WELCOME TO THE BLOG, SARAH! :)
Award-winning author Sarah M. Anderson may live east of the Mississippi River, but her heart lies out west on the Great Plains. With a lifelong love of horses and two history teachers for parents, it wasn’t long before her characters found themselves out in South Dakota among the Lakota Sioux. She loves to put people from two different worlds into new situations and to see how their backgrounds and cultures take them someplace they never thought they’d go.
When not helping out at school or walking her rescue dogs, Sarah spends her days having conversations with imaginary cowboys and American Indians, all of which is surprisingly well-tolerated by her wonderful husband and son. You can learn more about Sarah at www.sarahmanderson.com.
Where to Find Sarah:
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Real Cowboys vs. Sexy Cowboy Heroes
Who here doesn’t love cowboys? I’m quite fond of them myself. They wear their Wranglers well, look darn fine on horseback and—whether they’re stringing barbed wire or two-stepping their lady—they’re exceptionally good with their hands.
So very good with their hands.
Ahem. Sorry. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. Cowboys. We love them.
But do we really? Or do we love some romanticized versions of cowboys that has disconnected from reality? Let’s look at some of the ways my cowboy heroes might differ from an actual cowboy out on the range using our five senses:
1. Smell: A real cowboy does not smell . . . pleasant. If he’s been working cattle, he smells like cattle—and manure. Cattle alone smell like, well, cows—but manure is poop, no matter how you look at it. Plus, if he’s been working cattle in the summer, he’s been mixing hard-earned cowboy sweat with cow and manure. This becomes a certain kind of funk that can emotionally scar a lesser woman.
Our sexy cowboy heroes? That’s a whole different story. No matter how grueling the work day, no matter how many cows stepped on them, they smell manly. Traces of earth, maybe, along with a clean musk that is uniquely his.
Advantage: Cowboy heroes.
2. Sight: A real cowboy has spent all day working cattle, preg-checking cattle (which can only be done by sticking their arms into a cow’s hind end) and, as I mentioned before, sweating. They often have manure stuck to their boots, ground into the seat of their jeans, and way up under their fingernails. They are rumpled and dirty—which, on a certain level, does have some appeal—but sweat-soaked and manure-caked is not a pretty thing, no matter how many muscles they have.
Our sexy cowboy heroes? Good Lord, they look hot. Shirts usually unbuttoned a few buttons, cowboy hat jauntily on their heads, buckles prominently displayed—and not a trace of manure or sweat stain in sight. Our cowboy heroes pair best with a golden sunset, an open meadow—and shockingly few cows.
Advantage: Cowboy heroes.
3. Sound. Real cowboys talk, joke, curse in mild-to-moderate quantities and listen to everything under the sun. Sure, they deal with a lot of mooing, but other than that?
Our sexy cowboy heroes also talk, joke, curse (although probably more than actual cowboys do) and listen to either country and western or hard rock. (Really, those appear to be the only two kinds of music sexy cowboy heroes actually listen to.)
Advantage: Tie.
4. Touch. Real cowboys have stubble, sweat-slicked skin, blue jeans and cowboy boots.
Our sexy cowboy heroes? Stubble, sweat-slicked skin (especially in the bedroom!), blue jeans and cowboy boots.
Advantage: I believe we, the readers, win this round. Also known as a tie.
5. Taste. This one really depends on when one is tasting their cowboy. For all the aforementioned reasons (sweat, manure, etc), real-life cowboys may not taste all that good before they’ve showered very, very thoroughly. If you can catch them early enough, they probably taste of coffee, which can be quite manly. But they usually have such a work ethic that they’ll be out saddling up the horses before you can get much more than a good old fashioned smooch out of them.
Our sexy cowboy heroes? Well, because they always smell good, then it naturally follows that they also taste good. That manly musk that is theirs and theirs alone—maybe with a hint of salt on the skin (not that I’m licking!)? Very good.
Advantage: Cowboy heroes (but just barely).
In short, the difference between a good, real cowboy and a sexy cowboy hero really boils down to one thing: cow poop. Cowboy heroes just don’t spend that much time covered in it, whereas for real cowboys, it’s a daily fact of life.
But then, that’s why they invented washing machines and hot showers, isn’t it?
Which do you prefer—real cowboys or cowboy heroes? One lucky reader will win a e-copy of Mystic Cowboy and everyone who comments will be entered to win a Simple Touch Nook (read more info here)!
~Sarah M. Anderson
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Mystic Cowboy by Sarah M. Anderson
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (Jan. 1st, 2013)
Series: Men of the White Sandy, 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
The White Sandy Reservation needs a doctor, and Madeline Mitchell needs to do a little good in the world. It seems like a perfect fit, until she meets the medicine man, Rebel Runs Fast. As far as Madeline can tell, Rebel's sole mission is to convince her patients that modern medicine can't help them. And the fact that he makes her heart race every time he looks at her only irritates her more.
Rebel swore off the white man's world—and women—years ago. But he's never met a woman like Dr. Mitchell. She doesn't speak the language, understand the customs, or believe he's anything more than a charlatan--but she stays, determined to help his people. He tries to convince himself that his tribe doesn't need her, but when patients start getting sick with strange symptoms, he realizes that he needs her more than ever.
Where to Buy*:
More Info:
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One lucky reader will win a e-copy of Mystic Cowboy and everyone who comments will be entered to win a Simple Touch Nook (read more info here)!
How to Enter:
- Leave a comment answering Sarah's Question (or ask one of your own) WITH your email addy!
- Follow the rest of the tour for more chances to win!
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Loved your post, Sarah! We've got a few cowboys around where I live, but unfortunately most of them are older men or married. Damn it! LOL So at this point, I'm loving the hero cowboys more than the real life ones, but if I find the right cowboy...I may change my mind! *smirks*
How about you? Answer Sarah's question for a chance to win!
Which do you prefer—real cowboys or cowboy heroes?
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!
