Cowboy Up

Next up on A Month of Heroes hosted by Blog...With A Giggle is my hero, Royce Rutger, from my story in the MISSAdventure Brides Romance Collection, "Riders of the Painted Star."

Tired of bit parts in western movies, Royce Rutger joins the staff of an Arizona dude ranch to learn how to “cowboy." With the studio backing him, he knows he could be the next singing cowboy sensation. All is going to plan until Miss Zadie Fitzgerald shows up.

Practicing his cowboy talk and trying not to reveal his New Jersey accent, he thanks her kindly for thinking of him when she suggests he model. But horses need breakin’ and cows need brandin’. He'd never done these things, but he hopes he sounds authentic.

His refusal is barely out there when his nemesis, Dirk Cunningham, offers his services. Knowing the kind of person Dirk is, a cunning snake in the grass, Royce has no choice but to volunteer just to protect the pretty artist.

***GIVEAWAY!***

Be sure to make a comment and sign up for a free book in the Rafflecopter box below. Any comment will do, but if you'd like a prompt: 

Do you have a favorite cowboy hero?

Remember to sign in to Rafflecopter as it makes it easier to locate the winner. Have fun! 

Come to my blog through the month of November, when I’ll be hosting all of the heroes of the collection. Then, join me in December as I talk about my own story. I’ll be giving away copies of MISSAdventure Brides at the end of both months.

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Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Having grown up in Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park was her playground. She lives in northeast Colorado with her husband of over four decades and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God’s peculiar people. Please visit her at http://www.kathleenekovach.com.

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EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

As promised, Blog...With A Giggle will host a month of heroes featured in the MISSAdventure Brides Romance Collection. First up is Allen Basart, the hero in Mary Davis's offering, Zola's Cross-Country Adventure.

And don't forget about the ***GIVEAWAY!
After you read the article, be sure to make a comment and sign up for a free book in the Rafflecopter box below. Any comment will do, but if you'd like a prompt: Share your favorite, funny, or embarrassing road trip. Or do you prefer other modes of transportation? Remember to sign in to Rafflecopter as it makes it easier to locate the winner. Have fun!

Here is Mary's Hero:

My hero in “ZOLA’S CROSS-COUNTRY ADVENTURE” in the MISSAdventure Brides Collection is Allen Basart, newspaper journalist. In my novella set in 1904, Zola has taken up the challenge to prove women are as capable as men, and to prove this, she sets out to drive an automobile from coast to coast. This at a time when automobiles were still a novelty and most people didn’t trust them.

Allen has been tasked with getting the story and is ordered to follow her. His editor wants all the muddy details of her failure and why women aren’t suited to operating automobiles. If she should happen to make it, that would make for a good story as well.

Allen doesn’t want the assignment. He’d been begging for a big, newsworthy piece to prove he could handle the job, not some mudslinging side piece about a foolish lady and her flight of fancy for the society page. This could be a disaster for his career.

In addition, he’s been assigned a rookie photographer who doesn’t know the first thing about automobiles or how to operate one. This would be the longest few days of his life.

During the course of the trip, Allen comes to respect and care for Zola. He determines to write the best story he ever has and hopefully win the heart of the courageous Zola in the process.

My hero is named after my step-dad who was my dad since I was five-years-old. (Love you and miss you, Dad!)

Happy Adventuring!

MISSAdventure Brides Collection

Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures

Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?

Releases December 1, 2018

The MISSAdventure Brides Collection would make a wonderful Christmas present!

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. She has five titles releasing in 2018; "Holly & Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection in January, Courting Her Amish Heart in March, The Widow’s Plight in July, Courting Her Secret Heart September, & “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in MISSAdventure Brides Collection in December. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Newsletter   Blog   FB   FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads  BookBub

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MissAdventure Brides - Coming December 2018

NEW ROMANCE COLLECTION

In Time For Christmas

I'm excited to announce my new book, MissAdventure Brides. My story is entitled Riders of the Painted Star and is one of seven novellas in the MISSAdventure Brides Collection by Barbour Publishing, Inc. The heroines in these stories aren’t held back by the conventions of the day. They step outside of their norms, forging their own paths. If any man gets in the way, they convince them to go along or to move aside. And in the end, they marry them.

In 1936, when my story takes place, the novelist Zane Grey had already romanticized the west earlier in the century with his tales of heroism amidst desert or mountainous backdrops. Then came the movies bringing those stories to the silver screen. Riders of the Painted Star is a nod to both print and film as it takes place at the height of the singing cowboy era. It was a time when Gene Autry and others like him rode their ponies and strummed their guitars while besting the bad guys.

The question my story asks is: What would happen if a woman wants to meet a real cowboy but falls for an actor pretending to be one instead?

My cohorts and I will be doing a blog roll, each of us hosting a specific aspect of our stories on our blogs. These will be on Heroine, Hero, Setting, History, Inspiration, Take Away, and the Antagonist. Ooo, you’ll love to hate my villain. He’s a real snake in the grass. I’ll point you to their blogs when my specific article will be up. Then, I’ll also post them all on here in December in case you missed any. Here are links for future reference:

Blogs/Facebook pages of all authors in collection:

·         Mary Davis – Hosting the Heroines  https://marydavis1.blogspot.com

·         Kathleen Kovach – Hosting Heroes   http://kathleenekovach.blogspot.com/

·         Debby Lee – Hosting the Villains/Antagonists https://www.facebook.com/booksbydebbylee or follow her newsletter: http://booksbydebbylee.com/contact.html#newsletter

·         Cynthia Hickey – Hosting the Settings https://www.facebook.com/Cynthia-Hickey-151333448227549/

·         Kimberley Woodhouse – Hosting the History   http://kimandkaylawoodhouse.com/blog/

·         Donna Schlachter – Hosting the Inspiration www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com

·         Marjorie Vawter -- Hosting the Take-Aways  http://marjorievawter.blogspot.com

You’ll meet Zadie Fitzpatrick, a successful New York artist fascinated with the old west thanks to her penchant for cowboy movies. Also, Royce Rutger, a Hollywood actor working on an Arizona dude ranch to learn how to handle horses so he can be the next singing cowboy sensation. Shh, he’s incognito and longs to tell Zadie, but circumstances dictate he not blow his cover.

But first, watch for the other authors as I host their heroes on this blog.

And of course, there’s a GIVEAWAY! Comment on this blog and enter through Rafflecopter after reading this article and subsequent articles about MISSAdventure Brides and I will give away a book at the end of November and one at the end of December.

To keep up with the fun, I suggest you either subscribe to my blog or follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Or all three!

SADDLE UP!

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Website

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest
Craft Cinema Blog

Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Having grown up in Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park was her playground. She lives in northeast Colorado with her husband of over four decades and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God’s peculiar people. Please visit her at http://www.kathleenekovach.com.

New Article on Craft Cinema - LION

I've just posted a new article on my other blog, CraftCinema.blogspot.com. Craft Cinema is dedicated to the discussion of movies as they relate to the craft of fiction. If you're a writer please check it out. Or, if you don't write but are fascinated with the process, this is the place for you. I discover new things, or review things I've already learned on there. Come have fun with me! I'll bring the popcorn! 

I admit, I usually avoid any movie the Oscars or Golden Globes deem as worthy to watch. They are usually artsy films that go over my head or platforms that go against my beliefs. Most of the time they simply aren’t my cup of tea. Lion (2016) won accolades from these organizations as well as many other awards. But somehow, I was intrigued enough to put it on my Netflix list. When it made it to the top, I decided to let it ride. It came into my home via the little red envelope and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. Yes, I’m going to buy it for my library because it’s just that good. (Don’t tell Oscar. I wouldn’t want him snickering at me.) . . . Read more

Periwinkle in the Park--The Villain

Last month, I featured the heroines of my newest book, A Bouquet of Brides, a compilation of several authors. Please scroll down the page to find those articles, or click on "A Bouquet of Brides" in the LABEL section on the right side of this blog.

In addition, the other aspects of my story are featured on the other authors' blogs as we presented a blogroll for our big debut. Here is where you can find those articles:

Heroine 


Hero

Setting


History


Inspiration

Take Away Value

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Margaret Stallworth, the heroine's antagonist. Here is her story:

The Villain

Meet Margaret Stallworth, my heroine’s nemesis in the Barbour collection, Bouquet of Brides. I wouldn’t call her a villain, necessarily. She’s just a self-centered, immature, society woman who believes the world should provide for her comfort.

That’s all.

My heroine, Periwinkle Winfield, is everything that Margaret is not. Margaret has a rich husband and resides in the most prestigious neighborhood in Denver; Peri lives in a small cabin near a river in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Margaret believes in organizing committees to bring her favorite vacation spot up to her standards; Peri wishes she would go home and leave her community in Estes Park, Colorado, alone. Margaret will not rest until she has civilized Peri and marries her off to one of Margaret’s equals; Peri is happiest alone on a hike through the forest with her faithful steed by her side, her mule, Daisy—that is until she meets her hero.

Margaret is the ultimate antagonist as she antagonizes Peri at every turn. But she means no harm. She has a fondness for projects, and Peri meets the criteria.

But Peri is just as strong-willed as Margaret, and in the end, Peri goes her own way, hiking her beloved mountains and loving the rancher by her side. Margaret, no doubt, finds another project to antagonize.

*I took the above photograph at the Estes Park Museum. Imagine my thrill when I turned the corner and there was Margaret and her Stanley Steamer. Truly a God-thing.