Our Heritage

Rosie began writing children’s books in 2015 and now has nine in publication. The first series is called Down on the Farm and is a compilation of stories that she told the grandchildren. The grandchildren picked the animal they wanted to hear a story about. Grandma created an animal character and then made up a story to go with it. The favorites of those stories have become books. Getrude the LOUD Chicken has become a favorite in that series. Of course, there are many more animals just waiting to have their story told!

The Curly series began with a fictional calf who survived the Starbuck Fire in western Kansas in 2017. Curly the Orphan Calf was written after that devastating fire destroyed large parts of western Kansas, northern Oklahoma, and Texas. Rosie hadn’t intended to make the little heifer calf part of a series. However, as Curly the Orphan Calf was read in schools across Kansas and neighboring states, the students wanted to know what happened to Curly when she grew up. That led to Curly the Hero Cow as well as a third in the series, Curly and the Terrible Tornado.

A Christmas book was added in December of 2020. It is called, What Does Old Santa Do? This fun book talks about what Santa does between Christmases and is all written in rhymes. It has quickly become a hit at book readings as well.

Her newest children’s book, The Notional Mule was released in October of 2021. It actually gives the back-story of the mule character in her novels. Mule, as he is called, has become a favorite among her readers. It is also a story within a story as a grandfather tells his grandchildren about their very old Uncle Badger and his mule.

The next children’s book is just in the beginning stages. It will be about a beautiful pink flamingo named Patty. Patty started out pink but…wait! We can’t give the storyline away! This book was inspired by a group of children at story hour in Corning, Kansas in 2021. Again, it was an impromptu story that was a huge hit.

In May of 2019, Rosie decided to take her writing to a new level and wrote her first historical western novel. North to Cheyenne, The Long Road Home was released in December of 2019. This book depicts a cross country trip via steamer, rail, and horseback in 1868 with lots of adventures along the way. The second book in what became her Home on the Range series is West by Rail, a Brother’s Wish. It was released in June of 2020 and continues the stories of the characters from the first novel with several twists. South of Laramie, Where the Trail Leads followed in November of 2020, and more “friends” were added to the little community south of Cheyenne. Her fourth novel in that series, Down the Long Valley, the Old Man’s Wish was released in March of 2021. This book is set in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley of Montana. The priest in the book, Father Anthony Ravalli, was the first surgeon and pharmacist in what would become Montana. The more this book was researched, the more his name came up. Rosie added him to the story and that wonderful priest came to life on the pages of her book.

Because this book was set in Montana, it required several visits there to collect information as well as to follow mountain passes Rosie wanted to incorporate in her book. It was followed by Up the Western Trail, Point the Tongue North in October 2921. That fifth novel covers a trail drive from north Texas up the Western Trail to Dodge City, Kansas. Again, research was done as Rosie and her husband followed the Western Trail south to verify geography and history. (Rosie is married to a rancher so research can only be done in the summer while cattle are out on grass! That means the books are written based on research done online and then verified through their trips to that area.)

Beneath the Western Sky, The Cowboy’s Dream is the sixth book in the series and was released in April of 2022. It picks up the trail drive in Ogallala, Nebraska and takes the riders on home. Not without problems, of course!

The next three manuscripts are finished, and the tenth is nearly done. The tenth novel will conclude in the winter of 1880 and will be released in the spring of 2024. It will conclude the Home on the Range series. Of course, Rosie doesn’t write outlines or plan her books from beginning to end, so she is often as surprised as you are when they take an unexpected turn!

History and real-life characters are intertwined with the fiction in Rosie’s novels. She enjoys pulling tidbits from the past and making that information part of each book along with action, humor, and just a touch of romance. Each novel also includes a prologue which details the history. Much research is done to make the novels both historically and geographically accurate. Besides trying to engage the audience, Rosie also incorporates agriculture and shares trivial information about the ranching way of life, especially when reading to children.

Rosie is available to do book readings and signings. She also enjoys giving presentations to schools and other groups. Thank you for choosing her books!