Jamie Dallas stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the third book in The Hartman Brothers series, Cowgirl in Love!
Where did you get the inspiration for Cowgirl in Love?
Usually, a character just comes to me, and in this case, it was Ella. I love the idea of a cowgirl with a hard shell to protect her from the hurt of outside judgement who also has this really sweet, soft center. I can personally relate to responding to criticism by building a protective layer, but sometimes the layer becomes so thick, we don’t realize that we’re cutting ourselves off from others who do care and love us. It was a lot of fun having Ty, this sweet, protective guy peel back her layers and help her open up and become more secure with herself.
This is a fun second chance romance. What drew you to this trope? What’s your favorite trope to write?
I love second chance romance and enemies to lovers. They are two of my favorite tropes, and I will buy these books in a heartbeat!
I love second chance romance because the characters really need to look at themselves to see what went wrong the first time and then realize they love each other enough to work through the issues. I love seeing what went wrong, the revelation that maybe there is more than one side to the story, and how each decides to take responsibility for their own mistakes and then grow together as a couple to move on.
How is Ty different from his brothers, Jace and Colton? How is he the same?
Ty is different in that he is committed to his life in Montana. While Colton was running from his past and Jace feels like he doesn’t belong on the ranch, Ty loves his ranch, his hometown, his career as a vet. He’s never questioned if this was where he belongs – he lives and breathes Montana. He’s very consistent and reliable in that way.
He is the same as Colton and Jace in that once they commit to something, they don’t back down. They are one hundred percent determined to not fail. And each brother, once they find the love of their lives, goes all in.
If you could spend the day with Ella or Ty, who would you choose and what would you do?
That’s a tough one because I love them both so much, but I think Ella. She’d be a good partner in crime to grab drinks with while catching up on life, or just eat an entire cake on the couch while watching rom coms. We’d be great friends.
What are you currently reading?
I just finished reading The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean – it’s a second chance romance – one of my favorite tropes!!
Up next is The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet by fellow Tule author Katherine Cowley. I can’t wait to start on it!
About the Author
Jamie Dallas has been creating stories in her head for as long as she can remember. When not writing, she can be found either buried in a book, dreaming about storylines while out on walks, or baking yet again to avoid housework and chores. She lives with her husband and two demanding cats.
Sounds really good. I love second chance romances.