inspirational western romance

A New Series For Danica Favorite

by

Danica Favorite, a bestselling inspirational romance author, has dropped by to talk about a new series she’s just begun. We’re so happy to have her. She also has a giveaway so be sure to leave a comment.

 

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for having me! I’m so glad to spend some time with you and tell you about my new book, Journey to Forgiveness, with Love Inspired. It’s the start of a new series called Shepherd’s Creek. Each book, of course, is a standalone, but I hope that once you read book one, you’ll be eager to pick up the others when they come out as well.

About the book:

The one place she wants to avoid…
Is the home she needs to save.

Josie Shepherd never expected to inherit her estranged father’s horse stables—not after fifteen years of painful silence. But keeping the failing business is the only way to protect her hometown from developers, even if it means partnering with Brady King—the man who once broke her heart. Saving the property won’t be easy…but could forgiveness be the key to reopening their hearts?

For me, this series has been super fun to write as it hits very close to home. My daughters have been part of a horse program for the past twelve years, and I’ve gotten to explore so many different facets of the horse world. Journey to Forgiveness features trick riding, which is something my youngest daughter does.

Yes, this is my daughter! It takes a lot of practice and hard work as well as nerves of steel to do this! And yes, it still scares mom to watch. But I love my daughter, and seeing her live her passion is really important to me. It’s also nice to have a live-in horse expert. Even though she thinks it’s gross to read romance written by her mother, she does read every horse scene to make sure I got it right.

I love being able to incorporate a little of my world into my books. On Sunday, I was writing in my backyard and the horses were grazing nearby. They occasionally stopped by to say hi to me, and I felt so grateful that I get to share this world with my readers.

For me, though, it’s not just about the horses. Journey to Forgiveness, is, as the title suggests, very much about forgiveness on multiple levels. It’s interesting to me, because as I write, I often find that I am learning a piece of the lesson my characters are learning as well. Over the weekend, as I worked on book three in the series, I found myself revisiting the forgiveness lesson from this first book, and I had to stop writing for a bit because I was prompted on something I needed to forgive in my own life.

But that is what I love about this journey as a writer, and I hope it’s something you find valuable as a reader. We are constantly in the process of being refined, and looking at the lessons we thought we already learned, only on a deeper level. And of course, we have to have fun along the way, which is why the horses are so important!

The next book in the series, The Bronc Rider’s Twins, is all about… you guessed it! A bronc rider! Thankfully, it’s not a women’s sport, so my little adrenaline junkie will not be doing that one, but I go to a lot of rodeos to watch her, plus I grew up in the rodeo world, so it’s been a lot of fun taking a look at that aspect of the horse world. That book will be out in March 2023, and I hope, after reading Journey to Forgiveness, you’ll preorder it.

Thank you again for letting me spend time with you today!

I’d love to hear about the horse-related things you enjoy reading about. I have one copy of Journey to Forgiveness to give to one lucky commenter.

You can order a copy HERE, or at your favorite retailer. If you do spot it in stores, I’d love for you to share a pic and tag me on social media.

NEWSLETTER | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | AMAZON | BOOKBUB

 

ABOUT DANICA

With four active kids, and a flock of birds, Danica Favorite is never short on inspiration for her latest story, whether entertaining a live audience or crafting her latest novel. She and her family recently moved from the city to the Colorado mountains, where they’re living a brand-new adventure!

 

Bicycling: Not Just For Men Anymore

by

We’re thrilled to have bestselling author Mary Davis this week. She’s written over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary inspirational romances. Please show her a warm welcome.

 

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance.” Susan B. Anthony.

The safety bicycle gave women independence like nothing else. A lady who had a bicycle could go places that were too far to walk without being dependent on a man to either take her or hitch up a buggy for her.

Before 1890 bicycles were more of a novelty and a challenge rather than a legitimate mode of transportation. They were hard to ride, hard to get on, and hard to steer.

The first vehicle that could really be classified as a bicycle was invented in 1817. Also known as a running machine, velocipede, Draisienne, or dandy horse. It had two same-sized wheels and no pedals. A man would straddle it, sitting on the seat, and use his feet to propel himself and the velocipede forward. I say “man” because this was not a machine suitable for ladies in dresses.

The 1863 Velocipede had steel wheels but had the improvement of pedals on the front wheel—direct drive, fixed gear, and a single speed. This version was popularly known as the boneshaker because that’s what it did on the cobblestone roads of the day—shake your bones.

In 1870 came the Ordinary or Penny Farthing also known as the “high wheeler.” That’s the one with the huge front wheel and the tiny back wheel. The inventors realized that a larger wheel meant you could go farther with one revolution. The pedals on the front wheel made steering a challenge because while pushing one pedal and then the next, it could make the front wheel veer one way and then the other. But the solid rubber tires and long spokes made for a much smoother ride than its predecessors. Not only was this one difficult to get up on because it was so high, but the rider was often above the center of gravity. If they hit a rock that stopped the front tire, over they would go onto their head. This is where the term “taking a header” came from. This was the first to be called a bicycle.

Over the next two decades, the inventions of the ball bearings, caliper brakes, chain drive, pneumatic tires, and improvements in metallurgy all contributed to the 1890 safety bicycle. This bicycle most closely resembles the bicycles of today. Two same-sized tires, pedals in the center of the vehicle rather than on a wheel, chain driven, inflatable tires, and a lever hand brake. The chain drive revolutionized the bicycle. With the safety bicycle, women gained an independence like they’d never had before.

Not only women in the cities, but women out west embraced the freedom the bicycle afforded them. Not all women thought bicycles were fitting for women, finding it too brash and unladylike.

In THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT, Isabelle, the heroine, enjoys the freedom her safety bicycle gives her. Even though some people don’t think it’s appropriate for a young lady and too bold. But each of her suitors are modern men who find her eccentricity endearing.

 

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. She is the author of (Book 1 in the Quilting Circle series), “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in the MISSadventure Brides Collection, “Holly & Ivy”  in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, The Prodigal Daughters series from Love Inspired, and Newlywed Games. Coming in 2019, The Daughter’s Predicament (Book 2 in the Quilting Circle series) and “Bygones” in Thimbles and Threads. She’s a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren.

 

Newsletter  Blog  FB  FB Readers Group  Amazon  BookBub

 

 

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book 2 in the Quilting Circle series)

Can a patient love win her heart?

   As Isabelle Atwood’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams. While making a quilt for her own hope chest, Isabelle’s half-sister becomes pregnant out of wedlock and Isabelle–always the unfavored daughter–becomes the family sacrifice to save face. Despite gaining the attention of a handsome rancher, her parents are pressuring her to marry a man of their choosing to rescue her sister’s reputation. A third suitor waits silently in the wings, hoping for his own chance at love.

   Isabelle ends up with three marriage proposals, but this only further confuses her decision. A handsome rancher, a stranger, and an unseen suitor are all waiting for an answer. Isabelle loves her sister, but will she really allow herself to be manipulated into a marriage without love? Will Isabelle capitulate and marry the man her parents wish her to, or will she rebel and marry the man they don’t approve of? Or will the man leaving her secret love poems sweep her off her feet?

Have you or do you enjoy riding a bicycle? Maybe you’ve had a few misadventures. Leave a comment to enter the drawing for one Kindle copy of The Daughter’s Predicament.

 

Welcome Guest Author ~ Tina Dee!

by

Heritage and Legacy – Lessons from Rankin Ranch to an Author

Tina Dee author photo
Tina Dee with Molly

 

My name is Tina Dee and I write Christian romantic-comedy, both contemporary and historical.
My stories feature heroines with grit, gumption, and grace—and the heroes who fall in love with them. My characters are flawed but loveable.

I love the old west. But what I really love is bits of the old west’s grit, gumption, and grace preserved in today’s world. Dude or guest ranches fascinate me, especially ones that had their beginnings, of some sort, over a hundred years ago.

 

~ Researching Rankin Ranch ~

I found one such place while researching ranches for my Wildflower Ranch series—a fascinating 31,000-acre place called Rankin Ranch, located in what they describe as a ‘mountain valley deep in the heart of California’s Tehachapi mountains, and at the southern end of the Sequoia National forest.’

Rankin Ranch has all the makings of a great western story—it is a great western story, but I’m not going to retell it, since the Quarter Circle U Rankin Ranch has its own incredible story already shared on their website. I’ll just highlight a few things and invite you over via their link later in this post.

For now, I wanted to share what really pulled me into their story and why their place—their story—is an inspiration for a story I’m writing now (which will be out at the end of the month, called The Bonnets of Rescue Ranch, book 15 in the Whispers in Wyoming series), and why it’s my continued inspiration for my own series called, Short Stories from Wildflower Ranch (Wildflower Ranch, book 1 and Wrangled Into Love, book 2—with more stories to come this year and next).

Overland Team at Rankin Ranch barn

-The Quarter Circle U Rankin Ranch once served as a stage stop for the Overland mail route. The old barn where the teamsters’ horses were tended to is still used today for hay storage.

-The ranch is still run by 4th, 5th, and 6th generation Rankins.

The Rankin Family

For me, the most incredible part of the story comes during the 1950s when the matriarch of the family, Helen—who was newly widowed—had to make a decision about the ranch—to sell it, or to keep it. I invite you to read about the cattle ranch’s rich history here, and then read about its guest ranch history here. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Helen Rankin

In my stories, I always try to write about women with grit, gumption, and grace who are facing challenges that they feel are beyond them but they find their way to their future and their everyday-romantic-hero by those same virtues. Helen Rankin was an archetype of those very qualities; she was faced with overwhelming challenges that she met head-on, and generations later, the family and the ranch are still thriving.

Here’s a little blurb from my book …

 

Sometimes love blooms in the places you least expect…

Charlene “Charlie” Evans is ready for a new beginning after a terrible riding accident leaves her unable to compete in the Rodeo World Championship. When she receives a job offer, as foreman for a ranch, she gladly accepts. So what if she sort of passed herself off as a man in order to get the job?

Dan Richards is offered the ranch of his dreams from his terminally ill uncle for a price he can’t refuse. He jumps at the chance to own a ranch he has loved since childhood. However, when he arrives at the place it’s not what he had hoped for, or as he remembered. The ranch is in shambles. With no experience, where does he go from here?

Will Dan and Charlie let God help them find new dreams on Wildflower Ranch?

A Christian romantic-comedy novella.

Thank you for letting me share a bit about my Wildflower Ranch series and where the real-life inspiration for the ranch came from. 

For updates about my stories, I send out a newsletter twice a month with giveaways and other fun stuff. Please feel invited to sign up for my newsletter at Tina Dee Books Newsletter. You can also follow me on Amazon here.

I will be giving away a copy of Wildflower Ranch to three commenters. If you’re not chosen, you can still get the book on Amazon here.