Equine VIP Horses Digest, “Equine VIP Interviews Author Reid Lance Rosenthal”

Author Reid Lance Rosenthal took time to speak with Equine VIP during a whirlwind of press surrounding his 2nd book release “Maps of Fate”.

His first book “Threads West” has been compared to McMurtry’s
Lonesome Dove and to Michener’s Centennial by reviewers and readers. Threads West won eight National Awards including BEST Historical Fiction, BEST Romance and BEST Western to name a few. It’s easy to understand why the public is excited about his new book! Reid’s 2nd novel is the next episode of the epic series that tells the tale of multi-generational men and women from a diverse origin. Set in 1855, it’s the saga and adventure of an emerging nation and gripping tapestry and romance of personalities of the West.

YOU ARE A 4TH GENERATION LAND AND CATTLE RANCHER – WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO ADD BEST SELLING “AUTHOR”?
Horses are a big part of my life as a ranch owner. Sometimes when I disappear to write and promote my books, my horses wonder if I’ve forgotten them! At 9 years old I was already writing short stories, but it was much later while riding my horse “Tramp” when I sat down looking at the landscape around me and took my pen out. It was a magical moment.

YOU’VE BEEN TITLED A “COWBOY ROMANCE WRITER”. ISN’T THAT UNUSUAL?
It seems I’m in a class by myself! There are no other “cowboy” romance writers and very few males writing romance novels. The few male writers out there are writing under a female synonym. I write in the genres of “historic, western, romance” because I’m fascinated with the western landscape and its influence on generations of its settlers. Land is the source of many energies; the catalyst of greed and conflict, the backdrop of love and romance and the American spirit. Even an urban dweller can find a vista of a pounding sea and feel this energy.

ARE YOU SURPRIZED BY ALL THE ATTENTION AND AWARDS YOUR BOOKS ARE RECEIVING?
I just hope people like the books and get the message – that is what
makes me smile! I had to go sit by a creek for a while when Max McCoy
the author of 4 Indiana Jones, 18 other novels and screen writer for
Steven Spielberg’s “Into The West” asked me if he could write a review. I am honored, and I’ve been told the number of Awards my first book received hasn’t happened in 86 years.

MAPS OF FATE IS YOUR 2ND BOOK IN A SERIES – WHAT IS INVOLVED WITH EACH BOOK?
I love to write! Half of my time is spent on the ranch and horses,
and the other half is spent writing and researching. Pleasure equals work,and work equals pleasure. I try to balance both. However I spend about 95% of my time on a book before it’s released. When I sit down to write, the characters live in the pages of each book and take a journey of self exploration. I’m fascinated with American traits and values of the Old West and hope each story pulls at your heartstring with a universal message. Each book has a story that needs to be told. A touch stone to the past and guide to the future.

HAVE YOU BEEN APPROACHED BY HOLLYWOOD YET?
I’m in early discussions about a movie or mini-series. It’s hard for me not to get choked up watching the Youtube trailer for Threads West!

HOW CAN OUR READERS LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BOOKS?
http://www.ThreadsWest.com

Dr. Veronica Anderson of Wellness for the Real World interviews Reid Lance Rosenthal

Dr. Veronica Anderson of Wellness for the Real World interviews Reid Lance Rosenthal on his new book, “Threads West: An American Saga.” -- For more visit: http://www.ThreadsWest.com

The Old West Of America.... (Blog review)

The Old West of America was a lure for many in the 1800s. Freedom and rumors of gold created a frenzy of movement, wagon trains were the mode of travel, and danger lurked at every turn.

In Maps of Fate, a novel by Reid Lance Rosenthal, we follow the amazing journey of a group of young men and women who are dreaming their own dreams and experiencing their own drama as the rush to settle the West is in its infancy.

We met the characters in Book one of the Threads West series, where the introductions took us back to their homes across the seas and their very reason for being in America. As the story continues, we tail them into the West following the trail of the ancestors of many who have settled in the Midwest and Western part of this country. The romance is thrilling and the danger is exciting, yet the story captures your imagination as it creates a strong fear of the unknown.

As we follow Zeb, Reuben and Johannes and the women they love as they carve out a piece of history, we meet the natives and the outlaws, both with their own quests. Life on the trail and the rigors of traveling with a wagon train are brought to basic relief as the story continues to unfold. Danger within the group creates almost as much damage as the dangers they face from the outside on this epic journey. We being to hear the rumblings of dissent as the story furthers. News makes its way West through the writings and newspapers, hinting of a war brewing between the North and the South.

Hostility and rage drive some, while glory and choice drive the others. The creak of the leather and the rumble of the wheels create the sounds and sights that bring alive an exciting saga. You can actually smell the smells, and hear the sound of the wind as the trail takes you deeper into the unexplored territories. Rosenthal has surpassed his previous work and given us such a complex telling you feel as though each and every story is true. The horror and danger are real, yet the excitement and challenge are the edge that builds the heroes of the time.

The description of the characters is flawless, creating a feeling of knowing. You love them or hate them, but the feeling is real. The romance is fierce and gentle at the same time, but the savagery is just as abundant. The interaction of the group draws you in as you become immersed in their daily lives and begin to dream their dreams. Where you could only imagine what life at this time in history could be like, you now can begin to live it through the characterization of this wonderful group.

The story is exciting, the suspense is bold, and the period setting is sensational. You can smell the sage, and are startled with the unexpected sounds as you travel with the team. The sounds and sights are so real you begin to place yourself in the scenes, viewing the happenings as they occur, reeling with the danger and feeling the fear and adrenalin as you too take this journey.

If you love a great story and love history this is a fantastic work. If you enjoy romance, suspense, danger and action this would be a great book for your library. The work stands on its own, but the saga is certainly worth the read. The beginning sets the stage, but you can join up anywhere. Be prepared to become engaged, as Rosenthal sets the stage for another leg of this fascinating journey.

View the original article on blogcritics.org

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-Maps-of-Fate-Book-Two-by-Reid-Lance-3822177.php#ixzz24wljWDBr

"A Real Page Turner!" (Book Review)

"This book is a true page turner! Maps of Fate continues the epic tale of immigrants heading west in late 1850 America. The main characters are as colorful as the historical and geographic context and include among others aristocratic, working class, and military immigrants from Denmark, Germany, England, and Ireland, southern slaves, trappers, and Native Americans.

If you have ever left your home and had to recreate your life in an unfamiliar place, you will appreciate the challenges, tenacity, resourcefulness, strength, bravery, optimism, and spirit of adventure that shapes these immigrants as they head west across America. The romantic yet realistic description of characters and setting is so vivid it feels like you are making the journey with them. I can’t wait for the next one!"

~Kira (Barnes & Noble Review)

Where Water Turns Rock Red

I was busy writing (dictating) several chapters of Uncompahgre—where water turns rock red, the third novel of the Threads West, An American Saga series, the other day. I needed a break, some time to reflect on a particularly critical scene between several characters, and had a chore to do about a half-mile from ranch house. I decided to combine some outdoor time with pondering and manual productivity.

It struck me as I was putting a top rail back on a jack leg fence that a band of fleeing elk had dislodged, just how much I like writing this story and how thrilled I am that so many are getting such pleasure reading it. The awards and #1 best-selling (Romance, Western Romance, Historical Fiction, Western, and more) status of both Threads West, Book One and Maps of Fate,Book Two, have stunned and humbled me. I chuckled to myself as I recalled the incessant banter and prodding to get Book Two done from too many readers to count.

Well, Uncompahgre is rolling along the arc of the story. The characters whisper to me from their stage of conflict, passion, and the rugged lands American West. The plot is unfolding as I have envisioned it for decades and so far I am delighted with what’s getting down on paper. I hope you will be too. We are going to start publishing periodic excerpts from Book Three soon, and we are aiming for a November 2012 National release and Branding Day. So, keep your ears to the track!

My Office Remains Hopeless

As I dictate this I am wandering through the ranch house. I stop at my writing desk. Despite my best efforts it has now become just as cluttered as the other flat surfaces on various levels. There is an array of blogs, new web pages, contributions to four websites, Land for Love and Money, coming out June 26, 2012 (www.landforloveandmoney.com) the evolving manuscript of Book Three of the Threads West series—Uncompahgre—where water turns rock red.

I stare at pages and wonder, “Let’s see, did I do those re-writes?” My eyes glaze over at the scribbled edits on this and that manuscript for both fiction and non-fictional.

My writing desk has become a storage place for outlines, blogs and revisions. The breakfast bar in the kitchen is now home to the amended copies of the Land for Love and Money and the third book of the Historical Western series. My office remains hopeless. I believe that somewhere under the piles of papers there’s a short story or two. I’ve run out of floor space to pile papers and documents. I have to move papers to sit on the couch.

My new mantra has become, “I’m enjoying this creative process.” I gaze cross-eyed at a pile of paper with so many red-line edits that it’s difficult to see the original print.

“I think I will work on Uncompahgre,” I argue with myself. “No I really need to get those blogs done.” (sigh). Nope need to put the final touches on the Green for Green Workbook for Land for Love and Money.”

And finally, “I think I will just go fishing for a couple of hours!”

Maps of Fate.... Extended My Vacation ... (Amazon book review)

"I had the pleasure of meeting Reid at an airport gate; on my return home from a working guest ranch in CO. Came home read and both books: I was able to re-live what I do each spring in CO. Hear the coyotes yip, see the vast Plains unfold toward the Rockies, smell the air, be over-whelmed by the sky, the sunshine, the stars, feel the wind, know how your skin (and mouth) feel after a day on horseback with cattle churning up dust, smell the saddle leather and sweat. 1855 maybe long gone in a historical sense, yet these characters live on in Reid's books.

People never really change....look for your ancestors,recognize friends,find yourself in Maps of Fate.

Even if you never take the opportunity to visit the West.....read the books. Reid does an excellent job of portraying this land and it's people. About real as it gets. Waiting for book 3."

~Hilbert (Amazon review) 

One of Wyoming's most successful author's was in Cheyenne signing copies of his latest novel.

Reid Lance Rosenthal, a rancher from Douglas, was signing and promoting his latest novel "Maps of Fate" Saturday.

It's the second novel of 16 in his western series; "Threads West: An American Saga".

He says the upcoming books in the series will take place in locations all over Wyoming, including Cheyenne.

Rosenthal began writing the series just two years ago and has already received eight national awards.

The Douglas rancher says the series is unique because it resonates with people of all genders, ages and political views.

"Doesn't really matter what the political persuasion is or what the life outlook is. Everybody seems to get into the story and get the message and that's really gratifying because I tried to write it that way," Rosenthal said.

To learn more about Rosenthal and his novel series you can visit his website at http://www.ThreadsWestSeries.com

Reid Lance Rosenthal with host Kristen White on Bestselling Celebrity Author TV

The adventure and romance of America, her people, her spirit and the west. The story of us. One saga, five generations of unforgettable characters, and—through their eyes—one hundred seventy years of America, brim full of adventure, sensuality and intrigue.
http://www.ThreadsWestSeries.com

Starting an anticipated six volumes of saga (Reader Review)

Few people expect an experienced cattle rancher also to be a wonderful conveyor of ideas in writing about the land, yet that is exactly what Reid Lance Rosenthal is. Fourth generation cattleman, first generation author, Rosenthal is as large in spirit as his books are in depth. The much-acclaimed Threads West: An American Saga addresses the very roots of Americana, blending romance and high excitement with a spiritual awareness of the strong and ethical spirit that permeates the land.

Starting an anticipated six volumes of saga in the year 1855, which Rosenthal regards as being a key time for the opening up of the American West, in Threads West: An American Saga he grounds his leading characters in the origins from which they have come, whether from a European country or home stock born and bred. Equal credence and viability is given to both man and woman, to those who are lowly born and those who come from the moneyed classes. The genuineness of his characters and the authenticity of their setting sweeps one away into another, more primary world than that which we frequent nowadays. According to Rosenthal, his key focus is on the “separate lives of these driven men and independent women [who] are drawn to a common destiny that beckons seductively in the wild remote flanks of the American West.”

Romance and the land are two pivotal impetuses of his work, both of which so clearly appeal to the American public that Threads West: An American Saga has already garnered several national awards (including those for Best Western, Best Romance, and Best Historical Fiction), and more acclaim is sure to follow. Rosenthal asserts that key influences on his work include Crane and Hemingway, who have always thrilled him in their detailed description of scenes and circumstances, and McMurtry and L’Amour, whose gritty portrayal of the thoughts, ethics, and personalities of the West have set a high benchmark to which to aspire. Rosenthal’s fine detail and lack of pretentiousness attest to the above, with many drawing attention to the similarity of his writing to that of the latter two authors especially.

Having committed himself to his writing of the series, Threads West, of which this work is the namesake, Rosenthal clearly sees that he has a daunting challenge ahead of him, yet he finds that his work transports him to another realm in time and place. The reader of historical fiction, too, is likely to find themselves drawn in to a world imbued with energy and dynamism – the opening of the American West.

~Lois Henderson of Bookpleasures.com

Here is Rosenthal’s Q AND A with Kimba reporter for Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy

By Kimberli “Kimba” Pierantoni, assistant entertainment/features reporter

Reid Lance Rosenthal is a fourth generation land and cattleman. As a cowboy he feels connected with the spirit of the land. Rosenthal discovered his passion for writing at the age of nine during a summer vacation with his family. For a class assignment his pen embraced the paper that he wrote on and his words were strung along to create a remarkable story.    

 What he brought back to his classmates was an awe inspiring tale; a story that helped him discover how much he enjoyed sharing his story and capturing his classmate’s attention.

 Rosenthal’s series, “The Threads West American Saga series” will have 16 books in the series. The novels are divided into eras which begin in 1855, and continue through four generations of characters to the real time contemporary west.

His books capture the heart of the land and the characters he brings to life are people he meets along his travels and personalities that he has dealt with.

 This cowboy is a charmer who knows how to string the right words together. Rosenthal’s first work was published here in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He loves Cheyenne and looks forward to coming here to do a signing at Barnes and Noble Booksellers. Come listen to his enriching voice as Reid reads his latest book “Maps of Fate.”    

 You can also listen to Rosenthal as the narrator of his books on CD and digital MP3 versions. The first two books in his “Threads West” series will be released in an audio format in 60 days. His other books will be released on audio at a later date. You will be able to find those audio books atwww.BarnesandNoble.com and www.amazon.com

Here is Rosenthal’s Q AND A with Kimba reporter for Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy

Kimba: What inspired you to write about Western romance?    

Reid: “I like to write about universal energies.”

Kimba: Which character do you relate to the most and why?

Reid: “A little bit of me is in all of them. I base my characters on real personalities I’ve met. I’ve observed how people interact and rise to success and how they love, wrestle with inner conflict, external enmities and succeed or fall. Some Characters are diabolical. Some with lighter souls, but all have their faults–and all are different–gender, culture, religion, race — I try to write from each of their cultural perspective; each has an individual personality.”

Kimba: Do some of your books reflect from your life experiences?

Reid: “I’m a rancher, and as a rancher I feel I connect with the land. The characters tell me the story– I just write down what they share with me.”

Kimba: At the age of nine you discovered your passion for writing; was there anything else you always wanted to do?

Reid: “Dreams are the pre-cursor of reality. I have a dream and I go do it. Writing is something I’ve always wanted to do seriously, but I have plenty on my list to do and I plan to do it all.”

Kimba: So, tell us about “Maps of Fate” and “Threads West” …

Reid: “You meet all these people in Europe. Each character is strong in their way, though they have neither culture nor background in common. Fate twists them together–the converging threads of lives in their journey to America, and ‘Maps of Fate,’ their journey west to the Rockies”

Kimba: “What is an award that you are most proud of?”

Reid: “I’m most proud of my best historical fiction of 2011. Not only that judges think you wrote well, but they know you did a lot of research.”

Kimba: Could you give us a sneak peak of your new book “Maps of Fate” and your method of writing?

Reid: “On the back of the book are some details presented by other experts. I write in an old style that isn’t used often used today–the style of ‘converging threads’. There are certain parts of the book I cannot wait to write. I often write out of order, which drives my publishers crazy.”

Kimba: How long did it take you to write “Maps of Fate” and how did the book do when they were released?”

Reid: “It was delayed in the mechanical stage, but that actual writing took 72 intensive days. It was delayed because I originally started with a small publisher in Cheyenne. They brought in bigger publishers in Texas and  New York. ‘Threads West’ was the second best selling paper back on Barnes and Noble for several months after it’s release, and Maps of Fate hit the number five spot. Both were best sellers also in Romance, Western, and Historical Fiction on Amazon.”

Kimba: For those who are interested, how did you get published?

Reid: “First thing I realized I did not know anything about the business of books. I went to conferences, met big authors, publishers and passed out my work. I’m not bashful. I’ve had several authors like them and it is they who presented to publishers who also also liked it.”

Kimba: How many books do we have to look forward to in the future?

Reid: “A series of 16 books. My books started back in 1855. My publisher will release another book, my first narrative non fiction work, on June 26th, ‘Land for Love and Money.’ The third book in the Threads West series,,  ‘Uncompahgre, Where Water Turns Red’ will be released in November by the same publishing groups.

Kimba: How do you feel about coming to Cheyenne for your book signing?

Reid: “I partake in the radio station in Cheyenne KGAB AM 650. I love Cheyenne. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy my travels and the places I go, Cheyenne I love.” (Reid is a show host on KGAB, weekly at 3 p.m. Saturdays where he speaks about political  subjects).