ONCE UPON A GROOM by Karen Rose Smith

Need something to restore your belief in happy forever and evers?

Award-winning author Karen Rose Smith has just the thing with her latest release, ONCE UPON A GROOM. This is the second installment in her Reunion Brides series from Harlequin Special Edition, but is a stand alone book.

High school sweethearts Zack Decker and Jenny Farber discovered that even though they were in love, they wanted completely different lifestyles. Zack left for California to pursue a career as a movie director. Jenny stayed in Arizona training horses on the Decker ranch.

Zack returns to the ranch 15 years later when his father becomes sick. Forced to work with Jenny, he realizes his feelings for her haven’t changed despite the years. 

Jenny loves the life she leads, but can’t help but wonder what it would have been like with Zack. Their love has survived 15 years but is it strong enough to pull their two worlds together as one?

Author Karen Rose Smith has developed characters that tug on the heart strings and remind us love matters most of all. Her protagonists are fun-loving, caring and loyal with bits of stubborn mingled in their personalities.

ONCE UPON A GROOM is a delightful and easy read that will warm your heart while bringing a smile to your face.

Author Karen Rose Smith’s website is www.karenrosesmith.com

Once Upon A Groom by Karen Rose Smith, Reunion Brides Series, Harlequin Special Edition, @2011, ISBN: 978-0373656288, Paperback, 224 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book as part of the author’s virtual blog and it was sent to me in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

 

Author Karen Rose Smith: What Makes A Larger Than Life Hero

It’s my pleasure to welcome award-winning author Karen Rose Smith to Thoughts in Progress today as she makes a stop on her Pump Up Your Book Virtual Blog Tour with her latest release, ONCE UPON A GROOM.

Karen is the bestselling author of 75 published romances. Here’s a brief synopsis of ONCE UPON A GROOM: Zack and Jenny fell in love in high school. But Zack intended to escape the Rocky D while Jenny craved the roots she’d found on his parents’ ranch. With resentment and bitterness toward his father, blaming him for his mother’s death, Zack left for California to find a life as a movie director with wealth, fame and privilege. Now when he returns to Miners Bluff, his father isn’t the man he once was. And Jenny has a secret she has never divulged. 

As old fires reignite, Zack and Jenny fall in love all over again. A rescued horse becomes a bond that helps them revisit the good times in their past. Due to Jenny’s passion for the holidays and her insistence that they visit with friends, Zack begins to remember the meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Will their differences push them apart once more? Or is Jenny truly Zack’s Cinderella and he will be able to whisk her away into their happily-ever after?

Karen is here to talk about a ‘Larger Than Life Hero.'
 
My hero in ONCE UPON A GROOM was once the son of a rancher who had a gift for gentling horses. But then his dreams and ambition led him to a career as an Oscar-winning movie producer/director. Instead of videotaping horses, his talent led him to videotaping people. He is larger than life. He has several properties, lots of money and a lifestyle anyone would envy. But when he returns to the Rocky D and reunites with his high school sweetheart, he begins to look at life differently...he begins to appreciate everything he thought he left behind. 

What makes a hero?

When I consider a hero for one of my plot lines, I give him a painful background, a sexy appearance, confidence, a career he is passionate about and a heroine who can not only catch his eye, but keep it for a lifetime. The men I create are never perfect. They do have flaws. But I lay the groundwork for one character trait that never changes—these men are true blue. They are loyal, full of integrity and have always stepped up to protect and defend the people they care about. When they accept the vulnerability of loving, they become real heroes, steadfast husbands for the rest of their lives. 

My heroines are women I'd like to have as my best friends. And each becomes a friend as I write a book. But my heroes? I have to fall in love with them to make the romance work. I definitely fell hard for Zack Decker and I think readers will be able to tell! He's a larger than life hero because of his cowboy spirit and loyal heart. 

Karen, thanks for guest blogging today. Zack sounds like the perfect hero. Wishing you much success with ONCE UPON A GROOM.

Readers can visit Karen at her website @ http://www.karenrosesmith.com, follow her on Twitter @karenrosesmith and on Facebook (Karen Rose Smith author), and access her e-zine In Touch at karenrosesmith-ezine.blogspot.com for new releases and contests. 

If you’re a reader, what do you look for in heroes and heroines in books? If you’re a writer, what qualities do you give your heroes and heroines? Thanks so much for stopping by today.