Robbie’s Inspiration – WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Delilah by Kaye Lynne Booth: Author interview and a review

Today, I am delighted to host Kaye Lynne Booth with an author interview as part of her Delilah Book Blog Tour.

What inspired you to write a Western? Have you always been a fan of Westerns, or did it fit in with an idea for a historical novel with a strong female character?

Delilah began as a challenge to write outside of my comfort zone from one of my graduate professors, Russell Davis. Up until that point, I’d written short stories mostly in the fantasy realm. My step-dad used to read Zane Grey and Loius L’Amoure and he had many of them, so I had read a few westerns, and I watch a lot of the old cowboy shows, and I’m a huge fan of Clint Eastwood and the spaghetti western movies.

When the challenge was issued to write a western, I knew I wanted to have a female protagonist to make my story a little different from the westerns that were out there. Delilah came out tough and gritty, just as I had planned for her. And I wrote in Baby Doe McCourt Tabor because Delilah ended up in the mining camp of Leadville, and Baby Doe is associated with that setting. It made the tale seem more historically accurate to have a historical character in a historical setting. The Indian woman, Old Sugar was a real historical character, as well.

Later, when I decided to create the Women in the West adventure series, I followed suit with the strong historical female characters in supporting roles for each book. There is a guest post at each stop on this tour which talks about one of the books and the historical character it features. So, I hope everyone will follow along and visit each stop to learn more about the American west and the series.

Did you have to do much historical research to write Delilah?

I did a ton of historical research for Delilah, and I’ve already begun researching for the other two books, Sarah and Marta. I lived in Canon City at the time, and the book starts out there and progresses into the San Luis Valley, an area I was familiar with, so I didn’t have to do a lot of research there. But when Delilah ventures after the men who raped her and left her for dead, and abducted Sarah, she entered less familiar territories and research was required. With Delilah, I researched multiple locations to get settings right, as well as the people in the Leadville area in 1882, when the story takes place, and the history of the Ute Indians in Colorado at the time. I also researched Delilah’s hometown; San Luis, Colorado; and the Colorado Territorial Prison. I might talk about some of my findings on the final stop, so be sure to catch that tour stop on Writing to be Read on Friday.

Was it easy to research the information you needed relating to the Ute tribe?

There was a lot of research for that. I had to really dig for it as much of Ute history is handed down through oral tradition, and you can’t always believe what is available out

there on the internet. I was able to turn up enough facts to make the story work and remain fairly accurate in my portrayal of them

Why did you decide to rewrite the ending of Delilah?

Originally, I listened to a beta reader, who didn’t give the best advice. I changed one thing near the middle of the story which changed everything that happened through the rest of the book. So, I rewrote half the book to accommodate an incident they had convinced me needed to happen, changing everything that happens in the rest of the book. I believe that revision was a mistake. I liked the original story line and ending much better.

When I thought of making Delilah Book 1 in the series, and featuring historical characters, I decided to go back to my original story line because it offered a much larger role for Baby Doe, which had been cut in that original revision. Since I liked the original ending better, it wasn’t a hard decision, and I believe it was the right one. This is Delilah the way she is meant to be.

Do Westerns appeal mainly to Americans or is there a wider audience for that genre of book?

Obviously, Americans are more familiar with the American frontier, but I think it is still relatable, just as I can relate to a work by a British author, which might be set in places I am unfamiliar with. One main concept of the western is man vs. the land, or nature. I think this is something people can relate to no matter where you live.

I don’t know all the numbers for geography for my digital copies, and the print books have only been available in the U.S. through the Kickstarter, but should be available globally now that it has been released through the various distributors.

What’s next for Delilah?

When I decided not to renew my contract with my publisher and re-publish Delilah myself, I had rough outline for her second book done. The idea for the Women in the West series came while I was doing the revisions of the first book, when I realized that Sarah and Marta had stories to tell, too. We’ll see how well the first three books in the series do, but if I write the second half of Delilah’s story, she will accomplish what she set out to do in the first book, and go back to childhood home in San Luis. I won’t say more than that now, but if you want to know what happens to her, buy the other books, and then, I will have to write it.

About Delilah

Blurb

Delilah is a woman haunted by her past.

Her homecoming from prison quickly turns into a quest for vengeance when she is brutally raped and left for dead, and her fourteen-year-old ward is abducted. Sheer will and determination take this tough and gritty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest, Indians and outlaws to Leadville, Colorado.

Can the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado mining town work their way into Delilah’s heart, offering a chance for a future she thought she’d lost along with her innocence?

If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Delilah.

Purchase link: https://books2read.com/DelilahWIW

Giveaway

I’m giving away two digital copies, 

and one signed print copy

of

Delilah

Leave a comment to enter. 

Multiple entries are allowed, 

so leave a comment at each stop for more chances.

My review

The blurb for this book attracted me because I found the idea of as strong female main character in a Western novel intriguing and unusual. The author’s depiction of Delilah did not disappoint me and I enjoyed how her character developed from that of an angry young woman, recently released after a two-year stint in prison for murdering her abusive step-father, to a woman capable of standing up for the underdog, acting in line with her own ethics and morals and entering into a relationship with a caring and interesting man.

Despite her seemingly unjust jail term, Delilah has the good fortune to meet an older woman called Abby during her incarceration. Abbey is able to protect her from some of the worst possible eventualities in prison and also offers her a place to stay after her release. Abbey has hopes of a better life for her daughter, Sarah, so when Delilah decides to leave and return to her own ranch, Abbey convinces her to take Sarah with her.

Delilah’s return to her past life starts badly when she and Sarah are attacked and raped by two savage criminals while journeying to her previous home. Sarah is taken captive and Delilah is left for dead after the two men attempt to hang her. Delilah survives and sets off in search of Sarah in the hope that she can rescue her. She soon has the good luck to come across a family of Mormons who have become separated from their travel party and who are prepared to give her some much-needed food and other aid. In return, she helps the father repair their wagon so that the family can continue their journey. They suggest that Delilah travels with them, which she does until fate strikes again and redirects Delilah’s life again.

This book provided some interesting insights into life among the different types of people trying to eke out an existence on the Western front including Mormons, criminals, miners, and owners of bordellos. The reader is introduced to the Ute tribe of native Americans and learns a bit about their way of life and the conflict between the tribes and the white settlers.

The book is fast paced, and the climax is thrilling. The book has a satisfying ending that ties up most of the loose ends but leaves one open for the sequel.

Delilah will interest readers of Westerns as well as anyone who enjoys action packed adventures with a sprinkling of romance.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

Kaye Lynne Booth lives, works, and plays in the mountains of Colorado. With a dual emphasis M.F.A. in Creative Writing and an M.A. in Publishing, writing is more than a passion. It’s a way of life. She’s a multi-genre author, who finds inspiration from the nature around her, and her love of the old west, and other odd and quirky things which might surprise you.

Her latest release is the re-release of Delilah, as Book 1 in the Women in the West adventure series. She has short stories featured in the following anthologies: The Collapsar Directive (“If You’re Happy and You Know It”); Relationship Add Vice (“The Devil Made Her Do It”); Nightmareland (“The Haunting in Carol’s Woods”); Whispers of the Past (“The Woman in the Water”); Spirits of the West (“Don’t Eat the Pickled Eggs”); and Where Spirits Linger (“The People Upstairs”). Her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets, and her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, are both available in both digital and print editions at most of your favorite book distributors.

In addition, she keeps up her authors’ blog, Writing to be Read, where she posts reflections on her own writing, author interviews and book reviews, along with writing tips and inspirational posts from fellow writers. Kaye Lynne has also created her own very small publishing house in WordCrafter Press, and WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services, where she offers quality author services, such as publishing, editing, and book blog tours. She has served as a judge for the Western Writers of America and sitting on the editorial team for Western State Colorado University and WordFire Press for the Gilded Glass anthology and editing Weird Tales: The Best of the Early Years 1926-27, under Kevin J. Anderson & Jonathan Maberry.

In her spare time, she is bird watching, or gardening, or just soaking up some of that Colorado sunshine.

Find Kaye Lynne Booth

WordCrafter Services

Writing to be Read

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