Dellin, Genell

(Gena Dalton)

PERSONAL:

Married.

ADDRESSES:

Home—OK.

CAREER:

Author.

WRITINGS:

Sorrel Sunset, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1983.

Promises to Come, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1983.

The Lover, Avon Books (New York, NY), 2002.

The Loner, Avon Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Cherokee Warriors: The Captive, Avon Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Montana Blue, Harlequin (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Montana Gold, HQN (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2006.

Montana Red, HQN (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2007.

Also author of In My Sister's Shadow.

"CHEROKEE’ TRILOGY

Cherokee Nights, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Cherokee Sundown, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Cherokee Dawn, Avon Trade (New York, NY), 1995.

"COMANCHE’ TRILOGY

Comanche Wind, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Comanche Flame, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Comanche Rain, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1995.

"CHOCKTAW’ TRILOGY

Red Sky Warrior, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Silver Moon Song, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1996.

After the Thunder, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1998.

"THE RENEGADES’ SERIES

The Renegades: Cole, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1999.

The Renegades: Nick, Avon Books (New York, NY), 2000.

The Renegades: Rafe, Avon Books (New York, NY), 2001.

UNDER PSEUDONYM GENA DALTON

April Encounter, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1984.

Wild Passions, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1984.

Cherokee Fire, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1986.

Stranger at the Crossroads, Steeple Hill (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2002.

Midnight Faith, Steeple Hill (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

Long Way Home, Steeple Hill (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS:

Genell Dellin is a romance writer who has also written under the pseudonym Gena Dalton. The author is widely known in romance circles for her historical trilogies focusing on Native American characters. Her first such series is the ‘Cherokee’ trilogy. It beings with Cherokee Nights, which tells the story of a woman lawyer who finds romance with a railroad man as they travel across the Western wilderness and discover that they share a common Cherokee Indian heritage. The next book in the series is Cherokee Sundown, followed by Cherokee Dawn, which takes place during the Civil War and features a romance between a Southern belle and a Cherokee warrior.

Comanche Wind is the first book in the author's ‘Commanche’ trilogy. It tells the story of a young, married Irish woman who is captured by a Comanche war chief. He finds himself fighting both the white man and his own people so he can keep the woman he now loves. In Comanche Flame, a fiery Comanche woman sets out to rescue her people and falls in love with a wealthy Spanish ranchero in the process. Comanche Rain focuses on the romance between a missionary who has become disillusioned and an angry Comanche warrior.

The author's ‘Chocktaw’ trilogy begins with Red Sky Warrior. The story features a rebellious heiress, Maggie Harrington, who saves a Choctaw named Cade Chisk-Ko from a hanging on the condition that he marries her for one year. She wants this so he can help her get safely to Texas while avoiding her irate father. Lizabelle Cox, writing on the Romantic Times Web site, called the romance ‘a tender heart-warming story of love's eternal healing powers.’ Silver Moon Song tells the story of a charming Choctaw leader named Tay Nashoba, who is supposed to get married to Cotannah Chisk-Ko, but he finds himself falling in love with his future bride's best friend, Emily Harrington. Dellin's ‘powerfully drawn characters bring this conflict to life,’ according to Cindy Royce writing on the Romantic Times Web site. After the Thunder, the third book in the series, continues the story of Cotannah Chisk-Ko, who lost her intended in the previous volume and finds herself sent off to the Choctaw reservation by her brother after raising a scandal as a sought-after belle in Texas. Once there, she falls in love with the tribe's shaman, Walks-with-Spirits, and soon finds herself on a mission to prove him innocent of a murder charge. Maria C. Ferrer observed in the Romantic Times that the author ‘writes with passion and an intensity that makes her one of the more popular Indian romance authors today."

The author focuses on the Old West in ‘The Renegades’ series. In The Renegades: Cole, Cole McCord is a former Texas Ranger turned hired gun who finds himself falling in love with his employer, Aurora Benton. Romantic Times critic Kathe Robin felt that the author ‘paints a vibrant portrait of a trail drive and constructs three dimensional characters and a realistic plot.’ Set in 1893, The Renegades: Nick features the half-Cherokee outlaw Nickajack Smith and Callie Sloane, who start a romance after they meet during a land-grab race on the Cherokee Strip. Robin, once again writing in the Romantic Times, referred to the romance as ‘exciting and passionate.’ The third book in the series, The Renegades: Rafe, finds Rafe Aigner winning the San Antonio Star in a card game and then discovering that his old sweetheart, Maddie Calhous, is the newspaper's managing editor. Romantic Times contributor Evelyn Feiner asserted that the author ‘has written interesting characters, whose depths she plumbs, while peppering her romance with wonderful secondary characters."

Dellin has also written numerous stand-alone romances, such as The Lover, which tells the story of Susanna Copeland, who is trying to save her ranch and gets Eagle Jack Sixkiller out of jail to help her on a cattle drive. During the course of the cattle drive, Susanna wins Eagle Jack's admiration and love. Feiner, again writing in the Romantic Times, noted: ‘With its admirable characters and rich repartee, this romance is pure enjoyment.’ In The Loner, which Feiner called ‘a romance rich in Native American history,’ the Cherokee Black Fox Vann is looking for a Robin-Hood-type thief named Cat who turns out to be the beautiful Cathleen O'Sullivan. Cherokee Warriors: The Captive is a prequel to the author's ‘Cherokee’ trilogy and tells of the romance between Raney Childress and Creed Sixkiller, a lawman she has previously spurned because he is half Native American. Romantic Times contributor Anne Black appreciated the ‘delicious tension [that] begins to build between Raney and Creed’ in this story.

Dellin also began another projected trilogy with Montana Blue and Montana Gold. In Montana Blue, Blue Bowman is seeking revenge on Gordon Campbell, a rancher he believes is responsible for his sister's addiction to drugs and his mother's suicide. When he lands a job on Campbell's ranch, however, he soon becomes involved with veterinarian Angie Lee Hart, who has a troubled son named Shane. Patty Engelmann, writing in Booklist, commented that the author ‘gives her readers a real taste of the West.’ Montana Gold focuses on Chase Lomax, a champion on the rodeo circuit who finds himself both repelled by and attracted to bullfighter Elle Hawthorne. His life is further complicated by the fact that his son, Shane, has decided to stay with Chase. Writing on the Romantic Times Web site, Marilyn Weigel praised the ‘smooth, easy-to-follow storytelling style."

Dellin has also written several books under her pseudonym of Gena Dalton. In Stranger at the Crossroads, Jackson McMahan finds himself falling in love with the veterinarian Darcy Hart, who is trying to save Jackson's mare, which he stole, and the mare's foal. Bev Huston stated in the Romantic Times that the author's ‘writing voice is strong.’ Midnight Faith features the widowed Caitlin O'Doyle McMahan, who is struggling through guilt as she begins to fall in love with her late husband's brother, Clint McMahan, who blames her for his brother's death. Huston noted that ‘the author's imagery was strong.’ Another book written under the Dalton pseudonym, Long Way Home, tells the story of Monte McMahon. He is returning home to win the heart of Jo Lena Speirs and her daughter. However, Monte leaves once again, leading both Speirs and her daughter to wonder if he will ever come back and mend their broken hearts. Huston reported that the romance novel has ‘good dialogue and likeable characters."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 15, 2005, Patty Engelmann, review of Montana Blue, p. 41; April 15, 2006, Patty Engelmann, review of Montana Gold, p. 31; April 15, 2007, Patty Engelmann, review of Montana Red, p. 24.

Library Journal, August 1, 2005, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Montana Blue, p. 61.

ONLINE

Crescent Blues Book Views,http://www.crescentblues.com/ (October 21, 2007), Jen Foote, review of The Lover.

Genell Dellin Home Page,http://members.aol.com/romancegd/index.htm (October 21, 2001).

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (October 21, 2007), Sue Klock, review of The Renegades: Cole.

Romantic Times,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (October 19, 2007), Bev Huston, reviews of Stranger at the Crossroads, Long Way Home, and Midnight Faith; Maria C. Ferrer, review of After the Thunder; Anne Black, review of Cherokee Warriors: The Captive; Frances L. Trainor, review of Comanche Rain; Jill M. Smith, review of Montana Blue; Marilyn Weigel, reviews of Montana Gold and Montana Red; Lizabelle Cox, review of Red Sky Warrior; Cindy Royce, review of Silver Moon Song; Evelyn Feiner, reviews of The Loner, The Renegades: Rafe, and The Lover; Kathe Robin, reviews of The Renegades: Nick and The Renegades: Cole.