Dawn Luedecke Archives - Tena Stetler

Dec 19th Interview Dawn Luedecke – White Water Passion

Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Dawn Luedecke, author of White Water Passion.

Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets find out about Dawn Luedecke and see what White Water Passion is all about. Thanks for joining us!

Dawn, tell us what inspired this particular story?

The idea for WHITE WATER PASSION came when I was researching another book and I discovered a fact about the logging company in Montana in the late nineteenth century. There was a group of loggers who rode the logs down the rivers. They were said to be wild and have a “devil may care view on life.” What a better hero than these amazing men history often neglects!

What defines you as an author? As a person? Are they one in the same?

I believe that whatever I do in life, I need to do it with passion. When I spend time with my family, I do it with a love for them. And when I write, I write with a fervor. As my characters go about the amazing stories they live in, their passion shines through as I hope mine does in what I write. Passion is what makes the hero fall in love with the heroine. It’s the way we all should live. With a love and obsession for life that shines no matter what.

What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?

Funny question. During book 2 in the Montana Mountain Romance series, WILD PASSION, I had a severe case of writers block. I did research, tried to write through it, and of course procrastinated. Eventually I texted my friend (and agency sister) Dylann Crush to complain about my problem. She said to me, “When in doubt insert a beaver.” (See what she did there? It can work both ways for some historical romance writers, lol) Oddly enough it worked. Soooo…look for a (animal) beaver in WILD PASSION and you can see where I had writers block.

Do you see yourself in your characters?

I don’t see myself exactly, but I did realize that my husband can be seen in all of my books. He is my drill instructor, alpha male, perfect man. I tend to put a little bit of him in every hero I write, and I honestly love that about my books. My passion for my husband shows in each character I build.

Thank you for allowing a glimpse into your world. Now how about a little more about White Water Passion:

Only by working together can they save their mill…and their future.

The Montana Territory is one of the last outposts of the American West—where adventure as grand as the wide-open plains is around every corner, and passion as wild as the land itself beats in every heart . . .

Elizabeth Sanders isn’t afraid of anything, except what will happen to her beloved town if the Big Mountain Lumber Mill is destroyed. When she overhears a plot to do just that, she vows to put a stop to it, even if it means dressing as a young lumberjack to expose the saboteur. There’s only one problem with her plan—her brother’s handsome friend and fellow logger Garrett Jones, who arouses a desire within her soul as fierce as the river rapids.

When Garrett discovers that the odd new lad on the crew is in fact Beth, he’s shocked. A logging camp is no place for a young woman—especially the spirited beauty he’s admired for so long. Keeping her safe is easier said than done, however, as the attraction between them flares into true passion. As the danger mounts, Beth and Garrett must work together to survive the last log run down the wild rapids and claim any chance of saving the mill—and their chance at a future .

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“Well written, well researched. Like the river, this plot runs faster and faster. Readers won’t be able to put it down.”

—New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas

A Peek Between the Pages of White Water Passion:

Missoula Montana, 1888

Elizabeth Sanders could vanish right now, and no one would notice. She blended in with every other woman by wearing her matching pinstriped walking skirt and blouse. Each store clerk and patron in Missoula, focused on their affairs without a care to their neighbor, would fail to notice if she walked through Higgins Street naked, let alone disappeared into thin air. They certainly wouldn’t look twice when she came back this way a different person.

Hundreds of people bustled in the heat of the Montana sun doing the same old things, the same old ways, with nothing to show for their trouble but dirty shoes. If Elizabeth was going to get her shoes dirty, she preferred to have fun doing it…the Devil May Care way.

Navigating the pedestrian-riddled streets was treacherous at best. Times like this made her wish she’d taken her grandmother’s buggy. At least then she wouldn’t be jostled around like a dirty shirt in a churning wash bin. A deep exhale boosted her determination enough to risk a step to the side to duck around a particularly slow matriarch. The small triumph lasted only a moment before she slammed into a hard chest.

The soft fabric of a well-tailored suit skimmed her cheek a split second before warm hands reached out to steady her. The touch—firm, yet gentle—made her feel like she now balanced on the back of a high-strung and wild mustang as it fled down a hill with uncontrolled freedom. She hadn’t needed the extra hand. Wasn’t in danger of falling over. What sort of dullard rescues a woman in no need of liberation? She pulled away and adjusted her skirts as he let go. Her mind focused once more.

“Pardon me.” She glanced up to a familiar face. One she’d seen many times in her dreams. Her breath failed as her brother’s friend, Garrett Jones, peered down at her with silver-clouded eyes. Oh, how he made the world spin whenever he drew near. His handsome, yet rugged, face made her fingers ache to touch the severe lines of his jaw. The rich scent of tobacco infused with lavender and some sort of citrus drifted on the breeze. Eau de Cologne. A fragrance only the wealthiest of men in Montana could afford. A scent belying the canvas pants, spiked boots, and sturdy cotton shirt he sported every time she’d seen him on the train platform.

“Elizabeth.” Did he say her name, or did she dream the word? Oh to be noticed by a man like Garrett Jones. The only man who could make butterflies flit around in her stomach and fear slide through her chest in the same confusing moment.

The hem of her dress hovered mere inches from his feet. Her face heated and heart began to pound. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the man who led the Devil May Care boys. The man who held her future in his hands if she succeeded in becoming part of his crew at the logging camp. If things went the way she planned, she’d be staring into his amber and steel speckled eyes for the rest of the season. Did he truly recognize her after all these years of no more than a passing glance?

About the Author:

A country girl born and bred, Dawn Luedecke has spent most of her life surrounded by horses, country folk, and the wild terrain of Nevada, Idaho and Montana. As a child she would spend many afternoons reading books, watching western classics, and Rogers and Hammerstein movies. When she grew up she decided to leave the quiet country life for a chance to find adventure by serving a successful tour in the United States Coast Guard. During that time she found her soul mate (and alpha male) and started a family and writing career. She enjoys writing historical and paranormal romance and spends as much time as she can working on her current manuscript.

For more information visit www.dawnluedeckebooks.com

Twitter: @d_luedecke

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