Love Inspired

Welcome Guest Louise M. Gouge

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Thank you for inviting me back to Pistols and Petticoats. It’s been a full year since I last visited to promote my second contemporary Love Inspired book, A Faithful Guardian, and I’m so happy to visit you again. I never tire of talking about our favorite genre: western romances. At the risk of repeating myself, I’ll just say I love to cheer for our heroes and heroines as they work through conflicts and adversities on their way to earning their happily-ever-after. Today I want to talk about my brand new release, Feuding with the Cowboy, the third book in my series about the Mattson family of New Mexico cattle ranchers.

True confession: Sometimes I fear I’m committing cultural appropriation when I write about cowboys. Like Nan Reinhardt wrote on this blog the other day (January 6, 2026), I don’t know any real, actual cowboys. It doesn’t count that many, many years ago, I went to high school with some cowboys and cowgirls in my southern Colorado high school. Or that my late sister owned a small ranch in New Mexico that served as my original inspiration for this series. Still, like Nan, I have watched countless cowboy movies and television shows and rodeos. And several years ago, my granddaughter was a rodeo queen, Junior Miss Silver Spurs, in Kissimmee, Florida, and is still a champion horsewoman in college. Those are my only cowboy credentials.

Still, the allure of the cowboy mystique is strong, and I can’t resist visiting my imaginary ranches and creating fictional versions of those real life hardworking, rugged individuals who helped build this amazing country I’m blessed to live in.

Now, about Feuding with the Cowboy and my Mattson family of cowboys and ranchers. In the historical novels I wrote about the beginnings of this family dynasty, I included a feud with another family, one of the staples of Old West stories. Just for fun, I brought that feud forward to the modern day, which of course meant I had to create a Romeo and Juliet story. I mean, if two families have been feuding for over a hundred and fifty years, how could it fail to happen that two young people from those opposing families would fall in love? Here’s the story:

He once defied his family for love. Can he risk it again?
Despite the generations-old vendetta between their families, Sam Mattson fell for Juliet Sizemore in high school—only to have his heart broken and his trust betrayed. And now, ten years later and a single mom, she reappears, asking for his help to gain custody of her troubled half brother. Sam knows he’s wading into dangerous territory, but he can’t bring himself to turn his back on Juliet. Yet old emotions don’t always fade, and Sam’s fractured cowboy heart is already feeling more than it should. Especially when Juliet’s hiding a secret that will transform their lives forever…

Learn more on Amazon or Harlequin.

I’m delighted to share one print copy of Feuding with the Cowboy to a U. S. resident. Please leave a comment below and answer one of these questions: Do you know any cowboys? If so, what’s your connection to them? If not, why do you love cowboys?

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.

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Leann Harris – Equine Therapy

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I want to thank Tracy for inviting me to blog.  My latest book, Second Chance Ranch, is about equine therapy and how it changed the lives of both the hero and heroine.  I read in our local paper a human interest story about an Iraqi veteran who lost his leg in a road side bomb and how equine therapy is used to help veterans.  The instant I read that article, it called to me.  I knew I had to do a story about it and thus was born my book.

I normally write suspense (12 books), but this time the story turned into a romance.  Well, I didn’t that stop me, so I started on my journey.  I read everything I could get my hands on concerning veterans and equine therapy. I ran across several articles in NARAH Strides about how horses are used to help people who’ve lost their limbs regain their balance and rebuild the muscles used in walking.  http://narha.org/resources-education/resources/narha-horses-for-heroes  I discovered a new world of the benefits of horses and what wonders they work.  Children with physical problems can use this therapy, emotionally troubled youths benefit from the responsibility of caring for a horse.  I went out to my local equine therapy ranch and spent the day with them, seeing how the therapist works with smaller children.

I also went down to Shiner’s hospital and talked to the head of the prosthetics department.   We spent time going through the department and he explained how to fit an artificial limb and the process the patient goes through.

Now, I have the background, but who are my hero and heroine?  That’s the exciting part of writing.  Finding your hero and heroine and discovering who they are.  I am a westerner and any story I do is set in the mountain west—Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Texas and Louisiana (it sneaked in).  My hero, Zach, was raised on a ranch in New Mexico and rodeo all his life.  When he loses his right leg below the knee, he doesn’t know how to deal with his life.  And my heroine is an army medic, but also a horse person and ridden all of her life.

As I was researching this story, I talked to a friend who grew up in West Texas and always had horses.  She tells me of her mare who when she sees my friend trots across the pasture and follows my friend around like a big puppy.  Who knew?   When I got to know my horses, Prince Charming, a big black gelding, and Brownie, a little mare who the children ride, they were full blown characters.  I could say that Charming is a wonderful counselor and helped both my hero and heroine work out some thorny problems.  My characters blogged this last month and will probably continue to blog for probably another month.  Kind of the story behind the story.  It’s the characters view of what happened.  I’m tempted to do the horses’ view. I hope if you’re interested you visit my websites, www.leannharris.com and www.barbharrison.com

I also just got good news.  Zach McClure has a brother and sister.  I’m going to get to do those stories, too.  Thanks for having me.

Readers, in honor of her visit, Leann is giving away one copy of SECOND CHANCE RANCH. Just join the conversation with Leann to be entered in the drawing–and be sure we have your email address with your comment.