I hunted down the covers you mentioned and added a couple more of my own. The Jane Goodger book I bought purely for the cover, and it was the first book of hers I ever read. Now I enjoy her stories and might not have discovered her if not for the white cover. I had never seen a snow scene so striking, and because it was different it caught my eye.

And I located a couple with Nathan Kamp.

Between blogging and book inspiration I’m always coming across all kinds of cowboy pictures. If something strikes me, I’ll tuck it away in my cyber file. Sometimes I use in blogs, or for cover inspiration–every once in a while a picture will fit a character that’s been bumping around in my mind.  Sometimes the right picture can inspire a character.  I do love a pictures that asks questions.  While picking through my picture file, I figured it would be fun to share some of my favorites, and the thoughts or twinges that make the pic a keeper.

This one is at the top of my list–the ultimate cowboy mailbox.  Saddle height   Reminds me of a time when nothing was wasted, and those sturdy containers were recycled as old-time Tupperware.

This one is called Christ and the Cowboy by Kenneth Wyatt — I found it while looking for a graphic for our Inspirational authors. This is a make-me-smile pic, gives me a sense of calm.  It’s also the cover his book containing poems and paintings

I love this image–check out those leather cuffs!  The bullets, the detail, just love this kind of imagery.  Sorta makes ya think villain, don’t it?   Or…maybe not

This is where my Western Muse lives.  These images are just the kind of visuals that can send my mind spinning into a book, weaving all kinds of scenarios.

Makes me think of a cowboy’s solitary life on the trail, and the dangers he’ll face along the way.  While he’s watching over his herd, he’s hoping he is being watched over as well

Okay, how CUTE is this lil’ cowboy???  Wish I knew where I nabbed this one.

This?  Pure classic.  Doesn’t get better than John Wayne. Saddle, rifle, trusty cow dog–what more does a real cowboy need?  Well, a heroine of course

This one here isn’t a cowboy pic, but it’s a favorite and sure makes me ask questions—tickles the mind, don’t it?

So what do ya think if my collection?  Have a favorite?  Share your thoughts and be entered to win a signed copy of MOUNTAIN WILD!

Available Now!

Our special guest today is a reader and reviewer who shares our passion for westerns–and I mean she’s passionate about them in a big way.  Kristie Jenner has made it one of her personal missions to interest readers in the genre; in fact, she came up with the idea for the Great Western Challenge this week, and the Fillies here at P&P were delighted to jump on the cowboy train with her.

Kristie says that while she loves a good historical set in England, she thinks many readers may be ready for a change from dukes and earls and other various and assorted titles. And she believes that if readers are getting a wee bit tired of vampires and shift changers and other otherworldly worlds, a good western is just the thing.

Cheryl: First off, we all thank you for providing the cowboy eye candy today! Please explain The Great Western Drive challenge to those who may not have heard about it.

Kristie: The long answer: I recently put up a poll on my blog for readers to pick their favourite genre.  While I love all genres, my special fave is westerns even though I started out reading English set historicals.  When I saw how low westerns scored, I realized that probably many readers just haven’t tried the right ones.  So I rounded up my posse – Sybil and Wendy, who are just as passionate about this genre as I am and set about getting readers to at least try them – hoping that the stories capture their imaginations as much as they have me.  If I, once a dyed-in-the-wool English historical fan, can love a western, I think many a romance reader can too.

The short answer – I thought Little Joe was Hawt when I was young and just noticing the other side of the gender!

Cheryl: I confess I was a Little Joe junkie, too. So Kristie, tell us why you are such a big fan of westerns.

Kristie: I’ve always been more a fan of blue-collar type heroes then the white-collar type. I just love a hero who works with his hands and isn’t afraid to work up a bit of sweat now and then. I love a hero who is willing to labour for everything he has rather than just inheriting it. And no one works harder than many a western hero, whether it’s being a marshal, a cowboy, a gambler, a gunslinger or even a reformed outlaw.

And a western heroine is one I can identify with so much more easily.  I don’t know if it’s my age or ’cause I’m more average myself, but while the girly girl in me likes reading about all the fabulous balls and dresses and things in historicals set in Europe, I very much prefer the realness of the conflicts a western heroine goes through. 

Another feature the western has going for it is that you won’t find one of those annoying fake rakes in a western. I find the heroes in just about every western as real as it gets, again because they are real. They don’t play games. They are what they are, whatever their profession.

And while I’ve read a few with Pinkerton agents, westerns don’t have the overabundance of spies of many English historicals.

And I’ve found that many more westerns have that certain poignancy that I find more majorly appealing than any other genre as a whole.

Cheryl: Certainly none of us can understand it, but why do you suppose some readers are averse to trying a western?

Kristie:  One of the reasons I’ve heard for not trying westerns is because readers don’t find the setting attractive.  I think differently.  I find it very attractive to read a book based on our own history.  Ok — so maybe I’m making myself an honorary American for this one, but what can be better then reading about a setting that’s exciting and lawless and new?  An English historical can’t offer readers that.  And if you like a bit of down and dirty, well the Western has that too!

Another feature I find more often in a Western is the heroine saving the hero. Think about it; a bounty hunter, wounded, needing care makes it to the steps of the heroine who has control of life or death over the hero – yummers! Now that, I find sexy.

And there are none of the class distinctions that get tiresome. It doesn’t matter where the character started in life; it’s a more level playing field in a western. We aren’t pulled out of a story because the heroine is acting too friendly with the staff. We aren’t pulled out wondering if all the too-handsome dukes and earls and viscounts will ever run out. There simply couldn’t have been the abundance of them that fill up the pages of English historicals.

Cheryl: So, it’s the cowboys that hold a place in your heart, isn’t it?

Kristie: Western heroes seem to me to be more manly man type heroes.  I think if you are a fan of the alpha hero, there would be many more alpha heroes to choose from in the Old West than there would be in other locations.  I think if you are a fan of the lone wolf hero, then the Western is your genre.  I imagine after spending that much time in the saddle, they would be looking for a little female companionship.  And who can resist a wounded outlaw type hero?

Seriously, all of you western/Lost fans, can’t you just picture Sawyer in that role, and let’s see–me as Etta Place.  And if you go for the more law abiding type hero, who better than a marshal?  No, no, get Matt Dillon out of your heads–he’s not a good example *shudder*.  He kept Miss Kitty dangling way too long!  And he just wasn’t handsome.  But Jack maybe?  With Sayiid as the mysterious bounty hunter?  Yeah, I like that.

Cheryl: There are a few favorites I’d surely love to see in a cowboy hat, too.  David Boreanaz for one.  Oh my goodness.  But back to books . . . will you share a few of your all-time favorite western romances with us?

Kristie: Well first off – Joe’s Wife – no really!  I love this book.  Sweet Lullaby by Lorraine Heath is another one that comes oh so close to making me cry.  The only reason I didn’t mention it is because I know it’s very hard to find – I’m always seeking out copies at UBSs without luck, and I wanted to feature books that were readily available on either Amazon or UBSs or even better – still in print.  Outlaw Heats by Rosanne Bittner is another favourite.  It really has an epic flavour to it and much to Wendy’s amazement – since it is a large book, I’ve read it a number of times.

Cheryl: I was tickled pink that Jill Marie Landis is writing westerns again. She was always one of my favorites, ever since her first book, Sunflower. And Margaret Brownley has tossed her hat back into the ring. I can’t wait until her new western comes out. She’ll be blogging about it with us here at P&P. Is there an author who has turned to another genre that you would just flip over to have them write a western again?

Kristie:  We’ve lost so many Western authors over the years, haven’t we?  Jill Marie Landis is one of my choices too!  I loved that whole series.  I love her westerns.  I’d love to see Patricia Potter out with the number she used to write.  Susan Kay Law and Alexis Harrington are authors whose westerns I miss!  And if Lorraine Heath were to return to her western roots, I’d be dancing in the street.

Cheryl: I am so there with you on Pat Potter, Alexis Harrington and Lorraine Heath. I would also add Catherine Anderson to my wish list. Coming Up Roses is an all-time favorite of mine.  And I’m still in mourning over Maggie Osborne’s retirement.

If you could pick one recently released western and send one to 500 new readers to introduce them to the genre, which one would it be?

Kristie:  Yikes!!  That’s a tough one!  My reading is down – though my buying is up *gulp* and there aren’t quite the selection there used to be, but one I read this year that I very much enjoyed is Rachel and the Hired Gun by Elaine Levine.  And one we are all looking forward to with GREAT anticipation is Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman.

Cheryl: Now that is a glowing endorsement! Hope Elaine and Jo drop by this week—they will if they have their google alerts set.

We have just celebrated two extremely successful years of blogging and promoting all things western here at P&P, so that tells us there is an interest in westerns.  Is there anything you’d like to say to the authors who’ve continued to write westerns and those just breaking in?

Kristie:  We are doing our best to spread the word.  Sybil has more of an ear to the industry and I think she has some interesting news coming up later this week.  I know it’s tough to write something that is harder to sell, and romance goes in cycles.  If a couple authors take off big time, I think publishers will be willing to go there again.  They just need something like a JR Ward of the western.  In the meantime, there still are many readers who love them, and as a spokesperson for those readers for today – thanks to all the writers who are still writing a genre we love.

Cheryl: Thank you for being our guest today at Petticoats and Pistols. We appreciate your dedication to the western romance and wish you a successful Great Western Drive!

You can visit Kristie at her blog, Ramblings on Romance

Read more about the challenge at The Good the Bad and the Unread and at Wendy the Super Librarian’s blog.

So, how about you, blogger friends? Are there other reasons you love romance? Is there a celebrity you’d like to see in a cowboy hat? Which author would you like to have write a western?

And…most importantly, since you’re already western lovers, will you accept the challenge and give a friend a western romance novel this week?

Hey everyone, I’m Jeannie Watt and I write western romance for Harlequin Superromance, and I’m here today to talk about my favorite kind of cowboy—the buckaroo.

When most people hear the word “buckaroo” they think it’s an amusing term for a cowboy. Actually, it comes from the Spanish word for cowboy, vaquero. Buckaroos are cowboys who work the ION—Idaho, Oregon, Nevada. They are also known as Great Basin cowboys. Their cultural influences come from the early settlers in the region, many of whom were Hispanic.

Buckaroos have a very distinctive style about them. Their outfits are, without a doubt, the showiest of the working cowboys. A buckaroo will work for $700 a month, plus room and board, then go and buy a $500 silver bit. Their gear and clothing are an important part of the culture. In this blog I wanted to show off the local buckaroos, so I took my camera to the local Ranch Hand rodeo (in Winnemucca, Nevada) and stalked cowboys.

Now I should mention that I make custom cowboy gear out of hitched horsehair—a favorite type of gear for buckaroos—so I do have a legitimate reason for hanging around, taking photos of cowboy butts and the gear surrounding those butts.

I’ll start with hats. Buckaroos favor either a flat-top, wide-brim hat, such as this one, or a small-brimmed, Owyhee style hat, such as the one I’m wearing in my author photo. The lady in this photo is also wearing a wild rag, which is a silk scarf, usually 36 inches square. She is wearing a very sedate wild rag. Most buckaroos like bright colors and floral prints. You can also (just barely) see the silver concho on the wild rag. Buckaroos like to wear a lot of silver.

Here’s another buckaroo, this one dressed up for town—or the rodeo. He has his wild rag and is wearing the most amazing chinks I’ve ever seen on a buckaroo. Chinks are the knee length chaps that the buckaroos wear to protect their legs when they work. Usually they are not this colorful. A pair of chinks like this are custom made and probably cost $600-700. This buckaroo also has a mecate, which is a rope made from twisted horse hair that is tied so that part of the rope makes a round rein, and the rest is a lead rope, coiled on the saddle.. It’s pronounced meh-caw-tay in Spanish, but the buckaroos call the reins a McCarty.

As you can see from this picture, and the one above, buckaroos are not afraid of pink. He has the flat top hat and more sedate chinks than the previous guy. I love that he dresses flashier than his girlfriend. He’s also wearing an important part of buckaroo arraignment—the vest. Buckaroos haunt thrift stores looking for old suit vests to wear. At rodeos you can find vendors with racks of used vests for sale. A buckaroo likes a nice brand new Pendleton if he can afford it, but a used vest works just fine.

This is what a buckaroo looks like in the morning when he’s about to head out to do a day’s work. He’s still wearing chinks, and there is probably a wild rag under that coat, since silk is one of the warmest things a cowboy can wear around his neck (it’s cold in the ION country) but other than that, he’s left the showy stuff at home.

Buckaroos also have specific taste in gear. Saddles are the old fashioned kind with the high cantle and pommel.

They like silver on their bridles and favor custom-made silver bits. Makers are very important. Garcia is a well-known old-time brand of silver bits and spurs.

Finally, they often tie a special knot in both the wild rag and their horse’s tail that ends up looking like four little squares with the ends hanging out. It’s called, appropriately enough, the buckaroo knot. It may be hard to see the knot in the horse’s tail in this photo, but it’s there.

Now you may be surprised to know that there is a Buckaroo Hall of Fame and every year they induct two or three old time buckaroos. It’s fascinating to hear the stories of the men being honored. If you ever drive through Winnemucca, try to stop and check it out. If you can’t do that, then take a look at the webpage—some of these guys in the photo on the homepage are my neighbors. http://www.buckaroohalloffame.com/index.html There is additional information on buckaroos on the About Link at the bottom.

I’m looking forward to chatting with everyone and I’ll be giving away three copies of my July Superromance Cowboy Comes Back—part of the Cowboy Country promotion

Thanks for having me,

Jeannie Watt

Wildflower Junction welcomes Harlequin SuperRomance author Mary Sullivan!  Mary’s debut novel NO ORDINARY COWBOY blazes into bookstores this month.

A few years ago Mary picked up LaVyrle Spencer’s Morning Glory and became hooked on romance. Mary discovered Harlequin Superromance and knew she wanted to write these heartfelt stories of love, family, perseverance and happy endings, about very human heroes and heroines graced with backbone, strength of character and hope.

She loves that moment when, even though it looks like these characters will never be able to make their love work, they then, against impossible odds, do.

Y’all can visit Mary’s website at www.marysullivanbooks.com

Hi! I’m Mary Sullivan and I’m so happy to be here today blogging on Petticoats & Pistols!

In preparing for today’s blog, I wondered what historical readers would want to know about writing a contemporary cowboy story, especially from someone who has never met a cowboy, has never been on a ranch and has never ridden a horse! So, I took a look back through the research I started when I decided to write cowboy romances.

I learned so much about modern cowboys, and wondered how much they had changed over the years and how they had stayed the same. The one constant I discovered was the cowboy’s character.

Cowboys are tough. They trail cattle through hard terrain, often in foul weather. They have to think like a cow in order to find the cows, calves and renegade bulls that need to be reunited with their herds. These days, they use pickup trucks and dirt bikes and handheld radios and ‘Japanese quarter horses’—ATVs—as well as horses. Cowboys have to be nearly as tough as the animals they tend.

They work long hard days. I remember a saying from years ago that ‘a woman’s work is never done’. Being a feminist, did I ever resent that the first time I heard it! Now, though, I would apply it to a cowboy’s or a rancher’s or a farmer’s work, male or female.

 I found out that some cowboys are poets, as versatile with words as they are with their hands.

I learned that there are times when cowboys are called on to be heroes, most often in the small unnoticed deeds that daily life requires of them.

There truly does seem to be a Code of the West, first developed in the cowboy culture that started in the nineteenth century, when too few written laws forced cowboys to create laws of their own—about fair play and loyalty and respecting a person’s right to privacy.

This code still survives today in rules that are tacit yet understood universally throughout the culture.

Two items in the code caught my interest.

Take pride in your work. Nobody wants to re-do the job you should have done correctly the first time around. In the past, the price paid for the offense of shoddy work was ostracism, which must have been devastating in a world that was hard to survive even with others watching your back.

Live each day with courage. I really like this one.

The hero in my Superromance NO ORDINARY COWBOY, Hank Shelter, lives each day with courage. Every month of the year, he brings young children who are recovering from the ravages of cancer to his ranch and treats them to a few weeks of fun and Hank’s particular brand of tender loving care.

I’ll leave you to read the book to discover why this takes so much courage on Hank’s part. Suffice it to say that Hank overcame a lot to do this. He teaches my heroine, Amy, everything she will ever need to know about living a courageous life.

There are two more points in the Cowboy Code that tickle my fancy.

He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals. There’s something touching about a big, tough guy who treats children, the elderly and animals tenderly and with respect.

He must respect women.

I found this delightful quotation on the Internet: “If [American men] fell grievously short [in the matter of certain manners], in another they maintained without any exception the character of gentlemen.

The men, one and all, showed the utmost attention and politeness to our sex. Old or young, rich or poor, well or ill-dressed, every woman was treated with respect and kindness…” A Lady’s Journey Round the World, Ida Pfeiffer, 1855

I like this, too.

I’m thinking of modern-day cowboy, Ty Murray, on Dancing with the Stars and the way he always held and touched Chelsie Hightower with a gentleman’s respect.

Hank Shelter is a gentle man and a gentleman, two absolutely gorgeous character traits. He’s also a hell of a cowboy.

To celebrate the June release of my first novel, I’m giving away a copy of my Superromance, NO ORDINARY COWBOY, to one lucky person who leaves a comment. It’s so great to ‘meet’ everyone here!

Available Now at Amazon!

I’m delighted to participate in this blog—if there’s one subject that never fails to delight me, it’s the Wild West. And the wilder, the better!

My three “outlaws”, The Montana Creeds: Logan, Dylan and Tyler, are just wrapping up a run of hell-raisin’ and hard livin’ as I write these words. Now, you’d think as the writer, I’d have some control over these yahoos, but the fact is—not so much!

Logan, the eldest of the trio, was at least sensible. He’s a lawyer, after all, as well as a rodeo champion, but after he returned to Stillwater Springs Ranch and set eyes on the neighbor, Briana Grant, I couldn’t do a thing with him.

Dylan, the middle brother, followed, and with that go-to-hell twinkle in his eye, he was even harder to manage. If you don’t believe me, just as his lady, Kristy.

 

As for Tyler, the youngest, with the biggest chip on his shoulder? Heck, one look at Lily, and I had to threaten him with a bucket of cold water. Even that didn’t work—it would have wrecked my computer!

 

In the end, I just swung open the chute and got out of their way.

I’ll be starting work on another contemporary western trilogy soon—the Texas McKettricks. Tate, Garrett and Austin are the descendents of Jeb and Chloe McKettrick’s (Secondhand Bride) youngest son, a rebel who left the Triple M up in Arizona to return to the Lone Star State. Pretty soon, I’ll be heading down Texas way to do a little research—and drink a few margueritas.

 

This is a nasty job, but somebody has to do it.

 

Since I’m about ready to saddle up and hit the trail—this time, I’m going to Prague with my sister Sally—I’ll finish up.

 

I hope you’ll drop by my website, http://www.lindalaelmiller.com/, and check out the contests, excerpts and my scholarships for women.

 

Until we meet somewhere down the road,

 

Linda

     

            Some might think that the idyllic life of a cowboy on the range doesn’t lend itself to suspenseful mysteries. I beg to differ and so would many of the writers of Harlequin Intrigues. The truth is the cowboy is one of the tried and true heroes that women readers of the genre can’t get enough of.

            I’ve had cowboy heroes almost as long as I’ve been writing Intrigues, and that is fifteen years and forty books ago. My first westerns were the four books in the popular Family Ties series. Since then I’ve written many stand-alone novels staring the alpha cowboy and several multi-book series.

            There are several reasons why I think cowboys are naturals as suspense heroes. They tend to be independent thinkers who follow their own instincts. They don’t necessarily follow anyone else’s rules, but they have a strong value system. They are never afraid to buck the system since they’re not really part of the system. They are very protective of their lands and the people they love. They’ll stand up for what’s right no matter the cost. And, of course, they are incredibly sexy in those jeans, boots and Stetsons.

             I used all of those qualities in the heroes for my recent series, The Four Brothers of Colts Run Cross.  The series was originally intended to be only four books, then expanded to five. Now, due to popular request, there will be a sixth.

            The series is about a close-knit and very wealthy Texas family that not only owned one of largest ranches in Texas,  but owned an oil company as well. I thought of it as similar to the Ewings on the old TV show Dallas, except with scruples. Each brother has his own story, but there is also a mystery running through the first four books. I’ve found that Intrigue readers in general not only like large families but enjoy the idea of returning to the family setting, in this case Jack’s Bluff Ranch, in succeeding books. And each book involved the family in ways that were integral to the story.  The fifth book was about the daughter who was estranged from her husband, a star player for the Dallas Cowboys.  Their two sons are abducted a few days before Christmas so it’s a very emotional story that definitely affects the whole family. Yet, amazingly, there is also humor, thanks to the Home Alone style antics of the boys.

            And finally there is the current series, Special Ops, Texas. This is the most exciting series I’ve worked on in ages. The heroes are all former Navy SEALs, guys who have left the service for one reason or another and are having difficulty adjusting to life not on the edge.

            In Cowboy Commando, the first that is just out, Cutter Martin returns to the family ranch but doesn’t think ranching will cut it for him in his restless state. But when an old lover drops into his life with a wild story about her best friend being killed by a cop and her fear for the friend’s young daughter, he finds he has plenty of danger in store. The book is hot! So is the cover! Well, you can see that for yourself. Hmm. Maybe that’s another reason cowboys make such great heroes.

            If you  have any questions about writing contemporary western series or writing for Harlequin Intrigue, I’ll do my best to answer them. Or if you have any comments about cowboys as heroes, we can chat about that, too.   I’ll be giving away a copy of COWBOY COMMANDO & MIRACLE AT COLTS RUN CROSS this weekend!

            One of my favorite comments was overheard at a beauty shop the other day. “Cowboys are for women what blondes are for men. When you see one, you just have to take a second look.”

            Care to second that?

To learn more about Joanne and her books, visit her website:

www.joannawayne.com

   << Click to Order from Amazon

Any writer can tell you that the most frequently asked question they hear is, “Where do you get your ideas?” Writers get their ideas the same as everyone else does. Ideas just come to us. The difference is that writers learn to brainstorm and embellish on the original idea until it’s a plausible idea for a book.

I used to reply with a quip, such as one of these:

“I subscribe to Idea Monthly.”
“I close myself in a dark closet, chant a mantra, and don’t come out until a complete story has come to me.”
“I remember everything everyone tells me and I use it.”
“Little green men come to me and night and whisper plots in my ear.”

“There’s a warehouse on the outskirts of Tulsa….”

The problem with answering like that is that—people take me seriously!
 
Many of my ideas come from hearing a song, watching a movie, reading a book, or from my research. Something will catch my attention, and I’ll think “what if”? Then I play with the notion until I turn it into a story.

From the original concept, I develop the characters first. Exactly what kind of person will fit this role or this scene or this setting? Then I create the other lead character with built in conflict and an opposing goal. I start a binder. The members of my RWA chapter who saw my binder at our retreat have started calling it The Binder of Wonder. Okay, I confess to being a tad obsessive about things now and then.

Photos:

Top one is the binder at the beginning of the process—one page of notes only

Second one is my current binder on my desk

Third one is my desk with the story in progress spread all over – can you find Hugh?

Each book gets its own three-ring binder. Into the binder goes a character grid I’ve created by combining other charts into one that works for me, and a character fact sheet, which isn’t about physical appearance at all, but lists of words that describe them and mostly information about their past. Then as I go along I add dividers to separate the material I collect: Research on their occupation or a locale, names I will use, a map, society and etiquette, a brainstormed list of 25 Things That Could Happen, photos of people who resemble my characters. My current hero is Hugh Jackman, but his photo isn’t inside the binder; it’s over my desk. Duh.

I accumulate historical facts, dates in history, weather, a calendar of the year, on which I record my events as they take place, photos of places, houses, scenery, and a style sheet, which records all the characters and place names I use in the book.

The original idea, that little glimmer of a spark, is most often one thought I write down on one sheet of paper – and then tweak and tweak and tweak. Starting with my first book, here are a few:

– Heaven Can Wait originated as taking a girl who knew nothing of the outside world from a sequestered environment and flinging her into a completely alien culture. That theme still fascinates me, and I have more ideas for others.

– Rain Shadow developed from the desire to do a sequel to Heaven Can Wait, using the previous hero’s brother as the hero, and needing an exact opposite to pair him with. Thus the gun-toting Wild West character of Rain Shadow developed.

– Land of Dreams came from my fascination with and empathy for the children who rode the orphan trains, and, as a result of the many diaries I’d read. So many of the children suffered in their new environments nearly as much as they had on the streets of New York, often being sexually abused or used as servants, and many thinking they’d been adopted into families, only to find out years later that they hadn’t. I wanted to give some of those kids a good home. And Too Tall Thea was a character burning for a story and someone to love her.

– Saint or Sinner sprang from my passion for watching late night westerns. There’s an old black and white flick with Joanne Woodward where this guy comes back from the war and builds a church. She’s just a kid he tries to reform, but I thought…what if this fellow had a life after death experience and came back a changed man…and there was a woman who didn’t believe he’d changed?

– Badlands Bride actually started out as merely a title I’d saved for years. I needed a story to go with that great title. The idea of having an unprepared reporter go west disguised as a mail-order bride popped into my head, and I decided to send her to the badlands and use that title. I love the underdog characters, you may have noticed. She’s desperate for her father’s approval.

– A Husband By Any Other Name came from the Bible story of the prodigal son. One son runs away, squanders his inheritance and comes back to his father’s welcoming arms. The brother who stayed home and worked doesn’t think that’s too fair, even though he surely loved his brother. Seeing the father plan a feast and roast the fatted calf irks him. I further complicated that story by having the brother who stays home marry the fiancée of the brother who went away. Did I mention he pretends to be the brother who went away?

– The Truth About Toby: I’ve always been a bit fascinated with dream interpretations, I guess. I had originally titled the book Dream A Little Dream For Me, because the hero is helping the heroine with precognitive dreams. Austin came to me first, a reclusive, tortured hero who simply wants to forget the horrors of his past. And for him I created Shaine, the woman he can’t resist, who needs him to remember it all. And then the eds told me that dream title would never fly. A month after my book came SEP’s masterpiece.

– The Mistaken Widow is a historical version of the movie, “Mrs. Winterbourne, where Ricky Lake pretends to be Brenden Frasier’s sister-in-law. As soon as I saw the film, I started picturing it in a historical scenario. My story has a bit more twists and turns, however.

– The Doctor’s Wife came from watching a talk show where the female guest told her story. She came from the “trash family” in a little town. I felt so sorry for her and her story was so sad that I sat and cried. Often when I’m moved by someone’s real life story, I want to write one that turns out better. It’s like I can fix the world one book at a time or something. The real person in this case was ridiculed and teased by the other children. Her family was so poor that she wore her brother’s underwear. Her mother gave birth to more than one baby and made the daughter go bury them. One particular time, she secretly gave the baby away. This was one of those reunion shows, and they brought out the sister whose life she saved so many years ago and they were reunited with hugs and tears. Bizarre story, eh? Once again truth is stranger than fiction. Well I changed all that and had the baby be my heroine’s and had her hide it to keep it safe. But that’s where the idea was conceived.

and on and on…..up to the book I’m working on now:

– Her Make-Believe Husband started out as one little thought. I wanted a child to get letters from a made-up father. And then the made-up father to show up. It took me months of hashing out the idea and coming up with things and then having to chuck them because they wouldn’t work and then setting it aside time after time. Finally one time when I went back to it, something clicked and the idea all fell together. I am loving this story so much — and who wouldn’t with Hugh Jackman as the hero, eh?

So anyway, ideas come from anywhere and everywhere: TV shows, the newspaper, songs, other books. I’ve never found that warehouse outside Tulsa, dag-nabbit, so I do most of the dirty work on my own. Actually, the ideas are the fun part, the part that never runs out. Carrying out the work is the hard part. There are a lot of people who call themselves writers and who come up with ideas, but there are far fewer who actually do the work and get it all in publishable story form on paper!

Ask another writer and she will most likely have a completely different explanation of where stories come from – but I’ll bet she won’t know about the warehouse outside Tulsa.

Hi, everyone,

First, let me say how happy I am to be invited to be a guest at Petticoats and Pistols.

Having grown up in West Texas and having lived in three western states, I’m a true lover of the West. I’m from the cowboy culture, to be sure. My dad was a small cattle rancher and most of my family does something to this day related to ranching and agriculture. That’s why I enjoy setting my stories in a western locale. It’s what I know.

Even though my books are classified as contemporary mainstream romance, they have also become classified as “westerns.” I’m still not sure how that happened, but there you go.

In fact, most my stories are relationship stories. They could occur in any setting, but they seem to be a little more interesting set against a backdrop of cowboy life. After all, what red-blooded American woman doesn’t love a cowboy? I also try to throw in a little Western or Texas history, though not enough for the books to be called “historical” or for someone to scream at me about accuracy.  

In LONE STAR WOMAN, all of the players are cowboys and cowgirls to whom working outdoors with animals every day is a way of life and it’s a lifestyle they love. A big part of the character of the protagonist, Jude Strayhorn, comes from her love of the land and her family’s long ranching history. I based the setting and took the history from the old-time ranches that sprang up in Texas during the late nineteenth century, when the Eastern demand for beef fostered an entire industry and a culture.

During my research for that book, I delved into how “cowboys” came to be in the first place. Because before the Civil War, there really weren’t any cowboys as we’ve come to know them. What there was was Mexican vaqueros who knew how to ride the wildest of horses and rope the wild cattle descended from those the Spanish left behind. It’s no coincidence that much of the cowboy jargon descends from the Spanish, i.e., rodeo, remuda, lariat, reata, concho, etc., etc. Then there were Southern farm boys displaced by the Civil War who came to Texas without much other than the courtly manners of the Southern gentlemen. When those two factions met, “cowboys” emerged. And they’re still here, I’m happy to say.

            You can always tell a real cowboy. He probably won’t own a ranch, though he might own a cow or two. He’ll probably own a dog, a horse or two or ten and he’ll drive a pickup truck. If you’re female, he won’t let you lift anything heavy, he’ll always open doors. He won’t expect you to pay for dinner and would be insulted by the idea of “going Dutch,” even if he has to spend his last dime. He won’t have much to say and when he does, he’ll always call you ma’am. Now he might be a misfit of the tallest order, he might be a scalawag and a rascal, but he’ll always be charming to the ladies and he’ll always be an independent cuss whose mind isn’t easily changed. Willie Nelson said it all in “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.” He also said it again in “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.”

Pam here:  Come on in, and let’s talk cowboys!  Have you read the Anna Jeffrey books?  Remember those beautiful covers?  What is it about relationship stories that appeals to you?   And are you as curious as I am about how Jeffrey got her name?  LOL.

Jeffrey will be giving away a copy of LONE STAR WOMAN and an ARC of her July release, written as Dixie Cash–CURING THE BLUES WITH A NEW PAIR OF SHOES.  Is that a fun title or what?

To learn more about Jeffrey and her books, written as Sadie Callahan and Dixie Cash, visit the websites:

www.annajeffrey.com  and www.dixie-cash.com

Click on Cover to order from Amazon 

Definition: noun

1) a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability  2) an illustrious warrior  3) a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities  4) one that shows great courage  5) the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work  6) the central figure in an event, period, or movement  7) an object of extreme admiration and devotion: idol

In a nationwide survey a few years back, Jesus Christ was the person most often listed as a hero, followed by Martin Luther King, Colin Powell, John F. Kennedy and Mother Theresa. Over half surveyed mentioned a public figure, others their fathers, mothers or other relatives and friends.

The major reasons for naming someone a hero were: Not giving up until a goal is accomplished; Doing what’s right regardless of personal consequences; Doing more than is expected; Staying level-headed in a crisis; Overcoming adversity; Changing society for the better; Willingness to risk personal safety to help others; Commanding the support and respect of others; Not expecting personal recognition.

The views of our nation have changed since September 11th.  More and more, firefighters, policemen and military men are referred to as heroes. We will all agree there were heroes aboard Flight 93 that day, men and women who foiled an additional terrorist plan.

The qualities of a hero include willingness to sacrifice, determination, loyalty, courage, dedication, intrepidity, valor, selflessness, conviction, focus, gallantry, perseverance, fortitude, bravery and integrity.

A hero isn’t always a man who sets out on a grand quest. Sometimes he’s the ordinary fellow who works an extra job to pay for his son’s college or his daughter’s wedding. Sometimes he’s a man who never raised his fists or fired a gun, but who sets a silent example of faith and a standard of honesty by the way he lives his life.

When we think of the heroes portrayed in our genre, we immediately think of John Wayne and Henry Ford, Wyatt Earp and Marshal Dillon. But there are unlikely heroes, too, such as Froto and Sam in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Clint Eastwood’s William Munny in Unforgiven. Remember Sally Field’s character in Norma Rae?  How about Erin Brockovich?  Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird tops every list of favorite movie heroes.

In talking about the heroes of our books, what qualities do some of our favorite authors think a hero needs?

Catherine Anderson says: “…one absolutely necessary quality a hero must always have is not good looks, suavity or physical strength, but incredible wonderful irresistible heart—an intangible s something that enables him not only to love deeply, but to live for love, sacrifice everything for love, and even die for love if necessary.”

Dorothy Garlock insists,” My heroes have high moral ethics and are always faithful.”

Pamela Morsi says the most important thing is “the hero’s willingness to make a commitment. All other obstacle can be overcome, but only a man who can marry and live happily ever after can be a hero in romantic fiction.”

Alexis Harrington said, “A hero doesn’t need to be perfect—I’d rather have a man with human frailties ad self-doubts. But despite his imperfections, he must have a nobility pf spirit that gives him the ability to recognize his own flaws, to see the good in others, and ultimately, to do the right thing, regardless of the cost to himself.”

Lorraine Heath mentions, “A hero should always be willing to sacrifice what he values most in order to ensure the heroine finds happiness.”

Joan Johnston likes her heroes to be “physically strong and emotionally vulnerable.”

Cheryl Reavis states, “My hero must always take care of his children. I can’t abide a man who shirks his responsibility for his child—I don’t care what the reason; and a man willing to take responsibility for a child that is not his is really a hero to me.”

The stuff heroes are made of is powerfully attractive to the woman who eventually wins his heart. Who is the perfect hero in my book? Well, the one who has all the qualities mentioned above—and looks like Hugh Jackman to boot.

Some of my favorite heroes are Rye Dalton in LaVyrle Spencer’s Twice Loved, Reed Tyler in Pam Morsi’s Courting Miss Hattie, Luke Turner in Lisa Gregory’s The Rainbow Season, Laghlan Mackenzie in the late Arnette Lamb’s Highland Rogue, Dylan Harper in Alexis Harrington’s Harper’s Bride, Charlie Cochranin Kate Hathaway’s Bad For Each Other, and Theresa Weir’s Nash Audabon in Long Night Moon – and the list just goes on an on.

Did I mention any of your favorite heroes or authors? Who are the heroes who stand out in your mind—either in real life or your favorite books?