This question wasn’t asked much on the American frontier and if you were so bold, you were liable to get shot. The old West offered a man a place to disappear into and leave behind whatever trouble he found himself in.
It was super easy and there was no way to check on anything. No telephone. No internet. No Social Security numbers. Nothing. It was perfect.
There were probably hundreds of men back then looking to change their identities and disappear and did. Outlaws checked into hotels and boardinghouses under an alias as did some politicians and famous people.
In my upcoming release, A Cowboy of Legend, Deacon Brannock has taken a fake name in order to disappear. All is well and good until firebrand Grace Legend marches into Hell’s Half Acre with burning determination to shut his saloon down. She’s a member of the Temperance Society and hellbent on running him out of business.
But, here’s the thing…Grace is also a reporter and writes a weekly column under an alias. Like a bloodhound, she discovers that Deacon Brannock is hiding a juicy secret. Oh, I love it!
A Cowboy of Legend contains a lot of secrets. Writing about secrets is fun for an author. Where there are secrets there’s conflict and those are what drives a story. I just love it when a book contains mysteries. I can’t turn the pages fast enough.
BLURB
Deacon Brannock is determined to make a name for himself and the saloon he’s worked his whole life to afford. He was prepared for the roughness of the Wild West, but he hadn’t counted on Grace Legend…
Grace has always fought passionately for what she believes in, and after her best friend is killed at the hands of her drunk, angry husband, that includes keeping alcohol out of her town. When the owner of the new saloon turns out to be a kind and considerate man, she can’t help but wonder if they could have a future together…if they weren’t on opposite sides of every issue.
This is Book 1 of a new series called Lone Star Legends and releases April 27th. Book 2 – A Cowboy Christmas Legend follows in Sept.
My question: If you could change your identity and disappear, would you? I think I’d chose to be Sierra or maybe Summer or Sapphire. What would you choose?
Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules/
sounds juicy with the assumed names and lots of secrecy.
denise
Good morning, Denise! It’s so nice to see you. I smell spring in the air and it’s wonderful. Maybe we should get out and enjoy it. Thanks for coming.
Your book sounds wonderful, I think adding secrets to characters makes them so real in my eyes. They suddenly become more than a few words, and readers can relate to them as well, since everybody has pages in their life they don’t read out loud. About your question, starting fresh seems so tempting, but I don’t think I know how to be another someone else than the girl I already am? So I think only my name would change, and I’d happily pick anything other than the name of a month in the calendar!
Good morning, February……Thanks for coming. Yes, I think a name change would be refreshing. I’ve always hated the name Linda because there were always so many. My name was terribly overused. I assume you were born in February. I like it but I can see how you might now. While there are a million Lindas, there are few other Februarys. I hope you have a beautiful day. Spring is in the air here and I want to get outside. Hope I have time.
Yup I would change my identity and disappear.
Good morning, Anxious58! Sounds like you have your reasons. There are days when I think I’d love to become someone else but it would be impossible in this day and time. I hope you have a beautiful day.
I don’t think that I would up and move to disappear. I would change my name to Freddie since that is what most people call me already.
Good morning, Charlene! It’s so nice to see you. Well, Freddie is a perfectly good name and since most call you that, you might as well become that. Have a lovely day. Don’t forget to wear your green tomorrow.
I wouldn’t mind disappearing and starting over someplace. I would change my name to Cat as I love cats.
Good morning, Janine! I always love seeing you. Thanks for coming. I think Cat is a fun name. I’ve known a few and they were exceptional acquaintances. Go for it. I hope you enjoy this Spring day and don’t forget to wear green tomorrow.
I would love to be someone without allergies, but you cannot change that.
Good morning, Debra! Nope you cannot change anything like that. I’m so sorry. I have allergies bad too and with everything blooming I sneeze my head off and my eyes itch like crazy. Thanks for popping over.
As long as I had $, I’m in! Name? Depends on what I’m going to be in this next life! Saloon girl? Saffron. Storekeeper? Maise.
Good morning, Laura. Yep, we’d need some dollars to take with us. I love the name Saffron! I keep a name list for characters and I’m saving Aspen for just the right heroine. I like Maise too. Have a beautiful day, Filly Sister.
Yep I think I would and change my name and move somewhere, so we wouldn’t have the cold and the ice to deal with. I don’t like the cold anymore so it would have to be a warm place to go to. Also it would help if I was about 30 years younger and didn’t have arthritis. If your going to dream you just as well go big.
Good morning, Quilt Lady! I’m sorry about your arthritis. That’s so painful. Maybe move to Florida or Arizona. The warmth would be nice. You’d probably sit in the sun and wouldn’t get a thing done. Ha! 🙂 I’m happy you stopped by. Wishing you lots of warm days.
I would be Cheyenne and go escape into the mountains of Wyoming and Montana.
Morning Miss Tonya. Yes, I can see that. Cheyenne is a great name. Hey, you’d have to take Rob along so he could be Long Knife. HaHa! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I would love to live in Montana. Sounds just lovely. Have a beautiful day and enjoy everything you do. Love you dearly.
with the real name I have, I would go with something common, like Lisa, Sandy, etc. Something easy to pronounce. Most likely I would move to Washington.
Good morning, Venetia! I agree that you have a hard one but it’s pretty. I named my second daughter Lori because it was easy and my first daughter had the hardest time spelling her name. I think you’d be a good Lisa. Washington state is really pretty. I wouldn’t mind living there myself. Thanks for coming and have a blessed day.
I don’t know if I’d change my first name but I’d definitely love to be out in the quiet, by a lake in a cabin somewhere!!
Good morning, Rose Ann! I really like your name. It’s pretty. I’m with you on the quiet place by a lake. Pure heaven! Let’s run away together. Have a lovely day, dear friend. Much love.
Good morning! In a dream world sure I’d love to take on a whole new identity & escape but I’d want liposuction, a full body life, new fingerprints & facial reconstruction to go with that because it’s 2021 after all and to truly hide that’s what we would need. Not to mention, a new social security number & birth certificate. How about a government grant to pay for 4+ years of college and big enough to pay all my living expenses & for a new car while I’m going to college. I’m dreaming right. Lol
Okay the real question. Names- Adrianna, Zurenity, Jacqueline, Annalise, Sophia or some other sexy or exotic name. You know I can’t ever pick just one of anything!
Fun blog! I absolutely loved your new book and I can’t wait for the next one! I’m so happy Tonya introduced me to your books & that I’m on your street team & get to read them long before the general public! Happy MS Awareness Month!
Good morning, Steph! My goodness, that’s a full list! I’d love to get liposuction and breast implants. Having a new body would be really nice. Love your name list. I may steal one or two. You never know. I’m so happy that you liked this book and happy that you got a chance before the general public. Thank you again for that beautiful review. You’re such a joy in my life and I’m ever grateful to Tonya for introducing us. Love you dearly.
I don’t think I’ll ever prefer changing my identity, even if it’s just a name change. However, I’d love to escape. Possibly somewhere in Scandinavia.
Good morning, Daniyah! Scandinavia looks gorgeous in the pictures and I think it would be a good place to run away to. Those men are very handsome. 🙂 Thanks for coming to read my post. Have a lovely day and keep dreaming.
I don’t think I would want to disappear, but changing my name might be fun. I never did like the name Janice. 🙂 Maybe I’d change it to something exotic like Athena or Luna. 🙂 Having secrets in stories make them intriguing and compelling. And this story with Deacon and Grace is full of all of that! Best wishes, sister.
When I was younger, I wanted to change my name… but now I will stay plain old me!
I’ve discovered if you don’t keep in touch with people, you do sort of disappear. I wouldn’t want to disappear from my children and grandchildren. If I took a false name it would be Anita Grace – the first name of my mother and her mother. It would be my author name, if I were a writer.
An aside about disappearing, if only partially. Way back when cell phones were in their infancy, we had a friend that was a government contractor to military bases. He and his wife lived in a large RV and did have one of those early cell phones the size of a brick. Their children had their phone number, so could get in touch with them. However, they never told their children where they were. That way they didn’t get company unless they wanted it. In that case, they would let whomever they were interested in seeing know where they were parked.
Hope you are doing well and staying healthy. The cover is perfect and I am sure the story will be too.
Wow, your book sounds so very intriguing and the book cover is beautiful! If my family and I were in danger and I had to change my identity and leave, I would for sure. Not sure what my name would be though.
Linda, this book looks wonderful ( OF COURSE!) LOL Love the cover, as always. You have some killer covers! There was an old song back “in the day” of folk music, and what I remember is this “Oh, what was your name in the states? Was it Thompson or Johnson or Bates? Did you murder your wife and fly for your life? Oh, what was your name in the states?” Isn’t it weird how things stick in your mind? But you’re right–that was a question best left unasked! LOL I used to beg my mom to re-name me Greta. I loved that name. LOL (She never did, though.) Great post, my Filly Sis! Love you! XOXO Big congrats on that book!