Happy Fourth of July

by Shanna Hatfield

Growing up on a farm twenty miles from the closest town, we generally took our excitement anywhere we could get it.
Each summer, I eagerly anticipated our small town’s biggest event of the year - the Fourth of July Rodeo. Back in those days, it was a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo. Some of the top names in the circuit would join hundreds of rodeo fans for four days of rodeo, events in the park, a parade through town, and the annual Suicide Race (a crazy horseback race down a steep butte, across the highway, through the river, and into the rodeo arena).
The whole family looked forward to the celebration. My oldest brother often rode in the Suicide Race and some of my cousins often competed in the rodeo.

For a horse-crazy little girl who loved the smell of leather and the sight of cowboy hats, it was amazing. From an early age, I had a romance with the rodeo.
One of the few stores we had in town was a saddle-maker with a boot shop. When I was five, my dad took me to Leroy’s shop to pick out a new belt for the rodeo. It was the first time I got to choose my own and I was so excited.
As we walked inside, the welcoming aroma of leather filled the air. Dad led me to where Leroy worked on saddle at the back of the shop and they talked a few minutes. Impatiently waiting, they finally told me to go see what I could find. My gaze - and heart - immediately settled on a hand-tooled belt with little flowers and a silver buckle with a gold saddle that glistened in the overhead lights.

I still have that little belt today along with my love of rodeo. It’s because of how much I enjoy the watching rodeos that led to the creation of my Rodeo Romance series, set in the Pacific Northwest. Although the books all have a Christmas theme, they take readers through summer experiences of cowboys and the women who fight tooth and nail to keep from falling in love with them!

ThenChristmas Cowboy (Rodeo Romance, Book 1)

Among the top saddle bronc riders in the rodeo circuit, easy-going Tate Morgan can handle the toughest horse out there, but trying to handle the beautiful Kenzie Beckett is a completely different story.

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Happy Fourth of July!

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USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen, one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Find Shanna’s books at:

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The Westward Ho Parade

By Shanna Hatfield

Last month, Captain Cavedweller (aka my charming husband) and I had the opportunity to attend the world-famous Pendleton Round-Up and some of the festivities connected with the rodeo.

There are many things that make the experience at this rodeo different from others.

 

The grass covering the arena floor is one-of-a-kind in the world of rodeo, adding a unique challenge for competitors. I've heard the impact of landing on it wreaks havoc on the ankles and most of the steer wrestlers get their ankles wrapped for the extra support it provides.

The Native American encampment behind the arena is the largest in North America with more than 300 teepees annually joining in the event.

It was also the first rodeo to have rodeo royalty, starting with the very first Round-Up in 1910.

People come from all over the world to see the rodeo and take in the entire Pendleton Round-Up experience. I know that for a fact because I shook hands with a man from Norway, directed a woman from England to a restroom and listened to Japanese tourists gush over the bling-y offerings at one of the vendor booths.

 

The Westward Ho Parade is one of our favorite activities to take in during the Round-Up. It is the longest non-motorized parade in the country. 

 For spectators, that means a great parade full of beautiful horses and wagons.

I was absolutely goofy for this horse and loved the Pendleton Wool saddle blanket, too.

Many of the riders and horses wear regalia that has been passed down from generation to generation. (Don't you love the colors?)

 There's even a team of oxen who get in on the fun, although toward the end of the parade they didn't appear to be enjoying it quite as much as the rest of us.

If you've ever thought about attending the Pendleton Round-Up, it is well worth the time and your trip to do it at least once.

The Round-Up is highlighted in both books in my Rodeo Romance series.

 In The Christmas Cowboy, Tate Morgan is a saddle bronc rider out to claim a World Champion title. He gets a little sidetracked, though, when he falls in love with Kenzie Beckett, a girl he meets at the airport who wants nothing to do with cowboys in general and him in particular.

 Wrestlin' Christmas is the second book in the series and again includes a scene at the Pendleton Round-Up. Sidelined after a major injury, steer wrestler Cort McGraw loses his direction for life. Shanghaied by his sister and best friend, he finds himself on a run-down ranch with a worrisome, albeit gorgeous widow, and her silent, solemn son.

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A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a best-selling author of clean romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America.

Find Shanna’s books at:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple

Follow Shanna online:

ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter