Maybe he missed the train,” his deputy
suggested.
“Naw, must be here somewhere. Look for a gent in a gray suit.” Pinkerton men always wore grey to blend in
with crowds. He scanned the thronged
station platform again.
“Check inside, Sandy. Maybe he slipped past me.”
His deputy jogged off and Jericho perused
the crowd a third time. Nothing. Maybe Mr. Detective had chickened out at the
prospect of fingering an elusive outlaw gang that was robbing trains. He narrowed his eyes and turned to check the
station once more when someone stumbled smack into him.
“Oh, I am terribly sorry.” An extremely pretty young woman carrying a
green-striped parasol gazed up at him.
Her voice sounded like rich whiskey sliding over smooth river stones and
for a moment Jericho forgot what he’d come for.
She only came up to his shoulder and on her dark, piled-up hair sat the
most ridiculous concoction of feathers and stuffed birds he’d ever laid eyes
on.
He sucked in a breath to apologize, then
wished he hadn’t. Goddam she smelled
good. Soap and something flowery.
Made his head swim.
He stepped back. “’Scuse me, ma’am.”
She waved a gloved hand and peered at his
chest. “Oh, you are the sheriff.”
“Yeah, I am.”
She smiled and his mouth went dry. “You are just the man I want to see.”
Jericho swallowed. “You have a problem?”
“Oh, no.”
She twirled her parasol. “You have the problem. I have come to help.” She waited, an expectant look on her face.
“Help?” Jerico echoed.
“Of course.” The whiskey in her voice was now sliding over
some pointy rocks. “I am Madison
O’Donnell. The Smoke River Bank hired me
to help catch the gang robbing their gold shipments.”
Jericho stared at her.
“I believe you were expecting me?”
He snapped his jaw shut. He sure as hell wasn’t expecting her.
The last thing he’d expected was this frilly-looking female with her
ridiculous hat. In her green-striped
dress and twirling her parasol like that she made him think of a dish of cool
mint ice cream.
“Whatever is the matter, Sheriff? You have gone quite pale? Are you ill?”
He jerked at the question. Not ill, just gutshot. “Uh, yeah.
I mean No, I’m not ill. Just . .
. surprised.”
She lowered her voice. “Most Pinkerton clients are surprised when
they meet me. It will pass.”
Hell
no, it won’t.
Madison O’Donnell picked up her travel
bag. “Shall we go?”
Not on your life. “Uh, my deputy’s inside the station
house. ’Scuse me, ma’am.” He strode past her without looking back. Inside, he found Sandy talking to the ticket
seller.
“Charlie says nobody’s come in except the
two Weatherby women. You want me to hang
around and – ?”
One last thing before we let you leave us today :)
Do you have a favorite recipe you'd
like to share? I like to cook and
am
always looking for new recipes to try& share!
Here’s a recipe for “Blondies” (like
brownies):
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed
milk
1 package chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix it all up together (it will be
stiff) and press into a greased 9” pan.
Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes (don’t
over-bake).
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