Widowed rancher Hayden Weston knows what it means to be responsible for his siblings, his eight-year-old son, and the running of the huge family cattle ranch. Some even
call him a stern and grumpy taskmaster and they’re not exactly wrong. So when
Hayden discovers his son reading a storybook instead of doing chores, he calls
on Luke’s teacher to talk about priorities.
School teacher Laura Anderson is new to Marietta, Montana, and has never—until now—been reprimanded for encouraging a child to read. It doesn’t help that
sweet Luke’s father is the handsome cowboy with the amber eyes that she met in
Grey’s Saloon, or that she’s wildly attracted to him.
Sparks keep flying as their paths keep crossing, but Hayden is determined not to give in to
his incomprehensible need to have, hold, and protect Laura from any type of
harm. He’s the one who’ll hurt her if he lets her stray too
close. He’s not ready to admit his feelings or commit to sharing his life with
her.
Even if love comes tumbling in.
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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I did a teaching diploma after school, stayed at home for ten years while our kids were small before going back to work. While I was working as an administrator in the English Department of a nearby university, I was inspired to study again. I was forty. I got an Honors degree in English and also did a MPhil in Document Analyses and Design, thinking that it was something I could do when I retire. But then I entered a magazine competition looking for romance authors way back in 2008 and was fortunate enough to be the winner. The prize was the publication of my first book – I was hooked. Growing up, my mother was an avid romance reader and there were always stacks of love stories in the house, particularly stacks of Mills & Boons. I literally read thousands of them.
I met Jane Porter from Tule Publishing when she visited ROSA (The Romance Writers Organization of South Africa) in 2016. Afterwards I sent her a manuscript, she liked it and since then I’ve published seven books with Tule – an extraordinary team of women. I count myself extremely fortunate to be able work with them.
I’m married to my college boyfriend who is also my best friend and my soulmate. We have three grown-up kids who have long since left the house and are each doing their bit to make this world a better place. We are so proud of them and are blessed with four grandkids who are just growing up way too fast.
I mostly write in Afrikaans and have around seventy books published by various publishers in South Africa. I have also written two children’s stories.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I’m an introvert, something I’ve only discovered when I was much older. I like people and I’m blessed with a a circle of close friends, but I need to be alone to re-charge. I can’t do late nights, for instance, by ten my battery is flat!
I’m no chef but I love to cook for the people I love and nothing gives me more pleasure than to have our whole family around a table.
Where were you born/grew up at?
I was born in a small town called Upington in South Africa. As kids we swam in the Orange River and went camping in the Kalahari Desert.
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
With my husband, our children and grandchildren, of course. Around a table, eating and telling stories.
What kind of world ruler would you be?
I’ll put women in charge of education, hospitals and the police. Start from the ground up, teach children respect before anything else and let kids play. A lot.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I read, go for long walks, knit or crochet. I’m fortunate enough to have a very special group of women I can call friends. Visiting them always makes my heart sing. We’ve known each other for such a long time. We have a Whatsapp group and during tough times, we rely on each other to help us carry whatever burden we have. During Covid, especially, it was a kind of lifeline. We shared recipes for bread, for food, books we’ve read and sometimes just something silly that has happened. It was a wonderful way to keep our spirits up,
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Disciplined, dedicated, passionate, impatient, a sucker for a story or movie with a happy ending.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
After about twenty books J
Do you have a favorite movie?
Pretty woman
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
A family with the cowboy! Liam Hemsworth would make a very sexy Hayden Weston and Brie Larson would make a lovely Laura.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
A leopard. They are solitary animals and like to walk alone. As hopeless introvert, I can relate.
I have been reading love stories for as long as I can remember and
when I ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry
James The Brontë sisters, etc. during my Honours studies, I was hooked for
life. I married my college boyfriend and soul mate and after 47 years, 3
interesting and wonderful children and 4 beautiful grandchildren, he still
makes me weak in the knees. We are fortunate to live in the picturesque little
seaside village of Betty’s Bay, South Africa with the ocean a block away and a
beautiful mountain right behind us. And although life so far has not always
been an easy ride, it has always been an exciting and interesting one! I like
the heroines in my stories to be beautiful, feisty, independent and headstrong.
And the heroes must be strong but possess a generous amount of sensitivity.
They are of course, also gorgeous! My stories typically incorporate the family
background of the characters to better understand where they come from and who
they are when we meet them in the story.
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