Callie Hutton Returns With Emma’s Journey

 

Callie has been making up stories since elementary school, and writing gave her a way to turn off the voices in her head. After having a number of articles and interviews published in newspapers and magazines, she took on what she’d always dreamed of. Writing that book. She currently has a number of both historical and contemporary romance books published. Visit her website for more information. www.calliehutton.com

She currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband and adult children who move in and out with alarming regularity. Add three rescue dogs and the household is complete—and full. She enjoys hearing from her readers, and would love to have you visit her on Facebook. 

Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?

I’ve been making up stories since elementary school, and writing gave me a way to turn off the voices in my head. After having a number of articles and interviews published in newspapers and magazines, I took on what I’d always dreamed of. Writing that book. I currently have a number of both historical and contemporary romance books published.  

Please tell us a little about your new release without giving too much of a spoiler away.

Emma’s Journey is about one woman’s journey from Indiana to Oregon, and from a spoiled young woman to a mature, strong one.

Emma Thorpe never wanted to leave her home in Indiana to travel on a wagon train to Oregon.

Once her husband is killed, she decides to return home, but is thwarted by the wagon master who forbids her to set out on her own, and orders her to marry one of the wagon scouts.

Wagon Scout Davis Cooper is happy with his new wife, but will he be able to keep her from running once they reach their destination? 

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The middle. That’s the tough part in all my books. I start off, and my fingers fly across the keyboard like crazy. And somewhere along the line I figure out how I want it to end. But it’s that middle slump, where the ‘what happens next’ that gets me every time. I remember reading advice from Sandra Brown (my idol) where she said when you hit the middle slump, throw a big problem at the h/h. That seems to work. 

What comes first: the plot or the characters?

Definitely the characters. I have a general idea of what the story will be about, but my characters usually tell me how they want it to play out.  

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I use a character sketch for the hero/heroine before I start. I also have a twenty question interview I do that gives background to the character that you might never use, but it let’s you ‘get into’ their heads so you know them well, and know how they think, feel, react, etc.  

Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

No. I use my laptop, but it could be in bed with me, on the kitchen table, at work, at my desk, no set place. 

Do your books have a common theme or are they all different?

My characters are similar. Really, really nice guys, feisty women—even if it’s hidden in the beginning. My stories have a lot of things happening in them. My heroines often get into trouble. 

How long does it take you to write and then edit a story?

I consider writing my job. So I do it every day, at least five hours a day—except weekends. That leaves a few hours each day for research, answering emails, and marketing. With that schedule, I can usually write and edit a book in about 2-1/2 to 3 months. 

How do you go about naming characters?

Whenever I hear a name that appeals to me, I write it on a list of names I keep on my computer. However, right now I’m in the middle of using names of my sisters, nieces, daughter and future daughter-in-law. It’s fun for them, and as long as I don’t use their husband’s names, I can write the sex scenes. ::grin:: 

What do you see for the future of publishing and e-books?

No doubt e-books with continue to grow. We have a younger generation who are comfortable with technology practically from the cradle. My niece’s two year old son can select the dvd he and his twin want to watch and put it in the player and get it started. Amazing.

But since I’ve always loved holding my kids on my lap as we turned the pages of a book, and hope to do that one day with grandchildren, I don’t see ‘real’ books going the way of dinosaurs any time soon. I’m sure many other people feel the same way. 

What are your current books out right now, and what are the books coming up for release?

Released: Oklahoma Lovers series: #1-A Run for Love, #2-A Wife by Christmas, #3-A Prescription for Love. Not part of a series: An Angel in the Mail; Miss Merry’s Christmas; Daniels’ Desire; Tessa’s Teasures (contemporary), and Emma’s Journey.

In May, Entangled Publishing will release The Elusive Wife (regency), and The Wild Rose Press will release Choose Your Heart (contemporary) probably in the fall. I also plan to self-publish a time travel, Against All Time, that I’m currently working on, and another Christmas novella. 

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read. I watch very little TV—especially since Downton Abbey is over for the season. I also meet with a group of friends every Sunday afternoon for a brainstorming session. Also, as this year’s president of my local chapter of RWA, I have some duties with that. 

Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers we have not touched on?

No, lol 

Where can the readers learn more about you and find your books on the web? 

Website: www.calliehutton.com

Twitter: @calliehutton

 

Emma Thorpe did not want to leave her life in Indiana to travel to Oregon on a wagon train, but her husband, Peter, had other ideas. Barely three weeks into the trip, Peter is killed, and Emma is shocked that the wagon master won’t let her return home.

Wagon Scout Davis Cooper has decided this would be his last scouting trip, he intends to obtain land in the new Oregon territory, find a wife, and start a family.

When the Wagon Master orders Emma and Davis to marry, she rebels, but eventually comes to realize she can’t go it alone, no matter how stubborn she is. But nothing will make her give up her dream to return home.

Can Davis change her mind, and have the life he’s always wanted with his unexpected wife? 

 BUY

 

Oklahoma Author, Callie Hutton, Brings Home a Confederate Soldier

        Callie Hutton has been making up stories since elementary school, and writing gave her a way to turn off the voices in her head. She’s had a number of articles and interviews published over the years, and finally decided to put those writing skills to the test and write novels.

Oklahoma is where Callie hangs her hat with her husband of thirty-six years, two young adult children, and three dogs.

You can catch Callie Hutton hanging out at Facebook, Twitter- @CallieHutton, and her home base, www.calliehutton.com. Stop by sometime and say hello.

 

Please tell us a little about your new release without giving too much of a spoiler away.

When Confederate soldier, Lt. Daniel McCoy makes his escape from a Union prison toward the end of the Civil War, his only thought is to get as far away from enemy territory as possible. But he doesn’t count on saving young widow Rosemarie Wilson’s life from an infected leg wound.

Rosemarie has no use for Rebels soldiers, having lost everything, including her husband, the last time they came to her home. However, Daniel has not only saved her life, but is sticking around to help with the farm and her three children until she recovers.

With Union soldiers searching for him, every day Daniel remains puts him in danger. Or is the beautiful widow who has captured his heart the greater risk? 

What was the hardest part of writing your book?  

The ending. I always find I tend to rush the endings of my books. I’ve built the story, carried everyone along, and now that I know how it ends, I want to get it finished. My hand’s been slapped by my critique partner and editors more than once for that.J

What comes first: the plot or the characters?

Definitely the characters. I’m a panster, so I start off with characters in my mind, a general idea of what the story will be about, and let them take it from there. I’m always surprised at what my characters will do and say, and the direction they’ll take the story. The characters in Daniels’ Desire, though, were easy to work with. They did pretty much what I wanted them to do. 

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I usually start with a name, a general idea of what they look like, but I let the story tell me about their personality. I really did try one time to do the ‘character interview’ thing I leaned in a workshop, and I ended up tying myself in knots, so I deleted it, and started my story. 

Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place. 

Not really. I write at work, where I’m alone for five hours dealing with a few customers. With all that down time, my employer allows me to write while I’m there.  

Do your books have a common theme or are they all different? 

I guess the most common theme I have is the heroes. Almost all of my heroes are really nice guys. I have one arrogant hero, but the heroine takes care of that.J I’ve published both contemporary and historical, and I have a series of books in my historical line, which are all set in the late 1800s/early 1900s in the same town of Guthrie, Oklahoma. 

How long does it take you to write and then edit a story? 

Because I can dedicate pretty much five hours, five days a week to writing, I move quickly. I can usually write and edit a book in two to three months.  

How do you go about naming characters? 

When I hear an interesting name, I add it to my growing list of names on my computer. Right now I’m in the process of using my daughter and nieces names for heroines. In Daniels’ Desire, my heroine is named after my oldest niece and goddaughter, Rosemarie (we all call her Roe). The problem I’ll face is most of my stories are historical, and my nieces mostly have ‘modern’ names.  

What so you see for the future of publishing and e-books? 

The growth in e-books is phenomenal. Eventually we‘re going to have an entire generation of readers who only picked up a book in school—and that may change too, with schools putting a lot of information on the internet. With Ipads, Iphones, Kindles, Nooks, etc. I think the explosion of e-books will only grow.  As a reader, I hope print books stay in fashion. I read just about everything on my Kindle now, but I still like to brows a book store on a rainy afternoon. And all my research and writing books are in print. I find it easier to use them that way.

As far as publication goes, I think the publishing houses have to go with the times. Years ago the trains took a big hit because they forgot they were in the transportation business, and thought they were in the train business. Publishers need to remember they’re in the reading business, not just the publishing business. 

What are your current books out right now, and what are the books coming up for release? 

I have three books out in my Oklahoma Lovers series, A Run For Love #1, A Wife by Christmas #2, and A Prescription for Love #3. I also have An Angel in the Mail, Miss Merry’s Christmas, and Daniels Desire in publication. They’re all historical. I have one contemporary novella, Tessa’s Treasures, which is part of the Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll series.

I just received an offer from Entangled Publishing  for my very first full-length Regency, The Elusive Wife, and a pending contract with The Wild Rose Press for Choose Your Heart – a contemporary novella for their Honky Tonk Hearts series.  

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?  

Read. I’m not a TV viewer. I watch a couple of news programs each day, but that’s about it. I like movies, but haven’t been to one in a while. I like to cook, and even though I’m tired of the daily ‘what’s for dinner’ routine, I do like to pull out all the stops and make something fancy and creative once in a while. 

Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers we have not touched on? 

Yes. If you read a book by any author that you really liked, do that author a favor and post a review. Even if it’s a one liner. Just something to let the world know what you thought of his/her work. 

Where can the readers learn more about you and find your books on the web? (Add the web links and buy links here) 

Website:  www.calliehutton.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callie.hutton

Twitter: @calliehutton

 

When Confederate soldier, Lt. Daniel McCoy makes his escape from a Union prison toward the end of the Civil War, his only thought is to get as far away from enemy territory as possible. But he doesn’t count on saving young widow Rosemarie Wilson’s life from an infected leg wound.  

Rosemarie has no use for Rebels soldiers, having lost everything, including her husband, the last time they came to her home. However, Daniel has not only saved her life, but is sticking around to help with the farm and her three children until she recovers. 

With Union soldiers searching for him, every day Daniel remains puts him in danger. Or is the beautiful widow who has captured his heart the greater risk?

Author Website / Amazon / 

 

Saddle up for a ride on the range with Oklahoma author Callie Hutton!

Hi Callie, and welcome. Please tell us your latest news!

I recently signed a contract with Soul Mate Publishing for my third book in the Oklahoma Lovers series (Michael’s Story).

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I develop my characters as I write. I know (vaguely) what I want the story to be about, but as for how each character is, that comes to me while I’m writing. Sometimes they surprise me.

How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

When I’m writing historical, a little bit more research is involved because a lot of readers are history buffs—and know their facts. But I still do research when I’m writing contemporary. Right now in a short story I’m writing, a woman is giving birth in a bar, so I had to do research on emergency births.

What main genre do you write in?

Historical Romance – mostly western, but I also delve into contemporary romance.

How does your family feel about having a writer in the family? Do they read your books?

My family is very supportive. Some of them have read a couple of my books, but others are waiting for them to come out in print. A niece is waiting for my contemporaries to come out because she doesn’t like historical. I don’t think there’s any one person in my family who has read them all, lol.

If you had to choose one person to have dinner with, who would it be? And why?

Hillary Clinton. I think she’s an amazing woman. I hope to see her as POTUS one day.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Yes. When I was a little girl, I started making up stories in my head to entertain myself before I fell asleep at night. This habit continued on well into adulthood. One day I decided in order to get the voices out of my head, I needed to write them down.

Do you write full time?

I write full time hours because I work as a substitute teacher in the high school. At that level, the teacher will generally leave work for the students to do, which they do on their own. I bring my laptop and write.  

What did you do before you became a writer?

I’ve had many jobs, but sales was the one I had for the longest time. 

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

I am a combination writer. I pretty much know what I want my story to be about, but I get about half way through before I actually do any kind of an outline. And that gets changed as I go along, depending on what my characters have to say about it. They don’t always agree with me, and have been known to gang up on me, as well.

If you could be one of your characters - Who would you be? And why?

I would be Sylvia, Angel’s step-mother. She starts out unlikeable, but later on in the story her full personality is revealed, as well as her motivation for what she did to Angel. She’s a hoot.

Can you please give us a sneak peek at any of your upcoming books?

The book I just sold, A Prescription for Love, is the story of the oldest nephew in A Run for Love. Michael was one of my most popular characters. I’m also working on a short contemporary story about a bar in Amarillo, and when I finish that, I intend to get back to a regency I’m writing, The Elusive Wife.

Who is your favorite cover model?  And why?

I don’t have a favorite cover model. I like Jimmy Thomas—another nice guy. But I have a policy of ‘no bare chests’ on my book covers. There are a few Jimmy does, and if I self-pub, I would use one of his pre-made covers (where he’s dressed, lol).

Is there a genre of book you would like to write but haven't yet?

Yes. There is definitely a Highlander book in my future, as well as a strict mystery/suspense. I would also like to write a time travel one day.

What would be the best way for readers contact you? Do you have a website?

My website is: www.calliehutton.com, where my blog also lives. I love to get e-mails from my readers, at calliehutton11@gmail.com.

How can readers find out more about you and your books?

By visiting my website, where I have excerpts from all my books, as well as coming attractions.

What is the best and worst advice you have ever received?

Best advice: Write, write, write, read, read, read.

Worst advice: Write the book that editors want to buy.

Do you belong to a critique group?

Yes, I do, and I also have other critique partners who are not in my group. If so, how does this help or hinder you? Definitely a help. I don’t always take suggestions that my CPs make, but many times they pick up things that I hadn’t noticed or thought about.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Romantic comedy.

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

A ‘Sandra Brown’ type story, with intrigue, many sub-plots, and a well written, well thought out story.

When did you first decide to submit your work?

After I finished my first manuscript. Please, tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step. I didn’t need a whole lot of encouragement. To my way of thinking, if you write a book, you send it out. You get rejected. You re-write it. You send it out again, and again, and again. It’s part of the process. If you’re going to be a writer, you have to write. If you want to be a published writer, you have to send it to someone.

Do deadlines help or hinder your muse?

Definitely help. I’m pretty disciplined as far as writing every day, but if I know someone is waiting for it, I pull the all-nighters like I did in college, and get the job done.

What was your first published work and when was it published?

A Run For Love was contracted by Soul Mate Publishing in August of 2011, and released in November of that year. It was the third book I wrote.

Is there anyone who really mentored or inspired you to keep writing until you were finally published?

Not really. I’m pretty good at motivating myself. I’m sure my sales background has something to do with that.

A small wooden table in the corner drew her. She placed the glass on the table and eased her sore and tired body onto the chair. One leg shorter than the other three, the chair rocked as she settled. A woman the size of the counterman came through a curtain separating the area from whatever was in the back. With a brisk nod in Angel’s direction, she headed her way.

Excerpt/Soul MatePublishing / Amazon

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