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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Romance author Kaye Spencer - new to the Prairie Rose Publications family


I'm romance author Kaye Spencer. I've recently joined the sisterhood of western romance authors here at Prairie Rose Publications with a short story to be published in the Lassoing a Mail-Order Bride anthology this summer. The title of my story is A Permanent Woman.

Since today is the first of my regular blogging contributions for PRP, which will occur on the second Wednesday of each month, I thought it appropriate to share a little about myself and where my fascination with the American Old West came from.

I'm a native Coloradoan, and I also write under the pen name, A.L. Debran. I grew up on a cattle ranch in northeastern Colorado and, during those childhood and teenage years from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, I spent hour upon hour reading Louis L'Amour's westerns and listening to Marty Robbins' gunfighter ballads. I watched all the *classic* television westerns when they were the primetime shows, and I didn’t miss a western movie when it came to the downtown theater or to the double-feature drive-in.

I loved the Sons of Katie Elder so much (well, maybe I had a teensy-weensy crush on Dean Martin), that my grandfather carved a wooden pistol for me and carved in the name, Tom Elder. I had a bucking-barrel in my backyard so I could pretend to be a rodeo cowboy. I used my allowance to buy candy and gum cigarettes (and it didn’t influence me to become a ‘real’ smoker lol) and roll caps for my pistols and rifle so I could run around the yard on my stick horse pretending to be whichever Hollywood cowboy I was currently obsessed with. Once I was old enough to be turned loose on my own pony, my imagination found hooves, so-to-speak, and I the prairie was my domain.

My writing began when I needed a new storyline to act out in my sibling-less imagination. I wrote my own stories, even though they were clearly retellings of episodes of the Virginian, High Chaparral, or even Have Gun, Will Travel. I was Trampas, Uncle Buck, and Paladin. I believed early on in my life that I was born in the wrong century, and I wrote stories set in the Old West so I could escape to it in my own way.

I can, and often do, get lost in historical research of just about any time period, but it’s the Old West that I love the most—myths and truths alike.

My first novel, Lonely Places, published in June 2006,is a western romance that I started some 27 years before I finally decided to polish it up and submit it for publication. My western novella, Gunslingers & Ghostriders, followed in October. While my choice of story-writing genre is historical, particularly westerns, I’ve penned a vampire and a couple of contemporary stories—cowboys included.


 
I retired last June from a long career in public education that included teaching English and history, and I'm loving every writing minute of retirement. :-) I'm a review editor for the romance review site, Joyfully Reviewed, and I take on occasional manuscript editing projects.

Thank you, Cheryl and Livia, for inviting me to the western writing land of Prairie Rose Publications, not only for including my short story in the upcoming summer anthology release, but also for this opportunity to guest blog. I’m looking forward to sharing my love of the American Old West here on the second Wednesday of each month.

To read reviews of my books, watch my book videos, or download my old family recipes, visit my website and blog – http://www.kayespencer.com

You’ll find me on Twitter – @kayespencer – sharing daily history trivia.

Until next time,

Kaye

Fall in love…faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances

15 comments:

  1. Hi Kaye! We are so thrilled to have you with us as a bona fide Prairie Rose and regular blogger! I loved your story, A PERMANENT WOMAN. Can't wait for everyone else to get to read it.

    Now that you've retired, I am sure you'll have a lot of good time to do your writing! That's very exciting. I was much like you, growing up. I was in love with all the tv westerns, LOVED Matt Dillon, Paladin, and was IN LOVE with Adam Cartwright. LOL Oh, those cap guns--wish I still had mine--and how very cool that your grandfather carved you a pistol! Those were the days, right?

    Thanks so much for sharing a bit about yourself so we can get to know you better. Welcome to the Prairie Roses! We're so glad to have you with us.

    Cheryl

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    1. Cheryl, I'm pretty darn excited to be a Prairie Rose. ;-) Yes, retirement has been very, very good to me writing-wise.

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  2. Hi Kaye,
    Great to get to know you. This is a great place to hang out and we look forward to your continuing contributions!

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    1. Hello Kaye,
      Can't blame a girl for having a slight crush on Dean Martin. He was a cutie. I also get lost while doing research on historical facts having to do with specifically American History. Congratulations and I hope to hear from you.

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    2. Oh my gosh, did I ever have a crush on Dean Martin. I think when I was in that 9 to 11 age range, I must have had gender identity issues, because I soooooooo wanted to 'be' him. Then when I hit my teen years, it was WHOA! Katie-bar-the-door, because I was in love with him. I knew what gender I identified with then. bwahahaha!

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    3. Kristy, Thank you for the nice welcome. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you, too.

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  3. Hi Kaye, welcome to our corral! And. Colorado ranch? Be still my heart...a tad jealous here lol. Best wishes....good to get to know you

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    1. Yes, Colorado cattle ranch of 1000 acres or so, not huge, but plenty of rolling hills and prairie for me to ride over.

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  4. What a great childhood, and it looks like the romance stayed on. Pleasure to meet you and continued success. Doris

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    1. Thank you, Doris. I did have a good childhood with lots of fun memories. I'm like Joan Wilder from the movie, Romancing the Stone: a hopelessly, hopeful romantic.

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  5. Isn't retirement wonderful? Now you can devote all the time you want to writing...and sleep until the sun rises.
    I'm looking forward to reading your work. I'm so glad you hopped on board, Kaye.

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    1. Sarah, Thank you for the warm welcome. Between writing and enjoying my grandchildren, I am a happy-camping retiree. ;-)

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  6. Hi Kaye, I think we're long lost sisters. I grew up watching those same TV westerns and movies. I was enthralled by their toughness and the fact they never ever gave up no matter how hard it got. Then as I got older, I was attracted to their pretty faces and nice bodies. Oh man, was I!! Still am. My heart races when I see one on the street (which is pretty often here in Texas) and especially when a cowboy holds the door for me. These are the men I put in my stories. They're definitely not drug store cowboys, they're the real thing. I look forward to getting to know you and reading your stories.

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  7. Linda,

    I've been looking for a long lost sister all my life (I have a younger brother by 12 1/2 years). I'm so glad we found each other. I understand perfectly about wannabe cowboys. Back then, there was a saying about drug store cowboys. "He's not a cowboy, he just found the hat." lol And it's so true. Just because a guy *looks* the part, doesn't mean he *is* the real thing.

    I'm happy as a little piggy in mud to be a part of the Prairie Rose sisterhood. Thanks for the welcome. ;-)

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  8. Kaye -- you and I have a lot in common!! I'm also a former English and history teacher (actual degree was in Anthropology, with minors in English and Social Science).....I taught both high school and junior high school. I love retirement and do a lot of subbing and working with kids on Senior Projects, but my focus is on family, ranching, a new family business (Jenner Family Beef), my writing (which includes novels, stories, script writing, nonfiction, my writing assignments for NPR and a local publication), plus reading, and enjoying my volunteer work, etc.!!

    Anyway, welcome to PRP!! :-)

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