HALE, Deborah

PERSONAL: Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada; married Michael Hale (a medical physicist); children: Four. Education: Graduated from University of New Brunswick.

ADDRESSES: Home—P.O. Box 829, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4E 2RO. E-mail—Deborah [email protected].

CAREER: Romance writer. Worked as a special education teacher.

AWARDS, HONORS: Long Historical Golden Heart award, Romance Writers of America, 1997, for The Path of the Wind (published as My Lord Protector).

WRITINGS:

My Lord Protector, Harlequin Historical (New York, NY), 1999.

A Gentleman of Substance, Harlequin Historical (New York, NY), 1999.

The Bonny Bride, Harlequin Historical (New York, NY), 2000.

The Elusive Bride, Harlequin Historical (New York, NY), 2000.

The Wedding Wager, Harlequin Historical (New York, NY), 2001.

Whitefeather's Woman, Harlequin Historical (New York, NY), 2001.

Border Bride, Harlequin Historical (New York, NY), 2002.

Carpetbagger's Wife, Silhouette (New York, NY), 2002.

Contributor of "Cupid Goes to Gretna," The Love Match, Harlequin Historical (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Romance writer Deborah Hale submitted her first manuscript to Romance Writers of America several times, revising and improving it each time, before it was awarded the organization's Golden Heart award. Harlequin, now her primary publisher, bought the book and changed the name before putting it in print. Hale's books are set in medieval England, the United States, and Canada.

Hale was interviewed by Cathy Sova for the Web site Romance Reader. Sova asked her about the amount of research required for that first novel, My Lord Protector, and Hale said that "if you piled up all the books I used . . . the stack would be taller than my house!"

Romance Reader reviewer Ellen Hestand reviewed the novel, saying that "readers who cherish careful attention to detail, thorough historical research, and characters and stories that unfold slowly, by deliberate degrees, will likely regard this new author as a gift from the romance novel gods. On the other hand, readers who prefer fast-paced, gripping stories that leap into the heart of the action and sustain a page-turning pace throughout might find Hale's style a little ponderous." Hestand concluded by saying that "all in all, this is a unique read with well-developed characters—including the secondary ones—and a rich, textured feel."

Hale's novels set in the United States include Whitefeather's Woman, in which proper Bostonian Jane Harris travels to Montana to work as a nanny as a way to escape an abusive lover. When she arrives, Jane finds that the position has been filled and the new nanny will soon arrive. The family, the Kincaids, provide her with temporary employment, and Jane works hard, hoping that they may make a permanent place for her. Afraid of most of the men of the Wild West, Jane is drawn to John Whitefeather, the half-Comanche brother of Mrs. Kincaid, who himself is withdrawn and a loner, a victim of prejudice which has kept him from being part of either community, Native or white.

Margaret Shelley, who reviewed the novel for Romance Reader, described Jane as "one scared doe. She flinches from strangers; she stutters; she drops trays in their laps; or she swoons." Shelley noted that although John is the only man who doesn't frighten Jane, "sexual tension . . . is a scare commodity in their interactions. Whitefeather's Woman should not be read by those seeking sizzle. However, far more successful is the gradual formation of Jane and John's deep emotional connection, which feels touchingly real."

The Carpetbagger's Wife, which takes place in Virginia, is a Reconstruction-era romance about a widow returned to her family's land after the Civil War with her two young children in tow only to find her evil brother-in-law laying claim to what he says is his property. Caddie Marsh is defended by Union soldier Manning Forbes, who met her husband on the battlefield. Even though he and Caddie reopen an old sawmill that provides work for the community, the Yankee is resented by the locals.

Cathy Sova of Romance Reader felt that Caddie "starts out a bit on the annoyingly shrewish side," while Manning "is never anything but a good guy who is being driven slightly crazy by his increasing desire for his wife. . . . Manning and Caddie cast aside their doubts midway through, and it makes for a believable story of a marriage becoming a real one in every sense of the word." Commending Hale for her expert rendering of "both the despair and hope that drove the lives of those who survived the Civil War," Booklist reviewer John Charles added that the novel contains extraordinary "emotional richness and depth."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Booklist, November 15, 2001, John Charles, review of The Carpetbagger's Wife, p. 559.

Library Journal, May 15, 2001, Kristin Ramsdell, review of The Wedding Wager, p. 106.

Publishers Weekly, February 4, 2002, review of TheLove Match, p. 59.

online

Deborah Hale Home Page,http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/DeborahHale (August 14, 2002).

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (March 1, 1999), Ellen Hestand, review of My Lord Protector; (April 3, 1999) Cathy Sova, interview with Hale; (November 12, 1999) Jean Mason, review of A Gentleman of Substance; (March 26, 2000) Jean Mason, review of The Bonny Bride; (March 13, 2001) Meredith McGuire, review of The Elusive Bride; (June 29, 2001) Jean Mason, review of The Wedding Wager; (August 14, 2002) Cathy Sova, review of The Carpetbagger's Wife; (August 14, 2002) Margaret Shelley, review of Whitefeather's Woman.*