Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Wednesday Wonders: THE DRIFTER'S PROPOSAL

Western Cowboy Heroes tend to be the type of rough-and-tumble male who wrestle steers to the ground, rope and ride, and fix fence to blow off steam. So why write a hero who does forensic accounting?
Because that's who Malloy presented himself to be during the creative process... and because it fed into the conflict of the story. Malloy turned out to be both the perfect man to step up and help Adaline Whipple and her widowed mother hold onto their family's bakery, but also the man she'd be least-likely to allow to help. In other words, his career put him at immediate odds with the heroine. Instant conflict. And conflict = story.

"With all the publicity given to forensic accounting these days, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s a fairly recent aspect of the accounting profession, but evidence shows that it has actually been around for centuries. In fact, archaeological findings reveal that, as far back as 3300-3500 BC, the scribes of ancient Egypt, who were the accountants of their day, were involved in the prevention and detection of fraud." [source]
"In 1817, Forensic Accounting had its first day in court. An accountant was called to testify at a bankruptcy hearing. In 1824, a Scottish accountant advertised legal accounting expertise, but the term Forensic Accounting had not yet been coined." [source]
"In 1931, The IRS and FBI used accounting to convict mobster Al Capone. ... Due to the Capone case, the IRS actually produced an ad campaign boasting "Only an Accountant Could Catch Al Capone." [source]
"The term 'Forensic Accounting' was first used in 1946 by Maurice E. Peloubet, a partner in a New York accounting firm." [source]

Because The Drifter's Proposal is set forty-six years before the term entered the English language, I couldn't come right out and say Malloy was a specialist in Forensic Accounting. Not all western heroes must be quick draws and fight battles with brawn. Malloy proved himself the right man for the job-- not just in solving the mystery left behind by Adaline's deceased father, but protecting the heroine by working beside her, doing the heavy lifting with experience and brain-power. Oh, and he's tall, muscular, and lean, too. He does ranching on the side (so the bad guys would believe his cover story as to why he's poking around the Erickson ranch where someone's skimming money). But that's all backstory.

Snippet. Square. Drifter's Proposal
The Drifter's Proposal is book four in a currently five-book series of stand-alone novellas. The books are loosely related and may be read in any order or no order. Picking up this book first will in no way limit the reader's comprehension of the community and individual story. Each book in this series is the sweet (innocent) romance between a different couple in the (fictitious) community of Mountain Home, Colorado, 1880 to 1900 (so far). I drew the series name from the town: Holidays in Mountain Home.
This book is set mostly in Whipple Bakery, the family business owned by the heroine's family. Adaline Whipple knows something must be very wrong with the family business's books. A Denver banker shows up with proof of a mortgage, sixty days overdue, and she has very little time to solve the problem before her family finds themselves homeless.

Mountain Home, Colorado December, 1900
THE BAKER'S MAN IS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS...
A spinster is startled by an overdue mortgage and imminent eviction, mere days before Christmas. Dare she trust a drifter to fight at her side, and invite certain heartbreak when he moves on?
"Compelling. Heartwarming. Tender." ~Diane Darcy, USA Today Bestselling Author
This sweet (clean) romance is rated on the mild side of PG. Appropriate for All Audiences. 29,000 word Novella. 130 paperback pages.
This novella is also available within the Christmas Cowboy Anthology Silver Belles and Stetsons.
(10-book anthology with stories ranging from mild PG to PG-13/R)
Anthology is currently 99-cents (66% savings)

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Kristin Holt writes Sweet Victorian Romance set in the American West. She writes frequently about old west history and contributes monthly to Sweet Americana Sweethearts.
Kristin Holt

 Copyright © 2015 Kristin Holt, LC


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2 comments:

  1. Thank you, so very much, Robyn, for hosting me and The Drifter's Proposal today.
    Warm regards,
    Kristin Holt

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  2. You need to read this book! At first I was wondering would everyone be interested! Was I ever wrong. I think this book say a lot a bout our own lives and what a lot of men and women have gone through. There is a lot of truth in this story that can make you cry, I had tears! The drama and the wondering what next is a page turner! Enjoy!

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