Monday, August 12, 2013

THE WOMEN WHO LOVE COWBOYS

Isn't that most women? Oh, maybe we don't want to marry one, but we enjoy reading about them. At least I enjoy reading about them . . . and writing about them. What kind of women to cowboys find attractive? A western woman must be spunky, possess determination, know how to take care of her man, and being beautiful doesn't hurt.

For instance, let's discuss the women who captured the hearts of the Stone brothers in the Men of Stone Mountain series.

Hope Montoya not only possessed beauty, but intelligence and compassion. When she realized someone among her friends and family wanted her dead, she had the wits to defeat the killer. Hope was born to a cold couple who showed her no affection. In fact, they taught her that any display of emotion indicated weakness. Yet Jorge Montoya, her father lashed out in anger whenever anyone displeased him. He never bothered with a compliment. Even though a wealthy man, Jorge hoarded his wealth without a care for those less fortunate. How Hope acquired compassion for those less fortunate is as much a mystery as who wanted to kill her. Jorge never let anyone forget that he descended from Spanish aristocracy. No one was good enough to marry his daughter, and he let Micah Stone know that a lowly cowboy rancher had not even the right to dance with Hope.

Alice Price had lived an isolated life and had a hard time trusting any man. From the time her father died and Mama married Pa when she was young, she left Pa's ranch only once. Pa said a woman as pretty as Mama and a girl as cute as Alice attracted too much attention. Notice was the thing he wanted least, but he was good to her and Mama. She didn't realize the life they led kept them prisoners on his ranch. She knew Pa was into thieving, though not how much, but she had no chance to leave his ranch. She nursed her Mama several years. When Mama died, Alice planned to leave, but then Pa turned up sick and she stayed to care for the man who'd treated her like his own daughter. Pa knew his two sons were worthless, so he helped Alice make plans for her escape once he had died. He didn't count on her not knowing her way around or being able to navigate through the Palo Pinto Mountains. With her stepbrothers close on her trail, luck was with her the evening she threw in with Zach Stone. But could she trust him? He said he was a rancher, but that's what Pa had told folks, too.

Rosalyn had been pressured by her ambitious father into marrying a man much older than her for whom she had no affection. He was a brutal man and she longed to escape him. She didn't know who killed her former husband, but she knew she hadn't been guilty. She figured she would hang anyway. From her cell window, she watched the scaffold being built. Before she could be unjustly executed, a tornado swirled through the town and set her free. She reclaimed her daughter, Lucy, and left for parts west. When she'd traveled to what she thought must be the ends of the earth, she set up as a seamstress. Drat, the first person she met was a sheriff, Joel Stone, and he appeared determined to woo her. A sheriff--the last person whose attention she wanted to attract. Already there might be wanted posters arriving across his desk with her description. What should she do?

These three women are the heroines of BRAZOS BRIDE, HIGH STAKES BRIDE, and BLUEBONNET BRIDE.  The books are available individually at most online sources or as a boxed set from Amazon.
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Thanks for stopping by!


2 comments:

Ruby said...

Alice Price was my older sisters name and it really stood out. All of your female characters are fascinating.I haven't read all of the Brazos series, but I'm getting there.

Jan Hougland said...

I just can't help it, Caroline. I just love cowboys. Was raised with 'em, had crushes on 'em, watched 'em hurt themselves in rodeos, saw how hard they worked, how hard they played and loved. They did some of these to excess, but most folks do in one form or another. I like the cowboy code. They were always polite and held women in high regard. Can't ignore that! jdh2690@gmail.com