A Cowboy's Hat

 

In the cattle country of the 1870s and 1880s, a cowboy's hat was far more than a piece of clothing--it was as necessary as a saddle or a good horse. Wide-brimmed hats shield a rider from the brutal sun of Texas trails, sudden prairie rain, and the choking dust kicked up by longhorn herds on the move. Before the famous "cowboy hat" became standardized, many drovers wore whatever they could find: battered Civil War slouch hats, Mexican sombreros, or broad felt hats bought from frontier merchants. By the late 1870s, John B. Stetson's "Boss of the Plains" began gaining popularity across the West because it was durable, waterproof, and could survive hard months on the range. 

 A cowboy's hat often reflected the man beneath it. Some curled the brim high on the sides to keep rain from running down their collars, while others pinned one side up for style or convenience. Sweat, dust, and weather gave each hat its own character, and a seasoned cowboy could sometimes be recognized from a distance simply by the shape of his crown. Hats served dozens of purposes on the trail: cowboys used them to fan campfires, water horses, swat flies, or even scoop water from a creek when no bucket was near. A man might sleep with his hat pulled over his eyes beneath the stars, then wake before dawn and ride out with the same hat still carrying yesterday's dust.

To Western readers of the era, the cowboy hat became a symbol of independence and frontier grit. Newspaper illustrations, dime novels and Wild West shows helped turn the broad-brimmed hat into an emblem of the American frontier. Yet for the working cowboy there was little romance attached to it--a hat was judged by how well it stood against wind, rain, and hard labor. The best hats stayed on during a gallop, held their shape after a storm, and lasted through years of cattle drives.  By the close of the 1880s, the cowboy hat had become inseparable from the image of the American West, representing not only the men who rode the range, but the rugged spirit of the frontier itself. 

Sandra

                                                  Available at Amazon

Hi everyone! Brandi Creek here, and I’m so excited to be visiting Cowboy Kisses for my very first blog post!

I write emotional small-town western romance filled with horses, ranch life, second chances, protective cowboys, and all the messy emotions that come with finding your way back to the people you never truly forgot.

Since my newest release, Ride Back to Me, has just been released, I thought it would be fun to talk a little about one of the biggest inspirations behind the story and why reining became such an important part of Avery and Reed’s journey.

How Reining Inspired Ride Back to Me

That love for horses, especially reining, became a big inspiration behind my newest release, Ride Back to Me.

I’ve always been fascinated by the partnership between horse and rider and the amount of trust it takes to compete at that level. The sliding stops, the spins, the seamless lead changes that happen so smoothly you barely even see them, there’s just something about the athleticism and precision of the sport that completely pulls me in every time I watch it.

I watch The Run for a Million every year, and seeing those horses and riders compete at that level always reminds me why I love the sport so much. The control, the power, and the connection between horse and rider are incredible to watch.

I grew up around horses and still spend time with them today, so that lifestyle naturally finds its way into my books. When I started writing Avery and Reed’s story, I knew I wanted reining to be part of their world because it added so much passion, pressure, dedication, and emotion to the story.

But at its heart, Ride Back to Me is really about coming home, facing the past, and finding your way back to the people who never truly left your heart. Along with the second-chance romance between Avery and Reed, readers also meet Maisie, the surprise daughter who changes everything between them in ways neither of them expected.

This book was such a special story for me to write because it combines so many things I love: horses, family, ranch life, emotional healing, and the kind of connection that never fully lets go.

It’s available in Kindle, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited for readers who love emotional western romance, second chances, surprise daughter stories, ranch settings, and plenty of heart.

For those of you who love holding a book in your hands, the paperback edition is available too.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I laughed, cried, and couldn’t read it fast enough.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A simply amazing story centered around the fascinating equine sport of reining.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Sweet, tender, and impossible to put down.”

If you’re ready for horses, second chances, ranch life, and a surprise daughter who changes everything, get in here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX32TZQT

Happy reading,
Brandi Creek

My beginning Writing Practice

Post (C) Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

When I decided to get serious about writing, I began a writing practice that I followed for about three years. I would write a Haiku and post a photo before midnight at least five days a week. Over the course of that practice, I wrote a lot of poems.  

It also showed me what I was capable of when I was disciplined. Below are three examples. I hope you enjoy. What is your go-to writing practice? (I still write poetry when I'm feeling stuck.)

Photo and text copyright 2019 by

Doris McCraw

See the wind talking

Trees and grasses say so much

Telling tales of life.

***************

Photo and text copyright 2019

Pale opaque curtains

Stretched across distant stars

Moon plays hide and seek

*****************

Photo and text (c) Doris McCraw

This could be heaven.

Picture-perfect start of day

All in perspective

Until next time

Stay safe - Doris

Angela Raines - Amazon

Doris A. McCraw - Amazon

The Wild West of Nicknames ~ D. K. Deters

Names didn’t carry much weight in the Old West, but reputations did. More often than not, a reputation earned a man a new name to match.

I wanted to do something fun this month, so I decided to explore nicknames in the Old West. The following information is based on historical accounts of frontier life and naming practices.

Some nicknames served a practical use. Communities often sprang up fast in mining camps or cattle towns, and several men may have been named “John”. A nickname like “Red,” “Slim,” or “Texas Jack” instantly identified who you meant.

The West drew folks who wanted to reinvent themselves and leave their pasts behind. One way to do this was to create a new identity that fit their reputation better than their given name. One desperado, Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, became known as The Sundance Kid.

In just a few words, “Silent Bill” or “Mad Dog” could tell a story, reflecting personality, appearance, or reputation—useful in rough places where first impressions mattered.

Storytelling, newspapers, and dime novels loved colorful names. Think of Henry McCarty, better known as Billy the Kid, or William H. Bonney. A good nickname traveled faster than a plain one.

Literacy levels varied, and record-keeping wasn’t always consistent. Nicknames helped identify individuals whose names varied in spelling over time.

In the Old West, nicknames were not only plentiful but also useful for recognition, reinvention, and storytelling—where they mattered a great deal.

Would you have recognized these names?

Butch Cassidy (Robert Leroy Parker)

Kid Curry (Harvey Logan)

Black Bart (Charles E. Boles)

Big Nose George (George Parrott)

Curly Bill (William Brocius)

Rustling Bob (Roscoe Bryant)

Little Britches (Jennie Stevenson)

Cattle Annie (Anna Emmaline McDoulet)

Doc Holliday (John Henry Holliday)

Buffalo Bill (William Frederick Cody)

Welcome to the Team ~ Julie Lence

 

Psst.... Deborah Camp and Reggi Alder are no longer with the group. We hate to say goodbye to friends, and will miss them dearly, but both need to focus on other aspects of their lives. We wish them well and invite them back anytime they wish to guest blog. Replacing them are 2 very talented authors, Brandi Creel and Dalyn Weller. Brandi is filling the 2nd Wednesday slot and slated to begin dazzling you on May 13th.  Dalyn is taking over the 4th Tuesday slot and will have her 1st blog ready for you to read on June 30th. Please give each a warm welcome and check out the right hand side bar for author pages to enable you to know them better and connect with them on social media. 

Welcome to Cowboy Kisses Brandi and Dalyn! We are truly blessed to have both of you on our team. 

Julie      

Character Interview with Zach Maldonado ~ Julie Lence

 

Nothing says springtime like horses playfully chasing each other around a corral. I’m at Bennett Ranch this morning asking Zach Maldonado some of the same questions I asked Barbie Bennett last month. A former bull rider on the rodeo circuit, Zach now works the Bennett Family Ranch. Standing outside the corral with him, it’s easy to understand why Barbie is completely enamored with his dark hair and broad shoulders.

‘Thank you for talking with me today, Zach. What can you tell my readers about you?’

‘Ain’t much to tell. I grew up in San Diego. Dad worked a ranch outside the city. He had me work alongside him and the other cowboys every summer of my teen years, to keep me off the streets. He cracks a grin. Probably the best thing he ever did. That grin widens. Anyway, I learned to rope and ride, and when I turned 16, he took me to the rodeo. Bull riding was my favorite event and it stuck with me. I spent the rest of that summer learning to stay on the back of one for eight seconds. Good thing. Those lessons helped me take care of Mom after Dad passed away.’

 ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

He nods.

‘How long were you part of the rodeo circuit before you met Barbie?’

‘A handful of years. I always liked her music. Never thought I’d meet her.’  He wipes a hand over his jaw. ‘Was nothing but dumb luck that day I happened upon her. I didn’t even know it was her. Just saw a guy grab a girl and stepped in to help her.  If she hadn’t sent her bodyguard to find me later that afternoon, that woulda been my only time seeing her face-to-face.’

‘What did you think that night when you had supper with her?’

‘Lots of things.’ He hooks his booted foot on the bottom rail, stares at the horses on the opposite side of the corral. ‘I always thought she was pretty, but up close, she was more than pretty. She was drop-dead gorgeous; the kind of face guys dream about.’ He pauses. ‘But, she was more than that. She was sweet… kind… and thanked over and over for helping her. All the time she was talking, I wanted to kiss her, but didn’t dare.’       

‘Why not?’

‘Her crew and bodyguard were lollygagging around outside the tour bus; some bigger than me. Had a feeling if I tried, they wouldn’t hesitate to trounce me.’

“Did Barbie want you to kiss her?’

He shrugs. ‘Too scared to ask. I mean… I was with Barbie Bennett. Her face was on the cover of every magazine in the country… six brothers, cars, homes, money, thousands of screaming fans chasing after her…I was just a bull rider who helped her. I didn’t find out until months later that she would’ve let me kiss her.’  

‘You and she have been together for a long time. How would you describe you relationship?’

‘Barbie’s the best thing to have happened to me. I like to think she feels the same about me.’ He pauses again. ‘She stood beside me when that bull threw me and busted my knee, made sure I had the best doctors, and then badgered the heck outta her brother to give me a job. When she was away on summer tours, she called me every night. I woulda called her, but she wasn’t always back on the tour bus the same time each night. We learned to trust each other, to ignore the gossip magazines… I tell her every day how much I love her. She swears the same to me, and that’s all I need, ‘cause deep down, I know she isn’t leaving me for anyone else.’  

‘How would you describe Barbie?’

‘A sweet, kind, fun, loyal, bossy when it comes to her career, anxiety-riddled woman I’d give my life for.’ 

 ‘How would she describe you?’

 He thinks a moment, cracks another grin. ‘She says she likes my muscles, so I have that going for me.’ He faces me. ‘I think she thinks I’m honest. Someone who would never hurt her.’

‘Between working the ranch and trying to carve out a life with Barbie, how do you relax?’

 ‘Friday nights on the couch with her at my side. Don’t know how she does it, but she brings a calm to me that I’ve never experienced.’

 ‘Where do you see yourself five years from now?’

 ‘With her, in a home of our own on. If not on this ranch, then somewhere close. Could be a condo or a tent, as long as she’s with me, I don’t care.’

 And that, readers, is true love. To learn more about Zach and Barbie, pop on over to Amazon and grab a copy of The Pop Star Loves Her Cowboy. You’ll thank me!  

 www.amazon.com/dp/B0FG48TFYH

 

Once in a Blue Moon

 

Have you ever wondered about the phrase "Once in a Blue Moon?" 

Something about it always seemed a little magical to me. Something rare and random. 

The phrase "once in a blue moon" originally meant "never" or "impossible," but it evolved over centuries to mean "rarely" due to changes in how we define a "blue moon."

In the 16th century, the phrase didn't mean "rare"—it meant "impossible". The earliest recorded use was in a 1528 anti-clerical pamphlet by William Roy and Jeremy Barlowe, which joked that if church leaders said the moon was blue, people had to believe it. It was basically the 1500s version of saying "when pigs fly".

The meaning shifted from "impossible" to "rare" by the mid-1800s. This was reinforced by the 1837 Maine Farmers' Almanac, which used "blue moon" to describe the rare third full moon in a season that has four.

The modern definition—the second full moon in a calendar month—actually came from a mistake!  For centuries, the Maine Farmers' Almanac defined a Blue Moon as the third of four full moons in a single season.

In 1946, writer James Hugh Pruett misinterpreted the Almanac in an article for Sky & Telescope, calling the second moon in a month a "Blue Moon". This "mistaken" definition is now what most of us use today.

The shift from "impossible" to "highly unlikely" was helped along by nature. After the massive Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883, ash in the atmosphere actually made the moon appear blue or green for nearly two years. Suddenly, a blue moon wasn't just a figure of speech; it was a rare, real-world sight.

Today, a "Blue Moon" (by the calendar definition) happens roughly once every 2.7 years. So the next time you use the phrase, you’re not just talking about a rare event—you’re participating in a 500-year-old linguistic evolution!

When I had the opportunity to purchase a beautiful book cover with a placeholder title of Blue Moon Cowboy, it felt meant to be! I loved the title and the cover.

Coming June 4 - Blue Moon Cowboy

He’s spent decades guarding his heart.

She’s spent a lifetime chasing the horizon.

Neither of them were prepared for love to catch them by surprise.

Widower Jason Price isn’t looking for romance. As a trusted pickup man for the Rockin’ K Rodeo Company, part-owner of his family’s ranch, and a proud grandpa, his days—and his heart—are already full. Love is for younger folks with fewer scars and more time.

Photographer Lainey Collins traded corporate life for the open road, capturing the faces and stories of everyday people. Living out of her travel van, she’s built a life of freedom, purpose, and just enough distance to keep her heart safe.

But when a chance meeting at a rodeo puts her in Jason’s orbit, everything begins to shift.

As Lainey sets out to create a book featuring the faces of the rodeo, she finds herself returning again and again—to the arena… and to Jason. What begins as a project turns into something deeper as sparks fly, laughter comes easy, and two guarded hearts start to open.

Falling in love is one thing.

But trusting it—and daring to build a future—is another.

Can a cowboy who’s learned to live without love and a woman who’s always kept moving finally find a place to belong… together?

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.

Today, Shanna draws on her rural roots to create sweet and wholesome romances filled with hope, humor, quirky small-town characters, realistic heroes, and women of strength. Her historical westerns have been described as historically accurate, blending facts with engaging fiction, while her contemporary works have been called laugh-out-loud funny, swoony, and heartwarming.

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website.