Thursdays getting to know more about Lacy Williams, Birthday bash information

Please welcome back my friend and author Lacy Williams. Today shes talking about her new book The Homesteader's Sweetheart which had just been released. 

1. For any readers who haven't meet you before can you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure. I’m a mom to a two-year-old little girl and an eight-month-old little boy. My husband has to be one of the most patient men alive and is very supportive of my writing. We have three dogs (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels) and obviously a very busy life! I’ve dreamed of being a published writer since I was a little girl, and so far I’ve been blessed to have two novels published with Love Inspired Historical and another on the way.

2. Can you give us a brief blurb of The Homesteader's Sweetheart?

Homesteader Jonas White left Philadelphia with his infant daughter years ago after a scandal broke. Since then, he’s adopted seven more boys (mostly teenagers), because he knew how hard it was growing up on the streets and he wanted to make a home for them. The one thing he’s always been missing has been a wife—someone to love him. He needs money to pay for a medical treatment for his daughter and his only choice is to accept help from his neighbor’s granddaughter, Penny Castlerock. He quickly finds himself falling for Penny, but can’t believe someone like her (a wealthy socialite) would ever love someone like him.

3. Where did you come up with the idea for The Homesteader's Sweetheart?

I was researching something for another story and came across a photo of some street urchins in New York City from the late 1800s. They were dirty and by the looks on their faces you could tell they’d already had hard lives even though they were young. The idea of Jonas White was born from that photo—someone who was strong enough to survive the streets without becoming bitter. Someone whose compassionate heart was open to other children… but still carried hurts that leave him vulnerable (and that’s where the heroine comes in!).

4. How did you go about researching the story?

I’m a research junkie. I actually teach a class on using the internet to research at a local tech school. I had already researched part of the story (things like background and area of the country) when I wrote MARRYING MISS MARSHAL. Specific things that I had to research for this story were Breanna’s epilepsy and the treatment she would’ve received for it, and fancy clothing for Penny because she wouldn’t wear plain things since she came from a wealthy family. Oh, and I had to research how they would’ve treated a broken bone, because one of the adopted sons falls off a ladder and breaks his leg. Mostly, I used Google Books (love their Advanced Search feature!).

5. I love Jonas and his tribe. Was it fun writing the scenes with the children?

Oh, yeah. Those boys just got more ornery as I got further and further into the story. Actually, I had a hard time inventing pranks for them (I guess I’m too straight-laced—I should’ve just asked my brother). And actually, in the beginning, all of the boys liked Penny, but then I thought that made it too easy on her throughout the story, so I changed it so that a couple of them were suspicious of her motives. (Jenny here, I think you did good with the boys and not having them all like her is way more realistic knowing there backgrounds)

6. What message would you like readers to take from this story?

I’d like readers to know that love can overcome. In this book, Jonas and Penny’s love overcomes social boundaries and also helps them overcome some of the hard circumstances that they are faced with. I know in my own life, love has helped me when I’ve had to persevere through some tough things, and I think that is a message everyone can relate to.

7. Finally, what’s next for you, Lacy?

I have a book coming out in December, COUNTERFEIT COWBOY. It’s about a former con man who gets on a train and meets a beautiful young birdwatcher. He doesn’t have the purest motives in the beginning but he quickly finds himself falling for her—hard, and then realizes he isn’t the man he needs to be to win her heart. But of course she doesn’t let him get away that easily. :)  (Jenny again, I cant wait sounds exciting)

I’m also working on a proposal for a new book (not sold to my editor yet) featuring one of the sons from THE HOMESTEADER’S SWEETHEART. That one is already fun to write and I haven’t got that far into it yet. :) (me again, who that would be good to see a story for the boys.)

Thanks for hosting me!

I also want to make sure readers know about the Birthday Bash going on through the end of May. I’m giving away bonus scenes, free ebooks, and other goodies if readers purchase the book this month. Get full details at www.megamaybirthdaybash.com .