TORI EATON IS READY TO START OVER She's beginning a new chapter in Aubrey, Texas, away from her abusive ex-boyfriend. As she picks up the pieces of her broken life, Tori's surprised at the helping hand the church's new song director, Brant McConnell, offers her, and at the warm emotions he inspires. Brant is drawn to Tori. And as their friendship grows, so do his feelings for her. But Tori is still hounded by her past, and the walls she's built around her heart are high. Can he convince the wounded beauty that he's exactly the kind of man she needs—and deserves?

GOOD INTENTIONS Journalist Nadine Campbell set out to write a feel-good piece on Rodeo’s own rancher-Rembrandt, Zach Brandt—not a sensational expose. She’d come back from New York to heal, not hurt. And Zach and his adorable twin boys were helping more than she’d ever dreamed possible! But a feel-good piece wasn’t about to save her job. Zach didn’t want to be interviewed. But he did want Nadine. Always had, ever since high school. Back then, he couldn’t compete with the journalistic ambition he knew would take her away. Now that she’d returned, he had a second chance—and he wasn’t about to squander it. Opening up to her was a risk worth taking. Or so he thought….

From the Wild West shows of the nineteenth century to the popular movie Westerns of the twentieth century, one view of an idealized and mythical West has been promulgated. Elyssa Ford suggests that we look beyond these cowboy clichés to complicate and enrich our picture of the American West. Rodeo as Refuge, Rodeo as Rebellion takes us from the beachfront rodeo arenas in Hawai‘i to the reservation rodeos held by Native Americans to reveal how people largely missing from that stereotypical picture make rodeo—and America—their own. Because rodeo has such a hold on our historical and cultural imagination, it becomes an ideal arena for establishing historical and cultural relevance. By claiming a place in that arena, groups rarely included in our understanding of the West—African Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Hawaiians, and the LGBT+ community—emphasize their involvement in the American past and proclaim their right to an American identity today. In doing so, these groups change what Americans know about their history and themselves. In her journey through these race- and group-specific rodeos, Ford finds that some see rodeo as a form of escape, a refuge from a hostile outside world. For others, rodeo has become a site of rebellion, a place to proclaim their difference and to connect to a different story of America. Still others, like Mexican Americans and the LGBT+ community, look inward, using rodeo to coalesce and celebrate their own identities. In Ford’s study of these historically marginalized groups, she also examines where women fit in race- and group-specific rodeos—and concludes that even within these groups, the traditional masculinity of the rodeo continues to be promoted. Female competitors may find refuge within alternate rodeos based on their race or sexuality, but they still face limitations due to their gender identity. Whether as refuge or rebellion, rodeos of difference emerge in this book as quintessentially American, remaking how we think about American history, culture, and identity.

This work celebrates a great national pastime and tradition. Taking the reader behind the chutes, Wayne Wooden and Gavin Ehringer reveal the essential character of rodeo culture today and show why it retains such a strong hold on the American imagination.

Oklahoma's central location and ranching tradition gave it a unique connection to the rodeo industry as it grew from a local pastime to an internationally popular sport. From the very beginning, Oklahoma cowgirls played a significant role in developing the institution and the businesses that grew up in its shadow. Lucille Mulhall's pioneering roping carved out a place for women in the actual competition, while Mildred Chrisman's promotional efforts kept rodeo chutes open during the Great Depression. Modern ranchers like Terry Stuart produced the quarter horses sought by professional athletes around the world. From Guymon to Pawhuska and from stock contractors to rodeo clowns, Tracey Hanshew follows the trail that Oklahoma women blazed across this rough-and-tumble sport.

Out of nowhere, Walker Cody swoops in and saves Paula Olsen's toddler son from a dog bite. Before she can properly thank him, the handsome Iraq War veteran fades into the crowd. Walker's in training to retake his World Champion Bulldogger title. The practice rides are bruising, but still don't knock thoughts of a certain beautiful young widow and her little boy out of his head. And Paula's shocked to realize she has a bad case of Pervasive Walkeritis. Survivors' guilt and ghosts from their pasts stand between them. Walker's need to prove himself on the rodeo circuit runs deeper than bragging rights. But can Paula risk her healing heart on a troubled man who deliberately puts himself in danger?

Given in honor ofEmken and Sherilyn Lynton by the Aggieland Rotary Club of Bryan-College Station.

Introduction: "The Young and The Rodeo" is the tale of a journey that took me into the world of rodeo through the eyes and experience of the next generation of rodeo superstars, cowboys and cowgirls. It contains personal highlights and individual stories that help explain why rodeo continues to thrive in a modern, high-tech world of video games and smart phones. It is not a detailed examination of results, instead this is a view of the sport from the eyes of those that compete in it. It is also not a hard-news analysis, rather it is a look at what makes rodeo so special and why regional and community rodeo competitions designed for young people is a flourishing segment of the sporting world in the tri-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. I will also introduce the reader to several amazing young people who love the sport and want to share that love so that others can understand why they feel the way they feel. Hopefully, you as a reader will discover what I discovered and understand why I have fallen in love with the sport - and those young people that keep it alive.