Looking Out The Window: Donna Schlachter Talks About Double Jeopardy, Her New Historical Romance. Gives Away An E-book.

A Warm Welcome to Donna Schlachter

Donna will give away an e-Book of Double Jeopardy. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.

Hi Donna, first, tell us a little about yourself. 

I live in Denver with husband Patrick. As a hybrid author, I write historical suspense under my own name, and contemporary suspense under my alter ego of Leeann Betts. I’ve been published more than 30 times in novellas and full-length novels. I am a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Writers on the Rock, Sisters In Crime, and Christian Authors Network; facilitate a critique group; and teach writing classes online and in person. I also ghostwrite, edit, and judge in writing contests. I love history and research, and travel extensively for both. I am represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management.

Were you an avid reader as a child? Is so, what did you read?

I was an avid reader. I’m the kid who rode her bike ten miles to the library, checked out ten books (the most they’d let me take at one time), ride home, and read all weekend long, running out of books about the time school started on Monday. At ten I was begging the librarian to let me read from the Adult section because the kids’ books were too short. I read anything with horses, animals (think Jack London).

Tell us about your latest book.

Set in 1880, Becky Campbell leaves her wealthy New York lifestyle in search of her father, only to learn he was murdered in the small town of Silver Valley, Colorado. Unable to return to her mother in humiliation and defeat, she determines to fulfill her father’s dream—to make the Double Jeopardy profitable.

Zeke Graumann, a local rancher, is faced with a hard decision regarding his land and his dream. After several years of poor weather and low cattle prices, he will either have to take on a job to help pay his overhead expenses, or sell his land. He hires on with this Easterner for two reasons: he can’t turn his back on a damsel in distress. And he needs the money.

Becky isn’t certain Zeke is all he claims to be, and after a series of accidents at her mine, wonders if he isn’t behind it, trying to get her to sell out so he can take over.

Zeke finds many of Becky’s qualities admirable and fears he’s losing his heart to her charms, but also recognizes she was never cut out to be a rancher’s wife.

Can Becky overcome her mistrust of Zeke, find her father’s killer, and turn her mine into a profitable venture—before her mother arrives in town, thinking she’s coming for her daughter’s wedding? And will Zeke be forced to give up his dream and lose his land in order to win Becky’s heart?

What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?

I love the rugged setting in southwest Colorado, and I hope readers will tell others that the story made them laugh and made them cry – in all the appropriate places, of course.

In three words describe your style of writing.

Lyrical, suspenseful, uplifting.

How do you get to know your characters?

I usually write a chapter or two that ends up on the cutting room floor.

What themes do you write about?

Stories of our second, and third, and fourth chance God.

Are you a plotter or a pantzer?

I am a plotter, because I am an organizer. And because I can’t stand that, “where am I going with this story?” panic that sets in when I face the blank page

Do you put yourself in your books?

(chuckle) All books are a little autobiographical, aren’t they? And, unfortunately for our family and friends, biographical, too. But people are really just people, and they’re much the same the world around, so just because it sounds like my Great Aunt Edna doesn’t mean I used that crazy story of her cooking the Thanksgiving turkey but forgetting to take it out of the plastic wrapping.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

As a hero of mine, Sir Winston Churchill, once said, “Never give up.” Write the story, no matter what anybody says. But also be willing to apply feedback, invest financially in your craft, and learn from the best.

What is the coolest, wackiest, most risk-taking thing you’ve ever done?

I sold everything and moved 2500 miles to marry a man I’d only talked to on the phone and through email.

We celebrated 20 years in July.

Congratulations on your 20 years and best wishes for many more!

 Bio: Donna is a Canadian by birth, an American by choice. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband Patrick. She pens historical suspense, while her alter-ego, Leeann Betts, writes contemporary suspense. Donna and Leeann have authored more than 25 published novels and novellas. She judges in several writing contests; ghostwrites; edits; facilitates a critique group; and teaches at writing conferences and in online forums.

Learn more about Donna 

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