E.E. Burke's Best of the West: Celebrating Cowboys

Cowboys are as American as apple pie and baseball. This weekend we're celebrating National Day of the Cowboy with tributes to famous cowboys and spotlights on books we've written about cowboys, the Western lifestyle and our unique Western history.

We're also giving away an awesome prize package. Read on to find out more!

Do you know these famous cowboys?

Will Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935)

William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers was a Native American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, social commentator and motion picture actor. He was one of the world's most famous stars in the 1920s and 1930s. 

Known as "Oklahoma's Favorite Son", Rogers was born to a prominent Cherokee Nation family in Indian Territory. 

On a trip to New York City, Rogers was at Madison Square Garden, on April 27, 1905, when a wild steer broke out of the arena and began to climb into the viewing stands. Rogers roped the steer to the delight of the crowd. The feat got front page attention from the newspapers, giving him valuable publicity and an audience eager to see more. Willie Hammerstein saw his vaudeville act and signed Rogers to appear on the Victoria Roof—which was literally on a rooftop—with his pony. 

He traveled around the world three times, made 71 movies, wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns, and became a world-famous figure. By the mid-1930s, the American people adored Rogers. He was the leading political wit of the Progressive Era and was the top-paid Hollywood movie star at the time.  (Source: Wikipedia)

“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.” ~ Will Rogers


Nat Love (June 1854 – 1921)

Love was born a slave on a Tennessee plantation around 1854. His father was a slave foreman on the plantation's fields, and his mother the manager of its kitchen. Despite slavery-era statutes that outlawed black literacy, he learned to read and write as a child with the help of his father. When slavery ended, Nat took a job working on a local farm and was noted as having a gift for breaking horses. After some time of working extra odd jobs in the area, he won a horse in a raffle, which he then sold back to the owner for $50. He used the money to leave town and, at the age of 16, headed West. He worked on the Duval Ranch in the Texas Panhandle, where according to his autobiography he fought rustlers and endured inclement weather, and trained himself to become an expert marksman and cowboy. After driving a herd of cattle to the railhead in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, he entered a rodeo on the 4th of July in 1876  and won the rope, throw, tie, bridle, saddle, and bronco riding contests. It was at this rodeo that he claims friends and fans gave him the nickname "Deadwood Dick", a reference to a literary character created by Edward Lytton Wheeler, a dime novelist of the day. (Source: Legends of America)

"Mounted on my favorite horse, my lariat near my hand and my trusty guns in my belt...I felt I could defy the world." ~ The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, 1907.

Purchase Today

Read great stories, help a cowboy

This year a group of bestselling authors came together to write an anthology benefitting the Western Sports Foundation, an organization that provides critical support to athletes participating in Western lifestyle sports.   

If you love cowboys and rodeo, be sure to pick up a copy of this anthology. Every purchase is a donation and goes toward helping cowboys stay strong and keep riding.

Wild Deadwood Tales features 17 short stories set in the quintessential Western town of Deadwood, S.D. 

Included are stories from five GLIAS authors: E.E. Burke, Amanda McIntyre, Angi Morgan, Jacqui Nelson and Liz Selvig.

Here's an excerpt from E.E. from her story, Unexpected Calamity:

The bartender wiped out a glass with his apron and set it in front of her. For some reason, he held the bottle upright instead of pouring. “That’ll be two bits.”

“I’ll pay when I’m finished.” Jane reached for the bottle.

He held it away and narrowed his eyes. “Here, you pay before you drink.” 

If she had anything to pay with, she’d have pulled out the coins. As it was, she was broke. She could always pay later. “How do I know it ain’t bluestone swill?”

“Pay or go elsewhere,” he insisted.

“Don’t you recognize me?” She took off her hat. “Calamity Jane. I’ve been featured in dime books with Deadwood Dick. That’s worth a free drink.”

“Not in here it isn’t.”

“I’ll buy her a drink.” From behind, a man reached out and laid two bits on the bar. She glimpsed his strong, long-fingered hand and neatly trimmed nails, which were almost familiar...

When she spun to look at him, she couldn’t see his face on account of it being so dark inside and him having a wide hat brim pulled low over his eyes. But she could make out the light brown mustache framing his mouth.

A shiver rippled over her skin like an unexpected cold snap.

As he sauntered away, she stared in disbelief at the fine frock coat stretched across his shoulders, the long golden hair hanging from beneath the hat. With his back to her, he dragged out a chair. It looked like he was rejoining a poker game with four others.

 A gambler. Of course, he just reminded her of Wild Bill.

“Hey, mister,” she called out.

He didn’t turn around. Some of the other men glanced up at her but went right back to playing cards.

“Here’s your drink,” the bartender said.

Jane gave her attention to the whiskey long enough to toss it back in one burning gulp, set the glass on the bar and turned to give the stranger her thanks.

He was gone. In fact, there wasn’t even a chair where he’d been sitting.

The celebration continues tomorrow... 

Cowboy Treats

Celebrate the weekend with a special prize package:

From E.E. Burke: a signed copy of the anthology Wild Deadwood Tales and her debut novel, Her Bodyguard, along with candles created especially to honor the two Western heroes in those books--Wild Bill and Buck. (I call these romance-scented candles, Old Flames. And boy, do they smell good!)

From Jacqui Nelson: Three eBooks including, Between Love and Lies, Adella's Enemy and The Calling Birds.

From Angi Morgan: Ranger Guardian

From Amanda McIntyre: Closer to You

Enter to win this special prize package using the Rafflecopter. Don't forget to comment.

Who are some of your favorite cowboy heroes? What makes them so special?

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