Romancing the West Blog Hop

WELCOME TO THE ROMANCING THE WEST BLOG TOUR
Why do we enjoy writing and reading about the West? What is it about cowboys that is just plain irresistible? Over thirty authors and bloggers tackle these and other questions by explaining why we love Romancing the West.

But that’s not all, as you enjoy some awesome blogs and find fantastic books, for every post you comment on with your email address, you will be entered for some amazing prizes.

***PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO QUALIFY***

Grand Prize: A swag pack which includes books (both ebooks and paper), Amazon gift card, custom made butterfly jewelry, book cards, magnets and much more all tucked away in a keepsake box. (Available to US residents only. Winner will be announced on February 26 at 10 PM EST)

I’d never heard of cowboys or the American west until my parents brought me to Canada as a little girl. TV came with three channels (yes, it was back in the Stone Age), and prime time and Saturdays were filled with series set in the old west. Every week, I’d be glued to the TV to watch the The Lone Ranger and The Cisco Kid bringing outlaws to justice. Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok upheld the law in places like Tombstone and Ellis County, Kansas. Annie Oakley was my hero, and The Big Valley and Bonanza taught me everything I’d need to know to run my own ranch.

It was a violent time, but on TV, the good guys (the ones in the white hats) always won. I have no idea what attracted me to that period in history. I’ve never lost my love of the old west and the men and women who settled it. Maybe one of these days westerns will make a comeback. I’ll be there in front of my TV, popcorn ready. I suppose that’s why, when I decided to write, it seemed a natural fit to write about heroes and heroines from that long-ago time.

I’d love to hear what you think. Leave me a comment (including your email address), and when the blog hop is over, I’ll give away two e-copies of my historical western romance, Emma’s Wish.

Here’s the blurb for EMMA’S WISH:

Still grieving his wife’s death, Sam Jenkins needs a mother for his children. He can’t build his ranch and care for three precocious youngsters alone. Emma Witherspoon has accepted the fact that she will never have a husband and children of her own, but that doesn’t ease the ache in her heart. When Emma makes Sam an offer he can’t refuse, neither of them can foresee the changes in their lives because of two little words – “I do.”

Here’s a short excerpt from the opening scene:

Texas, 1880

“Please don’t send us away, Pa.” Six-year-old Nathan tugged on the rolled up sleeve of his father’s shirt. “We’ll be good. We promise. Don’t we, Joseph?”

Beside him, his older brother nodded vigorously, then scrubbed at his tear-stained eyes with his grimy knuckles.

Studying the two boys, Becky’s head bobbed in agreement, setting her pale blonde curls bouncing. She was too young to understand the significance of what Sam had just told them, but whatever her brothers did, Becky followed suit, as much as any three-year-old could.

Sam Jenkins raked his fingers through his hair. God, if there was any other way … But there wasn’t. It was the right thing to do. He’d done his best to look after the children and the ranch, if it could be called that – but it wasn’t good enough. He was failing at both, and now he had to muster up the courage to do what was best for them, no matter how painful it was. Seeing the children lined up in front of him, looking at him as if he was some kind of monster, just about tore his heart out.

Leaning over, he picked Becky up and settled her on his lap. Her pudgy arms reached up around his neck, and she planted a loud smacking kiss on his cheek.

Swallowing painfully against the grief choking him, he took Nathan’s small hand. His gaze rested on the calluses on the little boy’s palm. Dammit, his hands shouldn’t already show signs of hard labor. Youngsters shouldn’t have to work that hard.

This was exactly why he’d made the decision, the decision the children hated him for right now. But they’d thank him later. He had to believe that.

He was doing this for their own good. Sam had to remind himself of that every single day. By sending them back east to live with his wife’s parents, he was giving them the life they deserved, a life of privilege and wealth. But even though his reasons made sense, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that he was making a huge mistake.

“It’s just for a little while.” He tried to sound convincing, but the promise rang false even to his own ears. “Right now, I need to work too hard–”

“We can help,” Joseph volunteered. “I’m almost a man. You said so yourself when Ma died.”

When Ma died. That said it all. Their lives had fallen apart when Catherine died six months before. The children had lost their mother, and he’d lost the only woman he’d ever loved.

 

Emma’s Wish is available on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Apple and Smashwords

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Comments

Romancing the West Blog Hop — 27 Comments

  1. I love the mythology of the Old West, and I’ve always said if I get the chance to time travel, I’m going there – first. And I miss those old TV westerns…I’m hoping the Lone Ranger flick brings back more westerns!

  2. I loved watching those old tv westerns, always enjoy when they show an afternoon of John Wayne movies, even though have seen them all so many times, just fun to watch them again.
    skpetal at hotmail dot com

  3. Even I loved those old westerns, although we didn’t get many of them in Ireland when I was growing up. But what I did see made a deep impression — amongst all the settling, a streak of passion was always clear. Nice post, Margery.

  4. I remember watching John Wayne movies with my grandfather. I loved the good guys, bad guys, and how the good always won. I am also a big fan of Clint Eastwood. His westerns were on during my teen years. I have introduced my kids to them, and they love them as well.
    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

  5. Hi Margery,
    The storyline for Emma’s Wish sounds like it could have come from “Bonanza” or “Here Comes The Brides” and it certainly fits the programming for the Hallmark channel or ABC Family. I’d love to see how you bring Emma and Sam Jenkins together and the impact it makes on the children. It’s tricky finding a balance between creating a romance and keeping small children involved in the story. I think I would like to see your story made into film. 😀 It would be nice if television stations brought back mini-series for this occasion.
    susan_francesny [at] hotmail [dot] com

  6. I think the West holds and allure that everyone craves. It’s different for everyone, just like it was for the people who settled this wild untamed land. I love the west for the vastness of it and for the love of the farm life I lived as a kid. And most of my westerns will always be set on ranches for this reason. Sure, I grew up in Pennsylvania and yes, there are big farms in PA, but the west holds a freedom that setting a story in PA wouldn’t. Besides–the west has cowboys, PA doesn’t… It’s as simple as that…LOL

  7. Love the old westerns. Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, John Wayne. American classics. There is just something about cowboys. Your book sounds very good. Pretty cover.
    katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

  8. Sara, a friend once told me she thought I lived in the old west in a previous life. Who knows? Maybe I did. It’s as good an explanation as any for why I was drawn to it even as a kid.

  9. Sue brandes, thanks for visiting. The old westerns were a bit cheesy 🙂 but I loved them. Thanks for the compliment. I love the cover of Emma’s Wish.

  10. kchorak, I hope you’re right. It would be nice to have a western series back on network TV. The shows on HBO and AMC are a bit violent for me.

  11. your book reminds me of a little backstory in the tv show deadwood. which is my all time favorite. i know it is a million times more racy than the old westerns, but i love that part of history! i live in utah and have visited some old “ghost towns” and just love the stories of the old west. thanks for being a part of the hop! have emma’s wish on my TBR.
    pepperpenn42 at gmail dot com

  12. I grew up watching old westerns like Bonanza and Gunsmoke. When I first started reading I read a lot of western romances and have been hooked on them ever since.
    sstrode at scrtc dot com

  13. Aww! This sounds like a great book! Definitely one to get absorbed in! Thank you for the awesome hop and giveaway!!! 🙂
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com