Write what you know by Jan Scarbrough

My parents were married for fifty-three years. I wasn’t so lucky. I spent many years as a “single mother.” Of course, that experience found its way in many of my books.

Darby, in the Ghost Mountain Ranch series, is the widowed mother of two adult children, Slade and Kelsey. Her children both have a story in the romantic mystery series.

DARBY: What is the truth behind the death of Darby’s mother? When the past once again intrudes on the present, will Darby do what she’s always done—what her mother did—and run away? Grief and secrets had torn Darby and Hank apart once. Given a second chance at love, will the revelation of more shocking secrets from the past destroy their hopes for the future?

Audio Books: 

Audible

Apple AudioBook

Ghost Mountain Ranch Box Set

The same goes for Liz in the Dawsons of Montana. When a handsome stranger arrives at the ranch, Liz—divorced and widowed—fears her daughter-in-law is playing matchmaker. Her children, Brody, and Mercer, and her stepson Ben, are also featured in this contemporary western series.

LIZ: Jim’s widow is alone again with a ranch to run. Sometimes second chances come when least expected. Can Liz take a leap of faith with the new man in her life?

What do you think? Are books better if the author writes what she knows? Or can an author use her imagination to create a book?

I think it’s a bunch of both. Even when writing about a knight in 1282, I still put a bunch of myself in the story. I can’t write about things in which I don’t believe. And I’m always searching for Happily Ever After.

Brody https://books2read.com/Brody-DofM

Mercer https://books2read.com/Mercer-DofM

Liz https://books2read.com/Liz-DofM

Ben https://books2read.com/Ben-DofM

My exciting news from Kentucky! by Jan Scarbrough

First, I have a new website! Take a look!!  https://janscarbrough.com/

Thanks to Jessica at Meet Cute Creative for the design. 

 

Second, I’m having three of the Ghost Mountain Ranch series books made into audio books. I can’t wait! When I heard the trial read of one chapter, I couldn’t believe I’d written it. The audio version made the chapter and characters come alive. I’ll let you know when they are finished.

 

Will the revelation of more shocking secrets from the past destroy their hopes for the future? The Ghost Mountain Ranch series is a good blend of mystery and romance.

 

Ghost Mountain Ranch is a series of books that should be read together if you’re going to discover the mystery included in the romances of the main characters. That’s why I collected the three books together in one set. The paperback has all four books in it.

 

The fourth book is a novella about Hank, a secondary character from the series Dawsons of Montana. Hank goes on to become Darby’s love interest in Ghost Mountain Ranch.

 

Hank brings two romantic series together: The Dawsons of Montana and Ghost Mountain Ranch!

Louis L’Amour Western Writer by Jan Scarbrough

When going through my father’s things after he died, I found three shoe boxes filled with sixty-six paperback books by Louis L’Amour. Can I say my dad was a fan?

I must admit, I haven’t read L’Amour’s books, so I looked him up.

From Wikipedia

Louis Dearborn L'Amour (March 22, 1908 – June 10, 1988) was an American novelist and short-story writer.

L'Amour's books, primarily Western fiction, remain enormously popular, and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death all 101 of his works were in print (86 novels, 14 short-story collections and one full-length work of nonfiction) and he was considered "one of the world's most popular writers".

A list of his books in order says:

Publishing his first novel, ‘Westward the Tide’, in 1951, his fate as a western novelist was sealed finally getting him the recognition he was hoping for. This was setting aside the books he wrote in 1950 under the name ‘Tex Burns’ featuring Hopalong Cassidy, something which he denied doing despite evidence to the contrary, explaining them as ‘books for hire’ therefore not officially his.

He was soon to capture the attention of John Wayne as well, when a book of his titled ‘The Gift of Cochise’ was read and subsequently had the rights to it brought. This was quickly made into a film alongside Robert Fellows.

All this rapidly led to Louis L’Amour becoming one of the most highly regarded novelists within his field, with both commercial and critical success achieved during his time.

Did you know?

In 1983, he became the first novelist awarded with the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress, earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom a year after.

I love some of his quotes that mean much to novelists and especially western romance authors.

One day I was speeding along at the typewriter, and my daughter - who was a child at the time - asked me, "Daddy, why are you writing so fast?" And I replied, "Because I want to see how the story turns out!" . . . Louis Lamour

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” ― Louis L'Amour

“Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you.” ― Louis L'Amour, Matagorda/The First Fast Draw

Just a reminder of seven of my western romance books in two series. You can find them at most ebook retailers.

Ghost Mountain Ranch

https://books2read.com/HankGhostMountain

https://books2read.com/Darby

https://books2read.com/SladeGhostMountain

https://books2read.com/Kelsey

Dawsons of Montana

https://books2read.com/Brody-DofM

https://books2read.com/Mercer-DofM

https://books2read.com/Liz-DofM

https://books2read.com/Ben-DofM