Macgregor's Mail Order Bride: Emily's Story

Susan Payne returns to Wild Women Authors with Emily Johnston from Macgregor's Mail Order Bride, Book 2 in the Sweetwater series.

Where are you from? Chicago. Chicago, Illinois. Both my friend, Mavis Miller, and I came together out west. It was a difficult decision to make.

We're sure it was. Tell us a bit about Macgregor’s Mail Order Bride. Mavis was a widow and had finally come to grips with that loss. We both decided it was time to move forward and marry so we posted an advertisement for men interested in getting wives. Mavis thought the letter from Mr. Macgregor, Mac, was interesting so we, um, she, composed a letter in return. They seemed to hit it off right away and soon he sent us funds to travel by train to Sweetwater, Kansas. He agreed that our idea of having both of us travel together for safety was smart. Even sent enough to buy the tickets back to Chicago if we thought things weren’t turning out well. He was very accommodating in that way and expected me to stay until after the wedding. The plan was to get Mavis married and then for me to move into town until I found a husband as well. We had been told there were more men needing wives than women out west to fill the need.

What did you think the first time you saw Mr. Macgregor? He was a little intimidating. Large, huge, really – all over and the reddest head of hair I’ve every seen on a man. Bushy as his beard which was almost iridescent in its brightness the day he picked us up from the train station. But his eyes were breathtaking. So green you felt like drowning in them.

What was your second thought? That there was more to him then brawn. His eyes were expressive and I found an uncertainty about him that was somewhat charming. He was shy and tried to please but somehow Mavis was frightened of him. Of his size, his gruffness when he spoke, of his bigger-than-life personality.  

Was it love at first sight? No, although I was attracted to him. He wasn’t like anyone I had ever known but from the beginning I felt safe and calm around him. I never was able to put my finger on just what it was about him but I knew he would end up being more than my friend’s husband. Of course, I liked his brother, Jamie, right off, as well. He’s a whole lot less frightening.

What do you like most about Mac? His honesty. He never tried to be what he wasn’t – and had no remorse for being what he was. Not when it came right down to things. His brothers had told him it was time to marry so they could feel he hadn’t given up everything to see them through school and he agreed. Having a family was very important to him. Almost more important than seeking the wife he should have.

How would you describe him? Most people would mention his physical size and strength but that’s simply a part of who he is. Mac is actually very sensitive. He has always put others before himself. When his mother died, his father fell apart and it was Mac who made sure the boys were cared for and the ranch continued to prosper. After his father passed, Mac raised the three younger boys, sent them to school and then university while he continued to make sure the ranch remained profitable. A place for them to return to if they wanted. That’s what I see in Mac more than anything. His sense of responsibility, his duty over-riding personal wants or needs.

How would Mac describe you? Pragmatic, I’m sure. I was the one who Mavis turned to when she was having doubts. The one who kept the meals on time and that Mavis’s nerves were under control. Oh, he liked me, of course, as his fiancée’s friend but he was single minded in his courtship of Mavis.

What made you choose housekeeping for a career? It wasn’t so much a career than it was a livelihood. After the Great Fire, I lost everything including my father who was my only means of a home. I was on the streets and eating from trash cans when I met Mavis. She had lost her family earlier to disease, both her young husband and three-year-old son. She was devastated and standing on a bridge trying to decide which side to jump off from when she saw me. Said something about me looking worse off than her and ended up taking me home with her. We have been best friends ever since. She made me want to live again and all I could do was keep house and cook. I owed Mavis. It’s why I came west with her to make sure she found the happiness she should have.

What is your biggest fear? That I will lose the people I love again. It can happen so quickly and I relive those days in Chicago. Worry about Mac and all the others I’ve grown so fond of. I know it’s a foolish fear. I have so many who I care about and who care about me. And there will always be the ranch and Sweetwater. People of Sweetwater take care of their own.

How do you relax? I love to do needlework, patch-work quilts specifically and listen to my husband play beautiful music on the piano. Very comforting.

Who is your favorite fictional character? It would depend on the day but probably Ishmael since he focused on what he needed to do. Even though he never conquered his nemesis, he didn’t give up either. He knew what he wanted and went after it.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Live for the day. One minute, then one hour, then one day at a time. Don’t try to take too big of bites of life until your ready. Find someone in worse shape and help them do the same. It takes only one person to find your way home.”

Emily, thank you so much for speaking with us. Now we'd like to chat with Susan. What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Lots of movies but I place my love for the U. S. western states on the movies of the 1940s and later. They were often romances or at least had romantic elements. Strong men, of course, but I remember the women as being strong as well. Women owning and running their own businesses even if it was a bordello. It was a career choice at the time. But they also showed them as store owners, school teachers, ranch owners and good at what they were doing. Standing alone but searching for the man that would become a partner not merely a husband. I write about those women and the men who attracted them.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Having a close friend, one you trusted your life with has always been a desire for me. I found it in my husband but others aren’t that lucky. I feel we all need that one person who will stand by us, take our side even if they think were wrong merely because they know we need someone to.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: The Wild Rose Press was brought to my attention by an author I met on the internet. Their ala carte menu was one I couldn’t ignore since it would allow me to keep costs lower and publish very quickly. I was fulfilling a bucket list for my husband. He wanted to see me published sooner rather than later.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Several of Rosanne Bitner’s books are coming out by Sourcebooks and Amazon. She has 72 published so far. She is an inspiration and writes only historical western romance fiction. Always a great read and difficult to put down until the last page is read.

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I will continue to self-publish the Sweetwater series with the last three books. Then I have a book coming out through Literary Wanderlust by the end of 2020. Montana Lineman is another mail order bride story. Both people involved need to change to ensure the marriage survives and learn how to be a loving, giving couple.

Macgregor's Mail Order Bride is available in paperback and e-book through most online book sellers.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1509230289/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_KTqcEbAF0P1DV

To learn more about Susan Payne and the books she creates, look for her at: http://authorsusanpayne.com