Coyote
Wilder knew he would always be an outcast and shunned by many. He
grew up fighting and thought his life would probably end in a
gunfight.
Fate
brought these two unlikely people together and love swept them both
away. Now would either of their prophesies prove true or would fate
step in and offer another alternative?
Wild
Women Authors
is pleased to welcome back Susan Payne and Hope St. Michaels from
There's
Always Hope,
a novella length historical romance released by the Wild Rose Press.
First up is Hope.
Where
are you from? New
York, or there abouts. I was raised in the St. Michaels Foundling
Home and my friends urged me to come to Sweetwater and take the
position of teacher for the new school.
Tell
us a bit about There’s Always Hope.
I think the play of words, using my name, was done so others would
know that no matter how difficult or fearful something is, there’s
always hope. Something to believe in that is bigger than all of us.
It’s like Faith and Charity, my two best friends. With those three
things anything can be accomplished. Can be over-come. Like my
birth-defect. The discoloration covers the right side of my face,
yet I no longer think about it. I know it's there, but it doesn’t
define me. Having faith and believing in other people’s charity
put the mark into perspective.
What
did you think the first time you saw Coyote Wilder?
That he was dark and sinister and dangerous – but not to me. Only
to law-breakers who thought they could prey on others without
protection. Wilder became a bounty hunter to help local lawmen keep
their towns safe. He’s now the deputy and I know we all feel
protected with him around.
What
was your second thought?
That I liked this man very much although I never thought I would
marry him. I was a teacher. There are rules about being married, but
it wasn’t just that. I thought with my defect covering half my
face, no man would ever want to marry me. Wilder showed me how
beauty isn’t skin color or perfection. Beauty is deeper.
Was
it love at first sight?
No, he frightened me. He was following me around and I finally
confronted him. Either he left me alone or I’d get Sheriff Mason
to do something about him.
What
do you like most about him? Wilder
is the most sensitive man you’ll ever find. Something he tries to
hide. Something that worked in his favor when hunting outlaws. He
‘reads’ people and it doesn’t take him long before he
understands what everyone thinks and wants. Kind of like living with
a mind-reader or fortune teller.
How
would you describe him?
Dark, dangerous, dependable. In a fight he’d be the man you want on
your side. He is loyal and ethical. Perhaps that’s what makes him
a good lawman for Sweetwater.
How
would he describe you?
He thinks I’m beautiful even though I tell him he’s prejudiced.
He says he can’t believe his good fortune in finding me, in
marrying a woman so out of his reach.
What
made you choose teaching as a career?
I love children and with my disfigurement, I didn’t think I’d
ever have any of my own. The nuns were good teachers and I wanted to
influence the next generation, as they had. Reading is so important
and the world is changing. It’s going to require educated citizens
so they can make the right decisions when it comes to voting and
making laws.
What
is your biggest fear? Of
course, I worry about wars and such, but not as much now that I have
Wilder. He’s been a consolation merely being nearby.
How
do you relax? I read
and knit. I like to cook when I have the time. When school isn’t
in session. I love to visit with all my friends here in Sweetwater.
Who
is your favorite fictional character?
I really have too many to pick out just one. I once tried to count
how many books I’ve read for entertainment and it was over
two-hundred and still counting. I like, Emma, and a few characters
from Pride and
Prejudice.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received?
Miss Lily, a very wise woman told me: 'A person’s value is not
found on the outside. It’s not how they look or where they were
born or raised. It’s what makes up their core. If that’s rotten,
there isn’t any saving them.'
Hope
brought along an excerpt for us:
As
soon as Jeremy was off the bottom step, Faith turned to Hope and
asked frantically, “Where is he? That man. You’ve got to get him
out of here before Jeremy gets back or he’ll shoot him - if I
don’t.”
Hope
tried collecting her thoughts and protect Wilder at the same time.
“Faith, I don’t know….”
“None
of that, Hope. You’ve had a man in here and you need to send him on
his way - now!” said Faith keeping herself from looking behind the
diaphanous curtains trying to find Wilder. She knew it had to be
Wilder. Who else would compromise a sweet kind girl like Hope? Take
advantage of her gratefulness for his saving her life. Faith whipped
herself mentally for not remaining with Hope as she first intended.
She knew deep down Hope was too vulnerable to be left on her own.
“Faith,
wait, you need to understand. I love him, really love him and I am so
lucky he feels the same,” admitted Hope trying to make her friend
understand.
Faith
gazed at Hope as if she were a kicked kitten. “Look, men say all
kinds of things, darling. It’s in their nature to get what they
want. But you don’t need to feel you owe him anything. He does what
he does to make money and not for any other reason. We’ll all help
you through this but he has to go.”
“If
he goes, I go. I won’t let my husband be sent away from me. I
belong with him,” Hope said adamantly, not understanding how angry
Faith was at Wilder.
“Wait…your
husband? You married that man?” asked Faith incredulously which was
almost more insulting than anything else Faith had said
Hope, we thank you for taking time away from the students—and your new husband—Hope.
We'd like to chat with Susan.
What
movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer?
All the old- time western movies. I enjoyed watching them as a
youngster and continued watching them as they came out on TV: .
Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Branded…they
caught my attention. I feel at home there – in that time period.
What
event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and
how do you feel it impacted the novel?
I knew of a young girl with a wine-stain birthmark. Her mother
dressed her in pretty clothes, ribbons in her hair, and tried to make
her daughter appear ‘normal’. But I could see the girl was very
self-conscious about the discolored skin. I often think of this girl
and hope her life turned out for the best. That she found a man to
love her, that her children appreciate who is, that she accepted that
the mark did not define her. That people saw her, as well.
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what
influenced your decision to submit to them?
The Wild Rose Press is fantastic to work with. They self-publish as
well as contract with authors to publish them.
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile?
Like most authors, I have a great reading list. Too many to list
since I have a wide taste of genres. Historical, of course, but also
biographies and auto-biographies, mystery, real-life stories.
Lastly,
what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves?
The last of the Sweetwater series was released May 6, 2020. The
first story is New
Banker In Town.
An ex-civil war officer comes to Sweetwater and finds his lost love
who he thought abandoned him for a rich land-owner. She is fighting
her own battles left-over from the war but they do find love. The
second story in the book is Happy
Endings.
As the titles suggests, I tie up loose ends into, what else, but
Happy Endings. New loves are found, some old loves reconnected, and
the citizens of Sweetwater come together for a bright future.
But there
are more in the wings?
Yes, a couple of Regency novels. The
Persistent Marquess
is under contract and A
Regency Christmas
by the end of the year. Also, a western historical of a female
doctor in Texas, Forever
Kind of Women.
My books
can be found on:
Amazon
Book
Nook
To learn
more about Susan Payne and the stories she creates, go to:
