Thursday, July 21, 2011

Menage a Blog Author Guest with Jacquie Rogers

Yup you got it, we have wrangled another wonderful author from the Menage A Blog line up to stop by and write a little post for us. Now if you haven't read her book, then you need to go grab a copy now! (check out Monday's post for links to the Menage website) Now on to our guest post for the day, read and enjoy then go comment (vote) for your choice today. Go Here


Cowboys: Knights of the Old West 
By Jacquie Rogers 
Copyright © 2011 Jacquie Rogers 

A certain mythos of romance holds a strong place in my heart.  And of course, when I talk about romance, I’m gonna talk about men.  As a woman, and as a romance writer, men fascinate me.  They’re so incredibly complicated but at the same time so basic.  Women are complicated and basic in other ways, leaving the man/woman relationship mystifying as to how or why it ever works.  The romance genre delves into this complexity in every book. 

When a woman looks for a mate, and that’s what romance is all about, she’s hardwired to look for the three Ps in a prospective candidate: Provide, Protect, and Procreate.  Now, nearly all men are ready at any time for the third P (although we’re a bit picky about who fathers our children), but quite a few men aren’t all that keen about the first two. 

And that’s why we women love the whole idea of knights and cowboys.  Yes, I lumped them into the same sentence.  Take a look at the Texas Rangers oath for deputy rangers:  
Be Alert  
Be Obedient  
Defend the Weak  
Never Desert a Friend  
Never Take Unfair Advantage  
Be Neat  
Be Truthful  
Uphold Justice  
Live Cleanly  
Have Faith in God  

Now here’s the Knights Code of Chivalry described in the Song of Roland: 
To fear God and maintain His Church 
To serve the liege lord in valour and faith 
To protect the weak and defenceless 
To give succour to widows and orphans 
To refrain from the wanton giving of offence 
To live by honour and for glory 
To despise pecuniary reward 
To fight for the welfare of all 
To obey those placed in authority 
To guard the honour of fellow knights 
To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit 
To keep faith  
At all times to speak the truth 
To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun 
To respect the honour of women 
Never to refuse a challenge from an equal 
Never to turn the back upon a foe 

That’s just a longwinded way of saying the same thing as the Texas Rangers did. 

Truth is, people haven’t changed much, if ever.  Our idea of the US Navy SEAL, the 19th Century cowboy, or the 13th Century knight all bring to a woman’s mind the perfect man to give us children, provide for them, and to protect them from harm so they can thrive into adulthood. 

Our ideal romance hero is intelligent, loyal, honest, brave, and oh-s0-sexy.  My cowboy in Much Ado About Marshals (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058ON1LS) is placed in a situation that tests him, because if he is loyal, he can’t be honest, and if he’s honest, he will betray his best friend.  What a dilemma for a man who lives by the Knight’s Code of Chivalry, even if he’d never heard of such a code, because that’s the way of the good guys in the Old West. 

This same situation could have played out in Medieval England as well as in the American Old West.  It was Sir Lancelot’s dilemma in the days of King Author and the glorious Round Table, and now it’s Cole Richards’ dilemma in Much Ado About Marshals, set in the dusty desert of Owyhee County, Idaho.  The cowboy’s word is his bond.  Honor is everything. 

Men are men.  They’re warriors, hunters, and protectors.  It’s through that tough exterior that women find his core of loyalty, honor, and most of all, love.  The sweetest of women can tame the hearts of the toughest of men.  This is our fantasy—this is what we’ve dreamed about since we were little girls.   

And that’s why men in chaps and spurs melt our hearts. 

40 comments:

  1. This is one of the best posts I've read. Very informative. Thank you!

    Saph
    saphsbookblog at gmail dot com

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  2. I never really thought about the cowboys/knights connection but now that you mention it, I see it. Sigh - where have all the cowboys gone, I can't complain though I have a Marine.
    lvs2dv at gmail dot com

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  3. EXCELLENT post. I so enjoyed reading this one. Yes, they haven't changed much and I think that's why women are drawn to them so much. Chivalry isn't dead, it just wears a different type of armor.

    Thanks so much!
    tweezle(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. What a great post! Thanks so much for it:) Men are men, and thank God for that!!

    jwitt33 at live dot com

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  5. Great post and I agree completely :)

    chamblinh@gmail.com

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  6. I'd never heard of the Texas Rangers' code. They sure don't use many words! Short and to the point.

    acm05atjuno.com

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  7. What a wonderful post! how wonderful and insightful part of what men are suppose to be. I think too often these very codes are forgotten as a part of human history in many cultures, and thank you for posting this. I love it!

    Thank you!

    Darcy

    pommawolf @hotmail.com

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  8. Great Post! I definitely enjoyed reading this one. Thank you so much!

    ruby95660@yahoo.com

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  9. What a very interesting and eye opening post. I would never have thought to liken cowboys and nights but you are spot on in your description. No wonder I love my hubby so much. He grew up a cowboy and has so very many knightly tendencies...LOL.
    Terry
    bforestor@tampabay.rr.com

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  10. You are right. Our views of strong viril men really hasn't changed over the years. Thanks for a great post!

    tsteinerid(gmail)

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  11. What an incredibly wonderful and thought provoking post. Thank you so much for sharing. I am glad I hopped over and was able to enjoy these thoughts.

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

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  12. What a wonderful post. I am glad I came over as well.

    Bhitwr at gmail dot com

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  13. Incrediable insight my friend! Thank you so much for reviewing this book!
    viajeradelmar@aol.com

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  14. I really enjoyed this post :-) Very interesting the way you tied the codes of the knights and cowboys.

    smaccall AT comcast.net

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  15. You're right, when we look for a mate not much has changed over the centuries. The the Ps make a man incredibly desirable. If he's hot and sexy to boot then he becomes downright undeniable. There's nothing we can do to resist him so we better hang it up early on and just give into the passion.

    Great review.

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  16. You are making me want to go back an re-read (for the gazzillionth time) my DARK TOWER books! I miss Roland....

    nedsped at verizon dot net

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  17. VERY interesting post! Thank you for sharing. I am glad Jacquie pointed this direction :)

    Angi
    m_kitaki@hotmail.com

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  18. Wow I had not thought of it that way. Great post. I will definately check in on future posts.
    Rachel V

    pefrw@yahoo.com

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  19. What a great post thank you so much for sharing!
    tishajean@ charter.net

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  20. Can't wait to read! Great review!
    MissyKay

    missyebookmail AT mediacombb DOT net

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  21. Great post. I've never made the connection between the cowboy's code and the knight's code but that's what I love about these men.
    thanks

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  22. That's why I've always love a Cowboys. They were raised to be loyal and rugged. There sexy and there so good to there animals. A man after my own heart.
    Thanks for a better look on all the men from the past. This was such a great blog today.

    Teresa K.
    tcwgrlup41(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  23. Love this post

    flanagan@mebtel.net

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  24. I love this post too! You said it all :) edysicecreamlover18ATgmailDOTcom

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  25. What an awesome post! I absolutely love that you included the Knights Code of Chivalry. You know me and the Middle Ages. :)

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  26. That is a reather interesting parallel to make. I wonder what other comparisons of this nature could be made. Food for the mind.

    vanyel_@hotmail.com

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  27. Nice comparison between the men of very different ages. Both would be very alpha and thus, perfect romance heroes.
    Janie@JanieMason.com

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  28. What a great and interesting post.

    eileen at booksrusonline.com

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  29. Great post Jacquie! I never thought about the comparisons between the codes for the rangers and knights - very cool! And yes, have to agree that men are always ready for the 3rd "P" but not the first two..lol

    junegirl63(at)gmail(dot)com

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  30. If we could all live by those rules, live on planet Earth sure would be a whole lot better. Finding a guy who actually abides by these rules--even the short Ranger list--would be the kind of man every woman dreams of.
    Lordy, where did you get those lists anyway?
    Great blog.

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  31. Congratulations on making it to the Final Flirt!! WoooHoooo! Good luck :)
    tweezle(at)gmail(dot)com

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  32. Men in chaps and spurs definitely melt my heart. Especially if they fulfill all the three Ps. This was a great guest post.

    Lindadao2060 at yahoo dot com

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  33. I'm trying this again, been trying to comment since yesterday.

    I love cowboys! Great post, can't wait to read MUCH ADO ABOUT MARSHALL.

    hugs,
    WendyK
    highlandlovesong at yahoo.com

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  34. Chivalry hasn't changed much in the centuries. The men are just donning different duds. lol

    I loved your post and the comparison of the two codes of honor. Interesting. :)

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  35. Great post! (And who wouldn't love men in just chaps and spurs?)

    - Katie Fortenbacher
    kfortenbacher(at)gmail(.)com

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  36. Love your post!

    Robin D
    robindpdx (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  37. I didn't know the Texas Rangers had an oath. Thanks for the interesting post!

    likwan@mail.com

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  38. Very well put by Jacquie: the three P's we look for, even if we don't consciously realize that's what we're searching for, she's right. Nicely done!

    jargon47@yahoo.com

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  39. Great post!
    mara
    marajbrandon AT earthlink DOT net

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  40. Thank you all for stopping by, we love our readers and authors, glad you enjoyed the post so much and good luck to all!

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