The Cowboy's Faith

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and I'm really excited to share about my latest release, The Cowboy's Faith.


I've been dreaming of writing this book for a while now, so it's really exciting to finally see it in print. As many of you know, we have mustangs. We heard about the mustang prison training program years ago because many of the horses in our daughters' riding organization got some of their mustangs there. And, we've had friends who utilized the same program to get their horses. So, when we started talking about getting horses, we knew that's where we'd get ours. Mustangs are my girls' favorite breed, and I absolutely love the idea of giving prisoners a second chance in life by working with the horses. Because of that, I've always had in the back of my mind that I'd write a story based on this program. However, it wasn't until we got our mustang and began working with a trainer that I figured out my story.

Training Stunner. 

Being part of the process was so moving for me that I wanted to turn it into a book. Over the years, I've met so many horses people have given up on, and most of them just need a little extra love and the right kind of training, but not everyone has the patience for it. And, as my readers will see from the progression of the story, it's a metaphor for what we as humans need as well.

The best part about working with a horse and watching it grow is how that work also impacts the people working with the horse. It's helped us grow as a family, and, as you'll see in my story, it helped the characters grow in a very special way.

The girls hanging out in our pasture with our mustangs. All of our mustangs came from prison training programs.

I hope you'll all follow me on social media as we do more work towards the release. We've got some fun videos and other great behind the scenes info about mustangs. My girls are helping me show off the horses, and I'm so excited to share it with you.

In the meantime, pick up a copy of the book, and let me know what you think!

About Danica Favorite:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor   
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite

Coming in July from Danica:

His secret past. His second chance.

Three Sisters Ranch could be his way home…

When inexperienced rancher Nicole Bell starts training her troubled mare, Fernando Montoya has just the expertise she needs. But helping Nicole brings Fernando dangerously close to revealing the secret he’d rather keep hidden: he learned the skill in prison. While the horse draws them together, can Fernando find a way to tell her the truth…and keep it from pulling them apart? 

Graduations and new seasons of life

Love my sweet girl!

Cowgirl performing in a show last summer

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and I am in the throes of graduation preparation for my daughter, Cowgirl. It's a busy time, checking all the things off our lists, and making sure everything is done and ready for the big day on Saturday. She'll be going off to college in the fall, and because she's going to be far away, I'm making the most of every minute I have left with her. 

One of the things that's been the hardest for me is that as I've had to turn in various collages and pictures is finding pictures to use. My photo files are so full and disorganized. For example, I had in mind a couple of pictures I wanted to share here, but I can't find them. So, while you aren't getting the ones I wanted, you'll at least get some cute ones. :)As I've spent hours going through pictures, I've been struck by what a wonderful life we've had so far with Cowgirl. We've been truly blessed, and I'm grateful for all the things we've shared. People ask if I'm going to miss her, and wonder how I can let her go so far. It's hard, letting her go, but I've always encouraged her to follow her dreams, and this is the best opportunity for her to do so. And I know that we will create new memories and they will be just as precious for us. 

I tried to arrange the pictures here, but my computer kept freezing, so it's not as pretty as I'd hoped, but I hope you enjoy! And, hopefully, this is a fun look at some of the inspiration behind my stories about horses and kids!

I'd love to hear your tips on how you organize and label your photos. I noticed that with a lot of the pictures of my kids and their friends, we don't remember the friends' names! I also still want to make a video montage of all the photos to play at her graduation party, so share your favorite tips!

She has always loved horses and used to pretend to be one

Such a horse lover!

One of her first big girl rides!

Even a dog could be a horse to her!

Farewell Cowgirl!

About Danica Favorite:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor  
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite

Coming in July from Danica:

His secret past. His second chance.

Three Sisters Ranch could be his way home…

When inexperienced rancher Nicole Bell starts training her troubled mare, Fernando Montoya has just the expertise she needs. But helping Nicole brings Fernando dangerously close to revealing the secret he’d rather keep hidden: he learned the skill in prison. While the horse draws them together, can Fernando find a way to tell her the truth…and keep it from pulling them apart?

Sometimes God says no

The night we got Ava

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and I have some sad news to share. For those of you who have been following the journey of our horse, Ava, I'm sad to report that she colicked and passed away as a result earlier this month. It's been a difficult month for us, in a lot of ways, and Ava's loss had been harder on us than I would have thought.

The morning of her passing, Hubby went out and found her struggling. He got our daughter, and they quickly realized it was colic. She was rushed to the vet, and the vet did everything she could, but sadly, Ava did not make it. To make it more difficult, we had to leave Ava at the vet to take my husband in for a routine medical procedure. I had to make the decision about Ava as they were taking him in for anesthesia. Neither of us got to say goodbye. But I did call my amazing father-in-law, and he picked up the girls and took them to say goodbye. The extra blessing in it was that a dear friend, who'd been there with us during Ava's leg injury, was the vet tech on duty all day, so he was with Ava the whole time. And he was there for my girls to say goodbye.

I have been so touched by the outpouring of love and support for our family during this time. I still get weepy from time to time, and I still dream about her. Who would have imagined that the horse I jokingly told everyone was "the last horse before the divorce" would steal such a big part of my heart?

When hubby took Ava to the vet, I prayed for her, as I did before. I asked my friends and loved ones to pray for her. But God said no. I don't know why. And I don't know why, after all we've been through with this horse, and all the miracles we've been given, why we weren't given another one. But I still choose to trust in God, and I still choose to believe that God is good.

Ava in the pasture with the others. 

Our vet tech friend told us that when his horse colicked and died, his boss told him that the only way to never have a horse colic is to never have a horse. Colic happens, and it's one of those crazy things that sometimes has a reason, and sometimes doesn't. It's nothing you can predict, and even if you do everything right, your horse can still colic and die.

It's a good reminder of how fragile horses are. They seem to be these giant, tough beasts, but they are actually very delicate and require special care. When something goes wrong with a horse, it can go really wrong, really fast. And get really expensive. We'll still be paying off Ava's vet bill for months to come.

And so, you might wonder again, "why?" I've thought a lot about this, because it's been such a struggle, such a hard season, and after so much hope, for it to all be lost. But God knows, and it goes back to trusting God and believing in His goodness and love. Just as importantly, I've looked for the good that has come from our tragedy. We have been surrounded by a lot of love and a lot of compassion from the people around us. Ava was surrounded by love. In her short life, and the short time she was at our house, I know she knew we loved her. I can still picture the love and trust in her eyes all the times I sat with her and loved on her.

Maybe that is the point. Choosing to love, knowing that at any moment, something totally beyond your control can take whoever or whatever you love away. But that is life. And for me, faith is about believing and loving God even when none of it makes sense.

Ava back in the corral after her leg healed.

Matthew 5:4 is a verse that spoke to me years ago during another painful time of grief. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." I have found great comfort, not just from the amazing people around me, but also from God. Ava is not the only loss I've suffered, and I know she will not be the last. But I am grateful for the time she gave us, for the miracles God showed us, and for the chance to be part of her life.

Thank you all for being part of Ava's story. The love and support you all gave our family has meant a lot to us.

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor  
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DanicaFavorite/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite

The Reluctant Cowgirl

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and today I want to tell you about my new series! As many of you know (and we're all sad about), Love Inspired Historical closed down, leaving a lot of us authors wondering what we'd do. Many of the authors did find homes in other lines, so I'm pleased to be writing for Love Inspired now.

True confession: I originally wanted to write for Love Inspired, but after many rejections, I ended up writing for Love Inspired Historical, so it's kind of fun, being where I originally wanted to be.

However, being an *ahem* older, wiser writer, I spent a lot of time thinking about where I'd position myself in Love Inspired, and when I talked to my editor about making the move, she told me she wanted me to write cowboys.

For those of you who don't know, my daughters are heavily involved in an equestrian program that has me around cowboys on a regular basis. It's also important to note that I am allergic to horses, hay, and dust, so basically everything having to do with this cowboy lifestyle thing. Which is why it's terribly funny that we now have four horses. And I kind of like them. A lot. But let's not tell anyone, okay?

So when it came to writing cowboys for Love Inspired, I thought, how can I be genuine about writing cowboys as a reluctant cowgirl myself? Which is how I came up with Three Sisters Ranch. They're city girls who inherit a ranch, but unlike me, have dreamed of living on a ranch their whole lives. They are completely inexperienced in running a ranch, but are determined to make a go of it. And so, I used a lot of my same mistakes, difficulties, and weird things that have happened on this journey as fodder for the series.

In Her Cowboy Inheritance, which releases in February (but there have been sightings, so let me know if you see it!), the hero and heroine are dealing with a highly contagious cattle disease. We've had to deal with something similar with the horses in the past, and as crazy as it sounds, our horse organization is dealing with a highly contagious horse illness now. Scary times, but I've learned a lot, and it's definitely reflected in my books.

In The Cowboy's Faith, which is out in July, my heroine is training a mustang with the help of the hero, who got his training as part of a prison program to train mustangs. Guess where we got ours? More on THAT story closer to my release date, because there are some really cool pieces in my life still developing.

I might be a reluctant cowgirl, but it has definitely been useful in my life, and in my writing.

And, for those of you wondering about our horse, Ava, her surgery went better than expected, her cast is off, and her prognosis is really good. I'm sure you'll see a book starring Ava in the future!

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor  
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DanicaFavorite/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite

Life Imitating Art?

Hi Everyone,

Danica Favorite here, and I thought I'd tell you a little about my transition to writing for Love Inspired after writing for Love Inspired Historical for eight books. It's kind of a weird place right now, since my last book was out in February, and my next book is also a February book. I just got a sneak peek at the cover, and oh boy, do I wish I could show you!

So what is this next project?

For Love Inspired, I'm writing a series called Three Sisters Ranch, about three sisters who inherit a run-down ranch from a long-lost relative. They have no ranching experience, but they're determined to build a new life on this ranch in Colorado.

Here's the funny part about life imitating art. Or maybe it's my art imitating my life. We did not inherit a ranch (rats!), but, as some of you may recall, we did buy a house in the mountains with property and the intention of getting horses.

This past Saturday, we got our fourth (and FINAL!) horse. What's been cool about our horse journey is that I've been able to use a lot of what we've learned to write this series. Our horses are all formerly wild mustangs, so we've had quite a few adventures training them. In fact, book two, which is as of yet untitled with no release date other than mid 2019, is ALL ABOUT the horses. Sort of. I don't want to share too much now, because you'll hear more about that book later, but I couldn't resist introducing you to our new crew:

Meet Simba, Ava, Jasper, and Stunner!

I've also been doing a lot of travel with my daughter, who is part of a mounted drill team. So, more horses! It's been great watching her see the fulfillment of her dreams. She's been part of the program for nine years, and is now traveling the country, riding at their top level. They did shows this year in Colorado, New Mexico, and Iowa. I'm told next year will also include a show in South Dakota!
 I'm excited to see what she does next, and of course, what fodder I will find for my stories!

Cowgirl in action

So that's what I've been up to! Hopefully, you'll see a taste of this fun in my books, but if not, I'm always posting fun things on Facebook and Instagram about our adventures. I can't wait to see what you read in my books and say, "hey! She posted about doing that!"


As readers, what do you like to see from authors' lives? What interesting things can I share with you about our animal adventures? Or my other adventures?

About Danica Favorite:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor  
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite