I asked MK McClintock to stop by and share a few tidbits that would interest my readers. Since I live on the east coast and she is way out west in Montana, it is refreshing to get into another writer's head. Let's start off with this:
I used to be a bit of a daredevil, which included participating in such crazy activities as skydiving and cliff jumping. I’m terrified of heights. When I was younger, I wanted to be a K-9 Cop.
Dearest Reader,
What
a beautiful time to be alive. I used to bemoan that I was born in what I
believed to be the wrong century. I truly thought—and still do—that I would
have done quite well in the 18th or 19th centuries. Yes, life was indeed
rougher and so unpredictable, but aren't they still? I suppose it is the
simplicity of life back then compared to how it is now. There's so much noise
everywhere that I constantly feel the need to escape the din. That's not always
easy, but for me, it is necessary. This is one reason why I choose to live
where I do. Montana is often a forgotten place with a somewhat sparse
population considering the land mass. The winters can be long and brutal with
barely a hint of sun, but I wouldn't change a thing about it.
When
the lakes, mountains, and parks empty of tourists, that's when I find true
solace. Without that solace, I could not write. I could not create.
As
Gloria E. Anzaldúa said, “Why am I compelled to write? . . . Because the
world I create in the writing compensates for what the real world does not give
me." This is also why I prefer to write historical fiction. Not
to say that I will never write a contemporary, but historicals feed my soul in
a way that a contemporary story never has.
My
newest work of historical fiction is A Home for Christmas, a collection
of three short stories, each one featuring a character who is in search of a
new home. That wasn't my intention when I began to write the stories, but a
home is exactly what they find. Their journeys may not be easy and their
stories may not have all began with sunshine and roses, but they each find
their own solace.
Whether you’re a writer inspired by the season and eager to write
your first or tenth book, or if you’re a reader looking to curl up by the fire
with a good story, may you each enjoy a season filled
with possibilities, hope, and the fulfillment of dreams.
-MK McClintock
MK
McCLINTOCK
Writing stories of love and adventure from another
time.
Bio
MK
McClintock spins tales of romance and adventure inspired by the heather-covered
hills of Scotland and the majestic mountains of home. With her heart deeply
rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, she lives and writes in
Montana.
-2014
RONE Award-Nominee for Alaina Claiborne
-Crowned
Heart for Excellence from InD'Tale Magazine for Blackwood Crossing and The
Montana Gallagher Collection
Contact & Connect
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| Glacier Park-October |
A Home for
Christmas
Short
Story Collection
By
MK McClintock
A
collection of three historical western short stories to inspire love and warm
the heart.
Praise for A Home for Christmas
"The cold nips at your face and delicious Christmas cake leaves you
wanting more."
- M. Ann
Roher, Author of "Mattie"
“If
you like the 1800's, like I do, you will love these stories!”
-Diane Holm, The
Reader’s Cove, Amazon Vine Reviewer
“I
really enjoyed these charming historical fictions CHRISTMAS MOUNTAIN, TETON
CHRISTMAS and LILY'S CHRISTMAS WISH! . . . Ms. McClintock is a very descriptive
writer, I could feel the surroundings!”
-Nicole Laverdure
CHRISTMAS
MOUNTAIN
In search of family she barely knows and adventure she's always wanted,
Katherine Donahue is saved from freezing on a winter night in the mountains of
Montana by August Hollister. Neither of them expected that what one woman had
in mind was a new beginning for them both.
TETON CHRISTMAS
Heartache and a thirst for adventure lead McKensie Stewart and her sister to
Wyoming after the death of their parents. With the help of a widowed aunt and a
charming horse breeder, McKensie discovers that hope is a cherished promise,
and there is no greater gift than love.
LILY'S CHRISTMAS WISH
Lily Malone has never had a real family or a real Christmas. This holiday
season, she might get both. From an orphanage in New York City to the rugged
mountains of Colorado, Lily sends out only one wish. But when the time comes,
can she give it up so someone else's wish can come true?
Settings: Montana, Colorado, Wyoming
Christmas Short Stories/Western
Book Links
Excerpts from A Home for Christmas
Copper Point,
Montana Territory—December 1879
"Alone now,
surrounded by a peace she rarely experienced, Katherine pet Crockett in front
of the hearth. The fire flickered, causing the flames’ shadows to dance over
the log walls. The scent of yeast drifted from the rising loaves of bread
waiting on the kitchen counter. Quiet surrounded Katherine and Crockett as they
enjoyed a few moments alone before the others woke."
-from CHRISTMAS
MOUNTAIN
_____________________________________________
Wickliffe,
Wyoming Territory—December 22, 1892
"The sun
shone from the brilliant blue sky, kissing her skin and brightening the
freckles scattered across her nose. McKensie Stewart closed her eyes, breathed in
the frosty air, and spread her arms wide. She stood on the side of the
snow-covered road where the stage coach had dropped them off and relished in
the wonderment. They had finally arrived in Wyoming."
-from TETON
CHRISTMAS
Look for the Wycliffe Hotel's
Famous Coffee Cake recipe at the end of the book.
_______________________________________________
Cotter’s Gulch,
Colorado—December 1868
Dear God. Please help me find a
family. Love, Lily.
The forged wheels whirred and ground against the iron rails as the small window
of the train car opened up to the vast landscape of the American West. Miss
Abbott told her the same stories over and over again, promising that a new life
waited. She wasn’t sorry to see the dingy city disappear four days ago, and she
hoped to never see it again. Those memories she wanted to leave far
behind."
-from LILY'S CHRISTMAS WISH
Book Giveaway
Enter to win one of 3 copies of
A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS:
Short Story Collection
1 print edition (US only) and 2 e-book editions
Giveaway ends 12/31/2014
