Contemporary Western Romance

The Bridge and a Farmer

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I have two new books out this month, and they are so different, yet both were so fun to write.

The first one (The Bridge) is a blend of high-stakes drama, found family, and a heartwarming holiday ending.

The second one (Favoring the Farmer) is a fun rom-com with a mop-wielding meet-cute, a meandering goat named Ethel, and a tiny community full of love.

The Bridge

 

Christmas Eve. One Man’s Choice. Five lives that will never be the same.

The fate of strangers intertwines when a man contemplating suicide commandeers a bridge on Christmas Eve, forcing everyone into an unexpected detour from their holiday plans.

Sergeant Archer Raines finds himself torn between duty and family as he negotiates with the distraught man.

Pregnant Rosalee goes into labor and navigates an expected trip to the hospital with the help of Nova, a compassionate nurse.

Carter, a seasoned tow truck operator with a romantic heart, winds up in the midst of the drama on the bridge.

Ian, a recent college graduate eager to pursue his career, finds love in the most unlikely of places.

Set against the backdrop of a busy holiday, this novel balances tension and warmth with the enduring strength of human connections.

It is entirely possible I got a little carried away with this book. There were definitely many firsts for me tied to it.

I decided the cover was too pretty not to put it into hardback, but I wanted the hardback to have a little something extra. So, it includes a bonus chapter not available in another of the other formats. Each chapter has a lovely illustration at the beginning, and there is an alternate  wintery cover beneath the dust jacket! You can watch an unboxing video here.

I also created a Book Club Kit. It’s free to download. If you have a book club, know someone who belongs to one, or just want to take a look, you can access it on my website.

 

The characters from the story have become so dear to my heart, I wanted to share them with you, so I created character cards. The front of each card has a watercolor illustration of the character, and the back has a description. You can purchase them directly from Shutterfly.

Archer

Rosalee

Nova

Carter

Ian and Kate

I also have bookmarks, two different stickers, and these gorgeous, tote bags that you can buy direct from Amazon. (I’ve been really impressed with the quality.)

If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll check out The Bridge! It’s available in ebook, audio, paperback, or special hardback formats

Amazon  |  B&N   |  Apple   |  Kobo   |  Smashwords |  Audible

 

Favoring the Farmer

He’s a weary farmer. She’s a city designer with a rebellious teen in tow. Summer Creek might just be the fresh start they need.

Farmer Dane Becker feels like life has left him behind. With his father gone and the woman he loved like a grandmother now laid to rest, Dane is exhausted, lonely, and convinced his best days are buried in the middle of his wheat field. Then one evening, he spots lights in the house next door. His investigation ends with a mop-wielding beauty mistaking him for a burglar—while unexpectedly stealing his heart.

Bellamy Larken is used to designing one-of-a-kind apparel for Hollywood’s elite, not wielding cleaning supplies against handsome strangers. But when her younger sister Elise’s rebellion spirals out of control, Bellamy—as her guardian—knows something has to change. Inheriting her late aunt’s home in Summer Creek, Oregon, feels like the perfect fresh start. Hastily packing without warning her sister, she drags Elise from the city to small-town life, hoping the quiet community will give them both a chance to heal.

But the house is stuck in a disco-era time warp, Bellamy feels overwhelmed, and the rugged farmer next door is equal parts frustrating and irresistible. Dane insists he doesn’t need anyone, yet Bellamy’s determined heart might be exactly what he can’t live without.

Filled with small-town charm, laugh-out-loud moments, and a tender romance that blossoms under beautiful Oregon skies, Favoring the Farmer is a sweet and hopeful love story about finding where you truly belong.

Coming October 30!

 

One of my favorite parts of The Bridge is how strangers become something more.
Have you ever met someone by chance who changed your life?
Share your story below—I’d love to hear it.

One commentor will win an autographed copy of The Bridge and some fun swag!

Harvesting Happiness: Corn Mazes, Farm Stands, and Everything Fall! By Guest Blogger Tanya Agler

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Thank you so much to the fillies of Petticoats and Pistols for having me back as a guest blogger, following the release of my latest Harlequin Heartwarming, A Family for the Cowboy Cop, set in Violet Ridge, Colorado. 

 

Autumn might be my favorite season. I love the cooler weather and the blaze of red, orange and gold on maple and oak trees. There’s something for everyone in fall as communities often come together at festivals, some of which celebrate harvesting like apple or pumpkin festivals, some center around arts and crafts while still others provide for an opportunity to take time to appreciate the natural beauty of the season ranging from hot air balloon festivals to farm tours. 

In A Family for the Cowboy Cop, Cassie O’Neal owns Thistle Brook Farm and is looking forward to her first year operating a corn maze, which are popular in many parts of the country, but especially so in the West. Colorado’s real-life longest running corn maze is located at Anderson Farms, a twenty-five acre attraction which offers three different adventures for families and groups visiting the maze. Other popular Western mazes include a thirteen-acre maze at the Lowe Family Farmstead in Idaho and a choice of two mazes at Cornbelly’s in Utah. 

 

Photo by Tom Fisk

Both farm stands and farmers markets are experiencing a boom in Colorado with over one hundred such sites popping up all over the state, allowing residents and tourists to experience the different offerings from fresh Rocky Ford melons to Pueblo Green chiles to Palisade peaches. Farmers markets have expanded over the years, and I was astounded this year over the variety and energetic environment when I attended two farmers markets in different states. There was music, artisan wares, pet treats, and so much more like sourdough bread and fresh vegetables. At one of the farmers markets, my daughter and I purchased earrings while my son and I ordered delicious churros. 

Photo by Erik Scheel

 

What I love about reading books set in the West, whether historical or contemporary, is the resilience and ingenuity of the heroines. I like to think Cassie follows in this tradition as she is thinking of ways to increase income at her family farm. In addition to her new corn maze, Cassie also runs a farm stand, selling fresh produce from her farm as well as her own special jam and hanging plants. This summer on my travels through seven states, my husband loved stopping at farm stands, and my family loved the juicy peaches and freshly picked corn that we purchased. There’s nothing like a peach fresh from the orchard.

In the midst of trying to get her corn maze operational and open to the public, selling her seasonal jams and fresh produce at her farm stand, and taking care of her two children and the animals living at Thistle Brook Farm, Cassie O’Neal finds herself opening her home to Denver detective Jase Virtue, who grew up in Violet Ridge and whose brother is the manager of the local Lazy River Dude Ranch. Jase wants to capture the escaped robber, who happens to be Cassie’s half-brother, and return home to Denver. The longer he stays at Thistle Brook Farm, the more he questions his theory that Cassie is the robber’s accomplice. 

 

Have you visited a farm stand or farmers market lately? What was your favorite part of the experience? If you haven’t, I hope you’ll leave a comment about your favorite fall activity. One commenter will be chosen to receive an e-copy of A Family for the Cowboy Cop and a $10.00 Amazon gift card. 

Fictional Wyoming Town in His New Companion

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My new book released today! His New Companion is the final book in my Wyoming Legacies series, and it’s a Love Inspired K-9 Companions novel, too. I’ve written six books set in the fictional Wyoming town of Jewel River.

The first book, The Cowboy’s Christmas Compromise, sets up the premise of the series. Jewel River has seen better days. Erica Black moves to town and wants to revitalize it. She asks locals to get together to discuss what the town needs and how they can make it vibrant again. Thus begins the Jewel River Legacy Club. Monthly meetings are held in the community center, and each book in the series features at least one meeting. Some of the residents have kooky ideas, and others are hard-nosed and against change. One thing is for sure–the meetings are never boring!

In His New Companion, Ty Moulten has never been to a meeting. His mother, Christy, has been trying to get him to attend one for years, and he never has. He’s hidden himself away on his ranch for five years. He didn’t intend to, but after his fiancée died, he got depressed and couldn’t handle people’s well-meaning sympathy. When the story begins, he’s finally getting out of his shell. He volunteers to foster a service-dog-in-training on weekends, but he gets more than he bargained for. He’s introduced to Fritz, a mini-dachshund, and Ashlinn, the new girl in town with a service dog of her own. And needless to say, he finally attends a meeting.

And as he spends time with Ashlinn, Ty comes to appreciate Jewel River and the community he’s avoided. He sees how generous and supportive the people at his church and his mother’s friends can be. Plus, his mother shocks him with a surprise announcement regarding one of the characters I loved writing–Clem Buckley, a wiry, tells-it-like-it-is retired rancher.

I’m going to miss Jewel River, but I already have a new fictional Wyoming town to enjoy! My next series with Love Inspired is called Wyoming Inheritance, and the first book releases in late October.

Read an excerpt of His New Companion

He would not get attached to the dog. After all, this was a temporary gig.

Ty Moulten stood outside the entrance of Howard Service Dogs in Jewel River, Wyoming, after five on Friday and wondered again if fostering a dog on the weekends was wise. Maybe he should wait until next year when he’d have more time to get used to the idea. Or he could try in a few months when the temperature cooled. July had been a scorcher so far, and they were only midway through it.

Either the sun was melting him or he’d worked himself into an actual fever. Why was he so sweaty? Probably didn’t help that after he’d finished checking cattle, he’d opted to change into a fresh pair of jeans instead of shorts.

Life made more sense in jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. And being comfortable would help him keep his head on straight. His heart had been broken once. Shattered, really. Fostering a dog was nothing compared to what he’d had with Zoey, but it didn’t change the fact there wasn’t enough of his heart left for him to squander the little that remained.

He didn’t do love—or people in general—anymore.

***

 

His New Companion by Jill Kemerer cover. Mountain background, golden retriever service dog sitting on wooden deck

Healing from heartbreak
Can start with a four-legged friend.

Six years after losing his fiancée, rancher Ty Moulten still struggles with grief. Organizing a fundraiser in her honor and fostering a service dog feel like a step forward, and lead to meeting Ashlinn Burnier, the service dog training center’s new administrative assistant. As Ashlinn helps Ty plan the fundraiser, he finds himself falling for Fritz, the tiny dachshund in his care, and for Ashlinn—who has a service dog of her own. But Ashlinn worries her health challenges make her a burden, and Ty wonders if he can open his heart again. Will two hardworking pups help them choose love over holding on to fear?

Purchase His New Companion!

Do you enjoy fictional towns, or do you prefer stories set in real ones?

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Jolene Navarro Has Found Heaven

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The Heart of Family is in the Texas Hill Country:

Why I’m Back on the Frio River

Writing has always been a way for me to make sense of the world around me. And there are two subjects that constantly tug at my heartstrings, begging to be explored. The beautiful chaos of big family dynamics and the serene, rugged charm of the Texas Hill Country along the Frio River. When these two worlds collide in my writing, it’s like magic for me.

My last few series have been along the Texas Coast. Who can resist a cowboy pirate. Not me.

But now I’ve started a new series in the fictional town of Rio Bella with the five De Leon siblings. They were raised by their grandfather.

There is something undeniably special about large families. The constant laughter, the occasional squabbles, the shared memories, and the deep bonds that tie everyone together. These dynamics are a rich tapestry of stories I love to write.

My goal is to capture the essence of those moments, big and small, that make family life so vibrant. Whether it’s a chaotic family gathering or a quiet moment shared between generations, I find endless inspiration in these relationships.

The Texas Hill Country, specifically along the Frio River, holds a piece of my soul. The rolling hills, the crystal-clear waters, the ancient cypress trees—it’s a place of breathtaking beauty and profound peace. When I write about this place, I’m transported back to lazy summer days spent swimming in the river, the smell of barbecue in the air, the sound of crickets chirping under a starry sky and chasing fireflies in my grandparents’ backyard. The Frio River isn’t just a location; it’s a character in its own right, shaping the stories I tell.

In THE TEXAN’S UNEXPECTED HOME, my hero doesn’t think he belongs in the small town of Rio Bella, but he might change his mind. I love this story of finding family and home where you didn’t expect it.

After losing everything in a devastating fire, racehorse trainer Kingston Zayas returns to his family’s ranch to claim his inheritance…and learns that he must first live there for a year. The only silver lining? Single mom Abigail DeLeon, the ranch’s event planner, and her energetic son, Leo. But Abigail’s family wants nothing to do with any Zayas. Forced to work together, they unravel a tangle of secrets that changes everything Kingston thought he knew about his family—and most important, where he belongs…

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

The Ranchers of Rio Bella

Book 1: The Texan’s Unexpected Home

Here are some reasons why I feel so compelled to write about these topics:

Connection: Writing allows me to connect with others who share similar experiences or dream about that type of life. I have the honor of writing my dreams and walking through the pages with me. It makes my dream real.

Preservation: Bits of truth and family stories are woven through my fictional pages. I want to capture stories and memories before they fade.

Exploration: Each story is an opportunity to explore the complexities of relationships and the magic of nature in a deeper way. How has God worked in my life? It can be very eye opening for me.

Joy: Ultimately, writing about these topics brings me immense joy. It’s a way to celebrate the things that matter most to me: family and the beauty of the natural world.

This photo is of my husband’s mother with her children (11 surviving) and grandchildren and great grandchildren. Yes, we had to go to the high school football field to get the picture. How Texas is that? Writing about big family dynamics in the setting of the Texas Hill Country along the Frio River feels like coming home. It’s where my heart is, and it’s what I feel compelled to share with the world. I’m currently writing the third book in the series and it just feels so natural.

I’ve shared my favorite place in the world with you and as much as I love my Hill country I also love traveling. So, give me a place to go. If you could go one place in the world, where would it be and what would you recommend, I do there? Leave a comment to put your name in the hat for one of three copies of The Texan’s Unexpected Home. 

So, inspire me. Give me some good places.

About Jolene:

Jolene, a seventh-generation Texan, knows, as much as the world changes, people stay the same. Good and evil. Vow-keepers and heart breakers. Jolene married a vow-keeper who showed her that dancing in the rain never gets old. Her life, much like her stories, is filled with faith, family, laughter, dirty dishes and all of life’s wonderful messiness. She uses her art degree to teach inner city kids about the world and they teach her about life.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram

An Angel for an Enemy by Pam Crooks

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The Civil War was raging in 1862, but perhaps no one experienced that more than the Confederate and Union soldiers themselves on September 17, 1862, during the Battle of Antietam. Located in Washington County in Maryland, Antietam held the gruesome distinction of being the bloodiest battle in American history with 23,000 casualties.

Bela L. Burr wasn’t one of them, but he was severely injured in the right shin and left ankle and lay dying in the hot sun that day. Having been enlisted in the Union Army for only a month at the young age of 18, he’d laid there in the blood-soaked cornfield, surrounded by his fellow soldiers already dead and waited for his own death to come.

But even impending death didn’t keep him from crying out for water.

It seemed impossible anyone would hear, let alone help, but angels hovered over those scattered bodies, and one answered his call.

A Confederate soldier by the name of James M. Norton was marching near the cornfield. Moved to compassion, he left the march, well aware that sharpshooters were hidden in the trees with orders to aim at anything that moved. Dropping to his knees, defying the shots ringing out, he carefully shimmied over to Burr and offered him his canteen.

It would be an agonizing 48 hours before Burr was discovered and taken to medical treatment. Doctors determined his injuries were severe enough that he warranted a discharge for disability. Though the bullet couldn’t be removed from his ankle, Burr went on to marry, have a family, and become a successful newspaper editor.

In contrast, James Norton lived and fought through the entire war. Once the war ended, he returned home to marry, divorced his wife, then re-married her. They raised their children while he built himself a career as a builder.

But Bela Burr never forgot James Norton, the angel who helped save his life by the simple act of sharing his canteen. Through the power of his newspaper, he printed numerous want ads in hopes of learning the Confederate soldier’s identity. Amazingly, a former Confederate officer familiar with the story helped Burr and Norton reconnect. The two soldiers began to correspond regularly, and Bela Burr invited James Norton to his home in Connecticut for a reunion, setting the day for the Spring of 1897.

I wish I could tell you the two soldiers had a happy reunion, but sadly, there is no record of it.  Perhaps James Norton became ill and was unable to travel, since he passed away two years later.  Who knows?  But if the reunion did, indeed, happen, as a newspaper man (and a writer myself), I’d like to think Bela Burr would have graciously and eloquently shared his story with newspapers nationwide.

And that bullet in his ankle he carried around for decades? It was finally surgically removed in the early 20th century. Bela Burr died a few years later on April 29, 1908.

But he kept that flattened piece of lead as well as the late 1890’s X-ray which revealed it was still there, and a small local museum housed the artifacts in his memory.

As I prepared for this blog, the author of one of the articles I read mentioned how he felt it was weird for someone to save a bullet like Bela Burr saved his, including the X-ray. He then included a link to a You Tube video of a young man who saved his. . . Well, I’ll let you decide if it was weird and quirky.

World’s Biggest – Toenail Collection

Did you ever have a quirky collection of something? 

Would you have saved your bullet and X-ray like Bela Burr?

What is the quirkiest collection you’ve ever heard or seen?

 

 

 

Don’t forget!  MY KIND OF COWBOY is FREE on your favorite platform for a limited time! 

THE FULL BLACKSTONE RANCH SERIES

 

 

To stay up on our latest releases and have some fun, too, join our Facebook Reader Group HERE!

 

 

Grass Valley Cowboys Updated

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From time to time, authors give their books new covers. It might be to follow a trend, or it could be with the addition of a new book in the series. Or they could have grown tired of the cover and wanted something fresh.

A while back, I decided a few of the Grass Valley Cowboys series could use with an update.

First up was the first book in the series, The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan.  This book has had many covers since it first released.

The very first one was taken against the wall of my dad’s old shop on the farm where I grew up and the old spurs I borrowed from my brother.

 

And here is the updated version.

Sometimes the most unexpected circumstances lead to the best adventures…

Cadence Greer’s plans for a happy-ever-after derail when her fiancé runs off with his secretary a week before their wedding. Homeless, jobless, and jilted, she escapes to Grass Valley, Oregon, where she takes a job as a housekeeper and cook to seven cowboys on a sprawling ranch.

Trey Thompson is a well-respected pillar of the community, running a successful ranch with his brother. All he wanted was someone to cook meals and keep the house clean. When he hires Cadence Greer for the job, he gets more than he ever planned on, including a spunky orphan who quickly steals his heart.

 

The Cowboy’s Spring Romance, book two in the series was next up for the makeover.

 

This was version two of the book’s cover. I liked the cowboy and the daisies, but the cover felt a bit too busy.

The new cover is fun, and Trent Thompson has an enormous cowboy hat, which makes me grin every time I look at it. Right now, the eBook is on sale for just 99 cents!

One lonesome cowboy needs a few lessons in romance…
Trent Thompson doesn’t have many secrets, except for the torch he’s carried for the new schoolteacher since she moved to Grass Valley more than three years ago. Instead of asking her out, he’s dated every single female in a thirty-mile radius, giving her the impression he holds no interest in knowing her.

Lindsay Pierce moved to Grass Valley to teach and quickly fell in love with the small community as well as the delightful people who live there. Everyone welcomes her warmly except for one obnoxious cowboy who goes out of his way to ignore her.

Will Trent be able to maintain the pretense when he has to babysit his niece, who happens to be in Lindsay’s class?

Romance is in the air as spring fever hits the Triple T Ranch!

 

The fifth book in the series, The Cowboy’s New Heart, was the last one to get a new cover.

This was the last cover the book had. It was okay, but I felt the couple needed to be a little more … vibrant.

Maybe I just really love the red pickup!

The heart doesn’t care about age…

Former bull-rider Hart Hammond spent twenty years building a business empire while successfully avoiding love. He buried his heart the same day he made his last bull ride and has vowed to never make the mistake of loving a woman again. Then he meets the beautiful mother of the fun-loving Thompson tribe.

Years after her husband died, Denni Thompson can’t bear to think of giving her heart to anyone else. With three newly married sons, a grandchild on the way, and a busy life, Denni doesn’t entertain any notions of romance until she encounters the handsome new owner of Grass Valley’s gas station.

Can a broken-hearted widow and a heartless cowboy find love?

This time of year brings thoughts of freshening things up to mind and my to-do list.

Are you tackling any projects this spring?

Painting? New throw pillows? Remodeling projects? Planting flowers or a garden? 

Where Do You Get Your Story Ideas?

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One of the questions authors are frequently asked is, “Where do you get your story ideas?” I tell people, from all around. I see something interesting, hear an anecdote, meet a colorful individual, or read about a real-life event in the news or online. “You just have to pay attention,” I’m fond of saying to them.

For example, I went to a journalism event last week and met the most interesting gentleman. About five years ago, he returned to the small town in Colorado where he was raised and purchased the local newspaper which was on the brink of bankruptcy. The first thing he did was to hire his daughter as his head and only reporter. Within six months, he proceeded to turn the newspaper around and get it operating in the black again. I was very impressed and quite entertained by his many charming small town newspaper tales, especially when he talked about the 67 letters he found in an old file and that were written by the original owner from the 1880s. What a treasure! Those are probably a book all by themselves.

Immediately, my writer’s brain started to spin. I told myself, “There’s a story in there somewhere.” Does anyone remember the movie We Bought a Zoo? I think it was a book first. Anyway, We Bought a Zoo is the story of a heartbroken widower and father who buys a small, down on its luck zoo. I loved it the movie, by the way, and began to picturing something similar  — like, I Bought a Newspaper. Of course, in my story, the hero would be young and hire his sister rather than his daughter as head reporter.

No, wait! Better yet, my heroine would buy the newspaper and hire her brother as the reporter. And, of course, she would have to be at odds with the hero. Maybe he’s a developer who has plans of buying the building that houses the newspaper and turning it into a manufacturing plant. Only that would make him a bad guy, and he has to be good, right? I know. He wants to turn it into a state-of-the-art Urgent Care facility to service the town which only has an outdated clinic.

But how to make that a western? I got it! His family is wealthy, having made their money in the cattle business. They have the biggest ranch in the area. And my heroine could dig up some dirt on his family when she finds these old letters in a storage box. The kind of dirt that could ruin them.

Except what if I want to make this into a historical western? That would add all kinds of conflict for my heroine. As a woman business owner back in the old days, especially a newspaper publisher, she’d have a hard time being accepted by both men and woman. Probably no one would want to talk to her, which would make investigating stories and getting witnesses to talk hard.

Hmm…this might be something I need to print out and put in my idea file, which, no joke, is at least an inch thick. Yeah, the story idea needs a little work and polishing, for sure, but it could make for a good book, I think. And I do have the business card of the gentleman I met should I have research questions.

If nothing else, I have a really good answer when people ask me where I get my story ideas.

Welcome Guest Author Eve Gaddy and a Giveaway

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That Special Character

Sometimes a character comes along who insists I need to tell his story. Usually RIGHT NOW when I’m working on another book. In my case, the character is usually male. What can I say? I like men.:)

Liam McFarland, the hero of The Christmas Cowboy, is that character. I knew from the moment he stepped on the page in The Wrong Brother, the first book in the Montana Made series, that I would write his story. What I didn’t know until I got into that first book was that Liam would be such a strong character that I would have to slap him down the entire book, assuring him that his story was next.

To me Liam is the ultimate hero. He’s a hard-working cowboy, who’s extremely nice to look at, and who loves animals and his family, and he wants a family of his own. Which was why he arranged for Cici Bradley to come to town. But Cici and Logan, Liam’s brother, fell in love so Liam stepped aside, still waiting for his own story.

Val Fletcher, the heroine of The Christmas Cowboy, has lived on the ranch next door to Liam her entire life. She’s a horsewoman and rancher who has a soft spot for animals. She fell in love with Liam when she was thirteen-years-old and he saved a dog from some bullies who were torturing it. She’d done her best to rescue the dog, but she wasn’t having a lot of luck against two older boys. Until Liam stepped up.

Liam is eight years older than her and Val has never been on his radar other than being his best friend’s little sister. Eventually, he realizes she’s all grown up but she’s still his best friend’s little sister and off-limits. Until he discovers Val crying at his brother’s wedding and learns she’s pregnant and the father wants nothing to do with her or her baby.

So Liam does what any good guy would do and offers to marry her. The last thing Val wants is a marriage of convenience to a man she’s been in love with forever. But between the knowledge that her old-fashioned father will never accept an unmarried pregnant daughter, no matter her age, and Liam convincing her that the marriage would benefit him as well, she’s tempted.

It may sound like I’ve told you the whole story but I promise I haven’t. This snippet is from page 10 of the book. They’re discussing what the marriage would be like. As in would it be a real marriage?

“I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like having a marriage without sex,” Val said. Might as well get that out there now. “Would you?”

He was staring at her now with his hazel eyes deepening to green, and she had no idea what he was thinking. Great. He wasn’t attracted to her and he didn’t know how to tell her.

“No.”

“No, what?” she asked.

“No, I wouldn’t like to be married and not have sex with my wife. But if that’s what you want—”

“I just said it wasn’t.”

“Okay, then.”

Oh, the enthusiasm is killing me.

Liam and Val not only have to navigate a marriage of convenience becoming a real marriage, but they have other challenges along the way to their happily-ever-after.

Liam McFarland is one of my very favorite heroes. The quintessential cowboy with a heart of gold and a strong sense of right and wrong. He’s not perfect, no person is, but he darn near is. And it doesn’t hurt a bit that he’s hot as sin.:)

Do you like marriage of convenience stories? What qualities do you think are essential for a hero to have?

Please comment to be entered to win ebooks of The Wrong Brother (Bk 1 Montana Made series) and The Christmas Cowboy (Bk 2 of Montana Made series)

I love to talk to readers so please stop by and chat!

Eve Gaddy

 

http://www.evegaddy.net

https://www.facebook.com/EveGaddyAuthor/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D5HWNH7Q?tag=pettpist-20

 

 

Barb Han With a Little Intrigue

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A big hello from North Texas, the place I call home with my hero-worthy husband and our rescue dog who is often referred to as a hot mess. I grew up around dogs and horses, so I’m right at home in the setting of my current Harlequin Intrigue release, RANCH AMBUSH.

Crystal Remington, the heroine, works in law enforcement as a US Marshal but her family owns a paint horse ranch. The hero, Wade Brewer, medically boarded out of the Army six months ago, and hasn’t quite gained his footing in the civilian world as he turns state’s witness.

I loved writing this story because it combines two of my favorite things: a strong Texas heroine and an ex-military hero who is damaged physically and emotionally. Wade has had to overcome a lot in life to get to this point. He’s bitter. But Crystal sees beyond the angry façade. As they work together to bring a dangerous criminal to justice, Wade learns that he can trust Crystal to have his back. He’s even more guarded with his heart but Crystal is the one person who can penetrate the walls he’s constructed.

Here’s an excerpt that I hope you enjoy:

Brewer glanced down to where his left shin used to be. Underneath his cargo pants, it was impossible to see the prosthetic leg. He knew part of himself was missing now and would never be replaced no matter how many advances were made in medicine. No one would want to spend the rest of their life with a partial man.

“I’ve been going on and on about my family. I’m not usually this talkative. I apologize.” Crystal blushed, and it only served to make her more attractive.

“Don’t,” he said. “It’s making the time pass faster, and I’m interested in hearing more. Takes my mind off my current problems.”

“It’s just not what I do when I’m working. Better to keep a hard line between personal and professional. I hope you can understand.”

He leaned his head back. “Do I ever. The only way to survive in the military is to push all other thoughts other than survival out of your mind. Right before a mission, I used to take a few minutes to think about what I’d be doing once it was over. Plant the seed that I was confident no matter what I faced that day, I’d be back in a few hours, days, or weeks, playing a pickup game with one of the guys in my unit after chow time.”

“Sounds like a good strategy.”

“It kept me alive this long,” he mused. Even though he hadn’t exactly come home whole. “Other than Aunt Rosemary, I didn’t have anyone else to come home to like some of the men. They’d stare at a picture of their girlfriend or wife. Some had kids. They would memorize those smiling faces and take that into a combat zone with them. It was enough to assure they came out alive.”

“It’s good to have something or someone to look forward to.”

She had to have read in his file there was no one in his life. “What about you? Anyone special you’re going home to?”

He half expected her to remind him that her personal life was none of his business. Instead, she shocked him by saying, “Not in a long time.”

A beautiful, intelligent woman like her shouldn’t have to be alone. “Too busy?”

She opened her mouth to speak before clamping it shut again. He’d crossed a line he shouldn’t have.

“Sorry,” he said. “You don’t have to answer that. I get it. Your personal life is on a need-to-know basis, and I don’t need to know.”

“Something like that.”

* * * * * * *

How about a contest? Tell me what kind of animals you grew up around for a chance to win your pick of either my current release or anything from my backlist. Three winners will be selected!

Jodi Thomas Celebrating Two Books!

by

Netflix started the shooting for Ransom Canyon in February, and I can’t help feeling it’s come full circle. When I first thought of writing this series, I had only planned on doing six books about ranches around a small canyon. Ransom Canyon is a few miles from Lubbock, Texas, and I used to drive around there when I was in college at Texas Tech. I always thought it was a beautiful place, and I wanted to write a story about ranch life around there.

I knew I wanted to write six books, but I wanted to keep one storyline of four kids, from the time they were fifteen to when they were twenty-three, threading through the series. So, when Random House formally offered me the contract for my Ransom Canyon series, buying only two books, I turned it down. I have never turned that much money down in my life. And I was thinking, “Oh man, I could use that money.”  But I still said no.

Afterward, I called Gail Fortune, my agent, and told her I had turned down the contract. And she said, “Harlequin has been waiting to talk to you.” So, I left the office, and I went for a walk in the mall. About an hour later, Harlequin called me, a conference call with the editor in chief, an editor, and their publicist; they wanted six books and two short stories. So, I went to work on Ransom Canyon.

I knew I was taking a risk with this series because I was writing a very Western series, even though it is contemporary. It was a risk because Westerns are not as popular as other genres. But I had to write it.

To begin this series, I turned the little room out back of our house that we call the bunk house into Ransom Canyon. HQN gave me six months to put the proposals together. And during that time, I built Ransom Canyon’s world and wrote the short story “Winter’s Camp.” I did a lot of research to make the series just right, and it’s very dear to my heart. I love it because it is so character rich!

The first book of this series is called Ransom Canyon. It set up all the stories in the books to come. My main character is Staten; he is a successful rancher, an honest man, a strong man, and totally broken because he has lost both his wife and his son. He turns to his life-long friend Quinn because they both need someone. I loved writing their story, and I can’t wait to see it come to life on the screen. I always dreamed of having one of my books become a movie or TV show, and it has been so exciting to watch.

I look back on when I first started this series, and I’m so glad I wrote the story I wanted. I’ve loved this journey, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. But before we all climb into the saddle this fall to watch the TV show Ransom Canyon, travel back with me to Someday Valley and read my new book The Wild Lavender Bookshop, coming out April 23!

For a chance to win this new book, tell me who you’re most looking forward to seeing brought to life on the screen.