His Cowgirl Bride (18 page)

Dear Reader,

 

Hi, and welcome back to Mule Hollow! I'm so glad you decided to pick up my book and visit my sometimes crazy little town. This book came to me last summer when I was on a road trip across New Mexico heading toward Arizona. Just before the border I spotted a “Punkin Chunkin” competition going on in a pasture and instantly saw in my mind's eye Applegate and Stanley versus Norma Sue and Esther Mae in the first-ever Mule Hollow “Punkin Chunkin” competition. I really enjoyed all my research on the pumpkin tossing competitions.

I loved creating the other aspects of this story, too. Talk about two Texans almost too stubborn for their own good—Brent Stockwell and Tacy Jones weren't backing down for nothin'. Have you ever been there, done that? Boy, I have! Thankfully, God can teach us things even in our stubbornness and He can also work all things out for good—if it is His will.

I pray that you seek God's will in your life and that He rewards you for it.

I love hearing from readers and I try to respond to each one—sometimes it takes me a while because of my writing schedule and also the amount of letters and e-mails I'm receiving
. Thank you all so much and please know that I cherish your letters—each one boosts my spirits as I create my stories and I pray
for each of you. You can reach me at Debra Clopton, P.O. Box 1125, Madisonville TX 77864 or Debraclopton.com or through Steeple Hill Books.

Until next time, live, laugh and seek God with all your heart,

P.S. I hope you'll come back to visit in January 2010 when country vet Susan Worth falls asleep at the wheel and runs straight into trouble…aka Cole Turner in
Her Forever Cowboy,
the first book in my Men of Mule Hollow miniseries.

1. Who was more stubborn—Tacy Jones or Brent Stockwell? Did you relate in any way to the stubbornness of the characters? Please discuss your stubborn nature.
   
2. Did you relate more to the older “punkin chunkin” competitors or to Brent and Tacy? Why? As humans, we do tend to dig in sometimes, don't we?
   
3. Have you ever had a dream you had to fight for? What was it? Have you ever had a dream you realized wasn't worth fighting for?
   
4. Have you ever had a dream that was worth sacrificing for something you believed was of greater value (your family's greater good, your life plan, your spouse)? Please discuss, if you feel led to.
   
5. At what point in the story did Tacy's heart start changing? Did she see a greater purpose for talking Brent into teaching her to break horses?
   
6. In his past, Brent let his God-given talent go to his head. What had he done?
   
7. Drinking is such a problem and often leads to
   bad decisions with horrible consequences. What were the consequences of Brent's drinking?
   
8. Brent's dad tried to talk some sense into Brent when he was starting to let his success go to his head. How did Brent respond to that? Have you ever failed to listen to some good advice your parents tried to give you? Have you regretted being too stubborn to listen to them?
   
9. As a parent, have you had to watch your children making mistakes when they wouldn't listen to your advice? Have you learned something from the experience that might help someone else?
   
10. My verse for this book is 1 Peter 5:10:
    And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
    Brent feels that he's harmed his relationship with his father beyond repair because he didn't listen to what he'd been taught and the consequences had almost cost his sister her life. God is the God of all grace and he can make us stronger after any trial we may endure. Mending earthly relationships may not be so easy, but Brent is making the right choice to go home and try. How has God made you stronger, firmer and more steadfast in your Christian walk after a trial you felt was too large to overcome?
    
11. Tacy realized midway through the book that she had a purpose—or responsibility as a Christian—to see if she could help Brent. It wasn't easy for her, especially since she was fighting her attraction to him, but she did it anyway. Have you ever done something you really didn't want to do even if it cost you something (time, comfort, convenience, etc.)?
    
12. Lacy Matlock pointed out to Tacy that sometimes a bit of stress is what is needed to make people see the light. Do you agree? Why or why not?
    
13. Tacy's father didn't want to teach her to break horses, and yet he did not keep her from going to learn from someone else. Does this make sense to you? Why or why not?
    
14. Patience is a virtue that most of us could use more of. I know I need more of it, just as Brent and Tacy both needed it. Can you pass along any helpful tips on patience to the group? What has God taught you through the development of patience?