It’s already hump day, and that means another installment of Author Wednesday. I’m very excited today to welcome S.R. Mallery. I know her as Sarah, and I’m proud to say that not only have I had the privilege of working with her as an editor, but she has also become a dear friend in this sometimes isolated profession as an author and editor. She’s a gem, and she’s just published her first “Wild West” historical romance, The Dolan Girls.
From S.R. Mallery on writing The Dolan Girls
When an author keeps on writing one particular genre, people naturally assume his or her choice of reading material is undoubtedly in that same genre. I pen mostly historical fiction; ergo, my TBR pile must be filled with books of that same ilk.
No, not necessarily. Although I do read practically every fictional genre, I tend to gravitate toward mysteries, thrillers, and in some cases, romances. So why, you might ask, do I write historical fiction? Research. I love reading nonfiction books/articles about history and watching a myriad of documentaries and TV series about different time periods. And so, by writing historical fiction, I get to really learn about whatever era I’ve decided in which to place my story and characters.
I am also fascinated by older customs, cultures, and language. Just looking at photographs or pictures, watching films, or listening to the music of different epochs, instantly stimulates plots and motives in my brain, steering me on toward creating a complete story. Additionally, what I have ultimately discovered through this process is no matter the generation, no matter the geography, people and their emotions have never really changed.
Then, Forrest Gump-like, I like to insert my fictional characters into settings of real historical events, or alongside real historical figures, helping the reader envision what it must have been like to live way back when.
After publishing my first three books (Unexpected Gifts, Sewing Can Be Dangerous, and Tales To Count On), someone suggested I try my hand at writing a historical fiction Wild West romance. I had already tackled a couple of love scenes in my other books, and suddenly, I remembered how many westerns I had watched growing up. And how many crushes I had on the male actors who aided and abetted the blossoming of my prepubescent hormones!
So I started my ‘field-work.’ I quickly learned how the existence of madams and their whorehouses was as important as schoolmarms and their teachings; how the Wild West outlaw was often a direct result of the southern anger at losing the Civil War; how “the way out West” justified the poor man’s escape from a congested, restricted life to an open-aired one, and how Buffalo Bill was a true showman, treasuring the famous Annie Oakley. And rightfully so. Reading about her shooting accuracy, coupled with her pretty face and petite frame, captivated me.
I also discovered the sparseness of the new western towns cropping up was in direct contrast to the rich, colorful language used.
Here’s a TINY fraction of terms and phrases from the book, Cowboy Lingo, by Ramon F. Adams:
WORDS
“pill-rollers” or “saw-bones” = doctors “wisdom bringers” = teachers “Prairie wool” = grass
PHRASES
“they came skally-hootin’ into town”
“have about as much chance winnin’ as a grasshopper that hops on an anthill”
“had him settin’ on a damp cloud learnin’ to play a harp”
“handsome as an ace-full on Kings”
“put windows in his skull”
“big enough to hunt bears with a switch”
“he don’t know dung from wild honey”
“as prominent as a new saloon in a church district”
“showed up like a tin roof in a fog”
“as wise as a tree-full of owls”
“as useless as a twenty-two cartridge in an eight-gauge shotgun”
Now, after all this, how could I resist writing a Wild West romance? In the end, I had a total blast doing researching for The Dolan Girls and its sequel, which will take place during the late 1800s, set right smack in the middle of the infamous Johnson County Cattle War in Wyoming.
Yippee Ki-yay!!
Thanks, Sarah. And everyone else, watch for my thoughts on The Dolan Girls on Book Review Friday.
About S.R. Mallery: Let’s face it. S. R. Mallery is as eclectic as her characters. Starting out as a classical/pop singer/composer, she next explored the fast-paced world of advertising as a production artist while she simultaneously dipped her toe into the Zen biosphere as a calligrapher. Having started a family and wanting to work from the home, she moved on to having a long career as an award-winning quilt artist and an ESL/Reading instructor before settling on her true love––writing. Her short stories have been published in descant 2008, Snowy Egret, Transcendent Visions, The Storyteller, and Down In the Dirt. Her quilt articles have appeared in Quilt World and Traditional Quilt Works.
Links to S.R. Mallery’s Books
More on S.R. Mallery
Pinterest (I have some good history boards that are getting a lot of attention—history, vintage clothing, older films)
38 responses to “AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – S.R. MALLERY”
Looking forward to your review. I found it to be a great novel!
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Thanks, Christoph. Sarah is one of my favorite authors.
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And one of mine 😊
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Thank you so much, Christoph!! : xo
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My pleasure 😊
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Lovely to read the story behind the story. I enjoyed Sewing Can be Dangerous and Tales to Count On so am looking forward to this, which sounds very different.
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Mary, I know you’ll enjoy it. Sarah has a unique storytelling voice, no matter the genre.
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Thanks for commenting, Mary, and I am glad you enjoyed my other books! At least one of your books is nestled nicely onto my TBR pile
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What an interesting interview. Having read several of Sarah’s books, I know just how good she is.
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Thanks, David. She is.
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Thanks so much, David. You know how much I liked your Hyte Maneuver!! 🙂
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I read the Dolan Girls last month – thoroughly enjoyed it.
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It’s a fun romp! Thanks, Kerry.
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Thank you so much, Kerry. Am reading your latest ON LUCKY SHORES and really enjoying your fine prose style and equally fine storytelling!
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I’m so dang proud of both of you and your new releases that I’m doing a happy dance at my desk.
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Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Pat! Your lovely comments have given me the best kind of morning I could ever have…:)
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My pleasure, Sarah. You’re a tireless supporter of all your colleagues, so I’m happy to give a shout out about your work!
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Super article and as another historical aficionado, loved everything you had to say. Especially these phrases. Dang! What a hoot!!!
“big enough to hunt bears with a switch”
“as useless as a twenty-two cartridge in an eight-gauge shotgun”
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Such fun!
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Lauren, I know, right? My sequel will involve a lot more cowboys so I can get in even more of those kinds of phrases…lol
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Some of those phrases were flat out awesome! Loved it.
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When I started my research and looked at language used (I always want to try to be authentic in my dialogues), I LOL’ed big time! How colorful they all were…
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They are fun, Staci!
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I like historical fiction, but could never do the research. Kudos to authors like you who actually like turning research into fiction.
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Isn’t that the truth! I admire anyone who tackles it.
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Thanks for commenting, Darlene. To me, history is so fascinating, although I do have my preferred periods of time…I particularly love American history, but feel the French Revolution reads like an action movie, and the Kings and Queens of England are like soap operas!
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They are soap operas extraordinaire. I loved teaching Henry VIII and the subsequent Elizabethan history.
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Sounds wonderful! Good luck with it, Sarah, and always a pleasure to visit your lovely site, Pat 🙂
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Thank you, Fros. Love it when you stop by!
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Thanks for your lovely good wishes, Fros. Much appreciated….as always! 🙂
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Love Sarah’s writing and have The Dolan Girls in my to read list. And this has pushed it a bit closer to the top. Thanks so much!
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Great! You’ll have a frolicking good time .
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Much thanks, Olga! I certainly know about those huge TBR piles. Am grateful my Dolan Girls is heading closer to the top! 🙂
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Great stuff. Love that you research so well and really love the phrases of that time. 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Dale!
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[…] ← AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – S.R. MALLERY Feb 19 2016 […]
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Reblogged this on S.R. Mallery's AND HISTORY FOR ALL and commented:
Thank you, Pat Zick, for featuring me on your blog! It lets me share how wonderfully colorful western cowboy lingo truly is…
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Thanks for the reblog!
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