Welcome Guest Author Louise M. Gouge

Thank you for inviting me back to Pistols and Petticoats. Seems like it was just yesterday when I visited to promote my first contemporary Love Inspired book, Safe Haven Ranch. Actually that was all the way back to last June, and I’m delighted to visit with you again. It’s always a treat to talk to you about our favorite genre: western romances. As I said last time, we love to cheer for our heroes and heroines as they work through adversities and earn their happily-ever-after. Today I want to talk about my brand new release, A Faithful Guardian, a sequel to Safe Haven Ranch.

Just a reminder: My first book in my New Mexico series was a novella, Yuletide Reunion (LIH 2010). Inspired by the little ranch where my late sister retired, I set my story beside the Rio Grande in New Mexico Territory and created the Mattson family of five brothers, each of whom deserved his own story. In the end, each brother found his happily-ever-after with the perfect heroine for his personality. I’m honored to say Finding Her Frontier Family and Finding Her Frontier Home were both finalists for the prestigious Selah Award. These stories were so much fun write, and I was sad to leave this family behind. With the Love Inspired Historical line coming to an end, I was doubly sad, because I love to write historicals. By the way, you can find my complete Booklist and more info about my writing at my website: https://louisemgougeauthor.blogspot.com/ 

Loving all my heroes in any of the genres in which I’ve written, I couldn’t forget about those Mattson brothers. So I began to write about their many descendants, each with a story worth telling! My editor at Love Inspired loved the idea, and now I’m excited to announce that I signed a three-book contract for more Mattson descendant stories. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

My newest release, A Faithful Guardian, is my first book to feature a dog. As a cat mama, I don’t really know that much about dogs, but I had plenty of help from friends who are experts and who kept me on the right track. Specifically, Lady, my border collie is supposed to herd cattle, but this little gal has a mind of her own. She’d much rather be with her brand new friend, Zoey, a fifteen-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who needs a canine companion. That doesn’t sit too well with the dog’s owner, who’s convinced Zoey’s mom, Lauren, stole Lady. Of course, conflict ensues as the hero and heroine wend their way toward their happily-ever-after. Here’s the back cover blurb:

An unexpected canine friendship could bring their families together. After her teen daughter, Zoey, bonds with a stray dog, the last thing Lauren Parker anticipates is the owner accusing her of stealing it. The prominent rancher and widowed father, Robert Mattson, doesn’t believe Lauren’s innocence, but even he can see the special understanding his dog, Lady, has for Zoey’s medical needs. When Robert’s twins become fast friends with Zoey, his prickly interactions with Lauren soon give way to something more. As Lady brings them all closer together, Robert can’t harden his heart any longer…but is he too late to win Lauren’s love?

I’m delighted to give away one print copy of A Faithful Guardian to a U. S. resident. Please leave a comment below and answer one of these questions: Do you prefer cats or dogs, and why? Do you have or know of a K-9 companion dog, and how do they help their human friend? Full sentences, please.

My personal photo of my sister’s adobe house that inspired my stories.

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 Selah Awards and is a current finalist for the 2024 Selah Awards. A former college English and humanities professor, Louise is a member of the Christian PEN and has been copyediting for well-known authors for fifteen years. 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.

Web site at https://louisemgougeauthor.blogspot.com/ 

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

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

Early New Mexico – by Guest Janice Cole Hopkins

 

During the years when Spain ruled Mexico and territories to the north, they allowed very few foreigners to enter, and trade was nearly impossible. However, once Mexico gained its independence in 1821, things opened-up. Almost immediately, traders began to enter New Mexico Territory, and the legendary Santa Fe Trail began.

Much of the merchandise available from Mexico was inferior to that produced in the United States, and those in the territories were eager for the higher quality goods. Hauling the items that far was difficult and dangerous, but the lucrative profits were appealing. From its beginning, the Santa Fe Trail was only meant for wagon trains hauling goods. Other western trails, such as the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail would be for settlers coming to the West. That didn’t keep settlers from trickling in, however, and for the most part, the Mexican government welcomed them.

This is the historical background to my new five-book series set in early New Mexico. The first book in the Cactus Creek series, Second-Choice Bride, is already out, and the second book, Sterling Orphans, will soon follow. In Second-Choice Bride, Abby Carter was horrified with herself when she blurted out a marriage proposal to Preston King. A proper lady would never do such a thing, but her cousin had just jilted Preston, and she wanted to ease his hurt. She cared too much for him. Preston is confused, but he knows he needs a wife to help him run his uncle’s ranch in New Mexico Territory, so he asks Abby to marry him. But will he ever purge Magnolia from his heart, and will they even survive the long journey west?

I lived in New Mexico for two years and learned much about the area and its history during that time. My husband and I bought an old adobe house and remodeled it. I had a great time decorating it with a southwestern theme. When my mother’s health began to fail, and her insurance wouldn’t pay out-of-state beyond six months, we returned to North Carolina, and I began writing some of those novels I had always wanted to write. Second-Choice Bride is my thirtieth published book.

I love writing about the places I have lived and worked, and I have a lot to choose from. I’ve been to all fifty states and about forty-five other countries. With my love of history, I always explore the past and culture of an area. Having grown up in the eastern part of the Appalachian Mountains, I often joke that I lived much as people did in the 1800s. However, there’s some truth in that statement, but it’s given me a good background for writing historical fiction.

Leave the answer to the question below in a comment, and I will give a Kindle copy of Second-Choice Bride to the winner whose name is drawn.

If you could temporarily move to a new place for a year or two, where would you choose and why?

Also, free to ask me any questions or make comments. I look forward to chatting with you.

You can check out Janice’s books HERE