External vs. Internal Conflict - Jannine Gallant

Today I have a special Guest - Jannine Gallant visiting about her new release, Bittersweet.  

First of all, I’d like to thank P.L. for having me on her wonderful blog today. She told me to talk about anything I wanted, so here goes.

What draws you to a book? Is it the setting or the characters or a combination of both? Honestly, I tend to get hooked on the bigger picture, the external conflict. I love books that keep me on the edge of my seat, wondering if the characters will survive the circumstances in which they find themselves. My romantic suspense books have great villains—stalkers and serial killers terrorizing the poor heroine. I choose settings with pizzazz—Lake Tahoe, the Redwood Forest, a cross country road trip… Sure my characters have emotional issues, internal conflicts, but overcoming the external problems is often more of a challenge. So why did I do a complete turnaround with my latest release, Bittersweet?

I have no idea, so let’s figure it out. For starters, this book is character driven rather than plot driven, and it’s my first foray into the historical romance genre. Bittersweet is set on a Colorado farm in 1880. Yes there are external problems—some of them major. The outlaw who killed Tess’s husband is still threatening the community. A dry summer may destroy their livelihood. But the core of the book is emotional. Tess is determined to provide a normal life for her infant daughter, and that means overcoming her grief at the loss of her husband and remarrying. Daniel loves his sister-in-law, but he remains fiercely loyal to his brother’s memory. A moral dilemma is at the heart of this story. The internal conflict actually creates an external conflict in the person of the new sheriff in town and his relationship with Tess.

So, back to my original question, what do you look for in a book?

Blurb:

Eight months after her husband is killed in a train robbery, Tess Moran knows she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and build a future for herself and her infant daughter. Daniel Moran’s love for Tess is bittersweet. Acting on his feelings for his sister-in-law will betray his dead brother’s memory. Watching her search for love elsewhere may very well destroy him.

In 1880, life in rural Colorado is filled with hard work and simple pleasures, but trouble looms on the horizon. Together Tess and Daniel battle drought and the outlaw who killed the man they both loved, but the greatest challenge of all is finding solace for their battered hearts.

Excerpt:

Daniel followed her across the kitchen. He stood beside her in the doorway, looking out at the star filled sky. “It’s late. I’ll walk you home.”

            “You don’t have to. Shadow is with me.”

            “I’ll walk you home,” he repeated.

            Only the scuff of his boots on the road and the sound of crickets broke the silence. Tess sighed.

            “Tired?”

            “Yes.”

            He cleared his throat. “Why did Nathan come to see you?”

            “He asked me to the dance at the Leightons’ barn raising.”

            Daniel kicked a rock in the path and swore softly.

She stood still. “You’re the one who said there can’t be anything between us.”

            “I know, but I’m only human. Did he stay long?”

            “No, why do you ask?”

            “I haven’t the right, I know. The way you looked with that wet chemise clinging to you—” His voice trailed off.

            Tess blushed and was glad of the darkness. She hurried toward home, unable to outdistance her thoughts. “A gentleman wouldn’t mention it.”

            “You were hysterical over Emily, and all I could think about was how beautiful you looked. I hated Nathan for seeing you that way.”

            She stopped a few yards from her back door. The light shining from the kitchen window illuminated his face. His misery was clear.

            “All it would take is one word from you, Daniel, just one word. Say it,” she pleaded.

            “I can’t.”

            She swallowed hard. “Then let me be happy with Nathan.”

            He turned away. “I’m sorry, Tess. I’ll leave you alone.”

            “Fine. Goodnight, Daniel.”  Turning, she ran into the house before he could see the tears on her cheeks.

You can find me at:

Website: http://www.janninegallant.com/

Personal Blog: http://janninegallant.blogspot.com/

Group Blog: http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/JannineGallant.Author

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Publisher Buy Link: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=964