The Power of Romance Lifts the Spirit in this Debut Novel!

 “The Rancher’s Reunion” Combines Power with Sensitivity to Deliver Exceptional Reading Enjoyment!

I’d be tempted to say that “The Rancher’s Reunion” is better than a first novel has any right to be – except for the fact that the author, Tina Radcliffe, has won countless writing contests, regularly writes romances for “Women’s World” magazine and is one of the most creative bloggers on the internet.  

So while I knew this novel would be good, I didn’t expect “The Rancher’s Reunion” to exhibit such powerful writing!

What makes “The Rancher’s Reunion” so powerful? Consider how power is generated in nature. When cold Canadian air meets warm moist Gulf air over Oklahoma nature just explodes! The results are thunder storms and tornadoes.

This same type of thing happens in romance writing when two very strong opposing forces clash.

The First Force

The first force is the conflict keeping the hero and heroine apart. This conflict needs to be both credible and seemingly insurmountable. The problem with this, from the author’s point of view, is that the stronger the conflict, the harder it is to come up with a believable solution to it.

In “The Rancher’s Reunion” there are many conflicts keeping the hero and heroine apart.

The Second Force

The second force is generated when the author creates a hero and heroine so sympathetically that the reader becomes strongly motivated to root for them to overcome their difficulties and get together. In "The Rancher's Reunion" the hero and heroine are worthy people who really deserve happiness. They are perfect for each other: except! There is a problem. There is conflict.

In “The Rancher’s Reunion” both the hero, Will Sullivan, and heroine, Annie Harris, are worthy people who deserve happiness. 

The Fully Invested Reader

When these two powerful forces are in play, the reader becomes fully invested in seeing the conflict resolved successfully.


The “One-Two” Punch


This ‘one-two’ punch is especially powerful. Many romance stories don’t try to do this. Often the conflict is mild – even just a misunderstanding. Sometimes the hero and heroine just aren’t that sympathetically drawn. While these less powerfully written novels can be perfectly delightful romances, really powerfully writing, like found in “The Rancher’s Reunion” is uncommon.

About the Story

In “The Rancher’s Reunion” the hero, Will Sullivan, has very good reasons for never wanting to get married. In an important sense, the reader may not even want the heroine, Annie Harris, to marry this hero. It’s a real question. There are even ethical considerations that you don’t find in the typical romance.


Credible Conflict

The conflict keeping the Will and Annie apart is very real and it has great credibility because the author is an RN who utilizes her detailed medical knowledge to create a heart wrenching dilemma. These details are very important.


Power Requires Attention to Details

Writing with power is like working with water under pressure. Evan a small leak can cause major problems. It is very important for an author working in a high powered situation to get all her facts and details right. In an easy-going story getting small details wrong may not be a big deal; but when the whole emphasis is on the seemingly insurmountable conflict keeping the hero and heroine apart, any mistake will be magnified. It may even make the reader think the author is cheating.


“The Rancher’s Reunion” & Authentic Details


St. Francis Hospital

 Much of the story takes place in Tulsa where I have lived for over 30 years. All the facts are spot-on. From getting off the plane at Tulsa International Airport, to driving to Woodland Hills mall, to entering St. Francis hospital, everything is depicted the way it really is. While I am not a medical expert, I have had my share of major operations at St. Francis Hospital, and I can say that all the medical situations accorded with my experiences.

Tulsa International Airport

 
A Really Heroic Heroine
 
Annie Harris is a wonderful person who is just back from Africa where she was injured in a terrorist attack while serving as a missionary nurse. Annie loves Will but she grew up in the Sullivan family home pretty much as his ‘little sister’. Annie’s mother abandoned her at the ranch for her own good.

While Annie is now grown, Will still sees her as his 'little sister'. Adding to this problem is the fact that there is a ten year age difference between Annie and Will. More importantly, there is a devastating medical secret that is keeping Will from considering marriage to anyone. Annie provides a solution in true heroic fashion.

Power Requires a Credible Solution!
“The Rancher’s Reunion” is a powerful story and as I was reading the book I kept wondering how the author was ever going to work this out?

Not What I Expected!
 
What happens in “The Rancher’s Reunion” is not what I expected! In fact, several times, when Annie and Will were having critical ‘talks’, I thought I knew what was going to happen next. But things didn’t happen that way! Not only was I surprised by the unexpected turns in “The Rancher’s Reunion”, so were the characters!

Did She Really Say That?

A few times, as I was reading, I said to myself, “That’s not what I expected Annie to say.” Then within a few lines, Will would say the same thing in the story! At one point Will says “This isn’t going the way I expected.”

And I thought, “Tell me about it!”

Usually I don’t talk to the characters in the book I am reading but “The Rancher’s Reunion” will do that to you. The author likes to be quirky and pull surprises on the reader. This works very well and it makes “The Rancher’s Reunion” so much fun to read.

Sequel Awarded Before Initial Release!

“The Rancher’s Reunion” is so well appreciated that the publisher ordered a second book, (“Oklahoma Reunion” for an October 2011 release!) even before the first book was released. The Sullivan Ranch even has its own web site already:

Tina Radcliffe is a very creative person. You can read her upcoming romance in the “Woman’s World” December 27th issue.

Please note: while “The Rancher’s Reunion” is a January release, you can buy it right now at the eHarlequin bookstore. You do not have to wait!

Lifting the Spirit with the Power of Romance!