Making a New Friend, by Alison Bruce
When Cathy asked me to talk about the
collaboration process, I thought, oh no, not again. I thought I’d covered all
of the angles on that topic in other posts and interviews. I was wrong. There
is one side to the story that, not only have I not talked about yet, but is
particularly appropriate for Cathy’s blog.
I’ve read elsewhere that creative
collaborations, or business partnership, between friends can be disastrous. If
you go into the partnership because you’re friends, without considering
personalities, logistics, the ability to suppress one’s ego, it can lead to
motive for murder. On the flip side, if you choose your partner based on common
goals and complementary skills, that collaboration can turn into a friendship.
That’s what happened with Kat Flannery and
I. We both have books published by Imajin Books. Because we both write western
romance, we’ve done cross-promotions in the past. But with Kat being in
Edmonton, Alberta, and I being in Guelph, Ontario, we didn’t have a chance to
meet and be social.
We still haven’t met in person, even though
we’ve been working together now for almost a year. Regardless, I consider Kat
my friend as well as writing partner. We’ve discovered the things we have in
common. We both love history–obviously. We are research addicts. Our kids come
first but we have a professional attitude towards our craft. The big deadlines
are met, but we’re forgiving of each other when the little ones slide because
of family matters. Having common values is one of the most important
ingredients to a successful partnership.
Kat and I have very different styles of
writing. That’s okay because HAZARDOUS UNIONS is actually two novellas
connected by twin sisters. We each tell a separate story coming from a common
background.
Why is this apropos for Cathy’s blog?
Because Cathy and I met and worked together for close to a year before we got
to meet too. We were both on the board of Crime Writers of Canada. We also both
had a book called Legacy and that acted as an opening for conversation beyond
meetings. We’ve been through a lot together since then, but it all started with
email and Skype calls–just like with Kat.
Bestselling western romance authors, Kat Flannery and Alison Bruce take you on an exciting journey with the release of HAZARDOUS UNIONS, Two Tales of a Civil War Christmas.
Twin sisters separated by war, bound by love…
After the death of their father, twin
sisters Maggie and Matty Becker are forced to take positions with officers’
families at a nearby fort. When the southern states secede, the twins are
separated, and they find themselves on opposite sides of America’s bloodiest
war.
In the south, Maggie travels with the
Hamiltons to Bellevue, a plantation in west Tennessee. When Major Hamilton is
captured, it is up to Maggie to hold things together and deal with the Union
cavalry troop that winters at Bellevue. Racism, politics and a matchmaking
stepmother test Maggie’s resourcefulness as she fights for Bellevue, a wounded
Confederate officer and the affections of the Union commander.
In the north, Matty discovers an
incriminating letter in General Worthington’s office, and soon she is on the
run. With no one to turn to for help, she drugs the wealthy Colonel Cole Black
and marries him, in hopes of getting the letter to his father, the governor of
Michigan. But Cole is not happy about being married, and Matty’s life becomes
all about survival.
Two unforgettable stories of courage, strength and honor
Reviews:
“You’ll sigh with pleasure as you finish each story” ~ Caroline
Clemmons, author of Bluebonnet Bride
“Stories that play on your senses like a sonata. A must read!” ~
Jacquie Rogers, award-winning author of Much Ado About Madams
“Wonderfully entertaining and well-written, with engaging
characters…delightful!” ~ Charlene Raddon, author of To Have and To Hold
HAZARDOUS UNIONS
Only $1.00 for a short time, so get it NOW, right HERE: HAZARDOUS UNIONS
Imajin Books (www.imajinbooks.com)
Alison Bruce has had many careers and
writing has always been one of them. Copywriter, editor and graphic designer
since 1992, Alison has also been a comic book store manager, small press
publisher, webmaster and arithmetically challenged bookkeeper. She is the
author of mystery, suspense and historical romance novels.
Website: http://www.alisonbruce.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alisonebruce
1 comment:
Thanks so much Cathy! I tried to leave this message earlier but blogger was being naughty. :)
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