Please welcome special guest author Lisa Jordan to the Junction!
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Several years ago, I had a wonderful conversation with my editor at Love Inspired, asking her input about what I could do to increase my readership.
She said, “Write Amish or cowboy stories. That’s what’s really selling right now.”
At that time, my husband and I had started watching Heartland, too, and I fell in love with the family dynamic as they worked through the trials and triumphs of ranching and all things horses. I appreciated her advice, took it to the Lord, and determined that it was time to move away from my fictional town in PA and head to CO—at least, fictitiously.
The only problem was I’ve only been to a hotel in Colorado for the 2009 ACFW conference. Oh, yeah, I’ve never been on a ranch. And come to think of it, I haven’t ridden a horse since middle school…and Queenie was the gentlest pony on the planet.
So creating a fictional family on a fictional ranch in a fictional town shouldn’t be too hard, right?
How was I going to create a four-book series and make it realistic?
When it came time to decide where my fictional town was going to be located, I pulled up Google Maps and determined my fictional town of Aspen Ridge was going to be set about forty-five minutes outside of Durando, Colorado.
I learned to lean on my friends, who were able to help with some geographical aspects of the terrain, the weather, and even little things like what brands of ice cream were popular—I needed that info to write one sentence in my book coming out in April 2025. Another friend, Dalyn Weller, lives on a ranch in Washington and shared information pertaining to care, feeding, and tacking horses.
I’ve purchased books and magazines to help with research…and the other articles inspired new ideas.
YouTube is one of the best sources of information. I searched for videos for that part of the state for visuals to build storyworld into my scenes. I watched videos about ranching, tacking horses, growing strawberries in that area. I also took visual tours of the San Juan Mountains that overlook my fictional town.
In my book series, my fictional family expands their ranch to include a guest ranch. Instead of building cabins, which can be quite costly, I decided the Stone family was going to put yurts on their property. For the past three years, my husband and I have camped in a yurt for a week in July. Since nothing is wasted in a writer’s life, it was the perfect inspiration for a novel.
My husband and I visited a local rodeo where I spent the afternoon and evening taking lots of pictures and video to create a realistic bull rider in my series. Additionally, we watched a wonderful (and painfully-looking) documentary about bull riders, bull riding, and all that goes into the sport.
I’ve visited online forums like Reddit to get a real, down-to-earth view about different aspects from people who live out their days running ranches, caring and riding horses, and trying to make a living for their families.
And finally, one of my favorite ways to research my newly-released book, Bonding with the Cowboy’s Daughter, was to visit a nearby horse rescue. My new friend Nola, who has a huge heart for saving the beautiful animals, took me on a tour of her small non-profit horse farm and walked me through what she’s done to start and grow her organization. A couple of times, I was moved to tears as she shared a few stories of heartbreak in trying to save the animals.
I’ve learned to not be limited by what I know when it comes to writing new stories. It’s become an adventure to learn something new and use that knowledge to inspire readers.
I will be giving away a signed copy of Bonding with the Cowboy’s Daughter. Post a comment below and tell me what you love most about reading westerns.
Bonding with the Cowboy’s Daughter
She’s left her old life behind
…only to find a new love waiting
After a broken engagement, Callie Morgan decides to move to Aspen Ridge, Colorado, to fix up her late grandmother’s gift shop. But the shop is in bad shape and Callie runs out of money faster than expected. Old childhood friend and single dad Wyatt Stone comes to the rescue, offering her a job at his family’s ranch, Stone River Ranch. While their friendship is rekindled, will Callie ever risk loving again…even as Wyatt’s little girl is already stealing her heart?
I love learning about the different kinds of ranches and the roles the cowboys have.
Hi, Denise. Thanks for that comment. I’ll be sure to remember that as I’m working on my new series. 🙂
Sounds like an enticing story, especially since it is located in the general area where I live!!
Ginni, just from the research I’ve done, I enjoy learning more about that area.
I love the code that people just seem to live by. We need a lot more of that in our lives.
Robin, cowboys are definitely hard workers who seem to love God, family, and country.
For me, it’s about the escape. The stories are realistic, but set in a different place and time from where I live in NJ—filled with beautifully wide open spaces created by God; the battle between good and evil; strong, independent characters; and a love story. What could be better?
Susan, reading is an escape for me too. I love exploring new places from the pages of a book. Oh, and I always love a good romance!
I love the heroes’ values: honesty, responsibility, hard work, integrity, etc.
Janice, those are wonderful character traits I try to weave into all my heroes. After all, that’s what makes them heroic, right?
My love of horses started at age 4! That will be 60 years ago next week and living on a farm all these years has helped that love of all animals grow to include the llamas I have too!
Teresa, happy birthday a few days early! I’m sure you have wonderful stories to tell of farm life.
It is delightful fun and funny when someone, a woman, comes out west to a ranch, not knowing to ride a horse or walk in cowboy boots, as her city shoes do not work well in the mud and other things in a farmyard. It is fun and funny with the issues she is faced with and how quickly some of them blend in. Bringing around a rough and tough cowboy is fun and frustrating at the same time.
Judy, those “fish out of water” tropes are fun to write. Finding the right woman for those rough-around-the-edges cowboys makes a fun story too.
Always interesting when an author writes the ups and downs of running a ranch.
Kim, as I’ve been doing research and writing my Stone River Ranch, I was surprised by some of the struggles landowners face.
Lisa, Yurts? I love it! I’ve often mulled a story about glamping. Not a fit with historical cowboys so it’s never happened, but I like the idea.
Mary, glamping may not work for your historical cowboys, but yurts have been around for centuries, particularly in central Asia. Again, not your setting either, but perhaps a traveler comes through your story’s area and tries to share information with your cowboys. 😉
cowboys
Learning to write about cowboys has been a fun challenge.
I like being able to imagine all of the different scenes!
Glenda, as a writer, it’s fun to bring those scenes to life for my readers.
I just got Bonding With the Cowboy’s Daughter in the mail yesterday!
The wide open space and picturing the scenes from the story.
Wow, what a journey. So interesting to learn all you have gone through to learn about the cowboy life. Reading a book from someone who knows what they are talking about is a much better experience than from someone who has no clue. Thank you for taking the time and expense to make your books authentic. Can’t wait to read it.
I love the way the ranches are run and the wide open spaces. I love cowboys and horses.
Everything about them.
Welcome, Lisa! We’re so glad you’re here. I’ve just always loved the feel of westerns. It’s something satisfying that comes over me when I either write one or read someone else’s. I don’t get that with anything else. The cowboys for sure. Wishing you tons of luck with your stories. I just love your covers.
I live in the West so a lot of the places that take place in western stories I can relate to. Also, the events that are in a story I have attended similar ones.
Cowboys seem to have purpose and honor
I was a history major in college and I like reading about the history of how this country was founded.
I grew up watching westerns, and still they’re pretty much the only movies I watch, the old ones, not the new stuff. So, reading about them just makes sense, especially since I also read Louis L’Amor’s books!
The cowboys and their way of life.
I really like it how the scenery is described and how they start their day and how they go on doing the daily things and also picnics and all.
I appreciate all the dedicated research authors do so that their writing is realistic. Lisa’s new cowboy romance sounds wonderful.
Been there, done that, Lisa. I woke up one morning from a dream I knew had to be in a book so I took out a typewriter and started writing. I quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing. That was 40 years ago and i have 25 books published now, the first five by Kensington Books. Wishing you lots of success.
I enjoy westerns because they harken back to a simpler time. I know ranches require hard work to run them, but there’s a simplicity about that life that can be appealing.
I like the family dynamics. I also enjoy reading about the animals. There maybe horses, cows, dogs, cats, chickens or pigs. It is so fun to watch how they fit into the stories with their own storylines attached. I feel that animals have their own personalities. Thank you so much for being here today. God bless you.
Values and family
I love that most cowboys are true to their word. In the olden days a handshake meant everything. It was a person’s way of showing that he or she would carry through. I also love horses being in most westerns.
I really enjoy all aspects of westerns. Thanks for writing them.
Hello Lisa I love all the scenery and anything having to do with the cowboys live and all the different animals
I love reading about ranch life and I am always impressed by how hard these cowboys work.
Western stories set in the past or present are part of our country’s rich heritage! And horses are wonderful anytime.
I love reading western books and yours sound like a great story. I can’t wait to read it.