I’ve been having a fabulous time in Morocco and enjoying some good times with Surfer Ty. It’s been a glorious few days here. I should try to find a way to do it more often! The sun is bright and shining, the Souqs are full of vivid colors and tastes and the people are just amazing!
I’ve also spent some time by the pool and actually just finished reading Melissa McClone‘s Kiss Me, Cowboy. I’m such a fan of Melissa’s. Not only is she a wonderfully talented author but she’s also a warm, wonderful person to know and this week, she’s a guest on my blog! Here’s Melissa McClone to share her thoughts on being a cowgirl!
~~
Thanks for having me on the blog today, Jane! My dad grew up on a sheep ranch in Colorado and a couple cousins competed in rodeos so writing Kiss Me, Cowboy brought back many memories, including more recent ones of watching rodeo events at our county fair!
It’s been a long time since I’d been on horseback other than trail rides on vacation, so I decided to do a little hands-on research at a working cattle ranch in southeastern Oregon. I spent three nights up at their cow camp where the herd grazes during the summer months.
My favorite part of being a cowgirl—next to wearing my first pair of Ariat cowboy boots—was herding cattle. I rode a horse named Lil’ Britches. Out in the canyon on horseback, the breeze rustling through the quaking Aspen, I could easily imagine my wranglers from Kiss Me, Cowboy, Charlie (Charlotte) Randall on her horse Sierra and Zack Harris on Blackbeard, riding with me!
Our cattle herding experience was actually a surprise. We’d headed out to drop off mineral (i.e. 50 pound salt blocks) to the herd, but on our way down the canyon to where they pastured, we started picking up small groups until we had a herd that had to be pushed along. (We later discovered a hole in the fencing that they were using to get back into this part of the ranch.) The cattle didn’t want to move, so they kept looking back to see if you were still there!
We would break off into pairs (i.e. teams) to keep cattle from wandering off, and more than once, one or more of us had to ride into the trees to keep a mama cow and her calf from crossing the creek and setting off yet another chase. I saw how a cowboy’s chores led to rodeo events.
A cowboy’s work is hard and dangerous. I learned a lot, but next time I’m heading to a dude ranch like the Bar V5 that I write about in my Montana Born Books, a guest ranch with mouthwatering gourmet food and spa services. Not to mention hot wranglers named Zack, Ty, Dustin and Eli!
~~
Thanks so much for sharing with us, Melissa! I think I’ll tag along with you to that dude ranch next time. 🙂
Readers, do download a copy of Kiss Me, Cowboy if you didn’t already. You’re going to love it! And to help Melissa celebrate her new release, here’s a special prize just for you! For a chance to win, leave a comment to welcome Melissa to my blog, tell me if you’ve ever been to a cattle ranch or just tell us about your week! Winner will be announced on Friday.
Surfer Ty and I are in Morocco and the UK for the next week but while I’m away, I’ve invited some of my Tule author friends to stop by my blog and share some cowgirl fun with you all as Tule returns to the Copper Mountain Rodeo!
I’ve been super excited about Alissa Callen‘s new release, Cherish Me, Cowboy. It definitely made an impact on the Tule staff when they read it for the first time and fell in love with the characters and I have no doubt you’ll love it too! Alissa has a strong voice and such fabulous flair for beautifully written, fast paced stories. So here’s Alissa to tell us more about Cherish Me, Cowboy! Please help her feel welcome!!
~
Thanks, Jane! Rodeos were a part of my childhood and now thanks to Montana Born Books, are again part of my life.
I grew up on a farm in Australia and we’d often attend local small town rodeos. It was at such a rodeo where, I was around twelve, I saw a runaway horse kick over a baby’s pram. It just so happens it was my brother’s pram. But thankfully he was asleep in the car. I’d forgotten such a memory until I was writing Cherish, Me Cowboy. But in my Copper Mountain Rodeo story it isn’t so much the horse kicking over the pram that is significant but the unforeseen events that such a kick triggers.
I still live on a farm and last summer I took my children to the small town rodeo not far from where we live. Miss Mini Farmer loved the barrel racing, the cowgirl-bling and the rodeo clown whose humorous lines belied a quick-thinking mind. Little Farmer liked the popcorn, silver belt buckles and the ground-pawing bulls. I only hope as he gets older he sticks to riding motor bikes that weigh less than 2000 pounds.
Thanks to Montana Born Books you don’t have to sit ringside on a bleacher to enjoy the sounds, color and action of a rodeo. Each book of the 76th Copper Mountain Rodeo series brings the Marietta fairground to rich and vivid life. Happy reading and rodeoing! 🙂
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Trinity said, her words ending in a drawn-out sigh.
Payton didn’t have to look up from scanning the rodeo program to know her friend salivated over a man. Trinity had only come to the 76th Copper Mountain Rodeo for one thing – cowboys. Luckily Payton had come for the events. She read the list once again. She’d run late helping a cow calve and if Trinity and Mandy didn’t stop dawdling to look at the masculine scenery they’d never make it to the main arena to catch the tie-down roping.
“I hear you,” Mandy replied from Payton’s left, a dreamy note in her voice. “Come on Pay, take a look. You can’t be all work and no play. The view will make your day.”
Payton sighed. She’d have no peace until she threw a token glance toward the cowboy. She looked up from the program. “You guys, the only thing that will make –” Her jaw dropped.
The cowboy, dressed in jeans, chaps and a blue western shirt, who tied a black horse to the side of a trailer was the last person she’d expected to see.
Mandy giggled. “Trinity, mark this day. Payton’s mouth is hanging open and she isn’t checking out a nice piece of horseflesh.”
~~
Thank you, Alissa! Readers, if you haven’t already downloaded your copy of Alissa’s book, do it today and once you’ve read it, let us know what you think! Meanwhile, I’ve got a fun mystery prize pack for you! For a chance to win, leave a comment and tell me about your experience if you’ve ever been to a rodeo or if you haven’t, and you had the chance, would you want to attend one? You’ll automatically be entered to win some fabulous books, reader goodies, gift cards and more!
The books in Tule Publishing’s Summer Fair series are amongst some of my favorites and I’m especially excited about Barbara Ankrum‘s A Fair To Remember! I think Tule is really lucky to have Barbara writing a story for us. She’s an incredible author with a wonderfully talented voice. One of my favorite authors to read and an amazing person too, with some very cool author friends (like Beth Kendrick!).
I had to invite Barbara to chat with her about her story and so without further delay, please help me welcome Barbara Ankrum!
Thanks, Jane, for inviting me to blog here today! I’m honored to share this space with you.
Like most of you, I’m a reader from way back. As a kid, I’d read cereal boxes, newspapers, books, whatever I could get my hands on. All that voracious reading translated into my becoming a writer, eventually, but that hasn’t diminished my joy of reading a great story. I love the great unknown of starting a new book.
But as a writer, I get to control the world!
Uh… not really. I just like to delude myself that way. But I do love the possibilities that come with opening doors in my stories to find characters I didn’t expect behind them.
In my latest book, “A Fair To Remember” from the Marietta Fair Series, my hero and heroine, Jake and Olivia, surprised me most of the way through. Best friends in high school, they’d made this dumb, pinky-swear promise to meet up at the fair when Olivia turned thirty to be each other’s fall back person in case they were both still single. And guess what? They were, with complications of course, but that’s where the fun begins.
I’ve always been a fan of friends to lovers stories and these two took me for a ride. But as I discovered their stories, I also discovered their supporting cast, which inspired me to contemplate what really made this heroine tick.
(Don’t you just love this cover?)
Twelve years ago, equestrian Olympic hopeful Olivia Canaday and her best friend, Jake Lassen, made a pinky-swear promise to reunite at the Big Marietta Fair on her thirtieth birthday and marry each other if they were both still single. But that was before they grew up and went their separate ways. Now, after a disastrous divorce and a career-changing accident, Olivia limps home, minus her mojo, her courage and her faith in love. She retreats to her parents’ ranch, determined to play it safe, but when ex-Army helicopter pilot Jake Lassen arrives to make good on their promise, he reignites passion and hope, two things Olivia had forgotten existed. Olivia resolves to keep Jake at arm’s length, even though the memory of his kisses keeps her up at night. She knows better than to let her heart get involved, but Jake is planning for the future. Their future. Can Jake convince her to risk it all one more time and really make this a fair to remember?Two such characters who wandered into my story were Kate and Eve Canaday, the younger step-sisters of my heroine, Olivia. (They let me know that the ‘step-sister’ part was a mere formality, as they all considered themselves blood kin.) That one insight opened the door into my heroine’s past, her way of being in the world and her relationship with her family. And it reminded me of how randomly the universe chooses our family and how we sometimes, choose our own.
Being lucky enough to have two sisters of my own, I know there is nothing like having two women who know you inside and out, all the good bits and the bad—and who love you anyway. You share memories no one else shares and can still laugh about them. Kate and Eve love Olivia this way and the three of them are always ready to go to the mattresses for each other. (In a Mario Puzzo kind of way!)
I had so much fun writing them that I think they each deserve a story of their own. I’m working on that.
Those two reminded me, not only how lucky I am to have sisters, and now a grown daughter whom I adore, but to have women friends who I’ve known forever and who always have my back. And I have theirs.
Recently, I met up with my best friend from childhood with whom I reconnected on Facebook. (Has that happened to you?) We had lunch with our husbands when we happened to intersect in the same city after living across the world from each other for the past forty-four years. Yet, it was like none of those years had passed between us. It was great to see her. She reminded me of how we used to climb a neighborhood willow tree and imagine (elaborately) that we were orphans—most certainly the beginning of my wild writer’s imagination! We promised each other it wouldn’t be another forty-four years until we met again.
Then, last week, I had a reunion with a group of writer friends I’ve known for twenty years. Though it had been a few years since we’d met in person (we’re all scattered to the four winds now) seeing them again reminded me of how much I enjoy the company of women and how I miss it when I’m alone in my writer’s cave. There was plenty of talk about families and catching up, but there was also support, as writers, for each other. It’s hard to beat friends who have become sisters.
Simply put, women need other women. It’s in our DNA. And despite the way the world keeps trying to pit us against each other, women will always find ways to create sisterhood from friendship.
Being part of this amazing group of writers at Tule Publishing, led by the ever generous and amazing Jane Porter, is yet another such example and I’m saying it right here on her wonderful blog, “Thank you, Jane, for your heart and your generosity and your wisdom. Thanks for inviting me in. I’ve got your back.”
Excerpt from A Fair To Remember:
“You scared of me, Liv?”
“What? No.” She gave a laugh like scared was the last thing she could possibly be.
He sighed, then reached down to pull off a boot.
“What are you doing?” she inquired.
“Take off your clothes.”
Instinctively, she clamped her hands across her chest. “What?”
“C’mon. Not all your clothes. Just your dress. Your boots. Let’s go swimming.”
“Now?”
“We’ve done it a million times here.” Off came his other boot. “C’mon.”
Off came the black T-shirt over the holy-crikee ripped muscles of his torso. She inhaled at the sight of the new-to-her tats that covered one shoulder and forearm.
He followed her gaze and grinned. “Or are you scared of that, too?”
Oh, no. Not the tattoo. What was under the tattoo. She was definitely, definitely scared of the carnal thoughts his sleek, beautiful physique inspired.
The owl they’d been listening to flapped across the water with low, swooping beats of its huge wings, barely skimming the surface of the river.
“I-I’m still a little drunk,” she said, “and, obviously, I-I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“When did you get so prissy? Underwear always sufficed before. When naked wasn’t appropriate.” He grinned and loosened the button on the top of his jeans and she heard the toe-curling sound of his zipper sliding down.
“We only skinny dipped once and we were fourteen and it was pitch black.” She watched the smooth, thick muscles of his back bunch and move beneath his skin like quicksilver as he slid off his jeans. He was wearing boxer briefs which outlined his taut thighs and backside, a view that made her mouth go dry.
He gestured at the dark night with one hand. “C’mon. It’s hot. And since you’ve put the nix on discussing what’s got you so spooked, what’s a little swim between friends? We’ll never get this place to ourselves again.” Jake waded in a few steps then dove underwater.
Grown men and women cannot be friends, her sister Kate had declared when Olivia had mentioned her onetime friendship with Jake as a perfect example of male-female friendship, Because in the sage words of Billy Crystal’s Harry to Meg Ryan’s Sally, ‘the sex part always gets in the way.’
A warm rush of longing shuddered through her as Jake shimmered under the surface of the water. Kate was right.
The sex part was a problem.
He shot straight up out of the water and gasped, the water sparkling in his hair.
Definitely a problem.
~~
Thank you, Barbara, for sharing with us today! Friends, please be sure to download your copy of A Fair To Remember soon. You’re in for a real treat! And as always, I have another treat in store for you. I’m going to give away, to one lucky winner, a special Montana Born prize that I personally carried home from Kalispell, Montana with extra gift cards and wonderful treats thrown in! For a chance to win, leave a comment and tell me which of the Summer Fair series books you’ve read and what do you think of the stories? Winner will be announce on Wednesday. Have a great weekend!
Book four in the Marietta Fair series, Her Summer Cowboyby Katherine Garbera is available today and I am excited to share her story with you. I asked Katherine to be a guest on the blog today and she happily agreed.
Here’s Katherine Garbera to talk to us today about country fairs, country music and her inspiration for HER SUMMER COWBOY. Welcome Katherine!
Family is at the heart of my life. I grew up on a sprawling ranch in Central Florida where my parents raised three daughters alongside their Valencia orange crop. We listened to country music, especially John Denver, George Straight and Waylon Jennings. I’m not embarrassed to admit I cried the day I heard that Waylon died.
When I think of country fairs to be they are associated with all those wonderful foods that aren’t good for me…funnel cakes, sausage and peppers and anything deep-fat fried, but also country music. We lived a modest life in Central Florida so the only time we really got to see an artist performing live was at the fair.
My parents would get up there early, not a burden since we were used to getting up at the crack of dawn, and we’d wait to make sure we got good seats for the shows. The concerts when they started fed my imaginations with the songs of real emotions and the difficulties that I could hear in their voices.
From this place came the first inkling of an idea for HER SUMMER COWBOY. I wanted my heroine to be born of country royalty but rooted also in the heartache and problems that come from having been born dirt poor and gaining fame too rapidly. Emma Jean Wells shows up to say goodbye to her grandfather for the summer as he goes on his annual tour of summer fairs. Only this year she’s met by a sexy cowboy who says he’s her Gramps’ bodyguard and she’s like say, what? From that moment nothing goes to Emma’s plan. She ends up agreeing to perform with her grandfather (she used to be one of his back-up singers on tour) and finds herself writing music. The one thing she thought she’d never do again. She also finds herself fallen for Hudson Scott.
They’ve agreed on a summer affair once it becomes clear the attraction between them won’t be denied. It makes the most sense because their lives are in different parts of the country and they are both searching and not ready to settle down. But their hearts have a different agenda.
Thanks, Jane, for inviting me to your blog to talk about HER SUMMER COWBOY, but also thanks for inviting me to Marietta, MT and letting me write some stories set there. I hope you will all enjoy HER SUMMER COWBOY.
Many years ago Emma Wells turned her back on the music world and its accompanying heartache and bitter, tragic memories, but her famous grandfather’s farewell tour drives Emma from her quiet life back onto the stage and into the lime light. As she picks up her battered guitar once again, she begins to find her song writing voice. Is she beginning to heal or is her inspiration sparked by the heated gaze of the strong, sexy cowboy watching backstage? The road is the only home Hudson Scott’s ever known since he stormed out of Marietta, Montana when he was 18 years old after a blow out fight with his father. Can the sweet summer nights at the country fairs and a burning attraction to a tempting songstress teach him how to stop running and how to build a life with a woman he just might be falling in love with?
~~
Thank you, Katherine, for joining us today. Be sure to go grab your copy of HER SUMMER COWBOY today! Leave a comment to welcome Katherine and tell me about a summer romance you’ve had and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a print copy of Love Me, True and other Montana goodies.
It’s no secret I love my author friends and the very talented Yvonne Lindsay is one of these people. She’s one of the nicest and sweetest women I know and an extremely talented writer too. I’m beyond thrilled to have her on board as a Tule author as she’s such a pleasure to work with and thrilled to call her a friend!
Yvonne’s latest release, For Love of a Cowboy, is book three in the Marietta Fair series from Montana Born Books and one I enjoyed reading so very much. I had to invite her to come chat with us. Please help me welcome Yvonne Lindsay!
What happens when a superstitious hippie chick from New Zealand meets up with a taciturn Montana cowboy? Sparks fly, that’s what! I had so much fun writing Willow and Booth’s story for Montana Born’s “the Big Marietta Fair” series but I have to admit to a little anxiety when I accepted Jane’s offer to do a novella set in Montana. Getting the New Zealander abroad part of the novella was easy, I was exactly that when I wrote the novella, and I love me a cowboy just as much as the next woman (fans self for a moment.) But while I’d read all the Marietta-based novellas to date and loved every one, what do I know about Montana?
FOR LOVE OF A COWBOY is really a story born out of the love and support of friends and the amazing sense of community we share amongst the Tule authors. I soon found out that my anxieties were unfounded as questions were asked and information was shared amongst authors, and as the husband of one of my very good friends in Seattle pointed me in the direction of the PBS Backroads of Montana tv show. Since I was in the US for six and a half weeks at the time, it gave me ample opportunity to watch and learn about the state that is so beloved by so many. I now have a very strong desire to visit Montana, to inhale the scents, to feel the air and to look up and to see that great Montana sky–and maybe surreptitiously check out a cowboy or two! It’s something to aim for in the future, that’s for sure.
Life is simple for Booth Lange–work hard, save hard, stay out of trouble–until Willow Phillips arrives in Marietta and turns his entire world upside down. The superstitious hippie is everything he can’t stand—transient, careless, and trouble with a capital T. He wants her out of town before she can upset more than his equilibrium, and yet, he can’t seem to stay away or keep his hands off her. Willow, retracing her late mother’s journey through Montana twenty-seven years ago, has one goal. To meet Willow’s father. Maybe then she can face the life-altering decision that awaits her. But meeting her father proves more elusive than she anticipated, and just why is Booth Lange so determined to drive her out of town?Writing can be an isolated business and I am very much inclined to a hermit like existence when I’m working on a book. Deadlines tend to line up one after the other and I very quickly lose touch with the reality of the real world as I delve into the worlds of my characters. With FOR LOVE OF A COWBOY though, I have to say that I never felt like I was a lone author working on a book, stuck away in my garret (or, in actual fact, my 2nd floor hotel apartment!) Every time I had a question there was an answer just waiting for me from any one, or several, of the other Tule authors who were always there at the end of an email.
I consider myself extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to work with these wonderful women and the fabulous team at Tule, all of whom made working on this project so rewarding on so many levels. I really look forward to doing more stories with them in the future. I hope you’ll love FOR LOVE OF A COWBOY just as much as I loved writing it!
A typical Piscean, USA Today! best-selling author, Yvonne Lindsay, has always preferred the stories in her head to the real world. It makes perfect sense that she was born and bred in Middle Earth, um, New Zealand. Yvonne has published over twenty-five titles with Harlequin and is a two-time Romance Writers of Australia R*BY nominee. A former law office manager she now spends her days crafting the stories of her heart and in her spare time she can be found with her nose firmly in a book, reliving the power of love in all walks of life, or knitting socks and daydreaming.
~~
Thank you, Yvonne, for sharing with us today! I’m so excited about your release! Readers be sure to download your copy of Yvonne’s book soon. I know you’re going to love it! And to help Yvonne celebrate, I’ve got a box of goodies for one of you which includes books by Yvonne, special Montana treats and more fun reader goodies. For a chance to win, just leave a comment and you’ll be entered in the contest. Winner will be announced on Friday. Good luck!
Montana Born’s new summer series is off to a great start and the Facebook party on Thursday was a huge hit with readers. Thank you to all of you who could attend! I love that so many of you were there to enjoy the fun and the giveaways.
Book two in the Marietta Fair series, Cowgirl Come Home by Debra Salonen is available today and I couldn’t be happier. Debra’s such a great writer with a strong voice and such wonderful talent. I love that she’s a Tule author as it’s always a treat to read one of her books! I knew I had to invite her as a guest on my blog and she agreed.
Here’s Debra Salonen to talk to us about Arts and Crafts, Fair Style. Welcome, Debra!
My July 18th Tule Publishing release, Cowgirl Come Home, is part of the Big Marietta Fair series. My heroine, Bailey Jenkins, is an artist who works in jewelry. Under different circumstances, Bailey would have entered her pieces in the Arts and Crafts competition, but blue ribbons don’t pay bills. So, instead, her work is on display in Exhibit Hall-A, with the other Marietta vendors.
When I go to our local County Fair every year, one of my favorite exhibits is: Arts and Crafts. I am completely blown away by the creativity within my small community. Inevitably, there’s one photograph that reaches out and pulls me into a story, a candid moment in time. If there’s no Blue Ribbon or Best-in-Show sign hanging on my favorite, I use the power of my “People’s Choice” vote to pick.
Ten or so years ago, my hubby won Best of Show for this photograph. (image) It’s called, simply: Blue. The fellow in the picture was an old-time cowboy, who tended the two-hundred-acre ranch behind us. Everybody called him Blue. He appeared in my very first published short story, which came out in Country Magazine in 1990. The title of the piece is: The Bulls That Fell From the Sky.
Until his death four years ago, Blue lived in a little trailer without electricity or running water–just him, his dog and his rattletrap truck. (I use that expression with affection–it did rattle.) He was our friend, and this photo hangs on my wall where I see it every day…and smile.
This year, I’m hoping to see my ten-year-old granddaughter’s painting displayed at the fair. She entered the Young Master’s contest through our local Arts Counsel earlier this spring and won First Place in her age group.
My daughter won Best of Show for an oil painting when she was the same age. I’ll never forget the pride and validation that ribbon gave her. “I’m an artist, Mommy,” she said to me.
Now, she’s giving back by teaching young budding artists like her niece. I love the full-circle feel of this and I can’t wait to visit the Arts and Crafts exhibit at the Mariposa Fair this year.
What about you? What’s your favorite part of the fair? (There is no wrong answer here.) Even if you’re not fond of fairs, please reply to be included in the pool to win this prize.
Two Deb Salonen backlist titles (if you’ve read either or both of these, let me know and I’ll try to find others), The Princess Bride DVD, cookies, notecards, post-its, gel pens and great Tule swag. And please look for Cowgirl Come Home on July 18th. It will be available as an ebook at Amazon and in print from Createspace.
Some dreams come with a big price tag. Bailey Jenkins left her hometown of Marietta, Montana, at eighteen, poised to take college and the rodeo world by storm–despite Paul Zabrinski. On the eve of her great escape, at the top of the Ferris Wheel at the Big Marietta Fair, he invoked his great-grandmother Hilda’s curse. “If you do this, Bailey Jenkins, I will hate you forever. And I’ll call on my great-grandmother to curse you. She was a Gypsy witch, you know.” Fifteen years later, Bailey’s back–shattered, humbled by fate and bruised at the soul level but determined to rebuild–once she helps her parents get back their feet. She didn’t expect her Paul Zabrinski to meet her plane, but seeing him strong, handsome and successful is somehow fitting. After all, Bailey didn’t need Paul’s gypsy great-grandmother to put a curse on her–Bailey already had the worst luck on the planet. Never say never. One look at Bailey Jenkins–his first love, the woman he adored…and cursed–and every emotion Paul Zabrinski felt fifteen years earlier comes rushing back. The love of his life broke his heart and made him hate her…or so he thought. The line between love and hate is very narrow, with only so much room for forgiveness. But Paul Zabrinski owns Big Z Hardware and Construction. If anyone is capable of building a bridge for them to cross together, it’s him.From award-winning journalist to nationally bestselling author with 26 published novels for Harlequin’s Superromance and American lines, Debra Salonen brings humor and heart to her stories. She was named Romantic Times Reviewer’s Career Achievement “Series Storyteller of the Year” in 2006. Her popular Indie release, Are We There Yet?, has been called “laugh-out-loud funny, poignant and just plain fabulous!”
~~
Debra, thank you for sharing with us! Readers do grab your copy of Debra’s new story, Cowgirl Come Home. You’re going to love it! Leave a comment here to welcome Debra and share about your fair experiences and you’ll be entered to win the fabulous prize package Debra mentioned! Have a great weekend!
This Thursday, July 17th, we’ll be hosting another Facebook party to celebrate the Big Marietta Fair series from Montana Born Books!
In the past, our Tule parties have been in the evenings but this time, because we’ll have quite a few overseas authors in attendance, the party will begin at 9:00 AM Pacific, (12:00 Noon Eastern), and we really hope you can join us for some great fun!
Some of my readers have emailed to ask what exactly a Facebook party consists of so I thought I’d explain it here on my blog in case there are others who have questions too.
A Facebook party is an online event; a fast and fun way to host a ‘party’ in order to socialize with friends – without the hassle of cleaning up your house or worrying about drinks or food! It’s scheduled as an event on Facebook, and we invite our friends to join us at a specific time (9am PST / 12 Noon EST) on a specific date (Thursday, July 17th) and once you’re on the page, the fun begins!
Once you get there, click the Join button and you then be able to invite any of your friends to attend too. Show up at the designated time and start chatting, just like you’d comment on any status on Facebook. There will be lots of posts/content to browse and comment on from many of our guest authors. And keep an eye out for the giveaways too! There will be many many prizes for you all!
If you come in late, don’t worry. It’s an event wall so all the conversations will still be there and you’ll also be able to catch up on the giveaways.
If the page jumps too quickly, just take your time and scroll up and down.
If the page doesn’t seem to be jumping at all, hit the refresh button on your browser and you should see new content!
If you have any questions or trouble figuring something out, feel free to email Lee ([email protected]) or send her an FB message and she’ll help you out! I hope we’ll see many of you there!
Before I sign off, tell me, have you ever been to or participated in a Facebook Party? Everyone who comments here will be entered to win a fun summer prize pacakge with the winner being announced Friday! Good luck!
Today is a big day for me, because today Montana Born releases a brand new fun summer series with the incredible author, Nancy Robards Thompson as our launch author. Nancy is a terrific writer and an inspiring woman and I’ve asked her to join my blog today to talk about real life and an ‘issue’ close to her heart, since my readers always like the real author and not just the head shot and professional bio.
The other day, an old friend found me through Facebook. I hadn’t talked to her in probably thirty years. Obviously, we were babies when we first met. Hearing from her felt like Christmas had come early. We messaged back and forth for a while, talking as easily as we had back in the day.
Reconnecting with her made me giddy and it had me thinking about the power of girlfriends. I love my girlfriends. They are my sanity. They push me out of my comfort zone and sometimes (more often than I’d like to admit) they even save me from myself.
I am lucky to still be in touch with women I’ve known since my school days. There’s a group of moms I grew close to when our kids were in school. I’m in constant contact with a small group of trusted friends who are also writers. The connection I share with each of my friends runs deep and rich.
I came across this quote from Elizabeth Foley, “The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.”
That’s so true. Even though miles separate some of us and we don’t get to see each other more than once or twice a year, what’s important is that we always pick up right where we left off. As a writer, I spend long stretches of time alone, in what I call my “writing cave.” So, I particularly appreciate my friends who understand when I have to go “underground” for a while.
It started with a ring that pinched and Charlotte Morgan didn’t like, but her long-term boyfriend ignored her preference for another ring before he left on another business trip, vaguely promising that they would look at other rings sometime. So was she engaged or not? And did she want to be? Charlotte feels uneasy, and her almost fiancé has stopped returning her texts and calls, but Charlotte doesn’t have too much time to ponder her relationship quandary. She’s too busy preparing for the annual Marietta Fair with her childhood friend and fairgrounds manager, Jesse Guthrie, whom she can’t stop noticing in a way that has nothing to do with their long standing friendship and everything to do with the sexual chemistry that starts humming through her veins every time he walks into a room. Former rodeo star, Jesse, returned home to Marietta Montana after an injury derailed his career. He has harbored a serious crush on Charlotte since her beauty pageant and high school days, but she was always unavailable, and now that her relationship status just might be single, he intends to hang onto this chance and ride to the end of the bell.In my story BEAUTY AND THE COWBOY, the first book in Tule Publishing’s Big Montana Fair series, my heroine, Charlotte finds a kindred spirit in Jane WeissMcCullough. Charlotte, or Charlie as everyone knows her, is a Marietta native. Jane is a transplant. But the two become fast friends when Jane hires Charlie away from a dead end job to help her shake things up with the Miss Marietta Fair pageant. Jane, it seems, has never been afraid of rattling a few cages, while Charlie can definitely use something to jolt her out of her rut. Little does Charlie know that the small steps her new friend encourages her to take are actually setting in motion some much bigger life changes. Of course, Jane is there for Charlie when the world she’s always known comes crashing down around her. She even helps set Charlie on the path to happily ever after.
Jane and Charlie’s friendship brings to mind another favorite quote of mine. “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
Isn’t it wonderful when our girlfriends remind us to keep singing?
I hope you’ll check out the Big Marietta Fair series, which launches July 11. Be sure to let me know what you think of BEAUTY AND THE COWBOY. In the meantime, I’d love to know who is your oldest friend? Or what do your girlfriends mean to you?
I’ll give away a tote bag with some books to one person who comments (and Jane is tucking in some additional gift cards and swag, too!) so I’d love to hear from you and the blog prize winner will be announced on Wednesday so please check back to see if you won!
Award-winning author Nancy Robards Thompson has worked as a newspaper reporter, television show stand-in, production and casting assistant for movies, and in fashion and public relations. She started writing fiction seriously in 1997. Five years and four completed manuscripts later, she won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award for unpublished writers and sold her first book the following year. Since then, Nancy has sold 30 books and found her calling doing what she loves most – writing romance and women’s fiction full-time.
~~
Nancy, thanks so much for sharing with us and being here with us on your launch day! I love your new story and am grateful to have you ‘leading the way’ for the Big Marietta Fair series. (I’m also crazy about your gorgeous sexy cover, too! <g>)
Readers, I’m adding a $10 Amazon gift card and a $5 Starbucks drink card and a Tule water bottle to the totebag of books from Nancy, so let’s show Nancy some love and comment and chat and make her feel like one of us!
Summer is finally here and I, as well as everyone at Tule Publishing, is very excited about the delicious new releases from Tule’s Holiday Books imprint!
Holiday Books offer fantastic stories by some of the best contemporary romance writers today…stories that are classic beach reads and romantic, flirty and fun. These stories also take place in gorgeous vacation destinations since a great beach read needs a great sexy setting, which is why Holiday has kicked off summer with the awesome Honeymoon Series.
Montana Born had a Brides series this spring, so Holiday needed a Honeymoon series, and first up was the fabulous USA Today bestselling author Carol Marinelli’s The Bride Who Wouldn’t (isn’t the cover gorgeous and sexy?!?), which released mid June and is selling very well right now at Amazon and getting incredible reviews! If you like steamy…this is it! Do check it out because I looooove Carol’s writing (and she’s a fellow Harlequin Presents author and this girl can do hot like nobody’s business!).
A romantic honeymoon in Paris, with a sexy billionaire Russian groom…. There are only two problems. It’s a marriage of convenience. And, the virgin bride is frigid. Kate Edwards has never embraced her sensuality, is terrified of intimacy, and the wedding night is a disaster. Instead of calling the whole thing off, Isaak Zaretsky listens to her and challenges her using his unashamedly sensual nature and superb bedroom skills. But can Kate really give herself without love?
Then last week Holiday released this ‘perfect-for-the-beach’ read from Ally Blake, Second Chance Honeymoon and the reviews have been stellar! I love the cover and the story—a romance on a cruise ship. So fun. And I love Ally’s premise…this is true escapist reading and a wonderful introduction to Ally Blake’s charming characters and voice.
WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME, RIGHT GUY? Juliana Jones is twenty-seven, single (divorced) and out of work (again). But for the next eight days none of that matters. A citizen of the Royal Pacific cruise ship, she’s going to put it all behind her and with the aid of sun, rum and fun she’s gonna get her wild on. Then JJ discovers that she’s on a Second Honeymoon Cruise and is the only unattached passenger on board and the only one under the age of sixty! Enter Kane Phillips, former star athlete turned ship’s fitness director. Kane can make JJ’s knees melt with a glance, but he’s staff and therefore off limits (right?). Besides, JJ’s not looking for a guy who has faced his own disaster and come out the other side of it all self-aware and ready for a relationship. Better to leave relationships to those who know how to tend one. But JJ’s feelings for Kane are growing and she has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and even if she could run… Is Kane just the man to keep up with her?
And just yesterday Holiday released the 3rd story in the Honeymoon series, Melissa McClone’s The Honeymoon Prize. You know Melissa from her incredible bestselling Montana Born Christmas novella, Home for Christmas, and you’ll love her warmth in this story, too. It’s a friends to lover story…one of my favorite kind.
He needs a wife… Single bodyguard Nick Calhoun has been given an ultimatum by his boss—find a wife or lose his cushy, high-paying job. Clients’ wives are hitting on him and putting Nick, and his boss, in hot water. But monogamy? He’s never been a white picket fence kind of guy, and he’s not about to embrace the happily married lifestyle now. He needs a wife who doesn’t care about his steamy, extra-curricular love life…and he knows just the woman to fit the bill. She needs a home… Adalaide Sinclair spent years caring for her ill grandmother. Upon Grammy’s death, she’s stunned to find herself evicted from the only home she’s ever known and labeled a thief by her inheritance-hungry family. Addie needs to find a place to live and a job—fast. So when her childhood friend, Nick, proposes a no-sex marriage of convenience, she puts her dreams of true love and happily-ever-after on hold. Finding Prince Charming can wait a little longer, right? But will their friendship survive the honeymoon? When Nick and Addie unexpectedly win a dream honeymoon, they decide to go their separate ways during the ten-day vacation. Too bad a camera crew is waiting for them at the tropical paradise. Acting like a head-over-heels bride and groom for reality TV wreaks havoc on their no-sex agreement…and blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Will Nick and Addie remain married in name only, or will a romantic honeymoon for show turn them into true newlyweds?
And then next week, my friend USA Today bestselling author Kelly Hunter concludes the Honeymoon series with an incredible, unforgetable story, The Honeymoon Trap. This story is so original. You won’t want to miss it.
They were on the honeymoon of a lifetime. Pity it wasn’t theirs. Eli Jackson has just married the woman of his dreams. Sure, it was part of an online role-playing game and not exactly real, but he totally dominated the wedding battle that followed and his lady wife was very impressed. Eli never imagined that his brothers would bestow on them a real-world honeymoon package at one of the Gold Coast’s premier hotels. He never figured on costume designer Zoey Daniels being such fun. Together they’re dynamite, but Eli’s not looking for a real relationship and Zoey lives only for the day. Besides, no one falls in love this fast. Do they?
To celebrate these wonderful Holiday Honeymoon series, I’ve got a wonderful giveaway. How does a $50 Visa gift card sound plus lots of reader goodies? I think we could all use a little extra spending money right now for a gorgeous beach cover up, a fun dinner out or maybe a spa manicure and pedicure…
To be entered to win the Honeymoon Series $50 Visa Giveaway, tell me in the comment section below if you’ve read any of the Honeymoon stories yet, and if you haven’t which of the four appeal to you most? And if you have, what do you think of the stories so far?
The winner of the Honeymoon Series Giveaway will be announced one week from today, on July 9th, so be sure to comment and let your friends know about these wonderful sweet and sexy romances, perfect for reading at beach, by the pool, or even tucked up in bed!
Hope you’re enjoying your summer. I’m so looking forward to the 4th. No work for me this year on the 4th. Just BBQ, family, and fireworks!
I am so pleased to have as my guest today, the wonderfulTeri Wilson! Teri’s a great gal, she’s one of the nicest people I know! She’s got a new release out right now, Unmasking Juliet and I really loved the story she tells. I thought it would be a great time to invite her to share more about her book with us because I know all my readers will love it too.
Please help me welcome Teri to JaneBlog!
Please tell us about your new book.
Unmasking Juliet is a modern-day version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet with a chocolaty twist. Our starcrossed lovers are chocolatiers working for their rival family-owned chocolate businesses. The story starts out in Napa Valley, California, and then the action moves to romantic Rome, Italy.
What led you to write this story?
I was trying to atone for the C that I got in Honors Shakespeare when I was in college. Ha.
Actually, I just love Shakespeare (despite the C). And Romeo & Juliet is the quintessential romantic couple. I couldn’t do a series of classic retellings without writing a version of Romeo & Juliet. It was great fun to write. I loved the setting, the chocolate, the quirky characters…I was sad to see it end.
Tell us something personal that not many readers know about you.
I was once bit by a lion.
On my arm.
It happened in Vegas, and the lion was only 5 weeks old. But it left a bruise, so it totally counts.
What are you working on next?
All of the trade paperbacks I’m writing for HQN are light, modern retellings of classics. In January, I have Unschooling the Professor hitting shelves, which is an updated version of My Fair Lady. The gender roles have been reversed, so Professor Higgins is a woman. She’s an art history professor, and Tom Stone, the brooding hero with a secret painting prowess, is the perfect blank slate for her artistic touch.
Right now, I’m writing a retelling of the beloved classic film Roman Holiday. It’s called Royally Roma and is scheduled for release in June 2015. I adore Roman Holiday, and I was lucky enough to visit Italy twice this year, so I’m really enjoying working on this manuscript.
Name five items sitting on your desk right now.
My pink laptop.
A writing journal with a gorgeous Florentine paper cover that was given to me by the leader of the writing retreat I recently attended in Florence, Italy.
Four Sharpies in various colors.
A stack of Unmasking Juliet books with matching bookmarks.
My dog, Finn. (He’s a mama’s boy.)
Name 3 books you hope to read soon.
The next 3 books on my to-be-read pile are:
Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen, which is a historical fiction book about a love triangle between Edgar Allen Poe, his wife and his mistress, a fledgling poetess. I love poetry, so I’m really excited about this one.
Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins. Kristan is a long-time favorite of mine. She is a genius when it comes to writing romantic comedy.
The Art of Falling by Kathryn Craft, about an injured dancer who uses her love of movement to pick up the pieces and start her life over. I love to dance and take dance lessons myself, so when I heard about this one, I picked it up immediately.
Title and author of the latest book you read?
The One & Only by Emily Giffin. Emily is one of my favorite authors. In fact, as I’m writing this I’m sitting in a hotel in Houston because a friend of mine road-tripped here with me to attend Emily’s signing. We heard her speak, got our books signed and then went out for a great Italian dinner at a really cute artsy Italian place. Red wine, pasta and words. My kind of evening.
Five favorite things to do on a weekend?
Read, go to movies, knit, binge on reruns of The Gilmore Girls and dance. I take ballet barre classes and also dance in a belly dancing company.
Your favorite desert or snack?
That’s easy…cupcakes. I write in a cupcake bakery in my neighborhood. It’s like my office. It’s called Bird Bakery and is incredibly gorgeous. The décor makes me feel like I’m in Paris, and the people there are so good to me. Ooh la la.
Last song you listened to?
For a few days now, I’ve been listening to the soundtrack of The Fault in Our Stars on constant repeat in my car. The music is great. Soulful and melancholy. I love John Green’s book. It was one of my favorite reads last year, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie when it comes out later this week!
Best book signing moment?
At my launch party for Unmasking Juliet two weeks ago, I had a reader attend via Skype. It was a reader named Dawn who follows me closely on Facebook. She lives in another city, but her daughter lives in San Antonio, so she brought Dawn along on her cell phone! It was great. She made me stand up, back away from the phone and twirl around so she could see my dress and my shoes. I loved it.
Teri Wilson grew up as an only child and could often be found with her head in a book, lost in a world of romance and exotic places. As an adult, her love of books has led her to her dream career—writing. Now an award-winning romance author, when Teri isn’t traveling or writing, she enjoys baking, ballet, knitting and having fun with friends, family and her four dogs. Teri lives in San Antonio, Texas, and loves to hear from readers! She can be reached through her website at www.teriwilson.net
~~~
Thank you, Teri for sharing with us today! Such a pleasure to have you visit! Readers, I hope you enjoyed hearing from Teri and please be sure to look for her book. You’re in for a treat!
To help Teri celebrate her new release, I’ve got a great summer treat for you! I’m giving away an Amazon gift card along with a totebag full of really great summer reading, cool treats and reader goodies and a copy of Teri’s Unmasking Juliet! For a chance to win, tell me if you’re a fan of Romeo and Juliet’s love story, or tell me what book you’re currently reading! Contest runs through Thursday night with winner announced on Friday. Good luck!
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00050]](https://janeporter.com/archivedblog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Callen_Rodeo2_Final_medium-672x1024.jpg)
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00050]](https://janeporter.com/archivedblog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SummerFair6_Ankrum_Final_medium1.jpg)
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00050]](https://janeporter.com/archivedblog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/FOR-LOVE-OF-A-COWBOY.jpg)
My July 18th Tule Publishing release, 
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00050]](https://janeporter.com/archivedblog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/SummerFair4_Salonen_Final_medium.jpg)
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00050]](https://janeporter.com/archivedblog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/SummerFair1_Thompson_Final_medium.jpg)
Recent Comments