Tuesday, October 29, 2013

TEMPTING THE COWBOY Deleted Scene: The Barn Scene

Tempting the Cowboy started out more like women's fiction than category romance. That's an entire topic for another day; however, what it means is that a lot of the original story was cut to re-shape it into a category romance style.

Which means that I have a lot of awesome bonus scenes from the book!

This one was affectionately called The Barn Scene by my critique partners who read the book when it was shiny new.

Enjoy!



The stable was quiet when they rode their horses inside. Cole dismounted first and grabbed Rylan’s reins while she jumped down.
“Go on ahead. I’ve got this,” He hoped she’d do just that, go about her day. The ride back should have been a little uncomfortable, but it wasn’t. Not in the least. It had been comfortable and…fun. Too much time passed since he'd last ridden for the hell of it. His time on horseback was necessitated by work and Cole couldn’t remember the last time he’d drank up his surroundings like he had today.
He did because Rylan had. It was like seeing Paint River through her eyes. The property hadn’t lost its beauty; he’d simply forgotten to look. Rylan’s eyes were wide enough for both of them and he enjoyed seeing the pleasure on her face. She leaned against Sisko, her ass perfectly in line with Cole’s view. He sniffed. If she didn’t hightail it out of here, he’d be tempted to find a reason to put more pleasure on her face right damn now.
“Nah, I’ll help you.” She flipped the left stirrup over the saddle and bent down to loosen the girth from the horse’s belly. Cole’s cock jumped. He turned his back, grappling to get his testosterone under control. This is stupid, Haywood, he chastised silently. It wasn’t like he was lacking in the woman department, far from it. It was his reaction to this woman that drove him nuts.
Rylan dropped the saddle and blanket, undid the bridle and laid everything in a neat pile. Cole did the same, resigned to ignore her before he jumped her in the fucking hay. They turned the horses out, bumping shoulders as they walked back to the tack.
“Sorry,” she said, brushing her arm where he’d touched her. Her gray eyes raked his face, the tip of her tongue wetting her lower lip before she tugged it a little with her teeth. She reached for the saddle, her breasts bouncing under her white t-shirt.
That was it.
Cole cleared the space between them and grasped her upper arms in his hands. She gasped, eyes growing huge. He took in the stunning dark outline of her lashes against pewter irises and the rosy flush spreading across her cheeks. Her chest stalled while his sped up. Cole pulled her close, her breasts a whisper from his chest. If he pulled her in all the way, he’d lose it hard.
He ran one hand up her arm to her shoulder until the back of her neck was cupped in his palm. Rylan’s lips parted, her eyes locked with his. He wanted the taste of her mouth, the sensation of her skin on his. Barely aware of what he was doing, Cole walked her back against the stall door. Breath left her in a soft rush as she pressed against the wood. He waited for some sign of resistance, but found nothing but a wicked wanting in her eyes.
“Tell me not to kiss you,” he whispered huskily, dipping his head until his lips hovered over the curve in her neck. Her hands grabbed his waist and for a second, Cole thought she was going to push him off. But she pulled him closer until his hips met hers, and her fingers wound around his belt to hold him there. She smelled like vanilla and sunshine, and he couldn’t wait another second to see if her taste matched. He touched his mouth to her skin and kissed her bounding pulse, Rylan’s gravelly moan flaming him on.  Cole traced her pulse with his tongue, the sweetness of her heady and perfect. The shiver that quaked through her was an added bonus and he knew right then that he was in so much trouble.
 “Tell me to stop,” his lips cruised along her jaw. Please, tell me to stop before I lose myself in you. 
Rylan’s hand cupped his chin.  Her fingers clenched harder around his belt as she leaned up, her breath washing over his lips. And then his hat went flying and her hands were in his hair, her fingers twining in it hard and urging him closer.
“Don’t stop,” her breathy whisper barely popped out before he crushed her lips to his. Her lips were hot and willing, parting and meeting his every movement, little moans blowing into his mouth as he devoured her. He ran his hands down her sides, over the smooth architecture of her ribs to the curve of her waist and soft, delicious flare of her hips. Grasping her waist, he pulled her forward until his erection dug into her belly. She gasped, reflexively grabbing his back and digging her nails into his shirt.
Flecks of surprise nagged his brain. This felt right. She felt right. How the hell did her husband ever think she was plain? Rylan was a goddamn firecracker.
 “Ah, Cole?”  A throat cleared. A low chuckle. Cole whipped around. Jaxon Moore stood in the aisle a few feet back with a huge shit-eating grin.
“Christ!” Cole smoothed Rylan’s arms with his hands, a little dazed at losing the connection with her. Her heavy breaths and kiss-swollen mouth pulled him back like a magnet.
“We got a mare delivering breech. You best come along.”
Rylan’s eyes shifted to Moore and back again. Her chest heaved, goose bumps dotting her arms. “Go. I’ll get the tack.”
He hated to leave her there, looking all trussed and bewildered with all that smoke brewing in her eyes. Hell, what had he just done? She was the housekeeper, a woman with an indifference to children and some heavy secrets in her back pocket. No good was going to come of this, but hell if he didn’t want her anyway.
Cole swiped his hand across his mouth as he turned away. The sooner he got the taste of her out of his mind, the better or he was in deep shit.


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Blog Tour & Prizes. Hey, I'm like a rock star or something!


Tour time. I've always wanted to go on "tour." It sounds so darn official, doesn't it? Like I'm a rock star or something. 

Prizes! Oh, do I have prizes. Follow along on the tour and enter to win at all the stops. Here's where you can find me:




October 29: It's Raining Books
November 5: Reading In Twilight
November 12: Long and Short Reviews
November 19: Susana's Morning Room
November 26: Rachel Brimble Romance
December 3: Harlie's Books
December 3: Musings From An Addicted Reader
December 10: Booklover Sue
December 17: Read Your Writes Book Reviews

In conjunction with prizes available during the book tour, I'll be giving away MORE THINGS along the way, including a $100 Amazon gift card & book packs from my favorite authors.

Start following the TEMPTING THE COWBOY tour on Tuesday, 10/29, and then visit back here on the blog on November 1st to enter to win a $100 gift card.

That would be a great way to start your holiday shopping, huh?

 


Friday, October 18, 2013

Entangled's Halloween Hop + PRIZES!


EntADS-halloweenbloghop13(250x350)Join the All Entangled Eve Halloween Hop! Click on the badge above to visit SIXTY authors, each talking about Halloween and ALL with loads of prizes! My prize is a copy of my steamy, spooky paranormal romance, BLOOD OF ISIS! All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter form below. 

Halloween isn't just a holiday of sorts at our home, it also marks the change of seasons from fall to winter. Because we live way, way out in the country, we don't decorate much. No one ever comes to our place to trick-or-treat, which is pretty common for rural homes like ours. We live in a farming community, so the kids all gather in the small town to gather their candy. It's handier that way, than for moms and dads to drive from farm house, to farm house, all over the country miles. 

We love to decorate pumpkins, though, and put up some dried corn stalks as a symbol of fading fall. For many years, we've grown our own pumpkins. Small white ghost pumpkins, big fat orange ones, teeny variegated green and yellow ones. It's not uncommon to see our steps lined with many varieties--some carved, some painted on, some dressed up like fat little monsters. The thing I look forward to the most? Slicing up all the pumpkins I saved from my children's creativity, to roast in the oven and mix up for the first pumpkin pies of the season!

You can't welcome winter without a great home made pumpkin pie! Well, you can try...but I wouldn't recommend it!

To celebrate my upcoming pie, I'm giving away a copy of my spooky, sexy paranormal romance, BLOOD OF ISIS. It's perfect Halloween/cold weather reading! 



Passion isn’t the only thing that burns…

When a designer drug rocks the small town of New Brighton and makes junkies spontaneously combust, Paramedic Jayda Swenson suspects the worst. The super-methamphetamine her husband created before his death has resurfaced. She’s worked hard to create a safe, tidy life and put her meth-ravaged past—and her secrets—behind her. But when tourists start disappearing and charred body remains crop up, Jayda learns the hard way that this drug doesn’t just fry people’s minds—it also fuels demons.

Sexy new medic Ben Tierney is a demon-hunter in disguise, but his demon-busting powers don’t work so well anymore…until he realizes Jayda’s touch can refuel the energy he’s lost—a touch she’s not so willing to dish out. Now Jayda finds herself wedged between an ancient demon that knows her past and her secret, and Ben, who has plenty of secrets of his own. He’s willing to help—for a price—but Jayda’s not sure if it’s a price she’s willing to pay…


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, October 14, 2013

Book Birthday: TEMPTING THE COWBOY + Giveaways

This day has been 11 months in the making! I signed my contract with Entangled Publishing this time last year, for the 3-book Paint River Ranch series, and for a while, it felt like book release day would never come!

But, here it is. Today is TEMPTING THE COWBOY's release day.

Join me in a collective, 'YAY!' will you?

image

 
Here's the deal:

I love gifs. As you can tell. Gifs make me happy, and trust me, with a job dealing with blood and vomit and other people's bodily fluids + wrangling my 3 crazy kids, I need all the HAPPY I can get.

The first person to read TEMPTING THE COWBOY and leave me a review on Goodreads with GIFS (honest reviews please-good, middle of the road, bad, doesn't matter. Your honesty is what counts) wins a bracelet similar to this one (colors and style may vary slightly). There, now you have two chances to win a pretty bracelet!


 To be eligible, you must have read the book and leave an honest review, with GIFS (or fan art would be great, too), on Goodreads. I'll pin them to TEMPTING's Pinterest page). First person to do so, wins!


Also in celebration, there are a couple really cool giveaways going on in TEMPTING THE COWBOY's honor. It's your chance to win a free copy of the book, and/or a river stone bracelet.

Visit my lovely friends to enter:

Laurelin Paige is giving away 5 copies of the book + a river stone bracelet.

Straight Shootin' Book Reviews is also giving away 5 copies of the book.

Go forth and enter. Better yet, go forth and enter the world of Paint River Rance. Deep in the heart of Montana ~ Sexy cowboys ~ horses...yeah. *dreamy sigh*



AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE













Tuesday, October 8, 2013

I'm a $3.10 Author



When I used to teach in the Emergency Services department at our local tech school, one of the first things the lead instructor and I would ask incoming class fresh-faced EMT-wannabes, is why they wanted to have a career in emergency medical services. I can tell you with utmost sincerity that the one answer we rarely heard was, “to make money.”

It’s a well known fact among EMTs, Paramedics and those in EMS, that the profession is one of the most seriously underpaid in the nation. Most students coming into the program know this upfront, and those that don’t, usually drop out when they figure it out. I work 32-40+ hours a week, on 8 and 16 hour night shifts, as an EMT for the city, and I make less than (you’d better sit down for this) $8,000 a year. That’s just about $600 per month, before taxes, to pull people out of cars, restart dead hearts, push medications and deal with drunken idiots, every day. Every week. Every month of every year.  A relative of mine is a paramedic, and literally, she’d make more working full time at McDonalds than she does as a hospital-based medic. 

I’ve done this job for fourteen years and I’m required to go through countless hours of training every year, hold several certifications and am held to a very intimidating care standard by the state, all for barely enough to cover my grocery bill every month.

So why the hell do I do it? Let’s be honest—that’s what you’re wondering

There are three reasons people get into this field: 

#1: They are an adrenaline junkie
#2: They genuinely feel called to help people
#3: Both of the above. 

That’s me, #3. I do feel like it’s a calling to do this job and my responsibility as a human being to provide care to others. When I first started writing fiction seriously, I realized that I was in for a similar financial ride that I’ve taken as an EMT—lots of hours and hard work, with probably very little financial payback to show for it. 

Considering my first royalty check was $3.10, I’d say I was right about that. But, just like EMS, I think there’s a calling—a passion-- in your heart to either be an author and pursue it seriously, or not. It’s what separates the writers who ‘think about it’ and those that simply go for it, financial gain, or no financial gain. The passion for creativity is what keeps you going, even after you see sales numbers that look like they’ve been run over by a semi a time or two—flat and non-existent. Even after receiving a $3.10 royalty check that you’ll never, ever cash because it’s not worth the gas to drive to the bank. 

Here’s the thing: As I come up on release day for my second book. TEMPTING THE COWBOY, I’m going into it with no real expectations except to have fun, just like I’ll keep getting covered in other people’s blood for the sake of the job, and maybe saving a life. It’s what I do. I’ve recently taken on a second full-time job as a care provider, working in the mornings before I run off to the night shift. It’s all I know, and it’s what I’ll continue to do--just like I’ll keep writing new words, creating new worlds and crafting new characters for you to fall in love with. 

If the passion is there, right? 

The next time someone asks you why you became an author, if you answer, “for the money,” I’m going to kick you out of my class. Wrong answer, sweetheart.  

Happy writing!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Homemade Medicine Keeps Me Writing!


Yeah, it's true. I've kind of got the crazy, "new age" thing going on. Sometimes I walk barefoot through the meadow and play in trees...I make daisy chains with my girls. I've, uh, been known to hug a tree, or two--literally--and I save baby bunnies and feed stray cats (seriously, all the pregnant cats on my country mile say, "Hey, go pop your kittens out at that human's house. She'll make you a warm bed and feed you and stuff.")

Sometimes, me. Sadly, without Flynn.

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I grew up with naturalist parents. My mother had an admirable interest in and knowledge of medicinal herbs. This was something we loved to read about--and practice--together, and grew lots of helpful herbs in our vegetable garden. Because I'm a slacker, I haven't increased my knowledge much since my mother's death, but I do know this--

The settlers and Native Americans were onto something, man!

It's crazy to me that we're just now beginning to really, really understand the properties of plants that make them kick-ass medicine. I guess it's easier to pop a few chemical pills made from horse urine and nuclear waste, right?

 http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhk7lbQOg81qc4j96.gif
 Heh. Ok, Ok, I'm all for modern medicine, of course--but I avoid it when possible. 


lemon, ginger and honey
Cold and Flu Remedy from Simple Green Smoothies


Well, it's flu season. Colds. Ugh, strep throat. Pneumonia. They all suck. Because I want to be healthy enough to keep writing for you, and because I want you to be healthy enough to keep reading what I write, here's a wonderful recipe for an immunity-boosting, throat soothing "medicine" that I keep all year long. But especially in the fall/winter. I originally found this lovely recipe on Pinterest, and have modified it a little.

I *promise* that this "medicine" tastes better than radioactive horse pee. Promise!

I'm sharing the original recipe, which I found on Simple Green Smoothies.Click on their beautiful website for the recipe. You won't regret it. Their site is beautiful.




Here's what I do. I use the ingredients called for, lemons, honey and ginger. I only use local honey because I want to be exposed to all the local pollen I can get--it helps my seasonal allergies. Then, I brew three bags of green tea in a small amount of water (like 1 1/2 cups for 3 bags) so it becomes like a concentrate. In a quart mason jar, I mix a batch of the honey, lemon and ginger and then add hot tea concentrate over the top. Shake a little and set in your fridge. When you want hot tea, simply pour some in a glass and add hot tap water to taste. All the goodness is there, in a simple, easy step.

Even better--as long as  your lemons are covered with honey or tea, they won't spoil, so you can keep this remedy on hand for weeks at a time. I always make more so we're never without.

Enjoy and hey, wash your hands and cover your cough. PLEASE!

Happy cold and flu season. :)