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What’s in My Idea Folder?

ByRobin Lee Hatcher
90 Comments
idea folder

My newest release is To Enchant a Lady’s Heart, a novella set in Victorian England that launches a new series, The British Are Coming. The books that follow will be full-length novels set in the Yellowstone area of Idaho and Wyoming. Here’s a little about the novella:

He has nothing to offer. She has everything to lose.

Despite the dishonorable circumstances of his own birth, Adam Faulkner has never begrudged his half-brother Sebastian’s legitimate position as the Viscount Willowthorpe. Having a title and everything that goes with it never mattered to Adam—until “everything” became the hand of Miss Eliza Southwick. Adam knows, as the stable manager at Hooke Manor, he shouldn’t hope to wed a well-born miss. After all, enchanting such a lady’s heart would take a true gentleman…something he is not.

Eliza Southwick loves horses more than society and doesn’t care a whit about status or titles. But her father has set his sights on the Viscount Willowthorpe for his future son-in-law and has brought his daughter to Hooke Manor in hopes of arranging a marriage contract. When a spark first kindled during a chance meeting between Eliza and Adam grows stronger, she doesn’t dare tell her father how she feels. He will disown her entirely if she fails to do his will, and the cost of following her heart has never seemed higher.

I am loving writing these stories in this series, and below you’ll see one of the reasons why. I’ve had the idea for them for years. But they aren’t the only ideas I’ve got simmering. Keep reading to see…

Other stories in that folder

A year and a half ago, I made the decision to become an independent author. I opted to take that route for a number of reasons, including that–as an indie–I could choose what to write and when to write it. While I have wonderful memories of the books I’ve written for my traditional publishers and the amazing editors I’ve worked with over many years, I was frustrated when I wanted to write a different genre or era and couldn’t.

To Enchant a Lady’s Heart launches a new historical romance series that I first proposed in 2010. In fact I sold the series (The British Are Coming) to a publisher who soon after decided they wanted me to switch to contemporary romance fiction. The series went back into my idea folder. But now I’m writing those stories and loving it.

But this current series wasn’t the only idea in my folder. Here are just a few that I found there.

Harp 🎶 is an historical romance set in Idaho in 1885. This idea came to me in 1996 when I was still writing for the general mass market. I was working on it (4100 words written) when the publisher closed the line I wrote for, and the book was suddenly orphaned. The idea was inspired by a poem called Mirage by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894).

In 1998, I went with my oldest daughter and her two kids (still little ones back then) to the Oregon coast to research Song 🌊, an historical romance set in 1899 in a lighthouse. I have 4400 words written of that story. It got set aside when I decided to write The Shepherd’s Voice 🐑 instead.

In 2004, I came up with a contemporary romance (Write 👩‍💻) about a burned out romance writer. Wonder what inspired that? 😉 The setting is in the mountains of Idaho (a favorite location for me to write about). I’ve written 7800 words.

Then there is Heaven ✝, a women’s fiction story set in the 1960s and 1970s in Wyoming and Montana. The idea came to me around 2003, but it wasn’t until 2009 that I did some brainstorming and began to work on it. I had 15,000 words written when I got my breast cancer diagnosis and life got a little wonky for a while. This book was set aside after that for another historical at my publisher’s request, and I just never got back to it. But I want to finish it one day.

So there you go. Just some of the ideas brewing in this head of mine.

~robin

This post was originally part of the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt.

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Her 95+ books have won multiple awards, including the RITA, the Christy, the Carol, the FHL Reader's Choice, and the National Reader's Choice Awards. Robin makes her home in Idaho.

90 Comments

  1. I always enjoy learning more about the authors, their writing process or current life events, and news about latest or upcoming releases.

  2. I enjoy learning about authors who are new to me as well as catching up on the news from the authors I already follow.

  4. Thank you so much! I love finding new authors and visiting old favorites in these scavenger hunts.

  7. I love reading about new and old authors and their books. And it doesn’t hurt you have a chance to win some books.

  15. I love these scavenger hunts because I get to see what all these authors new books are . There are some different authors every year! So many great books!

  16. I would love you too see you write more women’s fiction set during world War 2.

  17. I enjoy these scavenger hunts because I get to learn about newer authors to me and their books too!

  18. I love reading about authors who I might not necessarily follow otherwise! It’s a great way to discover new fiction!

  19. I love these scavenger hunts because I always discover an author that I never knew about! I also love reading the updates from authors that I enjoy reading.

  20. It’s fun to find the clues on each blog and I discover new authors and books.

  22. I always enjoy getting to know more about authors who I follow or read their books! It’s so fun to see what they are up to 🙂

    Thank you for participating in the scavenger hunt Robin & for the extra prizes you are offering!

  23. It’s fun getting to meet new authors as well as checking out the latest from current favorites. Thank you for the opportunity.

  24. These scavenger hunts are fun because we can learn about many authors and their new books. The chance to win a book is always a big incentive also. I enjoy reading your books.

  28. Thank you for this opportunity! This is my first scavenger hunt and I’m adding so many books to my TBR! I’m really looking forward to reading the books from your idea folder, especially Song🌊. I live in Oregon and love our lighthouses and everything about them! Can’t wait!

  34. Meeting new authors as well as seeing new books from authors i all ready read. Thank you

  35. I have not read much from this genre! Looking forward to checking it out! Thank you for being part of this giveaway!

  39. I enjoy “meeting” new-to-me authors, and seeing what some of my favorite authors have coming up.

  43. I’m enjoying meeting new authors and seeing new books that I would like to read!

  44. These scavenger hunts are fun because I learn about new books and new authors to add to my never ending TBR pile! Thank you for the opportunity!

  46. The things I enjoy most about the scavenger hunt is all the historical facts and stories, and finding new books to add to by TBR list.

  47. I like to read. This site will introduce me to new authors and books I have not seen before.

  48. Meeting new authors that I haven’t gotten to know and just really looking forward to another scavenger hunt since I haven’t done on in summer of 2020!

  49. A writer’s mind amazes me! I can’t believe you have that many works in progress that you can just come back to later. Thank you for sharing, I find the process fascinating.

  52. What I enjoy most about these scavenger hunts is getting to know new things about my favorite authors and finding new authors I may not have otherwise discovered.

  53. Love these scavenger hunts meeting meeting New Authors and learning about their wonderful books Thank You for the chance!

  54. I love this scavenger hunt because it’s so easy to follow and I am gaining valuable knowledge of new authors (to me) by reading the information on each blog.

  55. I enjoy learning about new authors and books as well as having a chance to win books.

  56. What I love most about these scavenger hunts is learning about all the novels I never knew about!

  57. I was a history major in college, so I really like the history that you have in your books.

  58. Its a fun way to learn about authors and find new books. Also great to enter for a chance to win some prizes.

  59. I love hearing behind- the – scenes information and discovering new authors and books! Thank you for participating!

  61. I enjoying meeting new authors and getting author updates during the scavenger hunt.

  62. What I like about these Scavenger Hunts is finding out about new books to add to my TBR List!

  63. Thank you, Robin!
    I’ve been a fan of your books for years, and I’m excited to read this new book. I’ve asked my library to purchase it!

  64. I enjoy Robin Lee Hatcher’s books and her emails and faith insights she shares. If you haven’t read her books, I highly recommend them. I most enjoy collecting the words on the scavenger hunts and seeing what each author has to share.

  65. These things are so fun! I enjoy giveaways even if I don’t get anything and it’s super cool to see new authors and start racking up the to-be-read list

  66. Who says that Christian books have to be boring! Not only is there biblical substance, but lots of intrigue and suspense

  67. I love participating in these scavenger hunts because it gives me a chance to learn of new authors and to discover books that I want to read.

  68. I love reading about the authors and their thoughts. I would love to read the book “Heaven” from your idea folder.

  69. Hopefully what I’m going to like most about this scavenger hunt is winning something amazing!

  70. I am having so much fun learning new things about authors I follow and also meeting some new authors. Reading is my passion in life!!

  71. I most enjoy meeting new authors and seeing new books. Thanks for being part of the Scavenger Hunts.

  72. I’ve never done an online scavenger hunt before. This is so fun, I’m meeting some many new authors!

  73. I love learning about behind-the-scenes details about stories from some of my favorite authors, as well as meeting new authors.

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