My guest today shares a couple of my own loves: dogs and horses. Of course, we also share a love of writing great stories and always striving to be better at it. Let’s meet Sally Brandle and fine out more about her, shall we?
Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to bring to life stories motivating readers to trust their instincts. Her rescue Aussie is her companion during long spells of writing or afternoons spent riding on the wind with her nearly thirty-year-old Quarter Horse. The Hitman’s Mistake opens her Love Thrives in Emma Springs series of stories (without intimate scenes). Torn By Vengeance, Book 2, continues showcasing friendship, courageous women, and the men who deserve their love. The Targeted Pawn, Book 3, features a second chance for a life filled with love for humans and their furry friends.
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Betty: When did you become a writer?
Sally: My mom saved stories I’d written in the fourth grade, but I began to write seriously about ten years ago. I truly felt successful when the local King County Library System recently bought five copies of each of my books!
Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?
Sally: Working on writing skills is a continuous process. The key seems to be taking classes from successful people and then applying them to your work—my perseverance paid off after about eight years of classes and workshops, when I contracted with Soul Mate Publishing.
Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?
Sally: I enjoy any story from Jayne Ann Krentz, a gifted and generous local Seattle author. Years ago, at a workshop where a few of us brought manuscripts needing help, she suggested I cut my first five pages and begin with the elevator scene in The Hitman’s Mistake. Her advice rocked and now I check for an exciting ‘elevator scene’ in the opening pages of each story.
Betty: What prompted you to start writing?
Sally: A swap shelf at a bar in balmy Costa Rica provided romance novels to read while lying in a hammock on vacation. Problem was, many were not well written. I offhandedly shared my opinion with my husband, and he dared me to write a better one.
Betty: What type of writing did you start with?
Sally: I began by writing eight contemporary romantic suspense novels and then outlined two back-in-time stories and a couple of historicals. All my books are sensual without intimate scenes. I may contract a science-faction series next. Good science in very, very bad hands…
Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?
Sally: I’ve used the Snowflake Method and Libby Hawkers Seat of Your Pants books to outline, which saves time and energy. My object is to write a great book and be internally satisfied. Using good tools helps.
Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?
Sally: A friend of mine would have loved to know his Native American heritage, but his grandmother would never divulge her tribe or information he could’ve used for research. I reversed the scenario and made my hero very proud of his Blackfeet Nation lineage. Needing a sensitivity reader put me in touch with Thomas Smittle, an Oglala Lakota tribe member, who realized his gift in working with horses through the Mustang Inmate Training Program. After his release he acted in the movie, The Mustang, (2019 R Rated) directed by Robert Redford. His story inspired me, and I’m working it into my next book, tentatively titled, The Romantic Mule Thriller.
Threats forced her to flee Seattle. Honor binds him to Montana. A second chance at love tethers them together.
Elon Hardy’s romance skills are rusty after a loveless marriage ends, but upon meeting hunky rancher, Rane Calderon, sparks blaze hotter than her welding torch. To support her collegiate sons, she’s determined to acquiesce to the bullheaded, female-phobic boss until her divorce finalizes from her deceitful husband.
A woman Rane trusted ruined his life, and at forty, he won’t be fooled again. Blisteringly mad he’s hired a female bearing a man’s name, he fights attraction for the curvy, determined brunette while thwarting efforts to build a private prison atop his Blackfeet ancestors’ burial ground.
“Sally Brandle has taken the worst of humanity and pitted that evil against the best of humanity, the ability to love and trust. A sweet, second chance, mature romance against all odds! Easy to read, filled with action, truly vile characters and characters that you cannot help but root for! Nothing graphic, this love story doesn’t need it!” Tome Tender 5 Star Review
Excerpt:
Elon smiled. Angel needed an advocate. “Just tell me where to park my car and oh…I, ah, have a dog.”
“Your car’s ok where it’s parked. Didn’t realize you brought a guest,” he said, in a voice turned soft as suede.
The calm before the storm? “Hadn’t planned to adopt a pet. A jerk tossed her from a truck on the highway an hour ago.” She clenched her fist. “I won’t abandon Angel. That’s what I named her.”
His boots scraped the floor as he pulled them in. He rose to his full height. “Angel can bunk inside, or I’ll find her a temporary doghouse.”
“I won’t let her bother you.”
“Dogs never do. If she needs kibbles, ask for Fred. He’ll find someone headed to town.”
The man did have a heart. For the first time today, she smiled. “Thank you. I’ll find something to feed her tonight,” Elon said.
Rane leaned over her, close enough to show dark stubble on his perfectly sculpted jaw. The guy’s black lashes appeared thick as paint brushes. His eyes glowed a deep shade of russet.
Flutters swirled in her belly. She blinked several times and leaned back.
With one fist braced on the papers, his chest stiffened into a shield. “Animals I trust, Ms. Hardy. Women are another story. A month’s trial, then we’ll talk.” He straightened and walked out, leaving a trail of spice-scented annoyance.
Sounds quite tempting, Sally! Thanks for sharing about your writing inspiration and a peek at your book!
Happy reading!
Betty
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
Visit http://www.bettybolte.com for more on my books and upcoming events.
Betty Bolte's Musings 
Thank you, Betty! I am living out my childhood dream with my dog and horsey…
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