Summer of Promise, by Amanda Cabott

Tell us about your book.


In less than 100,000 words? Oh, my, that’s a challenge. My editor will tell you that I’m not noted for brevity, which is why I struggle with synopses. Let’s see what I can do. Summer of Promise is the first of my Westward Winds trilogy, featuring the lives and loves of three sisters who come to Wyoming at the end of the territorial period, right before Wyoming became a state. As for the story …

Though she had planned to spend the summer in Vermont with her sweetheart, Abigail Harding cannot dismiss her concerns over her older sister. Charlotte's letters have been uncharacteristically melancholy, and her claims that nothing is wrong ring false, so Abigail heads west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. The endless prairie seems monotonous, but when her stagecoach is attacked, Wyoming promises to be anything but boring. Luckily, the heroics of another passenger, Lieutenant Ethan Bowles, save the day.


When circumstances--and perhaps a bit of matchmaking--put Abigail and Ethan together, there's certainly attraction. But Abigail is planning to marry another man and return to life in Vermont as soon as she is finished attending to her sister. And Ethan loves his life in the Army and the wilds of Wyoming. When summer ends, will Abigail go back East? Or will she fall in love with this rugged land herself?

Can you give us a sneak peek?

Yes, indeed, and I hope you’ll take a look at it. The whole first chapter is posted on my web site. If you click on this link, you’ll find the ‘story behind the story’ and discussion questions as well as an excerpt.

http://www.sff.net/people/amanda.cabot/index_files/more-summer.htm

What inspired this book?

When we first moved to Wyoming, my husband and I needed a break from unpacking, hanging curtains, planning landscaping and all the other activities associated with a new house. We knew we couldn’t play hooky for too long, so we limited ourselves to a day trip, but what a day trip that was. When we set foot inside Fort Laramie, it was love at first sight. The fort was very different from my mental image, but that was part of its appeal. And when I discovered how genteel life was at the fort during the 1880s, I couldn’t stop thinking about the people who might have lived there. Summer of Promise is the result.

What has been your most challenging experience writing a book?

For this particular book, the challenge was word count. I’ve already admitted that I have a problem with brevity, and that problem was compounded by all the fascinating facts that I discovered about Fort Laramie. I made the classic mistake of trying to include too many of them in the story, with the result that I was way over my upper limit of words. I really hated cutting the subplot about the soldiers’ variety show, but there was no choice. And, who knows, perhaps I’ll revisit the fort for another story, and then I’ll be able to let my characters plan a show.

What is your favorite thing to write about, (i.e., forgiveness, rebellion, etc)?

Although I didn’t recognize it when I first started writing, my books tend to have one of two themes: healing and forgiveness. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, because I’ve realized how closely tied those themes are, and that one of the ways we can find healing is to forgive.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

My prayer as I write each book is that my stories will touch readers’ hearts and strengthen their faith.

What is your favorite color?

Blue. Although I love all the shades, my favorite is the deep blue of the Wyoming sky. Is it any wonder that’s one of the things that attracted me to the state in the first place?

Do you have a favorite recipe?

What a tough question! It’s a toss-up between gingerbread pumpkin pie, where the gingerbread forms the crust, a wonderful French-style apple pie called “apple pie, cottage style,” and a decadent chocolate cake that’s actually relatively healthy. Can you tell that dessert is my favorite part of the meal?


If you could travel back in time when and where would you go?

I’ve always thought that I’d like to live in England at the turn of the twentieth century. They had some modern conveniences like indoor plumbing then, and from what I’ve read, it sounds like it was a gracious lifestyle. Of course, I would have wanted to be part of the aristocracy, since the servants’ lives were not easy.

What project are you currently working on?

I’ve just finished the first draft of With Autumn’s Return, the third of the Westward Winds books. That will be a 2014 release. Right now I’m waiting for copy edits on Christmas Roses, which will be released in September, and the first edits for Waiting for Spring, the second Westward Winds book. One thing’s for sure: I’m not bored.




Bio

From the time that she was seven, Amanda Cabot dreamed of becoming a published author, but it was only when she set herself the goal of selling a book by her thirtieth birthday that the dream came true. A former director of Information Technology, Amanda has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages. She’s delighted to now be a fulltime writer of Christian historical romances. Her Texas Dreams trilogy received critical acclaim, and Summer of Promise, the first book in the Westward Winds series, was just released.