A few days ago, Marry Me for Real, Cowboy hit the virtual bookshelves, kicking off my seventh Christian contemporary romance series… and my second western romance series. It occurred to me a while back that I had never done a sibling series. Oh, most of my series have had siblings in them, but never before did I sit down to plan a series focused on only siblings.
Well, that had to change, right? While it’s not completely unusual to have a family of six brothers, it’s not super common, either. But wait, would a blended family work? I began to poke at the idea of a set of his’n hers sons. Five to one? Four to two? Three to three? After much deliberation, I decided on an even split.
Then I got to decide what happened to the parents’ previous spouses, and when. How long has this blended family been together? Do the parents have a strong marriage? Do the stepbrothers get along?
Oh, so many possibilities!
Declan Cavanagh’s first wife left him and their three sons when the boys were 11, 9, and 5. Not long after, the neighboring rancher passed away from cancer, leaving his widow, Kathryn, with three sons: a 12-year-old and a set of twins two years younger.
I could see why Declan might want to remarry. His boys were a major handful, and he had a large ranch to run a 30-minute drive from town. The poor man needed all the help he could get. But why would Kathryn entertain the thought, when her marriage had been happy? Well, medical debt, maybe. And, oh!!! I had another idea. Something I could sprinkle clues about throughout the books.
And then the brainwave came.
What if Declan and Kathryn’s marriage is in trouble now that their boys are all in their twenties? I could toss in another set of twins — girls, this time — from early in their marriage. Young teens, now. And I could give the parents’ story an arc of its own that would come in pieces throughout the series. I quickly made notes on that. Not too many, since I am not a plotter at heart. Just enough that I could roughly see what stage their story needed to be at throughout each of the six books.
This stock photo captures my image of the senior Cavanaghs!
Kathryn’s sons are, not surprisingly, better adjusted than Declan’s. After all, they remember a happy home from their childhood. They know about love, about chivalry, and about faith.
Oh! I write Christian romance. Sure, every cowboy will have his struggles, but did I want to incorporate a salvation story in half the novels? No. So with the kind of background they’d had, why would Declan’s boys have a faith foundation?
Scribble, scribble. More ideas for that. The young men’s personalities and past problems began to firm up, along with titles representing the tropes as they came out of the mist.
With the ranch and family dynamics in place, I focused on Kathryn’s oldest son, Adam. I was in the process of writing the final Saddle Springs Romance story at this stage, The Cowboy’s Reluctant Bride. I interwove a few pieces of Adam’s story into Bride, making Adam and Sawyer Delgado (Bride’s hero) rodeo buddies. I hoped the connection between series would help bring readers from Saddle Springs to Cavanagh Cowboys, but just as important was the fact that I was getting to know Adam myself.
Adam ran off to join the rodeo right out of high school. A big part of that was to get away from his stepfather and Declan’s oldest son, Travis. But now Adam is coming home, dragging his heels every step of the way, worried about the reception he’ll get and if it is really worth it to return to Rockstead Ranch.
Enter Riley Dunning, a young woman with a big problem of her own, and by the end of the first chapter, Adam has seen a solution to both their issues: a fake engagement that will only need to last a few months. Then they’ll both be able to achieve what they want most.
What could possibly go wrong?
Adam Cavanagh’s rodeo championship tastes like dirt after a competitor’s critical injury, but going home to his family’s Montana ranch isn’t much of an improvement. If not even the coveted trophy earns his stepfather’s respect, what will it take?
Riley Dunning’s quick thinking is all that’s keeping her body, soul, and principles together, but demanding a kiss from a hunky cowboy to deter the weirdo following her might be taking things too far… especially when the cowboy comes up with a risky plan that might offer them both stability. If it doesn’t backfire completely.
Will a fake engagement give Adam and Riley the leg up they each need, or will the cost to their hearts be too high? Because neither believes the other will want to marry them… for real.
And that’s how the Cavanagh Cowboys Romance series was born.
Marry Me for Real, Cowboy is available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited.
Do you love series with a romance for each sibling? What’s your favorite Christian contemporary romance series set up this way?
Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner who writes where food meets faith and fiction. She injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Her life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
What an interesting process for creating the story outline.
I can’t think of any sibling series at the moment. As long as the stories are good I enjoy reading them.
I can’t think of a series with a romance for each sibling. I like the concept though.
I adore series… friends, siblings, cousins….what ever works, lol.
I love reading series and love to hear how each story came about. :) This series sounds great.
Me, too! The stories need to be excellent regardless of whether the characters are sibs or not!
It’s been fun so far :)
Ha, yes! Whatever works… :)
There’s been a good response so far! And yes, I love series as a reader, too.
I love the blended family sibling concept! I’m tackling a series with sextuplets and it is daunting. I can’t wait to get my hands on your series. It sounds fantastic!
Wow, sextuplets? That does sound daunting! But kind of fun, actually…!
Thanks for sharing that process. Very cool!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Just bought my copy! :)
I’ve read several good sibling series, but I think my favorite is a tie between Dee Henderson’s O’Malleys series and Kimberly Rae Jordan’s Callaghan and McFadden series.
Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series, Liwen Ho’s Spark Brothers, and Hallee Bridgeman’s Jewel Series! Dee Henderson’s characters were blood related, but they each changed their names and became a family. I love books like this! I can see my TBR stack is going to grow again!
Didn’t Elizabeth Maddrey’s Baxter series all center on siblings? I loved the series and am pretty sure they were all siblings. Loved reading about the process of coming to this series, and love cowboy stories at that. :)
I am so looking forward to this series!
Thank you!!!!
I was wondering when someone would bring up Kimberly Rae Jordan’s series! I enjoyed that one, as well.
And yes to Liwen’s Spark brothers! I haven’t read all of that series of Hallee’s, but some!
YES! I was hoping someone would mention Elizabeth Maddrey’s Baxter siblings! The series is Baxter Family Bakery. Loved them!
Thank you! Book one is out now :)
Valerie, it sounds wonderful! I love series with siblings! Your story actually reminded me of my friend – he has six kids (wife passed away) and she has three daughters (husband left) AND they have one child together :)
Now I bet that makes some interesting dynamics!!!
I can certainly see some issues with the siblings. You have the abandonment issues for Declans boys and I could see other issues with Kathryn’s boys losing a father. I could see her oldest wanting to become the man of the house (thats what happened when dad died when I was 11, my brother tried to act like he was the man of the house and mum let him to a degree which has caused a lot of issues in our relationship).
I think it’s good to show while blended families can work well there is also lots of issues with establishing new pecking orders. Both oldest boys would suddenly be pitted against each other going from being oldest to one now having an older brother and that would definitely cause problems.
Jillian Harts Granger family was a really good series of siblings (both boys and girls) and set on the farm. Throw in a romance of the father that happened over several books in the background it was a really good series.
Hi Jenny, sounds like your thought process went something like mine! Yes, there’s a lot to consider in a blended family with kids that age (or always, I’m sure!)
It’s a nice way for a series to evolve.
Thanks! I think it is working out well. :)
I love Family Saga Series, I love it when the characters grow up and have families of their own. Thank you for sharing about your book series and how your thinking process works, I love it. Have a Great weekend and stay safe. God Bless you.
Thank you, you too!
I’m loving the book so far!0 Kimberly Rae Jordan has a so Kong’s series called the Callaghans and McFadden (I think. It’s late and I’m too tired to double check) that is really great! They’re also a blended family with a couple of kids added after the blend as well, but no western/cowboy theme.
Hi Melynda! Yes, I enjoyed that series by Kimberly Rae Jordan, too.
I’ve read several books that feature sibling storylines. Some by Denise Hunter and Susan May Warren wrote some too.
Yes, I’ve read some of Denise Hunter’s and know what you mean, but I can’t put a finger on titles at the moment!
Several of the series that I liked have already been mentioned. Elizabeth Maddrey’s Baxter brothers being high on the list.
Here’s some others to consider:
Irene Hannon – Men of Valor Trilogy. Three brothers, all ex-military. Romantic suspense.
Liz Isaacson – Whittaker Brothers. Billionaire ranching brothers (4, I think).
Becky Doughty – Seven Virtues Ranch – Seven sisters (still in progress, 5 of 7 available)
I’m sure there have been others but nothing is coming to mind.
I enjoy series of almost any kind because they offer a continuing world that is fun to get lost in. Your Saddle Springs set is on my TBR list. The new one sounds like an interesting challenge!
Yes, I’ve read some of those! And totally love Elizabeth Maddrey’s Baxter Family Bakery series… and everything else she’s written, to be honest!
Thanks for reading Saddle Springs!
I loved reading your thought process on developing this new series. I have read the Baxter Family Bakery series, the O’Malley family, the Carmichael brothers from Valerie Comer’s Cowboy series, and the Walker brothers by Liz Isaacson. I am looking forward to reading your new series!
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed!!! But I can’t take credit for any Carmichael series :)
Of course I love a series where each sibling gets their happily-ever-after! I love seeing each character fall in love & the journey it took to get there :-)
Maybe Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter series? I enjoy each one of those and then there’s Becky Wade’s Bradford Sister series…so many I’ve read that I can’t possibly name them all! I can’t really come up with a blended family series off the top of my head though. I’ve also read about a group of friends who’ve known each other since high school and go into adulthood still as close as ever, and each one of them find love. That’s always fun too!
Your cowboy series sounds wonderful Valerie, I will have to check them out for myself :-) I have KU so I can borrow them!
There are so many ways to choose the characters for a series! Honestly, they usually volunteer once I get going writing, so it was fun (and different) to start with a clear set of characters this time.
I hope you enjoy the read :)
I love reading series that have a book for each sibling. I like seeing the different dynamics between the siblings and the individual challenges that they each have to face. I read Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series a long time ago and really enjoyed it.
The dynamics are fun to set up, too :)
Karen Kingsbury has her crazy big Baxter family, which is multiple series about three generations of a family, not necessarily romance though. Becky Wade has her Porter family romance series, which centers on a ranch family. One of the brothers was a rodeo star that quit after seeing a bad injury, and it made me think of Sawyer! I like stories where there is continuity of characters, whether it’s a family, friends group, or town. It’s why I love FFR and UFFR!!
Thanks so much, Mandy!!