A Whole New Year of Western Romance

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Over the last week, I took a good long look at my schedule for 2022. If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that’s an undertaking. I publish about 20 titles per year from 350 page novels to 100 page novellas. I like to keep as many readers happy as I can.

However, that kind of pace is not sustainable (there’s a reason the Pony Express doesn’t run anymore, it’s not healthy to keep up that kind of pace). Louis L’Amour, I am not. I know that the majority of my readers are happy with western novels, though. Those you can look forward to in 2022.

I’m currently working with my cover designer on a four book series set in Belle Fourche, SD. The premise of the series is two families feuding over one fertile valley. While the Douglas and Johlman families do exist in Belle Fourche, my stories are not based on actual history or people.

Both cattle and sheep were and are big business in Belle Fourche and land is arguably the most precious resource. It is finite and both sheep and cattle need great quantities of land for proper grazing. I’ve never written a family feud before, but it’s been interesting, fun, and very educational.

In 2018, I wrote my first series set in Belle Fourche. That series is to this day one of my most popular. This new series, The Belle Fourche Chronicles, will feature appearances from some of my other Belle Fourche characters and they can be read congruently.

I was hoping to have a cover reveal for you this month, but alas, I don’t have one quite yet. In the meantime, if you’d like to catch up with the old series so you’re ready to go when the new books come out (the first will be released at the end of February).

When I return next month, I’ll have a new cover reveal for you and more to share with you (perhaps even an exclusive snippet). These books are novellas, but the new series will be novel length.

 

Belle Fourche is a fairly unique location for western romance. What are some fun, unique locations for western romance that you really enjoy? I’ll send a free copy of Teach Me to Love to one lucky commenter.

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Where western meets happily ever after.

Kari writes swoony heroes and places that become characters with detail and heart.

Her favorite place to write about is the place her heart lives, (even if she doesn't) South Dakota.

Kari loves reading, listening to contemporary Christian music, singing when no one's listening, and curling up near the wood stove when winter hits. She makes her home in central Minnesota, land of frigid toes and mosquitoes the size of compact cars, with her husband of over twenty years. They have two daughters, two sons, one cat, and one hungry wood stove.

37 thoughts on “A Whole New Year of Western Romance”

  1. I enjoy places anywhere in Montana I think that would have been an interesting place to live in the 1800’s or even early 1900’s before everything was modernized.

    • Alaska would be fun, many places there are still wilderness.
      I agree, for the last few years I’ve been able to “pull myself up by the bootstraps” and barely avoid complete burnout, but it’s coming if I don’t take care of myself. But I have good things planned!

  3. My husband and I camp at Belle Fourche when traveling through that area on our way home to central Minnesota. There is a preserve there along a lake that is beautiful. So, I’m very familiar with the setting of your books and enjoyed reading the last series. I love western historical romance and it is hard for me to transition to contemporary books. Although favorite authors do entice me into that venue. Favorite setting – the mountains … Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, etc.

    • Kathy, Belle Fourche is just lovely. I’ll have to look for that area next time I’m there. I have to agree with you about mountains, though often mountains and cowboys don’t mix.

  4. South Dakota – the Black Hills, Rapid City areas. Jackson (Hole), Wyoming. these are areas I have visited a couple of times and was very enthralled about their history. they would make great places to create a western, especially Jackson.

    • Judy,
      Jackson Hole is on my bucket list. I will make it there at some point, hopefully in the next few years. I’ve only been to Wyoming briefly, but I loved it.

    • Jan,
      The Lord blessed me with a lot of stories and fast fingers. I’m really looking forward to slowing down a little bit and hopefully He’s okay with the slowdown. If not, He’s good about letting me know. 🙂
      I adore Texas, it’s one of my favorite places to visit. I have yet to get to Montana, but I’d love to do a dude ranch vacation, to really see the workings of a ranch in action.

    • It’s funny that you say that (to me). I wanted to write about “any place” once, so I made up a town named Wonderland in the Black Hills (because I seem to gravitate to the Black Hills). It was really fun writing without so many geographical constraints.

  8. I read books set anywhere and everywhere! I like books set in Wyoming and Montana for westerns, though I’d love some written in the Dakota’s!

  10. I like to read about some of the places of destination for wagon trains in California and Oregon. It’s interesting to see what type of occupation they chose after their long journey to get there. I also love to read stories taking place in Texas and Wyoming in very small towns.

    • I’ve never really tackled wagon train stories. I have one where they’re oddly heading east…but that doesn’t really count. I do love reading the history of the wagon trains and what they did after. That period is just so interesting.

  11. I think Wyoming, I have never been there, but I have seen some very pretty pictures of it, Wyoming sounds pretty western to me, and of course Texas also, am from Texas.

    • I love Texas. I wish I felt comfortable enough to write a historical novel set there, but Texas history is like a country unto itself and Texans know their Texas history. I love it and I don’t know that I could do it justice without a lot of research. I agree, Wyoming sounds fantastic. I liked writing about there and looking up a bunch of images to see what it really looks like.

  12. My birth state, Texas, my parent’s birth state and my home now, Oklahoma, and I love Wyoming, Yellowstone area, South Dakota, and Montana, of course! All of these areas are so beautiful to me! Lots of wide open land, mountains, valleys, rivers, streams, just beautiful!!

  14. Unique and western, historical or contemporary, but seldom used as settings for books are many places in Central and Eastern Washington and Oregon. We really are farm and ranch country . Idaho is another great place for western living along with just about anyplace west of the 100th meridian and east of the Cascade Mountains.

  15. Wyoming, Montana, Texas are ones I typically read about, but I think the plot is more important than the state.

  16. I like western romances set on ranches, or even some set in thr Mountains too. One time when we were traveling in Arizona we drove through a town that was built right along a cliff in a mountain area. It was beautiful but a little too high up for my comfort.

  18. I like books set when the relationship between the settlers/ranchers and the Native Americans have a relatively good relationship. There were some good relationships and working together, it would be nice to see some of that represented.

  19. Sounds very intruiging. Thank you so much for sharing. Please take care of yourself. God bless you.

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