OK Spirit Shines in "Proud Heart" 4/11/2014 4:49:27 PM
Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 inspires romantic adventure. PROUD HEART is my love letter to my years in Oklahoma. As a California girl who suddenly found herself a new bride in the Sooner State, I experienced definite culture shock. For instance, strangers who crossed my path actually looked me in the eye and smiled. Some even said, "Howdy." (For real. "Howdy." ) Neighbors came over to introduce themselves. Everyone went to church. Oklahomans ate black eye beans on New Years Day and grew okra in summer gardens. When we bought our first home, my neighbor, Mrs. Blakely, was a woman in her 70's who had been a teacher in a one-room school house. Great Little House on the Prairie!
The close-knit culture harkened back to a unique historical event--the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889.
As the years passed and my children participated in Land Run Day events, I became fascinated with the idea of a state being settled in one day. A sort of Big Bang Theory toward statehood. What kind of people would leave everything they knew to line up in the wilderness and make a mad dash for free land? (160 acres to call their own if they could stick it out for five years.) They came in two varieties--the Boomers and the Sooners.
1. Boomers--they made the run legally after the shot was fired.
2. Sooners--they got to their spots "Sooner," having sneaked into the Unassigned Territories before the sanctioned hour and staked out their claims.
PROUD HEART grew out of that fascination. Of course, a good story needs a solid cast of characters. A romance novel needs a compelling hero and heroine and enough action to keep them from HEA for about 75,000 words. Read about the inspiration for my heroine, Rosa, at my new website DanaTaylorAuthor.com in the post TIME FOR A LATINA HEROINE.
Here's the book description:
Free land! On April 22, 1889 thousands of hearty souls gathered at the Arkansas border. They dashed into the Unassigned Lands to claim their portion of the American dream and followed their hearts to a place called Oklahoma.
Rosa—The daughter of nobility, she lost her family to violence in Mexico. Does she have the courage to make a new life in a strange country?
Steven—The charismatic leader, fighting injustice of the downtrodden. Could Oklahoma be the New Promised Land?
Ricardo—The California horseman, alone after tragedy and misfortune wiped out his hopes. Could the Land Run offer a fresh, new start?
As newcomers struggle to settle a new territory, fortunes are made, friendships are forged. Love is tested. Will Rosa yield her proud heart to find real happiness?
There are some nice reviews popping up on Amazon. If you're in the mood for a story of love, friendship, and adventure, enjoy PROUD HEART. You'll see why people love being from Oklahoma!
