Margaret Brownley's "Dawn Comes Early"

More Love and Laughter from New York Times Bestselling Author Margaret Brownley

“Daily Reasons to Smile” Contest...“I’ve matched up twenty-three couples over the years and in all that time I only made one error. Although I still think the marriage would have worked had she not shot her husband.” -Aunt Bessie in Dawn Comes Early

Characters from Margaret’s new book will send you a reason to smile every day until April 11th. Join in the fun and you could win a book, potted cactus (the story takes place in Arizona Territory) or an iPod Nano and alarm clock docking station. To enter send an email to info@NancyBerland.com. Be sure to put “Reason to Smile” in the subject line. That’s it!

Title: Dawn Comes Early (Book 1 of the Brides of Last Chance Ranch series)
Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

Cover blurb:  Brides of Last Chance Ranch Heiress Wanted. Looking for hard-working, professional woman of good character and pleasant disposition willing to learn the ranching business in Arizona Territory.
Must be single and prepared to remain so now and forever more.  Arizona Territory:1895

Her latest dime novel banned, twenty-nine-year old KATE TENNEY finds herself without a publisher or other means of support. An advertisement for a woman willing to learn the ranching business seems like the perfect solution for a displaced western writer who has no intention of getting married—ever.

Trouble begins the moment she steps foot in Arizona Territory. The west is nothing like she wrote about in her books. Not only does she have to deal with a hard-nosed ranch owner, and nefarious outlaw, but a traitorous heart. Deserted as a child by her father, grandfather and others—even God— Kate does not trust men and has no intention of falling for LUKE ADAM’S charm. She’s determined to learn the ranching business and prove to the doubting ranch owner that she’s up to the task—if it kills her. Her faith tested by the harsh realities of the desert, Kate battles to hold on to the one thing that promises permanence—land.

If only she could stay away from a certain handsome blacksmith and his two matchmaking aunts.

1) How did this story come to you?
The idea was inspired by a group of fifty ladies of the First Church of Millford who formed a society of old maids in 1861. Each member vowed she would not marry. Each woman paid five dollars on admission with the principal going to the one who remained unmarried the longest.

According to an article in The New York Times thirty years later all but fifteen of the original had married. I was never able to find out who won the prize—and being a romantic I sincerely hope that no one did—but where real life stops imagination takes off.

2) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers
I flunked eighth grade English and still can’t diagram a sentence. I also hated history (all those dates and battles). No one would have ever guessed I would one day earn my living writing historical fiction. My office is painted Monet purple for inspiration and I’m addicted to Cadbury Easter eggs. If that’s more than three it’s because I can’t count.

3) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
The second book in the series Waiting for Morning will be published January 2013. My first non-fiction book Grieving God’s Way: the Path to Hope and Healing will be published in July. I’m currently working on the third book in my Last Chance series and a novella for an anthology.

4) Where can fans find you on the internet?
You can find me at http://www.margaretbrownley.com/. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you so much for letting me visit today!