A sheriff with a stone-cold reputation. An innocent madam hell-bent on disturbing his peace. Who will be the first to give in?
Rebecca Hamilton passed through life as bland as biscuits—until the day she buried her father and fled out West with a fortune in stolen jewelry. She arrives in Gardiner, Texas to find her aunt has bequeathed to her the only whorehouse in town.
With no other prospects except a proposal from a tall, dark stranger wearing a badge, Rebecca decides to embrace her vibrant aunt’s legacy and never again live under the thumb of an overbearing man.
After years of cultivating a reputation as a ruthless lawman, Adam Caldwell can’t believe he’s offered to marry the quiet, rather plain new madam. Even more perplexing is the fact she turns him down, choosing instead to become a sass-talkin’, sashay-walkin’ vision in feathers and lace.
With an innocent madam wanting him to teach her to be as wicked as she looks and rowdy townsfolk split over the scandal, the sheriff figures his cup of troubles is about full. But a man from Rebecca’s past catches up with her, and Adam has to decide just how much he’s willing to sacrifice for the woman who refuses to give up on becoming Miss Becky.
Writing Taming Eliza Jane and Becoming Miss Becky was like a homecoming for me. Historical westerns were my first love, and my very first manuscript was a western. It was epic, really. A great deal of horseback riding, rather chaste kisses (I was young), and more horseback riding. Gunfights and stampedes and more kisses. It had no plot, but the hero was a handsome cowboy and he rode a fiery stallion.
Fortunately the handsome cowboy, his impossibly beautiful true love, his newly-discovered twin sister, the misunderstood, codgy old mountain man, and the black hat-wearing, mustache-twirling villain went and lived under my bed while I learned about craft and structure and plotting. Oh, and a little something about fictional stereotypes, as well. I moved on and have since written contemporaries, action adventure romance, a futuristic, and a couple of paranormal romances. But the love of historical westerns never left me and I returned to them with Taming Eliza Jane and Becoming Miss Becky.
But why the cowboy? What about him appeals to me? They’re larger than life, I think. The Sacketts. Conagher. Marshal Dillon. Hey, here’s a digression: Was Little Joe Cartwright or Charles Ingalls sexier?
Anyway, I’ve been married a long time. When my hero says he’d do anything for me, he’s really talking about changing my tire or grabbing fast food for the kids if I’m sick. But when a cowboy said he’d do anything for his woman, he’d scour the country on horseback, fight Indians, face down a stampede, charge through a hail of bullets—whatever he had to do to sweep her up onto his horse and ride off into the sunset.
And there’s nothing better than watching movies to capture a mood before writing, so I’ve had a great excuse for watching a lot of my favorite westerns in the past year. Lonesome Dove, Unforgiven, Broken Trail, Crossfire Trail, Young Guns, Open Range, McLintock and Deadwood, to name a few. (I’m still so angry with HBO for not finishing Deadwood.)
What do you love about cowboys? Do you have a favorite western book or movie? And are you as hopeful as I am that historical western romances are really making a comeback?
****Leave a comment for the chance to win a book off Shannon’s backlist! Good Luck! (Pssst…if you need recommendations about Shan’s books…let me know! *G*)
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RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Talk 
Obviously I already have all Shan’s books, so don’t enter me into the contest.
But I love cowboys and westerns, both in books and movies. I think Elizabeth Lowell’s “Only” series is one of my absolute favorites ever and stays on my keeper shelf so I can reread it every now and then.
Shan’s westerns are great and I highly recommend them!
🙂
Good morning Shannon,
Why I love cowboys: boots, the jingle of their spurs, tight pants, chaps, wide belt around a trim waist set off with an impressive belt buckle, button up shirt, vest, bandanna, hat, & of course a very nice piece of horse flesh. What’s not to like!
Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood is one of my all time favorite movies. The Young Guns series is another. I grew up watching old westerns so I love them. When I was younger we had horses & I always wanted to be a cowgirl.
Shannon, your name comes up a lot on books to read so I was excited when I saw Mad post your name. So, now I’m off to add your books to the wish list. They sound great!
Thank you,
Susan B.
I love wersterns. For me a cowboy is wonderful and sexy because they work with there hands. They are tough, have to be to survive in that time period, and not afraid to do what they have to protect what they love. I can’t seem to pick a favorite because I tend to love all of the westerns I have read or watched. Thanks for the great blog.
Hey Shannon!
I have to say that until this year, I really haven’t read many westerns. This year I branched out a little bit — read some by Jodi Thomas and Tracy Garrett, both of which were really good. So I’m excited to learn about a new western author. I’ll have to check out your books. There IS just something about a cowboy. A guy who would literally put your life above all else. I think deep down, we all really want a protector. And don’t even get me started on the thigh muscles those guys have 😉
Humm, great post. I love/adore cowboys. As for who’s sexier, I liked Little Joe better than Charles(at least in the later part of the series). I love those old movies. Watched one with fatherinlaw the other weekend, it had tons of top actors at the time in it. Burl Ives was a bad guy(just couldn’t get over that, since Burl will always be Holly Jolly to me). I think if more people watched those old cowboy shows and movies the world would be a better place.
I love to read a great western too. I’ll admit my first love will always be Medieval, and anything Scotland related, but I love the Wild West too.
Sounds like a great book can’t wait to read it.
hugs,
WendyK
I love cowboys too!! I’m hoping to see historical western romances make a comeback, I also enjoy reading the current day cowboy stories too!! 🙂
Hi Shannon:
Cowboys are just, I don’t know, a man’s man, aren’t they? It’s the boots, the hats, those chaps, the beautiful horses, and they are polite (at least the good ones are – lol).
I don’t know if you would call it a ‘western’ book or not but my favorite has to be Maya’s, ‘Coulter’s Woman’. The strong male characters Maya created in that book will stay with me forever I think. ‘Brazen’ is another of her books that I really loved.
I think western romances are making a comeback, except in a different form. As a reader for more years than I want to count I find all genre’s resurface. They are just more refined and when cowboys are concerned definitely more sensuous (lol).
Your work is new to me thanks to Jaci, Fatin and the other gals over at Writeminded. Your books sound wonderful Shannon and are now definite TBB.
Best Regards 🙂
Lea
Welcome, Shannon!
I agree with Jaci about Elizabeth Lowell’s Only books. I’d also add some of Linda Howard’s old categories (Lady of the West, Angel Creek).
While the reality of living in the American West in the 1800s was probably harsher than most of us can imagine, we have this image of black and white values; men with a solid sense of personal honor, where hard work; integrity and honesty guaranteed happiness.
(sorry, messed up the tags)
Oh, another one I love is Linda Lael Miller! Some of her older ones were a little more Americana than Western, but I’ve been thrilled with her new Stone Creek books, and the contemporary McKettrick’s, too.
I love a good historical western and hope they do make a come back. Historicals are my favorite type of books to read. I love me some cowboys, hats, boots, horses, the works. There is just something about a cowboy that makes him sexy.
Thanks for the peek at your book! I have not had the pleasure of reading your work yet, but am going to look for your name in the future!
Cowboys yummy! I do not know…. the rugged edge to them, the boots, the tight jeans, the hat… all make a niiiice package! 😉
I loved Elizabeth Lowell’s, Only too, plus I love diving into the world of Sarah McCarty’s, Promises series.
*don’t enter me in the contest, I have all Shan’s great books.
I love a cowboy, western or modern day. There’s just some appeal they have. Oh, Little Joe Cartwright.
I’ve only fairly recently gotten into Westerns–I’ve read a couple of Sarah McCarty’s, and enjoyed them a lot. I think that in general, I like the whole rugged, independent, capable, good-with-his-hands persona that seems to go with being a cowboy.
A couple other “cowboy” authors I’ve really enjoyed are Beth Ciotta (her most recent is The Fall of Rome) and Stacey Kayne (Maverick Wild; Mustang Wild; The Gunslinger’s Bride…)
Congrats on your books, Shannon! Can’t wait to try them for myself!
My Dad’s Zane Grays and Louis L’Amour’s were the first westerns I ever read.
My, how westerns have gotten better and better.
I am looking forward to reading your books.
Hey Shannon –
Let’s see I love cowboys! Wranglers were made for cowboys, just look at George Strait. He’s my favorite cowboy along with Justin McBride and J.W. Hart (Professional Bullriders with the PBR).
Cowboys work hard, they are physically strong and protective of their own. They usually have a soft place for babies and little old women. They are polite and courteous when need and can usually raise hell.
So what’s not to love about cowboys.
Favorite cowboy movie would have to The Young Guns, Tombstone, and Pure Country (George Strait is in it).
I would have to go with Little Joe being sexier. But I also through Heath & Nick Barkley from The Big Valley were sexy as well.
I love historical westerns. Elizabeth’s Lowell’s Only series is one of my faves. I also love Leigh Greenwood’s Seven Brides series and of course The Cowboys series.
I am a big fan of western historical romance. They are on my auto buy list. I love cowboys.