As I write this, I’m in Panama City Beach visiting a friend and am sitting on the beach. My mind is inspired by the beauty and serenity around me and turning to writing and cowboys. If you know me or read my books, you won’t be too surprised my mind has taken this peculiar turn. First, my wanders and takes unusual side trips all the time. Sometimes it’s like herding cats. Secondly, I love writing fish out of water stories.
The first story I sold, Big City Cowboy, was one. For those of you who don’t know, on a Colorado vacation I met a cowboy bit city slickers kept asking to model. Big City Cowboy sent a born and bred Colorado cowboy to New York City to model to earn the money for his mother’s experimental cancer treatment. That fish out of water concept hooked my editor. She bought that story and Bet On a Cowboy about the first hero’s brother.
Sitting here watching waves crash against the shore and rush out taking part of the beach with it, my mind’s spinning. What would send a Texas cowboy to a Florida beach town? What would he be running from—lost love, trouble with the law, money issues? Or would he be running to something or someone he sees as a solution or his salvation? Whatever the answer, he’d have to be at rock bottom, desperate and tortured. What does he want, but more importantly, what does he really need?
Maybe it’s because I’m the mom of three boys, but I always start with the hero. Once I clearly see him and the conflict tormenting him, once I know he’s someone I could fall for, I turn to my heroine. She will push his buttons at every turn simply being who she is. She will make him think about who he is, everything he thought he knew, who he wants to be, and who he could be. And he will do the same for her. They will be the last person the other would pick, but something draws or forces them together, and in the end, they are exactly who they need.
With my cowboy, I see him as someone who needs order, predictability and to be in control. However, something or someone has destroyed that for him. Because of this trait, my heroine will be the opposite. She’ll be a laid-back, go with the flow, loves unpredictability, and lives on beach time gal.
That’s how a story starts for me, with a tiny kernel. In Big City Cowboy, it was a hunky cowboy who wanted nothing to do with the city and modeling and my warped need to force him to do the last thing her wanted to. Today the beach’s laidback lifestyle and calming presence have me wondering how I could torture a good old Texas cowboy to lead him to his true love.
Only time will time will tell whether I can answer these questions to get this little seed to grow.
To be entered in today’s random drawing for a signed copy of Home on the Ranch: Colorado and the books and birds tea towel leave a comment on what you think should be the reason my hero goes to Florida.
Julie Benson has written five novels for Harlequin American, and her Wishing, Texas series is available from Tule Publishing. Now that her three sons have left the nest in Dallas, when she isn't writing, Julie spends her time working on home improvement projects, rescuing dogs, and visiting Texas wineries with her husband. Visit her at www.juliebenson.net.
surfing
Good morning! Thanks for being here. I never thought of him going there to surf. Thanks for the suggestion.
I think he needs to come here to meet this old lady and sweep me off my feet…or perhaps keep me on my feet. lol
Thanks for being here this morning. You might not be far off…Could be an older lady who was important in his life, saved his life, or changed the direction of his life needs his help for some reason and he can’t say no to her. Oooh, she could be an aunt who moved from Florida to raise him when his parents died and when he was grown, she moved back to Florida. Thanks for your comment and for getting me thinking. Your suggestion has real potential! Have a fabulous day.
He may be going to Florida to purchase a horse or pick up a purebred coming from England.
Debbie, that’s a great idea that I hadn’t thought of either! Thanks for being here this morning. Have a terrific day.
He thinks his sister’s in trouble because he received a text she sent him by mistake–it was meant for a friend. He misunderstood “I’m in Big Trouble”–the name of the bar–not that she had a problem for him to solve.
enjoy your trip!
denise
Denise, I really did enjoy getting away. I walked the beach every morning. It was so peaceful and calming. Your idea is great, When he gets to Florida, his sister could’ve left and he turns to her friend to figure out what’s going on. Thanks for being here today and for the super suggestion. Have a wonderful day.
His snowbird Grandma has fallen and broke her hip and he has to care for her while she recovers, Her best friend has a granddaughter visiting and the two old ladies can’t help but meddle in their lives.
Rhonda, you’ve hit on another great suggestion! I love meddling grandparents! They can be a great source of humor. I’d have to tweak it a little bit because my hero in To Marry a Texas Cowboy comes back home because his grandmother broke her hip, but it wouldn’t be hard to think of another illness or reason she needed him. I appreciate you being here and your super suggestion. Have a terrific day.
Best friend cousin has a horse ranch that needs his help.
Thank you for being here today! Your suggestion has potential. If the ranch idea wouldn’t work, his friend could always need him for another reason. It could be something as simple as being the best man at his wedding. Then I’d have to think of a something to keep my hero there, but it could also work. It could also be one of those if this ever happens we promise to kind of things. Oooh, I like it. Thanks for the super suggestion to get me thinking.
He is coming to retrieve a family valuable.
Debra, oooh I like your idea. I could be a family heirloom that they’ve been searching for. In going through my parents’ house, we’ve been unable to find my dad’s Purple Hearts. I could possibly use that. Then once I get my hero there I’d have to find out how to keep him there.
Thanks for being here and for offering a wonderful suggestion. Have a wonderful day.
to visit family!
Teresa, visiting family is always a good idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. I could even add that his mother or grandma wants to attend a family reunion but doesn’t want to go alone. She could twist his arm to get him to go. I could even combine this with Rhonda’s comment about matchmaking. Bringing in some crazy relatives could add some humor to the mix. Thanks for being here today. Have an amazing day.
He’s coming to receive a stallion shipped from Spain to establish a breeding program for horse racing.
Kathy, it’s so good to hear from you and I love your suggestion, too. He could be counting on this program to turn his business around. I hope all is well for you and your hubby. Thanks for being here and offering a super suggestion. Take care.
The cowboy goes to Florida to help out his sister in her bakery. You see, he and his sister were brought up in that business and when she gets sick, her brother comes running.
Now Melanie, that could be a hoot! Just the thought of a Texas cowboy selling cupcakes has me laughing. He could try to refuse to come and she could counter with when I opened this business you said you’d support me however you could! Thanks for being here and offering another suggestion that has me thinking. You know me, I love to torture my heroes. Can you see him making a wedding cake?!
He’s going to help his sister move to another house in a different town. She needs lots of help packing up, then unpacking, ad moving furniture around.
Connie, you’ve hit on another good possibility. I could also make it that the house is a fixer upper and she can’t afford to pay anyone to do the repairs. That would force him to stick around a while. Thanks for being here and offering another terrific suggestion. Have a super day.
The cowboy goes to Florida to check on his family.
Caryl, family trouble is a great way to get my hero there. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Y’all have has such wonderful ideas today. I’m so impressed. Thanks for being here and have a terrific day.
Living in a new town with a new future. Establishing a new business.
Ellie, needing to start over is always a good idea. I could combine that with another one of the comments about helping out or visiting family, too. That has some possibilities. Thank you for being here today and offering another good suggestion. Take care and have a fantastic day.
A lost love that he found out lives in Florida. She was the one that got away and he had never forgotten her.
Kathleen, I love reuniting past lovers. It’s so great when the characters have a history. I could combine this with some of the other suggestions I’ve gotten today like going to help family. Then he could run into the girl who got away. This sure has potential. Thanks for stopping by and getting me thinking.
An exceptional man whose entire life revolves around helping out those less fortunate.
Pearl, that would be a super character trait to add to my hero! Thank you for being here today and for offering that suggestion. Have a wonderful rest of the day.
Oh, I think he needs to have an interest in Space, maybe he was a Star Trek junkie when he was younger, and wants to go to KSC to see a launch first hand!! Or, he got interested in Space in college, it was more or less a hobby, and he wants to go to KSC to experience it first hand!
Trudy, that’s an interesting thought. He could have a friend that is going up. That could work if I combine it with something else and think of a reason he has to stay. It would surely be something new! Thanks for being here today and offering a great out of the box suggestion to get me thinking.
I’ve been there three times, myself!! I live on the Space Coast, which is why I thought of it! If you timed it right, he could be coming to the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee, in Osceola County.
Julie, is your head spinning with all these amazing ideas? LOL. What great incentive to start a new story!
It sure is Pam! I’m so impressed with our readers creativity.
He’s in financial trouble (about to lose his ranch?!), so he goes to Florida to search for the legendary long-lost family treasure, supposedly lost 200 years ago when a ship that was carrying his ancestors went down off the coast! Possibly because of pirate attack?!
He finds a clue in the attic which implies that maybe it wasn’t legend–it REALLY HAPPENED, and he can even pinpoint the beach where it probably is buried! (Otherwise he would never go on such a wild goose chase–he’s practical, right?)
Pirate legends, treasure hunts and cowboys! What about THAT combo?!
Abby, with all the thought you put into this, YOU should write that story! It’s a wonderful idea and I doubt many, if any, have thought of it. What an amazing idea. Thanks for being here today.
He could go to Florida to help an elderly friend or relative, someone he’s not close too but it makes a good excuse to get away from his ranch for awhile. Or he could be going down there to search out someone or something.
Megan, I like your suggestion. Thank you for being here today. Have a fantastic rest of the week.
To find a long lost relative
Colleen your idea has great potential. Thank you for taking time to chat with me today. Take care.
He would go to Florida looking for the woman of his dream that was kidnapped by a human trafficking group.
Carolyn, you really went romantic suspense. It’s a super idea, but I’ve never been good at writing that genre. 🙁 Maybe you should write that story! Thanks for being here today. Have a fabulous rest of the week.
Maybe your cowboy lost a be and was tasked with delivering cattle or horses to a ranch in the Ocala-Gainesville area of Florida. His truck or trailer breaks down along the I-10 stretch along the Florida beaches. It is going to take time to get the parts to fix it. He has to find a place to keep the livestock until repairs are made. He is not a happy camper. He finds a place for the livestock run by a go-with-the-flow do-gooder woman. She helps run a rescue-refuge for both domestic and wild animals. She tries to get him to loosen up and enjoy his unexpected “vacation”. He is frustrated and really doesn’t have the money for the repairs and keeping the animals for extra days or weeks. Luckily he can sleep in his trailer and she lets him park it at the rescue. Finding a job in Beach City is not that easy for a cowboy who doesn’t fit in at all. She cons him into helping at the rescue with children’s programs and one big birthday party that could end up not going quite as planned.
Helping out a friend or relative who is having some personal problems and while there finding a long lost love.