How My Cowgirl Roots Birthed a Dystopian Western Experience
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Feel the burn - I’m not talking about exercising. I’m talking about horseback riding. Sunburns. Wind in my hair. Dirt under my fingernails, dusty clothes, cows, and other fodder for an epic adventure.
Dearest Rogueling,
I’m referring to my childhood days riding horses in the scorching sun. The creak of leather saddles. The smell of sweaty horse and dust and dirt. Hay fever and snot rags. The heavy clomp of hooves. Manure. Clinking bridles and saliva smudges. Sunburns. Wind in my hair, dirt under my fingernails, flies, salt licks, dirty boots, and dusty clothes.
It’s still so visceral, and yet, it was a lifetime ago. When I was in elementary school to be exact (when I wrote my first book, Birds!). But here we are, over a quarter of a century later, and I still think about that part of my life all the time. I write aspects of it in nearly every book.
Why am I talking about this?
Dust and Shadow (the first book in my Forgotten Lands series) was born from these memories. Just like Skies of Fire and Earth and Ember and Unbroken, all of which have a heavy horse and rider element.
But my childhood memories were only the foundation.
I’ve always had a strong connection with nature because, well, Mother Nature is a magnificent villain, isn’t she? She is awe-inspiring and utterly terrifying.
Whether it’s heatwaves, monsoons, floods, wildfires, volcanoes, tornadoes, blizzards—she’s sets the stage for horrifying survival settings that feel real because they are relatable. Mix my awe of her with the gritty youth of a cowgirl and you have a dystopian survival adventure with a western twist!
And so my weather-ravaged forgotten world was created, and it has been my favorite world to write in since.
When Mother Nature is the biggest badass in the room, EVERYONE has to pay attention. There are no favorites. There are no “sides.” Humans are vulnerable, and they have to put aside their differences and work together if they want to protect those they love and themselves. We have to put prejudice aside and work together when we’re put in these traumatizing circumstances.
THAT is why I love writing weather-ravaged dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories.
So, with Skies of Fire coming to audio this month, I’m celebrating by offering a free Dust and Shadows audiobook - the book that started me down this path of Mother Nature’s destruction. The funniest part is she’s a matchmaker, too, when you really think about it. At least in my stories. :) She comes up with the best forced proximity scenarios. Sandstone caves (Earth and Ember), rusted train cars (Dust and Shadow), mosquito swarms (Midnight Sun), abandoned shacks (The Darkest Winter and Untamed) - the list goes on.
You can learn more about my worlds and stories on my reading order and info page here.
This week, you can experience and explore your inner cowboy and cowgirl - a gift from me - in honor of Mother Nature’s fury and my Skies of Fire audiobook debut!
Free Dust and Shadow audiobook in April on Spotify (desktop link), Kobo, and in my Bookshop (all bookshop audiobook purchases come with the ebook!)
🌵first love
🌵arranged marriage
🌵forced proximity
🌵scandalous rake in love
🌵emotional Scars
🌵physical scars
🌵morally gray characters
It’s free, so what’s not to love?
Only this month on Spotify (←desktop link), Kobo, and in my Bookshop (where all audiobook purchases come with the ebook!).