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Thursday, May 8, 2014

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR ADRIENNE DEWOLFE

Adrienne deWolfe makes a return visit to Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers today. Adrienne is a #1 best-selling author and the recipient of 48 writing accolades, including the Best Historical Romance of the Year Award.  Learn more about Adrienne and her books at her website. 

Bawdy Songs for a Sassy Siren:
Pistols and Petticoats

Schlock.  That’s what my high school English teacher called my best attempts at poetry when I was enrolled in his Creative Writing class.

But the joke’s on Mr. Snooty, ‘cause nowadays, I’m a bestselling author, who writes bawdy rhymes for her latest heroine: a wise-cracking, pistol-packing torch-singer, who headlines in Dodge City’s infamous Long Branch Saloon (1879.)  

I have to admit, I’m having a ball writing schlock.  (So go suck a lemon, Mr. Snooty.)

I’m not exactly sure where the inspiration for Sadie Michelson’s songs came from in my new novella, Shady Lady, which is featured in the Historical Western Romance Anthology, Pistols and Petticoats.  For decades, I’ve been terrified to write anything even remotely like poetry for public consumption, thanks to a certain harrowing writing class.
 
To make matters worse, I get knee-knocking scared whenever I have to sing.  In another of my high-school era tragedies, I stood in an auditorium, packed with students and parents, and forgot the lyrics to my Christmas solo.  (Did I mention I HATED high school?)

Needless to say, Sadie is nothing like me.  A red-headed siren with a rapid-fire wit, my lusty heroine isn’t intimidated by corrupt lawmen, drunken hecklers, raunchy gamblers, or sniveling high school teachers.  Sadie gave me the courage to write poetry again – even if some of it might raise a stodgy eyebrow: 

"Then came a Texas cowboy,
A downright orn'ry guy.
Bulgin' at the chaps, he was,
With notches on his fly ...”
(Lyrics from Shady Lady by Adrienne deWolfe)

Sadie sings the previous verse about her hotheaded, gun-slinging lover, whom rival bawds have nicknamed the Rebel Rutter.  (I’ll leave their reasoning to your imagination.)  William “Cass” Cassidy also sings bawdy songs.

But not all my lyrics are naughty. (Darn, huh?)  I penned two ballads and a love song, called Destiny, for Sadie to sing when she and Cass return in my upcoming Historical Western Romance, Devil in Texas (Book 4, Velvet Lies, Summer 2014.)  Here’s a sneak preview of Destiny:

Suns may rise, stars may fail.
Worlds collide; love prevails.
Through all time, you and me,
Heart to heart, destiny.
(Lyrics from Devil in Texas by Adrienne deWolfe)

So now you’re probably wondering:  Did I ever muster the courage to sing solos again?  Yes, I did!  Years and years later (in another state, under another name,) I appeared in a variety show.  Nobody booed.  (I’m pretty sure none of them were comatose!)

Pistols and Petticoats (A Historical Western Romance Anthology)
From bestselling authors Barbara Ankrum, Adrienne deWolfe and Sharon Ihle come three fresh novellas, featuring three firebrand ladies, each determined to make her mark while making her match. Adrienne’s contribution is:

Shady Lady - 26,000 word prequel to Devil in Texas (Velvet Lies, Book 4)
Fiery singing sensation, Sadie Michelson, thinks falling in love is bad for business—until William "Cass" Cassidy, a hotheaded gunslinger, sets his sights on wooing her. But when a Texas Ranger arrives in Dodge City to extradite Cass for a crime of passion, Sadie must use all her wits and wiles to lure the law from her man's trail. And that means risking everything—including Cass's love.

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7 comments:

PJ Sharon said...

Hi Adrienne! So glad to hear someone else is adding their vocal stylings to their e-books. I'm trying to do that with my upcoming release, but running into techno-difficulties. KDP doesn't allow audio files to be embedded in .mobi format, so I'm skirting around that by adding a link to my website that will lead to a password protected page which will house a link to the song. If you've come up with a better solution, I'd love to hear it.

Adrienne deWolfe said...

Wow! You're way more high-tech than I am, I think! :-) I never even thought of adding audible music to my songs for SHADY LADY! LOL! I think you're on to something, though! Let me know what you find out while you're sleuthing. Hugs!

Adrienne deWolfe said...

Hi, Lois! Thank you SO MUCH for hosting my novella, SHADY LADY (in the anthology, PISTOLS AND PETTICOATS) on your awesome blog! I look forward to chatting with your readers. Hugs!

Angela Adams said...

Thanks for the post...

Cindy Sample said...

Adrienne, I love your writing and these songs are terrific. I may hire you to come up with something for DYING FOR A DUDE (next in my series). My two most embarrassing high school moments were both band related - I walked into the goal post during a football game because I couldn't see it from behind my glockenspiel and I screwed up my one note solo on the chimes. I hit between the chimes and a resounding thwack went out to the 500 person audience. Ah, memories.

Sydney Jane Baily said...

Yup,that is quite a bawdy rhyme, all right. Keep 'em coming, Adrienne.

Jan Hudson said...

Loved your songs! In one of my early books, the heroine was a closet songwriter (as am I)and composed "Guadalupe Green" during the course of the story.

I always knew from the beginning that you were a sensational writer!