I have many happy memories of visiting my maternal grandparents as a child. Inside the house on my grandparents’ wall was my grandfather’s impressive prize spur collection. Avid reader and horse lover that I was, I was always drawn to the Western Horseman magazines spread across the living room coffee table. I’d read them from […]
Story Inspiration: The real rodeo cowboy who inspired the book
In the summer of 2022, I created a side character… (in the book Blind Date with a Hero), Jason Keen was Jared’s wayward brother, a rough-and-tumble rodeo cowboy living in Western Colorado. I named him Jason in honor of my own cousin, Jason — the toughest cowboy I know. He’s fifteen or so years older […]
When the Hollywood heartthrob doesn’t get the girl + #Giveaway
If you’ve read Valerie Comer’s Her Unlikely Hero in the new Easter in Gilead series, you’ll know that her hero, Connor, wanted the role of Judas in the passion play. Connor auditions with Judas in mind, and is stunned when he’s cast in the lead role as Jesus. Connor doesn’t feel equipped to play Jesus, […]
Being a Single Dad by Travis Cavanagh
My author, Valerie Comer, asked me to share my parenting journey with you today. So, uh, here I am, not that I’m an expert. She says my story is in the book Give Me Another Chance, Cowboy, but I don’t see how it could be, not with that title, because that would be Dakota speaking, […]
I Dreamed a Dream by Deb Kastner (plus giveaway)
Have you ever tucked a dream in the back of your mind as something you’ll do someday, but not today? That was me with indie publishing. As you may know, I write for Harlequin Love Inspired. I enjoy it and intend to keep writing my series romances, but I have been envious of the indie […]
News From Nashville & Beyond
(Transcribed from a television interview with “The Music Plays… World Tour” featuring opening solo artist Kalin Lane and headliner Ashton Raines, both accompanied by their wives, Beth Raines and Danae Lane.) NFNB: First of all, welcome to you all. Thanks for sitting down with us. Ashton: Thank you for having us. NFNB: Let’s start with […]
I can’t do this…
I spend hours and days and weeks figuring a story out. Plan and plot and scheme. Fill out my charts. Figure out Goals and Motivation and Conflict. Delve into backstory. Bring my hero and heroine together and find out what brings them there and what keeps them apart. What will they learn from the events […]
Letting Go
Sometimes my stories start with a picture in my head. A scene that I can so vividly imagine it will take nothing to write it out. The book I’m working on now started out like that. A picture of a girl, wearing a dress, long hair flowing in the wind, walking along the side of […]