Interview with Jill

1. Hi Jill! Welcome back to Just Commonly! It seems like we just chatted with you about your new release, Her Texas Cowboy (by the way, a swoonworthy sweet one!). Are you telling me you have another one out already?

Yes we did! Thank you for having me (again.) I have two books releasing close together this year, so we’re jumping from the end of one series to the start of this new series.

2. Now what can you tell us about The Rancher’s Surprise Daughter?

This book was fun to write because I had lots of time. That’s not always true with a publishing contract. I got to delve into the characters and let my imagination simmer. It opens with Cate showing up at the guest ranch that Luc runs with his sisters, and the title can probably clue you in to that opening scene. ;) These two characters have a lot to overcome, and they take their time figuring out how to get along and trust each other again.

3. How about 5 words to describe each of the main characters, Luc, Cate and we can’t forget about Ruby?

Luc—consistent, strong, dependable, changed, father 

Cate—mom, tough, tender, neat freak, alone 

Ruby—chatterbox, happy, fighter, social, bubbly

4. Is there another character readers should look out for?

Keep your eyes peeled for Gage, Mackenzie and Emma. They’ll all have upcoming stories and transformations.

5. How about one that you just grew to love, but didn’t so in the beginning?

Mackenzie, Luc’s sister, is a tough-skinned woman who doesn’t fit the tender, sweet mold her sister does. She can come off gruff, but it’s just because she’s protective of Luc.

6. We’re going to jump into our character visit time! Which book/story of yours do you think make a great connection for your characters if there's such a thing as book jumping?

I think it would be fun for this book to connect with Falling for Texas. Rachel is a teen in that book, and I think she’d do well working at the Wilder Guest Ranch for the summer. She’s struggling in that book, and I think she’d flourish in this peaceful mountain setting.

7. And which character of a book of yours will you think would make a great "faraway best friend" to one of your characters and to which one?

I think Luc would get along well with Cash from Falling for Texas. The two of them are both the steady, strong type.

8. Without spoilers, can you share a line, paragraph or an event that is your favorite in The Rancher’s Surprise Daughter?

Only Cate could question the motive behind a brownie. “Just come on.” He snagged her arm, directing her. If he waited for her to decide, they’d be here all day. His hand felt right at home against her skin, but he ignored the increased rhythm in his chest at being near her. She smelled like flowers and good pieces of the past.

Luc matched his longer stride to Cate’s shorter one. He probably had close to half a foot on her in height, but she made up for it in spunk. Case in point: she shook his hand off her arm like she was dealing with an insect instead of a man. His mouth twitched. As long as she kept walking, he wouldn’t fight her.

What was it about Cate that both infuriated him and intrigued him at the same time? Just her presence wreaked havoc on him. He wanted to tuck into her and take a good long breath, as if he’d been holding his for the years during their separation and his lungs could finally function again. But he wasn’t allowed those kinds of liberties anymore, and he wouldn’t take them if he could.

He and Cate had bigger things to focus on than their wayward relationship. Like their daughter. Which was exactly what he wanted to talk to her about.

“Joe made brownies. I could smell them when I was in my office earlier. They’re amazing right out of the oven.”

Her sideways glance included more narrowing of those caramel eyes. “Are you trying to bribe me into a conversation with the promise of a brownie, Lucas Wilder?”

“Yes, ma’am. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

9. How about a favorite quote in the book?

“He needed Cate like oxygen. Or land under his boots.”

10. This seems to be the first of the Colorado Grooms series. What can we expect for the upcoming stories in terms of themes or message for each of them?

Yes, this is the first book in the series. I’ve just learned the second book will be titled, The Rancher’s Unexpected Baby. Gage is in book two, and it’s a story about learning to trust and second chances and taking the risk to love again.

Book three is still in the baby stages, but Mackenzie has her own hurdles to jump. She prides herself on being tough, but the one person who makes her anything but walks back into her life and turns everything upside down. It’s about figuring out what matters in life and then not letting that slip away.

11. On to you now. *wink wink. When and how did you realize you want to become a writer?

I always wanted to write a book, but it wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I realized time was slipping away. So I began to write during my son’s naps. Looking back, I remember trying to write a screen play in high school/college. I had no idea what I was doing, so thankfully that is long lost on a crashed computer somewhere.

12. Is there a genre you have yet to write that you want to try out?

I’d love to try so many things. I think a children’s book would be fun.

Now we’re going to do something fun. Let’s do some tag games! Using your books, choose the book or the characters of your books that you think best fits the following hashtags:

#dessertqueen   Cate! 

#swoonyboyfriend   Cash Maddox…Or maybe Hunter. 😃 

#inspiredreads   Falling for Texas 

#bookofredemption   Her Texas Cowboy 

#sweetandfunromance   Her Texas Cowboy or Her Texas Family. 

#kidsrock   The Rancher’s Surprise Daughter 

#popcornworthybook   Her Texas Family 

#favoriteroommate   The Rancher’s Surprise Daughter

Thanks for stopping by and playing along!

Thank you for having me! It’s always a blast. 😃 

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