Please join me in welcoming author Denise M. Colby to the blog today to talk about her new historical romance, When Plans Go Awry!
Denise M. Colby loves history and finds herself contemplating how it was to live in the 1800’s. She only sits still when reading a book or watching movies with her family. When not working, she’s with her husband at the Disneyland getting her steps in. Every year Denise chooses a word to focus on. She loves to share her learnings about that word throughout the year. This year, her word is grow. Connect with Denise at her website.
WHEN PLANS GO AWRY by Denise M. Colby
SERIES: Best-Laid Plans #1
GENRE: Historical/Western Romance (Christian)
PUBLISHER: Scrivenings Press
RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2024
PAGES: 376
Olivia Carmichael escapes her past to become the next schoolmarm in the small ranching community of Washton, California. Her plan? Live a quiet spinster life alone, never to depend on anyone again.
Luke Taylor selected a mail-order bride to help raise his two younger sisters and protect his broken heart. His plans don’t include being responsible for the beautiful new schoolmarm, who threatens his resolve between his need to stay away and his need to ensure her safety.
Along the way, Olivia’s carefully laid-out plans are challenged at every turn, and Luke’s mail-order bride is not what he expected.
With the help of the entire town and its wily rooster, can Luke and Olivia learn to trust again?
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Hi Denise! Welcome to the blog!
Denise: I have never liked the taste of coffee, most likely because my first taste was cold and old. As a child, I used to sneak a sip from my dad’s cup and it was awful. I didn’t like tea until several years ago when I had to cut out sugar (I loved hot chocolate). Now I enjoy it.
Carrie: I don’t think I could drink tea without sugar… i can barely drink it with sugar lol (but i don’t like coffee either)
Denise: This is such a thing for me. And I have no idea where it came from. I’m a rare one in that I prefer it under. I’m so blessed my husband lets me have my way with this. My kids? Not so much.
Carrie: I’m with you on this!
Denise: I like both, but the mountains win if I have to pick between them. I love the crisper air and the views when in the mountains. It refreshes my soul.
Carrie: same!! I am never more at peace than when I’m in my mountains
Denise: This is a tough one. I don’t think I can pick one over the other. I LOVE books. Holding one, smelling one, turning the pages, and being able to go back to a section once a new clue is found to connect the dots. J But, I don’t have a lot of room and my Kindle is so convenient when I travel. And on my Kindle, my TBR pile doesn’t take up all the available counter space, like my books do. However, there is something so inviting at looking at a pile of books. I know – completely flip-flopping here.
Carrie: I completely get this internal debate! I think most of us do, too 🙂
Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?
Denise: If I had a superpower it would be to function without sleeping. I came up with this years ago as a younger mom, and it still holds true today. I know my body needs the rest, but I love staying up and reading when it’s totally quiet in my house. And I find it hard to fit in all the things I love to do, so I would love to utilize those precious sleep hours if I could.
Carrie: that would be a delightful superpower to have! I need more sleep than most because of my Lyme Disease so being able to function without sleeping? imagine how many more books I could read! lol
Q: When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first?
Denise: When I walk into a bookstore it is a tie for me to head to the children’s section or the romance section. It’s still ingrained in me to search for books for my kids, who are now too old for these books – lol. I still find some their younger selves would love.
Carrie: I have no children of my own – just several nieces and nephews – but I still hang out in the children’s book section. I almost switched my major in college from Elementary Education to Children’s Literature and sometimes I wish I had!
Q: Writing spaces are as diverse as authors and books. Where is your favorite space to write?
Denise: I love going to the coffee shop. I’m finding removing myself from everything at home (including people) is the only way I can really focus. Although I have a giant monitor at home that is way easier for me to work on. In either case, I usually have on hand chocolate. I might have a dark chocolate Ghirardelli chocolate chip habit. I sort of eat them straight out of the bag.
Carrie: Chocolate is never a bad idea.
Q: Which character in When Plans Go Awry was the most difficult to write?
Denise: My heroine Olivia. Part of the reason was when I first started writing, I had no idea what I was doing. And I’m a person who doesn’t want to judge others or pick out faults, so it took me a long while to be comfortable selecting her flaws and allowing them to show in a way that wouldn’t grate on me.
Carrie: oh i bet that would have been difficult – I’ve never thought of that before!
Q: What surprised you about When Plans Go Awry or your characters as you wrote their story?
Denise: What surprised me about the book were how pieces sort of fell into place. I have no idea where my idea for the mail-order bride came to be, nor how I was going to resolve it. But flushing out the scenes, they sort of wrote themselves. I’ve heard other authors say this, so it was exciting to experience it myself (and a little weird at the same time). One of the other things was the journaling in the book. I love to journal, and I thought it would be fun to have my character journal. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I’m happy with it.
Carrie: I love that you were able to incorporate your love for journaling into the story!
Q: Some authors like to hide little things in their stories. Is there anything you have hidden in When Plans Go Awry?
Denise: I have hidden variations of earlier book titles in my book. Because I have worked on this book for over twelve years, there has been some different titles along the way. One of the very first titles was Teacher’s Plan Revised, and then later, A Man Was Not the Plan, (which I thought hilarious).
Carrie: haha i love that!
Q:What is something God taught you while you wrote this book?
Denise: Don’t give up. Baby steps. Perseverance. Learning to create with God (And don’t be afraid to ask other authors for help. The author community is very special and I have made some amazing friends.)
Carrie: the author community IS so special!
Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.
Denise: I’m currently working on Book 2 in the Best-laid Plans series, titled A Slight Change of Plans.
Denise M. Colby is offering a $10 Amazon gift card to one of my readers! (Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What makes you want to read When Plans Go Awry by Denise M Colby?
