About the Book
Book: Covering Grace (The Cañon City Chronicles Book Six)
Author: Davalynn Spencer
Genre: Historical/Western Romance
Release date: July 11, 2024
Grace Hutton defied the shadow of her ranching brothers, Cale and Hugh. Always the tagalong little sister who tried to best them at everything, she signed on with the Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show to prove herself. After three years of trick-riding and roping, she returns home to Cañon City, Colorado, with a world of experience, Harley the Wonder Horse, and a broken heart. It’s 1912, and the first thing she needs is work and a place to live. The last thing she needs is romance.
Dan Waite is caring for his invalid father and trying to keep their hat business in the black. Showing up in the wake of an assault at the boarding house, he helps Grace Hutton rescue the elderly owner. But he doesn’t have time for the two women, especially when Grace asks him to spend a day with the widow. Grace turns out to be more than he bargained for, and when her trick-riding ways put her in danger, he risks more than his time intervening. He risks his heart.
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About the Author
Author of the beloved, award-winning series, The Cañon City Chronicles, internationally acclaimed novelist and Will Rogers Gold Medallion winner, Davalynn Spencer writes historical Western romance set along the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. She is a Publisher’s Weekly and ECPA bestselling author, an award-winning rodeo journalist and former crime-beat reporter. As a member of the Colorado Humanities CBA Speakers Bureau, she also teaches writing workshops, plays on her church worship team, and loves bacon and chocolate. But not together.
More from Davalynn
Harley the Wonder Horse
He was a beautiful, chocolate-colored gelding with an easy gait, and my friend called him Harley.
“Harley the Wonder Horse,” she said, bona fide Rocky Mountain breed. “Everybody loves him.”
I sure did after a day of riding up around Brush Hollow in the hills not far from my home.
It’s a very short trip via horseback to the fictional world of my characters in the Cañon City Chronicles. I knew Harley had to be in the next and final book in the series, Covering Grace.
Grace Hutton had been hanging around in my head for three years—ever since I wrote about the younger of her twin brothers, Cale (Book 4, A Change of Scenery). He talked about his sister who could out-ride any of the cast in the Selig-Polyscope flickers being filmed in and around Cañon City.
When the older (by a minute) twin, Hugh, got his own story (Book 5, Hope is Built), he also mentioned their little sister, Grace. How could they not, with her never-say-die approach to life, and stick-like-flypaper perseverance. When they were all growing up, she was never far behind the boys, showing she was just as good as they were.
Trouble was, she was better, and her skills earned her a place in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. That’s where she met Harley, and when she came home, he came with her.
And there you have it, the story-behind-the-story of Harley the Wonder Horse. Now understand that real-life Harley is not a trick-riding horse, but I have a long-time friend, Linda Scholtz, who is a real-life trick rider. I’ve watched her do some mighty fine stunts, so fine that she instructs would-be trick riders how to be real trick riders.
A few other things from my life play into this book, like the setting. Is there anywhere more beautiful than the Rocky Mountains as a storm blows in quicker than your breath? Or the aspens that shiver in the slightest breeze and pour gold down the gullies and ravines in autumn? And what of sitting before a crackling fire in the woodstove or fireplace as fall runs in ahead of winter?
Join me for a ride in the final book of The Cañon City Chronicles, Covering Grace. It may just be more than you expected.
Interview with the Author
- What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
The Far Pavillions, by M.M. Kaye. It is an epic tale of cultures, love, and risk. A remake of the movie version is long overdue.
- How do you select the names of your characters?
I collect names in a little spiral notebook. Unusual names, those that have a cowboy ring. Sometimes I search historical records for names from a certain time period and pick the least used. Most of the time, the characters come to me with names already, and they hang around in my head until I have to give them a book. But if I need a name, and it doesn’t simply appear, then I look in my little notebook. I also do a “background check” on my characters’ names and I’m so glad I do. One heroine in a Christmas novella turned out to be a well-known (in some circles) stripper. Not that I follow strippers. But when you Google a name and that tidbit pops up repeatedly, you go with another name.
- If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I would have taken more risks, been more fearless and less cautious—not in stupid or immoral ways, but in simple things like going up in a hot-air balloon. Oh, the photo ops!. I’d go along in the wildlife helicopter (even if I did throw up) as officers counted Rocky Mountain big horn sheep, and take the local pilot up on his offer to ride in his glider and smell frying bacon rise on the morning thermals. I would have learned to ride jumpers, steeplechasers. I was a pretty “safe” kid.
- Who is the author you most admire in your genre?
The author whose work I will read even if it is only a grocery list is Tamara Alexander. She stirs emotion in me like none other with her word choices and the pictures she “paints.” When I grow up, I want to write as well as she does.
- If you could invite one person to dinner, who would it be and what would you cook?
Usually this question is restricted with “It can’t be Jesus.” That’s all right, because I believe He is present at all my meals. So the plain ol’ human being I’d invite across the years is Will Rogers, roper extraordinaire. Cowboy, entertainer, actor, and wiseacre. And I think I’d serve him chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh skillet-baked biscuits, apricot cobbler, and coffee—horned and barefoot—which means no cream or sugar.
Blog Stops
Stories By Gina, August 8 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 8
Holly’s Book Corner, August 9
Texas Book-aholic, August 10
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 11 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 12
Back Porch Reads, August 13 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 14
Pause for Tales, August 15
For the Love of Literature, August 16 (Author Interview)
Devoted To Hope, August 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 17
Artistic Nobody, August 18 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, August 19
Connie’s History Classroom , August 20
Cover Lover Book Review, August 21
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Davalynn is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2d2ff/covering-grace-celebration-tour-giveaway