If you have tried to subscribe to my newsletter but haven't been able to, please excuse the glitch! I'm not a techie type person, so I have no idea how to fix it, but I do want you to sign up! So just email me at Louisemgouge4@gmail.com with your name and email, and I'll put you on my list. Thanks so much for being interested in my books!

Catching up time! Here are my latest two books about the Mattson family of New Mexico cattle ranchers. See previous posts about this remarkable clan.

I'm putting my new book here at the top: Feuding with the Cowboy was fun to write because it's a Romeo and Juliet story. If you've read my previous books in this series, you'll already know this feud with the outlaw Sizemores reaches way back into the 1880s. Each generation of our Mattson heroes has had to deal with one or more of these scalawags, and this generation is no different. All of these stories can stand alone, so don't worry if you read them out of sequence. I hope you are as excited about these stories as I am!

Here's the story: 

He once defied his family for love. Can he risk it again?

Despite the generations-old vendetta between their families, Sam Mattson fell for Juliet Sizemore in high school—only to have his heart broken and his trust betrayed. And now, ten years later and a single mom, she reappears, asking for his help to gain custody of her troubled half brother. Sam knows he’s wading into dangerous territory, but he can’t bring himself to turn his back on Juliet. Yet old emotions don’t always fade, and Sam’s fractured cowboy heart is already feeling more than it should. Especially when Juliet’s hiding a secret that will transform their lives forever…

And here's the previous book:

An unexpected canine friendship could bring their families together. 

After her teen daughter, Zoey, bonds with a stray dog, the last thing Lauren Parker anticipates is the owner accusing her of stealing it. The prominent rancher and widowed father, Robert Mattson, doesn’t believe Lauren’s innocence, but even he can see the special understanding his dog, Lady, has for Zoey’s medical needs. When Robert’s twins become fast friends with Zoey, his prickly interactions with Lauren soon give way to something more. As Lady brings them all closer together, Robert can’t harden his heart any longer…but is he too late to win Lauren’s love?

My apologies!

 I have been remiss is keeping up this blog, but I'm trying to do better. Please be patient with me.

New Release and Giveaway!

It's here! Safe Haven Ranch is now available for purchase! Here's the story:

Can two little children help turn a feud into a family?

It should be easy for widow Olivia Ortiz to despise Will Mattson, the man keeping her from buying the ranchland she needs for herself and her daughter, Emily. But when Emily becomes instant friends with Will’s nephew, Jemmy, Olivia and Will find themselves growing closer as well. And as Olivia’s feelings for the handsome cowboy shift, competing for the property could be the start of something more…

This story is special to me for two reasons. First, it was inspired by my late sister's real life home beside the Rio Grande. Second, it is a legacy story from my historical series about the Mattson family of New Mexico Territory Ranchers: Yuletide Reunion, Finding Her Frontier Family, and Finding Her Frontier Home.

On May 31, 2024, I’m giving away one print copy of Safe Haven Ranch to a U. S. (only) resident. To enter my drawing, leave a comment under this post. Be sure to leave your email address so I can notify you if your name is drawn.

My sister's home. I own this picture, so you must have my permission to reprint or use it in any form.

If you would like to keep up with my books and other writing news, sign up for my newsletter in the box at upper right.

Exciting news on two fronts. First, my 2023 Love Inspired Historical novel, Finding Her Frontier Home, is a finalist for the 2024 Selah Award! Just like the first book in the series, Finding Her Frontier Family \last year. I am so honored by these two recognitions.

         

My next exciting news is that the third book in the series, Safe Haven Ranch, will be released on April 23, 2024. Readers who love my fictional Mattson family of New Mexico ranchers will be delighted to know we've jumped forward from the 1880s to the present day to learn about the descendants of my heroes and heroines from the earlier books. And so much can happen in a hundred and forty years. Here's the story:

Can two little children help turn a feud into a family? It should be easy for widow Olivia Ortiz to despise Will Mattson, the man keeping her from buying the ranchland she needs for herself and her daughter, Emily. But when Emily becomes instant friends with Will’s nephew, Jemmy, Olivia and Will find themselves growing closer as well. And as Olivia’s feelings for the handsome cowboy shift, competing for the property could be the start of something more…

Leave a comment to be in my drawing for a copy of Safe Haven Ranch. U.S. residents only. And be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if your name is drawn.

 I'm delighted to announce the release of my latest Love Inspired Historical, Finding Her Frontier Home. Leave a comment to be entered in my drawing for a free print copy (in the U. S. only). Here's the story:

A ranch out West could be the home she's longed for.

Lila Rose Duval has a safe, protected life in Charleston as a lady's companion for Rebecca Mattson--until the woman's handsome but disheveled son Drew arrives at her door. Now they're all traveling to the breathtaking wilderness of New Mexico Territory to reunite the entire Mattson clan. But the refined, genteel Lila Rose knows nothing of ranching life beyond etiquette and burning food. Worse still, Drew might just be falling for her. But can love convince this city girl that she belongs in the wild beauty of the West...with him?

Finding Her Frontier Home is a sequel to my July 2022 Love Inspired Historical, Finding Her Frontier Family, which in turn in a sequel to my 2015 Love Inspired Historical novella, Yuletide Reunion (in A Western Christmas anthology.) In these sweet love stories, five New Mexico ranching brothers find love in the most unexpected young ladies.

If you love stories about the Old West, you'll love these sweet romances in which all five Mattson men find the loves of their lives.

Don't forget to leave a comment AND your email address if you want to be entered in my drawing!

Happy Christmas in July! Welcome to the first blog in the 2022 Christmas in July Reader Blog Tour & Giveaway, which runs July 15-22, 2022, (contest closes at 8 p.m. Eastern on 7/22). At the bottom of each author's blog post, you will find the name of a Christmas song. Write them all down and provide all song titles (26 in total) on this Google form. See below for a list with links of all participating authors!

Note: You must grab all the song titles from every author in the 2022 Christmas in July Reader Blog Tour & Giveaway to be eligible to win the grand prize of a $520 Amazon gift card, plus a copy of each participating author's book OR first place prize of a copy of each participating author's book. At the end of this blog post is a link to the next blog, and so on, to the final blog post (26 authors in all).

Today, I’m promoting my 2015 Christmas novella, Yuletide Reunion, which is part of A Western Christmas anthology. Why am I promoting a book from seven years ago? Well, in this lovely little story, I established a fictional family with five brothers. After telling the story of two brothers, I wanted to write about the other three. My brand new release is Finding Her Frontier Family, and continues the story of the bold, brave, and handsome Mattson brothers and their cattle ranch along the Rio Grande. But first we need to lay the groundwork for the older brothers by telling you more about the younger ones. See more about that story below this blog entry.

 

Yuletide Reunion is set on a fictional ranch beside the Rio Grande near the fictional town of Riverton, New Mexico. My late sister lived in a beautiful, real life adobe house beside the river, and during my many visits to see her, I was inspired by the history of the area. I’ve long wanted to write a story set on her land, although I’ve tweaked the descriptions for this story’s sake. After all, it takes place in 1886, and of course life was harder back then. No phones, no television, no running water. Meals were cooked on woodstoves. Many natural and human dangers faced the settlers every day. Still, our hardy ancestors managed to survive and build strong communities. They also loved to celebrate Christmas, just as we do today.

(This picture is copyrighted by Louise M. Gouge.) Our family has many traditions that we enjoy at this time of the year. Perhaps your family does, too. One of the traditions that takes place in New Mexico each year is Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration of Navidad, which is Spanish for Christmas. When learning about the difficulties of past generations, I’m also struck by the attempts of some people to get along with their neighbors. I was inspired to write about two such groups within my fictional community.

For hundreds of years, Mexicans had settled in the land we now call New Mexico, then known as New Mexico Territory. After the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, new boundaries were drawn, giving the territory to the United States. The Mexicans living there were given the opportunity to move to Mexico or remain on their land. Numerous families remained. At this time, many “Americanos” moved into the area, and animosities sprang up between the two groups. In my idealistic community, the pastors of two different local denominations decide to set the example and bring their congregations together, concentrating on their common belief in Jesus Christ instead of their differences.

Yuletide Reunion, part of the A Western Christmas anthology, available at Amazon.com or Harlequin.com: A Western Christmas.

Emma Sharp's family needs to rebuild their barn before Christmas. All help is welcome—even if it comes from the handsome neighboring rancher who jilted her two years ago. Can Jared Mattson prove that he wants to build not just a barn with Emma—but a bright future together?

Question for readers

I’d love to hear about some unique Christmas tradition you may have, from special stockings to special recipes to community celebrations. Have you ever heard about Las Posadas? Tell me in the blog comments.

Please sign up for my newsletter in the sidebar on the right side of your screen.

Here’s MY CHRISTMAS SONG TITLE: “We Need a Little Christmas”

Save the holiday song titles from each blog stop, and when you reach the final blog, enter all the song titles on this form for a chance to win the grand prize of a $400 Amazon gift card and a copy of each participating author’s featured book OR first prize of a copy of each participating author’s featured book.

Save the holiday song titles from each of the 26 blog stops, and when you reach the final blog, enter all the song titles on this form for a chance to win the grand prize of a $520 Amazon gift card and a copy of each participating author's featured book OR first prize of a copy of each participating author's featured book.

Thank you so much for visiting! The next author on the tour is Katy Lee and her Christmas book is Holiday Suspect Pursuit. You can find it at this link. Remember, the 2022 Christmas in July Reader Blog Tour & Giveaway ends July 22 at 8 PM EST!

Top of Form