Cowboys make great heroes. They’re strong and rugged and oh so sexy! I’m originally from a small town in Kansas where I grew up on a farm and was riding horses as soon as I could get my feet in the stirrups, and I know there is just something special about the country and small town life. But what is it about those men that wear boots and Stetsons that makes us swoon and sigh and dream of riding off into the sunset on the back of their horse? Here’s my list of just Five Reasons We Love Cowboys… John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Scott Eastwood, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, and of course, the man who put ‘sexy’ in the phrase ‘sexy cowboy’…Sam Elliott. Enough said. Cowboys are raised to be gentleman with a code of honor and a respect for women. They open doors, say ‘yes ma’am’, and generally have a sense of chivalry. And there’s something about that deep slow drawl that feels like warm honey dripping down your spine. Cowboys are rugged. They’re tan and have great muscles built from working outdoors hauling bales of hay and driving…

Sometimes the smallest of actions reaps the biggest outcomes. What to one person, acknowledging a waiter by name, thanking for the refill of water for a parched customer, is a truly small thing but the action can brighten a day. I’ve always loved the commercial that has person after person passing it on, and watching the smiles on each person growing bigger and bigger. One job growing up that I never understood was the task of going to an older person in the community and cleaning or straightening up as an act of stewardship. I always thought, why can’t they do it? As the oldest it was my job to make sure our house was clean, the supper on the table when my father came home, so surely, this old woman could clean her own house. I was put in charge of our house when I was eleven and this woman was ancient. And I was definitely not being paid for it. This was worse than babysitting, also a task I never looked forward to doing. But my grandmother insisted I go once a month and spend Saturday afternoon helping Mrs. Curtis. So, grandmother’s word was law and off I…

To quote from the classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” This in large part has been my experience with the topsy-turvy, take no prisoners world of publishing. Like many aspiring writers I fanaticized for years what it would be like being a published author, such as seeing my novel proudly sitting on the bookstore shelf, or greeting eager fans waiting to get my autograph, or going on talk shows to share pearls of literary wisdom in front of enthusiastic audiences. But like most dreams, the reality has not quite lived up to the fantasy. How many of us have toiled in front of our computers for months and years, honing our work, polishing it to a high sheen, hoping our story grabs the attention of an acquisition editor. After receiving one rejection after another, in the mail comes THAT letter, the one that says The Really Smart Publishing House wants to publish your story. I’ve had the privilege of getting that letter. When it finally happened for me, I felt like I was on top of the world. A publisher actually wanted to publish my novel. But…

All Isabelle, my heroine in ALWAYS WITH YOU, wants is to be loved without conditions. She’s eighteen, has healed from a health setback, and after losing her mom years ago and being raised by an emotionally distant father and grandmother, wants her Prince Charming. In her mind, she doesn’t care what faith or race or background he is because she’s certain that when her heart tells her who this destined man is, she’ll have no problem recognizing him. In the meantime, she’s not especially seeking him, will wait patiently, and is ready for love when it grabs her. Love, in the very real body of an attractive young man, pays a needed visit just in time to even call him a true hero! Tyler intervenes when a gang of punky teens has less than stellar plans for Isabelle. But, many eyes around her small Adirondack town, let alone her own dad, are suspicious of the community where Tyler lives. She’s forewarned of possible dangers, but chooses to see only the Wonderful in Tyler and The Faithful, and that’s with a Capital W. What causes a fairly intelligent woman to fall for a man that society sees as less desirable? In…