Linda Lael Miller author of novels set in the West of today and yesterday, is celebrating several exciting career milestones this year. 

With 70-some books to her credit, Linda is watching her modern-day McKettrick Men trilogy soar to the top of all the national bestseller lists, and the Romance Writers of America announced Linda as the recipient of their prestigious 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award. 

This summer, the western historical, The Man from Stone Creek, came out in paperback, and A Wanted Man followed a month later in hardcover. In the summer of 2008, the third book in the Stone Creek series, The Rustler, will be released. Twenty-four years after she sold her first novel, Linda Lael Miller, aka "The First Lady of the West," is having what anyone would call a stellar year. 

View the complete McKettrick Series Timeline here.

What was the first Western historical novel you remember reading? 

My goodness. It was probably a Zane Gray. I loved Jeanne Williams' books, especially A LADY BOUGHT WITH RIFLES.

When did you know you were hooked on Western historical novels?

This grew naturally out of a love for cowboys, and all things western. I grew up around cowboys, horses, cattle, etc. My head was filled with stories! Then, I fell in love with Little Joe Cartwright, and the die was cast.

You write in a variety of genres-mystery, suspense, contemporary westerns as well as western historical. Authors like Elizabeth Lowell, Joan Johnston and Linda Howard appear to have given up westerns in favor of other genres, but you are still writing them (and your fans are grateful for it!). What inspires you to keep writing western historicals? 

I love writing them, so that's the first reason. And I know my readers like westerns, so that's part of it, too.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy most-the research? creating the characters? developing the plot? providing the historical context? 

I think I enjoy the characters most. The story grows from there. For instance, with Sam O'Ballivan, of "The Man from Stone Creek," I saw him in my mind first, knew what sort of man he was-stoic, not classically handsome, kind to animals and people down on their luck. He told me the story, and I wrote it down.

Where did you get the inspiration for the Stone Creek series? 

I didn't originally intend for this to be a series. I just wanted to write about Sam O'Ballivan, and the first thing I saw him doing was writing his initials, S.O.'B on a schoolhouse blackboard. I knew one of the kids would make a remark, and he'd say, "And you'd do well to remember it." When Rowdy Rhodes turned up, near the end of the story, with a lot of secrets and an obviously false name, I knew I had to write about him, too. Well, then, Rowdy had brothers, and I got to know them in A WANTED MAN, so I wrote about Wyatt in THE RUSTLER, and the younger brother, Gideon, will have a book, too. There are also three modern O'Ballivan/Stone Creek books in the works, all Silhouette Special Editions. You'll meet Brad O'Ballivan, a direct descendent of Sam and Maddie, in THE McKETTRICK WAY this December. (Also a Special Edition.) Yes, I've united the McKettrick and O'Ballivan families, and do the sparks ever fly.

Tell us about your new book, A Wanted Man. 

The story begins when Rowdy takes Sam O'Ballivan up on the offer to serve as marshal of Stone Creek. This is an irony for Rowdy, since he's actually wanted himself, and part of a family famous for robbing trains. He has a wonderful old dog, Pardner, and in the first scene, he's in one of those old-west bathhouses, he in one tub, Pardner, in the other. He soon meets up with a woman named Lark Morgan-and she has, incredibly, even more secrets than Rowdy! The story is action packed, with a lot of humor and drama, and the love scenes are hot.

If you were to choose two actors to play Rowdy and Lark , who would they be and why? 

Well, they're both unique individuals in my mind. I think Jenson Ackles, of TV's Supernatural, could do a fine job as Rowdy. He's got that smart-ass, crooked grin cowboy look that I love. As for Lark, I can't think of an actress to play her. She's Lark to me.

In A Wanted Man, there are so many great characters, but one of my favorites is Payton Yarboro, Rowdy's father. He's so richly drawn, I felt like I knew him. Neither all good nor all bad, he's simply a man trying to be better. The relationship between Rowdy and Payton is strained, but you still managed to convey the love they had for each other. Their moments together were some of the most poignant in the book. Can you tell us what or who inspired the character? 

Pappy I can definitely describe. He'd be a young Paul Newman, but Clint Eastwood would work, too. I wanted to show that people do the best they can at parenting, with what they have. I'm glad you liked Payton so much, because he is one of my all-time favorite characters.

Can you tell us a little about the next novel in the Stone Creek series, The Rustler?

THE RUSTLER stars Wyatt Yarbro, Rowdy's oldest brother. He's just gotten out of a Texas prison, and he gets mixed up with the wrong crowd, right away. At the pivotal moment, he decides to take his life in another direction, and the road leads to Stone Creek. Wyatt knows he wants Sarah, our heroine, right away, and sets out to woo her.

You are active in The Humane Society of the United States, particularly the Pets for Life program. Tell us about it. 

Pets for Life is a fabulous program, designed to keep dogs and cats and other pets out of shelters and in loving homes. Often, when someone adopts a pet, they are overwhelmed at first, and want to give up. 

WWW.PETSFORLIFE.ORG has a lot of wonderful pointers on how to solve problems like chewing furniture and stuff. They even have online courses, and live people to talk to. I love animals-I have 2 dogs, 2 cats and 5 horses myself, and when I heard about Pets for Life, I wanted to be part of it. Adopting an animal is a commitment-they are not disposable-and sometimes it takes some grit and backbone to hang in.

And finally, what are some of your favorite western romances by other authors?

I couldn't limit it to romances. I loved Larry McMurtry's LONESOME DOVE, BUFFALO GALS and TELEGRAPH DAYS, and there's a novel out called THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, by Ron Hansen, and it's beautifully written. (It's the basis for the new Brad Pitt movie that just came out.) I also loved Jeanne Williams' A LADY BOUGHT WITH RIFLES and her other books as well. I'm greatly pleased that western romances are being published again and look forward to reading them.

Thank you, Linda, for being in our spotlight! 

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