What Makes Dearest Darling Stand Out From Other Mail-Order Brides?

When Tara asked me what makes Dearest Darling different from other mail order bride stories, I had to think twice. In actual fact, I had never set out to write a 'mail order bride' story and, therefore, had never considered my novella as one. Then someone else commented to me, 'nice twist on the mail order bride theme,' and I realized that I had, indeed, written…a mail order bride story. Perhaps this wasn't at the forefront of my mind because what had spurned the story was, in fact, the idea of The Wild Rose Press' 'Love Letters' series. I loved that letter idea, and the first thing that came into my brain was: what if the love letter went to the wrong person?

Most mail order bride stories I've come across seem to deal with either the hero or the heroine not getting what they bargained for. My hero, Daniel Saunders, certainly doesn't get what he bargained for—he gets totally the wrong bride. That's plot twist number one. Without giving away any spoilers, there are at least four more unexpected twists to come. But what fascinates most readers of these stories is the fact that a woman would venture out into the unknown with the actual intent of marrying someone she had never met. Nowadays, we're pretty nervous and suspicious about doing online dating via something like Match or eHarmony. Things also move a lot faster in today's world; you can email back and forth, Skype to get to know the other person before ever agreeing to meet that person. Furthermore, these matches are made within a specified geographical area so that the two people can easily meet. In Dearest Darling, this venture into distant, uncharted territory is compounded because Emily Darling, the heroine, has never corresponded with the person to whom she is traveling with the intention of marriage; she has only ever read one letter of his, and that has touched her heart enough to give her the courage to go. Of course, to her it proved a more tempting fate than the one to which she was doomed by her overbearing brother, but even weighing up the odds, it's a pretty dang plucky thing to do.

So what about my hero? Visualize that the west is full of lonely single men, and good women, not soiled doves, are at a premium. Former soldiers who moved west for their next big escapade, men seeking wealth in silver or gold, men just seeking their fortune whatever way it would come, headed west as the frontier expanded. But unattached women? Perhaps the odd schoolmarm with a sense of adventure, the singular women who had some sort of profession or trade, but very few. So, there is Daniel Saunders, well educated and alone, not a person who would put an ad in a paper but someone who would write to the friend of an acquaintance. And then what happens?

Well, to find out more I'm afraid you're going to have to read the book.

***

Stuck in a life of servitude to her penny-pinching brother, Emily Darling longs for a more exciting existence. When a packet with travel tickets, meant for one Ethel Darton, accidentally lands on her doormat, Emily sees a chance for escape. Having turned down the dreary suitors that have come her way, is it possible a new existence also offers a different kind of man?

Daniel Saunders has carved out a life for himself in Wyoming—a life missing one thing: a wife. Having scrimped and saved to bring his mail-order bride from New York, he is outraged to find in her stead a runaway fraud. Even worse, the impostor is the sister of his old enemy.

But people are not always as they seem, and sometimes the heart knows more than the head.

***

Andrea Downing likes to say that when she decided to do a Masters Degree, she made the mistake of turning left out of New York, where she was born, instead of right to the west, and ended up in the UK. She eventually married there, raising a beautiful daughter and staying for longer than she cares to admit. Teaching, editing a poetry magazine, writing travel articles, and a short stint in Nigeria filled those years until in 2008 she returned to NYC. She now divides her time between the city and the shore, and often trades the canyons of New York for the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Family vacations are often out west and, to date, she and her daughter have been to some 20 ranches throughout the west. Loveland, her first book, was a finalist for Best American Historical at the 2013 RONE Awards. Lawless Love, a short story, part of The Wild Rose Press ‘Lawmen and Outlaws’ series, was a finalist for Best Historical Novella at the RONE Awards. Dearest Darling, a novella, is part of The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series, and comes out Oct. 8th and Dances of the Heart, another full length novel, comes out in the next few months.

Links to Social Media: WEBSITE AND BLOG: http://andreadowning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writerAndreaDowning

Twitter: @andidowning https://twitter.com/AndiDowning

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446229.Andrea_Downing

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AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Downing/e/B008MQ0NXS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Buy Links: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dearest-Darling-Letters-Andrea-Downing-ebook/dp/B00NGWT816

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=5842