Guest Blogger - Heidi M. Thomas

Today, we look at Heidi's second book, Follow the Dream, the sequel to her Cowgirl Dreams. I thank you Heidi for gracing my blog with your book about your grandmother's dreams of being a cowgirl.






Synopsis: Nettie Moser’s dreams are coming true. She’s married to her cowboy, Jake, they have plans for a busy rodeo season, and she has a once in a lifetime opportunity to rodeo in London with the Tex Austin Wild West Troupe.
But life during the Great Depression brings unrelenting hardships and unexpected family responsibilities. Nettie must overcome challenges to her lifelong rodeo dreams, cope with personal tragedy, survive drought, and help Jake keep their horse herd from disaster.

Will these challenges break this strong woman?

This sequel to Cowgirl Dreams is based on the life of the author’s grandmother, a real Montana cowgirl.


Reviews coming in for Follow the Dream:
“I enjoyed Heidi Thomas’s bittersweet novel with its accurate depiction of the lives of cowgirls in 1930s Montana and its tender portrait of a marriage.” --Mary Clearman Blew, English professor U of ID, award-winning author of All But the Waltz: A Memoir of Five Generations in the Life of a Montana Family, Balsamroot: A Memoir; Bone Deep in Language: Writing, Reading, and Place; Lambing Out and Other Stories, and Jackalope (Flyover Fiction).

In her poignant tale of Nettie Moser's diligent pursuit of a dream, Heidi Thomas gives a stunning example of what it means to "Cowgirl Up." Follow the Dream is a dynamic story of a woman's strength and determination that is sure to inspire as well as entertain.
—Sandi Ault, award-winning author of the WILD Mystery Series, including Wild Indigo, Wild Inferno, Wild Sorrow, and Wild Penance.

Follow Your Dream draws the reader into the lives of tough Montana ranchers, Nettie and Jake Moser. Dreams come and go, but their ranching life goes on with hardships and struggles for basic survival, but also with abiding love and humor. A wonderful story of courage and endurance. --Mary Trimble, award-winning author of Tenderfoot, Rosemount and McClellan’s Bluff.


5 stars A Dream Never Forgotten
By Dan A. Johnson -

This is the second novel written by Heidi M. Thomas that is loosely based on her Montana grandmother who grew up riding horses and competing in local rodeos. In the book, Nettie's childhood dream is to become a successful rodeo rider like her dear friend Marie. Follow The Dream begins when Nettie is invited by Marie to compete in a wild west rodeo in London, a chance of a lifetime. But fate has another plan for the newly married Nettie. The dream is put on hold, but never forgotten The story is set in Montana in the 20s and 30s. Nettie struggles with personal tragedy and the challenges of getting by raising horses with her husband. They face many droughts and blizzards, let alone the harsh realities of surviving in isolated rural settings. This book deserves a place on the bookshelf next to Ivan Doig's coming of age in Montana novels.

Bio:
Heidi M. Thomas grew up on a working ranch in eastern Montana. She had parents who taught her a love of books and a grandmother who rode bucking stock in rodeos. Describing herself as “born with ink in her veins,” Heidi followed her dream of writing with a journalism degree from the University of Montana and later turned to her first love, fiction, to write her grandmother’s story.

Autographed copies of both books are available from the author’s website, from her publisher Treble Heart Books, and Follow the Dream is available on Kindle.



Be sure to follow the rest of the VBT Writers on the Move stops:

20th Marietta Taylor is featuring Dallas Woodburn
21st Robert Medak is featuring Kevin McNamee
22nd Donna McDine is featuring Elysabeth Eldering (Tis the season of giving - check out my article about giving the gift that never gets old).
23rd Shelby Patrick is featuring Martha Swirzinski
24th Mayra Calvani is featuring Heather Paye (wonder what my illustrator has in store for us this time)

Remember we are taking a break in December and January and will be returning in February, so hopefully you all will have a blessed holiday season. Wishing you all "Cowgirl Dreams"