Jeannie Morgan: The Bold and Charismatic Wild West Heroine

Jeannie Morgan, the ever-present Wild West heroine in my imagination, is a devastating and charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl who smokes cheroots and shoots guns faster than a snake strike west of the Mississippi. She’s also a magnificent lover to both men and women. 

The Western Tale I Had to Write

This is the story I wanted to read. No one had written it so I had to. The theme of this western of mine produces eager responses: “Yay! I love that! Bring it on!’ Or words to that effect. My audience is as keen as a miner who’s struck gold, which is fabulous, considering it took over forty intermittent years to write.

Jeannie’s Journey Through Danger and Self-Discovery

The story, told by a narrator, follows Jeannie as she navigates the unforgiving frontier, confronts her identity and faces deadly confrontations and personal tragedies. Will her tomboy beauty, her powerful persona and her lethal gun finally be the death of her?

Redefining the Western for a New Audience

Who says that the Western is dead? There’s room for all, including my brand of Western. The protagonist women are strong leaders in the mold of John and Clint. Not everyone will like it. Fair enough. Some folks hate Westerns. Several lovers of traditional Westerns may hate it. Some people won’t approve (don’t read it then), but so far there’s been little discord.

A Western for Adventurous Readers Over 18

Talking of fans, mine are largely American or Canadian, mature, young and youthful, men and women, avid readers and slow. They enjoy an offbeat, gripping, entertaining novel with all the traditional scenarios of a Western, starring a woman. I have no target audience beyond being over the age of eighteen, old enough to appreciate the juicy adult portions.

Proving Its Worth Through Readers and Reviews

Friends and family don’t count in the grand scheme of readers. What does count are my umpteen unknowns. Eight hundred and fifty-plus ain’t a bad number. I’ve had many five-star ratings and reviews, proving yet again the story’s worth.

My first reader was my self-appointed Personal Assistant husband. He helped me through the initial editing. He’s good at the job, knows his grammar and doesn’t praise the story just because I’m his missus. He doesn’t always like Jeannie. Well, who does? He gets emotional when the plot is working its magic. 

The first professional to assure me that my story wasn’t rubbish was my editor. Twenty-four carat gold writing, she said. One reader called it a literary gem. I’m not certain if that’s a rather inflated description, but I’ll take it!

The Origins of Jeannie: A Teen’s Wild West Daydream

The story of this trilogy started in my teens during the seventies. My fascination for the Wild West, particularly the gun totin’ wilder women who prospected for gold, was beginning to flourish. That was intriguing for a UK lass, now a granny. I watched Westerns and became disenchanted by the lack of decent roles for women, much less the fastest guns, so I began to daydream about Jeannie. I’m an artist, so I illustrated her and began to create her story. 

Apparently, she’s me. My family couldn’t appreciate the ultra-creative, somewhat offbeat daughter/sister that I was. I wasn’t writing a fairy tale about bunnies after all. A lifetime of emotional abuse and neglect left me with depression and the desperate need to create Jeannie. 

A Creative Journey Fueled by Ambition

Alias Jeannie Delaney largely kept me sane. My art became neglected, but that creativity returned when I collaborated with my cover designer, using two drawings I had made during my school days. I’ve since learned computer graphics in order to promote the novels. My goal is to finish Book 3, become a well-known Western author, a writer of anecdotal articles and a multidisciplinary artist. 

No small ambition, you understand.

For those who want a copy of my book, it is available on Amazon.