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!
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.
With millions of books in print, Jodi Thomas is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 60 novels and countless short story collections. Her stories travel through the past and present days of Texas and draw readers from around the world.
Ranch Showdown
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It’s funny, when I first decided to write A Cowboy for the Summer, I had in mind a May/December romance, and that was going to be a huge focus of the story. After all, we see all these older men with younger women in the media, but why not have an older woman get the young guy for a change? But something funny happened during the writing of the book, and as always happens, the story takes over and it becomes something I didn’t expect.
First, being aggressive makes me think of a bully. When I think of a cowboy, I think of John Wayne in movies where his character stood up for those who needed a champion. Big Jake and The Cowboys come to mind as examples. He stands up for what’s right, does what needs to be done no matter what the personal cost, and he certainly isn’t a reckless driver. See me shaking my head over this one yet again. He may take a risk, but he’s not reckless or as Webster says, “acting without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action.”
A cowboy possesses what some today call old-fashioned manners and values. They’re willing to work hard and can be counted on to finish the job. The words “yes, ma’am” are part of their vocabulary, and more importantly, used. No matter what their age, they call their parents’ friends Mr. and Mrs. to show respect. When I wrote my first novel with a cowboy hero Big City Cowboy, (which happened to be the only idea of that type I had at the time), the inciting incident forced my hero to go to New York to model. However, I wanted a reason other than to save his ranch. I asked myself what a cowboy loved more than his ranch or his horse. The answer his mom popped into my head. For me, that’s the kind of values a cowboy possesses. He values hard work, family, his heritage, and respects women.
