Petticoats and Pistols is delighted to have Pamela Tracy ride back into the corral here at Wildflower Junction!
Please give her a big welcome!
She is giving away a digital copy of her newest release to one lucky person who comments. See below…
I’ve visited Petticoats and Pistols many times and am thrilled to be a guest today.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I’ve talked about my first attempts on other blogs, so I’ll tackle my college efforts today (I’ve tried to suppress the memory.) So far, I’ve hidden the dark truth. My first real attempt at plot, chapters, and black moment was science fiction <gasp>. Truly. When I was in college, I was enthralled by Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Don’t see the movie. It REALLY doesn’t do the book justice. And, if you haven’t read the book, you’ll just be annoyed.) I was also big on Kurt Vonnegut. Yes, I know, what was a nice girl like me doing hanging around with Deadeye Dick.
Fast forward (years!) to marriage, kids, writing romance books. About 2008, I was happily writing suspense (and novellas and prayer books.) Then, the opportunity came to write a contemporary romance for Love Inspired. I thought, “Okay, I always wanted to do a prodigal son.” I put my H & H on a ranch and wallah, my first cowboy hero.
Since then, I’ve written quite a few. I can’t seem to stop.
I’m from Nebraska originally. I didn’t have a horse, but there were properties all around me and I used to go stand on the fences and feed grass to the horses. I asked every Christmas for a horse. My parents got me a bike. Okay, they tried. It did move when I said giddy-yup though I had to peddle instead of knee.
I worked on a farm one weekend and rode a horse that got spooked. We wound up in the middle of the cornfield. It’s hard to get off the horse with stalks off corn pressing in. Good thing I was a lot thinner then.
Me, I’m not a cowgirl, but I dated a cowboy in college. I knew he was a cowboy because he had a buckle, chewed, and never wore shorts. That was the 80’s. What can I say.
I do love going to the rodeo, though. I’ve been in Nebraska, Iowa, Arizona, and South Dakota. Always a spectator.
My niece, who does rodeo and WINS….
Oh, and I took riding lessons in my 30’s. I rarely fell off but then I also never rode a horse that went faster than a bike with a flat tire and brakes that were stuck in the STOP position.
My heroes and heroines, though, have all kinds of great. Guess they were born that way like my grandniece. She has the petticoat, just needs the pistol.
I’ve been writing now for seventeen years. And, I live in the third most populated city. Guess that’s why over and over I write about small towns, girls horses, and cowboys who know how to treat a lady right.
I’ve a new book out this month. It’s called the Bluebonnet Bride. It has a bullrider who isn’t looking for love, a business owner who’s fighting to put down roots, a ranch that needs a little tender loving care, and a small town that’s the right size for both of them. Ah, happily ever after…
Pamela Tracy is giving away a digital copy of her newest release, the Bluebonnet Bride to one lucky person who comments today!
To connect with Pamela or to find out more about this book and others, please visit her website: www.pamelatracy.com
Hi Pamela,
I always wanted a horse but never lived in an area where we could have one. My uncle lived in Las Vegas on a lot of property and had several horses. I rode twice, once on the same horse with my cousin and I almost made us both fall off and then the next time I had my own horse and it was magic.
I would love to win an ecopy of your book. Thank you for the chance
Blessings,
Cindy W.
Glad you stopped by Cindy. I agree, riding is magic 🙂
I wish I had the opportunity to spend more time with horses as I was growing up. I have only been on one once and it was a sightseeing tour in New Mexico to an old mine. I had to be hoisted up and helped back down. But it was a lot of fun even though the horses were so well trained to just follow each other and went slow.
LOL, last time I rode I needed a step stool. Other times, I’ve used the fence. I think going to an old mine would be great fun.
I grew up with horses all my life. My dad was a calf roper, I rodeos growing up. Barrel raced, poles, goat tying, but my passion was breakaway roping. I’m from Stephenville, TX., cowboy capital of the world. It received its knickname due to more Cowboys & cowgirls in my hometown make the NFR every year, plus Tarleton State University is there which recruit many wonderful rodeo perspectives around the country. Many of whom just stay & make Stephenville their hometown. I now live in Kansas, been here 22 years but I live in the very Southwest and many farmers, rancher, & Cowboys around. But my entire family & my heart still resides in Stephenville. I’m going to have to Che k out your books, I’m an avid reader so I’ll be looking for your books now.
Tonya, you’ve made me want to go to Stephenville! I can’t believe I missed it. I lived in Abilene and Lubbock, and explored quite a bit. I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for looking for my books.
I love Abilene, it’s one of my favorite towns, it’s only 90 minutes from Stephenville.
Now I’m really annoyed. I attended Abilene Christian University. Don’t tell anyone, but I loved Abilene more than Lubbock. It was smaller and had real personality. I worked at the Red Lobster.
I won’t tell. I love Abilene too, such a fun Western town. Did you ever go to Joe Allen’s Bar B Que? He and my dad have been best friends since the ’60’s. Rodeoed together .
I left Abilene in 1984, so I don’t remember. I can tell you I lived by Judge Ely Avenue and that I used to go clubbing at a place called the Cow Palace. Don’t laugh! The restaurant I miss the most is Garski’s Loft. And, I remember that Abilene had the Saturday night drive where we’d go out looking for fun by driving on the main drag and then turning around first in the Kmart parking lot and then by going through Sonic LOL
I loved to part in Abilene. I remember in 1990 I was there quite a great deal and after going to all day team toppings we would go to Midnight Rodeo, I think that was the bars name and party hard. Oh I wish we could go back in time a relive those fun days.
I should read my comments before posting. Lol I meant team ropings.
Hi Pamela! So good to have you stop by. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into your life. Love the picture of your grandniece and the pony. That pony is just the right size for her! I can totally understand writing small towns and cowboys when you live in big city! A great escape!
Kathryn, I had a hard time deciding which photo to include. A girl and a horse, all her photos are great.
Love horses… was lucky enough that for two summers when I went to camp they had horseback riding as one of the activities! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Colleen, I wish I’d gone to your camp. The camp I went to had canoes. That’s it.
Hi Pamela! Thank you for a great post and giveaway. Horses are amazing animals!
I agree. So, now I’ve a 1/4 German shepherd, 3/4 husky puppy that is going to grow up to be the same size as a horse. That will have to do.
Hi Pamela, your post has me chuckling. I am a secret cowgirl, too, get my horse on by volunteering at the local horse rescue. We aren’t a riding stable though…I learned to ride in Girl Scout camp a thousand years ago, but didn’t sit a horse until, gasp, many decades later. It was heavenly. Not long ago I went on a Groupon trailride at a stable in Malibu. It was terrific but…here in California, we gotta wear helmets. So much for my cowgirl hat from Lake Tahoe.
As for horses themselves, Cheyenne (a gorgeous Saddlebred/paint cross at the rescue) always speaks to me when we do an eye-to-eye. Most recently, he shut his eyes for a few seconds when I told him about a problem and asked him what I should do. So…I took his advice and slept on it. The next day was better. Thanks for spending time with us here in Wildflower Junction!
(P.s. I went to college in Nebraska so am pretty much a Cornhusker at heart. Spent many a wonderful weekend at my roommate’s farm in Fairbury, where her brother had a horse but we were “too cool” to ride. Sheesh.)
Tanya,
I think I have a title for next book, The Secret Cowgirl. I love it. I went to college in Nebraska and Texas. Thanks for stopping by. I only made it to Brownies. I should have stayed longer.
I can’t say that I never wanted a horse because I did as a kid. One time my father let someone put their ponys on a small farm that we owned. We got to ride those ponies some and thought it was the greatest thing ever, now keep in mind we didn’t have saddles we just road them bareback. One of the ponies was pregnate and she would ride you for a while until she got tired and then she would take you under a close line and knock you right off of her back.
Okay, Quilt, that’s going in a book LOL smart pony.
I could always rely on extended family for horses and farm animals. We didn’t live with horses at our disposal, but my mom was one of fifteen children and I grew up with a number of aunts and uncles who did. I haven’t been on a horse for years, though.
Pamela, It’s so nice to see you on here today. I have only recently started reading your books. I have your first two Rancher’s Daughters Love Inspired books and I’m interested in your Scorpion Ridge, Arizona Heartwarming Series. I’ve really started to enjoy the Harlequin Heartwarming line of books.
The third Rancher’s Daughter comees out in July. I just sold another three book series to Heartwarming. No petticoats and the pistols will belong to cops. These are more suspense. Both series are in Arizona where I live now. I tend to put a lot of history (combatively).
It you like e-books, go back and find my Pursuit of Justice.
Thanks so much for reading me
Hi Pamela……welcome back to P&P! So happy to have you visit. Sorry I couldn’t get here yesterday. Just crazy. I’m in the midst of copy edits and trying to get ready to leave for Vegas on Tuesday for the RT Booklover’s Convention. Anyway, I love your blog. Your sense of humor had me laughing. I love rodeos and horses and cowboys! Here in the Texas Panhandle they’re everywhere, which provides me with a daily fix. Ha!
Wishing you much success and happiness! Come back again sometime.
Linda, I’ve stopped by more than once over the years. I run two group blogs and am always interested in blogs that are getting it ‘right’ like you all.
I work a full-time job so I didn’t get to post until after I got home. Life gets in the way.
I’ll be in Vegas, too, we’ll have to hook up.
Nice saddle. Cute Niece.
LOL, it is a cute saddle and I do have a nice niece.
Hi Pamela,
I miss having horses in my life so I love reading about them.
Howdy Jolene, my buddy from the Craftie Ladies! How are you doing.
I love reading about horses, too. I’m reading a Harlequin American right now that is pretty good. It’s about military dogs and ranches.