Cowboy Logic — Mountain girl meets cowboy country

I used to think writing a book was a solitary journey. Over time, I realized how many people became part of mine. In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I reflect on the people who have walked beside me throughout my writing journey—family, beta readers, ARC readers, fellow authors, reviewers, and readers who may never realize the difference they've made. Sometimes the encouragement we need arrives...

Some places never really leave you. I grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, surrounded by misty mornings, flowing rivers, fireflies, and the kind of quiet that settles deep into your soul. Though I've spent decades building a life in Calgary, Alberta, I eventually realized something I never expected. Home isn't just where you come from. It's the values your family gave you, the me...

After my husband died, I went on forty-eight dates. Some were awkward. Some were disappointing. One man talked so much I escaped under the excuse of needing kitty litter. Another ate my dinner and walked out the door. But somewhere between the bad dates, the ghosts, and the men who couldn't stop talking about their exes, I learned something important: Other people's opinions don't get...

In my senior yearbook, I was voted the shyest girl in school. At the time, it felt true. Growing up poor taught me to stay quiet, stay in the background, and never draw too much attention to myself. What started as a way to survive eventually became a habit. Then a personality. Then a life. In this episode of Cowboy Logic, I'm sharing the story of how writing books helped me find my voice, why...

I said no more cats. I meant it. After losing my husband and then losing the last cat who had been with us through everything, I closed that chapter of my life. The grief was simply too much, and I promised myself I wouldn't do it again. Then I met Nakita. In this episode of Cowboy Logic, I'm sharing the story of a green-eyed cat who refused to take no for an answer, the unexpected joy she...

When I started writing my first novel, most people didn't think I'd finish it. Honestly, there were days I wasn't sure I would either. I was carrying more grief than I knew what to do with. My husband was gone. My parents were gone. My brother was gone. Some days it felt like I was trying to build a future while standing in the middle of the rubble of my old life. But I had one person...

I’ve been sick my whole life. Not as an excuse. Not as a complaint. Just as a fact. In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I’m sharing the story of a little girl who didn’t feel well… but still wanted to go play. From childhood illnesses and chronic pain to knee braces and crossing the finish line of a 10K race, this is a story about the quiet kind of strength that doesn’t always look brave from the ou...

I was three years old when my brother made one very serious mistake… In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I’m sharing the story of Superman, a BB gun, and the moment my daddy realized exactly who his daughter was going to be. What started as a peaceful afternoon watching cartoons turned into one of my daddy’s favorite stories to tell — the one about the time I got real quiet first. This episode is ab...

I was six years old when I decided I knew better than everyone else. In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I’m sharing the story of a ten-speed bike, a clothesline, and the day I learned that determination and wisdom don’t always show up at the same time. From trying to ride a bike I had no business being on to secretly attempting to remove my own training wheels with a wrench, this episode is about s...

In this episode of Cowboy Logic, Ann shares the story of an old Buick, a cigarette lighter, and the woman who became the anchor of her life. “An Anchor Doesn’t Have to Move” is a heartfelt reflection on quiet strength, unconditional love, and the people who hold us steady when life gets rough. Sometimes the strongest people are not the ones who go the farthest… but the ones who are always there wh...

Sometimes the things that shaped us the most…didn’t feel important at the time. In the Season 3 premiere of Cowboy Logic, I’m going back to a summer in the mountains of West Virginia — where we didn’t have much, but we had everything we needed. Bare feet. Dirt roads. A single golf club my daddy found on the side of the road. No plans. No money. No schedule. Just long days, laughter, and a kind of...

I promised I’d share the most listened to episode of Season 2… and this is it. I have to say, I really like this episode. Season 2, Episode 11: “Staying Soft Is the Hardest Thing You’ll Ever Do” resonated with so many listeners, and I think it’s because no one gets through this life without having to choose between hardening and staying open. After loss, heartbreak, or life just hitting harder tha...

Sometimes the hardest truth isn’t finding the answer. It’s trusting the one you already know. In this season finale of Cowboy Logic, I’m talking about that quiet voice inside you — the one that never leaves, even when life gets loud, uncertain, or painful. I share the moment I almost walked away from writing after being ghosted by a publisher… and what brought me back. Not louder voices. Not outsi...

You'd think strength is what breaks a wild horse. But ask anyone who's spent real time around animals that size, and they'll tell you something different. It's the soft hand that earns trust. In this episode of Cowboy Logic, I'm talking about the choice that takes more courage than most people realize — the one that comes after life has already broken your heart. After my husba...

Sometimes the hardest choice isn’t moving forward…it’s what you carry with you when you do. In this episode of Cowboy Logic, I’m talking about bitterness—the kind that settles in quietly after loss, after disappointment, after life doesn’t go the way you thought it would. In the span of a few years, I lost my husband, my father, and my brother. And just as I was trying to find my footing again, I...

Sometimes the strongest thing you can do… is simply keep going. There are no awards for showing up on the hard days. No recognition for the quiet work it takes to keep moving forward when you're tired, grieving, or running on empty. In this episode of Cowboy Logic, I'm talking about the kind of strength that doesn't look like strength at all. The kind that lives in consistency. In stub...

Sometimes the most important things in life are the ones we hear only when everything finally goes quiet. In a world full of noise, distraction, and constant motion, silence can feel uncomfortable. But silence has a way of revealing truths we might otherwise miss. In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I’m talking about what we discover when life slows down and the noise fades away. The clarity that co...

Sometimes the long road feels like the wrong road. In a world that celebrates shortcuts, it’s easy to believe that if something takes longer, you must be falling behind. But the long road often teaches us the lessons shortcuts never will. In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I’m talking about why the slower path in life can become the one that shapes us the most. The patience it builds. The strength...

Scars don’t always look like damage. Sometimes they looklike survival. Some scars show where we’ve been. Some show what we endured. And some become the very ground we stand on. In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I’m talking aboutthe marks life leaves behind — loss, illness, and the battles no one else ever sees — and how the things that once felt like proof we were broken can become proof that we e...

Storms don’t always come with lightning. Sometimes they’re quiet. Grinding. The kind that soak through your bones and test what you’re made of. In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I’m talking about what loyalty really looks like when life turns hard — when grief sits heavy, when exhaustion wins, when walking away would be easier. On a ranch, you don’t abandon the herd mid-storm. You check the fences...

In a world that celebrates grand gestures, sometimes the bravest love is the one that chooses anyway. In this episode of Cowboy Logic, I share the true story of leaving West Virginia — terrified of flying and never having been on a plane — to meet the cowboy who became my husband in Calgary. From a stranger’s reassuring hand on takeoff, to the gold heart locket he fastened around my neck that firs...

In a loud world, it’s easy to believe that strength has to announce itself. In this episode of Cowboy Logic , I talk about the kind of strength that doesn’t raise its voice — the steady strength of people who observe, endure, and keep going without needing recognition. I reflect on what life has taught me about quiet resilience. About how being quiet doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re groun...

In this episode, I share a childhood moment that shaped how I see kindness, courage, and what real strength really means. It’s a story about my mama, a knock at the door, and the lesson she taught me about opening your heart—even when fear’s telling you not to. By the end, you might catch yourself thinking about the doors you choose to open—and the kind of person you want to be when life asks you...

I’m Ann Dunbar, and welcome to Cowboy Logic, Season 2 . Today’s cowboy wisdom: Some horses need time before they trust the saddle—and that doesn’t make them weak. It makes them wise. In this episode, I share the story of struggling to read while other kids flew through books—until one teacher truly saw me, slowed things down, and helped me fall in love with stories. Dictionaries. Encyclopedias. An...

In this episode, I talk about the women who raised me—their quiet strength, hard‑won wisdom, and imperfect love—and how they became the real women behind my cowboy stories. By the end, you might find yourself thinking about the women who raised you—and the ways they still walk beside you. Find my books, newsletter, and socials here: https://linktr.ee/anndunbarauthor