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Cowboy Crazy!!!

by Joanne Kennedy
I'm so excited. Today is launch day for my latest contemporary Western romance, Cowboy Crazy. It's about the West we all love--the West of horses, open spaces, and rodeo. Best of all, it's the West of my hottest cowboy hero yet, bull rider Lane Carrigan. Lane is an heir to the Carrigan Oil Corporation, but he's more interested in Wyoming's rough-riding past than its high-energy future. While his brother Eric runs the oil company, Lane takes care of the family's ranch.

As more and more open country gets taken up with Wyoming's energy boom, Lane vows that the Carrigan Ranch will never be developed. Much to his family's dismay, he makes his opinions public on the nightly news, and it's up to Sarah Landon, the company's hot-shot publicity manager, to change his mind.

Sarah's all about the future--mostly because she's running away from her past. She grew up in the tiny town of Two Shot, Wyoming, and she thinks a little progress is just what the old-fashioned community needs. As she introduces Lane to the realities of small-town life, he pushes her to recognize her roots. Along the way, secrets are revealed and opposites attract and ignite.

What brings Lane and Sarah together is a passion for small towns and their people, but while she wants the town to move forward, he wants it to stay quaint and old-fashioned.

I'm excited about this book because it gives readers the hot romance and high-energy story they're looking for while also showing them the real West. More than anything Cowboy Crazy is about change and community, and how to balance progress with a healthy respect for the past.

I thought I'd share some pictures I took on a recent trip through the state to show you the two sides of Wyoming. I'm glad our state contributes so much to the nation's energy needs, but I'm also glad we still have small towns that are still relatively untouched by the modern world.

Here's a Wyoming landmark: the town of Spotted Horse (population: 2):

And here's the Red Dawg Bar in Clearmont (population 115):

This is the Caballo Mine. As you can see, we have an interesting mix of nature and progress in Wyoming, with pronghorn antelope right next to energy development.

And to end the post, here's what those cowboys are really after (besides the perfect cowgirl companion): a nice healthy Black Angus grazing by the side of the road.
Thanks for visiting, and I hope you all enjoy Cowboy Crazy. Here's today's question: How has your hometown changed from the past to the present? Do you like the changes, or would you rather go back to the way things used to be?

Comments

  1. Been looking forward to this book and now it's here...yay!
    Love the pictures and the post, Joanne.
    Tishomingo, Oklahoma, my hometown, hasn't shifted some but hasn't grown any since I was a little girl. There's a new courthouse but the Chickasaw Indian Nation reclaimed the old one and refurbished it so it's still standing. The Dairyland where we all hung out as teenagers has been replaced by a chiropractic business...we must've grown up and needed him after some of the stunts we pulled as kids! But basically it's still the same...oh, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert now live there...but the odd fellow who sat on the Baptist church steps in a coat in the summer time moved away. Like I said, it shifted but it didn't change.

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  2. I left my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky twenty-three years ago. A lot has changed since then, but it still has the same flavor and atmosphere. I wouldn't mind going back at all! Congrats on the new release!

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  3. Yay, Joanne, for your new release! That sounds like here...Crawford, Texas. Or when I lived in Poteau, OK. :) They have No Name Restaurant out in the sticks. You arrive in an old jalopy, or you'll pay more for your steaks. One item on the menu (no menu/no prices listed), price based on the car/pickup you drive. :) You own a brand new vehicle, the price goes up considerably. :)

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  4. I grew up in a little town in the Santa Barbara County in California where it had the nickname of Valley of the Flowers. There use to be a ton of flower fields and now they are disappearing with companies like Walmart. Don't get me wrong I like seeing growth in a community, but it's just sad to see it happen.

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  5. Those pictures are gorgeous! I've visited Wyoming twice and was always so impressed by the beauty and open spaces. I'm in Houston, and life in the "big city" is considerably different.

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  6. Wow, Carolyn - I love Blake Shelton! Miranda too. Now I know where you get all your fun quirky small-town details. It's sad when people like the odd-coat-guy move away, though. Do you suppose he's sitting on the church steps in some other town?

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  7. Cheryl, I've never been to Kentucky. Some of my friends went to the Derby and I want to do that someday!

    Terry, I love the No Name Cafe! My favorite small-town cafe is Bubba's Anytime Cafe in Strang, Nebraska. It's about the only thing left in Strang, but it's hopping every Wednesday night when they do barbecue!

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  8. Melody, the Valley of the Flowers sounds beautiful! It's kind of sad when chain stores start moving in. Mom & Pop stores give a town so much character, and they just can't compete.

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  9. Shana, thanks for the compliments. I like small towns, but living in Houston would be exciting!

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  10. I loved this post and your pictures, Joanne! Congrats on the new release. I adore your cover! I smile every time I look at that handsome guy laughing!
    Amelia

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  11. Sadly, my hometown is still deteriorating so it is troubling to go back but it makes me thankful for where I am now.

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  12. Thanks, Amelia! I love that cover too. I squealed when I first saw it - it's the best yet. But wait 'til you see the next one!

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  13. That's too bad, elf. Sometimes towns grow too fast, and sometimes they just fade away. Either way, it's hard to see them change.

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  14. Lane sounds yummy, Joanne. :} Best wishes on your release!

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