New Book Series Launch

Happy Book Birthday MAVERICK HEART!

Pull up a chair y’all, and welcome to the Wild Cow Ranch!

MAVERICK HEART is the first book in the new Wild Cow Ranch series. The fictional ranch is located in the Texas Panhandle and is the setting of a new book series available TODAY, published by CKN Christian Publishing (Wolfpack Publishing), Lauren Bridges editor. Working with co-author Denise F. McAllister, we’ve created stories for readers who enjoy that small-town community with lots of heart, a western flare, and a bit of faith which always gets us through.

Meet the Main Character

Meet our main character of the new series, Carli Jameson. All Carli wants is to be the Georgia state champion in dressage, and she only has one rider to beat. In moments her dreams are shattered, and she has to face reality that a freak incident could mean the end of her riding career. And if the day wasn’t bad enough, an attorney appears out of nowhere with news that rocks her to the core. She inherited a Texas cattle ranch!

The competition turns out to be one of the worst days in her life. She makes the courageous decision to leave her life behind and to move half-way across the country to live on the ranch she inherits from a grandfather she never knew.

Cared for by an elderly couple because of the teenaged mom who abandoned her as a baby, Carli has always had issues with trust. Although not raised in a very affectionate home, she was allowed to chase her equestrian goals. Independent, ambitious, and smart, she’s always been careful with her heart, except for the one time she thought she had found her soul mate. He proved her wrong, and she’ll never give her heart away that easily again.

“A ranch. A stupid ranch in stupid Texas. What was she supposed to do now? Why should she even care? But that picture on the dresser haunted her. The photograph of her with grandparents she had never known, in a faded barn-wood frame with turquoise nuggets glued around the edges. She didn’t recall anyone having a camera that day. It must have been her foster parents. That picture tugged at her heart, but she would never admit that out loud to anyone. Most especially to herself.”

MAVERICK HEART, by Natalie Bright & Denise F. McAllister

The Playlist

In Book #1 of the series, MAVERICK HEART, Carli faces a long drive to Texas pulling her livestock trailer that carries her beloved horse, Beau. She turns on the radio and George Strait is singing. Of course, you can’t think Texas without listening to our king, George Strait. Here are one of my all-time favorites, Cowboys Like Us, and I’ve two-stepped a million miles to this one, Fool Hearted Memory. Give a listen to the iconic song relating to the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo by Morning.

Check out Jon Pardi’s AIN’T ALWAYS THE COWBOY, which gives you a little insight into Carli’s personality. She’s the one who “ain’t got a lot of hang around. Ain’t got no settle down in their boots.” She’s very independent. It became the perfect inspiration for me as we developed a book series around a feisty main character. Click here to watch Pardi’s music video.

Carli drives away from her life in Georgia, there’s no looking back, and vows to never give up her heart again, particularly to any Texas cowboy. She is done with love.

“A tumbleweed heart, chasin’ that wind. Goin’ too far, wherever that is.”

Ain’t Always The Cowboy, Song by Jon Pardi

Of course she doesn’t count on Lank Torres, the ranch hand who irritates her at every turn and makes her knees go weak. And then there’s the handsome neighbor, Nathan Olsen, who proves to be the perfect solution to her broken confidence. Carli is confused, alone, and makes a colossal mess of things, but she learns to rely on a new found faith and she might have to trust her heart just one more time.

Read the book NOW!

Book One in the series is available NOW, titled MAVERICK HEART and takes you on a journey from the woods and streams of Georgia to the treeless, rolling plains of the Texas Panhandle. A stark, desolate landscape at first glance, but Carli learns it holds a beauty all it’s own.

Check out Goodreads book page for reviews; Click Here.

Book #2, A WILD COW WINTER, will be available in February 2021.

If you haven’t already, you can sign up for my eNewsletter to keep updated WILD COW RANCH book series and the characters who live at Wild Cow Ranch, along with news on other projects I’m working on. If you like photos of cows, check out my Instagram @natsgrams. Also, please connect with me on Facebook/nataliebrightauthor, Amazon Author pages, Twitter @natNKB, and for Wild Cow Ranch inspiration boards, go to my Pinterest page.

Natalie Bright is a blogger and author of books for kids and adults. Her newest books, the Wild Cow Ranch series will be launched in 2021 at Amazon. Also the upcoming KEEP ‘EM FULL AND KEEP ‘EM ROLLIN’: The All-American Chuck Wagon Cookbook is slated for May 2021. With over 100 recipes, cattle drive history, archival photos, and her own Texas ranch photography, you can bring a taste of the old West to your kitchen! The cookbook is available NOW for pre-order at all online bookstores.