Meet author Angela Breidenbach

Angela Breidenbach is a professional genealogist, media personality, bestselling author, and screenwriter. She’s also the Christian Authors Network president. Angie lives in Montana with her hubby and Muse, a trained fe-lion, who shakes hands, rolls over, and jumps through a hoop. Surprisingly, Angie can also. Don’t miss her show and podcast, Genealogy Publishing Coach.

Tell us about your newest book.

What will her courage cost? As Montana emerges into statehood, one woman must decide if social pressure will prevail when she hides an endangered child, risking her own future happiness. Queen of the Rockies — Book 1 of 6, opens this delightful series of Gilded Age historical romances peppered with genealogical tidbits.

What inspired you to write Queen of the Rockies, and the series?

Montana is a fascinating place. I was asked to research and write this first story but became so enthralled with little tidbits and pieces I found in my research that I had to keep going. The entire Queen of the Rockies series came out of odd lines here and there that jumped off the page or microfiche.

What genre do you focus on?

I love writing historical fiction. The fascinating part for me is delving into the way of life my ancestors might have experienced. I love genealogy and exploring all the intricacies of life. I walk into an old building and immediately begin imagining the people that once lived in it. I can’t help myself.

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

Calista Blythe is a debutante who has been sheltered from too much reality until she’s faced with a little girl facing a grim reality. I’d been reading a lot of fiction during that time. I felt like I saw the same names over and over. Calista came out of a list of names that I hadn’t read in a book before. There may be, but she was fresh to me to work with. That gave me a sense of a naïve young woman who was suddenly forced to cope with something she couldn’t avoid or fully understand. She was called in that time and place, for who she was, to be obedient to God even against societies opinions. I feel like each one of us are Calista. The question is…will we hear our call and act with courage. Will we answer as the mother of Jesus and say, let it be unto me… or will we cross to the other side of the road as all those who passed by the beaten man before the good Samaritan found him? I wanted to explore what it would be like to be a good Samaritan but not to have the freedom to act as one.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?

Oh, it’s just nuts. I’m never only writing a book. When it gets really intense, I have to write after the world goes to sleep. For those who know about me already, you know that I’m a night owl. I promise I’m trying to change. But I don’t know if that’s actually possible. Am I the way I am because that’s part of my DNA? Or am I the way I am because I need complete silence? It’s a mystery.

What’s one unusual fact about you?

An unusual fact about me is that I love ballet, dancing it. I’m a beginner en pointe, but after raising kids I’m doing it because I want to do it. Not because I want to perform. I love the sense of grace and movement. But I’m dancing on my toes at the barre. No way I’m ready to let go, lol.

What is your favorite pastime?

I love learning. But the hobby that most fits with the first book in this series, Queen of the Rockies, is I’m learning to play the Celtic lap harp. I wish I could devote more time to it, but I try to practice 3-4 times a week. Those limited practice times have developed simple tunes and some simple hymns. I do have to battle my fe-lion, Muse, for my harp. He adores both the harp and the harp bag which he has claimed for his favorite sleeping bag.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

Thank you for asking. There are 6 books in this series ranging 1889-1910. Each one tells a special element of Montana history and a special moment in time that somehow changed the world. Queen of the Rockies kicks off the series and hands off the story of abandoned Orphan Train children to the Song of the Rockies. Heart of the Rockies explores how women’s roles change while Flower of the Rockies introduces the sense of shame and redemption during the time Montana chose the delicate state flower. Bride of the Rockies is happening in similar time frame as Flower of the Rockies, but we see the women of Montana showcasing their scientific prowess at the 1893 World’s Fair. You’ll be amazed at all they achieved! The last book in this series is Flame of the Rockies and we get to meet a huge historic hero during the largest fire in US history. I hope you’ll join me in these stories.

What are you working on now?

The Queen of the Rockies series has six books releasing each month Sep. 2021 through Feb. 2022. So, the next book in this series is Flower of the Rockies. Emmalee Warren is the most like me of any characters I’ve written. I’m proud of this story, but it’s also the most vulnerable I’ve been in my fiction.

Website: https://AngelaBreidenbach.com

Link to book: https://AngelaBreidenbach.com/books/queen-of-the-rockies/

Social media links: @AngBreidenbach

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/angela-breidenbach