Laura Drake: Cowboys, Motorcycles, and Forgiveness

As you might guess from the above, I’m a bit eclectic (a term I prefer over ‘eccentric,’ or worse yet, ‘odd.’) My Sweet on a Cowboy series is set in a world I know a lot about – professional bull riding. Which makes little sense for a city girl from Detroit.  But when my Texan husband took me to my first rodeo years ago, I fell in love.

I was entranced by the bull riding, which seemed to me a combination of danger and ballet. I’m in awe of the courage of men who try to stay on a ton of attitude that wants to throw them in the dirt, and dance on their bones. And then there’s wrangler-clad cowboy butt in chaps – whew.  I mean, seriously, what woman doesn’t love a cowboy? I’ve even joined the PBR fan club, and the last fan club I was a member of was for a cartoon mouse, for cripes sakes!

But The Sweet Spot is more than a cowboy romance.  It’s an emotional story first, about two people dealing with real-life problems, and rediscovering love at the end of a long dirt road. Charla Rae Denny’s role as a traditional ranch wife and mother fits her like custom-tailored Wranglers. But when her only son is killed in a tragic accident, Char retreats to a world of grief and Valium. Her reeling husband takes up with a blonde buckle bunny half his age. Their ranch, which supplies bucking bulls to the Pro Bull Riding circuit, is split up in the divorce.

All her county fair ribbons won’t help Charla now. She’s alone, addicted, ill-equipped, and has no one to blame but herself. In spite of her fear of horses and smelly cows, she stands up, takes off her apron, and learns to run a ranch. She and Jimmy have lost their way. But through months of hard work, tears, and some hard knocks, they both learn to forgive — themselves and each other. They work to find their way back to the sweet spot.

Oh, and speaking of odd – er – eclectic, the other obsession I write about is motorcycling. Only this in one, I’m an active participant! I own two motorcycles, Elvis, and Sting, and have put over 100,000 miles on them, traveling the back roads of the west. My ‘biker-chick’ romance, Her Road Home, is due out from Harlequin’s Superromance line in August.

Me on Elvis

Okay, so your turn. Tell me I’m not the only one out there with different tastes! What do you like that’s ‘off the beaten path?’

Have you ever tried something you were afraid to do? Did you like it? Would you do it again?

Me on the Yamaha