Lacy Williams's Blog

I don’t know why I love fairy tales so much. Not only the Disney versions that my sister *made* us watch over and over when we were kids, but I also had this big, hardcover edition of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytales. Some of them are quite scary!

Maybe it’s the hint of magic (or more than a hint, in some cases). Maybe it’s the idea that goodness is a virtue (and can be rewarded). I don’t know.

Maybe it’s partly because I’ve always just loved story and fairy tales are a type of story.

But I do love a good fairy tale. My kids do, too. They have loved the live action versions of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin and Lion King. My youngest has been Elsa for the past several Halloweens.

Do you love fairy tales, too?

I remember brainstorming my Cowboy Fairytales series during 2015. Back then, I thought my cowboy-Cinderella would be the first book in the series. I fell in love with the idea of a down-on-his-luck cowboy who met a princess, got a makeover and turned into her Prince Charming. But it turned out Ethan needed to be the second story, so you’ll find him in Cowboy Charming.

Gideon was the cowboy who won my heart and got that coveted first story. A former Navy SEAL and a stalwart protector… who doesn’t need the complication of a princess showing up on his doorstep. A princess who is in extreme danger and needs his help.

Gideon and Princess Alessandra started it all. And so it’s a little poetic that they also have the last book in this series.

Today is release day for His Forever Princess, the final story in this saga. It’s bittersweet for me. I’m excited to bring you this book, but I’m also a little sorry to see it end.

Click here to start reading now. Paperback is coming soon!

If you have read my historicals but have never tried this series, now is a great time to dig in. For a limited-time, Cowboy Fairytales Books 1 & 2 is free.

If you liked The Wrangler’s Inconvenient Wife, try Once Upon a Cowboy:
> Grumpy/sunshine
> Heroine on the run
> Lawman hero

If you liked Cowboy Pride, try Cowboy Charming:
> they come from different worlds
> friends to love
> she’s running from a tabloid scandal

Last but not least, I’d love to give a shout out to my early reviewers. Reviews are already coming in for HIS FOREVER PRINCESS. Here’s what people are saying:

“a sweet happily ever”
and
“touching and heartwarming”

Until next time, happy reading.

-Lacy

Have you ever been to a rodeo? The last time I went with hubby, I’m pretty sure our oldest was a baby. I think it’s high time we took our kiddos.

I have fond memories of going to rodeos with my family as a kiddo. Sitting in the dusty stands, the sun setting in my eyes, holding my breath while I watched a cowboy rope or a cowgirl run barrels. There’s something magical about the anticipation, the danger, the partnership between a cowboy and his horse when he’s roping…

I’m a city girl now, but I was raised on my grandpa’s farm near Calumet, Oklahoma. My formative years were spent playing fort on top of big, scratchy round hay bales and watching out for cow patties when we walked the dogs around our property. Counting cows and seeing my dad dress in coveralls when a cow was calving on the coldest night of the year.

My dad would read us kids bedtime stories and every once in awhile, we talked him out of classics like My Side of the Mountain and into reading us one of his Louis L’Amour books. He edited out the cuss words and some of the violence, but that time and those books with my dad were magic, too.

So I guess it’s pretty natural that I still write about cowboys.

I’ve got a special deal for you this week. I put ten of my contemporary romances into one bookish package (it’s an ebook version). And right now it’s only 99 pennies. That’s right. 99¢ for ten books. Rodeo Dreams and Sunset Serenades: Ten love stories in one

You might have already read these books. That’s okay, too. If you have read them, consider leaving a review so other readers can help find my books.

I hope you find some rodeo or cowboy magic in your life this summer. I’m off to find the nearest local rodeo…

I’m a day late sharing the news. Heart of Gold is here! You can read it right now.

Back when I planned this release, I thought: “Oh, it’ll be fun to have the book come out on my birthday.” I didn’t think about the busyness of having extra hugs and my kiddos underfoot to make my protein shake for breakfast and that special handmade card that made my morning so special.

Which means I forgot to send you this note to let you know that Tom and Ida’s love story is here! Here’s a short excerpt:

Ida followed Tom, with his awkward shuffling gait, down the hall.
She heard movement behind her and knew that at least one of her brothers was following.
Tom stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking between the multiple doors. No one had shown him to his room yet.
“You're on the left." There were two doors on the left. He reached for the first, and she said, "The other one."
"Goodnight," he muttered before he pushed in through the door. He was so slow that it was no effort at all to follow him in.
"Ida," her brother warned. It was Oscar, not Ricky, like she’d thought. But a glance past her oldest brother and she saw Ricky hovering just behind.
She didn’t need to be coddled. "I need to check his wound. Maxwell can do it tomorrow, but for tonight it'll have to be me. I'll leave the door open." Maxwell had gone home earlier because Hattie wasn’t feeling well.
Oscar looked uncertain, and Ricky bunched up beside him.
“He’s incapacitated. He can barely move. I'll leave the door open," she repeated. And her brothers had better stay on the other side of it.
Inside the bedroom, Tom looked at the bed with its quilted cover. Or maybe he was eyeing the window. After years of the house settling, that one stuck. He would never get it open with one hand, not without raising enough noise to wake the entire house. Mama had probably put him in this room for that reason.
"I'd like to go to bed now." He didn't look at her.
She knew he’d heard her speak to her brother. "After I've checked your bandage."
He turned toward her and lifted his shirt with his good hand, his movements quick and almost violent. But she wasn’t frightened of him. He’d had opportunities to take advantage, when she was trapped with him and the other outlaws. He hadn’t taken them then, and her brothers were nearby now.
She would rather he were lying down, but she didn't argue, only stepped closer. His skin was warm under her fingertips. "What happened back there?"
He shook his head, his chin set at a stubborn angle.
She’d heard Ricky’s words and how Tom had responded. Not everyone has the freedom to make those kind of decisions.
Had the conversation really upset him enough to stomp off? Ricky hadn’t been particularly kind, but with all they’d been through, she’d never seen Tom have an emotional reaction like that. Not even when he’d first been in Walt’s custody. Tom had seemed relaxed then, even bored.
Ricky’s words couldn't have set him off so badly that his self-control slipped.
“How tender is it?" she asked, pressing on his side around the outer edges of the bandage.
"Ow!" He twisted slightly and then must've tweaked his ribs because he inhaled sharply. “Of course it's still tender if you jab it like that!”
She looked up at him in the darkened room—darkened because she hadn't thought to grab a candle—and saw the muscle jumping in his cheek.
“If you’re in pain, I need to know."
His eyes glittered down at her before he backed away from her touch and paced toward the window. He ran one hand through his hair.
She had never seen him agitated like this. "What's going on?"
“Is that newspaper recent? The one you put out on the table."
The newspaper? What did the newspaper have to do with anything? "I think it was from yesterday. Why?"
He leaned against the wall. "It had our names in it. It was some kind of article about how you'd been rescued and me captured."
"I don't understand."
"My brothers will see it." He spat the words.
"It’s the local paper," she said. “From town.”
"So it is, but your big-shot brother-in-law is here. I heard someone say he’s in the newspaper business. What’s to keep him from running the story in his big Boston newspaper? Or anywhere else. Everyone wants to print stories about the Seymour gang. And if it gets printed more widely? My brothers will be coming here. Sooner rather than later.”
“You already said they were coming." Her voice was shaking now.
His face went carefully blank. “I’m sure they are.”
Was he? Or had he said it only to make her afraid? Walt was right. Tom had manipulated her back at the jailhouse. Had he wanted to end up here, at her parents’ home?
He must’ve seen her anger bubbling up. He stepped closer to her. She waved him off, as if that would stop him. "You said—”
“What I said was true. If they know I’m alive, they’ll come for me. They think we know where the gold is, remember?”
Because he’d told them that she knew where the loot was.
She began to tremble and started to step away, but he rested his good hand on her wrist and held fast.
"I thought we were friends," she hissed. She heard rustling in the hallway and remembered her brothers were just outside.
His teeth flashed in the dim light. "I don't know if I could ever be friends with you."
She saw his intentions when he dipped his head toward her. He was going to kiss her. All she had to do was take one step back. Or call out for her brothers.
But the combination of all of it—her fear, the snatches of vulnerability she'd seen in him today, his warmth… She moved toward him instead of away. His lips covered hers in a kiss that was both tender and desperate.

Until next time, happy reading.

-Lacy

It’s a new week and I’ve started a new project. This one is a surprise, so I can’t talk about it much. But I think you are going to like it! My email buddies always hear the juicy news first. Are you a newsletter subscriber? (You can subscribe at my website!)

I’ve been up early with the dogs the past few mornings and I have been treated to a symphony of bird calls. We have a cardinal pair that nested in our yard last year (three nests) who have stuck around all winter. There’s also the wren who is the smallest guy around but the *loudest* singer. He is determined that you’ll know this is his yard. We also have a chickadee pair (my favorites) and our backyard neighbor (we share a fence) has a bluebird pair that nests in one of his boxes. Not to mention all the visitors who pass through.

Birdwatching is one of my favorite pastimes and I grew to love it when my grandfather would take me in his old beat-up Ford truck. Grandpa had a 109-acre farm and we would drive from the house down near the farm pond and we’d sit in his truck for long, quiet periods. He had a worn bird guide and a pair of binoculars that he’d share with me. He taught me about suet feeders and that many backyard birds in Oklahoma love a good black oil sunflower seed.

And now I’ve passed on my love of birds and the outdoors to my youngest. My older kids having a passing interest but the six-year-old, man, she loves it! In fact, you know that spring has sprung here because she got a delivery yesterday. A box full of bugs.

Actually, caterpillars and ladybug larva. Last year, we bought a butterfly kit and watched the caterpillars grow and grow and then make their cocoons and then turn into beautiful Painted Lady butterflies. This year, my girl wanted to add ladybugs. So we’ve got bugs in our living room. And I’m okay with it.

She’s amazed and it’s a good reminder for me to slow down and take a look at everything that is going on around me. There’s so much beauty to see, even though my perennials aren’t quite blooming yet.

I hope this spring nature is sharing some of her beauty with you.

BOOK NEWS:

I went in to my giveaway system and had it randomly choose the winners for the Trail of Secrets giveaway. Thank you to everyone who entered! The winners are:

Grand prize: Julie, kitty…@…

First prize:
Letisha, tisha…@…
And
Vivian, VEHP…@…

All winners have been contacted via email and prizes are on the way! I have really enjoyed doing these contests and I hope to have a couple more for releases later this year.

I also want to say thank you for making the Trail of Secrets launch such a wonderful success. Many of you have left reviews, told a friend about the book, or sent me a note to say how much you enjoyed it. This new series has been so much fun to write and I can’t wait to bring the next book to you this fall. Have you pre-ordered A Trail Untamed yet? (Why yes, there is a kitty on the cover…)

My four Sunrise authors that are writing books with me (2025 releases!) are hard at work. You are going to love the McGraw brothers. Four of them. They are all different and they are all having adventures as they meet their heroines!! I hope to be able to share some sneak peeks of these books with you later this year.

Until next time, happy reading.

-Lacy

What do you do with all the papers your kids bring home from school? Every Thursday is “folder day” and all three of my elementary kiddos bring home graded homework. My kindergartener sometimes has ten or twelve papers!

It’s not that difficult to throw away some of the tracing papers or generic ones. But what about those with a little handprint turkey or where she wrote what she did on spring break in her adorable smarty-spelling…? I just can’t.

But I have four kiddos. And sometimes I feel like I’ll be up-to-my-eyeballs in homework papers. I’ve started digitizing some of them (taking photos with my phone!). And I have a big file box in my closet where I keep the most special ones.

Recently, my son brought home a really fun one. It was a self-portrait of him “now” and “in the future”. He drew a picture of himself with the same haircut with a goatee. So adorable! And wrote that he wants to be an attorney. (Maybe because he argues with his sisters so much?)

Back when I was his age, I only wanted to be one thing: an author. It’s been a lifelong dream and I’m so blessed to be living it.

So now who do I want to be when I grow up? I’d love to follow in the footsteps of my friend Linda Ford.

Linda *just* published her one hundredth book. I’m so thrilled for her and I wanted to make sure to share it with you. It’s called Mail-Order Bride Substitute and you don’t want to miss it.

I’m so thankful for each one of you who has checked out Trail of Secrets. If you enjoyed the book, I would love for you to post a review! Did you know if you make a recommendation, more readers see it?

Thanks for always supporting me and my books.

Joseph tucked his chin against the biting wind and left the barn. He clung to the clothesline he’d stretched from the house yesterday before the blizzard had hit. The storm had worsened and he couldn’t see three feet in front of himself. The swirling snow snuck under the brim of his hat and stung his skin and eyes.

Eleanora, his wife of only four months, had wanted a white Christmas, but he couldn’t imagine...

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Read an excerpt from His Small-Town Girl

Mackie was punishing Cord from the grave.

Even after a decade away, everything on the ranc...

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Hello, dear reader.

The Cowboy Fairytales series began as a concept in my head in 2014 and evolved into the first five novellas, published in 2016. A spin-off series followed and then two novellas featuring the original characters’ children. I have loved writing this series and it isn’t finished yet.

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