Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch and The Hero of Hope Springs show why author Maisey Yates is the queen of the cowboy stories. In both stories the characters are searching to find their place in the world. They are stories of hope, acceptance, love, and family with a small-town romance.
The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch has the heroine as someone who enforces the rules, butting heads with the hero who likes to test the rules. Both are two lonely people in their own way. West Caldwell never had someone to rely on, while Pansy Daniels, although surrounded by her many siblings, grew up alone trying to make up for her little girl antics.
Now a police officer, hoping to become the police chief to follow in her late father’s footsteps, Pansy had dedicated her life to safeguarding the local community, while fighting off the child stereotype. West is the illegitimate child of Hank Dalton and now has many siblings. He is learning to trust them, confide in them, and open up his heart.
After losing her parents at a young age and being raised by her older brother, Pansy now has to face-off against her new landlord, a hot-headed cowboy with an attitude. Both seem to have contempt for each other and push each other’s buttons. But there is a definite attraction, one that Pansy first tries to avoid. She does not want West in her life, especially since it will be frowned upon by the board who will decide the next police chief, a job she has wanted all her life. West is an ex-convict even though he was falsely imprisoned. But the more they get to know one another, the more they realize they care for each other.
The Hero of Hope Springs is a friend to lover story. It delves into the horrific subject of child abuse and the emotional aftermath. The heroine, Sammy Marshall, hides her vulnerability behind a free-spirit attitude. She would have fit perfectly into the sixties, in the age of the flower child. But she always wanted and needed a family. She observed how Ryder Daniels raised his siblings, a family friend, and two cousins after their parents died together in a plane crash. Wanting to be a part of this make-shift family, Sammy shows up at the ranch and joins the clan. It does not take long for Ryder and Sammy to become best friends.
Ryder realizes there is an attraction, but does nothing, not wanting to destroy their strong bond of friendship. But after Sammy approaches him asking him to choose a baby-daddy, everything becomes complicated. She realizes her best friend Ryder would make the perfect sperm donor, not with a tube, but with actual intimacy. After discovering she is pregnant, Ryder makes it clear he wants to make her an “honest woman” and wants to marry her. Although she agrees and goes through with it, Sammy still struggles with letting him get to close after seeing her parents’ disastrous relationship. Eventually both realize they are the light to each other’s darkness.
Both books have a touching story filled with humor, heartbreak, and finally love. The characters are brought to life and readers root for them to find their happiness.
Elise Cooper: You write women’s fiction and cowboy stories. Do you have a favorite?
Maisey Yates: I like variety. Always by the time I am ready to write a cowboy romance I enjoy it. But after writing all the cowboy stories I am ready to write a women’s fiction story where the structure and focus are different.
EC: Since Pansy is a police chief would you ever write a mystery with her?
MY: I am open to writing anything. I probably write every year a friend to lover’s story and a best friends’ story. I read a lot of mysteries as a child. If the opportunity presented itself I would go for it. If Harlequin called me and asked if I would write a mystery I would say yes and figure out how to do it tomorrow.
EC: In The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch how would you describe the main female character Pansy?
MY: She was the first character I thought of for this series. She is a small woman who is a tough police officer that has an improbable name. Pansy takes herself very seriously and is committed, focused, and accomplished. Because she has to fight for everything she has succeeded at she can be prickly, stubborn, at times uptight, super self-driven, and a rule follower. In her case she had to overcome the pity people felt for her after she lost her parents.
EC: Why give her the name Pansy, which she also has to overcome?
MY: When I was giving my children names I thought about the spelling, how people will pronounce them, and what impressions will come from a name. I had to overcome stuff since like Pansy I lived in a small town forever. People see you as the child. I decided to give all the girls in the family a flower’s name.
EC: How would you describe West?
MY: He is a bad boy type of hero, but more self-aware. At times he is mouthy, incorrigible, and always seems to try to get a rise out of her. He is a bit of a smart-aleck. Overall, he is dependable and is there for her and his step-brother. A steady guy. I have a quote in this book that Pansy says to the step-brother, but it can actually apply to West. “The world can take everything from you…Your money, your status, your home. Your job. Your family. But there are a few things in your soul that the world can’t have unless you give it up. Your hope. Your faith. Your integrity. That’s the measure of a person. Those things that can’t be taken and how hard you hold on to them. You’ve made mistakes, but it takes integrity to come and own up to them.” What counts is his inner strength.
EC: How would you describe the relationship?
MY: In the beginning there was a little bit of Pansy rebelling because it was so new and exciting. He had redemption and knew he wanted to make a good life with her way before she knew. He pushes Pansy into her journey.
EC: Family and community play an important role in the book?
MY: The Daniels’ family is a representation of a community that was built from a tragedy. They are an unconventional family that has a strong support system. A friend of mine who is a new author for Harlequin said something profound to me, ‘It’s not the characters just falling in love with each other, but also falling in love with the town and community.’ They are there for each other.
EC: Switching gears, how would you describe the heroine, Sammy Marshall, from the book, The Hero Of Hope Springs?
MY: Sammy came from a dysfunctional family, which was my jump off inspiration for this story. She had an abusive father so everything at her home was a mess. In her mind, seeing the Daniels’ family feels like living in an adult free utopia, which she wanted to be a part of. She saw Hope Springs Ranch as a hopeful place, where she would be loved and taken care of. The hero Ryder and his family were her family. Her free spirit attitude covered up her issues, although she was unconventional.
EC: How would you describe the hero Ryder?
MY: He had to grow up way too fast. Sammy calls him an old retired man, which is true symbolically. He worked really hard to get everyone else into a good place. He was their care-taker, and gave everything up he dreamed of. Now at the age of 34 he is an empty nester, but still tries to protect everyone. He is very traditional.
EC: How would you describe the relationship?
MY: She needed his steadiness and she allowed him to lighten up. Because she did not want to lose him as her best friend she kept the relationship as platonic. This is a story of a woman who wants to not lose the friendship of the hero. She needed his strength and he needed her free-spirit.
EC: Can you explain this quote, “My father treated me like a human punching bag, and my mother like a human shield”?
MY: Sammy felt that as a child her mother should have protected her. If your parents do not protect you then who would. It is a very complicated difficult deep issue.
EC: The scene about the mid-wife is very interesting?
MY: It is a case of art imitating life. My sister-in-law had a home birth. I am much more like Ryder and am very traditional with wanting to be in a hospital that has modern medicine. But I thought Sammy 100% wants a home birth. It is not a judgement on my part. Just because a character feels or says something is not necessarily how the author feels. I personally believe in traditional birth.
EC: Can you give a heads up about your next books?
MY: In the first three books of this series the heroes are aware of their feelings before the heroine, which is not my tendency. The Last Christmas Cowboy is out in October. It will be Rose Daniels story where she tries to play matchmaker to her sister and enlists the help of family friend, Logan Heath. But she does not realize that he is attracted to her.
In November the book Claiming the Rancher’s Heir will be out. It is part of the Gold Valley Vineyards series. This book has an enemy to lover’s story. They were so mean to each other yet had so much chemistry but acted like cats and dogs
EC: THANK YOU!!
