Cathy McDavid

Cathy McDavid has been penning Westerns for Harlequin since 2005. With over 55 titles in print and 1.6 million-plus books sold, Cathy is also a member of the prestigious Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll. This “almost” Arizona native and mother of grown twins is married to her own real-life sweetheart. After leaving the corporate world seven years ago, she now spends her days penning stories about good looking cowboys riding the range, busting broncs, and sweeping gals off their feet — oops, no. Make that winning the hearts of feisty, independent women who give the cowboys a run for their money. It a tough job, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice.

Cowboys & Mistletoe – Cathy McDavid

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(POST  1 of 3  for Monday)

Happy holidays, everyone. Cathy McDavid here. So glad you’re here to play along with our Cowboys and Mistletoe holiday game. I’m going to do my best to fool you, but I think some of you may have been paying attention to my posts and be able to figure it out! I’m excited to feature my holiday release from last year, Blizzard Refuge. Yes, the book is a romantic suspense, but there really is a strong Christmas theme. Here’s the back cover blurb:

“Caught in a snowstorm…and a killer’s crosshairs!

A blizzard traps federal witness Kiera Driscoll and her seven-month-old daughter in the mountains with little hope of survival. Until Nash Myers shows up. Nash insists on sheltering them and their US marshal escort at his family cabin. Trusting a stranger feels beyond risky, yet Kiera has no choice. She must protect her baby. But as the storm closes in, so do the threats to her life…”

My giveaway for Cowboys and Mistletoe is a copy of Blizzard Refuge and a Nativity

Purchase Blizzard Refuge

 

 

 

Below you will find three statements, two of them are true, one is not. 

Guess which one is the lie in the comments to be entered in the drawings.

Winners and answers will be announced on Sunday 12/03.

Cathy McDavid’s Two Truths and a Lie:

We once owned an antique wooden horse-drawn sleigh and dragged it out of storage every year.

When my children were young, they played characters in the church Christmas pageant, along with our donkey.

My husband was recruited as a last-minute substitute Santa Claus at the senior living facility where my late mother resided.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING and a New Idea of How to Give

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Morning!

Cathy McDavid here. I’m going to do something a little different this month. Since my day to post for November is Thanksgiving, I wanted to, of course, wish everyone here a happy holiday. My hope for you is that you’re spending time with loved ones and friends and, if you’re like me, eating too much delicious food.

It’s traditional for many people on this special holiday to express gratitude for the blessings in their lives. I’ll be doing that and including all of you wonderful readers here at Petticoats and Pistols.

I’m also going to make a suggestion and ask you to not just express gratitude for your blessings but to “give” on this day of National thanksgiving. And you don’t have to spend a dime.

Here’s my list. I doubt I’ll accomplish every item on it. But even if I accomplish only a few, my life will be a bit brighter and happier. And the best part? I don’t have to stop at just one day ?

So, what about you? What will you give on this Thanksgiving Day?

A warm smile

A kind word

A friendly wave

A show of appreciation

A compliment

A visit or phone call to an old friend

A friendly chat with a neighbor

An available ear to bend when a loved one needs to talk

An offer to help with chores

An open mind

An even more open heart

A reassuring touch

A hug

An “I love you”

Warmest wishes to you, my dear friends.

Cathy McDavid

Cathy McDavid’s Favorite Thing – Critter Cuddling

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Hi Everyone,

I’m so happy to be here today talking about my favorite things. It took me only about three seconds to come up with a topic, and I’m not kidding. One of my closest friends recently told me that she couldn’t imagine me without a pet in my home. She’s right. I don’t ever see myself without a four-footed best buddy, or two or three.

At times in my life, I’ve had dozens. Not all in the house, of course. Some lived in the barn or freely roamed the property like my 200-pound potbelly pig named Queenie. I’m what my mom called a critter person, and getting cuddles from those critters is absolutely one of my favorite things.

 

 

 

And you don’t have to limit yourself to cats and dogs. Why not an alpaca? Or an elephant? Or a parrot? Snakes? Maybe not for me, but to each their own, right?

Seriously, though. Not only is critter cuddling fun, it’s actually really good for your health, both physical and mental. Here are just some of the astounding benefits:

Benefits of cuddling animals

Lowers blood pressure

Lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Reduces risk of heart attacks

Increases cognitive function

Mood elevator

Helps combat feelings of loneliness and depression

Relieves anxiety

Reduces stress

A coping mechanism for PTSD

Alleviates fear

But best of all, petting your pet, or any animal, puts a smile on your face and gives you a warm, cozy feeling. That’s what makes it a favorite thing of mine ?

 

 

Cathy McDavid’s Giveaway Winner

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Congrats to Janice Cole Hopkins! You are my giveaway winner. Whoo, hoo!

Email me at: cathymcdavid@yahoo.com with your mailing address, and I’ll ship out your prize.

So exciting 🙂

Cathy McDavid

 

Celebrating My New Release – with Cathy McDavid

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Cathy McDavid – 2

It’s my book birthday! Well, technically it was a couple of days ago, but I’m celebrating the release of Mountain Storm Survival all week. I’m particularly excited about the release of this book as some of it is based on my real life experiences. No, I never accidentally stumbled upon an illegal mining operation or was chased down by bad men intent on eliminating all witnesses. And I was never swept away by a raging river of water during a flash flood. But I did go on dozens of trail rides through the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix and used many of my fond and thrilling memories to describe the action, landscape, and rugged challenges my characters faced.

Purchase Mountain Storm Survival

Here’s the back cover blurb from the book:

“A brutal storm. Relentless pursuers. And more than their lives are on the line…

Helping with youth wrangler camp is how Kate Spencer is atoning for her past. But now she and ranch manager Rand Walkins are trapped in the Superstition Mountains with two girls as illegal miners hunt them down. Rand has every reason not to trust Kate, much less forgive her. But working together is the only way they’ll escape from the danger that threatens them all…”

I hope you’ll take a moment to check out Mountain Storm Survival. Second chance stories are some of my favorites, and this is definitely one. Rand and Kate not only get a second chance at love, but they have both worked hard to turn their lives around and move beyond the terrible events of their pasts. Now, they just have to survive the worst the mountains and villains can throw at them to see how far their newfound love can take them.

 

To make this a real celebration, I’m giving away a digital or print (U.S. mailing only) copy of Wildfire Threat. The winner will be randomly drawn from those who comment below.

Thanks for letting me share my new release with you.

Warmest wishes,

Cathy McDavid

The Longest Running US Mail Delivery

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Surprisingly, the American pony express operated only a very short period of time — for eighteen months from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. Yet, thanks to the popularity of books, movies and TV shows, most people have heard of it and believe it was in existence for many years.

But what’s really surprising is that another equine mail route has been continuously operating for almost a hundred years, if not longer. The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum’s earliest photo of these equines delivering mail is from 1938, but the route was already firmly established by then. Who are these equines and where is the mail route, you ask? Let me introduce you to the mules who, five days a week, carry letters and packages, including those from Amazon, down nine miles of steep trails in the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch and the community of Havasupai people living at the bottom.

Each mule can carry up to two hundred pounds. It takes three hours for the string of mules to walk down and five hours to walk back up — while being led by a single wrangler. On the return trip, the mules are untethered. Smart and well-trained, they walked single file, nose to tail. There are usually two mule trains each delivery day, allowing the wrangler and mules a chance to rest overnight.

Why mules, you ask? For one, motor vehicles, which would damage the environment and the Grand Canyon’s natural beauty, aren’t allowed. For two, mules are extremely surefooted, strong, and hardy, making them well-suited for this type of hard work. While they can be stubborn, they also learn quickly and rarely forget.

One of the last stops before reaching the canyon bottom is Peach Springs, AZ,  whose claim to fame is the only post office in the country with a walk-in freezer. This is to keep frozen food as cold as possible before the final leg of the journey. You see, not just mail is delivered. The ranch and Havasupai people depend on the mules to also bring needed supplies, such as medicines and tools and equipment and even small appliances.

Like any postal employees, the mule wranglers and packers get an early start.  They begin their day at 2:45 a.m. in order to beat the heat, oppressive for half the year. Inventory is weighed and sorted, the mules are fed and groomed, and then their panniers are packed. As soon as it’s light enough, they start down the trail.

Without these regular deliveries, the Havasupai people would be cut off and unable to get the supplies they need to survive. The Phantom Ranch wouldn’t be able to host tourists. So, these delivery mules aren’t just a cool piece of living history, they’re providing a vital service to a remote community.

Jimmy Stewart’s Best Horse Friend

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Once upon a time, a little girl named Stevie Myers, who happened to be the daughter of a man who wrangled horses for cowboy actor Tom Mix, owned a sorrel Arabian and quarter horse mix named Sweetie Pie. This may not seem like anything all that special, but, trust me, it was. For Pie, as he was dubbed by Jimmy Stewart, was one of the most featured horses in films during the heyday of westerns.

For a period of twenty-two years, Jimmy Stewart rode Pie in a total of seventeen films. Some of the more famous ones are:  Broken Arrow (1950), The Man from Laramie (1955), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), How the West Was Won (1962), and The Cheyenne Social Club (1970). In addition to Jimmy Stewart, Pie was also ridden by Kirk Douglas, Audie Murphy, Glenn Ford, Richard Widmark, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Yul Brynner. That’s quite a resume for a horse on the small side, who was said to be very choosy when it came to who he liked, and uncooperative when he didn’t much care for his rider.

He loved Jimmy Stewart, however, and Jimmy Stewart loved him. The actor was able to get Pie to perform on command even when his trainer wasn’t around. One of the most famous stories about Jimmy Stewart and Pie’s incredible rapport happened during the filming of The Far Country (1955). Pie was supposed to walk down the middle of the street alone, without a rider, with a bell ringing. Before the cameras started rolling, Jimmy Stewart took Pie aside and whispered in his ear, telling the horse to what to do. When Pie was released, the horse perfectly executed the instructions and in only one take. Everyone was amazed.

It’s said Jimmy Stewart tried to buy Pie from Stevie, but she wouldn’t part with the horse. Henry Fonda, who was good friends with Jimmy Stewart, painted a picture of the horse, and it hung in the Stewarts’ home for many, many years. Jimmy Stewart also wrote a poem about Pie which was included in his much-treasured book, Jimmy Stewart and His Poems. And though he was never able to buy the horse, Pie was buried on the Stewart ranch after his death at the ripe old age of thirty.

 

A Little Lesson in Voice Commands for Livestock

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I recently read a wonderful book I couldn’t put down and that has stayed with me since turning the last page. As I often do when I’ve finished a book I loved (or one I hated), I go online and read reviews to see if people agree with me and if they don’t, why. Most reviewers raved about this book and felt the same as I did. There were a few one-star reviews, however, and I read those with curiosity. How could someone not like this awesome book?

One reviewer who gave one star stated they were annoyed by the main character constantly shouting, “Gee, gee,” at the mule she rode, calling the word gibberish. This was apparently enough for the reviewer to bash the book. I was shocked. As someone who’s owned mules, I know that ‘gee’ is a vocal command for equine, most frequently draft horses and mules, meaning turn right, and ‘haw’ means turn left. The main character in the book wasn’t shouting gibberish at her mule but rather instructing it.

Me being me, I decided to do a little research on vocal commands for equine. Turns out, horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules are quite smart and can learn a number of commands, including recognizing their name and coming when called. They aren’t the only ones. Bovine, such as cows and oxen, are also capable of learning commands. Goats, too. Pigs are incredibly smart. I once had a pot-bellied pig named Queenie who knew how to sit, stay, come, lie down, and followed me around like a dog.

So, what are the most common vocal commands? Because, you know, you can teach your horse or oxen or goat any command you want. But here are the ones people tend to use:

Whoa:                     Stop

Clucking:                Go or move up a gait

Kissing noise:        Go or move up a gait

Move out:               Go

Step Lively:            Pick up the pace

Walk:                      Walk

Trot:                       Trot

Canter:                  Canter

Gallop:                  Gallop

Easy:                     Slow and steady

Stand:                   Remain standing

Wait:                     Stay put

Back:                    Back up

Gee:                     Turn right

Haw:                    Turn left

Over:                   Move sideways or sidestep

Quit:                    Stop whatever you’re doing

Most horses are taught vocal commands on lunge line in or out of a round pen. Draft equine, oxen, and goats will more likely be trained by walking behind with a set of long reins. Just like teaching a dog, livestock learn well with the reward system. A treat and/or fond petting for a job well done.

What does all this mean? Well, for one, the saying, “Dumb as an ox,” is probably wrong. Seems oxen are kinda smart. Stubborn as a mule, however? That one is one hundred percent true. If a mule doesn’t respond to voice commands, it’s not because he doesn’t understand or is dumb. He’s just refusing!

Winner of Cathy McDavid’s Giveaway!

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Congratulations to Colleen! You are the randomly selected winner of my giveaway. Loved that you didn’t start out as a reader but are avid now.

Email me at:  cathymcdavid@yahoo.com with your snail mail address, and I’ll ship your prize package.

Whoo, hoo!

And thanks to everyone who participated. I loved getting to know more about you.

Cathy McDavid

 

 

Get to Know Cathy McDavid and Giveaway

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Earlier this month, I celebrated the release of my latest Harlequin Heartwarming book, HER SURPRISE COWBOY GROOM. To help promote the book, I answered a few questions about myself in some get to know you posts I thought might be fun to share here as well.

To enter the giveaway (a free print copy of HER COWBOY SWEETHEART, Starbucks card and cowboy coffee mug), all you have to do is post a comment below, telling a short fun fact about yourself ?

What is something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you?

I really have lived the cowboy lifestyle for most of my life, getting my first horse when I was a youngster and having them up until a few years ago. Nothing like walking out your back door to the barn and petting a velvety nose. Or some feathers and wiry hair. While my kids were growing up, we had not just horses and the usual cats and dogs, I also kept a flock of around twenty-five hens (including one resident rooster), adopted a couple of rescue goats and had a pet potbellied pig named Queenie. She lived on the back porch in her own house, built by my stepdad, and had her personal wading pool. Queenie was very smart and knew a half-dozen tricks. She enjoyed going on walks with me around the neighborhood with would follow along like a dog. And also like a dog, she loved belly rubs, flopping over onto her back and begging for them. Every night after dinner, she waited outside the kitchen door for leftover, which I delivered. Her only bad habit was knocking over the barrels of horse grain or chicken feed and gorging herself.

 

Can you tell us about your latest novel?

Her Surprise Cowboy Groom is book four and the last installment in my Wishing Well Springs series.

An instant family…Could change her plans!

Ambitious wedding dress designer Laurel Montgomery can’t afford to be distracted…especially not by easygoing cowboy Max Maxwell. Wrangling his three-year-old twin daughters, a rambunctious puppy and a fledgling business, Max has his hands full, too. But he also knows the value of going for ice cream and fishing with his girls. Can he show Laurel there are more important things than making it big—like love and family?

 

Purchase HER SURPRISE COWBOY GOOM

 

Why did you choose to write a story set on a ranch?

Cowboy and ranch stories are my favorites to write, mostly because I lived the life and think cowboy heroes are the best.  And since I lived on a small ranch for over twenty years, it’s a story setting I’m very familiar with and love. There’s something very appealing about the great outdoors. It can be adventurous and exciting and charming, too.

 

What kind of ranching is done in your story?

Wishing Well Springs was once a thriving horse ranch, the largest in the state. When the heroine’s grandparents went into dept and lost the business fifteen years ago, the ranch was sold off acre by acre. It was the heroine’s idea to turn the remaining house, barn, and few acres into a wedding venue. She and her business partner brother keep the cowboy and ranching spirit alive by giving carriage rides to excited brides the happy couples.

Have you been to a rodeo? What are they like and how did you incorporate it into your story?

I’ve been to plenty of rodeos, from the time I was just a kid, and love them. My characters are often rodeo competitors, current or retired. Like so many live sporting events, they are fast-paced and exciting with the crowds going wild. The dangerous events, like bull and bronc riding, are thrilling. The skill events, roping especially, amaze me.  I love that women are no longer restricted to just barrel racing and are competing in breakaway roping and team roping. Go girl power. I find writing rodeo scenes, when my characters are competing, to be incredibly challenging. While I’ve tried barrel racing and roping, I’ve never ridden a bull or wrestled a calf, so I’ve relied on interviewing rodeo competitors for my research.

Your story is about a wedding barn. Can you tell us more about them and how the characters created one?

I was inspired to set my series in a wedding barn ranch after attending a friend’s nuptials at a charming wedding barn and western town. While watching the couple exchange vows, I was mentally creating stories. Since I knew I wanted two to four books in the series, I had to come up with a reason for my characters to turn the family ranch into a rustic wedding venue. Desperation seemed like a good motive, so I gave them financial hardships. But why a wedding barn? That part was easy. I made the heroine of my book a wedding fashion designer and her brother an architect. Together, they formed the perfect team.

Well, that’s probably more than you want to know about me 🙂 Don’t forget to enter the giveaway by posting a comment. Prize will be sent via regular mail service, US only (sorry).

Petticoats & Pistols