Interview with “Sweet” Romance Author Caroline Fyffe

I’m an equine photographer turned historical romance author. I have to say I think I’ve had two of the most enjoyable jobs a person can have. I’ve spent 20 years photographing horses and now I get to write about them. What could be better? I’m married and have two amazing sons, of whom I’m very proud. My oldest has just obtained his MBA and a good job. My youngest is part of the United States Army now serving overseas. A mother could not be prouder. Caroline's website: http://www.carolinefyffe.com/books.html

“Montana Dawn has everything. Readers will taste the dust, smell the gunpowder and feel the passion.” --Cheryl St. John

Hello, Caroline! Your novels are considered “sweet romance” for all ages. Montana Dawn won the Best Western Romance 2010 Award by Love Western Romance. What a wonderful accomplishment! I absolutely love your book cover. In fact, this book is part of a series called "Home Fires of the West" and each book cover is absolutely beautiful. Please tell us about it.

Hi, Linda. I’m very happy to be here with you this week. Thank you for having me! MONTANA DAWN is set in Y Knot, Montana in the late 1800s. The McCutcheons, a cattle ranching family, have carved a dynasty from the wilderness by the sweat of their brow and honorable values. Luke McCutcheon, the third brother and hero of this story, is the only one who was sired by an American Indian, when his mother was taken captive. He’s the trail boss for the once-a-year cattle drive that the McCutcheons make. It’s during the drive that Luke stumbles upon a dilapidated wagon where he meets Faith Brown, in labor and needing his help. After the delivery, he offers to bring her along where one thing leads to another and soon all the trail hands are trying to catch the beautiful new mother’s attention, much to Luke’s dismay. I love stories about big families. I wanted to give Luke as much unconditional love as he needed to battle his own ghosts about his heritage. John McCutcheon, the youngest brother, is foreshadowed in MONTANA DAWN, but you don’t actually meet him until my next book, TEXAS TWILIGHT now available on-line.

I love Western Romances. Sigh! Where did you get your inspiration for this book?

It’s hard to know where the inspiration for my books come from…. It could be they are a result of my growing up around horses and living in El Dorado, California, a little town nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. The famous gold mining town of Placerville was only minutes away, and provided a plethora of fodder for writing westerns.

A Reviewer wrote, “Montana Dawn is not a soft, fluffy, romance. It’s a story of real people, hard times and harder choices. I enjoyed every minute of the book and that’s about as good as a book can get!” What kind of research do you do for your novels since they’re set during the Wild West?

Even as a child I loved everything western. Everything old. Taking road trips with my family I’d ask my parents to stop at the little cemeteries along the way so I could read the headstones. They used to squish a whole lot of interesting things on them in the 1800s. LOL. Also, I read history books about the taming of the west and I always check out museums from any historic place I visit. One little item can be the spark a story is built around.

Wow! So you were born to be curious ever since you were a child. What does your family think about your writing?

They’re all very proud of me for sticking to my guns, so to speak. Besides my husband and two sons, I have four sisters and their families who are all very helpful—if I need a plotting session, a pick me up, or day out shopping—they are there for me. I wrote for a lot of years before getting the call. I quit for about four years sandwiched in-between starting and getting published. But, I found I just wasn’t happy. So, I kept at it….

“Keeping at it” is the secret! Bravo! Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget. I love this question because I get to know something new about each author I interview.

Let’s see….I’m the baby, the youngest of five girls. My childhood nickname was Bowie, taken from the popular TV show, Jim Bowie, which ran from 1956-1958. It was set in the Louisiana Territory around 1830. I was glued to the set whenever it was on, and fancied myself the star. As I got older I had to fight to get my family and friends to call me Caroline. LOL. The real me loves cows, almost as much as horses. I’ll take frozen yogurt over ice cream any day… 

Hahaha! Now I know the real you! A cowgirl at heart! And by the way, I was a Jim Bowie fan, also. I loved that show when I was a kid. I couldn’t get enough of it. And frozen yogurt? It’s my favorite. Thanks so much for this awesome interview, Caroline.