Congratulations to the winner of our Lyssa Kay Adams giveaway! We had fun doing this and we will DEFINITELY be doing similar giveaways in the future, so stay tuned! Have you ever dreamed of riding off into the sunset with a faithful steed and a cowboy hat? Have you ever wanted to hear a debate about what a modern cowboy actually is...ad nauseam? WELL YOU ARE IN LUCK, because this month we get into cowboy romances, both historical and contemporary! Jen also makes it clear what she thinks of modern westerns...let us know what you think!   Terms: Cowboy- From British English 1725, "boy who tends to cows and drives them to and from pasture;" American English 1849 meaning a "man employed to have care of grazing cattle on the Great Plains for a stockman or ranch, doing his work on horseback" Cowhand/ranchhand - a person who works/lives/does something on a ranch/farm Cowherd - herds cattle Cowpoke - originally meant the person responsible for prodding cattle onto the railroad car; evolved into a slang term for a person dealing with cows/horses/etc. Old West - referring to the time period post Civil War-pre Depression era (ca. 1865-1930) during which westward expansion and the growth of American idealism was prominant- also called the golden age of the cowboy Romancelandia - the fictional land of romance novels MMF - romance trope that focuses on a relationship between two men and one woman Ménage a Trois - an arrangement where three people share a sexual relationship, usually involves a married couple and the lover of one of them. Reverse Harem- one female heroine with multiple male lovers (sic. a traditional harem but with gender role reversal) Authors we mention: Beverly Jenkins Maisey Yates Lorelei James Lora Leigh Sophia Oke Lexi Blake Books we recommend: Cattle Kingdom by Christopher Knowlton Hell's Eight series by Sarah McCarty (historical spicy westerns!) Cowboy Dragon by Terry Bolryder (the title says it all) One Night Rodeo by Lorelei James (Cowgirl/Professional Barrel Racer as the heroine!) Autumn Lover/Winter Fire by Elizabeth Lowell (featuring frontierswomen who own their own land after the Civil War and fight for their right to do so) Hillbilly Rockstar by Lorelei James (country music hero) Movies Jackie recommends Dances with Wolves (1990, Kevin Costner and his beautiful mullet) Mask of Zorro All the Pretty Horses Articles read: About Larry McMurtry "Novelist of the American West..."