Right now I am proofreading the conversions of my Savage Destiny books for Amazon. They will soon be available as e-books, and those of you who would like a “forever” copy of these books will be able to download them and save them to your Kindles or PC e-readers. I am so happy these books, the first of which is almost 30 years old, will again be available to everyone, especially new, younger readers who have never read them. Ladies and gentlemen, if you aren’t familiar with true action-packed western historical romance with a hero to die for, read SAVAGE DESTINY! In spite of how long ago they were written and published, they have never stopped selling. And after a total of 57 published novels, I still find them the best books I ever wrote, packed with real history about Colorado and the Cheyenne Indians, filled with endless action, and probably the best love story I ever penned, other than, perhaps, OUTLAW HEARTS, my other favorite story. But that is a single book, whereas SAVAGE DESTINY is 7 books total and covers about 50 years of history, staying with the basic couple, Zeke and Abbie Monroe, throughout the series. They meet on a wagon train west when Abbie is only 15 and the wagon train scout, Zeke, (best known as Cheyenne Zeke) is 25. Abbie hands Zeke a cup of coffee, their fingers touch, and pow! An epic love story is born, a story that epitomizes the ruggedness of the untamed land, the immense challenges to the pioneers, the lawless atmosphere, the wild and rapid way in which America was settled, and the traumatic affect opening the West had on the Native Americans, especially (in my story) the Cheyenne.
I honestly do not intend to brag here. I am just stating a fact that as I proofread my own stories – and I can’t put them down! I am reading the books back to back and have hardly taken a break. I am not embarrassed to say that I am in love all over again with Zeke Monroe. I’d nearly forgotten what a provocative, masculine, handsome, rugged hero he is – and Abbie is the perfect strong, devoted, patient woman at his side, a woman who understands Zeke like few others do. I am learning a lot about Zeke that I never saw when I wrote these books – that in spite of his virile demeanor and his ability to fight and survive and the fact that he has no fear – Zeke Monroe is quite vulnerable when it comes to Abbie. He will do anything for her, and throughout their years together he lives with the constant fear that Abbie will suffer for being married to a half-breed, something that in the 1800’s was considered by many whites to be more deplorable than a white woman marrying a black man or a full-blood Indian. A tragedy Zeke experienced before meeting Abbie made him vow never to be close to or to marry another white woman, but there is something about Abbie that keeps drawing Zeke back into her arms and finally convinces him he can’t live without her. Throughout their life together he protects here with a fierceness seldom found in any human. He truly cherishes this woman, and I think that is what comes out in these books that draws women to Zeke – the fact that this man cherishes his wife. Cherish is a term we seldom hear today, let alone experience emotionally.
Men, too, love these stories, mainly because of the rugged bravery of Zeke Monroe, the real history, and the almost non-stop action. The books follow Zeke and Abbie from that first meeting through nearly 50 years of the settling of Colorado, through tragedy and triumph that includes not only them but also their children and grandchildren, who all follow his and her unique story in how history and their heritage affect their lives. There are numerous side-character stories in these novels, and all these characters affect Zeke and Abbie - and history itself – in one way or another.
I noticed as I read each story that the writing itself gets a little better with each one, as though I was learning as I went along, which is exactly what was happening. The writing in Book #1 could have been better, I’ll admit; but the story is so damn good that apparently most readers of this series hardly noticed. All I’ve ever heard from them is that these are the best books they ever read and the best love story they have ever experienced; and most want to know if these characters really lived. To me, when readers ask something like that, I’ve done a good job.
I now remember why I wrote these books with such passion – I was in love with Zeke Monroe and the whole family, and I didn’t want to leave them! I had absolutely no outline for these stories. They just poured out of me. And I think the reason they turned out so good and continue to sell is because of the passion that went into each story. My favorite way to write is to simply create the characters, put them into a particular time period time period/historical events, and then just turn them loose and see what happens. The story unfolds all by itself.
I am proud of SAVAGE DESTINY, and I hope those of you who have never read it will download each book to your e-readers and just ENJOY!
Rosanne
