Five must‑know towns and ranches in my Western world are the fictional communities and homesteads readers return to again and again—places that feel as real as your own hometown, with families, history, and heart woven through multiple books. This post introduces a handful of those key settings so readers can recognize where they are in my story universe and spot connections between series.
Why Settings Matter in My Stories
In my books, towns and ranches are never just backdrops; they shape the characters’ choices, loyalties, and chances at happily‑ever‑after. When you recognize a town’s name or a family’s ranch, you immediately know something about the kind of story you are about to read—gritty, tender, or a bit of both.
Over time, these settings become a connected world of cross‑over characters, recurring families, and familiar landmarks. You are not only meeting a new hero or heroine; you are returning to a larger community where past stories still echo in the background.c
Radford Crossing and Stone Mountain Country
Radford Crossing and its surrounding Stone Mountain country are among my most beloved Texas settings, featured in the Men of Stone Mountain, Texas stories and related works. Readers visit the town through lawmen, schoolteachers, and families facing everything from drought to danger on the frontier.
This is a place of sheriffs, saloons, and small‑town gossip, but also of church socials, Christmas celebrations, and neighbors who show up when trouble rides in. When a story mentions Radford Crossing or Stone Mountain, expect justice, family loyalty, and second chances to play a big role in the romance.
McClintock Falls and the McClintock Ranch
McClintock Falls anchors my McClintocks series, a Western family saga centered on ranching life, town politics, and the bonds that hold a big, opinionated clan together. The town itself blends small‑town scandals, frontier hardships, and the slow build of businesses trying to survive in a changing West.
The McClintock family ranch outside town adds another layer: cattle, long workdays, and questions about inheritance, responsibility, and love. When you see McClintock Falls or the McClintock ranch on the page, you can expect rich family dynamics and plenty of push‑and‑pull between duty and desire.
Montana Ranches in the Loving a Rancher Series
My Loving a Rancher series moves readers north to Montana, where wide‑open spaces and harsh winters test both settlers and ranchers. Ranches near towns like Cottonwood Springs and other Montana communities become havens for widows, mail‑order brides, and women starting over after loss or betrayal.
These Montana ranches are often places of partnership: the hero needs help with the land or family, while the heroine needs safety, purpose, or a fresh start. If you enjoy stories about building a home from almost nothing, the Loving a Rancher ranch settings will feel especially satisfying.
Texas Hill Country Mail‑Order Bride Towns
I also write mail‑order bride stories set in Texas Hill Country towns, where trains, stagecoaches, and telegraph lines bring strangers together in risky, hopeful matches. These fictional towns give brides just enough civilization—stores, churches, boarding houses—to build new lives, while still feeling like true frontier outposts.
In these settings, a simple main street can hold everything from danger to delight: a kind minister, a suspicious townsman, or a would‑be groom who is nothing like the letters suggested. When you recognize one of these Hill Country towns, you can expect strong heroines, complicated beginnings, and a romance that must grow quickly under watchful eyes.
Standout Ranches Tied to Family Series
Across my various series, certain family‑anchored ranches stand out because they appear in more than one book or generation. Whether in Texas or Montana, these ranches give you a sense that time is passing: younger siblings grow up, side characters earn their own stories, and hints from earlier books pay off later.
These ranches are typically places of adopted family as well as blood kin—where widows, children, and drifters find work, safety, and sometimes love. When you find yourself back at a familiar ranch name, you are likely in for a story about legacy, forgiveness, and the courage to claim a future on land that has seen a lot of trouble and joy.
How to Navigate My Western World as a Reader
If you are new to my books, you can start with any series that appeals to you and then follow recurring settings from there. For example, you might begin in Stone Mountain country, move to McClintock Falls, and then head north to the Montana ranches once you are ready for a different landscape.
As you read, watch for town and ranch names you recognize from other titles or series pages on her website. Those shared settings are your map to my wider Western world, helping you decide which book to pick up next when you want more time with a particular town, ranch, or family.
