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I Thought I Was Writing for Men. My Readers Had Other Ideas–by R.J. Sloane

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I Thought I Was Writing for Men. My Readers Had Other Ideas.

By R.J. Sloane

I’ll be honest with you. When I sat down to write The Rustler Hunter, I figured I knew exactly who would pick it up.

Men. Specifically, men who grew up on Louis L’Amour and still reread Hondo every few years. Guys who like their westerns lean and mean with action-packed gunfights, manhunts, wide-open Arizona Territory, and not a lot of fussing about feelings.

So, imagine my surprise when the emails started coming in, and most of them were from women.

Not just a few. Most of my reader mail comes from women. Women who write things like, “I don’t usually read westerns, but I couldn’t put this down.” Women who tell me the Harper brothers remind them of the honorable men in their own families. Quiet protectors who show up when it’s important. Men who don’t make a speech about it. Women who say the family oath in the series—Proverbs 21:15 CSB, when justice is executed, it is a joy to the righteous but a terror to evildoers—impacted them profoundly.

I had to think hard about why my writing resonates so strongly with women.

This is what I think: women have always understood what justice costs. They’ve watched the men they love carry the weight of protecting others. They’ve been the ones keeping families intact while that work got done. They know, maybe better than anyone, what it means to hold a code when the world makes it inconvenient. I finally realized that’s not a masculine theme. That’s a human one.

The Harper siblings, children of a violent outlaw, aren’t compelling because they’re tough. They’re compelling because they chose to be something better than the man who raised them. And that kind of story resonates with anyone who’s ever had to rebuild their life or overcome a tough past.

Hayley Harper, the Pinkerton agent at the center of The Rustler Hunter, is probably part of the answer too. I write women who are competent, stubborn, and fiercely loyal. Women who carry the same moral code as the men beside them but fight their battles with their strengths. Women who don’t need rescuing but aren’t too proud to accept backup. I believe readers appreciate that kind of woman.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that she spends most of the book striking sparks off a certain legendary manhunter who didn’t see her coming either. J.J. Westin met his match in Hayley Harper, and I think readers enjoy watching two people who are equally stubborn and equally principled figure that out—one dusty Arizona canyon at a time.

What is it about action-driven western fiction that keeps you coming back or brought you to it in the first place?

I have a feeling you’ll teach me something, partner.

Giveaway

I’m delighted to offer a signed copy of The Rustler Hunter to one lucky winner. Just tell me in the comments below, what is it about action-driven western fiction that keeps you coming back or brought you to it in the first place?

The Rustler Hunter: Harper’s Justice Book 1

When forty-one successful manhunts make you a legend, there’s only one way left to go—down.

J.J. Westin, the infamous Rustler Hunter, goes undercover at Arizona Territory’s largest cattle ranch to expose the rustlers bleeding it dry. The thieves aren’t just stealing cattle. They’re trusted cowboys operating from inside the bunkhouse.

What he doesn’t expect is Hayley Harper, the tough-as-nails cook with secrets of her own. She’s a Pinkerton agent working the same case and the daughter of notorious outlaw Galen Harper.

When their covers are blown, they uncover something far deadlier than rustling. A corruption network spanning three territories. With enemies closing in and bullets flying, the legendary manhunter and the outlaw’s daughter must survive the badlands of 1898 Arizona, where trust is deadly and justice comes at gunpoint.

R.J. Sloane writes gritty Western adventures where justice rides hard across the untamed Southwest. Inspired by Longmire, Yellowstone, and a childhood of classic westerns watched with his dad, R.J. brings authentic frontier spirit to every page. His Harper’s Justice series follows territorial lawmen where doing right often means defying the law.

When he’s not writing fiction, R.J. releases original dark country music—outlaw Americana cut from the same cloth as his stories.

Find R.J. on his site: https://rjsloanewesterns.com and at all major retailers

 

Welcome Guest Author Janice Cole Hopkins!

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Hope on the Nevada Horizon

Some stories arrive in a writer’s mind like a whisper, and others settle in and refuse to leave until they’re written. The Disabled Daughters trilogy belongs to that second category. These three sisters—Ava, Jo, and Chloe Walsh—have lived with me for years, waiting patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) for their turn on the page. I knew their stories would require tenderness, honesty, and a deep respect for the challenges women faced in the nineteenth century, especially women whose bodies didn’t fit society’s expectations.

The Walsh sisters’ journey begins with heartbreak. A devastating carriage accident claims their mother’s life and leaves each daughter with a lasting injury. Ava suffers from a damaged back that often leaves her bedridden. Jo walks with a permanent limp after her leg shattered in multiple places. Chloe’s right hand is weak and unusable. These injuries shape their lives, but they do not define their worth—something each sister must learn in her own time.

Their father, already weakened by an unexplained condition after the accident, fears he won’t live long enough to see his daughters settled. When the doctor urges him to prepare for the end, he makes a bold and loving decision: he’ll take his girls west to Nevada, where his sister and her husband run a ranch. He believes the wide open frontier may offer opportunities the East never could—fresh starts, new friendships, and perhaps even husbands who can see past the sisters’ limitations to the strength beneath. Each book follows one sister as she faces her fears, her hopes, and the unexpected ways God works in her life.

Ava

Ava is the eldest, the steady one, the daughter who tries hardest to hide her pain. Her injured back has stolen much of her confidence, and she’s convinced no man would willingly choose a wife who cannot always stand on her own two feet. Nevada challenges her in ways she never imagined, but it also offers something she never expected—hope.

 

Jo

Jo’s story is one of patience, courage, and learning to trust God’s timing. With Ava married and her father’s health failing, Jo knows she must consider marriage next. But she refuses to settle for convenience. Her journey is quieter, but no less brave, as she seeks a love that honors both her heart and her faith.

 

Chloe

Chloe is the spirited youngest sister, determined to secure a comfortable life, even if comfort and happiness aren’t the same thing. She believes she knows exactly what she wants, but God has a way of redirecting steps. Her story is full of surprises, growth, and a love she never saw coming.

The trilogy releases quickly—Ava came out in June, Jo will be released July 3, and Chloe on August 4, so readers won’t have to wait long between books. They will be available for Kindle, KU, print, and Audible. Ava is available now and Jo and Chloe are on preorder. Each novel stands alone, but together they form a portrait of resilience, family devotion, and the quiet strength of women who refuse to give up.

Disabled Daughters series

Ava

Jo

Chloe

 

Tell me why you like a series or standalone books best to be entered in a drawing for a Kindle copy of Ava.

About the Author:

Literature has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was reading by age five, writing stories by third grade, and publishing poetry by the eighth. During my years as a teacher, I wrote magazine articles—short pieces that fit into a busy classroom schedule—but my dream was always to write a historical novel.

That dream finally took root when I became my mother’s caregiver. I see it as God bringing good from a bad situation, the way He promises. I wrote my first novel, published it, and discovered I never wanted to stop. Soon, I’ll have more than a hundred published books, and I’m still as excited about storytelling as ever.

Every novel I write has a complete, satisfying ending. If you enjoy reading series in order, you’ll get the richest experience following the regular series chronologically. But no matter where you begin, each book offers a full story on its own. Readers often tell me they can’t put them down, and I hope you’ll feel the same.

All of my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children, so every book you read helps make a difference in lives.

Welcome Guest Author KyLee Woodley

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What They Carried

  The Story of Shirley’s Basket

There was a lot of hubbub when my first novel debuted, including friends of friends and relatives who purchased it. One such person was my sister’s neighbor, who purchased it for his wife. This summer, I went to visit my sister and met her neighbor—a 91-year-old gentleman by the name of Don. He sat in his rocking chair before a grand fireplace, where a historical firearm, complete with a bayonet, hung on display behind him as he told me stories of coming west. Beside him sat an empty rocking chair, complete with an overstuffed cushion.

As he paused in his storytelling, my sister spoke up. When she mentioned that I wrote stories of the West and that I was the writer in the family, Don told me that Shirley enjoyed reading my book and insisted that I should take one of her ornamental glass baskets. Speechless, I thanked him yet stood unmoving, wrapped in the weight of the moment. He nodded solemnly, as our dear elderly friends do, and said, “In honor of Shirley.” It was a deeply humbling experience.

Figure 1 Shirley’s Basket with Books by KyLee Woodley, Photo cred. KayDee Parker

Holding that delicate glass, I realized that we never truly leave the past behind if we have something tangible to anchor it. Decades ago, many pioneers heading west set out with the prize of “the Promised Land” and a new life ahead. They brought with them an assortment of heirlooms and family treasures—some of monetary worth, and others of purely sentimental value. These precious items became the foundations of a home, surviving the journey even after the schooners themselves had been stripped down and remade into cabins.

 The Woven Basket: The Everyday Companion

While Shirley’s basket was an ornament of remembrance, the baskets carried across the plains were born of pure utility. Baskets were lightweight, durable, and did not overburden the beasts of burden that brought emigrants west. They were used for vital, practical purposes like collecting eggs, herbs, and berries, as well as for holding sewing essentials or keeping bread dough warm by the fire. Woven from natural materials and often handed down from generation to generation, these baskets stood as a symbol of the work of the hands and heart—a practical piece of history born from simple materials, a clever mind, and diligent hands.

The Signature Quilt: A Community’s Embrace

Quilt exhibit, interior of Negro building, Atlanta Exposition. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Where baskets provided daily utility, other trail treasures offered a different kind of survival: emotional comfort. The heirlooms that consistently made it across the plains were the family quilts. Before a wagon train departed, entire communities would gather to hold “farewell quilting bees,” stitching together pieces of fabric, names, and signature blocks from the families left behind. They sometimes signed their names directly onto the squares or inked scripture and words of blessings onto the cloth. Wrapping up in a signature quilt on a freezing desert night meant literally wrapping oneself in the warm presence of loved ones who were thousands of miles away.

 Heirloom Seeds: The Promise of Tomorrow

Old Pecan Orchard in Lebanon Oregon (by KayDee Parker)

Many of the pioneers were farmers, and how appropriate to bring with them the seeds of their home. Often, these were sewn into the hems of petticoats. Flowers, pinecones, and bulbs (like lilacs and old-fashioned roses) were stored in tin boxes. Planting a mother’s garden in untamed western soil was how they claimed a wild frontier and turned it into a home.

Living Sourdough Starter: A Taste of Home

Mixing Sourdough (Photo: William George James, 2019. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Alongside the seeds meant for future fields, pioneers carried another living heirloom to sustain them day by day: the family batch of sourdough. Many of these wild yeast starters were already generations old, carefully kept alive from the same batch used by mothers and grandmothers further up the family tree. Tucked safely away from the harsh elements, these starters lived in small stoneware crocks. They were a true “living heirloom,” ensuring that no matter how drastically their outer world changed, the pioneers’ daily bread tasted like the kitchens they had left behind.

 Vessels of Memory

Cherokee Pass, Rocky Mountains, LOC.gov. https://lccn.loc.gov/2004661635

We remember pioneers for their grit, but their heirlooms remind us of their heart—the things that mattered to them and to those who came after them. Like the basket from Shirley’s own living room, we honor those who walked before us and cherish the days gone by—a time when family ties endured even as new worlds beckoned and threatened.

What about you?

Is there a precious object passed down through your family, or perhaps a unique treasure you discovered at a local garage sale or antique shop?

I would love to hear your stories in the comments below. 

About the Author:

KyLee Woodley Author Kylee Woodley with long wavy blond hair, smiling, wearing a floral shirtwrites inspirational historical romance with a pinch of adventure. A cheery romantic, she loves to evoke bygone days and heartwarming love stories, as seen in her 2025 debut The Bandit’s Redemption and the subsequent installments, The Bounty Hunter’s Surrender (2025) and The Convict’s Courtship (2026)—all published by Wild Heart Books. KyLee teaches preschool at a lab school in Texas, where she lives with her husband and their three teenage children. When she is not busy, she hosts Historical Bookworm Show—a podcast for history lovers and fans of historical fiction. Raised in the Pacific Northwest and now rooted in Texas, KyLee carries a deep respect for American values and the power of redemption. She began ministering to the homeless and addicted as a teenager, and that compassion continues to shape her stories—loving the unlovely is a timeless theme.

Author Links: 

https://www.facebook.com/WoodleyWrites

https://twitter.com/KyLeeWoodley

https://www.instagram.com/kylee.woodley.writes/

https://www.pinterest.com/kypins13/

Podcast: https://historicalbookworm.com/?page_id=41

Personal Website:  https://kyleewoodley.com/

 

 

Welcome Guest Author Penny Zeller

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Howdy, y’all! Penny here. I am so honored to be a guest again on Petticoats & Pistols. This time, I’m here chatting about A Heart’s Hope, my latest Christian historical romance. A Heart’s Hope takes place in 1881, and as I was writing the book, I discovered many interesting things about toys and candy from yesteryear.

When high-society socialite McKenzie Chesterton answers a rugged rancher’s mail-order bride advertisement, she later discovers the man she is about to marry has a young son named Davey. As such, she purchases a few fun items from the toy shops and candy stores in Boston.

One gift McKenzie gives Davey is a harmonica. Some sources say the ancestor of the harmonica originated in the 1780s. Others believe the forerunner came from ancient China’s sheng instrument. Some sources cite the origin of the harmonica as a way to help tune pianos. Regardless, the harmonica as we now know it grew in popularity in the 1800s, and was even called a “mouth organ”.

Marbles came into great popularity when mass production started in the 1840s. Glass marbles were the most common.

The jump rope has been a common toy for at least a few centuries, but did you know it was called “skipping rope” in the 1800s? Different sources have cited a variety of origins for the jump rope, and there may be evidence that suggests it was used in Ancient Greece. It is believed the Dutch brought skipping ropes to America.

Just as toys have changed through the eras, so has candy. McKenzie gifts Davey a chocolate bar. Did you know the first chocolate bar was produced in 1847 by Joseph Fry? Hershey didn’t begin chocolate production until around 1900.

Chocolate bars weren’t the only thing to come along in the 1800s. One of the more interesting discoveries was that chewing gum was first produced from tree sap in the 1840s. One of the first, if not the first, packaged box of chocolate was released in 1854. The 1890s are when the first batch of peanut brittle is rumored to have accidentally been created due to a wrong ingredient.

Topics like toys and candy from days past always provide entertainment while we authors conduct research. I once heard that authors research for hours just to write one sentence. As one who has written numerous historicals, that is certainly true.

I’m super excited about the release of A Heart’s Hope on June 16.

She’s from high society. He’s a humble rancher. Can an unorthodox marriage lead to love?

What happens when truths are disclosed, and McKenzie’s real reason for answering Noah’s advertisement comes to light? Will the fragile love that has begun to grow between McKenzie and Noah survive the truth? Can God take an unconventional situation and bring two lonely hearts together?

A Heart’s Hope is a heartwarming, faith-filled, marriage-of-convenience love story that shows that God truly is the Changer of hearts.

Go here to snag your copy of A Heart’s Hope.

I’m giving one lucky winner their choice of a paperback or ebook of A Heart’s Hope. (Limited to U.S. residents only).

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment in answer to this question:

What was your favorite childhood candy or toy?

Thank you for joining me today.

As a special gift, be sure to snag An Unexpected Arrival, a Wyoming Sunrise novelette, for free by going here.

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith-filled happily ever afters. Her books feature tender romance, steady doses of humor, and memorable characters that stay with you long after the last page. She is a multi-published author of over three dozen books and is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. Penny resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers at her website at http://www.pennyzeller.com

 

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.

Welcome to Guest Author Mindy Obenhaus

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Hello, and happy Friday!

Mindy Obenhaus here, coming to you from down Texas way. And while I may not have been born in the Lone Star state, I got here as quick as I could and married a man whose Texas roots run deep. We live on a ranch that has been in his family since the mid-1800s. Nine generations have enjoyed the land. But that wouldn’t have happened had it not been for one man.

You see, a yellow-fever epidemic claimed the lives of my husband’s great, great grandparents back in the 1870s, and their two toddler daughters went to live with their uncle in another town that is now only about a twenty-minute drive but would’ve taken much longer via horse-drawn wagon. A handful of years later, one of the girls died, leaving only my husband’s great-grandmother.

Back in the late 1800’s, it wouldn’t have been uncommon or even frowned upon for her uncle to sell the land that was a good distance from where they lived. Taxes had to be paid, along with wages for those who worked the land. But he preserved his niece’s legacy.

A century and a half later, my husband and myself, our children and grandchildren are still enjoying that land because of him.

That story was the inspiration behind my current Love Inspired Books series, Legacy Ranch. It revolves around four sisters and their spunky cowgirl aunt whose dreams for the ranch had been squelched by her brother, until his sudden death. Now, as Aunt Dee breathes new life into the century-and-a-half old cattle ranch, her nieces find themselves wanting to be a part of its transformation, as well.

Let’s talk about legacies. An inheritance, if you will. Something of value that you pass on to someone else. While our minds often go to things like land, jewelry, money, sometimes it’s simple things, like Granny’s favorite cake plate, even cherished recipes.

But how will your loved ones remember you?

It’s a question I asked myself not long ago. And I was rather dismayed by my response. You see, I tend to be a people pleaser. I want everybody to be happy. So, when our large family gathers, I usually find myself in the kitchen cooking up everyone’s favorite dishes while they’re playing games and enjoying the ranch. But do I want them to remember my peach cobbler or that I made them feel like they mattered? That I’m a best-selling author or that I love Jesus and want them to know Him, too?

Talk about food for thought.?

Have you ever contemplated your legacy?

I’m giving away a copy of my new release,

Their Texas Christmas Redemption.

Simply leave a comment to be entered.

Print copy US only, ebook international.

Here’s a little about the story –

’Tis the season for a second chance at love.
Back home at her family’s Texas ranch for the holidays, the last thing Audrey Caldwell expects to see is her ex-husband, Tyler, on her doorstep—with his orphaned niece. The sweet baby in his arms brings up painful memories that she’d rather forget, but when little Willow gets sick, Audrey can’t turn them away. She offers to care for the baby if Tyler agrees to do some construction projects on the ranch. As they work together on a community Christmas event, neither can deny their growing connection. Can they heal their deepest wounds and find their way back to the family they always wanted?

Best-selling author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner.

She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching heartwarming romance movies.

Learn more at http://www.MindyObenhaus.com

Welcome Guest Author Lynne Lanning

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It is said that “A picture paints a thousand words,” and it does. But pictures can’t capture the reality of seeing things for yourself, and I’m wondering how many words that’s worth!

Hello, everyone! I’m Lynne Lanning, and I am bursting at the seams to share my recent journey with you. My husband and I recently returned from a 39-day trip to the Western US. 8000 miles by car, and I have no idea how far on a cruise to Alaska. For my husband, (a history buff), it was fun and informative, but for me, it was all those things plus research.

I have at least 100 stories going around in my head right now, after all the amazing sights we saw. I brought home loads of pictures to remind me of the grandeur, and also stacks of books, brochures, and maps that will aid me in future stories.

Standing in the place where our ancestors stood gave me chills. I stood in wagon ruts on the Oregon Trail and Santa Fe Trail. I witnessed intimidating, rugged terrain they once called home. I stood in awe at sights of the sun setting behind majestic mountains that they once gazed upon.

It didn’t take me long to appreciate their sacrifices. As soon as I stepped out of my air-conditioned car, I appreciated them, and by the time I huffed and puffed my way up a slight incline, I knew they were my heroes! Those people were tough, strong, and determined. Even in my younger days, I’m not sure I would have made it past the first mountain chain, through the first desert, or crossing the first river.

I could go on for days telling you about it, but there is nothing like seeing it for yourself. This nation has more of God’s amazing creation than you could explore in a lifetime, and I am honored that I was able to see as much as I did. From painted mountains to waterfalls, deep canyons to majestic mountains, wildlife to prairies filled with wildflowers…all breathtaking. I just hope I can do it justice in my writing.

One of the interesting places I visited was Mesa Verde National Park – the only US National Park dedicated to a culture of people instead of a natural wonder. I have researched this park and its native people who disappeared for unknown reasons, leaving behind unbelievable archaeological treasures.

I recently wrote a novel, Muriel Mesa Verde Bride, that takes place at Mesa Verde, which will be released on October 31st. It was exhilarating to imagine my characters walking right along with me on those paths. The story is filled with suspense and gets a bit darker than my normal stories, but has such a sweet romance that blossomed under a dark, dangerous cloud. If you like Historical Romantic Suspense, I hope you will pre-order your copy today. Muriel, Mesa Verde Bride, in the National Park Bride Series.

In case you aren’t familiar with me, let me share that I also write lighthearted Historical Romance filled with grins and giggles. My best one yet was just released on October 6th, 2025 – Loving An Untamed Wonder – Western Whirlwinds – Mischief, Mayhem & Mishaps.

Enjoy a good chuckle when this Pinkerton Agent’s ‘assignment’ arrives, in a power packed parcel of sweet innocence wrapped in red hair and full of spirit – along with mischief, mayhem and mishaps. His life was about to change forever, if she didn’t end up being the death of them.

For a chance to win an ebook of this sweet story guaranteed to make you smile … perhaps even laugh, tell me about the most wonderful place you have ever visited.

If you’re like me, you probably have more than one.
Thanks for visiting with me today!

Lynne Lanning has such an effortless way of evoking emotion from her readers. Her characters are so realistic that the reader can feel their pain during trials and their joy during triumphs.  Each story tells of true bonds of love and loyalty, mixed with tough times and decisions, with a twist of humor and sometimes devastation…the same is true in life. With a blend of her own family members and heritage along with lots of fiction, it’s hard to tell where reality stops and fantasy begins.

Find out more about Lynn online here.

Welcome Guest Author Nicole Flockton

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Hi everyone! I’m Nicole Flockton and I’m excited to be with you all today.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I write contemporary romances set in cities and small towns. I also write steamy protector romances with heroes that will do anything to keep you safe. I love watching sports, with my kindle in my hand, throwing glitter around social media, tiaras and chocolate. I’ve got two adult children, one loving husband, a needy Pomeranian and two indulged cats.

If I’m a little slow in responding to your comments today, it’s because when this post goes live I shall be sleeping! Why is that you may ask? Well, it’s because I’m coming to you from the most isolated city in the world – Perth, Western Australia.

While Perth is a bustling metropolis, in terms of our location, we’re like those small country towns that don’t often get visited. Many people who live on the east coast of Australia grumble about coming to Perth because it’s so far away but for me it’s always been home and the best thing about Perth is we’re only a forty-minute ferry ride across the Indian Ocean to the cutest animals in the world – the Quokka! Now that’s worth the endless flight and losing a day from the USA to see. Or the five-hour flight from Sydney!

I should also mention that for 12 years I lived in Houston Texas. Houston definitely makes Perth look like a small town.

My latest book Headstrong Cowboy is set in Tule Publishing’s iconic small-town Marietta Montana and is part of a 4-book series centered around the annual Copper Mountain Rodeo. I was so excited to contribute to the legacy of Marietta and created the Bloom family, who run a flower farm in Marietta – something a little different than them running a ranch.

Chrysanthemum (Chrissy) Bloom, is the oldest daughter and she’s back at the farm after her divorce and the sad passing of her former husband. The farm is in financial difficulties and she feels it’s her responsibility to save it.

Ryder Chamberlain, is a bull rider who was forced to end his career earlier than planned due to injury. He’s landed in Marietta to fulfil a wish from his long-deceased mother, a wish he didn’t know about until recently. Only to do that, he’s going to have to go head-to-head with Chrissy.

The book is full of family love, secrets and two people who find out that what they thought they wanted is the opposite of what they actually need. Guaranteed happy ever after, it is a romance after all.

 

Headstrong Cowboy

When Chrysanthemum Bloom returns home to the family flower farm after her father’s death, she finds it on the brink of bankruptcy. Her mother is determined to sell it, but Chrissy believes she can turn the business around if given the chance. She enters the Copper Mountain Rodeo’s barrel racing competition in the hope of winning some prize money, never mind that she hasn’t competed in years.

Ryder Chamberlain’s bull riding career ended suddenly when he lost an argument with the bull he was riding. Following his late mother’s wishes, he arrives in Marietta, determined to reclaim what had been taken. The Bloom Flower farm sits on land once owned by his kin and is Ryder’s for the buying, until he meets Chrissy and discovers it’s not going to be an easy purchase after all.

Both Chrissy and Ryder are determined to win the fight for the farm, but the unexpected attraction that flares between them has them both wondering if, instead of fighting, becoming a team is the best outcome for all.

Learn more or purchase HERE

 

 

For a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card, tell me what is the favorite thing about where you live?

About Nicole Flockton 

Award winning and USA Today Bestselling author Nicole Flockton writes steamy contemporary romances that sparkle and seduce you one kiss at a time. Nicole likes nothing better than taking characters and creating unique situations where they fight to find their true love. When she’s not busy writing she’s living life with her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, as well as her two fabulous kids and various fur babies. Her kindle is never far from her reach. She’s a tiara wearing certified chocoholic, Cinderella lover, major BTS fan, sports lover and a glitter aficionado. You can visit Nicole at her website .  Sign-up for her newsletter here. Join her reader group.  Follow her on Facebook , Bookbub, Amazon, Instagram.

 

The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love from Guest Tina Radcliffe

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Helps us give Tina Radcliffe a big, warm welcome today!

Hello, Fillies and Friends!

I’m Tina Radcliffe and I’m delighted to be here today.

It’s a bittersweet finale for me as my Love Inspired Lazy M Ranch series comes to an end. I’m grateful for support of readers as they read, reviewed and shared The Baby Inheritance, The Cowboy Bargain, The Cowboy’s Secret Past and my newest release, The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love.

I’m honored to share that three of these releases hit the Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list for mass market paperbacks. And one, The Cowboy Bargain, finaled in the 2024 Carole Awards.

The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love is Luc Morgan’s story. He’s the last of the four Morgan brothers. While it delivers the same humor you can expect from my books, it also shares a message of gratitude and trust.

Book 4 is a Cinderella themed book with a twist.

Here’s a sneak peek into Luc Morgan’s predicament.

Sam started laughing.

Lucas tucked the phone in his pocket and glared at Sam.

“What’s so funny?”

“It just hit me that this is exactly like the prince searching for his princess, getting women to try on glass slippers.” His brother grinned. “You know. Cinderella.”

“You’re comparing my life to a fairy tale? That’s not funny at all.”

“Come on, Luc. You hit your head, lost your memory, found an engagement ring in your gym bag. You have no idea who your intended is, and you’re launching a business without your knowledge.” Sam nodded. “Oh yeah. It is kind of funny, and it could only happen to you.”

Lucas cringed at the words. His brother was right. It could only happen to him.

In addition to ending the series, The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love provides a long-awaited recipe link.

Housekeeper and cook, Bess Lowder has teased us for two years with her delicious cinnamon rolls. Here’s a “taste” from The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love.

Lucas examined the pastries and chose a plump roll thick with cream cheese frosting dripping down the sides over ribbons of buttery cinnamon filling. The Lazy M Ranch housekeeper had a secret recipe for cinnamon rolls that brought grown men to their knees. That included him.

Finally, in Book 4, readers are privy to that secret recipe and a few more. Find them here: Recipes from The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love

I’m a big fan of making the recipes found in novels. What about you? If you do end up trying these cinnamon rolls, drop me a line on social media and let me know.

In the meantime, I’ve brought some goodies to share.

One reader will take home this fun ‘Hay Girl, Hay’ pouch and a print copy of The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love (US).

A second reader will take home an e-copy of The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love (US or International).

Leave a comment and tell me your favorite morning pastry

and let me know if you’d like to be entered to take home these giveaways.

 

If you’d like to find out more about me and keep up with my book news, consider signing up for my newsletter at https://www.tinaradcliffe.com/

Oh, and you can pick up your copy of The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love on Amazon or at Harlequin.

Tina Radcliffe is a Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers Honor Roll member, and a five-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Her Harlequin novels have won the ACFW Carol Award, the Holt Medallion and appeared on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list. A US Army Veteran, a former registered nurse, and library cataloger, Tina resides in Arizona, where she writes fun, heartwarming romance and cozy mysteries.

The Line Shack with Guest Kaitlene Dee

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Let’s give a big, warm Filly welcome to Kaitlene Dee!

Hi everyone! I’m always glad to have time with you all.

I’ll jump right into today’s blog post. In my upcoming novel-length story, Augusta, (due out next summer) Augusta served time for a crime she didn’t commit but was framed for, and now discovers she’s in danger. Her presence also poses a danger to both her sister and to the newly found family of friends she’s made. The outlaw gang she briefly ran with is now hunting her down. She has no other choice but to leave the creature-comforts now familiar to her and hide while she bides time.

Her hiding place? A marriage of convenience to a man who is bent on defying his father while still working for him. His father sends him to work the winter in the shabby line shack the man built himself. He had cut corners when he built it, and now he’s the one having to live in the mess he created. Unknown to his father, he’s taken a wife, one who is an ex-con and who, strangely, wants to accompany him to the line shack for the winter.

A line shack was a temporary shelter located in a strategic remote place on the far boundaries of a ranch. Cowboys, or line riders, used the cabins when they were charged with patrolling the boundary lines of the ranch. They kept cattle from straying beyond the ranch property before ranches were fenced. The cowhand’s job was to bring the strays back to the ranch, no matter the weather. As barbed wire fencing started being used, the cowboy would ride the line to make fence repairs, as well as checking on any cattle grazing or stranded far from the rest of the herd, especially checking on them in severe weather. There was little time for rest or relaxation.

The shacks were simple, usually a single room. There were a few that were constructed of raised tents on wooden platforms, or of three-walled tents attached to a single wooden wall. Other types of line shacks were built into the side of a hill with a single wood framed wall, a door, and perhaps a window. You can see one similar to this on Pinterest by typing in the app’s search bar: Line Shack.

The shack had enough room for basic activities such as eating, sleeping, and storing horse gear, medical supplies, and water.

Some shacks were stocked just before winter with supplies for bread or biscuits, for dried meats, and for grains.

Sources of heat were a fireplace and/or a small wood pipe stove. While fireplaces could provide more lighting, they were not as efficient of a heat source as the flat top wood stoves one could cook on. In winter, one needed to have a good stockpile of split wood built up.

In Augusta, she and her husband of convenience need to learn to live together as she’s a no-nonsense gal; and he’s quite full of nonsense, that is, until danger comes knocking at their door. Then he, for the first time in his life, must weigh what’s really important to him.

I thought I would have Augusta done and ready for release by now, but this past year has been full of adventure with major life changes such as retiring, moving several times, buying a new home, and having some struggles with my mom’s health—she’s a feisty fighter, but thank you for keeping her in prayer.

With all that being said, I’m asking that you join me on my newsletter to find out when the first story in the series is re-released and goes on sale; and when this second story, Augusta, is on pre-order for a special price (I’m rewriting Josina, the first story right now). As a subscriber, you’ll get updates on all of the series pre-orders and releases for this Old West brides series (the Brides of Willow Creek).

Just for fun, please share your favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

Mine is my mom’s rustic cornbread dressing. Oh my, it is so tasty, it’ll knock your socks off! I’ll post the recipe in my newsletter next week (another reason to join!).

One of the side dish commenters for this blog post will be chosen to win a Thanksgiving platter from Amazon!

I’m not sharing a picture of a specific platter since this is the season when their in-stock items change so quickly.

 

Thank you all for joining me today! I always enjoy my time with Petticoats & Pistols readers. I’ve made my covered wagon story, Emma, free today and tomorrow. Please visit my historical pen name Kaitlene Dee’s Amazon page here to get Emma free for a limited time

Petticoats & Pistols