Please blow Amber a Cowboy Kiss. We hope once she has her contemporary cowboy romance written, she'll come back and let us know more about it. Welcome, Amber. - Ginger
As I embark
to a different writing pace (contemporary cowboy romance), I've been
considering a lot about this new series. And of my love for the historical
cowboy.
The cowboys
of old had a protective nature. No one, absolutely no one, was getting to their
wife or children (sisters and mothers, for that matter,too) unless they were
dead. Ahh, the chivalry that makes us all sigh. They worked long hours trying
to keep their homes (the outside), land, barns, livestock and so on. Failure,
in that time, was such a high price to pay.
Who would
want to see their children go to bed with grumbling stomachs because they were
hungry? When gardens didn't grow, livestock died or were stolen – there was
serious impact. If there was a drought, it was tough all around.
Even in the
historical romance books, we often portray cowboys as smelling like leather,
even whiskey (or something similar). Maybe the cowboy had a bit of dirt
covering him and some sweat coming from his forehead. (Think stunning slow
motion entrance of what is supposed to be the hottest guy ever laid eyes upon.)
However, more than likely, in that time, he was head to toes in grime and some
kind of livestock poop. His cowboy hat probably smelled worse than he did.
More to
think on, within a family, men would often take a bath first. Wives and
children after – in the same water. It kind of makes you wonder how clean
anyone really got.
Still, even
when faced with the hard truth of cowboys past, you can't help but feel some
twinge. Some spark. Some desire to have known the over-protective, hard-working
cowboy.
Though
today's women profess to be tough, capable of doing anything a man can. Most of
all, not needing a man to provide for them or to protect them. I find myself
disagreeing.
Yes, I've
been independent for ages. I've taken care of myself. I've worked hard.
But some
part of me longs for times of old. Of not having to be the strong one. Of
having that protective, strong man there to take some of the burden from my own
shoulders. The time when it was okay for a woman to cry.
Historical
cowboys were often thin. But don't let that make you think them weak. The hard
work put a tough ruggedness on them that no gym could ever deliver.
I'm
documenting my journey (on my blog, tagged as City to Country) into actual
hands on research for this new series. I'm relocating to a “farm” town. There
I've got a few friends that have friends that are willing to turn this city
girl into a country one. I'll be going hands on behind the scenes at rodeos,
getting a close up look at ranches, livestock and the work that goes into them.
As well as the cattle auctions and so much more.
And real
modern day cowboys.
Will I find
they're just like every other man? Or will I find that chivalry isn't
completely dead?
I think,
one of the main things I'll find to be true, even in this later time period –
being a cowboy, especially a rodeo cowboy, is a lonely rode. Many ranchers
still work sun up to sun down and come in to eat dinner exhausted. On the rodeo
side, I can't imagine too many girls tying themselves to a rodeo cowboy. Months
gone at a time, chasing one rodeo to another trying to be that big winner.
