Born To Be Wild by Patricia Rosemoor

By Cathy Clamp

When a child is kidnapped, her parents will do nearly anything to get her back. Even if it’s put aside a generations-old feud to speak to each other after twelve years apart. Rancher Micah Wild had given up all hope of ever seeing Isabel Falcon and their child again, so when his former lover appeared to ask for his help, old emotional scars are ripped open. But somehow, they must find a way to work together, or the one good thing they ever did together might wind up destroyed.

Feuds, betrayal, kidnapping, emotional scars. It’s all second nature for award-winning, veteran author Patricia Rosemoor, who has written 90+ novels and has over seven million books in print. Big Thrill editor Cathy Clamp sat down with the author, who is also a Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing instructor at Columbia College Chicago, to get the lowdown on the first of an interesting new suspense series.

For readers who like some romance with their thrills, how would you categorize the novel? Western, contemporary or romantic suspense?

BORN TO BE WILD is all three – a romantic suspense in a contemporary Western setting, New Mexico. Isabel and Micah were madly in love as teenagers, but the decades old family feud between the Wilds (cattle ranchers) and Falcons (horse ranchers) tore them apart when Isabel got pregnant and moved to Santa Fe to live with her mother. Now, twelve years later, their daughter Lucy disappears without a trace, and Isabel and Micah must bond together to find her before it’s too late.

You’ve been writing for many years and have written for a number of publishers. What appealed to you about releasing this as a digital-only release?

I’m realistic. The publishing world is on a precipice, and after being in the business for thirty years, I don’t plan to fall off now. So I have my fingers in traditional publishing (Harlequin), digital publishing (Carina and now Entangled’s Dead Sexy) and indie publishing (a growing number of backlist titles in addition to SKIN, a new romantic thriller).

You wrote that you are an experienced horseback rider and actually rode Suicide Hill, a ride featured in the book. What do you think it is about horses and riding that appeals to readers?

I think every young girl loves horses, or at least the idea of horses. Riding. Being Annie Oakley. Being swept off her feet onto the back of a horse by a white knight or cowboy. 🙂 There’s an elemental appeal, I think, about being part of nature.

I personally rode the real Suicide Hill in Michigan at a very vulnerable time. I’d had a riding accident a couple of months before and was carried off the field and into an ambulance on a straight board with my neck tied down. I was okay – no broken neck as they feared, thankfully – but wore a collar for weeks. I reluctantly started riding again and wouldn’t jump. I really was afraid every time I got on a horse. And then my husband and I went to an adult vacation horse property in Michigan for a weekend. I thought either I would get my confidence back or I would quit. The wrangler who led the experienced riders out wasn’t supposed to take us to Suicide Hill, and as I looked up – nearly straight up – I realized why. Somehow I got the courage to do it, pressed against my mount’s neck going up, lying against her back as she basically slid her way down. I survived. And was thrilled. It was then I realized the fear was gone, and when I got home, started jumping again. I equate jumping with riding a roller coaster – same feeling in my stomach.

During your research for the book, did you discover anything interesting or unusual that readers would like to know–whether or not it made it into the book?

The bizarre thing was I hadn’t heard that Bandelier National Monument (location for the last act of my story) was ravished by flood and fire. It still hasn’t fully recovered. I have been to New Mexico a half dozen times, so I have seen the majesty of Bandelier in person. It was shocking to realize that, while it had reopened, visitors could no longer drive in to the center, that they had to be bussed in from a nearby town. In the novel, I acknowledged the circumstances, but for the purpose of my story, said cars were allowed to come in again when they’re not.

Is this book intended to be the first of a series, or is it a stand-alone?

There are two more potential Wild/Falcon romances for the feuding siblings. And the feud needed to be ended for once and for all. So, yes, I have ideas for two more stories, but I have a lot on my plate right now, so it will be a while before I can do anything with them.

If this is the first book a reader picks up by you, are there any other books in your backlist that feature the outdoors?

I have quite a few books that feature outdoor settings. TOUCH ME IN THE DARK, BRAZEN, and the three books in Sons of Silver Springs series are all horse books. NEVER CRY WOLF and WOLF MOON are wolf books. SILENT SEA is a dolphin book.

Do you anticipate this being eventually released in paperback for those who don’t own a Kindle?

At this time, no. Entangled Publishing is doing that for their single title releases, but the category releases (meaning part of a line, like Dead Sexy, romantic suspense) are digital unless they do really, really well. Like New York Times well. Note that Dead Sexy books are also available at BN and Kobo.

Where can readers find you online? (Website, twitter, facebook, etc.)

My website, my Facebook Page, my author Facebook Page and Twitter (@PRosemoor).

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you or the book that might not appear anywhere else?

I have two holiday backlist titles, originally Harlequin Intrigues, now offered digitally by Entangled Publishing for the Dead Sexy line: HOLIDAY IN CRIMSON and NIGHTMARE IN CRIMSON. The books are related, both set at a fictitious State Street department store, modeled after the old Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s). The premise of both? What if someone murdered Santa Claus?

This sounds like a great addition to your extensive body of suspense novels. I’m sure readers are going to love it, no matter in what format. Thanks for dropping by.

*****

With more than seven million books in print, Patricia Rosemoor is fascinated with “dangerous love” – combining romance with danger. Patricia has won a Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America and two Reviewers Choice and two Career Achievement Awards from RT BOOK reviews, and in her other life, she teaches Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing, credit courses at Columbia College Chicago.

To learn more about Patricia, please visit her website.