FEATURED BOOK AND INTERVIEW: Her Cowboy Deputy by Lacy Williams

Stranded! 

Bear Creek sheriff’s deputy Matt White is used to being the rescuer, not the rescued. But now the hurt lawman’s marooned on Catherine Poole’s remote homestead. The little girl he’d known briefly as a child is all grown up—and tugging at his heart. 

Isolated from the world around her, Catherine’s spent her whole life caring for her ailing grandfather. The last thing she needs is a cowboy stranded in her home. Let alone the memories he dredges up of a past she’s tried to put behind her. But can this deputy be her chance to finally move forward and find true happiness?

Interview:

How exciting to have Matty White and Catherine Poole, the hero and heroine from Her Cowboy Deputy written by Lacy Williams an October 2015 release from Love Inspired Historical.

Matty: Are you excited about the interview today, Catherine?

Catherine: What interview? You didn’t invite people here, did you?

Matty glances around the small clearing. Catherine’s home is a small dugout built into the Wyoming landscape. There’s a small barn off to one side, but other than a donkey flicking one ear their direction, there’s no one around.

Matty: Not people people. Readers.

Catherine, looking confused: Readers?

Matty: You know. The folks who are going to buy and read our book.

Catherine, now shaking her head: You know I don’t like crowds.

Matty: There’s no crowd here. Why don’t I ask the questions and we’ll keep it nice and quiet.

Catherine: Between the two of us?

Matty glances around again, his eyebrows raised in exaggeration.

Matty: We’re the only ones here. So, first question: tell me the most interesting thing about you.

Catherine: That’s not a question.

Matty waits.

Catherine: I’m not interesting.

Matty: Yes, you are. You know how to live off the land. You’ve been taking care of your grandpop for years. You take care of the homestead, almost all by yourself.

Catherine: That’s not interesting. It’s boring. It’s just my life.

Matty: Your life isn’t boring. I dropped in to it, didn’t I?

He grins endearingly at her.

She blushes.

Catherine: Only because the storm delivered you almost right to my doorstep!

Matty rubs at a fading scratch at his hairline.

Matty: I remember. That kind of answers the second question: what do you do for fun?

Catherine: Rescue bedraggled cowboys from drowning?

He grins.

Catherine: Or did you mean the kiddie games you like to play?

Matty: Eye spy isn’t a kiddie game. It’s for everyone.

Catherine: Oh really?

Matty: Let’s move on. What do you dread doing?

Catherine: Going to town.

Matty: That was a quick answer.

Catherine: I hate town. There’s too many folks there.

Matty: How can you say that? I don’t like it out here. It’s far too quiet. Nothing going on.

Catherine just harrumphs.

Matty: Next question—

Catherine: Can’t we be done yet?

Matty: There’s six questions left.

Catherine wrinkles her nose, then looks off in the distance. He can see from the set of her jaw that she’s a little upset.

Matty: What is the most important thing to you.

Catherine (firmly): My grandfather. He’s taken care of me since my mama died.

Matty nods.

Matty: I’ve seen the way you take care of him. It’s obvious you love him.

Catherine: He’s been my only family for years.

Matty: I think that’s pretty admirable.

She blushes again.

Matty: I guess we can skip the rest of the questions. I think readers can get to know you from what you’ve said here today.

Catherine: Who are the readers, again?

 

Grab a copy of one of Lacy’s books free by visiting her website www.lacywilliams.net.

USA Today bestselling author Lacy Williams works in a hostile environment (read: three kids age 5 and under). In spite of this, she has somehow managed to be a hybrid author since 2011, publishing 22 books & novellas. Lacy’s books have finaled in the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards (2012, 2013, & 2014), the Golden Quill and the Booksellers Best Award. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc.

Procrastination: my favorite friend

Hi, Craftie Readers! Lacy Williams here to chat about procrastination.

This is possibly on of my worst faults. If I know about a project in advance, I’ll mull it over. I’ll brainstorm. I’ll percolate.

But until the deadline looms, I procrastinate.

Daughter’s birthday? I’ve got time. Family event? It will get done. Book deadline? We’re good. I can juggle several projects and still get it done.

Until crunch time. When it’s cutting it close, that’s when I’m inspired and when most of my best work comes. That last week before the deadline is busy, intense, but also lights my fire. And then when I'm done, I give myself at least a day or two of well-deserved rest. Ha!

The hero of my December 2014 release, A Cowboy for Christmas, has a deadline looming… sort of. Ricky White has a secret, and he wants to tell the heroine before she finds out his part in the disaster that cost her a major life change. But when he starts falling for her, it’s already too late… This is the fifth book in my Wyoming Legacy series. Her Convenient Cowboy and Her Cowboy Deputy will be out in 2015.

What about you? Do you work well under pressure? Or do you hate deadlines? Leave a comment and let me know!


Fun note: I was over at Amazon today and saw A Cowboy for Christmas was on sale, discounted to $3.79. If you’d like to try this book, now is a good time to buy!

Book blurb:

After an accident leaves her injured, Daisy Richards stays secluded at her family's Wyoming ranch to avoid the town's gawking stares. Yet handsome cowboy newcomer Ricky White insists she can do anything she dreams—ride a horse, decorate a Christmas tree…even steal a man's heart. 

Once a reckless cad, Ricky is to blame for what happened to Daisy. Now reformed, he wants to make amends by setting things right for his boss's beautiful daughter in time for the holidays. But Daisy doesn't know Ricky's responsible for her predicament. When the truth is revealed, will he lose the greatest gift he's ever received—her trust?

More reviews about this book:

http://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-cowboy-for-christmas.html

http://missbatesreadsromance.com/2014/12/30/review-lacy-williams-a-cowboy-for-christmas/

About Lacy:

USA Today bestselling author Lacy Williams grew up on a farm, which is where her love of cowboys was born. In reality, she's married to a right-brained banker (happily with three kiddos). She gets to express her love of western men by writing historical romance. Her books have finaled in the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards (2012, 2013 & 2014), the Golden Quill and the Booksellers Best Award. If you’d like to try one of Lacy’s novellas for free, sign up for her newsletter at her website www.lacywilliams.net.

Lacy Williams: We interrupt this scene

Lacy Williams here with a we interrupt this scene post.

If you've followed my Wyoming Legacy series, you know that older brothers Oscar and Maxwell have found love with some pretty spunky women. And now it's Edgar's turn...

Cowboy Edgar White has met his match in Fran Morris, who is on a mission to protect her younger sister. They've been hitched--only as a convenience--and are currently driving a bunch of cattle toward the railroad for a sale (Fran is driving the chuck wagon). It's been several days on the trail, and... well, I'll just let you peek in on what's going on:

It made for a drowsy morning, especially with the bright spring sun glaring in her eyes.
She was glad to take a mid-morning break.
Fran walked a bit away from the wagon, stretching the kinks out of her still-sore muscles.
The grass in this area was taller than her knees, and dotted with wildflowers. It smelled fresh and springy, and she felt hope for the first time in a long time.
Edgar hadn’t made any declarations. But didn’t actions speak louder than words? This morning had given her a tiny kernel of hope.
Contemplative, she sat down among the prairie grass, letting the sun warm her shoulders.
Then she thought she’d like to feel it on her face, so she laid down and spread her arms, face turned up to the sky.
It stretched, limitless and blue, like the possibilities before her.
Could she and Emma be happy on a ranch? She could. She knew it.
A shadow fell over her face.
She opened her eyes, raising up on her elbows to face the man standing over her.
“What are you doing?” Edgar’s voice revealed his curious confusion.
“Enjoying the day,” she retorted, lying back down to stare up at the puffy clouds against the blue sky. “You’ve been driving all of us so hard I thought I could take a few moments for myself.”
He settled beside her in the grass, heads tucked together, only inches apart. “Tyrant that I am, I’m only giving you two more minutes,” he said. He sat his Stetson on his chest.
He took a deep breath. She felt more than saw the motion, as his feet were pointed in the opposite direction of hers, and she couldn’t really see his chest.
“How long has it been since you stopped to smell wildflowers?” she asked, genuinely curious. “You haven’t stopped working since I met you.”
“It’s not always so bad,” he murmured. “Things around the homestead slow down in the winter months. There’s time for reading, games… But in spring there’s planting, calves being born, steers to sell…”
They were silent for a moment before he went on. “And I guess my brothers are probably right—I’ve been working more and not taking time to slow down and have fun like I used to.”
“Too afraid some eligible girl might catch your fancy?” she asked, only half teasing.
He snorted. “Didn’t stop you,” he said, reaching over to tweak her nose.
“Ha.” She swatted at his hand, and he captured her fingers. Slowly, he interlaced their fingers, surrounding her hand with the warmth of his larger one. He kept her hand, their clasp resting lightly on his shoulder.
“Just didn’t—don’t want to let my pa down. With Maxwell gone to medical school and Oscar married, more work falls on him.”
“But doesn’t your oldest brother still live on the ranch?”
“Yeah, across the valley. But he’s busy with his own family.”
“And the other brothers? Seems like they’re all of age…able to help take on more responsibility….”
He turned his head, the soft grasses beneath him rustling.

Photo courtesy www.scx.hu #1212249

She turned to meet his gaze straight on. From only inches away, the intensity of his blue eyes caught her breath.
“And what of Ricky?” she asked softly. “Maybe he could bear a little more of the load?”
“You’re not going to let my excuses stand, are you?” he asked.
“Should I?”
That one corner of his mouth kicked up. “You’re intent on turning every cranny of my life inside-out, aren’t you? The only one who challenges me.”
==We interrupt this scene==
Lacy: Edgar, I've got to grab you for a quick interview for this blog post.
Edgar: (sighs) Fine. But I was enjoying a private moment with Fran there...
Lacy: Yes, I saw. You seem like you're getting along pretty well.
Edgar: (neck turns red) She's something, isn't she?
Lacy: Are you starting to trust her yet? Because you've had trust issues all throughout this book.
Edgar: I... don't know. She's different than the other gals of my acquaintance. Pushes me. But there is the fact that she was in the middle of a deception when we met.
Lacy: She didn't really have a choice.
Edgar: (he shrugs, looks off in the distance)
Lacy: Don't you think you could forgive that one little untruth about her age, since she was really protecting her sister?
Edgar: I guess I would do the same for one of my brothers. If I was really stuck and there was no other choice.
Lacy: See.
Edgar: Doesn't mean I like being lied to.
Lacy: You got stuck in this marriage of inconvenience--
Edgar: Who came up with that tagline anyway?
Lacy: Marketing.
Edgar: Figures.
Lacy: Ssh. You're hijacking my interview. So you got stuck in this marriage. Any chance it could turn into a real love match?
Edgar: I guess we'll have to see what happens with Fran and me. Can I get back to the meadow now?
Lacy: Sure.

The Wrangler's Inconvenient Wife is an August 1 release and available for pre-order now. Click here to grab a copy.

Book blurb:

With no family to watch over them, it's up to Fran Morris to take care of her younger sister, even if it means marrying a total stranger. Gruff, strong and silent, her new husband is a cowboy down to the bone. He wed Fran to protect her, not to love her, but her heart has never felt so vulnerable. 

Trail boss Edgar White already has all the responsibility he needs at his family's ranch in Bear Creek, Wyoming. He had intended to remain a bachelor forever, but he can't leave Fran and her sister in danger. And as they work on the trail together, Edgar starts to soften toward his unwanted wife. He already gave Fran his name…can he trust her with his heart? 

And don't miss, A Cowboy for Christmas (Ricky's story), a December 2014 release!

Cowboys

Lacy Williams here - What is it about cowboys that we can't get enough of?

“A man’s got to have a code, a creed to live by.” –John Wayne

For me as a writer, part of it is the idea that these men (and some women!) battled the elements, tangled with ornery animals, and sometimes fought against wild animals. They must've been some of the hardest workers, fighting against those conditions for a little profit at the end of the season!

“Look at all the stars. You look up and you think, "God made all this and He remembered to make a little speck like me." It's kind of flattering, really.” –Tombstone

I grew up on my grandpa's farm and he often went birdwatching with me. Watching those little winged creatures amazed me. God created them, made them be able to defy gravity, provides food for them even in the winter... it's kind of amazing, really.

For the cowboys I write, seeing God's handiwork is also something that deepens their lives.

“First getting shot, then getting married. Bad habits.” – The Long Riders

And then, of course, my cowboys have to have someone who w
ill side with them against nature, against wild creatures and fight for love. She won't always understand him, but his loyalty, integrity and grit will win her over.

What about you? Do you love cowboys and cowboy books?

Here's a blurb on my latest Love Inspired Historical, Return of the Cowboy Doctor:

Two years shy of his medical degree, cowboy Maxwell White is out of money. So, he's back in Bear Creek, Wyoming, working part-time for the local physician. Though he is immediately drawn to the doctor's lovely, whip-smart daughter, she seems to be irritated by Maxwell's very existence. 
Hattie Powell can't quash her feelings for the town's new would-be doctor. But that's exactly why she must keep him at a distance. Hattie is closer than ever to fulfilling her lifelong wish of becoming a doctor. Now, the only thing standing in her way is the man of her dreams. 

And I'm thrilled to announce that I'm part of a collection called FIRST KISSES, available now. It's on sale for only 99 cents, for a limited time.

Leave a comment about why you like cowboys today and be entered to win a paperback copy of RETURN OF THE COWBOY DOCTOR. 

Courted By A Cowboy Interview

 How exciting to have _Sam Castlerock, the hero from COURTED BY A COWBOY written by  Lacy Williams_ a July 2013 release from Love Inspired Historical .

1.  Sam, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I never planned on being a cowboy. I’ve wanted to be in the family business (banking) for as long as I can remember. But when my sister Penny married homesteader Jonas White (THE HOMESTEADER’S SWEETHEART, 2012), he taught me what it means to be a real man and now I’m wondering if being a cowboy might be a better profession for me.

2.  What do you do for fun?

It’s not easy watching out for animals on the range—especially when the critters seem to want to get into trouble at every turn. When I get to town, I enjoy eating supper with a pretty girl… helping a local homesteader try and save his property… tweaking my older sister’s pigtails (figuratively—she tends to wear her hair up)… playing with her toddlers.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

That would be talking to my father, especially if what I need to talk to him about is important. We’ve had some disagreements along the way… mostly my fault. I’ve spent the last couple of years trying to make things right with him but it seems like he’s always disappointed in me.

4.  What are you afraid of?

Snakes. After an incident with a bedroll and a rattler early on in my cowboy career, you’d better believe I sleep with my boots on now.

5.  What do you want out of life?

I used to think what I wanted was to make my father proud, but after getting to know Emily Sands, I’m coming to realize that I’ve got to be man enough to be proud of myself. She’s taught me a lot…

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

Keeping my word. That’s why I’m having such trouble with this bank deal. My father gave me one more shot at proving to him I could be in the family business—but Emily and the folks here in Bear Creek have made me have a change of heart. So now… do I break my word, let my father down… or follow my heart?

7.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

The mistakes I made in my teen years. It’s what started it all, when I first started disappointing my father… and some people can never forgive.

8.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

Does a horse count? My trusty steed is a dappled gray gelding with a constant hankering for green apples.

9. Can you tell us a little interesting tidbit about the time period you live in?

There’s a lot of changes. New medicines—but my pal Maxwell can tell you about that. He’s the hero of RETURN OF THE COWBOY DOCTOR (Dec 2013). New inventions, new horizons. The West isn’t as wild as it used to be as more people head our way. But there’s still room for big dreams… and cowboys.

COURTED BY A COWBOY will be free on all major online retailers (Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com , and others) beginning July 1.