Leslie Ann Sartor | Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

Every once in a while, I’ll guest post on another blog. Sometimes I do an interview, or showcase a new or previously published book. Other times, I’ll have fun with a regular topic from the host blogger. Last year I did a Guest Post on Author L. A. Sartor’s blog. The guest spot was called “Five Secrets” and can be about a book or about me. Oh, my! Leslie was kind enough to let me repost the post here for you. Authors? Do your books have any secrets? Readers? Do you want to know a secret?

Cowboy Boss and his Destiny has secrets, though I had to dig deep for some of them. Albeit, there were more, and it was tough to decide which to use. I suppose they aren’t really secrets now that I’ve blabbed. I hope you enjoy the ones I chose to tattle. You can find more information about L.A. Sartor at the end of this post.

Five Secrets:

From: My Story My Way ~ An Indie Adventure:

Hi Mary, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about Cowboy Boss and his Destiny or you, but will after today!

Hi, Leslie. Thanks for having me on your blog. I have no major secrets to give away in this book. Let’s call them subtle secrets. 🙂 Here we go…

1) Nora, Destiny, and Tristan star in Cowboy Boss and his Destiny. When this book was planned, Destiny’s original age wasn’t what you see in the book. She’s four, but turns five shortly after the story begins. When I began planning, Destiny was sixteen-months old. She remained sixteen-months-old until about page two when she told me she wasn’t a baby. Our characters are almost always right. (I love it!) Why did I change her age? I wanted her to interact in her world, with her dad, and with the rest of the family. To have her own opinions. No doubt she has opinions, and she also has her own fun personality. Destiny adds to the story and it was a great decision to make her older. In the “bonus book” #1.5, a mid-length novel I wrote as an addition to Cowboy Boss, I noticed a change in her attitude.

2) Tristan calls Destiny Baby Cakes. I’m a widow now, but when I met my second husband his daughter had just turned eight. He called her Baby Cakes. I didn’t call her that, because it was special between her and her dad. In Cowboy Boss and his Destiny, Nora won’t call Destiny “Baby Cakes,” either, for the same reason. In fact, no one else in Destiny’s family calls her by that nickname.

3) This one surprised me in the beginning. Nora uses the color teal or turquoise at times for her carpet, bedroom colors, or clothes. Most of my heroines mention something in this color. This goes all the way back to the first book I wrote. Teal is my favorite color. It wasn’t planned in the beginning, but once I realized some of my heroines liked the color, I went with it. Update: I stopped doing this in recent books, but don’t be surprised if a new heroine also likes this color.

4) The reason Tristan drives a Dodge Ram pickup in this book? I had my very own Ram pickup and I loved that truck. I guess that was my adult Tomboy stage. :-0 This type of truck fits my hero. If it brings me good memories, heck, why not give one to a hero? Mine was red and your basic pickup. His isn’t basic in any way. He’s a rancher and his truck fits the need, plus he has fun with the built-up engine. Tristan’s isn’t red.

5) The original idea that I can contribute to Cowboy Boss and his Destiny is a post office box I used to have. Once, years ago, I’d often see the same guy picking up his mail when I picked up mine. My mind automatically saw this as a way for my characters to meet. Is this how Nora and Tristan meet? No, not exactly. But through the years I kept going back to that idea. When Tristan came to me, he also came to me with the same predicament he’s found in, in the beginning of the book. It happens to be at the post office in a roundabout way. They would have met inside like my imagination showed me, but the scenario changed when I realized Tristan was a single dad.

This is my Five Secrets about Cowboy Boss and his Destiny.

I’ve had more books published since this interview. Please see the Menu or Welcome Page.

Books one and two in the Bull Rider Series are also available.

More books will follow in the Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight. Book #4 out of 5 comes in 2016.

Blurb :

Heartwarming. Passionate. (Cowboy Boss was revised in November 2015.) The newly revised edition was released in 2018.

Tristan Carlson does the best he can to raise his four-year-old daughter on his own. His mother remains on the Double Dutch to lend a hand—giving him the ability to maintain the ranch, tend to his horses, and keep up his small-time ranching magazine. His pretty, new assistant is everything he wants in a woman, including her ginger-red hair. But from his experience with women lately, he’s learned that some don’t want a ready-made family. This one seems different, and he’s falling hard. But, there’s his little blue-eyed girl, and he’ll protect Destiny’s heart with everything within him. Until he knows for sure…

Living the good life in a big city for many years, Nora Trinity ends up a statistic after the magazine she works for makes cutbacks. Despite a family betrayal from her past that still needs mending, she moves back home to the small town of Canyon Junction, Arizona, with forgiveness on her mind. When she is hired by a local rancher to help with his ranching magazine, she finds herself profoundly attracted to him. The thing is, her sexy boss comes as a package deal, and his little girl is immediately drawn to her. It’s not just about two hearts taking a chance now—or two people falling in love. Nora has to be sure of what she wants before she takes on the cowboy and his child.

Don’t forget to stop by L.A. Sartor’s blog~

L.A. Sartor
National Bestselling Author & International Digital Award Winner
Live the Adventure, Love the Romance

My Story My Way ~ An Indie Adventure.

While there, check out her books and other guests. She also has a Mailing List Sign Up and she sends out about four emails a year.

Thanks again for letting me repost this on my blog, Leslie.

Readers of my blog~ Here is my Mailing List Sign Up Link to be notified of new releases and important book information. Remember, if you contact me via my website Contact form, please check your spam box if you don’t hear from me. I personally reply to messages.

Thanks for stopping by today.