Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
Unbroken Cowboy by Maisey Yates is a strong relationship story. It delves into family connections, forgiveness, and moving on to make a new life for oneself after a curveball is thrown.
Dane Parker was considered one of the best rodeo bull riders until he received a devastating injury. His injures put him in a very dependent position and he hates that his life has been altered forever. While recovering he is living in close proximity to Beatrix (Bea) Leighton who he has for years considered a good friend, almost like a kid sister. Her feelings have always been the direct opposite where she has had a crush on him for years. Knowing he needs care, Bea treats him like one of her wounded animals that she has rescued and cared for. Thinking that Dane needs something purposeful to get him out of his self-pity she enlists his help in building an animal sanctuary. Spending time with her, talking and discussing matters, Dane starts realizing that his feelings are evolving to look at her as a woman instead of a young girl.
Bea has always been a sweet and caring person who takes care of all the wounded, animals and humans alike. She is there to nurse all back to health. These quirky habits and independent strength drew Dane closer to her. He went from being a playboy that would flirt with anything, to being head over heels in love with Bea.
This series brings to life characters that readers will root for.
Elise Cooper: You included a lot of past family members in the story?
Maisey Yates: As the series grows it is natural to include others. Given the nature of the “forbidden attraction” between Bea and Dane the family interaction is a very important component. Readers can see on the page how deep the connections actually are.
EC: You explore someone who has a life changing injury?
MY: Yes. He has to deal with the fact that once he recovers his life will not look as it did before. Dane has to figure out a different place to put his values. I read a terrible story once because it taught a terrible lesson, that no one can recover from an injury that changes your life. People do not lose value because their abilities have changed. A better story is one that teaches to love oneself for who you are and that people should love you regardless of your abilities.
EC: There were a lot of animal analogies?
MY: Bea sees the world through her animals. She understands animals more than people because it is her natural “head space.” Throughout the book she tried to relate Dane to her dogs. Her old herding dog Mabel needed a something to do when she could no longer herd. Bea knew Dane also needs a job that could keep him busy. I love animals a lot also, but not as much as Bea. When Dane made the comparison to her being like a retriever she did not mind because she likes dogs and her natural reaction is to appreciate animals. Bea has a lot of connections with her animals.
EC: How would you describe Bea?
MY: She is quiet and has resilience. In previous books, she was a secondary character. It was OK to write her as funny and a little off-base, but once I made her the heroine I had to add more layers. I actually had to get into her head. It is a little bit mystical to be in the zone with the characters. She does not make a fuss and quietly goes about her business. People think she is a push over, but she has a quiet strength and stubbornness. They always underestimate her. Bea is an observer so she knows more about the people around her than the people know of her. Everybody is a little surprised when she decides to assert herself.
EC: You do not have cookie cutter characters?
MY: What all of them have in common is their optimism and strength, but in different ways. McKenna is a survivor, scraper, and unbreakable. Lindy is everybody’s older sister, and has more self-awareness. Jamie thinks she is bullet proof and has a false sense of confidence. I think Jamie is the most vulnerable. She is like a stereotypic Millennial.
EC: How would you describe Dane?
MY: I think he was wounded even before the accident. He always needed to prove something. He has a lot of ego and thinks of himself as tough. After his injury, he needs to figure out how to feel good about himself.
EC: How would you describe the relationship?
MY: I like the romance between the younger woman and older man. I knew I was going to put them together a long time ago. She is making Dane see things about the world he took for granted. I think she is teaching him more than he is teaching her. He might be more worldly and know more about sex, but he doesn’t know about emotions and feelings, which she is creating in him. I think they both understand each other on a deep level. On the surface, they seem like complete opposites, but they really aren’t.
EC: Do you know anybody that has this type of relationship?
MY: I think it is my wish fulfillment where the weird girl gets the hot guy. My husband is eight years older than me. He was the guy who all the teenage girls had a crush on. I thought he would never notice me. But here we are married. I love the underdog type of story. The characters in this series have a lot of depth that will draw readers to them. People will enjoy that family members of past books are present throughout and do not just make cameo appearances.
EC: Jamie and Bea are both virgins?
MY: Yes in their early twenties. They are both confident in their own way. They are not similar in the way they respond to things. Since their books are back to back I wanted to make sure that their stories are different. They are so dissimilar the way they react and go about doing things.
EC: Pain plays a role in the story?
MY: I have not dealt with it personally but do have friends with lifelong chronic conditions. A friend of mine who heads a non-profit organization has neuro fibromatosis with 1000 non-cancerous tumors. It causes her a lot of pain. I wanted to honor her a little. Being in pain all the time is not a small thing. I put in this quote, “His thigh was throbbing…he would take some Tylenol. Something that wouldn’t knock him out, but might take the edge off. That better be enough, or he was going to break his leg off and chuck it over a mountain.”
EC: Next books?
MY: The next “Gold Valley Novel,” comes out in June, titled Cowboy To The Core. It is Jamie’s and Gabe’s story. Then there is Lone Wolf Cowboy in July and Christmas Redemption in September. I have signed a contract for six more books. There will be a different ranch and different siblings. I am also writing a women’s fiction story that is set in Oregon and has some romance. It is about a grandmother, two adult daughters, and a granddaughter who live in a bed and breakfast lighthouse. In February, The Year of The Cowboy comes out that I co-authored with three other writers about a season at this grandmother’s farmhouse. It reads like one story.
EC: THANK YOU!!
