a horse in your story

Until the early 1900s, unless someone took a train, horses were required for most land transportation whether a wagon, buggy, stage, or horseback (oxen, mules and donkeys were also used but just not as frequently). Before the first automobiles found their way into popular use, it's probably difficult today to realize how much horses were a necessity. They are though still an important part of the American psyche-- especially where it comes to the West or cowboys (although the ATV does a lot of their work today). 

When you put your hero or heroine on a horse, besides many breeds, there will also be the question of gender: colts (uncastrated males) and fillies (females) under four years of age; mares (over four); stallions (any uncastrated adult male); and geldings (castrated male). 

Some issues are surprisingly hot button to romance readers and writers-- one of them being whether a hero would logically ever choose to ride a stallion given their temperament. Well, the same thing could be asked about choosing to ride a mare given she will come in heat. For those who want to know more about what that means, here's a bit on [how to manage the mare in heat]. 

In this discussion on horses, I should start with saying that while I know a lot about horses, I am not a horse woman. I've ridden horses off and on since I was a girl but never was that good on them. I am no horse whisperer. I have never had an interest in English riding, dressage, or in competing. My interest has always been in trail riding, and it's the only kind of riding I've done. 

Twice, I have experienced going off a horse (both of them geldings). The first time, I was a girl and heading back to the house when the horse started to run. I pulled on the reins, which stopped him quickly. I went right over his head. Fortunately it was a dirt road-- no harm done other than startling him and me. My father was badly allergic to horses, and not long after that, the horse had to go.

The other time, years later, when I went off a horse, I chose it. My husband and I had been on a trail ride in Central Oregon. The horse was barn sour, which means he started to run toward the barn as soon as we turned that way. I had not expected it and knew I didn't have a steady enough seat. Although we were riding on a dirt road (luck again), ahead was a paved road. I figured, with the horse needing to make an abrupt right turn to get to the barn, I was going off-- it was only a question of where. I literally dismounted the running horse and rolled with the only damage being done to a shoulder (wearing a sleeveless blouse) where I got a scrape and had to run into town for a tetanus shot as mine weren't up to date. 

Otherwise though, I know a lot about big animals, having raised cattle for almost forty years, having been around horses a fair amount, and having a lot of books about them, their value, and techniques for riding. I find horses beautiful animals and enjoy watching them. Although we have had a few horses on this place, this is a cattle and sheep ranch. Horses need to be constantly worked, and neither my husband nor I have had the time or inclination. You can take a good horse and ruin it if you don't know what you are doing. 

Horses, for all their romantic and almost mystical feeling to people, are big animals and potentially dangerous ones-- even those that are not stallions. They are prey species with the same tendencies of self-preservation-- which explains how they can startle. They each have their own personality. Some breeds are known for this or that characteristic but even within that, there will be different qualities-- some due to how they were raised. 

Stallions are the ones with the bad rep-- not totally undeserved, although a lot of it comes from people trying to be around them without the skills to do it. Choosing a horse is like choosing any animal. You want the right temperament, and you need to be the alpha animal. If you are not, I don't care if it's sheep, cattle, or a house pet, you are in trouble. 

My husband worked on a ranch when he was in high school where they had an Arabian stallion, who was temperamental-- around some people. But there were those who could do anything with him-- one of them being a tiny woman. Yes, a stallion will be excited when he's near a mare in heat. A mare in heat has her own set of dispositions at that time as the above article indicated. 

Recently I had reason to look up riding a stallion. I've written quite a few books where horses were ridden. Two of them (one to be published in September) had the hero on a stallion. After reading complaints that stallions were a poor choice (ignoring the fact that Roy Rogers rode a highly trained one), I decided I better research it again.

In the Civil War, the generals mostly rode stallions, but the rest of the cavalry rode geldings. Throughout time, stallions had been considered a requirement for war horses-- until after the Civil War when the cavalry came to believe geldings could be just as good at endurance, training, and not have the temperament issues of a stallion. Not sure many soldiers would have chosen a mare for assorted reasons-- one of which would be if they had to ride long distances.

A few years ago I also learned that it's not good for anyone over 200 lbs. to ride a horse-- too hard on their backs. Romance heroes are often big guys and likely weigh that or more. 

The distance you can ride a horse without a break is another debate that has many opinions. I researched it for one of my books and came up with numbers that made sense to me-- but again a lot would depend on the person riding it. Also the cavalry when they rode long distances did walk part of the way to give the horses breaks.

Below are a couple of interesting articles I came across on stallions. The first is in regards to one of George Custer's that he rode into battle during the Civil War. Custer always favored stallions, but this one had a rather unique story-- as well as a good example of how dangerous such a horse can be.

Custer's famous war horse, Don Juan

The famed [Lippizans] are always stallions.

This is one of many on what one should expect if they want to train and ride a stallion:
[Riding a stallion]

One of our neighbors used to breed Appaloosas. He rode his stallion in parades where he'd wear full Indian regalia. The horse had a wonderful temperament. The man though had to have the stallion gelded when his son wanted to compete in 4-H, as they would not permit a stallion in the shows.

The idea that a western hero would never ride a stallion is, in my opinion, wrong. Okay, maybe a beta hero never would *s*. But a hero would ride the animal that best suited his own temperament and needs. I've written heroes who rode geldings more often than stallions-- but twice I was convinced the hero would have ridden a stallion. Nothing else would have suited his personality and need. These men though were not cowboys working on ranches. Ranches will usually stick to geldings, unless they are also breeding horses. They will use all geldings or all mares. The mare coming in heat and upsetting the geldings isn't what they want either.

Whatever animal your characters choose, it should suit their personality and feel like a real animal of that type. Don't give your character a cat if you don't know cats. You don't have to own one. You just have to know what their personalities are like. 

Saying that, I have learned, after reading the strong opinions of romance writers/readers, there can be a price for choosing to put your hero on their idea of the 'wrong' horse. Same thing happened to me when I wrote a story where my heroine chose her own path in the 1880s. Some readers had a hard time with that too. They could accept mail order brides or women being forced to run from an abusive relative, but absolutely could not accept a heroine, of that period, who didn't follow the prescribed path and instead chose an adventure. They needed to read a few more memoirs is what I think...

Anyway, as a writer, if you have your hero ride a horse that irks some readers, they'll be finished with the book. You can instead follow the stereotypes that are acceptable... if that's the kind of writing you want to do. Yahoo!

there was grace

In 1886, Grace O'Brian arrived in Arizona as a waif in the book Tucson Moon. In the following years, she grew up and left at seventeen to go to college back east as part of the first wave of American women reaching out for an education at a top-rated university. 

Going away to school in 1894 wasn't Grace's first choice for her life. She loved the desert, the outdoors and ranch life. There was also something else to love on her parents' ranch, the Circle O. Being a young woman with an inheritance, her parents wanted her to have an education and broader set of experiences. Finally she yielded and went.

As a child Grace had enjoyed art, pressing flowers, petroglyphs, every opportunity her stepmother could afford her to try new things. When she had arrived at college, it was obvious her choice of a major would be relatively new as an option for women in 1894, although already happening in Europe-- architecture.

My inspiration, for Grace's potential career came straight from a woman who designed buildings a few years after Grace would have graduated-- Mary Colter. If you are not familiar with her life and work, it's worth a look, and I might someday do another blog just on her (when I don't have a book coming out). You have seen some of Colter's buildings if you have been to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon: Hopi House 1905; Hermit's Rest 1914; Lookout Studio 1914; Phantom Ranch 1922; Desert View Watchtower 1932; and Bright Angel Lodge 1935.

Bright Angel Lodge is still one of those places that everytime I am there I think, I'd love to stay in one of those cozy and interesting looking cabins on the rim, but they are booked literally years in advance.  Colter's designs use the land, the culture and an understanding of design and structure to create buildings that are still inspiring and in use today.

As Comes the Dawn opens, Grace has attained her education. She is unsure what she wants next, but she has returned to Tucson and her beloved Arizona. She is an accomplished, wealthy and very intelligent young woman but with a longing for something that goes beyond any of that.

Writing about a woman like Grace who uses her education and money in the ways I personally admire made her not only enjoyable as a heroine but as a woman and as a part of her time and period in history.

A book's opening is sometimes a challenge to write as in where to start. This one though had no other place than to bring Grace full circle. Following snippet is from Comes the Dawn, third in the O'Brian series and due out July 10, 2014 as eBook and paperback--

Grace O'Brian, wearing a silk blouse, skirt to match, with as stylish a hat as Chicago could provide, descended the train steps, a small valise in her hand. She could not help but compare it to the first time she’d come to Tucson on the train, a small child, wearing a little straw hat, scared out of her wits. She was returning an educated woman, who had traveled, and experienced so many things but maybe she still felt a little scared.

The Tucson heat hit her as if a physical blow reminding her how much she’d missed what to some might have seemed extreme. Tucson was passionate, full of life with a heat of summer that was likely to send the unprepared right back on the train. It wasn’t just the bustling city, which she saw had grown in the five years she’d been gone, but the raw desert just beyond its reaches. She loved it from the hazy purple mountains to the north, the Santa Ritas to the south and the Tucson Mountains to the west. She had relished her first sight of the saguaros that she’d missed while in the East.

Well, she had seen the things her parents wanted for her. They had insisted she needed to go away to school, to go to college, an opportunity few people and even less women ever had. She had done it all and more. Perhaps they had been right about what she had needed. The options hadn’t all been hers.

“Miss, I set your trunks by the bench there,” the conductor said smiling at her with the look of respect that she had frequently experienced once she had acquired some polish.

“Thank you. I think someone will be here soon.”

She scanned the few people on the platform looking for her tall father and blonde mother as the rest of the passengers began dispersing. She could arrange to get south to their ranch, but she had been sure they would be here.

As she turned toward the town, still not seeing the ones she had sought, she saw him. He was leaning against the back of the depot, his hat low over his eyes, smoking a cigarette. He had never smoked. When had he picked up that habit? Had he brought it back with him when he returned from war?

He walked slowly toward her, his spurs jangling. Still that handsome face with the dark skin, high cheekbones, black hair curling around his neck. There was a toughness in him that she had never seen, lines that told of suffering. His Yaqui heritage was in his features, the proud way he carried himself, a tall, lean body, muscular and strong. If she had hoped he'd be less attractive to her, she'd have been disappointed. She hadn't hoped though-- not after dreaming of him night after night.

what makes it a western romance?

Coming up with a genre is as dicey as the right title. The way readers find a book is-- ta da-- it being in the correct genre. Except many books fall between the slots. One popular genre is western romance-- what is it? My problem with an answer is there are requirements for a romance that differ from a straight western. 

Romances are stories of relationship. Often there are many relationships involving family, friends, enemies, but essential to being a romance is the primary one is between two lovers. If they are just friends-- no romance. There could be a third making a triangle, but only for awhile, and it should be obvious to the reader which is the desired winner. Romances today can be between two women or two men. What they will not end up is mènage á trois. There must be a primary couple-- hence, no polyamory. Save that for literature, memoirs and erotica.  

Romances also must have a happily ever after. The only known exceptions are in series writing where there will be one but, by the end of the series, not before. Romances are built around the complexities of finding 'the' one and then deciding if it can work. They usually end when the couple have decided they are in love and gotten past the barriers-- frankly, before the hard work of relationships begins. ;)

Romances need two main characters whom readers care about. One or both may have flaws in their character, but the reader has to want to see them get it right or else why keep reading! For me at least, a book with a hero who is a bastard until the last chapter, will not make for a satisfying read.

Even more so, it is a lousy life lesson for readers that such men (women too) can be redeemed through love-- which leads to a lot of divorces, abuse, and sometimes violence. Make them both likable with some flaws. A book that shows growth is a plus. In fact, a romance is all about growth in the relationship and in the pair.

Most romances today go between the hero and heroine for points of view. So sometimes the reader gets inside his head; sometimes inside hers. Rarely is a romance seen from outside the two-- as in the writer's perspective. The best romances do not have an omnipotent point of view, and the writer must work to be sure the changing views are clear and not confusing.

A believable barrier/barriers must keep these two from their happily ever and then it has to be believable that they worked it out. The barrier can be outside them-- as in a villain to be overcome, danger to surmount. Yes, a romance is a fantasy but it's grounded in real life. 

For romances, happily ever afters are de rigueur-- tragedies are for literary books where their readers dote on misery. Romance is a feel good read at least by the end. A roller coaster ride with ups and downs but security for the reader that their time spent with these characters will be rewarded. 

Romances can deal with social issues, have dangerous enemies, a host of complicating factors, but in the end it's about that mysterious thing-- love and why it works or doesn't.

A straight western has its own set of expectations.  It is usually told through one point of view, might be two but no jumping around. If it's historical, it must be accurate to the time period. Westerns are not primarily about romance, but there can be one; there often is but it won't be the main issue. The important plot element will be the battle the hero must face to fix what was broken, do the right thing often at a high cost.

A western has a hero, a powerful villain (else how can the hero show his mettle) and finally a reason the hero gets into the conflict which might be a protecting someone, revenge, getting money, saving a ranch, etc. 

In every western there is normally at least one and maybe several battles where the possibility of the hero being defeated is very real. He might appear to have been one or more times. No matter how dire or how great the odds, the hero will succeed but that won't happen before he is threatened, beaten or shot. He usually recovers fairly fast and faces the last challenge where he defeats the villain. A really complex western might even have him facing the villain, only to find the real villain is behind the scenes-- one last conflict that the reader and hero didn't expect.

To make a western the most exciting, the hero is facing a psychological and moral dilemma as well as a physical one. Westerns, like romances, are fairy tales to take the reader out of their daily life. They are dream fulfillment books.

So how do you define a western romance? I think it's a mix of the elements in each. There will be a conflict where the heroine might take an equal share in resolving. The hero and heroine will be important parts of the story and most often the point of view goes between them; so we know what each is thinking. They will face a conflict that involves real danger while they are also facing the problem of what to do about their relationship. Both may have ups and downs. A sweet western romance might just be set in the West, involving making a town or community right, but may not have a dastardly villain.

Western romances have the ethos of the western for the good against evil. I think most of them have alpha heroes but that does not mean brutal men. It means the kind of man others turn to in times of turmoil. The heroine will be his equal as she either stands at his side through the battle or fights her own to get to their happily ever after. Generally speaking western romances have action in the story.

Western and western romances end happily.

Rawhide 'n Roses-- a western romance anthology

Short stories are a bit of an art form all on their own. It is telling a story without all the frills found in longer books. It's a challenge to create a story without so many words and yet have it be complete.

With fifteen authors, each putting forth a story that they found interesting, the anthology 

 Rawhide 'n Roses 

has action, humor, danger, and, of course, romance.  The stories are set in both the old and modern West with heroines as strong and gutsy as their heroes.

The rules for a western are, I think, flexible. Sometimes they feature cowboys but it's as often to be a sheriff or horse trainer. To me, westerns are stories that carry forth the ethos of the Western philosophy which is most often the fight of good against evil. They usually are set west of the Mississippi, but I personally don't consider that a requirement. The more important thing is that they are stories of action, of a problem that must be resolved. If it's a romance, it will have a hero and heroine with a happily ever after.

Check out Rawhide 'n Roses-- and consider putting this romantic western anthology on your eReader for the times you find your hours for reading are not long enough, but you want to escape into an imaginary world for half an hour or so.

From Connie's Gift set in the mining camps of the California Sierras: 

Two hours later Sabine scurried to hide under the bed at the booted step on the porch. Connie felt no fear. She knew who it was and didn’t need psychic powers for that. 

“Why you sitting in the dark?” Del threw his jacket over the hook by the door unfastening his string tie, and opened the top buttons on his shirt.She gestured toward the window and heard him sigh. “Sorry, baby.” 

He found one of her quilts and secured it over the opening before lighting the kerosene lamp. Kneeling in front of her, he put his hands on her knees.

They had been married twenty-five years. She found it hard to believe it could have been so long. In all that time, she never tired of looking at his face, the proud cheekbones, the firm lips that were now set hard, sadness in his dark eyes. He worried about her. She understood. She worried about him too.

All they had was each other. Maybe their lack of children had been for the best. They had moved on so many times. Sometimes it was to find better places for Del to deal faro. Sometimes a town had enough of a gambler who won too often. Others it had been when someone heard of her gift; of course, they didn’t regard it as a gift but rather a curse. 

~~~~~~~

If you aren't quite sure what a western is, check out this trailer:

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geography and a novel

When you write some books, the geographic logistics are no challenge. Basically you know the main routes even in historical times. A lot of roads were on maps for many years. But when you set a story in the back country of the United States anytime from the 1800s until the 1900s, those roads can be difficult to determine.

I ran into this when I was writing my Oregon historical series. I thought I could get the information from museums, but a lot of them had no idea either. Forget finding an accurate map. Oh, you can find the old ones, those drawn during the time, but map making then was a much less exact science than it is for us in the days of Google and satellites. Often it isn't only roads that don't look right but also misplaced rivers and mountains-- they at least don't move around.

 So you want to write a story set back in 1899, which I do, how do you determine what the terrain would be like, what paths the characters might take, what transportation would be possible, or how long it might take?

I have books... lots of books on Arizona history but some rely on those unreliable old maps. Some give rough approximations of directions. A modern gazetteer helps.

It helps that I have been in almost every corner of the state at one time or another. I have photos from all across it, but I wasn't taking notes. When I was in Tucson doing some research in museums, I had not worked out the plot for this book. I had never imagined the need for my hero and heroine to travel from Tucson to Holbrook. My many photos are quite handy but then did the vegetation look the same a hundred years ago? Massive logging, forest fires, and human habitation change a lot.

So as my couple ride their horses north through some of Arizona's most beautiful terrain, I am following along with Google literally and it does help. We printed off some of the maps and my husband put them together to make the route pretty obvious. They are on the bookcase behind me for walking back to consider where I am and where they would be. 

To write an historical, I don't have to think I have every detail perfect, but the more I can feel where the characters are, the easier it is for me to write their observations and reactions.

The photo at the top was taken in April 2011 when we took the back road, one of gravel, narrow, and rough in places, down from Young, Arizona, along Cherry Creek to the Salt River. It's not exactly where my hero and heroine would have been, but it is within twenty or thirty miles and close enough for the terrain to be very similar.

Update: After thinking about how inaccurate maps were back in the times of many historical novels, I emphasized how now we have accurate ones due to so many technical advantages. Listen to this clip from a TV show: inaccurate map of world today.  So we can then have maps that are intended to politically influence how we think... What exactly can we trust?

 

image from the link

What makes it a western?

From lesser to better known writers, I grew up reading their westerns. I loved the heroes, the action, and sometimes the romance. Americans have been much influenced by this genre known as the Western. What makes a book or movie western? That question can be debated as well as-- did the western ethos make Americans better people or find us too often turning to a gun as a solution? 

Already by the 1850s American readers were eager for books, called dime novels, to tell them about fictional and real western characters. The real ones often got a literary dressing up to make their lives bigger than life-- even if they were already pretty interesting. There was enough reality to Indian wars, outlaws, gunmen, gunflights, dance hall girls, gambling, pioneers, log cabins, and town marshals to not need much help in making it more exciting.

So the stories and later movies grew in popularity until around the 1960s, when it is claimed they begin to lose their draw. Except, did they? or did they just change their genre to science fiction, fantasy, adventure and yes romance. Many of the romance authors from my generation were much impacted by traditional western writing.

The basics of what made a book a western can be debated-- and is. I believe westerns are still out there, in films and books, whatever they might be called. I think some of the western mythology has been good for us as a people and some... not so much-- especially that part that never was-- like individualism conquering the west but in reality it was a lot more complicated both politically and socially.

When I grew up, the mythology of the West was a very important part of our culture. What message did it put out? Well, I'd say it had several key parts. A man/woman who stood up for what is right. Nature as healer and teacher. Sometimes the need to conquer nature, subduing it. It put forth the ideal that hard work, even risk taking, was rewarded, and that right will eventually triumph though it often has a cost.

The western can be one man against many-- as with the film High Noon, which had a strong political theme laid into the story in a time where the hunt for communists had driven some writers to only work under assumed names or leave this country finding it impossible to work thanks to blacklists. This happened to Carl Foreman, the writer behind High Noon and was ongoing when the film was being made. It's a conflict that is just as real today-- when one person stands against perceived evil but has no one willing to stand with them.

Western writer, Frank Gruber took the view there are only 7 types of westerns: (1. The Union Pacific story but could be railroad, wagon train west, something about building and furthering civilization; (2. The ranch story-- threat to ranch from bad guys and ranch owner or hands fighting back and winning; (3. The empire story-- building up any empire, rags to riches; (4. The revenge story-- wrong has been done and must be made right; (5. The cavalry and Indian story-- taming wilderness; (6. The outlaw story-- gang dominates action or classic anti-hero; (7. The marshal story-- lawman conquers bad guys.

I don't think it's hard as a writer to see how those stories are classic plots which work in any genre based on conflict, danger or striving for change when the road isn't easy. Hence a western can be about a zombie killer and not set in the American West-- even though a purist will see it needs a cowboy.

I've published 14 romances (another on the way in probably late April), and of those half might be considered westerns by those who think a western needs to be historical or have a cowboy as the hero. I personally think all my books are westerns and not just because they are all set in the American West. It's because of the ethics they portray, the need to stand for what is right, a conflict where sometimes you do stand alone. They are romances first because they tell the story of a relationship based on sexual love; but right alongside that is the western at their core. It's what I want to write. What I want to live-- minus the danger, of course ;)

Maggie and the anthology

When talk began about a group of writers doing an anthology, a lot of issues had to be resolved. When you put together a bunch of writers, all who have books already out there, how do you make decisions for one book involving them all? The biggest advantage actually to our anthology was the diversity of authors with a united love of westerns and romance-- and one more thing.

This is a group which came together at the Amazon Forums and in a thread begun by a lady called Maggie. She is a Wyoming reader who loves western romance and set out to create a place for writers and readers to meet-- Western Romance Authors Please Post Here #2. (the #2 is because it went over the 10,000 post limit and at that point, you are either done or start over). I arrived in the forums shortly after my first books had come out on Kindle. I wasn't sure I fit western romance at that time as my published books were not historical and not all could be considered western, but Maggie welcomed me as she does everyone. 

She has established a creative, friendly environment with writers who encourage each other, discuss topics, sometimes their lives, awards, and books. Basically we have become internet friends, and it's all due to Maggie-- as is this coming anthology which has been dedicated to her. To me she stands for all the readers who encourage writing books they love and are as vital to every genre as the writers.

In her thread, Maggie regularly posts free Kindle books and something else that has been fun. She gives five words and asks writers to come up with a story using them. That story can be a paragraph or much longer. I like reading what different writers create. I've participated in it a few times. The following is one of mine using the words Maggie gave--

Marshal, Preacher, School Teacher, Undertaker, and Banker

******************************

Marshal Aaron Sharp walked down the street his mind not on what lay ahead but what was behind. He was getting too old for this job. He'd slowed and soon others would know it too. If he didn't give up the badge and gun, he'd be underground with no preacher reading words over him, without even a marker to remind folks he'd ever lived.

The day was hot, the dust his boots stirred up reminded him there were cooler climates. Anybody could take over his job. He could do something else, something that didn't demand he buckle on a belt, holster and gun every morning. Maybe he'd be a teacher like his brother. He laughed silently at the silliness of that idea. He wasn't the school teacher sort. He really only knew one thing-keeping the law.

Ahead Sharp saw the man who had been raising the ruckus. One more time. He could do it one more time. "Drop your gun," Aaron yelled continuing to walk. The man, who had been shooting at the bank, turned, his small eyes now focused on Aaron. "They took my money, that cheating banker took my farm." He looked back toward the building. "Come on out, you sniveling coward."

"It's not worth it, friend," Aaron tried one more time but saw it wasn't going to work as the man shifted his gun to point at him. It happened in what seemed slow motion. He pulled his own 44, firing as he brought it to bear, aware a bullet had whizzed by his shoulder. Seconds later the angry man stumbled, a confused look came over his face before he crumpled to the dust.

Aaron only slid his own gun back in the holster when he assured himself the man was dead. What a waste! What a pathetic waste of life. Only the undertaker won this game. He shook his head as the people came out of their businesses to stand and look at him and then the dead man. He pointed at a small man at the edge of the growing crowd. "You, tell Wilson he's got a client."

He wouldn't quit today. Somebody had to protect the town. 

 ******************

I should add-- these are the same five words that one of the anthology authors used to create her short story. You suppose Maggie was training us all along? *s*

two good westerns-- on DVD

Most evenings, wherever we are, my husband and I watch a movie. We try to agree on what and it's not unusual for it to be something we have seen. We tend to like the same sort of films which means no horror, extreme violence, or that leaves us feeling depressed when they are over.

We have experimented with indie westerns for our nightly film-- which can be laughably bad. One, won't name names, was so bad that it would have been better with the sound off-- better because it did have a beautiful cast of young heroes. Totally a pleasure to watch but dialogue and acting... ack! Could a better director have saved the story-- maybe or maybe not.

The two I want to discuss here had varying levels of apparent money behind their making. They were both, however, definitely indie movies, never meant for movie theaters and only for DVD sales or rentals. They were both good in different ways. Of course, when I say that, it is a given that I mean for those who like westerns. If you don't, you might disagree totally. Western lovers though will accept a lot of minor glitches in the plot if it stays true to the genre. And these did in spades.

The other aspect the two had in common was their star. Both movies starred country music singers who had risen to the top of those ranks and are mature men now probably looking for new challenges.

They are middle aged but still tough enough looking to carry off the western hero, the kind of guy who is tough, capable, and for me-- a pleasure to look at. Give me a guy who has some experience on his face. Surprisingly they both gave good acting performances. Could they do Macbeth? Maybe not (likely would not want to), but a western is about good versus evil. It is about those who will stand up when others stand down. It is about the need for right to triumph. Much as a romance, they will have a happy ending-- which may or may not involve a woman.

Ambush at Dark Canyon starred Kix Brooks, who is famous in CW circles for being part of Brooks and Dunn who had hit after hit until they got to a certain age and felt they were repeating themselves and maybe wanted to go different directions. Brooks had a goal to act in a western which I felt he did quite well in this story of a US Marshal who made a catastrophic error in judgment which cost him his freedom.

The story does not end there, but I cannot reveal more of what happens without wrecking the story. Suffice to say there was plenty of action, two good bromances, and a setting in Southern Arizona where they used Yuma Prison for some of the scenes. I have been there which added to my enjoyment as Yuma Prison is one of those places you don't forget-- a literal hellhole for any one unfortunate enough to end up there.

The second film had me in some doubt when I purchased it. It was a retelling of The Virginian. Now that film has been made a lot of times usually with the same plot and beloved by me whether it's perfectly made or not. (The honeymoon at the end of the book, which evidently Owen Wister only added at Teddy Roosevelt's request -- gotta have a happy ending which Wister hadn't originally intended to involve love-- that honeymoon in the Big Horns is my idea of the best a man could give a woman. Total perfection and no sex in the story. It didn't need it.)

Okay, I got distracted. Back to the newest version. It starred Trace Adkins, who is another of my favorites in music-- and to look at. Adkins though seemed an unlikely choice for the Virginian; but when you get into this movie, it no longer is the case. He was perfectly cast.  This Virginian is a middle-aged guy, who has lived a hard life and is trying to live by the Code. He's tough, respected and living in a time where life can end very abruptly-- something he knows all too well.

The plot deviates a lot from the book while keeping some key elements. I can't say too much about it, or I'd ruin someone else's pleasure as the story unfolds, but the jacket gives away one point and I think blows it on another.

This Judge Henry is not a good guy. Ron Perlman knows how to play a complex character like this to perfection. To me, the rethinking of the Judge's character suits our understanding of how power can corrupt. By reworking  his character, the essence of the story changed from the original, but in a way that stayed true to westerns and added a view of life today.

Whoever wrote the book's jacket had a tough job. I know how hard it is to write blurbs that tell enough without too much. I just felt that the friendship between the city man and the western guy changed them both (yes another good bromance). These two men evolved with the needs of the situation. It wasn't one impacting the other but both of them. And the heroine, Molly West, well she was terrific for today's audiences.

Both of these films were good, stayed true to the heart of the western, and were eye candy enough for anybody who isn't a kid themselves ;). Certainly The Virginian was done on a budget as it didn't have a big cast-- but it put its money where it was most important.

It was the perfect time to watch these films as my newest novella comes out February 1 and while it's not exactly a western, it has one cowboy and the other a ranch owner for heroes... as well as... okay I won't go further but there will be more on it this week (while I am on the road but they are prewritten).

Holding On To Heaven and Dark Night of the Moon by Keta Diablo

Today Keta Diablo is sharing two of her books, the second a sequel to the first. She is an exciting writer-- one who can quickly become addictive as she writes a wide diversity of stories.

Holding On To Heaven

Western Romance by Keta Diablo

Blurb

Brothers in love with the same woman—one the father to her child, the other her husband. Civil War has crumbled a nation, and the Dakota Sioux are on the warpath. While the blazing fires of revolt ravage the countryside, twins, Lauren and Sage McCain are ensnared amid the flames of destiny.

Family betrayal, heart-stopping danger and love, a love that crosses all boundaries and forges all cultures.

Setup and Excerpt

High-pitched shrieks reached Lauren's ears.  Warriors raced their painted ponies through the yard with bloody scalps dangling from their spears. The leader stood at the top of the porch steps, his obsidian eyes hard and cruel; his face impassive. Lauren came to her feet, head up, chin out, and faced him.

Dressed in caramel buckskin pants and high-top moccasins, he struck a terrifying pose. A dark blue vest covered his torso, adorned with beads in the shape of an oak tree and acorns. A breechcloth of the same fabric hung from his narrow waist and over his right shoulder, a pouch made of buckskin and porcupine quills danced beneath the glare of the sun. Three black and white feathers stuck out from behind his left ear, lying flat against his shiny, black hair. His dark eyes pierced her with a sinister glare.

She glanced to the rifle propped against his left shoulder, the one he used moments ago to kill Uncle Mason and Aunt Estelle. Their eyes locked again. She trembled beneath his bold perusal but he remained as still as a marble statue. With a flick of his wrist, he set his warriors into motion. Racing toward the outbuildings, they lit the torches in their hands, their bloodcurdling screams bringing Lauren to her knees.

The hostile looked down at her aunt and uncle before capturing her gaze again. Although terrified of the hatchet he lifted skyward, she stepped in front of her loved one's bodies. She would not surrender to their mutilation, not while she drew breath. A brief flicker of admiration passed through his eyes when he lowered the weapon and gave a brief nod.

Kindle: http://amzn.to/15cCS5s

Nook:  http://bit.ly/OJ44Me

Nook UK: http://bit.ly/V991kS

Kobo: http://bit.ly/NSl5HU

 

Dark Night of the Moon

Wolf Shifter/Western

Sequel to Holding On To Heaven

Creed Gatlin flees to Arizona intent on wiping out the haunting memories of his brother’s wife. Presumed dead, Brand Gatlin resurfaces and the destinies of those he loves are altered forever.

In a land rife with war and danger, Sage travels to the village of her husband’s People where she’s reunited with the ancient healer, Crooked Back.  Devious plots are underfoot and peril lurks around every tree on the long journey back to Full Circle. An unforgettable journey of war, violence, grief and finally, love.

Excerpt

Creed cut across his father’s land and headed south, the closest route to Full Circle. He hoped Lauren wouldn’t be at home when he visited his son today. And he hoped she would. Would he always feel this conflict, torn between love and hate, hope and despair? He longed to see her, yet seeing her delivered unbearable torment.

He couldn’t bypass the pond. To do so would take him miles out of his way. He braced himself for more anguished memories and urged his mount forward. He’d mulled over his options a thousand times in the last few months and the same answer surfaced. In the spring he’d leave Minnesota, journey far from home. He didn’t know his destination, but what did it matter? He’d become an outsider, a man in love with his brother’s wife, his dead brother’s wife. Creed laughed into the cold wind. Both he and Lauren were waiting on a ghost.

The dapple gray beneath him flattened his ears and flared his nostrils, alerting Creed to a foreign presence in the woods. Could be a renegade or a wounded beast. Hell, could be a whirling-dervish sent by Satan. Nothing surprises me anymore.

The horse came to a halt and tossed his head to the right. Creed followed his signal and spied something dark against the pearl-white ground. He pulled his rifle from the scabbard, cocked it and slowed the gray into a foot-dragging pace. He smelled the blood before he saw it. Once a man smells blood, tastes it on his tongue, inhales it, the coppery scent is stamped on his senses forever. He could thank the United States government for that.

Creed dismounted near the body, scanned the woods and prepared for an ambush. He’d heard of hostiles propping a body on the ground and lying in wait for a man to take a closer look. The noisy chatter of the forest told him everything seemed normal. He kept the rifle ready and walked forward.

His heartbeat picked up speed. A familiar wave of knowing washed over him. The hair, the slender body and graceful curves could only be.... “Lauren!” He dropped to a knee beside her and placed his fingers against her neck. Thank God, a faint pulse. A ribbon of crimson streaked her forehead and ran down her cheek. The blood, thickened by the cold, had ceased running long ago. Creed pulled her to his chest and rubbed her arms, hoping to bring warmth to her cold body.

Kindle: http://amzn.to/YONTHF

Nook: http://bit.ly/LxpGKh

Nook UK: http://bit.ly/UetW75

Kobo: http://bit.ly/QOiqeX

Keta’s Bio
Keta Diablo lives in the Midwest part of the country on six acres of woodland. When she isn't writing or gardening she loves to commune with nature.

Keta is a multi-published author in both erotic romance and gay fiction. Her paranormal novel, Where The Rain Is Made, was nominated for a Bookie Award by Authors After Dark. Keta's books have received numerous Top Pick, Book of the Month, and Recommended Read awards from the top professional review sites.

You can find her on the net at the following places:

Keta's Keep: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com

Keta Diablo Books: http://ketadiablobooks.blogspot.com

The Stuff of Myth and Men: http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com

Keta on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo

Keta’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.Author?ref=hl

Thanks so much for visiting Rain’s blog today to read about Holding On To Heaven and Dark Night of the Moon. Check out the Amazon links to read the reviews.

Wishes for a blessed New Year to all, Keta

 

author Peggy Henderson

Today's guest author is Peggy Henderson sharing information on her latest book release-- Ain't No Angel (Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series).

First a bit about Peggy:

I never thought I'd be a writer, much less publish a book some day. I always wanted to be a veterinarian. I guess life just had other plans for me. When my husband and I decided to start a family, vet school pretty much went out the window. I used to work with a vet who had three children while going through vet school. To this day, she is my hero. 

I live with my husband and two teenage sons in southern California. I have a Welsh pony and a miniature horse (down-sized from a barn of six horses). A crazy Labrador retriever who is a food vacuum, three cats, two parakeets, four bearded dragons (my compromise with my sons when they wanted a snake), and a small flock of chickens complete our menagerie of critters. I can’t imagine my life without my animals. My dream is to live in Montana some day.

Four years ago, I began writing a story that, for whatever reason, was stuck in my head for almost a year. I have been an avid romance reader for a long time, and the idea took hold to - why not? - write my own! What a simple idea, right?

It has been a long and difficult journey from my first sentence to a completed, and hopefully polished, manuscript. Today, I have a completed series of 5 books and a novella in what I called The Yellowstone Romance Series, two books in my new Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series, and I am currently working on the final book in a trilogy set in the Grand Tetons.

Ain't No Angel

 

Blurb:

Delaney Goodman has been running from her painful past all her life.  Dreams of working with horses have long been replaced with the reality of doing anything to make ends meet.  About to hit rock bottom, she accepts a stranger’s proposition, even if it sounds too good to be true. She figures she has nothing, not even her dignity, to lose.  She awakens in an unfamiliar setting - and century - and quickly discovers that she will need more than her charm to complete the task assigned to her.

On the surface, Tyler Monroe has everything going for him -  good looks, the respect of his friends and neighbors, and a thriving horse ranch.  However, his past holds deep wounds with thick emotional scars. When a brazen, beautiful woman arrives in town, Tyler makes an impulsive decision that will cause him to question everything he knows.  

Tyler is unlike any man Laney has ever met.  Laney is exactly the kind of woman Tyler wants to avoid. As the attraction between them grows, questions arise that stretch the boundaries of trust for both.  The secrets that threaten to tear them apart could be exactly what Tyler and Laney need to bring them together.

Excerpt:

 Laney stood, and glanced in the mirror again. She ran her hand along the contours of the corset. The stiff contraption gave her an unnatural hourglass shape.

“There’s no way I’m wearing this thing every day,” she mumbled, and searched for the hooks or ties that would loosen the corset from around her ribcage. She turned sideways and peered into the mirror over her shoulder. The lacings were at the back. She reached her hand over her shoulder, then under, trying to get to the strings.

“Dammit. How am I supposed to get this thing off me?”

She turned in a circle, trying to see into the mirror while at the same time reach the lacings with her fingers. Laney growled loudly in frustration. She was tired, hungry, and she desperately needed to use the bathroom.

“I bet there isn’t even a bathroom,” she said out loud.

Exasperated, she moved away from the mirror. With a loud sigh, she let herself fall backwards onto the bed, sending up a small cloud of dust. Laney stared up at the ceiling. A loud knock sent her bolting upright again. Her eyes fell to the open door to her room. Tyler filled the frame, and their eyes met. His gaze traveled up and down her body, then he quickly turned his back to her.

“Thank God you’re here.” Laney scrambled from the bed and rushed to him from across the room.

“Eddie will have supper ready in about a half an hour.”

He stepped out into the hall, and Laney grabbed his arm before he had a chance to walk away.

 “Wait. I need your help, Tyler.”

Tyler’s muscles tensed underneath her hand, and he turned his head slightly to glance back at her.

“Please, I can’t undo this corset. Could you untie the lacing for me? I really need to change my clothes.” Laney peered up at him, and her mouth went dry. Tyler’s eyes roamed her face, every muscle along his jaw tense. For a split second, it seemed as if he was going to pull away from her and keep walking. She swallowed her apprehension.

You’re in the nineteenth century, Laney. People act differently here.

Had her behavior earlier when she’d come on to him out in the yard been a mistake? Had she been wrong in her assumption that she needed to play the role of a prostitute? The reverend had specifically told her that she was required to keep Tyler satisfied. Had she misinterpreted what he meant? How was she supposed to do that and behave like a prim and proper nineteenth century wife at the same time? Come to think of it, Tyler was probably expecting a virgin bride.

“I . . . I really feel uncomfortable standing here in just my underclothes, Tyler. I’d appreciate your help so I can change.” Was that the right tactic to use? Laney held her breath, waiting for his response.

“Turn around,” Tyler said, his jaw still tense, and his words clipped. She quickly did as he asked, holding her hands up to her chest for good measure.

Tyler’s fingers grazed her back when he lifted her hair and laid the long strands over her shoulder. Her heart hammered in her chest, and a chill raced down her spine. Why did he affect her like this? There was something so sensual about his slow and gentle movement, something so unexpectedly tender that it brought tears to her eyes. She’d asked him to remove her corset and he quietly complied, without any lewd remark or stare, or even a hint that he wanted to undress her fully and take advantage of the situation.

Tyler worked the lacings loose as if he had plenty of practice with this sort of thing, and she breathed freely once the confining contraption fell away from her sides. She clutched the corset tightly to her chest, even though she still wore a chemise underneath. A breeze swept through the room from the open window, and although it wasn’t cold, goose bumps covered her arms.

Laney stood still. She leaned forward slightly and held her head down. She ground her teeth in frustration. The skin along either side of her spine tingled, anticipating, longing for his touch. Now that he’d loosened the confining corset, she imagined his palms sliding along her shoulder, his lips pressing against the back of her neck.

“That oughta do it,” he grumbled. “You’d better get dressed before you catch a chill.”

Laney held her breath. She waited, then slowly turned.

“Thank you. I really appreciate . . .” Her voice trailed off. Tyler was already halfway down the hall, and headed for the front door.

**********************************************

Purchase links:

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 iTunes

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Follow Peggy on twitter: @ynpdreamer