Kari Lynn Dell is an American romance novelist and rodeo competitor. Dell was raised on a ranch in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

. She graduated from Cut Bank High School in

Cut Bank, Montana Cut Bank is a city in and the county seat of Glacier County, Montana, United States, located just east of the "cut bank" (gorge) along Cut Bank Creek. The population was 3,056 at the 2020 census, The town began in 1891 with the arrival of the G ...

, and then attended Montana State University, where she majored in

sports medicine Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...

. After graduation, Dell taught high school science and worked as an athletic trainer in Texas. She and her husband moved several times, and after spending time in

Pendleton, Oregon Pendleton is a city and the county seat of Umatilla County, Oregon. The population was 17,107 at the time of the 2020 census, which includes approximately 1,600 people who are incarcerated at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. Pendleton ...

, they eventually returned to Montana. During the summers, when school was out and she was off of work, Dell began writing. Her first novel, ''Reckless in Texas'', was published in August 2016. It received positive reviews from several major publishers, which led to it being chosen by a major distributor. The book reached number 19 in paperback romances the week it was released, and was number 42 on the

Nielsen BookScan BookScan is a data provider for the book publishing industry that compiles point of sale data for book sales, owned by The NPD Group in the United States and the Nielsen Company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Sou ...

list for all genres. The book was successful enough that Dell was signed to write several more within the series. Her novels are set in the world of rodeo competitions and are inspired by cowboys she has known or seen compete. Unlike in many Western romances, Dell's depictions of the rodeo are given a major emphasis rather than be relegated to the background. Her novels contain many specific details, such as the texture of the shirts, as a nod to the experience and worldview of her son, who has Asperger's. ''Kirkus Reviews'' describes Dell's writing as "sexy" and "engaging", and applauds her character development. Her third novel, '' Tougher in Texas'', was a finalist for a 2018 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Long Contemporary. Dell competes in the rodeo sports of

team roping Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a rodeo event that features a steer (typically a Corriente) and two mounted riders. The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the front of the steer, usually around ...

and

breakaway roping Breakaway roping is a variation of calf roping where a calf is roped, but not thrown and tied. It is a rodeo event that features a calf and one mounted rider. The calves are moved one at a time through narrow runs leading to a chute with spring ...

. She was the 2018 Canadian Senior Pro Rodeo champion in Ladies Breakaway. Kari Lynn Dell died on August 14, 2020, after a battle with ovarian cancer. http://www.cutbankpioneerpress.com/obituaries/article_07b84424-e740-11ea-9f1a-07822d412b87.html

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dell, Kari Lynn Living people American romantic fiction writers American women novelists 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers Novelists from Montana Roping (rodeo) Montana State University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)