What was the first Western historical novel you remember reading?
Hondo by Louis L’Amour. I don’t know if Mr. L’Amour considered himself a romance writer, but Hondo is one of the best western romance novels I’ve ever read. Passion flames between Hondo Lane and Angie Lowe as they desperately create a ‘mock’ marriage to satisfy an Apache war chief. The story sizzles with tension and heat between these two main characters and adds a great love story to an already superb western action adventure.

What do you like about Western Romances versus other genres? I like the open landscape where survival depends on intelligence, ability and practical application of the law. I love exploring the women of that era, applying the limitations imposed on their gender, and demonstrating the many contributions females made toward settling the Old West.

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?
Character development is the part of storytelling I enjoy the most. From somewhere an idea emerges but nothing happens to it until/unless characters begin talking in my head and a scene begins to emerge.  For example, in Wolf’s Tender, I have an idea—what will a prim and proper school teacher say when a rough bounty hunter propositions her? When I know that answer, the characters begin defining themselves and the story of their relationship begins to evolve.  

Your novels are very sensual. Do you consider them erotica, erotic romances or simply romances and why?
My work seems to fall in both the romance and erotic romance categories. I don’t follow a formula and never begin a work with the intentions of writing heated sexual encounters.

My goal is to create a unique relationship and explore how two individuals progress from their first meeting into a state of being in love. What better way to know a personality than to see how lovers engage in physical intimacy? Is she shy, bold, defensive, cold? Is he brutal, crude, tender, or unselfish? The words I choose for my characters to think and say during erotic interludes helps delineate who they are.

I write stories of romantic love in which physical intimacy is a major component in forming bonds of trust. I include awareness, tension, and physical intimacy where it seems appropriate in the story.

Where do you get your story ideas?
Intimate Strangers is set in the mythical town of Eclipse, Texas in 1878. The characters in that book became so real to me, they invited further development. I wrote a scene in which my heroine, Lucy Quince, offers help to a woman with an abusive husband. What would happen to Jewel Rossiter? I had to know, so I wrote Breed True.

What are some of the benefits of working with an e-publisher?
I am very happy with ebook publishing for several reasons. Speed of production is a big factor. The trip from laptop, to submission, to contract, to release of a title, is reduced to months instead of years.

Also, ebook publishers seem to have great respect for writer creativity and a willingness to consider authors who explore new styles and topics. At the same time, ebook publishers provide stringent editorial staffs to assure that the books they produce are of the highest quality.

In the past, I think readers may have been under the impression that ebooks were all erotic in nature. On the contrary, I work in a world of talented authors who write everything from young adult, to paranormal horror, to sensual western romance. Because of this fantastic new way of delivering quality literature in a very economical fashion, it is a win-win situation for anyone who loves books, regardless of genre.

The whole internet explosion of chat rooms, social networking, and forums provides a personal setting for online discussions. Now readers can not only say, “I downloaded Gem’s book, Breed True, and read it last week.” They can add, and “I told her what I liked and didn’t like about it, when I talked to her last night.”

Tell us about your latest book, Breed True.
First I confess I struggled with this book for months and even deleted it once. At the urging of author friends, I resurrected it from the trash bin of my computer.  I had put my heroine in such a difficult position that working on her story made me angry.

Julie Fulton was an innocent girl who married the wrong man. Duh, don’t we all know somebody foolish in love who has been deceived?

To survive, she becomes a gambler’s shill, named Jewel Rossiter and she trusts no one. But she has a weakness—twin daughters who she loves more than she despises herself and what she has become. When the need arises to secure safety for her babies, she marries Grady Hawks, a stranger who offers her protection.

When I wrote this story, my focus was on the level of distrust an abused woman might have for males in general. The different heritage and cultures of the two main characters had very little bearing on the dynamics of the relationship as it unfolded in my mind.

After Breed True was released, several reviewers categorized it as an interracial romance. Of course, it is. But for me, the point of the different racial backgrounds was an examination of how alike we all are…‘a man is a man, for all that’ and ‘a mother from any culture will do extraordinary things to protect her young.’

If you were to choose two actors to play Jewel and Grady, who would they be and why?
Other people interpret my work differently than I do. It would be exciting to see which actors a producer or director might visualize as Grady and Jewel.

You have a new book coming out. Can you tell us about it?
Five Card Stud is a western erotic romance due to be published by Ellora’s Cave with a tentative release date of October 2010.  My hero is a womanizing bounty hunter named Sam McCallister. He meets his match in poker and in love when he sits in on a game of stud with lady gambler, Eden Pace. Before Sam knows what happens, she has his wallet, his gun, and his heart.

Sam describes himself as an illiterate savage, and Eden is a lady of refinement determined to bring justice to her husband’s murderer. What can these two possibly have in common?  Passion…

What do you think are some lessons we can learn from those who settled the West.
Courage, perseverance, and the willingness to be first in an adventure, even if it looks dangerous and we don’t have a guide.

A personal note from Gem~

I’d like to thank the publishers of Love Western Romances for inviting me to sit in the Author Spotlight this month. I treasure the readers who have found my work here.  It is truly an honor to be included among the talented authors who have graced these pages before me.