western romance

Cowboys, Rodeo, & a Stray Dog

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I have to confess that I panicked last year when my publisher Jane Porter asked me to move from River’s Edge, my little town on the Ohio River to Marietta, Montana. I mean, holy schnikeys! Except for flyovers and the very urban Bay Area of San Francisco to visit our kids, I’d never been west of Mississippi, and now I was supposed to write in the mountains of Montana? About cowboys? And rodeos and ranches? Yikes!

To be honest, the only things I had going for me as I headed into this new writing territory was a love of and experience with horses, the fact that I’d read a lot of Tule Publishing’s Montana Born books, and a deep respect for Jane and the team’s marketing expertise. They’d never steered me wrong yet, so I took a deep breath and dove in. I even took a trip to Big Sky, Montana, in July with my pal, mystery writer Carol Light, just to get a feel for the setting. Wow, was that ever grand!

I was grateful that I was starting my Montana Born journey with three other romance authors, all of whom already wrote cowboys and Montana and ranches and rodeo. Our 4-book, 4-author series, Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys released one book a week throughout September of 2025. And we needed a theme that would run through the entire series—something that tied all the books together. Someone said, how about a stray dog? That was fine with me, so our little thieving pup first appears in Jeannie Watt’s Unforgettable Cowboy, turns up again in Nicole Flockton’s Headstrong Cowboy, and in Sinclair Jayne’s Rogue Cowboy. Each time, the little trickster is stealing something … and then disappearing. He is a sheltie/border collie mix and cute as can be! Check him out here.

Then my turn came. Because I am the last book in the series, I got to decide what would happen to the little dog we’d named Rascal—because he truly was! Husband and Son both said words to the effect of you can’t kill off the dog. Like I would ever do such a thing! I’ll grant you I’m more a cat person than a dog lover, but surely Rascal needed a happily-ever-after just like all our cowboys and their ladies. Sorry, I’m not going to tell you where that poor critter ended up. You’ll have to read the whole series, ending with my Forever Cowboy to find out. Just trust me … fairy tale ending are my specialty.

Hope y’all enjoy all four books in the Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys series—we sure had fun writing them! And here’s the best part: I have three more Montana Born stories coming up here in 2026! I got into the cowboy thing so much that I created my own Montana world—Juniper Falls Ranch, so although  Forever Cowboy may be book 4 in the Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys series; it’s Book 1 in the Juniper Falls Ranch series. Book 2, The Cowboy’s Comeback, released January 30, 2026. Book 3, Help Wanted, Cowboy releases July 7, 2026, and book 4, The Rancher’s Christmas Wife, which I’m currently writing, releases in November! And you know what else? I’m havin’ the time of my life in Montana! Come join me!

To whet your appetite for my Juniper Fall Ranch cowboys, how about we do a little giveaway? Just tell me below if you like to see pets–dogs, cats, parrots, hamsters, rabbits, really any kind of pet–in your cowboy stories? I’ll give away two e-book copies of Forever Cowboy to two lucky commenters!

Thanks for spending time with me today! See you next time!

REMEMBERING OUR ANCESTORS–AND HOW TO HANDLE WHAT WE KNOW–(AND A GIVEAWAY!) by Cheryl Pierson

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Hi, everyone! Y’all know I’ve blogged several times before about my searches on Ancestry . com and some of the stories I had learned about my ancestors from my mom. But my dad was never one to talk much about his side of the family, I think because there was quite a lot of sadness in his upbringing.

Dad was one of five children, 4 boys and 1 girl. When he was very young, his ‘just older’ brother was killed  in an automobile accident, and my dad was in the car when it happened. Back then, there were deep ruts in the roads and my granddad hit one, overturning the car. Dad’s  brother, Walter, was killed. I learned  from “family talk” in years to come that my grandmother came home and laid on the bed in her blood-stained clothes for days, mourning the loss of her  young son.

Not long after that, Kenneth, their son that was younger than my dad, died of a malady known then as “summer complaint” — he was only 6 months old. There isn’t much more to be discovered on Ancestry about these deaths since they were so long in the past and the children were so young.

But what I DID learn from Ancestry recently was a real shocker–as some things on there are bound to be! Looking through old census records, I came across an unusual entry in the one for my great great grandfather’s family. His name was John Jenkins Moss. He had several children, but there were two sons– one born in 1859 and one in 1860.

He and my gr-gr grandmother, Jaritta Jane, were married in September of 1859 and the son born in 1860 was born in July. But…the one born in 1859? The census shows an “M” by his name–I discovered that stands for “Mulatto” — a reference to a light-skinned, mixed-race child in those days. His name was Ike. It’s a name that has never been talked about in our family.

This haunts me.

Yes, even though he is long dead, I wonder about him and whatever became of him. Why? Because it may mean we have other family members out there that we never were permitted to know or claim, nor they, us.

The thing that stuck with me the most was that on this particular census, both boys were listed as 8 years old, so they couldn’t have been a full year apart. Ike was living with the family at that point, claimed as part of the household, as a son, just as the other boy, William Francis was.

It raised so many questions in my mind. Did my 2 x great grandmother know about Ike when she married her husband? Did she agree to bring him to their home willingly? And when they did, I wonder how things were handled? How did she treat him? How were things between her and her husband? What were the circumstances of Ike coming to live with them? Well, y’all know my writer’s mind just went crazy when I figured all this out!

Something else that’s happened in all of this traipsing around in the past was that I came across some of the things I’d saved from our big attic problem of a couple of years ago (remember when it was buckling and I had to do the massive clean-out?) I had kept a box of letters that were written between my parents when they were engaged. At that time, Dad was in Arizona because his lungs were bad, and Mom was still here in Oklahoma, not having yet joined him.

My mom, Elwanda, and dad, Fred, as newlyweds in 1944

Oh, my goodness. I didn’t know what to do with those letters, as you might imagine. I started reading them, but after the first couple, though they were very sweet and heartfelt, I felt as if I were intruding on some very private moments that were never supposed to be shared. I put them back in the box, but I couldn’t bear to get rid of them. I still have them, but will I ever read them? Maybe when I’m 90, if I live that long.

Do any of you sleuth through your genealogy? I wish so much I’d written down all the stories my mom told me. Too late now. I swore I would write everything down for my kids, no matter how mundane it might seem, and I started that, but I must admit, I have not kept it up like I should have. I don’t make New Years’ resolutions, but if I do have any wish to “keep to” something, I think this would be it.

 I know I have a long way to go with the genealogy research, and it has been so much fun so far–but finding that entry about Ike has really stayed with me, and made me think about someone I never knew existed, and certainly never knew was part of my family. There’s no date of death, not so far, anyhow, but maybe in my progress it will show up and I might be able to at least find where his grave is. 

Here’s kind of a lighter story about my family before I sign off–my dad’s sister, my Aunt JoAnne, told my sister and me this story when we were at her house a few years back drinking our Sonic drinks on the sweltering heat of summer on her front porch. This same gr gr grandfather who had the two boys so close in age that I mentioned earlier was also a cattle drover. But he didn’t want to travel too far from home there in Texas, close to the Indian Territory border. They lived SO close that they were near Apache, Kiowa,  and Comanche territory. As I said, Grandpa John didn’t like to travel a long way on the cattle drives, so he stayed within a 20-30 mile radius of his home, just joining up with certain trail drives and working that area of the drive as the came and went. 

One day, he was bitten by a mule in the back of the leg. It became infected.  Luckily, he was befriended by the Kiowa chief, Lone Wolf. Lone Wolf took him to his village and they cared for him and made him well, and he was able to live a long life because of this. Lone Wolf was a war chief, known for preserving his tribe’s auntonomy and way of life, so in my mind, this was a real show of friendship and trust for him to take a white man to his camp and care for him. Aunt JoAnne told us that they remained friends for the rest of their lives. A town named for the chief was founded in August 1901, on the opening of the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation to settlement. (Wikipedia) It’s in the southwestern part of Oklahoma. This is picture of Chief Lone Wolf and his wife.

Have any of you ever learned family secrets that you never knew growing up, through working on genealogy or finding a letter or journal, or in some other way?  I would love to know, big or small, what that secret was–(without getting you into trouble!) LOL Do you have any unique family stories that have been passed down?

I’m giving away a digital copy of my novella, ONE MAGIC NIGHT, which is loosely based on another ancestor’s background, and I knew he needed his own story! It’s an oldie but a goodie! Be sure to comment for a chance to win!

Genealogy is so interesting, but you must be prepared for what you learn–and decide if you’ll pursue it, or leave it where it lays–at least, until you’re 90. 

 

 

 

Creating Cowboys

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Confession? I don’t know any real cowboys. I’ve read about them in the novels that my fellow western romance authors write; I’ve watched myriad TV westerns both new and old and rodeo videos galore. We had horses for fifteen years, so I’ve met lots of horsemen, some may even have thought of themselves as cowboys, some sure acted as if they thought they were. But a cattle drive in Montana is very different from riding the horse trails in a state park in the Midwest.

So when it came time for me to write cowboys as characters in my new series for Tule Publishing, Juniper Falls Ranch, I admit I was daunted. Mostly because my heroes have all been pretty much beta guys—kind, sensitive, nerdy men who have no idea how truly desirable they are until my heroines show them. Oh, don’t get me wrong, they’re all pretty confident in their own abilities, they’re just not the swaggering type I always pictured cowboys to be. I’ve never really written alpha heroes because the men in my life, Husband, Son, the friends we are drawn to, are quietly strong, thoughtful men who are always there for me without fanfare or machismo.

But as I learned more and more about cowboys, I discovered that “alpha” didn’t really define the cowboy heroes I was reading about and watching. The swaggering stereotypical cowboy I’d always imagined was so far off the mark that I was actually shocked … and delighted. That quiet strength, that determination that I’d written into my beta winemakers, veterinarians, carpenters, college professors, and chefs were also hallmarks of the cowboy persona. When I created bronc rider Del Foster and rodeo cutting champion Bo Kennedy, those qualities—gentleness, intelligence, supportiveness, loyalty, steadiness, awareness of their own emotions as well as others—were all things my cowboys could be … and are.

And okay, I admit I had to learn to curb my heroes’ proclivity to be too chatty, something my critique partner and my editor ding me on even when I’m not writing cowboys, it’s been so very rewarding to create the cowboy heroes at Juniper Falls Ranch in Marietta, Montana—strong, brave, gentle men who make readers’ hearts (and mine!) beat just a little faster.

So tell me, what’s your favorite thing about cowboy heroes?

The Cowboy’s Comeback, book 2 in the Juniper Falls Ranch series, releases, January 29, but free ARC e-book copies are available here if you’re interested in reading and reviewing. I’d sure appreciate it if you did!

Thanks for stopping by today. I do hope the New Year treats you well and that you’ll find lots of cowboys (including my Montana guys) to fall in love with in 2026!

What the Heck Are Wrist Cuffs?

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I had never heard the term wrist cuffs that cowboys wore until pretty recently. I’d seen pictures of them but didn’t know what they were called or why they wore them. Maybe you already did and are way ahead of me. That’s quite possible.

Definition: Wide soft leather bindings that cowboy wore on their wrists to protect them from barbed wire fencing, cattle kicking and causing injury and protecting shirt sleeves. They also protected against rope burns and branding irons. They are also called roping cuffs and sometimes gauntlets.

I’ve seen them on motorcycle riders quite a bit for protection on the road. These were very popular on cowboys until the turn of the century but you can still see them on some working cowboys today.

I admit, they’re pretty cool and make the wearer look tough.

When I started writing Creek, my sweet western romance, I wanted him to wear them but in his case it was partly to conceal an ink drawing on his wrist. My cover designer put them on him but they looked horrible so we took them off.

I have an eleven year old girl in my story. Willa July Calder was left orphaned when her mother dies but she was told to look for a man with a thunderbird drawing on his wrist. That would be her father. When she happens to see Creek’s, she’s convinced he’s her father and starts following him everywhere.

Thunderbirds were revered by Native Americans who believed the mythical birds carried magic and could protect the person.

I won’t give the plot away. The book is available for Preorder. This is Book 1 leading off a multi-author Gun For Hire series with two others of the books also available for preorder now. These are Sweet Western Romances and mine goes on sale March 15. Margaret’s will be available March 31 and Charlene’s April 15. There will be 10 altogether. Here’s the series link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTHVRM6K?tag=pettpist-20

Here are the rest of the series: Zane by Heather Blanton, Keith by Carra Copelin, Ash by our own Jo-Ann Roberts, Shad by Caroline Clemmons, Clint by Tracy Garrett, Landon by Cheryl Pierson, and Luke by another Filly Winnie Griggs.

We sure hope you’ll find these entertaining. Have you read a good western lately? If so, what is the title? Do you like westerns? Let’s talk. I don’t have any copies to give away yet but I will later on.

A COWBOY FOR THE SUMMER–by Danica Favorite (AND A GIVEAWAY!)

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It’s funny, when I first decided to write A Cowboy for the Summer, I had in mind a May/December romance, and that was going to be a huge focus of the story. After all, we see all these older men with younger women in the media, but why not have an older woman get the young guy for a change? But something funny happened during the writing of the book, and as always happens, the story takes over and it becomes something I didn’t expect.

For those who’ve been following the Shepherd’s Creek series, you know that Abigail has long been the rock of the family, having taken over the mothering portion of raising her sister, Laura, and her cousin, Josie, when their mothers died. So where is the happily ever after for a woman who has devoted her life to others? I started thinking about Abigail and all the things she had given up to be there for her family. Having a younger man in her life, just starting out, gave her the vision to see what her own dreams might look like. The story very quickly became the idea of what it means to finally examine what your dreams look like.

Interestingly enough, as I was writing this story, I had the chance to leave my job of nearly 20 years for a new job. My editor commented that she wondered how much of Abigail’s story was about me and the changes I was going through. As I told her, while this is very much Abigail’s story, I think it’s one that many women can relate to, spending their lives devoted to family, and having a moment where they have the chance to follow something else. As a newly-minted empty nester, I’m finding lots of opportunities to ask myself the question, “what next?”

I’m currently writing this from Budapest, where my new company is headquartered. I’ve been in Europe for work for almost three weeks, and my family is at home. A few years ago, I would have never been able to leave them, so now I’m taking advantage of my dream to see the world. The picture of my book is me, on release day, showing off my book in Hungary. I’d have never imagined this opportunity a few years ago.

Some of you are in stages of life where you can’t go to Europe for a few weeks, and that’s okay. But I hope, wherever you are in life, that you take a look at your dreams, and even if you can’t do the big thing you’ve always wanted to do, that you find some way of getting closer to it. You never know where it will lead, even if it’s something you don’t think is possible now.

 

About the book:

A city boy with a plan…

Is in for the ride of his life.

Click cover to order.

Isaac Johnston will do anything to get his counseling degree, even a summer camp internship with two things he dislikes—Abigail Shepherd and horses. As Abigail helps him overcome his horse phobia, Isaac becomes drawn to his former nemesis. But Abigail thinks a relationship with a man several years her junior is out of the question. Can they face their insecurities together…and find that love is worth the risk?

ONE LUCKY COMMENTER WILL RECEIVE A COPY OF A COWBOY FOR THE SUMMER!
Just tell me about your dreams! Do you hold a secret dream in your heart?

AUTUMN MEMORIES, FRIENDSHIP TEA, AND A GIVEAWAY by Cheryl Pierson

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When I was growing up, I remember looking forward to the first day of school each year. “Back then” we didn’t start back to school in the fall until after Labor Day. In Oklahoma, it was still hot as blue blazes in September, but at least, the evenings and nights were cooling off. I dreaded seeing summer end, but by September, I was feeling the pull to go back to school, see my friends—and I’d never admit it—start learning again!

 

By the time October rolled around, things had definitely become more “fall-like” and the sun had taken on the “autumn slant” as the days grew shorter, as well. My mom used to take note of the seasonal changes very keenly, and I remember her saying, “Well, fall is here.” There was no need to explain—it was in the coolness of the air, the more orange tint of the sun, the shorter days.

Of course, to a child, “fall” meant that Halloween was coming! Back in those days, it was still safe to go door-to-door with friends, all of us together in the crisp night air, a giggling mass of energy all dressed in our finery (most of us with homemade costumes, not store-bought) and those little plastic pumpkins with the handles to carry our “loot” home in. “TRICK OR TREAT!” we’d call out at each door, and our neighbors would always pretend they thought they were giving candy to princesses and pirates, superheroes and witches.

November brought Thanksgiving—a time when we’d usually go to my grandparents’ houses. I was the “lucky” one of all my cousins (and I had 40+ cousins!) because in the small town of Calera, Oklahoma, I had my dad’s parents who lived at one end of town, and my mom’s parents who lived at the other end. Cousins, aunts, and uncles from both sides also lived there, so many of my cousins from both sides of the family went to school with each other and knew one another as friends and fellow sports teammates. Those were simpler times—we could walk all over town without fear of any foul play, and I had grandparents at each end of town, so no matter which cousins I was with, we had somewhere to walk to.

 

 

The town of Calera, Oklahoma, year unknown. It was a water stop for trains and was called Cale Switch or Cale Station, but when the railroad wanted to rename it Sterrett, the people insisted on a compromise–and Calera was born. This is the main street of the town–much more lively than it was when we kids were walking it back in the mid-late 60’s and early 70’s.

 

The big treat was stopping in at the one and only “grocery store”—more like an Old West mercantile store—that was about at the halfway mark through town. It had a glass case with bologna and ham inside and a big slicer that the store owner, Petey, would use to cut your lunchmeat. Then, he’d wrap it in freezer paper and tie it up with twine. Petey’s store also had one of those big chest-type coolers with a sliding top, filled with ice and bottled pop. That was back when a bottle of pop was ten cents or so—and a candy bar could be had for a few pennies more.

 

There’s nothing like family and Thanksgiving dinner all together to bring “Autumn Fever” to the highest level. Doesn’t Thanksgiving just speak to us of autumn? By that time of the year, even in Oklahoma, the leaves have turned some beautiful rich colors of gold, red, orange, and brown and drifted from the trees. The winds have become colder and more cutting (and that’s saying something here in Oklahoma!) and of course there’s that “fall smell” in the air. And probably that’s one of the things I love most about autumn—the smell. There is nothing like the feeling of being tucked up inside four strong walls with food to eat, a fire going in the fireplace, and a good book to read. And did I mention a dog’s head on my lap? But celebrating fall took on a whole new meaning when we moved to West Virginia. I had never seen colors on the trees like what we saw there–such a wonderful display of nature–and it happens every year!

Rick Burgess is an excellent professional photographer who is a good friend–he specializes in pictures of the natural beauty of “Wild, Wonderful West Virginia” and this is one that was taken at Plum Orchard Lake in the fall. Isn’t it gorgeous? See the link below if you would like to see more of Rick’s wonderful art!

I know a lot of people will think this is strange, but I’ve never been a coffee or hot tea drinker. Yet, in the fall, I DO want something warm to drink—and this is it. This drink is very easy to make and keep on hand—and I haven’t tried making it with any artificial sweetener yet, but this year I’m going to do just that instead of using sugar and see how it turns out. This “friendship tea” is also good to make and give as a gift in a pretty container (that’s how I got it in the very beginning, and I have been so glad someone did that for me so many years ago!)

 

 

                                                                                 FRIENDSHIP TEA

This wonderful drink is ready in 5 minutes, and makes 4 cups of the instant mix.

 

Ingredients:

1 -1 1/2 cup sugar (or less, to taste)

2 cups instant Tang orange drink

1/2 cup sweetened iced tea mix powder

1 (1/4 ounce) envelope unsweetened lemonade mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (or you can also put in whole cloves if you like)

 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients well and store in an airtight container.

To use, fill a mug with boiling water and stir in 2-3

This recipe has been around for many years, but this teaspoons of mix, to taste.

If all you can find is pre-sweetened lemonade, then use the amount of dry mix needed for a 2 -quart pitcher according to the package instructions and leave out the sugar.

 iteration of it came from GENIUS KITCHEN and is close to the one I’ve had in my recipe box for all this time.

 

I have to admit, by Christmas I’m certainly missing fall, and “Autumn Fever” takes on a new meaning—I want it BACK! As sad as I was to see summer end, that’s how I feel when the winter ice and snow comes—I’m immediately nostalgic for fall!

BRRR!!!

What do you do in the autumn months? Are you glad to see them come and herald summer’s end? I do read a lot, as I’m sure many of us do here at P&P. Please share any good books you’ve read so we can all build our reading list!

Right now, I’m re-reading one of Rosemary Rogers’s classic stories, SWEET SAVAGE LOVE--the book that got me reading romances all those years ago–all her stories are sooo darn good you can’t go wrong. Next on my list is another wonderful re-read– NOBODY’S DARLING by Teresa Medeiros. Here’s the blurb–I know it’s wonderful because I read it a good while back, but want to enjoy it again!

He always gets his lady…
Billy Darling doesn’t enjoy being a wanted man until the day a duke’s prim and proper granddaughter comes marching into the Tumbleweed Saloon and points her derringer at his heart. Lucky for him, she’s a mighty poor shot.

She always gets her man…
Instead of killing him, Esmerelda Fine hires him to find her runaway brother. Billy knows he should turn down her offer. He should resist her charms. But he doesn’t. Because there comes a time in every man’s life when he’s got nothing left to lose…but his heart.

I’d also love to hear your childhood memories of fall–and I do hope you’ll try this wonderful “friendship tea” recipe when those autumn winds begin to blow—it’s a sure cure for AUTUMN FEVER!

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for the wonderful PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS boxed set MAIL ORDER BRIDES FOR SALE: THE REMINGTON SISTERS! This is a complete boxed set of four full length novels by Livia J. Washburn, Cheryl Pierson, Jacquie Rogers and Celia Yeary!

Here’s the blurb to whet your appetite:

Brought up in the wealth and comfort of Eastern “old money” in staid and proper Philadelphia, the Remington sisters are forced to scatter to the four winds and become mail-order brides. In order to gain a fortune, their sinister step-father, Josiah Bloodworth, has made plans to marry them off in loveless marriages. Time is running out, and no matter what lies ahead in their uncertain futures, it has to be better than the evil they’re running from…

LIZZY: Livia J. Washburn
Elizabeth Remington’s world is turned upside down when she is forced to become a mail-order bride. With her cat, Fulton, Lizzy flees to Alaska—only to discover the man she’s to marry is not who she thought he was! Now, she must protect herself from the biggest danger of all—her own heart. Handsome Flint McKinnon has signed his soul away to her step-father, hasn’t he? He’s chased Lizzy across the continent, but can she believe him when he says he loves her?

BELLE: Jacquie Rogers
Belle Remington must marry someone before the dangerous Neville Fenster catches up with her. She hightails it out of Philadelphia to the wilds of Idaho Territory to become a bootmaker’s bride, but when she arrives in Oreana, she discovers her groom has been murdered! Now, handsome, inebriated rancher Cord Callahan insists on fulfilling the marriage contract himself. Belle is beautiful and smart as a whip. But she has a secret. When Fenster shows up, can Cord protect the woman he wants to love forever?

SABRINA: Cheryl Pierson
Impulsive Sabrina Remington, the youngest, weds a man she knows her family would disapprove of. Though Cameron Fraser’s family owns a ranch in lawless Indian Territory, he’s made his way in the world with a gun, living barely on the right side of the law. With everything on the line as Bloodworth and his henchmen close in, will Cam be able to protect Sabrina from the desperate man who means to kidnap her for his own wicked purposes?

LOLA: Celia Yeary
Sensible Lola Remington, the eldest of the four sisters, must be certain the others are on their way to safety before she can think of fleeing Philadelphia herself. With the help of a local bridal agency, Lola finds the perfect husband for herself—in the wild countryside of Texas. Jack Rains owns a ranch and he’s in need of a bride—and children, of course! But just when Lola starts to believe there might be a future for them, she discovers a hidden letter from another woman…Jack’s first wife.

HERE’S THE AMAZON LINK: http://a.co/d/5XSkiX7

 

Grass Valley Brides

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Years ago, a dear friend invited me to spend the weekend with her at her parents’ home in Sherman County, Oregon. I’d never been in that part of the state, but quickly fell in “awe” with the rolling hills of wheat and sky that stretched forever. A few years after that, I found myself driving through the area and when I entered the tiny town of Grass Valley, the idea for a book began hopping around in my head. By the time I got home, I could hardly wait to get started writing it.

 

And one book led to another, until there were six in the sweet, contemporary Grass Valley Cowboys series. The stories are all set in and around Grass Valley, focusing on the Thompson and Morgan families.

The cowboys in the stories are the kind of heroes that give you happy daydreams (and may even make you swoon). They can be tender, teasing, flirty, furious, mischievous, rascally, protective, and proud, and that’s all before breakfast!

I’ve often thought about how fun it would be to write about the first families who came to Grass Valley, at least the families connected to those in my stories. 

 

The settlement of Grass Valley began with the establishment of a few stock ranches. Settlers began to arrive in the area and were soon plowing the cattle-sustaining grass to plant wheat fields.  Dr. Charles R. Rollins, a physician from New Hampshire, is credited with establishing Grass Valley when he arrived in the area with a small party of pioneers.  Dr. Rollins had an easy time choosing a name for the location since the rye grass grew thick and tall in the alkaline soil. Rollins built a large two-story hotel, which included a clinic from which he prescribed and sold medicine.  The town of Grass Valley was officially established in 1878.

I knew train service didn’t arrive in the area until around 1900, so I started digging into more history.

If you look at the map above, you see the John Day River, the Columbia River, and the Deschutes River make up the boundaries of quite a large area. Reportedly, Dr. Rollins was the only physician “between the rivers” for a while as communities popped up around the county. 

Originally, I’d wanted to set the story in 1878, when Grass Valley was established, but getting my characters there was proving to be a challenge. So, I kicked the timeline up to 1884 when train service ran all the way across the country and made a stop in The Dalles. From there, it was simple enough to board the stagecoach that ran daily from The Dalles to Canyon City to the southeast. Just to reach Grass Valley took most of the day with stops at stations to switch out the teams for fresh horses. I could just picture a cast of characters bouncing along on that long ride, eager to reach Grass Valley.

When I was asked to participate in a new project with three other authors, I knew it was time to write the story of the first Thompson to arrive in Grass Valley. 

I’m so pleased and happy to be part of the Regional Romance Series with our own Kit Morgan, as well as Kari Trumbo and Peggy L. Henderson. What makes this series so fun and unique is that each of us is writing three connected stories that are bundled into one book. If you purchase all four books in the series, you actually get twelve (12!) brand new romances! 

My contribution to the series is Grass Valley Brides.

I can hardly wait for you to read these stories, because they were ridiculously delightful to write! Oh, boy, did I have a good time! Mostly because of Taggart Thompson.

He is a rascally, good-looking rancher who fancies himself to be quite the matchmaker. And the real matchmaker is ready to throttle him! 

What’s a matchmaker to do when the husband-to-be rejects the bride?

     Again . . .

Widowed as a young wife, Cara Cargill turned her head for business and love of romance into a successful mail-order bride enterprise. She’s never had a problem matching couples until one mule-headed man continues to refuse to wed the women she sends to meet him in Grass Valley, Oregon. In an effort to make a match he’ll keep and uphold her sterling reputation, Cara is desperate to find the perfect bride.

Daisy – When her fiancé leaves her at the altar, Daisy Bancroft knows it is far past time for a change. Her dearest friend, Cara, offers to send her to a newly established town in Oregon, where possibilities abound and the grass is rumored to be as tall as a man’s head. Daisy arrives with plans to wed Tagg Thompson, only to find the obstinate rancher has foisted her off on his best friend.

Birdie – Tired of waiting for her Mister Right to magically appear and whisk her away to a happily-ever-after, Bridget “Birdie” Byrne convinces her sister, a renowned matchmaker, to send her as the bride to Tagg Thompson. The man who greets her upon her arrival isn’t Tagg, but Birdie is certain she’s finally discovered the man she is meant to marry.  

Cara – Fed up with Tagg Thompson and his refusals of every bride she’s sent to Grass Valley for him to wed, Cara decides to meet the exasperating man in person. Her feet are barely on the ground in the rustic town before she’s nearly bowled over by a herd of stampeding cattle and swept into the brawny arms of a cowboy with the bluest eyes she’s ever seen.

Will true love find its home in the hearts of these Grass Valley Brides.

 

Dear Mrs. Cargill,

At the rate you’re finding me a wife, I may be too old to have any kids by the time I get married. Speaking of children, Sally Oliver, she was the first bride you sent, wanted me to pass on the news to you that she and her husband, Mr. Buster Martin, will be parents in March. Good thing you’ve got me to help find these women a happy home.

Are you sure you know what you’re doing? You came highly recommended as one of the top matchmakers in the country, but if you have this much trouble with everyone who engages your services, I don’t see how you stay in business.

Please let me know when you have another bride ready to send my way. I look forward to making her acquaintance, and can only pray she’ll be better suited as a ranch wife than the last four you sent.

Respectfully,

Mr. T. Thompson

Grass Valley, Oregon

 

What do you think? Will Cara find a bride to please Tagg?

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween from The Pumpkin Farm!

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It’s rare that I’m publishing anything on a blog right on Halloween, but this year I am!

How fun is that?

And just so you know, I’m not a big Halloween fan although I love kids going trick-or-treating. It’s just crazy fun and my kids loved it. I loved it as a kid, too! Free candy! #BONUS!!!!

But here on the farm Halloween marks the end of the pumpkin sale season.

This farm wagon was a find two years ago and we love it. It’s the perfect focal point for our displays and it “morphs’ as the season matures. It starts out with lots of big stacks of pumpkins, like you see here, but as those sell out, we replace them with smaller stacks… and more big orange or big green or white pumpkins. Like any season, it’s ever-changing and we truly celebrate the season of color that’s so famous here in the Northeast Woodlands. Being so close to Lake Ontario, our leaves stay green longer, giving the feel of a longer and nicer fall season!

Closing the farm stand is always a mixed blessing. We love wrapping things up… Having time for other things for six months, until it’s time to plant, till, plant, spray, water, plant, repeat!

Our theory is this: Sell every pumpkin and squash you can at great prices and people will be happy, they will love you and they’ll come again and again and they will bring friends.

This concept, a wholly different marketing ploy than the USDA recommends, is building us a solid business that benefits the community, our little farm, people outside our community and our family because it is truly a family project. And that family includes friends, too… friends who volunteer their time on weekends to help customers so we can keep prices down.

This Mandy and Lisa and Lisa’s daughter McKenna, all set up for business on an early September day…

It means insight, too… annual growth within a budget because trying to build on credit and interest is a rookie mistake. Few of us are going to turn into Chip and Joanna (Loved their Magnolia Story) and end up with an HGTV contract that goes viral, so trying to invest while living within the budget is the trick. Stuff costs money. And expansion isn’t cheap, but when we’re talking small business, building a base is the beginning, just like building a Lego house. Without a strong platform/base, the blocks will topple in the wind.

I’ve shown you pics of the “results”… the gorgeous pumpkins and displays and so many happy customers. What a treat!

So for a business like this there are both tricks… and treats. And Farmer Dave and I aren’t exactly young. (Well, I feel young, so does that count????) But we’re living a dream that we’ve always wanted to do…

And who knows how much time the Good Lord will give us? Not us, certainly, but there’s an Erma Bombeck quote that I hold close to my heart in family, in writing, in business, in pumpkins:

“I want to stand before God at the end of my days and be able to say I used everything you gave me.”

That’s me.

Talent is given to so many, but taking that talent and mixing it with a strong work ethic is a wonderful thing. And the fact that it’s not a universal trait is what gives some a leg up.

Our beautiful nation was built on hard work. On sacrifice. On sacrificial love. Those elements are part of our platform and our heritage. I want to see them help shape our future.

Tonight I’ll go trick-or-treating with a few cute grandkids… We live on a country road, so generally there are no trick-or-treaters at our house, but the joy in knowing that lots of those pumpkins and displays were part of Blodgett Family Farm and our goal to bring affordable family fun back to the farm is like being part of new family traditions.

And that makes us happy!

AND to add to today’s fun, I collaborated with the amazing Margaret Brownley and Mary Connealy for this beautiful collection releasing in SIX DAYS!!!! “Christmas at Star Inn” is a wonderful anthology of weary travelers who lodge at the iconic “Star Inn” in Heywood, Oregon at the base of Mt. Hood… It’s time to get in the season of faith, hope and love… and the greatest of these is love! I’m giving away an e-copy of this to one happy reader, but let me know you’d like it… when you tell me about your upcoming holidays. Love ’em? Or kind of dread ’em? Or somewhere in the middle??? Let’s talk it out right here. Right now!

 

Our new release!

 

OH! AND WINNER FROM LAST MONTH!!! Do you see where my brain is? It is mush in September and October, and for good reason. Joy Ellis, you are the winner of “The Sewing Sisters Society” novella collection! Let me know if you would like a print or an e-copy and I’ll have my friends at Amazon send that right out to you! Congratulations!

Where Has All the History Gone?

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“Where has all the history gone? Long time passing…

Where has all the history gone? Long time ago….”  (parody, Peter, Paul and Mary “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”)

I’m wearing a mix of hats today! My history-loving bonnet AND a modern day cowboy hat because this upcoming Love Inspired book is a contemporary Western romance with a great, tough heroine and a SWOON-WORTHY hero… that I hope you love!!!!

We live in different times.

When I look at middle grade and junior high history lessons now, they are very different from what I was taught… what my kids were taught… and what my grandchildren and friends’ children now see.

History is history. But it can be viewed through varied perspectives.

It is rife with mistakes, horror, trials and triumph. It is never one-sided. From the earliest written times and the earliest Biblical references, man has been as inclined to sin as the sparks to fly upward.

People lust for power. For sex. For money. And for some it is never enough, the head rush of being powerful, sexual and rich only adds oxygen to an already fuel-rich fire… and they want more.

That said, there are other sides to history as well. 

My Celtic heritage on the Logan side faced rough odds. For nearly nine centuries the Vikings ruled Ireland after defeating the Celts in the first century A.D. 900 years + or -…. When the Irish king Brian Boru waged a successful battle against them, the Viking power over Ireland was razed, but then came the Normans…. and centuries of English domination and rule when Irish land was taken from the Irish and doled out to English landowners… and the Irish pushed to less fertile lands or turned into share-holders. From Cromwell’s reign of terror from 1649 on, Irish Catholics were slaughtered, tortured and jailed and/or excised from their lands. A few generations later came the potato famine, a scourge that starved a nation but pushed many to a new opportunity, here in America or Australia.

Ireland wasn’t the only country that England claimed and re-distributed, of course. Our own America was formed in some large part by land grants given to English aristocrats. There was no or little thought given to the American Indians/Native Americans because the idea of “owning” land and distributing it through a legal process wasn’t part of their culture.

 

An ocean apart, and huge differences in formation of culture, science, language, mathematics… So when America “bought” the west in the Louisiana purchase, it seemed normal to the government. This had been the European model for hundreds and hundreds of years. 

Of course it didn’t seem one bit normal to the Natives occupying American prairies or mountains or woodlands, did it? 

It was an abomination. A threat.  Much like Ireland and other countries that were invaded and taken over by expansionist nations, their claims fell on the deaf ears of the more powerful.

Studying history, we can see the both sides…. Downton Abbey, one of the most watched and loved shows on modern TV showed the ups and downs of a prestigious English family as their days waned in light of a rising middle class. But those same rich people, hundreds of years before, helped fund expeditions to new lands and opened travel and opportunity, the very beginning that forged our land. America. The United States… and then we fought for that freedom and did the unthinkable…

WE WON.

And began our western expansion a few dozen years later.

Writing a modern-day Western with Native American characters isn’t easy. I tackled this in “Healing the Cowboy’s Heart”, my upcoming release from Love Inspired books…. how a Nez Perce family that chose land instead of the reservation (an option offered and chosen by some) can feel out of step with the past, and at odds with the present when the land they owned and sold is now worth millions…

And did you know that the Nez Perce tribe (a total misnomer because they never had pierced noses…) embraced the Christian faith quickly because they believed in one God, the Father Almighty already… So immersing themselves into the Christian faith didn’t require a leap… but giving up their land, their autonomy was a really hard thing to do. And like Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” where young girls drive a dynamic that kills innocent people, young warriors launched an attack that resulted in a tragic war between the American army and the Nez Perce… A tragic story spawned by foolhardy, angry teens.

The American West is an ever-changing dynamic, but even so, romance and families and faith and cowboys make up a lot of that dynamic. There is something downright good about working the land and forging a life from it… and yes, there are winners and losers in war. There are things that happen that should never have happened. There is a cruelty in some men that can sicken the normal loving, caring person. But when we look and see that is the exception– not the rule– that’s when we realize we can learn from history. We should study history. And we should take and open view…

But we shouldn’t change history to fit our current narrative.

For every teacher that decries the explorers that first crossed the ocean, there’s a home they go to. An address they claim. A house or an apartment and a car or a subway or something linking them to the USA.

Without that history, those explorers, those navigators and those aristocratic land grants and land purchases, we wouldn’t exist here today.

Someone would.

Once discovered, it was clear that powerful countries would have their day and their say in this new land. History does that… it repeats itself quite often, so telling this story of a Nez Perce hero, a man whose work and passion is to re-develop the beloved and esteemed Appaloosa the Nez Perce made famous… and the horse doctor whose family bought up land… land that is now worth millions… and the anger that simmers over old wrongs and tragic mistakes.

This is what I hope when readers enjoy this story… that they’ll see a beautiful romance! A great love story. A story that makes them sigh, smile, and sigh some more. Here’s a link to this upcoming book on Amazon:  HEALING THE COWBOY’S HEART BY RUTH LOGAN HERNE

I’m giving away two copies today (when they arrive on my doorstep) so that you can read the book and offer your opinion, dear readers… I hope what you see is a well-told modern story where the past can trip the heels of the present, but where faith, hope and love stand strong.

What’s your take on history, friends? I’m on the road today, traveling to Baltimore for the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat, so I might not get on until later… But everyone who comments will be in the drawing for these two “Win ’em before you can buy ’em” books!

 

Guest Author Carolyn Brown!

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Today, the Fillies are proud to host none other than author Carolyn Brown!
She’s here to talk about her newest book and also to give one as a gift for one lucky commenter.
For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Carolyn or her books, here’s a short introduction…

Carolyn Brown Headshot
Author Carolyn Brown
  • * * * * * * * * * * 
  • New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown was born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma. These days she and her husband make their home in Davis, Oklahoma, a small town of less than three thousand people where everyone knows everyone, knows what they are doing and with whom, and read the weekly newspaper to see who got caught.

A plaque hangs on her office wall that says “I know the voices are not real but they have such great ideas.” That is her motto and muse as she goes through the days with quirky characters in her head, telling their stories, one by one, and loving her job.

  • * * * * * * * * * *

Hello to all y’all!

Have you ever looked at a cowboy on the cover of a book and wondered what it would be like to ask him questions, and maybe even ask his opinion on things—maybe even before you open the book to read about him? Well, today that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Take a look at Levi Jackson on the cover of Cowboy Honor and let’s talk to him in person.

Carolyn: Levi, would you tell his a little about yourself?

Levi: Well, ma’am, I’m the foreman of a huge ranch down around Sunset, Texas. The two brothers who own the place, Cade and Justin Maguire, and I grew up together right here on the Longhorn Canyon Ranch. We’re more like kin folks than ranch owner and hired hand. We’ve all three run around together since we were in elementary school. When Justin and I graduated high school, we went on the full time payroll, but from the time we were little guys, we worked and got a paycheck.

Carolyn: What was your first opinion of Claire?

Levi: (Removes his cowboy hat and wipes his brow). My first thought was I hope she don’t pull the trigger on that pistol. But I’ll have to explain that a little. It might not have been considered a blizzard in some parts of the country but for north central Texas, it sure seemed like one. I’d been out making sure the cattle were brought in from the far corners of the ranch, when it became evident I didn’t have enough gas in the four-wheeler to get me back to the ranch house. That wasn’t a big problem because we have this old cabin at the back of the place, and I could hole up there until the snowstorm passed. Claire and her little niece, Zaylie, had slid off the road and taken refuge in the cabin earlier that day. So there we were—me, just wanting a warm place to wait out the storm, and her thinking I was there to do her harm so she had a pistol pointed right at my chest.

Carolyn: Oh, my goodness! I’m tempted to ask you what happened next, but I’m sure that’s covered in the story. I’m told that you have a way with animals and have rescued several that still live on the ranch. Tell us about them.

Levi: (with a big smile on his face) There’s Beau, the dog that I rescued. He’s named after a famous football player for the Longhorns. Then Gussie, the cat, who’s named after an old girlfriend. And Hard Times the turtle: Hopalong, the cotton tail bunny rabbit; and Little Bit, the crippled donkey. They’ve all become part of the ranch, and the inner city, underprivileged kids who come ever summer love them.

Carolyn: Although the kids aren’t there in this book, since it happens in the winter months, tell us about those kids.

Levi: They arrive in June and stay until after July 4th. Everyone on the ranch looks forward to having them around. Sometimes they come to us broken and untrusting, but by the time they leave, they’re sad to go—and we’re lonely without them.

Carolyn: If you could have any other job in the world, what would you be?

Levi: I’ve got my dream job right here on Longhorn Ranch. There’s no other place I’d rather be, or job that I’d rather be doing.

Carolyn: Thank you, Levi, for visiting with us today. And we both thank Petticoats and Pistols for letting us stop by today. I’m going to let Levi come up with a question to ask y’all for the drawing. We’ll be giving away a signed copy of Cowboy Honor and the winner will be chosen from the comments.

Levi: Let’s ask something about the heroine—

What kind of lady do you like to read about? Independent? Quiet? Or maybe a sassy one like my Claire?

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From the New York Times bestselling cowboy queen comes “a story that is sure to please fans” about a “slow-simmering romance” and the “simple pleasures of ranch life” (Publishers Weekly). Includes a bonus novella by Katie Lane!

Patience was never one of her virtues. After her SUV runs off the road in the middle of a Texas blizzard and her cell stops working, Claire Mason is about to snap. Getting back home to Oklahoma with her four-year-old niece is top priority. And lucky for her, help comes in the form of a true Texas cowboy…

Levi Jackson has always been a sucker for strays. So he can’t help getting involved when he comes across Claire and her little niece shivering in the cold. By offering them a place to stay until her car is fixed, he can make sure the two are taken care of – and get to know the sassy Claire better.

What starts as something awkward and temporary starts feeling cozier by the minute. And soon Levi is hoping he can convince Claire she has a permanent place in his heart.

Plus, bonus story “O Little Town of Bramble” by Katie Lane!
All Ethan Miller wants for Christmas is to celebrate in Bramble, Texas, with family and friends. But when his childhood neighbor comes home for the holiday, Ethan realizes that the girl-next-door could be the girl of his dreams.

                                                

Buy Links:

Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  Apple Books  |  IndieBound  |  Amazon

Connect with Carolyn!

Instagram  |  Facebook  |  Website 

 

 

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