When Victoria Vane offered to do a character interview with her latest cowboy, Dirk, I jumped at the chance.
Dirk, who is your perfect woman and why?
If you were asking the young and stupid me, I’d have given you the wrong answer. Back then, all I cared about was a pretty face and having a good time but age and experience thankfully brings wisdom. My perfect women is the one who understands me. She’d the one who shares my hopes and dreams and even makes me laugh when there’s nothing to laugh about. She’s my equal in every way. I never thought she’d have me after all we’ve been through, and God knows I don’t deserve her, but I found that perfect woman in Janice.
I have never seen a cow up close, except on a plate. What was it like to grow up on a ranch as a boy?
 It’s hard to describe because I’ve never known any other life than ranching and the U.S. Marines. Between the two, the Corps was easier! Ranching is never-ending, unforgiving, dirty work. The day begins before the sun rises and ends only when it’s too dark to finish the last chore you started. There’s always a crisis, always something that needs fixing, and there’s never anyone to fix it but you. A rancher is a jack of all trades from mechanic to veterinarian. But if it’s in your blood, there’s no cure.
Â
Â
Montana is exotic to Easterners. What is your favorite thing about your home state?
The wildlife that lives right outside your own door, the wide open spaces and majestic natural beauty. The sense of freedom all of that engenders. The friendliness of the people. There’s no place quite like it.
Â
What made you become a rough rider?
 I was on the back of a horse almost before I could walk. Learned to rope and brand by the time I was five or six, so it was all just a natural progression from there. I competed in Saddle Bronc riding in high school and eventually moved on to bulls, purely ‘cause I wanted to win the all around title. Rodeo suited me back in those days when I was a restless adrenaline junkie. Now I’m happy to settle down to ranching and leave all that craziness to the young guys.
Buy ROUGH RIDER by Victoria Vane here: Amazon | Apple | B&N | BAM | !ndigo | IndieBound | Kobo
Victoria Vane is a multiple award-winning romance novelist and history junkie whose collective works of fiction range from wildly comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Victoria also writes historical fiction as Emery Lee and is the founder of Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blog.
Connect with Victoria Vane: Website | Facebook | @AuthorVictoriaV | Pinterest | Goodreads