HarperImpulse Fortnight: Guest Post by D.R. Graham

This week and the next one, I am taking part in the HarperImpulse Fortnight so there are going to be some fun Q&As, Guest Posts and Reviews, all from this lovely publisher and their authors. Today, I am very excited to welcome D.R. Graham who is going to talk Rodeo!


Hi! My name is Danielle. I write about bikers and cowboys as D.R. Graham. RANK is a new adult contemporary drama about two brothers on the rodeo circuit in the aftermath of their dad's death. Although RANK deals with serious issues like mental health, and is set against the rowdy backdrop of the rodeo, RANK is also a sweet love story that everyone with a country side will hopefully enjoy. 

My first exposure to rodeo was at my grandparents' acreage in Regina, Saskatchewan. We visited in the summers growing up, and some of my very best childhood memories are from being at the ranch. This is my Papa barrel racing on his horse, 'Peanut'.

This is me on my pony, 'Blue', and me on my horse, 'Scotty'. Looks my idea of racing wasn't all that fast, lol.

Scotty spooked that day while my sister was leading me back to the barn. She dropped the reins when he reared up. He bolted over the gate into the field with me on his back and nothing to hold onto except chunks of his mane. I clung for dear life, shouting "whoa!" as he sprinted around the pasture. When he circled around with no intention of slowing down, I decided I needed to jump before I fell off, so I spotted a stack of hay bales and launched myself off his back. 

When I looked up the house, my grandmother was clinging to the porch, terror stricken. I will probably never forget the horror on her face. To everyone's surprise, I wasn't hurt. I was elated. I cowgirled up and survived -- just had to brush the dust off and pick a bit of straw out of my hair.

Thank you Danielle for sharing your experience with us, that must have been a bit terrifying! More for your grandmother than for you for sure. 


Rank blurb:

Rodeo is all Billy Ryan and his brother Cole have ever known — until one deadly wreck changes everything. With their mom requiring full-time care and Cole dealing with his own demons, Billy needs to step up to take care of his family. So he walks away from his future as a champion bull rider. Convincing himself he didn’t quit because he lost his nerve…

Barrel racer Shae-Lynn, the sweet good-girl-next-door, grew up with the boys on the rodeo circuit. She’s the only person who knows Billy better than he knows himself. She could help him get back in the ring, but there’s a limit to how many times she’ll watch him make the same mistakes. Especially when it comes to her heart.

When Cole’s gambling debts get out of control and the bills at home pile up, Billy has no choice but to enter a winner takes all bull riding event. He needs Shae-Lynn by his side, but that isn’t going to happen unless he figures out a way to cowboy up and prove he’s good enough for a woman like her.

Intense, emotional and complex, RANK is Friday Night Lights meets Nicholas Sparks’ The Longest Ride… with edge!



About the author:

D.R. Graham is the author of Young Adult and New Adult novels for HarperCollins and Entangled Publishing. She worked as a social worker with at-risk youth for seven years before becoming a therapist in private practice. The clients she works with are children and teenagers and the novels she writes deal with issues relevant to young and new adults in love, transition, or crisis. She is also an award winning columnist for the Richmond News. She currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband. 

D.R. Graham's novels are edgy and reflect the emotional rawness of the young adult psyche. The novels contain coarse language and mature subject matter. They are intended for mature young and new adult readers. 


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