Guest Author: Cathy McDavid

When Alexis moved away from Arizona last year, I was devastated. Yeah, I know she went to an island paradise to live, which is totally cool, but I still miss her terribly. Guest blogging at Happily Ever After is like spending the week with her, and I'm so happy to be here.

Alexis asked to share news about my newest release, THE COMEBACK COWBOY, and my upcoming three-book series, Mustang Valley. Of course, I'm happy to do both!

THE COMEBACK COWBOY is an anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better story about a down on his luck professional tie-down roper who comes to Cowboy College, a roping school for recreationalists, in the hopes of honing his skills and — you guessed it — making a comeback. The school is run by a woman roper, one of the best in the country, who is unable to compete professionally because she's not a man.

The idea came to me a few years ago as I watched my neighbors over the fence. They have a private roping arena on their property and, often, young women practiced roping calves alongside the men. Some of these women were pretty darn good. They certainly earned my admiration, and I couldn't help imagining one of them as the heroine of a story.

Trust me when I tell you that researching this book was no hardship. Cowboys happen to be some of my favorite romance book heroes (go figure). While I did read about tie-down roping online and in books, the best part of researching the sport was going to rodeos and seeing all those guys up close and personal. Last summer, I also went to a tie-down roping 2-day event in Young, Arizona. While these guys were all amateurs, it was still fun to watch and a real education. I was only sorry there were no women competitors. I'd like very much to see that happen one day. Come on, guys, what's the problem? Are you scared? :)

In August, my next book, LAST CHANCE COWBOY, will be out. This is the first book in my Mustang Valley series. This series is very special to me for several reasons. First, it takes place in the McDowell Mountains. I live in McDowell Mountain Ranch and have a stunning view of the mountains from my backyard. I also walk the nature trails in the foothills weekly when the weather is nice. Great way to jumpstart the imagination. Another reason I'm so excited about this series is that the hero in book two has a prosthetic leg. He's a former Marine who was injured in a car bomb explosion while in the Middle East. I wasn't sure my editor would go for the idea when I first proposed it and am so glad she did. Lastly, I'm loving these books because the heroine in book two is named Caitlin after my daughter, and the hero in book three is named Clay after my son. I've been wanting to name characters after my children for a long time, and it finally was right.

Thanks again, Alexis, for inviting me to share your digs this week. And thanks to all my friends, old and new, for stopping by. We've got some books to give away, so don't forget to post a comment! And if you haven't had enough of me, drop by my website at: http://www.cathymcdavid.com/ for more updates.

Warmest wishes,
Cathy McDavid