The Ultimate Western Blog Tour: Guest Post with Barbara White Daille author of Cowboy in Charge

Join 12 Western romance writers as they talk about their love of all things Western! 

We have Barbara White Daille with us today.  Giveaway details are at the end of the post!

Make sure to check out the tour schedule to visit the other participating blog!

Author: Barbara White Daille
Publisher: Harlequin
Date of publication: July 2016

 Single mom Layne Slater thought she'd seen the last of Jason McAndry when he chose the rodeo over her and their unborn son. Now Jason's back in Cowboy Creek and just as handsome as ever. But Layne can't give in to those feelings again. She has to protect her children…and her heart.

Jason wants to try to make up for the pain he caused when he left. The least he can do is help Layne while he's home. Before long, Jason realizes he's finally ready to be the husband, father and man his family deserves. But can Jason prove to Layne that this time, their love is forever?

Enjoy this guest post from author, Barbara White Daille!

Hi, I’m Barbara, and I write contemporary romance. My stories usually include kids and cowboys, the first because they’re cute, funny and touching, and the second because…well, there are so many things to like about writing cowboys, the list could go on forever.

Here are just a few reasons cowboys are easy to love:

5. Their spirit. They’re brave and adventurous, like the men who once ventured into the unknown and blazed trails to settle the West.

4. Their determination. Working alone or together, cowboys have what it takes to face the unexpected and overcome any obstacle.

This is a perfect trait for a hero, especially when it comes to resolving conflicts with the one woman meant for him.

3. Their heart. Cowboys follow a Code of the West that says they “must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.”

We get to know any hero partly by seeing him on the page, watching him interact with those around him, finding out how he treats others. Sometimes in a romance, the conflict keeps the hero from showing these qualities to the heroine. That’s not always a problem, because then we as readers get to see—and fall in love with!—the man he truly is long before the heroine does.

2. Their trustworthiness. The Cowboy Code also says a cowboy “must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.”

This is yet another reason a cowboy makes the ultimate romance hero. When the story opens, he might have issues he’s trying to deal with. He may be flawed or in trouble or seeking redemption. Yet he has an inner core of goodness and strength, and when the crisis comes, he always does the right thing.

And last but by no means least:

1. Their wardrobe. You have to admit it—a cowboy looks pretty darned good in scuffed boots and a pair of worn jeans!

Here’s a look at my cowboy hero, Jason, that I hope illustrates a few of the points above:

“I’m green at this, pardner,” Jason admitted, taking the diaper the boy held out.

“Green?” Scott said, looking at him with his mouth open, probably expecting to see him turn into an alien before his very eyes.

“A greenhorn,” he explained, feeling foolish again. How could he explain that concept to a three-year-old? How could he explain anything when he’d never had the practice? The chance? All he could do was try. “It means I’m new at this. A beginner. Someone who’s just learning.”

“I learn my ABC’s!” Scott grinned.

He smiled back at him. “Yeah, that’s it. Just like you learn your ABC’s.” He ruffled the boy’s hair.

Why couldn’t he be such a quick study?

It was a sobering idea. Especially when he connected the thought to getting what he wanted from Layne.

In the years he’d been gone, once he’d stopped sending her those envelopes she kept returning, he’d given up worrying about her. She was an adult. She could take care of herself—as she had made all too plain to him. No doubt about it, the woman had a way with words.

But the boy…

When he’d left, the child hadn’t been close to being born yet, hadn’t even made his appearance evident in the swelling of Layne’s belly. Hadn’t, somehow, been real to him. Now, his son was very real, as smart as a whip and as loving as his mama. A little boy his daddy could be—and was—proud to know was his.

But could he be the kind of man, the kind of daddy, to make his little boy proud of him?

Please feel free to share what you love about cowboys or your favorite fictional heroes, or to leave a comment or question.

A final note:  The Cowboy Code of the West has been in existence for a long time. It’s primarily an unwritten code, as it’s not a set of rules but a way of life. There are written variations of it available. 

The quotes in my post come from the list on Gene Autry’s website: http://www.geneautry.com/geneautry/geneautry_cowboycode.html

Click the photo for giveaway details!

About the author:

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the wild Southwest, where they deal with lizards in the yard and scorpions in the bathroom. A writer since before she knew how to spell, Barbara loves creating home and family stories--with cowboys!--for Harlequin American Romance. When not writing, she can be found near books and chocolate. Please visit her at: www.BarbaraWhiteDaille.com.

Western Blog Tour TOUR STOPS:

Monday, August 1st: The Romance Dish – Delores Fossen guest post

Wednesday, August 3rd: Broken Teepee – Trish Milburn guest post

Friday, August 5th: Reading Reality – Lindsay McKenna guest post

Monday, August 8th: Read Love Blog – Linda Warren guest post

Wednesday, August 10th: Buried Under Romance – Diana Palmer guest post

Friday, August 12th: Smexy Books – Maisey Yates guest post

Monday, August 15th: Books and Spoons – BJ Daniels guest post

Wednesday, August 17th: Reading is My Superpower – Cathy Gillen Thacker guest post

Friday, August 19th: The Sassy Bookster – Jodi Thomas guest post

Monday, August 22nd: Bewitched Bookworms – Roz Denny Fox guest post

Wednesday, August 24th: The Reading Date – Linda Lael Miller guest post

Friday, August 26th: From the TBR Pile – Barbara White Daille guest post