PROVING HERSELF is the third book in the Rancher's Daughters series, about the 2nd daughter--Laurel. She is definitely the tomboy of the family. I particularly like her title, because not only is she trying to prove herself to her father, but she's also trying to prove up a claim.

Laurel is the most tomboyish of all Garrison's daughters, so just to be contrary, I decided to see if I could get her to fall for a non-cowboy, pretty-boy hero. Since I'd heard about British remittance men from the period, I had a good start right there. At first, Collier wasn't coming through correctly. But once he did, he became the perfect foil for Laurel. This page is the place to find extra tidbits about it, including:

• About the Cover
• Reviews
• The prologue and first chapter
• Whom I envisioned as the characters

About the Cover:

Look above for the front cover for PROVING HERSELF! From a practical point of view, I think it's attractive. From a personal point of view, though, I'll admit that it's the first cover I've gotten from Leisure in which the artist did not seem to read my information sheet. The hero doesn't look 27 to me. The Wyoming landscape doesn't look particularly wintery. And there won't be a "Rancher's Daughters" logo on front.

Still, it isn't an embarrassment, the hair colors are right, and the passion on the cover sure does match Laurel and Collier's, so I'll take it!

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Reviews:

"With her singular brand of wit and warmth, Yvonne Jocks creates characters who leap off the page and into readers' hearts. PROVING HERSELF establishes Jocks as a not-to-be-missed historical voice!"
~Deb Stover, award-winning author of NO PLACE FOR A LADY

"The lead couple charms the audience, which is not easy to do when toiling on a mountain. Fans of western romance will enjoy this novel, seek previous "Rancher's Daughters" books, and look forward to the other tales by Yvonne Jocks."
--Harriet Klauser, The Best Reviews

"...my enjoyment of the book which was all-encompassing for me, and kept me up from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am one night. It's a character-driven page-turner, and in my book it doesn't get much better."
--Jane Jorgenson, All About Romance

"Jocks...has more than proved herself as a fine writer with this title."
--Anne Bulin, The Romance Reader

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How I see Collier and Laurel...

I wasn't sure whether to include this part or not... readers often picture someone completely different than did I, and that's okay.  But the book cover always sets an image (in this case, one I wholly approve of!), and I'm usually curious about who, if anybody, other authors were thinking about when they wrote THEIR characters, so here goes.

QUALIFIER:  For what it's worth, characters are most of all THEMSELVES.  I often picture actors as a sort of... model, the basis from which the character then develops in my mind.  But that does not mean the character is just like the actor by any means!  So take this with a grain of salt.

COLLIER:

He's charming, he's drop-dead gorgeous, but the one thing he isn't, is heir to his father's estate. Shipped to the ends of the earth, aka Wyoming, and out of his older brother's way, Collier means to succeed at something, even a pitiful ranch that requires marriage to an American girl. But Laurel's determination to make her own way may prove contagious. Can he be the sort of man she needs, if it means turning his back on his own world?

• Hair: Golden
• Eyes: Bright; reflective; tend to change colors
• Height: Average; sleek build
• Tag words: Charming. British.

I never would have thought I would do it, because the guy's so handsome it's almost cliché. But when I tried to picture the prettiest man I could think of, the one who came to mind was Brad Pitt. Because Laurel is the least of all Garrison's daughters to choose a man based on beauty--in fact, it counts against him to her way of thinking!--I couldn't keep myself from giving her "the shiniest thing Sheridan's seen in ages." And Mr. Pitt is certainly... shiny <G>.

LAUREL:

Second of the rancher's daughters, she's always wanted one thing: to be a cowboy. Her papa thought she'd outgrow it until she filed on her own homestead and married an Englishman to keep it! Now she's torn between her own rough dreams, and those of her fancy husband.

• Hair: Brown & straight; often in braids
• Eyes: Blue
• Height: Small & slim, but strong
• Tag words: Tomboy. Determined.

If I had to choose an actress who looks something like Laurel, I might choose Lisa Sheridan, who has been in both UPN's LEGACY and FREAKYLINKS. She is slim-boned and dark, but has a great, wide smile and an easiness about her that fits Laurel

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