Guest blogger: Rosanne Bittner

Hello to Books-n-Kisses from author Rosanne Bittner!  I am so happy that you asked about my books!  I have been writing for 30 years and have had 57 books published, all involving historical America!  This month (July 2012)I am celebrating the reissue by Sourcebooks of my novel THUNDER ON THE PLAINS for their Casablanca line. THUNDER is a captivating love story with a “to die for” hero and a heroine of amazing courage and determination, all set against the true history of the building of America’s first trans-continental railroad. Be sure to come to my virtual 4^th of July party at http://rosannebittnerbookparty.blogspot.com/and enter a contest to win a free copy of THUNDER ON THE PLAINS as well as the grand prize of a Kindle Touch!

One of your questions was – have I always wanted to write?  I certainly have, although it took me until I was 34 years old to believe I could really write an entire novel.  In the 4^th grade I wrote my first little love story – Mr.and Mrs. Quack – about two ducks!  I also wrote poetry – tons and tons of it.  Sometimes I think I should put all of it together in a little book of poems.  Maybe I’ll try that.  I was the editor of our high school newsletter – editor of a house organ where I was once employed – and I took a correspondence course in creative writing over 40 years ago.

I have always been captivated by America’s history and read stories about nothing but pioneers and Indians.  When I read a book called A LANTERN IN HER HAND by Bess Streeter Aldrich – and then the wonderful saga THE PROUD BREED by Celeste de Blasis, I realized I had to try my hand at writing a novel.  After 9 tries, I finally sold my first book, SWEET PRAIRIE PASSION, which became the first book of what turned out to be a 7-book series (SAVAGE DESTINY) which after 30 years is still selling!

I try to write every day, and in the beginning when I was still working full time I often stayed at the computer (back then it was a typewriter!) until 2:00 a.m. and then get up by 5:00 a.m. to get my family off to work and school and myself to work.  I got little sleep but managed to make it through the many other challenges that came along – all because I loved what I was doing and I love telling “true” American history through my fictitious stories, full of romance and adventure.

Next spring book #58, a brand new book by Rosanne Bittner, will be published by Sourcebooks – PARADISE VALLEY.  I hope you will watch for it.  Just keep watching www.sourcebooks.comas well as my own web site www.rosannebittner.com for details!  And be sure to check out my blog at www.rosannebittner.blogspot.com. Thank you so much and enjoy your summer!