BEAUTY Of course, Niki Keene had followed her sisters 1 to Hard Knox, Texas—the Keene triplets were inseparable. And yes, she helped run their fledgling dude ranch. But when the townsfolk entered her in the Queen of the Cowgirls contest, she had to laugh. How could you be Queen of the Cowgirls when you were terrified of horses? Besides, she was sick to death of being "the beautiful one." AND THE BEST She wasn't laughing when hotshot cowboy Clay Russell launched an all-out campaign to change her mind. He was so sexy and so persuasive, she figured she was doomed one way or the other. It was either ride and rope—or lose the only man who'd ever made her glad

“This is one of those special novels—a piece of working magic, warm, funny, and sane.”—Thomas Pynchon The whooping crane rustlers are girls. Young girls. Cowgirls, as a matter of fact, all “bursting with dimples and hormones”—and the FBI has never seen anything quite like them. Yet their rebellion at the Rubber Rose Ranch is almost overshadowed by the arrival of the legendary Sissy Hankshaw, a white-trash goddess literally born to hitchhike, and the freest female of them all. Freedom, its prizes and its prices, is a major theme of Tom Robbins’s classic tale of eccentric adventure. As his robust characters attempt to turn the tables on fate, the reader is drawn along on a tragicomic joyride across the badlands of sexuality, wild rivers of language, and the frontiers of the mind.

"Jen Taylor is this close to becoming a champion barrel racer. But when tragedy strikes bull rider Colt Mead, she puts her ambitions on hold--temporarily. The playboy of the circuit suddenly has a child depending on him. She can't let her friend go it alone--no matter how much he hurt her. Colt knew Jen deserved better than a rootless bull rider. But caring for his orphaned half sister makes him realize how much he wants to be part of a family. And that family won't be complete without the woman he loves as much more than a friend. Will she give up her dream to be part of this?" -- Back cover.

Kick Ass Your Way As the owner of one of the largest woman-owned advertising agencies in the U.S., Gay Gaddis knows a thing or two about empowerment. Gay's insights are rooted in the spirited strength of the real cowgirl heroines of the 1920s and '30s-gutsy risk -takers in everything they did. In Cowgirl Power, these cowgirls are celebrated as a metaphor for the power we all have to achieve far more than we think. Whether your goal is to start a family, own a business, advance your career, organize community outreach, or run for office, it all comes down to power: knowing how to develop it and not being afraid to take it when it comes your way. Gay's book and Cowgirl Power Toolkit will help you blaze a path to success, on your terms: Taking responsibility for yourself Building your own competence Finding your assertiveness Designing your own life Building a kick-ass culture Recognizing good ideas Becoming a fearless leader Cowgirl Power is not about changing you. You are just fine. It's about understanding your strengths, building on them, and unlocking your power to kick ass-your way.

American lore has slighted the cowgirl, although at least one can still be found in nearly every ranching community. Like her male counterpart, she rides and ropes, understands land and stock, and confronts the elements. The writer and photographer Teresa Jordan traveled sixty thousand miles in the American West, talking with more than a hundred authentic cowgirls running ranches and performing in rodeos. The result is a fascinating book that also situates the cowgirl in history and literature. A new preface and updated bibliography have been added to this Bison Book edition.

Good girls can play rough too... Jessie McKay's marriage to Luke McKay wasn't perfect. After two years as a widow, she's decided it's time to kick up her bootheels--until Luke's younger brother shows up to ruin her fun. But if Brandt thinks she'll take orders from another McKay man, he's got manure for brains. Brandt McKay has avoided his sweet, sexy sister-in-law ever since confessing that his feelings for her weren't the brotherly type. But when he's faced with proof of Luke's infidelity, Brandt is forced to ask for Jessie's help taking care of Luke's young son. Jessie agrees on one condition--she wants Brandt's boots under her bed for the duration. The sexual chemistry that's always simmered between them combusts. Brandt is ready to make the temporary situation permanent and prove to Jessie he's the one-woman man his brother couldn't be. And Jessie is shaken by feelings she's sworn never to have again for any man...especially a McKay. Warning: Contains branding-iron-hot sex, the one McKay on earth who wants to be tamed, and a woman who has decided tame is for nice girls who finish last.