Julie Benson 
The winner of the snack set and the To Love A Texas Cowboy is:
Melanie Backus
Congratulations, Melanie. Please contact me privately at Julie@juliebenson.net with your snail mail address.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by today to share your favorite childhood book. I loved hearing from you.
In addition to writing, I substitute teach in elementary school. This week is Read Across America, with school
s celebrate reading, and particularly, Dr. Seuss. The program is encouraging supporters to take a selfie with their favorite childhood book and post it to social media. I decided to take it one step further and write this month’s blog about my choice.
But befor
e I start talking about that, I must issue a quick apology, because my favorite childhood book, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, isn’t western related. For those who don’t know the story, it’s about a selfish, spoiled girl raised in India whose life is overturned when her parents die, forcing her to move to England to live with an uncle she’s never met.
I can’t remember what grade it was in elementary school or who my teacher was, which I truly regret, but one my teachers read The Secret Garden aloud to my class. From the moment she cracked the book open, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait for afternoon to arrive so I could head to the English countryside to spend time with poor Mary Lennox. After we finished the story, I bought a copy from Scholastic and reread the book 
repeatedly.
I loved seeing Mary growing more confident and content as she connected with the moors. Her budding relationship with Dickon captivated me. Even then I possessed the heart of a romance novelists, because I envisioned after the story ended, them living happily ever after on their own land, with a beautiful garden they lovingly tended together, and of course, they were still best friends with Colin. (BTW, I still want to know how their lives turned out. Hmmm. Maybe there’s a western fan fiction story in there!)
The mystery surrounding the cries in Misselthwaite Manor and why everyone insisted Mary was imagining things held me mesmerized. When Mary found her cousin Colin, and they and Dickon started exploring the secret garden, I was there too, sharing in their adventures.
For me, The Secret Garden had it all—romance, mystery, a heroine with a tragic past in need of a home, family, love and belonging. All themes that are intertwined in the books I write today. The Secret Garden hooked me on reading and started me dreaming about writing my own stories.
But how about you? Leave me a comment about your favorite childhood book to be entered to win the snack set and a copy of To Love A Texas Cowboy. Ironically, like Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, To Love A Texas Cowboy is my story about a tragically orphaned little girl. Though she’s not the main character, Ella being orphaned, like Mary, sets the story into motion.
Now go. I’m excited to hear about your favorite childhood book and why it means so much to you!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat about western sayings and cowboy lingo.
The winner of the snack set and a copy of To Catch A Texas Cowboy is:
Janine!
Congratulations, Janine. Please contact me privately at Julie@juliebenson.net with your snail mail address.
Again, thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat. I loved hearing from you.
If you’ve read my books, you know I love pairing a cowboy with a city girl. My characters usually wonder how they can be attracted to someone who fails to hit even one item on their this-is-what-I’m-looking-for-in-a-potential-date list, and this creates great conflict. But another reason I love throwing cowboys and city women together is it creates great dialogue and can even increase sexual tension.
Here are some sayings that have great dialogue potential. I’ve tweaked some a little the way I would if I used them in dialogue. ?
• Wo
man, you’re as friendly as a fire ant.
• Darlin’, I’m so country I think a seven-course meal is a possum and a six pack. (I can see my hero saying this one with a wry grin.)
• If a trip around the world cost a dollar, I couldn’t get to the Oklahoma state line.
• You look like you were sent for and couldn’t go. (Can’t you see the sparks flying if my cowboy hero said this to a heroine?!)
• You’re so skinny you have to stand twice to make a shadow. (More sparks flying, I think as my heroine wonders if this is a compliment or a diss.)
• You lo
ok like the cheese fell off your cracker.
• Honey, you make a hornet look cuddly.
• Woman, you talk any faster and you’ll catch up to yesterday.
• You look like you’ve been rode hard and put away wet. Or, it’s twin, you look like you’ve been chewed up, spit out, and stepped on. (This one has potential for a tender moment, as the hero asks her what on earth happened. When she asks why he thinks something is wrong, he uses a soft husky voice and says, “Sweetheart, you look like you’ve been chewed up, spit out, and stepped on.” Of course, what he says shatters her control. She confides in him. He understands and consoles her. Bond forms, and there you go, sexual tension.)
• Woman, you could talk the legs off a chair.
• Are you two sandwiches short of a picnic?
• Don’t dig up more snakes than you can kill. (Can’t you imagine a city girl trying to understand what the hero means by this one and him trying to explain it?)
• Don’t write a check your ass can’t cash.
• He’s all hat, no cattle.
• You can put your boots in the oven, but that don’t make ‘em biscuits.
• Same trailer, different park. (In response to being asked how you’re doing.)
• Dang, if you aren’t double-backboned (I can see my hero saying this to a heroine when he’s impressed with her strength of will or character. Of course, she won’t quite get the compliment, and when he explains it, she’ll just melt all over his boots.)
• Woman, you’d charge hell with a bucket of ice water.
Not only can a western saying add color and realism to a story, it can add humor, reveal character or even create sexual tension. But best of all, it’s fun as all get out to write.
Now mosey on over to leave a comment about one of the sayings above or your own personal favorite and be entered for a chance to win the snack set and a copy of To Catch A Texas Cowboy featuring AJ, a Texas Aggie cowboy and New York City girl Grace Henry.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat. 
The winner of the leather and lace candle and the ornament is:
Susan P.
Congratulations, Susan. Please contact me privately at Julie@juliebenson.net with your snail mail address.
Again, thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat. I loved hearing from you.
First, I wish e
veryone a blessed and happy 2018.
Last month I wrote about how doing less could make for a better holiday. I truly believe that, but this year I pushed the cutting back on the holiday production to the limits.
It was one of those years when my dear hubby and I couldn’t get our act together. It started with our tree, but continued all the way through New Year’s Day. Normally, we decorate the tree the day after Thanksgiving, but this year everyone had other activities. Hubby and I kept saying we’d get it done, but three days before Christmas, there we were, still without a tree. While we did put one up and had lights, we never did put on the ornaments. But you know what? To paraphrase Dr. Seuss and my husband, “Christmas was just fine.”
I’ve spent years working to overcome my perfectionist nature. In the past I became upset when little things went wrong or didn’t get done because I felt everything had to be perfect. I missed opportunities to be present in the moment because I believed I had to be perfect.
This year I realized I do write what I know. My characters, especially my heroines, often struggle with trying to please everyone. They wrestle with the idea that their self-worth is tied to their accomplishments and others’ approval. They’re trying to be perfect. Those characters learn the journey can be as important as the destination.
Over the years while I’ve learned that lesson, I do backslide. (I felt guilty about cutting so many holiday corners, but not too guilty.) So, I’ve decided this year I’m making changes regarding New Year’s resolutions. My BFF Lori quotes a blog written by Jen Hatmaker on January 5, 2015 entitled “The Thing About Being More Awesome.” (If you want to read the blog go to http://www.Jenhatmaker.com.) She claims many resolutions set us up for failure and revolve around trying to be “more awesome.” We think we need to be the best author, mother, friend, spouse, and the list goes on. She insists, “The finish line to this particular rat race is THE GRAVE.” Lori and I joke about making a sign with the resolution Try To Be Less Awesome. Translation—quit trying to be perfect. So that’s what I’m going to do in 2018.
The best I can do is good enough, and I’m going to celebrate it. I’m giving myself permission to say yes to what gives me joy, no to what doesn’t, and to feel less guilty about both. Life is too short to live it any other way.
When my perfectionist starts nagging me, I plan to tell myself to quit trying to be more awesome. Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment about what helps you when you find yourself trying to do too much, and be entered for a chance to win the ornament and a Leather and Lace scented candle from my favorite shop Rustic Ranch!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat about the holiday traditions. You gave me some wonderful ideas I’m going to try out this year!
The winner of the set of mugs is:
Cindy Woolard
Congratulations Cindy. Please contact me privately at julie@juliebenson.net to let me know your address.
Again, thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat. I loved hearing from you.
When I started researching Western Christmas traditions I discovered pioneer celebrated with the holidays with homemade gifts and were described as being filled with “humble fare.” This made me think how elaborate the season has become. Then I realized the older I get, the more simplicity appeals to me
.
I thought about holidays past, and admitted one of my favorites occurred a year when my husband was unemployed. Surprisingly, that took away of the holiday stress. I wasn’t going crazy searching for the perfect gift for family and friends because everyone knew we couldn’t afford presents. I didn’t worry about what to wear to my husband’s office party or how I’d spend an evening with people I didn’t know. Not being able to spend money on gifts and activities forced us to emphasize the important aspects of the holiday. We concentrated on what mattered—family and close friends.
We gave more than lip service to spending quality time with our children. We asked each child what his favorite Christmas movie was and watched each together as a family. We looked at Christmas lights. We baked everyone’s favorite holiday treats. We talked. We laughed.
Thinking back on those memories to write this I recalled a little book I bought years ago entitled The Little Book of Christmas Joys by H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Rosemary Brown, and Kathy Peel. I pulled out my dog-eared copy and read through it again to pick some suggestion to share some with you.
#7 * Take a basket of Christmas goodies to a notoriously grumpy neighbor.
#8 * Be nice to sales personnel. They’re often wearier than you are.
#18 * Let go of a problem you can’t solve. Enjoy the season.
#38 * Take a shut-n a scrumptious Christmas dinner.
#53 * Go caroling.
#69 * Before going to bed every night of the Christmas season, ask yourself, “Whose life did I make brighter today?”
#91 * Offer to run holiday errands for an elderly friend or relative.
#104 * Give anonymous gifts of money to someone who has been laid off.
#108 * Curl up before an open fire with someone you love.
#183 * Compliment at least three people every day in December. This is a gift that’s always appreciated.
#203 * Give a donation every time you pass a Salvation Army bell-ringer.
#231 * Add a new Christmas CD to your music collection each year.
#283 * Tour a historic home in your area that has been decorated for the holidays.
#409 * Watch the television special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
#425 * On New Year’s Day, light three candles and think about the three things that happened the past year for which you are most thankful.
May your holiday season be filled with simplicity and joy, and one last tip. #279 * Remember that the loving holiday spirit in your home depends more on the words you speak than on the gifts you give.
Now tell me your favorite holiday tradition or tip and be entered to win the set of four mugs, perfect for hot chocolate or spiced cider as you sit with loved ones in front of the fire.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat about their favorite fall traditions.
The winner of the pumpkin and a copy of Home On The Ranch: Colorado is:
Stephanie Jenkins Ortiz Cerillo
Congratulations, Stephanie. Please contact me privately at Julie@juliebenson.net to let me know your address.
Again, thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat. I loved hearing from you.
I’m from Iowa, and there it’s easy to tell fall has arrived. The trees change to lovely shades of yellow, orange and crimson. A crispness lingers in the air all day. It feels like fall. I love that time of year. Wearing jackets, snuggling under a blanket with a good romance on Saturday. Walking on crunching leaves.
Now I live in Texas, and fall is different from what I knew growing up. In Texas, it’s hard to tell autumn has arrived. Halloween has come and gone, and Thanksgiving is around the corner. Despite what the calendar says, this week’s forecast is for record high temperatures. We’re talking hitting ninety degrees. When the leaves change, they turn a shade of brown and fall off the tress. Not exactly the ooh-ahh fall colors I spotted in the Midwest.
Saying It’s been an adjustment for me is like saying Texas and Texas A&M have a little rivalry. Over the years I’ve learned fall 
is heralded in different ways in Texas. First and foremost, we know it’s fall because of the arrival of football season. Yes, it’s true. Football is almost a religion here in Texas. From high schools on Friday night to TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas and Texas A&M on Saturday. There’s even have a “Red River Showdown” between Texas and OU at the Texas State Fair.
Which brings me to another huge sign of fall in Texas, the state fair. When people start talking about corny dogs, turkey legs, and fried any and everything, I know autumn has arrived. I hear Big Tex’s voice and see pictures of him everywhere. In 2012 when Big Tex caught on fire, it was huge news. We got updates on the progress to rebuild him, including details on changes in his iconic outfit.
But I’ve learned to adjust. I decorate the yard and house for fall, Halloween, and then Thanksgiving. I admit a couple times I had a fire and then turned on the air conditioner because the house got so warm. I bake items that remind me of fall. One of my family’s favorite is pumpkin bread.
Pumpkin Bread
3 1/3 C flour
3 C sugar
4 eggs
1C oil
2/3 C water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 can pumpkin
½ black walnut flavoring
Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a “well” in the center. Add eggs, water, oil and black walnut flavoring in well. Mix. Add canned pumpkin. Mix. Place in greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Now tell me about your favorite fall tradition and be entered in the drawing to win the pumpkin and Home On The Ranch: Colorado.