Debra Clopton

Debra Clopton Says Merry Christmas!

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Debra CloptonMERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I love cowboys just like all of you. I’m surrounded by them here in the center of Texas and very happy about that. It really helps me write a good cowboy and makes research very easy. I created my series, COWBOYS OF SUNRISE RANCH, in part because I’ve gone with the youth from our church to Cowboy Camp for the last 5 years. Talk about exhausting! It is but it is also a unique camp experience, and as rough as they come but the kids and sponsors love it.

 

This camp could not work if it weren’t for the countless cowboys who volunteer to work it. This awesome, caring group of cowboys come up with the games, the faith elements, the challenges and then they are there to work with the 600 plus number of kids. Cowboys are everywhere you look helping the kids have a great experience. Many of the kids have never even touched a horse or ever thought they’d get in the pen with a cow and then learn to wrestle it to the ground! The looks on the kid’s faces when they push themselves to try these new experiences is priceless.

 

Her Unexpected CowboyI wanted to create men like this for my series and came up with Morgan, Rowdy and Tucker McDermott who along with their dad and grandmother who as a family run and operate the Sunrise Ranch. It is a 10,000 acre working Texas cattle ranch that has incorporated the dream of the brothers’ deceased mother and created a foster home there for 16 abandoned boys at a time ranging from age 8 to 18. Her dream was to offer their lifestyle and ranch with boys who had nothing. It’s been a fun and rewarding experience writing these 3 books. It has enabled me to use some of my experiences from camp within the stories. Book 1 HER UNFORGETTABLE COWBOY, Morgan’s story, came out in May 2013 and finally Rowdy’s story is almost here, January 1, HER UNEXPECTED COWBOY goes on sale! Tucker’s story, HER UNLIKELY COWBOY follows in June. I hope you’ll preorder a copy of HER UNEXPECTED COWBOY today, it will make you smile and maybe tear up a little as it touches your heart! Click on the cover and it’ll take you to Amazon.

 

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FALLING FOR THE COWBOY

Rowdy McDermott has a plan. Stay on the straight and narrow, help the foster boys on Sunrise Ranch and forget about love. The last thing he expects is his pretty new neighbor falling literally into his arms. Lucy Calvert is glad the handsome cowboy broke her fall,  but isn’t ready for the feelings he’s stirring in her heart. She’s heard rumors about his past, and is steering clear from the kind of man he used to be. With a little help from his boys,  can Rowdy show her that people— and hearts—can change? 

Cowboys of Sunrise Ranch:  These men have hearts as big as Texas. 

Her Unforgettable CowboyLeave a comment to get your name in the drawing for a paperback copy of HER UNFORGETTABLE COWBOY!

Debra Clopton Loves Western Movies!

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Debra CloptonHi Everyone! Debra Clopton here and I’m thrilled to be back on Petticoats and Pistols. Like everyone else here, I love cowboys and write Texas cowboy heroes in all of my books.

How did that happen?  Well, I live in central Texas, cowboy capital basically, in between Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. I’m surrounded by every kind of cowboy there is: Horse trainers, ropers, bull riders, calf wrestlers, and just plain hard-working cowboys, ranchers and cowboys at heart. Because of where I live, my research is fairly easy.  I watch, listen and ask the closest cowboy around if I don’t know about something.

But, since one of the things my readers love most about my books is the spunky interaction between my heroes and heroines, I fuel my imagination for those fun sparring matches through my love of cowboy movies. Oh yeah, give me a cocky, slow-drawling cowboy movie hero and I’m a happy girl. Fun western romances with strong cowboys who meet their match with strong-willed feisty heroines are the best. You know what I mean.  Hero and heroines involved in some good old-fashioned arguing fueled by undeniable attraction!

So let’s talk movies for a moment.

Here are a few of my favorite movies:

THE BALLAD OF JOSIE:  Doris Day plays a widow who has to fight the cattlemen when she decides to raise sheep in the middle of cattleDebra Clopton 2 Debra Clopton 1country! Now there’s conflict! What a fun movie this is and the sparks!!! I think I’m going to rent it this weekend because it’s been too long since I’ve watched it.

NORTH TO ALASKA! Oh, my.  Stewart Granger, goodness what a hunk. And of course John Wayne. Fast-paced quick word play and lots of those sparks between hero and heroine.

And then speaking of the Duke—my all-time favorite: McLINTOCK with Maureen O’Hara. Those two make me smile just thinking about them. A fairly silly movie, but just plain good fun. When I’m really getting into my hero and heroine having at it, these two and the chemistry between them always spurs me on.

I’ve talked about this one here on P&P before, but QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER has some of the best dialogue between Mathew Quigley and Crazy Cora that I’ve ever seen. There is so much about this movie that is wonderful. I loved it so much that for my novella A COWBOY FOR KATIE which will be included in the June 2015 anthology collection, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A KISS, I decided to create my own version of Crazy Cora! I had a blast creating Crazy Katie and her hero Treb Rayburn. Katie has her reasons, but she’s a pistol packin’, sure shootin’ little gal who’d just as soon shoot a cowboy for lookin’ at her wrong, especially if he happens to ask her to marry him…and there’s a bunch of them asking!

So, do you love cowboy movies with fireworks shootin’ off between the hero and heroine? I would love to hear your favorites.  Might be one I’ve missed and need to watch!

No PLace Like Home and Dream a Little dreamI’m pleased to say, that as of October 1st Love Inspired has just reissued in a 2-for-1 volume two of my earliest Mule Hollow books. They are peppered with some great tickle-your-funny-bone flavored sparks. NO PLACE LIKE HOME and DREAM A LITTLE DREAM, book 3 and 4 definitely have roots from my infatuation with old fun western romances. If you haven’t been to Mule Hollow yet, this is a great place to start!

Also, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve just completed a brand new Mule Hollow romance that will be the lead book of a 5 story collection. It is set to release Feb 1 so I would love for you to drop by my website here http://www.debraclopton.com/contest and sign up for my newsletter and monthly contest. You’ll receive my news updates and sneak peeks at upcoming book releases and surprise giveaways. There is a lot of fun stuff coming from me in 2015—I’m so excited but there’s too much to share in one blog post.

Okay, it’s been fun but I’m done writing and ready to talk movies—shoot me your favorites please…oh, for instance don’t you just love Harry Connick Jr in HOPE FLOATS—goodness, he makes my heart sing. Oh, and from my childhood memories, Dean Martin as quick-witted, fast-talkin’ cowboy with a funny bone makes me smile…I could go on and on but it’s your turn now!

I’m giving away 2 copies of one of my really spark-filled Mule Hollow books, HIS COWGIRL BRIDE to two y’all who share a movie with me.  Debra Clopton 3

 

Buy your copy of Debra’s new release, NO PLACE LIKE HOME,, on Amazon!