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.

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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

 

Here's the latest on my upcoming June 2022 Love Inspired Historical release. The cover, of course! So beautifully designed by the artists at Harlequin. 

Then a link to the trailer designed by Shannon Redmon!  Book Trailer for Finding her Frontier Family

Here's the story: Helping a little girl could give her the family she needs.

Tasked with escorting her late cousin's daughter to New Mexico Territory, spinster Viola Brinson intends to bring Lavinia to her father's ranch and immediately return to the city. But after one look at the living conditions, she's hesitant to leave the little girl with Robert Mattson. When Viola settles in to clean the place and make sure he can safely care for his daughter, Robert is determined to keep his distance. His heart was broken by a society woman once before—and he won't make the same mistake twice. But Viola surprises him at every turn. Might she be exactly what his family needs?

Last, a link where you can pre-order this book I had so much fun writing. 

Pre-order today at Finding Her Frontier Family: Gouge, Louise M.: 9781335418951: Amazon.com: Books

Today, I'm excited to announce my fourth Love Inspired Historical REPRINT!!! Yea! Thank you, Harlequin for this honor.

My July 27, 2021, rerelease is my 2015 historical romance, Cowboy Seeks a Bride,  the second of six books in my Four Stones Ranch series about a Colorado ranching family. In this reprint, it is paired with Sherri Shackelford’s The Engagement Bargain. 

Marybeth O'Brien is everything rancher Randall Northam seeks in a wife…if she'd only say "I do." Although his family paid for her train ticket West with the understanding the two would marry, Rand won't pressure her to set a date. Especially since he suspects she's learned about his reckless past. Who would want to marry an untamed cowboy like him? 

Marybeth won't marry until she locates her long-lost brother. And when Rand agrees to help her with her search, she can't deny her surprisingly warm feelings toward her prospective groom. Could this honorable cowboy show her he's the husband she never knew she wanted?

These reprints are still available at Harlequin.com. Please check them out! 

Here is my first western novel, first published in 2014.

Cowboy to the Rescue

From 2014: Love finds a home out West. 

Though Georgia belle Susanna Anders agrees to accompany her father on a silver prospecting trip to Colorado, her heart belongs to the South. Then charming cowboy Nate Northam saves her father's life and gives them shelter at his ranch. Feeling gratitude is only natural, but falling for a Yankee? Both of their families would be outraged. 

While Susanna's father recovers at the Northams' home, Nate can't help being drawn to the sweet Southern beauty…and wishing he were free to think of courtship. That is until shocking revelations compel both Nate and Susanna to choose where their loyalties lie—fettered to the past or to the promise of a bold new love…. 

And my second Revolutionary War novel, The Captain's Lady, first published in 2010. (See my first Revolutionary War novel below this post.)

Torn between love and duty...

Captain James Templeton's orders from General Washington are clear. His target: Lord Bennington, a member of George III's Privy Council. The assignment: find Bennington's war plans. The risks: the future of the East Florida Colony, Jamie's life...and his heart. Because, in spite of the dangers, he's fallen in love with Lady Marianne Moberly--Lord Bennington's daughter.

Desperate to protect his country in its struggle for independence, Jamie carries out his orders with a heavy heart. But Marianne's persistence is a challenge he never expected.

With love and faith, they must navigate dangerous and troubled waters to win their future together.

Two novels in one!

I'm a little late in posting about my newest novel release, but it's not too late for you to purchase it here: Two great novels in one!

In July, Harlequin rereleased two books in one, so you can enjoy two stories of faith, strength, and hope in days gone by.

The Outlaw’s Lady by Laurie Kingery

Rebellious rancher's daughter Tess Hennessy seeks adventure—and that's what she gets when she's abducted to chronicle the Delgado gang's exploits! Yet her kidnapper, gang member Sandoval Parrish, isn't what she expected. There's more to the mysterious outlaw than he shows—signs of gentleness and devotion that soften Tess's heart. Sandoval has one goal: retribution for the sister Delgado ruined. He hasn't the time to fall for the stubborn, beautiful photographer whose pictures he needs as evidence. But what can Sandoval do when his plan puts Tess in danger? Torn between the drive for revenge and a newfound love, Sandoval will need his renewed faith to resolve the past…and claim his future.

And my story:

Love Thine Enemy by Louise M. Gouge

Love Thine Enemy takes place during the American Revolution in, of all places, Florida! Did you know East Florida and West Florida were British colonies that very well could have joined the revolution when our original thirteen colonies broke with England to form the United States of America? Not only that, but East Florida—St. Augustine in particular—was a haven for countless colonists who remained loyal to the Crown? When I learned that tidbit of history, I knew I had to write about it. Being a romance writer who’s always looking for character conflicts, I also knew my hero and heroine had to be on different sides in the war. That’s when the fun began. Here’s the back-cover copy. 

The tropics of colonial Florida are far removed from America’s Revolution. Still, Rachel Folger’s loyalties remain with Boston’s patriots. Handsome plantation owner Frederick Moberly’s faithfulness to the Crown is as certain as his admiration for Rachel—but for the sake of harmony, he’ll keep his sympathies hidden. After all, the war is too far distant to truly touch them…isn’t it? A betrayal of Rachel’s trust divides the pair, leaving Frederick to question the true meaning of faith in God and in country. Inspired by Rachel to see life, liberty, and love through His eyes, Frederick must harness his faith and courage to claim the woman he loves before war tears them apart.