Leah is a small-town girl at heart and currently lives in a rural town in South Louisiana, though Maryland will always be home. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in International Business but gave up a career in sales and marketing to follow love, a decision she's never regretted. Always a dreamer, she loves to think of times gone by and discover what the American West was really like as the frontier was bring tamed. Because time-travel doesn't really exist, she uses her stories as an outlet to transport back in time and experience the days of old. Never one to ignore inspiration, she is also branching out into contemporary romance. Her works have reached best-seller status and have topped the categories of Western and Inspirational Romance. She gives thanks to God for blessing her with the amazing opportunity to share her faith in a way to inspire people and bring a smile to their faces. 10 Random Facts about Leah 1) Her favorite book is A Moveable Feast 2) She was once in a governor's inaugural parade 3) Her daughter and she share the same initials 4) Diet soda is her coffee. Every morning must with a glass of the fizzy beverage. 5) On the day of her daughter's birth, Leah's family was so excited they ran out to the car and locked all the keys inside the house. Her husband had to break in the house through a window before they could leave for the hospital 6) She loves to garden despite her black thumb 7) When Leah was a kid, she and her cousin would write their own songs 8) Her favorite movie is Gone with the Wind 9) Holidays bring out her inner child 10) She has a mild obsession with anything pumpkin

“Heather Blanton is blessed with a natural storytelling ability, an ‘old soul’ wisdom, and wide expansive heart. Her characters are vividly drawn, and in the western settings where life can be hard, over quickly, and seemingly without meaning, she reveals Larger Hands holding everyone and everything together.” MARK RICHARD, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, AMC’S HELL ON WHEELS, and PEN/ERNEST HEMINGWAY AWARD WINNER I write Christian Historical Western Romance. Yes, that often entails the use of firearms in a threatening manner. Sometimes there are fistfights. There may even be politically incorrect but historically accurate language. But also, there is always an inspirational message and strong allusions (at least) to the gospel. A former journalist, I am an avid researcher and endeavor to skillfully weave truth in among fictional story lines. I love exploring the American West, especially ghost towns and museums. I have walked parts of the Oregon Trail, ridden horses through the Rockies, climbed to the top of Independence Rock, and even held an outlaw's note in my hand. I grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina on a steady diet of Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and John Wayne Westerns. My most fond childhood memory is of sitting next to my daddy, munching on popcorn, and watching Lucas McCain unload that Winchester! My daddy also taught me to shoot and, trust me, I can sew buttons on with my rifle. I can be reached several different ways: http://ladiesindefiancé.com/ https://www.facebook.com/authorheathe... https://twitter.com/heatherfblanton https://www.pinterest.com/heatherfbla... I am a proud member of Western Writers of America. My novels are all Christian Western Romance because this is the genre that lets me write about strong, pioneer women and men who struggle to find God and then live out their faith in real ways. Like good old fashioned Westerns, there is always justice, a moral message, American values, lots of high adventure, unexpected plot twists, and more than a touch of suspense. Of course, romance is always a strong element in my stories because it is such a beautiful gift from God and a perfect reflection of how he loves us: sacrificially and lavishly. My stories aren’t preachy or cheesy, but I hope they are inspirational, heart-warming, realistic, illuminating, and glorifying to God.