Darlene Franklin with me today on The Write Stuff! With giveaways!

Award-winning author and speaker Darlene Franklin lives in Oklahoma near her son’s family.

Darlene loves music, needlework, reading, and reality TV. She has published several titles with Barbour Publishing, including her two latest releases, A Bride’s Rogue in Roma, Texas, and Merry Christmas, With Love, in Postmark: Christmas. She has also written two books in the Texas Trails series with RiverNorth Fiction, Lone Star Trail and A Ranger’s Trail. She’s a member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers.

MARY ANNE IS ON THE RUN. 

Her father's been murdered, and now the mob's after her, too. Leaving New York City behind is the only way to stay alive. Yet Mary Anne Lamont finds herself stuck in Maple Notch, Vermont, when her car crashes straight into Wallace Tuttle's truck. Wallace and his family offer her warmth and welcome, no questions asked. But she doesn't dare give them her real name-not without risking their safety too. 

At first, Wallace chides himself for being distracted by the glamorous flapper. Mary Anne certainly doesn't fit his image of a future wife. But underneath the bleached bob and big-city ways is a courageous, caring woman. When the danger she's been running from draws close, Wallace must risk everything to prove his faith in Mary Anne, in God's plan, and the dreams they've come to share.

What inspired you to write Hidden Dreams, Darlene?

Reader response to my first Vermont historical series, Maple notch Brides, was strong, and Heartsong offered me a chance to write three more books about my beloved New England. This series from Heartsong, Maple Notch Dreams, follows the Tuttle family into the 20^th century. 

A historical timeline revealed that the worst natural disaster in Vermont history occurred in November 1927, when the Winnoski river flooded, causing 85 deaths and destroying 1,200 bridges.

Since a covered bridge played an important role in Maple Notch Dreams, I knew I wanted to write about its destruction during the flood. History also notes the various purposes covered bridges served; since this story was set during the Prohibition Era, its capacity for hiding moonshine, or “bathtub gin,” came into play. 

Vermont is a very “green” state, with a strong Audubon Society, so I made my hero a naturalist observing endangered birds. The general idea of a flapper on the run for winning money she wasn’t supposed to have came from, of all places, a movie about the 1920s. 

Very creative, Darlene! I love how ideas come from all kinds of places. 

What's one fun piece of trivia my readers might not know about you, but would like to?

I bite my nails. Shame on me!

Haha! Me, too, but not as much as I used to. I consider myself a recovering "bite-aholic." One trick that helps me is keeping a nail clipper handy so when I feel the urge to bite, I can quickly pull out the clipper instead.

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Awesome to learn about Hidden Dreams and your passion behind the story, Darlene. Now, let's look into another new release, Texas Brides, written with several coauthors. This collection also looks intriguing. 

This collection of nine romances brings together the lawful, the lawless, and the lonely in the Lone Star State. Watch as three Texas Rangers turn from chasing outlaws to courting women who are determined to remain independent. Experience the trials six outlaws have as they turn into respectable citizens and seek to settle down with a spouse to love.

What inspired you to write this book?

My agent, Chip MacGregor, approached me with the possibility of writing a novella for inclusion with a new collection that would repackage two previous, popular titles, Brothers of the Outlaw Trail and Yellow Roses, about Texas Rangers. 

Since I wanted to include elements of both anthologies, I decided to have a Ranger hero and an outlaw heroine. In the case of my story, Angel in Disguise, I turned not to history itself but to literature for my story idea. My heroine is a reformed thief who has recently found Christ. When she sees the church dragging its heels to help the poor around her, she decides to become a nineteenth-century Robin Hood, stealing what the rich don’t need and giving it to the poor. When the church recruits a Texas Ranger who is home recovering from a bullet wound to solve the mystery, more than money is at stake.

Wow, sounds like lots of fast-paced action in this story, with a meaningful message to boot.

Thanks for sharing with my readers today, Darlene!

For more information about Darlene and her books, visit the following:  

You can find Darlene online at http://darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/darlene.franklin.3 You may also be interested in her Facebook page, Darlene’s 5 Questions a Day (https://www.facebook.com/groups/542991419047696/?bookmark_t=group) where she answers the first five questions related to the writing life posed on any given day. Group members are also welcome to contribute.

http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Dreams-Heartsong-Presents-ebook/dp/B00B0A6YRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367427706&sr=8-1&keywords=Hidden+Dreams+by+Darlene+Franklin 

http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Brides-Collection-Romances-West/dp/162029463X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1367427756&sr=1-1


Don't leave just yet! Darlene's giving away one copy of Hidden Dreams and one copy of Texas Brides! So leave a comment to enter to win!