Gini Rifkin touched on the gift or reading, and the scourge of human trafficking in her novel
The author’s historical romance
“Undercover Outlaw” takes place in 1888, but the pervasiveness of human
trafficking moved her to include a hotline number
Gini Rifkin writes stories of romance and adventure in settings that include the American West, medieval and Victorian England, and contemporary thriller and fantasy. When not writing, she cares for a menagerie of abandoned animals including ducks, goats, donkeys, and cats. Born in Illinois, she moved to Colorado and met her husband, Gary, and they shared their lives for 30 years, until he passed away. A little bit of him lives on in every hero she creates.
SunLit: Tell us this
book’s backstory. What inspired you to write it? Where did the story/theme
originate?
Gini Rifkin: Using
historical romance, I wanted to stress how being able to read can change a
person’s ability to control their fate. Set in 1888, my heroine was brave
enough to escape her terrible living situation, but if she didn’t know how to
read her prospects of making a decent future for herself would have been slim
to none.
I also wanted to show her
growth by having her pay forward this beautiful gift of learning to read. Her
students are the local prostitutes. Nearly all of these women have other
skills, but they can’t read or write so are reduced to surviving the best way
they can.
If my hero was going to find out what really happened to his brother in Prairie Ridge, a corrupt town where one man made the rules, he would need to infiltrate the outlaws employed by the tyrant. He also discovers his “boss” is human trafficking men and women, keeping them sedated with peyote.
This egregious crime is
still happening in towns closer than you might think, and though not a large
part of the story, I wanted to touch on the situation and offer a hotline in
the back of the book.
On the romantic spectrum,
I thought a case of mistaken identity based upon a hatbox, and an undercover
outlaw being forced to kidnap a not-to- be-messed-with female, would be a great
way for the hero and heroine to meet.
SunLit: Place this
excerpt in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole? Why did you
select it?
Rifkin: In
search of evidence as to who killed his brother, Jess takes a job at the
bordello to investigate the nefarious man who runs the saloon and the town. The
heroine, Trinity, has been teaching the ladies of the evening who live there
how to read. As Trinity and Jesse begin to trust one another, they can no
longer deny the emotions building between them. Mary June and the other girls
dress Trinity in a provocative costume and arrange for her and Jesse to experience
a night to remember. Fate has other plans.
SunLit: Tell us about
creating this book. What influences and/or experiences informed the project
before you actually sat down to write?
Rifkin: When
the name Trinity Tuesday came to me, I knew I needed a female character as
strong and quirky as the name. Then the title “Undercover Outlaw” suggested a
hero who was willing to become the last thing he respected. Living in Colorado
gave me a feel for the scenery and setting.
SunLit: Once you began
writing, did the story take you in any unexpected directions? If so, how would
you describe dealing with a narrative that seems to have a mind of its own?
Rifkin: Twists
and turns are usually appreciated, although they can require rewriting and
resequencing, which can be frustrating. I find they generally make the story
more interesting, so if you are going to follow where they lead, you just have
to do whatever it takes to make your story stronger and the best it can
be.
SunLit: What were the
biggest challenges you faced, or surprises you encountered in completing this
book?
Rifkin: The
heroine forming a friendship with the ladies of the evening became more
in-depth than anticipated, and the local newspaperman being a match for Etta,
the older woman who taught Trinity to read, was a sweet surprise.
SunLit: Walk us through your writing process: Where and how do you write?
Rifkin: I
try to be a plotter and have at least a decent outline. Key word here is “
try.” Then there are ideas that organically occur that I can’t help but
incorporate. For me, writing means rewriting, multiple times, like layers of
paint on canvas until the final picture is done.
I write in a ground level
room offering no great view, but it keeps me focused. When I’m stuck or tired,
I go to the barn and let the animals work their magic.
SunLit: How do you
integrate working on books with your everyday life?
Rifkin: While
finishing this book and letting the next one percolate, I felt the desire to
try something new to fill my break time away from the computer — something fun
that would still allow me to plot and dream about my writing. After taking
several hours of lessons at the local yarn shop, I began weaving with a rigid
heddle loom.
This led to trying to
spin yarn from my bags full of Angora goat hair. Still having a bit of a
struggle with the carding and drop spindle, but I am thoroughly enjoying the
loom. Now I can spin more than just stories and weave new tales as well as
scarves and tea towels.
SunLit: Tell us about
your next project.
Break Heart Canyon
Rifkin: My
next sweet historical romance, “Break Heart Canyon” released in September 2022.
The story is set again in Colorado, 1878. That was the year the total eclipse
helped put Colorado on the map socially and scientifically, rather than just
being known as a gold/silver mining area.
Also, after the discovery
of dinosaur bones in Como, Wyoming, and Garden City, Colorado, the Bone Wars
began. Universities as well as private individuals resorted to all manner of
underhanded tactics to secure the best specimens.
The hero is hired to
unearth a Native American breast plate containing dinosaur bones. The land upon
which the artifact is buried belongs to a widowed Scottish immigrant who raises
goats. She has her own war to worry about when the local cattlemen try to run
her off.
For a bit of humor, add
in two donkeys, Wallace and The Countess. Then for myth and mystery, there is
the legend of Break Heart Canyon, and an old unsolved murder. I like to wrap my
romances around historical information, but I’m open to “what ifs” and
stretching one’s mind on many levels.
A heartwarming Medieval Christmas story.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Gini-Rifkin-Author/100001680213365
Amazon author https://amzn.to/2R53KA9
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/ginirifkin/pins/
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2xPs9S4
AudioBooks https://adbl.co/2OlWbGJ
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