The last Cooper sibling is looking for love...she just wishes it wouldn't be in her hometown, or with the saltiest cowboy on the planet. But something about Jed Forrester has Cherry all a-flutter, and he'll be darned if he's going to let her get away. But Jed may have met his match when it comes to his quick tongue and salty attitude... Cherry Cooper isn't thrilled to be back in Sweet Water Falls, though she knows it's the right place for her right now. Her parents are aging and unwell, and she's been gone long enough. She wants to help Mama and rekindle her relationships with her siblings, which would be easier if they weren't all so blissfully happy. She's not unhappy, and a certain cowboy at the farm next door definitely makes a smile brighten her face faster than anything or anyone else has in a long time. But Jed's already broken up with her once because of his short temper and quick tongue, and Cherry really doesn't want to play games. Jed Forrester isn't the game-playing type of cowboy anyway. He's just trying to break down Cherry's impossibly high walls so he can get inside her heart. Or at least her head, to figure out why she's so resistant to him when they have such a great time together—and she sure doesn't seem to mind kissing him... Can Jed use his saltiness in his favor and win over Cherry's heart? Or will she keep pushing back at him until he gives up?

He's got a reputation to uphold and he's not all that amused the way regular people are. Like that time he stood there straight-faced and silent while everyone else in the audience cheered and clapped for that educational demo... Can Lee and Rosalie let bygones be bygones and make a family filled with joy? Lee Cooper hasn't been interested in getting his heart stomped on again, thank you very much. He's the oldest brother, and the entire future of Sweet Water Falls Farm rests on his shoulders. Oh, and he's got his eight-year-old son to consider. So he doesn't laugh or even smile that often. Big deal. Lots of people barely smile, don't they? Maybe not Rosalie Reynolds, who is seriously the brightest ray of sunshine in Texas. At least in Lee's opinion. She develops educational video and board games, and she's the one who had him star-struck and silent after the demo. It wasn't that he didn't want to cheer and clap, it was that...he's forgotten how to act around pretty women. Rosalie has plenty keeping her out of the dating pool too, the least of which is her business, which she runs solo, and her daughter, a four-year-old with a lot more energy than her mother. As Lee and Rosalie start to see each other, she has some past obstacles to clear before the relationship can progress, and he's got some mental blocks about women he needs to erase. It's so hard for him to be positive, and he's not sure he can be different...but he wants to try. Will Rosalie stick around long enough to sweeten the surly cowboy? Or will she decide the smart thing to do is to set Lee free?

Ready to be part of a family who loves deep? Sometimes yells? Works hard? And always, always has a place for YOU to belong? If you're ready for that, welcome to the Cooper family in Sweet Water Falls, at their generational farm in the Coastal Bend of Texas. And we're all waiting for YOU to pull up a chair at the family dinner table! To do that, you need the complete collection - all the Cooper brothers, as cross and grumpy and surly as they may be. Get it in this singular set! 4 full-length sweet contemporary western romance novels that are guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and fall in love. You'll get: Book 1: Cross Cowboy - He's been accused of being far too blunt. Like that time he accused her of stealing her company from her best friend... Can Travis and Shayla overcome their differences and find a happily-ever-after together? Book 2: Grumpy Cowboy - He can find the negative in any situation. Like that time he got upset with the woman who brought him a free chocolate-and-caramel-covered apple because it had melted in his truck... Can William and Gretchen start over and make a healthy relationship after it's started to wilt? Book 3: Surly Cowboy - He's got a reputation to uphold and he's not all that amused the way regular people are. Like that time he stood there straight-faced and silent while everyone else in the audience cheered and clapped for that educational demo... Can Lee and Rosalie let bygones be bygones and make a family filled with joy? Book 4: Salty Cowboy - The last Cooper sibling is looking for love...she just wishes it wouldn't be in her hometown, or with the saltiest cowboy on the planet. But something about Jed Forrester has Cherry all a-flutter, and he'll be darned if he's going to let her get away. But Jed may have met his match when it comes to his quick tongue and salty attitude...

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is the granddaddy of all cowboy poetry events, proclaimed by the US Senate in 2000 in recognition of its pioneering role in the preservation and revitalization of this important American tradition. In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the event, this commemorative volume collects 100 poems by various cowboy poets who have appeared at the gathering over the last three decades, from Baxter Black and Wallace McRae to Georgie Sicking and Paul Zarzyski. Representing the best contemporary cowboy poetry from the first gathering to the present, the poets and poems are culled for their importance and quality with consideration for a wide range of topics that represent the richness and depth of this broad genre. In addition to poems that will make you smile, sigh, or sit up straight in your saddle, the anthology features expressive photos of the contributors, biographical and explanatory headnotes, relevant artwork from the Western Folklife Center’s extensive archives, and illuminating sidebars on various topics such as working cattle; life on the land; the relationship between cowboy poetry and song; gear, horses, or cattle mentioned in poems; and profiles and photos of important cowboy poets from earlier times. Cowboy poet extraordinare Baxter Black will provide a foreword, and Charlie Seemann, executive director of the Western Folklife Center, will write an introduction that gives context both to the event itself and to cowboy poetry in general, from the days of the trail drives in the nineteenth century to the lives of the hardworking men and women who still ranch and live on the land in the West today.

Cowboy Christians examines the long history of cowboy Christianity in the American West, with a focus on the present-day cowboy church movement. Based on five years of historical and sociological fieldwork in cowboy Christian communities, this book draws on interviews with leaders of cowboy churches, traveling rodeo ministries, and chaplains who serve horse racing and bull riding communities, along with the author's first-hand experiences as a participant observer. Marie W. Dallam traces cowboy Christianity from the postbellum period into the twenty-first century, looking at religious life among cowboys on the range as well as its representation in popular imagery and the media. She examines the structure, theology, and perpetuation of the modern cowboy church, and speculates on future challenges the institution may face, such as the relegation of women to subordinate participant roles at a time of increasing gender equality in the larger society. She also explores the cowboy Christian proclivity for blending the secular and the sacred in leisure environments like arenas, racetracks, and rodeos. Dallam locates the modern cowboy church as a descendant of the muscular Christianity movement, the Jesus movement, and new paradigm church methodology. Cowboy Christians establishes the religious significance of the cowboy church movement, particularly relative to twenty-first-century evangelical Protestantism, and contributes to a deeper understanding of the unique Christianity of the American West.

Lauren Keller understands strategies. She adores them and never enters a marketing meeting without Strategy A, B, and C tucked away in the back of her mind. She's one of the top executives at her firm...until it all comes crashing down with the news that her boss has been stealing money from their clients for almost a decade. After narrowly escaping indictments herself, Lauren finds herself, at age 43, standing in the parking lot of her office building, a box with a stapler, a sad plant, and a couple of photos as her only companions. She needs a new strategy, and she decides she can map everything out from the beaches of Hilton Head. It's not an exit strategy. It's a seaside strategy. Relax more. Worry less. Find out what she really wants in her life. While trying to do that, all with the ocean breeze and her friends for support, Lauren meets Blake Williams. The man is movie-star gorgeous, witty, and looking for someone to help him run his successful financial planning business on the island. But Lauren doesn't want to work for him, especially not in strategic investments. She's had enough of the high-profile, corporate life. Can she strategically insert herself into Blake's life without compromising her seaside strategy and finally get what she really wants...love and a lasting relationship?

Continue this later in life romance series from USA Today bestselling author Elana Johnson! You'll get heaps of second chance at love romance, sweet and steamy kisses, and a found family inside this friendship fiction novel featuring a Supper Club! For fans of Rachel Hanna, Brenda Novak, Susan Mallery, Pamela Kelley, Jan Moran, Elizabeth Bromke, and Kellie Coates Gilbert. Cassandra Haslam loves plans. Lunch plans, wedding plans, and floor plans—they all bring her joy. In fact, she's had her entire life planned out—career, marriage, and family—since age ten. She's smart, hard-working, and a real go-getter, and everything has fallen into place so far. Until her husband dies suddenly, right when she's about to enjoy the fruits of all of her hard work and planning, leaving Cass reeling and...well, without a plan. When her youngest graduates three months later, making her an empty-nester as well as a widow, Cass decides it's time to make a new plan for herself. It's not a back-up plan. It's a paradise plan. With one of her best friends now living in Hilton Head, Cass makes a move and purchases a piece of waterfront property on the island. It's the perfect place to build her paradisiacal life and her new self as she designs and constructs a beautiful beach house. But when she injures herself—not in the plan, by the way—she meets general-contractor-turned-doctor Harrison Tate. He helps her out of a jammed thumb, a sprained ankle, and a bruised ego. When he keeps showing up unannounced at her construction site, sometimes with her favorite pastries, Cass starts to wonder if she should add him to her daily routine... If she does, will her perfectly laid out plans fall short of paradise? Or could she find her new life and a new love, all without any plans at all?

Sarah Montague's The Adult Rider describes everything you need to know if you are interested in introducing (or reintroducing) horses to your life. The book begins with a thorough description of all equestrian disciplines-from Western (barrel racing, reining, cutting, penning) to English (show jumping, dressage, eventing) and so much more! You might try endurance riding, in which you and your equine partner hit the trails for miles, or maybe you've considered polo, a sport gaining popularity in theUnited States and creating opportunities for eager beginners. Perhaps you love horses, but aren't so sure you want to ride—Montague will introduce you to the thrill of driving, the artistry of in-hand competitions, and the joys of miniature horses. Whichever discipline you consider, the author takes you step by step through the process, from choosing a stable (what to look for in an instructor and in a barn) to picking out your new riding clothes (you need only a helmet and sturdy shoes to start, but there's a world of apparel and accessories once you're hooked). Do you think you might want to buy a horse someday? The Adult Rider describes this process as well, but also introduces you to other alternatives—like leasing, a month-to-month arrangementthat lets you see how a horse fits into your life in both time and money before you make a commitment. The Adult Rider recognizes that we are not the same as the resilient kids who fearlessly hop their pony over a fence for that very first time.Montague discusses what makes adults mentally and physically different, and how to overcome these challenges. In the chapter "The View from the Other Side of the Arena," Montague interviews several riding instructors on the difference between teaching kids and adults and the ways in which adults learn differently. All in all, the point is to have fun and The Adult Rider provides you with the know-how to jump into the horse world with both eyes open.

Horse trainer Naomi McDonald impulsively buys a “shy” Border collie pup named Luke, and she believes it’s fate. However, puppy Luke shows no signs of herding instinct, and a trainer tells her to put him down. At every juncture, Naomi must decide whether or not to abandon her dream of entering herding competitions with her beloved dog. Despite her earnest desire to enter this new, exciting world with respect and belonging, she inadvertently makes an enemy who can change everything for her and for her beloved Luke. When Naomi has a vision of a past life, she realizes her journey with Luke involves more than meets the eye, more than she ever imagined. With the help of a medicine woman, Naomi learns that Luke is her teacher, not only for herding competitions but also for a spiritual journey that would take her into the world of shamanic healing, animal communication, and spiritual beings most people cannot see. Author Naomi McDonald tells her true story with love and joy, disappointment and sorrow to show that ordinary people who have past-life pain and childhood trauma can find guidance and peace in unexpected places. Now a certified shamanic practitioner, Naomi has studied with spiritual-wisdom teachers around the world. She is a spiritual guide, teacher, and author. It all started with a dog named Luke.

Stories told at our family gatherings were interesting, fascinating, and amazing. Before these stories vanish from memory, I feel the need to set them down for the generations to come. Interwoven here are family traditions, Homespun yarns, facts, and history of our family. These ordinary people lived the trying days of wars, illness, the loss of loved ones, and the Great Depression. Nevertheless, they endured to the end.