It’s Fun to Research Western Romance!

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Howdy! Jan Scarbrough here! Before writing The Dawsons of Montana, I surfed the Internet for the setting and found a dude ranch in Southwestern Montana near Yellowstone National Park. I had also researched professional bull riding for an earlier book. Most of the setting for my fictitious dude ranch was made up and, of course, so were the characters.

In January, I added the fourth book to the series, Ben, and completed The Dawsons of Montana.

When my husband and I had a chance to go out west in 2016, I wanted to go to a dude ranch. After Internet research, I discovered The Covered Wagon Ranch in Gallatin Gateway, Montana. We made reservations and planned our trip for three days in July.

OMG! It was fun—two days on horseback riding into the mountains, gourmet meals prepared by a professional chef eaten in a rustic dining room with other friendly “dudes.” The owners, wranglers and staff were super friendly. Like many of the returning guests, we felt right at home at the ranch.

And yes, there were real working cowboys, men and women who make a living wrangling horses and caring for us city slickers. Their knowledge, love and respect for the land, and their devotion and caring for the horses impressed me.

I was given my own horse for the two-day stay. He was a six-year-old Tennessee walking horse named Mr. Black. He didn’t trot but performed a running walk. We never got up enough speed to go that fast because we were climbing up the sides of mountains! The view from the top looking down over the ranch property was scary. Believe me!

I could have had more fun trail riding but acquired a case of altitude sickness. The 6000+ feet of southwestern Montana mountains were very much higher than the 500 feet Ohio Valley where I live. I began to feel better on the second day, just in time to leave.

We also took a day trip to Paradise Valley, the actual setting of the Dawson ranch in my series, and ate lunch at a place called Chico Hot Springs near Emigrant, Montana.

On the trip, I got to see firsthand the mountains, canyons, and valleys that make this part of Montana so beautiful. Sagebrush is real. And so are lodgepole pine trees and aspens with their green and silver leaves shimmering in the wind. Of course, I came home pondering another Western series set in this beautiful part of the United States of America.

If you were going to write a Western novel, where would you like to visit?

Check out my two Contemporary Western Series, both on Kindle Unlimited.


The Dawsons of Montana tells the stories of rancher Jim Dawson’s widow Liz, and his children Brody, Mercer, and Ben. Can they find happiness and love in the aftermath of the heartache of the patriarch’s untimely death?

Hank brings two series together: the romantic The Dawsons of Montana and the romantic mystery Ghost Mountain Ranch!


Ghost Mountain Ranch, where old secrets are stirring, secrets someone might be willing to kill to keep. Can they finally lay the old ghosts to rest, or will the echoes of a decades-old murder destroy their second chance at love?

I’ll give away two ebook copies of Darby drawn from the comments left on the blog. Please answer my question: If you were going to write a Western novel, where would you like to visit?

About the book. DARBY: Thirty years ago, Darby Heston fled her family’s Montana dude ranch. Now she must return to help her father. Would the boyfriend she’d abandoned still be there? Hank Slade has never stopped loving Darby, but is he willing to risk his heart again? Secrets tore them apart once. Given a second chance at love, will more shocking secrets from the past destroy their hopes for the future?


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29 thoughts on “It’s Fun to Research Western Romance!”

  2. I would like to travel the Oregon, California, or Santa Fe trails, and see all the sites and landmarks along the way, perhaps even doing part of it by wagon train.

    (I’m not entering the contest.)

  3. Having grown up in Wyoming, southwest Idaho, and spending time in Montana, any one of those states works for me. I had relatives that lived in the area you visited. And That area was a favorite of my family for hunting each year. And just when you think you have seen it all, around the next bend in the road is more to explore. Then the wide open space, where you can see for miles and not see a person, but lots of wildlife and occasionally cows.

  4. This is wonderful. I love Wyoming, my husband & I have taking 2 trips to the great wide open state. Yellowstone was amazing and we did visit Gardner, MT. If I were majoring a book I’d have the setting in WY, it’s such an amazing state. We still want to go and visit MT, so that’s on our bucket list.

  6. Your trip to Montana sounds like fun, except for the altitude sickness.

    I’d love to visit Montana for a book setting. I have a friend out there I could visit.

  7. My late husband always talked about Montana but due to congestive heart failure, he could not tolerate the high altitudes. So in honor of him, I choose Montana.

  8. Good morning! Thanks for dropping by. If I wasn’t a Texan I say Texas but since I’m not I’m going to say Wyoming. I wouldn’t have been able to ride horses up the side of mountains or even steep hills.I have very severe fear of heights.
    I have MS and due to leg rigidity issues I wouldn’t even be able to get up on a horse anymore. I’ve always thought a dude ranch would be fun. A giveaway is an awesome way to find a new author to add to my go to authors list. I’d love the opportunity to read one of your books.

    • I volunteered at a therapeutic riding facility for a few years until it closed. One class was three women with MS. I was a sidewalker. The motion of the horse mimicked walking.

  11. I’d have to set it in South Dakota. LaVyrle Spencer’s FORGIVING, set in Deadwood, made me feel it so intensely I couldn’t wait to go there. I didn’t like Deadwood, but I loved everything else.

  12. I have an Old West book that I’m going to write someday but I don’t know where I will set it. I’ll have to do some research first. I’m currently writing one set in San Francisco and I told my husband we need to go and write it off. There are some questions that can’t be answered through Internet searches, plus it gives you the knowledge to add little details that you might not know otherwise. I’ve written places and, for the most part, they are good enough to respond and usually give me more than I’m even looking for. Of course, sometimes they blow you off. I can’t wait to read these series! They sound so good!

    • MJ I find it hard to write medieval, not because of the time period, but because writers who live in Great Britain have such an advantage with the setting.

    • Caroline, of course in the summer! One thing I learned is the ranch horses stay outside in the winter with plenty of hay. They are brought down to a lower altitude. Our Kentucky horses wouldn’t like that!

  16. Hi, I think I would pick Wyoming , I have never been there , but just something about Wyoming, maybe John Wayne western movies . It sounds like you had a really good time, that is nice! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Have a great weekend and stay safe. (not entering this ebook giveaway m but thank you, I don’t read ebooks at all, I am not tech savvy at all)

    • Alicia, if you look at my books at Amazon, I do have paperbacks. Ghost Mountain Ranch (all 4 books) is in paperback.

  19. I would likely set a Western in Colorado or Montana. We lived in Colorado Springs for 3 years and loved it. We have visited Montana 3 times and loved it too. We would go back to either any time. I just spent a long time on the Covered Wagon Ranch site. I have checked out dude ranches before. They all sound like fun but are a bit pricey. We still might do it if we could do 3 nights or so. I checked out one a few years ago where you could help herding cattle. You have inspired me to get a bit more serious about it next time we are able to head out West.
    Thanks so much for the interesting post. Both of your series sound like enjoyable reads.

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