BLOGGING WITH BEVERLEY: Barbara White Daille and Her Latest Book

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too!

Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed "The End" to her first novel many years later...in the eighth grade. Now she's writing contemporary romance on a daily basis. Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life: https://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.

With Father’s Day just around the corner, I’m very happy for the chance to share one of my favorite fictional dads with you. I call all my books “standalones” because even in my series, each hero and heroine reaches their Happy Ever After by the end of their story. In his own words, here’s a peek at the hero dad of A Rancher’s Pride, book one in the Flagman’s Folly series:

Beverley: What’s your name?
Sam: Sam Robertson
Beverley: Where did you grow up?
Sam: Right here in Flagman’s Folly, in the same house I live in today.
Beverley: During what time period does your story take place?
Sam: Current day. I’m a contemporary rancher, content to run the place my daddy always assured me would be mine someday.
Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?
Sam: I grew up an only child in a happy family, took over the ranch after my dad died, and then I got married. . . which wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever made. Nothing exciting there. I never expected anyone would want to tell my story—that is, not until my life took a sudden and equally unexpected turn.
Beverley: What’s your goal in this story?
Sam: To adjust to the fact I’ve become a daddy myself, overnight. I never knew I had a child until my ex-wife left her on my doorstep.
Beverley: What conflicts are you facing?
Sam: My daughter’s aunt, Kayla, wants to take Becky away from me, claiming I’m an unfit father. Also, my four-year-old is deaf, and I don’t know how to communicate with her, which gives Kayla more ammunition in her fight against me.
Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving this?
Sam: You bet I do. My plan is to keep and raise Becky, no matter what it takes.
Beverley: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Sam: I’ll never marry again but have always wanted a family. The day I met Becky, I knew she was my child. We missed spending the first four years of her life together, not by choice, and no one’s going to keep us apart another minute.

Blurb for A Rancher's Pride

His Whole World is in Her Hands

Sam Robertson’s life just changed. In one short day, he found out that he’s a daddy; that his beautiful little girl, Becky, is deaf; and that her aunt, sign language teacher Kayla Ward, intends to fight him for custody.

There are plenty of reasons Sam shouldn’t fall for Kayla. A city girl like her has no place on his ranch, particularly when she’s his ex-wife’s gorgeous sister. But thanks to the judge’s orders, Sam’s spending a lot of time with Kayla, trying to give Becky the stable home she’s never known.

Despite their ongoing custody battle, Sam and Kayla’s love for Becky brings them closer than they ever expected, and Sam knows that no matter who wins in court, he could still lose—Kayla or his daughter.

Excerpt from A Rancher's Pride. This is from the beginning.

The minute Sam Robertson saw his mother’s frozen expression, he knew something terrible had happened. He hadn’t seen that look on Sharleen’s face since the night his daddy died.
He tossed his Stetson onto the hook by the kitchen door and crossed the room to where she sat by the round pine table. “Mom? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Sam...” She cleared her throat and started again. “Ronnie was here.”

“Ronnie?” He frowned. He hadn’t seen his ex-wife in five years. “What did she want after all this time? Just stopping by to say hello?”

“She said she’s settling down again. With another man.”

“That’s what has you upset? You should know better. And we should both pity the poor guy. So, what did she do, drop off an invitation to the wedding?”

“No.” Sharleen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Finally, she said, “She dropped something off, but not an invitation. She brought a little girl with her. Four years old. Ronnie left her here. She said she’s your daughter.”

“What?” The news rocked him back in the chair. “That’s impossible.”

“I’m not sure that it is. The child is blonde. Like Ronnie. But she’s got your eyes. Your daddy’s eyes. She looks like a Robertson, through and through.” She waved toward the arched doorway. “See for yourself.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he rose and moved to the door. He had to brace himself before he could step into the living room.

Everything looked familiar. The pair of plaid couches facing each other. The long pine coffee table between them. The chime clock ticking away on the mantel. Everything looked familiar, except the child sitting on one of the couches.

A beautiful little girl.

The daughter he’d always hoped for, the start of the family he’d never had.

He shook his head. Pipe dreams, for sure. Ronnie had never told a true story in her life. This child couldn’t be his.

As he moved another step into the room, she looked up.

Small and blonde, just as Sharleen had said. And more.

The girl’s eyes shone in the light from the table lamp beside the couch. Silver-gray eyes surrounded by dark lashes, a perfect match to his own.

His throat tightened. He felt frozen in place.

She gave him a shy smile.

He’d seen that half-twisted grin in plenty of his own childhood pictures. Not impossible after all. The child was his.

Somehow, after what seemed like hours, he managed to raise one hand to wave at her. “Hello.” The word came out in a croak. He hadn’t the first idea of what to say and went for the standard opening line. “What’s your name?”

Sharleen moved up to stand behind him and rested her hand on his arm. “Her name’s Becky,” she told him. “But she can’t hear you, Sam. She’s deaf.”