MONDAY'S HERO -- Ethan from Miner in Petticoats

Current read: A Little Harmless Pleasure by Melissa Schroeder

I can't believe June is nearly over! This summer is going quickly. Please welcome Eppie winner Paty Jager, a good friend of mine. Paty writes western historical romances, a sub-genre that I love. Her latest, Miner in Petticoats, is available at The Wild Rose Press.

Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay, award winning author Paty Jager not only writes about the western lifestyle, she lives it. Jager and her husband of thirty years have raised four children, built a house, and now ranch 350 acres.

Jager began her writing career as a freelance reporter for local newspapers. Found RWA (Romance Writers of America) and after eight years of attending many conferences, workshops, and being a finalist in eight contests, she broke into the publishing industry with The Wild Rose Press. She credits the RWA organization for helping her work on her craft to become a published author and giving her the contacts necessary to build her career.

Welcome Paty! Tell us about Miner in Petticoats.

The plot for this book came about knowing who the hero was, Ethan Halsey, the oldest of five brothers who raised his younger siblings after their parents and youngest brother were murdered. It was instilled upon him from an early age as the oldest he must help provide for the family. So he is determined to make something of the mine their father started. To do this, he is establishing a stamp mill and has found the perfect place to set one up. Only problem is the widow who owns the land isn’t about to part with it or be bossed around by a man again. This book came about as two strong willed people believing they shouldn’t find happiness because of their pasts.

When I read this book, one of the things that intrigued me about Ethan was his inexperience with women. Seems it's usually the other way around in a romance, especially in an historical. Tell us about him.

Ethan Halsey is 6’6”, with broad shoulders that scrape door jambs when he walks through. Shaggy chestnut brown hair, kind brown eyes, soft voice that mesmerizes animals and small children until he gets mad, then his size and steel in his voice is something to be reckoned with. Having raised his brothers, he isn’t looking to raise a family or marry. He’s determined to make the mine a family legacy and earn the respect of his family and the community. He's strong-willed and cunning.

I love tall heroes, probably because I'm 5' 9" myself ;). Your heroine, Aileen, has been widowed twice and is wary of men. Why is Ethan attracted to her? And vice versa?

Ethan is drawn to Aileen by her she-bear attitude when it comes to her children, her tenacity to hold on to what is hers, her strength in adversity, and her business acumen. Of course her dark brown hair with red and copper woven through the tresses, her freckles, and her tall full figure as well as her lyrical Scottish accent help as well.

Aileen softens toward Ethan when her four-year-old daughter wraps him around her finger. And she enjoys their verbal duels. He is so large she fears him physically after having an abusive husband, but she learns he would never lift a hand against a woman or child. But he slowly pushes away her fears and enters her heart.

What inspired you to create Ethan?

Honestly, I’m not sure where Ethan came from other than how he was portrayed in the first two books and I spring boarded off that. There’s always a little bit of my husband in every hero only because he has qualities I admire in a man and add them to my heroes.

I hear that a lot. My husband contributes to all my heroes, as well. What's next for you?

I’m currently writing the fourth Halsey brother book, I’ve started a project with another writer about two sisters, I‘ve started a Christmas historical western novella, I have two completed ms out to agents and editors and I have a historical paranormal being reviewed by an editor.

I have the first two books of the Halsey series available--Marshal in Petticoats and Outlaw in Petticoats; a historical western-- Gambling on an Angel; and a contemporary western--Perfectly Good Nanny which received an EPPIE.

Readers can enter my monthly website contest or read excerpts and reviews for my books at http://www.patyjager.com or follow what’s happening in my life on my blog http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com.

Congratulations on the Eppie and your other successes! Now for the fun question -- what is the strangest, most surreal thing you’ve ever done?

Wow--strangest, most surreal thing I’ve ever done… Well it isn’t something that I did; it is something that happened to me. When I was fifteen we had an older gentleman, Louie, who was friends of the family who was a Little League and Babe Ruth umpire. When he umped tournaments in Walla Walla, WA, a two hour drive from where we lived in Wallowa County, he’d take my older brother or me along to drive him home afterwards because he was tired. One night when I drove Louie back, he was asleep in the passenger seat. I’m not sure where it came from but there was a fog across the road, and mind you, this was late June or early July in NE Oregon, and I saw a man walking slowly across the road in tattered clothes. I slammed on the brakes, throwing Louie forward. There was nothing in the road and the fog had dissipated. Louie asked me why I slammed on the brakes. I told him a deer was in the road. I still don’t know who or what I saw, but one day I’m sure my research for a story will reveal who that lost soul was walking in front of me.

Very interesting! I love stories like that. I hope your research helps you solve the mystery. Thank you for being here, Paty! And here's Ethan:

“I’m sorry it took something so drastic to get you moved in.” He placed a hand on her cheek and smoothed the worry lines beside her eye with his thumb. “But I’m glad you’re here. I’ll feel better.”

She turned and kissed his palm. “Thank ye fur comin’ tae ma rescue.” The warmth in her eyes and the moist spot where she kissed his palm sent need coursing through his body. He slid his hand to the back of her head and drew her up on her toes. The inviting smile on her pink lips aroused him even more.

He lowered his head and touched her petal soft mouth. Her lips parted and the tip of her tongue traced the seam of his mouth. He wasn’t sure what she asked, but he opened. The sensation of her soft, sweet tongue touching his nearly buckled his knees. He sagged against her, clutching her body against him, using her as a prop to hold him up. So there was more to kissing than just touching lips.

She rubbed against him, hardening his shaft even more and eliciting a moan. He pulled back unsure how far this would or should go. Cripes- there were children and his brothers lurking about somewhere.

The sultry look in her eyes and the smile curving her lips were his undoing. Ethan pulled her back into his arms, kissing her as she’d just kissed him. To taste a woman- this woman - was heady. If he’d known how kissing could jolt the body and how good a woman felt in his arms, he’d have courted a long time ago.