The cowboy's lost family

Thanks for joining me today. I have USA Bestselling author, Roxanne Snopek with me to talk about her new book, The Cowboy’s Lost Family. 

Hello and congrats, Roxanne! What a beautiful cover. This is the first book in a new series. I have to say, I love the title and by reading the synopsis, I’m guessing it will be an emotional read. What can readers expect? 

​Roxanne:
This a dual timeline story, with the present-day narrative exploring a man’s search for his genetic roots and going through a huge identity crisis as a result. He meets a woman who’s dealing with family difficulties of a different kind and they both help and challenge each other to view themselves differently.

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The past narrative follows the story of the man’s birth mother and yes, it’s pretty emotional at spots! In writing her scenes, I drew heavily on my own experiences of being pregnant, anticipating the birth of this new life, feeling overwhelmed with love but also of panic, and inadequacy. Her story is heart-breaking and, while this is fiction, it’s unfortunately close to real life for many women. 
 
Charlene:
What sparked the idea for this book? 
 
Roxanne:
I’ve always been fascinated by the story behind the story. A thing happens. (In this case, a young, single woman becomes pregnant.) “Facts” circulate. Opinions are given. Reputations are built or destroyed. But life is always, always nuanced. In times and places where social norms are subject to rigid, shame-based oversight by a critical minority, women and girls who experience “out of wedlock” pregnancies are heavily censured. They might be denied the ability to make important decisions for themselves and are usually denied the opportunity to tell their stories. 
 
Now that technology has made DNA testing and genealogical research accessible to the average person, many families are discovering previously hidden secrets. Whether this creates fresh wounds or allows old wounds to heal, the truth is transformative. The story must be told…. In my book, at least!
 
Charlene:
Do you have a favourite scene or chapter in the book?

Roxanne:
The scene where the hero and heroine go out into the river hills on horseback was a delight to write. They find the remains of an old homestead, with a family burial plot and have a beautiful conversation about the meaning of history and connection, to family, to the land. To each other. They’re surrounded by the beauty of nature and recognize that they each share a yearning for something they’ve never quite been able to articulate. Until now. 😊
 
Charlene:
You are not only an author, but recently, you’ve earned your editor’s certification and work as a freelance editor. How has the writing process changed for you, or hasn’t it? 
 
Roxanne:
I wish I could say that my work no longer needs editing but alas, that is not so! The processes are still so different, in terms of what part of the brain they use. However, during revisions, I try to read my work like that of a client’s, and it does help me see where the holes are. 
 
Charlene:
What excites you about editing someone else’s work? 
 
Roxanne:
I love helping reveal an author’s unique voice, identifying those things they do that nobody else can do, and bringing that out. I also love showing them ways to make those punching turning point moments more powerful. Often, it only takes a bit of rephrasing, or moving a few words around, to suddenly bring a passage to life. 
 
Okay. Now for some fun facts:
 
What are you reading? 
 
THE GIVER OF STARS, by Jojo Moyes. It’s amazing. I can’t wait to go to bed so I can read it! I also have it on audio so that when my eyes are too tired, I can listen. I love switching back and forth. Before that, I read THE MAID’S DIARY by Loreth Ann White. It’s just great. I can’t say enough. It’s no coincidence that both these books feature strong women faced with extraordinary hardships. 
 
Sweet tooth or salty? 
 
Salty. Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Truffle and Sea Salt potato chips, to be exact. 😊
 
Morning or Night person? 
 
Haha, I like to go to bed early and get up late, lol! Actually, my husband was away for a week recently, so I had to take over the morning dog-walking routine (which I always used to do, before he retired!) I was reminded of how much I enjoy being outside first thing in the morning. My best reading time is at night when the world is quiet and dark, so while I go to bed around 9:30, I don’t sleep until closer to 11.
 
Paperback or ebook? 
 
I still buy physical books, but my e-reader is so much more convenient in bed, most of my reading is on e-books.
 
When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing? 
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I like puttering in my garden, swimming with the grandkids, baking sourdough, training the poodle to do higher math, enjoying happy hour with neighbors. Pretty boring, mostly, lol! But get out a karaoke machine and watch out! (It’s so much fun, the dog howls along!)

To find out more about Roxanne, you can visit her website:
https://www.roxannesnopek.ca/