Intersection Column | A Worthwhile Research Trip

by Mary Connealy

Two things drove my interest in The Rocky Mountain Marshals Series. In book 1, Ambush of the Heart, I got to begin that adventure.

The first thing: U.S. Marshals. I did a bit of research and just began discovering how much I didn't know. I mean . . . what are U.S. Marshals? The only one I could think of was Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. But my research was confusing. Yes, there were lawmen out hunting for outlaws. But a lot of that was because back then Oklahoma Territory was Indian territory and had no law beyond tribal law. And because of that, outlaws had gotten to running into Oklahoma and treating it like they'd reached base in a game of tag.

Because it was federal, the government came up with a federal solution. The U.S. Marshals Service already existed. But chasing outlaws into a place with no law . . . that was new. I went to Fort Smith, Arkansas, known back in the past as the gateway to Indian territory. So many outlaws passed through there that my research led me to the brand-new U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith.

I could write an entire series about Bass Reeves alone, a former slave who became a U.S. Marshal. Some of my reading suggests he was in part the inspiration for The Lone Ranger, and it's said in his 32-year career as a marshal he arrested 3,000 outlaws. He has a TV series on Paramount+ TV. A network I don't have.

I found out so much of this because I went on a research trip. I don't do that often, but it was very fun and I learned a LOT.

My second driving interest was . . . just how lost could someone get in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains? I've read so much about Pathfinders like Kit Carson, John Colter, James Beckwourth, and John Mullen (a guy so interesting he deserves his own book!). I count Sacagawea among them. These bold, adventurous explorers went out in the wilderness and found their way through. It was NOT easy.

One thing I found really interesting was talk about The Donner Party. The Donner Pass cut 400 miles off the trip to California on the California trail. That might sound ridiculous to us, but back then, in a wagon train, especially in rugged country, saving 400 miles was a huge lure. Of course they tried it. People were always trying to find a shorter way through those treacherous mountains.

So my hero, Owen, is transporting a federal prisoner from Denver to Fort Russell, near Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he's due to hang.

His gang’s attempt to free him drives the escorts and those with them, including beautiful Delaney, into the Rockies and they didn't know how to get out . . . especially a pair who get separated from the main party.

One other twist is that my three male heroes all appeared in the book Marshaling Her Heart, book three in my Wyoming Sunrise series. Writing that book awakened my interest in U.S. Marshals. And I loved those tough men and wanted to—well, tame them just a little.

Come and join me as my travelers, including the bold and brave Owen Riley and the beautiful and trail savvy Delaney Bridger, are chased from behind and become more lost with every step they take. They fight the outlaws, the Rockies, and their growing attraction before they can find their way home.

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About the Author

Mary Connealy writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than 1.5 million books and is the author of the popular series A Western Light, Wyoming Sunrise, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. Learn more at MaryConnealy.com.

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About the Book

As Owen Riley and his fellow Marshals escort Delaney Bridger, her brother, and an escaped prisoner to Fort Russell, a gang of outlaws ambushes them, bringing death and devastation to their party. Despite the threat at their heels, romance sparks between Owen and Delaney as they fight for survival on their perilous trek to the fort.