Shannon Vannatter's "Arkansas Weddings"

Title: Arkansas Weddings
Publisher: Barbour
 
Cover blurb: Arkansas Weddings: Love’s never easy in three Arkansas romances.

Pastor Grayson loves his wife. The problem is, Sara was killed by a hit-and-run driver two years ago. He knows he needs to move on, but it’s not until florist Adrea Welch arrives at his church that the seeds of healing are planted in his heart.

Laken left home eight years ago and never looked back. Who knew when she applied for the promotion to postmaster that she’d end up in Romance, Arkansas, and much too close to her past—and Hayden Winters?

Shell doesn’t have a good reputation. But no matter what everyone in Rose Bud, Arkansas, thinks of her, she’s back in town with a job to do. Ryler also has reasons for being in Rose Bud, and they don’t include Shell.

But God’s love can soften the hardest heart and overcome the darkest past. These hearts may not know it, but they’re about to change.

2) How did this story come to you? Arkansas Weddings is a 3 in 1 collection of my first three published books. Each story is set in Romance and Rose Bud. Both small towns are real and in west central, Arkansas. The Romance Post Office provides a re-mailing service. People send their Valentine cards and wedding invitations there to be re-mailed with a unique hand-stamped postmark from Romance. Couples also go there to get married at the post office or the Romance Waterfalls.

Rose Bud’s claim to fame is the Darden Gifford House. The house was built in the late 1800’s and is on the historical registry. I incorporated the local flavor into all three stories.

The first story—White Roses came from my dad getting my mom and me flowers or a balloon every Valentine’s Day. And I thought if anything happened to either of us, he’d probably continue the tradition and take his gifts to the cemetery. Once I caught the interest of an editor, the publisher wanted to make the book into a series.

Book 2 was based on this line from White Roses: Sylvie’s husband, an alcoholic, never stepped foot in church. Their two children, both grown and gone with lives of their own, never came for a visit. Instead of having empathy for the plight of Helen and Wade, since alcoholism controlled Sylvie’s life as well, she took all her heartache and picked apart the lives of others.

That’s all I had to go on when I decided that one of Sylvie’s children could be female. After I delved into Lauren Kroft’s psyche, I decided she never came home because her mother is a gossip maven and her father is the town drunk. Enter the heroine for White Doves.

Book 3 came from this line from White Roses: Just two years ago, she’d been the soon-to-be bride blissfully planning her own ceremony. Until three weeks before the big event, when Wade crushed her illusions with his curvy blond floozy, clad only in a towel.

From the time I wrote that line, I wanted to delve into the floozy. What would make a woman bust up an engagement? Why was she like that? I soon learned Shell Evans had a chip on her shoulder. Raised by a promiscuous mother, Shell learned everything in the school of hard knocks. And it skewed her view of the world. Low self-esteem put her on a constant search for love and she looked for it in all the wrong places just as her mother had. And Shell became the unlikely heroine of White Pearls.

3) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
It took me 9 1/2 years to get published. During that time, I attended writer’s group meetings and conferences, and read everything I could get my hands on about learning to write and getting published. Finally in 2008, I attended my fifth American Christian Fiction Writer’s Conference and pitched White Roses to an editor. Her eyes lit up over my story. Actually, I think it was the setting that sparked her interest, but hey, I’ll take it.

4) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
* My favorite TV channel is Halmark
* My favorite ice cream topping is caramel
* I still have my tonsils.

5) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just turned in the 6th book in my Texas rodeo series which comes out in April. I’m finishing up a proposal for my editor for three more books. After that, I’m going to finish a book about this French guy who has bugged me for several years. He’s the type of character who won’t leave me alone until I write his story.

6) Parting comments?
Thanks for having me Dawn. I’ll be around today if anyone wants to ask any questions.

7) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: shannonvannatter.com
Blog: shannonvannatter.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannontaylorvannatter
Twitter: stvauthor
 

 

Shannon Vannatter's "White Pearls"

Title: White Pearls
Publisher: Heartsong Presents

Cover blurb: Shell doesn't have a good reputation...But no matter what everyone in Rose Bud, Arkansas, thinks of her, she's back in town with a job to do. She'll stick it out and make the best of things. But why does Ryler have to be the landscaper on this project? She was just getting her heart under control. Ryler has his own reasons for being in Rose Bud, and they don't include Shell. Spying on his birth family was going to be hard enough. He doesn't have time to worry about a woman who dumped him...even if his heart says otherwise.

1) How did this story come to you?
The heroine's character was mentioned in the first book of the series, White Roses, as the bleached-blonde clad only in a towel who broke up a pivotal relationship. From the moment I wrote that description of her, I wanted to explore Shell's character and understand why she was like that. After the second book, White Doves, I had a long-lost brother, so the hero in book three tied up all the loose threads.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Once I got the offer from Heartsong Presents for White Roses, my editor asked if it could be a series. I felt like the bleached-blonde was too fresh in readers' minds for the second book, but by book three, they'd be ready for her conversion.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) I love jigsaw puzzles. The 1000 and up piece ones. They relax me, but I don't want to do anything else when I've got one going, like make supper or go to bed. I just want to do my puzzle and that's all.
2) My graduating class had 20 seniors and that was considered a large class for our small school. The school was consolidated a few years ago. Now it's just a bunch of empty buildings.
3) I often use names that I wanted to name our son, but my husband wouldn't agree to for hero names in my books.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm working on the 2nd book in a Texas rodeo series. The first book, Rodeo Dust will release to Heartsong book club members in October.

5) Parting comments?
It was kind of sad for me when White Pearls released because the series came to an end. I miss the characters and the setting. What better place to set a romance than in towns called Romance and Rose Bud, Arkansas?

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.shannonvannatter.com/ and www.shannonvannatter.com/blog

Shannon Vannatter's "White Doves"

We're happy to have Shannon Taylor Vannatter with us today talking about her book White Doves. To learn more about Shannon and her book, read on!

Title: White Doves
Publisher: Heartsong Presents

Cover blurb:Romance wasn’t what Laken had in mind.
Laken Kroft left home eight years ago and never looked back. Who knew when she applied for the promotion to postmaster that she'd end up in Romance, Arkansas, and much too close to her parents, the town drunk and the local gossip maven?
Hayden Winters has his hands full raising his paraplegic nephew, Brady, and wrestling with his guilt over having caused the child's injury. When the boy's father, Laken's brother, turns up and starts talking custody, Laken's influence is Hayden's only hope. But whose side is she really on?
Will their mutual bond with their seven-year-old nephew draw them closer or rip them asunder? Will Laken accept Hayden “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” or be forced to turn her back on him and “Return to Sender”?

1) How did this story come to you?
I wanted to base the book around the Romance Post Office, where romantics send wedding invitations and Valentine cards to be re-mailed from Romance, Arkansas. I thought it was fun to make the heroine the postmaster and the hero a mail carrier, so she’s his boss. I’d read several years ago in a magazine about family members accidentally backing over toddlers in SUV’s and I wanted to explore how God could get someone past such a tragedy.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
It’s the second book in my series, which was never supposed to be a series. My editor asked if the first book could be made into a series. I came up with the story in about a month’s time. I had to write the chapter by chapter synopsis first and since I’m a seat of the pants writer, that threw me into my first case of writers’ block, which I thought was a myth. It’s not. This book was harder to write than any of my others. And it required the most editing in the series. After my brilliant editors helped me weed away all the excess, I love the story.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I live across an Arkansas hayfield from my parents.
2. I’m an only child.
3. My son is an only child.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just signed another contract with Heartsong for a Texas rodeo series. I’ll be starting book two soon.

5) Parting comments?
Texas is my second favorite state since my husband is from there. I hope to have more Arkansas books in the future.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.shannonvannatter.com/

Clash of the Titles & Shannon Vannatter

Clash of the Titles, Where Authors Compete and Readers Judge

The literary website, Clash of the Titles, launched with a bang, and has increased in momentum ever since. They’ve had phenomenal authors, from historical romance writer, Lena Nelson Dooley to fantasy writer extraordinaire, Janalyn Voigt. Today Jennifer Slattery, Marketing Representative for Clash of the Titles, will highlight six COTT participants.

Shannon Taylor Vannatter was one of our first competitors and all of us at COTT applaud her support and courage. Her novel,White Doves, competed in the Best Opening Hook category on October 18th-22nd.

“I enjoyed being on COTT because I think it’s a unique way of introducing readers to new authors,” Shannon said. “And I love unique, focused blogs. I loved getting reader feedback and the experience made me pay even more attention to the opening of my books.”

Her opening was unique. “I had fun writing the opening of White Doves,” she said, “because it was a role reversal of the heroine checking out the hero for a change.”

Readers loved Shannon, and her competing novel, White Doves, as well! “I already want to see if anything develops between Laken and Hayden,” said one intrigued reader.

As did we! Laken Kroft, the heroine of White Doves, left home eight years ago and never looked back. Who knew when she applied for the promotion to postmaster that she’d end up in Romance, Arkansas, and move closer to her parents and the local gossip maven? But then she meets the dashing Hayden Winters who has his hands full raising his paraplegic nephew, Brady, and wrestling guilt over having caused the child’s injury. When the boy’s father, Laken’s brother, turns up, and starts talking custody, Laken’s influence is Hayden’s only hope. But who’s side is she really on? Will there mutual bond with the seven year old boy be enough to draw them closer or rip them apart?

I’m not telling! You’re going to have to read the book for yourself! Find out more about White Doves, Shannon, and read a few real life romance stories at http://www.shannonvannatter.com.

Jennifer Slattery is a freelance writer, columnist, novelist and the marketing representative for Clash of the Titles. In 2009 she won first place in the HAWCN writing contest, book category and in 2010 she placed second in the Dixie Kane and fourth in the Golden Pen, Inspirational category for both. She has a weekly marriage column on the Reflections in Hindsight website and has been published in numerous other publications. You can find out more about her and her writing at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com