What was the first Western historical novel you remember reading?

Julie Garwood’s FOR THE ROSES. I love that book! It was about ten years ago. I was unpublished at the time and trying my hand at various genres and as I read that book, I felt incredibly connected to the characters, the sense of humor, the setting. When I finished it, I tried my hand at a Western and discovered that writing in this genre came very naturally to my voice. It sold as my first book – THE DOCTOR’S HOMECOMING.

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

I try to appreciate the joy of writing each scene, one at a time - discovering secrets in the character, coming up with interesting dialogue, or a twist ending to the scene. That initial fun I have with each scene is what I enjoy most. Also, I love to get the finished product in the mail – the completed book once the packaging has been done.

Why do you think the cowboy of the Old West is so attractive to us romance readers?

That’s an easy one. I think the cowboys give us the opportunity to remember what it was like to have a code of honor, when life was simple and a man’s word meant something. I think of cowboys as the knights of the modern age. Chivalry, honor and hard work. 

Your books take place in Canada and Alaska—how was the western experience similar and different from the western experience in the continental U.S.?

There were a lot of similarities between Canada’s development and the United States’ – the rugged frontier, the Rocky Mountains, the independent and adventurous type of people who went West, the language, and many similar situations such as mail order brides. However, the U.S. had deputies and marshals whereas Canada had the Mounties (many of my books have Mounties as heroes). Canada was settled about 50 years later due to the much smaller population – Canada still remains about 10% of the population of the States. Both countries had an abundance of incredibly strong and spirited heroes! And women who wanted more freedom in their lives than they were accorded in the primmer Eastern cities

Tell us about your new book Alaskan Renegade.

It takes place with the backdrop of the Klondike Gold Rush, set on the Alaskan side in the coastal town of Skagway. The town nurse, Victoria Windhaven, embarks on a dangerous medical trip through the Alaskan wilderness, trying to reach a group of injured gold miners before the snow hits. She’s forced to take a bodyguard with her, but doesn’t like him – Brant MacQuaid. She knew him five years ago in St. Louis when he left her sister standing at the altar, and has never forgiven him.

The villain in the situation is a man Brant is secretly out to capture, a man who is in desperate need of medical help for his father at the same time as tormenting innocent people on the trail. There’s another character who travels with Brant and Victoria – a young medical student who has a crush on her and is scared to go near any patients himself because he’s so inexperienced. He adds a bit of comic relief to the situation. My past experience as a pediatric intensive care nurse came in handy during the writing!

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

Rachel McAdams would make a great Victoria! She’s very expressive and emotional. As for Brant, I’d love to see someone like Colin Farrell – an alpha guy who can protect his woman and handle any lecherous man who comes his way!

You recently finished post-graduate work in comedy script writing. How has that experience affected your novel writing?

The process has been incredibly fun. For the last three years, I’ve been dragging a good friend of mine around to comedy clubs, stand-up shows, and recently, the Toronto Film Festival to see the latest in the genre. We signed up for an acting class together, and I took two years of training at The Second City improv doing improv myself. Then of course, two years full time in comedy script writing.

I’ve always studied screenwriting techniques to apply to my novel writing – starting ten years ago – and have found the structure of three acts helpful in reducing a novel into manageable chunks of writing.

Specifically, comedy writing has helped me to introduce surprises to my writing, whether it just be a surprising turn of words, or a quirky part of a character. Not that my Westerns have gotten funnier – although there are humorous moments and scenes in my books – simply that I try to approach every dramatic scene from a fresh angle, and perhaps with a theme or character that’s never been seen before in a Western.

What are some of your favorite western romances by other authors?

There are so many! I’ve read a lot of the authors you’ve reviewed here on the site, and I thank you for keeping me updated on their books. I love all the Western writers on Petticoats and Pistols (www.petticoatsandpistols).  They write a wide variety of stories that I really enjoy – from edgy and gritty, to highly emotional family-centered dramas, to stories full of energy and humor. Other favorites – Westerns from Linda Lael Miller, Maggie Osborne, Julie Garwood.

So what is next for Kate Bridges?

Next spring and early summer I’ll have two more releases, the last two stories set in Alaska. One is an anthology of mail order bride stories that I’m very excited about, with fellow authors Jillian Hart and Carolyn Davidson (release date tba).  I’m also actively pursuing screenplays (romantic comedies and broad comedies) – so we’ll see where that takes me. Thank you for taking the time to ask me such great questions!