Bargain On The Prairie - An Interview With New Author Rhonda Eichman

Bargain On The Prairie by Rhonda R. Eichman

Dancing With Bear Publishng

Buy Here

Annette finds herself stranded on the prairie of the Kansas Territory. With her fiancé dead, she knows she will not be able to drive the covered wagon over the mountains until spring.

Alone and terrified, there is only one choice… Cole.

Cole knows he can help Annette survive but he doesn’t know if she can fit into the rough life living on a ranch requires. In spite of his doubts, he offers her a bargain in trade for food and shelter.

Can two independent people strike a bargain on the prairie and survive the Kansas winter together?

~ * ~

Today we welcome Rhonda R. Eichman, who just had her first book, Bargain On The Prairie published. Welcome Rhonda, please tell our readers a little about yourself.

I am a lifetime resident of Kansas and was educated at St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City. My husband, Ray, and I have two daughters and six grandchildren, and spend any free time we can manage with them in the Wichita area. We have farmland in Seward County and I garden there in the summer months. We hunt or do metal detecting in the fall and spring. We both enjoy being outdoors and spend countless hours four wheeling and walking on the prairie. Some places on the land are untouched where there are no poles or wires and no structures. I imagine what it was like back in the 1800’s, only sand plum bushes, buffalo grass, birds, snakes, deer, and coyotes. I have a great love for this prairie that I get to be part of.

This is your first published book, what have you learned about the publishing industry since you signed your contract?

With the publication of my first book, I learned I am a lousy editor and have much to do on a manuscript once I think it’s complete. I also figured out I can do what I must do on a deadline and hopefully the next book will be a smoother process. I also learned I need the eye of an editor to see what I don’t see in my manuscript. This is such an exhilarating process and I want to keep going on to the next book.

What has been the best part of being an author so far?

The best part of being an author is I can work from home or on the road. What freedom that is!

Tell us about your new release.

My new release, Bargain on the Prairie, is set in the mid 1800’s on the western side of the state just before the civil war. The heroine is Annette DeSelvaine, a strong willed and spoiled young woman from New Orleans. She is accustomed to luxury and slaves doing her bidding but decided she wants a different life than her mother’s and is willing to make changes.

When boy meets girl, they both learn what it takes to survive in a new territory. They face challenges from the weather, mountain lions, and getting their cattle to market. They also accept and give help to their neighbors who are facing the same challenges.

What kind of hero is Cole?

The hero, Cole, is also strong-willed but not spoiled. He is independent and a hard worker, but he knows he needs a wife to make the life he wants in the new territory. He’s accustomed to doing what he wants and giving orders to others, but Annette is not about to take orders from anyone.

Does your heroine, Annette, take after you? Or is she someone you wish you could be?

My heroine, Annette, is far removed from me. Maybe she is what I wished I’d been as a young woman; determined, independent, and willing to embark on adventure to get what she wants. She took into her own hands what she wanted out of life and went straight for it.

What inspired you to write Bargain On The Prairie?

I wanted to write a story that I would want to read. I have been a reader since I was eight and lived next to a library. I knew one day I would write stories.

What is it about your setting that’s important to you?

My setting on the Kansas prairie is important to me because I love the prairie and have lived on it my entire life. I spent time on my grandfather’s farm near Russell, and most of my relatives still live in the rural areas around that part of the state. We have farm land in Seward County and I spend a great deal of time on the land.

Learn more about Rhonda Eichman on her website here or visit her on:

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Instagram

Pinterest