Western romance author Linda Broday talks about cowboys, romance and a love of words

Author Linda Broday specialises in writing western romances - steamy love stories set in the American Wild West. Her short stories have made their way into the Give Me a Texan and Give Me a Cowboy anthologies. She has also written three novels in the genre. She tells us how entering writing contests led to the publication of her first novel.

What inspired you to become a writer?

I’ve been a “writer in training” my whole life. As young girls, my sister and I became obsessed with books. Many nights long after the house grew dark and everyone else was asleep, we’d lie beneath our covers and read by flashlight until we either reached the end of the book or our eyes got too heavy to see the words. Books opened up entirely new, exciting worlds that seemed limited only by our imaginations.

Did you find a publisher or agent first? How did you find them?

I found a publisher first and was without an agent until 2007. The publisher (Kensington) ran a contest called Best Historical Romance. I entered that and got a phone call a month later saying they wanted the full manuscript. When I sent that, they offered me a contract. I accepted and they took me out of the contest. I owe my career to that contest.

I found my agent through another romance writer. She recommended me to Gail Fortune of the Fortune Agency and the rest is history.

Did you face much rejection initially?

I got enough rejections to paper my wall. It was rough, but I didn’t give up. I kept entering every contest I could find, not only for the critique but for the opportunities they offered. I knew the more times I placed in a contest the better my chances. And in the meantime, I kept querying and sending partials to publishers.

How did you come to choose the genre of western romance?

All of my stories have been set in the West with the exception of one that never got published. I love a western setting. There’s something about rugged cowboys and the women who love them that gets my imagination fired up.

I sold my first book in 2002 to Dorchester Publishing. It was called Knight on the Texas Plains. My second one, The Cowboy Who Came Calling, followed a year later. And my third single title, Redemption, was a 2005 release.

I quit writing for a little over a year when my husband passed away and am just now getting back into the game thanks to good friend and fellow writer, Jodi Thomas. She asked me to join her, Phyliss Miranda, and DeWanna Pace in two anthologies: Give Me a Texan and Give Me a Cowboy. I’m glad I said yes. The work on these anthologies has been the medicine I needed.

What is your latest work of fiction about?

Texas Tempest, my story in Give Me a Cowboy, features a gun-for-hire cowboy and a woman rancher who’s a five-time widow. Tempest LeDoux is bound and determined to find a man who won’t up and die on her.

The minute McKenna Smith rides into the Texas Panhandle town she has him pegged for husband number six. Only one problem with that - McKenna has other ideas. His plans don’t include a pushy widow, even if she is the prettiest woman he’s ever seen. But saying no to Tempest is harder than it looks.

McKenna learns that there are worse things than settling down with the only woman who can make him mind his manners. Before all’s said and done, Tempest has him wrapped around her finger and liking it.

What inspires the ideas for your books?

I’m always amazed at the places I get my ideas. Sometimes its in the checkout line at the grocery store, sometimes its from a line in a song, and once it came from a commercial on TV. Movies are a wonderful place to get ideas. So are innocent conversations. I just never know when something’s going to strike my fancy.

How long does it take you to research your books?

I never stop researching when I write a book. There are always a bunch of little things that come up as I write. I can’t anticipate everything that I need to know when I first begin a story.

I probably spend about ten hours or so on research after everything is added together. But I love to research things. I always run across interesting titbits that I can put into my story as I go. I love it when something jumps out and surprises me.

My research comes from lots of different sources and I’m careful not to include too awfully much in my story. After all, its a piece of fiction meant to entertain, not a history book.

Where do you carry out the majority of your writing?

In my office on the computer. I don’t write very much in longhand. I find I’m more creative when I type on the computer. It just feels “right.”

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Write the best story you can and trust your instincts. Even when it seems all you can get are rejections, keep hammering away. Perseverance definitely pays off. You should never ever give up. I got enough rejections to paper my wall before I finally sold. You just have to believe in yourself and keep writing.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on a proposal for a western romance trilogy. I’ve never plotted three books at once so it’s a challenge. I feel I’m fumbling around in the dark. Also, I just finished and turned in a novella for our Give Me anthologies. It’s set to release in June or July of 2010.

For more on Linda please visit www.lindabroday.com

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