Today my guest author is Marin Thomas. If you haven’t checked her out, well you’ve missed out. As most of you know, I love cowboy romance, well, yep you guessed it, she writes a lot of cowboy romance, mostly through Harlequin’s American Romance series.

I met Marin through another friend on Facebook and have enjoyed our talks and shares. Now I’m a fan. She has a way with words and cowboys. So, without further ado here’s Marin Thomas.

Stephanie, thank you for having me on your blog today!

I became infatuated with cowboys when I was sixteen and my family took a vacation to Colorado and Arizona. While in Colorado I went to my first rodeo and became mesmerized by all the cowboy hats, boots and leather chaps! Not only do I write about cowboy heroes in my Harlequin American Romance books but I blog about them at All My Heroes are Cowboys where you’ll find this on my page…..

“America needs the cowboy both to remind us of how far we have come and to bring us back to the simplicity of the values he represents. He is also needed because he is a piece of who we are as a country. He represents a lifestyle and a time period that is a cherished part of our history. Little boys want to grow up to be him and little girls want to grow up to marry him.” ~CowboyCrew.com

The Cowboy Next Door

July 2013

Book 1 in a six-book series called The Cash Brothers (Harlequin American Romance.)

Six brothers all named after country and western legends by their eccentric mother whose lifelong search for her soul mate left each of her sons with a different father….

Johnny Cash (July 2013), Conway Twitty Cash (Oct 2013), Willie Nelson Cash (Feb 2014) Buck Owens Cash (May 2014), Merle Haggard Cash (Aug 2014) and Porter Wagoner Cash (TBA).

Be sure to check out #TheCashBrothersStampede …4 weeks of contests & giveaways!

Back Cover Blurb

Hard-working cowboy Johnny Cash has always been a protector to his little sister’s best friend, sweet but tough cowgirl Shannon Douglas. It’s pretty crazy for girls to ride bulls-yet it’s her life to live. Then he realizes he’s got some purely male instincts toward her, too. But absolutely no way can he fall for his boss’s daughter-if he loses his job, there’ll be hell to pay at home….

Shannon was raised to be strong and independent. She wants a national title so bad she can taste it-and she needs Johnny’s help. His protectiveness drives her crazy…the same way his kisses do. But she’s not about to hang up her bull rope because of him! Her heart says he’s the one-but her own stubborn streak might push away the only man who might actually understand her

Excerpt

On a hot, mid-August Saturday Johnny Cash stood in the cowboy ready area of the Butterfield Stage Days Parade and Rodeo in Gila Bend, Arizona, and watched the fireworks display between lady bull rider Shannon Douglas and all-around rodeo cowboy C.J. Rodriguez.

The hand gesturing and boot stomping drew a lot of notice and Johnny edged closer, ready to intervene if the argument quickly went south.

“You’re supposed to be my man not Veronica’s,” Shannon said.

No surprise that the notorious buckle bunny Veronica Patriot had sunk her claws into another cowboy. The woman was hell on boot heels and took what she wanted—mostly cowboys in committed relationships. If that was the case, and Rodriguez had cheated on Shannon, then Johnny felt bad for her.

Shannon was his sister’s best friend and Johnny had known her most of his life. Nine years her senior, he’d been a big brother to the little girl who’d spent countless afternoons playing at the Cash pecan farm or trailing after him at her father’s spread where Johnny worked as a seasonal ranch hand.

Rodriguez jabbed his finger in the air. “I can’t help it if I attract women everywhere I go.”

Hands fisted, Shannon stood her ground. “You’re ticked off that I won last week.”

“You didn’t beat me.” Rodriguez glanced at his competitors, who pretended not to listen.

Shannon laughed. “You’re sore because fans are finding out you’re not the superstar you claim to be.”

The feuding couples’ audience showed no signs of intervening. Pretty soon the rodeo officials and cameramen would notice the confrontation playing out behind the chutes and broadcast the lovers’ spat on the JumboTron.

“Shannon.” Johnny stepped from the shadows and touched a finger to the brim of his black cattleman’s Stetson.

She flashed him a grateful smile.

“Well if it ain’t the Man in Black.” Rodriguez snickered.

Johnny’s hackles rose. What the hell had his mother been thinking when she’d named him and his brothers after country-and-western singers? It had been bad enough that they’d all been fathered by different men. From the day Johnny entered kindergarten, he’d been teased—not that his mother had cared.

When his biological father, Charlie Smith, had split after Johnny’s birth, Aimee Cash had become an absentee mom, gallivanting across the southwest, searching for the next Mr. Right. She hadn’t been there when Johnny had come home from school with his first black eye—Grandma Ada had hugged him and insisted there was room in the world for two Johnny Cashes. Eventually he might have learned to turn the other cheek, but every year or two, another brother had been born and saddled with a moniker that needed defending until he grew old enough to fight his own battles. And Johnny had made his fair share of trips to the principal’s office during his school career.

“Back off, Rodriguez.” He leveled a sober stare at the cowboy.

“This is nuts.” Rodriguez threw his gear bag over his shoulder and stomped off. The onlookers dispersed.

“You okay?” he asked Shannon.

“Yeah. C.J.’s just frustrated with his riding, that’s all.” She rolled a clump of dirt beneath her boot.

Johnny noticed she wore Dynasty Boots. He glanced at her gear bag—that, too, sported the Dynasty Boots logo. The last he’d heard, Wrangler Jeans was promoting Shannon and Rodriguez’s cross-country tour, highlighting women’s bull riding. He motioned to the boot stitched on her shirt. “I thought Wrangler sponsored you.”

“They did.” She watched the rodeo helpers load a bull into a nearby chute. “Dynasty Boots offered me and C.J. a better deal and bought out our contract with Wrangler.”

“What kind of better deal?”

“If C.J. and I continue to compete against each other and keep up our sham of a romance—fans love that we’re a couple,” she said, rolling her eyes, “we—”

“You’re not a couple?”

“Not anymore.” She shrugged. “Anyway, whoever has the most wins after the Tucson rodeo in January earns a fifty-thousand-dollar bonus.”

Johnny whistled between his teeth. “Where does the score stand between you two?”

“Dead even.”

“No kidding?”

“Did you think because C.J.’s a man he’d be ahead of me in the competition?”

“No…I…” Johnny shrugged. In truth, he believed bull riding was best left to cowboys, but if there was ever a cowgirl who could go the distance with the men, Shannon Douglas was that girl.

“If I want to win the title of Cowgirl of the Year, I need to beat C.J.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clearly agitated. The hotshot cowboy had rattled her.

“You sure you’re okay?” His gaze roamed over her body.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Rodriguez must be blind.”

Her cheeks flushed pink. Even though Shannon was a tomboy, the subtle signs of a pretty woman were evident. Her turbulent green eyes, fringed with thick black lashes, glowed with a vibrant, determined spirit. Then there was her mouth, plump lips that begged a man to… Startled by his train of thought, he cleared his throat. What the heck was he doing—cataloging his sister’s friend’s body parts? At least he’d stopped before he’d checked out her—

“I got to the rodeo late. Did you ride this afternoon?” she asked.

“Sandpiper tossed me on my keister.”

“Did any of your brothers compete?”

“The rest of the gang stayed behind to work on the bunkhouse.”

“I heard Dixie threw all of you out of the farmhouse after she and Gavin married.”

“You heard right.” He nodded at C.J. “Was that your normal warm-up routine?”

“Hardly.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re about to kick off the men’s bull riding event, but first, we have a special treat for you.” Applause and whistles filled the arena. When the noise died down, the announcer continued. “Shannon Douglas is about to show us that cowgirls are as tough as cowboys when it comes to bull riding!”

The crowd noise was deafening. Johnny had no idea Shannon had become so popular on the circuit. “You sure you’re okay?” She shot him a dark look, so he said, “Good luck,” and moved aside. He didn’t stray far—in case Rodriguez got it in his head to pick another fight with her. After she put on her Kevlar vest, protective face mask and riding glove, she climbed the chute rails while the announcer finished his spiel.

“Shannon Douglas hails from the Triple D Ranch near Stagecoach. She’s been competing in roughstock events since high school and you won’t find a tougher cowgirl in the whole state of Arizona!” The JumboTron displayed a close-up of her as she waved to the fans. “This cowgirl’s about to tangle with Boomerang, a veteran bull known for his tight spins.”

Shannon stretched a leg over the bull and settled onto his back. She wrapped then rewrapped the rope around her gloved hand and Johnny worried that she was thinking about her quarrel with Rodriguez.

He spotted her partner inching toward the chute and stepped into the man’s path. He wasn’t letting the rodeo playboy taunt Shannon. Only after the gate opened and Boomerang sprang free, did Johnny turn to the action inside the arena.

Shannon hung on through three spins. As the seconds ticked off the clock, the bullfighters moved into position, ready to help if needed.

Six…seven…

The buzzer sounded and Shannon hung on, waiting for an opening to dismount. Boomerang chose for her. The bull kicked out at the same time he twisted his back end and she catapulted through the air. She hit the ground and skidded several feet across the dirt. His heart stalled when Boomerang turned on Shannon as she struggled to stand.

Head down, the bull charged and a collective gasp rippled through the stands. The bullfighters made a valiant attempt to intervene, but the beast was fixated on his rider.

Move, Shannon, move!

She must have felt the ground shake, because she rolled sideways in the nick of time and the bull’s horns missed her by inches. Scrambling to her feet, she stumbled toward the rails as the rodeo helpers guided Boomerang to the bull pen.

When Shannon’s boot hit the bottom rung, Johnny held out his hand and her green eyes flashed with relief. Adrenaline pumped through his blood and he yanked her too hard over the rails, her momentum carrying him backward. They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs, Shannon sprawled on top of him. Damned if he couldn’t feel the soft mounds of her breasts through her Kevlar vest. His arms tightened around her and the first thought that popped into his head was how good she felt pressed against him.

“There you have it, folks!” the announcer bellowed. “Shannon Douglas has bested Boomerang!” The announcer’s voice startled them and Shannon rolled off of Johnny. Another cowboy offered his hand and helped her to her feet. Her competitors congratulated her with fist pumps, high fives and hearty pats on the back. By the time Johnny stood, she was no longer smiling.

ISBN-13: 978-0373754632
By: Marin Thomas
Imprint and Series: Harlequin American
Copyright ©: 2013
By: Marin Thomas
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher.
The edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For more romance information surf to http://www.eHarlequin.com

Connect with Marin on the web!

Happy Ever After…The Cowboy Way

Marin Thomas Author FB

The Cash Brothers FB

Twitter

Goodreads

Now if this doesn’t get you even a little intrigued about cowboys, I’m going to have a talk with you. Thanks Marin for your time and the wonderful excerpt. Yep, I’m hooked on the Cash Brothers. To even further get you hooked, Marin is giving away a paperback copy of “The Cowboy Next Door”, so message me to get in the drawing and we will pick tomorrow. This is open to US citizens only, so get those entry comments in.

Saturday and deep in history!

Good afternoon friends. It’s been a crazy couple of days. Last week I told you about my assistant (Niece) leaving for college. Well, she left this morning 😦 We went to lunch together yesterday and it was sad, but I’m so proud of her. THis week in the office has been so lonely. I’m starting to get used to her not being there, but it’s hard.

Then Rosie Amber and I have started this blog tour for September. I’ve written a post on it also, but I’m going to remind you. If you’re a romance author then come on over and email me or Rosie to get in line. We are posting a new author every day of September. It’s called Romancing September Across the World. Rosie will post a interview with the author during her time zone and then I’ll follow when it’s daylight here with a blog post also. Rosie’s blog address is

http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/ and her email is rosieamber7@gmail.com. So get with us and get in line before it’s too late.

Also, yep, I’m still going. My newsletter is going along smoothly. If you’d like to receive it via email, just send me a message at hurtsbusiness@att.net.

On top of all of this I’m finishing up “Victoria” the first book in the Women of Magnolia Hill Saga. I’m really excited about this. It’s my first historical romance and I’m up to my elbows in outlines and historical timelines. I’ve learned more during the process of writing this one than with any of my other books.

So, how’s your Saturday going?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour.

Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Join us for Romancing September Across the World. We are looking for romance authors who want to promote their work on both sides of the Atlantic during the month of September. Romance author Stephanie Hurt from Georgia (USA)

And Author Rosie Amber from Hampshire UK are joining forces in a double blogging event.

On each Romance Author’s selected day there will be a book specific interview about one of their chosen books and book promotion posted in the UK from Rosie, then a few hours later when the sun reaches Georgia the author will get to share their views on “Writing romance in today’s society” from Stephanie.

Authors will need to send in jpeg photos of themselves and the cover of the book being featured.

Rosie and Stephanie will allocate the promotional days and will contact the authors to agree on the material to be used in advance of their designated day. We encourage authors to re-blog, tweet, Facebook, etc. the posts for this free promotion of their work. If any of the authors in the tour are planning a price drop, competition or ‘free weekend’ during September for their work, we’ll gladly add that to the posts.

Hurry and message either Rosie at Rosie Amber rosieamber7@gmail.com or Stephanie Hurt at hurtsbusiness@att.net to get your name on the list. Remember there are only 30 days in September so time’s ticking away.

Go over and check out Rosie’s blog at

http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/

The changing world of publishing

It’s amazing to me how much the world has changed in regards to publishing. When I was younger the world of publishing was an almost untouchable dream. You’d sent in a paper copy of your manuscript and then wait, wait, and wait some more. I remember sending off for a book called “Get Your Dream Published” or something like that. Even way back when I played with publishing my work.

Then the digital revolution took over and had the publishing houses thinking about options. I was asked one time if I only self published my work because I didn’t like large publishing companies. I laughed and said no, I love the big publishers. That’s what I grew up on. I have hundreds of books in boxes in my attic, lying around in baskets everywhere in my house. Most of them have Avon Books, Harlequin, or one of the big guys on it.

I always knew the quality of book I’d get from Avon and Harlequin. They never let me down and still don’t. I have a book fetish and I admit it proudly. But the sad thing is that with the digital age and self publishing adding a more personal element to publishing it’s hurting the bigger publishers.

With the digital age has come many online publishers that will publish your work for a percentage of your royalties. That’s an appealing offer for us small time writers. Maybe some day when I’m selling millions of copies (Dreams are healthy :)) I’ll try for one of the big publishers, but for now I’m content in my little niche of self publishing.

Then you have audio books. The first of my audio books came out yesterday on Audible.com. That was exciting. I’ve been working on a historical saga for a couple of months and nothing new has come out, so seeing that come out yesterday was exciting. I did a little happy dance and squeal. It was pitiful in my now empty office since my assistant has already gone :(.

I started my publishing service Horseshoe Publishing to help authors with the publishing process. When you self publish the decisions that a big publisher makes are on your shoulders. We’re here to help with as many as we can. Go over to our site at http://www.horseshoepublishing.wordpress.com and check us out. We already have two books out under our belt. Of course all of my covers are designed by the same designer that does Horseshoe’s so if you want to see them check mine listed under the My Books page.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Growing as a Writer…

As a writer you have to learn from your mistakes. I’ve changed my writing quite a bit since the first published book. I’ve started to slow down the process a little. Now I actually go back every so many pages and edit. Not every time, but some of the time.

I’ve learned to write from my heart and not to try to please everyone. It’s hard to please all the wants of your readers. Sometimes I add a couple of elements that readers request. I even made some changes to one of my older publications to please a couple of readers requests. They just wanted a little extra information on the characters out of curiosity.

It’s been a wild ride this writing gig. I’ve started several blogs and Twitter pages. So, I guess I’ve grown in social media. As I’ve said many times, I’ve never been a social media butterfly. My blog posts have evolved also. I’ve listened to readers and gained a lot of friends and followers through it.

I’ve realized that not everyone is going to like your writing and not everyone is going to like cowboys. Why I don’t know, but that’s ok.

Have you grown as a writer? Do you learn from your mistakes?

As always good writing and May God Bless You…

Worst Part of Self Publishing

I’ve talked about the best parts of self publishing, the ins and outs, the how to’s, but I hardly ever talk about the bad side. With everything there is always some part that just plain out drives you crazy.

I’ve learned a lot of hard lessons about writing since I self published my first book. One of the worst parts to me is editing. That’s just not a fun process and sometimes I almost dread typing ‘The End’ because I know that’s the next part of the process.

I have a great assistant that helps me with this process, but I still am a hands on type of person. Also she’s leaving for college out of town, so… Also, I’m my worst critic. I’ll go over a part and tell her let’s change this. Usually she’ll tell me I’m crazy and take the file away from me.

Another thing about self publishing that’s hard is self promotion. Which according to some of my author friends that’s even part of the process when you have a big publisher. So, I guess that could go on the bad side of publishing period!

I could probably list other bad aspects, but I really enjoy publishing my work myself. That way I know what’s changed and what’s not. So many authors say a publisher can tear your hard work apart and it doesn’t even sound like your work to begin with. That would be heartbreaking. Although sometimes I agree that some work does need to be torn apart. I’ve read some books lately that should have been torn up and started over. Did I say that? At least I didn’t say what they were.

So if you’re thinking about self publishing then go for it. Some of the biggest authors right now started out that way. It’s rewarding even through the sweat and tears. If you’re not up to the editing or cover design, then check out my publishing service that I started. The link is http://www.horseshoepublishing.wordpress.com.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Top 5 Things I’ve learned about self-publishing

Well, I’ve been self publishing for over a year now and I can tell you this, it’s not as easy as it looks. Here are the top 5 things I learned:

1: It takes dedication. As a self publisher it’s you that does the social media, the advertising, basically everything. You’re the one that’s got to make sure to post your tweet, update your Facebook, make a great blog post and first and foremost get your book everywhere.

2: Self Publishing takes patience. You don’t have that big publisher backing you or putting your work everywhere that as a self publisher you have to struggle to be. You have to remember that you’re starting out from scratch. It’s a waiting game to see if you’ve written the big one.

3: Self Publishing can be self satisfying. To know you did it yourself is an accomplishment to be proud of. When you sell the first book you can sit back and say “at least I sold one, that’s one more than if I’d left it in a drawer collecting dust.”

4: I’ve learned a lot about social media. Wow, I was definitely not a social media butterfly before all of this. In one year I’ve started a couple of blogs, a couple of Twitter pages, I’m on Facebook (Said I’d never do that), and everywhere else that will let this country girl post.

5: To me self publishing is a great way to start out as a writer. You can build a platform and get noticed. Maybe if you’re lucky a big publisher or agent will notice you tenacity and give you a shout. It’s always possible. Look at all the self publishers that have turned into best selling authors. If it’s your dream, then go for it. Try it out and make a name for yourself. Who knows you better than yourself?

As writers we’re always looking at this or that to improve ourselves. Well, let’s work together. I’ve started a monthly Newsletter that will feature a Author Interview and three different book showcase spaces. Also I’ll be adding writing comments and pointers from my friends in the writing world.If you want to subscribe to it, please email me at hurtsbusiness@att.net. Also, to be a featured author just message me that you’re interested. It’s free so what have you got to lose.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

How do you take rejection?

Hmmmm! Let me see about this. Well, I usually take it fairly well according to the situation. As an author you’ve got to learn that a little rejection is coming your way one day. It’s sad but true.

When I started publishing my work, I was afraid of rejection from family and friends. I was more afraid of what they’d think than the world. For a long time most of my family and friends were not aware I’d published any books. One day my mom showed my aunt one of my paperbacks and she had a fit. Now she’s a fan.

If you pitch your work to a large publisher, well, you guessed it, you get get one of those nice little form letters that explains why they can’t publish your work. Some of the better publishers give you advice on what would make it better and would possibly change their mind. I pitched one of mine to a big publisher and well, I never got anything. Not sure, but I’d call that a rejection. I prefer to think maybe they didn’t get it, but a rejection all the same.

You can feel the sting of rejection through self publishing too. This is usually through reviews. Sometimes they hurt, but you just have to remember, it’s not personal. Well, sometimes it feels like it.

Life is feel with rejections, that’s what makes us stronger, I think. You have rejections in your love life, friendships, jobs, promotions, loans, and many areas of your life. The main thing is how you handle that rejection. Do you just dig a hole and put your head in or do you walk proudly and get over it? I try to choose the latter as much as possible, but I have to admit to having dirt in my hair more than once 🙂

So how do you handle it?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…