| Welcome Ms. Bridges! Could you please share with our readers a little bit
about how you became a published author? Also, what do you like best about
working with Harlequin?
KB: Thank you for your great welcome! When I was a teenager I read tons
of fiction and promised myself that one day I would try to write a novel.
But for some reason I thought I’d get started when I was older, during
retirement. When my daughter was born, I wanted to stay at home with her
and decided not to wait for retirement. Initially I started writing
part-time, eight years ago while I also worked in television, but it’s now
full-time.
What I enjoy most about working with Harlequin Historicals is the variety
they allow in my writing. I can write historical romantic suspense, or an
intense family drama, or romantic comedy, or all rolled into one!
MF: Mounties seem like natural choices for hero material, yet, not many
authors have taken them on. What was your initial inspiration for THE SURGEON, THE
ENGAGEMENT and the future release, THE PROPOSITION?
KB: My first two Westerns were set in Montana and Wyoming, and I enjoyed
every minute of the research involved. It got me thinking about the
differences in how the American West was settled compared to the Canadian,
and that’s what sparked the Mountie series. The main difference is that the
U.S. had sheriffs and deputies, while Canada had Mounties and forts and was
settled roughly fifty years later.
My heroes are sparked by true history from the reading of dozens of diaries
and books. THE SURGEON was inspired by a true story when a troop of
Mounties ordered their commander a mail-order bride as a joke. No one told
him (or her) until she arrived by train from half-way across the country.
She was immediately sent back with an apology. I couldn’t believe how alpha
those Mounties were, so felt I had to rewrite the story and make her refuse
to go home! THE ENGAGEMENT has a heroine who’s one of the first female
physicians in the area and is based on real medical accounts. Fictionally,
it’s the story of a woman who’s jilted by one brother, then agrees to marry
the other in a marriage of convenience, but is jilted by him, too. Needless
to say, she gets royally upset!
MF: In your biography it tells of your years working as a pediatric
intensive care nurse and then your study of architecture which lead to your career as
a researcher for a television design program. That's quite an impressive
and diverse background! What prompted the career change?
KB: When I first entered university, I was accepted into the School of
Architecture and was studying to become an architect. But I slowly
discovered the program had more engineering courses and less contact with
people than I’d hoped for, so I switched gears and studied medicine. I was
a pediatric intensive care nurse for many years until my daughter was born.
By this point, I had also finished a college degree in interior design and
had been hired as a researcher and writer for a television design program.
In the end, the experience of various careers has helped me in the crafting
of my characters and made me a better writer.
MF: The best writers write what they know. Readers can understand how
your medical training fits so nicely with your characters lending an appreciated
level of authenticity and credibility. In a similar vein, how has your
study and expertise in architecture influenced your writing?
KB: As I write, I’m very aware of the sense of space that my characters
occupy, and try to authentically portray furniture, buildings, and towns.
The architecture of the West was unfortunately very sparse, so there’s not a
lot to describe. My third novel, THE MIDWIFE’S SECRET, was set around the
construction of a real historic building—a grand hotel built by Canada’s
national railroad—and I had great fun describing the architecture and
furniture imported from Europe. I imagine one day I will write about a hero
or heroine as one of the first practicing architects of their time.
MF: It is safe to say that most (if not all) historical romance authors
also share a passion for history. Do you have favorite sources of historical
information? Also, how much research typically finds its way into your
work?
KB: My preference is doing research the old-fashioned way, which is going
to local libraries and historical archives. There’s a great medical archive
in my local university. First person accounts and diaries are great, as are
medical magazines of the period. I use the internet for quick reference.
Most of my research doesn’t find itself into my work, but hopefully gives it
an authentic wash of the period. I’ll pick out a few really interesting
details that I never knew about that time or place and include those. For
instance, the terror people had of catching rabies, or what it was like to
be a soldier or Mountie and spend Christmas in a fort.
MF: As a reader, I believe your (American and Canadian) westerns to be
among the best I've read in a long time! However, I also enjoy reading of
other time periods and locales. Do you ever envision writing a historical romance not
set in the Wild West?
KB: Thank you for your generosity! I’m fascinated by the colonial period
in North America. My current Westerns are set, of course, in small towns
and on ranches, but I’d love to set a novel in a major city to describe what
was going on there during the same period.
MF: What was the last book you read for pleasure? Has there been any one
author who has influenced your writing the most?
KB: I have a fondness for biographies because I’m enthralled by real-life
stories. The last two non-fiction books I finished are ON WRITING by
Stephen King, and one by veterinarian John Malone entitled THE 125 MOST
ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HORSES...AND THE ANSWERS. As for fiction, last month I finished MRS. MIKE by Benedict and Nancy Freedman. I also read a lot of
romance, contemporary and historical, but when I’m currently close to
deadline as I am now, I can’t relax with them because my mind is in
analytical-mode. I save romance for the beach and my mini-breaks.
The authors who’ve most influenced my writing are: Thomas Hardy for the
deep tragedy he portrayed in his historicals, Julie Garwood who made me want
to write Westerns, Jennifer Crusie who made me strive for humor, and Judith
Arnold for her beautiful characterization of people in BAREFOOT IN THE
GRASS.
MF: Do you have any hobbies or pastimes you enjoy when not writing?
KB: Canoeing and camping in the Canadian wild, traveling, teaching my
daughter and her friends to sew, and I recently joined an improv acting
class. We don’t perform on stage yet, but the classes have sparked my
creativity in different directions and when we get together, we never stop
laughing.
MF: With respect to your writing, what character or book are you most
proud of, so far? What book has been the most difficult for you to write?
KB: Choosing a favorite is difficult because they’re like members of my
family—I’m proud of them all but for different reasons. My first book, THE
DOCTOR’S HOMECOMING, means a lot to me because it was my first, and many
years of hard work went into its pages. I really love writing the Mountie
series because the settings and the heroes are unique. They’re also the
hardest to write because the stories contain romantic suspense and/or
mystery elements. The clues are difficult to include without being obvious,
and difficult to write without veering away from the romance. It’s a fine
balance.
MF: What can readers expect to see from you in the future?
KB: For now, I’m happily immersed with the Mountie books. There are more
slated for release this year and next. I’m thrilled to be writing
historicals and plan to stay in this genre. Currently, I’ve got a short
story posted in weekly installments on the eharlequin.com website that
involves some of the characters from THE ENGAGEMENT. It’s free to online
readers. I’ve also got a Christmas novella for 2005 in the works.
MF: What advice could you give to those aspiring historical romance
authors out there?
KB: Put the most emphasis on storytelling and creating interesting
characters, rather than technical aspects of the novel. Read a few good
research books on the history of the period so that you feel comfortable
writing in that era, but the historical details you include in your book
should be like the tip of an iceberg—10% visible, 90% invisible. Don’t give
up. And good luck!
MF: Thank you Ms. Bridges for talking with us at The Romance Reader's
Connection, we wish you continued success!
KB: Thank you for your great questions and your hospitality!
(Click for a
review of THE ENGAGEMENT)
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