Interview with Author Mary Jean Kelso

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Why did you start fiction writing and what genre(s) do you like to write?

In writing factual material there is no leeway. Facts are facts. I
like to move around more using fiction writing skills to do so. Although
much research goes into my novels, Poetic License can come into play.
I tend to mostly write Western novels. But, like life, there is
Mystery, Suspense, and Romance in them as well.

Why this/these genre(s)? What attracts you to them?

I'm sure my fascination with the Old West comes from having historical
ancestry. My Grandparents on both sides were early day homesteaders. My 2nd Great Grandparents moved to Texas when the Austin Colonies were formed. My 2nd Great Grandfather was killed at the Alamo. My 2nd Great Grandmother and the rest of the family were in The Runaway Scrape when the boy who would be my Great Grandfather was seven. Some ten years later he became a Texas Ranger. I grew up listening to family stories from my dad who was a cowboy before becoming a Southern Pacific Railroad worker.

Generally speaking, what is the driving force behind your characters?

Desire. They have to desire something whether it is a person or a resolution to a
problem. 

Have any of your characters changed in dramatic way from what you imagined at the start during the writing process?

Oh yes! They sometimes make their own way and refuse to be guided by the
keyboard and its operator.

What do you find the most difficult in finishing a story and approximately how long does it take for you to write a story? It can take me anywhere from 3 months to 2 years to write a novel. One took
close to 5 years as I could only work on it in between children's books I was
publishing. For me, the end of the story usually comes to me first. Then, I go to the beginning and see how I get to The End. It might be a backward way to write but, I found out long ago to do whatever works for me. Listening to those who tell you that you can't do something a certain way only fosters Writers' Block, in my opinion. The hardest part, for me, is having enough time to write all there is to write about.

Are there other types of writing you do such as non-fiction, or short fiction?

I have been a photojournalist for many years. I've written magazine articles for
slick magazines and features for local newspapers. I write adult and young adult
novels. Recently, I began illustrating some of my children's picture books.

Has your writing affected you in any way and what would you recommend to someone wanting to start writing fiction?

Writing is beneficial for me in the sense that it keeps me busy and not bored.
I think it helps the writer to cope with everyday life. I would tell someone who wants to write to do it. It doesn't matter if you do it differently. Follow your own inner voice. Don't expect to get rich writing. Few do. It is good for your mind, body, and self-worth -- much more important than money.

Mary Jean 

Opal's Faith

By Agnes Alexander
Historical Western Romance 364 pages
Cover art by Trisha FitzGerald

Nineteen-year-old Opal Barnett never dreamed that leaving her home in Memphis, Tennessee to settle on a ranch that her father had inherited near the little town of Wildweed, Arizona would bring such an unsettling change in life. Not only did she find a half-breed cousin, but she found she had to give up dreams of wearing beautiful gowns and dress in britches, ride a horse, round up cattle, and do many jobs required of a rancher. She never dreamed that the hired hand who was such a help to would become the object of her secret dreams. She knew she had to fight the impulse she had to touch him every time they were together because she didn't have time in her life for anything except helping her family.

Jace Renwick had one goal, to find the man who had murdered his father in a Colorado gold field ten years earlier. The fact that he was pushing thirty, time most men who wanted a family had settled down, didn't tempt him to give up the pursuit. Informed the culprit was in Arizona, he set out to track  him down and landed up at the Barnette ranch. Knowing this would be a good place to keep a low profile in his search, he volunteers to help George Barnett get the place up and running. But the auburn haired Opal was harder to ignore than he ever dreamed a woman would be.

Excerpt:

"Who is that man, Opal?" Her mother asked as soon as she was in the door.

"He said his name was Jace Renwick, not that that means anything to us. He wanted to water his horse and get a drink for himself."

Her mother frowned. "Is he going to leave as soon as he waters his horse?"

"He said he wanted to talk to Papa."

"Papa's in town," Pearl butted in.

"I know. Mr. Renwick said he'd wait for him at the barn. I didn't tell him that it would be a while before Papa came home."

Gloria glanced out the door. "It kind of makes me nervous with a strange man being here and your father gone."

"Maybe he'll get tired of waiting and leave, Mama." Opal hoped those words would waylay her mother's fears, but she didn't believe them as she said them. From her first impression of the man, she got the feeling that once Mr. Renwick set his mind to something, he'd see it through. She wasn't sure how she got this feeling. It was just there.
~ * ~

Though neither he nor his horse needed water, Jace had a drink, then led China to the trough for a few sips. Afterward he moved him to the corral and looped the reins over one of the standing posts. He removed the saddle and hung it over the fence where the rails weren't broken. He couldn't help noticing how rundown the place looked. He'd learned in town this morning that the owner had recently died and his greenhorn brother and his family had not only inherited the place, but had moved in the day before. He wasn't sure the family's trip from the east was worth the trouble to claim the inheritance. It would take a lot of backbreaking work to make this ranch turn a profit. Work he was sure a tenderfoot wasn't able to put in, even if he were willing.

But the people on this ranch weren't his problem. He had his own objective and these naïve people were unwittingly going to help him achieve it, though they didn't or wouldn't realize they were doing it.
Stepping inside the barn, not only to escape the extra warm spring day, but to look around, he was pleased to find the structure solid, with no signs of leakage from the roof or the walls. There were four stalls and the back doors would give access from both directions. He climbed the attached ladder to the loft and walked around. The boards were fine with the exception of one or two that needed nailing down.

Returning to the main floor, he went to the room which interested him the most. It was built on the right side of the barn before the stalls began. He pushed the door open and entered. He was surprised to find the room larger than he'd thought it would be.

As he did in other areas of the barn, he tested the walls for stability. They were as strong as the rest of the building. He walked to the window and looked out. There was an unobstructed view of the house and the approaching road.

Finding this to his liking, he muttered, "With a little cleaning and a bed built in the back wall, this will be ideal. Yep, for the next few months this will be my bedroom."