Hi, all. First. Prayers for all our Inspy Family and your families.
With this time that we’re in, I know I’m thankful for this blog. Not to ignore life, but to have a place to visit to relax and think on book things for awhile.
Today I’m excited because we have a special guest, Mindy Obenhaus. She was on the blog a year ago, talking about her Rocky Mountain Heroes series. Last month the last book of the series was released.
I loved this series so much I wanted to ask Mindy a few questions.
- How did you decide on 5 brothers and why weren’t there 10?
LOL! I don’t remember. I think I was looking at the number of books in the series. Or maybe it was because I have five kids, so that just seemed like a good number. 😉
- How hard (or easy) was it to give each brother their own history, seeing as how they grew up together. Each story was unique.
As you know, our children are all different and have different dreams, even though they grow up in the same place with the same parents. What I really wanted to focus on was their mother and how her life and death impacted each of them. So I don’t think it was that difficult to give each son their own personality and ambition. However, coming up with the perfect heroine and story was a bit of a challenge. You find the parts, then you have to figure out how they all fit together.
- Did you have a favorite brother and/or story?
Hmm… That’s kind of like asking if I have a favorite child, Lindi. I love each of them. Watching them grow and find love is always exciting. But I loved each story. Their Ranch Reunion was where we all got to know the family. Then we were able to explore them more in The Deputy’s Holiday Family and gain some insight into their father, Clint. I loved the opposites-attract aspect of Her Colorado Cowboy. Jude in Reunited in the Rockies was probably my hardest nut to crack. He internalizes too much so it took me a while to wear him down, but he thanked me in the end. The final story in the series, Her Rocky Mountain Hope, was the one I both dreaded and looked forward to writing. It deals with the subject of cancer and childhood cancer, something I felt ill-equipped to write about. But you know what they say, if God calls us, He will equip us, and He did just that. He placed people in my life at just the right time to give me the insight I needed.
- What was something about one of the brothers that surprised you while you were writing?
I knew that Daniel, the youngest brother, was the adventurer in the family and traveled the world doing extreme sports. In Their Ranch Reunion he shares about a recent white-water rafting trip he’d made to South America. What I didn’t know until later, was that he’d been taking those trips with cancer patients. Giving them the opportunity to live out their own adventures.
- You are now finished with this series in Ouray and starting a new series in Bliss, Texas. What is the thing you’ll miss the most regarding writing in the Ouray setting?
Though I was able to explore a lot of uniqueness of Ouray, I will miss all the opportunities that are hidden in that remarkable, rugged landscape. If you really explore Ouray, you find things there that you just don’t have in other places. And it’s fun to use those unique offerings to create challenges for my characters.
Unlike Ouray, Bliss, Texas is a fictitious town, though it’s every bit as quaint and charming with its own history. The first book in the series, A Father’s Promise, will be out in July and I recently received my cover. Isn’t that baby adorable? Here’s a little bit about the story.
Is he ready for fatherhood?
He doesn’t think he deserves a family… But now he has a daughter.
Stunned to discover he has a child, Wes Bishop isn’t sure he’s father material. But his adorable daughter needs him, and he can’t help feeling drawn to her mother, Laurel Donovan—a woman he’s finally getting to know. But can this sudden dad overcome a past tragedy that has him convinced he’s not meant to be a husband or a father…and make a promise of forever?
Thanks for having me, Lindi. You know I always love chatting with you.
Look at that cover!!! Beautiful. I can’t wait to start this new series.
Back to the Rocky Mountain Hero series. I can’t tell you how much joy I had reading about the Stephens brothers. It was a journey into a family for sure. Laughs, tears, and everything in between. I hope you guys can check out the series.
We appreciate all of your comments and questions. So, ask us any question you’d like—one commenter will be mailed a complete copy of the Rocky Mountain Hero series–in paperback. :)
USA Today featured author Lindi Peterson lives in north Georgia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with her husband and a lively array of cats, dogs and birds. She loves sharing life with her family and friends. Her passion for reading led her to writing, and then God spoke words of love into her heart and changed her life forever.
Will the next book you write be part of a series or are you going to write a stand-alone book? Which do you like to write the best? series or stand-alone?
Loved reading the interview. You are a new author to me.
Oh, wow! Great interview, and I’d love the books! They sound great!!
Thanks for sharing! Do you get to decide how many books to write when you write a series, or does the publisher have input too?
Hi, Lori! A Father’s Promise is the first book in my new Bliss, Texas series. However, just as with my Rocky Mountain Heroes series, each book can stand alone. In many ways, I prefer a series because it allows the reader (and this author) to get glimpses of each character and then really get to know them as the series progresses and they get their own story. In working on book two in my Bliss, Texas series, I learned something interesting about the hero of book four. I love it when that happens.
Well, in that case, it’s nice to meet you, Yvonne. :D
Hi, Trudy! I hope you get the opportunity to read some or all of them.
Hi, Megan. I usually have a feel for what my publisher wants in terms of how many books in a series, however they sometimes want one more or one less. And, of course, it’s always good to keep your publisher happy. ;-)
Welcome back to Inspy Romance, Mindy!
Thank you, Valerie! It’s great to be here.
Must say, I’m super excited for this series!!!
Yvonne–You’ll love Mindy’s books.
Hi Val—We love Mindy! :)
Mindy—-True that. :) Keep the publisher happy.
Trudy—Hi!! I’m in love with the series, and I can’t wait to read the next series.
Your news series sounds great! The last one sounds like it was a good series as well, although I haven’t read any of them yet.
I have enjoyed several series where the theme is one of telling the stories of a group of siblings. Your Rocky Mountain series surely sounds enticing. Your comments about your publisher makes me wonder if you have ever considered indie publishing and what are your thoughts on the benefits of one versus the other. Thanks to you both for sharing this interview.
What an amazing cover!!! LOVE IT!
Patricia—Yes, you will love the series. :)
Lincoln–This is a great series of siblings. And her publisher is great! They are supportive and love series. They also know their market, and I would trust what they say regarding how many books and such. :)
I’ve actually self-pubbed and have had a publisher. There are pros and cons to each. I love the total control of self-pubbing, but that comes with all the expenses as well.
As far as traditional publishing they have an audience, they have editors and cover people.
There are a lot of different ways to look at it.
Natalya—Isn’t it? Beautiful.
Loved the post and Love the cover! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing. Prayers
Hi, Patricia! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you get the opportunity to check one of them out.
Hi, Lincoln! Indie publishing is something that has never appealed to me because I am severely technologically challenged. I break out in hives just thinking about trying to conquer something like publishing my own works. Fortunately, I am very happy with my publisher, so as long as they keep me around, I’ll stick with them. ;-)
Natalya, I nearly fell off my chair the first time I saw that cover. I love the colors, the baby… Okay, so the dad isn’t so bad either. ;-)
You’re welcome, Sarah!
Hi, Lucy! Great to “see” you here. Yes, we need to keep those prayers coming. Our country and the world need them.
This sounds like a great set of books. I enjoy series’ that revolve around a specific family. It’s always interesting to see how the family dynamics affect each sibling differently. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. We range in age from 59 to 64. We are each very, very different (IMO).
Hi, Lindi and Mindy! (Isn’t that fun, it makes it sound like you’re twins?! LOL!)
I have seen this series around a lot, but I have not yet read any of them, and I didn’t realize until now that the series features siblings which is my absolute favorite type of series, so I am now uber excited to read them!
Also, I love the cover of A Father’s Promise! There’s just something about a handsome man holding an adorable baby that never fails to make me melt! 😍
Isn’t that the truth, Sherri? Family dynamics do affect each child differently. I’ve seen it with my own kids and it’s true with the Stephens brothers, as well. Part of what made writing each brother fun.
LOL, Caitlyn! Lindi and I have been friends for a long time and have often thought of ourselves as twins. I hope you get a chance to delve into the Stephens brothers stories. And I could not agree more about the cover for A Father’s Promise. It strikes all the feels.
How do you go about choosing your setting and whether you are going to use a real place or a fictional one?
Hi, Jessica! The first time my mother-in-law introduced me to Ouray, Colorado I knew I had to write a book that was set there. The area is so unique that I couldn’t resist. Nine books later, my editor requested something set in Texas which is where I live. That’s when I decided to go with a fictional town where I could pick and choose some of my favorite things.