Read more
A swoony contemporary western romance, Rancho de Amor brings city sensibilities and country values together in a hilarious and heartfelt story of finding love in unexpected places.
In a last-ditch effort to save a New York publishing house facing imminent closure, editor Catherine Doyle travels across the country to the small town of Sisquoc, California, in search of the famous Loretta de Bonnair, an elderly recluse and breakout author of the bestselling romance novel that has the nation in a fervor. Despite her own disappointment with love and misgivings about the novel, Catherine's determined to beat out the competition to offer Ms. de Bonnair a book deal she can't refuse.
But as Catherine wanders the town interviewing the locals, she slowly realizes something: no one has ever seen the mysterious author. Not even the post office has her address. The only clue to Ms. de Bonnair seems to come in the form of a certain handsome blue-eyed cowboy with a penchant for bar fights. But if Catherine wants to save her job and the publishing house, she'll have to get closer to this stranger, even if it means trusting him.
About the author
Dan Harder is an award-winning playwright, book author, and poet, as well as ex-cowboy, translator, chef, restaurant owner, and teacher. His work has received several honors, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination, the James T. Irvine Grant, the Children’s Choice Award, and so many more. His articles and features have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, on NPR, and more. Dan lives with his wife, Ora Schulman, in San Francisco, California.
Summary
A swoony contemporary western romance, Rancho de Amor brings city sensibilities and country values together in a hilarious and heartfelt story of finding love in unexpected places.
In a last-ditch effort to save a New York publishing house facing imminent closure, editor Catherine Doyle travels across the country to the small town of Sisquoc, California, in search of the famous Loretta de Bonnair, an elderly recluse and breakout author of the bestselling romance novel that has the nation in a fervor. Despite her own disappointment with love and misgivings about the novel, Catherine’s determined to beat out the competition to offer Ms. de Bonnair a book deal she can’t refuse.
But as Catherine wanders the town interviewing the locals, she slowly realizes something: no one has ever seen the mysterious author. Not even the post office has her address. The only clue to Ms. de Bonnair seems to come in the form of a certain handsome blue-eyed cowboy with a penchant for bar fights. But if Catherine wants to save her job and the publishing house, she’ll have to get closer to this stranger, even if it means trusting him.
Foreword
- BLURBS: Targeted blurbs from RomCom writers and fans like Wesley Morris/NYT and Western Romance writers like Carolyn Brown and Michelle Hazen. Also from author's extensive contact list including San Francisco Chronicle editors, influential author Vivian Gornick (who wrote END OF THE NOVEL OF LOVE which is discussed in the book), and others.
- EVENTS: Author events at Indie stores in California and elsewhere based on author’s travels.
- ONLINE: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn promotions to target audiences, including fans of romance suspense fiction, Westerns, and romantic comedies.
- PROMOTION: Goodreads, Indie Advance Access giveaways, LibaryThing, etc.
- REVIEWS: reviews, features, and mentions in trade, cowboy/cowgirl, romance, humor, women’s and regional media.
- TRADESHOWS: featured at ALA, BEA, CALIBA, PNBA, and MPIBA conferences. Targeted features at Romance readers and writers conventions.
Additional text
"Dan Harder has published his novel, Rancho de Amor, with Berkeley publisher West Margin Press. Kirkus Review calls this debut romance 'an entertaining, thoughtful take on the odd-couple romance.' Harder is a poet, playwright, and is currently working on a libretto about the life of Paul Robeson for the Oakland Symphony."
