Celebrate National Day of the Cowboy with Beth Williamson

National Day of the Cowboy comes around this Saturday, July 22. But don't cowboys deserve attention for at least a week? This week we're visiting with Western romance authors who bring us heart-pounding heroes from the past and in the present, authors like Beth Williamson.

Beth Williamson, who also writes as Emma Lang, is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of both historical and contemporary romances. Her books range from sensual to scorching hot. She is a Career Achievement Award Nominee in Erotic Romance by Romantic Times Magazine, in both 2009 and 2010, and a quarter-finalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.

Beth has always been a dreamer, never able to escape her imagination. It led her to the craft of writing romance novels, fueled by Reese’s and tenacious pursuit of the perfect story. She’s passionate about purple, books, and her family. She has a weakness for shoes and purses as well as bookstores.

Life might be chaotic, as life usually is, but Beth always keeps a smile on her face, a song in her heart, and a cowboy on her mind. ;)

I've been published for 13 years now and my very first novel, THE BOUNTY, holds a near and dear place in my heart. I'm positive all these cowboys influenced the character of Tyler Calhoun and a bit of Nicky Malloy too, although she is who I'd love to be. Brash, bold, and brave. :)

THE BOUNTY is the first in a series of 13 books about the Malloy Family. You can pick up your copy for free at every US etailer out there! In some global countries, the book is $.99 on Kindle, but you can grab it on Kobo, iBooks, Google Play, Smashwords, and Nook for free!

Take a ride with me, meet my first cowboy, and journey alongside the Malloys.

A fierce bounty hunter. An outlaw on the run. A love that transcends it all.

After three years on the run, the notorious bounty hunter Tyler Calhoun catches up with the elusive lady outlaw, Nicky Malloy. The intensity of their dislike for each other is only matched by the burgeoning passion they can't control.

A loner by nature, a cold hard hunter by choice, Tyler fights his feelings for his prisoner the only way he knows how -- by ignoring them. He's not prepared for the depth of his feelings, or how hard it will be to hold her prisoner--so close and so far away. Pursued and hunted themselves, Nicky and Tyler are forced to turn to each other for aid, trust, and comfort as their journey progresses to an inevitable end.

Caught in a murky world of lies, they hold on to each other as they travel to Wyoming to confront the man that brought them together. Tyler has to decide if his love for Nicky is worth more than the bounty he was sent to find.

Kindle:  http://amzn.to/2nYWTKx
Nook: http://bit.ly/2pynUVP
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qlppJR
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2pAYqt0
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2pPfwUO
Google play: http://bit.ly/2pPy338

E.E.: Describe in your own words what makes a “cowboy” a cowboy?

Beth: I’ve always considered cowboys to be “modern day” knights. They have a code they live by; they fight against the elements, outlaws, and protect those who can’t project themselves; they work until they’re done without faltering. It’s a way of living that is no longer seen as much in today’s society. They were also gentlemen who gave the utmost respect to women.

Plus they looked fabulous sitting in a saddle. ;)

E.E.: Why do you think the “cowboy culture” remains so appealing?

Beth: We always want to find the perfect man – one who works hard, respects us, and strong against all odds (let’s face it, muscular arms are appealing!).  There is also something wonderful about knowing your man can face any obstacle, no matter what. Sigh inducing, right?

E.E.: What is it about cowboys that you find attractive, and/or inspiring? (Basically, why do you write stories featuring cowboy lore or American West historical or contemporary culture?)

Beth: Well, I always attributed my fascination with cowboys to the westerns I watched as a kid. From TV shows like Big Valley (loved badass Barbara Stanwyck!) to movies with John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, they drew me in. In those fictional tales of cowboy lore, the good guy always won. Even if he wasn’t always the good guy when the story began. ;)

However, I’d also like to propose another theory. I’ve always felt that I lived in the old west. An elemental pull for all things in the wide open skies of the western US. A palm reader once said I had 18 (yes, 18!) past lives, so perhaps I was Calamity Jane, or Belle Star, or even Annie Oakley. That would be awesome, wouldn’t it?

E.E.: Who are some of your favorite cowboys (in history, literature, films, television, real life, whatever)? Pictures of them would be great!

Beth: Unfair question! There are too many to narrow down to just a few favorites. I think one of the first well known cowboys who caught my eye was Wyatt Earp. Handsome, hard, badass lawman who didn’t let anyone get the best of him.

But of course, it’s the cowboys in movies and books that truly captured my attention.

The first western historical romance I read that knocked me off my feet was Elizabeth Lowell’s Only His. Caleb Black was the perfect cowboy for me and resonated deep within my soul. I picture him like this:

Why do YOU love cowboys?

Enter for your chance to win prizes in our Celebrate Cowboys giveaway. 

Glass boot filled with chocolate

Western book charm and signed copy of Maybe Baby

from E.E.

Readers choice Kinnison Legacy books, 

Last Hope Ranch books, or End of the Line books

from Amanda

Three $5 Amazon gift cards 

Premium swag packs with books from Beth

Silver Boot Earring, a cowgirl hatpin

Books 1 & 2 Men of Legend series 

from Linda

Five copies of Toughest Cowboy in Texas

Three copies of Wicked Cowboy Charm

a $25 Amazon gift card

a $25 gift card to Longhorn Steak House Restaurant

from Carolyn

Texas wine charms & and autographed book from Angi

Winners announced Sunday, July 23 on this blog.

Tomorrow join New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Linda Broday, who writes the kind of Texas cowboys that make your pulse race.

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QUESTION OF THE DAY $5.00 Gift Card during Cowboy Week