Category: Karen Baney

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Falling For A Real Cowboy by Karen Baney (Give.away)

12/16/2023

She’s trying to resurrect her career. He’s sworn off women. Will
this city-meets-country duo find love where they least expect it?

Dalton J. Vargas the fourth has sworn off love. Women are just a distraction that keep him from running his family’s multi-million-dollar guest ranch near Wickenburg, Arizona. After his father announces an early retirement, the full burden of the ranch rests on his shoulders. When a city-slicker romance author stays at the ranch, Dalton’s perfect world turns to chaos.
River Sloane’s last workplace romance novel flopped—big time. Now her publisher wants her to write a modern-day cowboy romance, which she has resisted for years. When her publisher sends her to a dude ranch in the middle of nowhere Arizona, she must learn about cowboys and ranching to get her career back on track. One hunky cowboy stirs her heart and unexpectedly becomes her muse.
Will she let herself fall in love with the real cowboy or will she return to the life she left behind? Will Dalton open his heart to a new, lasting love?

Genre: Contemporary Christian Cowboy Romance
Release Date: November 21, 2023

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Karen

#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
I had so much fun writing my historical Colter Sons series about a big family, and I wanted to write another series about a big family in a contemporary setting. So, I started researching dude ranches (guest ranches) in Arizona and the stories about the wonderful, entrepreneurial families I discovered inspired the idea behind Vargas Guest Ranch & Resort.
One dude ranch made it very clear from their About Us page they were strong Christians and they also cared deeply about wheelchair-bound guests. My heart was deeply touched. This inspired how I developed the Vargas family. The second book in the series, Falling for a Shy Cowboy, deals with a single mom of a little boy whose legs were amputated.

#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
This one came together really fast. Some stories are just like that. I finished the first draft in less than six weeks. The ideas were just there and flowed onto the page.
The second book in the series was almost the opposite experience. My characters pushed me into some challenging situations which caused a complete re-ordering of chapters, and… Well, it turned out great in the end, but that one took more like ten weeks for a complete first draft.

#3. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
Arizona! I love reading both historical romance and contemporary romance—especially anything with cowboys, ranches, and close-knit families or friend groups. The setting of Arizona lends itself to writing cowboy romances. And since I love Arizona… It was a match made in heaven. 😊

#4. Do you have favorite character(s) in this book?
I love River Sloane’s character. She’s a popular romance writer in a slump and her publisher sends her to a dude ranch in Arizona so she can switch sub-genres to cowboy romance. Her character provided a great outlet for me to refine my personal mission statement for my writing and to poke a little fun at my career.
There’s a fun scene in the book where Dalton Vargas (our hero!) asks her about her current novel, and she talks about how someone like her would make a boring character—which is anything but the truth! She’s funny, serious about her faith, and takes whatever life throws at her even while trying to reinvent her writing career. How does she squeeze a new love into the mix? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. 😊

#5. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
The underlying theme is about God’s timing. We see His hand in both Dalton’s and River’s characters as they face some huge challenges and experience love after some heartbreaking bad relationships in their pasts. Through it all, they grow, and dreams come true, though not in their desired timing, but in God’s perfect timing. When we wait on the Lord’s timing, we can experience His peace.

More from Karen

Inspiration Behind the Vargas Ranch Series Brand

How many books about ranches and cowboys have you read, whether historical or contemporary and you wondered about their brand?

Hardly anyone describes the brand. Me either. In my historical series, I don’t think I’ve mentioned the brand for my ranch that appears in eleven books!

Well, for the Vargas Ranch Series, the brand plays a central role in describing both the family and their faith. In many of my series, I start with a theme verse, and the Vargas Ranch Series is no exception. When I read these verses in my morning devotion time, I knew this would be the anchor for the series.

With regard to the works of man,
by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
—Psalms 17:4-5 ESV

Then the family motto formed based on the second verse: I do not deviate from the Lord’s plan.

Immediately, I latched onto the word “deviate” and how it might be represented in a brand: “dV8”. I sketched out the design, and then I had to back into how else the letters “d” and “V” might relate to the series.

Then next thing I knew, I was searching for Spanish last names beginning with a “V”. As soon as I saw Vargas, I knew it was the perfect name for my Arizonan ranching family. The idea to make all the men’s name begin with a “d” also took shape. I scanned through my running list of cowboy names and quickly settled on the five brothers’ names: Dalton, Dylan, Derin, Devon, and Drake.

Now, I could have probably stopped there, but I love developing a rich family history for series like this. So, I decided to set the founding of the ranch in 1952 with Dalton J. Vargas, Senior. His son, Junior, named his son, Dalton J. Vargas the third, and Diego Vargas. The third or “Tres”, is the father of the five sons in the series.

I’ve really enjoyed weaving the family’s “dV8” brand, family motto, and theme verses into the first book in the series. They will make an appearance in all five books. So, I’ll leave you with:

“I do not deviate from the Lord’s plan.”

Blessings, dear readers!

Karen Baney

Karen Baney is passionate about writing stories full of flawed characters. She enjoys weaving together stories of second chances, redemption, and overcoming personal trials. As a transplant to Arizona in the late 1990s, she loves researching the state’s history and finding ways to seamlessly incorporate real history and real settings into her novels. In addition to writing and speaking, Karen works as a Software Development Manager for a Christian ministry.
Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing. Karen and her husband, Jim, make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs, Bella and Daisy. Both Jim and Karen are active at Rock Point Church in Queen Creek, Arizona.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package of
a $50 gift card and a signed paperback copy of the book!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

https://promosimple.com/ps/293d2/falling-for-a-real-cowboy-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, December 12
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, December 13 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 13
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 14
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, December 15 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 16
Tell Tale Book Reviews, December 17 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 18
A Reader’s Brain, December 19 (Author Interview)
Life on Chickadee Lane, December 19
Texas Book-aholic, December 20
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 21 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, December 22
For the Love of Literature, December 23 (Author Interview)
Labor Not in Vain, December 24
Holly’s Book Corner, December 25

5 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - The Restless Wrangler by Karen Baney (Giveaway)

11/6/2023

4 Comments

A Prodigal Son, Surprise Baby Christian Historical Cowboy Romance. Compelling love story full of heartache and
redemption set in Ash Fork, Arizona Territory in 1893-1894.

Preston Colter felt like he was the forgotten son. Years of drinking and drifting finally catch up to him. When a near-death experience recharts the course of his life, he finds himself face-to-face with an old flame. Will he prove he is a new and different man, or will he fall back into his old destructive ways
Years ago, Hetty Clark made one bad choice to follow her attraction to a man she loved which led to the birth of her son out of wedlock. After she inherits her father’s ranch, an older man offers her security for her son’s future if she marries him. When the man from her past shows up on her doorstep, she is faced with a difficult decision. Will she choose a loveless proposal to secure her son’s future? Or will she risk her heart on a man she doesn’t believe has really changed?

Genre: Christian Historical Romance, Christian Western
Release Date: March 8, 2023

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Karen

#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
Being the fifth son in a family is rough. I felt Preston’s position within the family made him the perfect candidate for a Prodigal Son story. I’ve had my own prodigal journey so it’s a theme dear to me. I want other prodigals to know you are never too far gone for God’s love and redemption.

#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
About three months. Most of my books take roughly three to four months from first word to final edit. I’ve been writing since 2010, so I’ve got my system down. The one unusual thing with The Restless Wrangler (Colter Sons Book 5) is that I wrote it after I wrote book 6.

#3. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
I’ve been a long-time fan of Christian historical romance—ever since the eighth grade. When I first started writing, I had been living in Arizona for more than ten years but didn’t know anything about the history of my adopted home state. Once I started researching Arizona history, I was hooked. I would be surprised if I ever write a book that is not somehow tied to Arizona.

#4. Do you have favorite character(s) in this book?
Hetty Clark is spunky, independent, and I just loved writing her. She was inspired by a few sentences in a research article about the earliest women’s competitions in the “Cowboy Tournaments” in Prescott, Arizona. There was a woman named Hetty who was named as a competitor. I used my great-grandma’s last name. That article inspired me to think about what kind of woman would have the courage to compete in a rodeo in the 1890s. Thus Hetty was born.

#5. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
People can change. God can miraculously change any heart. Preston and Hetty are both proof of that. It doesn’t just happen in fiction.

#6. How did you name your characters?
In the case of the Colter Sons, the last name was easy, since their parents were in the Prescott Pioneers Series. Sometimes the character names just come to me. Other times I scroll through different name lists or character name generators online to get inspired. I also keep a running list of names l like in a notebook.

And, fun fact, my husband points out football player names that “would make a great cowboy name.” I may occasionally mix and match some football player names. Just saying.

#7. Tell us something funny, sad, embarrassing, whatever, that happened involving this book.
There’s a scene toward the later part of the book where Preston’s family rallies around him. When I wrote the scene, I originally included his brother James. It wasn’t until the third or fourth read through that I realized James could not possibly be there. He was in Chicago (per Book 3) on those dates. Yikes! I was just glad I caught it before it went to press.

#8. Tell us a little about yourself, your family, friends.
My hubby Jim and I live in Arizona. We both moved here in our 20s and met here. We both don’t ever want to live where there is snow, so I doubt we would ever move. We enjoy history and a favorite pastime is visiting airplane museums. One day we hope to visit the big one in Dayton, Ohio.

#9. What one piece of advice would you like to give readers?
Writing a book is a lot of hard work. It takes a lot of time and deliberate thought and prayer. Writing Christian fiction is even harder. Sometimes authors need to take characters places that might be a little uncomfortable, maybe even offensive to some, to fully illustrate what redemption looks like. Please give us grace. Our intentions are good, and we do seek to honor God in what we write.

#10. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
Psalm 34:18 (ESV) says: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” If you feel crushed or brokenhearted today, know that He is near. He loves you and His love never fails. Ask Him to make that tangible to you today.

More from Karen

What was the inspiration behind Preston Colter’s character?
I love a good prodigal story—partly because I was one. I also figured in a family with five boys and one daughter, at least one of them had to have a rebellious streak. Very early in developing the series, I felt like this role would be perfect for a fifth son.

Why did you write the series in the first person?
A few years ago, I read a historical series by Tess Thompson where she wrote the hero and heroine in the first person. I had enjoyed how the point of view felt deeper when written in the first person, so with the Colter Sons Series, I decided to give it a try. Since then, I’ve loved hearing from many readers how much they’ve enjoyed it.

If you’re a little nervous about reading something in the first person, please take advantage of the sample download feature available on most ereaders, including Kindle. The point of view characters are clearly marked at the beginning of the chapter and whenever the point of view changes.

Hetty Clark is a rancher?! What inspired you to choose that profession for her, especially since the book is set in 1893?
One of my favorite research sites for Arizona territorial history is the Sharlot Hall Museum’s online archives and “Days Past” articles. I read several articles about the early days of Prescott, Arizona’s Independence Day Celebrations. These were HUGE events for the town and surrounding communities, which eventually expanded into Cowboy Tournaments (aka Rodeo).

After reading an article about the women winners in the Cowboy Tournament in 1888, I dug deeper into what competitions the women participated in. I was surprised to learn that many of the women worked on ranches right alongside their husbands or brothers.

I enjoy writing strong female characters in unconventional roles, so making Hetty Clark a bronc rider and a ranch manager fit perfectly with the type of woman I pictured for Preston.