I am going full-out Western on youse today due to one
VERY GOOD EXCELLENT REASON:
Him.
The long-awaited release of "Peace in the Valley", Trey's story, was one week ago... and I'm so thrilled to have this beautiful story in readers' hands at long last! Kudos to Kelly Howard of Waterbrook/Multnomah for the amazing covers on these books, and huge thanks to Shannon Marchese and Brandy Bruce for the editorial help on this one.
I love this story. I love Westerns. I grew up loving Westerns on TV, and I don't think I'd ever read one... but when Love Inspired invited me to be in on a Western continuity, I was hooked.... Head over heels. In love with a new sub-genre of romance: Western Inspirational Romance... With a splash of Women's Fiction on the side because I love bringing spunky, gutsy heroines on board for these books. I LOVE GUTSY, IN-YOUR-FACE HEROINES.
If we delve into that too deeply, it could possibly reveal way too much about the snarky author. But there you have it... and if you think that today's West isn't fraught with danger, take a look at "The Last American Cowboy" on Netflix, and you'll see some pretty gritty stuff... then throw in cougars, wolves, hills, mountains, family drama, drugs, alcohol, economic down times, political strife and federal land controls... Along with some firearms!..... And you've pretty much got the Old West, prettied up enough to have an Interstate system for faster getaways!
Cowboy code is the basis for my Westerns, even the ones that have sheriffs or teachers (the upcoming "After the Storm" series), Manhattan investors and country crooners... (Trey's story, think a cross between Blake Shelton and Dierks Bentley)...
But the "cowboy code" is clutch in the Western. We see it when Trey teaches a six-year-old boy the rules of the game, we see a true cowboy is strong enough to be gentle... as Trey advises Cody to be nice to his little sister and let her take the first cookie. From "Peace in the Valley":
“The polite thing to do would be to offer yours to her, or let her
go first. Cowboy up, kid."
“You think I could be a cowboy?” The kid’s eyes rounded like saucers.
He eyed Trey’s hat. “Like, for real?”
“Why not?”
“Well, I don’t have a horse.” Cody waited until Belle had selected a
cookie, then closed the bin. “Or a hat or a saddle or anything.”
Trey stooped low. “Bein’ a cowboy isn’t about what you’re wearin’ or
ridin’, my friend.”
“It’s not?” Cody stared at him, puzzled.
“No sir.” Trey shook his head and kept his face serious. “It’s about
what’s up here.” He tapped the side of his head. “And here.” He clapped his
hand over his heart. “The rest is just window dressin’, but a true cowboy comes
from inside you, in everything you say and do. Being strong, but being nice. Giving
directions, but following directions too.”
“Like cooperating?” Cody asked. “We learned about that in school.”
“Exactly like that.”
“But then do I get a hat, maybe?” He eyed Trey’s hat and the broad
Western display in Ham’s front window. “So everyone will know I’m bein’ a
cowboy?”
“Maybe then.”
“I didn’t know.” The kid glanced around as if he’d just discovered
an ultimate truism.
Trey was taught the good and the bad by one of the toughest cowboys in the PNW... his father, Sam Stafford. But Trey doesn't see the gruff, egotistical, self-centered man who made more enemies than friends over three decades of ranching after losing his first wife in a tragic accident... he sees the man who saved him from a life of squalor.... the big, broad, Stetson-wearing cowboy who swept up a little boy, wet pants and all... and made him his own.
Cowboy code is balancing the good with the bad, but making sure the good wins. Cowboy code is doing the James Garner twinkle-in-the-eye while knowing you've got the fastest gun in the west at your side. Cowboy code is sacrificial love because the horse or the cow or the calf or the kid comes first... and then the cowboy worries about his comfort.
Cowboy code sets the rancher and men of the west apart. It creates an ambiance that transcends the world of technology, while embracing what technology can do.
"Strong enough to be gentle"....
Have I mentioned that all three books are available at Walmarts and grocery stores nationwide, anywhere you can find Love Inspired books or mass market paperback displays... Like almost EVERYWHERE!!! But if you can't find them, here's an Amazon link for each, because yes... I want you to buy them, and read them, and love them.
Why else would I write them? Oh, you sillies! :)
Back in the Saddle (Amazon)
Home on the Range (Amazon)
Peace in the Valley (Amazon)
Cowboy code shows the honor within... and the struggle that goes alongside the honor. It highlights the humor and downplays the pain... but never pretends the pain isn't there. It's just managed.
The old-fashioned pioneer spirit and mindset still thrives through a lot of the West and Midwest... there are some who would water it down, some who raise eyebrows at it, and some who will never understand it...
But for those who value the hard work, honor and valor it takes to work the land, handle animals, (as big as a Clydesdale, as small as a newborn baby goat), patch plumbing and run electric... tape wounds and kiss boo-boos.... You'll understand that Western attraction and the men who feed it.
Heroes who are always strong enough to be gentle... As needed.
Hey, for your upcoming travels, I have an AUDIBLE copy of Back in the Saddle for one lucky commenter! I am over the moon excited that they've brought the books out in audible, huge thanks to Waterbrook and Penguin/Random House!
Come on inside, grab a cuppa or a glass of sweet tea and tell me what you like... or don't like... about westerns. And you can be sure if you vote the "don't like" side... I'm still gonna be downright nice to ya'. Because that's how we roll here. :)
Multi-published, award-winning and bestselling inspirational author Ruthy Logan Herne is living her dream of writing great stories with unforgettable characters that leave folks wanting more.... and when she's done making jam and tending babies and building chicken coops, she gives her readers exactly that! A woman who isn't afraid to take research to extremes (including table saws and nail guns!) Ruthy lives on a small farm in Western New York where the change of seasons and constant stream of folks in and out of her doors feeds her writing fancy of "What if...?" Friend her on facebook, follow her on Twitter, visit her website ruthloganherne.com ... or come see her making delicious food today at the Yankee Belle Cafe! She'll dish you up a plate of Ruthy's finest old fashioned coconut custard pie... made just for you!
