I am thrilled to announce the winner of the giveaway!!
Congratulations, Parris Afton Bonds!
You have won A Cowboy of Legend!
Thank you for having me, Jan. I’m so excited to be here talking about my new book.
Excuse me, what’s Your Name?
This question wasn’t asked much on the American frontier and if you were so bold, you were liable to get shot. The old West offered men (and women) a multitude of places to disappear into and leave behind whatever trouble he/she found themselves in.
No telephone. No internet. No Social Security numbers. Nothing. It was perfect.
There were probably hundreds of men back then looking to change their identities and disappear, and did. Outlaws checked into hotels and boardinghouses under an alias as did most politicians and famous people and still do today. In fact, in the 1800s it was such a common practice that, when introduced, people naturally assumed that the name was fake.
Elvis Presley used Jon Burrows when he sought anonymity. Frank Sinatra became Frankie Satin. Marilyn Monroe was Zelda Zonk.
In 1974, a singer/songwriter named Connie Converse told her family and friends that she’d had enough and was going to disappear. She packed up her Volkswagen Beetle and drove away. No one ever heard from her again despite many searches.
In my upcoming release, A Cowboy of Legend, Deacon Brannock has taken a fake name in order to disappear. All is well and good until firebrand Grace Legend marches into Hell’s Half Acre with burning determination to shut down his saloon, The Three Deuces. She’s a member of the Temperance Society and hellbent on running him out of business. All her life, she’s taken up one cause after another but this one springs from her heart and is what she’s most passionate about.
But here’s the thing…Grace is also a reporter and writes a weekly column under her own alias in an attempt to hide it from her family. Like a bloodhound, she discovers that Deacon Brannock is hiding a humdinger of a juicy secret. Oh, I love it!
A Cowboy of Legend contains a lot of secrets. Writing about secrets is fun for an author. Where there are secrets there’s conflict and those are what drives a story. I just love it when a book contains mysteries. I can’t turn the pages fast enough.
You can find an excerpt on my webpage: https://lindabroday.com/books/lone-star-legends/a-cowboy-of-legend-1-lone-star-legends/
This is Book 1 of a new series called Lone Star Legends and released April 27th. Book 2 – A Cowboy Christmas Legend – follows in September.
My question: If you could change your identity and disappear, would you? My generation really overdid the Lindas and I’ve hated my name so I think I’d chose to be Sierra or maybe Summer or Sapphire. What new name would you choose if you were going to disappear?
I’m giving away an autographed copy (either print or ebook) so I wish you luck!
PURCHASE LINKS:
AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE APPLE KOBO
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance books and short stories. Here in the Texas Panhandle, I reside on ancient land that carries the voices of those who’ve gone before on the wind. If I close my eyes and get real still, I often hear them whispering stories in my ear.
My love of history and the Old West was born from watching TV westerns and visiting museums and libraries. I’ve always been an avid reader and books opened up entirely new exciting worlds that seemed limited only by my imagination.
Cowboys have always fascinated me and I often think I was born 150 years too late. I love writing about those men, their ladies, and the struggles they endure in trying to carve out a small place to call home. Western romance is my passion and I feel truly blessed. Humble roots and the love of family have become focal points in my stories. I sincerely hope readers enjoy what I strive to bring to life on the printed page.
I’m a mother, grandmother, and now a great grandmother. In my family, I’m the storyteller and the one who records our history. I come from a long line of poor but prideful people. That’s okay. I’m happy with that. This is my legacy.
FOLLOW LINDA:
What a great post! Congratulations to your sister and her new book! I don’t think I’d disappear and start over. I’m too bonded with my family. lol! Thanks for sharing this with us today, Jan. 🙂
Thank you for stopping by, Yvette. I have to agree with you about disappearing. I am very bonded with my family. I’m glad you enjoyed the post and meeting my sister!
Jan, I didn’t know you had a writing sister – how great to “meet” her on your blog! Linda, I had no idea that people could just reinvent themselves in the old West! That is sure a fabulous premise for a story, and your story sounds wonderful. The cover is beautiful, too. Good luck with it! I will be checking out your other works as well. As for names we might take, when I was a kid I wished my name was September, which I thought was so romantic. I have no idea why.
Thank you so much for stopping by, Maura Beth. I’m happy to introduce you to my amazing sister. I love the name September. I’ve often wondered if children who want to be called by another name, are possibly remembering the name from a previous life. Just a thought. My youngest daughter decided she wanted to be called Nicole when she was around six. Anyway, thank you so much for your comment and for helping support my sister! Hugs!
I didn’t know that writing was a family business, Jan. Congratulations, Linda, on your new release! I guess Elvis isn’t dead, he’s just changed his name to Jon. 🙂
Mark, that’s right. LOL He’s alive and well somewhere. 🙂 Yes, writing does run in our family. Jan and I love bouncing ideas off each other and we read and critique each other’s chapters. Our mom was a huge reader and Daddy could’ve been a poet if he’d had the right opportunity. Oh, and our aunt wrote jingles and actually won a contest. She also wrote songs. Have an awesome rest of your day.
It’s in the blood for sure . . . neat. 🙂
Lol, Mark. Yeah, that rumor floated around for a long time. I think they’ve finally given it up and admitted Elvis has left the building. 🙂 Thank you for your comment.
🙂 Yes, he’s long gone.
I love the cowboy persona. Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Jacqui! Thanks for reading my cowboy post. Here in the Texas Panhandle we love our cowboys and they’re everywhere so lots of inspiration. Enjoy your evening.
My cowboy reading is mostly in the Old West–1860-1895. But I’m running out! Glad to hear about modern good reads.
Thank you for stopping by, Jacqui. Linda’s cowboy stories all take place in the 1800s and I think you’d enjoy them!
Congratulations and wishing you great success, Linda!
Erika, how nice of you to come by. I appreciate the well wishes. I hope you have a wonderful day.
A pleasure to do so. A new release is always so exciting😊 thank you, and you have a lovely day too!
Thank you, Erika!
😊😊
Hi Linda, Hi Jan,
Linda, this sounds like a humdinger of a series. I do like to read good western romance. Your trailers gave me a good idea about the book. I can see that the writing genes run in the family. I like your book cover too. Hope you have a great launch and I have you on my TBR list.
Jan, thank you for introducing your big sister. What an honor!
Wishing you both the very best for your careers.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Hi, Pat! Thank you so much for stopping by to support my sister today. And thank you for adding the book to your TBR list! I know that will make Linda smile! I am actually doing some research for a blog post about whether not the writing gene is inherited. I’m finding some interesting facts. Have a great day and Happy Reading!
Hi Pat! Oh, I love finding another western romance reader! I always loved westerns on TV but hated that the cowboy always rode away alone, leaving the women he loves behind. So I wanted to change that. Love comes so seldom that we need to grab hold of it while we can. Thank you so much for reading my post and watching the trailer. I also appreciate the comments about my cover. Sourcebooks does such a great job with their covers but I’m very partial to this last one. Take care and have a lovely day. 🙂
Congrats on your new release, Linda:) This sounds like a good read, and the secrets have me curious. Adding to my TBR list. Good question, if I was to chose another name I would go with my middle name, Andrea. Thanks for sharing, Jan!
Thank you for stopping by, Denise. I like the name Andrea. It fits. Thank you for your support and for sharing!!
Hi D.L.! Thanks for reading my post. I’ve always wondered if these initials were your true name. Now I’m discovering it’s Denise. Andrea is a great name too. A lot of people changing names often kept part of their real one…either their first or last name. In the second book of this series, Sam Legend takes the name Sam Fletcher for his undercover work. I hope you have a day filled with sunshine.
The first initial is my first name, Denise, but the rest is my attempt to make it sound like the word, dolphin. My real last name is way too long and Italian to use:) I’m already looking at the second book when you said Christmas, I have a soft spot for that. Thank you, I hope your day is filled with sunshine too.
Hello.
I’m not a big fan of Charlene but I love my nickname Fred, Freddie. I’ve grown up being called that since I was 4 or 5. Thank you for sharing your time with us all.
Oh, how funny, Charlene. Thank you for sharing your nickname. 🙂 A girl named Fred would certainly be different. Thank you for stopping by to support Linda!
Thank you Linda.
Thank you Jan and Linda
Hi Charlene…or rather Freddie! I like it. I’m glad to see you, dear friend. Thanks for coming by. We do love our romances. I hope you have a blessed day. Much love.
I have always liked the name Cheyenne, plus those are my favorite Indians too. I would love to escape up into the mountains, by a creek and just experience God’s beautiful miracles around me. I loved your book, each boom you wrote becomes my new favorite. I know everyone will love this one too. Love you & Jan, Happy Mother’s Day to you both!
Awwww, that name fits you, Tonya. And yes, that escape to the mountains by a trickling stream sounds heavenly! Thank you for the Mother’s Day love!! Thank you for stopping by to support Linda! Hugs!
Miss Tonya! I’m so happy to see you. Cheyenne is a beautiful name and I’m happy I chose it for Book 2 of this series. It’s perfect for Sam Jr. You know, I think the mountains would be a perfect place to live. I’m tempted to join you. sigh. Maybe one day. Meanwhile, I’ll keep living in the dry-as-a-bone Texas Panhandle. I hope you have a safe trip to your parents’. Wish I could see her face when you drive up. 🙂 Love you dearly.
Thanks for introducing Linda to me Jan. I wish her great success with her latest release. I am adding it to my wish list.
Oh how nice! Thank you so much for the kind words, balroop. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thank you so much, Balroop! I appreciate your support and I know Linda does too!!
Congrats to Linda, Jan. Thanks for spreading the word.
Thank you, John. It’s so nice to see you.
Always nice to be seen, Linda. (especially at my age)
My pleasure, John! Thank you for helping with that!!
A COWBOY OF LEGEND sounds like just the kind of novel I would love to read. Putting it on my TRB list. Here’s to Linda Broday ~ go ‘tear a page’ (that’s the literary equivalent of go break a leg in theatre)!
Lol, Parris. I know you would enjoy all of the Legends! Thank you for leaving a comment and for adding this book to your list!! Hugs!
Parris, thank you for coming! It’s really great to see you. And glad to know what the good luck term is for writers. I never knew that. 🙂 I just love your stories and have for a long time. You’re such an icon in the writing world. A huge, huge talent. No wonder Casey grabbed you. Wishing you tons of luck with your books.
Thanks for sharing, Jan. Congrats to Linda. This story sounds terrific. Hugs on the wing.
Hi Teagan, I’m so happy you stopped by to read about my new book. I had such fun writing about Deacon and Grace. As she says in the book they’re like oil and water. But they can’t resist the pull that keeps drawing them together. I hope you have a beautiful day.
I’ve always liked the name Deacon — and it’s perfect for a cowboy. The cover is gorgeous too. More hugs.
My pleasure to share, Teagan! Thanks for stopping by!
I thoroughly enjoyed your post, Jan. When the two of you support each other, it always brings a smile. How lovely it much be to have each other to turn to! Linda’s book sounds fantastic. I will definitely look into her latest success! 😊
You are so right, Gwen. We do lean on each other a lot, not only with writing stories but with life in general. I can’t imagine a more perfect big sister for me. Thank you so much for stopping by and I do hope you will pick up her latest! Have a great day! Hugs!
Hi Gwen, thank you for reading my post. Having Jan to bounce things off of and talk to about everything under the sun is immeasurable. I don’t know what I’d do without her. We’ve always been close. In fact, growing up, everyone thought we were twins despite me being three years older. I love her dearly and can’t imagine a life without her in it. We’re each other’s best supporter. I hope your day is filled with sunshine and love.
I’d be Daisy! Thank you for asking. Celebrating your every success, Miss. Linda!
Awwww, I love that Annette. Daisy fits you. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment today! Hugs!
Hi Annette, I’m so happy you stopped by. I’ve always liked the name Daisy. She sounds very optimistic and full of life with just a bit of impish thrown in. Thank you for coming to celebrate my new release. Have a beautiful day.
There are days when simply walking into the sunset sounds pretty good.
Yes, there is, Craig. I think I could see you as a John Smith. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
At my age, I’m more the Jack Elam type.
Sometimes walking into the sunset sounds attractive to me as well, Craig. There are moments when the life we’ve carved out gets to be too much or too boring. Back in the old west, people could also change professions simply by stating it. There was no fact-checking. A man could choose to be a doctor by stating it and many did. Or if he got tired of his wife, he could walk away and start over somewhere new. That happened a lot. The world was wide open. It just amazes me. Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for coming.
Yup, Judge Roy Bean basically said he was one, so he was.
This sounds like a fantastic book. Naturally the words “Lone Star” drew my attention. 🙂
I’ve always thought my name was rather plain, so I’d choose something a little more exciting but not so much as to attract too much attention.
Best of luck with the new release, Linda, and a big thanks to Jan for hosting.
That’s an interesting thought, Joan, to go from a plain name to something more exotic. 🙂 If you like well-written Texas romance, you’d love any of the Legend books from the Lone Star Ranch! My sister brings it all to life on the pages. Thank you for stopping by and sharing today!
How nice to see you, Joan. It’s fun to think about picking out a new name. In this book, Grace writes her newspaper column under Sam Valentine. Women back then weren’t really allowed to do anything other than keep house and raise kids. Those who did were looked down on. It was a hard time for women. Thank you for the good wishes. I hope your day is one of blessings and love.
Congratulations to Linda! The book sounds great! Thanks for sharing, Jan.😉
Thanks, Jill. I appreciate you stopping by!
Hi Jill, I’m so happy you came by to read my post. Have a lovely day.
What a great post, and the book sounds fantastic. Having read several of Linda’s titles in the past, I know she always tells a good tale.
I’m not sure what name I would use if I chose to disappear, but I think I’d probably pick something simple and common so as not to stand out. Something that would blend in and not draw attention.
Great to see your sister here today, Jan. Thanks for hosting!
Exactly, Mae, which is why the common name to use became Smith or Jones. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words about Linda’s writing. I know that will bring a big smile to her face. This story is full of secrets and surprises. Thanks for helping spread the word! Have a great day!
Funny you should mention Smith and Jones. I used to love the old western TV series, Alias Smith and Jones 🙂
Hi Mae Clair! I’m so glad to see you. I’m a big fan of your work too and have enjoyed your stories. Mae (May) was a pretty common name in earlier times. I’ve always thought it was a lot prettier than Linda. 🙂 The thing about the 1800s and earlier is that a person could also become anything by simply stating it. Blows my mind that someone could claim to be a doctor (or anything else) who had no training. I imagine the lack of skill might give them away. Or I would hope so. Keep writing your fascinating stories. The writing world needs you. Best of luck and much love.
Aww, thanks for that sweet comment, Linda. And as you know, I have a passion for the Old West. I didn’t realize however that someone could just “claim” to be whatever they wanted. How fascinating!
And BTW, my favorite aunt is named Linda, and my mom’s middle name was Mae 🙂
This looks like an entertaining read. Best of luck to Linda with this latest book 🙂
Jan, thanks for sharing this 🙂
Thank you, Harmony. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment!
Thanks, Harmony! I’m so glad you stopped by. I wish you a fantastic day full of promise.