Getting Personal with #Author Merry Farmer @merryfarmer20 #romance #mustread

How do you feel about self-publishing?  I think it’s the best thing that’s happened to the publishing industry in a long time.  Not only is it the perfect publishing vehicle for people like me who are independent and love the entrepreneurial challenge, I believe it keeps the traditional publishing industry on its toes.  Everyone has had to rethink what they’re doing in the last few years, which will only be good for readers in the long run.  And authors as well.  I believe the whole publishing industry is becoming more author-centric.

What does love mean to you?  Love means being there to support someone, to respect them and help them reach their goals.  Can you imagine what a beautiful world this would be if we were all more concerned with looking out for the other guy as well as fulfilling our own needs?  That’s what love is all about.

What social issues interest you the most?  Anything that has to do with child welfare and education.  I hate to think of children being bullied or worse.  I also believe that a good education is the most important gift you can give to a child.  That and books, which are sort of the same thing.

When you get free time on the internet or you go to the library – what do you want to read about?  Lately I’ve been really interested in psychology.  I’m fascinated by how the brain works and the advances that are being made in neuroscience.  It’s especially cool to read about the differences between men and women, and between introverts and extroverts.  And, of course, I love reading romance novels.

Do you find the time to read?  If you’re a writer, you have to find the time to read.  It’s homework.  Like Stephen King says, if you can’t find the time to read, then you don’t have the time or the tools to write.  I try to read a little bit each night after getting in bed.

Last book you purchased? Tell us about it.  The last book I bought was Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.  It’s a fascinating look at how we live in a society that values extroverts and tells introverts there’s something wrong with them, but the truth is that introversion is just another way of thinking.  I’m learning a lot about myself and how I interact with the world.

Who do you admire?  I really admire Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot for her outspokenness over girls receiving an education.  She was incredibly brave to stand up for what was right in a dangerous environment in the first place, and her perseverance and dedication to continuing her message is amazing.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?  My creativity and the subsequent ability to never be bored.

What is your least favorite quality about yourself?  Probably my insecurity and the way I constantly compare myself to others, especially other writers.  Bleh!

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?  I have so many!  I think right now it’s that classic Ernest Hemmingway quote, “The first draft of anything is s$@t.”  Mostly because it’s so, so true and I’m experiencing it right now.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?  I’m proud of the fact that in spite of how difficult it is and how many roadblocks stand in my way, I’ve managed to achieve my lifelong dream of being a published writer.  Now I’m moving on to working to accomplish my new dream of supporting myself with my writing.

What is your favorite color?  There are some really awesome shades of green out there!

What is your favorite food?  Salmon that is cooked and seasoned just right.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?  I would have to say in my bed, under layers of covers, when it’s cold outside.  Company is nice, but even when I’m alone it’s bliss!

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?  I was never told no when it came to anything creative.  We are all pretty creative in our family and have supported each other, no matter what we wanted to try.  I had a pretty rough childhood though, but those strong, mostly negative emotions have helped me to writer deeper characters.

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Genre - Western Historical Romance

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with Merry Farmer on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://merryfarmer.net

Our Little Secrets (Montana Romance) by Merry Farmer

Our Little Secrets

Chapter One

Charlotte was out of her seat before the train came to a full stop.  She’d had it with the beast.  Thirty-two days of nearly constant travel was more than enough for a woman on her own to withstand.  Especially in present company.

“Ooo!” one of the painted, preening girls packed in the train car squealed.  She knelt on her seat to look out the window as the tiny town of Cold Springs, Montana rolled into sight. “Look at all the men!”

With a roll of her eyes Charlotte grabbed her carpetbag and started for the door. She pushed past the seats full of trollops who leaned out the train’s windows waving handkerchiefs and their bosoms at passersby in the frontier town, eager to get away from them and on with her life.

“Where do you think you’re going, dear?” Miss Helen, their ring-leader, hopped up to follow her.  “The train hasn’t even stopped yet.”

Charlotte ignored the woman.  She’d fallen in with Miss Helen’s lot in Denver, figuring there would be safety in numbers.  It had seemed like a good idea at the time; a good idea she had paid for in the last week as Miss Helen tried to recruit her as a husband-hunter.

Charlotte reached for the door at the end of the car and threw it open as the brakes squealed. The train lurched to a stop.  The jolt sent her and Miss Helen both stumbling out toward the guard-rail at the back of the train.  Charlotte held her hat on with one hand and fumbled her carpetbag with the other.

“Easy there.” Miss Helen’s rouged lips parted in a smile.  “You don’t want them to think you’re too desperate.”

“I’m fine, thanks.” Charlotte did her best to be polite.  The woman had no idea what desperate was.

Miss Helen nodded to her carpetbag.  “Want me to hold that while you-”

“No thanks.”

The station porter stepped forward to offer the passengers a hand down from the train and Charlotte took it.  Once her feet were on solid ground she scurried to get out of the way of the storm of females that were ready to pour from the car.

“Well hello Cold Springs!” Miss Helen trilled over the heads of the curious onlookers, flashing into action. “My name is Miss Helen and have I got a treat for you!  Gentlemen, gather round!”

Miss Helen in her maroon and pink petticoats floated down the train’s steps, as audacious as any queen.  Her painted face and startling red curls only just covered her true age.  When she reached the platform she turned to gesture to the parade of ladies that followed her.

Charlotte took cover in the shadow of the station-house with a wince. A crowd was already gathering.  She had more important things to do than watch the spectacle yet again.

“Gentlemen of Cold Springs, let me introduce you to the finest and most cultured ladies this side of the Mississippi.” Miss Helen spoke above the din of the station in a voice that must have been trained on the stage.  “Fair young maidens come all the way from St. Louis to the frontier with the expressed purpose of making a few of you the happiest men alive.”

One by one the silly girls stepped down into the morning sunlight as if they too were on stage, stifling fake yawns and batting their eyelashes at the growing assembly.

“What, are they whores ‘r sumthin’?” The blunt question was followed by a chorus of rough laughter.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Western Historical Romance

Rating – R

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Merry Farmer on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://merryfarmer.net/