Where Did the Idea for Claiming Her Inheritance From?

Where do authors get their ideas?

I’ve heard that question more times than I can remember. Have you ever asked that of a writer you’ve met? What answers did you get?

For me, my ideas come from all areas of my life—my struggles, my joys, my experiences, my dreams. I also get ideas from God if I ask Him, and the majority of the time, I’m asking! Because in reality, I live a rather boring life.

Since my first novel, Claiming Her Inheritance, launches later this month—March 16 to be exact—I thought I’d share the evolution of the idea for the story. I can’t speak for other writers, but my ideas go through a lot of change from seed to fruition.

The idea first started because of an assignment I had for a writing class I was taking. I had to write a scene that conveyed emotion. I had no fiction story in the works, so I had to come up with a random scene for the assignment.

Somehow I imagined two characters who were opposites in lifestyle: a sophisticated woman who loved big city life, and a cattle rancher who loved the simplicity of life in the country. Each sought to purchase the same magazine company, Cattle and Cowboy.

The rancher can’t imagine this sophisticated woman running a magazine for cattle ranchers, so he issues a challenge for the woman to spend four weeks at his ranch doing the chores of a rancher. If she successfully completes her time there, he will step back from his bid to purchase the magazine.

Many years passed before I took that scene and began to mold it into a workable story.

The woman, Sally Clark, had to change.

I’m not the sophisticated type. And I don’t know any women who are the big city sophisticated type. How could I write about a personality I didn’t know from anywhere but the movies? Instead, Sally took on a lot of my own personality and experiences.

It took several iterations of the plot to mold the challenge and the characters. I developed a theme for the story, which also impacted the character personalities and the conflicts each one faced in the story.

I’m a cozy mystery buff in my reading and TV viewing. In trying out new authors to read, I discovered Sandra Balzo’s Maggie Thorsen Mystery Series. I loved her voice and style, the humor she liberally splashed on the pages.

As a writer, I rarely allowed my humorous side to drip into my writing. The bravest I got was an attempt at humor in my blog posts over at The Motivational Editor. After reading Balzo, I decided to give myself the freedom I needed in my own writing. A C.S. Lewis quote about writing the kinds of books we want to read broke the self-imposed chains I’d put on my writing.

Thus, Claiming Her Inheritance was birthed. I had a blast writing this book. And I hope readers have loads of fun reading it.

ABOUT CLAIMING HER INHERITANCE

A shooting, a stampede, a snakebite. But for this woman Marine veteran, bigger secrets hold greater sway.

Sally Clark has received an inheritance of a lifetime, but first she must spend four weeks on the family ranch in Montana. However, her boss refuses her the time off.

Discontent and disgruntled with her job, Sally quits and flies to Montana to claim the inheritance. Once there, she wonders whether she’ll survive to enjoy it.

Chase Reynolds is astounded that his father has willed one-third of their ranch to a total stranger. Who is this woman and what hold did she have over his dad?

What Sally and Chase discover is beyond their imagination and wields far greater consequences than the inheritance.

Claiming Her Inheritance has a touch of suspense, a touch of romance, and a whole lot of fun. Available for pre-order at CrossRiverMedia.com.