Wednesday in Wyoming - August 4, 2021

 

This month I'm going to highlight the Snowy Range, a particularly scenic part of the Medicine Bow National Forest.

Dotted with small lakes, evergreens, and the white mountains that give the area its name, it's a wonderful place to camp, hike, or picnic. Best of all, at least for me, it's an easy drive from Cheyenne.

Brides of the Old West

 

"I wish I didn't have to wait so long for your next book." If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that, I'd be wealthy. I know that a year between books seems like a long time, so I'm happy to tell you that I'm releasing my first-ever novella collection next month to give you something to read while we wait for March 2022 and The Spark of Love's debut.

It's true that I've participated in other collections, but this is the first time that there's one with only my stories. All four of my novellas set in nineteenth-century Cheyenne will be available in a single book.

You may have read one or more of the stories, since they were previously published, but for the first time they're together and at an affordable price. To say that I'm excited about Brides of the Old West is an understatement.

What's it about? Here's a hint:

Four unlikely couples.
Four unexpected chances at happiness.
Four unforgettable stories of love and faith in the Old West.

Brides of the Old West will be available in both ebook and print format exclusively on Amazon. The ebook is available for preorder now; print will be available on the official release date of September 14. Here's the link.

I hope you'll share my excitement about the book and what I consider to be a truly fabulous cover.

Wednesday in Wyoming - July 28, 2021

 

Do you enjoy parades? I do, which is why I'm glad there are four Grand Parades as part of CFD. 

You'll find marching bands, old motorized vehicles, and a miniature Union Pacific train (because, after all, Cheyenne owes its existence to the UP railroad) as part of the parade, but my favorite entries are the horse-drawn vehicles and floats. 

Doesn't this covered wagon shout "Old West" to you? 

Wednesday in Wyoming - July 21, 2021

 Although there are many other events competing for visitors' attention, CFD is first and foremost a rodeo. 

There are so many contestants that preliminary rounds are done during what's called "Slack." That's why many days starting at 7 AM you'll find cowboys in the arena, waiting for their chance to score well enough to make it to the finals.

The arena may not be filled with crowds, but it's still an exciting time for both  cowboys and spectators.

Wednesday in Wyoming - July 14, 2021

You may have seen them in movies or old TV Westerns, but how often do you see a chuckwagon in person? This is one of a number of chuckwagons whose owners are competing in the chuckwagon cookoff at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

As you can imagine, the aromas are mouth-watering!

Wednesday in Wyoming - July 7, 2021

 

It's July and that means it's almost time for the world's largest outdoor rodeo and Cheyenne's biggest event of the year: Cheyenne Frontier Days. 

There are a gazillion - okay, that might be an exaggeration, but there are a lot of things to do at CFD, starting with the cattle drive.

Other rodeos might bring their cattle in by truck, but it's a CFD tradition to drive them in the old-fashioned way ... at least for the last few miles. You can see them here on the city street next to Interstate 25. 

I found it amusing that there were far more cattle on the street than there were cars on the highway. 

Cover Reveal

 It's cover reveal time! For me, this is one of the most exciting parts of the book publishing process, second only to the actual release date. I love being able to share the cover with you because, even though we're told we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, we do.

So, without further ado, here it is.

What do you think? I'm delighted with it and am thrilled with the picture of the spring at the bottom, because it looks almost identical to the photo of a Hill Country spring that helped inspire the whole town of Mesquite Springs.

Now that you know the title and the cover, perhaps you're wondering what the story's about. Here's the official description.

When a spurned suitor threatens her, heiress Alexandra Tarkington flees New York for Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country, where her father is building a hotel. But the happy reunion she envisions is not to be as her father insists she return to New York. Instead, Alexandra attempts to carve out a niche for herself in town, teaching schoolchildren to paint and enjoying the company of Gabe Seymour, a delightful man she met on the stagecoach.

But all is not as it seems. Two men, each with his own agenda, have followed her to Mesquite Springs. And Gabe is an investigator, searching for proof that her father is a swindler. When a series of apparent accidents threaten her life, Alexandra and Gabe will have to work together to discover the truth. And perhaps along the way they will discover that the sparks of attraction they’ve felt from the beginning are more than sparks—they’re love.

Bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites you back to 1850s Texas for this exciting and heartwarming tale of treachery, love, and learning to trust.

Are you intrigued? I hope so.