Author Spotlight: Welcome Western Romance Author Sarah Lamb!
One of the very best parts of becoming a filly on the Petticoats & Pistols blog has been making friends with new romance authors. Every one of them has been so kind and welcoming, so it’s a treat to be the one who welcomes one of them to the Author Spotlight!
Sarah Lamb writes captivating characters and clean romance that’s anything BUT boring! From heartbreaking moments to heartwarming tales, get swept away in either historical or small town romance that pulls you in until the last page.
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she’s married to her Texan husband, you’ll find Sarah creating her next book, homeschooling her two boys, or volunteering in her community.
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Gunslingers…the Morally Gray Hero of the West
I’m so excited to be here today with you, and talking about one of my favorite types of characters! The one who makes his own rules. He’s good and…well, sometimes, by society’s standards, he’s not. It just completely depends on the situation.
The best gunslingers of the Old West weren’t heroes or villains—they were something far more interesting. They were morally gray. And that’s exactly what makes them perfect romance heroes.
I love writing about the man so caught up in his dangerous work that he has no intention of settling down, or the one who thinks love is a distant dream because his job puts everyone around him at risk. The one who has to make questionable choices, weigh the outcome’s odds, and execute that decision—without hesitation. Since I write primarily historical romances, what better hero than a gunslinger to embody such traits? And if he has a few friends who come along later and happen to claim the town and fall in love with the women there? Even better.
Gunslingers in the Old West frequently blurred the lines between lawman and outlaw. Only their personal convictions kept them on one side or the other. In a place where the powerful made the rules and lawlessness reigned, survival—whether for an individual or an entire town—might require making difficult or even unethical choices. A gunslinger’s moral compass meant he might commit a crime that he or others viewed as morally right, even if it was legally wrong.
This made gunslingers neither purely good nor evil, but functional parts of society. There were several famous examples, but here are two I particularly find fascinating: Wyatt Earp, a lawman who also ran gambling houses and was once arrested for horse theft, and William “Curly Bill” Brocius, a notorious outlaw who also happened to serve as a deputy sheriff.
In fiction, this creates an irresistible hero—someone who plays by his own rules, who believes he’s unworthy of love or the comforts others have, like family. But what happens when such a man starts to long for it?
Well, that’s what’s going to happen to the men in my fictional town of Red Ridge.
Ready to meet the first one? This excerpt features the couple in The Gunslinger, Eli Jones, having just arrived to protect Hannah Carson, a widow with a child on the way, and an evil brother-in-law trying to force her to marry him.
Eli raised his mug to his lips and asked, “Why don’t you say yes to someone else? Not that man, but another.”
“What do you mean?” Hannah asked, puzzled. “Yes to what?”
Eli set his mug down. “Yes to getting married.” His tone and expression were curious, yet Hannah almost felt a hint of reproach. Was he upset at his assignment, but too proud to say no?
“I shouldn’t have to,” she said with a frown. “I might be a woman without much of her own, but one thing I do have is my pride. It’s my right to say who I will or won’t marry.”
“I wasn’t trying to upset you,” Eli said quickly. “I was just curious. I’ve not met the man yet, but I have known many women who have married for convenience. Many times, it even works out. You don’t think that would be the case here? There’s got to be someone who would marry a woman as beautiful as you.”
“I know it won’t be,” Hannah said. Her voice was tight, and she forced herself to ignore his compliment. “Call me foolish, I don’t care, but I’d hoped…” She stopped. They’d just met. He didn’t need to know all the thoughts in her head. He wouldn’t care. Men like him only came to do the job, get paid, and look for the next one.
But when she finally looked up, he was watching, waiting. There was a look in his eyes that wasn’t judgmental. It wasn’t filled with amusement. There was…concern? Whatever it was made her continue talking before she’d even realized it.
“I’d hoped for love. You see, Jim, my husband, was a marriage of convenience.”
Eli leaned back then, arms crossed, and shook his head. “I find it hard to believe that a woman like you had to have a marriage of convenience.”
Before she could ask him what he meant, Gus walked in. “Didn’t see nothing,” he said. He poured more cider and sat.
“It’s late,” Eli said. “Gus, we are taking watches. Can you take the first one? Two hours on, two hours off until daylight?”
Gus straightened his shoulders. “Sure can. Nothing’s going to get through me if I can help it.” He gestured outside. “I’ll start walking around. Do some circles around the house. I might be old, but my hearing’s right sharp still.”
“Thank you,” Hannah said softly. “If you need anything, please come and get it.”
The door closed behind him as he left, and Eli rose to follow. “We’ll talk more tomorrow,” he said. At her nod, he moved to the door, then stopped, one hand resting on it. “Hannah?” he asked.
Her eyes met his. “Yes?”
“I didn’t answer your question earlier. About if I could protect you.” His eyes seemed to pierce her. It caused her to suck in a sharp breath. She wasn’t sure why. Was he about to tell her he couldn’t? What on earth would she do then?
A long moment passed, then Eli continued, his face made of stone, “No one’s going to lay a finger on you while I’m here. I promise you that.”
Giveaway info:
I’d love to give two readers a chance to enjoy the first ebook in this series. It will be sent over via Amazon.
If you’d like to learn a little more about my gunslingers and these kisses-only books, here’s the series page: https://www.amazon.com/Gunslinger-Red-Ridge-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B0DQ71J5BS
And if you’d like a free book, including the prequel for this series, you can visit my website and snag that or sign up for my newsletter here: https://sarahlambbooks.weebly.com/get-a-free-book.html
The Gunslinger
Newly widowed and with a baby on the way, Hannah Carson faces a chilling ultimatum—marry her evil brother-in-law or be forced off her land. As the town of Red Ridge is swayed against her, loyal but aging ranch hand, Gus, sends away for a gunslinger—the only man who might be able to protect them.
Eli Jones takes the job, expecting a simple payday. But the situation is more complicated than he expected, and his presence brings additional risks to Hannah and to himself. In his line of work, falling for a woman is dangerous—and right now, he’s head over heels. It’s not a spot he expected or wanted to be in.
As danger and desire surround them, can Eli keep his mind focused on the task at hand? Or will their attraction end in tragedy?