Inspiration for the story came from a conversation with a friend of mine, who said, “I’ve got the idea for your next book.” He then spun a tale of hidden gold, thousands and thousands of bars, underneath a mountain north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. He’d been exploring the area for years.
Me: “How’d this gold supposedly get there?”
Him” No one knows for sure, but there are several different theories.”
Me: “When was this supposed to have happened?”
Him: “No one knows that for sure, either, but legend says the gold’s been there for centuries.”
Me: “How come no one’s found it?”
Him: “Folklore says someone did, and brought some of the bars up in the 1930s. But he got shot.”
Me: “Who shot him and why?”
Him: “Good question.”
I went home and did an online search. When page after page about the fabled gold popped up, I created a few twists, crafted some interesting characters, and had my next novel.
Why did you choose this genre?
In fifth grade, back in Ohio, I had a teacher who made us read a book a week and write a report. She’d call on someone to read theirs, so you had to be ready. That first week, I pulled a Zane Grey novel off the little shelf and was hooked on the Old West. I read every ZG story I could get my hands on after that. From then on, I always had the idea of writing westerns, and when I retired, I started!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Lots of times I write while sitting in front of the TV, like I am right now!
What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?
Romcom.
When were you first published and how did that happen? Was it a long or short journey?
First published in 2014 in an anthology for my short story, The Trade. Set in the Yukon Gold Rush, 1898, it chronicled three men who had to decide whether to leave a critically-injured fourth or not. Inspired by my grandfather’s time there.
What is the hardest part of being a writer for you?
Won’t come as a surprise when I say marketing and promotion. The more I learn about technology and social media, the more I realize I’m just falling behind at a slower pace than before.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
If you look in the dictionary under ‘pantser’ you’ll see my picture. I’m considering putting a conference session together on the perils of pantsing. But I always enjoy seeing what my characters are up to.
Would you like to have lived the stories you write?
Yes.
A genie grants you one wish. What is it?
More wishes.
If you could get rid of something in your life that would give you more writing time, what would it be?
I like my life. Busy, but whose isn’t?
What genre is your favorite to read?
History
Share a photo of your writing space.
If money were not an object, where would you most like to live? Why?
An Italian villa. The country has a beauty and peace of its own.
Name two authors we might find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.
Re-reading Zane Grey and Agatha Christie.
What do you like best about your hero in White Sands Gold?
Twill is not driven by the usual motivations most heroes are. There is one most important thing in his life and that’s not to disappoint the woman who raised him and for whom he took a guardian oath.
What do you like best about your heroine in White Sands Gold?
I love Lottie (Charlotte). She’s direct, no-nonsense, smart, and yet is vulnerable and uncertain at times.
How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?
First question-Names just seem to come from somewhere. I wish I had a more helpful answer to that. Second question-not so much individuals as amalgams of the people who have been in my life and in my reading.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
Facebook author page- https://www.facebook.com/Mike-Torreano-Author-107581914412283/
Facebook personal- https://www.facebook.com/miketorreano
Bookbub- https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mike-torreano
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10187716.Mike_Torreano
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-torreano-0a407929/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/miketorreano
Website- www.miketorreano.com
Tell us a little about your current work in progress.
The Return is the third in my South Park (Co) series. In 1879, Ike and Lorraine must move from their beloved ranch to Denver for medical reasons. There, he’s gradually isolated from everyone in his life and must find out who’s stalking him before he loses his own.
What’s your tagline?
Can you really ever go home?
Why did you choose it?
In my novel, Ike and Lorraine try to return to their ranch from the city, but find that things aren’t the same and never will be.
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
I’d start with The Reckoning, the first in the South Park series, then The Renewal, and follow those with White Sands Gold and A Score to Settle.
Tell us about your current release.
New Mexico Territory, 1890
In a hidden cavern, a treasure trove of gold bars sits alongside an ancient relic.
To find her treasure-hunting brother, Lottie Durham enlists the help of an easygoing lawman she can’t stand—at first. When a mysterious woman known only as Ma asks her to join the relic’s guardians, Lottie’s world spins. Should she take on this solemn obligation?
Twill, leader of the secretive guardians, has sworn a vow to protect the centuries-old religious relic. Regrets bedevil him and his dedication to his oath is repeatedly tested. If he breaks his promise, he’ll fail Ma, the one person he’s never wanted to let down.
Will a looming raid by a band of determined killers be the end of the guardians, the gold, and the relic?
Excerpt:
Lottie lowered to the damp ground, which brought the deputy down as well. She fought the urge to look his way. She was alone in the desert wrapped in a semi-bear hug with a man she met yesterday. She eased a hand to her holster and picked the leather loop off her hammer. Probably didn’t need a gun to protect against someone who’d already saved her life, but…in case he tried something.
The deputy snugged his hat lower and shut his eyes.
“Hold on, cowboy. We can’t be sittin’ here just sleepin’. I mean…you oughta be talkin’ to me, reassurin’ me. How about it?”
He two-fingered his hat up a touch. “You seem to be able to take care of yourself fair, you should probably be reassurin’ me.” He glanced sideways at her, his face not more than a few inches away.
That same half-smile that had been so irritating somehow didn’t look so annoying anymore.
Buy Links:
Amazon- https://smile.amazon.com/White-Sands-Gold-Mike-Torreano/dp/150924431X
Barnes and Noble- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/white-sands-gold-mike-torreano/1141622239
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61440836-white-sands-gold
Author Bio:
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Mike Torreano has a military background and is a student of American history and the Old West.
His debut western mystery, The Reckoning, set in South Park, Colorado in 1868, was released in 2016 by The Wild Rose Press. The sequel, The Renewal, also in South Park, 1872, was released in 2018. His third western, A Score To Settle, was released October 2020, also from The Wild Rose Press. White Sands Gold is his latest western mystery, and was just released by Wild Rose. He has a coming-of-age novel, Fireflies At Dusk, set during the Civil War, and his short story, The Trade, a tale of the Yukon Gold Rush, was his first published work in 2014.
Mike’s written for magazines and newspapers for many years. An experienced editor, he’s taught University-level English and Journalism. He’s a member of the Historical Novel Society, Pikes Peak Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Western Writers of America and several other writing groups. He brings his readers back in time with him as he recreates life in mid-to-late nineteenth century America. He and his wife, Anne, live in Colorado Springs.
Thanks so much for hosting me Jana! :)
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