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In
The Cowboy Comeback, Amanda Jenkins and Holt Dalton's
met at camp ten years ago. He was a poor 18-year-old who was
only working in the kitchen of the camp because he was ordered
to work there by a judge. Holt wasn't necessarily a criminal,
but he did some very dumb things in his past. Amanda wasn't
extremely rich by any means, but she was from a comfortable
background. When camp ended, they parted. Life took them into
two different directions where Amanda was leery of love, and
Holt was left with a son whose Mother wanted nothing to do
with the child. When they meet up again at an animal refuge/shelter
they reconnected, in part because of his son. Amanda agrees
to tutor him to help improve his reading. As time goes by
Amanda and Holt realize that they might want to rekindle their
relationship.
Senate noted, “It takes a village to raise Robbie with
all of Holt’s family and Amanda. I’m touched to
hear that Robbie stole the story even though he probably shouldn’t
have! I felt so close to that little boy and his issues and
troubles and triumphs. And I loved the idea of showing that
Holt, his father, would need to actually let people close
to him in order for Robbie to have the support he needed.
This includes his family, even the ones Holt didn’t
particularly get along with, like his father. I loved exploring
how Robbie’s character helped facilitate the changes
in their relationship.”
“I also wanted to point out how Robbie’s mother
left when he was very young and he grew up aware that his
mother wasn’t in his life. I think Holt tried to compensate
for that best he could, trying to be everything to Robbie.
I really loved writing his devotion to his son—letting
Robbie be the whirlwind he is while giving him guidance and
protecting him from his gruff grandfather and from the way
Robbie felt at school with his reading level. I remember when
my son was in kindergarten and first grade and wasn’t
learning to read as quickly as some kids in his class; he
was so aware of it—that letter on the spine that told
everyone what level he was. One thing I love so much about
writing fiction is that you can fix anything that bothers
you, and I gave Robbie back his confidence.”
The Cowboy’s Comeback is about learning who
you are and what are your strengths/weaknesses. The book’s
heart is about self-acceptance and redemption and how, sometimes,
the hardest person to prove everything to is yourself.
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