In the May Author Spotlight,
Mary Lynn Archibald, author of
Accidental Cowgirl

In 1990, author Mary Lynn Archibald heard the call of the wilderness. A planned relaxation on on 120 acres of lush beauty came to a screeching halt with the stroke of the pen. In her new book Accidental Cowgirl, Mary Lynn shares her experiences on a working cattle ranch, which are not only unique, but downright funny.

"My husband and I took one look at Twin Creeks Ranch, and we fell in love," Mary Lynn explains. "We soon found we had inherited six cows, two cats, a flock of wild turkeys, and a working cattle ranch. We had no business trying to run a full-time ranch with no experience. People tried to tell us that “The Simple Life” wasn’t so simple, but we weren’t listening."

Mary Lynn wrote Accidental Cowgirl over the course of six years. "I wrote the book because I suspected there were a lot more folks out there who either wanted a similar experience, or who had already had one." she explains. "I knew family, friends, strangers and acquaintances were totally unaware of the back-breaking work involved. People tend to romanticize country living, but the sheer fortitude it takes is no joke!"

Her favorite anecdote from the book involves a dog, a deer and herself. "Finding the dog with a fawn by the throat, I rushed down to the pasture barefoot, and wearing nothing but a t-shirt and bikini panties, and sat on the dog until she dropped the deer," she laughs. "By the end of the day, everyone on the mountain knew the story." (The story can be found in Chapter 9, pp. 79-81.)

A former interior designer and teacher of art, design and autobiography, Mary Lynn is a regular contributor to New York Times affiliate, The Press Democrat, where her column, Hamlets, has appeared in the quarterly publication, Simply Real Estate. She has also contributed to NorthBay Biz, the Sonoma Searcher, and Chicken Soup for the Single Parent's Soul.

Mary Lynn lives in Northern California with her husband and partner, Carl, and their dog, Fizzbo. She learned gardening at her mother’s knee, and now oversees a 5-acre garden in which she loves to read. She also plans on writing her autobiography "while I can still remember the important stuff".

 

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To purchase your copy of Accidental Cowgirl, visit
http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/01995.htm

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