Katie Lane on the finale to her Deep in the Heart of Texas series

Katie Lane, author of The Last Cowboy in Texas (out today!), the final book (#7) in her Deep in the Heart of Texas series, gets nostalgic about her fictional Bramble, Texas.

Katie: There is a little town deep in the heart of Texas. A town that's not much more than a grease spot on a black top. The main street is just a block long, but it has everything a person could need or want. You can get a Moon Pie at the Food Mart, a rocky road ice cream cone at the Dairy Treat, a shot of tequila at Bootlegger's Bar, your prescription filled at Sutter's Pharmacy, and your soul saved at the First Baptist. Most social events are held at the town hall and most gossip is spread at Josephine's Diner.

Gossip is a bit of an art form to the townsfolk, as is matchmaking. No one passes through without hearing about what's going on or being sized up as a possible mate for one of the town's citizens. And there have been quite a few successful matings: Slate and Faith. Colt and Hope. Billy and Shirlene. Ethan and Samantha. Brant and Elizabeth. Beau and Jenna Jay. Dusty and Brianne. And Beckett and Starlet.

Of course, it hasn't always been easy to get these couples together. There are times that the townsfolk have had to resort to extreme measures. Like the time that Sheriff Winslow stole Faith Aldridge's car so she couldn't leave town and would be forced to stay and marry Slate Calhoun. And the time Kenny Gene kidnapped Jenna Jay Scroggs and Beauregard Cates from New York City and brought them back to Bramble where they belonged. While grand theft auto and kidnapping are illegal in most places, in Bramble, these things are done by good folks with pure intentions and hearts that are as big as the state they live in.

At this point, you might be wondering where this little town is located and how you can get there. Well, it's easier than you think. You won't need a car, a plane, a bus, or a train to get to Bramble because this quaint town isn't located on a map. It's located in the pages of my Deep in the Heart of Texas series. A series that happened by mere accident — or divine intervention.

I had planned to write a prince-and-pauper story about twins separated at birth. I wanted Faith to go in search of her sister Hope and end up taking over Hope's life. A life that was completely different than Faith's. So I knew my setting for the book was crucial for my character's internal and external conflict. Since Faith grew up in a big city in the North, I wanted my setting to be a small town in the South. Since she was quiet and reserved, I wanted the townsfolk to be loud and outgoing.

I struggled with the setting until my husband had to take a business trip to west Texas and invited me along. Living in New Mexico, I had been to Texas before. My husband is from Texas and we have relatives there. But I'd spent most of my time in big cities, not small rural communities. On the way to Midland-Odessa, we stopped at little towns along the way. Towns that were no more than a grease spot on the black top. Towns with only one gas station, one diner, one church and three bars. Towns where every business sign cheered on their high school team and friendly folks didn't mind sharing a smile and some stories with a couple of strangers.

Just like that, I had found a place for my heroine to call home. And for seven books and one novella, Bramble became my home as well. A place I've traveled to every day to celebrate achievements, weddings and births and to share in disappointments, struggles and loss. A place that's made me giggle until my stomach hurts and cry until my dog whines.

That's why it was so hard to write the last book of the series — The Last Cowboy in Texas. I owe so much to the townsfolk of Bramble that I wanted to make sure I did them justice. So I decided to not only tell the love story of my sexy ex-Marine Beckett Cates and country music star Starlet Brubaker, but also to tell the story of the people of Bramble: Mayor Sutter. Cindy Lynn. Rachel Dean. Kenny Gene. Rossie Owens. Josephine. I gave them all a chapter to say their goodbyes. And all I can say is that they did a good job, bringing a smile to my face and a tear to my eye.

There is a small, fictional town in Texas. A town that will forever be deep in the heart of Katie Lane. And I hope you feel the same.

Here's the blurb about The Last Cowboy in Texas:

Country music princess Starlet Brubaker has a sweet tooth for moon pies and cowboys: both are yummy-and you can never have just one. Now Beckett Cates may not be a cowboy, but he certainly has the heart, soul-and body-to whet her appetite. He's a sexy ex-Marine with a touch hotter than the scorching Texas sun and arms strong enough to catch her when she lands into trouble.

Playing bodyguard to America's sweetheart isn't easy for Beckett. But falling for her sure is. Unfortunately, Starlet has a reputation for keeping a guy or two wrapped around her finger and Beckett refuses to be anybody's backup. So now it's up to Starlet to prove that she's put her cowboy-crazy days behind her. Otherwise, she'll be singing solo instead of living in harmony with the man who's loved her even before her fame and fortune.

Find out more about Katie and her books at www.katielanebooks.com.