Day 3 of Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 3 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is V. Steele. A big thanks to V. Steele for blogging with me today. Here is a little about V. and her book Not This Time.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

I guess the biggest challenge has been keeping up with the needs of my readers. I mostly have written paranormal romance, but I lean toward some cowboy romances and erotic romance. I don’t mean over the top erotic, but a little more than someone under 18 might need to read. I’ve tried to follow the trends of today’s top authors. Today’s readers of romance seem to need a little erotic element to keep them interested. My books with erotic elements and more erotic covers sell better. So I guess that’s my challenge, keeping up with what the reader wants, not necessarily what I want.

Biography

V. Steele is an author with romance on the brain. She spans several romance genres from contemporary to historical to paranormal. Most of her writing is more for the over 18 crowd. Steamy romance and gorgeous men fill the words coming from her fingers.

Not This Time

This is the 1st book in the “Chasing Cowboys” series. Rachel can’t keep from loving Luke. He’s a true cowboy from his dusty cowboy boots to his black Stetson. But the one thing Luke does best is leave when things heat up. Can Rachel keep him home this time? Luke has a passion for the rodeo, but he also has a passion for Rachel. Will love slip in and replace the rodeo? It’s a story of long lived Lust, Passion, Horses and one hot cowboy…

Go over and check out V. Steele…

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of today’s tour:

http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2qQ

Day 2 of Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 2 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is E. L. Lindley. A big thanks to E. L. for blogging with me today. Here is a little about E. L. and her book Family Ties.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

I think the romance genre is having a bit of a renaissance period at the moment, where romantic fiction is no longer considered less credible than other genres and it’s become an umbrella for many sub-genres within it. As both a reader and writer, I think this can only be a good thing but there are still lots of challenges facing writers of romantic fiction. Ironically, not least because of the way the genre has diversified and grown which in turn makes it much more difficult to find your niche. The potential romance audience is huge but it’s never going to be possible to please everybody. For example, the burgeoning popularity of erotica has had an impact on romance. Lots of readers now expect much more explicit bedroom action whilst there are many others who prefer stories that leave the more graphic intimacy to the reader’s imagination. Consequently, I write the kinds of books I’d want to read and hopefully there are lots of readers out there with similar taste.

My own preference is for stories that are character driven and another challenge I face is to create characters that are credible and relevant in today’s society. I feel a massive sense of responsibility to create strong, independent female characters that will empower women readers. Female friendship is very important to me and all of my novels feature a cast of supportive, sisterly women. If a woman is cast in a somewhat villainous role, I ensure that the reader can understand her motivations for acting badly. I hate the way women can so often be represented as ‘bitchy’ or manipulative for no other reason than they are female. As a society, I feel we need to be reinforcing as many positive images of women as possible. Having said that, I am equally as committed to creating men who are more than the traditional, stereotypical romantic hero and I hope my leading men are as believable as the women in my stories. If I don’t fall in love with my hero as I’m writing then I know something’s not right. My male characters are basically men who I want to go out with.

In keeping with relevant characters, I also try to include themes that modern women can relate to such as, adoption, family break-ups, commitment issues etc. I enjoy stories where the characters embark on an emotional journey that sees them end up a better person than when they started. After all isn’t that what life is all about, trying to be the best human beings that we possibly can?

Biography

E.L. Lindley is an indie writer and general lover of books in all of their forms. She has written numerous contemporary novels, including the Georgie Connelly series as well as standalone novels. When she is not writing, she is devouring the works of other writers and is delighted by how indie publishing has thrown open the world of publishing. She sees it as a win win situation, allowing writers to publish their work, whilst providing readers with a richer and more varied choice.

Lindley has always loved writing but produced her first full length novel, Business As Usual, when she decided to move on from her career as an English teacher. She now supplements her writing by working on a free-lance basis. This also affords her time to travel and she has been fortunate enough to have travelled extensively throughout the world, using her experiences as a source of inspiration for her writing.

She currently resides in Sheffield in the UK but has lived and worked in many places including, London, Oxford, Southampton, Cheltenham and Brighton. She also studied for a couple of years at the University of Arlington in Texas and has consequently made many extended trips to the USA to visit and stay with friends. Her novels reflect this and tend to incorporate both sides of the Atlantic.

Lindley writes in a style which is both light-hearted and fun but with serious undertones, often tackling gritty subjects. In all of her novels, the characters reflect her belief in humanity and the fact that the human spirit will always prevail, regardless of the situation. Lindley’s primary goal is to entertain people but she is happy to take any response that she can get.

Family Ties

Beth Spencer’s world is torn apart when her mother dies, leaving her with no idea of who her family really is. Going through her mother’s possessions Beth finds a trail that leads her from her comfortable life, as a successful artist in Edinburgh; to a father she has never met in LA. As her father’s family welcome her into their life, Beth’s world is complicated even further by her feelings for her father’s stepson. Cal Anderson offers Beth the chance of a new life but can she find the courage to let go of her old one?
Family Ties is a novel about finding the courage to live the life that you’ve always hoped for.

Go over and check her out…

Here’s the link to Rosie’s part of the tour:

http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/romancing-september-author-e-l-lindley-day-2/

Day 1 of Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 1 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Marin Thomas. A big thanks to Marin for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Marin and her book Twins Under The Christmas Tree (The Cash Brothers Series) coming out October 2013.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

When I read your question my first thought was… each year I get older, but my heroines and heroes stay around the same ages.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for me in penning romance novels today is writing characters and plots that keep up with society’s ever-changing standards, morals, values, vocabulary and technology. What’s especially challenging at times is writing young children or teenagers. My kids are now twenty-one and twenty-two years old. I have to draw on my own memories of raising them, but when it comes to little details like toys, clothing, even diapers I have to do research to find out what the latest trends are or I might slip up and use a word, a product from the 1980s or 1990s that’s no longer available. I’m constantly Googling things as I write. For example in my October book, Twins Under the Christmas Tree, Miguel and Javier have a Christmas wish list. I had to Google top ten Christmas toys of 2012 to see what kids were playing with these days. And I have to remind myself that today’s characters communicate with iPhones, email, instant messaging, Facebook, Twitter and that many of them ask SIRI for help when they’re driving J.

Another challenge in writing romance today is keeping the stories relevant. They need to mirror the lives my readers are living. Today’s home and hearth books must reflect the challenges faced by couples today. My readers come from every sector of society and you can bet many of them have dealt with one or more of the following issues: blended families, multicultural relationships, gay or lesbian family members, single-parent homes with working mothers, raising kids with learning disabilities, raising troubled teens and confronting issues involving, drugs and sex, having to care for parents with Alzheimer’s, battling cancer, surviving natural disasters, the loss of a loved one in the military…I could go on forever.

I love writing home and hearth romances and I hope when my readers pick up one of my books that they’ll see that my hero and heroine struggle with many of the same issues they do. My heroes and heroines want the same things out of life that my readers do. And when my readers turn the final page in my book, I want my story to have restored their faith in the human spirit. It’s my fondest wish that all of my readers—no matter their background, educational level, upbringing, the car they drive, the house they live in, the clothes they wear—find their very own happy ever after!

Biography

Marin Thomas is a best-selling author for Harlequin American Romance. To date she has contracted 33 books, short stories and special projects for the line. Her current series is called The Cash Brothers, featuring six brothers all named after country western legends by their eccentric mother whose lifelong search left all her sons with different fathers.

She grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin and attended college at the University of Arizona where she played basketball for the Lady Wildcats and earned a B.A. in Radio-TV. Following graduation she married her college sweetheart in a five-minute ceremony at the historical Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over the years Marin, her husband and two children have lived in seven different states but have now come full circle and returned to Arizona where the rugged desert and breathtaking sunsets provide plenty of inspiration for her cowboy books.

For more information on Marin’s books visit: http://www.marinthomas.com/ or stop by her blog All MY Heroes Are Cowboys at http://marinthomasauthor.wordpress.com/ You can also find Marin at these places:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarinThomas
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marin-Thomas-Romance-Author/118915338136945?ref=ts

Twins Under The Christmas TreeCowboy Up, Daddy!

Conway Cash is finally ready to settle down, and he has the perfect woman in his sights. The only thing is, he’s dead set against being a father—and Isi Lopez has twin four-year-old boys. When he finds himself roped into babysitting for them, life starts getting complicated!

Kids or no, Conway soon discovers he and Isi make a great couple. And hanging around with her kids isn’t so bad—that is, until they beg him to be their new daddy. The pressure is piling up for this formerly footloose cowboy…but with some luck, and a whole lot of Christmas spirit, Conway just may find himself in the center of his own ready-made family!

Go on over and check out Marin.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s part of the tour:

http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/romancing-september-author-marin-thomas-day-1/

Romance Authors

It’s funny the looks you get when you tell some people that you’re a romance author. Some smile and ask what you’ve written, looking interested. Then you get the ones that roll their eyes and say “You write that crap?” That really just makes me steam over.

Romance novels are one of the biggest selling genres out there, but we still get the stigma of writing romance hoopla so to speak. I would like for one of those that roll their eyes to come on over and sit in one of our shoes for an hour of editing. They’d be saying, hey, I get it. It’s not that easy.

Writing is an art. Either you have it or you don’t. I’ve noticed over the years different writers come and go. They give under the stress of promotion and sales flucuations. It’s definitely not a get rich quick scheme, so if that’s what you’re in it for, you might want to move on to the next thing on your list.

As for me, I enjoy writing romance. It just excites me to get into a good romantic tale and to see where it can go. I have the control over that ending. I can take it in any direction I want to. I’m not a control freak by no means, but when it comes to where my stories go, my characters have to stand up and pay attention or they’ll get killed off in a nasty punch of the delete key. 🙂

In honor of romance authors, my friend Rosie Amber from the UK and I are teaming up to do a blog tour. It is Romancing September Across The World. We have 30 authors in 30 days. Rosie starts each day off in her time zone with a Q & A and then when the sun rises over Georgia I ask them a question and give them a plug for their latest book.

We have a great lineup of authors. I will have a list of the authors on my home page and Rosie will too. I will put a link to Rosie’s page below so that you can go over and check it out.

As always good writing and May God Bless You…

http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/

How do you handle writer’s block?

It’s a mystery that doesn’t have a rhyme or reason. As a writer it’s devastating to say the least. The symptoms can vary from staring into space with fingers poised over keyboard, the sudden appetite for social media, and even in some instances headache with slight nausea (usually this is when deadlines loom over your head).

I remember in high school needing to write a paper on my favorite movie, Gone With The Wind. I thought great, I know this movie inside out. This will be a piece of cake. Of course I procratinated and wait until the last couple of days to do the work. I sat down with pen and paper, then it hit, writer’s block. What? I knew this movie, how could I not figure out what to write? This should be simple. But writer’s block has no mercy. I finally finished the paper at the last minute, but it wasn’t my best work. My teacher was disappointed because she knew how much I loved the movie.

It’s the same with authors. We know the story that needs to be written, but the words just won’t come. I had that problem last week. I’m working on “Victoria” and it’s a historical romance. I started this book last year and I knew exactly what I wanted it to be about.

Well, as writer’s block doesn’t pick and choose, it started off really well, but around 5000 words in, bam nothing. Then I picked it back up over the summer and got to almost 30,000 words and here it was. Like a monster in the closet, looming there, threatening my concentration. Amazing.

I’ve often talked about using outlines. I have one for this book. It was no help as the block was too thick. I listened to my writing music. I watched historical romances to help spur me on, but nothing helped. The headache loomed, the pressure between my eyes, it was terrible. I could see the story in my mind, but to put it in words, nothing.

I struggled, I dreamed about it, I worried. Well, after a lot of surfing social media, staring out the window at nothing, it finally hit me. I’d been working so hard to finish it before the end of August, that I’d blocked myself. Meaning I’d pressured my brain into overdrive. What with work, home, everything in life, I’d put too much pressure on the story.

I knew what I had to do. I had to step back, take a breath. That’s when I did what I said I’d not do. I put the manuscript to the side and worked on something else. Well, when I put it out of sight and mostly out of my brain, I was able to cleanse myself of the writer’s block. It worked. I was only away from it a couple of days when it all flooded in and took over.

WIth a sigh of relief I’m almost completely done with the first run. It’s funny, all of my books have meant something to me, but this one means something different. It’s like a renewal of spirit. I have a great feeling about this one. The planned release is September 15th. It should be available for preorder around the end of August or first of September. I’ll put out the specific date as soon as it’s available.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Romancing September

As I’ve been telling you, Rosie Amber has partnered with me to host a dual blog across the pond. I’m really excited about this. We’ve finally received all 30 authors and are on the way to production.

Everyday in September we’ll be doing two blogs. One on Rosie’s page at

http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/ and one on this one.

Why not do a blog regarding romance? Everyone loves a good romance, so why not get to know some of the authors behind the romance. It’s been interesting meeting all these wonderful authors. Several I already knew through blogs, their books and Facebook.

It’s amazing the places these authors come from. I will not give away very much, but I will say this, we have them from all over. Interesting to say the least.

Here the link to Rosie’s list of authors that will be center stage each day of September. So mark your calendars and don’t forget to check out both sides everyday.

http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/romancing-september-tour/

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Back to School Book Sale

Good Friday morning. It’s another rainy, dreary morning here in Georgia. Makes me want to go back to bed with a good book and another cup of coffee or at least Earl Grey tea. But alas, work beckons me to the office. It’s Friday and payroll is due out for several clients so…

I’ve decided to do a Back to School book sale for the rest of August. It’s already up on Amazon and soon to be on allromanceebooks.com and Smashwords.com which will put it on Barnes & Nobles, Kobo, Apple and so on. Am I committing earnings suicide, well maybe, but it’s a hard month finance wide for lots of people. What with school supplies, school clothes, dorm supplies, and all the other school related purchases. So maybe this will help and give someone out there a chance to sit back and read a minute or two.

As for everything else going on, well let’s just say, it’s been a busy couple of weeks. I’m trying to finish up my newsletter for submission next week to my subscribers. It’s not too late to subscribe. All you need to do is message me here or through my email.

The other big story is the upcoming blog tour with my friend from across the pond, Rosie Amber. We’ve joined forces to do a blog tour from both sides of the Atlantic. It’s called Romancing September Across the World Blog Tour. We still have a couple of openings but they’re going fast. IF you write romance or put in romance elements in your writing join us for this exciting tour. We’ve already got some great response. Just send me a message and I’ll send you the info. Also put including link below.

Hope everyone has a good Friday. It’s almost the weekend!

As always, Good writing and May God Bless You…

Romance and a cowboy…

Has anyone noticed lately that you’re seeing a lot more cowboys on covers of romance novels? Yeah, I know, they’re on the cover of almost all of mine, but I mean outside of my little world. It’s amazing.

I was going through one of the book sites where my books are listed and I started to notice less vampire activity and more cowboys. That’s a good thing since I mostly write about cowboys. It’s really no mystery to me.

My point is this. Here are some of the many things that make cowboys stand out (well maybe to just me, but I think others see it too.)

1: They usually have a horse. Great selling point to me.

2: Most cowboys have a truck, whether it’s a old and rundown, or it’s a new Chevy with plenty of pulling power. How else would they pull the horse trailer or hay bales around.

3: The ever present Stetson perched on their head. Oh yes, all my cowboys own a Stetson. Even the one’s I can touch have a Stetson or two. (Meaning real people not those that come from inside me head.)

4: Boots. Yep they’ve usually got a couple of pair. One pair is polished to a high shine for that special outing, then you have the not so great pair that’s seen it’s better day, but still keeps out the water, oh and then there’s that pair that is almost sole bare and let’s water in like a sifter. Nothing like a pair of cowboy boots to dress up an outfit.

5: The hands. Usually a cowboy has rough, work worn hands. No doubt a cowboy works hard and long hours.

6: The eyes. Most of the cowboys I know have this look in their eyes. It’s as though they can see forever. The older cowboys have the nice little crinkle wrinkles around the corners of their eyes from the many hours of squinting in the sun.

7: Jeans. They’re a staple of the cowboy attire. Of course it’s like the boots. They have the good pair for outings, but then you have the pair that’s ok for just riding on the range, and then you have that pair that’s got more holes than swiss cheese, but are good enough for mucking out stalls and slinging hay.

Well, that’s just a couple of things that make cowboys special. Maybe that’s why so many authors choose them as their manly figures. Cowboys are very manly and they make great heros. I mean you can’t have a business man in a suit ride in on his white stallion and save the day. That’s just not right 🙂

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Tuesday Excitement and A little Snippet :)

It’s Tuesday and I’m really excited about a couple of things. Well, first off the Romancing September Across The World that I’m co sponsoring with Rosie Amber over at

http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/ is going great. We’ve almost filled all the spots. So if you’re a romance author or your book has some romance elements message us quick.

2nd, my newsletter is going smoothly. I’m to the point of getting with some of those that messaged me wanting to subscribe and the ones that wanted free exposure. If you’ve already subscribed it’s only a little bit before it’s out. If you haven’t subscribed please message me.

Well, the snippet part is from the book I’ve been working on for a while. I’ve been totally engrossed in this one. It’s a historical romance Saga. “Victoria” is the first book in The Women Of Magnolia Hill Saga. It’s already almost 30,000 words and not quite halfway completed. Deadline is end of this month sooooooo…. Here is a little snippet, hope you like it. Remember it’s a work in progress so no editing yet.

“I meant what I said to Joseph. I do want to make you happy.” When she turned to look at him he held up his hand. “I want to apologize for the way I handled the engagement. I felt pushed in a corner. When I first saw you I thought you were the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. Then you were so nice. I just didn’t want to lose you.”

“Thanks for being honest. That means a lot to me. You seem genuine in your apology so I accept it. We’ll just take things one day at a time.” She turned back to watch the moon.

“Thanks for that.” He walked to the rail and looked in the direction she was looking. “What a beautiful sight. The moon coming through the magnolia is gorgeous.”

“That magnolia has been here since this house was built by my grandfather. He planted it as a wedding present to my grandmother. Then he named this house Magnolia Hill. It was such a romantic gesture.” She was in deep remembrance. Her heart wanted the love her grandparents and parents had. She’d always wanted that. Could she have it with Zane? When she looked into his eyes she saw something that made her shiver, but not from fear but excitement.

“I wondered why it was called that. That’s a nice story.” His mind started working on a wedding gift for her. He wanted it to be special enough to make her look like this when thinking on it.

“My grandparents were special people. They met just like we did. Her father brought in my grandfather for her to marry. She didn’t want to marry him, but her father insisted. My parents were introduced the same way. I guess its part of the ritual.” She shrugged her shoulders as she watched the moon go over the top of the magnolia tree.

“Your father loves you a lot. I can see it in the way he is with you. You’re a lucky woman.”

“I think I’ll go to bed too. Thanks for telling me the truth. I feel better about things now.” She slowly walked to the door.

“I hope you have sweet dreams. Good night Tori.” He watched her smile as she walked through the door.

When she had closed the door he leaned on the post. Taking out a cheroot he lit it and watched the moon. He felt better getting that off his chest. It was the gift that flooded his mind now. As he watched the moon light twinkle on the polished leaves of the old magnolia a grin came across his face. He knew exactly what he’d give her. He finished his smoke and went up to bed.

Hope you liked it. I think this little tidbit makes you wonder what happened before and what the gift is. It’s a sweet story which lots of dramatic elements, war torn elements and loss. I’m really excited about finishing this first installment.

I will be announcing a giveaway in the next week or so. Keep watching for it.

As always, good writing and May God Bless YOU….

Special Guest Author Today: Marin Thomas

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

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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.