Hello gorgeous Book Lovers!
I’ve popped in to talk about my new Tule series—The Halligans of Montana – the first book of which releases today—yay! So, I’d been mulling over how I was going to introduce this family to you, and then I thought about the questions others had asked me when I was at our recent RWA (Australia) Conference at beautiful Glenelg Beach in South Australia—and there was my answer.
To begin though, I must mention that those friends who hang out on TBC might better know me for my cozy mystery series, The Hart of Texas Murder Mysteries, featuring Rosie Hart, and I thank all those of you who’ve jumped on board with me. However, this time I’m offering something different and that’s where this first question came from.
How different was it writing a romance series after the mysteries?
I grew up reading both romance and mystery. My brother introduced me to Agatha Christie when I was about fourteen and I was hooked, but prior to that, right from primary (grade) school, I’d been reading my grandmother’s little romance comics and adored them—much to my mother’s dismay—but that dismay wasn’t nearly strong enough to steer me away. My grandmother graduated to Mills and Boon and so on, and so did I. So, from childhood those two genres, romance and mystery have always been my true reading loves.
Writing wise, apart from my works for children, I’ve mostly incorporated the two in the stories I’ve written, and though it was a while since I’d written straight romance, I didn’t find it different so much as just shifting gears and getting comfortable again.
So, this series is just romance?
In all my stories there’s a little bit of real life that intrudes to make life maybe a little bit more difficult than the characters would like – which is always fun to write—insert evil laughter. But it’s through those challenges in life that we work out what’s important, right? However, the focus in this series is on the romance, and with three strapping Halligan men and their gorgeous feisty little sister, each finding that life partner they’d dreamed of, there was plenty to work with.
So, four Halligan siblings?
Yes, the Halligan family ranch, The Lazy H, is situated on the rural outskirts of everybody’s favorite Montana town, Marietta. Over the generations they’ve accumulated land enough to make them now one of the land biggest holdings in the area.
JD Halligan, the eldest currently runs most of the family ranch, but brothers Jack and Leo, along with sister Joanna each have their own parcel of land in that holding. The series will follow each of them as they navigate their own paths to true love and happiness. There’ll be surprises they have to face along the way, and be warned there will be sometimes tears but also laughter as we journey with them.
Whose story is first?
Oh, that would be the luscious JD Halligan. I fell hard for JD. He’s a serious, hard-working, sexy as all get-out rancher who has taken the helm of the family business since his father fell ill. Well, that’s what I thought. And, I must hasten to add that most of that is true. What I didn’t know was that he was warm and funny. Quite a cheeky tease. Now, I gotta say, my favorite kind of man is one who will make me laugh, who is playful, and that was one of the reasons I fell hard for him.
I also didn’t realize he’d been burned by someone who was so not right for him, and boy, was I glad he’d dodged that bullet. However, when Evie Davis came along and knocked his heavy-duty work socks off, he initially put her in the same category as his ex, and tried very hard to convince himself that he needed to beware. Trouble was, she’d arrived with the cutest baby girl, one she claims is his daughter—and that he knows is definitely not—but Evie can’t leave until the paternity thing is sorted. But there’s always a complication, right? Baby Mia has a particular marking that he recognizes and knows in his heart that while she’s not his daughter, she does belong to the Halligan family—his family—and there’s no way he’s letting this child go into care.
The title?
It’s entitled The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise and check out that gorgeous baby on the cover! Forgive me while I gush a little and share the blurb:
What if he really is ‘The One’?
When up-and-coming lawyer Evie Davis travels halfway across the country to deliver her old friend’s baby girl to the oblivious father, the last thing she expects is an encounter with a rugged Montana cowboy. One who convincingly insists he’s not the father. The second last thing she expects is to have her heart flutter in gratitude at that proclamation. A loner by nature and nurture, Evie isn’t looking for a relationship or even a fling, but as she waits for word on the potential father’s whereabouts, she’s tempted.
As oldest of the Halligan brood, JD Halligan has his hands full running the sprawling family ranch. So, when a beautiful Californian lawyer turns up on his doorstep with a baby she claims is his, it flips his world. He’s definitely not this baby’s father, but can’t ignore the cuteness overload, especially baby Mia’s carer, Evie Davis. Trouble is, he fell for a career-minded city girl once before and that ended in disaster, so he’s not prepared to go there again. But as he opens his home to the new arrivals, sweet baby Mia isn’t the only one winning her way into his heart.
This was such a glorious book to write. And yes, there were some difficult scenes, and a bit of agonising over whether to ‘go there’ – you’ll know what I mean when you read it. Was that rude? I hope not, but none of us like spoilers, right?
What did I like most about writing this book?
Gosh, almost everything. For example, and this was more of a surprise than anything else—right from the beginning JD and Evie developed their own way of communicating; they fell into a particular banter pattern. That happened organically and that’s one of the most thrilling parts of writing any story; when the story surprises the author. So, when Evie politely, but firmly chides JD for something and begins with the words ‘most people’ I had no idea at that moment that JD would hit back with his own witty response that began with words that echoed her own—most people. As that continued it almost became a competition between them, neither wanting to be the one who wanted to stop. As their attraction grew, and it became more teasing, it became their love language—something just between them, and maybe some of my more fun scenes to write as the story progressed.
And of course, Evie and JD. I loved their journey as they gradually discovered so much more about each other, loved the growing relationship between them with tiny baby Mia there between them, innocently playing cupid. They were so sweet with her, even though neither had any experience with caring for a child. And watching him fall hard for the two women suddenly in his life was so heartwarming. (Even if I was slightly jealous. Please, don’t worry about me, though. I recovered… Kind of… Writing the next book helped, but then what happened? There was another luscious hero to bother me!!! Sigh…)
Thank you for reading along with me. Bye!
Hugs,
Kaz
About the Author.
Award-winning author Kaz Delaney has currently sold 73 titles over a 26-year career. Dividing her time between teaching and writing, Kaz formerly tutored Creative Writing for CSU’s Enrichment Program as well as teaching and creating courses for the Australian College of Journalism.
Having always had a love of cozy mysteries, Kaz is having so much fun writing her Hart of Texas Mystery Series for TULE Publishing, that she worries it’s not legal!
With their family grown and gone, Kaz lives with her wonderful husband at beautiful Lake Macquarie, Australia, a place she describes as a strip of land between the ocean and lake. Like Rosie, Kaz loves to bake and grow vegetables and unlike Rosie, manages to make a mess of every crochet task she undertakes.
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