You might have noticed this is NOT a review. funny that
1. My site, I can do things like that, cool huh?
2. Site issues have made it difficult for any of us to get in the back end until the last few days so we are going with the flow… (as if that is a new thing ::shug::)
KristieJ and THEWendy have both have awesome rec’s and I will prolly repeat them but I will try not to… and no there aren’t any contemporaries. We went back and forth with that at first. We have grand lurve for the historical so are ‘focused’ on that but will have some posts on contemps. TGTBTU does have some reviews ups for contemporary westerns if you must have RIGHT NOW. And HSR line is grand to check out as well.
on with the rec’s
This is one of the STAND UP AND CHEER authors. Not only is her next book Never Love a Lawman a return to America west (a great read coming out Sept 1st from Kensingston so EASY for you to get review and more coming soon *g*) but her next book will take place in the same town.
But since I am talking more about backlists, when I first heard about this book, I cheered. Well it was prolly more along the lines of sending her an email of omg is this fucking true, which she totally didn’t get. But I am used to that… tis happens a lot with me.
So while on my rereading spree at the beginning of the year I pulled out my much loved copies of Jo Goodman’s Dennehy Sisters series (which turned out had a character very briefly mentioned in NLAL). They range on OMG hard to find and you can walk into a UBS no sweat and pick on up. I happened to read them when they had just been reissued so I was lucky. Not sure on the reissue plans as of now (if there are any… but I have asked… will update if I hear anything)
Wild Sweet Ecstasy
Rogue’s Mistress
Forever In My Heart
Always In My Dreams (least fave of the series)
Only In My Arms (most fave and yes the nuns book don’t you wanna read it now)
Maureen McKade
I adore Maureen McKade‘s writing and am lucky enough to still have quite a few books by her left in my tbr pile.
Sadly right now real life has taken her away from us and she isn’t currently working on anything. I hope like mad this changes. When I heard she was going to do another Romantic Suspense after her ‘Forrester Brothers trilogy’ I pretty much begged her editor for a western. And the answer I got was as grand as they were they just didn’t sell.
It was pretty much a we will print them, if people will buy them type thing. Hopefully Maureen McKade will have the time and want to start up her writing again soon and when she does readers will be buying them again.
Until she does… we are gifted with a great backlist to keep us company. And her website has an email where you should bug her for more books. I never said I play fair.
I suggest you start with:
A Reason to Live
(YES holly hon, LIVE LIVELIVE, she sucks as a secretary but she is cheap)
This isn’t a ‘light’ book and deals with PTSD. It has a hella strong female character and a man to match her who are both dealing with living through the Civil War. She was a nurse and is set on delivering the last words to the the families of the soldiers she promised. The ruined South becomes a character in the book itself. And while Laurel is dealing with this (along with the PTSD), Creede Forrester is dealing with his own loses. Powerful book… one you really should read. SADLY out of print. But visit Wendy! She has contest.
Dana Ransom
aka Nancy Giddon aka Rosalyn West aka something else I think
But my heart belongs to Dana Ransom, which is rather odd cuz these are WESTERNS as in dirty, gritty, hard, not always ‘nice’ books with bows ties around everything books. Like in real life, things suck, but you get through it. The series that I have read and revisited in January is “The Bass family series“. And I loved it as much then as I did the first time. I totally need to do a Duckies Do Series Review on this series.
Temptation’s Trail – Harmon and Amanda book. Amanda is an Eastern heiress who hires a dime-store novel hero and believes everything she reads. Harmon is an half-Apache tracker who is so beyond pained I shouldn’t have been able to believe it or read it. One of the few virgin hero stories I think I have read and believed.
Texas Destiny Jack and Emily book. This is so messed up and soapy but she pulls it off amazingly without melodrama. Jack Bass is a Texas Ranger being held by Apaches and in a grand twist he is saved by a white captive – Emily. He is so going to marry her, until he finds out she is already married, to his boss.
Wild Texas Bride – started with this book, bought at a library sale and shows what a twisted chick I am cuz it is one of MY fave type of tales. Billy and Sarah book
She has known him forever and evah AND HE is HERS. So what if their first kiss happened when she was 13 and he was 18? 19? I forget the book isn’t in front of me. She sort of grabbed him and he complained to her brother about it for days. She is older now damn it and that chick on his lap has got to go. And whatever trouble he has gotten himself into, well she is going help him get himself out of it. She is a BASS and Harmon’s niece. It is time for Billy to grow up. Shotgun wedding story, friends to lovers and all that
Texas Renegade – Kenitay and Leisha book Revenge is a theme that plans heavy in all of these books but I am pretty sure this one and in the next is it HUGE. Harmon is still a big player in it as well. Kenitay is taken at the end of Wild Texas Bride and it takes him a long time to come to terms with the fact he was TAKEN not ‘let go’. Leisha never ever forgot him. Great story.
Sweet Texas – Dreams Morgan and Becca book. Like I said before or meant to (meant this to be short and sweet) if you don’t like REVENGE PLOTS it all comes to head here. Then again if you made it this far… Becca is trying really hard to be Harmon’s daughter. Sadly at times she was TSTL. Still over all it didn’t hurt the book or the series. LOVES the series tons.
So would love a new historical from Dana Ransom.
Linda Lael Miller
I know, I know you are going huh? What? That chick is soooooooo still in print but today is backlist day and my TOP fave of hers is:
The Vow
How I love the intro of the heroine. It is something you just need to read. It has a 12 YEAR separation something I HATE people. HATE HATE HATE with the heat of a 1000 suns and yet, this book I ::heart::
I would also recall liking Daniels Bride and was going to flip threw it because honestly all I remember is it amused me. I am not sure why. It isn’t one of the books I reread this year (The Vow was as was Banner O’Brien verra purple but I adore it chick dr!) and is a ‘female outlaw’ story, which in all honesty those can make me bang my head. AND I can only find the LLM books I have reread this year. I know I own a hella lot more. So recall I am well medicated and take that with a gain of salt and for GODSAKE do NOT pay $35 dollars for it new on amazon. Seriously do people do that?
Susan Kay Law
I have blogged about Susan Kay Law before cuz I lurve her. Lots. And I thought about not mentioning her here, KristieJ has but I say read Journey Home and One Lonely Night. So I felt she needed another nod LOL.
And in the omg you are gonna go there again category, I don’t guess I need to whine about Elizabeth Lowell or Lorraine Heath needing to write westerns again again. ::pout::
**thanks go to the lil sis for coming up with the title and she sez Tobey Keith for the song ::shrug:: I don’t listen to western music yes the irony
Read a Western, Cowboys Need Love Too
Sybil –
Thanks for the extensive list!
Now here’s a tough questions for you:
For those of us who don’t normally care for historicals, which ONE book do you suggest to change our way of thinking???
OK, I read The Vow….but don’t remember it. Hey, give me a break. I read it back in 1999. I can’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning 🙂
I don’t think I loved it, but I also don’t think I hated it. Books I loved or hated tend to get seared into my brain (for good or ill). I probably need to bite the bullet and reread it. I read it at a time when I was just “rediscovering” the genre, and I think that’s why the details are fuzzy.
Sigh, and Dana Ransom. I really need to read her! She was a local author for me back when I lived in Michigan…..
I have way too many books on my search list now. And not enough time to read them all. I need a western vacation.
lol spell check it is your friend
sorry this is like so halfass formatted I am fixing it now *g* and getting the HH list over from the laptop to my desktop since it is working and is better linked
YES this is how it works, the site starts to work and my wireless goes wonky. All I can do is laugh about it, yes. But if you have emailed and are wondering why the hell I haven’t answered – that is why.
Georganna! That is a great question. Can I ask you one? Who are a few of your fave contemp authors? It will give me a better feel of the type of book to toss at you. 😉
I mean if you say SEP I don’t want to say read Cheryl St.John’s Prarie Wife or Joe’s Wife (no I don’t know why the word ‘wife’ seems to sell so well ::shrug::) or Maureen McKade’s Reason to Live.
Or if you say good lord I am blanking on my contemp names… uh glancing at the piles… ok I read a hella lot of historicals LOL anyway my point is to try and match the ‘voice’ and the tone of the writer to a point.
Do you like the funny? Do you like light and take me away in tone? Or do you want more plot and angst? We have one reviewer here who no matter what her first question is always is ther angst? I don’t want angst!
Took me forever really to ‘get’ that… and I don’t think I have beat her yet. I kid it was just an odd question to ‘me’ because I always thought you HAD to have some kind of ‘angst’ to drive the plot. I think her thing was real life was angst enough she didn’t need it in her romance books.
and yes I make less sense than normal when doing 4 things at once and I don’t even have twitter on
Okay Sybil, I’ll give you a list of authors who are on my “keeper” shelves – SEP, Jennifer Crusie, Kleypas (contemps), LLMiller (contemp westerns), Lorelei James, Christie Ridgway, Lisa Marie Rice, Toni Blake, and Kathy Love – just to name a few!!
I do enjoy funny and I need at least a little angst. I read for enjoyment and to escape the angst of regular life, I don’t want chapters and chapters of pain and sorrow.
Hope this helps!!!
Okay, I’ve added the books that have me curious to my TBR list. Thanks guys for hosting this, I love cowboys too!
Rock Creek Six, I’m not sure how hard they are to find. I bought them all at my local used book store 4 years ago or so (and released them back to the wild after reading).
Linda Devlin & Lori Handeland wrote them.
hmmm k shall give it some thought and come up with THE PERECT BOOK FOR YOU!
lol
Everyone see THE must read interview for western readers?
http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2009/08/20/kristie-jenner-the-great-western-challenge/
I didn’t mention Jo Goodman’s earlier books since I figured you would *g* I’ve read some of the Dennehy sisters but not all of them. One I really enjoyed was With All My Heart – the third in the Thorne brothers trilogy.
Rosalyn West – have her series but I’ve never read her as Dana Ransom. Thanks for putting her in my head. I will seek her out. See – we are all getting rec’s from each other *happy dance*
Linda Lael Miller – I haven’t read her recent ones, but I loved her books from years ago. I know her new ones are in the bookstore near me – I must get.
And yes – Susan Kay Law needs lots of nods! Love her books
Missy Ann: Oooooooh, I LOVED the Rock Creek Six series. I didn’t mention them over on my blog though because I was trying to concentrate my recommendations on books that I had actually done reviews for. The only RCS book I actually reviewed was Rico – and that was because I was still affiliated with The Romance Reader at the time. The other 5 books I read on my own time (I didn’t review them) and it was during my pre-blogging days. So yeah – no reviews 🙁
But I do love those books, and one of these days I’m going to reread all of them. I have a soft spot in my heart for Rico – but I would say my favorite books in that series were the last three – Jed, Nate and Cash.
Missy: I have those ones!!! I have those ones!!!! I won them but I still haven’t read any yet – but I will – oh yes I will. Wendy says they’re very good.
I have read a lot of western historicals over the years. I am glad to get some new recommendations because it is one of my favorite genres. My favorite authors have been Jodi Thomas, Stacey Kayne, Cheryl St. John, Jillian Hart, Linda Lael Miller (love her contemporary westerns, too), and Julie Garwood.
For more recommended westerns, you can visit the blogs Pistols and Petticoats and Love Western Romances.
Hey Cheryl C! I should have a HH post up tomorrow around 1. I have time issues *g*. But on my list is two of yours.
LLM recent contemp was awesome. I was just flat out impressed. But I have to say I went into it thinking I wouldn’t like it so maybe that is why I was blown away at first…l but it lasted for all three books.
Still don’t think I have read Thomas.
I read the Rock Creek Six this past Jan. Or started it and really really loved it, I think I am missing two tbr. Wendy is always talking about them.
Now I am going to go flip threw a few books I have pulled for Georganna rec. Pretty sure of the author I am going with just want to make sure *g*.
Yes to Jo Goodman! Love the Dennehy Sisters series. And Mary and Ryder’s story is my favorite too.
Maureen McKade – just starting reading her. Thankful she has a back list.
Dana Ransom I have on my TBR pile along with Rosalyn West. 🙂
Linda Lael Miller – I still read her and enjoy her books but do love her earlier westerns. The Orphan Train trilogy was one of my favorites: Lily and the Major, Emma and the Outlaw and Caroline and the Raider.
Susan Kay Law I need to read. Added to list that keeps getting longer. LOL
I use to read Elizabeth Lowell years ago. Lorraine Heath, got a few of her “Texas” books on the TBR pile. Must read faster.
I love, love, love Jo Goodman’s books. She is an awesome writer!