As soon as he skulked onto the screen, you knew there was bound to be trouble.  He didn’t even have to open his mouth.  That wild-eyed look said it all.  Jack Elam’s character was bad to the bone. 

The real Jack Elam made more than fifty films, from war movies to film noir to comedy.  But it’s his Westerns that fans remember.  He was never the star.  But his presence could electrify the screen.  In 1994 he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum–an honor well earned. 

William Scott Elam was born in Arizona around 1918 (the date is uncertain because he lied about his age to get work picking cotton).  At the age of twelve, during a scuffle at a Boy Scout meeting, a pencil entered his left eye.  Not only did he lose the sight, but the blind eye kept its off-kilter look for the rest of Elam’s life. 

In the late 1940’s, Elam was working as a bookkeeper for Samuel Goldwyn Studios.  But the close work strained his one good eye.  Threatened with blindness, Elam offered to arrange financing for a movie director friend in exchange for roles in his films. 

In Elam’s early movies, his bad eye was camouflaged by make-up, lighting and camera angles.  Later, however, it was the eye—which gave him a slightly crazed look—that made Elam’s career as a character actor.  His notable westerns include Rawhide (1951), High Noon (1952), Vera Cruz (1954), The Man From Laramie (1955), Jubal (1956), Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957) and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and Rio Lobo (1970).   

With few exceptions, Elam played bad guys.  But he played them straight on.  He was quoted as saying about his roles:   “In the old days, Rory Calhoun was the hero because he was the hero and I was the heavy because I was the heavy — and nobody cared what my problem was. And I didn’t either.  I robbed the bank because I wanted the money … I’ve played all kinds of weirdos but I’ve never done the quiet, sick type. I never had a problem — other than the fact I was just bad.”

From the late 1960’s on, Elam gained new fans as a comedian in such films as Support Your Local Gunfighter and The Over the Hill Gang.  He also played in several TV series.  The best-known Elam quote is the one that sums up the career of a character actor, as seen by a film director:  “1. Who’s Jack Elam?  2. Get me Jack Elam.  3. Get me a Jack Elam type. 4. Get me a young Jack Elam. 5. Who’s Jack Elam?”

Jack Elam died of heart failure on Oct. 20, 2003, but he remains my favorite bad guy.  How about you?  Who’s your favorite Western bad guy and why?

To go to Amazon.com click on one of these books.  And don’t forget to enter our big contest.  It ends this week, and we’ve got some great prizes!

Sorry to be late today.  Labor Day threw me off a bit, along with finishing up readiing page proofs.   For the non-writers here, page proofs is the last chance you have to fix your manuscript.   Publishers hate last minute tinkering, but I can’t seem to help myself, and so I ponder over every correction or change, wondering whether it’s worth the fight.   It almost always is.

But I digress. 

I’d already decided to blog about TV westerns.   Many of you probably don’t even know what I’m talking about.   Unfortunately they disappeared from TV screens in 1968, at least for the most part.   But prior to that, TV westerns were THE thing.  They dominated the small screens.

We still see a few on TVLand, but some have disappeared forever.   Others have are now being offered in CD and DVD formats.   I found them when searching for “Rawhide,” one of my alltime favorites, mainly because of the music.   In the search I found a treasure of old TV westerns.

At the risk of being a shill for a commercial website, I have to mention http://www.fiftiesweb.com/western.htm     I thought I had died and gone to heaven, and I’ve already dropped hints to all my relatives that I would dearly love some of its offerings for Christmas.

Basically, the TV western reigned supreme in the fifities and Sixties.   There were about 120 of them depending on what you consider a western.   One of the really nice things aboaut them, you could always tell the good guys from the bad, and none of the guns were fully automatic.

The earliest ones were most for kids.   I remember running down the street to watch Roy Rogers.   Hopalong Cassidy was a real treat.   I think I was five or six at the time, and TV was a new-fangled invention.

 In the mid-fifities, Gunsmoke began a 20-year run, and it was so successful others followed.  Some of the most popular — and my favorites — were Wagon Train and Rawhide, along with Maverick (which lives today) and Have Gun Will Travel. 

Studios realized that the western didn’t just appeal to men and “accordingly cast hunky leads, who often appeared shirtless, to please the women (and they did). No longer did the hero kiss his horse and ride off into the sunset,   Now he fot to kiss the girl too.”

By the Sixties, the offerings included great sprawling westerns such as The Virginian, High Chaparral, Big Valley and Bonanza.  

 But the world was changing.  Viet Nam spoiled the mood of the country or, according the website, perhaps “there is such a notion as too much of a good thing (Not for me).”

I think that happened to the western romance novel as well.   I first started writing them in 1983, and westerns were so successful that the market was glutted.   There simply were too many books for the audience, and everyone’s numbers faded.   Publishers started looked for the next big subgenre.

But once more I digress.   Back to my TV westerns.   Attempts to resurrect the genre failed.  Westerns are expensive to make and younger studio executives just didn’t get it.  The explanation from the website:  “They assume that we all want to watch sexy young actors and actresses who haven’t eaten yet this month, talk about nothing in their apartments.”

Which is why I don’t watch much television today.  

But I thought I would take you down memory street and mention some wellknown western series and others not so well known.   You can buy some of them at the above website.

The not so well known series:

A Man Called Shenandoah, starring Robert Horton.   Two buffalo hunters find a stranger who has been shot.  Thinking he may have a price on his head, they take him to town.  Although he is not wanted, when he comes around, he cannot remember who he is.  Calling himself Shenandoah, he wanders the west trying to find his real identity.

The Loner, starring Lloyd Bridges.   After the Civil War, a former Union Cavalry officer travels West to try to find some meaning in life, something to value.  Rod Serling wrote some of the scripts.

Iron Horse, staring Dale Robertson.   Ben Calhoun wins a railroad in a poker game.   An unfinished railroad.  So Ben has to complete the line.  Lots of action as he and his friends tame the way for the railroad.

The Road West, starring Andrew Pine.   Benjamin Pride moves his entire family from their home in Springfield, Ohio, to the Kansas Territory after the Civil War.  The stories were about the struggles of a pioneering family.

Hondo (one of my favorites), starring Ralph Taeger as Hondo Lane.   Taken from the Lous L’Amour story, this series is about a cavalry scout in the Arizona Territory.   Hondo had been a Confederate officer who came to live with the Apaches.   But his Indian bride is slain in an army massacre and now he works for the Army trying to avid further Bloodshed.

Dundee and the Culhane, staring John Mills and Sean Garrison.   Although British attorney Dundee’s offices are in Sausalito, he and his apprentice Culhane wander the west for their clients, always trying to impose rule of law in a lawless land.

And here’s a few of the better known ones.   Many of these have been preserved and are available for sale:

Rawhide: Gil Favor is the trail boss of the cattle drive from North kansas to Sedalia, Kansas.  His ramrod is a young Clint Eastwood playing Rowdy Yates.  

The Virginian, starring James Drury and Doug McClure.  The Virginian was the first of the 90-minute westerns.  The Virginian is a man coping with change and trying to live by a strict moral code

Little House on the Prairie.   Enough said.

It’s great fun to visit the sight and read about these westerns.   There’s a description of all the 120-plus series.   Just be careful,  You can get lost there.

Often when I’m in the kitchen, either cooking or doing dishes or baking or painting, I check out the movies on TMC and AMC. It was western month recently, and there was no end to cowboys, horses and shootouts. Yee haw!  A couple of Saturdays ago, I tuned in just as Rio Bravo was starting. I hadn’t seen it in ages, so I clicked on all the TVs and did my chores from room to room while watching.

I can’t be the only one who does this.

My husband and I were talking recently about when we were kids and there was one television in the house, and that television had three channels. Elijah asked me the other day on the way to school, (you know how kids always ask questions about the old days!) “What was on TV when you were a kid? Nickelodean? Cartoon Network?” He couldn’t quite grasp the fact that we had The Mickey Mouse Club on weekdays and cartoons on Saturday morning only. Talk about the dark ages!

Watch a favorite scene here:

Rio Bravo is probably one of the most well known and best loved westerns.  It’s sure  fun, and it’s one of my favorites. It was financially successful for its day, earning over 5.5 million in 1959. Of course what movie staring John Wayne in a cowboy hat wouldn’t have been successful?

It was filmed at Old Tucson Studios just outside Tucson Arizona. During the filming, a saloon, bank building and doctor’s office were added to the western sets. Earlier westerns filmed there were McLintock, and El Dorado, and much later Tombstone and The Quick and the Dead used the same soundstages and sets.

Sources say that because Howard Hawks was offended by High Noon and he didn’t believe the marshal in that film, played by Gary Cooper, would ask the townsfolk for help, so he made Rio Bravo to tell the same story his way.

Here’s the basic plot:

In his efforts to jail the brother of the local bad guy, sheriff John T. Chance, played by John Wayne, enlists the help of a cantankerous cripple named Stumpy, played by Walter Brennan, a disgraced drunk named Dude–probably Dean Martin’s best ever performance, and a singing gunfighter, the adorable Ricky Nelson, to keep custody of a murderer whose powerful rancher brother is trying to help him escape. After a friend is killed trying to muster support for him, they must find a way to hold out against the rancher’s hired guns until the marshal arrives. In the meantime, matters are complicated by the presence of a young gunslinger – and a mysterious beauty who just came in on the last stagecoach.

 I already loved Ricky Nelson from the Ozzie and Harriett show, and to this day I listen to his CDs. He wasn’t such a great actor, but Colorado’s character is great–and we get to hear him sing.

The mysterious poker playing beauty is of course the lovely and very very young Angie Dickenson and John T. Chance’s love interest.

 One of my favorite lines:

John T. Chance: Stumpy?
Stumpy: Yeah?
John T. Chance: Going over to the hotel for a few minutes.
Stumpy: Well, if’n ya don’t come back, me ‘n’ Joe’ll have us a good cry.

Rio Bravo Trivia:

There were two remakes of this classic movie:

The first remake, El Dorado, was released in 1967. In this film, Robert Mitchum played the Dean Martin role, Arthur Hunnicutt the Walter Brennan character and James Caan the Ricky Nelson role. Director Howard Hawks again named the Nelson/Caan character after a state (in this case, Mississippi) and in a wry, humorous twist on the original film, Hawks made him inept with firearms, but skilled with a knife.

The second remake, Rio Lobo, was made in 1970 and also directed by Hawks. This was a remake, beginning with a Confederate train robbery of a Union gold shipment during the American Civil War, then moving to a Texas town under siege, which was central to the original film. This film starred John Wayne, Mexican film star Jorge Rivero (as Frenchie), Christopher Mitchum (Robert Mitchum’s son), Jack Elam, and Jennifer O’Neill.

Film footage from Rio Bravo was later incorporated into the opening sequence of John Wayne’s last film, The Shootist, to illustrate the backstory of Wayne’s character.

Ricky Nelson later paid homage to both the film and his character, Colorado, by including the song “Restless Kid” on his 1959 record Ricky Sings Again.

Sources: Internet Movie Database & Wikipedia

 Have you seen Rio Bravo lately?

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First of all, a huge thank you to the writers on Petticoats and Pistols Blog for inviting me to share a bit of time with you and your readers in Wildflower Junction. I’ve known many of these fine writer friends for years through Romance Writers of America.

I’m now living in Hawaii, over 2,000 miles from the mainland and even farther from the Wild West.  Living here is a dream I’ve had since we bought our home in 1978. Now it’s a reality. Though I live in a tropical paradise, a part of my heart will always be Romancing the West.

My latest book, HOMECOMING, from Steeple Hill, is set in Texas in the 1870’s.  HOMECOMING is both a return and a departure for me. It’s a return to writing Westerns, my first love and where I started over twenty novels ago. It’s a departure because it’s my first Inspirational novel.

If you have never read an Inspirational romance, this might just be the one to try. Aside from adding the element of faith as part of the plotline, in HOMECOMING I’ve been true to the things that my previous books have been known for—memorable characters, page turning tension, emotion and historical detail. If you loved shows like DR. QUINN MEDICINE WOMAN, BONANZA, and LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE, then you’ll enjoy HOMECOMING.

In fact, the story was inspired by a movie, THE SEARCHERS, which starred John Wayne. It was made in the early sixties (or the late fifties) I’m not certain. (Mental pause.) It’s the story of a Texas Ranger who spends years searching for his niece, who was taken captive by the Comanche when she was a child. He finds her years later and takes her home.

I’ve always wondered…and then what happened? Did she stay? Did she assimilate back into the white culture? Did she try to run back to the Comanche?

HOMECOMING is the story of a young woman who was taken by the Comanche as a child. She is raised by them, cherished and adopted by them. When she is “rescued’ twelve years later by the U.S. Army, she is handed over to a mother and son, the Ellenbergs, who are to care for her until her identity is established and her relations are located.

In the mean time, the young woman who only knows herself as Eyes-of-the-Sky has been thrust into a confusing, terrifying situation.  Hattie Ellenberg is a woman who has suffered much at the hands of the Comanche herself, but her faith helps her forgive. Her son, Joe, (naturally, the devastatingly handsome hero) has no faith. He has no dream. He’s living his life one day at a time and working the family ranch. He’s virulently opposed to taking in a Comanche captive who thinks she’s “Comanch.”

I think the story that unfolds is one that will bring a tear to your eye. I’ve been told it’s truly a page turner. Please, do give it a try.

When it rains it pours, they say, and so it is with my publications this summer. In June, DESTINATION: MARRIAGE, an anthology of wedding stories from Harlequin, was released. Although it’s not set in the Wild West, my short story, “Trouble in Paradise” is set on Kauai (which is about as far west as you can get without leaving the states). If you’re looking for a quick, funny beach read, you might enjoy it. The other two stories are by Jo Leigh and Jackie Braun, both multi-published Harlequin authors.

Last but not least, I noticed in May, Elizabeth Lane sent in photos of herself belly dancing. What fun. I can truly relate to her passion. I dance hula and have been doing so for nearly twenty years. I dance with a great group of ladies of all ages (most fifty and over). We’re called the Hui Hula O’ Halelea. We love to perform for groups at luaus and parties, day care centers, long term care facilities, at pancake breakfast fundraisers and recently we danced at a bowling alley during a tournament buffet!

Dancing hula gives me a chance to get away from the computer and enjoy myself to the lovely sound of Hawaiian music.

I’d love to hear from you. I’ll be giving away one autographed copy of DESTINATION: MARRIAGE and two autographed copies of HOMECOMING, to three readers who leave comments today here at Petticoats and Pistols.

You can also read more about my previous titles at my website: www.jillmarielandis.com

Thanks for letting me “talk story”—as they say here in Hawaii—about my books, my hula, and what inspired me to write HOMECOMING.

Aloha hui hou, (aloha until we meet again)

Jill Marie Landis

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Howdy, everyone!

I’m really glad to be blogging at Pistols and Petticoats today.   In fact, just thinking about westerns and romance has me thinking country and humming the old Willie Nelson tune, “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys…”

For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed a good western—whether it’s in the form of a book, movie or country song.

I cut my teeth on shows like Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger, and The Big Valley.   I must admit, though, Bonanza could sometimes be tough to watch.  I used to cringe whenever Adam, Hoss, or Little Joe fell in love, because sure as shootin’, whenever that happened, you could be sure that the poor little woman was fixin’ to die…

But I’d watch the show anyway, pull out a hanky, and prepare for a good cry.

That’s because I love cowboys.  And here’s why:

1.  Cowboys believe in truth and justice

2.  Cowboys choose to do whatever’s right—no matter what the consequence

3.  Cowboys know how to kick back and have fun—Yee Haw!

4.  Cowboys are tough on the outside and gentle within

5.  Cowboys tame wild horses and bad hombres with their bare hands

6.  Cowboys have a unique scent of leather and musk that can turn a woman’s heart on end

7.  Cowboys are sexy and rugged and romantic

8.  Cowboys know how to treat a lady

So when push comes to shove, the bad guys get their comeuppance, and the sun sinks low in the western sky, I want to climb on a horse behind a handsome cowboy, slip my arms around his waist, and ride off into the sunset. 

Happy-ever-after doesn’t get any better than that.

Judy’s latest Special Edition, IN LOVE WITH THE BRONC RIDER, is a June 2008 release.

THE COWBOY’S LADY?

When Tori took the job at the Rocking C ranch, nobody told her an ornery cowboy came with it.  As a former nurse, Tori new she could help Matt Clayton get back on his feet.  The only obstacle was the injured bronc rider himself….

An accident may have ended his rodeo career, but Matt wasn’t one to back down from a challenge!  Now one bossy redhead was about to meet her match!  But Tori was hiding something.

Would Tori’s secret force her to leave Matt and the feelings he was awakening in her?  Or could love work its healing magic on them both, making this a homecoming neither would forget?

The Texas Homecoming:  There’s no better place for love.

Order Judy’s books by clicking on the thumbnail covers!

Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy?

 Chris Amundson, the editor of Nebraska Life, spoke at a Nebraska Press Women’s conference I attended and I loved listening to Chris talk about the great things to be found in Nebraska.

However it was a little distracting to have this picture blown up into a poster right behind his back. It was the cover for an article they did on small town rodeo.

Here’s a link to a lot more great rodeo pictures.

http://www.nebraskalife.com/SmallTownRodeos1.asp

It hits close for me because we have a rodeo in the next town down the road called the Hoot Gibson Memorial Rodeo in Tekamah, Nebraska. And we’ve got neighbors who are big time into rodeo, entering and competing when the rodeo is in the area, although they don’t follow the circuit.

So today I’m including a little history, a quick look at events and some great, great pictures all about rodeo.

 Fun Fact: Rodeo is the official state sport of Wyoming and Texas, and the iconic silhouette image of a Bucking Horse and Rider is a federal and state registered trademark of the State of Wyoming.

 Rodeo Quote: I can remember sittin’ in a cafe when I first started in rodeo, and waitin’ until somebody got done so I could finish what they left.
Chris LeDoux(1948-2005) Real  life cowboy and Country western singer of Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy among many great hits.

Main Rodeo Events

Barrel Racing

Barrel racing is an exclusively women’s sport. In a barrel race, horse and rider gallop around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels, making agile turns without knocking the barrels over. Look at that picture on the left. Really notice how low the horse is, almost on it’s side.

Bulldogging

A calf is roped around the neck by a lariat, the horse stops and sets back on the rope while the cowboy dismounts, runs to the calf, throws it to the ground and ties three feet together. (If the horse throws the calf, the cowboy must lose time waiting for the calf to get back to its feet so that the cowboy can do the work. The job of the horse is to hold the calf steady on the rope) This activity is still practiced on modern working ranches for branding, medical treatment, and so on.

 In spite of popular myth, most modern “broncs” are not in fact wild horses, but are more commonly spoiled riding horses or horses bred specifically as bucking stock. Rough stock events also use well-trained riding horses ridden by “pick up men” (or women), of whom there are usually at least two, tasked with assisting fallen riders and helping successful riders get safely off the bucking animal.

Bronc riding

There are two divisions in rodeo, bareback bronc riding, where the rider is only allowed to hang onto a bucking horse with a type of surcingle called a “rigging,” and saddle bronc riding, where the rider is allowed a specialized western saddle without a horn (for safety) and may hang onto a heavy lead rope, called a bronc rein, which is attached to a halter on the horse.

Bull riding

An event where the cowboys ride full-grown bulls instead of horses. Although skills and equipment similar to those needed for bareback bronc riding are required, the event differs considerably from horse riding competition due to the danger involved. Because bulls are unpredictable and may attack a fallen rider, Rodeo clowns, now known as Bullfighters, work during bull riding competition to help prevent injury to competitors. 

Some interesting rodeo facts: Rodeo stresses its western folk hero image and its being a genuinely American creation. But in fact it grew out of the practices of Spanish ranchers and their Mexican ranch hands (vaqueros), a mixture of cattle wrangling and bull fighting that dates back to the sixteenth-century conquistadors. But you know…what does American mean if not a melting pot from all over the world?

 There would probably be no steer wrestling at all in American rodeo were it not for a black cowboy from Texas named Bill Pickettwho devised his own unique method of bulldogging steers. He jumped from his horse to a steer’s back, bit its upper lip, and threw it to the ground by grabbing its horns. He performed at local central Texas fairs and rodeos and was discovered by an agent, who signed him on a tour of the West with his brothers. He received sensational national publicity with his bulldogging exhibition at the 1904 Cheyenne Frontier Days. This brought him a contract with the famous 101 Ranch in Oklahoma and its traveling Wild West exhibitions, where he spent many years performing in the United States and abroad. I’ve seen bull riding competitions and it’s a mean sport. I don’t care for it. But the crowd goes wild.

 I remember a few years ago some company was selling ‘Great Rodeo Moments’ on TV and they’d run these awful clips, over and over, of riders getting gored by a bull or trampled by a horse. I went and looked at YouTube but honestly the clips there are pretty hard to watch. So I’m not sending you there. Go at your own risk.

Some Great Rodeo Movies—it seems like they always have them riding the bulls.

8 Seconds-starring Luke Perry

Electric Horseman – starring Robert Redford

Pure Country – Starring George Strait

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys – Starring Scott Glenn.

 If you want to see some more really cool rodeo photos by Erik Stenbakken who took the picture at the top of this that I’m calling Mud Soaked Cowboy go here: http://www.stenbakken.com/ Click on Portfolios and then Rodeos. Very talented guy.

Any rodeo fans here today?

Seriously, have you ever been to the rodeo?

Have you got a favorite rodeo movie or rodeo cowboy I didn’t mention? What’s a cowboy got in him that makes him climb on that bull? There are cowgirls out there, too, and they’re pretty tough. Let’s hear rodeo memories, opinions or just tell me Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy……

It has everything to do with my parents.  They brainwashed me–and I’ve loved every minute of it.  

Thanks to them I grew up on musicals. I’m talking about the love at first sight, happy ending, burst into song at the drop of a hat kind. (Oh how my sons roll their eyes at that!)  

Between Rogers and Hammerstein and Walt Disney I was happy as a bee in a field of Texas blue-bonnets. The music, the lyrics, the dancing—and the touch of humor in just the right places– swept me away to a magical realm and kept me enthralled. It didn’t hurt that the heroes were easy on the eyes and the heroines beautiful too. And they always fell in love and lived happily ever after.  

The first musical I remember seeing was Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke lit up the screen. I know every song by heart. Then there was The Sound of Music. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to go to Austria after seeing that! The scenery was stunning.  

Oklahoma!, The Music Man, West Side Story, South Pacific, Camelot and a host of others—the music was so ingrained in me that I couldn’t believe it when I’d meet someone who’d never seen a musical—it was that incomprehensible to me. (Don’t ask me how I ever ended up marrying a “sports jock.” At least he tolerates my singing around the house!)  

Watching Disney movies with my sons as they grew up kept the musical bug alive in me (not that it needed any help!) Being boys, they didn’t much care for the “princess” movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, or The Little Mermaid, but there was Pete’s Dragon, Beauty and the Beast, and their favorite–The Prince of Egypt.  

I enjoyed Carousel originally as a child, but when I grew up the way the story treated the aspect of battering upset me and I’ve never watched it again. Too bad—because the music was lovely. It was also the first sad ending to a musical I’d ever seen.  

More recent “musicals” I’ve enjoyed are The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and my personal favorite Beauty and the Beast (on stage.) Eventually I hope to see Wicked. And I would absolutely love it if Beauty and the Beast would be made into a movie with real actors. I do so like the extra songs added on the Broadway version.  

Since this is Petticoats and Pistols—I tried to remember

My favorite would have to be Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. My–could Howard Keel sing! And he was easy on the eyes too—not to mention being a bit of a rascal! Jane Powell as the feisty girl who “tamed” him was just beautiful. I smile every time I hear the song “Bless Your Beautiful Hide.” It took place in the Oregon wilderness and I was captivated by the gorgeous scenery. It wasn’t until I was older that I learned much of it had been filmed onstage.  

Another good one was The Unsinkable Molly Brown with Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell which takes place in Colorado territory.  I think Oklahoma! with Shirley Jones and Gordon McCrea could be classified in this category.  

Paint Your Wagon – now that was a bit of a shock to see Clint Eastwood  singing, but I did enjoy the show and the music.  

With all of this ingrained in me from an early age, it’s no wonder that I grew up believing in happy endings and the kind of love that lasts a lifetime. Perhaps I’m looking through rose-colored lenses, but it is a lovely view from here. 

I wonder if my debut book could ever be turned into a musical? Hey—it’s an interesting thought!  

Are there any musical lovers out there? And if so, which is your favorite? To encourage lurkers to join in, if you post and your name is drawn, I’ll send an autographed copy of my debut book The Angel and the Outlaw along with a watercolor note card of the lighthouse that figures prominently in the story.  

I’d love to hear of a musical I haven’t seen yet!  

Thank you, Petticoats and Pistols for inviting me to blog today. It’s been fun. Here’s to a successful round-up Ladies!

Kathryn Albright had been writing for several years when she sold her first novel, The Angel and the Outlaw, to Harlequin Historicals. Her second novel, another western, The Rebel and the Lady, will be released September 2008. Stop by her website to see an excerpt!

She will draw a name for an autographed copy of The Angel and the Outlaw and a fancy notecard from the comments on her blog!

Hi everyone! Spring is in the air and I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled…my toes stay cold all winter and that makes me grumpy, so I welcome the sunshine with open arms and warm toes. J

For those who don’t know me, I’m Debra Clopton, and I have an ongoing series with Love Inspired called the Mule Hollow series. No, it isn’t historical but it is about Texas and cowboys—which I absolutely love as much as springtime.  I adore watching and reading about all types of cowboys. The dark brooding cowboys with deep dark secrets, the dangerous cowboys that make a girl want to risk everything for love, the confused cowboy who has absolutely no idea what to do with a gal who refuses to stay out of trouble, the hurting cowboy who needs a gal to step in and rescue him.

There are all types of cowboys and I believe a cowboy at heart is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I love the movie Silverado—what’s not to love? You’ve got every type of hero. You’ve got Emmet (Scott Glen) your tough guy with tortured past. Mal (Danny Glover) the good guy who only wanted to live a quiet life but had to step up to save his sister.

Paden (Kevin Kline) your bad-boy-with-a-heart who is redeemed by love…but it is the one and only Jake who stole the show for me back in 1985 when the movie aired.  

The happy- go-lucky-all-I-want-to-do-is-have-a-good time younger brother who is like the other three cowboys when it comes to risking everything to save his brother’s son and the town from the greedy cattle barren.

But the thing that set Jake apart from the rest of these cowboys was the fact that Jake went into battle with a smile…and oh what a smile it was! Played by an unknown actor at the time by the name Kevin Costner <g> I fell in love the moment the playful cowboy entered the scene. And of course everyone else did too. I will never forget a few years later when I was watching Kevin’s breakout movie (which I can’t even remember the name of at the moment!) and the light bulb in my memory blasted on and I realized I was seeing Jake on screen again! True, it was this movie (the one I can’t remember the name of) that made Kevin a household name. But I loved him before I even knew his name and still think that flirting cowboy from Silverado is his best role…at least it’s the role that makes me smile. 

When I created Dan Dawson, the hero of my April book HER BABY DREAMS I wanted that kind of cowboy. I wanted a guy that just made me feel good.  So I created a modern day version of Jake, with a to-die-for smile and a lets-play attitude. I think Dan is the perfect man with which to curl up with on a beautiful Spring afternoon. Although my heroine, Ashby Templeton isn’t buying it. She’s dreaming of marriage and babies and not at all pleased that the only cowboy in all of Mule Hollow who is asking her out is playboy Dan!  

My next cowboy was equally fun to create. In my July book THE COWBOY TAKES A BRIDE I decided to switch things up and make my cowboy dream of weddings. All Ross Denton wants is to see his name on wedding certificate and all city gal Sugar Rae Lenox wants is to see her name up on a Hollywood marquee…getting these two together was loads of fun.  So, I hope if you’re looking for a smile you’ll pick up a copy of one of my books. The gang in Mule Hollow promise you’ll leave with a big ole grin on your face.  

You can find out more about me and my books at debraclopton.com. Thanks for having me here, ladies, I really enjoyed it!

DEBBIE’S GIVING AWAY AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF “HER BABY DREAMS,” SO CHECK BACK TO SEE IF YOUR NAME IS DRAWN!

My first crush was on Little Joe Cartwright.  I went to bed at night dreaming scenes of living on the Ponderosa with that dreamy studmuffin, and I resented every actress who played a romantic interest opposite Michael Landon.  I guess I age myself drastically (as if my children hadn’t already done that) when I admit to watching The Lone Ranger in black and white on our Zenith portable every Saturday afternoon, and to admiring the length of fringe that dangled from Tonto’s deerskin tunic.  I owned one much like it in the 60s. 

And yes, even then, Clint Eastwood charismatically held a young audience in awe with his role as Rowdy Yates on the series Rawhide.  Yee haw!   Head ‘em up, move ‘em out! Wagonmaster, Ward Bond wasn’t exactly a typical leading man, but Wagon Train held America’s attention weekly.  It must have been Robert Fuller. 

The Big Valley — I have a son named Jared by the way — Bat Masterson, The Texas Rangers, Maverick, Sugarfoot, The Rebel, The Grey Ghost, Have Gun Will Travel, Paladin, The Virginian, and let us not forget John Wayne and all the western movies of our early years, shaped our young minds.  I mean, who could forget Fess Parker in a pair of buckskins?  

The American West is a much-romanticized part of our history, our heritage.  We all know that life in Dodge City was dirty, that hundreds of men, women and children died along the trails on their way west, that bathroom facilities were nonexistent and hygiene at a disgusting low, but we’ve chosen to remember and glorify the courage and the pioneer spirit of those men and women who forged our nation and ‘civilized’ the West. I dare say none of us read romance for a reality check.  The condition of our society and the situations that surround us in everyday life may be why escaping into the pages of a book is so appealing.   

In a romance we know no matter what befalls the characters, good triumphs over evil, and happily-ever-after is in the wings.  

Our western hero exemplifies strength, loyalty, capability and security. The rancher/farmer’s sweat and blood are imbedded in his land-as deeply as the riverbeds and the roots of the ancient trees.  The land may have been his father’s before him, or he could have broken his back to earn it.  In any case he will die to keep it.  Solidarity.  And any man who would pour this much passion into his land, will love his woman even more ardently.

The western hero can hold his own when it comes to raising the children he’s fathered, too.  He loves animals and children and protects and nurtures them.  He will fight renegades and weather and anything in his way to lay claim to his child. The cowboy/rancher can be a blend of the alpha-beta male, a loner and a man not in need of the things a woman can ‘do’ for him.  He can make it on his own because he can cook over a campfire and fix anything that breaks, but he appreciates a woman’s differences and skills, and eventually accepts the nurturing she needs to give.  He needs the love and gentleness, and the ‘taming’ she represents.  

To nearly all women I’ve spoken with on the subject of westerns and cowboys, physical appearance plays a major part in the attraction.  The reality was that dungarees or Levis were not exactly slim cut or sexy.  Dungarees were stiff and probably dirty, and few real cowboys fit the image of the Marlboro man, but our fantasy cowboy has a lean backside in a pair of tight-fitting jeans, long legs, and that ever-present Stetson pulled low over his eyes.  Ever notice how a pair of chaps invariably draws the eyes to the uncovered sections of denim?

Our man wears his Colt strapped to his thigh, the holster rides his lean hips, and his spurs jangle.  This dangerous guy exudes sex appeal.   

Our western hero is a hard body due to demanding work on the range, riding and roping, chasing outlaws, stopping the runaway stage, and sleeping on the ground.  He’s untamed, a little wild, and a lot sexy.  He doesn’t need a gym membership or a Stairmaster. These men work from sun up to sun down, except when they’re sweeping the heroine off her feet, and are not prone to laze away afternoons in front of the television.  For me, Kevin Costner was much more appealing in his duster in Wyatt Earp than on the golf course in Tip Cup.  And Sam Elliott without his hat and holster is just a trifle disappointing.  

The western heroine is his equal.  She is not a helpless simpering female, but a woman with a goal of her own.  The simpler times allow us the imagery of less physical perfection and less emphasis on glamour.  Who wouldn’t rather be the height of appeal without having to wax, pluck, mousse and workout?  The reality of period clothing and lack of modern convenience is something few of us would actually care to experience, but our heroines don’t miss air conditioning or showers or microwaves.  Like her male counterpart, the western heroine beats the odds and overcomes adversities by sheer determination.  These are the strong, capable, courageous women we’d all like to be.  

The western villain can be the land, the weather, or the nastiest, smelliest dirtball who ever got his just reward.  Here’s where the line between right and wrong has changed.   Our television screens weren’t the only things that were black and white in the early days.  The concept of good and evil didn’t bear the current shades of gray.  

In the old westerns, the lines between right and wrong were clearly delineated.  If you stole a horse, you hung.  The villain accepted his punishment because he knew he’d done wrong.  The bad guys always got it in the end.  Justice was swift.  The good guy came out on top.   And just like identifying the hero by his white hat, you could tell the bad guy by his disreputable looks and black clothing.  Wouldn’t that be nice today?  There was a code of ethics among villains, too. Recent westerns have portrayed situations more realistically.  Native Americans weren’t the bad guys.  Heroes grew more three dimensional, too. 

But all things evolve.  I mean I didn’t stay in love with Little Joe.  I transferred the crush to Adam, probably because I was growing older.  Now I haven’t watched those Bonanza reruns in many years.  I think I’m afraid Lorne Greene will start looking good.