Over-ruled!!!

by

In my upcoming book

Into the Sunset, which is such a cool name for grand finale in a series!!!

I wrote my first courtroom drama….not the whole book is a courtroom drama of course…and I think I’ve touched on judges and juries before…but this time it’s ON TRIAL!!!

I don’t always manage it, but I get a kick out of writing something I’ve never tried before.

How about we have a fight on top of a train?

How about if I actually have her hanging off a cliff?

How about an extended fistfight, not just a conk on the head with a gun butt?

How about I write a heroine who is NOT a feisty lady ranch?

How about a set a book within a cattle drive?

This time, we’re going to court.

My heroine Maeve O’Toole and my hero Dakota Harlan, are along to help out–him to shoot people…her to babysit. Oddly enough, he does a lot of babysitting and she had to shoot someone, but that’s how action books roll, right?

When Ginny finally emerges from Hidden Canyon to stand before a judge and prove herself sane…you know so she can no longer be locked up in an asylum for lunatics on the say-so of her tyrant husband…she’s got a lot of support. We’ve got a crowd coming out of that canyon. But, among that crowd are a pair of twin toddlers and an infant. They stop by the O’Tooles, folks who came west with them on a wagon train…so see if Maeve will add a set of hands to their company.

Then Dakota, who was their wagon train guide, and a good friend of Jakes (you all remember all these people right? Jake? The hero of book #1, Chasing the Horizon? The father now of those three little ones?) agrees to come along. Dakota is a tough man and just who they need to add to their company. But Dakota has trouble on his back trail, men after him, and getting away from his lonely ranch is a good idea…as long as that trouble doesn’t follow him.

Dakota and Maeve are the romance. Ginny and her husband are secondary but their confrontation pushes most of the story along.

And I had a lot of fun traveling to Wyoming and letting my lady justice of the peace stroll on stage to be the judge.

Nell Nolte, the lady Justice of the Peace from Laws of Attraction.

I’ve read some very good court room dramas. But where does that fit in my skill set which is roping and riding and shooting?

I loved tackling it.

Excerpt

>>>

The judge picked up her gavel. And before she could rap it on the desk top, Rutledge surged to his feet.
“You’re not going to judge this case. This is outrageous. I demand a real judge.” Rutledge leaned against the table, touching the top with his fingertips with one hand, and leaned forward as if he was in charge of a room full of businessmen and none of them were as powerful as he.
Horecroft remained seated but his snooty nose tipped up and Dakota half hoped the man would offer a diagnosis that the judge must be insane to think a woman could do this job.
Maybe he’d offer to lock her up.
The judge rapped the gavel, then studied Rutledge for a long moment.
“You must know that I’m a real judge. Surely, you’re aware Wyoming has women serving as judges these days. Why would you make an insulting statement right at the beginning of this trial that might set me against you? Is that wise?”

<<<

I’ve got a few more things I’ve shied away from. I considered setting a book a ship sailing around the southern tip of South America. But I chickened out. Learning about a historical sailing ship was going to be a massive amount of research. All the nautical terms, the ranks and ship parts…when you actually go to writing about it, it’s daunting. I may still to it–ship board romance, huh??? But that time I ducked it.

Anyway, here comes the judge. And here comes Dakota’s family feud. And here comes feisty Irish immigrant Maeve O’Toole to save the day. Her ma always said a woman’s work was never done, after all.

Into the Sunset…available now for preorder. Coming in October.

Has anyone got suggestions of stuff I should try and tackle? I’ve done a lot of books, and I recognize my own cowardice…which I try and face.

A setting? Or a situation? The Pony Express might be fun. I’ve never set a book during the Civil War, but I’ve had characters dealing with the aftermath.

Just some type of western book you love?

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https://www.maryconnealy.com/

 

 

 

 

62 thoughts on “Over-ruled!!!”

  1. I bet the courtroom drama is a great part of the book.

    Pony Express would be fun to tackle. There’s so much research available about it.

    • I should do both. The Civil War is (almost) always in the rear view mirror in my books. My heroes either fought in it and need a good reason why they didn’t. But I’ve never set one during it. Hmmmm.
      Have you seen the novella collection I’m in Legacy of the Rocking K Ranch? I’m the first book and that was very very early settlers.

    • Were there lady Pony Express riders? Why not? Maybe I need to have just ONE! Or the rider gets hurt and a woman finds him and offers to take the mail onward for him while her parents bind up his wounds?

  4. Good morning Mary! I’ve not heard of a woman running the telegraph. And maybe Wells Fargo agent involved. Or maybe he is the telegrapher and she is part of Wells Fargo? Heh. Reverse rolls back then could be interesting! I love when children are in the story. Children make a wonderful side element to a plot to me. He is a widower with a child or children, running the telegraph service. I can see some humor in that!

    Best wishes on your new book and series Mary!

    • Hi Tracy. I’ve never had a telegrapher as a hero or heroine. That’s interesting. And I’ve had lots of children in my books and I love having them. But I haven’t had one that’s a real character for awhile.

  5. Hmm. I was actually just reading a Lucky Luke comic book, The Tenderfoot. You can find the plot of the comic in Wikipedia. It made me think I haven’t read a western book with an immigrant in it for a long time.

    • My heroine in this book Maeve O’Toole came west with her family. Straight off the boat from Dublin and straight onto a wagon train. But I don’t deal much with her immigrant-ness. That could be interesting.

  7. Good Morning,
    I’m looking forward to reading Into the Sunset.
    I know you did this a long time ago but I think something in Alaska would be great or maybe the Canadian Rockies. The pony express sounds interesting too.

    • I did ONE Alaska gold rush story. My heroine was a Tlingit native Alaskan who was half Russian. Man that took a lot of research. How did people live up there all winter???

  10. I love any and all!! I haven’t read too many books with the Pony Express, so that would be good, or maybe something set earlier than that, or maybe even the first ones getting to California.

  12. How about Johnny Appleseed who spread apple trees all over the country? I do not know if he had a love interest, but, surely he had someone.

  16. This book sounds wonderful and it’s great to see Nell again 🙂
    Have you thought of writing one about a stage station, sort of like the series Laramie only with your twist on everything. I love Laramie and that’s where I learned that Wyoming was the first state to allow women to vote.

  19. I love reading books set in the civil war. If your wrote one I would be the first to read it. I do love a good western but the civil war book would be something different.

  20. I agree, Into the Sunset is a very cool name for a series finale! 🙂
    I don’t have any particular ideas, but western set books are a favorite of mine!

  21. Write about twins that fall in love with the same cowboy
    I have experience in tis kind of situation (I am an identical twin)

  22. I love the cover, and the title name!?

    I think a Civil War era book could be nice, there are so many different themes or settings that could be written (battlefield, homestead, city that is occupied by the opposing side). However, I’m always in the mood to read a western!?

  23. I would love a story set in the Civil War, but I also enjoy stories set during the American Revolutionary War.

  26. I like Civil War and the Pony Express. Maybe a woman could disguise as a male for the Pony Express. Or run a station.

  27. I’ve read enough books set in the Civil War, but not a lot about the Pony Express (Misty Beller does have a good one). We have a local California true story about a rough and tough mountain man who was discovered after death to be a woman 🙂

  28. The experiences of the freed slaves who created the town of Nicodemus, Kansas and the interaction with the white communities might be interesting.

  32. I own several of your books and have read some others through my library, but I am not sure if something I might mention has already been used. Since you usually have strong female characters or female characters in more unusual to the time roles, I was just pondering……. a female bank officer, a female outlaw, a female telegrapher……Granted, I have Karen’s book about a female telegrapher. If you tried Civil War, you would have only very limited options to use a more west of the Mississippi River locale (as I am trying to remember from my history knowledge). There was a battle around Pea Ridge in AR (have visited that park), some activity in TX, Indian Territory, MO, LA, and very limited in the Southwest. Not sure if enough for a series but perhaps a stand-alone book.

  34. Yay! I can’t wait for Into the Sunset. I like the idea of you writing a Pony Express series or another contemporary western. I really enjoyed the A Texas Lawman Romantic Suspense (Garrison’s Law) series. Mary, if you write it, I’ll read it. 🙂

  37. Since I like dogs and horses how bout writing a story about a lady veterinarian in the Old West. Sorta like Medicine Woman only for animals.

  40. I am not sure if you have tackled this or not. A book about a woman doctor and nurse on the western frontier during an outbreak of some kind-measles, flu, small pox. Thank you for asking. Have a wonderful evening. God bless you.

  42. I am so looking forward to reading this conclusion to the series. Women’s rights and how they have been so very wronged in the past is so heartbreaking. Of course, for many this is still the case in the world. Mary, you write an enticing blog post that ignites my desire to read the story to its conclusion. I’m impressed with your branching out to the courtroom. Have you considered writing a series of children’s chapter books along the same line as your “westerns”??

  44. Hi Mary, I always enjoy your Westerns and your creativity and I’m so looking forward to Into the Sunset! I know that your books are set in the western states but how about a series that features characters crossing the Cumberland Gap. 300,000 people crossed the Appalachians to venture into the West and the Cumberland Gap is located on the border of Virginia and my home state, Kentucky. Yes, I may be a little biased but imagine the adventures that they experienced!

    Thanks for giving us such fun, exciting, and inspirational books!

  45. The pony express and stage station manager are good ideas. Have you ever done a woman blacksmith?

  46. Woman Pony Express Rider; middle of Goldrush would be cool and I always enjoy mail order bride series.

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