rodeo

What Working at Summer Camp and Being Around Horses Taught Me and How I Use it in My Books

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What Working at Summer Camp and Being Around Horses Taught Me and How I Use it in My Books

By Michele Dunaway

Who wasn’t a horse girly? Besides reading about girls and their horses, there was nothing I loved more than summers when I went away to camp and got to ride. I did the wrangler week at Camp Cedarledge. Then there were my two weeks—two summers in a row—at Staghorn Ranch. I learned to ride, and I also canoed overnight on three rivers (the Courtois, Huzzah and Upper Meramec.) Those times in the Missouri Ozarks were precious.

Then came the two years after high school I worked at Camp Don Bosco, in Hillsboro, Missouri. I have so many memories of riding, including a ten-mile horseback ride with a group to move the horses from winter pastures to the camp. I can still remember that day—the heat coming off the gravel road, the sun on our faces, the creak of leather, and the way ten miles teaches your body exactly where every muscle lives. By the end I was dusty, saddle-sore, and grinning like a fool. Then there were my barrel racing lessons. I also competed in the Hillsboro (MO) Horse Show for Western style. Spoiler, I didn’t final, but our camp did place in the costume contest with the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.

When my girls were little, I made sure they had riding lessons. My mom even bought my daughter a horse. This is Chase.

But life moves on, and Chase became more of a pasture pet, so we gave him to someone who would ride him more often. But that doesn’t mean I don’t try to pet horses any chance I get. Here’s my friend Liz and I on a Clydesdale tour (I’m on the left).

My background is one reason I was delighted to say yes to my editor when she asked me to write a western romances series. I set it in the fictional town of Legacy Canyon in homage to my friend Jodi Thomas, the bestselling author of the Ransom Canyon series (now also on Netflix) who once told me never to give up, and to leap and the net will appear. I’ve carried those words with me ever since. Saying yes to a western series felt like a leap, but it turned out the net was there, woven from every summer I’d spent at various camps, and from being in the stable with my girls.

Which brings me to Inheriting a Rodeo Cowboy, Book 2 of the Legacy Canyon series. While each novel stands alone and has a guaranteed happily-ever-after, Inheriting a Rodeo Cowboy picks up where Book 1, A Texas-Sized Fake Out, leaves off, with newly divorced Kristen Larrabee and her daughter attending her brother Wyatt’s wedding. I really leaned into the western themes. There’s a stable full of horses, there’s a rodeo, a foal is born, and you’ll meet one very sexy rodeo cowboy: Lucas Thomas. Throw in some matchmakers and forced proximity, this book features a literal match made in heaven between a vet and a cowboy as they discover their chance at true love.

 

You can find Inheriting a Rodeo Cowboy in Walmart, in bookstores, and many online retailers, including Harlequin.com and Amazon.

 

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Giveaway

Since horses have shaped so much of my life—and now my writing—I’d love to hear about your experiences. So, tell me, were you a horse girl growing up, or did you have a different childhood passion you still carry with you, even if you no longer pursue it? Do tell! I’d love to chat with you.

 I’m also giving away a signed copy of Inheriting a Rodeo Cowboy, plus two other books from my backlist to two additional commentors (US paperback mailing only/ebook international).

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 Thank you to Petticoats & Pistols for having me!

MICHELE

Michele Dunaway is a best-selling contemporary romance author who writes happily ever afters set in small towns with cookie stores and wine. With a career spanning more than 26 years, Michele writes “Hometown Sweet with a Hint of Spice” small town love stories featuring strong sexy heroes and feisty heroines who discover things about themselves as they travel the road to true love and self-fulfillment. Michele loves to travel, with the places she visits often inspiring her novels. Describing herself as a woman who does far too much and never wants to stop, Michele is a former English and journalism teacher who is serving as the 2026 NINC President Elect. A proud mom of two grown daughters, Michele shares her home with far too many rescued cats, who of course completely rule the roost. She loves to hear from readers at micheledunaway.com

The World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo

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My husband and I recently returned from our annual get-out-of-the-heat summer trip to Payson, Arizona. While we didn’t attend this year, I have gone to the Payson Rodeo more times than I can count—which usually takes place the same week as our traditional trek to the area. The Payson Rodeo claims to be the oldest continuous rodeo in the world. Interestingly, the not very far away Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo has a similar claim: the World’s oldest rodeo. Records are a little sketchy as both rodeos were taking place unofficially before 1888 when the US Patent Office granted Prescott Frontier Days, Inc. a registered trademark as the World’s Oldest Rodeo.

But as it turns out, both claims are likely true (which is quite a feat for a state that is the youngest of the “lower 48”). By all accounts, the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo started earlier than the Payson rodeo (both around the mid 1880s) but the difference is in the word continuous. Payson wins out over Prescott on that one point as it hasn’t missed a single year. That’s quite an accomplishment when you think about it. First called the August Races because horse racing was a big part of rodeos back then, it was later renamed the August Celebration or the August Doings, and finally just the plain old Payson Rodeo. Dances were a big part of those first rodeos, too. Cowboys do like to twirl the ladies around the dance floor to the music of a toe-tapping band. These days, however, rather than a neighbor picking the guitar or playing a fiddle, big name acts are brought in to delight the crowds. Payson’s rodeo committee spends an entire year planning and organizing the event, and their hard work shows in a first-rate event.

Most of us know that rodeos started as a way for cowboys to entertain themselves, blow off steam, and hone their skills. And, yes, a little wagering was going on, too, in addition to the prize money to be won. In the sweltering heat of Arizona summers, what better place for cowboys to come together that than the cool pine country of Payson? In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the locals were so enthusiastic about the Payson Rodeo, it was said to have rivaled Christmas in celebration. It wasn’t until 1958 when the Beeline Highway was paved that people from all over started pouring into Payson for the rodeo, and that included tourists as well as competitors. Today, the residents of Payson take great pride in their rodeo, and the entire town pretty much comes to a standstill for the entire week.

If you happen to be traveling through Arizona during the third week of August, I highly recommend checking out the Payson Rodeo. Who knows, hubby and I might just run into you. And wouldn’t that be great!

 

THE COWBOY’S LAST RODEO (AND A GIVEAWAY!) — by Louise M. Gouge

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Thank you for inviting me back to Petticoats and Pistols. I was here last January to promote my Love Inspired book Feuding with the Cowboy. Today, I want to introduce you to my brand new sequel, The Cowboy’s Last Rodeo. This story continues my series about the Mattson family of New Mexico cattle ranchers. As always with Love Inspired, my heroine and hero work through their unique conflicts and adversities on the way to earning their happily-ever-after.

 

Before I get into the specifics about the book, I want to jump on the bandwagon with other on P&P writers in celebrating the United States’ 250 anniversary. Quick question you don’t have to answer: How much did you have to practice to say “Semi-Quincentennial”? In May, I gave a patriotic talk to a ladies’ meeting, and I sure did have to pause and think each time I said the word. LOL! Also, to celebrate this remarkable anniversary, I brought a colorful ornament, some cute juice glasses, two tee shirts, a welcome mat, a yard flag, and a brand new Stars and Stripes flag to fly by our front porch. There was so much more I wanted to buy, but I had to stop someplace. BTW, I took all of these pictures with my iPhone, so they’re mine.

 

I’ve always been very patriotic. When I was in high school in 1962, I was honored to be chosen as the soloist when my choir introduced a new song titled “I’m just a flag-waving American.” Back then, everybody in this country would have made that same proclamation. If you click on the link, you won’t see me singing because, sad to say, my performance wasn’t recorded. Instead, you’ll hear a wonderful high school group singing the song in a 1976 celebration of our Bicentennial. Now, as we are about to celebrate the Semi-Quincentennial, it’s so inspiring to listen to the words of this song. Let me know what you think.

Thinking of patriotic people, I’m always impressed by the patriotism of the cowboy and rodeo community. These hardworking, down-to-earth folks get it. This is the greatest country in the world, and they are thankful to be here where we’re free to be whoever God wants us to be. Knowing The Cowboy’s Last Rodeo would be released in July, I made sure to include a scene in which my hero and heroine attend a community Independence Day celebration, complete with patriotic music, hot dogs, and fireworks. Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls are especially faith-filled and patriotic folks. You can always count on hearing an opening prayer and singing the National Anthem before every rodeo. And if the event happens on Sunday, they always attend Cowboy Church right there in the rodeo arena.

Here’s the story:

He’s risking it all for one last ride…After a near-fatal fall, former bull rider Raeder Westfall is determined to prove he’s no quitter, especially to his five-year-old son, Peanut. But rodeo queen June Mattson knows the price of chasing glory, and as Peanut’s Sunday school teacher, she worries Raeder is risking too much. Yet when the Riverton Stampede loses its star, June surprises them both by tossing Raeder’s name into the ring. As they work to save the town’s biggest event, friendship turns to something deeper. Can they overcome fear and pride to build the family they both long for?

So, what did you do to celebrate our Semi-Quincentennial? I’m partial to barbecue pork, baked beans, coleslaw, and corn on the cob for my July Fourth menu. Leave comments to enter my drawing for one print copy of The Cowboy’s Last Rodeo to a U. S. resident.

 

 

South Carolina author Louise M. Gouge writes contemporary and historical romance fiction, winning the prestigious IRCA in 2006 and placing as a finalist in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2017. She was also a finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Awards in 2005, 2007, and 2008, and placed in the Laurel Wreath contest in 2012. Most recently, she was a finalist in the 2023 and 2024 Selah Awards. A former college English and humanities professor, Louise is a 25 year member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers. Married for fifty-four happy years to her beloved husband, David, Louise is now widowed and spends her days researching and writing her next novel.

 

You can find her complete Booklist and more info about her writing at her website: https://louisemgougeauthor.blogspot.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouiseMGougeAuthor

Follow me on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/louise-m-gouge

Jackson Sundown Nez Perce Warrior Rodeo Hero

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Jackson Sundown was born in 1863 in Montana. His given name was Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn, meaning Blanket of the Sun, and he was the only Native American to win the All Around title at the famous Pendleton Roundup. He won it at the age of 52.

Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn was born into the Wallowa Band of Nez Perce, led by Chief Joseph. At the age of 14 he was involved in the Nez Perce War of 1877. He managed to escape the calvary into Canada during the Nez Perce Retreat and then, according to legend, joined Sitting Bull in his Canadian Camp for two years along with other survivors of the Battle of Little Big Horn.

In 1879, Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn moved from Canada to Washington State, and then to the Flathead Reservation in Montana, where he became known as Jackson Sundown. He married there and had two children. In 1910, he returned to the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho, married again (I couldn’t find what happened to his first wife), and settled on his new wife’s ranch near Lapwai.

Jackson was a skilled horseman and made his living breeding, raising, training and selling horses. He bolstered his income by entering rodeos, often winning the all-around purse for having the highest scores in every event. Jackson won so often that other competitors would withdraw from events in which he was entered. Spectators loved him not only because of his talent, but also his striking presence. He wore colorful shirts, wooly chaps and would tie his braids under his chin when he rode rough stock.

In 1915, Jackson came in third at the Pendleton Roundup. He retired then at the age of 51. His body had taken a beating from rodeoing for so long and he was done. But the next year he was at the Roundup and an artist, who was sculpting him, encouraged him to enter again, offering to pay the entry fee. Jackson accepted.

He drew a very rough horse and his ride was legendary.  The horse, Angel, bucked so hard that Jackson removed his hat and fanned the horse to “cool it off”. Jackson won the Roundup and retired once more, this time as a hero, the first and only Native American to win the title. He died seven years later at the age of sixty from pneumonia. His memorial in Idaho reads:

Jackson Sundown
Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn
Nez Perce Born in Montana 1863
Died at Jacques Spur, December 18,1923
At the age of 60 years

He is still celebrated at the Pow Wow held at the Pendleton Roundup every year.

Welcome Guest Author Tanya Agler!

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Chuckwagons, Campfires, and Diners

One of my favorite parts of vacations is reading the descriptions of the local restaurants as every family member on the trip gets to choose one eating establishment. I am always on the lookout for diners as there is something about the varied menu and fun décor that appeals to me. That might be part of the reason food always plays a major role in my books. In my upcoming Ruby Canyon series, Deedee Magill, a decorated retired rodeo rider, opened the Pinto Bean Café, which has a diner-like atmosphere. In the third book of my Rodeo Stars of Violet Ridge series, Her Temporary Cowboy, there’s a chuckwagon ride where the heroine, Elizabeth Irwin, anticipates the cook’s campfire pancakes. I hope you brought your appetite today as I explore the history of diners and chuckwagons.

Tanya with her daughter at a chuckwagon event.

The history of diners begins in the 1870s with lunch wagons that popped up in Rhode Island to feed laborers, newspaper workers, and others. Those led to the advent of night meal wagons, which offered the likes of coffee, pie, and sandwiches at all hours. By the 1890s, lunch wagons had boomed, providing meals for all social classes. After WW2, the current version of diners began to emerge with the advent of the modular, stainless-steel structure that can still be found today. Today, there are over 8,000 diners in the US alone, with New Jersey claiming the title of the diner capital of the world.

Chuckwagons also have a colorful history. Originally created by Charles Goodnight to feed cowboys on Texas cattle drives, the chuckwagon became synonymous with eating under the open sky. A chuckwagon is exactly what it sounds like. It’s often a wagon, often with a white tarpaulin, that serves as a mobile kitchen to feed cowhands and ranchers. In Goodnight’s version, the wagon came outfitted with a “chuck box” with drawers and shelves for food and equipment storage, and a hinged lid that would provide a flat surface for preparing the meals. Biscuits and beans are the meal most often associated with what would be served on the open range, although coffee and sourdough bread are also high on that list. Currently, the American Chuck Wagon Association was founded in 1997 to continue the historical legacy of this treasured historical way of eating. There are also contests for chuckwagon cooking, and it is now a staple of many dude ranches. My daughter’s engagement dinner theme revolved around chuckwagons and cobbler, and this is a picture of us at the event.

In The Hometown Hero’s Fourth of July, there are four former female rodeo contestants who were pivotal in their field. They have now settled in Ruby Canyon and call themselves the Bronze Gals. Deedee Magill is the unofficial leader of the group and is the grandmother of the heroine, Erin Perkins. Deedee named the Pinto Bean Café after her rodeo horse and is known for making the best omelets around as well as a mean bowl of turkey chili and a heaping slice of peanut butter pie. She also alerts her granddaughter to the happenings of Ruby Canyon. In the first chapter of the book, Deedee calls Erin and tells her to get to the Pinto Bean pronto.

Here is a small excerpt featuring Erin’s response:

Thirty minutes later, she approached downtown Ruby Canyon. If Erin had blinked, she’d have missed the turn from Main Street onto Meadow Valley Road and the café where Grandma Deedee had served thousands of breakfast platters in the past year alone.

As small as it was, there was something intangible about her adopted hometown that was deeply entrenched in her. During her tour of duty, she had dreamed about her grandmother’s award-winning chili, the annual softball game and the Fourth of July fireworks. Awakening, she started counting down the days until she once again smelled the wildflowers wafting in the summer air and felt the first snowfall buffeting her cheeks.

The Pinto Bean Café is part of Ruby Canyon, just as diners and chuckwagons have been a part of American culture for over one hundred years.

What about you?

Have you ever dined at a diner or been a part of a chuck wagon meal?

Let me know in the comments and one commenter will receive a signed print copy (US only) of

The Hometown Hero’s Fourth of July

along with a $10.00 Amazon gift card.

Tanya Agler moved often during her childhood and settled in Georgia where she writes sweet contemporary romance novels, which feature small towns, family and pets, and themes of second chances and hope. Tanya’s books for Harlequin Heartwarming are set in small towns located in the mountains of North Carolina, Colorado, and Wyoming.

When she’s not writing, Tanya loves classic movies, walking, and a good cup of tea.

Visit her website for more details.

It’s Yee-Haw Day!

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The fillies are riding in with news fit for sharing!

Nan Reinhardt

What an awesome release week for The Cowboy’s Comeback! Reviews are coming in, and Bo & Cassie are a hit! I’m so thrilled with mentions like this 5-star review on Goodreads:

January 22, 2026
THE COWBOYS COMEBACK by Nan Reinhardt
Release date January 29, 2026Definitely one of my favorite tropes second chances.I loved the story with Bo and Cassie. That a horrible break up five years earlier. Now they find themselves stuck on the same ranch. one is a trainer and one is a student. This is a wonderful opportunity for both of them. Can they make it work?For me all of Nan’s books are unputdownable! And this was definitely no exception. I loved being on Juniper Falls ranch.
Please keep them coming, Nan ?
Can’t beat that! The Cowboy’s Comeback is available now in both e-book and print at all book retailers!

Sarah Lamb

I’m excited it’s release day for a new book!

Her whole life, Ellen Grayson has lived by one rule: stay away from the Claytons. They’re dangerous, evil, and sworn enemies of her family. But when she finds herself on Clayton land, the one who protects her doesn’t match the monster from her parents’ stories. Drawn to him, Ellen is determined to uncover the bitter feud that has kept them apart.

Derek Clayton has loved Ellen from afar since childhood, stealing glimpses of her whenever their paths cross in town. As the third generation caught in a family war, he knows the only way to keep her safe is to stay away, no matter how much he wishes otherwise. It’s gotten more difficult to hide his feelings, and he can no longer deny the powerful pull between them.

But are they doomed to love only in secret for a chance that may never come? Ellen and Derek must decide if their forbidden love is strong enough to finally end the feud that has haunted their families for generations. Or if they’ll be forever waiting in the shadows.

Start reading Waiting in the Shadows now, and get swept away into a romantic, forbidden romance.

Linda Broday

COVER REVEAL!

Jess’s Reckoning – The McIntyres Book 3 – The exciting Conclusion

Jess McIntyre and Abigail Farnsworth find love & adventure, plus his remaining sibling!

Releases May or June

Karen Witemeyer

A fantastic giveaway opportunity, just in time for Valentine’s Day! Tons of western romance on the table in this one. Prizes include: Amazon gift cards, autographed books, and ebooks. Including my upcoming February release, Taming Lady Temperance!

Visit this link to join the fun: https://www.jilldewhurst.com/promo

 

Karen Kay — Night Thunder’s Bride (Book #3 in the The Blackfoot Warrior Series) is on sale!

 

Night Thunder has vowed to protect Rebecca. When she is stolen by an enemy, he goes after her. But he can’t simply ride into the enemy camp and kill the guilty. The thieves are malcontents from his own tribe. There is only one way to save her.

He must claim her as his bride.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072RXCB6H?tag=pettpist-20

 

Covering Christmas

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Covering Christmas is my last holiday release this year. It was such a fun story to write about a bareback rider trying to win a world championship title, the western lifestyle reporter who catches his eye and his heart, and Ella – the daughter he never knew he had until her mother dies and he suddenly finds himself in the role of single parent.

He wants a gold buckle. She needs a fresh start. But love—and a little girl—have other plans.

When the reigning world champion bareback rider retires, Keller Drake finally has a clear shot at claiming the title he’s chased for years, until an attorney corners him at a rodeo with life-altering news. Keller has a five-year-old daughter he never knew existed, and Ella’s late mother named him guardian in her will. Suddenly, the man who can ride the rankest broncs in the world is terrified of something far more dangerous—fatherhood.

 

 

In the book, Keller is a peanut butter addict. He loves anything made with peanut butter. His daughter, Ella is the same way.

Here’s a little excerpt from the story I thought might make you smile.

 

“My wife said to tell you that Ella is staying with us tonight, and you can pick her up after breakfast tomorrow.”

Keller turned to stare at Cooper as they stood in line at the hotel’s coffee shop. Cobie had knocked on their door and offered to style Ella’s hair, so Keller had volunteered to hustle downstairs to get breakfast. He’d run into Cooper in the elevator, and they’d made their way to the coffee shop. A line snaked out the door, but they weren’t overly concerned because the service on previous mornings had been fast and efficient.

“Is there any reason in particular your wife is kidnapping my daughter?”

Cooper grinned. “She said you and Cobie need some time together without a five-year-old chaperone. Buy tickets to a show and take Cobie out on the town after the rodeo tonight. You both deserve to have a little fun. Ella and Alex get along like two little peas in a pod, and it isn’t any trouble to keep her tonight. Just bring a bag with her jammies and whatever she’ll need to our room before you head over to the rodeo this afternoon.”

“Are you sure, Coop? I already feel like I’ve taken advantage of you and everyone else who has helped with Ella while I’m riding.”

Cooper looked insulted. “You aren’t taking advantage of us. We’re all glad to help, Keller. Paige and I know how hard it is to have a child and rodeo, and there are two of us working at it. You deserve a little time to enjoy life. You’re only what? Twenty-seven?”

“Just turned twenty-six, and I feel like I’m careening toward fifty.”

Cooper chuckled. “Exactly what I mean. Take Cobie somewhere fun and spend the evening being a young, not entirely ugly, single guy out for a great evening with a beautiful woman who clearly does not find him to be totally repulsive.”

“Ugly and repulsive. Guess I’m moving up in the world,” Keller quipped as the line inched forward. “Seriously, man, I appreciate it, and tell Paige I’ll gather Ella’s stuff and drop it off before we head out for the day. How about I reciprocate and keep Alex for you one evening so you and Paige can have some time alone?”

“I’d love that, but let’s make it during the day. We’re both too exhausted to do anything after the rodeo. I’m not as young as I used to be, you know.”

Keller shook his head in disbelief. “You’re going to be perpetually younger than us all, Coop. How about you leave Alex with me tomorrow morning? I can make sure he gets lunch, and you can reclaim him sometime in the afternoon before I need to head over to the rodeo.”

“I like it. It’s a deal,” Cooper said, shaking Keller’s hand.

“Any food allergies I should know about?” Keller asked as they got closer to the counter.

“Nope, and he’s usually a good eater. Takes after his dad.”

“I’m pretty sure a refined palate is more a trait from his mother, but what do I know?” Keller teased, then placed his order for breakfast. He got yogurt and an assortment of whole fruit, and could hardly believe his luck when he spied peanut butter muffins studded with chocolate chips in the pastry case.

“One of those muffins, please,” Keller said as the young woman behind the counter gathered his order.

“You and your peanut butter addiction,” Cooper pointed to the case of pastries. “I heard Ella has been known to eat it straight out of the jar.”

“What?” Keller asked, staring at Cooper. “Where did you hear that?”

“From Alex. He said they were hungry, and Ella got out a jar of peanut butter and ate it with a spoon. He went with a bag of fruit snacks. That was back when we were in Pendleton, or was it Walla Walla? Anyway, the gist of my story is that your daughter also has a predilection for peanut butter and eats it straight from the jar.”

Keller thought of all the peanut butter he’d eaten the last few months and wondered how much of it had five-year-old slobbers living in the jar. He would have been grossed out, but considering some of the things he’d cleaned up when Ella had the twenty-four-hour tummy flu, he decided slobber was the least of his worries.

Here’s an easy recipe for Peanut Butter Candy

Peanut Butter Drops

INGREDIENTS

1 11-ounce bag white chocolate chips

1 11-ounce bag peanut butter chips

1 cup cocktail peanuts

1 cup crushed pretzel pieces

DIRECTIONS

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, stir together white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips, then melt in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chips are smooth (1-2 minutes).

Stir in peanuts and pretzels, then drop by spoonsful onto the parchment.

Let cool, then store in an airtight container up to a week.

What is your favorite must-have flavor or treat, or holiday indulgence? 

Mine would chocolate in various forms.

Guest Author Sinclair Jayne – Rogue Cowboy

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Petticoats and Pistols is proud to host guest author Sinclair Jayne:

Hello – Sinclair Jayne here. One of my favorite places to set a romance is in Marietta, Montana, which is a Tule Publishing and Tule author created town loosely based on Livingston, Montana. I’ve traveled to Montana many times, but never yet to Paradise Valley, where Marietta is, surrounded by two intensely gorgeous mountain ranges—Gallatin and Absaroka.

It’s a given that a Montana romance not only stars the hero and the heroine, but also the setting—the connection to the rugged and beautiful land, the traditions, the tight, smalltown community where people are fiercely independent, yet may need their neighbors, especially in a ranching community. And of course, there’s the spectacular scenery, along with the geology, geography, wildlife and of course weather.

Any time there is an opportunity to participate in a multi-author series at Marietta, Montana’s Copper Mountain Rodeo, my hand shoots up. “Me, me, me.” I live in a rural town in Oregon, and the annual rodeo and the fair are a must and a way for the community to reconnect to the ranching and agrarian roots. For my new book Rogue Cowboy, I wanted to dig into rodeo culture and embrace the healing power of family, small town, ties to the land and of course second chances.

Rogue Cowboy is a reunion romance along with a secret marriage of convenience. The love story features Riley Telford, a local horse trainer cowgirl and former Special Forces soldier, Cole Jameson, who grew up ranch in Texas, but has come to Montana to reclaim his secret bride. No one in his tightknit ranching family has ever divorced so he’s determined to win Riley’s heart so their marriage can be ‘real.’

Western Cowboy romances are my absolute favorite to write. Readers and writers love them for a reason. Cowboys are iconic. The cowboy code. The western hero might be morally grey, but they have their own code of honor and way of being in the world that feels both classic, but so necessary in our complicated present. There is no dialing in a cowboy hero. Readers have high expectations, and I lean into the challenge of meeting them. A Cowboy doesn’t need to swagger (but yum if he does). He does require confidence, goals, a can-do attitude and yes, even if he’s a bad boy, he needs to be kind in some way, take care of the heroine, even when she’s convinced he’s the last thing she needs. Cowboys commit.

Rogue Cowboy: Excerpt (after five-year separation)

 

Riley headed to the barn, needing time to rope her carefree, cowgirl persona snugly around her.

She drew in a deep breath and her heart leapt to her throat. What a gorgeous smell, teasingly familiar. It took her back to the before. She closed her eyes remembering. Bergamot, hint of cedar, sun-warmed leather and something exotic like sandalwood—not that she’d smelled actual sandalwood.

But it smelled heady. Taunted familiarity and safety. Miles out of reach.

Cole. If only. She inhaled again. Pretended she could go back in time to when she’d desperately crushed on him and wanted to show off. Before when life was simple, and the future was a sparkly gold and pink road she could run down, her head full of dreams.

How had she been so stupid and young?

She opened her eyes and through a crack in the door dandelion seeds floated in the shaft of light.

Make a wish.

From behind, a strong arm slipped around her shoulders and a hand anchored lightly on her hip, trapping her between a hard body and the cool metal of Cinnamon’s stall.

“Hello, Riley.”

 

Want to learn more? Here’s my website & newsletter sign up: https://sinclairjayne.com

About Jayne:

Sinclair has loved reading romance novels since she discovered Barbara Cartland historical romances when she was in sixth grade. By seventh grade, she was haunting the library shelves looking to fall in love over and over again with the heroes born from the imaginations of her favorite authors. After teaching writing classes and workshops to adults and teens for many years in Seattle and Portland, she returned to her first love of reading romances and became an editor for Tule Publishing last year. In addition, she’s published over 30 romances of her own.

Sinclair lives in Oregon’s wine country where she and her family own a small vineyard of Pinot Noir and where she dreams of being able to write at a desk like Jane Austen instead of in parking lots waiting for her kids to finish one of their 12,000 extracurricular activities.

 

 

Now it’s your turn – do you think a strong sense of setting enhances a story? Do you have a favorite setting? Share your thoughts in the comments and you’ll be entered in the drawing for the special prize package pictured below.

Learning to Write Westerns When I Had No Clue

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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?

 

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Del Blancett

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I love learning tidbits from history.

We were at the Pendleton Round-Up over the weekend, and the souvenir program had a lovely article about Dell Blancett.

That name is probably unfamiliar to most people, but his wife’s name was well known in rodeo circles in the early 1900s.

Bertha Kaepernik Blancett was born in 1883 in Ohio. She made history in 1904 by becoming the first woman to ride a bucking horse at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Fashionable and tough, she went on to win the bucking championship at the Pendleton Round-Up in 1911, 1912, and 1914. She become known as the “most famous woman rider in rodeo.” Bertha established the world record for Roman racing in Pendleton, making a quarter mile in eight seconds.

The year was 1909 when she met Dell Blancett, a rodeo steer wrestler who also worked as a trick rider for the Bison Moving Picture Company.

Dell was born in Iowa in a wagon train traveling west from Indiana in January 1883.  His family ended up in Washington state.

The year was 1909 when Dell and Bertha wed. What many people don’t know is that they were a team. She rode as his hazer when he was steer wrestling (a hazer’s job is to keep the steer going in a straight line without touching or assisting the wrestler). Dell was considered one of the best all-around cowboys during the 1910s. He was a world champion bulldogger (steer wrestler), a talented roper, and a rider above average ability. He owned strings of horses he transported all around the West, setting up his headquarters in Pendleton.

 

Dell and Bertha were partners and sweethearts, wowing rodeo crowds with their skill and talent, as well as participating in movies and wild west shows.

With the United States’ entry into World War I looming on the horizon, Dell became one of the men who organized a voluntary cowboy company, the Oregon Troop D Field Artillery. Sadly, he was rejected from serving because of rheumatism. However, that didn’t stop him from finding his way to France and the war. Dell headed to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Cavalry. He was assigned to the A Squadron of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadian). The unit was  one of the most elite of Canadian Cavalry units. It had been formed by the Honourable Donald Alexander Smith, later the 1st Baron Strathcona, as a privately organized cavalry unit during the Boer War. It was comprised of cowboys and members of the Northwest Mounted Police.

The company was transferred to France in February 1918. In March, the squadron was pressed into battle against a German offensive. Machine gun fire killed all but 51 members. The last letter Dell wrote was address to Roy Raley of Pendleton (Roy was one of the founders of the Happy Canyon Pageant and the Pendleton Round-Up). The letter included Dell’s riding crop and spurs.

Dell was killed March 30, 1918 at the age of 35. Reportedly, his last words were, “Those German bullets sure hit hard.” The action by Canadian cowboys in the wood was regarded as a principal element in the ultimate Allied victory in November of that year. Dell is buried in Moreuil Woods in France. He was the first Pendleton resident, and first Round-Up star to die in the war.

Bertha never remarried. She retired from rodeo and worked as a stunt woman in Western films starring notable names such as Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson. She traveled across the United States and Europe with the Pawnee Bill’s Wild West show and the 101 Ranch Wild West show. In later years, she served as a guide at Yosemite National Park. She died in 1979, at the age of 95.

One of my recently released books, Molly, takes place during World War I. It’s about an American soldier named Friday and a Hello Girl named Molly who meet in France.

If you haven’t yet read it yet, the story is a sweet and wholesome historical romance filled with hope, faith, courage, and love.

Because I dug deeply into the research for this story, the lives of the Hello Girls came alive for me.

The real Hello Girls were incredibly brave women who opened the door for women in the military. They are also part of the reason the 19th  Amendment was finally passed after World War I, giving women the right to vote.

However, these amazing women were not recognized as veterans for nearly six decades. Right now, efforts are being made to put a bill in place to aware them a Congressional Gold Medal. After reading their stories, I can honestly say they have more than earned it!

We have just a few more weeks to get the legislation through Congress before it dies. The required 67 votes in the Senate have been attained, but 60 additional House Representative sponsors are needed.

Would you consider helping the Hello Girls? It doesn’t cost anything but a moment of your time! (Note: This bill does not require any funding!)

If you are interested, just go to the Hello Girls website, choose your state and district, copy and paste the provided letter, and submit. That is it! With enough people reaching out to their district representatives, it can make an impact. If you know anyone in a government office, ask for them to offer their support, too!

If you’d like to learn more FAQs about the Hello Girls, there’s a handy sheet here.

The Hello Girls have become so dear to my heart, and it would mean so much to their descendants if the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to them.

What is something “near and dear” to your heart? 

A charity? A sweet story? A special memento or photograph? 

Share your answer for a chance to win an autographed copy of Molly.

Petticoats & Pistols